Hello,

Well here it is! Almost two years after I last hosted a radio show called
Saskatchewan Weekend I return to the Radio Airwaves this weekend with a show
called Saskatchewan Weekend on CBC Radio One.

Wooooooooo hooooooooooo!

Feel free to visit the Saskatchewan Weekend CBC Webpage

Airing from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. (Saskatchewan Time - that's 8 to 11 am Eastern
time) on Saturdays and Sundays, Saskatchewan Weekend is a mixture of music,
news, sports, weather, information and survival tips. The music is from all
formats – pop, rock, classical, easy listening, country, new age, world,
film soundtracks, jazz and blues. There are also interviews with newsmakers,
celebrities and the people who live next door to you.

Should you not live within the Saskatchewan area the show is also on the
internet at http://www.sask.cbc.ca/.

You can listen by:

1) Clicking on RADIO at the top left.
2) Clicking on RADIO again to get a pull down menu
3) Select LISTEN TO CBC RADIO
4) Click on REGINA in the Saskatchewan Region.
5) ENJOY!

Wish me luck!

Your friend,

Dan Reynish

PS - Yes I am very excited!

DECADE DAVE MARKS JUMP TO CBS

In a rare on-air acknowledgement, David Letterman will celebrate his 10th anniversary on CBS tonight.

But it appears Dave and the producers of "The Late Show" — who traditionally underplay things like anniversaries — are being dragged to the party.

"I really think that CBS is acknowledging what an accomplishment it is to be on the air for 10 years," says executive producer Rob Burnett. "Obviously in Dave's case it's really 22 years."

As various landmarks for Letterman have come and gone — such as his 20th anniversary hosting a TV show (including his old NBC gig) — he rarely acknowledges them on the air with more than a wink and a nod, much less devote portions of his show to it.

Letterman joined CBS as the host of "The Late Show" in 1993 after a tumultuous battle with NBC management over who would become the host of the "Tonight" show when Johnny Carson retired.

Tonight's broadcast will feature one of Letterman's favorite guests, actress Bonnie Hunt, standup comedian Don Gavin, a special 10th anniversary edition of the running sketch "Know Your Current Events" and a 10th anniversary-themed Top Ten List.

"The anniversary will be mentioned, but it's not exactly like we have a gigantic extravaganza planned," Burnett said.

Barenaked Ladies Will Show 'Everything' This Fall

The Barenaked Ladies have completed their sixth full-length studio album, "Everything to Everyone." Due Oct. 21 via Reprise, the 14-track set was recorded in Los Angeles, produced by Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Days Of The New) and mixed by Mike Shipley (Aerosmith, Andrew W.K.). The album will be preceded by the radio single "Another Postcard."

Chris Bowen, Matt Goldman, Brian Scott, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink of Blue Man Group fame contribute their PVC tube percussion to the song "Shopping," which is one of four songs featuring strings arranged by bassist Jim Creegan. Along with producing, Aniello adds percussion, guitar and banjo to the set.

Over the past few months, fans of the Canadian band have been kept up to date on the recording process through the Bnlblog.com. Along with text updates -- mostly from singer/guitarists Steven Page and Ed Robertson -- the blog has been populated with candid pictures and behind-the-scenes video clips of the notoriously comical band.

The album has been described as "intimate" and to properly present it to their rabid fanbase, the Ladies are believed to be planning a small venue tour. The "town hall meeting"-style outing will give the band a chance to explain the nuances and details behind the new material. A full-scale North American tour is in the works for winter.

The album is the follow-up to 2000's Don Was-produced "Maroon." That set debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.1 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album spawned the singles "Pinch Me," which reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Too Little Too Late," which reached No. 13 on the Adult Top 40 tally.

A 2001 best of collection, "Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits," debuted at No. 38 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 572,000 copies.

Here is the "Everything to Everybody" track list:

"Celebrity"
"Maybe Katie"
"Another Postcard"
"Next Time"
"For You"
"Shopping"
"Testing 1,2,3"
"Upside Down"
"War on Drugs"
"Aluminum"
"Unfinished"
"Second Best"
"Take It Outside"
"Have You Seen My Love"

'The Wind': It's Zevon, positively

By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

Warren Zevon's struggle with terminal cancer seems to resonate in the opening line of his new album, The Wind, out this week.

"Some days I feel like my shadow's casting me," he sings in Dirty Life and Times.

Later, he beseeches in the fragile Please Stay, "Will you stay with me to the end?"

What may surprise listeners is that Zevon composed these candid swan songs before his diagnosis and that The Wind carries more hope than despair. The singer/songwriter, 56, spent much of his career mocking mortality, most recently in 2000's Life'll Kill Ya and 2002's My Ride's Here (referring to a hearse).

After a dentist sent him to a cardiologist, Zevon learned a year ago this week that his shortness of breath was from mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer usually linked to asbestos.

Despite Zevon's carousing history of cigarettes, booze and drugs, the news "came as an absolute shock," says his son, Jordan, 33. "He hadn't smoked in five years and hadn't drank in years and years. His biggest vice was Popsicles at midnight. When he had trouble breathing, we all assumed it had to do with pushing himself too hard in workouts."

The author of such wry tunes as I'll Sleep When I'm Dead decided to devote his remaining days to making music. Rather than a monochromatic rumination on dying, The Wind probes a wealth of moods and emotions that find Zevon more an excitable boy than the poor-poor-pitiful-me type. Tunes range from an irascible Disorder in the House and fuming Prison Grove to the heart-tugging El Amor de Mi Vida and prayerful Keep Me in Your Heart.

"It's hard not to feel the sadness, but the whole experience has been a celebration of life," says Jordan, who spent the past year helping his father realize his final career goal. The 11-song farewell drew admiring pals and peers, including Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Emmylou Harris.

"Those studio moments were lighthearted and joyous," Jordan says. "There was a lot of laughter and love in the room. When something like this happens, you can't return every phone call or address every fan and friend one-on-one. This album covers the gamut of things that needed to be said."

Zevon, housebound since January, recorded his last session at his apartment in April. After recently agreeing to a USA TODAY interview by e-mail, he was too ill to respond to queries and has been unable to promote The Wind. Last August, doctors estimated Zevon would die in three months. Jordan is certain his dad's commitment to the album extended his life.

"It's hard to argue with that theory nine months after he wasn't supposed to be around anymore," he says. "It's so improper to put timelines on how long someone will live. My dad knew what he wanted to do, and you couldn't stop him. During Christmas, everything shut down. Once the momentum dropped and he didn't have that pure focus, you could see (the disease) catch up with him. He got past that hurdle, and I knew he'd finish. The final vocal tracks came out gorgeous."

Recording ended with "one big exhale," and Zevon retreated to spend time with his two children. He was at the hospital when daughter Ariel gave birth to twin boys in June. And he has outlasted his prognosis long enough to witness The Wind's arrival in the marketplace.

"It's great that he's seeing the reaction, but it's not something he's obsessed with," Jordan says.

The past year has been bittersweet for Jordan, whose anguish over his father's plight was tempered by the challenge of completing The Wind and the healing comforts of family ties.

"We both took great pride in realizing there wasn't a laundry list of things that needed to be said to each other," Jordan says. "We always had a close relationship, and we didn't need a tragedy to get heartfelt and sentimental.

"The image of him as reckless or wild was true early in his career," Jordan says, "but for quite some time, he's been a real solid father figure. I learned a lot about dignity and respect from him. Musically, I've learned how much you have to work and stress and rehearse."

Zevon's medical crisis taught Jordan hard facts about self-preservation.

"I have no qualms about going to the doctor," he says, noting that his father ducked check-ups for 20 years.

He hopes fans will look past the tobacco smoke and remember Zevon for his warmth and the witty charm of his music.

Jordan recalls, "One of the first pieces of advice he gave me was, 'Do what makes you happy. It doesn't have to make sense to other people.' Whether you're a sculptor or bricklayer, your passion for what you do can sustain you."

THE LATEST CASTAWAYS

A mortician, a scout troop leader and a massage therapist among the 16 castaways stranded in CBS' Survivor: Pearl Islands. The seventh installment of the hit reality series, set off the coast of Panama, premieres with a special 90-minute episode at 8 p.m. on September 18.

Texas Man Wakes Up After Operation, Penis Missing

DALLAS (Reuters) - An out-of-court settlement has been reached in the case of a North Texas man who woke up from bladder surgery only to find that doctors had amputated his penis without permission, lawyers said on Thursday.

Terms of the out-of-court settlement were not disclosed but Hurshell Ralls, 67, had been seeking over $5 million in a civil suit he filed in Wichita Falls, Texas, against the two doctors who removed his penis. They did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement.

The hospital where the surgery was performed was also named in the suit.

Ralls' attorney Steve Briley said that his client was having surgery in 1999 to remove a cancerous bladder, which would likely include the removal of his prostate gland.

He contends that doctors removed Ralls' penis after they mistakenly thought the cancer had spread to the male sex organ. He charged the doctors -- John S. Dryden and Farid Khoury -- with not seeking consent for the penis amputation and negligence.

He also said a pathology test indicated that Ralls' penile tissue was not cancerous.

Joel Steed, the attorney who represented the doctors, said Dryden had informed Ralls that his penis might have to be removed to treat the cancer he had in his bladder. He also questioned the results of the pathology tests on the amputated penis.

Steed said during surgery the two doctors saw tissue indicating the cancer spread from the bladder to the urethra, and they felt removing the penis would provide the best chance for Ralls' survival.

Hearings in the case before a jury of eight men and four women had started earlier this week and were underway when the out-of-court settlement was reached.

Ralls and his wife have not been able to recover from the anger and shock they felt after the surgery, his attorney said.

"Mr. Ralls was not informed that he was going to wake up and not have a penis," Briley said.

CD Set Offers 35 Years of Sesame Street Music

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oscar the Grouch has plans for a new CD set celebrating 35 years of "Sesame Street" music: He intends to beat on the discs and sling them about until they look and sound like the rest of his music collection.

"I like the ones that have a chunk missing," the irascible, trashcan-dwelling Muppet told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"It makes a nice sound every time the needle hits the missing part. It just sort of jumps when it hits the broken edge and drops into a new track every time, so it makes the song more interesting."

Oscar's musical preferences are not those of most people, or most puppets, either. Most children, parents and former children will find "Songs from the Street -- 35 Years: The Ultimate Sesame Street Music Collection" plenty interesting when it hits stores on Sept. 2, even without Oscar's crude remastering.

The discs offer digitally remastered songs from the classic children's show performed not only by some of television's most beloved characters -- Big Bird, Kermit the Frog and even Oscar himself -- but by a flock of famous guest musicians.

LONG LIST OF STARS

From Cab Calloway and Lena Horne to Dixie Chicks and Destiny's Child; Johnny Cash, Tony Bennett and B.B. King to R.E.M., Los Lobos and Diane Schuur; from James Taylor and Paul Simon to Billy Joel and Pete Seeger; Gloria Estefan and Celine Dion to Goo Goo Dolls and *NSYNC; from Stevie Wonder to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the list of superstar singers is as long and varied as any television show can boast.

Thirty-two guest performances are among the 63 songs, or 2-1/2 hours of music, on three CDs, with a 68-page booklet.

Many of the stars have said appearing on "Sesame Street" was a highlight of their careers.

"All of us were very excited to be on the set, period, because we've all been fans of Sesame Street since we were kids," said Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child. "When we saw Elmo, when we saw everybody on set, we were just like, wow!"

Chuckling quietly, then roaring with laughter, she said: "It was great. It was weird at first, definitely."

Some of the songs were already hits by the guest artists, rewritten for Sesame Street. One such is Joel's "Just the Way You Are," reworked to salute Oscar's grouchiness. By the end, though, Joel's original message of love and acceptance is resurfacing. Oscar complains: "This is the mushiest thing I ever heard" and "You really know how to hurt a grouch."

Then there are the classic Sesame Street songs for which the Muppets needed no outside help to teach generations of kids to spell, count and enjoy life: "Bein' Green," "Sing," "C Is For Cookie" " Rubber Duckie," "Everybody Sleeps," "People in Your Neighborhood" and others.

NO COMPROMISES

Christopher Cerf, a songwriter/producer who says he is "62 going on 8," said the show has never compromised its preschool curriculum, overseen by academics, but "the teachers are not allowed to compromise the entertainment, either."

Cerf -- who has been with the show since its first season, and who did the liner notes for the new compilation -- said that while the songs must have a basic meaning that children 3 to 6 can understand, "Sesame Street" has always enjoyed making sure older children and grown-ups can enjoy the songs, too, whether for their humor, charm or emotional sympathy.

The songs have to be listenable, Cerf said, but not too simple. "I think writing down to kids, just as in books, is a terrible mistake."

For Cerf, who wrote rock music and rock parodies at Harvard and then the National Lampoon humor group, "Sesame Street" fulfills some longtime fantasies. "As long as you're willing to have 4-year-olds be your audience, I'm a rock star. I always dreamed of that, but I never thought it would happen," Cerf said.

Even Oscar (who was called to the telephone by Muppeteer Caroll Spinney) can sound almost bubbly. The Muppet who rates himself "probably the best rotten singer going," who says "I hate music" and who admits "I love to be negative" felt a little apologetic as he ended his interview.

"I'm sorry I made it pleasant," he said.

Blood and Guts Rule at Holiday Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ahh, the last official week of summer. According to Hollywood, nothing says summer more than two horror movies goring it out for the top spot.

New release "Jeepers Creepers 2" will fight for the No. 1 slot held for the last two weeks by New Line's "Freddy vs. Jason."

Two years after the original "Jeepers Creepers" debuted on Labor Day weekend, MGM's United Artists banner returns with a sequel it hopes will surpass the original, which earned $15.8 million over the opening four-day period. Helmer Victor Salva returns, this time throwing a pack of high school basketball players, cheerleaders and coaches to the Creeper, whose insatiable appetite for flesh can only be sated through a massive eating orgy. The R-rated film may have a harder time reaping the dough of its predecessor, considering that horror fans who haven't already endured the carnage of "Freddy vs. Jason" might be drawn to that film's campy feel and nostalgia for the creepers of days gone by.

Considering the lack of new product entering the marketplace this weekend, Paramount Pictures is expanding its summer hit "The Italian Job" from 64 theaters to 1,964 in an effort to claim some box office returns the studio believes were left on the table because of the crowded marketplace. Offering an alternative to the teen thrillers dominating the frame, "Job," which has generated close to $98 million since its May 30 release, has a chance to cross the $100 million mark this weekend.

The rest of the top 10 should be filled out by well-performing holdovers, including Sony's "S.W.A.T.," which has held onto the second spot for the past two weeks and could do some significant business that would get it close to the $100 million mark. As well, Disney's "Open Range," which has earned $29 million in three weeks, and "Freaky Friday," the recipient of $74 million in its four weeks of release, are likely to maintain a position in the top five. Sony's Jackie Chan starrer "The Medallion," which earned $8.2 million in its opening weekend, is not likely to generate much spark at the box office, though, as it is likely to decline at least 50% in its sophomore frame.

On the limited-release front, several films will by vying for some playability in their select markets.

Lions Gate will debut "Civil Brand" from director Neema Barnette. The film co-starring LisaRaye and Mos Def tells the tale of young black women behind bars who are forced to unite against a corrupt penal system. The R-rated film, bowing in 35 locations, could have a chance of doing some business considering its cast of top-selling rappers, including MC Lyte and Da Brat.

Sony Pictures Classics releases the R-rated "Once Upon a Time in the Midlands" in New York and Los Angeles. Written and directed by Shane Meadows ("A Room for Romeo Brass"), the quirky British comedy tale -- done in a fashion resembling Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns -- centers on a man who proposes to his live-in girlfriend on national television only to be turned down in front of everyone he knows.

Innovation Film Group's "The Legend of Johnny Lingo" debuts today in Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. The unrated family film centers on the stories a father tells his son about the Polynesian cultures of the South Pacific.

Miramax's "The Battle of Shaker Heights" -- in effect, the final installment of the "Project Greenlight" documentary series that just concluded on HBO -- will expand to the top 20 markets nationwide after bowing last weekend to a respectable $9,538 per-screen opening in five theaters for a box office total of $47,690.

In New York, Empire Pictures will release the Argentinean film "Suddenly," which centers on a lonely, overweight girl who doesn't begin to see the world until she is kidnapped by two lesbian punkettes. The unrated film is written and directed by first-timer Diego Lerman.

Rapper Missy Elliott Takes Top Honor at MTV Awards

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Missy Elliott, teen heart throb Justin Timberlake, singer Beyonce Knowles and rapper 50 Cent were the big winners on Thursday at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.

Elliott took the evening's top honor, Best Video of the Year, and also won Best Hip-Hop Video for her song "Work It." Knowles won Best Female Video, Best R&B Video and Best Choreography while rapper 50 Cent won for Best Rap Video and Best New Artist.

Timberlake won Best Pop Video, Best Dance Video and Best Male Video -- a category in which he beat out Johnny Cash, a rock and roll legend old enough to be his grandfather.

"This is a travesty, I demand a recount," Timberlake said when accepting the Best Male Video award. "My grandfather raised me on Johnny Cash ... and I think he deserves this better than any of us here tonight."

British band Coldplay, who won Best Group Video, Best Direction in a Video and Breakthrough Video gave one of the highlight performances and dedicated it to Cash.

Cash, 71, was not at the Radio City Music Hall ceremony but was in a Nashville hospital, where he was in stable condition. He has been in declining health in recent years because of a nervous system disorder, autonomic neuropathy, which makes him prone to pulmonary problems.

Cash, who rose to fame in the 1950s when Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis (news) were the hottest things in music, was nominated for six awards but only won Best Cinematography for "Hurt." In the video, a frail Cash sings a haunting Nine Inch Nails song about death, decay and regret.

Among other winners in the ceremony, hosted by comedian Chris Rock were punk band Linkin Park for Best Rock Video, rockers Good Charlotte for the Viewers' Choice award and rapper Eminem for Best Video from a Film. British pop band Duran Duran, which began making videos even before MTV started broadcasts 20 years ago, won a Lifetime Achievement Award.

British experimental rock group Radiohead won the award for Best Art Direction in a Video while band The White Stripes won for Best Editing in a Video.

The awards were voted on by a pool of music industry executives, producers and journalists.

Perhaps the highlight of the show was the opening segment where Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera sang Madonna's seminal hit "Like a Virgin," before the Material Girl herself joined them in an act symbolic of her handing the torch to the younger stars. The trio were then joined onstage by Elliott.

That opening performance ended with Madonna and Spears kissing on the lips.

The cable station made its name in the 1980s playing wall-to-wall videos. These days it shows fewer videos, instead winning viewers with such shows as "Real World," and "The Osbournes" -- the quirky reality show that transformed heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne into a modern day Archie Bunker.

Scroll Down!

There is a new trailer for THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS which is only available online.

And you will only find a link to it here. Well not here, but below. Scroll down and enjoy!

DREAM LOVERS

By RUSSELL SCOTT SMITH

What a weird summer for movie romance.

The hottest couple of the season was Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres - playing fish, for goodness sake, in a G-rated movie.

Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson were a cute idea, but in the wrong film, the lackluster "Alex and Emma."

Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor never really were "Down With Love."

And the less said about Jen and Ben, the better.

But now that "Gigli" and the rest of the summer duds are gone, it's time to move on to fall movies and some on-screen couples with truly sparkling chemistry.

Here are the ones we're most excited about:

* JASON BIGGS & CHRISTINA RICCI "Anything Else" (Sept. 19)

No, Woody Allen does not romance the 23-year-old Ricci in his newest romantic comedy, contrary to rumor.

Instead, Woody's latest features a romance between Ricci - who plays a flaky Annie Hall type - and "American Pie" guy Biggs, 25. This wasn't the first time the pair got in bed together; Ricci and Biggs also have sex scenes in the yet-to-be-released "Prozac Nation."

"Jason is really sweet," Ricci tells USA Today. "I could say to him, 'Don't move that arm. See that nipple over there? Cover it.' "

* BEN STILLER & DREW BARRYMORE "Duplex" (Sept. 26)

This odd couple made the gossip pages last March while they were filming this dark comedy with director Danny DeVito in Brooklyn.

During a night out at Lotus, recently divorced Drew got out on the dance floor with the very married Stiller - even tearing off her cardigan.

It was all in fun, but test audiences say some of that goofy electricity translates to the screen. Barrymore and Stiller play a young NYC couple who plot to kill their upstairs tenant, a seemingly sweet old lady who's actually the neighbor from hell.

* GEORGE CLOONEY & CATHERINE ZETA-JONES "Intolerable Cruelty" (Oct. 10)

In this new comedy from the Coen brothers ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?"), Clooney plays a bulldog divorce attorney who meets his match in champion gold digger Zeta-Jones. She marries him, then they divorce and a heavyweight battle of the sexes occurs.

"We're very similar," Zeta-Jones recently said of Clooney, who became a pal during filming in Las Vegas last summer. "There's some movie magic there."

* MEG RYAN & MARK RUFFALO "In the Cut" (Oct. 24)

Remember that fake-orgasm scene in "When Harry Met Sally"?

Get ready for some real ones in this intense erotic thriller about an NYU English professor who falls for a tough homicide detective.

Test audiences are raving about Ruffalo and Ryan's explicit sex scenes - and not only because Ryan gets naked on screen for the first time.

Oscar-winning director Jane Campion has a way with non-exploitative but very realistic love scenes (Harvey Keitel and Holly Hunter in "The Piano" come to mind), and "In the Cut" has given many a new-found respect for Ryan.

"It's like when Michelle Pfeiffer took it to that next level in 'Dangerous Liaisons,' " says "In the Cut" producer Laurie Parker. "Meg finally shows us what she can do."

* NICOLE KIDMAN & JUDE LAW "Cold Mountain" (Dec. 25)

We're not so sure about Nicole's sweaty clinch with Anthony Hopkins in "The Human Stain," opening Sept. 26.

But we're excited to see Kidman with Law in this Civil War love story directed by Anthony Minghella ("The English Patient").

They play sweethearts from a Southern mountain village who must patch up their love after Law, a Confederate soldier, is wounded in the war.

Kidman won a libel suit last month against a British tabloid that ran a story about an alleged canoodle between them.

But we really want to see their on-screen chemistry, which has already sparked some Oscar buzz.

Beck To Start Work On Next Album

Next week, Beck plans to start working on his eighth album, the follow-up to last year's Sea Change. The new material is going to be louder and more rock-oriented than his last LP. Beck told RollingStone.com the upcoming release is "pretty aggressive. I've been working on it for a while, but I ended up doing Sea Change first. I've been wanting to do a record with loud guitars for a long time."

The new recordings will likely be a blend of some older material Beck wrote around the time of 1999's Midnite Vultures and songs that sound similar to his earliest recordings. Beck said, "My early stuff was a lot more punked out and noisy. I didn't really let myself use big guitars for a lot of years. The early '90s was so saturated by big guitars that I became really interested by what I could do if you took all the guitars out--with the space that was left."

Beck will record the tracks at multiple studios and plans to work with the Dust Brothers, Dan The Automator, and Timbaland on the production of the new album.

As David Letterman celebrates his 10th year on CBS, he might be thinking of moving on

A few weeks before David Letterman went on an extended vacation he conducted an interview on "Late Show" with a young man by the name of Aron Ralston.

Ralston is an extreme mountaineer (unlike Dave) and Indiana native (like Dave), who - with the aid of a pocketknife - severed his lower right arm, which had been pinned beneath an 800-pound boulder in a remote Utah canyon for five days. After rappelling down, he walked three hours, was spotted by a helicopter and three months later was on national TV explaining all of this to a profoundly moved TV host.

With the interview wrapping up, Letterman wondered, "Could everybody have done this?" Ralston, 27, replied, "If you had a choice to go through an hour of pain to live another 60 years, you'd do the same thing."

Letterman didn't even bother to respond with a quip, the usual antidote to an interview that's suddenly veered into uncertain terrain. He instead leaned on his elbow, settled himself into his chair, peered at Ralston through those primly professorial spectacles and asked, sotto voce: "Is that what you know about life that I don't know necessarily?"

Some members of the audience tittered, unsure whether they'd just heard a joke or whether they had actually heard television's most deeply serious funnyman ask the least funny question of them all. As in: What's the meaning of life? What's it all about? Why are we here and where are we going? You have some answers, Aron? You've been to the brink and back, so lemme have 'em.

Letterman has broken his neck twice in car accidents in years past, so maybe he just wanted some practical advice about how to deal with chronic pain. But more likely he was talking about something else, like this thing called life and how to make the best of it.

And for some reason, a contemplative David Letterman - a rare bird, to be sure, when he's on the air - is an especially provocative Letterman. At least in popular imagination he remains TV's Everest of insecurities: the self-loathing comic (an old cliche that just won't die) who is rarely satisfied with his performance and who is never truly happy except when the little red light on the camera is on (OK, likely still true). He is arguably our most gifted and most human TV performer - the guy who was ravaged by shingles and felled by heart disease and exhausted by the grind and tormented by sometimes mediocre ratings and soulless networks. You prick him, he bleeds. Admirers have long cherished the quaint notion that maybe there's a little bit of Dave in each of them, but God forbid, not too much.

And now, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of CBS's "Late Show With David Letterman" (it premiered Aug. 30, 1993, in a deluge of media overkill that rivaled, then surpassed, the sinking of the Titanic), the stark humanity of Dave is sprawled out before us once again. Big anniversaries tend to force some people to think big thoughts, to make dramatic gestures. In 1972, on the eve of his 10th anniversary hosting "The Tonight Show," Johnny Carson married his second wife, Joanna Holland.

Et tu, Dave? What are your cosmic thoughts these days, your grand designs?

This has been a challenging year for Letterman and for "Late Show." He lost his closest friend, George Miller, the veteran comic (and a regular on "Late Night With David Letterman," which ran on NBC from February 1982 to June 1993), to leukemia in March. The shingles then cost him nearly five weeks on the air, the longest hiatus for Letterman since early 2000 when he was sidelined a full five weeks after heart bypass surgery. After the shingles episode in April, he returned to acclaim; the show predictably enjoyed a brief ratings spike and then lost steam - big-time. "Late Show" is averaging 3.5 million viewers this summer, or 2 million below Jay Leno's "Tonight Show," which means that for all practical purposes, the late-night race (such as it is) is over.

Meanwhile, Letterman, who turns 57 in April, is weary, very weary, from the intense grind of a daily show. In an attempt to stanch the fatigue, he impulsively decided to add a series of Friday guest hosts in June. Because of the taping schedule, it was a ridiculous move that effectively spelled Letterman only one hour per week. He still ended up working essentially a full schedule. Worse, he never bothered to tell CBS, which watched helplessly as ratings crumbled (about 500,000 viewers on average were lost for each guest-hosted show). Letterman dumped the idea after only four attempts, but the damage was done. The relationship with CBS - still tenuous a year and half after ABC's abortive raid to attract the host - got only shakier (both Letterman and CBS declined comment).

And here's the punch line: There's now widespread speculation among Letterman observers that he is contemplating retirement. When? There are plenty of guesses out there, but Letterman's two-year contract ends in March, and then he goes to a year-to-year arrangement, which could tie him to CBS through 2007. This essentially means that by early spring, Letterman could say "adios" - or stick around another year. Tellingly, his idol and mentor, Johnny Carson, did precisely the same thing. After a series of multiyear deals, Carson went to a series of year-to-year contracts, and then officially gave NBC notice during a dramatic announcement at Carnegie Hall in May 1991.

Famously private, Letterman, of course, is saying nothing and has said nothing to the press in five years. He's also instructed his staff to keep quiet, which just feeds the speculation monster. But there's also a logical explanation for the silence: CBS tentatively has scheduled a 10th anniversary special for November, and that's when Letterman, et al, want to pretend the real 10th anniversary arrives.

But divining Letterman is an old and notoriously error-prone sport. Perhaps the only reliable guidepost is what went on in Carson's head. Steve O'Donnell, head writer for "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Late Night" head writer for nearly a decade, says, "In terms of your conduct as a host and as someone who is responsible for a show and franchise, he looks to Carson."

This is problematic, too. Foremost, Carson lasted 30 years on "Tonight." Letterman, who's spent 21 years on late-night TV, said in an interview five years ago: "Even if I wanted to [do 30], I'd be kidding myself that I could achieve that. I understand why [Carson] was working three days a week [toward the end]. I mean, if you can have the luxury of doing that kind of schedule, it's easier to do 30. But 30? Heavens, that's like two generations of people. Thirty!"

Carson mulled retirement for more than two decades, though apparently never gave it serious thought. And as Ed McMahon now recalls: "It was like a running gag with him. ... He was teasing the audience, measuring the crowd [and] what they thought might work and what might not. He was having fun with them." Carson was also teasing NBC, which desperately wanted to hold on to the man who brought in 17 million viewers a night during "Tonight's" heyday in the mid-'70s.

Few believe Letterman has any real intention of leaving, and while there may not be any hard reasons why this may be so, there is a sound reason of the heart. O'Donnell says retirement speculation is "definitely fascinating," because Letterman has "all the contradictions and complexities of a Hamlet or Winston Churchill, [but] I really do think [the show] is the purest satisfaction he gets." He also cites a "subcategory" to Letterman's thinking: "When we were in New York, he had had several opportunities to socialize with Jack Paar, and as much as he admired him, I think he was a little disappointed that he had done so little with the decades of his life following the early retirement [from 'Tonight']."

O'Donnell, who adds that he's speaks only occasionally with Letterman these days, says he's probably "collecting all the information and feelings that he has to collect to make a decision, and he's not going to make his decision until he's ready. And it may be that he has conflicting impulses. But the larger one is to stay the course. He's also seen where unexpected things have been for him great opportunities to show what he has, and you think not only of his personal health problems, but also [after] 9/11, where he did such a fine and unpretentious job."

"I don't think he knows, but one day he'll wake up and say, 'I've done this, and [now] I'll do something else," says Hal Gurnee, "Late Night/Late Show's" longtime director, who himself retired from "Late Show" several years ago after a decade and a half with Letterman.

There is, naturally, another point to be made. What else would Letterman do with his life? Yes, he has far-flung business interests (his production company, Worldwide Pants, and a management interest in Bobby Rahal's motorsport racing team, among many others) and far-flung estates (including one jewel hidden on Martha's Vineyard). But for Letterman, the tautology is simple: The show is his life, and his life is the show.

At the end of his classic profile of Carson published in the New Yorker in 1978, Kenneth Tynan wrote that Carson "is the grand master of the one show-business art that leads nowhere. He has painted himself not into a corner but onto the top of a mountain. Long - or at least as long as the air at the summit continues to nourish and elate him - may he stay there."

And long may Dave also stay.

Top 10 Moments in the Last 10 Years

So many moments - more than 100,000 minutes, or thereabouts - on "Late Show With David Letterman" these last 10 years. How to select the most memorable?

Here's Newsweek's Top 10 list (in chronological order).

1. Aug. 30, 1993. The show premieres on CBS, with first guest Bill Murray spray-painting "Dave" on the host's desk. Billy Joel also appears, and so do Tom Brokaw and Paul Newman.

2. Sept. 8, 1993. Vice President Al Gore wears goggles, smashes ashtrays. Very odd.

3. March 31, 1994. Madonna becomes "Late Show's" most notorious guest, using expletives a half-dozen times and offering Dave her panties. (A couple of days later guest Elvis Costello gives Dave one of his socks.)

4. May 13, 1994. Johnny Carson makes his only late-show appearance after retirement (and does a Top 10 list). Music group Traffic reunites for this broadcast.

5. April 12, 1995. Dave gets unsual birthday gift from Drew Barrymore, who hops on desk, dances and flashes her breasts.

6. Oct. 28, 1996. A salute to manager Joe Torre and the Yankees after their first World Series win in 15 years.

7. June 6, 1997. Second-most notorious guest appearance, when a disoriented Farrah Fawcett chats somewhat incoherently for about 17 minutes.

8. Jan. 12, 2000. After years of Dave's bugging her, Hillary Rodham Clinton finally gives in to his invitations and appears to talk about her decision to run for the U.S. Senate.

9. Feb. 21, 2000. Dave makes a big return, hosting perhaps his best show in 10 years, after recovering from Jan. 14 heart surgery.

10. Sept. 17, 2001. "Late Show" returns to the air for the first time after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Arguably the host's finest moment in nearly 20 years on the air.

MTV gets 20th-anniversary party started

It may seem like only yesterday that the moon-man trophy made its bow. But tonight, MTV's Video Music Awards will celebrate its 20th birthday.

An appearance by Eminem and a performance by Metallica, described by an MTV spokesman as "a medley of classic VMA songs by other artists," are among the attractions scheduled for this year's ceremony, which airs from New York's Radio City Music Hall at 8 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT). The VMAs are a perennial MTV ratings champ; last year the show hit a high of nearly 12 million viewers.

Chris Rock, who emceed in 1997 and 1999, will return to host the anniversary party. Guests are set to include Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Good Charlotte, Coldplay, Sean Paul, Mya, Missy Elliott, DMX, Nelly, Ashanti, P. Diddy, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Iggy Pop.

Other stars expected to appear include 2002 host Jimmy Fallon, Ben Stiller, Jason Biggs, Pamela Anderson, Hilary Duff, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, LeBron James and Serena Williams, as well as cast members from Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

If few of those celebs were familiar names back in 1984 — indeed, several were not yet born — that's in keeping with the philosophy espoused by Van Toffler, president of MTV and offshoot channel MTV2.

"MTV's tradition is to be in the moment, looking forward, and we take our connection to our youthful audience very seriously," says Toffler, who defines MTV viewers as generally 12 to 34 years old but primarily 18 to 24. "They go to more movies and consume more music and pop culture than any other segment of the population.

"We made a decision early on not to grow old with our audience, so we've probably alienated some of the folks who got turned on to MTV when it launched back in 1981. ... In some ways, we were happy to see the freaky hair-metal fanatics grow out of us and to embrace what's current in music and pop culture."

So the 2003 VMAs "will for the most part reflect what has happened this past year in music. But there will be some unique performances acknowledging prior classic moments on the VMAs."

Though Toffler is keeping mum about exactly what those moments will entail, he suggests that they may reflect connections between MTV's past and present.

"You don't have a Britney Spears without a Madonna or Good Charlotte without Green Day. And we have a host who has done the show twice before, who has definitely added an immense amount of volatility.

"It's a live, unpredictable, train-wreck kind of show. I mean, it's safe to say I didn't have an ulcer before I started working here."

NEW MATRIX TRAILER NOW ONLINE!!!

Enjoy!

Friends, Family Share Bob Hope Memories in L.A.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former President Gerald Ford and former first lady Nancy Reagan were among hundreds of friends and family who attended a memorial Mass for comedian Bob Hope on Wednesday as Hollywood said farewell to its "king of jesters."

Eulogies at St. Charles Borromeo Church, where Hope regularly worshiped until his death of pneumonia at age 100 on July 27, were delivered by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and TV producer Larry Gelbart, one of Hope's long-time writers.

"His impeccable timing, on stage, backstage or on no stage at all, he was always at the top of his game," Gelbart said, saluting Hope as "a king of jesters .... Like the best of his breed, Bob knew that life without laughter was life without parole."

During a mostly somber service punctuated with lighter moments recalling some of Hope's best lines, Gelbart drew the biggest laugh by recalling a telegram Hope once sent to one of his secretaries on her wedding night, containing just two words of advice: "Act surprised."

Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, who presided over the two-hour Mass, said Hope lived up to his name.

"Through the humor that led to inner joy and peacefulness, he brought hope," Mahony said. "He brought hope in the midst of turmoil, anxiety and uncertainty ... His name is another element of who this great man was."

Mahony said many stand-up comics come and go, but Hope's legacy will endure. The cardinal recalled telling the one-time Protestant Hope that he should join the Catholic church, to which Hope replied: "I don't need to become a Catholic because (wife) Dolores does enough praying for both of us."

The British-born Hope converted to Catholicism in 1996, according to Hope's longtime spokesman Ward Grant.

Myers spoke at length about Hope's patriotism, saying the comedian was beloved by the military because it was clear that "he honestly and sincerely appreciated" the millions of troops he entertained.

"Bob Hope is an American hero ... a hero to those who serve our nation. Bob hope is a hero to America's heroes."

Among the more than 500 people attending the Mass were close friends Phyllis Diller, who appeared in three of Hope's movies, and Barbara Eden, who joined Hope on his last overseas show for U.S. troops during the 1991 Gulf War.

"To work with him was wonderful, to know him was truly wonderful, and I'm not just saying that because he's dead. He was truly special and we'll miss him," Eden told reporters outside the church before the service.

Among other show business figures attending the Mass were Lonnie Anderson, Brooke Shields, Ed McMahon, Tom Selleck, Connie Stevens, and Raquel Welch.

Later on Wednesday, Hope was remembered at a special tribute at the nearby Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences, where a parade of celebrities delivered tributes and recalled memories and some of the entertainer's greatest quips. Comedian Diller recounted two jokes that Hope liked to tell about her: "A peeping Tom threw up on my window sill" and "He was asked what my bra size was and he said '34 long."'

Sid Caesar delivered a gibberish tribute to Hope in four "faux" languages and later many of the celebrities gathered on stage to sing Hope's theme song, "Thanks for the Memory."

Selleck told reporters he thought Hope would be most remembered for the "personal sacrifices" he made for his country.

"This guy worked every Christmas. Bob did it out of a sense of duty, and that may turn out to be his greatest contribution."

CIA Recruiting TV Spy Garner for Promo Video

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The CIA keeps a lot of secrets, but its opinion of ABC's "Alias" is not one of them.

The spy show's star, Jennifer Garner, said she has been asked to contribute to an official video promoting the government agency.

"It's not a commercial," she said. "It's a recruitment video (to show) university graduate students."

Chase Brandon, film industry liaison for the CIA, confirmed that the project was in the works.

"We very much would like to continue our discussions with Miss Garner and possibly other cast members to work with us on a recruitment video," he said. "We feel that Miss Garner, both in character as agent Sydney Bristow and as herself, embodies the intelligence, enthusiasm and dedication that we're looking for. Our continuing efforts to enlist the best and the brightest would be admirably served by having her support."

Garner would provide an introduction to the video that the CIA shows to prospective agents. "It talks about the nature of the work, the context and the qualities we're looking for," Brandon said. "Her participation would add a human touch to the message we're trying to convey."

Producers on "Alias" worked with Brandon in the early stages of the show, and the writers still occasionally contact him to check facts and details. Beyond that, Brandon said, "Miss Garner has a standing invitation to come by the agency, where she is guaranteed to meet a vast number of fans."

Dennis Miller Joins 'Boston Public,' Babe

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Comedian Dennis Miller will make his first entree into TV drama with a guest stint on "Boston Public."

Miller, late of "Monday Night Football" and HBO's "Dennis Miller Live," has signed on for a three-episode arc that will begin Friday, Oct. 24. The king of arcane cultural references will play an investment banker convicted of securities fraud.

Rather than go to prison, though, he accepts a sentence of community service -- teaching math at Winslow High. (Is it us, or does that sound like a sentence that would be handed out in another David E. Kelley show, "Ally McBeal"?)

Miller, who won five Emmys for "Dennis Miller Live," has done some dramatic work in the past, playing cops or business types in movies like "Disclosure" and "Murder at 1600." He's never appeared in a TV drama, however.

He recently joined the Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" as a weekly commentator and also contributes to other shows on the network.

Eagles Fly High On 'Best Of'

Legendary California rock act the Eagles will be celebrated with a two-disc retrospective, "Eagles -- The Very Best Of," due Oct. 21 from Warner Strategic Marketing. The 33-track set will include a newly recorded single, "Hole in the World," which is No. 71 in its fifth week on the Billboard Hot 100.

The collection will draw songs from the group's three-decade career, with well-known cuts such as "Hotel California," "The Best of My Love," "Lyin' Eyes" and "Heartache Tonight" as well as a live version of "Seven Bridges Road."

Also included is "Please Come Home for Christmas," which was previously only available as a commercial single. Limited editions of "The Very Best Of" will also include a bonus DVD with a video clip for "Hole in the World" and behind-the-scenes footage of the group's latest tour.

The set will be the first two-disc collection of the band's work, complementing such releases as "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" (Asylum), which, having been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America for U.S. shipments of 28 million copies, is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time.

The Eagles are working on their first new studio album since 1979's "The Long Run."

Here is the track listing for "Eagles -- The Very Best Of":

Disc One:
"Take It Easy"
"Witchy Woman"
"Peaceful Easy Feeling"
"Desperado"
"Tequila Sunrise"
"Doolin-Dalton"
"Already Gone"
"The Best of My Love"
"James Dean"
"Ol' '55"
"Midnight Flyer"
"On the Border"
"Lyin' Eyes"
"One of These Nights"
"Take It to the Limit"
"After the Thrill Is Gone"
"Hotel California""

Disc Two:
"Life in the Fast Lane"
"Wasted Time"
"Victim of Love"
"The Last Resort"
"New Kid in Town"
"Please Come Home for Christmas"
"Heartache Tonight"
"The Sad Cafe"
"I Can't Tell You Why"
"The Long Run"
"In the City"
"Those Shoes"
"Seven Bridges Road (Live)"
"Love Will Keep Us Alive"
"Get Over It"
"Hole in the World"

Even Though The Remaining People Are Horrible Humans...

...CBS is adding two more episodes to its ongoing reality hit Big Brother 4, delaying its season finale from September 17 to September 24.

Do Video Games Now Draw More Women Than Boys??

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Challenging the stereotype that video gaming is the domain of teenage boys, an industry group on Tuesday reported that more women over 18 than young boys are playing games and the average age of players has risen to 29.

A poll released by the Entertainment Software Association and conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates found 26 percent of game players are women 18 or older, while 21 percent are boys 6 to 17.

Video gaming has traditionally been seen as the province of teenage boys locked in dark rooms and twitching away at their game consoles, although in recent years the industry has worked to publish games catering to kids, women and older gamers.

In line with that trend, adults over 50 now make up 17 percent of the gaming population, the ESA said, compared with 13 percent three years ago.

The largest group of gamers, at 38 percent, is men 18 and up, while girls 6 to 17 account for 12 percent of game players, the poll found.

"I think that what used to be the standard in games, which was the female character in distress and the big macho man saving the day, is no longer the case," said Vikki Hrody, a faculty member at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago, who teaches art for game design.

"I do see a lot more girls, especially the students that I'm teaching, that want to play games," she said.

A random national sample of 806 adults, covering a total of 1,048 game players including kids, was used in the poll, the ESA said.

The average gamer spends 6.5 hours a week playing games, the ESA said, while boys 6 to 17 average 7.3 hours per week of game time.

As the age of gamers has risen, so has the number of games for adults. Of all games sold in 2002, the ESA said 13.2 percent carried a "Mature" or "M" rating, up from 9.9 percent in 2001 and under 8 percent in 2000.

Hrody said she and her friends much prefer many of those mature games, like war titles, to the games specially designed and targeted by game companies at the female market, such as dancing themes or Barbie.

"They don't hear enough about what the market is. I think they just assume that it's boys that are playing these games," she said. "(Girls' games are) very boring, there's no story line, it's almost like they play it down for girls."

The poll found little difference in the relationship between game play and income, with 39 percent of gamers reporting total household income of less than $50,000 a year and 41 percent reporting an income of more than $50,000.

Toby Keith Leads Pack in Country Music Nominations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Toby Keith, with a chart-topping album and hit single "Beer for My Horses," led the list of nominations for this year's Country Music Association awards announced Tuesday.

Country pop and rock acts were also in the running along with traditional country artists, including veteran performersJohnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.

The awards will be presented at the 37th annual CMA Awards show Nov. 5 at the Grand Ole Opry.

Keith snared seven nominations. His album "Unleashed" opened at No. 1 on both Billboard Country and Top 200 album charts and has been certified triple platinum.

This year's nominations are a mix that reflect Nashville's trend away from its main identity as a country music mecca. While several old-timers earned nominations this year, including Cash, Parton and Nelson, none from that group made it into the top "Entertainer of the Year" category.

The nominees:

Entertainer of the Year: Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith and Tim McGraw.

Female Vocalist of the Year: Terri Clark, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride and Dolly Parton.

Male Vocalist of the Year: Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and George Strait.

Horizon Award (promising new entertainer): Gary Allan, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton and Darryl Worley.

Vocal Group of the Year: Alabama, Diamond Rio, DixieChicks, Lonestar and Rascal Flatts.

Vocal Duo of the Year: Bellamy Brothers, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Sons of the Desert and the Warren Brothers.

Single of the Year: "Beer For My Horses," a Toby Keith duet with Willie Nelson; "Celebrity" by Brad Paisley; "Have You Forgotten" by Darryl Worley; "Hurt" by Johnny Cash; "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis.

Musician of the Year: Jerry Douglas, Paul Franklin, Aubrie Haynie, Brent Mason and Randy Scruggs.

Album of the Year: "American IV: The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash; "Home" by the Dixie Chicks; Man With a Memory" by Joe Nichols; "Tim McGraw & the Dancehall Doctors" by Tim McGraw; "Unleashed" by Toby Keith.

Music Video of the Year: "Beer For My Horses" with Toby Keith and Willie Nelson; "Celebrity" with Brad Paisley; "Concrete Angel" with Martina McBride; "Hurt" with Johnny Cash; "Red Dirt Road" with Brooks & Dunn.

Vocal Event: Toby Keith with Willie Nelson singing "Beer For My Horses;" Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett in "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere;" Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow in "Picture;" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Johnny Cash in "Tears in the Holston River;" Tracy Byrd with Andy Griggs, Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton in "The Truth About Men."
 
Song of the Year: "Beer For My Horses," "Celebrity," "Have You Forgotten?," "Red Dirt Road" and "Three Wooden Crosses."

'Raymond' Co-Star Garrett Ends Salary Strike

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Now that they've all gotten raises, everybody loves Raymond again.

Ending a salary revolt that stymied production for the upcoming eighth season of CBS television's top comedy, actor Brad Garrett will return to the set of "Everybody Loves Raymond" on Wednesday, more than two weeks after he walked off the job demanding more money, the network said on Tuesday.

His return comes after CBS and other profit participants in the show, including star-producer Ray Romano, agreed to give up a portion of their own "backend" shares in the series to sweeten the deals of his four disgruntled co-stars.

Three of the supporting players -- Patricia Heaton, Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts -- had accepted the multimillion-dollar profit-sharing offer and returned to work last week in time to film the sitcom's season-opening episode without Garrett, according to a source close to the situation.

Garrett, meanwhile, had held out until he clinched his own deal on Tuesday.

"We've been told that Brad is returning to work (Wednesday), and we look forward to welcoming him back," CBS spokesman Chris Ender said. He declined to comment on details of how Garrett and the Viacom Inc.-owned network had come to terms.

But the source told Reuters that Garrett negotiated a significant increase in his per-episode salary as well as a small stake in the series' backend profits. The deal was first reported on the Web site of entertainment trade paper The Hollywood Reporter.

Garrett, who plays jealous big brother Robert opposite Romano's lead character, Ray Barone, had previously been the lowest paid of the supporting cast members with a salary pegged at $4 million a year, or about $166,000 per episode.

That's a fraction of Romano's earnings, reportedly valued at nearly $2 million per episode under a renewal deal he struck in May that made him the highest-paid actor on U.S. television.

The Hollywood Reporter earlier said the network had offered to raise Garrett's per-episode salary to $250,000, on top of a newly granted stake in the show's profits. It said the half-percentage point given to each of the three other co-stars would be worth at least $5 million over the next few years.

Both sides in the salary squabble started out playing hardball, with Garrett, who won an Emmy last year, refusing to return to work without a new deal, and CBS ordering him written out of the script for the season premiere.

The situation was further clouded when Heaton, who co-stars as Raymond's tart-tongued wife, forced a delay in shooting the season premiere by calling in sick for several days earlier this month. Boyle and Roberts, who play her in-laws, reportedly did the same last week.

But production on the second episode was said to be back on track this week with a small part left in the script for Garrett in case he returned in time for Thursday's taping.

"Raymond" is a major cash cow for CBS and its producers, reportedly expected to generate upward of $500 million during its first five years of syndicated reruns. Last season, the show ranked as the fourth most watched scripted series on prime-time TV and the No. 2 comedy behind NBC's "Friends." It was the No. 1 sitcom on CBS.

Today's New Releases (Tuesday, August 26th, 2003)

There are so many great new releases on video and DVD this week that I may have to get a second job just so I can afford to buy half of the ones I want.

There is also one new release that is worth avoiding like the plague. But I'll get to the bad and the ugly in just a minute. Let me tell you about the good first.

Topping the list of good is THE SIMPSONS: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON.

Broadcast in 1991, the third season of The Simpsons contains a host of candidates for "Best Simpsons Episode Ever." The opening episode features a guest appearance by an uncredited Michael Jackson, who plays an obese white inmate whom Homer meets while confined to a mental institution. "Flaming Moe's" features Aerosmith and "Radio Bart" is another demonstration of the series' knack for cultural references, parodying the Billy Wilder movie Ace in the Hole. This DVD box set and its special features are immensely enjoyable at any level. This third year demonstrates conclusively that The Simpsons is quite simply, and by a large margin, one of the greatest television show ever.

Two other former TV programs are released today on video and DVD. Much like The Simpsons they are kids shows that adults love as well.

JOHN DENVER & THE MUPPETS: ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOLIDAY is a musical variety special that sees the late John Denver and Jim Henson's Muppets go on a summer camping trip to the Rocky Mountains. It features 16 classic songs.

Jim Henson was also the driving force behind THE STORYTELLER. The nine episodes of the TV show on THE STORYTELLER COLLECTION see Henson fill the screen with wonderful creatures that have a wisp of J.R.R. Tolkein fantasy.

The second chapter of Tolkein's actual fantasy world THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS is finally being released today, almost seven months after it debuted in theatres. The story sees Hobbits Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mordor. The Two Towers movie has more action than literature, but if its literature you want there's always the book.

Many a TV viewer still books time on Thursday nights so they can watch ER. Now they can catch up with the medical drama anytime they want with the DVD release of ER: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.

I'm not going to say anything about the connection between ER and STITCH! - THE MOVIE. Hopefully you will think I'm a cut up and connect the two yourself.

While you are doing that, I will tell you that STITCH! - THE MOVIE is the direct to video sequel for the fun kids movie from last year called LILO & STITCH. Even though it is a direct to video release, which normally means it isn't worthy of theatrical release, it is very good. It will definitely keep the kids interested while you're listening to Saskatchewan Weekend.

No one will even use the word good to describe FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY. This dreadful waste of time features American Idol "winners" Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini in a musical romance story that takes place during Spring Break in Florida. The songs are forgetful, the acting isn't worth mentioning, frankly this movie is both BAD and UGLY.

So enjoy the movies and I'll see you on the couch.

Warren Zevon Keeps His Sense Of Humour Till The End

Warren Zevon is dying. According to doctors he should be dead already.

His new disc "The Wind" is like an X-ray with a dark shadow that shouldn’t be there and can’t be ignored. Recorded after Zevon was diagnosed in 2002 with inoperable lung cancer, it sounds like the work of a guy who's still fighting, but also starting to wrap things up. Although Zevon is best known for his poison-dart wit, he’s always been a bit of a softie, too. It’s no surprise, then, that The Wind leans heavily on irony-free ballads such as "She’s Too Good for Me," "El Amor de mi Vida," and "Please Stay." But there’s also a dose of defiant blues ("Rub Me Raw") and plenty of dirty slide guitar, courtesy of Ry Cooder and David Lindley. (Other guests include Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, and Dwight Yoakam).

If the lyrics generally lack the literary precision of Zevon’s best work, the songs take on greater weight given the circumstance under which they were recorded. Heard in 1983, a party-hearty anthem like "The Rest of the Night" would’ve sounded like yet another dumb argument for hedonism, and "Numb as a Statue" might have come off as the self-lacerating joke of an alcoholic unable to deal with his emotions directly. However, on The Wind, these songs are genuinely touching, the work of a guy deadened by meds but unwilling to surrender to The Big Sleep just yet. A cover of Dylan’s "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door" is the album’s most direct comment on Zevon’s fragile health, but the most touching song is the album-closing acoustic ballad "Keep Me in Your Heart," recorded by Zevon at home after the star-studded studio work was complete. Clearly, Zevon survived one hell of a farewell party last night, but now it's morning again and there’s no telling what the rest of the day might bring.

And no matter how long he stands on this mortal coil, his music will stand forever.

...these are also coming out today.

* BIG SUGAR Hit And Run (Universal)
* BOUNCING SOULS Anchors Aweigh (Epitaph)
* HILARY DUFF Metamorphosis (Buena Vista)
* JESSICA SIMPSON In This Skin (Sony)
* MARY J. BLIGE Love & Life (MCA)
* PENNYWISE TBA (Pennywise) (Epitaph)
* RANCID Indestructable (Hellcat)
* SIMPLY RED Home (Universal)
* THE WEAKERTHANS Reconstruction Site (Epitaph)

POSTHUMOUS RELEASE

Streetcore, a new album from the Clash's late frontman Joe Strummer and his new band the Mescaleros, to be released October 21. Stummer passed away last December of a heart attack.

New York Story

It's 1997. New York City is a maximum security prison. And Snake Plissken is your man. On December 16th, MGM Home entertainment will at last release John Carpenter's cult classic Escape From New York in a new two-disc special edition. Remastered in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, extras include the full 10-minute deleted "Robbery Sequence" restored and with optional commentary with Carpenter and star Kurt Russell, two additional full-length audio commentaries with Carpenter and Russell and producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves, the new "Return to Escape From New York" documentary, the "Making of John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles" comic featurette, a still gallery, trailers, and an exclusive full-color mini-comic inside the package.

To Live And Die On DVD

Also making its DVD debut in December on the 2nd is - at last - the highly-anticipated new collector's edition of William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. Newly remastered in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, extras include audio commentary with Friedkin, a deleted scenes and alternate ending featurette, the "Counterfeit World: The Making of To Live and Die in L.A." documentary, a still gallery and trailers.

Other new MGM December catalog titles include the classics Darling, Crime of Passion, He Walked by Night, Lord Love a Duck and Odds Against Tomorrow. All are presented in anamorphic widescreen except Odds Against Tomorrow and He Walked by Night, which get the full frame treatment. Extras include trailers, and retail is $14.95 a pop.

Rounding out MGM's holiday lineup are a batch of 80's comedies, all presented in full frame only unless otherwise noted: Once Upon a Crime (anamorphic widescreen), the Phil Collins caper Buster (non-anamorphic widescreen), Car 54, Where Are You?, How to Get Ahead in Advertising (anamorphic widescreen), Real Men, Cops and Robbers, Checking Out and Livin' Large!.

California Court Rules for DVD Industry

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that courts may block Internet users from posting codes that could be used to illegally copy DVD movies, in a case that pitted trade secret rights against free speech.

The justices did not resolve whether the code was in fact a trade secret, leaving that for a lower court to determine. They did rule, however, that they would not tolerate the posting of legitimate trade secrets online and reversed a lower court that said disseminating trade secrets was protected free speech.

The case centered on San Francisco computer programmer Andrew Bunner, who in 1999 posted the code to crack the encryption technology and, according to the movie industry, helped users replicate thousands of copyright movies per day.

The DVD Copy Control Association, an arm of Hollywood studios, said it controls the encryption system, which scrambles data to prevent unauthorized copying of a movie sold in the DVD format. The association sued Bunner and others under California's Uniform Trade Secrets Act.

A San Jose judge ordered Bunner to remove the encryption-cracking code from the Internet. But the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose lifted that injunction, a move the DVD Copy Control Association said was akin to giving crooks the technology to reproduce protected material such as movies on a large scale.

The court of appeal ruled that protecting trade secrets is not as important as "the First Amendment right to freedom of speech."

A unanimous Supreme Court, however, ruled otherwise Monday.

Justice Janice Rogers Brown, in reversing the appeals court on a 7-0 vote, said an order to remove the code "does not violate the free speech clauses of the United States and California constitutions."

The case is not fully resolved, however, because the Supreme Court also ordered the San Jose appeals court to analyze whether the code is still a protected trade secret given its widespread exposure.

The DVD association hailed Monday's decision.

"This opinion has wide applications to trade secret law," said association attorney Robert G. Sugerman. "Owners of trade secrets can now protect those trade secrets through injunctive relief, which is clearly now available."

During oral arguments three months ago, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer joined the group in arguing that industry secrets would be plundered if computer users could post them without court intervention. Companies including Boeing Co., Ford Motor Co. and AOL Time Warner Inc. urged the justices to side with the DVD association, arguing that trade secret protections trump First Amendment speech protections.

Bunner did not devise the decryption code, but instead posted it on one of his Web sites. The Norwegian teen who cracked the code, Jon Johansen, was acquitted in Norway in January of charges he stole trade secrets.

Bunner, 26, said he has removed any reference to it from the Internet and is fighting the case to stand up for free speech rights. He is one of dozens of people throughout the United States that the association is suing for posting the code.

He said Monday he believed his actions were lawful, and said he posted the code to let others play DVDs on their computers.

"The idea was to get it out there for an open-source DVD player," Bunner said.

His attorney, David A. Greene, said the appeals court could still ultimately support Bunner's actions because the code's global dissemination may not grant it status as a trade secret anymore.

Hendrix, Allman, King Ranked as Top Guitarists

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Late rock musicians Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman lead the list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Hendrix, who invariably tops such polls, received a glowing tribute from Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who wrote that he "made the electric guitar beautiful."

Townshend recalled that one of Hendrix's shows was "so profoundly powerful" that he found himself holding hands with fellow devotee and guitarist Eric Clapton.

Allman was hailed by the magazine for transforming "the poetry of jamming" with the Allman Brothers Band, the Atlanta rock group he founded with younger brother Gregg in 1969.

B.B. King, who turns 78 next month, came in at No. 3. "His string-bending and vibrato made his famous guitar, Lucille, weep like a woman," the magazine said.

Clapton landed at No. 4, followed by Delta bluesman Robert Johnson. Rounding out the top 10 were Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ry Cooder, Jimmy Page and Keith Richards.

The survey is featured in the next issue, which hits streets on Friday.

The No. 100 spot went to Kim Thayil of defunct Seattle rock band Soundgarden. Townshend himself was No. 50. Two women made the list: Joni Mitchell at No. 72 and Joan Jett at No. 87.

Stax session guitarist Steve Cropper, who was judged the No. 2 guitarist in a Mojo magazine survey in 1996, was good enough for only No. 36 in Rolling Stone's estimation. Two spots behind him was Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green, who had been No. 3 on the Mojo list.

Simpson: Cash Helped Murder Acquittal

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- O.J. Simpson says that without the money to pay for a "dream team" of lawyers, he would not have been acquitted of murder charges.

In an interview with Playboy magazine nine years after his trial, Simpson repeatedly vowed he was innocent of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman.

"I didn't commit the crime. That is why I got off," he said. "I feel in my heart that I got off because I was innocent. But I don't know if I could have proven my innocence if I didn't have the money. And that's a shame. Yes, it is a shame that in this country it costs so much to get good representation."

In the wide-ranging interview published in the current issue of the magazine, Simpson also disclosed that after his acquittal he smoked marijuana in order to get to sleep.

"My drug of choice now is Vioxx," said Simpson, who suffers from arthritis. "When I got out of jail, I kind of appreciated pot more than I ever had in my life."

Simpson was acquitted of murder charges in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and Goldman. A civil jury later held Simpson liable for the killings and ordered him to pay the victims' survivors $33.5 million.

BLOCKBUSTERS & BUSTS

This has been the wacky summer that Hollywood slept with the fishes, and pirates plundered the box-office gold.

It isn't just that bottom-feeders Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres - in the animated smash "Finding Nemo" - turned out to be a hotter team than Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in the megabomb "Gigli," which disproved the adage that there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Who would have thought Johnny Depp - a critics' fave but never hugely popular - in something called "Pirates of the Caribbean" would outdraw everyone from Jim Carrey to Harrison Ford, even giving Keanu Reeves' Neo and the much-hyped "The Matrix: Reloaded" a run for the money?

Some of the summer's other notable winners and losers:

WINNERS

* IF YOU FILM IT, THEY WILL COME: Kevin Costner came back from the dead by giving Robert Duvall top billing - and most of the dialogue - in "Open Range," an old-fashioned western that abandoned the New Agey-schmaltz that had turned off even Kevin's remaining fans.

* HASTA LA VISTA, BABY: "Terminator 3" gave the waning Arnold Schwarzenegger his biggest paycheck ($30 million) and biggest opening in a decade - so he decides to run for governor. Well, that's California for you.

* MAYBE NOW HUBBY CHRISTOPHER GUEST WILL HIRE HER: Jamie Lee Curtis, relegated of late to cameos in "Halloween" sequels, scored a critical and box-office success stepping into "Freaky Friday" when Annette Bening bowed out during shooting.

* MOVIEGOERS WITH HORSE SENSE: "Seabiscuit" turned out to have some of the season's longest legs at the box office - dispelling nagging doubts that moviegoers don't have the patience for well-told stories.

* NOT IN THE MOOD FOR "BAD BOYS II"?: Audiences disgusted with vile mainstream schlock flocked to art-house hits like "28 Days Later," "Capturing the Friedmans," "Whale Rider," "Swimming Pool," "Dirty Pretty Things," "Camp" and "The Secret Lives of Dentists."

LOSERS

* THERE'S ALWAYS ASHTON: Demi Moore tried to parlay a barely-legal romance into a comeback, but "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" tanked despite, or maybe due to, her tabloid notoriety.

* ODE TO BILLY BOB: Angelina Jolie attempted to hype the sequel "Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life" by trashing her husband and the first movie, as well as turning U.N. ambassador. Didn't work, didn't work, didn't work.

* JULIA ROBERTS CAN RELAX: The disappointing numbers for "Legally Blonde 2" proved we might have been too quick to crown Reese Witherspoon the new queen of romantic comedy.

* JULIA ROBERTS CAN RELAX (II & III): Ditto for Kate Hudson, who did even worse with "Alex and Emma," which also extended the once-hot Rob Reiner's losing streak as a director. Don't even mention Renée Zellweger and "Down With Love" to the folks at Fox.

* LET'S HAVE THE INDIANA JONES SEQUEL SOON: Harrison Ford stumbled badly with "Hollywood Homicide," while one-time screen dad Sean Connery didn't fare much better with the extraordinarily awful "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

* DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB: Bob Dylan resorted to the pseudonym Sergei Petrov for the screenplay of the appalling "Masked & Anonymous." He should have tried the witness protection program.

Seinfeld Hits the CURB

Jerry Seinfeld has filmed a guest appearance on HBO's CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Seinfeld's appearance will occur in the season finale of next season; it will air sometime in 2004. "[Seinfeld] stopped by the set to visit," says an HBO spokeswoman, "and they decided to put him in the audience." In the episode, Larry David is making is Broadway debut.

Sting Takes 'Sacred Love' To Paris

Sting will unveil the material from his new A&M album, "Sacred Love," during a Sept. 22 concert at Paris' L'Olympia. The show will be open only to members of Sting's fan club, although the general public can register for tickets and membership for a limited time. "Sacred Love" arrives Sept. 23 internationally and Sept. 30 in North America.

Additional details have come to light about the set's companion DVD, to be released Oct. 6 internationally and a day later in North America. "Inside the Songs of Sacred Love" was taped in mid-May at Los Angeles' Mayan Theatre in front of invited guests and contest winners. As she does on "Sacred Love," Mary J. Blige joined Sting for the duet "Whenever I Say Your Name."

Material filmed at the Mayan will also be shown on the special "Sting: Sacred Love," airing in October on A&E. The video for the first single from the new album, "Send Your Love," premiered earlier this week on VH1.

Jones, Lang, Grant, McBride And Others On 'Remembering Patsy Cline'

Norah Jones, K.D. Lang, Amy Grant, Martina McBride, and Michelle Branch are just a few of the artists appearing on the upcoming tribute album Remembering Patsy Cline. The 12-track collection comes out September 9, one day after what would have been Cline's seventh-first birthday. Other artists appearing on the effort include Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, and Lee Ann Womack.

Cline died in a plane crash in 1963, at the age of 30.

Tracklisting for Remembering Patsy Cline:

Natalie Cole - "I Fall To Pieces"
Norah Jones - "Why Can't He Be You"
Amy Grant - "Back In My Baby's Arms"
Diana Krall - "Crazy"
Michelle Branch - "Strange"
Lee Ann Womack - "She's Got You"
K.D. Lang - "Leavin' On Your Mind"
Terri Clark - "Walking After Midnight"
Rebecca Lynn Howard - "You're Stronger Than Me"
Patty Griffin - "Faded Love"
Jessie Alexander - "So Wrong"
Martina McBride - "Sweet Dreams (Of You)"

No ID4 2 for Smith?

Dean Devlin and Rolan Emmerich's plans to resurrect ID4 for a sequel may hit a slight problem in the absence of the film's star. Will Smith insists that talks for a sequel to the 1996 film have fallen through and are unlikely to be resurrected. "I think that will never happen," he told Radio One. "It's Hollywood so you never know, you can never say never, but I'm pretty doggone sure that will never happen." Similarly pessimistic about sequel possibilities is Ashton Kutcher, who seems to think that Dude, Where's My Car follow up Seriously Dude, Where's My Car isn't high on his schedule. "Well, if Seann's in it, I'd do it," he said. "And Brad Pitt. And Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Tom Cruise - and then only if it's directed by Martin Scorsese and Cameron Crowe." That'll be a 'no' then will it?

IN CASE YOU FORGOT

New Line rereleasing extended editions of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers two weeks before the December 17 release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to refresh filmgoers' memories, reports Variety.

'Freddy Vs. Jason' Remains No. 1 Flick

LOS ANGELES - A weak batch of new movies made easy prey for "Freddy vs. Jason," which took in $13.45 million to remain the No. 1 weekend flick, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Freddy vs. Jason," a blood feud between the villains of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th," was the first movie to retain the top spot for two straight weekends since "X2: X-Men United" in early May.

Years ago, big hits could linger at the top of the box office for weeks, but studios today focus on marketing blitzes to guarantee huge opening weekends before crowds drift on to the next blockbuster.

"This summer in particular we saw weekend after weekend with a new No. 1 film," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "That really speaks to the transitory nature of the business and audience habits. The shelf life of a movie is very short."

The year's top-grossing movie, "Finding Nemo," debuted at No. 1 in late May, slipped to second place the next weekend, then regained the top box-office spot in its third weekend.

"Finding Nemo" took in $1 million this past weekend, pushing its total domestic gross to $329.8 million. It has surpassed "The Lion King" ($328.5 million) as the top-grossing animated movie ever.

The weekend haul for "Freddy vs. Jason" raised its 10-day total to $61.5 million.

The best debut among new movies was for Jackie Chan's action comedy "The Medallion," which opened in fifth place with $8.2 million. Ashton Kutcher's romantic comedy "My Boss's Daughter" opened in 10th place with $5 million.

Executives of "The Medallion" distributor Sony and of "My Boss's Daughter" distributor Dimension Films said the movies were cheap enough that they still will turn small profits.

The Lisa Kudrow-Damon Wayans comedy "Marci X," which sat for more than a year on Paramount's shelves, opened with a dismal $865,000. The studio dumped it into a modest 1,200 theaters to boost its eventual home-video prospects.

Even with the weak slate of new movies, overall revenues were up sharply. The top 12 movies took in $86.2 million, up 33 percent from the same weekend last year, when box-office receipts petered out in a late-summer swoon.

This summer has closed with a surge of hits such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," "Seabiscuit," "American Wedding," "S.W.A.T." and "Freaky Friday."

Revenues this year from early May through Labor Day should wind up squeaking past Hollywood's record $3.8 billion haul in summer 2002, Dergarabedian said. But that reflects higher ticket prices and actual admissions this summer will be 3 to 4 percent lower, he said.

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. "Freddy vs. Jason," $13.45 million.
2. "S.W.A.T." $10.8 million.
3 (tie). "Freaky Friday," $9.4 million.
3 (tie). "Open Range," $9.4 million.
5. "The Medallion," $8.2 million.
6. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $7.3 million.
7. "Seabiscuit," $6.3 million.
8. "Uptown Girls," $5.6 million
9. "American Wedding," $5.58 million.
10. "My Boss's Daughter," $5 million.

Cult Band Ween Tries Indie Route with 'Quebec'

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Ween spent most of the previous decade as one of the strangest bands on a major-label roster, recording a series of unclassifiable records for Elektra that included elements of country, rock, psychedelia and classic pop.

But while the duo of Aaron "Gene Ween" Freeman and Mickey "Dean Ween" Melchiondo has achieved cult status around the world, its Elektra tenure came and went without a major commercial breakthrough.

If you ask Ween's members, that's just fine. "We held up our end of that dysfunctional relationship," Melchiondo says. "We never contacted them, and we never kissed anybody's ass. We probably could have done better if we had, but it's just not our style."

Band and label mutually parted ways after the 2000 release of Ween's fifth studio album for the label, "White Pepper," which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and sold 77,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Ween's best seller for Elektra, 1994's "Chocolate and Cheese," sold 203,000 copies.

Lifelong friends Freeman and Melchiondo spent more than two years writing the material that would make up their new album, "Quebec."

Ween considered several label options, including releasing the disc on its own Chocodog imprint, but ultimately inked a worldwide deal with Sanctuary, which released "Quebec" Aug. 5. The album debuted last issue at a career high of No. 81 on the Billboard 200.

"At this point, we don't need a major-label push," Freeman says. "We just need a company that is going to stick around, and if something does get big, they can handle it."

The group is using its newly independent status to develop its own proprietary software, WeenAmp, which will allow fans one-click access to a streaming radio station, chat and message boards and a peer-to-peer service for trading live concerts. Ween manager Greg Frey says WeenAmp will be available as a free download from ween.com.

"It will be everything in one little icon, just constantly updated," Freeman enthuses. "One day, there may be a message from us with a free demo. Or, if we want to sell something, we can do that."

As a teaser to this new world of possibilities, Ween played an all-request live Webcast July 22 via weenradio.com, after having taken submissions from its online fan community. "Quebec" was streamed on that site Aug. 1 and again the day the album went on sale.

"They wanted to keep it all about the fans," Sanctuary senior director of marketing Meg Harkins says. "They know their fan base better than anyone, and it's a pleasure to work with a group with such a strong artistic vision."

On "Quebec," that vision manifests itself as a tour through Ween's multiple musical personalities. Working with longtime producer Andrew Weiss for the first time since 1997's nautical-themed "The Mollusk," the group pushed itself "to be more experimental," Melchiondo says.

"The last record we did with a band, so we were a little bit more organized. On this one, it's just about trying things out, because it's mostly Aaron and I playing all the instruments," he adds.

Although the set opens with the speed-rock assault "It's Gonna Be a Long Night," a number of tunes spotlight the more serious, tender side of Ween, including the wistful "Chocolate Town" and "I Don't Want It." Elsewhere, the group returns to its signature psychedelic sound on "The Argus," "Among His Tribe" and the pitch-modulated "Tried and True."

A seven-inch single with "Tried and True" and the B-side "Mountains and Buffalo" was shipped to independent retailers July 28.

Ween traditionally takes things to the extreme onstage, as evidenced by its two Chocodog-released live albums and an avid fan-taping community. It's common for the band to extend a tune's length in a live setting, as well as to incorporate infrequently performed songs in its set lists.

The group began a North American tour July 25 in Pittsburgh and will be on the road in the U.S. through November. European dates are on tap for later this year, followed by visits to Australia, New Zealand and Japan in early 2004.

Reflecting on this new chapter in the band's history, Freeman says he's proud that Ween recorded "Quebec" on its own terms. "We pulled some money together and worked on this record knowing we weren't on Elektra. Now, we're signed with Sanctuary, and we just gave them a full, completed album. That is a good thing."

'Reloaded' Hits $730 Million Worldwide

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "The Matrix Reloaded," the second installment in the mind-bending Keanu Reeves trilogy, has hit $730 million at the worldwide box office.

The tally for the Wachowski brothers' film consists of $450 million in ticket sales overseas and $280 million domestically, Warner Bros. said Friday.

The film, which rolled out in nearly all foreign territories, except for Japan and Russia, in May following a gala screening at Cannes on May 15, currently ranks 13th on the all-time worldwide box office chart, according to the Internet Movie Database. With its international rollout nearly completed, it is lodged between 1982's "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," in 12th place with $757 million, and 1994's "Forrest Gump," in 14th with $679 million.

The film's 1999 predecessor, "The Matrix," did $456 million worldwide. The final installment, "The Matrix: Revolutions," opens domestically on Nov. 5.

"Reloaded" was the first film in history to gross more than $100 million in a single weekend internationally. It is also the biggest-grossing R-rated movie on both the domestic and international charts.

Among 2003 releases, its nearest competitor is the Jim Carrey comedy "Bruce Almighty," whose worldwide take stands at $427 million. Among all-time champs, "Reloaded" falls far below top-ranked "Titanic," which earned $1.8 billion worldwide following its Dec. 1997 release.

Johnny Cash could sweep MTV Awards

NEW YORK -- This week's MTV Video Music Awards, celebrating a medium that usually oozes youth and invincibility, would seem like the last place to celebrate a somber video with a frail, 71-year-old Johnny Cash.

Yet the extraordinary clip for "Hurt" -- one that its creator feared would never be seen on television-- is up for six awards, making Cash third only to Missy Elliott and Justin Timberlake in nominations.

The country legend, who suffers from the nervous system disease autonomic neuropathy, has been working with doctors in the hope of traveling to New York for the show.

"He's planning on it," said singer Rosanne Cash, his daughter.

The video depicts a white-haired Cash, his gnarled hands occasionally shaking, in his home singing a song popularized by the rock band Nine Inch Nails. The images are interspersed with clips of a younger, more vital Cash.

The wrenching song is about the damage done by a life of drug abuse. "What have I become?" he sings. "My sweetest friend. Everyone I know goes away in the end."

A camera cuts to a picture of Cash's late mother on the wall of his Tennessee home after he sings the lyric.

The video is made even more heartbreaking in retrospect by the presence of Cash's wife, June Carter Cash, who looks at her husband with a mixture of pride and concern. She died on June 12, a few months after filming.

Warned by her sister that it may be tough to watch, Rosanne Cash avoided popping the video in her VCR. On a visit to Tennessee, her father asked if she had seen it.

"I watched it with him and June and I was weeping and weeping through the whole thing," she said. "My dad was completely clear-eyed and focused on the merits of the video, which is so much like him. He's able to focus on the most awful truths with an artist's eye."

It was only through director Mark Romanek's nagging that the video was even made.

A Cash fan, Romanek begged producer Rick Rubin for years to make a video of his hero. He and Rubin expected no airplay. They figured they would sell copies in stores.

Memorable music videos are much rarer now than when MTV started the Video Music Awards in 1984. MTV plays videos infrequently and outlets like MTV2 and Fuse don't have the same cultural impact.

"If you watch what's on MTV, you don't see anything like this," Rubin said. "You won't see anything from any artist in Johnny's age range and you won't see anything with this kind of serious content. It really sticks out like a sore thumb."
MTV won't say how many times the video actually aired on the network; Rubin said he's heard it was played six times -- one for each video music award nomination.

It has, however, gotten much more exposure than Romanek expected on outlets like CMT and MTV2.

Romanek's original idea was to film Cash on a Los Angeles soundstage packed with memorabilia from the singer's career. The artifacts would gradually disappear until Cash appeared alone at the song's end.

Yet Cash wasn't healthy enough to make the trip, so the director brought his crew to Cash's home, not knowing what he'd find. One stroke of luck was finding the shuttered and decaying House of Cash Museum five minutes from the singer's home. It was used in the video, too.

He never expected to make such a powerful reflection on aging and mortality.
"You really get an inside feeling of the human experience of growing up in a family and all the trials and tribulations that come up for everyone," Rubin said. "It's such a common thing but it's so rarely touched upon."

The veteran producer, a pioneer in rap music who has helped Cash to a creative rebirth with a series of intimate recordings, said he's heard more people talking about the video than anything he'd ever worked on.

"If you were moved to that kind of emotion in the course of a two-hour movie, it would be a great accomplishment," he said. "To do it in a four-minute music video is shocking."

Romanek said that as a fan, he's always appreciated the candor in Cash's music and thought the video should reflect that.

"I certainly didn't want the piece to appear like a premature obituary," he said. "That wasn't the intention, and I hope the piece doesn't come across that way."
Cash may have been clear-eyed when watching with Rosanne, but was quite taken aback when he first saw it, Rubin said. It was only with his family's encouragement that he agreed to release it.

Now, he said, Cash is quite proud and excited that it has gotten recognition.
Tom Calderone, MTV's executive vice president of music and talent, is hoping to see Cash at Thursday's awards show. He'll provide some heft for an event that even Calderone admits usually has its share of here-today-gone-tomorrow artists.

"Back in the day, he had edge," Calderone said. "He was kind of a rebel."
Cash continues to work despite his health problems and the emotional blow of becoming a widower. He and Rubin are recording their fifth disc together, and are also preparing a box set of unreleased material from their sessions over the past decade.

Romanek said he doesn't want his video confused with real life. Cash's life isn't that bleak, he said.

"It's a very somber song, but when we yelled 'cut,' there was a very different Johnny Cash that emerged, who was a lot more lively and a lot more sprightly and funny and frisky with June. (He was) having a good time."

'Nemo' Bests 'Lion King' as Top Animated Film

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The fishy father and son heroes of summer movie hit "Finding Nemo" have bested "The Lion King" at the box office, breaking the long-held animated film record for U.S. ticket sales, tracking firm Exhibitor Relations reported on Friday.

"'Nemo' is the biggest film of the summer, the biggest film of the year, and now it is the biggest animated feature of all time," said Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian.

"Nemo" had sold $328.7 million in tickets in the United States by the end of Thursday, topping the $328.5 million that "The Lion King" sold in its original release and a more recent large-format Imax reissue.

"Nemo," a computer animated tale of a cowardly father fish who plucks up his courage to hunt for his lost son off -- and on -- the coast of Australia was created by Pixar Animation Studios Inc. and has been closing in for weeks on the heels of the Walt Disney Co. 1994 musical set in Africa.

Disney is also Pixar's partner on "Nemo."

"The Lion King" still reigns over the worldwide box office for animated films, with more than $780 million in tickets sold, and since ticket prices were lower when "The Lion King" came out, Nemo still has a way to go before it can claim more a bigger audience, even in the United States.

"But 'Nemo' is still playing," said Dergarabedian.

Newhart Sets Sights on 'ER' for Guest Arc

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Comedy great Bob Newhart is embarking on a rare venture into drama with a recurring role on NBC's "ER."

He will play Ben Hollander, an architect suffering with macular degeneration. As his progressive loss of sight increasingly affects his ability to work, Hollander also begins to lose interest in the world. He befriends Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), who develops an odd attachment to him.

The first episode of Newhart's three-episode arc is slated to air Oct. 30.

Newhart won four Emmys -- one for his work on the NBC comedy series "The Bob Newhart Show" and three for his CBS sitcom "Newhart." He also has three Grammys, all from 1961, including the album of the year prize.

Newhart most recently co-starred on the big screen in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" and will next be seen opposite Will Ferrell and Ed Asner in the holiday comedy "Elf," which New Line will release in November.

'CSI' rated worst show by TV watchdog

NEW YORK (AP) -- Television's most popular program, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, is also its least family-friendly, a TV watchdog group said Thursday.

The Parents Television Council criticized the CBS drama, carried in Canada by CTV, for stories about cannibalism, S&M sex clubs and snuff films.

What's worse is that CBS occasionally reruns the show at the 8 p.m. hour when more children are likely to be watching, said Melissa Caldwell, research director for the 800,000-member organization that monitors sex and violence on TV. The group released its annual list of the best and worst prime-time shows.

The Thursday night drama usually tops the Nielsen Media Research weekly prime-time ratings and has already been responsible for one spinoff series, CSI: Miami.

As forensics investigators, the lead CSI characters might be expected to bear witness to some seedy situations. But Caldwell said, "There are ways you can deal with these issues without having to be as graphic."

A CBS spokesman didn't immediately return a call for comment.

The organization saluted CBS's Touched By an Angel, which ended its nine-year run last spring, as TV best show.

"Every episode emphasized the power of goodness over evil, the need to strengthen familial relationships, the importance of individual responsibility and an encouragement to maintain faith in God," the PTC said.

The organization's 10 best shows: Touched By an Angel, CBS; Doc, Pax; Sue Thomas F. B. Eye, Pax; 7th Heaven, WB; Life with Bonnie, ABC; Smallville, WB; Reba, WB; Star Search, CBS; George Lopez, ABC and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teen-age Daughter, ABC.

The PTC's 10 worst: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS; Kingpin, NBC; Fastlane, Fox; NYPD Blue, ABC; Fear Factor, NBC; Angel, WB; Girlfriends, UPN; Will & Grace, NBC; Friends, NBC and Big Brother 3, CBS.

Bizkit album finally gets name

After five tries, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has finally settled on a name for the band's new album.

"Results May Vary," the follow-up to 2001's quintuple platinum "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water," is set for release on September 23, Rolling Stone reports.

Explaining his choice for the title, Durst wrote via the band's official website, "like a perscription drug, each person's reaction to the ingredients will be different. Get it?"

Album titles previously making the rounds were "Bipolar," "Less Is More," "Fetus More," "The Search For Teddy Swoes" and "Panty Sniffer."

A limited run of CDs will include a 35-minute DVD highlighting Bizkit's upcoming four-hour DVD, called "Poop," due this winter.

Sharon Stone may battle Catwoman

Sharon Stone is clawing her way towards the villainous role in "Catwoman," according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Stone has been offered the part - which she is expected to accept - pitting her opposite Halle Berry, who has already signed on for the title role.

The film tells the story of a woman out to avenge the murder of her father.

Stone's character, Laurel, runs a cosmetics company and also controls an evil empire with her husband.

Josh Lucas ("Sweet Home Alabama," "Hulk") has been approached to play the role of Catwoman's love interest.

There is no word on a production date as yet.

HEAD CASE

Frasier producers attempting to woo Emma Thompson to the show for sweeps, reports TV Guide--she would reprise her role as the shrink's first wife, children's singer Nanny Gee, a character she originated on Cheers in 1992.

Clay's Album to Go Public Before Ruben's

NEW YORK - "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken's album will arrive in record stores about a month before that of winner Ruben Studdard's "Soulful."
 
Aiken's album, not yet titled, will hit stores on Oct. 14. Studdard's album will arrive on Nov. 11.

Studdard told The Associated Press on Thursday that Aiken's disc is already finished, while he's still working on his.

"He got his album done fairly quickly; with me, I had my own press junket, so studio time was very limited," said Studdard, who is on the "American Idol" national tour along with Aiken and other stars of the Fox television talent show.

"It just don't make no sense for Clay to have his album chillin' when he could just do his thing," he said.

Studdard said it's been difficult juggling the schedules of his producers with his own. But he said he wasn't worried about the delay.

"I just want to be able to do the best possible project I possibly can. I don't want to just come out with an `American Idol' souvenir album, you know what I'm saying?"

Studdard narrowly beat out Aiken in May to win the "American Idol" contest. Since then, the 24-year-old Aiken has gotten plenty of attention. He got a Rolling Stone cover before Studdard, and his first single, "This Is the Night," sold more copies than Studdard's "Flying Without Wings." Both songs were released in June.

And ABC television announced Wednesday that Aiken will sing his signature song at the "Miss America" pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., on Sept. 20.

Studdard downplayed the competition with Aiken, whom he called his friend.

"When you think about it, both of us have sold upward of 900,000 (copies of) singles. Should I be upset that I sold 951,000 singles, and he sold 961,000 singles?" Studdard said. "I can't be anything but happy with that."

Studdard is working with hit-makers such as R. Kelly and Missy Elliot on his disc, which also will include guest appearances by rapper Fat Joe and gospel star Fred Hammond. It will be released on J Records, while Aiken's will be released on RCA Records. Both are part of the conglomerate BMG.

The 24-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native is the second winner of the "American Idol" competition. Kelly Clarkson won it last year, and her debut album, "Thankful," released in April, has sold more than 1 million copies.

'Animal House' Cast Reunites for Parade

LOS ANGELES - A class reunion of the rowdy "Animal House" gang shut down Hollywood Boulevard on Thursday with a parade featuring a live elephant, an ROTC contingent, a cheerleading squad and an interruption by the "Deathmobile."

Actors Tim Matheson, Karen Allen and Stephen Furst rode on a cake float in the procession, which recreated the 1978 comedy's catastrophic climax.

The event, organized by Universal Pictures to promote the 25th anniversary DVD set for release next Tuesday, culminated in a faux-foodfight between scores of extras sporting generic "College" sweat shirts worn by the late John Belushi in the film.

Otis Day And The Knights performed the song "Shout," getting a little bit louder, a little bit LOUDER now, and then a little bit softer before wrapping up the parade.

The film, which became a surprise blockbuster and launched the careers of many of its young stars, chronicled the antics of the disreputable Delta House frat as it uses lust and alcohol to fuel a revolt against authority in the early 1960s.

What made the film an enduring hit? "I think it's about wild rebellion and it's about kind of conventional conservative oppression up against rule-breaking," said Allen, who played Katy, the movie's comely voice of reason.

Other cast members at the parade were Matheson, who played slickster Otto; Furst, the chunky newbie Flounder; Martha Smith, who was the sexpot Babs; Mark Metcalf, the uptight Neidermeyer; and John Vernon the blustery villain Dean Wormer.

Belushi's widow, Judy Belushi Pisano, also participated in the event. In the movie, she played an extra who danced with Belushi and laughed at him smashing a guitar in the film's famous toga party scene.

"I'm here at my college reunion," joked Peter Riegert, who played the morally lax frat brother Boon. Asked if shooting the movie in 1977 was a crazy time, he responded: "Oh my God! Look at what we made! ... You can't be stoned or drunk and act, but you're done acting at the end of the day.

'Medallion' Set to Shine at Lackluster Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Statistically speaking, the summer box office season doesn't end until the end of Labor Day weekend, but summer is effectively over.

The studios are readying themselves for the fall with a massive housecleaning that will give moviegoers a sampling of overstocked merchandise. Three studios will release pictures this weekend, with only one looking like it will do any significant business.

Sony Pictures enters the fray with the best odds. The studio's "The Medallion" stars America's favorite Asian action hero, Jackie Chan, in yet another crime caper with a twist: he plays a Chinese immigration officer who returns from the dead with supernatural powers. The PG-13 film, directed by Gordon Chan, co-stars Claire Forlani as the beautiful sidekick, but it is unlikely to generate sales comparable to Chan's previous action caper co-starring a young woman, DreamWorks' "The Tuxedo," which opened to $15 million last year. Most industry insiders don't expect "Medallion" to cross the $10 million mark this weekend.

Consequently, the No. 1 movie is likely to be last week's champ, "Freddy vs. Jason" from New Line Cinema. A 60% drop during "Freddy's" sophomore session would put the film in the $15 million range, but with horror movies' tendency to fall fast after opening weekend, a 70% drop might be more likely. Duking it out for the remaining spots in the top five will be other well-performing holdovers, including Sony's "S.W.A.T." and Disney's "Freaky Friday" and "Open Range."

The two other new films of the session, Paramount Pictures' "Marci X" and Dimension Films' "My Boss's Daughter," will likely fall into the bottom half of the top 10.

"Marci X," starring Lisa Kudrow as a spoiled girl forced to take control of her father's hard-core rap label and its controversial star (Damon Wayans), is luring the same audience -- males under 25 -- as "Medallion" but with a lot less interest. Subsequently, the Richard Benjamin-directed R-rated movie, which has shifted release dates several times, is unlikely to cross the $5 million mark and may land in the $2 million-$3 million range.

The PG-13 "Daughter," starring Ashton Kutcher and Tara Reid and directed by David Zucker, also is likely to bow with less than $5 million. Even the rising star power of Kutcher, who usually attracts the under-25 female audience in droves -- his "Just Married" opened to $17.5 million in January -- will not be enough to power this comedy's opening frame.

The limited-release front looks a lot more playable, with both Miramax and Fox Searchlight opening films that have received a significant amount of buzz in recent months. For Miramax, "The Battle of Shaker Heights" could play as the final installment of HBO's documentary series "Project Greenlight." After watching weeks of footage documenting two first-time directors, Kyle Rankin and Efram Potelle, putting together a movie from first-time screenwriter Erica Beeney, curious audiences should propel the specialized release to decent numbers.

The film, which will open in New York and Los Angeles on five screens, could surpass "Greenlight's" first film, "Stolen Summer," which opened to $61,613 on 13 screens in March 2002. "Shaker Heights" will expand Aug. 29 to eight other markets. Rated PG-13, the film stars Shia LaBeouf, Elden Henson, Kathleen Quinlan and Amy Smart in a coming-of-age story about a teenage boy from a troubled home.

Fox Searchlight released the much-talked-about "Thirteen" on Wednesday on two screens in New York. The R-rated film was co-written by 13-year-old Nikki Reed, who also stars in the film. Director-writer Catherine Hardwick captures the life of a straight-A student seduced by the world of sex, drugs and self-mutilation. The low-budget film looks directly at some serious family issues and received acclaim at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Also being released this weekend is First Look's R-rated Spanish film "Don't Tempt Me," starring Penelope Cruz and Gael Garcia Bernal. In New York, First Run will bow "Venus Boyz," an unrated documentary about people who create intermediate sexual identities.

All that Green and no girl

Tom Green turns to Internet to find a date in la-la land

Ottawa's favourite jokester is looking for a date, possibly even a committed girlfriend and, admittedly, some fodder for his new television show.

Tom Green has posted an online profile at Yahoo! Personals, along with a picture of himself and sidekick Glenn Humplik on the set of his critically acclaimed television program The New Tom Green Show. The show is shot in California and has been airing on MTV since June.

Dubbing himself "L8 Nite Talker Looking," Green writes he's a "quirky late night talk show host seeking female companionship for good conversation, playing, and just having fun."

Green announced he'd put his profile online during an episode of his show earlier this month, saying he's having a hard time getting dates.

Last week slick Blind Date host Roger Lodge, a guest of Green's, pledged to hook him up. Lodge even brought along a couple of buxom young ladies for Green and Humplik -- who has a long-term girlfriend -- to squire.

Green's profile also nods to the inevitable role any woman he goes out with will play on his show.

"Must agree to have photos taken on dates (not nude) for use in wacky talk show banter," says his profile. "I enjoy quiet moonlit walks, romantic dinners, and heavy drinking."

The 31-year-old, 6-foot-4 Aries with hazel eyes, light brown hair and average build, who says he smokes and drinks occasionally, can be seen in Canada on the Comedy Channel on Saturday nights. An hour-long montage of his show's highlights airs at 10 p.m.

Green first began pulling outrageous pranks and honing his hosting skills back in Ottawa on Rogers Cable in the early 1990s. After he became famous through a previous MTV show and several movie roles -- including the almost universally reviled Freddy Got Fingered -- he beat testicular cancer and had a short marriage to actress Drew Barrymore which ended in divorce. Last week he joked with an excitable UFO expert who appeared on his show by asking him not to say the letters "E.T." because it "hurt."

Green is now looking for a woman between the ages of 22 and 35 who lives within 80 km. of Studio City, Calif., and has some college or post-graduate education.

"Fun, open minded, willing to date talk show host," reads his wish list. "Likes to travel, party and have romantic dinners."

Green lists his profession as "Entertainment/Media" and responded "no answer" to queries on his income, political leanings or whether he attends any religious services.

He also lists every interest there is to choose from, including arts and crafts.

Ailing Zevon Gives Lesson With His Exit

NEW YORK (AP) -- Terminally ill with cancer, Warren Zevon told producer Jorge Calderon that he wanted to record Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."

Calderon groaned. Anything but that, please. He still can't listen to it without tears.

Dylan's tale of a doomed gunslinger reaches a new emotional level coming from the voice of a man who's really dying. The choice also - let's be frank - reflects the 56-year-old singer's well-known twisted sense of humor.

Given a death sentence by doctors, Zevon hasn't retreated. He wrote and recorded a final album at a furious pace and opened his life to VH1 cameras for an intimate diary. The VH1 special premieres 10 p.m. EDT Sunday, then "The Wind" CD comes out Tuesday.

And Aug. 28 marks exactly one year since Zevon was told he had inoperable lung cancer and three months to live.

Jordan Zevon, Warren's 34-year-old son, was happy the prognosis proved incorrect and his father was around for the birth of twin grandchildren, but he doesn't hide his disgust at the doctors.

"Human beings have no right to tell other human beings how long they have to live unless they have some kind of firearm in their hands," he said. "Thank God he didn't take it and use it as an excuse to throw everything away and give up."

After initially agreeing to answer some e-mailed questions, Warren Zevon was too sick to complete them, a publicist said.

The musician who's known for "Werewolves of London" and "Excitable Boy" has been spending time with his family and watching a lot of television. Some days he's well enough to talk to friends, some days not.

Zevon set short-term goals to help him through the year - big ones like seeing his grandchildren or finishing his album and small ones like a particular movie release, those close to him say.

A week before his diagnosis, Zevon had called Calderon and said he wanted to make another disc. The two men have been best friends since their first meeting in 1972, when a mutual friend asked Calderon for a ride to bail Zevon out of the drunk tank.

"The question was, `Do you still want to do that or do you want to go to Mexico and lie on a beach and forget about all that,'" Calderon said. "He was going through that in his mind, what to do with such a shocking piece of news. Who knows how to handle that?

"He called back and said, `I still want to do this.'"

Zevon, who titled one best-of compilation "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" and put a picture of a skeleton smoking a pipe on another, talks on VH1 about how he's always been interested in writing about death and dying. Circumstances gave him a perspective few, if any, active artists have shared.

His new music is poignant and emotionally direct. "Keep Me in Your Heart," the first song written after his diagnosis, is the one to address Zevon's condition most directly, beginning the lyric: "Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath."

After playing on the song, veteran session drummer Jim Keltner told Calderon it was only the second time he'd been moved to tears in a recording session. The first one was on Dylan's original version of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."

"The album was full of all of those moments," he said.

On "El Amor De Mi Vida," Zevon writes specifically for a former girlfriend, telling her - as the title says - that she was the love of his life and he still regrets letting her get away.

Subsequent to recording the song, Zevon managed to get in touch with the woman for the first time in many years, Calderon said. She had moved away, married and was raising a family.

The album's hardly a one-note tearjerker, however. Bruce Springsteen adds biting guitar and vocals to Zevon's cranky look at the world, "Disorder in the House."

"It's the home of the brave and the land of the free," Zevon sings. "Where the less you know the better off you'll be."

Sardonic humor sneaks in, too. "I'm looking for a woman with low self-esteem," he sings, "to lay me out and ease my worried mind, while I'm winding down my dirty life and times."

"We'd write a song and record it the next day and before we could sit around and say, `this is great,' we were writing the next one," Calderon said. "We didn't have much time to think and analyze and change things around, which gives this album a real honesty and immediacy."

The biggest hurdle was Zevon's flagging energy. "It's not that his voice would go away," Calderon said. "It was like, `Get him while he's rested and don't work him to hard.'"

All sorts of famous friends showed up. Springsteen chartered a plane between concert dates to make a session. Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, John Waite and Eagles Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt appeared.

One song, "Prison Grove," features guitarists Ry Cooder and David Lindley, with back-up vocals from Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Billy Bob Thornton and T Bone Burnett.

Jordan Zevon, who runs his own music equipment company, believes the creative energy helped lengthen his father's life.

The VH1 cameras record these sessions, as well as several personal moments. At one point, Warren Zevon rails against fans who wrote on a Web site that he was being heroic in not seeking treatment for his cancer: "I think it's a sin to not want to live."

Sheryl Crow Greatest Hits Due Out In October

Sheryl Crow will release an as-yet-untitled greatest hits package in October. The set will include the singer's newly recorded cover of Rod Stewart's "The First Cut Is The Deepest." The untitled release was first set to hit the street in November, but was moved up a month for unknown reasons.

Crow's career has blossomed from her early days when she was a back-up singer for Michael Jackson. Since releasing her 1993 debut album Tuesday Night Music Club, the 40-plus-year-old singer has amassed several Top 10 hits. She's also been fortunate enough to record with the likes of Kid Rock, the Dixie Chicks, Stevie Nicks, Johnny Cash, and the Counting Crows.

Crow has built her reputation on her songwriting and story-telling. She told LAUNCH she's still honing her skills in the hopes of one day writing a song for the ages. "You're always trying to write that great song," Crow said. "You know, I still hear 'Yesterday' or 'Girl From North Country' and those songs still really move me and there's a real timelessness about them. I think that's what really propels me, is to write that song that's just so deep in the soul that you want to hear it over and over. And when you hear it again and you haven't heard it for a while it still makes you feel something."

Crow's next public performance is as part of Farm Aid. The festival takes place September 7 in Columbus, Ohio.

OOPA-LOOMPA-DOOPITY-DEPP

Rumours surrounding the casting of Tim Burton's next film CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACOTRY have been swirling around Hollywood for the past year, but today we hear that Johnny Depp is poised to accept the role of chief chocolate maker, Willy Wonka. Variety reports that Depp has been offered the role of Wonka, which would make this his fourth outing with the director since 1990's Edward Scissorhands. According to studio insiders, the only thing that could throw a chocolate spanner in the works would be the success of Pirates of the Caribbean which means that Depp's agents could ask for a smidgeon more cash this time around.

Jacko not laughing at SCARY MOVIE 3

Michael Jackson plans to sue the makers of SCARY MOVIE 3, for a scene featured in the film's teaser trailer. The clip in question shows Charlie Sheen spoofing Nicole Kidman's role in The Others, entering a room to see a strange figure huddled in a sheet. When he rips it off he discovers the scariest-looking Jackson lookalike we've ever laid eyes on claiming not to have touched his daughter because, 'For God's sake - she's a girl!'. Jackson's legal dobermans have been set on the case with the desire to have the clip removed from the film before its release this Autumn.

McCALLUM talks EPISODE III

During a chat session on STARWARS.COM - Producer Rick McCallum has revealed several tidbits of the upcoming STAR WARS: EPISODE 3; including the fact that 80 pages of the 129-page script are already in the bag and the shoot is a full two days ahead of schedule. Among the complete scenes are no less than three separate lightsaber fights. Anakin not only receives the name Darth Vader in the film but we'll also discover the name's relevance - oh and he's going to lose a few more body parts before the film's out. Luke and Leia will make an appearance (in infant form). Emperor Palpatine will demonstrate his mastery of the Dark Side of the Force. The ending of the film will be decidedly downbeat and, we're sorry to say, Jar Jar Binks does not suffer a horribly violent death. He also outlined an underwater fight between Obi-Wan and a group of droids and hinted that Yoda may appear on Dagobah by the end of the film.

Bowie Enjoys Live 'Reality' Check

NEW YORK (Billboard) - An admittedly nervous David Bowie previewed his forthcoming album, "Reality," in a tiny upstate New York club Tuesday night, playing most of the new set as well as such classics as "Suffragette City," "The Man Who Sold the World" and "Rebel Rebel."

Bowie and his six-piece touring outfit ran through an 18-song warm-up for his first large-scale world tour in more than a decade, set to begin Oct. 7 in Copenhagen. Before some 600 fans crammed into the scrappy Chance in downtown Poughkeepsie, N.Y., which lies roughly 80 miles from the heart of Manhattan, the artist proclaimed that he and his bandmates were terrified.

With fans sometimes wrapping their arms around his legs, Bowie delivered six songs from "Reality," including his take on the Jonathan Richman-penned "Pablo Picasso" (originally recorded by Richman's band the Modern Lovers), as well as the Sept. 11th-inspired "New Killer Star" and the defiant "Never Get Old."

At one point, he thanked the many audience members who had driven long distances to get to the show. "And some of you only came from New York," he quipped, before reminding himself to be nice, and then slyly referencing the departure time for the last train back to Manhattan: 10:59 p.m. Bowie left the stage just in time for audience members to catch that train.

Bowie and his backing band, the same unit that backed him on the Tony Visconti-produced "Reality," have been rehearsing for several weeks, and the singer admitted that the show was still a work in progress. Next to his mic was a music stand holding a book of lyrics, about which he noted that, if this weren't a warm-up gig, would not be necessary.

Bowie is expected to launch a North American tour in December.

Swollen Members top Western Cdn. Music nods

REGINA (CP) -- Swollen Members topped the list of nominees for the first annual Western Canadian Music Awards with four nods, including one for entertainer of the year.

The Vancouver hip-hop crew also picked up nominations for best rap/hip-hop recording, best independent album and best video for their song Breathe.

The British Columbia group The Be Good Tanyas also did well. Their rustic mix of old-time country, blues and folk netted the all-girl trio three nominations: outstanding independent album, outstanding roots recording and best video for their song It's Not Happening.

The Members will be up against pop-rocker Bif Naked, Spirit of the West front-man John Mann, rock heavyweight Nickelback and the Watchmen for best entertainer honours.

The awards, formerly known as the Prairie Music Awards, will be held Sept. 25-28 in Regina. They celebrate the best in pop music from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and -- for the first time -- British Columbia and the Yukon.

The awards will feature days of workshops on everything from writing songs to getting started in the industry. All genres of pop music, from hip-hop to jazz to country, will be featured.

Buffy Sainte-Marie, whose songwriting credits include an Academy Award for her movie theme song Up Where We Belong, will deliver the keynote address.

Sainte-Marie is originally from the Piapot reserve in Saskatchewan.

Participants from Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States will attend. About 60 bands are slated to perform over three nights.

Calgary is slated to host the awards in 2004 and Vancouver in 2005.

Weezer Getting Personal On New Album

The next Weezer album may include some of the most personal songs frontman Rivers Cuomo has written to date. Producer Rick Rubin, who has been doing preproduction on the set for months, tells Billboard.com that on potential songs for the record, Cuomo "is really getting to a very personal place with writing and it's, I think, deeper than he's ever gone."

Does that mean the band will be revisiting some of the darker territory it explored on its sophomore set, "Pinkerton," which has over the years become a cult favorite? "It's hard to say," Rubin says. "But, lyrically, I would say that since 'Pinkerton,' he's never really gone in that direction. And I know that from the beginning of this project, he was open to all those places that he hasn't gone since. And that was something he brought up."

Now demoing and rehearsing tracks, the band plans to start the formal recording of the album with Rubin late this summer or in the fall. Loosely slated to be issued sometime next year by Geffen, the album will be the band's fifth and the follow-up to last year's "Maladroit," which debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 546,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As previously reported, a number of previously unreleased Weezer cuts have surfaced of late. A 1995 demo, "You Won't Get With Me Tonight" can be found on the "Gimme Skelter" compilation, due Oct. 21 via Buddyhead/Nettwerk.

A live recording of "Why Bother" was included on the Petra Haden benefit double 7" on Vegas Records, while a cover of "Worry Rock" appeared on the Green Day tribute "A Different Shade of Green," released last month by Skunk Ape Records.

Weezer is also working on a DVD, tentatively due in December, as well as an expanded reissue of its 1994 Geffen debut, "Weezer" ("The Blue Album").

Poll: 99 Cents Too Expensive For Downloads

A single song download is too pricey at 99 cents, according to a Billboard.com poll. Of 9,034 voters, 61% said that the base price at such online outlets as Apple's iTunes is too expensive for them.

The largest group, 32%, said 99 cents was simply too much for just one song. Another 29% preferred a less legal approach, agreeing with the statement "Why pay for it when I can download it elsewhere online for free?"

On the other hand, of the 39% who are in favor of the sub-$1 price structure, 22% felt 99 cents was OK if the quality and selection of the service offering the tracks is good. An additional 17% considered the cost a fair amount, "based on what you have to pay for an album."

Toronto Film Fest Promises Plenty of Star Power

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto International Film Festival pledged on Tuesday to deliver plenty of star power, with Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan set to help the city shake off a SARS and blackout-induced slowdown.

Unveiling the final lineup for the Sept 4-13 event, organizers said the recent SARS outbreak failed to scare off stars or filmmakers and ticket sales were already ahead of last year's record levels.

"The fact they're here is obviously for us a great sigh of relief ... their presence at the festival is going to electrify this city," Toronto festival director Piers Handling told reporters.

"I think it's just a recognition of how important the festival has become in the eyes of the international industry."

Anthony Hopkins, Ian McKellen, Sean Penn, Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Cate Blanchett, Tim Robbins, Isabella Rossellini and Omar Sharif were also confirmed to attend, Handling said.

Ridley Scott will present his director's cut of science fiction classic "Alien," complete with never before seen footage. Francis Ford Coppola will also attend to show and discuss his 1982 film, "One from the Heart."

This year's festival will present 336 films from 55 countries, including 252 features, about 60 percent of which are in a language other than English.

NO BLACKOUT FEARS

The event will be a much welcomed injection of tourism and business for a city hit hard by the SARS outbreak, which ran from mid-March until early May in Toronto. The city remains the only place outside Asia where people have died from the disease.

Organizers said they had no fears about further power outages during the festival even as Ontario remained under the threat of power blackouts on Tuesday. Supplies remain low in the province five days after the worst outage in North American history, even though U.S. cities were fully recovered.

"We've been through some pretty major crises over the last little while as a festival. Air strikes and postal strikes and projectionist strikes and we went through 9/11 in the middle of our festival. I think we'll roll with the punches," Handling said.

Organizers said they will close off this year's festival with "Danny Deckchair," an Australian film about a man whose life changes after he takes flight in a deck chair tied to balloons.

Other gala films announced on Tuesday included "Girl With a Pearl Earring," based on the popular novel, Richard Linklater's "The School of Rock," with comedian Jack Black and Joan Cusack, Ireland's "The Boys from County Clare" and "Nathalie" and "Bon Voyage" from France.

Welcome Back Sarah!

It is rumoured that the new Sarah McLachlan disc will be called "Fallen." Upon its release it will be issued as a Limited Edition with a bonus DVD as well as the standard CD release.

"Fallen" is expected on November 4.

Also, Pink's upcoming album, with a title to be determined, will hit shelves on November 11 as both a Limited Edition with bonus DVD and a standard CD issue as well.

United They Stand

The mutants are coming, the mutants are coming! One of the only sequels of the summer not to disappoint, X2: X-Men United will hit DVD on November 25th from Fox Home Entertainment. Just in time for Thanksgiving, the Bryan Singer-directed mutant-fest will be released in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, each a two disc set with plenty of extras: audio commentary by Singer and cinematographer Tom Sigel and a second commentary with writers Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty and producers Lauren Shuller-Donner and Tom DeSanto, plus . 11 new featurettes and 11 deleted/extended scenes, a still gallery, trailers and more.

Seven Seas

While it failed to sail the high seas this past summer, the animated adventure Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas will get another chance on November 18th courtesy of DreamWorks Home Entertainment. In the hopes of repeating Spirit-like DVD sales, DreamWorks will load up the flick, which features the voices of Brad Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer and recent Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, with plenty of extras: audio commentary with directors Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson, 2 featurettes, the "Cyclops Island" 6-minute short exclusive to DVD, production notes, trailers and plenty of PC-enabled extras including games, printable masks and a color book. The set will include both anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers, and there is no set retail price: MAP is $19.95.

CHECK OUT TODDLER TV

TV producers worried about employment security will be downright terrified to learn that four-year-olds are being trained to do their jobs.

An early learning center in Chicago called Crème de la Crème that opens this week boasts that it will teach four-year-olds to "produce their own TV shows at [an] interactive studio."

The center calls it a "unique approach to child development."

Here are the new CD releases for Tuesday August 19, 2003:

* ALIEN ANT FARM truANT (DreamWorks)
* DANDY WARHOLS Welcome To The Monkey House (EMI)
* GUIDED BY VOICES Earthquake Glue (Matador)
* LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III So Damn Happy (Sanctuary Records)
* SLOAN Action Pact (Vik)
* STAR SPANGLES Bazooka!!! (Capitol)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Now! 8 (EMI/Universal/Warner)

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By the way, regarding today's new disc from SLOAN, I didn't write this review, but I agree with every single word of it! So here it is, cut and pasted for your pleasure:

Depend On Sloan

By DARRYL STERDAN

Winnipeg Sun

Did you ever have one of those friends who's just a little too dependable? Someone who's annoyingly prompt, unfailingly together, impeccably presented -- in short, so damn perfect that they're not much fun to be around after a while?
Sadly, that's the way we're starting to feel about Sloan. Every couple of years, these Halifax rockers put out another album. Every album has about a dozen tracks of impressively smart, genuinely pretty power-pop. And every one of those songs is brimming with catchy choruses, crunchy guitars, bittersweet melodies, stacks o'harmony and enough hooks to outfit an art gallery. And ever since about, oh, 1998, they all sound pretty much the same.

Action Pact, their seventh studio album in a decade, follows the recipe like an anal-retentive chef. These dozen songs will undoubtedly spark the same Beatles and Big Star and Badfinger comparisons as all the songs on their other discs.

The disc will surely be followed a small-venue national tour, a couple of videos you see on Much for a few weeks and much debate about why these guys can't seem to catch a break in the States. Then everyone will forget about Sloan for another two years, until they come out with their next soundalike album.

Bottom line: Much as we love these guys, they need to try something new -- a country album, a horn section, anything. 'Cause as it stands, they're just living proof that you can be too dependable for your own good.

Two Oscar Winners Come Home

There are some really good films coming out on DVD and video today. And I don't mean good as in I'm the only one who'll like them, I mean really good, Academy Award winning films.

These are the major DVD and Video releases for Tuesday, August 19th, 2003:

CHICAGO - Two female murderers become media celebrities in this surprisingly entertaining musical that won the Oscar as 2002's Best Picture. Whether it is or not is now up to you to decide in the comfort of your own home. (Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere)

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE - Michael Moore's Oscar winning Documentary takes a look back at the Columbine shootings and America's handgun obsession. As with all of Moore's films this one starts off very strong and goes downhill from there. But when its strong, its very strong! (Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Dick Clark)

THE GOOD THIEF - A gambler has a casino robbery attempt thwarted by cops. I meant to see this theatrically, but it didn't play anywhere near me. My friend Leslie says it is "really good." (Nick Nolte, Tcheky Karyo, Ralph Fiennes)

CONVOY - This classic of Seventies cinema finally trucks its way to DVD. The story? A trucker blocks crooked sheriff with big rigs. CONVOY is a horrible film, but don't we all miss the Seventies just a little bit? And the theme song is awesome! (Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw, Ernest Borgnine)

THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE - At one point Robert Evans was the king of Hollywood. As the head of Paramount Pictures he was responsible for such films as THE GODFATHER. This candid autobiography explains how Robert Evans stayed in the pictures. If BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE didn't win the Documentary Oscar, this one should have. (Robert Evans (narrator)

AND THIS WEEK'S BIGGEST (MUST HAVE) GUILTY PLEASURE IS:

National Lampoon's Vacation (20th Anniversary Special Edition):

Yes, it really has been twenty years since this comedy classic debuted. After years of only having a bad pan and scan DVD to enjoy the anniversary is being marked with this disc that has the following Features:
* Commentary by Feature-length Griswold Family audio commentary by Chase, Quaid, Simmons, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, and Director Harold Ramis
* Theatrical trailer
* New digital transfer
* New introduction by Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, and Producer Matty Simmons
* Family Truckster gallery
* Widescreen anamorphic format

WARNING! Don't buy the box set that is coming out today as their is a new WIDESCREEN version of Christmas Vacation coming out on October 7th.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you on the couch!

Twain To Take 'Up!' On The Road

Shania Twain will tour North America this fall, Billboard.com has learned. Due to be officially announced Tuesday (Aug. 19), the trek will kick off the tour Sept. 25 in Hamilton, Ont., and is scheduled to last through a Dec. 7 stop in Vancouver. The initial list consists of 18 shows, with the tour's first leg expected to play about 40 dates.

The trip will be Twain's first extended performance schedule in support of her latest album, "Up!," released in November by Mercury Nashville. The tour will be presented in the round, with 360° stage in the center of the arenas allowing Twain to perform to fans on all sides of each venue.

Tickets for each show will be sold through Ticketmaster in the U.S. and in Canada. Specific information regarding on sale dates is forthcoming, presumably with the tour's official announcement.

Along with confirmation of the tour, Tuesday will also bring the NBC concert special "Shania Twain: Up!" The two-hour broadcast is culled from a free July 27 performance in Chicago's Grant Park, and is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Since releasing "Up!" in November, Twain has staged only a handful of live appearances, including a concert last month in London's Hyde Park. She was among those performing at Willie Nelson's 70th birthday concert in April in New York and joined No Doubt and Sting during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVII in January. Twain has also made several daytime and late night talk show visits and performed on the American Music Awards and the CMT Flameworthy Music Video Awards.

"Up!" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. It has sold 4 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Last week, Mercury issued a version of the album in the high-fidelity Super Audio CD (SACD) format.

With seven nominations, Twain leads the field for the Canadian Country Music Awards. She is up for top female artist; top single, song and video for "Forever and for Always"; the fan choice award; album of the year for "Up!" and top video for "I'm Gonna Getcha Good." Twain could also notch an eighth win in the non-voted category of top-selling album. The awards will be handed out Sept. 8 at the Saddledome in Calgary, where Twain will perform a concert on Dec. 4.

Here are Shania Twain's upcoming tour dates:

Sept. 25: Hamilton, Ont. (Copps Coliseum)
Sept. 27: Ottawa, Ont. (Corel Centre)
Sept. 29: Pittsburgh (Mellon Arena)
Sept. 30: Buffalo, N.Y. (HSBC Arena)
Oct. 2: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Oct. 4: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)
Oct. 7: Boston (FleetCenter)
Oct. 8: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)
Oct. 10: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Oct. 11: Albany, N.Y. (Pepsi Arena)
Oct. 12: Uniondale, N.Y. (Nassau Coliseum)
Oct. 14: New York (Madison Square Garden)
Oct. 17: Washington, D.C. (MCI Center)
Oct. 24: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Oct. 28: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
Dec. 4: Calgary (Pengrowth Saddledome)
Dec. 5: Edmonton (Skyreach Centre)
Dec. 7: Vancouver (Pacific Coliseum)

(Notice that there are no Saskatchewan shows!)

SHREK team see green

SHREK isn't even close to being finished, and already there's plans for a third instalment. In SHREK 3, Our friendly green ogre will come face to face with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Needless to say, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz will return.

Stones Roll Online

Like Mick said, you can't always get what you want. But beginning Monday, Rolling Stones fans can finally get what they need--legal online access to the band's biggest licks.

The World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band is making a portion of its vast catalog available for download for the first time.

For an exclusive time, hundreds of Stones classics will be offered via RealNetworks' Rhapsody music service, with fans able to download the songs and burn them to their own CDs for less than 79 cents per track. The downloads will be in a specially encrypted digital format to prevent illegal swapping.

There's one catch, and it's a doozy. The deal only includes the band's post-1971 output, meaning a bulk of the Stones' biggest gems won't be accessible, including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Paint It Black," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Sympathy for the Devil," "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

But the Stones and RealNetworks hope fans will have a gas, gas, gas being able to legitimally own digital downloads of the band's catalog from its EMI Virgin years, which includes classic cuts like "Brown Sugar," "Beast of Burden," "Emotional Rescue," "Angie," "Tumbling Dice" and "Start Me Up" off such albums as Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, Some Girls, as well as more recent releases, like Steel Wheels and Bridges to Babylon.

"We're thrilled that Rhapsody is the first stop for these timeless rock recordings. Now, Rolling Stones fans can finally get what they want--and today they can get it only through Rhapsody," RealNetworks' chief Rob Glaser said in a statement.

But not for long. RealNetworks only has the hits exclusively under its thumb for two weeks. Beginning September 2, rivals such as Apple's iTunes Music Store, AOL's MusicNet, and Roxio's Pressplay subscription service will be able to offer the Stones' nuggets.

To make the most of its monopoly, RealNetworks is launching a major promotional push by partnering with electronics retailer Best Buy. Consumers will have a chance to try out Rhapsody and sign up for a 14-day free trial through interactive kiosks that are being installed in more than 560 Best Buy outlets. After the trial ends, users must pay $9.95 a month to access any number of Rhapsody's 360,000 songs.

The reason only the latter-era Stones will get the digital treatment and not the early stuff is because of ABKCO, which owns the classic '60s tunes and has refused to make them available for download to CD.

Instead, the company has only granted permission for consumers to listen to more than 300 hundred pre-1971 Stone's treasures, including "Satisfaction," "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Street Fightin' Man" and "Gimme Shelter," via an Internet jukebox.

The Stones are newbies at distributing music online, and are one of the last remaining Hall of Fame acts to embrace digital distribution (the Beatles and Led Zeppelin are two notable holdouts). Some of the delay can be attributed to legal snags--the band's catalog dates back 40 years to a time when digital licensing rights didn't exist. Heck, the Stones, which formed in 1962, predate the Internet by seven years.

Now that the Stones are on board, it may convince other acts to finally relent. Aside from the Beatles and Zeppelin, the slow-adopter set includes Madonna, Linkin Park and Michael Jackson.

RealNetworks, which took over Rhapsody after buying out Listen.com, is also hoping that the participation of some of the biggest acts in the music biz will also help attract millions of users to legitimate digital services instead of illegal file-sharing programs such as Morpheus and KaZaA.

Meanwhile, it's only rock and roll, but the AARP-eligible Stones still like it.

Continuing their yearlong "40 Licks" tour celebrating their four decades in the music biz, the Stones headlined a massive all-star concert for SARS-stricken Toronto last month that drew more than 450,000 people and recently announced new dates for their first ever gigs in China, months after having to reschedule due to the viral epidemic.

D'OH!

The television academy announcing that Hank Azaria will be honored with an Emmy Award for voicing various characters in an episode of The Simpsons called "Moe Baby Blues."

Inaction on 'Raymond' Set

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Production got under way on the upcoming season of CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" on Monday as two more co-stars called in sick and Brad Garrett remained on strike.

Patricia Heaton returned to work after calling in sick last week, an absence that forced the start of production to be delayed one week. Garrett has gone public with his contractual dispute with CBS and "Raymond" producers; the actor's representatives confirmed last week that Garrett will not return to work unless he receives a salary increase.

Garrett, whose salary of about $160,000 per episode is significantly less than that of prominent co-stars on other hit sitcoms, had already been written out of the new season's premiere episode because of the salary strife.

Meanwhile, despite Heaton's return, work on the new season was still hampered Monday by the absence of co-stars Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, both of whom called in sick.

Their absence spurred speculation that the actors also were tussling with CBS over money. But Dale Olson, a spokesman for Roberts, said the actress was still grappling with pain from a knee injury she sustained Aug. 7 during a photo shoot for Glamour magazine at her Hollywood Hills home.

Roberts reported to work as scheduled last week and informed producers at that time that the knee would require physical therapy, Olson said.

"She has nothing to do at all with what else is going on there," Olson said. "It is just unfortunate timing."

Representatives for Boyle did not return calls seeking comment, but a source close to the show said that the actor has been struggling in recent months with adverse reactions to a prescription drug.

A source close to show said producers expected Roberts and Boyle to return to work Tuesday. CBS declined to comment.

Simpson Reveals Her New 'Skin'

NEW YORK (Billboard) - While the music world has been listening to Jessica Simpson since the late '90s, never has it had the chance to truly hear her.

The pop songbird seeks to change that with the Aug. 19 release of her third Columbia album, "In This Skin."

The new set, which showcases Simpson's lyrical skills for the first time, offers a crystal ball gaze inside her marriage to fellow pop idol Nick Lachey and the emotions behind finding the love of a lifetime.

"When I'm in love, I want to go to the top of a mountain and scream it out to the world," Simpson says. "I was always shy about expressing my own point of view, but now, I think I have things figured out as a woman, and I want to give fans a piece of my heart and soul. Making this record was a great experience -- not to mention wonderful therapy."

"In This Skin" also gives Simpson the opportunity to reorient her career path. She admits struggling with decisions made by Sony executives about her previous album, 2001's "Irresistible."

"I didn't want to do half of the songs on the album, but I figured they knew what they were doing. I was trying to please everybody and be someone I wasn't," she says.

After the title track peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, "they just dropped the whole thing."

Simpson's first album, 1999's "Sweet Kisses" -- led by the No. 3 debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever" -- sold 1.8 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Irresistible" lagged, with sales of 630,000.

"It was a painful ordeal," Simpson says. "I came to the realization that I needed to show the world who I am, to be a true artist."

With changes at the top level at Sony, she says, "I had the best experience of my life. This album really represents who I am."

Like the first effort, Simpson's soaring vocals give "In This Skin" a smooth touch, as it sways between spirited midtempo melodies and her signature ballads.

"I wanted to make a romantic, organic album," she says. "These are songs that say something that I hope will move or inspire people."

Simpson collaborated with songwriter Diane Warren and producer Ric Wake for the sensuous first single, "Sweetest Sin," which collected spins at 59 top 40 stations in its first week at radio in late July. The song (whose video clip casts Simpson and Lachey in a number of provocative scenarios) "truly represents my album; nothing negative, it's all about love," she says.

Most of the project's tracks came together through sessions in Nashville and Los Angeles, where Simpson sat down with songwriting tastemakers and pretty much spilled her heart.

Among the most expressive tracks on "In This Skin" are the reverent love song and quintessential Simpson ballad "I Have Loved You"; the confessional "Underneath," which recalls a four-month period where Simpson and Lachey called it quits, then -- in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001 -- realized the value of making a relationship work; and the title track, a plucky pop anthem about self-acceptance.

"'In This Skin' was so important for me to share with my fans," Simpson says of the title track. "I was 102 pounds, and people at the record label were telling me that I needed to lose weight. The song is saying that I am worthy to feel beautiful in my skin. It's something that every woman experiences in one way or another."

However heartfelt, getting the message of any pop artist to the masses without the aid of a guest rapper or a lifted hook is a tall order these days. Simpson and Columbia have paved the way with a hefty helping of multi-media exposure. In fact, a 40-city radio tour that she has already completed -- traditionally the benchmark of record promotion -- is probably the lowest-profile undertaking of her campaign.
 
Foremost, Simpson and Lachey will launch "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica" on MTV Aug. 19, the release date for "In This Skin." The weekly reality series showcases all sides of the couple's lives together, from the recording of their albums (Lachey's "SoulO" will be released on Universal Sept. 19) to glam industry parties to the ups and downs of married life at home in Los Angeles.

"You'll see us at a Hollywood premiere in one scene and then eating tuna fish on the sofa in the next," Simpson says. "The cameras have been with us for three months now, from 8 a.m. until we go to sleep. We have all the fights all newlyweds have, and yet the whole celebrity existence is a funny lifestyle to see."

Simpson has also issued a hardcover wedding guide, "I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding," which offers prospective brides a step-by-step primer through the process. It also features dozens of photos and a bonus DVD of her own wedding. The 174-page coffee-table keepsake is published by NVU Editions.

In addition, according to her manager and father Joe Simpson, the singer has been cast in an upcoming Marvel Comics-based action adventure film, due for summer 2004 release. She is also in discussions for lead roles in movie versions of "Bye Bye Birdie" and "I Dream of Jeannie."

Simpson readily admits that the additional vehicles for media attention are a handy tool to stir interest in the new project: "C'mon, I know what it's like out there. The whole pop thing is not really huge right now. Nick and I need the extra push. Of course this is great for our records."

Even so, Simpson says she has never been more confident in her work. "I am more ready than I've ever been. It's a beautiful thing this time around. For the first time, I really have something to give and the power to impact."

X2 - DVD 3

Numerous reliable retail sources are reporting that 20th Century Fox has a November street date planned for its DVD release of X2: X-Men United.

Official confirmation should come in the next day or two, along with cover art and full specs. According to our sources, extras on the 2-disc set will include anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, numerous behind-the-scenes featurettes and a multi-angle sequence among other features.

Its expected that the film will also be available in a specially priced 2-pack with X-Men 1.5.

He's Back!

While it wasn't as revolutionary as the first two films in the series were, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did manage to gross a respectable $150 million at the box office this past summer.

Now with Arnold on his way to the Governor's chair, you can own a small piece of his campaign on November 11th, when Warner Home Video will release the Jonathan Mostow-directed action-fest in separate 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen and 4:3 full screen versions, both with Dolby Digital 5.1 English and French options.

Extras include two audio commentaries with cast and crew, four interactive effects vignettes, the HBO First Look special, extensive still galleries, a gag reel and enhanced PC features.

And to help celebrate a quarter of a century of Schwarzenegger in Hollywood, Warner will also release via HBO Home Video Pumping Iron: 25th Anniversary Edition. This landmark documentary that put Arnold on the map will be presented in its original 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio and has been newly remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1. Extras includes a making-of featurette, new interview with Schwarzenegger, rare footage, filmographies and trailers.

Rock 'n' Roll (And DVD) All Nite

Yes, it is finally here...the landmark cinematic achievement Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park will at last get the DVD treatment it has long deserved. On October 28th, Pacific Family Entertainment will release the notorious camp classic along with Monster Squad and the much-beloved futuristic zombie epic Night of the Comet. Alas, Pacific Family is not a distributor known for their quality, so we'll see what we get.

A new two-DVD collection, "The Ed Sullivan Show Featuring the Beatles," has been set for an Oct. 28 release.

The four-hour Sofa Home Entertainment collection captures 20 live performances by the band spread over four episodes of TV's "Ed Sullivan Show." It marks the first time the performances have been available in their entirety since the episodes originally aired in 1964-65.

Andrew Solt, owner of the "Ed Sullivan Show" archives and executive producer of the project, describes the first Sullivan appearance as "the seminal moment of the rock revolution. Beatlemania was born right there on that stage."

Solt negotiated with Apple Corp., which oversees the Beatles' assets, for more than five years to get clearance to release the footage.

Besides live performances of such No. 1 Beatles hits as "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "I Feel Fine," "Help!" and "Yesterday," the DVD features appearances by Cab Calloway, Mitzi Gaynor, Soupy Sales and Frank Gorshin. The set will sell for $29.95.

Oscar's Double-Trouble

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When it comes to Oscar consideration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences isn't entertaining any two-for-one offers.

The issue arises because this year there will be two "Matrix" movies and, possibly, two "Kill Bill" movies that could all qualify for Academy consideration. And that has left their respective studios, Warner Bros. Pictures and Miramax Films, strategizing over how to optimize their Oscar chances -- even though the 2004 Oscar ceremonies won't take place until Feb. 29.

The situation is considered unprecedented by Academy officials. Several movies have been carved out of material that was shot back to back: 1973's "The Three Musketeers" was followed in 1974 by "The Four Musketeers"; "Back to the Future Part II" came out in 1989, followed by "Back to the Future Part III" in 1990; and "The Lord of the Rings" series, which began with "The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001 will conclude with "The Return of the King" this year. But in those cases, the individual parts of each mega-movie were released in different years, so there was no possibility that the pieces of one whole would compete directly against each other.

This year, though, boasts "The Matrix Reloaded," the second film in the Wachowski brothers' "Matrix" series, released May 15, which will be followed by the series finale, "The Matrix Revolutions," on Nov. 5.

In the case of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill," Miramax has decided to divide the material into two films and will release "Kill Bill Vol. 1" on Oct. 10. The company has not yet announced when it will release "Kill Bill Vol. 2. While most observers expect it won't arrive until 2004, there have been some discussions within Miramax of an Oscar qualifying weeklong run by the end of the year.

The discussions have included the possibility of a qualifying run for "Vol 2." by itself as well as reconnecting "Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2" for an Oscar qualifying run as one movie. But if "Vol. 2," in some form were to play Los Angeles by Dec. 31, the Oscar cut-off date, Miramax would then find itself facing the same quandary as Warners.

Since the two "Matrix" movies were shot within a continuous 240-day period by the same filmmaking team, Warners considered advancing the argument that the Academy should consider them as one movie -- albeit one containing a six-month intermission. But according to sources on both sides of the discussions, that possibility was never seriously raised in recent conversations between Warners and the Academy.

According to Academy executive administrator Ric Robertson, "Two separate releases with two separate marketing campaigns -- even if they were four-walled together as one movie -- would have to be considered two different films."

So instead, Warners raised a separate question: Even though both movies will have completed the basic requirement for Academy consideration by having been publicly exhibited in Los Angeles county for one week, would it be permissible for the studio to qualify only one film for Oscar consideration?

After reviewing its own requirements, the Academy informed the studio there was nothing in the rule book to prevent the studio from submitting one of the films and not the other. As a result, Warners is currently contemplating submitting only "Matrix Revolutions" for Oscar consideration.

That particular Hobson's choice, according to those close to the situation, may be born of strategic necessity.

The first "Matrix," released in 1999, was nominated -- and went on to win -- Oscars in four categories: editing, sound, sound effects editing and visual effects. If Warners were to enter both parts of the "Matrix" in this year's race, it theoretically could win two nominations in a given category, since both halves would have to be treated as individual films.

But that's far from a sure thing. In the tightly contested technical categories, voters could be expected to resist awarding two slots to the same group of filmmakers. In fact, earlier this year, individual branches of the Academy struggled with how to treat "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" after bestowing 13 nominations and four Oscars on "The Fellowship of the Ring" the previous year. The music branch ruled that Howard Shore, who won an Oscar for his score for the first film, didn't warrant consideration for a nomination for the second film. However, the movie did win the visual effects Oscar two years running.

Rather than see the votes within the individual branches divide between the two "Matrix" installments -- and run the risk of canceling each other out -- Warners has decided it may be wiser to promote the merits of "Revolutions" alone.

Miramax, which had informal conversations with Academy officials last week, is still formulating its strategy. But it was informed of the Academy's response to Warners' queries, which would similarly apply if "Vol. 2" were exhibited before the end of the year.

Even if Miramax does favor a second release by year's end, however, it may not prove practical. According to sources, Tarantino is currently concentrating on completing "Vol. 1" and has not yet turned his full attention to finalizing "Vol. 2."

"Once Quentin completes 'Vol. 2,' then we'll make any decisions regarding its release," said a Miramax spokesman.
 
Executives at Warner Bros. declined to comment on that studio's developing plans.

Peter Mahew talks about how excited he is to play Chewbacca again.

Peter Mayhew told SCI FI Wire that he's eager to reprise his role as Chewbacca, the hairy Wookiee, in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode III. "You've got to have a link between Episode III and Episode IV," Mayhew said in an interview. "Consequently, the older characters have got to be there. Otherwise it doesn't gel. And what better character to have, as one of the older members of the [original trilogy's] cast, than Chewbacca to come back and connect everything together? I was very surprised and very pleased to get that phone call."

Production on Episode III is well underway in Australia, and Samuel L. Jackson, in fact, has already completed his scenes as Jedi Master Mace Windu. Mayhew, however, confirmed that he's not yet stepped before director George Lucas' camera. "I just went out there to do some publicity for it, and they said, 'Right, we'll keep in touch and let you know when we need you,'" Mayhew said. "I talked to George, and he was pleased to see us out there. When I go back [to actually shoot Chewbacca scenes] he will be even more pleased, because he'll be one step closer to getting the movie finished."

Mayhew, who last appeared as Chewbacca on the 1997 MTV Movie Awards, added that he recently donned the Wookiee's furry hide for a couple of Episode III costume fittings. "They were very successful," Mayhew said. "Chewie looks exactly the same as he always has. It was a wonderful feeling for any actor or artist to create something that looks as good today as it did when it was new." Episode III will be released in 2005.

CLOCKING IN

Former CNN Headline News anchor Andrea Thompson returning to acting with a stint on this season's 24. The onetime NYPD Blue star will play a tech specialist brought in to help CTU battle a terrorist attack.

Slashers Freddy and Jason Top Box Office

LOS ANGELES - The horror tag-team "Freddy vs. Jason" had a killer weekend as the showdown between the bad guys of the "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchises debuted with $36.4 million.

That was more than the combined total for the entire theatrical runs of the last installments in each franchise. Last year's "Jason X" — the 10th "Friday the 13th" flick — topped out at $12.6 million, while 1994's "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" — the seventh in that series — grossed $18.1 million.

The idea of pairing "Nightmare's" Freddy Krueger and "Friday's" Jason Voorhees had been kicked around since the early 1990s, so there was great fan anticipation. The combination revitalized both movie serials, whose endless sequels had become parodies of themselves.

"It worked because it's a brand new series. It's an original movie with name recognition," said Russell Schwartz, head of domestic marketing for "Freddy vs. Jason" distributor New Line Cinema. "We took it seriously and didn't turn it into `Scary Movie.' Not that it doesn't have humor, but we didn't want to go too campy."

"S.W.A.T.", the previous weekend's No. 1 movie, fell to second place with $18.6 million, bringing its 10-day total to $70.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall's Western, "Open Range," opened at No. 3 with $14.1 million. Directed by Costner, "Open Range" stars him and Duvall as free-range cattle grazers battling a rancher's thugs.

"Uptown Girls," starring Brittany Murphy as reluctant nanny to a precocious 8-year-old girl, premiered in fifth place with $11.2 million. The skateboarding adventure "Grind" opened at No. 12 with $2.6 million.

In limited release, "American Splendor" — starring Paul Giamatti in a film biography of cult comic-book writer Harvey Pekar — opened strongly with $156,000 in six theaters. The top winner at last winter's Sundance Film Festival, "American Splendor" expands to more theaters over the next few weekends.

The overall box office, which has slumped for much of summer, rose sharply this past weekend. The top 12 movies took in $132.1 million, up 33 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

Last week's power blackout in the Northeast and Midwest appeared to have little effect on overall movie attendance. Some movies, including "Freddy vs. Jason," did more business on Friday when power outages remained widespread than on Saturday, when power had been restored.

"It's hard to say the power failure had an effect," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Perhaps the numbers would have been a bit stronger without it. But the net effect was nil from what I'm looking at, because this was a really good weekend."

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. "Freddy vs. Jason," $36.4 million.
2. "S.W.A.T.", $18.6 million.
3. "Open Range," $14.1 million.
4. "Freaky Friday," $13.1 million.
5. "Uptown Girls," $11.2 million.
6. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $8.5 million.
7. "American Wedding," $8.2 million.
8. "Seabiscuit," $8.1 million.
9. "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," $5.2 million.
10. "Bad Boys II," $3.2 million.

R&B Songwriter Ed Townsend Dies of Heart Attack

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Rhythm-and-blues songsmith Ed Townsend, who wrote the 1958 hit "For Your Love" and worked with soul legend Marvin Gaye, has died after heart failure, his family said on Saturday. He was 74.

Townsend, a balladeer who became interested in singing when he joined the choir of his minister father's church, died on Wednesday at his home, Ron Brewington, the executive director of the Motown Alumni Association said. Townsend's wife, Janice, was by his side when he died in Sun City, California.

Known as ""Big Papa" by friends, Townsend is credited for helping craft a string of R&B hits recorded by Nat ""King" Cole, the Impressions and Etta James. During a career that spanned five decades, Townsend penned over 200 songs.

He is most widely known for producing Gaye's controversial 1973 hit "Let's Get It On." The song highlights Gaye's soulful voice and Townsend's sexually suggestive lyrics.

A funeral service has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Never-Heard Elvis Song Set for Release Oct. 7

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than a quarter-century after his death, Elvis Presley has something new to get his fans all shook up.

A never-before-released song recorded by Presley nearly 40 years ago was recently unearthed and will be issued this fall by RCA Records as part of a new collection of favorites from the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the label said on Friday.

The announcement comes on the eve of the 26th anniversary of Presley's death, on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42.

The song, "I'm a Roustabout," originally was written for the 1964 Presley film "Roustabout," co-starring Barbara Stanwyck, and was even recorded by Presley, but the song was rejected by producers and never used.

A completely different tune ultimately became the title song for both the movie "Roustabout" and the No. 1 album of the same name.

Meanwhile, an acetate recording of the original "I'm a Roustabout" sat for decades, undiscovered in the private collection of songwriter Winfield Scott, who composed it with longtime partner Otis Blackwell.

Neither of the men ever met Presley. Blackwell, who died last year, also shared credits on such Presley hits as "All Shook Up" and "Don't Be Cruel," as well as "Great Balls of Fire" for Jerry Lee Lewis.

Scott, now in his 80s, said in a telephone interview with Reuters that he happened across the unmarked recording of "I'm a Roustabout" in the basement of his New Jersey home several years ago but didn't think much of it.

"I know it sounds strange, but I had actually forgotten about it. It was just laying around, along with a whole slew of other demos and a couple hundred songs," he said. "At the time, I said, 'Well gee, I wonder why (Presley) never released it?' And then I just put it back with the rest of the demos untillater on."

The disc remained stashed away until Scott mentioned the song years later to a reporter. That reporter in turn mentioned it in an interview with RCA producer-researcher Ernst Jorgensen, who later contacted Scott, listened to the disc and arranged for the label to obtain the recording.

The song will now be included in an upcoming RCA release, "Elvis 2nd to None," due out on Oct. 7. It's a follow-up to last year's compilation album "ELV1S 30 #1 Hits," which topped the sales charts in the United States and 26 other countries and sold 9 million copies worldwide.

Among the hits from that album was the No. 1 dance remix of the previously obscure 1968 Presley tune, "A Little Less Conversation."

The latest Elvis set will feature additional No. 1 hits from the King and lesser-known classics such as his first recorded single, "That's All Right," and a remixed version of 1969 song "Rubberneckin," given a contemporary treatment by leading DJ Paul Oakenfold.

Hoping to repeat the success of last year's "Little Less Conversation" remix, which climbed to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic, "Rubberneckin" will be released to radio Aug. 25 and as a commercial single on Sept. 9.

'Freddy' Ready for Box Office Bonanza

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hard-core gore fans will be filling the theaters this weekend when New Line Cinema releases "Freddy vs. Jason," which is expected to snatch the box office crown from cop thriller "S.W.A.T." with an opening haul in the $20 million range.

The R-rated horror flick, which pairs two of cinema's most infamous forces of evil, stars Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise) and Ken Kirzinger, the latest actor to play "Friday the 13th's" Jason.

Ronny Yu directed the picture, which sees a group of kids, including Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child, stuck in the middle of the formidable foes.

Its main competition will be Sony's "S.W.A.T.," which could bring in close to $20 million if the film drops a modest 40% from its No. 1 bow last weekend.

The lesser battles for the frame will come from MGM's modestly budgeted comedy "Uptown Girls," starring Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning, which will compete for the same young female crowd that powered the Jamie Lee Curtis role-reversal comedy "Freaky Friday" to a $22 million bow last weekend. Disney, meanwhile, will target the adult crowd with actor/director Kevin Costner's Western "Open Range."

The newcomers will likely vie for the Nos. 3 and 4 slots, with openings in the $10 million-$12 million range, with "Freaky" getting into the game as well.

MGM's PG-13 film marks Murphy's first solo starring role -- as a spoiled, freewheeling socialite who is forced to get a job as the nanny of a precocious kid played by 9-year-old Dakota Fanning. Murphy's previous outings, "Just Married" and "8 Mile" opened with $17.5 million and $51.2 million, respectively.

"Open Range," an R-rated morality tale that co-stars Robert Duvall and Annette Bening, has tracked better with audiences than is usually expected for a Western.

The other new wide release is Warner Bros.' skateboarding film "Grind," about four fans following the summer tour of a skateboard star. The PG-13-rated film isn't expected to cross the $5 million mark.

In the limited-release world, new entries include "American Splendor," starring Paul Giamatti in the true-life story of comic-book writer Harvey Pekar; and two romantic comedies "Passionada" and "Loco Love."

The Horror

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Mom was right; it only takes one time. Apparently there's a really big skeleton in Courtney Love's mother's closet. According to insider reports, the Hole front lady and star of "Julie Johnson" and "Man on the Moon" was quite surprised to learn that Marlon Brando is her grandfather.

Love's mother, Linda Caroll, recently penned an autobiography claiming that the Oscar-winning actor and "Godfather" had an affair with her mother, Paula Fox, and became impregnated. Fox then put Carroll up for adoption.

Caroll reportedly had a DNA test which proves Brando is her father, thus Love's grandfather.

Aside from a ballpark resemblance to the "On the Waterfront" star, Love and Brando appear to share a few personality traits. Both are known for erratic, volatile behavior and extreme changes in appearance.

Also, Love once threatened a journalist and Brando kissed Larry King on the mouth.

You won't be board by Trivial Pursuit

By Mike Snider, USA TODAY

Trivial Pursuit, the board game hit of the '80s, is getting a makeover — and some star power — for a new generation.

Among the celebrities whose voices grace Trivial Pursuit Unhinged, a video game being developed by Atari, are Whoopi Goldberg, who will deliver arts & entertainment questions; Fox NFL Sunday analyst Terry Bradshaw, sports; cover girl Brooke Burke, people & places; former Monty Pythonite John Cleese, history; Bill Nye "The Science Guy," science; and actor John Ratzenberger, wild card. The categories differ slightly from the original game, which has sold more than 70 million copies since its launch in 1982.

The new, colorful, 3-D version of the game has some twists that allow betting, challenging of answers, bonus points and capturing of other players' wedges.

"It definitely has been jazzed up a lot," says Burke, who hosts E!'s pop culture series Rank. "Instead of just challenging the mind intellectually, it's a bit more fun now."

A version for Sony PlayStation 2 ($29.95) arrives in November; Microsoft Xbox and Windows PC ($19.95) versions hit in December.

The sequel that makes fun of sequels

By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

It may not be a banner summer for sequels, but Bob Weinstein believes the time is ripe to spoof them. And Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax and Dimension Films, says he has the tool of choice in Scary Movie 3, which opens Oct. 24.

Originally titled Scary Movie 3, Episode I: Lord of the Brooms, the movie lampoons everything from The Matrix Reloaded to Michael Jackson to the entire horror genre. "I'm glad they keep making those horror movies," Weinstein says, laughing. "It gives us plenty of material."

It appeared the movie would truly be terrifying when the Wayans brothers, who led the first two films to a combined $228 million take, walked away. But Weinstein tapped veteran slapstick filmmaker David Zucker (Naked Gun). He then enlisted Charlie Sheen and Leslie Nielsen to join returning cast members Anna Faris and Regina Hall for a story about an alien invasion.

Scary shut down for two weeks so it could incorporate jokes about The Matrix, and it managed to slip in potshots at The Hulk as well. "We had to work fast," Weinstein says. "But that's the fun of it."

Wanna watch the trailer?

BOFFO

Thanks to blockbusters like Bruce Almight, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Hulk, Seabiscuit and American Wedding, Universal Pictures seting a new studio record for domestic summer box office, earning $668 million through Wednesday. That exceeds the studio's previous best of $666 million in 2001.

THE BIG "D"

Actress Sadie Frost initiating divorce proceedings Thursday against movie star hubby Jude Law. The couple, who have three children, separated in January after more than five years of marriage.

SPOILER ALERT!! DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD COMPETITION!

The Internet Shows 'Big Brother' Competition End

"Big Brother 4" fans and the HouseGuests themselves pulled an all-nighter to find out who would be the winner of a "Big Brother" steel cage challenge and the show's new Head Of Household.

Bartender Erika Landin was the victor of the marathon Head of Household challenge which started at the end of the Wednesday night live broadcast (10:00 p.m. EDT) on television and ended at approximetely 4:23 a.m. EDT. on the live Internet feeds. The results will not be aired on television until the special edition of "Big Brother 4" on Saturday night.

The HouseGuests were involved in an endurance challenge featuring three linked steel cages. The person who could outlast the other players claimed the Head Of Household title. The idea was to move along in the cages as players quit or were disqualified. The first cage held all six competitors. The second just four and the last just two. No bathroom breaks, eating, drinking or sleeping was allowed.

So important was the Head Of Household title that instead of leaving, HouseGuests Jun Song and Alison Irwin urinated in the cage. Suffering from a headache, HouseGuest Robert Roman was the first person to leave the cage at almost four and a half hours. Jun Song was out shortly thereafter.

With Alison Irwin, Erika Landin, Jack Owens and Jee Choe as the final four in the second cage at five hours into the competition, Jee made a deal with the others to hand the victory to Erika if they promised not to speak a word of it to The Three Stooges alliance. They agreed. Choe and Irwin then waffled back and forth on the agreement. At 4:18 a.m. EDT, Owens left the cage after whispering to his alliance partner Landin. A few minutes later, Choe also quit after Landin and Irwin both agreed not to nominate him this week. Minutes after that, Irwin handed the win to Landin by exiting the cage.

As Head Of Household, Landin will nominate two "Big Brother" HouseGuests for eviction. Her decision will be seen on Saturday night's special broadcast.

On the live show Wednesday night, Nathan Marlow, the 23-year-old personal trainer from Edmond, Oklaholma, was unanimously voted out of the game and became the second person on the "Big Brother 4" jury.

Though he wheeled and dealed, fighting to the bitter end, Marlow could not convince The Three Stooges alliance to keep him in the game. The Stooges viewed him as a physical threat at the many crucial competitions.

"It is quite the experience. I was hoping to meet with you later on in the game but I made a run at it and I have no regrets. I am happy,"a light-hearted Marlow told "Big Brother 4" host, Julie Chen.

Marlow was irked though that his strongest bond and alliance partner in the house, Alison Irwin, the 22-year-old beauty queen, did not elect to give him a sympathy vote so that his eviction wasn't unanimous. Marlow had previously won and used the Golden Veto to take Irwin off the nomination block and save her from eviction.

"I know she is a smart player and I felt like she was going to go with the majority to better herself in the game and I understand that. There is no hard feelings towards her," said Marlow. "I am disappointed in her for the predicament she put me in but she is playing a great game and like I said this is a game and you cant take it personal."

As promised, the producers brought back the America's Choice question this week polling viewers on which HouseGuest they feel are deserving of a letter from their loved ones and friends. Unlike previous years, there is no way to vote by telephone. To make their opinion known, fans will have to cast their ballot on the official CBS "Big Brother 4" site.

EVERYBODY MUGS RAYMOND

'Everybody Loves Raymond" co-star Brad Garrett remains AWOL from the popular sitcom as he battles CBS for a raise.

Garrett, who won an Emmy last year for his portrayal of sad-sack big brother Robert Barone, wants to up his reported $150,000-per-episode fee, which comes out to about $3.6 million a year - considered low by industry standards for a show of "Raymond's" top-rated caliber.

By comparison, series star Ray Romano inked a deal earlier this year paying him almost $2 million an episode - the largest per-episode deal in TV history. Romano also gets a cut of the show's syndication profits.

CBS released a statement pointing out that it's already renegotiated Garrett's contract twice before - and isn't pleased with this latest turn of events.

"Brad Garrett is an enormously talented actor whom we hold in the highest regard," the statement said. "As such, we have accommodated Brad's request to negotiate new contracts twice over the past four years.

"The most recent agreement calls for Brad's services through the eighth (upcoming) season . . . It's unfortunate that he is not honoring his contract."

Garrett's "people" say that CBS, anticipating the contract squabble, ordered "Raymond" creator/executive producer Phil Rosenthal to write Garrett out of the season's first episode, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter.

That could be troublesome, since Robert Barone, a New York cop, (finally!) got married in last season's finale.

Raymond's series wife, star Patricia Heaton, meanwhile, has also been calling in sick but really isn't feeling well, sources say - putting "Raymond" about a week behind schedule (production on the new season is expected to begin next week).

Garrett, a stand-up comedian by trade, portrayed TV great Jackie Gleason in a CBS biopic last year.

He took the role after the original choice, Mark Addy, pulled out because of his commitment to the CBS sitcom, "Still Standing."

"Everybody Loves Raymond," which premiered in 1997, is the highest-rated sitcom on TV and anchors CBS' vaunted Monday-night schedule which includes "King of Queens" and "Yes, Dear."

The series, built around Long Island sportswriter Ray Barone (Romano), also co-stars Peter Boyle, Doris Roberts and Ray's meddlesome parents, Frank and Marie, who live across the street.

Singer Jewel Catches 'Wave' for Indie Movie

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After making her feature film acting debut in Ang Lee's 1999 drama "Ride With the Devil," singer Jewel is now readying a follow-up.

The singer will star in "Wave," an independent film about a mother reconnecting with her adult son after spending time in jail for a crime of passion committed when he was a child. Jewel will play the son's girlfriend.

She is developing and producing the project through her Gravitas Entertainment banner, which she runs with her mother and former manager, Lenedra Carroll.

Gravitas acquired the "Wave" script from David Rothmiller, and brought it to Cosmic Entertainment, which houses the production entities of Goldie Hawn and her family. Cosmic is in the process of securing financing for the film, and Hawn's Clearlight Prods. is on board as a producer.

Rothmiller was a co-producer of "Jewel: Live in Concert," which aired on DirecTV.

SCTV Is Finally Coming to DVD

The first DVD set of the classic "SCTV" show, based on the Second City comedy group, is in production for a January release, Video Store Magazine has learned. There's no word yet on a distributor.

The only reason it has taken so long to hit DVD is because of music clearance issues, said Second City veteran Eugene Levy, who is probably better known as the pie-proffering dad in the "American Pie" movies.

"Every tune that we used over eight years had to be re-tossed a lot of money just for clearance, to re-license these things," Levy said.

The DVD release will not be a "complete first-season" package, Levy said. "SCTV" began as a series of half-hour shows but eventually moved to a 90-minute format when the program began airing on NBC. The DVD collection starts with those 90-minute shows.

"Those really are, I think, the best shows," Levy said. "The show reached its creative peak in those 90-minute shows on NBC.

"If they started with season one, I'd go, 'Boy, we'll never make season two. It's not going to work.'"

Levy said the decision was made to start the DVD collection with the 90-minute shows because it's always smart to "start with your strongest stuff."

Not that the earlier programming was bad.

"There were some great shows in the first [season]," Levy said. "The first couple of seasons are funny, but they're raw. We didn't have a lot of money so the sets look a little chintzy.

"I have a soft spot for them because it was the very beginning, but it's hard to look at some of the stuff now only because everybody was still fumbling around a little bit."

Still, Levy has fond memories of those growing pains.

"We just got out of theater and we're now doing a television show," he said. "It took a while before we developed our writing styles.

"We started writing a half-hour television show the way we did Second City theater, which was we'd all get in a room and try to improvise stuff.

"Then you realize it's just not a very efficient way of writing a weekly television show.

"So, by the time we learned to break up into groups and actually start writing, we went through some bumpy times."

Looking back at the old shows, Levy feels they hold up well.

"We created our own universe with 'SCTV,'" he said. "The brilliance of the idea was that you're creating a television station in your own town, so you develop all these characters at the station and you eventually got into characters in the town, like Mayor Tommy Shanks.

"We had Melonville elections, with continuing news coverage, election central and all that stuff. These ads would come on for local aldermen who were running for Melonville that you'd show throughout the programming. We got so into the underbelly of this world we created that it's almost completely insular from being dated."

DVD producers are in the process of putting together bonus content for the "SCTV" set, and Levy is ready to play a part in the extras.

"They're doing that stuff now and finding whatever footage that they can muster, off-camera stuff or anything else," he said. "There will be commentary. They're trying to organize that."

FLETCH LIVES! Writer-director Kevin Smith set to direct Fletch One for Miramax to be followed by the sci-fi adventure Ranger Danger and the Danger Rangers for Dimension, reports Daily Variety.

SMITH ADD: In a post on his Website, the filmmaker criticizing the New York Times for allegedly misquoting him as saying that he trimmed scenes of J.Lo from his upcoming movie Jersey Girl because she and costar Ben Affleck had no chemistry. He called the story nothing more than a "gussied-up gossip piece."

Conan Ready to Mark 10th Anniversary

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Nine years and 11 months ago Wednesday, Conan O'Brien debuted as the successor to David Letterman on NBC's "Late Night" franchise.

NBC hedged its bets in that rocky first year by giving O'Brien 13-week contract renewals, but the one-time writer for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons" is now basking in the show's first Emmy nomination for variety series and a 10th anniversary primetime special set to air Sept. 14.

O'Brien spoke with The Hollywood Reporter deputy editor Cynthia Littleton last week about what he has learned in his on-the-air training during the past decade.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: WHY DID YOU RE-UP WITH NBC LAST YEAR THROUGH 2005? YOU HAD A LOT OF OPTIONS AND WERE OFFERED A LOT OF MONEY BY COMPETING NETWORKS.

Conan O'Brien: I wanted to re-up for 13 weeks. I thought that would be really funny, but (NBC executives) weren't interested in that... I had a strong feeling that my work wasn't done here. We did our claymation special (in May), which was one of my favorite things I ever did. I think our best work is still ahead of us... The reason it appealed to me is that Dave (Letterman) did it for something like 11-1/2 years. This contract will put me through to 12 years, and I remember thinking that that meant something to me. I remember what it was like when people thought I might not last 10 more minutes. The idea that I might be able to have a 10th anniversary special -- that meant something to me. It's not all about money. I was offered a ton of money, and that's great, but I wanted the deal that enables me to keep doing this thing I love doing. That's the most important thing. I know I didn't maximize my earning potential -- my agents hate it, they keep reminding me. But I'm getting to do good work, and I think I'm still getting better at this job. I'm also making much more money than I ever thought I'd make in high school, so really, what's the problem?

THR: WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, WHEN YOU WERE STILL DEALING WITH THOSE 13-WEEK CONTRACTS, WHAT WERE THE HARDEST THINGS ABOUT MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM WRITER TO PERFORMER?

O'Brien: The hardest thing for me was that I knew I had a funny persona and that I had a point of view. I knew it was there. I didn't become this person over the last 10 years; I was this person. But I didn't have the chops to be this person on TV every night for an hour... It was just very tricky for me to learn how to be Conan O'Brien on TV for nine-minute periods of time and then throw it to commercial seamlessly... For the first year and half of the show, you know, you could almost see me thinking, you could see me trying to be a good talk show host. It wasn't fun to watch.

THR: WHEN DID YOU GET TO THE POINT OF FEELING COMFORTABLE ON CAMERA?

O'Brien: What happened over time is that all the things you have to know -- which camera to look at, how to begin a segment, how to end a segment, how to stand -- all those things, eventually, they become second nature, and that allowed my personality to come out. I don't have to think about it anymore. If you wake me up in middle of the night, I'll say, "And my next guest is Fabio" ... then I'll have questions for him... So now 10 years later, you're not watching Conan trying to be a good talk show host; you're watching me in the moment, having a good time trying to be myself, having fun, you know, letting my mind go... That's always what I was doing with myfriends in high school and college. For years when I was a writer, I was the guy in the room performing for the other writers.

THR: ARE YOU COMPETITIVE? DO YOU CALL IN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING FOR THE OVERNIGHT RATINGS?

O'Brien: Comedians are naturally competitive -- it started with us trying to be funniest person at our dining room table when we were growing up... There's definitely a competitive side to me, but I don't think these late-night talk shows work as a competitive sport. I don't get more creative and funnierwhen I watch other people's shows. It doesn't get my creative juices going. If you're obsessing and watching other people's shows, you're gonna consciously or unconsciously imitate them... The other thing is, ratings can be misleading. When they're figuring out ratings at 12:30 at night, the data's coming from like 80 people in the Nielsen sample. If two of those people get head colds and go to bed early, suddenly you don't have as good a night as you might have.

THR: WHAT'S A TYPICAL WORKDAY LIKE FOR YOU?

O'Brien: I usually work out in the morning because you don't just get a body like mine, you have to work it. I get into work in the morning, but things don't heat up until about 11 o'clock. I tend to walk from office to office on our floor. I sort of peek my head into offices, and a lot of times I have a guitar on, and I'm singing. That's how I relax. I learn a song a week to annoy people. I make up songs to tease people... The first formal meeting of day is at 11:30. That's where we run down what the show is that day, what potential problems there are. Then I'm usually with the head writer for a bit, talking down the show, or I'm talking to (executive producer) Jeff Ross. That usually gets us to around 1 in afternoon. Then I sit with the segment producers and talk about who are the guests today, what stories do they want to tell. We talk about the guests, and lot of it is just trying to figure out what are good ways to start those conversations, what are the potential things I could be funny about. Half of the time you end up coming up in the meeting potential ways I could be funny in an interview, then other times they are improvised. Those are the best. The audience tends to sense when it's improvised. Then maybe there's a pretape (segment) or something I have to shoot for that day's show. We try to do our rehearsal at about 2:30, but that doesn't usually happen right on time. Some rehearsals last a long time, sometimes they're very tense, and sometimes they're very easy. There are definitely not enough easy rehearsals... That takes me to around 4:30, and I go in for makeup and hair. Then just before I go out to warm up the audience around 5:15, we pick the jokes for the monologue. And we fight over them.

THR: WHAT YARDSTICK DO YOU USE TO TELL IF YOU'VE HAD A GOOD NIGHT OR NOT?

O'Brien: For me, it's usually measured by the size of my pompadour. When it inflates, when I have a 6-inch shelf of red hair sticking over my forehead, that's a good show. When it's lying down flat like Moe on the Three Stooges, it's time to check out an infomercial... I think a good show is when the writers and producers build a jungle gym, and I go out, and the show is me jumping around and playing with it, having a good time. That to me is a good episode of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." It doesn't happen every night -- otherwise, a really good show wouldn't feel like an event. There are too many variables. The crowd, the guests, the mood I'm in, and then it's also like, what's the weather like outside? When all those things line up, that's a great show. And that's a powerful drug that just keeps you coming back over and over and over again. You'll walk over hot coals to get to another one. You'll drag your ass through four bad crowds to get to another good crowd. It feels so good.

THR: WHAT'S UP THESE DAYS AT YOUR NBC-BASED CONACO PRODUCTION COMPANY?

O'Brien: Basically, the idea behind the company was that now that we seemed to have a bit of a brand of comedy, we'd try to make something we really like and try to get it on TV. . . . My goal is to have a game show on every network, and I host every one. I want to out-Regis Regis... This year, we're just meeting with a lot of writers, talking to them about their ideas. The appeal of it all to me was that I've always loved being around writers. I didn't want a vanity company. I didn't want it to be, "Oh, let's just give Conan a production deal to shut him up." One of my favorite things in life is being in roomful of funny writers and being able to contribute in some way. So the thinking was that this would put me in touch with talented people and see if we can't make something out of it. We'll see.
 
THR: SPEAKING OF MAKING SOMETHING, YOU AND YOUR WIFE ARE ABOUT TO BECOME PARENTS. HOW DO YOU THINK HAVING A BABY WILL AFFECT YOUR WORK?

O'Brien: Yep, Oct. 11 (the due date), it's coming up. I wanted to time it for the 10th anniversary special. It would've been great if the baby could be born on TV at the end of the 90-minute special. NBC's promo department would've done a great job with that... I love kids. I'm childlike. I see this as an opportunity for me to do a separate show. I'll probably do the late-night show and come home, do another 40 minutes for the kid after I wake him up, give him some coffee.

THR: WHAT TREATS DO YOU HAVE IN STORE FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL?

O'Brien: I've never promised anybody anything in television, but this 10th anniversary show is going to be really, really special. I'm really proud of the stuff we've accumulated. It's gonna feel like a live show coming out of the Beacon Theater here in Manhattan. There are going to be a lot of surprises, a lot of guests. It's not going to be just a clip show... I'm passionate about it in a fiery Latin way.

Nelly Furtado's Having a Baby

First child, second album due in fall

While recording her second CD, Fresh Off the Boat (due November 25th), Nelly Furtado has been keeping a big secret: She's pregnant. The twenty-four-year-old Grammy-winning singer and her boyfriend are expecting their first child in September.

But don't expect maternity to be a theme on Boat, the follow-up to Furtado's multi-platinum 2000 debut, Whoa, Nelly! "Two or three years from now, you'll hear the baby record," she says. "I take a while to reflect on things."

Furtado has been working on Fresh Off the Boat, the title referencing the Canadian singer's Portuguese roots, in Los Angeles and her home base of Toronto. She has again teamed with production duo Track and Field (Brian West and Gerald Eaton), but the album is different from the hip-hop-flavored Whoa: The likely single, "Powerless," has a stripped-down folk sound; and Furtado compares the vibe of "Explode" to the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979." Another track, the moving "Saturday" was inspired by Furtado's years cleaning hotel rooms with her mother.

Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and drummer Joey Waronker (R.E.M., Beck) are among the guests, and Furtado plans to have Bela Fleck add banjo to the song "Forca!"

Forca? "It means 'Go for it -- kick ass!'" explains Furtado, "in Portugese."

Ash vs. Freddy vs. Jason vs. Leatherface vs. Michael Myers vs...

One of the ideas being tossed around for a "Freddy vs. Jason" sequel would pit Jason and Freddy versus Ash from the "Evil Dead" movies. According to their sources, New Line execs are quite happy with the idea. One of the few things preventing such an occurence is Bruce Campbell (Ash) potentially turning down the offer.

MONSTER DEAL

Peter Jackson earning $20 million against 20 percent of the gross when he helms Universal's remake of King Kong, reports Variety. That fee will be shared with wife Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, with whom he wrote the Lord of the Rings movies, and who share writing duties on the ape flick.

Warner, BMG Close in on Merger - Sources

LONDON (Reuters) - Warner Music and BMG, home to pop diva Madonna and queen of soul Aretha Franklin, have entered the home stretch in talks over a joint venture and could wrap up a deal next month, sources familiar with the negotiations said.

In a deal that would create the world's second biggest music company, the industry heavyweights are still negotiating the nuts and bolts of combining their recorded music empires but are getting closer to an agreement, the sources said.

"If there is a deal, it will be done by the end of September, but it could be sooner than that," said one source.

"The two sides are working hard to finalize key issues such as valuation right now, but progress is being made."

Warner Music and its U.S. parent AOL Time Warner and BMG and its privately owned German parent Bertelsmann all declined to comment.

With rampant piracy tearing into global music sales, Warner Music and BMG see a tie-up as their best bet for beating the industry blues by offering the prospect of cost savings of $250-$300 million between them each year, the sources said.

Warner and BMG, which rank as the world's fourth and fifth biggest music companies respectively, see eye-to-eye on the broad structure of a deal that would take the shape of a 50-50 joint venture of their recorded music arms, one source said.

But the two sides are still hammering out the details of a deal, which could see one of them put up some money or additional assets to reach a 50-50 split, the source said.

"Size is one issue, but profitability is another, and we have to evaluate both as well as cash flow. The difference is not very big though," the source said.

Last year, Warner had revenue of $4.2 billion while BMG racked up $2.7 billion. Those figures include music publishing and Warner's CD/DVD manufacturing business, which would not be part of the venture. Analysts estimate a joint venture could be worth somewhere in the low single-digit billions of dollars.

UP AGAINST THE REGULATORS

Regulators could present the biggest obstacle to a deal.

Two previous deals hit the rocks -- one between EMI GroupPlc and Warner, and another between EMI and BMG -- two years ago after anti-trust authorities made clear they would not accept the world's five big music companies shrinking to four.

Warner and BMG are optimistic a joint venture of just their recorded music companies, excluding music publishing, would have a better chance of success. But they are prepared for regulatory investigations to last a good eight months, one source said.

"People say we have a good chance of getting permission. We might have to make some divestments in some markets if the market share is too high, but it's easier doing a deal that just involves recorded music," said one source.

The two sides see industry giant Universal Music as their prototype. Universal Music, part of Vivendi Universal, has dominated the global music scene since its merger with Polygram in the late 1990s, boasting a market share in 2002 of 24.5 percent and artists ranging from U2 to Eminem.

Warner Music and BMG would have a combined global market share just less than Universal Music's but would leapfrog current number two, Sony Music.

The two companies would bring together Warner Music's artists REM, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alanis Morissette with BMG's Avril Lavigne, Carlos Santana and Barry Manilow.

Talks between the companies gathered pace after Warner Music agreed to sell its CD/DVD manufacturing business last month.

But who takes what management roles is another issue yet to be finalized. Both Warner Music Chief Executive Roger Ames and BMG CEO Rolf Schmidt-Holtz are expected to take top roles.

"Clear leadership is key for this to work. But the management of both companies want this deal," said one source.

New Tunes To Crank

Wow, there is so few promising titles within the list of new CD's this week that I feel I have to give you more than just this week in order to give you something to be excited about.

Here's the upcoming music releases for the next several weeks, with September 23rd looking like the date to beat so far:

Tuesday August 12, 2003

* A3 Power In The Blood (Navarre)
* B.B. KING Blues Kingpins (Capitol)
* BETTY MOON Doll Machine (Sextant Records)
* BILLY BOB THORNTON The Edge Of The World (Sanctuary Records)
* CASH BROTHERS A Brand New Light (Rounder)
* DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar (TVT)
* DIERKS BENTLEY Dierks Bentley (Capitol)
* DJ KEOKI Keokiclash (Cleopatra/Navarre)
* ELMORE JAMES Blues Kingpins (Capitol)
* FREDDY VS. JASON OST Freddy vs. Jason OST (Roadrunner)
* ILKE TURNER Blues Kingpins (Capitol)
* JOHN LEE HOOKER Blues Kingpins (Capitol)
* LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS Blues Kingpins (Capitol)
* LIL' J Back 2 J (Navarre)
* SOUTH CENTRAL CARTEL South Central Hell-A (Navarre)
* THIRTEEN OST Thirteen OST (Nettwerk)

Tuesday August 19, 2003

* ALIEN ANT FARM truANT (DreamWorks)
* DANDY WARHOLS Welcome To The Monkey House (EMI)
* GUIDED BY VOICES Earthquake Glue (Matador)
* LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III So Damn Happy (Sanctuary Records)
* SLOAN Action Pact (Vik)
* STAR SPANGLES Bazooka!!! (Capitol)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Now! 8 (EMI/Universal/Warner)

Tuesday August 26, 2003

* BIG SUGAR Hit And Run (Universal)
* BOUNCING SOULS Anchors Aweigh (Epitaph)
* HILARY DUFF Metamorphosis (Buena Vista)
* JESSICA SIMPSON In This Skin (Sony)
* MARY J. BLIGE Love & Life (MCA)
* PENNYWISE TBA (Pennywise) (Epitaph)
* RANCID Indestructable (Hellcat)
* SIMPLY RED Home (Universal)
* THE WEAKERTHANS Reconstruction Site (Epitaph)

Tuesday September 2, 2003

* LIMP BIZKIT Panty Sniffer (Interscope)

Tuesday September 9, 2003

* ANDREW W.K. The Wolf (Island)
* DAVID USHER Hallucinations (EMI)
* DIDO Life For Rent (BMG)
* DMX The Grand Champ (Def Jam)
* FRANK BLACK & THE CATHOLICS Show Me Your Tears (SpinART/Linus)
* HAWKSLEY WORKMAN Lover/Fighter (Universal)
* JANN ARDEN Love Is The Only Soldier (Universal)
* JOE HENRY Tiny Voices (Anti/Epitaph)
* JOHN MAYER Heavier Things (Aware/Columbia)
* SEAL Seal IV (Warner)

Tuesday September 23, 2003

* ELVIS COSTELLO North (Island)
* EMMYLOU HARRIS Stumble Into Grace (Nonesuch/Warner)
* MEAT LOAF Couldn't Have Said It Better (Capitol)
* NICKELBACK The Long Road (EMI)
* RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Want (DreamWorks)
* STING Sacred Love (A&M/Universal)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS The Hellcat Movie (Hellcat)

BRAND NEW ON DVD

"Futurama": Volume 2"

Matt Groening's "Futurama" featured Fry (yes, past tense as the show has now officially been cancelled. The final episode aired this past Sunday), a pizza delivery guy accidentally placed in cryogenic suspension (okay, he was frozen) only to be thawed out 1,000 years later in the year 2999. There he falls for the beautiful, one-eyed alien Leela, gets acclimated to the future with help from Bender, a robot reprobate, and ends ups working for a delivery company (intergalactic style).

The second volume is now available on DVD and the four disc set includes commentary by the show's creators on all the episodes, 15 deleted scenes, Easter eggs, and much, much more.

Don't call me, I'm watching it!

VIDEOS AND DVDS THIS WEEK

"PAPER MOON"
What's the biggest surprise of 1973's "Paper Moon", the delightful Depression-era comedy about a con artist and the little girl who becomes his sidekick? Is it that Tatum O'Neal could give such a funny, layered performance when she was only 9 years old? Is it that director Peter Bogdanovich could dump his wife Polly Platt for Cybill Shepherd yet still benefit from her terrific creative contributions? (In the accompanying documentary, we realize Platt did the production design, had the key insight of casting Tatum, sewed many of her costumes and even found the location for the memorable closing shot.) Or perhaps the biggest surprise is that Bogdanovich could turn out three classics in a row - "The Last Picture Show," "What's Up Doc?" and this - and then doing almost nothing of value ever since. Also just out: Bogdanovich's 1968 debut "Targets" and one of his many later flops, 1974's "Daisy Miller."

"ROCKY & BULLWINKLE & FRIENDS": SEASON 1
Hello, low I.Q.-ers! Despite years of experience catching all the adult jokes worked into Looney Tunes, it was still a kick to discover all the satire packed into 1961 debut season of "Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends." They mocked the Cold War with Boris and Natasha, they mocked do-gooders with Canadian Mountie Dudley Do-Right, and they even mocked the show's sponsor General Mills. Plus you get segments starring Moose and Squirrel, "Fractured Fairy Tales," Sherman and Peabody and much more. A gem, with extras including promo spots, commercials and even advice for the lovelorn from a Bullwinkle hand puppet.

"BABYLON 5": THIRD SEASON
Those preferring their sci-fi without satire will snatch up season three of "Babylon 5," with Bruce Boxleitner in full command and the story lines getting ever more complicated (in a good way).

"BACKBEAT"
Anyone caught off-guard by the assured tone of director Iain Softley's terrific costume drama "Wings of a Dove" hadn't seen 1993's "Backbeat." This sweaty little drama takes an almost impossible premise - depicting the early German tour of a scruffy new band named The Beatles - and manages to turn it into a compelling film (thanks to Ian Hart as Lennon and Stephen Dorff as bassist Stu Sutcliffe). The sensational music is courtesy of a super group including Dave Grohl, David Pirner and Mike Mills.

Also out:
Chris Rock runs for higher office in "Head of State," but deservedly got a lot less attention than Arnold Schwarzenegger; A professional tracker is called in to capture an AWOL soldier in "The Hunted", with Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro and Connie Nielsen; Hilary Duff charms in the slight comedy "The Lizzie McGuire Movie," making you wonder how Disney could let her go; Miramax head honchos Harvey and Bob Weinstein direct the 1986 rock 'n' roll flick "Playing for Keeps," featuring Marisa Tomei; the uniquely awful disaster "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"; and Ray McAnally's engaging central performance as a socialist prime minister taking flak on all sides in the creaky but fun political thriller "A Very British Coup."

Next Tuesday:
Oscar-winning musical "Chicago"; Bob Fosse's searingly autobiographical "All That Jazz"; Michael Moore's muckraking hits "Bowling for Columbine" and "Roger & Me"; and for those anticipating another possible tour by the duo, "Simon & Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park."

PAGING DR. CARTER?

Noah Wyle taking a break from ER this season to spend more time with his wife and baby boy, reports TV Guide. The actor will appear in the first two episodes before taking some time off, possibly reappearing in November.

TV Plans Low-Key Observance of Sept. 11

NEW YORK - Two years removed from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, broadcast networks will mark the anniversary with news stories but aren't planning to interrupt their regular schedules.
 
It's in marked contrast to last year, when the broadcasters devoted much of their day to the anniversary either with news specials or, in NBC's case, a commemorative concert.

"My sense is that this anniversary, the second anniversary, feels different than the first in scale and the kind of coverage appropriate for the day," said Mark Lukasiewicz, executive producer for special projects at NBC News.

NBC hasn't firmed up its plans but, like ABC and CBS, doesn't expect any prime-time specials. The networks are waiting to see if New York City will announce any commemorations that they will deem worth covering.

ABC said on Monday that all of its regularly scheduled news programs that week will examine the question of whether or not Americans are safer than before Sept. 11, 2001.

The network will assess the level of damage done to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, whether the money used to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks was well-spent and the balance between civil liberties and domestic security.

CBS will station Harry Smith at ground zero for Sept. 11's edition of "The Early Show." A night earlier on "60 Minutes II," CBS will rerun Scott Pelley's interview with President Bush conducted at the time of the first anniversary.

While last year was a significant marker for people, the terrorist attacks have become more of an ongoing story, Lukasiewicz said.

"I think this anniversary will be significant to the families and survivors for quiet contemplation," he said.

With more hours of news programming to fill, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC could be expected to spend more time on the story. CNN and MSNBC said Monday their plans weren't set yet. A Fox News Channel representative did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Actor Ben Affleck Defends 'Bad Movie' Gigli

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A "perfect storm" of tabloid news, negative Internet buzz, and a just plain bad movie led to the spectacular failure of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck film, "Gigli," Affleck said on Monday.

"(The movie) wasn't good and we got buried," Affleck told reporters at an interview for the upcoming film, "The Battle of Shaker Heights."

"I think there is good work in it, scene by scene. I think the acting is good -- it's a different character for me," he said. "But I don't think ultimately the movie held up as a whole," said Affleck.

The film, featuring Affleck and Lopez as underworld figures who become romantically involved, was roundly panned by critics and bombed at the box office, pulling in just $3.8 million in its first weekend earlier this month.

"You can put scenes together and sometimes they just don't work," he added. "I think there was a certain amount of Schadenfreude, a certain amount of a critical slam dunk contest that it turned into, like some (critic) was saying 'I have been saving up this one turn of phrase all summer.' But that's part of the deal."

He skirted questions about whether his recent visit to a Vancouver strip club in July had affected his planned wedding to Lopez.

"You can tell your news editors that you are too big for that kind of stuff, that you are better than that, that you rise above it," he laughed, as video cameras documented the press briefing for the HBO series "Project Greenlight."

Project Greenlight began in 2000 as an online screenplay competition sponsored by Affleck and his boyhood friend and "Good Will Hunting" co-star, actor Matt Damon. The awarded winners $1 million to make their films.

The filmmaking process has been chronicled on the successful HBO series of the same name.

Affleck said he was not worried about critical reception for "Jersey Girl," another upcoming film that pairs him with Lopez. "I think 'Jersey Girl' is a really good movie," he said. "Jen is only in it for about 10 minutes, so it's not really like a 'me-and-Jen' movie. In fact, probably after the towering success of 'Gigli,' I suspect Miramax will find a way to sell it as other than a 'me-and-Jen' movie."

Hockey Legend Brooks Dies in Car Crash

MINNEAPOLIS - Herb Brooks, who coached the U.S. hockey team to the "Miracle on Ice" victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, died Monday in a car accident. He was 66.

The Hall of Famer lost control of his minivan, veering onto a grassy area at a highway intersection north of the Twin Cities and rolling over.

Brooks apparently was not wearing a seat belt, and his body was found about 40 yards from the vehicle, state patrol Lt. Chuck Walerius said.

Brooks attended a Hall of Fame celebrity golf event and was on his way to the Minneapolis airport to catch a flight to Chicago, USA Hockey spokesman Chuck Menke said.

"It seems like all the great innovators die young," said Ken Morrow, a defenseman on the 1980 team and now a scout for the New York Islanders. "Coach may have been the greatest innovator the sport has ever had."

Brooks was behind the bench when the Americans pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever, beating the mighty Soviets with a squad of mostly college players.

That shocking victory, plus beating Finland for the gold medal, assured the team a place in sports immortality and gave the nation a reason to celebrate at a bleak time in its history.

The hostage-taking in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the energy crisis had cast a pall over the United States.

The young U.S. team was given no chance against a veteran Soviet squad that had dominated international hockey for years and had routed the Americans 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden the week before the Olympics.

On Feb. 22, 1980, the U.S. team scored with 10 minutes to play to take a 4-3 lead against the Soviets and then held on. As the final seconds ticked away, announcer Al Michaels exclaimed, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

It remains one of the most famous calls in sports broadcasting history.

"He was very single-minded — a person who looked right down the tunnel and knew exactly what he had to do," Michaels said Monday night. "He was never caught up in the afterglow. Here's a guy that helped do something that galvanized the entire country and he wasn't interested in parades or any attention. Just a few weeks after this, he decides to go and coach in Switzerland."

Brooks' leadership helped turn a ragtag team into champions. He had hand-picked each player.

"You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back," Brooks once said. "I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country."

Players kept a notebook of "Brooksisms," sayings the coach used for motivation, such as: "You're playing worse and worse every day and right now you're playing like it's next month."

"When it came to hockey, he was ahead of his time," Morrow said. "All of his teams overachieved because Herbie understood how to get the best out of each player and make him part of a team. And like everyone who played for him, I became a better person because I played for Herb Brooks."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said making one of Brooks' teams was an "extraordinary accomplishment."
 
"It is devastating to all of us in the hockey world that his passion for the game, his insight, his foresight, have been taken away," Bettman said.

Brooks returned to lead the 2002 U.S. Olympic hockey team to a silver medal. Players from the 1980 team, led by Mike Eruzione, lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City.

When he decided to coach the U.S. team again, Brooks was asked why he would return after writing the most improbable story in hockey.

"Maybe I'm sort of like the players — there's still a lot of little boy in me," Brooks said. "And maybe I'm a little smarter now than I was before for all the stupid things I've done."

After the Lake Placid Games, Brooks coached the New York Rangers (1981-85), where he reached the 100-victory mark faster than any other coach in franchise history. He coached the Minnesota North Stars (1987-88), the New Jersey Devils (news) (1992-93) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (news) (1999-00). He also led the French Olympic team at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Born in St. Paul, Brooks played hockey at the University of Minnesota, where he later coached from 1972-79, winning three national titles.

"My gut reaction is Minnesota lost its head coach today. Herb Brooks was a Minnesota legend, a Minnesota treasure," said Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a hockey fanatic.

Brooks was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

"He truly was part of our American hockey heritage," said Tom Sersha, executive director at the Hall of Fame.

Brooks could always get players motivated for a game, firing them up to overcome huge odds. Before playing the Soviets, he told them: "You're meant to be here. This moment is yours. You're meant to be here at this time."

Right after the victory, the coach headed to the locker room, leaving the ice to his players.

"It was not my spot," he said years later. "I always say sort of flippantly, 'I had to go to the bathroom. Or, 'If I'd have went on the ice when this thing happened, someone would have speared me or something.' It's a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. They had to do it; it was their moment."

Brooks never had his own moment as a player. He was the last one cut from the 1960 U.S. gold-medal team, and he played in the 1964 and 1968 Olympics without winning a medal.

Last season, Brooks was the director of player development for the Penguins. He rejected a multimillion-dollar offer to coach the Rangers last summer, saying didn't want to be away from his wife and family in Minnesota.

"I knew him for 30 years — we played together, we coached together, we worked together," Penguins general manager Craig Patrick said. "Herbie lived the game and he loved the game."

Brooks is survived by wife Patti, son Dan, and daughter Kelly.

Web Worm Attacks Windows, Spreads Fast, Experts Say

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An Internet worm that takes advantage of a recently discovered, widespread security hole in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software emerged around the United States on Monday, crashing systems and spreading to vulnerable computers, security experts said.

The worm, dubbed LoveSan, Blaster, or MSBlaster, exploits a vulnerability in the Distributed Component Object service that is hosted by a Remote Procedure Call feature in Windows 2000 and Windows XP that lets computers share files, among other activities.

Once it gets onto a vulnerable computer, the program downloads code from a previously infected machine that enables it to propagate itself. Then, it scans the Internet for other vulnerable machines and attacks them, said Johannes Ullrich, chief technology officer at the Internet Storm Center at the SANS Institute.

In some cases, the worm crashes the victim machine, but does not infect it, he said.

It is spreading rapidly and has infected several thousand machines, Ullrich said.

The worm also appears to instruct the computer to launch a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack on Aug. 16 against a Microsoft Web site, he added. In a DDOS attack, a Web site is temporarily paralyzed after receiving requests from numerous multiple computers.

"It's dangerous from the perspective that it can consume a lot of bandwidth," said Russ Cooper of TruSecure Corp. "Every compromised machine is constantly attacking."

The worm contains code that includes a phrase: "Billy Gates why do you make this possible? Stop making money and fix your software!!," according to SANS.

Anti-virus provider Network Associates rated it a medium risk for consumers and corporate computer users, while rival Symantec Corp. rated it a high risk for distribution and a low risk for damage.

Last month, Microsoft warned of the vulnerability, which experts said was one of the worst to hit a software program in a few years because of the number of Windows systems affected.

The U.S. government issued a warning about the security flaw, and then released another advisory warning after thousands of machines began scanning the Internet looking for vulnerable computers. After that, experts said it was only a matter of time before a worm would appear.

In January, a worm dubbed "Slammer" that exploited a hole in Microsoft SQL database software brought automatic teller machines in the United States to a standstill, paralyzed corporate networks worldwide and nearly shut down Web access to South Korea.

Mariah Carey, Singer of the Next Horrible Bond Song

According to Dark Horizons, Mariah Carey is in talks to sing the theme song for the next James Bond movie. However, Mariah is supposedly demanding a cameo in the film, a la Madonna's pointless role in DIE ANOTHER DAY. Let's hope Mariah's theme song isn't as terrible as Madonna's was.

Newell to Direct New Harry Potter Movie

LONDON - The British director of "Four Weddings and A Funeral" will direct the fourth Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Sunday.

Mike Newell will begin work on "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in April, the company said.

American Chris Columbus directed the first two movie versions of J.K. Rowling's hugely successful series on the boy wizard.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third film in the series, is currently being filmed under the direction of Alfonso Cuaron, and the studio said that as the two productions will overlap, it was not feasible for him to direct both.

Producer David Heyman said Newell was the "perfect choice" for the new film. "He has worked with children, made us laugh, and had us sitting on the edge of our seats, he is great with actors and imbues all his characters, all his films, with great humanity. I'm thrilled," Heyman said.

Newell, 61, also has directed "Donnie Brasco," with Al Pacino, and has recently completed "Mona Lisa Smile" with Julia Roberts.

'S.W.A.T.' Takes Top Spot at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Calling in the SWAT team proved good business for Hollywood.

Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell's "S.W.A.T.", adapted from the 1970s TV cop show, slapped the cuffs on enough movie-goers to debut as the weekend's top movie with $37 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Another movie with 1970s roots, a remake of the mother-daughter comedy "Freaky Friday," opened in second place with $22.3 million, pushing its total since opening Wednesday to $33.2 million. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a squabbling mom and teenage daughter who magically switch bodies.

"What's old is new again, I guess," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "The '70s had a really bad rap for a while ... But stuff always comes back."

Last weekend's top movie, "American Wedding," slipped to third place with $15.1 million, bringing its 10-day total to $64.9 million.

"S.W.A.T." stars Jackson as a veteran special weapons and tactics leader in Los Angeles, who trains a new police team that includes Farrell, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez.

The movie revolves around the SWAT team's mission to prevent the escape of a crime kingpin, who has offered a $100 million reward to anyone able to spring him from custody.

Jackson, along with the nostalgia factor for those who recall the TV show, helped "S.W.A.T." draw solidly among older crowds, with 45 percent of the audience older than 25.

"The movie's fun and fresh and has a hot cast," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, which released "S.W.A.T." "It's the sort of cast that's really kind of accessible to everyone."

"Freaky Friday" updates the 1976 comedy that starred Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. While audiences initially may have viewed "Freaky Friday" as a campy remake, solid reviews and a successful round of sneak-peek early screenings helped build solid buzz on the movie.

"Whatever the attitude going in, people coming out of this movie are absolutely loving it," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released "Freaky Friday."

Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts' romantic comedy "Le Divorce" opened strongly in limited release, taking in $533,000 in 34 theaters. From the filmmaking team of director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant, "Le Divorce" follows the romantic misadventures of two American sisters in Paris.

"Le Divorce" expands to wide release over the next few weekends.

The surfing documentary "Step Into Liquid" also opened well, taking in $135,000 at just five theaters in New York City, Los Angeles and Honolulu. The movie will be playing in the top 25 to 30 domestic markets by Aug. 22.

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. "S.W.A.T.," $37 million.
2. "Freaky Friday," $22.3 million.
3. "American Wedding," $15.1 million.
4. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $13.1 million.
5. "Seabiscuit," $11.9 million.
6. "Spy Kids 3-D: Gave Over," $10.1 million.
7. "Bad Boys II," $6 million.
8. "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life," $5.2 million.
9. "Finding Nemo," $2.5 million.
10. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," $1.6 million.

SUMMER TOTALS TO DATE

Finding Nemo ....................... $324.9 million
Pirates of the Caribbean ........... $232.8 million
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines . $146.0 million
Bad Boys II......................... $123.1 million
Spy Kids 3D: Game Over.............. $ 87.4 million
Seabiscuit.......................... $ 69.5 million
Lara Croft Tomb Raider.............. $ 53.7 million
American Wedding ................... $ 64.9 million
S.W.A.T. ........................... $ 37.0 million
Freaky Friday ...................... $ 33.2 million

Candidate Arnold Could Set California Wealth Record

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger disclosed on Sunday that whatever shortcomings he might have as potential governor of California, personal wealth is not among them -- he made more than $50 million in two years.

Schwarzenegger's tax returns, made public at a news conference, showed he earned $31 million in 2000 and paid more than $10 million in state and federal taxes. Income dipped slightly in 2001 to $26.1 million, with $9.3 million paid in taxes.

Asked if the Austrian-born star would be the richest California governor yet, campaign legal counsel Colleen McAndrews said his wealth far surpassed that of past governors Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson and of incumbent Gray Davis. "I don't think any of them have had substantial wealth," she said.

The "Terminator" actor owns stock in, among other companies, Starbucks, PepsiCo, Coca Cola and Roto Rooter and has millions of dollars in municipal bonds and real estate investments.

In his campaign appearances in the run-up to the unprecedented recall vote on Oct. 7, the Austrian-born Republican has insisted he is so rich he cannot be bought.

All 190-plus candidates seeking to replace Davis, a Democrat whose popularity has plummeted due to the state's energy crisis two years ago and a burgeoning budget deficit now, were required to file financial disclosure statements.

Other hopefuls like columnist Arianna Huffington, businessman Bill Simon and porn publisher Larry Flynt cited investments or holdings in the millions.

Candidates for public office routinely make their tax returns public to show voters they have nothing to hide. Simon was criticized for being reluctant to do so when he ran and lost against Davis two years ago.

Schwarzenegger's qualifications for the California job were the hot topic of Sunday talk shows.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California's senior senator, told NBC's "Meet the Press" she believed Davis could still win the vote now less than two months away.

"I think the governor has a good opportunity to defeat this recall," said Feinstein, herself a Democrat. "My view is that this recall should be defeated. It's bad for California."

Former Republican Gov. Wilson, Davis's predecessor, said on CBS's "Face the Nation" he thought Davis will be recalled and that Schwarzenegger will be elected governor.

A Time/CNN poll released Saturday found Schwarzenegger would win 25 percent of the vote if the election were held now, 10 points ahead of his closest competitor, the Democratic lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante.

Former Democratic Gov. Brown, currently the mayor of Oakland, told CNN he opposed recalling Davis.

Nonetheless, he said: "If Schwarzenegger has an answer to the (state's) revenue crisis and he can get the damn criminals off the streets of Oakland, hell, I may vote for him."

Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who himself followed an unlikely trajectory into politics from professional wrestling, advised Schwarzenegger: "Forget agents and studio bosses -- now you're dealing with real predators."

Some politicians have questioned Schwarzenegger's abilities due to his ducking of detailed questions about key issues.
 
San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, a Democrat, predicted tough times ahead. "(Schwarzenegger's) not going to get a free ride," Brown told CBS. "He's not going to be on The Tonight show. He's going to have to go man-to-man with Gray Davis."

More details have emerged from Lucasfilm on the Indiana Jones DVDs.

They are indeed streeting on October 21 now. We also have more specific information on the bonus disc contents. Here's what to expect, direct from the official press release:

Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy - Documentarians raided the Lucasfilm archives for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at movie-making history. More than two dozen new interviews were conducted with the talented cast and crew of the Indiana Jones trilogy - some of whom were interviewed for the first time since the films were originally released. Making the Trilogy is a completely unique tour through the rough-and-tumble world of the films’ creation. Complete with never-before-seen footage, outtakes, screen tests, production drawings and photographs direct from the Lucasfilm archives, it's the most detailed exploration of these classic films ever produced.

The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones - The visual effects wizards from Industrial Light and Magic bring new insight into how they created the unique world of Indiana Jones. Their groundbreaking techniques in visual and mechanical effects came in an era before computer-generated effects existed, offering unique challenges and spectacular results. ILM technicians explain how miniatures, matte paintings, morphing and more made Indy's spectacular quests and supernatural adventures into unforgettable film experiences.

Taking an in-depth adventure in sound, The Sound of Indiana Jones joins Academy Award®-winning sound designer Ben Burtt as he reveals the crucial role that sound effects and editing playedin the Indiana Jones films, while also providing an aural history behind some of the most talked-about scenes.

The Stunts of Indiana Jones goes behind the scenes to witness the intense coordination required by the entire production team to make certain a death-defying scene looks convincing on film. This documentary reveals how the Indy films paid homage to the past and were pivotal to the future of heart-stopping, perilous movie stunts.

Venture on a musical journey with John Williams as he reminisces about his collaboration with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and The Music of Indiana Jones. Viewers will learn how one of the most iconic movie themes of all-time, The Raiders March, was conceived and gain insight into how the music uniquely compliments the theme and mood of each adventure.

Original theatrical teasers and trailers for the Indiana Jones movies, along with a trailer for the Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb video game from LucasArts.

Exclusive DVD-ROM access to exclusive Indiana Jones content, available through a special DVD-ROM web site. An additional link to the Indianajones.com web site (the official site for Indiana Jones fans) will offer daily features and updates on the upcoming Indiana Jones 4.

Dancer-Actor Gregory Hines Dies at 57

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gregory Hines, the Tony Award-winning tap-dancing actor who starred on Broadway as well as in many films, including "The Cotton Club," has died at the age of 57, his publicist said on Sunday.
 
Hines, considered one of the top dancers of his generation, died Saturday night in Los Angeles of cancer, said Allen Eichhorn, a spokesman for Hines.

The native New Yorker, who won a 1992 Tony for the musical "Jelly's Last Jam," first found fame performing jazz tap with his brother Maurice, working together in the musical revue "Eubie!" in 1978 and in "Sophisticated Ladies."

Born on Feb. 14, 1946, in New York City, Hines had said his mother steered her sons toward tap dancing as a way to escape the ghetto.

By the time he was five, Hine was already performing, and the two brothers danced at the famed Apollo theater for two weeks when he was just six. In his teens, the brothers also performed with their father, Maurice Sr., who played drums.

Later he earned Tony nominations on Broadway in "Eubie!," "Comin' Uptown" and "Sophisticated Ladies."

Hines had a falling out with his older brother in the late 1960s when he wanted to perform to rock music and write his own songs. In 1973, the family act disbanded and Hines moved to Venice Beach, California.

But they reconciled a few years later and began performing in various Broadway shows together.

Hines landed his first film role in the 1981 Mel Brooks comedy "History of the World Part I," in which he played a Roman slave as a last-minute replacement for Richard Pryor.

Landing a leading role in Francis Ford Coppola's film "The Cotton Club" in the mid-1980s cleared the way for more film work, including "White Nights," in which he starred with Mikhail Baryshnikov and with Billy Crystal in 1986's "Running Scared."

Hines also appeared with Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett in 1995's "Waiting to Exhale," among other movies.

Hines nabbed several Emmy Award nominations, most recently in 2001 for his lead role in the mini-series "Bojangles."

His PBS special "Gregory Hines: Tap Dance in America" was nominated in 1989.

On television, he had his own sitcom in 1997 called "The Gregory Hines Show," and a recurring role on "Will and Grace."

This spring, he appeared in the spring television series "Lost at Home."

Hines is survived by his fiance, Negrita Jayde, his daughter, Daria, his son, Zach, his stepdaughter, Jessica Koslow and his grandson, Lucian, Eichhorn said. Hines had been married twice. He is also survived by his older brother Maurice and father Maurice Sr., who he had performed with. A private funeral will be held in Los Angeles this week.

FISH FOOD

Paramount shifted the release of its DVD release of the Indiana Jones Trilogy from November 4 to October 21 to avoid a showdown with Finding Nemo, which hits video stores November 4.

SO LONG?

The trades reporting Paula Abdul may be asking for more money than Fox is willing to pay the American Idol judge. A statement from the network was non-committal, "We love Paula and hope she continues on the American Idol team."

Futurama Is History

It's dead, Jim. Well, maybe. As any fan of science fiction knows -- from Star Trek's Mr. Spock to Alien's Ripley -- death is always open to re-negotiation.

It's fitting, then, as the final episode of the sci-fi spoof Futurama is readied for launch, there are signs the show may carry on in one life form or another. Which may explain why it slipped executive producer and co-creator David X. Cohen's mind that the Fox show's culminating instalment airs on Sunday.

"I actually forgot this week was our last episode. I scheduled something else -- a meeting of my math club," Cohen says on the phone from Los Angeles. "This group of TV writers, we're interested in math and we get together to talk about it. But I'm sure I'll be able to race home to watch it."

Cohen's memory loss can be understood, too, when you consider the show has actually been out of production for more than a year. It's only now that Fox has gotten around to broadcasting its last episodes. "Frustrating is a mild word for the situation," he says, echoing comments made by co-creator Matt Groening to the Sun earlier this year. "Matt and I and everyone involved were very frustrated by how it got bounced around (from timeslot to timeslot) by Fox."

Despite that, this may not be the last we see of Futurama's motley crew of humans, robots and aliens.

"If you had asked me six months ago, I would have said there was no chance, forget it. But just strangely now, in the dying days of the show, it's suddenly a success on the Cartoon Network (which is airing the series in the U.S.). The ratings have been stellar by cable standards so the subject of bringing it back has arisen. But it's still an extremely long shot."

That it has any chance at all is because of the Cartoon Network, not Fox, he says.
"They've done a staggering amount of publicity for a cable network. In L.A., there are buses with Futurama painted on the side. They're on the subways in New York and on CNN. The visibility is pretty astounding when you consider how much more limited the resources of the Cartoon Network are than the Fox multi-industry conglomerate. You think what could have been done if Fox had thrown its weight behind the show. The people making the decisions were not big fans of the show."

One problem, of course, was the massive success of Groening's other animated show, The Simpsons, which Fox wanted instantly cloned. "People forget that The Simpsons was not born full-grown, that a lot of things improved. But they wanted Simpsons, Simpsons, Simpsons, money, money, money."

With Sunday's finale, Futurama ends after 72 episodes -- about the number of shows the original Star Trek had under its belt when it was scrapped by NBC in the '60s. "Maybe Futurama will be the next Star Trek," Cohen muses, acknowledging the debt his comedy owes to sci-fi predecessors like Trek.

"Our original idea was, let's steal our favourite ideas from all branches of science fiction and hodgepodge them together," he says.

Ferrell Gets SMART

FYI - There is a rumour circulating in Hollywood that Will Ferrell is lined up to play Maxwell Smart in a film take on the classic spy spoof show GET SMART.

Saved By The DVD Release

School's back in session...so run, don't walk, to your closest video store. On September 2nd, Lions Gate Home Entertainment will release one of the worst shows ever to be aired on national television, Saved by the Bell: Volume 1 - Seasons 1 & 2. This five-disc tsunami will feature 750 minutes of hilarious antics, all in 4:3 full screen and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. Extras will include audio commentaries but participants have yet to be announced. Retail is $49.95.

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Oscar-winning director James Cameron, who hasn't helmed a feature film since 1997's Titanic, set to direct a feature about the love story between world-famous freedivers Francisco "Pippin" Ferreras and wife Audre Mestre.

ENCORE?

Talks are underway for Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, the original stars of Mel Brooks' Tony-winning smash The Producers, to reprise their roles on Broadway to help boost the musical's declining box office fortunes.

'S.W.A.T.' Set to Explode at Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The wait is finally over for action-crazed fans who have suffered for the past two weeks without any new high-octance movie releases.
 
Sony Pictures will attempt to rebound from last weekend's dismal performance of "Gigli" with the well-marketed actioner "S.W.A.T." Also looking to capitalize on what many call the last good weekend of the summer is Disney, which is hoping to continue its flawless summer track record with its remake of "Freaky Friday," which opened wide Wednesday to PG audiences.

"S.W.A.T.," which stars current "it" guy Colin Farrell and the broad-appealing Samuel L. Jackson, centers on an LAPD officer (Farrell) desperate for another chance to wear the esteemed SWAT uniform. He gets the chance when his team commander (Jackson) is assigned to recruit and train five top-notch officers for a new unit. Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J co-star in the film directed by feature newcomer Clark Johnson, an actor perhaps best known for his role as a cop in NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street."

Industry insiders expect the film, which cost in the mid-$70 millions to produce, to earn in the $25 million-$30 million range over its first three days. Based on the 1970s ABC drama, the PG-13 "S.W.A.T." should also feel the benefits of being one of the few action movies of the summer without the once-popular but now-stigmatized sequel moniker. The film bows Friay in 3,202 theaters and should capture the top spot.

"Freaky Friday" pairs Jamie Lee Curtis with Lindsay Lohan in this remake of the 1976 comedy starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster as a mother and daughter who find themselves trapped in each other's bodies. Fresh off the success of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Finding Nemo," Disney returns with a bit of family fare, set to steal some audience away from its Miramax subsidiary's "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over."

"Friday," from director Mark S. Waters, best known for "Head Over Heels" and "The House of Yes," bowed Wednesday to the tune of $6 million. Playing off its strong reviews, the comedy is on track to reap $20 million for the Friday-Sunday period and as much as $30 million for the five days.

Universal Pictures' reigning champ "American Wedding" is likely to take the No. 3 spot with about $17 million in its sophomore session. Rounding out the top five, industry insiders anticipate a battle of the well-playing holdovers "Spy Kids," "Pirates" and Universal's "Seabiscuit" fighting it out for the fourth and fifth spots.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight will bow "Le Divorce," based on Diane Johnson's 1997 novel, in 33 theaters across the country. Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts star as American sisters figuring out the social customs of French society. Glenn Close, Stockard Channing, Bebe Neuwirth and Nick Nolte also star in the film from producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. The PG-13 "Divorce" is targeting women in upscale markets.

Picked up by Artisan Entertainment, documentary "Step Into Liquid" will bow in select markets across the country. Centering on the true allure of surfing and its magnetic culture, "Liquid" is directed by Dana Brown, son of "The Endless Summer" director Bruce Brown. The unrated film will expand next weekend.

First Run will bow "Bor de mer" in select markets. The unrated French film centers on a fashion photographer returning to his seaside village on the Bay of Somme. Director Julie Lopes-Curval won the best first feature prize at the Cannes in 2002.

Schwarzenegger Flexes Star Power as Candidate

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Arnold Schwarzenegger brought his Hollywood star power to bear on Thursday as a newly declared candidate for California governor, casting himself as a populist politician out to clean up state government but offering few details of his platform.

Making his first public appearance since his surprise announcement on Wednesday that he would challenge Gov. Gray Davis in a recall election this fall, Schwarzenegger arrived at the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder's Office to pick up official papers he needs to get his name on the ballot.

The "Terminator" star was greeted by a throng of reporters, photographers and TV crews as well as hundreds of cheering fans and supporters who swarmed the front of the office building as he arrived in a black sport utility vehicle.

Dressed in a dark blue blazer and tie, the actor waded through a gauntlet of well-wishers, shaking hands and signing autographs. When one woman asked what he would do as governor, he replied: "Clean house! Clean house!" pumping his fist.

Reemerging after obtaining his nominating papers, the Austrian-born former bodybuilder addressed the crowd, saying his biggest priorities would be to bolster California's economy, improve education and reform "the whole system" of state government. He gave no specifics.

Asked about how he plans to tackle California's crippling budget shortfall, the main problem for which Davis has been blamed, Schwarzenegger said, "We will have a plan very soon," adding that a key to his budget policy would be to revitalize the state's economy.

"We have to overhaul our economic engine in California, to bring back business in California, and to make sure everyone in California has a great job," he said.

Addressing concerns that he lacks sufficient political experience to effectively govern, the actor insisted that his leadership skills far surpass those of Davis.

"In everything I ever did I showed great leadership," he said. "There were times when people said it could never be done, that an Austrian farm boy could come over to America, get into the movie business and be successful. ... They said, 'We can't pronounce your name, you cannot speak English well, and your body is overdeveloped,' and you know what happened? I became the highest-paid entertainer in the world."

If anything, Schwarzenegger has sought to turn his newcomer political status to his benefit, casting himself as an outsider with no ties to special interests and freed by personal wealth from the corrupting influences of money.

He also confronted his immigrant roots head-on, using his personal history as a metaphor for the American dream.

"I'm very passionate because I was received by California with open arms in 1968 when I came here as an immigrant, when I came here with no money, and Californians reached out and helped me to be where I am today," he said. "And now it's time to give something back to California."

A Republican in-law to the nation's most prominent Democratic families by virtue of his marriage to Maria Shriver, the niece of former President John F. Kennedy, Schwarzenegger is clearly seeking to appeal to voters of both parties.

Declaring his candidacy Wednesday on NBC's "The Tonight Show," the actor said he was "running as a Californian." Shriver did not accompany her husband to either his "Tonight Show" appearance or to the Registrar's Office on Thursday.

Mike Bullard moving to Global TV

TORONTO --The late-night talk show landscape is about to change, with the announcement Wednesday that Mike Bullard is jumping from CTV to Global.

The surprise signing of Bullard to a multi-year deal with Canwest Global will allow him to play an active role as a contributor to Canwest's newspaper and online properties in addition to his late-night hosting duties, said a statement from Global.

The deal takes effect Aug. 25, and the talk-variety show will have its premiere in the fall, likely October, said Rick Camilleri, an executive at Canwest Global.

He said the signing of Bullard is part of an evolving strategy at the company.

"Our passion is for developing high-quality Canadian content and Canadian stars, and multimedia stars that we can then take to a worldwide audience," said Camilleri.

He said Bullard's move to Global came about after a chance meeting at the Walk of Fame awards in Toronto this spring.

"One party went up to the other one, said something, the other party was interested, and here we are a month later," said Camilleri.

Bullard has been with the Comedy Network and CTV for six seasons.

"You're going to continue to see Mike flourish, doing what he does best, which is his late-night talk show, and our goal is basically just continue to grow that audience, evolve the show," said Camilleri.

He's a ubiquitous presence at charity events in the Toronto area, and has had a career spanning more than a decade as a stand-up comic.

"I look forward to taking Scott Feschuk's place at the National Post and finally getting a good review for my show," Bullard joked in a statement about his imminent move, referring to an entertainment writer at the newspaper.

The late night show's new studio will be in downtown Toronto.

Mariah Carey To Appear On 'Canadian Idol'

It was announced on Canadian Idol's Tuesday night results show that Mariah Carey would visit with the eight remaining Idols on next Tuesday's (August 12) results show.

What J.Lo's Done To Keep Alone

Add Conan O'Brien to the late night talk show hosts joking about the bad opening 'Gigli' received. He joked during Tuesday night's Late Night monologue, "The flop of the new Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez movie 'Gigli' is so bad that according to the New York Post, J.Lo and Ben haven't been spending much time together and J. Lo just wants to be alone. Apparently she really wants to be alone because she has been going to theaters that are playing 'Gigli'."

ON HIS OWN

Dave Matthews completing production on his first solo album. Some Devil will be released September 23 on RCA Records.

1) Go to Google.com
2) Type in (but don't hit return): "weapons of mass destruction"
3) Hit the "I'm feeling lucky" button, instead of the normal "Google search"
button
4) READ what appears to be a normal error message carefully

It's Official!

Paramount has just confirmed that the street date for the Indiana Jones Trilogy DVDs has been moved up from November 4th to October 21. That's good news for us Indy fans. We have nearly two weeks less to wait!

Woo hoo!

Costner Bucks Tide, Defends 'Waterworld'

NEW YORK - Kevin Costner doesn't care that "Waterworld," his futuristic blockbuster from 1995, was a major flop with critics.

"They don't have that 'Waterworld' ride in Universal Studios because it's not popular," the actor-director tells Diane Sawyer in an interview on ABC's "Primetime Thursday," airing at 10 p.m. EDT. "It's a great movie, it really is."

"I know it made a lot of money," he adds.

Costner, 48, also says that one of his biggest hits, 1992's "The Bodyguard," almost had a sequel — and it would have starred Princess Diana. He said he'd been talking with her about succeeding Whitney Houston, and got the script for the film on Aug. 31, 1997 — the day Diana died in a Paris car crash.

"She was very quiet. She was really sweet. And I said, 'Yeah, there's going to be a kissing scene.' And she laughed," Costner says. "There was a very real thing between us in terms of doing this movie. ... She hadn't said yes to it, but she had indicated to me that she knew her life was going to change."

Costner's latest film, the Western "Open Range," will be in theaters Aug. 15.

Schwarzenegger Announces Calif. Gov. Bid

LOS ANGELES - Arnold Schwarzenegger ended the suspense Wednesday and jumped into the race for California governor, instantly becoming the best-known of the declared candidates seeking to replace Democrat Gray Davis in a recall.

The surprise announcement by the "Terminator" actor, a moderate Republican, capped a day of fast-paced developments in one of the most unpredictable political races in recent history.

Earlier, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein had ruled out a run, labeling the election "more and more like a carnival every day." And political commentator Arianna Huffington declared she would run as an independent.

Schwarzenegger, 56, announced his decision during a taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," calling it the toughest he's made since deciding to get a bikini wax in 1978.

"The politicians are fiddling, fumbling and failing," he said. "The man that is failing the people more than anyone is Gray Davis. He is failing them terribly, and this is why he needs to be recalled and this is why I am going to run for governor."

Schwarzenegger's advisers had said in recent days that he was leaning against putting his name on the Oct. 7 election ballot because of opposition from his wife, journalist Maria Shriver.

Schwarzenegger told Leno that he's not afraid of Davis allies attacking him as "a womanizer" or "a terrible person." "I know that they're going to throw everything at me," he said.

Davis issued a statement calling Schwarzenegger merely the latest in a long list of people who had declared their intent to run, noting that Hustler publisher Larry Flynt is among them.

"The more candidates who join, the greater the likelihood that a small minority of voters will be controlling California's future," Davis said.

He also reminded voters of the cost of a special recall election, estimated by the secretary of state's office at $67 million — "money which would be better spent on our schools and our children."

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, another moderate Republican, has said he would enter the race if Schwarzenegger did not, and polls have shown Riordan would be a stronger candidate than the actor. Riordan spokeswoman Lisa Wolf said Wednesday that he had no immediate comment.

Feinstein's decision not to run gave a big boost to Davis, while frustrating some Democrats who wanted her to run to ensure the governorship would remain in the party's hands if Davis lost.

"After thinking a great deal about this recall, its implications for the future, and its misguided nature, I have decided that I will not place my name on the ballot," Feinstein said in a statement.

"I deeply believe the recall is a terrible mistake and will bring to the depth and breadth of California instability and uncertainty, which will be detrimental to our economic recovery and decision-making," she said.

The recall election is yet another setback for Davis, who has seen his popularity plummet as the state grapples with a record $38 billion budget deficit.

It also is the latest force to bedevil Californians, who in recent years have endured an energy crisis, the collapse of the dot-com economy and a federally mandated cutback in one of the state's main water supplies. Residents now face the prospect of higher car taxes and college fees to close the state's budget gap.

Davis is the first California governor to face a recall and would be only the second governor nationwide to be removed from office if the effort succeeds.

Analysts from both parties believed the governor's chances for survival would have dramatically diminished if Feinstein, who tops polls as California's most popular politician, was on the ballot as an alternative.

Her decision came a day after a strong endorsement for Davis from the AFL-CIO. Both developments were key victories for the governor, whose support from fellow party members had appeared to be weakening.

"I'm very pleased with Sen. Feinstein's announcement," Davis told San Francisco radio station KGO-AM.

"To the extent that Democrats get in the race, it makes it look like a normal election, and legitimates what is really an effort by the right wing to steal back an election they couldn't win last November," he said. "I think at the end of the day people will realize that the party is better served rallying around its sitting governor."

Some party members still thought otherwise.

"I want to back the strongest candidate and it's important that we coalesce around one, and now I'm appealing to the leaders, the folks whose pay grade is one or two notches up from mine, to figure out who our strongest candidate is and lead us in coalescing behind that candidate," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who had supported a Feinstein candidacy.

One possibility was U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who had supported a Feinstein candidacy and said she might run if Feinstein didn't.

"I have a feeling something will be decided tomorrow probably one way or the other," said Sanchez's spokeswoman, Carrie Brooks.

Members of California's congressional delegation discussed the matter in a conference call Wednesday, with the majority leaning toward finding a consensus candidate, said a source familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Huffington, the ex-wife of former Republican Congressman Michael Huffington, announced her candidacy at a news conference in Los Angeles.

"I'm not, to say the least, a conventional candidate. But these are not conventional times," she said. "And if we keep electing the same kind of politicians who got us into the same kind of mess funded by the same kind of special interests, we'll never get out of this mess."

Michael Huffington also has taken out papers, but has not indicated whether he will enter the race.

The ballot also is likely to include several conservative Republicans. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, who funded the recall, is a declared candidate, and state Sen. Tom McClintock filed papers Tuesday. Businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in November, also is expected to run.

Meanwhile, California's Supreme Court justices huddled behind closed doors for hours Wednesday to decide whether to consider several challenges to the recall election, including a petition to bar any replacement candidates from the ballot.

The justices were expected to announce Thursday whether they would hear the petitions, a spokeswoman said.

'Idol' Ruben Paid to Wear Jerseys on Show

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Owners of hip-hop clothing maker 205 Flava Inc. say they secretly paid Ruben Studdard to wear the company's bright jerseys on "American Idol," despite a ban by the program on such deals.

A lawyer for owners Willie and Frederick Jenkins responded Monday to a lawsuit filed by Studdard last week accusing the brothers of wrongly profiting from his image as the second "American Idol" winner.

The Jenkins' lawyer, at a news conference, showed copies of $10,000 in checks made out to Studdard's brother, Kevin Studdard, and his manager, Ron Edwards.

Lawyer LaVeeda Morgan Battle, who spoke on behalf of the Jenkins brothers, said Studdard told them to "keep this confidential" because the Fox network prohibits "American Idol" contestants from entering into contracts while on the show.

Studdard refused comment Monday. "The public will hear from us soon," said Studdard's lawyer, Byron Perkins.

Willie Jenkins had told The Birmingham News about the payments in a June interview. "When he wore the clothing, we paid him," he said at the time.

Studdard approached 205 Flava around March about being paid to wear the jerseys on the show, Battle said.

He asked for $1,000 a week to wear the merchandise, and payments eventually grew to $1,500 a week as the singer advanced in the show, Battle said.

"The payments were made as full and fair compensation," Battle said.

"We have major sponsors like Old Navy," said Michael Jaffa, vice president of business and legal affairs for American Idol Productions Inc., explaining the ban on outside contracts. "There were issues promoting a brand in competition with our sponsors."

Studdard's lawsuit says it was his idea to print 205 — the area code of his hometown, Birmingham — in large numbers across the jerseys. Battle said that design was used before Studdard ever wore them.

Studdard's lawsuit also says the men weren't authorized to use his image to promote their jerseys on the company's Web site. They didn't remove the image immediately because they were hoping to reach a deal with Studdard's management, Battle said.

'American Wedding' final 'Pie' film

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Looks like moviegoers are getting the last slice of "American Pie" with this month's release of "American Wedding," which completes the comedy series, according to the film's star.

Jason Biggs, whose character Jim pulls off outrageous, frat-boy antics in the trilogy, said the latest installment will be the end.

Biggs told reporters recently that he felt a bit sad working on the set, knowing "American Wedding" would be his last time working with the cast of Alyson Hannigan, Eugene Levy and others.

"It felt like it was the end. There was a sense of finality to it," Biggs said. "You know, I've had a wonderful time playing Jim, but furthermore, I've had an amazing time with this cast. The experiences on these three films that I've had have been incomparable. It's been so much fun."

Biggs said it would be tough to top any of the stunts his character has pulled off in the trilogy.

"Pie 2 really did it for me. There's not really much after that that's going to weird me out or give me pause."

The actor did mention that he's a bit concerned about landing dramatic roles after playing such a major comedy role.

"It's just a matter of knocking on the right doors ... and going out there and proving myself that I can do other things."

Stephen King slams Celine Dion

BANGOR, Maine (AP) -- When he was in college at the University of Maine in the 1960s, best-selling author Stephen King had a column, King's Garbage Truck, that ran in the student newspaper.

Now the Bangor novelist has a column again, this time in Entertainment Weekly magazine. It marks the first time King has written a regularly scheduled column since his university days.

His monthly piece, called The Pop of King, debuts in the Aug. 8 issue. In it, he gives his opinions on books, movies, television, music and more.

In the introduction to his first column, the 55-year-old explains that he wrote a review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the magazine a few months ago. The editors came back to him, he says, because they either liked the review or the fact that it was written in longhand.

"For all I know, they might have thought it would be good to have at least one writer on tap who could turn in copy even after a nuclear pulse wiped out the hard drives on all the laptops," King writes.

King also says he loved the third Terminator movie ("Arnold is still the perfect machine," he writes) and slams Celine Dion.

"Steve King thinks Who Let the Dogs Out is better than all the songs Ms. Dion has recorded, put together," he writes.

DIDO'S OLD FLAME ON BACK-BURNER
 
Dido is keen to quash reports that she has penned a song about her ex-fiance, Bob Page.

It was rumoured that the blonde babe had written the track, White Flag, about the lawyer she dumped in May last year.

"It could not be less about him," the 31-year-old tells Time Out magazine. "Bob was the love of my life. I wouldn't drag him into this album in a million years."

Her first chart hit, Thank You - sampled by Eminem on Stan - was written for the man she planned to marry after he helped her become a full-time singer. The album featuring the song sold 12million copies worldwide.

But Dido says that the new album, Life For Rent, avoids any references to her feelings for Page.

"This time there is no mention of my private life," she says. "I don't think it's fair to drag other people in to it."

Ben Admits 'Gigli' Didn't Work

Ben Affleck responded to the poor box office opening 'Gigli' received to Army Archerd for his column in Daily Variety. "The movie didn't work," Ben admitted. "You work just as hard on a good movie as on a bad one. We tried to fix it. But it was like putting a fish's tail on a donkey's head." Ben also commented on what it felt like to hear the build-up of all those scathing reviews. "I feel like we were caught in the eye of a storm -- an earthquake that starts at sea and by the time it reaches the shore it's!" Still, Ben told Army that he and fiance Jennifer Lopez aren't completely opposed to the idea of co-starring together again.

Crows Cooking Up Best-Of, DVD

Counting Crows guitarist Dan Vickrey tells Billboard.com the group is planning a greatest-hits release to coincide with the decade that has passed since Crows' breakout track "Mr. Jones." Drawn from the band's 1993 Geffen disc "August and Everything After," the song reached No. 2 on Billboard's Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks airplay charts.

"[We'd like to] put a period on those 10 years and move on to the next," says Vickrey. Aside from singles, the as-yet-untitled compilation will include new studio material. "We have a couple of songs that we are rehearsing at soundcheck," he says. "I'm sure we'll record them."

The Crows are in the midst of a co-headlining tour with John Mayer, which stops tonight (Aug. 5) at Columbus, Ohio's Germain Amphitheater. Once the trek ends in early September, the Crows plan to enter the studio to record the new material and may even head back on the road later this year in Australia and Europe, as well as visit a few choice Stateside venues to support the greatest hits album.

Also in the works is a DVD recorded over three January shows in Amsterdam. Vickrey says there is no timetable for its release but it's definitely planned for sometime in the near future. There is also talk about eventually releasing the band's 1998 acoustic/electric concert disc "Across a Wire: Live in New York" in DVD form.

"I actually brought that up," says Vickrey. "I would love to do that because I think those are two great things. They are fully recorded in great audio and [video], so that is something we are looking into as well."

In addition, there is plenty of extra footage that could make its way onto the DVD release. "Oh yeah, definitely," says Vickrey. "I think for the acoustic 'VH1 Storytellers' thing, there was maybe one or two extra songs, but [MTV's 'Live From the] 10 Spot' was a whole concert we filmed. So, I know there is a lot more."

Vickrey speculates the band will take half of 2004 off before regrouping to work on the follow-up to 2002's "Hard Candy" album, which debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 660,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

U2 Making Ideas Come To Life On New Album

U2 is currently working on the follow-up album to 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. In July, Bono told Ireland's Sunday Independent newspaper that the band is closer than they've ever been to getting the sound they want.

"We are getting closer to making the music we have always wanted to make," Bono said. "There is a difference between the music that you hear in your head and what you put on a CD. Your grasp is sometimes further than your reach, and right now this band is on fire and about to do its best work."

Reports say the new album will showcase the Edge's guitar work. Bono told the New York Times, "The songs are very direct. They're big songs, big melodies and really, some full-on guitar playing by a very frustrated man. [The Edge] is so gifted. If this is a great record, and I really think it will be, it will have a lot to do with him."

The album is being produced by Chris Thomas, best known for his work with the Sex Pistols, INXS, the Beatles, Roxy Music and Pink Floyd.

Several months ago rumors were circulating that the title of the new album was Solar, but those rumors are untrue.

U2 expects to release their new album in 2004. They'll follow up the release with a world tour.

AILING

The Rolling Stones forced to postpone a concert scheduled for Tuesday in Benidorm, Spain, after frontman Mick Jagger fell ill with laryngitis.

Charlize's Job

The sleeper hit of the summer, the heist remake The Italian Job will break out on DVD on October 19th. Paramount Home Entertainment will make this near $100 million-grosser available in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen editions, each with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks and the plenty of extras: 5 featurettes, 6 deleted scenes, a gag reel and the theatrical trailer. Retail is $29.95, and an Italian Job two-pack featuring the 1969 original will also be available for $48.95.

The DVD Set Is Out There

Nine long seasons of The X-Files are drawing to a close...On November 4th, Fox Home Entertainment will release The X-Files 8: The Complete Eight Season. This seven-disc set features 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby 2.0 surround tracks, plus the usual extras: audio commentaries and deleted scenes for select episodes, the documentary "The Truth About Season 8," international clips, "The X-Files Profiles," TV spots and the DVD ROM interactive game "Existence." Retail is $149.95.

More TV on DVD from Fox includes King of the Hill: The Complete Second Season, due for release on November 11th. Each episode is presented 4:3 full screen and Dolby 2.0 surround, with goodies including audio commentary on select episodes, deleted and extended scenes, 3 featurettes, a still gallery, 2 music Videos and 8 "Static Pages" with music. Retail is $49.95.

Last but not least is James Cameron's Dark Angel: The Complete Second Season, which hits shelves on October 11th. Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, enjoy such extras as the "Designate This," "The Berrisford Agenda," "Hello Goodbye" and "Freak Nation" featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, additional bloopers and profiles. Retail is $59.95.

SMART 'N' SASSY

Timo Kaukonen won the Sauna World Championships in Heinola, Finland, stayed in a 110C steam bath for 16 minutes, 15 seconds.
 
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times remarked, "Kaukonen wouldn't divulge his secret for unseating three-time champion Leo Pusa, a fellow Finn, but longtime tournament observers insisted it was a classic case of who got hot at the right time."

Carly Simon Gives Away Who Is 'So Vain'

EDGARTOWN, Mass. - It's been a musical mystery for more than 30 years, but an NBC television executive will learn exactly who Carly Simon is singing about in her 1972 hit "You're So Vain."

And it only cost him $50,000. Dick Ebersol, the president of NBC sports, put up the money at a charity auction to raise funds for various charities on Martha's Vineyard.

He won a lunch at Simon's Massachusetts home, where she'll perform the song and then reveal its subject. In return, he must swear to tell no one else. The auction winner was revealed on Tuesday's "Today Show."

Over the years, speculation has centered on Warren Beatty, who Simon once dated; Mick Jagger, who sang back-up on the song; and James Taylor, Simon's ex-husband.

'Casablanca' Friendship Still Alive 60 Years Later

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Late in her life, it irritated the great Ingrid Bergman to no end that whenever her career was discussed, the first film mentioned would inevitably be "Casablanca."  

"It's a nice movie," she'd say, somewhat haltingly, "but I never thought it was anything special."

She once said to me in a manner that indicated she was confused but resigned to that twist of fate: "I made so many films which were more important, but the only one people ever want to talk about is that one with Bogart." (About Humphrey B., she also made the classic statement: "I never really knew him. I kissed him, but I didn't know him.")

But if the beautiful Bergman never quite grasped the film's appeal, several generations of movie lovers have, and you can bet there'll be a full house come Aug. 11 at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall for a planned 60th anniversary showing of the Academy Award-winning film, many in the audience seeing it for the first time on a big screen.

It'll also be looking better than ever, thanks to a new 35mm print manufactured directly from Warner Bros.' original nitrate picture and sound elements. (Also worth noting: Warner Home Video is releasing Tuesday an equally glorious-looking new two-disc special 60th anniversary DVD edition of the Rick & Ilsa saga; it boasts four hours of bonus material, including outtakes and some recently discovered deleted scenes.)

Among those participating in the Lincoln Center's birthday toast to "Casablanca" will be Bergman's daughters Pia Lindstrom, Isabella Rossellini and Ingrid Rossellini; Bogie's son, Stephen Bogart; and Leslie Epstein, son of screenwriter Philip Epstein.

Some might argue that this year actually marks the film's 61st anniversary. There's always been great confusion as to whether it was actually a 1942 or 1943 release; unfortunately, there are facts that support both of those years as the correct one. What happened was this: "Casablanca" actually began shooting May 25, 1942, at Warners in Burbank (the first scenes filmed were the flashback-in-Paris sequences involving Bogart and Bergman), and it wrapped Aug. 2, 1942 (Bergman and Paul Henreid at the Blue Parrot cafe). The film was edited, scored and scheduled by the Warners brass as an early 1943 release.

But Allied forces landed in North Africa on Nov. 8, marking the first victory over the Axis in the European theater of war and putting the port city of Casablanca in newspaper headlines on a daily basis. It was too good a publicity break for Warners to let slip by, cueing the studio to rush the film into what they called a "prerelease" engagement in New York at the Hollywood Theater (later the Mark Hellinger) on Nov. 26, 1942.

It wasn't until two months later, on Jan. 23, 1943, that it went into general release throughout the country, including a date in Los Angeles, thus making it eligible for 1943 Academy Award consideration. Fourteen months later, it was Oscared as "the best picture of 1943," thus the 1943 date is the one that's quoted most often.

But true "Casablanca" fans, of course, consider it "the best pic" period -- despite what the beloved Ms. Ingrid Bergman felt.

Today's New Tunes

Personally, I'm counting down the days until the new DIDO CD comes out on September 9th. But you may need some tunage between now and then so here are the new CD releases for Tuesday August 5, 2003:

* BLUES TRAVELER Truth Be Told (Sanctuary Records)
* BROOKS & DUNN Red Dirt Road (RCA Country)
* POVERTY Rise From Ruin (BMG)
* SMASH MOUTH Get the Picture? (Interscope)
* THE STROKES TBA (The Strokes) (RCA)

Enjoy!

Today's New Releases

The Sure Thing, one of my favourite films of all time, FINALLY gets it's DVD debut today!

Road trip movies aren't easy to make. Sometimes they drag, sometimes that special sparkle isn't there. But in "The Sure Thing," you're guaranteed to be charmed. It has everything you could want from a road picture: memorable little vignettes, quotable dialogue, and spectacular odball characters. The chemistry between John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga is perfect. Tim Robbins tormenting his passengers with showtunes is hysterical. But above all I say this...what makes this movie so special is its ability to actually infuse the viewer with a strong desire to live and grow. This movie isn't just about cutting through heaps of differences to find your soulmate, it's about being brave...to love life...to embrace the world. I promise you'll come away feeling energized and passionate.
And if you don't, well then just enjoy the DVD Features:
* Commentary by director Rob Reiner
* Never-Before-Seen "The Road to The Sure Thing" Featurette
* 3 New Mini-Featurettes on the Making of The Sure Thing
* Trivia Track
* Hidden Menu Features
* Widescreen anamorphic format

Okay, I'm off to wtach the movie!

Oh, but first, here are the other high profile movies bowing today, Tuesday, August 5th, 2003:

Bringing Down The House - A man uses the Internet to find date and lands an inmate in this "better than it should be" comedy. (Steve Martin, Queen Latifah [Charlene Morton], Eugene Levy [Howie Rottman])

Agent Cody Banks - A teen is recruited by the CIA to be a spy. Y'know, I meant to see this but unfortunately I didn't have to. I'm sure its at least pretty good as it did make money at the box office. (Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff, Angie Harmon)

What A Girl Wants - An American teenager finds out that her dad is British and goes to the U.K. to meet him. This is one for the 12 to 14 year old girls in your house. (Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston)

Irreversible - A couple's brief encounter turns to violence. Sexual, explicit violence. This one is not for the tame of heart. (Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel)

The Cool And The Crazy - A mechanic's wife has affair with a 1950s street punk. Ummm, who cares! (Alicia Silverstone, Jared Leto, Jennifer Blanc)

A Date With Anna Kournikova - You wish! Sorry, this is just the making of the Anna Kournikova calendar. (Anna Kournikova)

Novoselic Quits Music Business, Eyes Politics

Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic says he has "quit" the music industry. The news comes in a letter to fans on the official Web site of Eyes Adrift, Novoselic's most recent musical project. The artist cites frustrations over distribution of the band's 2002 self-titled spinART debut, unevenly attended club gigs that put operations in the red and an increasing desire to pursue a political career.

"As far as the music industry goes, I quit. I can't deal," Novoselic writes. "I can't read the magazines, listen to the radio or watch music television without feeling like I've just come in from outer space. I just don't get it and I probably never did. My lot in life is that every band I've ever been in just falls apart. That hurts but I've got a thick hide from years of conditioning."

Novoselic says that he hasn't quit music, just the business. "I can't complain about the business side of Nirvana. I'm not crying a river by any means," he confesses, adding that he wants to play more with Eyes Adrift guitarist Curt Kirkwood (formerly of the Meat Puppets) and ex-Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh. Despite the fact that his bandmates live in different cities, Novoselic says, "they're too good for me not to plug in my bass thus plugging into the cosmo-stream of transcendental rocking good times that those two charge me with."

Calling Eyes Adrift an "artistic success," Novoselic concedes that the "commercial side is anything but successful." Speculating if the CD has even sold 20,000 units, he jokes, "A flop? No way!!! At this rate we'll go gold in about a hundred years. Too long you say, but isn't music eternal? I'm in no rush." The set has sold 9,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The project was conceived simply as a means for Novoselic, Kirkwood and Gaugh to make music together and "tour forever," Novoselic told Billboard.com last fall. "We're just going to go out there and work it because basically that's the only option available for us. We're not making a video. There's no radio single because we're not plugged into that whole system. But there are opportunities for us to just play for people."

A spinART spokesperson had no comment on Novoselic's post.

As for the 38-year old Novoselic's future, all signs point to a run for political office. "I'm relatively young and I want to follow my compulsions," he writes. "I have big plans for 2004. Next year will be a pivotal year politically for every one of us in the U.S.A. and for myself, even more so. I've come off of nine years of political success and see some real opportunities to make change. You'll all hear about my plans soon enough. If you've been following my politics, you know that I will continue to work for inclusion, fairness and freedom."

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT CAMERON

A Los Angeles judge today removing nude photos of Cameron Diaz from public access. Diaz is suing over the photos, taken before she was famous, claiming the photographer is trying to extort money from her.

NBC Tries Mini-Movies to Hold Viewers

NEW YORK - The good news for Michael Richards, Carmen Electra and Tom Arnold is that they'll be involved in new NBC productions going on the air this fall.

The bad news is the productions will last only a minute, and they will be shown at a time many viewers are trying to fit in bathroom breaks.

NBC said it will make a series of 1-minute movies, designed to be shown during the breaks between programs. They'll work as cliffhangers, with 30 seconds shown during one hour and the final 30 seconds an hour later.

Richards, formerly of "Seinfeld," Arnold and Electra have agreed to either act in or lend their voices to one of the 10 new segments being filmed.

"We know that contemporary audiences are primed for this format and we have provided a means for creative people who are ready to deliver in 60 seconds or less," NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker said recently.

They're part of a general effort by broadcasters to keep viewers from changing stations. In the past, networks have compressed end credits so they fly by, or eliminated commercial breaks between shows.

Executives are also worried that personal recording devices such as Tivo will cost them a captive audience for commercials.

Bruce Springsteen Getting The Cold Shoulder From New York Yankees?

While Bruce Springsteen can sell out 10 nights at Giants Stadium, he is having trouble getting a "meeting across the river" in New York City. A report in the New York Daily News says Springsteen wants to play with his E Street Band at Yankee Stadium in September, but that the team turned him down due to fears of damaging the field so close to the playoffs. It was noted, however, that the Boston Red Sox don't have the same fears, since they've OK'd two shows at their Fenway Park, even though they're within striking distance of the Yankees.

The story goes on to say that the crosstown New York Mets--who almost certainly aren't headed for the postseason--may make their Shea Stadium home available for the band.

A Springsteen representative had no knowledge of any New York City dates being added to Sprinsgteen's itinerary.

While New York's baseball teams decide what to do, another stadium show has been announced. Springsteen and company will play the first-ever concert at the new Rentschler Field in Hartford, Connecticut, on September 16. The stadium is the home of the University Of Connecticut Huskies football team. Ticket information for the show hasn't been made public yet.

Springsteen plays the first of two shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on Friday (August 1).

WHO'S SO VAIN?

Carly Simon telling People magazine she's going to auction off the secret identity described in her song You're So Vain through an auction to raise funds for Martha's Vineyard Community Services. But the winner has to sign an agreement never to spill the beans.

'American Wedding' Tops Box Office

LOS ANGELES - If the weekend's top movie — "American Wedding" — glowed like a happy newlywed, then you could say the critically reviled "Gigli" stumbled like an ugly bridesmaid.

The third film in the raunchy "American Pie" sex comedies, "American Wedding" collected $34.3 million to debut at No. 1, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film did well despite mixed reviews and the loss of some cast members from the previous two films — Shannon Elizabeth, Mena Suvari, Chris Klein and Tara Reid.

"American Wedding" stars Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan as oddball sweethearts Jim and Michelle, whose marriage festivities are ruined by the antics of loudmouth Stifler, played by Seann William Scott.

The movie opened with about $11 million less than 2001's "American Pie 2" but about $15 million more than the 1999 original.

"That's a pretty good showing when sequels have been underwhelming this summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.

The Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez movie "Gigli" debuted dismally following weeks of toxic buzz and near-unanimous critical revulsion. The comedy about a gangster who falls in love with a lesbian rival during a kidnapping earned $3.8 million.

"This is not a shock," said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced "Gigli" for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

He said constant gossip and tabloid and TV coverage of Affleck and Lopez's real-life romance may have created a backlash against the picture. "I've seen a lot worse movies," Sherak said.

"Hey, is it the best movie ever made? Ehh, I don't think so. ... Other movies have gotten ravaged by critics and have opened up at least OK. It was more than that," he said.

Although Affleck and Lopez already have completed another movie together — writer-director Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl" — the foul reception of "Gigli" may end the couple's working relationship.

"They'll continue to be big stars, and chances are they will not work together again — and they shouldn't, by the way," Sherak said. "You move on. Look, the picture cost $54 million. So everyone is going to get hurt a bit."

Ticket sales for the year's highest-grossing movie, "Finding Nemo," fell by only 13 percent in its 10th week. It earned $3.8 million, for a total of $320 million, and tied for seventh place with "Gigli."

Meanwhile, the horseracing drama "Seabiscuit" expanded its run by 434 theaters, coming in fourth with $17.5 million, for a total of $49 million. It lost only 16 percent of its audience in its second weekend. Most movies lose about 40 percent.

The top 12 movies earned $133 million, down 6 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Signs" was the top movie with $60.1 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. "American Wedding," $34.3
2. "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," $20.1 million
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $19.1 million.
4. "Seabiscuit," $17.5 million.
5. "Bad Boys II," $12.7 million.
6. "Lara Croft: Tomb raider — The Cradle of Life," $11.3 million.
7. (tie) "Finding Nemo," $3.8 million.
7. (tie) "Gigli," $3.8 million.
9. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," $3.2 million.
10. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," $2.9 million.

'Iron Mike' Tyson Files for Bankruptcy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Troubled boxing champ Mike Tyson, once estimated to be worth at least $300 million, has filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to bring some order to his finances, his lawyer said on Sunday.

Tyson, currently facing assault and disorderly conduct charges stemming from a scuffle in a Brooklyn hotel in June, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan on Friday, according to his attorney, Debra Grassgreen.

The one-time heavyweight boxing champion -- who served three years in prison in the mid-1990s on a rape conviction and was suspended from professional boxing for biting the ears of heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield during a 1997 bout -- opted for bankruptcy after years of financial mismanagement and free spending habits that burned through hundreds of millions of dollars in earnings.

According to media reports, Tyson amassed and spent between $300 million and $500 million.

"As a professional fighter, who relied on others to manage his affairs, he discovered that his debts far exceeded his assets," Sunday's New York Post quoted Grassgreen as saying. "Now, he has taken the lead in bringing order to his financial affairs."

Tyson, nicknamed "Iron Mike," also blames ring promoter Don King for his financial ills, the Post said.

Tyson has a $100-million lawsuit pending against King that goes to trial in September, claiming King cheated him out of millions after he got out of prison in 1995 and went back to fighting for the promoter.

Tyson's financial outlook has been deteriorating for some time and media reports have speculated for over a year that he would have to file for bankruptcy due to mounting legal fees and lavish spending on a series of homes and cars as well as clothing, jewelry and even pets such as pigeons, cats and tigers.

In 2002 he claimed lack of funds prevented him from paying estranged wife Monica Turner Tyson $10 million in a divorce settlement.

During the divorce proceedings it was reported that Tyson had spent $9 million on legal fees alone from 1995 to 1997, as well as $230,000 on pagers and cell phones, $410,000 on a birthday party, $8,100 for the care of his pet tigers and $65,000 for limousine services alone.

Tyson has also alleged that his ex-wife failed to send a promised multimillion dollar payment to the Internal Revenue Service and that Turner squandered millions on a lavish lifestyle.

Ruben Studdard Sues Clothing Maker

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard has sued hip-hop clothing maker 205 Flava Inc., saying the company wrongly profited from his image after he wore its jerseys on the singing competition.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by Birmingham attorney Byron Perkins and New York attorneys Tom J. Ferber and David S. Levine, seeks an injunction to stop the unauthorized use of Studdard's image.

Studdard wore the oversized jerseys adorned with the number 205 — the area code of his hometown, Birmingham — at the beginning of the Fox reality series, but stopped wearing them and spruced up his image as the competition got tighter.

The lawsuit says the defendants have unfairly and unlawfully exploited and capitalized on Studdard's popularity.

It estimates the company has made at least $2 million in sales after exploiting Studdard's image, and that Studdard is entitled to some of the profits.

Flava founders Frederick and Willie Jenkins of Birmingham are named as defendants. Birmingham attorney LaVeeda Battle, who has done work for the company, said she was shocked and disappointed a lawsuit has been filed. She said it's untrue the brothers exploited Studdard.

"They have bent over backwards to help him, and they are really disappointed in his conduct at this point," she told The Birmingham News for a story Friday.

Perkins said Thursday he asked the company in a letter months ago to stop using Studdard's image to sell shirts, and that the company agreed to stop. But he said Studdard's picture remains prominently displayed on the Web site.

Perkins also said Studdard has tried to work with Flava in resolving the issue, but the company has refused to produce financial books and records he requested.

"We feel very strongly that 205 Flava benefited from their relationship," Perkins said. "I can't advise my client what's fair and equitable to him unless I have some idea as to how much their income changed prior to Ruben Studdard and 'American Idol' and after."

When Studdard became one of 32 finalists on the show's second season, he approached the store owners about wearing a jersey to support his hometown. The lawsuit said the original jerseys displayed a small 205, but that Studdard asked for a larger print of 205 on the front.

The singer began wearing the shirts, and fans around the world started ordering them. Studdard won the competition in May and secured a recording deal. He and the Jenkins brothers parted ways in June, with Studdard saying he would no longer wear the shirts.

Studdard has declined to say what the rift was about. The Jenkins brothers have said the differences concerned money.

Seal Readies First Album In Five Years

Seal will on Sept. 9 release "Seal IV," his first Warner Bros. album in five years. The set's first single, "Waiting for You," debuted last week at No. 16 on Billboard's Hot Digital Tracks chart and is available for paid download from Seal's official Web site and Apple's iTunes Music Store. Album track "Get It Together" has been serviced to clubs for airplay consideration.

Produced by longtime collaborator Trevor Horn, "Seal IV" is the follow-up to 1998's "Human Being," which debuted at No. 22 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 489,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Seal has kept a low profile since then, resurfacing in 2000 with a new song, "This Could Be Heaven," on "The Family Man" soundtrack. That cut reached No. 23 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

Although no tour dates have been announced, Seal will be visible on TV around the album's release date. He will appear Sept. 11 on CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," the following day on NBC's "Today" and Sept. 15 on the syndicated "Live With Regis and Kelly."

Here is the track list for "Seal IV":

"Let Me Roll"
"Get It Together"
"Love's Divine"
"Waiting for You"
"My Vision"
"Don't Make Me Wait"
"Touch"
"Where There's Gold"
"Loneliest Star"
"Heavenly ... [Good Feeling]"
"Tinsel Town"

Run-DMC's McDaniels On Aftermath Of Jam Master Jay Murder

Darryl McDaniels, the DMC of Run-DMC, says that the still-unsolved shooting death of the group's Jam Master Jay is representative of the ongoing wave of violence affecting inner cities like New York, and he declines to fault the New York City Police Department.

When asked to comment on the fact that police have still not named any suspects in the October 2002 murder of the pioneering rap group's deejay, a hoarse McDaniels said: "There's a lot of murders that go down in the 'hood, so Jam Master Jay is just one amongst thousands of people that we know whose murders are unsolved, and he represents a problem in society."

McDaniels went on to warn members of the hip-hop community that more must be done to stem the tide of violence within their own communities and within the industry. "You'll see a lot of artists on TV that wait 'til somebody dies and then they'll show up and have a big benefit, they'll do a record, you know, in the memory of the person, and then we all go back to living the same way," DMC said. "I think it takes the artist's heart being more vocal and saying something, instead of 'I'm just representing the 'hood, you know what I'm saying.' They gotta really talk about what's going down."

Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was shot and killed October 30 at a recording studio on Merrick Boulevard in the Jamaica section of Queens. He was 37.

Downloaders Don't Think of Copyright Laws

WASHINGTON - Two-thirds of Internet users who download music don't care whether they're violating copyright laws, according to a new survey that highlights the uphill enforcement battle facing the recording industry.

The survey published Thursday by the nonprofit Pew Internet and American Life Project estimated that roughly 35 million American adults use file-sharing software, about 29 percent of Internet users. Those figures were generally consistent with other estimates of 60 million American users across all age groups.

The Pew survey was completed before the Recording Industry Association of America announced its aggressive campaign to sue individual computer users who illegally share "substantial" collections of music, so it was unclear from the survey whether the campaign was discouraging online piracy.

"Our data shows significant numbers didn't care about copyrights," said Lee Rainie, the director for the Washington-based Pew project. "The (threatened) lawsuits maybe have gotten their attention."

The survey said younger Americans, ages 18 to 29, were least worried about copyrights, with 72 percent saying they weren't concerned. It said 61 percent of Americans who were 30 to 49 years old were similarly unconcerned. Full-time students were the least concerned with violating copyright, with 82 percent saying they were not worried.

Pew researchers said differences between men and women, blacks, whites and Hispanics and between income groups were not statistically significant when measuring copyright concerns.

The RIAA, the trade group for the major recording labels, said the Pew study was outdated, adding that it believes its enforcement efforts have affected attitudes toward downloading music.

"We believe that the most powerful deterrent is the message that uploading or downloading copyrighted works without permission is against the law," the RIAA said in a statement. "We have worked hard to educate the public about what the law says and potential consequences, and other studies have shown that that message is beginning to take hold and will serve as an effective deterrent."

The chairman of the Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations began an inquiry Thursday into the industry's crackdown against music swappers, calling the campaign "excessive."

"Theft is theft, but in this country we don't cut off your arm or fingers for stealing," said Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., who was a rock roadie during the 1960s.

In a letter to RIAA President Cary Sherman, Coleman criticized the group for issuing subpoenas to "unsuspecting grandparents whose grandchildren have used their personal computers" and others who may not know their computer is being used to download music.

He asked the RIAA to furnish him with a list of its subpoenas; its safeguards against invading privacy and making erroneous subpoenas; its standards for issuing subpoenas; and a description of how it collects evidence of illegal file sharing.

The RIAA said it would be "pleased" to provide Coleman the information he requested.

"It will confirm that our actions are entirely consistent with the law as enacted by the U.S. Congress and interpreted by the courts," the RIAA said in a statement.

When computer users download a copyrighted song, file-sharing software automatically makes it available for other Internet users to download, too. It is possible — and increasingly popular — to reconfigure the software to allow downloads but prevent sharing files, although this undermines the concept of public file-sharing networks.

The Pew survey said about 26 million American adults allow others to download music and other data files from their computers. These computer users were equally as likely to be men or women, and equally as likely to be white, black or Hispanic. But they tended to be younger, most often between 18 and 29.

The survey was based on interviews conducted during random telephone calls by Princeton Survey Research Associates during March, April and May among a sample of 2,515 adults in the continental United States. The margin for error was plus or minus 3 percent.