Good times roll

TORONTO -- Mick Jagger was the undisputed host last night of SARS-stock, or as he called it "the biggest party in Toronto's history!"

"You're here and we're here, and Toronto's back -- it's booming," proclaimed the 60-year-old rock icon at Downsview Park.

But by the time the Rolling Stones got started at 10 p.m, about 15 minutes later than scheduled with Start Me Up, the crowd seemed ready to wind down.

Standing in a large field under the blazing sun for 12 hours -- gates opened at 8 a.m. and the sun didn't really start to go down until 8 p.m. -- will do that to you.

Still, Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood and drummer Charlie Watts, eventually warmed to the task of reviving the masses with such classics as Brown Sugar, Tumblin' Dice, Ruby Tuesday, You Can't Always Get What You Want, It's Only Rock And Roll and Sympathy For The Devil.

And, eventually, the audience responded. Or at least those who weren't fleeing the grounds in droves trying to avoid the crush of the crowd once the Stones left the stage.

"It's a fantastic night, it's a fantastic time," Jagger said. "You've made us feel really welcome tonight. You've always made us feel welcome in Toronto.

The Stones interrupted their European tour to come across the Atlantic and play in the city where they've rehearsed for three world tours and often played surprise club shows.

The first real surprise of last night was the presence of Justin Timberlake on Miss You, although The Toronto Sun yesterday had exclusively reported the duet would occur.

Unfortunately, Jagger and Timberlake didn't really mesh in terms of style, particularly when Timberlake inserted the chorus of his song, Cry Me A River, into the Stones' disco-inflected chestnut.

Another strange twist was when Richards -- "Unexpected visit, huh?" were the only words I was initially able to make out -- took over lead vocals on a cover of the standard Nearness Of You.

Richards did much better on Happy.

"It's good to be back," he said. "It's good to be anywhere!"

The only other guest to join the Stones -- although U2 frontman Bono was reportedly sighted on the grounds -- was AC/DC guitarist Angus Young who returned to the stage for a cover of B.B. King's Rock Me Baby.

Young's brief appearance was enough to re-energize the crowd and sustain them through three more Stones classics Honky Tonk Women, Satisfaction and Jumpin' Jack Flash.

FANTASTIC, SAYS MICK

Not all the politicians were in the VIP section. Some of them were booked to play. Case in point, ladies and gentlemen, your headliners, the Rolling Stones.

"Welcome to Canada!" Mick Jagger yelled cheerfully to the backstage crowd of press, unleashing a string of "fantastics" in a fleeting meeting just before the Stones' headline set.

"I saw the crowd from the back of the stage and it looked fantastic," he said. "One of the most fantastic things we've ever seen. It is the biggest crowd we've ever played to, so it is a fantastic event."

But historic? "Well, in terms of numbers," he said. "But I'm not writing history. You have to do the day first."

For his part, Keith Richards (Charlie Watts and Ron Wood contributed little but bemused smiles) summed up his emotions thus: "I'm just waking up, and it feels great! It's a big day for everybody."

Jagger allowed as to how one or more of his daughters had made their way to the wings to watch Justin Timberlake. Asked for details of the clan in tow, he said enigmatically "We have tons of family everywhere! They're all here!" he said, indicating the carpet of humanity not far away.

Hard to argue with that.

Spector Case Hitting a Wall?

Nearly six months after being implicated in the death of a B-movie actress, record producer Phil Spector remains as unchained as one of his famous melodies.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide investigators have yet to conclude their probe into the alleged slaying of Lana Clarkson, found shot in the head February 3 at Spector's castle-style retreat in a Los Angeles suburb.

As a result, Spector next week likely will receive a one- to two-month extension on his stay-out-of-jail pass. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday.

Spector, arrested in connection with the Clarkson case, has been free on $1 million bail since shortly after the killing. No charges have been filed.

Sheriff spokesman Lt. Dan Rosenberg tells the Associated Press his department is waiting on crime-lab reports.

Without those reports, sheriff's investigators can't pass along their case to prosecutors, and without the case, prosecutors can't decide whether to file charges, or not.

A call seeking comment Spector's attorney, O.J. Simpson defender Robert Shapiro, was not returned Wednesday morning. The lawyer for Clarkson's family declined comment.

Spector, for one, is on the record as saying he did nothing wrong.

In an interview in the July issue of Esquire, the 62-year-old music mogul who constructed the "Wall of Sound" around a box-set's worth of 1960s hits, including "Unchained Melody," "Be My Baby," and "He's a Rebel," said Clarkson shot herself.

Spector described the 40-year-old star of Barbarian Queen as being "loud" and "drunk" the night of her death. In the end, he said, "she kissed [a] gun."

In the magazine, Spector, a renowned gun collector who once reputedly pulled a firearm on the Ramones, said he didn't know where Clarkson got the weapon, or why she pulled the trigger. Reports say the two met the night of February 2 at the House of Blues on L.A.'s Sunset Strip, where Clarkson worked.

Homicide detectives seemingly have ruled out the suicide theory, saying they believe a crime was committed.

Rock 'N' Roll Pioneer Sam Phillips Dies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Sam Phillips, who discovered Elvis Presley and helped usher in the rock 'n' roll revolution, died Wednesday. He was 80.

Phillips died at St. Francis Hospital, spokeswoman Gwendolyn McClain said. No details were immediately available about the cause of death or how long he had been hospitalized.

Phillips founded Sun Records in Memphis in 1952 and helped launch the career of Presley, then a young singer who had moved from Tupelo, Miss.

He produced Presley's first record, the 1954 single that featured "That's All Right, Mama" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky."

"God only knows that we didn't know it would have the response that it would have," Phillips said in an interview in 1997.

"But I always knew that the rebellion of young people, which is as natural as breathing, would be a part of that breakthrough," he said.

Phillips was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2000, the A&E cable network ran a two-hour biography called "Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll."

"When I first heard Elvis, the essence of what I heard in his voice was such that I knew there might be a number of areas that we could go into," Phillips said.

Presley was good with ballads, Phillips recalled, but there was no need to challenge the established balladeers like Perry Como, Frankie Laine and Bing Crosby.

"What there was a need for was a rhythm that had a very pronounced beat, a joyous sound and a quality that young people in particular could identify with," he said.

By 1956, when Phillips sold Presley's contract to RCA for $35,000, the rock 'n' roll craze had become a cultural phenomenon and a multimillion-dollar industry.

"It all came out of that infectious beat and those young people wanting to feel good by listening to some records," Phillips said.

Presley died in 1977 at age 42.

Phillips began in music as a radio station engineer and later as a disc jockey. He started Sun Records so he could record both rhythm & blues singers and country performers, then called country and western or hillbilly singers.

His plan was to let artists who had no formal training play their music as they felt it, raw and full of life. The Sun motto was "We Record Anything, Anywhere, Anytime."

In the early days, before Presley, Phillips worked mostly with black musicians, including B.B. King and Rufus Thomas.

After the success of Presley on Sun, others who recorded for the label under Phillips included Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty and Charlie Rich.

"We were starting from scratch together," Phillips said in 2000.

He got out of the recording business in 1962 and sold Sun Records in 1969 to producer Shelby Singleton of Nashville. The Sun studio on Union Avenue in Memphis still exists as a tourist attraction.

In his later years, Phillips spent much of his time operating radio station WLVS in Memphis and others in Alabama. He stayed out of the limelight except for some appearances at Presley-related events after Presley's death.

"I'll never retire. I'm just using up somebody else's oxygen if I retire," he said in an Associated Press interview in 2000.

Born Samuel Cornelius Phillips in Florence, Ala., Phillips worked as an announcer at radio stations in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and Decatur, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn., before settling in Memphis in 1945. Before founding Sun Records, he was a talent scout who recommended artists and recordings to record labels such as Chess and Modern. He also worked as an announcer in Memphis.

His sons Knox and Jerry also were record producers.

Fans line up outside T.O. Stones show

TORONTO (CP) -- Lying on a patch of dried grass just outside Downsview Park, a tired-looking Haley Rose is gearing up for the massive Rolling Stones concert Wednesday.

The 20-year-old university student and two friends drove to the concert venue some 260 kilometres from Kingston, Ont., to find themselves first in line Monday evening for the big show.

But they weren't alone for long. Twenty-four hours before the all-day music festival was to begin, other fans were also in a queue waiting to enter the 320-hectare field that will host the spectacle.

By noon Tuesday, about two dozen people were camped outside one of three gates, some draped in Canadian flags, others in Stones T-shirts.

For Rose, the event is much bigger than an economic recovery project for Toronto in the aftermath of a SARS outbreak that hit the city in March.

"Nothing can beat Woodstock but this will be close," she said. "We planned our trip the second tickets went on sale. I saw the Stones in October and they were awesome. I want to see them again."

For others the inconvenience and stress of sleeping outdoors without any camping gear except blankets (in accordance with concert rules and regulations) is worth the chance of seeing their idols up close.

"It's a big band. I don't want to be in the back and have to watch screens. That's not why I came," said Erin Emms, from Orillia, Ont., who was ninth in line after arriving at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Inside Downsview Park, a large sign emblazoned with the word Toronto in giant red letters hung over the concert stage, the middle "o" replaced with a picture of the Stones' trademark tongue logo. An enormous Canadian flag was draped across the back wall of the stage.

The Rolling Stones' production director said the band was looking forward to the show, which he promised would be monumental.

"This is a huge undertaking," Jake Berry said at a sunny outdoors news conference in front of the stage, where construction crews were busy with last minute details. "We're going to be the size of Woodstock."

However, Woodstock was planned in a year, he noted.

"We just call this Woodstock in a month here," he joked. "This is going to be superb. It's the biggest rock show in the world."

Further down the way, crews were busy setting up barbecue stations. Signs reading "Sticky Fingers," and "Award winning baby back ribs" adorned the section dubbed the Quarter Mile BBQ.

Chefs from as far away as Florida will be selling all Canadian beef products including things like steak on a bun.

"We're just trying to do a good job with beef," said Larry Murphy, from Alabama who will be serving beef all day Wednesday.

Up to 450,000 people were expected to attend the concert, which begins at noon Wednesday and is aimed at boosting Toronto's economy.

Nine video screens and 36 sound delay towers will ensure all attendees, including 45,000 U.S. ticket holders, can watch and hear the concert, said Berry.

The headline act Rolling Stones arrived in Toronto on Monday night to a welcoming party of about 100 fans waiting outside the Four Seasons hotel downtown.

The band will be playing a 90-minute set to close out the show, which begins at noon. Other acts include Justin Timberlake, AC/DC, the Guess Who, Flaming Lips and Isley Brothers.

Among the dignitaries taking part in the revelry: Premiers Ralph Klein of Alberta, Gary Doer of Manitoba, Lorne Calvert of Saskatchewan and Ernie Eves of Ontario, federal Health Minister Anne McLellan, federal Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief and Liberal leadership hopeful Paul Martin.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien wasn't scheduled to attend although some organizers said he may make a surprise appearance.

THE 'GIGLI' IS UP

By RUSSELL SCOTT SMITH

'I was shocked," says "Good Morning America'''s Joel Siegel. "It's very bad storytelling."

"It's horrible," moans Roger Friedman of Foxnews.com. "The worst movie ever made."

And those two made it to the end of Monday night's screening of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's ultra-hyped "Gigli." More than one person walked out.

The buzz on Ben and Jen's first movie is so bad - think Madonna's "Swept Away" - Revolution Studios even had trouble filling the L.A. premiere, giving seats usually reserved for stars to the fans waiting outside.

"It's definitely not a fastball down the middle," Revolution partner Tom Sherak admitted to The Post. "It's a curve ball."

So how to get people to see it?

"I think that our main point was always Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez," says Sherak.

Thus the trailers, the poster and endless promotion, which all have presented the movie as a gooey romantic comedy.

Turns out "Gigli" also contains stomach-churning violence and lots of gratuitous vulgarity. ("I counted Ben saying the F-word 15 times in the first 10 minutes!" Friedman says. )

Just so you know what you're getting yourself into, here's Pulse's guide to everything else you should know about "Gigli" that producers have been afraid to tell you.

1 - It's pronounced "jee-lee."

Not "giggly" or "jiggly," despite what you might think of J.Lo's backside. Revolution considered calling it "Tough Love," but went back to "Gigli," the last name of Affleck's character.

"We knew people would make fun of it," Sherak says, "but we decided that would be a good thing because it would get people talking.

"Of course, you can make yourself believe anything in this business."

2 - Yep, she's gay (Not that there's anything wrong with that).

You'd never know it from the trailer, in which J.Lo tells Ben, "You're not my type."

But her character is in fact a lesbian - at least at the beginning of the movie. Later, she changes her mind and beds down with Ben (who pulled off the same feat in 1997's "Chasing Amy").

3 - Al Pacino's role is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo.

Despite appearing in TV ads for "Gigli," Pacino is only on screen for about five minutes - a cameo he reportedly did as a favor to director Martin Brest, who directed his Oscar-winning role in 1992's "Scent of a Woman."

Even Christopher Walken - whom one critic dubs "the patron saint of bad movies" - shows up, delivering a rare bright spot, judging by the applause at Monday's screening.

4 - Yes, they airbrushed the poster.

The New York Post's Page Six report that the "Gigli" poster has been tinkered with to make J.Lo's butt look smaller and her breasts bigger wasn't entirely wrong.

"We didn't shrink her butt," says Sherak. "But in the original shot, her arm was alongside her body, blocking her curves. She didn't want people to think we were covering her up, so we manipulated it so her arm was on his shoulder."

5 - What chemistry?

Affleck and Lopez allegedly fell in love while making "Gigli" - but any on-screen proof is dampened by clunky dialogue.

Monday's audience burst into laughter during the seduction scene, when J.Lo spreads her legs for Ben and says, "It's turkey time. Gobble-gobble."

Brest and the studio decided to emphasize the romance, after test audiences didn't like the film's ending, in which (spoiler alert: don't read the rest of this paragraph) Ben's character died in a hail of bullets.

6 - It's finally here!

"Gigli" was supposed to open earlier this summer, but Revolution bumped it so the couple would have more time to publicize it - which they've certainly been making the most of.

The release was then moved again, from Wednesday to Friday, out of fear of bad reviews.

"We knew some people would like the movie and some wouldn't," Sherak admits.

Asked whether he likes "Gigli," Sherak launches into a long answer about what "nice people" the stars are. "I like watching them banter on screen," he says, "because I'm looking at two people I know and like so much."

But what about the movie?

"Well," he says, "I can't think of a single movie that I liked all the way through, can you?"

With reporting by Paula Froelich

"Nemo" Sinks Simba as Top 'Toon

Something fishy's going on at the box office.

It's only been nine weeks since audiences first found Finding Nemo, but already the Disney-Pixar joint has officially hooked the title of the highest-grossing 'toon of all time from Disney's The Lion King, according to box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.

The spunky G-rated underwater adventure reeled in $4.39 million over the weekend, bringing its total North American take to $313.1 million, surpassing The Lion King's $312.9 million in domestic ticket sales generated when that film was released in 1994.

"I don't think anyone expected this to happen, since The Lion King has held this distinction for so long and deservedly so," says Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. "It's a milestone."

And what's extraordinary is how much faster Nemo managed to reach those numbers, especially considering its stars--Albert Brooks, Willem Dafoe, Ellen DeGeneres and Allison Janney--are hardly marquee types.

"It's the coolest G-rated movie ever," added Dergarabedian. "This is a movie everybody can get behind and is appropriate for all audiences. Any audience can see this movie...[and] it's benefiting from a year where people are looking for some quality films."

Swimming into theaters May 30, the computer-animated fish flick netted $70 million its opening weekend, the best ever debut for a 'toon. Nemo's been packing 'em in like sardines and drowning rivals ever since.

Just look at what the little clown fish and pals did to DreamWorks' Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

Despite featuring the vocal talent of Brad Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the sailor 'toon grossed a paltry $6.9 million after opening over the July 4 holiday, but failed to come anywhere close to Nemo's $11 million catch that weekend.

"We're just thrilled," Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook tells the Los Angeles Times. "It's going to be the biggest animated movie of all time, not only domestically but around the world."

The Lion King took more than six months after its June '94 premiere to reach its tally. Simba & Co's initial run lasted three and a half months and a gross of $267 million. But it didn't actually hit the $312.9 million mark until Disney decided to rerelease the African-set tale for a second 17-week run the following November.

That tally also excludes the additional $16 million made when the Mouse House released an Imax version of The Lion King last Christmas (counting those numbers, Simba technically retains his box-office crown with $328 million in the bank). The numbers also don't take into consideration the price of tickets, which have gone up considerably since The Lion King lorded over theaters.

But no matter, says Dergarabedian, who notes that while "Lion King has probably sold more tickets, Nemo is still playing and far from done, so we don't know what it's ultimately going to do in terms of box office."

Every one of the Disney-Pixar collaborations—Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life and Monster's Inc.--have opened at number one and toppped $100 million in domestic ticket sales, an impressive track record.

With its can't-miss reputation, Pixar is currently seeking a bigger slice of profits from Disney now that the two companies are renegotiating their existing deal. Under that agreement, the two companies share marketing and production costs and split profits 50-50. However, the Mouse House ends up taking home substantially more because Pixar pays a 12.5 percent distribution fee. Disney also gets extra revenue for marketing and distributing VHS and DVD versions of the 'toons.

Pixar Chairman Steve Jobs is looking to strike a new deal that would give his company ownership of all its films while paying a distribution fee of less than 10 percent to Disney. Such a move has been similarly compared to the handsome contract George Lucas struck with 20th Century Fox over the new Star Wars movies.

Under its agreement with Disney, Pixar has two more 'toons in the pipeline--The Incredibles, due out in 2004, and Cars, scheduled for release in 2005.

TORONTO SARS CONCERT ORDER OF PERFORMERS

1:30 p.m.

* Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Have Love Will Travel Revue
* Sam Roberts
* Kathleen Edwards
* La Chicane
* Tea Party
* The Flaming Lips
* Sass Jordan with Jeff Healey
* The Isley Brothers
* Blue Rodeo

5:45 p.m.

* Belushi-Aykroyd and Have Love Will Travel Revue
* Justin Timberlake
* The Guess Who
* Rush
* AC/DC
* Rolling Stones

Angels Forever?

They came, they saw, they didn't quite conquer. Failing to heat up the summer box office, Charlie's Angels Full Throttle will get another chance to rake in the cash on October 14th, when Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment releases the hyperkinetic sequel in separate PG-13 rated and Unrated versions. Each retails for $27.95, and here's a teaser of what to expect on the unrated version: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, additional footage, a "telestrator" video commentary by director McG including a play-by-play dissection of scenes, multiple featurettes, a "Cameo-Graphy" to test viewers' knowledge of celebrity appearances and Pink's music video for "Feel Good Time." Watch for the full details in the weeks ahead.

Bond Is Back!

It may have taken a little while, but MGM Home Entertainment is finally set to re-release the Bond Collection 2 and Bond Collection 3 box sets on November 18th. Collection 1 is already available, and these remaining two sets will include the same special editions previously issued, even down to the cover art.

Collection 2 includes Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia with Love, THe Living Daylights, The World is Not Enough and You Only Live Twice. Collection 3 includes Die Another Day, Live and Let Die, Octopussy, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Thunderball and A View to a Kill. Each box retails for $124.95, while the individual titles have been newly repriced at $19.95 a pop. And - yep - after January 19th, Bond will go on moratorium yet again, so get 'em while you can. (Although word on the street is to expect newly remastered versions of all the flicks, most likely starting in 2005.)

Drunk Admits Driving on '20 Beers at Most'

BERLIN (Reuters) - An inebriated German driver's honesty cost him his license after he told police he had drunk "20 beers at most," authorities said Monday.

During a routine traffic check in the western city of Essen, police asked if the 25-year-old man had drunk anything. He answered: "Twenty beers at most if you want me to be perfectly honest, officer. But that's it, really."

Police carried out a breath test, confirming the man's claims, and confiscated his license. "I've no idea why he told them," said Raymund Sandach, a spokesman for Essen police. "Maybe because he was drunk."

Showbiz Auction Eyes $150,000 for Superman Suit

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Superman donned his red cape in the 1950s, he ran faster than a speeding bullet and was able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, but not even he could have known that his S-emblazoned outfit might fetch $150,000 at auction.

Los Angeles-based Profiles in History opens the bidding in an auction of Hollywood memorabilia on Thursday with some 360 items for sale from the Superman costume George Reeves wore in the 1950s TV show of the same name to the gloves Arnold Schwarzenegger used in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

While the auction features mostly items from science fiction movies and television shows, one piece up for grabs is Mel Brooks' first writing screenplay of the 1968 film "The Producers," an adaptation of which is now a hit stage play. It is expected to fetch between $8,000 and $10,000.

The Superman costume is the auction's centerpiece because it is one of only two authentic George Reeves Superman suits known to exist, said Profiles' Chief Executive Joseph Maddalena.

"I can't think of a more important TV show costume," said Maddalena, adding he expects the auction to bring in around $1 million in total with the costume going for about $150,000.

Maddalena said collecting show business material has become increasingly popular because it is more affordable than antiques and fine art.

Collecting goes in waves and currently Hollywood's sci-fi material is hot, he said. Last year, Profiles auctioned Captain Kirk's Command Chair from the "Star Trek" TV series for $306,000.

Authenticating pieces is made easier by the fact that many people who made or wore them are living. "The industry kind of polices me, and I work within the industry. If the material wasn't real, they would hang me," he said.

Or perhaps they would send Superman to do the job.

Bids can be made in person at Profiles in History's Beverly Hills office or online at eBay live auctions.

Schwarzenegger Close to Pulling Out of California Race

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, citing concerns about his family, is moving close to announcing that he will not run for California governor in a special October election, an aide said on Tuesday.

"There are still several things he needs to do to close the book on this, but that's the direction he is headed in right now," an aide, who asked not to be named, said.

"For all I know George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford could all call and say 'hey, we need you,' but I don't think a scenario is likely that would push him toward running."

Meanwhile, a federal judge in San Diego struck down a portion of the law for the Oct. 7 recall as unconstitutional but his ruling neither delays nor stops the two-part vote.

In the unprecedented election, Californians vote on whether to unseat Democratic Governor Gray Davis, who is unpopular for his handling of the state's record budget deficit.

After voting "yes" or "no" on the recall, voters could then go on to pick a replacement candidate. Under the ruling by San Diego Federal Court Judge Barry Moskowitz voters who declined to cast a ballot on the recall section of the ballot can also vote on a successor to Davis. The portion of the law that Moskowitz struck down had barred voters from voting on a successor if they had not participated in the recall vote.

Schwarzenegger, the former Mr. Universe turned Hollywood heavyweight, had initially suggested he would run as a Republican. Analysts said his name recognition and personal wealth gave him a strong shot at the job in a state where actor Ronald Reagan got his start in politics as governor.

FAMILY CONCERNS

Schwarzenegger's aide said the actor's wife, television news personality Maria Shriver, a niece of former President John F. Kennedy and a member of the nation's most prominent Democratic family, was against a run.

"She has concerns about their young children and the quality of life they would have by a father who would be engaged 20 hours a day in state government," he said.

"Now they are between five and 14, it's a time when you don't get those days back and it's a time when kids really need to be with their parents, and that's where I think she comes down."

The aide said Schwarzenegger, the star of the "Terminator" films, would make an announcement as early as this week.

Politicians have often cited family as the reason to leave the political stage -- for at least a while. Prior to the 1992 election, Al Gore said he would not run for president for family reasons, but when Bill Clinton asked him to run as his vice president, he had a change of heart.

Some analysts have said Schwarzenegger may also be wary of exposing himself to campaign attacks on his personal life.

A Schwarzenegger withdrawal from the race could open the way for former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, a moderate Republican who said he would not challenge the actor.

Also on Tuesday, multi-millionaire Republican Bill Simon Jr., who ran against Davis and lost in November, filed papers with the Board of Elections in preparation of trying once again. He said he had assembled his political team and was prepared to spend from his personal fortune to unseat Davis, a long-term veteran of California politics.

American Wedding Cake, Yes, but No More 'Pie'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The pie is gone, and in its place is a humble, albeit small, serving of maturity and wedding cake for dessert.

Movie "American Wedding," the third and final chapter -- its backers say -- in the wildly successful series of raunchy, male coming-of-age comedies that started with 1999's "American Pie," debuts in theaters on Friday.

But there will be no "American Baby" after Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) tie the knot in "Wedding." Nor will there be an "American Divorce," the movie's makers said in recent interviews.

"All the characters have gone from A-to-B. There is no more journey for them to take." said series creator and writer Adam Herz, 30. "We've watched them grow from kids to adults."

Even Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott), the oversexed troublemaker among the group of 20-something friends -- Jim, Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kay Thomas) -- does a little growing up in "American Wedding."

When the first "Pie" hit theaters, it was in the vanguard of then-popular "gross-out" comedies. Several scenes pushed the boundaries of good taste including one in which Jim, a virgin, uses his mother's homemade pie as a sexual aid.

But in the end, "Pie" served up a rather sweet message about high schoolers losing their virginity, and the storytelling helped boost its U.S. and Canadian ticket sales to $101 million and made it a hit.

In 2001, "Pie 2" had the friends on college summer break and primed for a raunchy sex romp. While it raked in $145 million in ticket sales, "Pie 2" won only mixed reviews.

Herz said the storyteller in him was not pleased with "Pie 2," so for "Wedding" he went back to what worked in the first film. It wasn't the gross-out humor -- though there is plenty of that in "Wedding" including a running gag about shaving pubic hair -- but rather it was an emotional tale of what people will do for love and for the ones they love.

YOU GOT TO HAVE HEART

"It's more like the first movie," said Biggs, "It's a movie with heart."

Eugene Levy, who plays Jim's geeky yet emotionally available father, called the new movie's recipe "raunchiness underpinned by the sentimentality of the wedding."

As the movie picks up, Jim has decided to pop the big question to Michelle, with whom he finally hooked up at band camp in "Pie 2." She, of course, says "yes" to his proposal.

What follows is a walk down a rather well-worn pathway to the altar. There is the telling of the good news to friends, the meeting of the parents, the choice of a best man and bridesmaid and selection of a wedding dress, a caterer and a chapel -- which is difficult if the groom is Jewish and the bride is not.

But that pathway in a "Pie" movie is anything but well-worn. In this case, the walk includes sex in public places, a bachelors' night out in a gay bar and a war of words and pranks between Stifler and Finch for the affection of Michelle's sister, Cadence (January Jones).

While Jim and Michelle's wedding is the movie's climax, the love triangle between Stifler, Cadence and Finch provides much of the movie's tension. To win Cadence's devotion, Stifler must curb his overactive libido, and by the movie's end he has learned a thing or two about devotion to friends and family.

In fact, much of "American Wedding" is devoted to Stifler growing from a man who behaves like an adolescent to a man who behaves, at least sometimes, like a man.
 
"He is the last guy to really come of age," said Herz.

Who Will be the Next Wonka?

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" introduced a generation of moviegoers to actor Gene Wilder who played the quirky lead character. He was kind and gentle with the Oompa Loompas, yet manic about his fizzy lifting drinks.

The adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book was directed by Mel Stuart in 1971 at the suggestion of his daughter. She loved the book so much that she decided her father should bring it to the screen.

The story takes place in a dreary nondescript town in Great Britain. An eccentric candy maker opens his factory to five lucky children who all find golden tickets in a Wonka bar. Little do they know, the child who shuns Mr. Slugworth will be rewarded with the factory.

Tim Burton ("Nightmare Before Christmas," "Beetlejuice") is set to direct his own version of the classic. Danny Elfman is set to score. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" begins filming next year in and around London; however a lead actor has yet to be announced.

Naturally, fans of the original are very opinionated about who could fill Wilder's shoes. Some adamantly oppose a remake at all.

Early reports speculate that it is a horse race between three actors: Johnny Depp, Michael Keaton, and Christopher Walken. All have worked with Burton on previous projects.

CODA

Former Iron Butterfly guitarist Erik Braunn died Friday of heart failure at age 52. Braunn played on the band's epic 1968 hit, "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida."

Cleaning Kate's House

Don't look for Katharine Hepburn's Oscars to pop up on eBay anytime soon.

The late acting great willed them to an undisclosed charity.

That's just one of the tidbits to emerge from Hepburn's last will and testament, which was obtained Monday by the Smoking Gun.

Hepburn, who died last month at the age of 96, bequeathed most of her estate to family and friends.

Per her will, written and signed in January 1992 and updated with a six-page addendum in March of '94, Kate's estate will mostly be divvied up between her sister Margaret, brother Robert and descendants of her late siblings Richard and Marion.

According to a July 7 application filed in the the Connecticut Court of Probate by ABC News correspondent and Hepburn's friend and executor Cynthia McFadden, the value of Hepburn's personal property is estimated to be $800,000. But that's a low-ball number, since the "gross taxable estate" on her property is $10 million and a recent appraisal put the figure at closer to $20 million.

Hepburn's siblings and their descendants will each receive a quarter of the sales of her homes in New York City and Connecticut. A nephew and a grandniece will each receive $100,000 trusts in their names.

Among her close friends and associates, Hepburn doled out $200,000 to longtime housekeeper Norah Moore; $50,000 to accountant Erik Hanson; $5,000 to her literary agent, Freya Manson; and $10,000 to her close confidante McFadden, who was also bequeathed furniture from Hepburn's Manhattan townhouse, including an 18th century oak dresser and two works of art, one painted by Hepburn herself. Another portrait was given to the National Gallery of Art.

Hepburn also set aside a piece of her 7.17-acre waterfront residence in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to local or state officials or a select "environmental or conservation organization" to "protect the lot from development...for the benefit of the general public."

Hepburn honored her roots on both stage and screen with matching $10,000 donations to the Actors Fund of America and the Motion Picture and Television Fund. She also conferred another $10,000 to the Episcopal church in Maryland where her grandfather once served as a clergyman.

Her personal belongings--jewelry, furniture, clothing, cars, rugs, pictures, books, silver, china and artwork--were to be divided up among family and friends. Hepburn earmarked some items for charity and gave permission for them to be auctioned.

Then there are those Oscars--Hepburn won a record four Best Actress statuettes--which apparently won't be on the block. She requested the Oscars, along with an extensive memorabilia collection that includes scripts, photos, letters, costumes, clippings and scrapbooks to a "charitable organization" to be determined by McFadden. She also gave said charity permission to publish her "manuscripts, letters or other personal papers or records" should they choose to do so.

Today's New Releases

After weeks of out and out garbage, this week finally sees new titles that are actually worth watching debuting on video and DVD. Most notably is a movie I thought was great, but others didn't like at all. I'm talking about DAREDEVIL and I'm watching some of it even as I write this. Wow, Jennifer Garner is awesome!

Okay, so without further adieu, here are the major new DVD and Video releases for Tuesday, July 29th, 2003:

DAREDEVIL - A blind man uses his radar super power to fight crime in this superb comic book adaptation. And even if you don't liek BEn Affleck as Daredevil, and think that Colin Farrell is too over the top as Bullseye, I assure you that you will totally enjoy what Jennifer Garner does. Even when she is just standing still! (Ben Affleck, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner)

Piglet's Big Movie - Piglet goes missing and the gang must search for him. Unless you have no heart you'll enjoy this. So will teh kids. (John Fiedler, Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom)

Solaris - Strange and deadly things are going on aboard space station. Unfortunately they are also boring, slow moving and moody. Unless you are a fan of the actors in the movie, or director Steven Soderbergh, stay away from this space station! (George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies)

The Quiet American - A young Vietnamese woman must choose between two suitors. Michael Caine was Oscar nominated for his work in this movie I have yet to see. (Brendan Fraser, Michael Caine, Rade Serbedzija)

Spider - The plot is this: As a child, a man watches his father murder his mother. The film was directed by Canadian David Cronenberg but since it didn't get a large Canadian theatrical release many of us haven't seen it. Now's our chance! (Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne)

XX/XY - Three New Yorkers enjoy the pleasures of youth. I just wish I could enjoy the pleasures of Kathleen Robertson. (Mark Ruffalo, Kathleen Robertson, Maya Strange).

Actor Campbell Escapes Weekend Accident

RUCH, Ore. - Actor Bruce Campbell, whose credits include "Evil Dead," "Hercules," "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Spider-Man," suffered minor injuries in a weekend accident.

Campbell, 45, of Jacksonville, was driving late Saturday when his car was struck by a Jeep driven by 36-year-old Steven M. Sellars of Medford.

Sellars, who was ejected from his vehicle and struck the windshield of the Explorer, was listed in critical condition Sunday with head injuries.

Campbell, who has a cult following among horror film buffs, was treated at a local hospital and released.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department cited Sellars for driving under the influence of intoxicants, assault, failing to maintain lane of travel, driving with a suspended license and for outstanding traffic tickets.

Friends Recall Hope's Life of Laughter

LOS ANGELES - His name said it all.

Over the course of a full century — through economic hardship, four wars and civil unrest — Bob Hope kept people looking on the bright side.

"Isn't it strange that he gave everybody 'hope' all the time?" Mickey Rooney reflected Monday. "That meant he was giving himself."

Rooney, who appeared with Hope in the 1953 boxing comedy "Off Limits," said his slope-nosed co-star was always "on," always ready with a story, a quip or a smart remark. "Whenever we'd go before the camera or come off there'd be a joke or a laugh or something. Life was a laugh and a memory for Bob Hope," Rooney said

He made presidents laugh. He made servicemen laugh. He tickled the funny bones of little kids and grandparents, and teased with the risque without ever going dirty. He grew from a smart-alecky young man to a smart-alecky old man.

Bill Cosby compared Hope's life to a high-stakes poker game: "He played the heck out of his hand, and I tip my hat to him."

Phyllis Diller, a favorite comic foil for Hope, focused on life with him instead of life without him. After all, Hope was never good with drama.

"He had his long moment in the sun, a long moment," she said. "He lived such a healthful life, no wonder he lived to be 100. He didn't smoke or drink, and he had all that outdoor exercise.

"Plus," she added with a cackle, "you know, when you're that rich you don't have so much worry."

She was only half-joking. Hope amassed a fortune by investing his show-business earnings in real estate in California's San Fernando Valley, Palm Springs and Malibu. Forbes magazine in 1983 estimated his wealth at more than $200 million, although he denied it.

So why did he keep working into his 90s?

Steve Martin may have hit on the answer: "Bob Hope not only entertained millions for decades, but we could also see that he was entertaining himself."

Hope's influence stretched far beyond Hollywood.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan offered his thoughts about the comedian Monday: "I never met him, but he was a great man and he made lots of people happy."

Former President Ford lauded Hope for his "untiring devotion" to American servicemen. From World War II to Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm, Hope swaggered fearlessly through battle zones as if strolling the back nine of a golf course.

"Nobody did what he did. He went to every front line, trench, and foxhole in every major war. In the history of entertainment, no one gave back so much," comedian Sid Caesar said. "There wasn't anything Bob Hope wouldn't do for someone wearing an armed forces uniform."

Diller often accompanied him on his wartime tours to be the butt of his jokes as he compared her aging, skinny frame to the curvaceous beauties brought along for eye candy.

"He believed in our country and the principles of our country and democracy. That's why he had such a desire to pay back or alleviate the problems of the GIs. He had such an empathy with the fighting guys," Diller said.

He wouldn't have been any good carrying a gun or jumping into a foxhole.

"I don't think he would have been a good shot," Diller joked. "However, he was pretty good with that golf club."

Schwarzenegger Denies Pulling Out of Governor Run

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Mr Universe who is pondering a new role as Mr California Politics, has not decided yet whether to run for governor in a special Oct. 7 vote, an aide said on Monday.

The Republican star of the "Terminator" action films had suggested in recent weeks he would run if an unprecedented recall effort against California's Democratic Governor Gray Davis went forward. But on Monday Fox News television and a Sacramento Bee columnist quoted sources as saying the Austrian-born actor would not seek the position after all.

"There are reports in the media that Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided not to run in the California recall election. These reports are incorrect," Schwarzenegger's political adviser George Gorton said in a statement.

"Arnold spent the weekend continuing his due diligence regarding a possible run. He has made no decision at this time. He will continue to weigh the pros and cons with his family and will continue to seek the counsel of supporters and colleagues."

Media reports speculated that Schwarzenegger's wife, television news personality Maria Shriver -- a member of the nation's best known Democratic family as niece of former President John F. Kennedy -- opposed her husband's entry into high-profile politics.

The filing deadline for candidates seeking to replace Davis is Aug. 9.

Leading Democrats say they will not run in the Republican-backed recall vote. Among Republicans likely to run are Bill Simon Jr., who lost to Davis just last November. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, who spent $1.7 million of his own money to help qualify the recall petition against Davis, is already running to lead the nation's richest and most populous state.

The Oct. 7 ballot will ask Californians whether they want to remove Davis, who is unpopular over the state's record budget deficit, and in a second question, list replacement candidates. If voters recall Davis, the winner of the most votes on the second ballot will become governor.

Although Schwarzenegger has no experience in electoral politics, analysts say he could emerge as the strongest candidate because he could position himself as an outsider running against traditional insider Davis.

Meanwhile, Davis received a boost on Sunday night when the state senate voted to back a compromise $100 billion budget that puts off much of the pain of the current deficit to future years. The assembly is scheduled to vote on the matter this week and Davis has signaled he would sign it if it passed.

Entertainer Bob Hope Dies at 100

LOS ANGELES - Bob Hope, ski jump-nosed master of the one-liner and favorite comedian of servicemen and presidents alike, has died, just two months after turning 100.

Hope died late Sunday of pneumonia at his home in Toluca Lake, with his family at his bedside, longtime publicist Ward Grant said Monday.

The nation's most-honored comedian, Hope was a star in every category open to him — vaudeville, radio, television and film, most notably a string of "Road" movies with longtime friend Bing Crosby. For decades, he took his show on the road to bases around the world, boosting the morale of servicemen from World War II to the Gulf War.

President Bush said Monday that "the nation lost a great citizen" with Hope's death.

"Bob Hope served our nation when he went to battlefields to entertain thousands of troops from different generations," the president said. "We extend our prayers to his family. God bless his soul."

Hope perfected the one-liner, peppering audiences with a fusillade of brief, topical gags.

"I bumped into Gerald Ford the other day. I said, `Pardon me.' He said, `I don't do that anymore.'"

He poked fun gently, without malice, and made himself the butt of many jokes. His golf scores and physical attributes, including his celebrated ski-jump nose, were frequent subjects:

"I want to tell you, I was built like an athlete once — big chest, hard stomach. Of course, that's all behind me now."

When Hope went into one of his monologues, it was almost as though the world was conditioned to respond. No matter that the joke was old or flat; he was Bob Hope and he got laughs.

"Audiences are my best friends," he liked to say. "You never tire of talking with your best friends."

He was admired by his peers, and generations of younger comedians. Woody Allen called Hope "the most influential comedian for me."

Hope earned a fortune, gave lavishly to charity and was showered with awards, so many that he had to rent a warehouse to store them.

Through he said he was afraid of flying, Hope traveled countless miles to entertain servicemen in field hospitals, jungles and aircraft carriers from France to Berlin to Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. His Christmas tours became tradition.

He headlined in so many war zones that he had a standard joke for the times he was interrupted by gunfire: "I wonder which one of my pictures they saw?"

So often was Hope away entertaining, and so little did he see his wife, Dolores, and their four adopted children, that he once remarked, "When I get home these days, my kids think I've been booked on a personal appearance tour."

Hope had a reputation as an ad-libber, but he kept a stable of writers and had filing cabinets full of jokes. He never let a good joke die — if it got a laugh in Vietnam, it would get a laugh in Saudi Arabia.  

On his 100th birthday, he was too frail to take part in public celebrations, but was said to be alert and happy — and overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection. The fabled intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street was renamed Bob Hope Square, and President Bush established the Bob Hope American Patriot Award.

"He can't believe that this is happening and that he's made it to his Big 100," son Kelly Hope said at the time.

He was born Leslie Townes Hope on May 29, 1903, in Eltham, England, the fifth of seven sons of a British stonemason and a Welsh singer of light opera. The Hopes emigrated to the United States when he was 4 and settled in Cleveland. They found themselves in the backwash of the 1907 depression.

The boy helped out by selling newspapers and working in a shoe store, a drug store and a meat market. He also worked as a caddy and developed a lifelong fondness for golf. A highly competitive golfer, he later shot in the 70s and sponsored the Bob Hope Golf Classic, one of the nation's biggest tournaments.

Hope changed his name to Bob when classmates ridiculed his English schoolboy name.

He boxed for a time under the name Packy East — "I was on more canvases than Picasso" — and also tried a semester in college before devoting himself to show business. He quickly veered from song and dance to comedy patter, and his monologue routine was born.

By 1930, he had reached vaudeville's pinnacle — The Palace — and in the '30s he played leading parts in such Broadway musicals as "Roberta," "Ziegfeld Follies" and "Red, Hot and Blue," with Ethel Merman and Jimmy Durante. During "Roberta," he met nightclub singer Dolores Reade and invited her to the show. They married in 1934.

After a few guest radio spots, Hope began working regularly on a Bromo Seltzer radio program. In 1938, he was hired by Pepsodent to create his own show, and that led him to Hollywood.

Paramount signed him for "The Big Broadcast of 1938," in which he introduced the song that became his trademark: "Thanks for the Memory."

Soon he was teaming with Crosby in the seven "Road" pictures — "Road to Bali," "Road to Morocco," "Road to Zanzibar" and so on — playing best friends who lie, cheat and make fun of each other in comedic competition for glory and Dorothy Lamour.

In between, there were such pictures as "Cat and the Canary," "The Paleface," "Louisiana Purchase," "My Favorite Blonde," "That Certain Feeling," "I'll Take Sweden" and "Boy, Did I get a Wrong Number." He made 53 films from 1938 to 1972.

In 1950, he entered television, and his successes continued. Even 40 years later, he could be counted on to pull in respectable ratings. He also appeared more than 20 times at the Academy Awards, first on radio and than on television, as presenter, cohost or host between 1939 and 1978.

Hope started playing to troops well before the United States entered World War II.

He tried to enlist, but was told he could be of more use as an entertainer. He played his first camp show at California's March Field on May 6, 1941, seven months before Pearl Harbor.

His traditional Christmas tours began in 1948, when he went to Berlin to entertain GIs involved in the airlift.

"It's as if every one of them was his kid brother," Mrs. Hope once said.

His 1966 Vietnam Christmas show, when televised, was watched by an estimated 65 million people, the largest audience of his career. But his initially hawkish views on Vietnam opened a gap between the comedian and young Americans opposed to the war, who sometimes heckled him.

Later, Hope said he was "just praying they get an honorable peace so our guys don't have to fight. I've seen too many wars."

In 1990, he traveled to the Persian Gulf to entertain troops preparing for war with Iraq. Because Saudi Arabia bars female entertainers, he had to leave Marie Osmond and the Pointer Sisters behind in Bahrain.

Hope never had a regular straight man, but he worked often with crooner Crosby, first in radio, where they developed a routine of insulting each other merrily. Crosby helped make Hope's nose famous as a "droop snoot" and a "ski run." For his part, Hope replied: "Only in Hollywood could a meatball make so much gravy."

Hope's awards included scores of honorary degrees; special Oscars for humanitarianism and service to the film industry; the George Peabody Award; the National Conference of Christians and Jews Award; and the Medal of Freedom from President Johnson. He received honorary knighthood from Britain in 1998.

He was the author or co-author of 10 books, including his 1990 autobiography, "Don't Shoot, It's Only Me."

Hope's 85-year-old nephew, Milton Hope, said Monday he hopes his uncle is remembered not just for his jokes, but also for donating his money and time to charities.

"All I can say is he sure made a lot of people happy," Milton Hope said from his home in Aurora, Ohio.

In the mid-'90s, Hope played charity dates around the nation, but he seemed to slow his schedule. What was billed as his last NBC special, "Laughing with the Presidents," focusing on his long friendships with many occupants of the White House, appeared in late 1996. His more than 60-year association with the network was said to be a record.

In recent years, his hearing eroded, although he refused to wear a hearing aid. He suffered recurring eye problems, once remarking: "I've got a hemorrhage in the right eye now, and I used to have one in the left eye. I'm a walking hemorrhage."

Until increasing frailty slowed him down, Hope repeatedly pledged never to quit entertaining.

"I'm not retiring until they carry me away," he said. "And I'll have a few routines on the way to the big divot."

Congratulations To Dave and Mags! Well Done!!!

Grace Chant
Born July 27th 2003 @ 0930
Weight 6 lb / 2888 g
Apgars 9+9

Mom and Baby are doing great.

Wanna see some pictures?

Dido Dishes On 'White Flag'

It's been an emotionally difficult year for Dido, and the music on her forthcoming Life For Rent album will reflect some of that pain. The set's first single "White Flag" deals with Dido calling off her engagement with long time boyfriend Bob Page.

Dido tells the London Sun the song is an apology to Page for breaking his heart. "It was a big decision not to get married...," says Dido. “We're still friends, we still get along amazingly well and he's still the love of my life."

Dido called off the wedding due to a chaotic touring schedule, and the demands of her career.

Life For Rent is due out in the U.S. on September 30.

The album is the follow-up to No Angel, which was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) with worldwide sales of more than 12 million copies.

'Nemo' floats DVD, outswims the rest

Finding Nemo is expected to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time today, the same day Disney announces plans for the Nemo DVD.
Since opening May 30, Nemo has grossed $312.7 million.

Since opening May 30, Nemo has grossed $312.7 million, just shy of Disney's 1994 hit The Lion King, which made $312.9 million. Nemo is already the biggest film of 2003.

"Who would have thought? It's pretty wild and we're all pinching ourselves," Nemo writer/director Andrew Stanton says. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker co-wrote all four previous Disney/Pixar films including Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.

The two-disc Nemo DVD will hit stores Nov. 4. Among the highlights: a Jean-Michel Cousteau documentary of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where the film is set; a fish encyclopedia; deleted scenes; a cool option that allows you to turn your TV into a virtual aquarium; and a sneak peek at the next Disney/Pixar film, The Incredibles, opening November 2004.

As for Nemo's future, there are no plans for a sequel — yet. "We're not going to let the hype influence us into making rash decisions," Stanton says. "If there is a sequel, it will happen when there's a story that's equal or better than the first."

ON TOP OF THE HEAP

Fox renewing King of the Hill for a ninth year, through 2004-05 season.

SPLITSVILLE

...After a year of wedded bliss, lawsuits and general kookiness, Liza Minnelli and David Gest have separated, according to her publicist. No immediate word on whether they plan to divorce.

PASSING

Director John Schlesinger, who won an Oscar for helming Midnight Cowboy, died Friday, a day after he was been taken off life support. He was 77. The director had been in ill health since suffering a massive stroke in December 2000.

WHAT A DRAG IT IS GETTING OLD

Mick Jagger celebrating his 60th birthday Saturday with a private party in Prague, where the Rolling Stones are midway through their 40 Licks tour. On Sunday, the dino-rockers will play a gig at the Prague National Stadium for 60,000 fans.

Cartoon 'Futurama' Ending After 4 Seasons

NEW YORK - A prediction: Viewers eons from now will give "Futurama" the credit it deserves today.

Oh, it may not make them laugh. But when the show's time finally comes, this shrewd cartoon series could well be endorsed as an accurate picture of life, circa A.D. 3000.

For now, however, we ancients of the 21st century who love it will continue to celebrate "Futurama" as unbeatable satire — even as its prime-time cycle nears an end.

Fortunately, "Futurama" reruns air on Cartoon Network at 11 p.m. EDT Sundays through Thursdays as part of that network's "Adult Swim" program block. Next month, the second "Futurama" season will be released on DVD by Fox Home Entertainment.

And on the Fox network, the final three new "Futurama" episodes can be seen Sundays at 7 p.m. through Aug. 10.

Granted, four seasons in prime time is nothing to sneeze at — unless compared to "The Simpsons," still going gangbusters on Fox after 14 years.

Matt Groening's big "Simpsons" follow-up, "Futurama" has always been overshadowed by his brilliant first-born.

Who knows why? The verbal humor, sight gags, wicked cultural jabs and general irreverence that make "The Simpsons" great are found full-strength on "Futurama," as is spectacular voice talent (including Billy West, John DiMaggio and Katey Sagal).

What's more, "Futurama" took a bold step beyond "The Simpsons" (based as it is in Homer Simpson's hometown of Springfield) to take on the entire universe from a vantage point a thousand years away.

Its odd little band includes Fry, a twentysomething slacker who, on the first episode, inadvertently time-traveled from 1999 to 2999. There, in the city rechristened New New York, he fell in with Bender, a sarcastic robot-reprobate and Leela, a sexy, kick-boxing alien with a single large eyeball.

They work as the delivery crew for Professor Farnsworth, who at 160 years old is both a genius and senile, and happens to be Fry's great-(times 30)-nephew. One other notable is Dr. Zoidberg, a lobsterlike alien who serves as staff physician for Farnsworth's intergalactic FedEx.

Just these details should make it clear: "Futurama" goes anywhere, anytime, with every manner of creature and cargo, to deliver the laughs. And to drive home the show's bleakly funny lesson: Life as we know it (whatever the millennium or galaxy) is an exercise in lowered expectations.

Item: In mid-flight, Fry spots a planet and, hungry, wonders if it might have a restaurant.

"Don't get your hopes up," says Bender. "We're a billion miles from nowhere."

"Yeah," agrees Leela, eyeing the planet. "It's probably only got a Howard Johnson's."

In the future, clone candidates square off in meaningless elections. Santa Claus is a huge, evil robot who bellows threats like "Your mistletoe is no match for my TOW missile!" And nature is out of control (although, happily, nuclear winter has canceled out global warming).

Even death is a muddled institution. The heads of famous people from the past spend eternity alive, displayed in jars in a Head Museum where Richard Nixon ("I am not a crook's head!") can consort with George Washington, TV pitchman Ron Popeil or even Matt Groening.

"Futurama" informs us that, a thousand years from now, advertisements will be beamed into a sleeping person's dreams.

"That's awful!" says Fry. "It's like brainwashing."

"Didn't you have ads in the 20th century?" asks Leela.

"Not in our dreams!" replies Fry. "Only on TV and radio. And in magazines. And movies. And at ballgames. And on buses. And milk cartons. And t-shirts. And bananas. And written on the sky. But not in dreams! No sirree!"

Even when the "present day" of 3000 appears enlightened, any such sign of progress serves to underscore the follies of the "past."

For instance: Remember garbage, that signature of the 21st century? They don't in the future. No one knows what garbage is.

"We recycle EVERYTHING," Leela boasts to Fry. "Robots are made from old beer cans."

"Yeah," adds Bender, hoisting a brew, "and this beer can is made out of old robots!"

It falls to Fry to share long-lost techniques for littering. Just as, on another episode, he draws on 20th century logic to argue that TV should avoid all cleverness, since "clever things make people feel stupid, and unexpected things make them feel scared."

As viewers eons from now may discover, "Futurama" never bothered to take its own advice.

'Spy Kids' Outpaces 'Seabiscuit'

LOS ANGELES - The big story at the weekend box office was not which movie came in first — it was "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" with $32.5 million — but which of four possible contenders placed second.

Two new films — the Angelina Jolie adventure sequel "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life" and the true-life racehorse drama "Seabiscuit" — became locked in a virtual dead heat for the follow-up slot with the recent releases "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and the action-comedy "Bad Boys II."

Weekend earnings estimates Sunday placed all the films within $900,000 of each other. "There are four films here that could literally change places on Monday when we get the final figures," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Although No. 2 appeared too close to call, the prospective victor was "Pirates of the Caribbean," which estimates showed earning $22.4 million, followed by "Bad Boys II" with $22 million.

The "Tomb Raider" sequel ranked fourth with $21.8 million, less than half what the original film earned in its opening weekend June 2001, when it debuted with $47.7 million. Dergarabedian characterized the second "Tomb Raider" performance as further evidence of the unreliability of sequels this summer, comparing it with "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."

"Seabiscuit" came in fifth this weekend, with $21.5 million, although Universal Pictures argued the movie was running in a different race, since it showed on at least 1,200 fewer locations than each of its rivals.

Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution, characterized this weekend as a warm-up run for the movie, which will expand to more theaters next weekend. "This was to get the word of mouth to really sell the film," she said. "This picture is in for the long distance."

"Seabiscuit" was shown at about 1,989 sites, compared with "Spy Kids 3-D" at 3,344. The horse tale had the highest earnings per theater with $10,809 — compared with "Spy Kids 3-D," which had $9,719 and the other second-place competitors, which climbed no higher than $6,900.

"'Seabiscuit' was filling theaters," Dergarabedian said. "It was not in as many theaters as the others, but it filled more seats in those theaters."

"Spy Kids 3-D" nearly doubled the debut earnings of last summer's "Spy Kids 2." The film attracted a broader teenage audience with its paper blue-and-red tinted glasses, which made some images appear to pop off the screen, said Bob Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax Films, whose Dimension banner released the movie.

"Whatever they paid for those paper glasses was worth it," Dergarabedian said.

The top 12 movies earned $145.6 million, up about 10 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Austin Powers in Goldmember" was the top movie with $73 million. Weekend revenues this summer generally have trailed those of last year.

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. "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," $32.5 million
2. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $22.4 million.
3. "Bad Boys II," $22 million.
4. "Lara Croft: Tomb raider — The Cradle of Life," $21.8 million.
5. "Seabiscuit," $21.5 million.
6. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," $5 million
7. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," $4.9 million.
8. "Johnny English," $4.3 million.
9. "Finding Nemo," $4 million.
10. "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde," $2.7 million.

Sex Pistols Ready to Bring Anarchy to U.S.A.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Billboard) - Never mind the bollocks. Can the Sex Pistols sell tickets?

"That's a good question," says Jim Glancy, vice president for promoter Clear Channel Entertainment in New York. The answer will come soon enough; the punk pioneers embark on their first tour in seven years this summer.

The Pistols' John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon has no false illusions that tickets will fly out the window.

"They won't blow out," he says with a sneer. "We're just filling in between . And I don't care; I just do what I do. Bloody hell."

Despite punk's enduring popularity -- perhaps best exemplified by the consistently successful Vans Warped tour -- the Sex Pistols' drawing power remains somewhat of an enigma.

Not counting their ill-fated, seven-date 1978 fiasco, the band has only toured North America once, on 1996's Filthy Lucre reunion tour.

The absence makes the band a bit of an unknown entity. "I have a pretty good idea about what I'm gonna do with something like classic rock, modern rock or country," Glancy says, "but with the Sex Pistols, I have nothing to compare it to."

The Pistols package includes Dropkick Murphys and the Reverend Horton Heat. The tour is just 13 dates, beginning Aug. 20 at FleetBoston Pavilion in Boston and wrapping Sept. 7 at the San Diego Street Scene festival.

The 1996 reunion tour did "solid business," according to Ron Opaleski, agent for the Sex Pistols at the William Morris Agency. Only 11 shows from that tour were reported to Billboard Boxscore, with an average gross of $96,578 and average attendance per show at 4,143.

Lydon considers the '96 tour "very successful, but not money-wise. How would it be? We're the Sex Pistols, nobody likes us and we don't care."

So why reunite now?

"Who says we reunited?" Lydon asks. "We never separated. We don't need a reason for anything. Let the copycats sit around and come up with reasons for things."

Still, Lydon seems to think the time is right to spread a little anarchy in North America. "There is a vast amount of disenfranchised in America," he says. "It's important to let them know we're still here."

BACK FOR MORE

Glancy would like to do better than the 1996 average on his Aug. 21 show at Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Performing Arts Center in Wantagh, N.Y.

Break-even is between 5,000 and 6,000, and Glancy says the curiosity factor alone ought to be enough to hit that number. "I'd be disappointed if we didn't do 6,000-7,000," he says. Tickets are $27.50 and $47.50 for the Jones Beach show.

Elliott Lefko, VP of artist development for House of Blues Concerts Canada, promoted the Pistols in '96 and is looking forward to HOB's Aug. 25 Pistols show at Toronto's Molson Amphitheater.
 
Lefko says ticket sales are "about what we thought they would be" in the early going, at between 3,000 and 4,000. He says they ended up at about 5,000 in 1996, but the show was even more successful on another level.

"This was one of the best shows we've ever done here, not in terms of sales, but how the joint was rocking," Lefko recalls. "It seemed like the whole amphitheater was pogo-ing."

Lefko believes the Pistols tour fills an underserved niche. "This audience doesn't have much out there anymore," he says. "It's a really cool audience, but they're not gonna go see Korn or a lot of what's on the radio."

Individual promoter deals were cut in each market, with buyers including CCE, HOB and independents. "Everyone's really excited," Opaleski says. "This is a band that shaped the scope of contemporary music."

Lydon is not surprised that promoters came to the table. "They always do, mate," he says. "We need them, and they need us."

Despite the tour's brevity, it is unlikely other dates will be added. "We wanted to hit the major majors and keep it short and sweet," Opaleski says.

"This is all we could get," Lydon counters. "If we can get more along the way, we will."

The Pistol's production will be predictably low-fi. "There will be no twaddling about playing with knobs and all that," he says. "We're the smallest-equipped band possible, but we kick up a ferocious sound."

BIG IN BAGHDAD?

Lydon says he is indeed serious when asked about published reports that the Pistols want to play Baghdad.

"We're very, very interested in playing Baghdad, and we're meeting all kinds of denials and red tape," Lydon says. "I'm slowly cutting my way through it."

He adds: "If you want to give them democracy, do it properly. Give them the Sex Pistols. Wake up, America."

Lydon says the band would promote the show "as an act of charity," adding, "I don't do these things as a joke or a prank, as strange as that may sound to those of lesser mental abilities that really don't get the point of being alive."

Dropkick Murphys, a Boston-based, Celtic-tinged punk band, will hook up with the Sex Pistols following a stint on Warped, bringing some box-office clout of their own to the tour, particularly in their hometown.

According to Somers, "The last time Dropkick Murphys played Boston over St. Patrick's Day, they sold out four nights at the Avalon in advance -- over 8,000 tickets."

Lydon calls Dropkick Murphys "a good bunch of lads." But he is mostly unimpressed with today's punk artists.

"Britney Spears is as punk as that silly Lavigne bird," he says. "I never, ever cared for Green Day, with their ice cream van and huge video productions. As far as I'm concerned, anything that's MTV-led I worry about. MTV is like a headless chicken."

Lydon feels young punk acts might be well-served to see the Pistols in action this summer.

"We can't find sponsors, we don't have a record company. But we're still here. That might be a bloody good little education for anyone out there that wants to be a pop star. They shouldn't want to be. They should want to be something more serious -- a la us."

Yo! Joey Scores "Friends" Spinoff

Joey Tribbiani is leaving his Friends behind and heading to Hollywood.

Matt LeBlanc, twice Emmy-nominated for his role as the dim-witted wannabe actor, is going solo, inking a deal with NBC and producer Warner Bros. Television to star in a Friends spinoff, the parties announced in a joint statement Thursday.

As part of the package deal, LeBlanc will also star in two upcoming Warner Bros. movies.

In Joey, set to debut in Friends' longtime 8 p.m. Thursday slot starting in fall 2004, Joey heads out West to pursue his acting career.

"I'm pleased to say that NBC's wonderful relationship with such a once-in-a-decade series as Friends will continue in a sense but in a new direction that will keep it fresh," says NBC programming chief Jeff Zucker in a statement. "Matt's lovable character of Joey Tribbiani has come into his own in recent years on the series, and Joey's progression will continue as he emerges more on his own--we know that everyone will be rooting for him."

The idea of a Joey-centric spinoff were first floated last fall, with plans going into overdrive once LeBlanc and his Friends pals agreed to disband in May 2004 at the end of the upcoming 10th season.

With the Ross-Rachel storyline played out and Monica and Chandler married off, Joe became the show's most compelling character, and the perfect subject for his own series, the network says.

The network is hedging its bet for Joey by signing on Friends executive producers Kevin Bright, Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan to helm the spinoff.

For his part, LeBlanc says he can't wait to get started (and apparently bolster his already hefty bank account in the process).

"Matt is thrilled. Over the last couple of seasons, Joey has grown into such a rich character," said LeBlanc's publicist and lawyer on behalf of the actor, who is out of the country and unavailable for comment. "LeBlanc's arrangement with Warner Bros and the network is a complex deal of unprecedented proportion and includes, among other elements, a significant ownership position."

In other words: Cha-ching!

Of course, LeBlanc is going to have to prove he can score sans his Friends. So far, his non-Friends track record is abysmal. With the exception of his cameos in the two Charlie's Angels flicks, his film résumé includes such lowlights as Ed, the baseball comedy in which he starred opposite a chimp; the box-office black hole Lost in Space; and All the Queen's Men, where he starred as a soldier in drag.

But NBC is banking on the Friends pedigree. As the anchor of the Peacock's "Must-See" Thursday lineup since 1994, the show has won several Emmys and is up for 11 more this year, including Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for LeBlanc, his second straight nod. The sitcom remains TV's top-ranked sitcom and has averaged a whopping 21.8 million viewers during its nine-year run.

With both Friends and Frasier (which is, of course, the hugely successful spinoff of Cheers and what NBC hopes is a blueprint for Joey) on their way out at the end of the season, and CBS' CSI-Survivor Thursday roster seriously challenging in the Nielsens, NBC is desperate to come up with a new comedy franchise.

Already, the network's gambit seems to be working. Fans are peppering Internet chat boards with pro-Joey notices, delighted that Friends will live on, at least in part.

"Howww youuu doin'?" cheered one fan on a Yahoo board. "That's great--he's the best character on the show."

Missy Elliott Works MTV Vid Noms

Yeah, it's worth it for Missy Elliott to work it.

The rapper's efforts on her boot-knocking anthem "Work It" from her 2002 album, Under Construction, have paid off--she leads the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations with eight nominations, the music network announced Thursday.

Elliott's freaky music video, which features bumble bees, twisted trees and 360-degree head spins, is up for Video of the Year, Best Female Video and Best Hip-Hop Video. In the techie categories, it's nominated for Best Direction, Special Effects, Art Direction, Editing and Cinematography.

Close behind is Justin Timberlake with seven nominations for clips from his debut solo album, Justified (say bye-bye-bye 'N Sync), including two nods for his disco hit "Rock Your Body" and five for his lost love lament "Cry Me a River," featuring the boy bander's revenge on a cheating Britney Spears look-alike.

Next--and we're not making this up--Johnny Cash's version of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" racked up six nominations, including Video of the Year, Best Male Video and Best Direction.

"I am overwhelmed by this great honor," the unlikely VMA candidate said in a written statement. "I thank you all for thinking of me. It's been 48 years since I cut my first record and it's nice that people are still digging them up."

At this point you may be wondering just who determines the nominees? The selections are made by a pool of 500 music industry types and viewers, according to MTV. Fans will get their chance to weigh in by voting on the Viewer's Choice and MTV2 Awards categories.

Elliott, Timberlake and Cash will go head-to-head with Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and 50 Cent's "In Da Club," for Video of the Year. Both rappers received five nods apiece.

The odds look good for Elliott, a two-time VMA winner who's on a roll. Last week she was nominated for two Lady of Soul Awards for her sexy single; she'll appear in a Gap ad campaign, which kicks off July 28, alongside Madonna to the strains of "Get Into the Groove" remixed; Elliott's also working on her fifth studio album, which is scheduled to hit stores in November.

Other nominees with multiple chances at carrying home the gold (or at least gold-plate) include Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z, who upped their chances by collaborating on each others videos. The are-they-or-aren't-they couple nabbed four nominations for her single "Crazy in Love" and one nomination for his single "03 Bonnie & Clyde."

Alt-rock band the White Stripes bagged four nominations for "Seven Nation Army." Ditto for Radiohead, which tallied a quartet of noms for "There There." Meanwhile, newbie Kelly Clarkson managed to pick up three nods for her hit "Miss Independent" off her debut album Thankful, almost rivaling pop diva J.Lo, who earned a respectable four nominations for "I'm Glad."

Hosting the August 28 shindig is Chris Rock, with performances scheduled at New York City's Radio City Music Hall from Christina Aguilera, who scored four nominations of her own for "Dirrty," and Coldplay, which received three nods for "The Scientist."

Here's a rundown of the major categories:

Video of the Year:

* 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
* Johnny Cash, "Hurt"
* Missy Elliott, "Work It"
* Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
* Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me a River"

Best Male Video:

* 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
* Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
* Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me a River"
* Johnny Cash, "Hurt"
* John Mayer, "Your Body Is A Wonderland"

Best Female Video:

* Avril Lavigne, "I'm With You"
* Christina Aguilera featuring Redman, "Dirrty"
* Missy Elliott, "Work It"
* Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love"
* Jennifer Lopez, "I'm Glad"

Best Group Video:

* B2K and P. Diddy, "Bump, Bump, Bump"
* Good Charlotte, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
* The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
* Coldplay, "The Scientist"
* The Donnas, "Take It Off"

Best Rap Video:

* 2Pac featuring Nas, "Thugz Mansion"
* Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
* Nas, "I Can"
* 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
* Ludacris featuring Mystikal and I-20, "Move"

Best R&B Video:

* Aaliyah, "I Miss You"
* Ashanti, "Rock Wit U"
* Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love"
* Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland, "Dilemma"
* R. Kelly, "Ignition Remix"

Best Hip-Hop Video:

* Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey, "I Know What You Want"
* Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé, "03 Bonnie & Clyde"
* Missy Elliott, "Work It"
* Nelly, "Hot in Herre"
* Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell and Uncle Charlie Wilson, "Beautiful"

Best Rock Video:

* Evanescence, "Bring Me to Life"
* Linkin Park, "Somewhere I Belong"
* The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
* Good Charlotte, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
* Metallica, "St. Anger"

Best Pop Video:

* Avril Lavigne, "Sk8er Boi"
* Christina Aguilera featuring Redman, "Dirrty"
* Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me a River"
* Kelly Clarkson, "Miss Independent"
* No Doubt featuring Lady Shaw, "Underneath It All"

Best New Artist in a Video:

* 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
* Evanscence, "Bring Me to Life"
* Sean Paul, "Get Busy"
* All American Rejects, "Swing Swing"
* Kelly Clarkson, "Miss Independent"
* Simple Plan, "Addicted"

Best Video from a Film:

* Britney Spears featuring Pharrell of N.E.R.D., "Boys Co-Ed" from Austin Powers Goldmember
* JC Chasez, "Blowing Me Up [With Her Love]" from Drumline
* Eminem, "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile
* Madonna, "Die Another Day" from Die Another Day

Viewer’s Choice:

* 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
* Eminem, "Lose Yourself"
* Timberlake, "Cry Me a River"
* Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love"
* Good Charlotte, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"
* Kelly Clarkson, "Miss Independent"

MTV2 Award:

* AFI, "Girl's Not Grey"
* Interpol, "PDA"
* The Roots featuring Cody Chesnutt, "The Seed 2.0"
* Common featuring Mary J. Blige, "Come Close"
* Queens of the Stone Age, "No One Knows"

Breakthrough Video:

* Coldplay, "The Scientist"
* Sum 41, "The Hell Song"
* Queens of the Stone Age, "No One Knows"
* Floetry, "Floetic"
* Kenna, "New Sacred Cow"

McCartney slams KFC in newspaper ad

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (CP) -- Music legend Paul McCartney is joining PETA's battle against fast-food giant KFC, taking out a full page ad in the city's biggest newspaper to accuse the company of mistreating chickens.

"If KFC paid for dogs or cats to be treated the way these unfortunate chickens are treated, they could be charged with cruelty to animals," McCartney, a longtime vegetarian, says in the open letter to KFC that's to appear Thursday in the Courier-Journal in Louisville, KFC's corporate headquarters.

"These remarkable animals are deserving of at least a little kindness."

KFC has long denied claims from PETA, the animal rights group, that it mistreats chickens. A spokesman for KFC could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.

McCartney's letter to KFC's David Novak, the company's chief executive officer, challenges him to improve conditions for millions of KFC birds.

PETA claims KFC raises 750 million chickens each year in overcrowded, feces-filled sheds on "factory farms" and kills them in inhumane ways for KFC restaurants.

McCartney and PETA are calling on KFC to replace electric stunning and throat-slitting with painless gas killing, to phase out the forced rapid growth of chickens, and to implement automated chicken-catching, which they say would reduce the high incidence of bruising and broken wings and legs.

In May, the company said in a news release it would adopt "comprehensive industry-leading guidelines and audits for the humane raising and handling of poultry."

It also said KFC has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review a proposal on the feasibility of gas-killing chickens following PETA's suggestion.
McCartney's letter is the latest volley in PETA's so-called Kentucky Fried Cruelty Campaign.

Last week, musician Chrissie Hynde was among several people arrested while protesting at a KFC in Paris, where she was performing.

Earlier this month, PETA filed a lawsuit against KFC for allegedly making deceptive statements about the treatment of its birds.

Weezer Toiling On Numerous Projects

Weezer fans wouldn't be blamed for being a bit confused as to the group's working schedule. After releasing only two albums during its first seven years of existence, the band dropped the Geffen sets "Weezer" ("The Green Album") and "Maladroit" in May 2001 and May 2002, respectively. Now the Weezer camp is hard at work on a variety of projects.

First, the group is in the pre-production stages for its fifth studio album, cutting demos and rehearsing. It plans to start recording in the late summer or fall with, as previously reported, celebrated producer Rick Rubin.

Weezer has recorded a number of new tracks for compilations, and is working on a DVD, a special edition reissue of its debut album and a brand-new studio set. As previously reported, the group is contributing an unreleased 1995 demo titled "You Won't Get With Me Tonight" to "Gimme Skelter," a compilation album due in September from Buddyhead Records.

A live recording of "Why Bother" was included on the Petra Haden benefit double 7" on Vegas Records, and Weezer is also readying a newly recorded cover of Green Day's "Worry Rock" for the Green Day tribute "A Different Shade of Green," released this week by Skunk Ape Records.

The DVD is expected to be released by December but no details are yet available as to its content. The group's official Web site says the main content of the disc is finished, with a projected running time of more than three hours. The site also says the band is working on ideas for an expanded reissue of its 1994 Geffen debut, "Weezer" ("The Blue Album").

NBC has sitcom plans for 'Friends' pal Joey

LOS ANGELES — Joey Tribbiani is headed for California — and life without Friends.

NBC today plans to announce a deal with Matt LeBlanc to star in Joey, a Friends spinoff featuring one of the more beloved characters from TV's top-rated comedy.

The series, which won't include any other Friends cast members, will premiere in September 2004, almost certainly in the newly vacated Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/PT time slot, after Friends ends its 10th and final season in May.

No script has been written, but the show is believed to be based on a scenario in which Joey moves to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career, probably to be joined by a love interest and an ensemble cast.

Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane aren't involved in the project — they said last year that they had no interest in a spinoff — but partner and Friends veteran Kevin S. Bright will executive-produce the series along with Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan. They've written recent story lines about soap actor Joey, who has become a more prominent character in the past two seasons.

LeBlanc will take a significant pay cut from the roughly $1 million per episode that he'll make for the final season of Friends. And unlike with other star-driven series, he won't be a producer. But he'll have input into casting and earn a greater share of the show's profits if it's successful.

A Joey spinoff has been in the discussion stages for nearly two years but has been put off each time Friends has been extended for an additional season.

Yet Friends producers, Warner Bros. Television and NBC insist this will be the final season, with only 18 episodes produced instead of the customary 22.

All along they saw LeBlanc — who won his second Emmy nomination last week — as the likeliest spinoff character.

Top candidate Jennifer Aniston expressed zero interest in continuing the role of Rachel, and an idea to pair Joey with Matthew Perry's Chandler Bing in a buddy comedy was rejected as too limiting.

Either way, it's clear that NBC needs some help: The network hasn't found a new comedy hit since Will & Grace premiered in 1998, and both Friends and the fading Frasier will be history in May. With CBS winning Thursdays last season, NBC views Joey as an insurance policy to protect its most important night.

No one expects Joey to capture as large an audience as Friends, which averaged nearly 22 million viewers last season. And the history of successful comedy spinoffs is limited: For every Frasier (spawned from Cheers), there are several After M*A*S*Hes that quickly faded. Joey will be expensive by new-sitcom standards, costing NBC nearly $2 million an episode, but still far short of the $10 million that the network is shelling out for the final year of Friends.

BIG SCREEN-BOUND

Miramax joining forces with Archie Comics Entertainment to make Betty & Veronica, a live-action film based on the classic comic strip featuring the blond and brunette hotties.

HASTA LA VISTA, FILM CAREER?

Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to California from a promotional trip in Europe to file the necessary paperwork to run for governor should state officials certify the Republican-led recall drive against Governor Gray Davis.

Disney Inks Deal on Downloading Movies

LOS ANGELES - Scores of Disney films like "Chicago" and "Monsters Inc." will soon be available for downloading off the Internet through a licensing deal reached between the entertainment giant and online movie service Movielink, the companies said Wednesday.

The agreement between The Walt Disney Co. subsidiary Buena Vista Pay Television and Movielink was finalized last week. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal gives Movielink access to film titles from all the major studios except one — Twentieth Century Fox Studios — and boosts its library of digitized films to around 400 from the 175 the company had when it launched eight months ago.

Movies from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, Miramax and Dimension New Releases will be available through the service. Among the first releases will be "Gangs of New York," "The Recruit" and "The Jungle Book 2."

The first batch of Disney titles won't be available until August because they have to be transferred to a format for downloading, Movielink CEO Jim Ramo said.

Plans by Disney to develop a video-on-demand service called MovieBeam this fall are still on, a Disney spokeswoman said. Unlike Movielink, MovieBeam would deliver films directly to consumers' TVs through a set-top box.

Disney will set the retail price for the movie downloads, which typically range between $2.95 and $4.99, Movielink said.

The movie files can be viewed on a PC or on a television connected to a computer, but customers have a maximum of 30 days to begin watching their downloaded movie. Once they begin to do so, the movie can be viewed only over the next 24 hours.

A computer with a broadband Internet connection is necessary to use the service.

Cheech and Chong Take Another Hit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Think the Cheech & Chong film franchise ended with 1984's "Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers?" Think again.

The comedy duo is reuniting after 20 years for a new feature set up at New Line Cinema that will catch up with Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong's wacky stoner personas in the present day.

The untitled project is in the early stages of development at New Line. Marin and Chong already have worked out a story line and will pen the script along with an additional writer to be recruited by New Line. Robbi Chong, one of Chong's daughters, will serve as a producer on the project.

"The world is ripe and ready for a new Cheech & Chong movie, especially considering they have a whole new generation of fans out there," said New Line senior vp production Kent Alterman, who is overseeing the project alongside New Line production president Toby Emmerich. "They came in and told us that they're ready to do something again, which we think is a great idea."

After parting company in the mid-1980s, Marin and Chong started talking about working together again about a year ago when they realized that there was a lot of Cheech & Chong-related merchandise being sold -- particularly through the Internet -- that they weren't profiting from at all.

The two started talking with Marin's manager, Power Entertainment CEO David Goldman (who now also represents Chong), about pursuing a licensing deal. At the same time, Chong's daughters, Robbi and Rae Dawn Chong, had written a script for a feature that included roles for two Cheech & Chong-esque characters.

That got them thinking about the prospect of reuniting onscreen (though the Chong sisters' script is not the basis for the New Line project), and they quickly realized that they were still very much in sync as writers and performers.

Marin, who is busy preparing for the start of production on his new Fox sitcom "The Ortegas," said the two have been approached many times over the years to reunite, but the timing never felt right. After their partnership broke up, Marin maintained a laser-like focus on establishing himself as a successful actor in his own right.

"The time finally came where I felt I had distanced myself enough from the old Cheech persona; people have accepted me as an actor," said Marin, who starred opposite Don Johnson in the CBS cop show "Nash Bridges" from 1996-2001. "I think Tommy and I have a better understanding of each other now, too. Creating with him again is the easiest thing I've ever done. It's so intuitive for us."

Chong, who most recently has been seen in a recurring role on Fox's "That '70s Show," echoed Marin's sentiments.

"It feels so good," he said. "When you've been together with someone as long as we were together, there's a oneness that can't be broken."

New Line was their first stop, Marin said, given the studio's track record with comedy franchises like "Austin Powers."

Chong credited Marin with having the foresight to allow the anticipation for a Cheech & Chong reunion to build over the years, even as the best of their films and albums achieved comedy-legend status.

"You know me -- if anybody wanted me to be in a movie with dope in it, I'm there," Chong joked. "But Cheech really protected the image. Those characters have been untouched, and now it's so fun to be back under that classic umbrella."

The six Cheech & Chong features released between 1978 and 1984 grossed about $150 million domestically. Goldman, who brokered the deal with New Line along with attorney Stan Coleman, called the new feature project "a monumental moment in comedy history that reunites the most successful comedy team since Martin and Lewis."

Marin said that they are even considering doing a live performance to promote the movie, which is expected to shoot next year during Marin's hiatus from "The Ortegas."

For the pair who first hooked up in 1968 in Vancouver -- when the Canadian-born Chong was running an improv theater group out of a topless bar -- the staying power of their older material, especially the success of the DVD release of the first Cheech & Chong flick, 1978's "Up in Smoke," has been gratifying.
 
"We've seen our audience grow and grow, even in the 20 years since we stopped creating stuff," Marin said. "The albums and the movies have become a rite of passage for each generation as they grow up."

Chong noted that a little stoner humor from the masters of the form should be a welcome tonic for the turbulent post-Sept. 11 era.

"This is going to be just what everyone's been needing," Chong said. "'Up in Smoke' sort of put the '60s in perspective. Now we need to put the '90s and 2000s in perspective and tell everyone that you can still laugh a little."

Plans for Stones T.O. show on track

TORONTO (CP) -- Organizers of the Rolling Stones-headlined concert to benefit Toronto said Tuesday plans to stage the mammoth event are going smoothly, with ticket sales expected to peak around 430,000.

"The Rolling Stones have been working very, very hard on making sure this is a spectacular, stellar event," said Riley O'Connor of House of Blues, the concert's promoter.

"And they've amassed one of, I think, the finest talent lineups that we've ever seen in this country."

The band has been very involved with the other 14 acts to appear at the show and have talked about "cooking up numbers" with various other bands during the July 30 show, O'Connor said.

Riley said ticket sales were approaching 400,000 and were expected to reach between 420,000 and 430,000.

Addressing concerns that some American companies would be brought in to set up for the Stones, Steve Howard of the band's tour management company said it was impossible to change some of the logistics providers.

Despite that, Howard said that "80 per cent of the non-talent budget for this show is being spent on Canadian suppliers."

"The Rolling Stones are interrupting a European tour to play this gig," said Howard, of TGA Entertainment.

"We can't ask them to change all of the international vendors" and complicate the setup, he said.

"Our aim is to deliver the best sound and visual experience to a crowd this size that anyone has ever done."

Meanwhile, the event's transportation co-ordinator, Ann Corbitt, said she was working on a plan similar to the one put in place when close to 800,000 people attended Pope John Paul's visit for World Youth Day, which also took place at Downsview Park.

"Just like World Youth Day, departure could take several hours," Corbitt said.
Corbitt said about 50,000 parking spots, all within six kilometres of the park, were in place and more would be added later.

Organizers speculated earlier it could take some people hours to leave the venue and that walking might be a better option than driving or taking public transit.
After a groundswell of public complaints about tight regulations for the concert, last week organizers softened the rules on what people can bring to the show.

Originally the list of banned items included blankets, coolers, and food and drinks -- except for two sealed bottles of water.

But organizers said concert-goers will be allowed to bring beach towels, binoculars, cellphones, sleeping bags, snacks, sealed soft drinks and soft-sided coolers.

Food and beverages will also be on sale at the concert site at lower prices than sports arenas and movie theatres, though organizers refused to say how much lower.

Broadcast rights for the show have yet to be finalized, but recent reports say talks are in motion between music network MuchMusic and CBC for a live national telecast of the event.

The coverage would have to be approved by the networks and all bands involved in the Toronto-boosting bash.

The event has been organized fairly quickly considering the massive crowd expected. Quiet planning started in mid-May after the Stones agreed to play a benefit concert for SARS-stricken Toronto, where they've practised for their last three world tours.

Twain leads CCMA nominations

CALGARY -- Shania Twain's got lots to be Up! about after her first album in five years yielded eight nominations Tuesday for the Canadian Country Music Awards.

Twain scored nods in seven categories, including two for video of the year. As well as top-selling album, the native of Timmons, Ont., is up for top single, album, song, female artist and entertainer of the year, which is selected by the fans.

Newcomer Aaron Lines (You Can't Hide Beautiful) received six nominations for entertainer, album, male artist, single, video and rising star.

Receiving five nominations each were Alberta's Terri Clark, Manitoba-based indie band Doc Walker and Gil Grand of Sudbury, Ont.

Clark, whose snarky I Just Wanna Be Mad was a No. 1 hit in the United States, will defend her top entertainer award. She's also nominated for single, album, video and female artist.

Doc Walker's nominations for group, single and song came on the strength of their hit single Rocket Girl, written by Jason McCoy.

The band also garnered nods for best independent group and independent song.
The awards will be handed out Sept. 8 in Calgary at a ceremony hosted by country crooner Paul Brandt, who is vying for male artist and entertainer.

Emerson Drive, which has lost several members since its first album scored two Top 5 releases in the United States, is up for one award, top group.

Brad Johner got three nominations for Free, a touching song outlining a father's bittersweet emotions as his daughter leaves home: top song, album and independent duo as part of the Johner Brothers.

It's not known if Twain, who is preparing for a fall tour, will attend the awards ceremony.

Twain has previously been nominated nine times and was entertainer of the year in 1999 after the smash success of Come on Over, which sold 35 million albums worldwide. She chose to pull out of the spotlight for several years have a child and cocoon at her home in Switzerland with husband producer Mutt Lange.

Grand, whose brother Jake Mathews is up for the rising star award, says it would be nice if they could both bring home hardware.

"We just had a chance to jam together during the (Calgary) Stampede on the same stage and now we're going to go to the awards show and cheer each other on," said Grand, who says moving to Calgary and the heart of Canadian country has made a huge impact on his career.

Costello Reissues Explode With Bonus Tracks

Rhino's upgrade of Elvis Costello's back catalog will continue with a staggering expansion of three early 1980s albums. Due Sept. 9 are two-disc versions of 1980's "Get Happy," 1981's "Trust" and 1983's "Punch the Clock."

A total of 73 additional tracks have been added across the three titles, which only comprised 47 songs in their original incarnation. All were recorded with the Attractions -- keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Bruce Thomas -- as Costello's core backing band.

Each disc substantially grows from the mid-1990s Rykodisc reissues of the same albums. Those were part of a program to internationalize the titles in Costello's catalog, making U.S. and European versions the same. Rhino's distinguish themselves not only with additional bonus material, but keep the remastered original album on one disc, while adding a second to house outtakes, demos and live tracks.

The new incarnation of "Get Happy" grows the most, bolstering the original 20-track album with 30 added tracks for the reissue. The set keeps the 10 cuts that were added to the Ryko reissue and tacks on 19 more, including live versions of "High Fidelity" and "The Imposter."

Also new are alternate versions of "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down," "From a Whisper to a Scream" (which features Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook) and "Girls Talk." In the liner notes, Costello remembers, "The last song had been given away to Dave Edmunds in a moment of drunken bravado and went on to reach No. 2 in the U.K. charts for him." In the U.S., the song reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979.

"Trust" gains 18 tracks over the original and nine of which did not appear on the Ryko reissue, including yet another alternate version of "From a Whisper to a Scream." Alternate takes of "Clubland" and "You'll Never Be a Man" are also added, as is an instrumental piano demo of "The Long Honeymoon." Not making the shift from the Ryko reissue to the Rhino version is the outtake "Seconds of Pleasure."

In its expansion, "Punch the Clock" also loses one from the first reissue, a live version of "Everyday I Write the Book." But the set gains plenty, roping in six new rarities plus the 20 additional tracks from the Ryko version. These include BBC sessions of "Big Sister's Clothes/Stand Down Margaret" and "Danger Zone," and live versions of "The Bells" and "Back Stabbers/King Horse."

Ten demo recordings also surface, most of which "were the product of a challenge from [co-producer] Clive Langer to provide more up-tempo material for the album," according to Costello. Among the additions are demos of "Love Went Mad," "Mouth Almighty," "Let Them All Talk" and "The Element Within Her."

Costello's liner notes attempt to frame the time and mood of each album. For example, he recalls "Trust" as "easily the most drug-influenced record of my career," and the U.K. politics behind several of the songs on "Punch the Clock."

Whaddayathink?

Is this a sell out or a trip down memory lane?

Welles' 'Citizen Kane' Oscar Pulled from NY Auction

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Orson Welles' Oscar for the classic movie "Citizen Kane" will not be auctioned after a dispute with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Christie's auction house said on Tuesday.

The Oscar, awarded to Welles for co-authoring a film many regard as the best ever made, was slated to go under the hammer on Friday as part of a sale of memorabilia.

Welles' daughter Beatrice Welles had wanted to sell the statuette, but it was withdrawn after the Academy invoked its right to buy the Oscar back for $1.

"The Oscar will not be offered for sale," said Bendetta Roux at Christie's in New York. "We have decided that the dispute between the Academy and our consignor was still ongoing and not settled."

John Pavlik, spokesman for the Academy, said, "We basically object each time (a sale is attempted) in those instances where we have agreements."

Beatrice Welles signed an agreement to give the Academy a right of first refusal when it gave her a duplicate Oscar after the original was thought to be lost.

The original was later recovered.

The Academy in 1950 demanded Oscar recipients sign an agreement giving it the right to buy back the coveted statuettes for $1 each if they were put up for sale.

Pavlik said talks between lawyers for the Academy and for Welles were still ongoing about whether it would buy back the Oscar in this case.

"Citizen Kane" was the top-ranked movie on the AmericanFilm Institute's "Greatest American Movies of All Time" list.

Christie's Friday auction of entertainment items will offer a costume tail coat from "Citizen Kane," offered by an anonymous seller, and among other items some Beatles memorabilia and a Gibson guitar once owned by Bruce Springsteen.

Springsteen Tour Heads West

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's U.S. summer stadium tour has expanded with two dates on the West Coast.

Newly added into the middle of the Boss' itinerary is his first show in San Francisco since 1978 and his first ever at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium.

On Aug. 16, the tour will visit Pacific Bell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, followed the next day by the L.A. show. Tickets for both will go on sale Monday (July 28).

There is no official word as to whether or not the itinerary is now complete. It was previously announced that the tour would end on or around Sept. 30; at present, the last show is Sept. 27 in Milwaukee.

Monday night, the band played the fourth of 10 shows at New Jersey's Giants Stadium. Despite fierce thunderstorms that cropped up about halfway through the concert, the show continued and delivered several rarities, including an encore appearance by one-time E Street Band drummer Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez.

Here are Springsteen's remaining summer tour dates:

July 24, 26-27: East Rutherford, N.J. (Giants Stadium)
Aug. 1-2: Boston (Gillette Stadium)
Aug. 6: Pittsburgh (PNC Park)
Aug. 8-9, 11: Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field)
Aug. 13: Chicago (Comiskey Park)
Aug. 16: San Francisco (Pacific Bell Park)
Aug. 17: Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium)
Aug. 28, 30-31: East Rutherford, N.J. (Giants Stadium)
Sept. 6-7: Boston (Fenway Park)
Sept. 13: Washington, D.C. (FedEx Field)
Sept. 14: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Kenan Stadium)
Sept. 20: Buffalo, N.Y. (Ralph J. Wilson Stadium)
Sept. 21: Detroit (Comerica Park)
Sept. 25: Denver (Invesco Field at Mile High)
Sept. 27: Milwaukee (Miller Park)

TV Eyes Concert For Live Show

If MuchMusic gets its way, SARSstock with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones will be a live TV event.

MuchMusic vice-president and general manager David Kines says negotiations are under way to broadcast the Rolling Stones concert next week.

Kines told The Sun the deal would be a collaboration between CHUM-owned MuchMoreMusic and the CBC.

The package has to be agreed on by the networks and all the bands involved in the Toronto-boosting bash.

Meanwhile, Calgary has already secured simulcast rights.

The free broadcast at Calgary's Pengrowth Saddledome is intended to show support for Toronto and a cattle industry suffering from the effects of mad cow disease.

These Are The New Discs For Tuesday, July 22nd, 2003

* JANE'S ADDICTION Hypersonic (Capitol/Warner)
* LOST PATROL Songs About Running Away (Burning Heart)
* MYSTIC Cuts For Luck And Scars For Freedom...Learning To Breathe (DreamWorks)

Today's New Releases

Final Destination 2 - Woman helps others on highway cheat death with premonitions. (Ali Larter, Andrew Downing, A.J. Cook)

The Life Of David Gale - An innocent professor faces the death penalty. (Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney)

Ararat - An historical film has an effect on a man working on it. (David Alpay, Arsinee Khanjian, Charles Aznavour)

Nicholas Nickleby - Charles Dickens' tale of family feuding. (Charlie Hunnam, Jamie Bell, Nathan Lane)

Spun - A college drop-out becomes driver for crystal meth cook. (Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari)

Felicity: The Complete Second Season - The complete second season of the TV series Felicity. (Keri Russell, Scott Speedman, Scott Foley)

Jackson 5 Will Reunite, Jermaine Says

In an interview with the BBC's Three's Liquid News, Jermaine Jackson claimed that the original Jackson 5 will be reuniting for a tour that will include Michael Jackson. He said the brothers are working on a new album that will be released around the time of the tour. The original Jackson 5 included Michael, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon.

Jermaine left in 1976, and was replaced by Randy, though he returned for the 1984 Victory tour. Jermaine confirmed that Michael was "absolutely on board" for both the tour and album, though he couldn't confirm any concert dates or a release date for the album. Jermaine noted that, "Michael turned into this beautiful entertainer because of the foundation of the Jackson 5."

During the interview, Jermaine also defended Michael's abilities as a parent and said the recent attacks on him were just TV "propaganda" to bring up ratings.

You may be on record industry's hit list

Online swappers are wondering whether their names are on the record industry's hit list can check online to see if they're among 871 whose identities were subpoenaed in the first step of unprecedented mass legal action to stem Net piracy.

The Recording Industry Association of America says it plans to sue the song traders next month.

The U.S. District Court's Web site (ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov) is searchable, though users must first apply for an account; confirmation comes a week later in the mail, and there are fees for documents. The Electronic Frontier Foundation may offer quicker action: The activist group hopes to soon let the public check the same information through www.eff.org.

The subpoenas, sent to Internet providers, list the screen names of Kazaa users (Bency-987 and Sk8BoyBen, to name two) along with songs the RIAA says were traded. The provider must reveal personal data and inform the subscriber. "We've received 150 subpoenas in two weeks," Verizon's Sarah Deutsch says. "This type of activity is unprecedented."

Verizon, which has put several employees in charge of doing nothing but processing the requests, has been battling the RIAA over the question of naming names. Two recent court rulings opened the door for the wave of subpoenas; Verizon is appealing.

"The privacy questions are huge," the EFF's Fred von Lohmann says. "They treat everyone as a copyright infringer, and you're assumed guilty until proven innocent."

The RIAA doesn't always get it right. This year, it accused a Penn State professor of sharing a song by the musician Usher. In reality, it was a homegrown tune about astronomy by a professor named Usher. The RIAA later apologized.

RIAA president Cary Sherman initially said he was targeting the "most egregious" swappers, but the subpoenas list only handf