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Author George Plimpton Dies in New York Aged 76

NEW YORK (Reuters) - George Plimpton, who edited the Paris Review literary journal for 50 years, wrote best sellers about sports from a participant's view and even acted in Hollywood movies, died in his sleep at his New York apartment. He was 76.

"Last night, the 50th anniversary issue (of the Paris Review) was put to bed with him at the helm," his lawyer, James Goodale, said on Friday.

"He had had some heart problems, but he seemed to be in very good health and we are all surprised by his death."

Plimpton was also a prolific book editor, a television pitchman and a bon vivant of New York society.

Known for writing about topics through first-hand experience, Plimpton played as a quarterback for the Detroit Lions, played triangle for the New York Philharmonic, flew on a circus trapeze, fought bulls with Ernest Hemingway, pitched baseballs to Willie Mays and battled in a boxing ring.

The indefatigable Plimpton had been scheduled to leave for Cuba on Saturday for a reading of "Zelda, Scott, and Ernest," a play about Hemingway, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, which he wrote with Terry Quinn.

Angela Hemingway, daughter-in-law of the famed writer, was with Plimpton late on Thursday afternoon rehearsing the play. "George and I spoke again around 6:30 last night," she said. "I told him that I thought he looked better than he had ever looked."

Educated at Exeter, Yale, Harvard and Cambridge, Plimpton was at home in literary circles, high society and sports arenas. "George had a rare gift," longtime friend and Pulitzer Prize winner Norman Mailer said in a statement.

"Friends were almost always happy to see him because you knew he was bound to improve your mood. He was so open to life and all its new and unexpected situations. What fine manners he had! Few could give a toast or tell a story with equal humor. He gave vitality to the all-but-lost concept that to be an inventive gentleman was a thoroughgoing art in itself."

UNLIKELY ENDEAVORS

Plimpton, a friend of the Kennedys who helped subdue Sirhan Sirhan after he shot presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy at a Los Angeles hotel in June 1968, was best known for writing about professional sports and other unlikely endeavors by taking part as an amateur.

"There are people who would perhaps call me a dilettante, because it looks as though I'm having too much fun. I have never been convinced there's anything inherently wrong in having fun," Plimpton once said.

In his first participatory journalism foray, he boxed three rounds with light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore in 1959.

Plimpton wrote in Sports Illustrated about his experiences, many of them becoming books like "Out of My League" (1961), on baseball, "Paper Lion" (1966), about playing NFL football and "The Bogey Man" (1968), about professional golf.

Ernest Hemingway called "Out of My League," "beautifully observed and incredibly conceived."

Plimpton was also at ease acting in films such as "Good Will Hunting" (1997), "L.A. Story" (1991) and "Reds" (1981).

Plimpton helped found the Paris Review while he was an undergraduate and helped it gain international attention by printing works from newcomers like Philip Roth and Jack Kerouac and established writers such as Ezra Pound, Pablo Neruda and Gunter Grass rather than focus on criticism.
 
Born in New York in 1927, Plimpton is survived by his wife, Sarah Dudley Plimpton, and four children from two marriages.

British Singer Robert Palmer Dies in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - British rock singer Robert Palmer, best known for his hit 1980 videos featuring leggy models in short black dresses and electric guitars, died of a heart attack Friday. He was 54.

Palmer's record company said the Yorkshire-born singer, who lived in Switzerland, died while on a trip to Paris where was taking a break with his girlfriend after recording a documentary in London.

The father of two had his biggest success with the 1985 single "Addicted to Love" and its accompanying video which featured a lineup of sexy backing singers. The clip was voted the eighth best of all time by MTV viewers.

Palmer frequently peaked in the charts during the 1980s with catchy, songs like "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and "Simply Irresistible," often accompanied by testosterone-fueled videos.

Accused of being a male chauvinist after the "Addicted To Love" video, Palmer protested in a recent newspaper interview that it was not his idea to include the women in the clips.

"People think the video was my idea, that I would happily portray myself as a James Bond of boogie. That surprises me because I don't think about my image at all." He said the girls were filmed separately and edited into a clip of him singing.

"When I saw it I was shocked," he said. "Simply Irresistible was quite a sexy video but they have become so erotic these days that if my three were released now they wouldn't cause a stir."

Palmer, whose smart suits and laconic style set the tone for much of the 1980s pop scene, died in his hotel room just off the Champs Elysees, a Paris police spokeswoman said.

"Everyone at Universal Music is deeply shocked and saddened at the terrible news," Universal said in London. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at the difficult time."

Palmer's latest album "Drive" was described by critics as a melting pot of old R&B, Bahamian and Caribbean music, jump blues, Delta blues and raunch 'n' roll.

He discussed those influences in an interview on Wednesday at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho, London, for a TV program called "My Kinda People," a spokesman for Yorkshire television told Reuters.

Born Alan Palmer, the son of a naval officer, Palmer saw no TV or movies until he was 12. Limited to music, he soon became a fan of the rhythm and blues of Lena Horne and Nat King Cole.

Giving off a clean-living image with his love of three-piece suits, Palmer never embraced the excesses of a rock 'n' roll lifestyle and pursued a solo career after playing in locally renowned bands like Dada and Vinegar Joe in his 20s.

"I just always felt comfortable in a suit and tie," he once said. "It's served me well, because I never got aligned with any fashion trend. I simply believed that if you're going to be in public, dress up."

'Rundown' Set to Rock Weekend Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Three films targeting a wide swath of potential moviegoers are hitting the box office this weekend. But it looks as if only one will generate numbers equivalent to those of a summer blockbuster.

"The Rundown," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is shaping up as the likely competition crusher. A Universal Pictures release of a Universal-Columbia production, the action-comedy has earned good reviews comparing it with buddy films of yore.

"Rundown" marks Johnson's first film where he moves beyond his well-known character of Mathayus the Scorpion King, who helped bring gobs of dollars to Universal. He originally appeared in "The Mummy Returns," which opened to $68.1 million in May 2001, and then took center stage in "The Scorpion King," which opened to $36 million in April 2002.

In early reviews, critics have compared Johnson's "Rundown" exploits with those of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, so this movie could officially launch the wrestler-turned-actor into a bona fide action hero. It doesn't hurt, either, that the film also stars "American Pie's" Seann William Scott. Expectations are that the film will gross at least $15 million-$17 million, but it could reach into $20 million territory.

Directed by Peter Berg ("Very Bad Things"), "Rundown" centers on the unlikely team of Johnson and Scott, who must join forces to fight the evil leader of a gold-mining corporation that is after the same treasure they are. Targeting the under-25 crowd, the PG-13 film from screenwriters R.J. Stewart and James Vanderbilt will bow in 3,152 theaters.

Miramax Films will release the Danny DeVito-directed dark comedy "Duplex" this weekend in 2,189 theaters. The PG-13 film starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore has received little advertising support and, despite the star power of its two leads, is not expected to generate much box office heat. Although it looks to attract the upscale young-adult audience interested in a plot concerning an up-and-coming couple whose lives are slowly unraveling due to a pesky rent-controlled upstairs neighbor, the film is not likely to earn much more than $6 million.

Meanwhile, Disney's "Under the Tuscan Sun" is hoping to draw the adult-female audience to a loose adaptation of Frances Mayes' best-selling memoir. Offering up Diane Lane's first starring role since last year's Oscar-nominated performance in "Unfaithful," the film will open on 1,226 screens with hopes of capitalizing on strong word-of-mouth. Rated PG-13 and filmed entirely in Italy, "Tuscan" focuses on Lane's character as a newly divorced American writer who is coerced into a trip to Italy to help her overcome her profound depression. On impulse, she purchases a rundown villa, and an interesting supporting cast helps turn the woman's life around.

Written and directed by Audrey Wells ("Guinevere"), "Tuscan" veers considerably from Mayes' novel, but the marketing campaign is reaching out to fans of the book as well as to scorned women everywhere. The film could open to $10 million and then climb from there, if Disney's expectations are fulfilled.

In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics will bow "My Life Without Me," directed by Isabel Coixet, in New York and Los Angeles. The R-rated film stars Sarah Polley as a young mother of two who lives in a trailer and decides to cover up the fact that she is dying of cancer so she can live out her final months of life with a sense of freedom. Alfred Molina, Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Plummer co-star.

R.S. Entertainment will debut "Luther" starring Joseph Fiennes and Molina and directed by Eric Till. The movie tells the story of German priest Martin Luther, who challenged the orthodoxy of the Catholic church in the 1500s, igniting a religious reformation that transformed Christianity and much of Western culture.

Focus Features will expand the increasingly popular "Lost in Translation" to 488 theaters this weekend. The Sofia Coppola-directed film already has earned $4.7 million in two weekends of limited release.

Skinny Ryan Doesn't Have Enough Heft for 'Survivor: Pearl Islands'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It's a dark and stormy night when "Survivor: Pearl Islands" open on Episode Two. It's also eerily quiet in that way that seems so menacing when you move from the city to the suburbs and wake up positive that the sound of the cat playing with a paper bag in found under the sink is really a masked man trying to break in and steal your Franklin Mint collector plates.

Over among the Morgans, Tijuana is freezing and Osten is worried about his shirtless state, but when Day Four dawns it is all one big lovefest over at the Drake tribe as seen through the rose-colored glasses of Rupert. See, Rupert is just thrilled to be living off the fat of the land and finding himself surrounded by "beautiful souls." He has also become particularly attached to the tribe's fishing apparatus that he keeps referring to as "my spear."

The burly counselor to troubled teens (you just know he's said, "Let's rap about this" more than once) says he loves living in a giant fish tank and seeing him swim around among the schools of fish and eels it does look like a lot of "Finding Nemo" fun. Well, actually, more like "Killing Nemo" and then "Eating Nemo" fun.

In short order the two tribes (minus last week's evictee Nicole) are brought together for their first reward challenge. Jeff explains that the prize is "part" of a treasure map with a clue to the booty's location on the back, plus the privilege of plundering one item from the losing tribe's camp (a bonus that will be part of all of the reward challenges this time around).

It suffices to say that the Morgans' miserable performance is largely due to the poor start made by Ryan S., dubbed by his tribe as Skinny Ryan (although he refers to himself as "the goober of the Morgan tribe"). They never quite recover from his floundering and we'll never quite be the same after witnessing Lillian's large white Grandma panties.

The Drakes win handily. They speculate that the piece of map they are given appears to be "a third" of the complete one, but are bummed that they can't start their search due to high tide. Luckily, they have looting to occupy their time with instead. Jon wants to hurt the Morgans by taking the tarp they're using for the roof of their shelter, but Rupert firmly says that they don't need to "hurt" anyone.

Sandra is sent to collect the tribe's bounty -- we're guessing because her Spanish-speaking skills really came in handy when bartering in the fishing village -- and intially intends to take their water jug. However, when she can't locate such an animal she decides to go for the tarp instead.

Furious, the Morgans refuse to help her take it down. Sandra happily goes about ripping down the palm fronds covering the tarp and basically tears apart the only structure they have, cheerily wishing them goodbye with the heartfelt hope that the bedbugs don't bite.

Whipped and broken, the Morgans try to tack together some sort of shelter against the punishing nights ahead, with Osten hinting to Andrew that he wants to quit the game which causes Tijuana to beg him to tough it out.

Back on the Drake island, Rupert is very, very, very upset because Shawn lost the tip of the fishing spear. A lot of ranting and raving is endured before Rupert dives into the ocean and -- we'll be damned -- finds it. He celebrates this Iron Man moment by throwing back his head and letting loose with an animalistic roar.

All the testosterone that is pumping through the Drakes by this point serves them well in the immunity challenge which they add to their previous two wins, forcing the Morgans to further cull the herd and causing Osten to approach Ryan and ask that he vote to send Osten home.

At what feels like the longest Tribal Council ever, Jeff shows that he's been doing his homework and watching the dailies with his very pointed questions that no one ever seems to clue into might give them some hints as to what their tribemates are thinking, plotting or saying.

Despite Osten's plea to Ryan S., and in part due to Osten's vote for him rather than himself, Skinny Ryan's lack of physical prowess is enough to make him another expendable part of the Morgans' waning fortunes.

Coldplay Unveils Live CD/DVD Details

The release of a live Coldplay CD/DVD has been bumped up a week to Nov. 4. As previously reported, "Coldplay Live 2003" was taped July 21-22 in Sydney. The CD features 12 cuts, including the hits "Yellow," "In My Place" and "Clocks," as well as the new songs "Moses" and "One I Love" and the early rarity "See You Soon."

The DVD boasts 17 songs, including all of the tracks on the CD plus such cuts as "The Scientist," "Daylight," "Trouble" and "Life Is for Living." A 40-minute tour documentary spotlights behind-the-scenes footage tapes in London, Madrid and Los Angeles. Fans will also be able to access song lyrics.

For the U.K. version of the DVD, due Nov. 10, buyers can choose between a limited-edition special package with as-yet-unannounced extra features, as well as a standard edition package made out of 100% recycled paper.

Coldplay is presently taking a break from the road, although frontman Chris Martin recently told Billboard.com he has begun writing material for the follow-up to 2002's "A Rush of Blood to the Head." Today, the group received four nominations for the 2003 Q Awards, including best live act and best single for "Clocks."

Here is the "Coldplay Live 2003" DVD tracklisting:

"Politik"
"God Put a Smile Upon Your Face"
"A Rush of Blood to the Head"
"Daylight"
"Trouble"
"One I Love"
"Don't Panic"
"Shiver"
"See You Soon"
"Everything's Not Lost"
"Moses"
"Yellow"
"The Scientist"
"Clocks"
"In My Place"
"Amsterdam"
"Life Is for Living"

Here is the "Coldplay Live 2003" CD tracklisting:

"Politik"
"God Put a Smile Upon Your Face"
"A Rush of Blood to the Head"
"One I Love"
"See You Soon"
"Shiver"
"Everything's Not Lost"
"Moses"
"Yellow"
"Clocks"
"In My Place"
"Amsterdam"

R.E.M. Bolsters 'Best Of' With Bonus Disc

R.E.M. has finalized the track list for its upcoming Warner Bros. greatest-hits collection, "In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003." Due Oct. 28, the album is being released as a single-disc 18-track edition, a special edition with a bonus rarities disc and a DVD.

In addition to two newly recorded songs, "Bad Day" and "Animal," the set will feature 16 tracks from the group's Warner Bros. era, from 1989's "Green" through last year's "Reveal." Album tracks such as "Orange Crush," "E-Bow the Letter," "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?," "Losing My Religion" and "Imitation of Life" sit alongside Warner Bros. soundtrack contributions "The Great Beyond" (from 2000's "Man on the Moon") and "All the Right Friends" (from the 2002 soundtrack to "Vanilla Sky").

The 15-track rarities disc features alternate versions of "Leave," "Why Not Smile," "The Lifting" and "Beat a Drum," live recordings of "Turn You Inside-Out," "Drive," "The One I Love" and "Country Feedback" and non-album tracks such as "Chance," "Fretless," "It's a Free World Baby," "Revolution" and "2jn." The latter is a previously unreleased demo from the "Reveal" recording sessions.

The tracklist for the DVD version of "In Time" has not yet been finalized, but it will feature 16 clips including "Losing My Religion" and "Everybody Hurts" as well as several performances from 2001's South Africa Freedom Day concert in London's Trafalgar Square.

The group is in the midst of its fall North American tour, which visits Chicago's United Center tomorrow (Sept. 26) with Sparklehorse in tow.

Here is the track list to "In Time":

"Man on the Moon"
"The Great Beyond"
"Bad Day"
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
"All the Way to Reno"
"Losing My Religion"
"E-Bow the Letter"
"Orange Crush"
"Imitation of Life"
"Daysleeper"
"Animal"
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
"Stand"
"Electrolite"
"All the Right Friends"
"Everybody Hurts"
"At My Most Beautiful"
"Nightswimming"

Here is the track list to the bonus rarities disc:

"Pop Song 89" (acoustic)
"Turn You Inside-out" (live)
"Fretless"
"Chance"
"It's a Free World Baby"
"Drive" (live)
"Star Me Kitten" featuring William S. Burroughs
"Revolution"
"Leave" (alternate version)
"Why Not Smile" (alternate version)
"The Lifting" (demo version)
"Beat a Drum" (demo version)
"2jn"
"The One I Love" (live)
"Country Feedback" (live)

Kinnear Is Competition For Ross

Greg Kinnear will make a guest run on FRIENDS during November sweeps. He will play a Nobel Prize-winning scientist that is in charge of a grant that Ross really wants. However, since this new scientist used to date Ross' girlfriend Charlie, wacky hijinx ensue.

COME TOGETHER

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono joining the family of the late George Harrison Wednesday night for the Hollywood premiere of Concert for George. The all-star tribute show, featuring performances from the two Beatles along with Tom Petty and Eric Clapton, was shot last year and will be released theatrically October 3.

ALOHA

Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures acquiring the rights to turn CBS' Magnum P.I. into a feature film. A publicist for former star Tom Selleck says he has not heard about the project.

Billy Crystal to Return as Oscar Host

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - Comedian Billy Crystal, who bowed out of the Oscar spotlight for the past three years, said on Wednesday he is returning to the "big show" as host of the upcoming 76th Academy Awards.

But he added that he still gets nervous.

"It's a big show. It's a big responsibility," he said. "There's a world watching and the world is a rough room."

The 56-year-old comic actor, a favorite of Oscar audiences and critics alike for his deadpan humor and Hollywood send-ups, last hosted the Oscars in 2000. His upcoming Feb. 29 ceremony in Hollywood marks his eighth appearance as master of ceremonies for the U.S. film industry's highest honors.

"I'm really excited about coming back," Crystal told reporters at a news conference held by Oscar organizers at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

"I've had a nice little sleep, and since my grass-roots run for governor didn't take hold, this felt like an option," he joked, referring to the California governor recall election.

Film executive Joe Roth, making his TV debut as Oscar telecast producer, said Crystal was his first and only choice for emcee. Comedian Steve Martin hosted the show this year and in 2001, and did a wonderful job, while Whoopi Goldberg presided in 2002 and was the worst host the show ever had.

Crystal, star of such films as "When Harry Met Sally," "Mr. Saturday Night," "City Slickers" and "Analyze This," said he had not missed being a part of the show until the most recent awards, in March, while the United States was at war in Iraq.

"I wanted to be up there. I wanted to help," he said. "It was a sign that I was starting to get itchy again."

Crystal has yet to decide whether he will put together another of his famed film-parody montages, saying one factor will be the added rush in production caused by holding the upcoming ceremony a month earlier than in the past.

"Those films took a lot of time," he said. "And frankly, I'd like to find new things to do."

For his part, Crystal said he sees his main job as helping a roomful of tense stars relax and have a good time, while counting on unpredictable moments to keep the show lively.

"The best Oscar shows in the history of the Academy are when there are moments. And those are unpredictable sometimes, and you can't manufacture them," he said. "You just pray for something to go wrong, or very right."

Crystal said his own favorite Oscar moment was seventysomething actor Jack Palance performing one-armed push-ups on stage after accepting his 1992 Oscar as best supporting actor for "City Slickers."

"I was in the wings, saying, 'Thank you. This is the greatest setup in the history of the Oscars,"' recounted Crystal who sprinkled the rest of that evening with one-liners about Palance's physical prowess. Crystal said he was suffering from pneumonia that night.

Likewise, when centenarian movie pioneer Hal Roach delivered an inaudible impromptu speech from the audience without a microphone, Crystal quipped, "I think that's fitting, because Mr. Roach started in silent films."

Crystal also revealed that he planned to continue one little-known Oscar tradition that began with his first stint as host in 1990. He always goes on with a toothbrush tucked away in the breast pocket of his tuxedo, a personal reminder of imaginary acceptance speeches he delivered before the bathroom mirror as a boy growing up in Long Island.
 
"It's a great remembrance of where (my) love of performing started, and that was in my house," he said.

The Who 'Hearing' New Music

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Years of discussion about a new studio album from the surviving members of the Who appears to be finally giving way to action.
 
A post on guitarist Pete Townshend's official Web site reveals that he and frontmanRoger Daltrey will begin demoing new material "before the end of the year" and plan to hit the studio in March.

Songs intended for the group's first studio album in 21 years "will be based on story, now complete, 'The Boy Who Heard Music."' The set is being targeted for a summer 2004 release date on an as-yet-undetermined label and will be supported with a U.S. and U.K. tour. "Other regions" will be visited in 2005, according to the site.

The Who's last studio album was 1982's "It's Hard," which featured the singles "Eminence Front" and "Athena." Ever since, Townshend has wrestled with the notion of writing new material for the group, as he told Billboard.com this summer.

"What made me stop making Who albums is very much the same thing that happened to Led Zeppelin. Somebody in the band died," he said, noting the 1978 passing of drummer Keith Moon. "And unlike them, I was very slow to get the message."

Townshend, Daltrey and bassist John Entwistle had made some tentative steps in the direction of new music in the summer of 2002, having run through one song each from Townshend and Daltrey during rehearsals for a tour. "That was as far as we got because two, three weeks later we were in L.A. waiting to tour and then found that John had died," Townshend said.

With Moon and Entwistle dead, Townshend admitted he has wrestled with potentially releasing new music under the Who name. " and I on a stage -- whatever we call ourselves -- can't avoid the fact that in some illusionary way we bring down the mysterious mantle of the Who around us," he said. "It will always happen. So we might as well call it the Who."

Townshend is currently assembling a team to remix the Who's 1973 classic album "Quadrophenia" in 5.1 surround sound. Plans are in the works to release the set in expanded form, much in the vein of this summer's "Who's Next" upgrade and the impending double-disc edition of "Tommy," due Oct. 28 from Universal.

Dixie Chicks Turn Their Backs On Country Genre

The Dixie Chicks want out of the country music scene, according to comments group member Martie Maguire made to German magazine, Spiegel. She said, "We don't feel part of the country scene any longer, it can't be our home any more."

The musician's attitude is reportedly based on the lack of support shown to the Chicks during the backlash of Natalie Maines' anti-Bush comment to a London audience earlier this year. Maguire adds, "A few weeks ago, Merle Haggard said a couple of nice words about us, but that was it. The support we got came from others, like Bruce Springsteen."

Maguire points to the fact that country radio is still not playing the trio's music, and that country award shows have seemingly shut the door on the Chicks. She says, "Instead, we won three Grammys against much stronger competition. So we now consider ourselves part of the big rock 'n' roll family."

A call to the Dixie Chicks' publicist was not returned at press time.

The group continues to perform overseas on their Top Of The World tour. The tour wraps up on October 4 in Sydney, Australia.

Fall DVD lineup

Here are the video and DVD release dates of 2003's biggest films:

• Bend It Like Beckham on Sept. 30
• 2 Fast, 2 Furious on Sept. 30
• Hollywood Homicide on Oct. 7
• The Matrix Reloaded on Oct. 14
• 28 Days Later on Oct. 21
• Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle on Oct. 21
• The Italian Job on Oct. 21
• The Hulk on Oct. 28
• Finding Nemo on Nov. 4
• Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde on Nov. 4
•Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines on Nov. 11
• Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life on Nov. 18
• The Lord of the Rings, Special Extended Edition on Nov. 18
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas on Nov. 18
• Bruce Almighty on Nov. 25
• X2: X-Men United on Nov. 25
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on Dec. 2
• Rugrats Go Wild on Dec. 16
• Seabiscuit on Dec. 18
• American Wedding on Dec. 30

COMING SOON

The two minute and 30 seconds theatrical trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King will make its worldwide debut September 26.

Come and knock on our door

Doubtless in response to the unexpected passing of John Ritter, Anchor Bay Home Entertainment has stepped up their release schedule to rush Three’s Company: The Complete First Season to DVD this fall.

When the series appeared on the air in 1977, Three’s Company was among the most controversial series on the air, with sexuality and issues of the day riding high, but soon the physical comedy and tight writing won over most of the critics leading to an eight year ride.

No features whatsoever are on the discs. Each episode will be presented in their original fullscreen aspect ratio with mono sound.

Arriving on November 11th, the three disc set will carry a $19.95 suggested retail price.

Grammy Awards to Return to L.A. Next Year

LOS ANGELES - After shifting to the Big Apple, the Grammy Awards are coming back to the City of Angels.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that its 46th annual ceremony honoring the best of music will take place at the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 8.

Mayor James Hahn said the announcement was "great news for our City of Angels and reaffirms our place as the entertainment capital of the world."

The Grammys, which once frequently bounced back and forth between the two cities, settled in Los Angeles for four consecutive years, from 1998-2002. That was due in part to Michael Greene, the former head of the Grammy organization. He had a much-publicized feud with former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who had accused Greene of unleashing a stream of obscenities at a mayoral staffer in 1998.

Within days of current Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2001 election, Greene began talks to return the show to New York, and the ceremony took place in Madison Square Garden last February.

Greene himself has since stepped down amid investigations of alleged sexual harassment, even though the Grammy organization said he was cleared of wrongdoing.

Current Grammy chief Neil Portnow said in a statement he was "delighted" that the show is back in Los Angeles.

Along with an economic boost, the Grammys also bring a monthlong series of festivities before the telecast that includes performances, exhibits, workshops and educational events.

CBS will telecast the Grammy Awards live. Nominees will be announced Dec. 4 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Zagat: Springsteen Tops Beatles for Popular Album

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen is indeed the boss, beating the Beatles and all others for making the most popular album of all time, according to Zagat Survey's "Music Guide," which hit stores on Tuesday.

Zagat's new 332-page guide lists the top 1,000 albums of all time, according to ratings from more than 10,500 music aficionados. Topping the guide's most popular list is Springsteen's "Born to Run," with the Beatles' "Abbey Road" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" taking second and third places, respectively.

An original list of 2,500 albums, compiled for guidebook publisher Zagat by music industry specialists, was whittled down to the final 1,000 by respondents, who listed their five favorite albums and then rated other albums they were familiar with on a 30-point scale.

Survey participants applauded Springsteen's 1975 breakthrough album for its "cinematic vision of American teen-age romanticism" and its "promise of the endless Saturday night."

"Abbey Road," on the other hand, was praised by one participant as "the Sistine Chapel of rock 'n' roll."

Rounding out the "most popular" top 10 list are U2's "The Joshua Tree," the Beatles' "The White Album," Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue," Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town," The Beatles' "Revolver," Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and U2's "Achtung Baby."

The survey's publisher, Tim Zagat, said he hopes the rankings will spark a lively debate among readers.

"I hope there is some controversy," Zagat said in an interview. "People can argue until the cows come home over whether Mozart was a better songwriter than Bob Dylan, but just that you are juxtaposing Dylan and Mozart catches you by surprise and makes you think."

Zagat, best known for restaurant guides based on customer surveys, also publishes books on travel, shopping and most recently, wireless Internet hotspots.

The music guide, which sells for $14.95, also ranks the top 12 albums in 22 genres ranging from blues to classical to hip-hop. It also lists music recommended for specific occasions.

The "make-out" list includes Marvin Gaye's "Anthology" and Prince's "Purple Rain," while the soundtrack to "Flashdance" and ABBA's "Gold/Greatest Hits" top the "work-out" list.

A Mighty Daddy Day Care Wind with Holes and The Shape Of Things

This week's new films are split evenly down the line. There are two films
for kids and two for adults.

The first of the kids films stars Eddie Murphy, who used to be the funniest
person in the world. With the exception of SHREK, Murphy's recent films just
haven't been very funny at all. In DADDY DAY CARE Murphy himself doesn't
even seem all that interested in doing this little kiddy comedy. The only
time I personally laughed during the movie was the scene with a kid going to
the bathroom and saying that he "missed".

But, and this is a huge but, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS. I suspect that those
with kids will enjoy DADDY DAY CARE immensely.

When Murphy and his buddy get fired from their job, they starts a day care
center for kids. The ending is happy, the characters are happy and the movie
itself seems happy, except for Murphy and except for me. But IF YOU HAVE
KIDS, I suspect that you will thoroughly enjoy DADDY DAY CARE.

And, for the record, I ask that you don't think I can't enjoy family films
just because I don't have any kids of my own. I completely enjoyed HOLES and
I didn't even know it was based on a very popular kids book when I saw it.

In HOLES an innocent teen is sent to a weird detention camp. This is a great
movie for people of all ages! And don't worry about knowing what the movie,
or the book it's based on, are about. Just sit back and enjoy it. Its a
change from the movies that are filled with nothing but killing and bad
language.

There is also no bad language in A MIGHTY WIND, the latest comedy from the
people who made THIS IS SPINAL TAP, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN and BEST IN SHOW.
The premise of A MIGHTY WIND is that a trio of folk acts reunite for a
tribute concert. The reality of the movie is wonderful characters and
hilarious dialogue that will leave you laughing hours after the fact. The
cast features SCTV veterans Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara and Christopher
Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. I'm not sure that I can say that
this movie is for everyone as it moves a little slow at times, but if you
enjoyed THIS IS SPINAL TAP, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN or BEST IN SHOW, then you'll
love A MIGHTY WIND.

Without hesitation I can say that not everyone will love THE SHAPE OF
THINGS. In fact, I can say without fear of contradiction that most people
will think it is a vile, despicable little movie. I'll sum up the movie by
describing it as a story of love, seduction and betrayal, but its much more
than that.

I can't recommend THE SHAPE OF THINGS to you, but I also can't tell you not
to watch it. Its something like a cinematic car crash, you won't want to
watch it, but you might not be able to look away.

Consider yourself warned.

COMING NEXT WEEK

2 Fast 2 Furious - Police try to infiltrate the street racing circuit in
Miami. This is the sequel to The Fast And The Furious. (Paul Walker, Tyrese
Gibson, Eva Mendes)

Dreamcatcher - Four childhood friends reunite to save the Earth in this
movie based on a Stephen King book. Oh, this might be the worst movie of
2003. (Morgan Freeman, Jason Lee, Tom Sizemore)

Bend It Like Beckham - A young girl dreams of playing playing professional
soccer, but her parents want her to find a husband. (Keira Knightly,
Parminder Nagra)

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

Hayek Gets Her Coke and Drinks it Too

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -- Following in the footsteps of another Latin beauty, Penelope Cruz, actress Salma Hayek is lending her talents to the Coca-Cola Co's. new ad campaign.

Directed by big-screen director Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects," "X-Men"), the new advertising spot, "Hollywood Restaurant," was produced in both English and Spanish and will run on national general market and Spanish-language television.

"As someone who is known to be true to herself and her roots, Salma Hayek personifies the spirit of the Coca-Cola Real campaign idea," said Esther Lee, chief creative officer of Coca-Cola North America. "This spot is also reflective of Salma's cross-cultural life as an actress who has made it in Hollywood and, at heart, a Hispanic who embraces the traditions of her Mexican homeland."

Shot on location at the trendy West Hollywood restaurant Koi, Hayek sneaks away from a dinner meeting to the kitchen, where she orders a taco and a Coca-Cola while laughing with the chef and wait staff.

Use of profanity increasing on TV

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Television is cussing up an increasingly blue streak, according to a study of the major broadcast networks.

"During the 2002-2003 season, the broadcast networks attempted to rewrite the book on language standards for television," the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group, said in a report released Monday.

The council said it studied all primetime entertainment series from a two-week period in 1998, 2000 and 2002 and found a jump in profanity on "virtually every network" and in every time slot.

The group called on the TV industry to "get serious about reducing the flood of vulgarity. ... Barring that, the FCC needs to get serious about enforcing broadcast decency laws," the group said of the Federal Communications Commission.

The study examined ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, WB and UPN.

During the so-called "family hour," from 8-9 p.m., foul language increased by 94.8 percent between 1998 and 2002, the study found. It rose by 109 percent during the 9 p.m. hour in the same period.

The smallest increase, 38.7 percent, occurred during the last hour of primetime, 10-11 p.m., when young children are least likely to be in the audience, the council said.

The group noted what it called "minor" improvements.

Foul language in the 8 p.m. hour on Fox fell 25 percent in the study period. But the study found profanity rose 75 percent during the 9 p.m. hour on Fox.

On ABC, offensive language decreased by 17 percent in the study period, mostly because of improvements during the latter two primetime hours. But profanity was up by 61.7 percent during the family hour, the study found.

An ABC spokesman Monday said the network had not seen the report and declined comment. A Fox spokesman declined comment.

In a similar, earlier study, the PTC found that sexual content on TV was less frequent but more explicit.

Dido Still Fond Of Eminem, But Doesn't Keep In Touch

Dido--who's climbing the charts with "White Flag," the first single from her new album Life For Rent--still appreciates the break that Eminem gave her by sampling "Thank You" for his 2001 hit "Stan." But while she continues to have warm feelings for Eminem, Dido told LAUNCH that they don't keep in close touch.

"We weren't really sort of phoning each other on a regular basis in the first place," Dido said. "I saw him, probably, like, a year and a half ago, or something like that. But if he was in the same place. [If] I found out he was in the same hotel, then, you know, I would totally go and say 'Hi,' 'cause apart from anything, I really like--not only did I like him, but I really liked all the people he works with. They were so sweet to me."

Life For Rent, Dido's follow-up to 1999's No Angel, comes out September 30.

Dido plans to kick off an extensive world tour in early 2004. The only appearance on her schedule for this year is October 3 at the FleetCenter in Boston.

Today's New Releases

Some of the world's biggest names release new discs today. I'm looking forward to hearing the Costello, Sting and Nickelback. The Limp Bizkit...not so much, but who knows!

Here are the new CD releases for Tuesday September 23, 2003:

* ELVIS COSTELLO North (Island)
* EMMYLOU HARRIS Stumble Into Grace (Nonesuch/Warner)
* LIMP BIZKIT Results May Vary (Interscope)
* MEAT LOAF Couldn't Have Said It Better (Capitol)
* NICKELBACK The Long Road (EMI)
* REFUSED Refused Are Fucking Dead (DVD) (Burning Heart)
* REFUSED The Shape Of Punk To Come (Burning Heart)
* REFUSED Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent (Burning Heart)
* REFUSED This Just Might Be The Truth (Burning Heart)
* REFUSED The E.P. Compilation (Burning Heart)
* RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Want (DreamWorks)
* STING Sacred Love (A&M/Universal)

Pink Gives New Album A 'Try'

Party diva Pink will on Nov. 11 release her third Arista album, "Try This." The set, which features a number of songs co-written with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, is the follow-up to her breakthrough album "M!ssundaztood."

Armstrong co-wrote and produced eight tracks on the set, including first single "Trouble," which will be sent to U.S. radio outlets Sept. 29 for airplay consideration. Armstrong also had a hand in "Tonight's the Night," "Save My Life," "Humble Neighborhoods," "Walk Away," "Unwind" and "Oh My God," which features X-rated rapper Peaches.

The album also has three songs -- "Catch Me While I'm Sleeping," "Waiting for Love" and "Try Too Hard" -- which were written or co-written by Linda Perry, Pink's collaborator for most of "M!ssundaztood." Billy Mann wrote and produced "God Is a DJ," while Damon Elliott co-wrote and produced "Love Song."

A video directed by Sophie Muller was recently filmed in Los Angeles and will be the subject of a Sept. 29 MTV "Making the Video" special.

"M!ssundaztood" contained the singles "Get the Party Started," "Just Like a Pill," "Don't Let Me Get Me" and "Family Portrait." It peaked at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 4.9 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Hobbit director to get 20 mln dlrs and star Naomi Watts for "King Kong"

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - "Lord of the Rings" film director Peter Jackson has won a huge 20 million dollar deal to remake "King Kong" and wants Australian actress Naomi Watts as his star, it was reported.

Daily Variety said Universal Studios will pay Jackson, acclaimed for the "Rings" trilogy, the last installment of which is due out in December, 20 million dollars against 20 percent of the movie's gross ticket receipts.

The daily said that news of the almost unprecedented pay-cheque deal has stunned Hollywood studio chiefs who are reportedly fuming about the deal which they fear could set a precedent for other top directors.

Most top Tinseltown film-makers get paid between 10 and 12 million dollars for a major picture, Variety said.

The industry press also said that New Zealander Jackson was eyeing fellow antipodean Naomi Watts for the lead role as the object of the giant ape's desire in the movie scheduled to hit the big screen in 2005.

Variety and Hollywood Reporters said that while no deal had yet been signed for the "Mulholland Drive" and "The Ring" star to take on the role of actress Ann Darrow in the movie, Jackson had made her an offer.

If British-born Watts, 34, is signed for the picture, she would follow in the footsteps of Fay Wray who starred in the original 1933 classic and Jessica Lange, who recreated the role in 1976.

Jackson, 42, who is still completing post production on "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," is expected to start writing the "King Kong" script in November and plans to shoot next summer.

He will be re-teaming up with his "Rings" writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and the movie will be shot in New Zealand, Variety said.

Jackson has wanted to re-make the classic ape epic for years, but only won the go ahead from Universal earlier this year following his global success with the risky 270-million-dollar "Rings" project.

Gordon Jump of 'WKRP' and Maytag Ad Dies

LOS ANGELES - Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died Monday. He was 71.
 
Jump suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, said his cousin, Katherine Jump Wagner. The illness causes scarring of the air sacs of the lungs, leading to heart or respiratory failure.

Wagner, of Arcanum, Ohio, said she learned of her cousin's death from her father, also named Gordon Jump. Her cousin was under hospice care at his home southeast of Los Angeles, she said.

Jump played Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," which aired on CBS from 1978-82 and featured Gary Sandy, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman and Richard Sanders as the ragtag station's crew.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Jump began his career working at radio and TV stations in the Midwest. He worked behind the microphone and the camera, including jobs as a producer for Kansas and Ohio stations.

Jump portrayed the Maytag repairman "Ol' Lonely," a well-recognized advertising symbol, from 1989 until he retired from the role in July and another actor took over.

"Gordon was an incredibly talented actor and a remarkable human being," said Ralph Hake, chairman and chief executive officer of Maytag Corp.

Jump came to appreciate the attention he got for the ad campaign and the steady work it provided, Wagner said. But his heart was elsewhere professionally.

"What he loved more than anything was doing theater. He was a marvelous actor," she said, recalling a visit to Florida to watch him perform in "Norman, Is That You?"

Jump began his Hollywood career after moving to Los Angeles in 1963, appearing on series including "Daniel Boone," "Get Smart" and "The Partridge Family."

His dramatic roles included a part in the TV movie "Ruby and Oswald," about the assassination of President Kennedy, and "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes."

Jump is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, Maytag said in a statement. He also had a brother, Wagner said.

Nelly Furtado Gives "It" A Name

Nelly Furtado will follow up her smash debut, "Whoa, Nelly," with "Folklore," due Nov. 25 from DreamWorks. Joining the Canadian pop artist on the collection are such varied guests as Caetano Veloso, Bela Fleck, Beck collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and Kronos Quartet.

The 12-track album will be led by the single "Powerless (Say What You Want)," which will be sent to U.S. radio outlets in early October for airplay consideration. Furtado recorded "Folklore" in Toronto and over the last two months has teased fans with lo-fi snippets of songs through messages on her official Web site.

SPECTOR UPDATE

The Los Angeles Times reporting that sheriff's detectives have reportedly submitted their findings to prosecutors that legendary record producer Phil Spector was behind the shooting death of a B-movie actress at his Los Angeles mansion. "It's not an accident. It's not a suicide," Capt. Frank Merriman told the Times Friday. "Phil Spector shot her."

Vampire Film 'Underworld' Tops Box Office

LOS ANGELES - The vampires-vs.-werewolves blood feud "Underworld" put the bite on movie-goers, debuting as the top weekend movie with $22 million.

"Underworld," starring Kate Beckinsale as a vampire warrior, buried other new movies, with the Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyonce Knowles gospel romance "The Fighting Temptations" opening in second place with $13.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Secondhand Lions," starring Robert Duvall, Michael Caine and Haley Joel Osment in the coming-of-age story of a teen and his oddball great-uncles, premiered at No. 3 with $12.9 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," fell to fourth place with $11.5 million, pushing its 10-day total to $41.4 million.

The thriller "Cold Creek Manor," with Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone as new homeowners terrorized by their house's former occupant, debuted at No. 5 with $8.3 million.

Overall ticket sales were unusually strong for September, typically a quiet time for Hollywood. The top 12 movies took in $94 million, up 37 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

"People seem to be in the mood for movies," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Studios are creating a new strong period at the box office by taking a chance and putting all these films out in what is not known as a big moviegoing time."

"Underworld" was the third horror movie to debut at No. 1 in the last month, following "Freddy vs. Jason" and "Jeepers Creepers 2." Critics generally slammed "Underworld," but the horror genre has a loyal audience unswayed by bad reviews.

"It's certainly a fun, audience-pleasing movie," said Jeff Blake, vice chairman at Sony Pictures, whose Screen Gems banner released "Underworld."

"Underworld" was Sony's eighth No. 1 debut of the year, tying a record set by Warner Bros. in 1999 and 2001, Dergarabedian said.

Woody Allen's box-office slump continued as his romantic comedy "Anything Else" opened well out of the top 10 with $1.7 million, the weakest debut among his four films for distributor DreamWorks.

"Anything Else," starring Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci, capped a course of diminishing returns for Allen at DreamWorks. His "Small Time Crooks" debuted with $3.9 million in 2000, "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" opened with $2.5 million in 2001, and last year's "Hollywood Ending" premiered with $2 million.

Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, expanded from its limited debut a week earlier and broke into the top 10 with $2.8 million.

A reissue of Brian De Palma's 1983 gangster epic "Scarface" debuted strongly with $268,000 in 13 theaters. A new DVD version of "Scarface," which stars Al Pacino, hits stores next week.

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. "Underworld," $22 million.
2. "The Fighting Temptations," $13.2 million.
3. "Secondhand Lions," $12.9 million.
4. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," $11.5 million.
5. "Cold Creek Manor," $8.3 million.
6. "Matchstick Men," $7.8 million.
7. "Cabin Fever," $3.9 million.
8. "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," $3.8 million.
9. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $3.5 million.
10. "Lost in Translation," $2.8 million.

'The West Wing' Wins Emmy for Best Drama

LOS ANGELES - There were no term limits for NBC's "The West Wing," which won its fourth Emmy Award for best drama Sunday despite shrinking viewership, while CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" was honored as best comedy.

James Gandolfini, who plays the hulking mobster on HBO's "The Sopranos," and Edie Falco, who portrays his long-suffering wife, swept the top drama acting awards.

The ceremony was both celebratory and bittersweet, with homage paid to a number of performers and industry figures who died this year including Bob Hope, John Ritter, Gregory Hines and Fred Rogers.

Tony Shalhoub, who plays an obsessive-compulsive detective on USA's "Monk," beat broadcast network stars for best actor in a comedy. Debra Messing, after three unsuccessful tries, won best comic actress for "Will & Grace."

An emotional Shalhoub, in the spirit of the evening's other tributes, noted the passing of a nephew who the actor said had "a warm laugh" and "a good heart" and "was taken from us suddenly."

TNT's "Door to Door," based on the true story of Bill Porter, a salesman with cerebral palsy, won four awards, including best made-for-TV movie.

Although "The Sopranos" claimed four awards, compared to two for "The West Wing," the HBO mob drama again was denied the top award. TV academy voters have yet to crown a cable series as best drama.

"I wish for everyone a working experience like we have," Falco said, adding "we have inadvertently created the perfect working environment."

The fourth time was the charm for Messing.

"Oh my God," said an exuberant Messing, who was nominated three times before and went home empty-handed. "I never thought this was going to happen."

TNT's "Door to Door," was honored as best made-for-TV movie. William H. Macy, who portrayed Porter, won best actor in a miniseries. The movie also won writing and directing awards.

Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett, who play two members of the battling Barone family on CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond," were honored as supporting actors in a comedy series.

"Wow. That was worth coming up here for," Roberts said after receiving a congratulatory kiss from presenter Matthew Perry as she accepted the comedy series supporting actress award. It was her third career Emmy.

Garrett, who held out for a better contract before the new season of "Everybody Loves Raymond," won best supporting actor. He jokingly thanked CBS and the show's producers for not firing him.

"It's good to be back," Garrett said. It was his second supporting actor Emmy.

Tyne Daly was honored for her supporting role in the CBS drama series, "Judging Amy," while Joe Pantoliano — who lost his head on "The Sopranos" — won best supporting actor in a drama series.

CBS' "The Amazing Race" won the first-ever Emmy in the reality competition category, beating more popular series "American Idol" and "Survivor."
 
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, which received plaudits for poking fun at war coverage, won for the first time as best variety show, breaking a five-year winning streak for David Letterman. "The Daily Show" was also honored for its writing.

Everybody Loves Raymond" won for best writing in a comedy series. HBO's "The Sopranos" won best writing in a drama series.

Garry Shandling, one of many comedians serving as hosts of the show, received a long kiss from Garrett that parodied the Madonna-Britney Spears kiss from the MTV Video Music Awards. Perry kept the joke going with his smooch planted on Roberts.

"The West Wing" received the Emmy for best directing for a drama series, while the comedy trophy in the category went to "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

The award for best miniseries went to the science fiction drama "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken."

In other miniseries or movie categories, Maggie Smith won lead actress for "My House in Umbria." The movie "Hysterical Blindness" won best supporting actor and actress honors for Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands, respectively.

Wayne Brady was the evening's biggest undeserving winner as he was named best individual performer in a variety or musical program for "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

"Cher — The Farewell Tour" was named best variety, music or comedy special.

Bill Cosby received the second Bob Hope Humanitarian Award with a self-effacing speech in which he thanked his wife, Camille, for 40 years of unconditional love and recalled fondly Fred Rogers, who died this year and was a beloved children's entertainer.

Cosby also shared a lighthearted memory of bringing his son Ennis with him to work on an episode of the animated series "Fat Albert." Ennis Cosby was shot to death in Los Angeles in 1997.

Walter Cronkite paid tribute to Hope, who died at age 100 this summer.

HBO won a leading 18 Emmys, followed by CBS with 16, NBC with 15 and ABC with nine. Fox and PBS earned seven each.

Winners in creative arts categories were announced at a Sept. 13 ceremony, including one award for "Six Feet Under" and one each for "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Sex and the City."

In the creative arts ceremony held earlier this month, awards were announced in craft categories including outstanding choreography, editing and makeup.

Four acting awards for guest roles also were given out. Emmys for best guest actress and actor in a drama series went to Alfre Woodard for "The Practice" and Charles S. Dutton for "Without a Trace."

For guest actor and actress in a comedy series, the winners were Gene Wilder for "Will & Grace" and Christina Applegate for "Friends."

McCartney Has New Album in Works

NEW YORK/TORONTO (Billboard) - Paul McCartney has begun work on his next Capitol Records studio album, he told fans Thursday (Sept. 18) during a cyberchat on MSN.

"I'm taking it really easy and not in any hurry to get it finished -- particularly with our new arrival on the way," he said, referring to his upcoming baby with wife Heather Mills.

"So, I don't expect to finish the album until next year some time," he continued, "which will give me plenty of time to write material because I want to make a great album that we'll be able to take on the road and play for all the lovely fans who supported us last time out."

The artist is being backed by his touring band of guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr.

Thursday night saw the premiere of A&E's concert special "Paul McCartney in Red Square," taped May 24 in Moscow. McCartney said he "would love to take up some of the offers we've already had to make a DVD out of the show. This will also mean that we can take some time to put together all of the exciting extras you can get on a DVD. So I would estimate sometime next year."

Also in the planning stages is a book chronicling McCartney's wildly successful recent world tours. The volume will cover "our memories, on stage, on the road, back stage, and off road," he says. "Not only for fans, but for those of us who were lucky enough to be on the tour, it will be a great reminder of the wonderful time we had."

McCartney will perform Tuesday (Sept. 23) at the Beverly Hilton as part of the third annual Adopt a Minefield benefit concert. James Taylor is also scheduled to perform at the show.

In related news, McCartney makes a guest appearance on Anderson's upcoming solo album, "Undressing Underwater." Former Police drummer Stewart Copeland also contributes to the set.

'Underworld' Might Tower Over the Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The fall season becomes more crowded this weekend as five wide releases jockey for the available box office dollars.

While the number of releases is likely to hold down the grosses for each of the individual newcomers, Sony Pictures' "Underworld" is still likely to bow in the top spot with an estimated haul in the $15 million range.

"Underworld," a vampire warrior movie from the studio's mid-budget Screen Gems label, should interest young males because of its "Matrix"-like action set pieces.

The moderate star power of Kate Beckinsale ("Pearl Harbor") and Scott Speedman (of TV's "Felicity") should draw in a few more fans, but it's really the movie's horror genre and its R rating that will lure in the young males. The film marks the feature directing debut of music video veteran Len Wiseman.

The race for second place could be tight: Sony's "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," which reaped $24 million in its opening weekend, will face off against Paramount Pictures' "The Fighting Temptations," which is tracking incredibly well among black moviegoers.

"Mexico" is looking to drop 40%-45%, which would put it in the $13 million-$14 million range. The Cuba Gooding Jr.-Beyonce Knowles starrer "Temptations," from MTV Films and director Jonathan Lynn ("The Whole Nine Yards"), should attract Knowles' fan base, primed by an excellent movie soundtrack, to produce a much-needed hit for Paramount. It may draw $12 million-$13 million.

Two other newcomers -- Disney's "Cold Creek Manor" and New Line Cinema's "Secondhand Lions" -- will duke it out for the fourth and fifth spots. "Manor" stars Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone as two urbanites who move to a recently repossessed house in the country and get much more then they bargain for. It should come out on top, with an expected gross of around $10 million. An R-rated thriller, written and directed by Mike Figgis ("Leaving Las Vegas") "Manor" has the respected, if somewhat older, stars that could draw adult audiences.

"Lions" remains the wild card in the field. Starring Haley Joel Osment, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine, it pits Osment's 10-year-old character against his two mysterious uncles with whom he spends a summer. The film, from writer-director Tim McCanlies, is looking to target both older audiences and families, but may have trouble doing either. However, the film could benefit from Internet rumors that it will be accompanied by a trailer for "The Return of the King" the highly anticipated conclusion to the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (In fact, the "King" trailer won't show up until "Lions"' second weekend.) Industry insiders place the gross for the PG-rated film in the mid-single digits.

What may be the biggest downer of the weekend is DreamWorks' release of Woody Allen's "Anything Else." The studio is reaching out to a younger crowd by emphasizing the movie's stars, Jason Biggs and Christina Ricci, while barely mentioning the famed director. However, the strategy could backfire since the film does not seem to be drawing either the loyal Allen fan base, or the coveted younger audience. The film will be lucky to cross the $2 million mark.

The limited-release market also is crowded this weekend, with six films bowing during the three-day period.

IDP's "Mambo Italiano," directed by Emile Gaudreault and playing in 49 theaters, should perform the best of the group. The R-rated comedy, which centers on a Canadian-Italian family dealing with their son's shocking news that he's gay, is looking for significant crossover business.

IFC films will release the R-rated "Casa de los Babys" from writer-director John Sayles on nine screens in Los Angeles and New York. A hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, its ensemble cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marcia Gay Harden, Rita Moreno, Daryl Hannah, Susan Lynch, Mary Steenburgen and Lili Taylor in a tale of six women who travel to South America with hopes of adopting.

Thirty Years On, the Beatles Go Back to Basics

LONDON (Reuters) - More than 30 years after they broke up, The Beatles are to go back to basics with a stripped down version of their classic "Let It Be" album.

"It's all exactly as it was in the room. You're right there now," Paul McCartney said on Thursday of the album "Let It Be ... Naked."

After Abbey Road Studios put their 21st century digital technology to work on the original 1969 album, McCartney said of the no-frills result: "This is the noise we made in the studio."

Ringo Starr, the only other surviving member of the world's most famous pop group, was equally re-assured by the new-look album.

"When I first heard it, it was really uplifting," the drummer said. "It took you back again to the times when we were this band, the Beatle band."

A statement from management company Apple Corps said the album will be released worldwide on November 17.

It said the group had originally set out to make the 1969 album with no studio effects and no over-dubbing of voices and instruments.

But the album was caught up in the turmoil of the band's break-up. It was re-produced by Phil Spector and never released as the Beatles had originally intended.

The track listing for the new album differs from the original with "Dig It" and Maggie Mae" taken out and replaced by "Don't Let Me Down."

Diehard Beatle fans with an inexhaustible appetite for nostalgic trivia will also be treated to a 20-minute bonus disc of the Beatles at work in rehearsal and in the studios.

As their fame soared, the band stopped playing live and became more involved in elaborately produced albums that changed the face of pop.

But John Lennon, killed by a crazed fan outside his New York apartment building in 1980, always argued: "In spite of all things, The Beatles could really play music together."

After three decades, Beatlemania shows no signs of fading, with their compilation album of number one hits selling 24 million copies worldwide.

BBC viewers will be taken down memory line on Saturday with the televising of lost footage that shows Lennon clowning around with his wife Yoko Ono and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.

The film was discovered in the archives of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) by a team making a documentary about Lennon.

The footage was part of a project that Austrian film-maker Hans Preiner had been working on during the 1960s.

'Survivor' Lie Fools Probst, Fuels New Season

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - After six turns as the host of "Survivor," Jeff Probst pretty much knows his job cold. Every now and then, though, something on the show catches him by surprise.

That happened during his stint off the coast of Panama for "Survivor: Pearl Islands," the seventh edition of the game, which premieres at 8 p.m. EST tonight on CBS. For a time, he says he fell for "the greatest lie ever told on 'Survivor.' "

"It's brilliant. It's brutal and it's brilliant and it totally suckered me," says Probst, who, naturally, won't divulge who told the lie or what its ramifications were. "My first reaction was 'Motherf----r,' and then my second reaction was 'Wow, that's amazing.' "

The fantastic fib would seem to fit well with the overall theme of "Pearl Islands," which is piracy. The two tribes are called Drake and Morgan, after two English pirates (Sir Francis Drake and Capt. Henry Morgan) who sacked Spanish forts in the 16th and 17th centuries. Probst says working with that theme helped keep the show fresh for him and the crew this time.

"That was the creative box we worked in," he says. "[We were thinking] what would pirates do, how do we set them adrift, how do we do a mutiny, who can we make walk the plank."

The duplicity started right away. The 16 players were told to dress for a publicity photo while on the boat to their destination. Instead, though, Probst informed them that they'd be setting up camp with only the clothes they were wearing.

"It's not a huge twist in a sense, because it's just clothes," he says. "But it spins the game so differently from the beginning and puts them in a different mindset of being resourceful."

The two tribes were also given 100 Balboas -- the equivalent of $100 -- to buy supplies in a small village before being taken to their camps. They could also barter using the few items of clothing they had with them.

"What's interesting is one tribe comes out of there like they just robbed Fort Knox -- they have every thing," Probst says. "The other tribe comes out with not much more than when they went in. In fact, these idiots go back to camp with cash in hand. ... That's what makes the show still fascinating, is 'What are they thinking?' "

Because "Survivor" was essentially the starting point for the current glut of unscripted series, and because it's delivered consistently to a loyal audience, Probst thinks the show can outlive its newer, lesser spawn.

"I can see fatigue setting in with reality [shows], without question, because there's a lot of crap out there," he says. "Do I think it will affect 'Survivor'? No I don't. ... I think we're going to be around, I think 'American Idol' will be around, I think 'The Bachelor' will be around. Because they all touch on something, either fulfilling a dream or finding love or, in 'Survivor,' the adventure."

To make sure of that, though, the show's producers will keep coming up with new wrinkles. Probst promises more than just a grandiose lie by one of the players this time around.

"There's ... a very, very regrettable event that happens, and the person to whom it happens is going to regret it ... more than they have any idea right now," he says. "I couldn't believe it when it happened, and I can't wait for it to play out.

"There's also a huge twist to come that this time next year we'll be talking about, and you'll have an opinion on whether you loved or hated it."

Wanna see the new R.E.M. video?

'Scarface' echoes mightily with hip-hop artists

Brian De Palma's Scarface blasted onto theater screens 20 years ago and made a lot of critics and moviegoers skittish over its brutal violence and lurid drug scenes.

But with time, the sweeping tale of Cuban refugee Tony Montana's meteoric rise and crashing fall in the Miami cocaine trade has become an influential cultural icon — especially among hip-hop artists.

This story of the American dream is being reintroduced with a 10-city theatrical run starting Friday to promote the DVD release Sept. 30.

A 20-minute documentary on the movie's influence on rap music will accompany the DVD, and the 16-track Def Jam Recordings Presents Music Inspired by Scarface is out this week. The deluxe $60 version of the DVD (basic version is $27) includes the 1932 Scarface, starring Paul Muni.

"It's just amazing to see how a classic film like Scarface has not only retained its original audience, but how it has impacted a whole new generation of fans," says Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Video.

The film's influence can be seen in the numerous catchphrases it introduced to the popular lexicon. ("Say 'ello to my little friend," Montana says, wielding a machine gun.) Comedian George Lopez did a Montana impersonation at this year's Latin Grammy Awards, and basketball star Shaquille O'Neal's clothing line is dubbed The World Is Mine after Montana's sentiment. But nowhere is the influence felt more keenly than in urban communities.

Def Jam president Kevin Liles, who says he has seen the movie more than 100 times, says, "Everybody could relate to the struggle that Tony went through and the point that when you do it that way, you always end up in jail or dead."

Liles says Def Jam had proposed rescoring the movie with hip-hop music, but the Giorgio Moroder score was left intact. Instead, Def Jam compiled songs such as the Notorious B.I.G.'s 10 Crack Commandments, Grandmaster Flash's White Lines, the Lox's Money, Power, Respect and Mobb Deep's It's Mine, interspersing them with movie dialogue.

The 20-minute documentary, Def Jam Presents: Origins of a Hip-Hop Classic, is packed with interviews with such hip-hop stars as P. Diddy, Snoop Dogg and Eve, who talk about the movie. P. Diddy says the film "scared me straight."

Jadakiss says the movie "made you want to go out and do what you were doing to the best of your capability.

"You see when he killed (best friend) Manolo (Steven Bauer) how everything went downhill after that," he says. "It keeps you grounded with your crew."

Houston rapper Scarface, who is in the documentary, says: "Me and (Montana) went through the same stuff, going from nothing to something. I'm just not dead. For years to come, that movie will be relevant because it's the truth."

Scarface lines

Aside from using the f-word a gazillion times (Michelle Pfeiffer, as girlfriend Elvira, asks him to cut it out, to no avail), Al Pacino's Tony Montana spouted some of filmdom's most memorable lines:

• "Say 'ello to my little friend!"

• "I always tell the truth, even when I lie."

• "I bury those cock-a-roaches!"

• "Say goodnight to the bad guy."

• "Who put this thing together? Me! That's who! Who do you trust? Me!"

• "Jou should see the other guy. Jou can't recognize him."

• "You want to waste my time? OK. I call my lawyer. He's the best lawyer in Miami. He's such a good lawyer, that by tomorrow morning, you gonna be working in Alaska. So dress warm."

• "Me, I want what's coming to me. The world, Chico and everything in it."

• "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women."

But not all of the best lines went to Montana. Other characters dropped these gems:

• "Rule No. 1: Don't underestimate the other guy's greed.

• Rule No. 2: Don't get high on your own supply." Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia)

• "Every day above ground is a good day." Mel Bernstein (Harris Yulin)

Music industry has a lot riding on final-stretch sales

By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

Mired in the third year of a sales slump, the music industry is counting on a handful of chart titans to salvage 2003 in the final stretch.

The September-December season, which typically accounts for more than 40% of the year's retail action, is the most crucial period on the record business calendar. Like the film industry, the record business often saves its strongest offerings for the fourth quarter to entice holiday shoppers.

The stakes are high: With a good fall, the industry could reverse two years of decline.

But to inch ahead of 2002's year-end total of 681 million albums, consumers will have to buy an additional 299 million albums by late December. Based on recent sales patterns, a more likely figure is 254 million albums, or 40% of the year's estimated take. That would end the year 6.6% behind 2002 (currently the deficit is 8.6%).

Two much-touted industry initiatives — the RIAA's campaign to sue file sharers and Universal's unilateral price reductions — may have an effect on sales as the fall unfolds, but the key factor will be the appeal of new releases. This fall's lineup appears to be a mixed bag of likely winners, potential dark horses and big question marks, with no sure bets.

"If we look at last year as a template, I don't expect the gap to close significantly," says Billboard chart director Geoff Mayfield. "At the same time, I don't expect it to get a lot wider. The last two months will be when the record stores do a significant percentage of their business, but it's not fair to expect the big horses to sew up the gap."

The race intensifies with next Tuesday's bounty of new releases, including potential chart toppers by Outkast, Limp Bizkit, Nickelback and Dave Matthews. Britney Spears, Pink and American Idol champs Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard may be among hot sellers that provide a second wind during the last laps.

Fall sales as a percentage of each year's total have been falling slightly, from 42.6% in 1998 to 40.4% in 2002. The variations may be a result of such pre-fall whoppers as 'N Sync's Celebrity in August 2001 (1.9 million copies the first week) or The Eminem Show in June 2002 (2.4 million copies in three weeks).

This year has yielded very few blockbusters aside from 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', the leader with 5.9 million copies sold since February. No album this year has sold more than 1 million copies in a single week. And none of the fourth-quarter releases seem poised to break that unhappy trend.

'Purple People Eater' Singer Wooley Dies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Sheb Wooley, a veteran actor in westerns like "High Noon" who also recorded the No. 1 pop ditty "Purple People Eater," has died, his wife said. He was 82.

Wooley suffered from leukemia beginning in 1996 and was hospitalized Monday at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville. He had just paid respects to American music legend Johnny Cash on Sunday, said his wife Linda.

"It was just his time to go," she said.

Wooley, who died Tuesday, appeared in more than 60 movies, acted in some 50 television shows and recorded pop and country songs.

On the big screen, Wooley appeared in mostly westerns beginning in 1950. His credits included "High Noon" (as a whiskey-drinking killer), "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "The War Wagon," "Distant Drums," "Man Without a Star," "Giant" and "Hoosiers."

"The Purple People Eater," about an unidentified flying object, sold 3 million copies in 1958 as a No. 1 pop record.

The song had people across the country singing:

"It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater."

In a 1982 Associated Press interview, Wooley recalled the era.

"The space age was upon us. Everyone was thinking about rockets and wondering if maybe we would find people up there. I still wonder if we will. People (heard the song) and imagined some kind of beings."

He also was in a movie of that name released in 1988, starring Ned Beatty and Shelley Winters.

On TV, Wooley starred as scout Pete Nolan on "Rawhide," a western that helped launch the career of Clint Eastwood.

"We called him 'mumbles,'" Wooley once said about Eastwood. "He didn't speak his words very loud. The sound man was always saying, 'Kid, speak up!' But he mumbled his way to a fortune."

As recently as 1990, Wooley made a guest appearance on "Murder She Wrote." Other TV credits included "The Lone Ranger" and "Death Valley Days."

He recorded a string of hit records from 1958 through the 1960s, mostly country humor songs, including "Don't Go Near the Eskimos" and "Talk Back Blubbering Lips." Some were recorded under his alter ego, Ben Colder. He was voted comedian of the year by the Country Music Association in 1968.

He also wrote the theme song of the long-running TV show "Hee Haw."

Born Shelby F. Wooley in Erick, Okla., he spent his early years on his father's farm. As a teenager, he did some rodeo riding that helped him find jobs later in movie westerns. A genuine cowboy, he participated in a six-day cattle drive in Montana in 1989.
 
In high school, he formed a band and later had a network radio show for three years. He signed with MGM Records before making his way into movies.

Funeral services will be at "high noon" Monday, at his request, at First Baptist Church in nearby Hendersonville.

Rimes Readies 'Greatest' CD, DVD Set

"LeAnn Rimes Greatest Hits (To Be Continued)" will include 15 favorites from the just-turned-21 singer, as well as a pair of new songs. Due the same day will be a DVD version of the album, with videos, concert and behind-the scenes footage and home movies.

"Turning 21 is one of those rare moments that you can take to look back on your progress and look forward to the future at the same time," Rimes says in a statement. "This collection gives me the opportunity to take that look musically and share it with my fans."

One of the new songs, "The Weight of Love," was recently recorded in Nashville with fellow country artist Keith Urban, who contributes guitar to the cut. The second new song is not yet complete.

Among the "Greatest Hits" filling the collection are "Blue," "I Need You" and "Can't Fight the Moonlight." Also featured are newer songs "Life Goes On" and "We Can."

Following a short break to finish the new songs, Rimes' U.S. tour continues Friday (Sept. 19) in Merrillville, Ind. Together with Urban, she'll kick off a tour down under Oct. 17 in Auckland, New Zealand, and will be back on U.S. soil for a Nov. 1 show in Honolulu. She'll also appear on the Nov. 5 episode of the CBS primetime news series "48 Hours."

With a performance schedule that stretches into the fall, the release of a Rimes holiday album that was expected this year has been postponed.

Rimes' latest Curb album, 2002's "Twisted Angel," debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and No. 12 on The Billboard 200. The set has sold 384,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Britney Makes 'Music' With Madonna

As if their open-mouth kiss on the MTV Video Music Awards wasn't enough, Britney Spears and Madonna have teamed up on the first single from Spears' new album, according to her Jive Records Web site. "Me Against the Music," which Spears debuted earlier this month at the NFL kick-off concert in Washington, D.C., will be submitted Sept. 30 to U.S. radio outlets for airplay consideration. A video for the cut premieres Oct. 13 on MTV.

Spears' album, "Get in the Zone," will arrive Nov. 18 and may include contributions from P. Diddy, R. Kelly and the production team the Matrix, among others. Another new song, "Breathe on Me," was performed live during a surprise mini-concert in Las Vegas last weekend.

Billboard.com has learned Spears will tour North American arenas next year, although details have yet to be announced.

"Get in the Zone" will be the follow-up to Spears' 2001 album "Britney," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 4.2 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Three New Novelists Among Booker Nominees

LONDON - Three first-time novelists have made the shortlist of nominees for this year's Booker Prize for fiction, leaving some famous writers out of the running.
 
"Brick Lane" by Monica Ali, "Vernon God Little" by D.B.C. Pierre, and "Astonishing Splashes of Colour" by Clare Morrall, are all the authors' first published novels.

The three other contenders for Britain's most prestigious literary award, announced by judges on Tuesday, are Margaret Atwood for "Oryx and Crake," Zoe Heller for "Notes on a Scandal" and "The Good Doctor" by South African writer Damon Galgut.

John Carey, chairman of the judges, said this year's list was notable for the number of debut novelists and the lack of star names such as Martin Amis and J.M. Coetzee, whose books — "Yellow Dog" and "Elizabeth Costello" respectively — didn't make it to the finals.

"This has been David's year, not Goliath's," Carey said. "None of the big names who started out as favorites are here except for Atwood. ... It's happened that the big names this year didn't produce big books."

The winner of the prize, to be announced Oct. 14, will receive $80,000.

Old, New Acts Highlight AMA Nominations

LOS ANGELES - Veteran performers, including Fleetwood Mac, Celine Dion and Cher, mixed with youngsters Beyonce and Avril Lavigne on the list of nominees for the 31st annual American Music Awards.

Dion received two nominations Tuesday, for favorite female pop-rock artist and favorite adult contemporary artist, where she's up against Cher and Norah Jones.

Jones, whose folksy, sensuous voice earned her five Grammys earlier this year, is also vying for favorite pop-rock album for her platinum debut "Come Away With Me."

No clear favorites emerged Tuesday, with two nominations each going to R. Kelly, Luther Vandross, Ashanti and Beyonce in the soul-R&B category, Shania Twain in the country category and Sean Paul and Missy Elliott in the rap-hip hop category.

Rapper Eminem also received two nods for favorite male rapper and for the soundtrack to his semi-autobiographical film "8 Mile."

The 20 awards will be presented during a ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Nov. 16, aired on ABC. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is the emcee.

The nominations are based on sales figures and radio play. Winners are selected by a survey of about 20,000 listeners. The nominees:

Pop-Rock:

- Male Artist: Clay Aiken, Kid Rock, John Mayer, Justin Timberlake.

- Female Artist: Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez.

- Band, Duo or Group: Fleetwood Mac, matchbox twenty, 3 Doors Down.

- Album: "Fallen," Evanescence; "Come Away With Me," Norah Jones; "Cocky," Kid Rock; "Justified," Justin Timberlake.

Soul-R&B:

- Male Artist: Ginuwine, Jaheim, R. Kelly, Luther Vandross.

- Female Artist: Aaliyah, Ashanti, Beyonce.

- Band, Duo or Group: B2K, Dru Hill, The Isley Brothers.

- Album: "Chapter II," Ashanti; "Dangerously In Love," Beyonce; "Chocolate Factory," R. Kelly; "Dance With My Father," Luther Vandross.

 
Country:

- Male Artist: Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw.

- Female Artist: Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Shania Twain.

- Band, Duo or Group: Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, Dixie Chicks.

- Album: "Unleashed," Toby Keith; "Tim McGraw & The Dancehall Doctors," Tim McGraw; "Melt," Rascal Flatts; "Up!" Shania Twain.

Rap-Hip Hop:

- Male Artist: Eminem, 50 Cent, Nelly, Sean Paul.

- Female Artist: Missy Elliott, Eve, Lil' Kim.

- Band, Duo or Group: Black Eyed Peas, Bone Crusher, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz.

- Album: "Under Construction," Missy Elliott; "Get Rich Or Die Tryin,'" 50 Cent; "Dutty Rock," Sean Paul; "8 Mile," Soundtrack.

Adult Contemporary:

- Artist: Cher, Celine Dion, Norah Jones.

Latin Music:

- Artist: Kumbia Kings, Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel.

Alternative Music:

- Artist: Coldplay, Linkin Park, Metallica.

Contemporary Inspirational:

- Artist: Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe, Third Day.

'8 Simple Rules' to Go on Despite Ritter's Death

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ABC said on Tuesday it was reshaping its hit comedy show "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" following the sudden death of main star John Ritter, and taking the TV family through the loss of a beloved father.

Saying it was entering "uncharted waters" for prime-time network television, ABC executives said all those associated with the show, including Ritter's widow Amy Yasbeck, wanted to continue.

But since there was no question of replacing Ritter as the stay-at-home TV dad with two troublesome teenage daughters, the network decided to write real life into the storyline.

"Future episodes will take viewers into the Hennessy household as they experience the loss of a beloved father and construct a new life," Lloyd Braun, chairman of the ABC Entertainment Television Group, told reporters.

Ritter, 54, collapsed in Burbank last Thursday while filming the fourth episode of the upcoming second season of the show. He died in hospital of a previously undetected heart ailment.

His death not only robbed American audiences of a favorite TV star but left the ailing ABC network facing a tough choice days before launching its new prime-time lineup in which "8 Simple Rules" was considered a linchpin.

The show proved to be ABC's highest-rated comedy in 2002, placing a respectable 43 among nearly 190 prime time shows. It helped the network, which trails CBS, FOX and NBC in ratings, reestablish itself as the home of family-friendly comedies.

ABC had been widely expected to shelve the series given the central part played by Ritter's character in the comedic father-daughter dynamic.

But executives said they would go ahead on Sept. 23. as scheduled with airing the three new episodes of "8 Simple Rules," and then air repeats while the writers and cast worked on the comedy show's sudden transformation into tragedy.

"We are going some place that no other show has gone, but it feels right," said Susan Lyne, president ABC Entertainment.

"We don't pretend to have a roadmap here; as in life, we will take it an episode at a time and find laughs where they feel natural and right," Lyne said.

ABC said it had not yet figured out how Ritter's TV character would die, nor many other details of how what started as a laugh-a-minute sitcom would continue to win ratings as a large as life tragedy.

Few TV sitcoms have found a formula for success after the death or departure of key actors. CBS tried writing in the death of the character played by comedian Redd Foxx in "The Royal Family" after the actor's own death a month after the show premiered in 1991, but the series did not catch on.

ABC admitted that a ratings-friendly transition of "8 Simple Rules" would be unprecedented for network television but executives declined to specify how long they would give the series to succeed.

"We are committed to returning this show and having it continue as a dominant show on our network but we all realize this is uncharted territory," Braun said.

New Video And DVD's For You To Buy

One huge Hollywood film that did well and two small movies that hardly anyone saw debut on video this week. And I must admit that the one everyone saw isn't half as good as the other two that everyone stayed away from, which is too bad because with the big movie's star power and premise it should have been great.

But ANGER MANAGEMENT isn't great. Its barely even okay. Adam Sandler of Big Daddy is a passive, calm man who is forced into undergoing anger management therapy with a dysfunctional therapist. The one and only Jack Nicholson is the therapist and with him and Sandler in this picture on paper it should have been one of the best comedies ever! On film, and now on video and DVD, ANGER MANAGEMENT is merely a mildly entertaining comedy. I don't think I laughed once, and I love Adam Sandler's work. His BILLY MADISON and HAPPY GILMORE are movies I watch all the time. I doubt I'll ever watch ANGER MANAGEMENT again.

I must admit that I will watch CONFIDENCE again, and not just because it stars Rachel Weisz from ABOUT A BOY and THE MUMMY, the actress I have a crush on this month.

CONFIDENCE is a heist caper in which the heist is unimportant. What is important is the wonderful dialogue that is spoken throughout the movie. Edward Burns, Andy Garcia and Dustin Hoffman also star in this movie which is derivative of almost every con man movie you've ever seen, but you won't care as it copies from some of the very best.

Finally, after being delayed more times than I can remember CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND is supposed to be available again today. The movie is based on the memoirs of game-show creator-host Chuck Barris, the man responsible for The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show.

This movie doesn't only cover Barris's television career, but also his exploits as a government assassin.

Yes, you heard me right. TV Game show guy Chuck Barris claims to have been an assassin for the U.S. Government. In real life that claim is unsubstantiated, but has also not been disproved, so while watching the movie you can believe what you want. I believe him, it made the film more fun!

Sam Rockwell from the upcoming film MATCHSTICK MEN stars as Barris, while a trio of Hollywood's biggest stars, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts and George Clooney - who also directed - round out the cast. Plus there are some great cameos that I won't tell you about. I just don't want to ruin the surprise!

Like I said, this thing keeps getting delayed, so call your local store before you go looking for it in case it gets delayed again.

Finally this week the incredible 1970 TV series SOAP debuts in a COMPLETE FIRST SEASON DVD set. Known by some as the funniest comedy of all-time, SOAP is also renowned because it was the first TV show to feature a gay leading character. Who was that actor? It was Billy Crystal.

COMING NEXT WEEK

Daddy Day Care - A couple of fathers open up a guy-run child daycare. (Eddie Murphy, Anjelica Huston, Susan Santiago)

Holes - An innocent teen is sent to a weird detention camp. (Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette)

A Mighty Wind - A trio of folk acts reunite for a tribute concert in this wonderful comedy from the makers of THIS IS SPINAL TAP, BEST IN SHOW and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN. (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer)

The Shape Of Things - A story of love, seduction and betrayal. (Paul Rudd, Gretchen Mol, Rachel Weisz)

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

Here are the new CD releases for Tuesday September 16, 2003:

* A PERFECT CIRCLE Thirteenth Step (Capitol)
* DAVID BOWIE Reality (Columbia)
* OBIE TRICE Cheers (Interscope)
* SHELBY LYNNE Identity Crisis (EMI)
* TONI BRAXTON Toni Braxton (Blackground)

Corgan Pulls Plug On Zwan

Billy Corgan's post-Smashing Pumpkins band Zwan has broken up, he told Chicago's WGN Monday morning. "A couple of people asked me, 'Why didn't you tell anybody?' I'm sort of out of the period of my life when I run around trying to generate news," he said.

As previously reported, Zwan -- which featured bassist Paz Lenchantin, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarists David Pajo and Matt Sweeney -- canceled a planned summer tour due to "family matters." Lenchantin quit Zwan last month to join Pajo's Papa M project for a fall tour and studio album.

"I really enjoyed my experience with Zwan, but at the end of the day, without that sense of deeper family loyalty, it just becomes like anything else," Corgan said. Zwan's lone Reprise album, "Mary, Star of the Sea," debuted earlier this year at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 267,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Our attitude in the Pumpkins was, it was a do or die proposition, and that got us through all the hard times we went through, particularly with the Pumpkins where we had two members with serious drug problems," he continued.

As previously reported, Corgan will participate in a multimedia poetry performance Wednesday in his Chicago hometown, opening the Poetry Center of Chicago's 31st Annual Reading Series at the Art Institute of Chicago's Rubloff Auditorium. The performance, expected to incorporate elements of singing, reading and playing music, will also serve as a promotional preview of Corgan's forthcoming poetry book.

Musicians Honor Johnny Cash at Funeral

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. - Family, friends and musicians gathered at Johnny Cash's funeral Monday to pay tribute to a giant in American music.

"He represented the best of America; we're not going to see his like again," said singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, who wrote Cash's 1970 hit "Sunday Morning Coming Down."

More than 1,000 people attended the private two-and-a-half-hour service at First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, about 15 miles north of Nashville — the same church where Cash mourned the death of his wife, June Carter Cash, in May.

Cash, 71, died Friday of respiratory failure caused by complications from diabetes. He had been in declining health for years.

"I can almost live in a world without Johnny Cash because he will always be with us," said Cash's daughter, singer Rosanne Cash. "I cannot begin to imagine a world without Daddy."

Among the celebrities attending were country singers Vince Gill, Hank Williams Jr., Travis Tritt, Dwight Yoakam, George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, Ronnie Dunn, the Statler Brothers and the Oak Ridge Boys.

Other celebrities in attendance included rock-rapper Kid Rock, actress Jane Seymour and former Vice President Al Gore, a native of Tennessee.

Kristofferson called Cash "Abraham Lincoln with a wild side" — a man always willing to champion the voiceless and downtrodden, "whose work in life has been an inspiration and salvation to so many people around the world."

The Rev. Franklin Graham — son of Cash's friend, the Rev. Billy Graham — called Cash "a good man who also struggled with many challenges in his life. He was a deeply religious man."

Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow sang the gospel hymn, "The Old Rugged Cross" and Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand."

Cash, known as "The Man in Black" for his preferred attire, said in a hit song that he wore the color in honor of the poor and oppressed. He was buried in a black coffin with silver handles.

As the service came to end, country singer Larry Gatlin addressed his own son, Joshua Cash Gatlin, from the pulpit: "Son, this man fed your mama and me when we couldn't afford food. He paid rent for us when we couldn't pay rent."

For more than four decades, beginning in the 1950s as a peer of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Cash specialized in earthy songs about hard times and brooding love songs. His hits range from the rockabilly anthem "Get Rhythm," to the comical "A Boy Named Sue," to the recent "Hurt," about the ravages of drug abuse.

Cash rose to fame in his late 20s, but his career was nearly derailed by an addiction to pills. He credited his wife, Carter Cash, whom he married in 1968, for helping him beat the addiction.

His commercial peak was from 1969-71 when he had a network television show with guests including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Kristofferson.

After a dip in record sales that lasted nearly two decades, Cash partnered with rock-rap producer Rick Rubin and recorded four critically lauded albums that found him a new, younger audience.

After the death of Carter Cash in May, Cash spent most of his time recording, leaving more than 30 songs yet to be released. He had planned to attend the MTV Video Music Awards shortly before his death, but couldn't because of illness. His video for "Hurt" won an award for cinematography at that show, and he has four nominations at the Country Music Association Awards in November.  

Gatlin, Marty Stuart and producer Randy Scruggs were among the active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers included Kristofferson; Rubin; singers Rodney Crowell and Willie Nelson; Marshall Grant, who played bass in Cash's original band; and his brother Tommy Cash.

A public memorial was also being planned.

John Ritter Remembered in Private Service

LOS ANGELES - Actor John Ritter was remembered by his family and close friends at a private service Monday, four days after his sudden death.

Ritter's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, did not release details of the service. She said a public memorial was being planned and Ritter's friends and colleagues will pay tribute to him in an ABC News special.

"A Life of Laughter: Remembering John Ritter," an hour-long program anchored by Diane Sawyer, will air at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

Those scheduled to be part of the special include Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt, who costarred with Ritter in the 1977-84 sitcom "Three's Company," and Katey Sagal, his co-star on the ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter."

Ritter, 54, died last Thursday after suffering a tear in his aorta. He was stricken while on the set of "8 Simple Rules."

ABC was weighing the future of the show, which was to start its second season Sept. 23 and was seen as a key part of the network's effort to rebound in the ratings.

Destiny's Child to Reunite in January

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Beyonce Knowles says she and Destiny's Child cohorts Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams will reunite in the studio early next year to begin work on their first album of new material together in more than two years.

The last studio record by the Grammy-winning rhythm and blues trio was "Survivor" in 2001.

"Destiny's Child will be back in the studio in January," Knowles said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.

The three singers parted company in late 2001 to pursue solo projects. Knowles cemented her own celebrity status as Foxxy Cleopatra in the 2002 film "Austin Powers in Goldmember," then scored a hit earlier this year with her solo record, "Dangerously in Love."

Rowland made her solo debut with last year's "Simply Deep," while Williams released a gospel/soul record titled "Heart to Yours."

Knowles, who stars in the upcoming film "The Fighting Temptations," opening on Friday, has kept particularly busy. She may issue another collection of her own songs before the new Destiny's Child effort.

"I recorded about 45 songs for my record, but only put 15 on it," Knowles said. "I still have a lot of songs that I really love that I couldn't put on the record. So I might be releasing another record of my unreleased songs before the Destiny's Child record comes out."

Knowles said she hopes the trio can take a few months to work on some new material and find a fresh sound.

"I want us to work together from the very start on every song because everybody has grown so much," she said. "It's been a couple of years. I know the sound is going to mature and be a little different. We have to figure it out.

"Kelly made an alternative record and Michelle's was gospel. We've got to mix it all together and figure out what we're really going to do."

Destiny's Child, which began more than a decade ago as a foursome in Houston, emerged as a reconstituted trio following the acrimonious departure of two co-founding members of the group in 1999.

Knowles, Rowland and Williams became a dominant pop music force in the spring of 2000, producing a string of multi-platinum albums and such hit singles as "Say My Name," "Jumpin', Jumpin"' and "Bootylicious."

The group's third album of new material, "Survivor," debuted in May 2001 at No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts and sold more than 3 million copies.

Macy, 'Door-To-Door' Look Like Emmy Winners

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With the Emmys less than a week away, Hollywood is playing guessing games over possible winners of the television industry's top awards, but at least one actor seems considered a shoo-in, William H. Macy.

Macy, one of Hollywood's top character actors, is nominated for best actor in a TV movie for playing Bill Porter, a salesman afflicted with cerebral palsy, in 2002's "Door to Door," which aired on the TNT cable network to 7.3 million viewers and can be seen on video and DVD.

The show already won a prestigious Peabody Award for excellence on TV, earned Macy best TV movie actor honors from the Screen Actors Guild, and received 12 Emmy nominations overall, more than any other original TV movie this year.

"A couple of these awards shows are really special ... The Emmys are huge, they are the granddaddy" of TV awards, Macy told Reuters in a recent interview. "I'm very, very pleased."

Tom O'Neil, who hosts the goldderby.com web site and is the author of "The Emmys," thinks Macy is the clear front-runner in his group, and believes his performance is so strong, it will likely lead "Door to Door" to the Emmy for best TV movie when the awards are handed out on Sunday, Sept. 21.

"Some critics regard this movie, respectively, as one of the great achievements in his career," O'Neil said.

Macy said one primary benefit of all the recognition is that it generally leads to more acting jobs, although it is hard to believe Macy has trouble getting work.

The actor, 53, began his career in the 1970s working with playwright David Mamet, but it was 1996's Coen brothers film "Fargo" that proved to be his breakout movie and made his face recognizable among audiences. Most recently, he played horse racing commentator Tick Tock McGlaughlin in "Seabiscuit."

PORTER POWER

He and writing partner Steve Schachter came across the true story of Bill Porter, a cerebral palsy, or CP, victim and door-to-door salesman for Watkins home products in Portland, Oregon, by watching a TV news magazine story about Porter. The pair decided Porter's story was so compelling, it would make a good movie.

Cerebral Palsy describes chronic conditions that all affect muscle coordination, and it is caused by faulty development or damage to motor skills areas of the brain.

Basically, Porter overcame his disability to eventually wind up as one of Watkins' top door-to-door salesmen. When the daily trips around the neighborhood became history at Watkins, Porter moved his operation online, and people can still buy products from him at his website.

Macy said writers often go wrong in telling stories about people with disabilities because they focus on the problem and not the person.

With "Door-to-Door," Macy and Schachter started with the person, his strengths and his weaknesses, then crafted the story. Porter is fiercely independent, but his independence sometimes gets him into trouble.

"He's so full of pride that he can't accept help from people, and what he learns is that its very human to ask for and receive help," Macy said.

Macy said some Hollywood movies try to endow disabled people with charm, and added "that rings false to me." He said writers often go awry if they try to tell an able person's story, and just simply insert a disabled person into the tale.

As an actor, Macy said he tried to mimic Porter's every move as close as he could to keep the story real. The film is no woe-is-me tale.
 
"This is a story about a really cool guy who happened to have CP," Macy said.

"Door-to-Door," too, has lured the actor into supporting efforts of the United Cerebral Palsy organization to promote social change and progress for people with disabilities.

"It's great to get out and do something that is new and not about me," Macy said.

Cradle Of Life

Just in are the final specs for Tomb Raider 2: The Cradle of Life, which Paramount Home Entertainment will release on November 18th. While this Jan de Bont-helmed sequel failed to generate much box office heat, it will likely find a more welcome home on DVD. Available in separate anamorphic widescreen and pan & scan versions, each will feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, audio commentary with director Jan De Bont, six deleted scenes and an alternate ending, five featurettes, two music videos and trailers.

LISA MARIE: JACKO A SACKO WACKO

Wacko Jacko's sex romps with ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley left Elvis' daughter breathless and wanting more.

But the bizarro 45- year-old pop star never went to bed without makeup on - and beat it out of the bedroom anytime Lisa Marie would switch on the lights, according to a sensational new book on Jacko's weird world.

"Apparently, Michael is hot stuff in bed," Lisa Marie's friend, Monica Pastelle, told J. Randy Taraborrelli, whose update of his book, "Michael Jackson: The Magic and The Madness," caused ripples when it was excerpted last week in London's Daily Mail.

"Lisa said he was amazing. And she's been around. Everyone was saying, 'No way, Lisa. It can't be true. Michael Jackson? Are we talking about the Michael Jackson, the one with the glove?' But she wasn't joking."

Pastelle said the odd couple, who split in January 1996 after secretly tying the knot in May 1994, spiced up their sex sessions with "role playing" - but that Jacko wouldn't let her see his body if the lights were on.

"The first time, she went to turn on the lights afterwards, and he leapt out of bed and ran into the bathroom so she wouldn't see his body," she said.

"He emerged 20 minutes later, in full makeup and wearing a silk robe. Then they went at it again. They were into role-playing games, although Lisa would never say who was playing what kind of roles."

Also according to Taraborrelli's tome, Jacko:

* First asked Lisa Marie to have his child, and hoped they could do it without having to have sex. He then turned to friend Debbie Rowe.

* Was driven to plastic surgery by his allegedly abusive father. "Michael's motive was to avoid looking like his father, the man he detested and whose broad-nosed face he saw looking back at him in the mirror," according to Taraborrelli.

* Because his nose collapsed after 10 operations, Jacko now wears a "prosthetic nose tip and disguises it with thick stage makeup."

* Feared he'd have to have sex with pal Elizabeth Taylor if they moved in together, as they were planning, before the faded pop star bought Neverland. The friends even discussed tying the knot.

* Only feels safe at Neverland.

2004 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees Set

Former Beatle George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne are among the nominees on the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot.

Harrison, who died of cancer in November 2001, is already in the rock hall as a member of the Beatles. Former bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney preceded him for their solo work. Both Harrison and Mellencamp are former Billboard Century Award honorees.

Previous nominees back for another try include the Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gram Parsons and Patti Smith. Other nominees include the Dells, the "5" Royales, Bob Seger, the Stooges, Traffic and ZZ Top.

Ballots were mailed this week to voting members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released. The inductees likely will be announced in December.

Various Cash CD, Video Projects Due

Purely coincidentally and unrelated to his death last week, several Johnny Cash audio and video projects will be released in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, Columbia Legacy will release a 12-track collection, "Christmas With Johnny Cash." The set features the legendary country artist performing such traditional favorites as "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day," "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World."

On Sept. 23, Eagle Rock Entertainment will issue "Johnny Cash, A Concert: Behind Prison Walls" on CD and DVD/VHS. Shot in 1976, the film features shows Cash performing for inmates at Nashville's Tennessee State Penitentiary accompanied by Linda Rondstadt and Roy Clark.

The latest edition in the Starbucks Coffee Company/Hear Music series "Artist's Choice" series was assembled by Cash. The set features tracks by Eddy Arnold, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Glenn Campbell and Mahalia Jackson, among others, with comments on each in the liner notes.

For album opener, Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues," Cash wrote: "We came to a point, my voice teacher and I, where she was ready to throw up her hands because I was not going to budge from the way I was singing. And she said, 'Okay, sing something you like.' So I sang Hank Williams' 'Lovesick Blues.' And she put down her books and closed them up and said, 'Don't ever let anybody try to give you voice lessons again.' And so that was the beginning of my professional career, I guess."

The 14-track compilation is currently available exclusively through Hear Music and Starbucks outlets in the U.S. and Canada. It will be available beginning Sept. 23 via traditional retailers.

As previously reported, Cash and producer Rick Rubin had been working on a box set that may see release before Christmas. Tentatively titled "Unearthed," the collection will most likely span five discs, four of which will be composed entirely of previously unreleased material. The fifth disc would be a compilation of tracks highlighting past four Cash studio albums, each recorded and produced by Rubin for his American Recordings label.

The previously unreleased material will come from recording sessions for the four "American Recordings" albums Cash released over the past decade. It's also possible that more recently recorded fare could make the set, as Rubin told Billboard.com last month he and Cash had began working on songs after his wife, June Carter Cash, died in May.

"He kind of made a decision," Rubin said. "He called me a couple of days after June passed and said that he really has dedicated his life to work and wants to be busy all the time and focused on songs. That's what he wants to do, so that's what we're going to do [and] that's what we've been doing."

TICKET TO LEGAL FIGHT

The Beatles management company, Apple Corps., seeking a court injunction against Apple Computer Inc. on Friday, claiming the computer company breached the band's trademark by using the Apple name in the moniker for its Apple iTunes online music store.

POSTPONED

Britney Spears' new album will not be released on November 25 as previously announced by her record label, Jive Records, a statement on the singer's official website confirmed. No word when it will hit stores.

EMMY PREVIEW

Actress Alfre Woodard and actor Charles S. Dutton named best guest actor and actress in a drama series at the creative arts Emmy Awards, a warm-up to the main event airing on Fox on September 21. Gene Wilder and Christina Applegate won best guest actor and actress in a comedy series for their appearances on Will & Grace and Friends respectively.

REST IN PEACE

Johnny Cash, who died Friday from complications due to diabetes at the age of 71, will be laid to rest next to his wife, June Carter Cash, following a private service Monday near their home north of Nashville.

Denys Arcand's Barbarian Invasions wins best Cdn feature at Toronto film fest

TORONTO (CP) -- The Barbarian Invasions, Quebec filmmaker Denys Arcand's much-lauded sequel to his 1980s film Decline of the American Empire, was a big winner at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival.

A reflection of the intergenerational changes going on in Quebec society, it won the Toronto-City Award for best Canadian feature film, while a Japanese film, Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi -- a mythic story of a seemingly frail masseur who is actually the deadliest swordsman in the land -- won the People's Choice Award, voted on by festival audiences.

"This is a great festival, by the way," Arcand said as he accepted his trophy at an awards brunch Sunday. "You people don't know how lucky you are. I mean, this is the greatest, such a great festival run by people who love films and filmmakers and who treat us so wonderfully. You're very lucky and I am very lucky, so thank you very much."

Arcand's film was the festival's opening gala Sept. 4.

Other winners include:

-- Rhinoceros Eyes, a Canada-U.S. co-production by Toronto's Aaron Woodley, about a man with a loose grip on reality, won the Discovery Award.

-- Aspiration, by Montrealer Constant Mentzas, a lyrical examination of a man's silent anguish and isolation, took the Best Canadian Short Film award.

-- Love, Sex and Eating the Bones, by Torontonian Sudz Sutherland, a fun and sexy look at contemporary urban relationships, won the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature.

-- November, from Spanish director Achero Manas, won the FIPRESCI Prize, awarded by a jury of international film critics for "its freshness, its original blending of fiction and documentary techniques, its humanistic message and the high quality of all performances."

Over its 10-day run, the festival, now regarded as the most important in North America and second only to Cannes globally, showed 339 films from 55 countries, including 63 world and 104 North American premieres.

Festival director Piers Handling concluded the 28th edition of the annual film fest was pretty amazing.

"We ducked the bullet of SARS, luckily," Handling said, conceding they were wondering just what kind of festival it would be after months of uncertainty over the outbreak that wreaked havoc on the city's economy and kept tourists away in droves.

"Whether the films would be here, whether the stars would be here, and clearly at the end of it all, it was perhaps our most successful edition."

Arcand, who had just returned to Toronto overnight from promotional visits to London, Paris and Berlin, admitted he was jet-lagged but immensely pleased and grateful.

"A lot of filmmakers would love to be in my shoes right now, I'm not complaining," he said. "It's a nice feeling when you see that you've touched people, that they appreciate what you do."

Admitting he was overwhelmed and stunned by his award, Woodley could offer only a "Wow!" at first.

He said just to be invited to the festival was honour enough, but had a special thanks for his mother, Denise Cronenberg, who was also the film's costume designer as well as, he added, an inspiration.

"This award is for you, mom, thank you!" he said to applause.

Aspirations director Mentzas carried humility to new lengths when he conceded to the audience that he thought his short film was slow-moving.

"It has really not had high ratings among viewers. You know, most people think it's really slow and they really took a wonderful risk in screening it. And I really would like to thank the jury for (sitting) through it and not falling asleep."

Sutherland said he began as a volunteer at the Toronto festival and that it was a dream to be invited now as a filmmaker.

"You know the story. It's sweat and tears and blood."

Runners-up in the People Choice Award category included Ron Mann's Go Further and The Corporation by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott.

Neither Manas nor any representative of his film was present so the award was accepted by FIPRESCI jury president Dan Fainaru.

"I am going to take this diploma with me, carry it to San Sebastian where the film is being shown in competition, and give it to him personally. At least I know he'll get it."

'Once Upon a Time' Tops Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Johnny Depp has made another transformation: oddball actor to box office moneymaker.

The star known for playing eccentrics in cult favorites such as "Ed Wood" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is establishing himself as a major box office draw with two films this weekend in the top five.

"Once Upon a Time in Mexico," starring Antonio Banderas as a mariachi-musician gunslinger and Depp as a sleazy CIA agent, debuted in first place with $24 million, according to industry estimates Sunday.

It was Depp's second consecutive No. 1 debut after the summertime hit "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

"Pirates," still performing strongly in its 10th week of release, came in at No. 5 with $4.6 million. So far, it has earned $288 million, making it the second highest-grossing movie of the year, behind "Finding Nemo."

Analysts said Depp's comical sashaying swashbuckler in "Pirates" may have helped sell audiences on "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," which was written and directed by Robert Rodriguez as a sequel to his films "El Mariachi" and "Desperado."

"Johnny Depp's career has been very interesting but he's normally not in the big blockbusters," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. "Suddenly, he's in the No. 1 and No. 5 movie in the same weekend. For any actor that's great, and for Johnny Depp it's totally unexpected and welcome."

Depp has had blockbusters before, such as "Sleepy Hollow" (1999) and "Chocolat" (2000), and modest hits like "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) and "Donnie Brasco" (1997), but they have been few and far between the respected but little-seen cult films like "Dead Man," "Ed Wood," "Benny & Joon" and "Fear and Loathing."

The first weekend's ticket sales for "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" nearly matched the total $25.4 million theatrical gross for 1995's "Desperado," which starred Banderas but not Depp.

The Nicolas Cage caper "Matchstick Men," about a con man and his daughter, opened in second place with $13.3 million, a modest debut consistent with some of Cage's recent underperforming films such as "Windtalkers" and "Captain Corelli's Mandolin."

"This wasn't the kind of film that could strike across-the-board appeal," said Brandon Gray, proprietor of BoxOfficeMojo.com. "He opened this about as well as it could be opened."

The cheaply made trapped-in-the-woods horror film "Cabin Fever" opened in third place with $8.5 million.

"It's a great weekend for horror and it's been a good season for horror," Dergarabedian said, citing the success of such recent slasher-monster films as "Jeepers Creepers 2" and "Freddy vs. Jason."

Ticket sales overall bounced back from last weekend's dismal earnings of $50.5 million, the lowest box office weekend in two years with "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" at No. 1. This weekend, "Dickie Roberts" fell to fourth place with $5 million.

The Bill Murray dramedy "Lost in Translation" debuted with $901,143 in just 23 theaters, posting an outstanding per-screen average of $39,180. The film opens in 125 theaters next weekend.

The top 12 movies grossed $73.5 million, up 45 percent from last week and about 1 percent from last year, when "Barbershop" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" topped the box office.

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. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," $24 million.
2. "Matchstick Men," $13.3 million.
3. "Cabin Fever," $8.5 million.
4. "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," $5 million.
5. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $4.6 million.
6. "Freaky Friday," $4.1 million.
7. "Jeepers Creepers 2," $3 million.
8. "Open Range," $2.809 million.
9. "S.W.A.T.", $2.800 million.
10. "Seabiscuit," $2.7 million.

Affleck, Lopez Split -- at Least Temporarily

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have split, at least temporarily, sources close to Affleck told Reuters on Sunday.

The pair were seen on Friday in the Los Angeles area boarding planes to different U.S. cities, after postponing weekend wedding plans due to a media frenzy, said the sources, who wished to remain anonymous.

The sources said that sometime last week Affleck called close associates telling them that he and Lopez had broken up. On Saturday Affleck was spotted gambling and sunning himself without Lopez at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, they said.

Meanwhile, sources said that Lopez on Friday flew to her Miami residence and had made plans to head to Winnipeg where she is filming a new movie with Richard Gere.

It was not certain if the break-up would be permanent, the sources said.

Representatives for the pair could not immediately be reached for comment. People magazine reported that the representatives said they had no knowledge of the break-up.

The pair, who reportedly planned to wed on Sunday at an estate in the hills near Santa Barbara, California, said in a joint statement last Wednesday that they had postponed the nuptials because of unwanted publicity.

However after making that announcement, the couple were seen together at the trendy Los Angeles restaurant, The Ivy.

Lopez, 33, and Affleck, 31, are currently America's hottest celebrity couple, but doubts were cast over their engagement when stories surfaced in tabloids and magazines last month about Affleck visiting a strip club without Lopez in July. Lopez publicly shrugged off Affleck's night out.

One source familiar with the couple said that a request by Lopez for a prenuptial agreement may have chilled wedding plans.

The couple also suffered bad publicity when their first movie together, "Gigli," was panned by critics and flopped at the box office in the summer.

Cash had many Canadian fans

TORONTO -- Johnny Cash's huge popularity in Canada was earned the hard way, by endless road trips that covered small communities from La Ronge, Sask., to Lucan, Ont.

Cash, who died Friday in Nashville, played the big venues, including Maple Leaf Gardens and the Canadian National Exhibition, repeatedly in his five-decade career.

But the Man in Black also brought his guitar to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., at least five times. He walked the line in Kamloops, B.C., and Grand Prairie, Alta.

He also helped promote performers who later became some of Canada's best-known artists.

"Cash introduced mainstream country music to a lot of music fans for the first time," Larry Leblanc, Canadian bureau chief for Billboard Magazine, said Friday.
Leblanc cited Cash's TV show, in the 1960s, for introducing two major Canadian musicians to the world. "Cash put Neil Young and Joni Mitchell in the spotlight, embraced their music and called the duo fine songwriters."

Saul Holiff, who managed Cash's career during the 1960s and 70s from an apartment in London, Ont., said Friday that Cash was a complex character.

"He was mercurial. He was enigmatic. He was a pussycat. He wasn't like he appeared to be. He was tough. He was miserable. He was a nice guy. He was a lot of different things."

Holiff, now retired in Nanaimo, B.C., said he underestimated his client several times.

"He didn't start out to be Johnny Cash. Sometimes he sang dreadfully, if he had too much to drink or too many pills. We were treated with casual indifference for much of the time for a long time.

"When I thought there was no future for him whatsoever, he came out with Ring of Fire. That started something and then out of the blue we played Folsom Prison and San Quentin and suddenly a cult started to develop."

"His material evolved, and then that television show came along, and suddenly he was another American hero."

Holiff left Cash in 1973, when he thought his career had peaked. "And for several years he went into a tailspin."

But then, Holiff said, Cash triumphed again this year, being nominated in six categories at the MTV Video Music Awards, winning for cinematography for Hurt.

"I was guilty for underestimating him repeatedly."

Cash had another connection to the city of London: he proposed to his wife and touring partner, June Carter, there in 1968. "It wasn't at a remote table in the corner by candlelight," Cash recalled in his autobiography years later. "It was onstage ... before 5,000 people."

Cash had many friends in Canada, including Ronnie Hawkins and Tommy Hunter.
"He used to come in and stay when he would do shows in town and I had him up in my gym three or four times," Hawkins said Friday in an interview from Peterborough, Ont.

Hunter recalled driving around Toronto once with Cash, who was a "dapper" guy then, looking in shoe stores for a special kind of black shoes with white inlays that Elvis Presley had and Cash wanted.

"I think he bought every shoe that was black with a white inlay."

Cash was a frequent visitor on Canadian television.

"The very first network show that he did was on Country Hoedown," says Hunter. "Folsom Prison Blues was just out. I remember him doing it on the show. I was familiar with the old Flatt and Scruggs version and I was amazed at what he had done with the song. Cash grabbed that song and changed it and put a whole different sound and a different beat to it.

"His songs were very simple. They were about as close to the soil as you could get. He shared a lot of the working man's grief and woes."

Sylvia Tyson said Cash influenced many people "and not just in country music. His writing style and his persona, his delivery, the whole thing, he's an original."
Cash recorded songs by several Canadians, including Ian Tyson, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Ian Tyson and Paul Brandt.

Cash toured Canada regularly up until 1996. When he played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on Nov. 10, 1969, he drew more than 18,000 people who paid a total of $93,000 -- a one-night record at the time both for Cash and the arena.

His last concert was at Massey Hall in Toronto in 1996. I can happily say that I was in the audience.

ABC Faces Tough Choice on Season After Ritter Death

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ABC was left with a major hole in its prime-time lineup on Friday after the sudden death of actor John Ritter, who had shown promise of bringing a larger audience back to the struggling network with the comedy "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter."

Ritter, 54, collapsed on Thursday evening while filming the fourth episode of the show for the upcoming season in Burbank, California.

The main artery from his heart tore in an undiagnosed ailment often related to high blood pressure. He died at a hospital near the studio lot.

Shocked ABC executives expressed sympathy to the family of the former "Three's Company" star and had no immediate comment on their broadcast schedule.

Previously ABC had planned on Sept. 23 to start the second season of "8 Simple Rules," which at 8 p.m. leads off the Tuesday night prime-time lineup that was the highlight of ABC's 2002 season, when its steady audience numbers virtually stopped the network's overall ratings decline.

The program placed a respectable 43 among nearly 190 prime time shows in 2002, the best performance of an ABC comedy, according to Nielsen Media Research, drawing an average of 11 million viewers and helping ABC in its efforts to reestablish itself as the home of family-friendly comedies.

Shares of ABC-owner Walt Disney Co. dropped 44 cents, 2.1 percent, to close at $20.24 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.

Syracuse University television professor Robert Thompson said that ABC had almost no option but to end the series, although he said the network could honor the actor's legacy by showing the three filmed episodes, which could draw a large audience.

Ritter was best known for his "Three's Company" role of Jack Tripper, a bachelor cook living with two single women and masquerading as a homosexual in order to mollify a landlord who did not want single men and women living together.

The sex farce was seen as pushing the limits of good taste by the standards of network television in the 1970s and Ritter uniquely important, using traditional slapstick and pratfalls to give the then-shocking series broad appeal, he said.

"8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" also depended on Ritter's comedic strength, and the title referred to a father-daughter dynamic that cannot exist without the father character, he said.

"As for ABC's options, I don't think they've got many," he said, predicting cancellation.

When actor Michael J. Fox left "Spin City," the comedy was able to gently usher out his character and welcome in another who took his job. That would not work in a show about a family, Thompson said.

Comedian Redd Foxx died a month after premiering "The Royal Family" in 1991, and CBS wrote in the death of his character, but the series did not catch on and was canceled.

Financial analyst Mike Gallant of brokerage CIBC said the loss of Ritter would hurt an ABC season from which he believed investors already expect too much. The network trails CBS, Fox and NBC in the ratings and is the key near-term driver for Disney stock, he said.

Reality shows, the quick fix of last season, have faded in popularity and offer less opportunity to fill schedule holes for ABC as well as its rivals, Gallant said.

The only silver lining is that the network, already working on shows to introduce midseason and with a number of returning series such as "Life with Bonnie," was in much better shape to weather such a loss than last year, he said.

Bachelor Talk Show Host Letterman to Become Father

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Late night talk show host David Letterman, who portrays himself on air as a cantankerous loner, says he is about to become a father.

The 56-year-old host of the CBS "Late Show" told the studio audience at Thursday's taping of Friday night's show that his girlfriend, Regina Lasko, is pregnant.

"I have an announcement to make and I'll be honest with you, I'm a little bit nervous. I have some trepidations about this. I feel a little silly because it's one of those things where I thought never in my life this would happen," Letterman said, according to a transcript issued by the show on Friday.

"And here I am, 56, and by all rights it shouldn't be happening. But, there's nothing we can do about it now. And I'm terribly excited about this. I'm scared silly about this. I'm going to be a father."

Letterman told his sidekick, bandleader Paul Shaffer, that "the wedding is still being discussed. We're still negotiating the wedding."

The talk show host quipped that there might be an advantage to siring an offspring at such a late age.

"By the time the child has trouble in life, you know, I'll be dead. I'll be long gone," said Letterman, who indicated that Lasko was about six months pregnant.

"By the time the kid's out stealing cars, you know, Dad will be dead a few years."

Sitcom Star John Ritter Collapses on Set, Dies

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Emmy award-winning actor John Ritter, who gained fame playing bumbling and lovable characters in a pair of television comedies decades apart, has died suddenly due to a previously undetected arterial problem, his representatives said on Friday.

Ritter, who was 54, collapsed on Thursday evening while filming "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," the ABC television comedy which had reinvigorated his career and was a centerpiece of the network's upcoming fall season.

The former star of "Three's Company" was taken to Providence St. Joseph hospital in Burbank, California, across from the studio where he had been working.

Surgeons at the hospital were unable to save him, and he died from a "dissection of the aorta," which results from an unrecognized flaw in a main artery from the heart, his publicists, Wolf-Kasteler & Associates Public Relations, said.

Ritter was best known for his portrayal of Jack Tripper in the 1970s situation comedy "Three's Company," which won him Emmy, Golden Globe and People's Choice awards.

A prolific actor, Ritter recently reconnected with television audiences as the star of "8 Simple Rules."

Ritter played Paul Hennessy in the family comedy about a father dealing with his precocious daughters which was one of the Walt Disney Co.-owned network's hits in the 2002 season.

"All of us at ABC, Touchstone Television and The Walt Disney Company are shocked and heartbroken at the terrible news of John's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and children at this very difficult time," ABC said in a statement.

Born into a Hollywood family, John Ritter was the son of country singer and actor Tex Ritter and graduated from Hollywood High School, where he was student body president.

He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in drama and went on to act in film, television and on the stage.

He is survived by his wife, Amy Yasbeck and their daughter, Stella and three children, Carly, Tyler and Jason, from his first marriage to Nancy Morgan.

Music Legend Johnny Cash Dies at 71

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Johnny Cash, "The Man in Black" who became a towering figure in American music with such hits as "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line," and "A Boy Named Sue," died Friday. He was 71.

"Johnny died due to complications from diabetes, which resulted in respiratory failure," Cash's manager, Lou Robin, said in a statement issued by Baptist Hospital in Nashville.

He said Cash died at the hospital at 1 a.m. EDT.

"I hope that friends and fans of Johnny will pray for the Cash family to find comfort during this very difficult time," Robin said.

Cash had been released from the hospital Wednesday after a two-week stay for treatment of an unspecified stomach ailment. The illness caused him to miss last month's MTV Music awards, where he had been nominated in seven categories.

Cash had battled a disease of the nervous system, autonomic neuropathy, and pneumonia in recent years.

Dozens of hit records like "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line," and "Sunday Morning Coming Down" defined Cash's persona: a haunted, dignified, resilient spokesman for the working man and downtrodden.

Cash's deeply lined face fit well with his unsteady voice, which was limited in range but used to great effect to sing about prisoners, heartaches, and tales of everyday life. He wrote much of his own material, and was among the first to record the songs of Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson.

"One Piece at a Time" was about an assembly line worker who built a car out of parts stolen from his factory. "A Boy Named Sue" was a comical story of a father who gives his son a girl's name to make him tough. "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" told of the drunken death of an American Indian soldier who helped raised the American flag at Iwo Jima during World War II, but returned to harsh racism in America.

Cash said in his 1997 autobiography "Cash" that he tried to speak for "voices that were ignored or even suppressed in the entertainment media, not to mention the political and educational establishments."

Cash's career spanned generations, with each finding something of value in his simple records, many of which used his trademark rockabilly rhythm.

Cash was a peer of Elvis Presley when rock 'n' roll was born in Memphis in the 1950s, and he scored hits like "Cry! Cry! Cry!" during that era. He had a longtime friendship and recorded with Dylan, who has cited Cash as a major influence.

He won 11 Grammys — most recently in 2003, when "Give My Love To Rose" earned him honors as best male country vocal performance — and numerous Country Music Association awards. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

His second wife, June Carter Cash, and daughter Roseanne Cash also were successful singers. June Carter Cash, who co-wrote Cash's hit "Ring of Fire" and partnered with her husband in hits such as "Jackson," died in May.

The late 1960s and '70s were Cash's peak commercial years, and he was host of his own ABC variety show from 1969-71. In later years, he was part of the Highwayman supergroup with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kristofferson.

In the 1990s, he found a new artistic life recording with rap and hard rock producer Rick Rubin on the label American Recordings. And he was back on the charts in with the 2002 album "American IV: the Man Comes Around."

Most recently, Cash was recognized for his cover of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" with seven nominations at last month's MTV Video Music Awards. He had hoped to attend the event but couldn't because of his hospital stay. The video won for best cinematography.  

He also wrote books including two autobiographies, and acted in films and television shows.

In his 1971 hit "Man in Black," Cash said his black clothing symbolized the downtrodden people in the world. Cash had been "The Man in Black" since he joined the Grand Ole Opry at age 25.

"Everybody was wearing rhinestones, all those sparkle clothes and cowboy boots," he said in 1986. "I decided to wear a black shirt and pants and see if I could get by with it. I did and I've worn black clothes ever since."

John R. Cash was born Feb. 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Ark., one of seven children. When he was 12, his 14-year-old brother and hero, Jack, died after an accident while sawing oak trees into fence posts. The tragedy had a lasting impact on Cash, and he later pointed to it as a possible reason his music was frequently melancholy.

He worked as a custodian and enlisted in the Air Force, learning guitar while stationed in Germany, before launching his music career after his 1954 discharge.

"All through the Air Force, I was so lonely for those three years," Cash told The Associated Press during a 1996 interview. "If I couldn't have sung all those old country songs, I don't think I could have made it."

Cash launched his career in Memphis, performing on radio station KWEM. He auditioned with Sun Records, ultimately recording the single "Hey Porter," which became a hit.

Sun Records also launched the careers of Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

"Folsom Prison Blues," went to No. 4 on the country charts in 1956, and featured Cash's most famous couplet: "I shot a man in Reno/ just to watch him die."

Cash recorded theme albums celebrating the railroads and the Old West, and decrying the mistreatment of American Indians. Two of his most popular albums were recorded live at prisons. Along the way he notched 14 No. 1 country music hits.

Because of Cash's frequent performances in prisons and his rowdy lifestyle early in his career, many people wrongly thought he had served prison time. He never did, though he battled addictions to pills on and off throughout his life.

He blamed fame for his vulnerability to drug addiction.

"When I was a kid, I always knew I'd sing on the radio someday. I never thought about fame until it started happening to me," he said in 1988. "Then it was hard to handle. That's why I turned to pills."

He credited June Carter Cash, whom he married in 1968, with helping him stay off drugs, though he had several relapses over the years and was treated at the Betty Ford Center in California in 1984.

June Carter Cash was the daughter of country music great Mother Maybelle Carter, and the mother of singer Carlene Carter, whose father was country singer Carl Smith. Together, June Carter and Cash had one child, John Carter Cash. He is a musician and producer.

Singer Rosanne Cash is Johnny Cash's daughter from his first marriage, to Vivian Liberto. Their other three children were Kathleen, Cindy and Tara. They divorced in 1966.

In March 1998, Cash made headlines when his California-based record company, American Recordings, took out an advertisement in the music trade magazine Billboard. The full-page ad celebrated Cash's 1998 Grammy award for best country album for "Unchained." The ad showed an enraged-looking Cash in his younger years making an obscene gesture to sarcastically illustrate his thanks to country radio stations and "the country music establishment in Nashville," which he felt had unfairly cast him aside.

Jennings, a close friend, once said of Cash: "He's been like a brother to me. He's one of the greatest people in the world."

Cash once credited his mother, Carrie Rivers Cash, with encouraging him to pursue a singing career.

"My mother told me to keep on singing, and that kept me working through the cotton fields. She said God has his hand on you. You'll be singing for the world someday."

Cash lived in Hendersonville, Tenn., just outside of Nashville. He also had a home in Jamaica.

DOGGONE IT

A U.S. federal judge ruling on Thursday that Taco Bell must pony up an extra $11.8 million in interest to two men who claim the chain swpied their idea for an ad campaign featuring a talking Chihuahua. The total amount awarded the men now stands at $41.9 million.

HIGH TIMES

Comedian Tommy Chong, one half of pot-happy duo Cheech and Chong, sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Web.

Christian Bale to Play Next 'Batman'

LOS ANGELES - Holy casting news! An "American Psycho" has been picked to star as Bruce Wayne in a new "Batman" movie.  

Christian Bale will don the cape and mask in a film that will chronicle the early career of The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Thursday.

"Memento" filmmaker Christopher Nolan will direct the movie, which is set to begin filming in early 2004.

"What I see in Christian is the ultimate embodiment of Bruce Wayne. He has exactly the balance of darkness and light that we were looking for," Nolan said in a statement.

Bale, 29, made his breakthrough in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987, playing a boy trying to survive in a Japanese-run POW camp in China.

His other credits include "Swing Kids" (1993), "Velvet Goldmine" (1998) and "Shaft" (2000). Bale's most infamous role was as the yuppie serial-killer in 2000's "American Psycho."

Warner Bros. is trying to resurrect the "Batman" franchise. The character became a top box office draw after director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton made two hit movies "Batman" (1989) and "Batman Returns" (1992).

The films got a little campier when Joel Schumacher took over for 1995's "Batman Forever," with Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader. The next installment, 1997's "Batman & Robin," was a critical disaster that alienated many fans. It starred George Clooney.

FEATHERS RUFFLED

Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks coming out against Arnold Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial bid to a German newspaper. "[Schwarzenegger] is a great film star, but I find his run for governor absolutely insane," said Robison, on tour with the band in Europe. "America should be governed by people who have a clue," Robison continued. "I hope he doesn't win."

KUDOCAST

Bill Cosby receiving the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 21; the award honors Cosby's career and his efforts to strengthen family values.

RECOVERING

Johnny Cash released from hospital after being treated for an undisclosed stomach ailment for the past two weeks. Cash's hospitalization forced him to miss the MTV VMA Awards, where his Nine Inch Nail's cover "Hurt" won for best cinematography. "He's home resting," Nicole Bates, a hospital spokeswoman, told the AP on Tuesday night.

'Hogan's Heroes' Actor Larry Hovis Dies at 67

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Actor Larry Hovis, who played Sgt. Carter in the 1960s television series "Hogan's Heroes" and later taught drama at Texas State University, has died of cancer at the age of 67, the school said on Wednesday.
 
Hovis was best known for his work in "Hogan's Heroes," the long-running comedy about World War II soldiers in a German prison camp, but also had a recurring role in the television show "Gomer Pyle, USMC" and was a creator and performer on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

He got into show business early, forming a musical act with his sister at the age of 5, and went on to become a drummer, singer, comedian, writer, game show producer and stage and television actor, the school said.

He joined the university in the central Texas town of San Marcos in 1990 and taught acting and characterization until his death on Tuesday, the school said.

A memorial service was scheduled for Saturday at the school's Theater Center.

Lopez-Affleck Calif. Wedding Postponed

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Their first movie together bombed and they endured weeks of nasty headlines over his strip club visit. Now Hollywood lovebirds Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck say a media frenzy has forced them to postpone their wedding.

"When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry," the couple said in a joint statement issued on Wednesday through their publicists.

The pair, who reportedly planned to wed on Sunday at a swank estate in the hills near Santa Barbara, gave no indication when or where they would ultimately tie the knot.

A source close to the couple stressed that the wedding had merely been delayed, not canceled, saying, "They're totally and completely together."

Some celebrity watchers wondered whether the announced postponement was itself a ruse to throw media hounds off the scent. But Lopez' spokesman, Dan Klores, told Reuters, "I don't see that as even remotely possible."

He added that guests were being called on Wednesday to inform them the wedding was off.

For their part, Lopez, 33, and Affleck, 31, blamed the glare of unwanted publicity for slowing their trip to the altar.

PRESS BLAMED

"Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date," their statement said.

"We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised. We felt what should have been a joyful and sacred day could be spoiled for us, our families and our friends."

For months, the couple and their representatives had been tight-lipped about wedding plans in hopes of keeping the media away from a lavish ceremony to which 400 guests had reportedly been invited.

But details have been leaking out during the past several days in various publications. Hotels in and around the usually quiet seaside town north of Los Angeles have been filling up as reporters, photographers and TV crews booked rooms hoping to get close to the event.

A rehearsal dinner reportedly was set for Saturday, with the wedding slated for the following day. According to various media reports, initial invitations were made by phone with guests to be informed of details just days before the wedding in order to keep the ceremony a secret.

The syndicated celebrity TV show "Extra," quoting a source close to the couple, said Affleck and Lopez would prefer to sneak off at a later date with only their immediate families.

Doubts were cast about the couple's engagement last month when stories surfaced in tabloids and celebrity magazines about Affleck visiting a strip club without Lopez in July. Lopez publicly shrugged off Affleck's night out as no big deal, saying she knew he was going there.

The couple suffered more bad publicity when their first movie together, "Gigli," was panned by critics and flopped at the box office.

'Concert For George' To Hit Theaters, DVD

A film chronicling last fall's star-studded George Harrison tribute at London's Royal Albert Hall will open Oct. 3 in select U.S. cities. Filmed in high definition and recorded in 5.1 surround sound, "A Concert for George" will be released worldwide on DVD in November, distributed internationally via ArenaPlex LLC.

Legendary guitarist Eric Clapton served as the music director for the event, which featured appearances by Harrison's surviving Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as friends Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Joe Brown, Anoushka Shankar and Billy Preston. Among the Harrison songs they performed were "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "I Want To Tell You," "Inner Light," "Give Me Love," "Taxman," "I Need You" and "For You Blue."

"The Concert for George was all I hoped it would be. The glue that held it together was our love for George," his widow Olivia Harrison says in a statement. "I don't think I've ever heard a band play with so much emotion and respect." Adds Clapton, "All I wanted to do was really share our love for George and his music."

The event also saw members of Monty Python re-enacting some of Harrison's favorite skits. Harrison financed and served as an executive producer of the comedy troupe's second feature film, 1979's "Life of Brian."

David Leland ("Wish You Were Here," "Band of Brothers") directed "Concert for George," and utilized footage from more than a dozen camera locations inside Royal Albert Hall. Along with performance clips, several interviews and backstage moments are also included on the DVD.

The movie trailer for the film, as well as assorted photos from the event can be seen at the "Concert for George" Web site.

The theatrical engagement will open in New York, Los Angeles and other select U.S. cities to be determined. All proceeds from the concert, the film and the DVD will benefit the Material World Charitable Foundation, founded by Harrison in 1973.

Girl, 12, Settles Piracy Suit for $2,000

WASHINGTON - A 12-year-old girl in New York who was among the first to be sued by the record industry for sharing music over the Internet is off the hook after her mother agreed Tuesday to pay $2,000 to settle the lawsuit, apologizing and admitting that her daughter's actions violated U.S. copyright laws.

The hurried settlement involving Brianna LaHara, an honors student, was the first announced one day after the Recording Industry Association of America filed 261 such lawsuits across the country. Lawyers for the RIAA said Brianna's mother, Sylvia Torres, contacted them early Tuesday to negotiate.

"We understand now that file-sharing the music was illegal," Torres said in a statement distributed by the recording industry. "You can be sure Brianna won't be doing it anymore."

Brianna added: "I am sorry for what I have done. I love music and don't want to hurt the artists I love."

The case against Brianna was a potential minefield for the music industry from a public relations standpoint. The family lives in a city housing project on New York's Upper West Side, and they said they mistakenly believed they were entitled to download music over the Internet because they had paid $29.99 for software that gives them access to online file-sharing services.

The RIAA said this week it already had negotiated $3,000 settlements with fewer than 10 Internet users who learned they might be sued after the RIAA sent copyright subpoenas to their Internet providers. But lawyers negotiated those settlements before the latest round of lawsuits, and the RIAA had said any further settlements would cost defendants more than $3,000.

Even in the hours before the settlement was announced, Brianna was emerging as an example of what critics said was overzealous enforcement by the powerful music industry.

The top lawyer for Verizon Communications Inc., William Barr, charged earlier Tuesday during a Senate hearing that music lawyers had resorted to a "campaign against 12-year-old girls" rather than trying to help consumers turn to legal sources for songs online. Verizon's Internet subsidiary is engaged in a protracted legal fight against the RIAA over copyright subpoenas sent Verizon customers.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also alluded to Brianna's case.

"Are you headed to junior high schools to round up the usual suspects?" Durbin asked RIAA President Cary Sherman during a Senate Judiciary hearing.

Durbin said he appreciated the piracy threat to the recording industry, but added, "I think you have a tough public relations campaign to go after the offenders without appearing heavy-handed in the process."

Sherman responded that most people don't shoplift because they fear they'll be arrested.

"We're trying to let people know they may get caught, therefore they should not engage in this behavior," Sherman said. "Yes, there are going to be some kids caught in this, but you'd be surprised at how many adults are engaged in this activity."

It was unclear how Brianna's name — rather than her mother's — came to be listed as a defendant in this case. The recording industry said it named as the defendant in each lawsuit the person who paid for the household Internet account, but children typically aren't listed as account holders.

The RIAA said it did not investigate each individual's background before filing its lawsuits.

Simon & Garfunkel Unveil 1st U.S. Tour in 20 Years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Folk-rock troubadours Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel put aside their personal squabbles on Tuesday and announced they would reunite for the first Simon & Garfunkel U.S. concert tour in 20 years.

Simon and Garfunkel, boyhood friends who sold more than 40 million albums in the United States alone during their collaboration, will launch the "Old Friends" 32-city tour at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan, on Oct. 18.

Simon's desire to strike out on what became a spectacular solo career, and subsequent tussles over royalties and credit for their collaborative work, are generally seen as what drove apart the old partners, now both 61.

"It was a friendship that was estranged," Simon told a news conference at the Greenwich Village rock club The Bottom Line.

"Whatever it was, the squabbles, it was time to say forgive and forget and move on."

Simon said the genesis of the reunion came at last February's Grammy Awards when they were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

They performed together for the first time in nearly 10 years when they opened the telecast with a performance of "The Sound of Silence," and decided to bury the hatchet.

The pair played a series of shows in New York back in 1993 and a few shows in Japan that same year. But they have not undertaken a full-fledged tour since they played venues across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia in 1982 and 1983.

The duo, who recorded their first single in 1957 when they were known as 'Tom and Jerry,' went on to release hit albums ""Wednesday Morning, 3 AM" (1964), "Sounds of Silence" (1966), "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" (1966), "Bookends" (1968) and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1970), and the movie soundtrack "The Graduate" (1968).

'LIKE FAMILY'

"This is a very deep, old friendship," said Garfunkel, who went to high school with Simon in the New York borough of Queens. "It's like family for the two of us. Our moms know each other."

Simon said he knew they would still have their sweet vocal blend, featuring Garfunkel's soaring harmonies, that made them so distinctive. The pair went ahead and proved it with live renditions of "Old Friends," "Homeward Bound," and "The Boxer," to cheers from a media throng of about 200 people.

Simon said the duo would concentrate on performing their Simon & Garfunkel hits, which won them five Grammy awards in their heyday, in the big-arena concerts.

"We would like to stay as close to the spirit of the Simon & Garfunkel period and our work in the '60s and early '70s," Simon said. "We don't intend to reimagine that work."

Simon said they would work with a seven-piece band.

"I'll be the eighth," said Simon, who strummed his acoustic guitar during Tuesday's performance.

"And I'll be the ninth," chimed in Garfunkel, gesturing to his throat. "You know my voice is an instrument."
 
Simon rolled his eyes at that, but a grin quickly emerged in understanding of his old friend.

Linklater Gets DAZED Again

Paramount has announced that Richard Linklater will write and direct a new film similar in tone to DAZED AND CONFUSED. Whereas DAZED was about a highschool in Texas in the 1970s, the new film will be about a Texas college in the 1980s. Specifically, it will center on the troubles of a freshman who arrives at the school to join the baseball team. The film is expected to begin production in early to mid 2004. Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks of DAZED are producing.

MacFarlane Set for FAMILY GUY Movie

Seth MacFarlane that plans are under way to make a FAMILY GUY movie - unfortunately it's going to be direct to DVD. "It's all come down to the budget right now. We're hashing it out," McFarlane said. "Timeframe, you're probably looking at a year, a year-and-a-half down the line. It will take a while to make. If we could do it within a year it would be very exciting." MacFarlane expects all of the original cast members to return.

Letterman Bids Farewell to Zevon

LOS ANGELES - Singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, who died this week of lung cancer, received a warmhearted and poignant farewell from talk-show host David Letterman.

The star of CBS's "Late Show" spent several minutes of Monday night's broadcast reminiscing about his friendship with Zevon and his admiration for his music. Soon after Zevon announced last year that he was dying, Letterman turned over an entire program for a visit with him, and he showed clips from that show Monday.

Zevon, known for songs including "Werewolves of London" and "Excitable Boy," died Sunday at 56.

"He was a poet and a storyteller and a good friend of ours," Letterman said. "We all knew this was coming, hoping that it wouldn't, but yesterday afternoon in California the inevitable happened. So we're very sad about that."

He noted that Zevon had appeared as a guest on the program and Letterman's old NBC "Late Night" show more than a dozen times and had filled in for bandleader Paul Shaffer nearly two dozen times.

"People are always asking me what do I like about his music," Letterman said.

"It was just thundering and exciting and rhythmic and complicated and unusual rock 'n' roll," he continued. "It was not the kind of rock 'n' roll you would hear much of. And then the lyrics, oh my God, the lyrics were so vivid. Just very evocative and each song that you listened to was like watching a motion picture."

Shaffer and the band played Zevon's songs throughout the show, which ended with Letterman speaking to the camera, saying, "Goodnight, Warren, we'll see ya."

Hitler's Filmmaker Riefenstahl Dies at 101

BERLIN (Reuters) - Adolf Hitler's filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, the last of Germany's famous Nazi-era figures, has died weeks after turning 101, the mayor of the town where she lived said on Tuesday.

"The registry office has been told of the death of Frau Riefenstahl," Rainer Schnitzler, mayor of Poecking, told Reuters. Riefenstahl had a house near the Starnberger See lake south of Munich.

Earlier, Celia Tremper, a journalist for Bunte magazine who said she has close links with Riefenstahl, said: "Frau Riefenstahl died without pain, she fell asleep in her bed on Monday night."

Riefenstahl, whose films of a Nazi party rally and the 1936 Berlin Olympics brought her prewar fame and postwar notoriety, had been too sick to give interviews or make media appearances in recent months.

Riefenstahl won awards at the Venice and Paris film festivals in the 1930s for her "Triumph of the Will," a documentary highlighting the meticulously choreographed, eerie grandeur of the Nazi Party's 1934 Nuremberg Rally.

She was then commissioned to make the official film of the 1936 Olympics. "Olympia" pioneered techniques such as mounting the camera on electric cars on rails to follow races.

Since the war, those films have haunted her, and she remained a villain to many for declining to apologize for them. Critics have accused her of failing to own up to being associated with the Nazis.

Riefenstahl always denied political involvement with the Nazi party or any romantic link with Hitler, although she admitted admiring him and seeking him out for a meeting in 1932.

New Music Releases For Tuesday, September 9, 2003

* ANDREW W.K. The Wolf (Island)
* DAVID USHER Hallucinations (EMI)
* DMX The Grand Champ (Def Jam)
* FRANK BLACK & THE CATHOLICS Show Me Your Tears (Sonic Unyon)
* 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)

Shania nets four CCMAs

CALGARY (CP) -- The Canadian Country Music Awards had a solid dose of Shaniamania on Monday as the sultry songstress won four awards, but fan favourite Terri Clark was named entertainer of the year.

Shania Twain, nominated eight times in seven categories, picked up honours for best female artist, video, album and top-selling international album for Up!

"I really don't feel deserving of this," said the native of Timmins, Ont., who has now collected 23 CCMAs in her career. "I never dreamed that I'd ever be here. It seems so many great things have happened to me over the years, I just want to say thank you."

But Alberta-born Terri Clark provided the most emotion of the night, scoring an upset over Twain for the top entertainer award.

"I can't believe this -- you guys are awesome!" shouted Clark as she jumped up on stage and bowed to the crowd of 7,500 at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

It was the third straight year Clark has won the award, the only one voted on by country music fans. It was the fourth time Clark has won the entertainer's award, tying the record held by k.d. lang.

Clark also captured top single for the spunky I Just Wanna Be Mad, which topped international country charts earlier this year. Clark appeared stunned when her name was announced and the crowd jumped to its feet.

"This song has meant so much to me," said Clark, wiping away tears. "To all the mad women out there, I appreciate this."

Twain, who now lives a Swiss mansion with her producer husband Mutt Lange, paid tribute to the talents of the other nominees.

"There is so much humility in this room tonight -- there don't seem to be any airs and I love it," she said. "There is so much talent here and I'm so proud."

Newcomer Aaron Lines, whose debut single You Can't Hide Beautiful cracked the U.S. top five, won best male artist and the rising star.

"I want to thank Shania for not being up for this award," said Lines of Fort McMurray, Alta.

The SOCAN song of the year went to Rocket Girl, written by Jason McCoy and recorded by Manitoba indie band Doc Walker. The song, which was the last track added to Doc Walker's breakthrough album Curve, was earlier named best independent song.

"This is a big surprise," said McCoy, who wrote the tune after watching the movie October Sky, about a teenager whose love of rockets helps him to escape his coal-mining roots.

Doc Walker was also named top independent group on Sunday when artists not signed to major record labels were honoured. Gil Grand was best independent male artist and Lisa Brokop picked up the female independent award for the second year in a row.

On Sunday, Doc Walker was also named top independent group.

Twain's Up, which has sold more than a million copies in Canada alone, has been an international sensation. It was the first album in five years for Twain, who retreated from the limelight to have a baby after the phenomenal success of Come On Over, which sold 35 million copies worldwide.

Twain presented a lifetime achievement award to folk legend Sylvia Tyson, noting that her songwriting abilities paved the way for other Canadian women.

"Thank you, Shania, I promise not to kiss you," said Tyson, referring to the open-mouthed liplock between Madonna and Britanny Spears at the recent MTV awards.

Emerson Drive, which has lost several members since its first album scored two Top 5 releases in the United States, was named best group.

Sean Hogan of Sania, Ont., won best roots artist over East Coast heavyweights like Great Big Sea and Jimmy Rankin.

"I'm wearing my good-luck boots, I got married in them," said Hogan. "I guess I should wear them more often."

The Say Hay benefit concerts in Edmonton and Calgary, which raised about $2 million for drought-stricken prairie farmers last fall, were named the country event of the year.

Gil Grand was best independent male artist and Lisa Brokop picked up the female independent award for the second year in a row.

The awards show, hosted by Calgary crooner Paul Brandt, was broadcast on CBC television and on CMT in the United States.

CCMA WINNERS:

Fans' Choice Entertainer: Terri Clark
Single: I Just Wanna Be Mad, Terri Clark
Album of the year: Up, Shania Twain
Song: Rocket Girl (written by Jason McCoy/Denny Carr, recorded by Doc Walker)
Video: I'm Gonna Getcha Good, Shania Twain
Top-selling album: Up, Shania Twain.
Female artist: Shania Twain
Male artist: Aaron Lines
Group or duo: Emerson Drive
Roots artist or group: Sean Hogan
Rising star: Aaron Lines
Independent male artist: Gil Grand
Independent female artist: Lisa Brokop
Independent group or duo: Doc Walker
Independent song: Rocket Girl, Doc Walker (Jason McCoy/Denny Carr)

This Week's New Releases

This week's new releases feature one movie that couldn't find an audience when it played in theatres, even though it has some of Hollywood's biggest stars in it, and some movies that you should avoid unless you like what you read on the box. But remember, you can't judge a movie by it's cover!

Or it's under-cover...

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND is supposed to be based on the memoirs of game-show creator-host Chuck Barris, the man responsible for The Newlywed Game and The Gong Show.

This movie doesn't only cover Barris's television career, but also his exploits as a government assassin.

Yes, you heard me right. TV Game show guy Chuck Barris claims to have been an assassin for the U.S. Government. In real life that claim is unsubstantiated, but has also not been disproved, so while watching the movie you can believe what you want. I believe him, it made the film more fun!

Sam Rockwell from the upcoming film MATCHSTICK MEN stars as Barris, while a trio of Hollywood's biggest stars, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts and George Clooney - who also directed - round out the cast. Plus there are some great cameos that I won't tell you about. I just don't want to ruin the surprise!

There are no surprises in MALIBU'S MOST WANTED, THE CORE or BULLETPROOF MONK. If you like what you read on the box for these films then rent them. But remember, you can't judge a movie by it's cover!

I have to admit that I'm not sure what to tell you about VIEW FROM THE TOP. Gwyneth Paltrow from SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE stars as a young woman who aspires to become a flight attendant in this film that is neither funny, nor dramatic. Even though I've watched it twice I still don't know if it wants to be a comedy or a drama. So I don't know what to tell you. I will say this, if it is supposed to be a comedy, even the comedy of AUSTIN POWERS star Mike Myers didn't make me laugh.

Two of my favourite TV series have DVD box sets now available: The animation series THE FAMILY GUY offers SEASON 3 in a Box Set and Tommy Douglas' grandson Kiefer Sutherland stars in Season Two of 24. With the season debut of 24 set for October 28th, this release gives you penty of time to catch all of the twists and turns on the best drama that is on TV right now.

Coming next week...

Anger Management - A calm man faces anger management with a dysfunctional therapist (Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Marisa Tomei)

Confidence - A con man must pull off a scam for the mob. (Edwards Burns, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman).

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

Sammy Hagar Says There Is No Van Halen Right Now

Former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar told Goldminemagazine that at this point in time, "there is not a Van Halen." He said that bassist Michael Anthony has had no contact with guitarist Eddie Van Halen or drummer Alex Van Halen for a year, and that Eddie himself "hasn't played music for I don't know how long." While he says that the Van Halen brothers are both still capable of putting together a great musical project, Hagar added that, "If there's no Sammy, no Mike, or no David Lee Roth...that is not Van Halen."

Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, responding to a fan question on his band's
official website, toto99.com, wrote that Van Halen has "an amazing record in
the can and...are still looking for THE lead singer." Asked if he would
consider taking the job, Lukather added, "I don't think I am the right guy,
nor would I want the media heat and hate that would come my way."

Polanski Finally Gets His Oscar

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Nearly six months after winning the best director
Oscar for "The Pianist," Roman Polanski was finally able to hold the statue
this weekend.

Harrison Ford, who starred in Polanski's 1988 movie "Frantic," physically
handed the prize to his friend on Sunday (Sept 7) at the Deauville film
festival. It was Ford who presented the award at the March 23 telecast of
the Oscars in Los Angeles earlier this year.

If the "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby" director enters the US, he faces
arrest. In 1977 Polanski pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old
girl and was charged with rape and five other felonies.

Don't Expect Python Reunion, Cleese Says

LOS ANGELES - Don't expect to see a reunion of the surviving Monty Python comedians any time soon.

It's not that they hate each other said John Cleese. It's just that they've all become too busy with other projects to work together.

"It is absolutely impossible to get even a majority of us together in a room, and I'm not joking," Cleese said. "It just happens very, very seldom — every three years or something."

The closest they have come since 1999, when they celebrated the comedy group's 30th anniversary on a BBC reunion special, is working together on new sketches for the extra features on the recent DVD release of their 1983 film, "The Meaning of Life."

And even that was done remotely, for the most part.

Cleese, who lives in Santa Barbara, said Michael Palin, who has worked on several acclaimed travel documentaries, was in the Himalayas; American Terry Gilliam, the group's animator and director of "The Fisher King," was in Prague; Terry Jones was "God-knows-where" developing a British history documentary; and Eric Idle was in Canada awaiting the start of a movie that eventually fell through. Graham Chapman died in 1989.

"We stay in contact vaguely because there are often little things to discuss, but I don't think we've been in a room together for four years," Cleese said.

Sometimes their failure to get together has resulted in hard feelings.

"We had all sort of thoughts about doing a final stage tour," Cleese said. "And then Michael, who is painfully nice, who finds it impossible to say `No,' finally summoned up the courage to say `No,' at which point Eric became very cross about it."

"The Meaning of Life" DVD came out Sept. 2, and Cleese said he will watch it for the first time in many years — eventually.

"Sometimes I think people think in our old age we sit around watching our work, and we really don't," the 63-year-old said.

"I'm looking forward to, in the last week before I die — as I lie there in my bed, surrounded by my adoring family, all of them holding out checks for me to sign — I shall in those twilight hours start watching all my old programs again," he said, laughing.

Disney to Test Self-Destructing DVDs This Week

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If Walt Disney Co. gets its wish, an experimental type of DVD will begin flying off store shelves on Tuesday -- and self-destructing 48 hours later.

Disney movies on disposable DVDs are set to arrive in convenience stores, pharmacies and other outlets in a four-city test of whether Americans will pick up a limited-life DVD rather than dropping by a video rental store.

The red DVDs turn an unreadable black 48 hours after their packages are opened, exposing them to oxygen which reacts with the disc in a process similar to how Polaroid film develops.

The DVDs, which are being distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney's home video unit, will carry a suggested price of $6.99.

Some retailers are expected to sell them for as little as about $5 said Alan Blaustein, Chief Executive of Flexplay, which owns the self-destruct technology.

The advantage to the disposable DVD format -- known as EZ-D -- is that such discs can be sold anywhere and never need to be returned, potentially making any retailer a competitor with Blockbuster Inc.

"It should be 'aisle two, bread, aisle 4, EZ-D,"' said Flexplay's Blaustein, who predicted families would continue to rent videos and start buying the disposable DVDs as well.

The plan has stirred some criticism from environmentalists such as the Alliance for Safe Alternatives, which is asking callers to phone Disney and tell them to scrap the plan which they say will add needless waste to America's landfills.

The plan offers some recycling -- though not in-store -- and consumers will eventually be able to get a new disc in return for six used ones, the companies said.

Although the disposable DVD format does not make it harder for digital pirates to make illegal copies, Blaustein said by making DVDs cheaper the effort would also undercut the incentive to make such bootleg copies.

Music Firms Sue 261 Online Song Swappers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A recording-industry trade group said on Monday it had sued 261 individuals for distributing hundreds of thousands of songs over the Internet without permission, and said many more suits are on the way.

The Recording Industry Association of America said it filed copyright-infringement suits in U.S. courts across the country, marking the first time the group has taken legal action against the millions of Internet users who copy music directly from each others' hard drives.

Until now, the trade group has focused its courtroom efforts on Kazaa and other "peer to peer" networks that enable such activity, which the industry blames for a decline in CD sales.

"Nobody likes playing the heavy and having to resort to litigation, but when your product is being regularly stolen there comes a time when you have to take appropriate action," RIAA President Cary Sherman said.

Those facing the lawsuits had opened up their hard drives to other users, making an average of more than 1,000 copyrighted songs available to others over peer-to-peer networks, Sherman said. Users who simply copied songs and did not share their own music collections were not targeted, he said.

One suit filed in New York includes computer "screen shots," which show a Kazaa user with the nickname "touchofcream" distributing songs by Frank Sinatra and Shania Twain.

"The conduct of Defendant is causing and, unless enjoined and restrained by this Court, will continue to cause Plaintiffs great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured with money," the lawsuit says.

Sherman said the RIAA continues to investigate online song copying and plans to file thousands more lawsuits.

The trade group also unveiled an amnesty program that would remove the threat of prosecution from those who promise to refrain from such activity in the future and erase all copyrighted music they have downloaded. The program will not be available for those who are already being investigated, he said.

SETTLEMENTS LIKELY

Under U.S. copyright law defendants could face penalties of up to $150,000 per song, but few settlements are likely to involve such large sums. The trade group has already settled several cases for around $3,000 each, Sherman said.

"We expect to hear people say, 'Well, it wasn't me, it was my kid.' If they would prefer that the lawsuit be amended to name the kid, we can certainly do that," he said.

The president of peer-to-peer service Grokster, which is fighting a courtroom battle of its own with the industry, said the tactic would only waste money and alienate music fans.

"I feel sort of like the Russians fighting Napoleon," Grokster President Wayne Rosso said, adding that traffic on his network is nearly back to levels it reached before the RIAA announced its intention to sue users in late June.

In addition to Grokster and Kazaa, defendants used the Gnutella, Blubster and iMesh networks, Sherman said. Nearly all had previously received instant-message warnings that the activity was considered illegal, he said.

Musicians' unions, songwriters and Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, who chairs an intellectual-property subcommittee, praised the RIAA's move.

Gigi Sohn, who as executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Public Knowledge frequently clashes with the industry on copyright issues, said she was pleased that lawsuits were only filed against the most blatant violators. But the amnesty program could actually put Internet users at risk because it would not prevent lawsuits from music publishers or other copyright holders, she said, and legal, industry-sanctioned services do not yet provide a compelling alternative.

Separately on Monday, two industry-authorized music services reported strong business. Apple Computer Inc. said it had sold 10 million songs through its iTunes service since it launched in April, while RealNetworks Inc. said traffic on its Rhapsody service had more than doubled during the same period to 16.4 million songs temporarily "streamed" per month.

RIAA members include Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group; Sony Corp.'s Sony Music; AOL Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Music; Bertelsmann AG's BMG; and EMI Group Plc.

Toymaker Sues Paramount Over 'Dickie Roberts'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wham-O Inc.'s famous outdoor water toy, Slip 'N Slide, figures prominently in Paramount Pictures' newly released film comedy starring David Spade, but the toy maker is not amused.

Wham-O filed suit against the Viacom Inc.-owned studio in federal court on Monday, claiming its trademarked yellow water slide was used in the movie, "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," without the company's permission.

The suit also names as a defendant the Happy Madison production company owned by Spade's former "Saturday Night Live" co-star Adam Sandler.

"Dickie Roberts," which opened as the No. 1 film at the U.S. box office over the weekend, stars David Spade as a former child actor-turned-parking valet who tries to rekindle his career by reliving his youth. He goes so far as to pay a suburban family to take him and teach him the ropes of being a "normal kid."

In one key scene that appears in Paramount's trailers for the PG-13 film, Spade's character launches himself belly first across a dry Slip 'N Slide -- not realizing it's supposed to be wet first -- then rolls over with red welts on his chest, crying "Oooooh, it stings." In another scene, Spade lubricates the toy with vegetable oil, then slides into a fence.

"Wham-O is concerned about the depicted misuse of its product in the film and its advertising, particularly the potential for injury to children and even adults who, after viewing the scene, might use the product in the same reckless manner," said Peter Sgromo, marketing director of Wham-O's toy division.

He said the movie "violates all safety guidelines that are clearly marked on the product and the packaging." Those guidelines limit the slide's use to children aged 5 to 12, weighing less than 110 pounds and under 5 feet tall. In addition, the product must be inflated, wet and connected to a hose before being used.

The suit goes on to say that advertising for the film may leave the public with the false impression that Wham-O in some way authorized or sponsored the Slip 'N Slide scenes.

Paramount's vice chairman and chief operating officer defended the film in a brief statement, dismissing Wham-O's claims as "entirely without legal merit."

The trademark infringement suit seeks a court order requiring Paramount to remove the Slip 'N Slide scenes from the film and its trailers. Barring that, Wham-O, whose brands also include the Frisbee and Hula Hoop, wants the film to carry a "don't-try-this-at-home" disclaimer.

Meet Dan.

'Idol' Finalist Locke Signs With Curb

Kimberley Locke, who finished in third place behind Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken on the second season of "American Idol," has been signed to Curb Records. "I was pulling for her to win," Mike Curb, chairman of the Curb Group, tells Billboard.com. "When she didn't, I thought she's the one I wish I had [on my label], then I didn't think any more about it."

When Curb learned through Bryan Stewart of his A&R department that Locke was available to sign, he flew to Memphis to see her in concert with the "American Idols Live" show and offered her a contract on the spot. The deal was finalized on Saturday [Sept. 6].

"On 'American Idol' we watched her sing everything from Neil Sedaka's 'Where the Boys Are' to Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" to 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' to 'Over the Rainbow,'" said Curb. "She put her own stamp on these classic songs. She's a true pop artist who can sing in all genres."

Locke, 25, will begin recording her debut album for Curb Monday in her hometown of Nashville. Her first meeting with Curb and Stewart was captured on video in Memphis and will be seen in a Fox TV special featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the "American Idols Live" tour. The special will be telecast on Sept. 24.

In other "American Idol" news, RCA Records has confirmed that "Invisible" will be the follow-up to Clay Aiken's platinum single, "This Is the Night" / "Bridge Over Troubled Water." There will be no commercial single, but a promo single is going to radio and the song will be included on Aiken's self-titled debut album, scheduled for release on Oct. 14.

Singer/songwriter Warren Zevon dies

Warren Zevon, who struggled with terminal cancer while finishing his latest album, The Wind, died Sunday in his sleep at his home in West Hollywood, Calif., a spokesman said.

Zevon was 56.

He was the author of such wry tunes as Werewolves of London and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

His illness, diagnosed a year ago, resonated in the lyrics of his new album. He beseeched in the fragile Please Stay, "Will you stay with me to the end?"

Zevon succumbed to mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer usually linked to asbestos.

Housebound because of his illness, Zevon finished The Wind by recording his last session at his home. He lived long enough to see his daughter Ariel give birth to twin boys in June.

OLD FRIENDS

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel scheduling a "special" press conference Tuesday in New York City. Speculation is that they will announce a reunion tour, their first in more than a decade.

'Dickie Roberts' Takes Over Box Office

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The band of grown-up kiddie actors in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" beat back the bloodthirsty bat-creature of "Jeepers Creepers 2" at the weekend box office.

"Dickie Roberts," a comedy starring David Spade as a down-on-his-luck former child star, debuted at No. 1 with $7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The film appealed to family audiences, according to distributor Paramount Pictures, because it lacked gross-out gags and had an uplifting story about reclaiming the former star's lost childhood.

Still, it earned less in its opening weekend than Spade's trailer-trash comedy "Joe Dirt," which debuted in April 2001 with $8 million.

"He was more successful (co-starring) with the late Chris Farley," said Brandon Gray, proprietor of movie tracker BoxOfficeMojo.com. "I mean $7 million in this day and age is a pretty mediocre opening at best, but they can brag about being No. 1 and it could have been a lot worse."

Last week's top film, "Jeepers Creepers 2," about a flying beast that feeds on a group of stranded teenagers, was nudged into second place, earning $6.7 million for the weekend.

The movie offerings generally attracted little interest, however, following the end of summer and the start to school for many children. Overall ticket sales of $50.4 million were down more than 14 percent from last year, when "Swimfan" topped the box office.

"It was a pretty typical post-Labor Day weekend: nothing spectacular, nothing too terrible," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.

He said the $7 million collected by "Dickie Roberts" doesn't compare to the $40 million to $70 million debuts of summer blockbusters, pointing out that this kicks off the downtime between summer extravaganzas and the next popular moviegoing season, the holiday weeks full of would-be Oscar-contenders.

"The Order," a supernatural thriller starring Heath Ledger as a priest searching for a man who absorbs the sins of other people, debuted weakly in sixth place with $4.3 million. The film was the subject of squabbling between its makers and studio and was dumped into theaters without screening for critics.

Meanwhile, "American Wedding" became the 20th film released in 2003 to cross the $100 million mark.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" saw its cumulative total surge to $282.1 million, edging "The Matrix Reloaded" for the second-highest grossing film of the year. "Finding Nemo" is No. 1 with $333.9 million.

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. "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," $7 million.
2. "Jeepers Creepers 2," $6.7 million.
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $5.5 million.
4. "Freaky Friday," $5.1 million.
5. "S.W.A.T.," $4.6 million.
6. "The Order," $4.3 million.
7. "Open Range," $4 million.
8. "Seabiscuit," $3.7 million.
9. "Freddy vs. Jason," $3.2 million.
10. "Uptown Girls," $2.4 million.

Bill Murray: No Beef With Lucy Liu

BURBANK, Calif. - Bill Murray says reports about his having a beef with Lucy Liu is baloney.

Murray, speaking to "Access Hollywood," acknowledged the two had a disagreement on the set of the first "Charlie's Angels" movie. But he said it lasted for all of 20 minutes when they went to their "separate corners and, you know, fired hand grenades and bottle rockets at each other."

Murray said it was only "a misunderstanding about a scene" they were going to do. He said he asked Liu how she could want to say certain lines because he thought they didn't make sense.

Murray said she got mad at him and "took it as a personal assault." But he said it turned out she didn't like the lines either.

Murray said "a high-ranking production person" had misrepresented how Liu felt about the lines. He added that the same production person is one of the reasons he didn't do the sequel.

Plus, he said, he's "not much for sequels," having learned a lesson from "Ghostbusters 2."

Music Industry to Unveil Amnesty Offer

WASHINGTON - The recording industry is expected to announce as early as next week an amnesty program for people who admit they illegally share music files across the Internet, promising not to sue them in exchange for their admission and pledge to delete the songs off their computers.  

The offer of amnesty will not apply to the roughly 1,600 people who already have been targets of copyright subpoenas from the Recording Industry Association of America, which has promised to file hundreds of infringement lawsuits across the country as early as next week.

Sources who described the proposal Thursday spoke on condition of anonymity. A spokeswoman for the RIAA, Amy Weiss, declined to comment.

The RIAA's offer would require Internet users to complete a notarized amnesty form that includes promises to delete any illegally downloaded music and not participate in illegal file-trading in the future. In exchange, the RIAA would agree not to file a potentially expensive infringement lawsuit.

"I'll be curious to see how many opt for this," said Fred von Lohmann, a lawyer for the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, who has criticized the RIAA's use of copyright subpoenas. "It will be an interesting measure of how much fear the recording industry has managed to inject into the American public."

Von Lohmann cautioned that the RIAA doesn't represent all copyright owners and therefore couldn't guarantee an Internet user wouldn't be sued for infringement by others, despite what amounts to an admission of guilt.

"It's not the kind of agreement that most people's lawyers will embrace," he said.

But the amnesty offer could serve to soften the RIAA's brass-knuckle image once the earliest lawsuits are filed, giving nervous college students and others an opportunity to avoid similar legal problems if they confess to online copyright infringement.

Ric Burns' `New York' Concludes With 9/11

NEW YORK - For many of us, the World Trade Center has existed in two states. It was there. Then it was taken from us.

There is much more to the story of the Twin Towers, as viewers will find in "The Center of the World," premiering 9 p.m. EDT Monday on PBS (check local listings).

In this three-hour "American Experience" documentary, filmmaker Ric Burns explores why, in their absence, they command an inescapable presence in our lives. But he also reaches back nearly a half-century to tell the little-known saga of how the buildings came to be.

"The Center of the World" is the eighth and final chapter of "New York," Burns' 17 1/2-hour epic urban portrait spanning 400 years, whose first installments aired in November 1999, then was meant to conclude in late September 2001.

"This final chapter," says Burns in his office on Manhattan's Upper West Side, "was compelled by the events of Sept. 11, 2001."

Until that terrible morning, he, along with much of the Western world, was blind to much of the meaning of the towers. But no one who beheld their destruction could fail to see the awful truth, he says — or fail to feel implicated.

"I don't mean feel guilty of anything. But we knew that it had happened because of political, cultural, ideological conflicts which are part of the world that we are all part of.

"These were the two biggest buildings in the world for a while, and they were hiding in plain sight." Then, when they fell, "it was an instant, terrible reminder of the solipsism that makes New Yorkers so worldly and unworldly at the same time. This film is an attempt to go back and look at this icon, which was both the most and least worldly thing in New York."

It was in 1946 that the idea of building a "world trade center" in lower Manhattan was first advanced. But befitting the project's tangled history, its initial purpose — to declare New York's crowning role in a new global order — was uneasily coupled with a localized push for urban renewal: the complex on Manhattan's blighted southern tip was supposed to spark an economic revival.

Originally, the World Trade Center wasn't meant to be of record-breaking height: just 60 or 70 stories. Then one tower became two. Then they grew higher. Plans called for them, at 110 stories, to soar a full 100 feet above the Empire State Building. But was this possible?

And was the project even a good idea? From the beginning, it triggered widespread opposition. But thanks to its champions, including brothers David and Nelson Rockefeller, the project was unstoppable. In the heady, hubristic 1960s, the World Trade Center became its own kind of sending a man to the moon. So it rose, grandiose and racked by contradictions.

The film calls the towers "the mightiest and most ambivalent monuments of their age," and, indeed, nearly any conclusion one can draw about them invites a counterclaim. They were an oversized eyesore and they were magnificent; a real estate fiasco and a commercial triumph.

And that is how they stood, aligned in a face-off of antagonistic forces — until the "perfect, almost achingly beautiful late summer morning" when, literally out of the blue, everything changed.

Somehow the nation had remained blind to the darker implications of the World Trade Center's symbolic power, even after the February 1993 bombing of the North Tower that killed six people and injured more than 1,000. Long ago, David Rockefeller hailed the Trade Center for its "catalytic bigness." But until too late, a certain truism escaped us all as it applied to the towers: The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

The film's final one-third covers all-too-familiar events that some of us may choose not to revisit. But, as with the seven chapters that preceded it, "The Center of the World" is an eloquent, arresting film, and, up to a point, not to be missed.

That point is devoted to Philippe Petit. He was the 24-year-old Frenchman who, on the morning of Aug. 7, 1974, after years of planning it, took a surprise 45-minute stroll back and forth across the cable he had strung, undetected overnight, between the towers' roofs.

At a moment when the cash-strapped city had been driven to its knees, here was Petit "dancing on top of the world," as he recalls in the film. His glorious stunt humanized the new Trade Center, even blessed it as nothing else had been able to do. "I had a sense of having a communion with the city of New York, represented by the crowd below."

Painful lessons lay ahead that will never be forgotten. But Petit's sky-walk is a fine way of remembering the towers.

OOPS

Britney Spears claiming her MTV VMAs liplock with Madonna was unrehearsed and the first time she ever kissed a woman.

Wanna hear Britney's (bad) new song?

'Rings' Video Towers Over First-Week Records

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," starring Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, earned a record $22.89 million during its first five days on rental store shelves, according to estimates from Video Store magazine research.

The second installment of the "Rings" franchise also set this year's Day 1 top-selling home video sales record on Aug. 26, with consumers purchasing more than 3.5 million combined VHS and DVD units.

The second-top-grossing rental title debut of all time is "The Bourne Identity," which earned an estimated $22.76 million during the week of Jan. 21-26, followed by "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" with an estimated $19.56 million for Feb. 11-16.

During its debut week on video, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" earned an estimated $17.22 million at the rental counter from Aug. 6-11, 2002.

Affleck and Lopez Reportedly Set Wedding Date

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Engaged actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, one of America's most famous celebrity couples, will marry on Sept. 14, according to reports published on Wednesday.

Us Weekly magazine and New York's Daily News quoted unidentified friends as saying the nuptials -- the third for Lopez, who is also known as J.Lo, and the first for Affleck -- will take place near Santa Barbara, California.

Representatives of the couple could not immediately be reached and the Daily News said agents declined comment.

The magazine said the exact location was a secret, but it quoted an unidentified source familiar with the plans as saying the nuptials will take place on a hillside "maybe at a winery."

It said about 400 guests received invitations by phone last week and details will be hand-delivered four days before the wedding. A guest said Santa Barbara is "convenient for a lot of their friends," according to the report.

Lopez, 33, and Affleck, 31, starred this summer together in "Gigli," in which Lopez plays a lesbian crook who helps Affleck in a kidnapping plot.

New Sarah McLachlan CD out Nov. 4

TORONTO (CP) -- Sarah McLachlan's highly anticipated new album will be released on Nov. 4, her label announced Wednesday.

The record, called Afterglow, is the Halifax-born, Vancouver-based artist's first new studio album in six years.

The break came following an intense 10-year period which saw her put out five albums and produce the Lilith Fair travelling festival, said McLachlan's manager Terry McBride, head of Nettwerk Music Group. She also became a mom in 2002 and lost her own mother to cancer.

"She lived the average person's life," McBride said Wednesday. "And as such she didn't really start focusing upon music again till a good nine months after her daughter's birth."

Fallen, the first single from the album, hit radio last weekend.

McLachlan, known for hits like I Will Remember You and Adia, will begin touring to support Afterglow next summer, McBride said.

Fametracker's Ten Least Essential Fall Films, 2003

Once upon a time, the names Woody Allen, Dustin Hoffman, Denzel Washington, Steve Martin and, yes, even Eddie Murphy would have been cause for excitement in a fall movie season. Now, however, they merely prove that there are just as many inessential movies in the fall as there are in the summer, except that in the fall, the inessential movies have bigger stars in them.

Thankfully, the name Cuba Gooding Jr. has always been, and remains to be, a reliable indicator of inessentiality. Unlike the leaves, some things don't change.

Herewith, Fametracker presents the 10 (and a half) films that you definitely will not have to worry about when it's time to fill out your Oscar pool ballot.:

10. Out of Time

Release Date: October 3
The Plot: Denzel Washington stars as a cop wrongly accused of murder. Now the race is on to find the real killer!
The Pitch: There's a new sensation sweeping America! It's bland-cop-drama- with-bland-title fever! Catch it!
Why It's Inessential: Um, we kind of like the director, Carl Franklin, but what is up with these titles? One False Move? Nowhere to Run? One True Thing? Out of Time? We're curious to know what this new film is about, but unfortunately we dozed off while reading the title, somewhere between "of" and "Time."

9. Runaway Jury

Release Date: October 17
The Plot: John Cusack plays a juror who is going to sell the jury he's on to an evil jury-buying guy (Gene Hackman) or, perhaps, to another guy who also wants to buy the jury (Dustin Hoffman).
The Pitch: With all this jury buying and potential jury buying going on, you'll never guess who ends up buying the jury. One thing's for sure -- somebody's going to buy this jury!
Why It's Inessential: Perhaps John Grisham books-turned-movies would fare better if they were only shown on airplanes. Bonus points: With the name Runaway Jury, they're doing the critics' work for them! Look for plenty of variations on "The Verdict's In On This Film: Runaway!" or "We Find This Film Guilty -- Of Making Us Want To Runaway!"

8. Shattered Glass

Release Date: October 17
The Plot: A New York magazine writer (Hayden Christensen) fools several high-ranking editors by completely fabricating his stories.
The Pitch: This is the stuff of high drama, people! Seriously! These articles were, like, totally filled with misinformation! Many if not most of the facts were inaccurate and unreliable!
Why It's Inessential: If you pore over Romenesko's Medianews site every day, you'll line up for this movie like it's The Phantom Menace and you speak Jawa. Sadly, the other 99.5% of the population may have trouble working up a fervour about a dramatization of a fact-checking scandal at The New Republic. ["I'd read about this movie before, but I would have sworn, before I got the EW Fall Movie Preview, that it was made-for-Showtime." -- Wing Chun]

7. The Alamo

Release Date: December 25
The Plot: Liberty-crazed fanatics are wiped out in a famous Texas mismatch.
The Pitch: It's the feel-good historical massacre movie of the season! See it Christmas Day!
Why It's Inessential: With so many second choices, this cast is the "Who You Wanted; Who You Got" All-Stars: Harrison Ford? How about Dennis Quaid? Russell Crowe? How about Billy Bob Thornton? And we'll throw in Jason Patric as a freebie!

6. Cheaper by the Dozen

Release Date: December 25
The Plot: Somebody call the Sleep Clinic, because Steve Martin is sleepwalking through another comedy!
The Pitch: He's got twelve kids! Who said "Eight is Enough"?! Who said the Bradys had a "bunch"? Fuck those Brady Bunch bitches!
Why It's Inessential: "Dear Steve Martin: I've really been enjoying my recent work with Wes Anderson. I'm also very excited about my new film, Lost In Translation. I feel like I'm doing the best, most interesting work of my life! It's exhilarating! So, how are things going with your film career? Regards, Bill Murray"

5. Duplex

Release Date: September 26
The Plot: Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore are a nutty New York couple who want to get the old woman upstairs to move out so they can take her apartment.
The Pitch: We're no psychics, but it's quite likely that their nefarious schemes will backfire on them in amusing ways, perhaps involving electrocution.
Why It's Inessential: Fortunately, Ben Stiller. Unfortunately, Drew Barrymore. Fortunately, it's written by Simpsons vet Larry Doyle. Unfortunately, it's directed by Danny DeVito, the auteur of such "comedies" as The War of the Roses and Death to Smoochy. Also: Drew Barrymore.

4. The Haunted Mansion

Release Date: November 26
The Plot: Eddie Murphy stars as a man who moves his family into a haunted mansion.
The Pitch: If you liked Pirates of the Caribbean, you'll love The Haunted Mansion, which has nothing to do with that other movie, except it shares the same origin, in that it was inspired by a theme-park ride!
Why It's Inessential: (a) It takes over the #4 slot on the Inessential List from Eddie Murphy's inessential summer movie, Daddy Day Care. (b) Does Eddie Murphy even care anymore? Even a little bit? (c) Hey, we ended up liking Pirates of the Caribbean too, but we're guessing Eddie Murphy won't be mincing around in black eyeliner and beard braids, with a thick Cockney accent.

3.5. From Justin to Kelly

Release Date: December 25
The Plot: The stars of American Idol take to the beach in this long-awaited tribute to the musicals of...what? They released this already? Sorry, we must have been asleep for the twenty minutes this movie was in the theatres. Moving along then...

3. Honey

Release Date: November 14
The Plot: Honey (Jessica Alba) aspires to leave her Bronx roots behind by becoming a famous dancer.
The Pitch: It's being called the Glitter of 2003, only better.
Why It's Inessential: Apparently the filmmakers don't understand that to make a better version of Glitter is actually to miss the point, and thus a bad thing. Now, if they could make a worse version of Glitter, and cast Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in it, and maybe get Cuba Gooding Jr. to play a retarded man...wait a second...

2. Radio

Release Date: November 21
The Plot: Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as a retarded black man who teaches a crusty white football coach (Ed Harris) what's important in life.
The Pitch: It's the Magical Black Man you enjoyed so much from The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Green Mile, except now he's retarded! That means he's 50% less threatening and 100% more endearing!
Why It's Inessential: The trailer for this movie made us cringe so hard we actually popped out a contact lens. This is being marketed as Black Forrest Gump, but we're guessing it's closer to Black Forrest Ham. Boom-cha! Thank you!

1. Anything Else

Release Date: September 19
The Plot: Jason Biggs takes his turn at subconsciously mimicking Woody Allen, as he plays a young joke writer who's neurotic and has woman problems and dreams of the day when he'll hit his sixties and thus can really start macking on co-eds.
The Pitch: Two of America's most famous comic minds, together at last: Woody "Manhattan" Allen and Jason "Saving Silverman" Biggs!
Why It's Inessential: Because it's Woody Allen's attempt to reach out to the pie-fucker generation, who will rightly recoil from his sad, reptilian advances. Because Woody Allen reportedly "handpicked" Biggs after admiring his work in American Pie and Loser. Because Woody Allen apparently goes out to watch movies like Loser, yet won't venture far enough from his Upper West Side enclave to figure out that there are actual black people living in New York, many of whom aren't prostitutes. Because once upon a time, Woody Allen made movies like Crimes and Misdemeanors. Because now he makes movies with Christina Ricci in them. Because, as much as it pains us to say it, Woody Allen has become inessential.

Universal Music to Cut CD Prices to Under $13

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Universal Music Group, the world's largest record company, on Wednesday said it will cut list prices on compact discs by as much as 30 percent in an effort to boost sales that have been stymied by free online music-sharing services such as Kazaa.

Starting in October, Universal, the home to such artists asMary J. Blige, U2 and Elton John, will trim its prices on most of its CDs to $12.98 from its current $16.98-$18.98 range of prices.

"Our research shows that the sweet spot is to sell our records below $12.98,' said Universal Music president Zach Horowitz. "We're confident that when we implement this we will get a dramatic and sustained increase."

Historically, large retailers have sold new CDs at considerably less than the so-called "manufacturer suggested retail price."

"We expect this will invigorate the music market in North America," said Doug Morris, the label's chief executive. "This will allow retailers (to sell) for $10 or less if they so choose."

The price cut comes as the company has endured the enormous popularity of free music sharing services, which the labels blame for music piracy.

Universal, which is owned by Vivendi Universal, sees the price cuts as part of a larger strategy to discourage people from downloading music from the free services.

The record industry has already begun suing individual users of these services for copyright infringement. The labels have also begun offering their music to online music services that charge for each song downloaded, one of the most popular of which is Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes.

"As people will begin to migrate from illegitimate services, they're going to be exploring a host of options -- some online and some through retail," Horowitz said. "We felt that the most important thing we can do to encourage people to go back into stores is to reduce our prices dramatically."

Wholesale prices for CDs would decline to $9.09 from $12.02. For a handful of bigger name artists, wholesale prices would be $10.10 for a short period of time.

Universal also said it would stop "cooperative" advertising, in which the label subsidized advertising by retailers in local markets and instead advertise directly to consumers. It will also withdraw other discounts to retailers.

"(Our buyers) haven't had a chance to talk with Universal at this point to get details on how it might affect the business," said a spokesman from Circuit City Stores Inc. . A spokeswoman from Best Buy Co. Inc. declined to comment.

Amazon.com Inc., Tower Records and Trans World Entertainment Corp. did not immediately return phone calls requesting comment.

The other major labels -- AOL Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Music, Bertelsmann AG's BMG, EMI Group Plc and Sony Music Group -- declined to comment.

Some music executives questioned how much impact the price cuts will have.

"This doesn't have as much impact as it looks," one record executive said. "The labels were offering some discount programs to the retailers that would now end. So it's not entirely clear how much of a change there is for retailers' margins."

Another executive noted that larger retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Best Buy and Circuit City already sell CDs at around $13 anyway to get people into the stores to buy bigger ticket items.
 
"It remains to be seen what this means for the specialized retailer of CDs," he said.

Toronto Eager for Film Fest Fun After Summer Funk

TORONTO (Reuters) - Movie fans endured four-hour ticket lineups on the eve of the Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday, an event the city hopes will draw the curtain on a summer plagued by blackouts, SARS fears and slumping tourism.

With Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan due to arrive for the Sept 4-13 festival, organizers were set to begin screening more than 300 movies from 55 countries.

"We are ready to roll, absolutely... I think this city is ready for a festival. I think this city is ready to put the summer behind it, and this festival is the best way to do it," said director of communications Gabrielle Free.

"Unequivocally, this is the strongest guest lineup we've every had."

Now celebrating its 28th year, Toronto is ranked with Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Sundance as one of the world's most influential film festivals.

Anthony Hopkins, Ian McKellen, Sean Penn, Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Cate Blanchett, Tim Robbins, Isabella Rossellini and Omar Sharif are also among the stars confirmed to attend.

But the festival is as much about art-house grit as Hollywood glamour. Almost 60 percent of its movies are in a language other than English, providing a treat for Toronto's multicultural and multilingual moviegoers.

On Wednesday, fans braved lineups for tickets to movies as diverse as a one-minute film by an Oscar nominated animator and "West of the Tracks," a documentary on industrial decay in northeast China that runs more than nine hours.

Amir Malin, the New York-based chief executive of independent film producer and distributor Artisan Entertainment, said enthusiastic local audiences have been vital to the event's success.

A 22-year veteran of the festival, Malin said the event has become a key launching pad for autumn releases and a critical industry gathering.

"One of the greatest things about Toronto is you're able to see the film outside of the context of a screening room. You're able to see that film with its intended audience. That's a wonderful opportunity," he said.

NO SARS FEARS

The festival kicks off Thursday night with Canadian director Denys Arcand's "The Barbarian Invasions," winner of the best screenplay award at the 2003 Festival de Cannes. It marks the third time a film by Arcand has opened the festival after "The Decline of the American Empire" in 1986 and "Stardom" in 2000.

Gala screenings include "Matchstick Men" with Cage, "The Human Stain" with Kidman and Hopkins, and "Veronica Guerin" with Blanchett.

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 the outbreak had not discouraged stars and industry players from attending, but did delay the programming and confirmation of guests.

"It's had no effect on the end product. It had effects on the timing. Maybe earlier in the summer, in May, people were asking questions about it. Nobody was saying 'we're not coming' but people were saying 'what's going on in Toronto'," said Free.

Schwarzenegger Hit by Egg at California Campaign Rally

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Reuters) - Film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was accused of ducking a debate with his rivals while running for California governor, could not dodge an egg on Wednesday as he arrived for a campaign rally at a college campus.

But the "Terminator" star, who shrugs off flying bullets in his hit movies, also refused to let the egging slow him down.

Schwarzenegger was pelted with the egg by an unknown assailant as he strode to the stage at California State University, Long Beach, south of Long Beach.

It splattered his tan jacket and he wiped if off without pausing or breaking stride, then handed the yolk-stained garment to an aide and addressed a boisterous crowd of students in his shirt-sleeves.

"This guy owes me bacon now," Schwarzenegger told reporters later as he laughed off the incident.

Holy Cattle Call, Batman! Young Stars Eyeing Role

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Some of Hollywood's hottest young actors will converge at Warner Bros. over the next three days to test for the title role in the next "Batman" film, which is scheduled to start shooting in February.

The list of potential Caped Crusaders includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale, Joshua Jackson ("Dawson's Creek"), Cillian Murphy ("28 Days Later"), Henry Cavill ("I Capture the Castle") and Eion Bailey, who stars in the upcoming HBO feature "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself."

Sources say Hugh Dancy, currently shooting Disney's "King Arthur," may test if his schedule permits and he is able to shave the beard sported by his "Arthur" character, Galahad.

The "Batman" film will be directed by English filmmaker Christopher Nolan, famed for his work on "Memento" and "Insomnia."

'Moon walk' most requested TV image

LONDON (AP) -- The first man on the moon is Britain's most requested video image, finishing ahead of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the Sept. 11 attacks in a list released Tuesday by Independent Television News.

London-based ITN compiled a list of the footage most requested from its archives of more than 300,000 hours of news and feature material.

Neil Armstrong's first walk on the lunar surface came in at No. 1, an exhilarating moment in contrast to the many incidents of disaster and death on the list.

No. 2 was the news report of Kennedy's killing in 1963, and No. 3 was footage from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The footage is mainly requested by British media outlets and documentary makers. Peter Fydler, director of marketing at the ITN archive, said the list didn't necessarily record the 20 most important stories of the period.

"What defines this list is what has happened to have been filmed and it should not be taken as a list of the most important historic moments of the 20th century.

Anyone watching these clips should remember that," Fydler said.

ITN's top 20 most requested pieces of footage:

1. First moonwalk (1969)
2. JFK assassination (1963)
3. Sept. 11 attacks (2001)
4. Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales (1997)
5. Soccer star Bobby Moore lifting World Cup for England (1966)
6. Iranian Embassy siege in London (1980)
7. Rev. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech (1963)
8. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's resignation (1990)
9. Hindenberg disaster (1937)
10. Munich Olympics massacre (1972)
11. Child napalm victim in Vietnam (1972)
12. U.S. track star Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics (1936)
13. Adolf Hitler comes to power (1933)
14. British suffragette Emily Davison fatally injured at the Epsom Derby (1913)
15. Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)
16. Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic blasts (1945)
17. Nelson Mandela freed in South Africa (1990)
18. Space shuttle Challenger disaster (1986)
19. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's "peace in our time" speech (1938)
20. The Beatles' U.S. tour (1964)

McLachlan Plots New Album, Tour

Following an extended break, Sarah McLachlan is gearing up for a busy fall and 2004. "Fallen," the first single from her as-yet-untitled next Arista album, was released to North American radio outlets yesterday (Sept. 1). A commercial single will follow in the coming weeks, with the album expected in November.

For the first time since 1999, McLachlan will "tour extensively" next year in support of the new set, according to her official Web site. The artist has not released a studio album since 1997's "Surfacing," which debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200. Two years later, the live album "Mirrorball" reached No. 3 on the same chart. A remix collection appeared in 2001.

McLachlan made her only concert appearance of the year in June at the star-studded Concert for Toronto.

Buffy Heading to ANGEL

Sarah Michelle Gellar has agreed to make a two episode guest appearance on ANGEL in the upcoming season. Gellar will reprise her role as vampire slayer Buffy Summers in either the February or May sweeps period.

FAMILY REUNION

Giovanni Ribisi reprising his role as Phoebe's brother on Friends in an episode scheduled for October.

Pacino Movie 'Scarface' Set to Return to Theaters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Scarface," starring Al Pacino as a Cuban immigrant who becomes a kingpin in the illicit drug trade, will return to movie theaters this month for a 20th anniversary run in a limited number of cities, Universal Pictures said on Tuesday.

The new release features prints that have been copied from restored film, as well as a new digital soundtrack to boost the audience experience. The film's re-release comes in advance of a new DVD version of "Scarface," and follows a recent trend in Hollywood of re-releasing movies to help promote DVD sales.

When the movie was first shown in theaters, it met with only mixed reviews. But it has since been discovered by young moviegoers and become something of a cult classic.

"'Scarface' has really stood the test of time," said Jack Foley, president of distribution for Universal's specialty film label Focus Features. "It's remarkable to realize the depth of its impact."

Foley said he believed film fans will turn out to see the movie in theaters because so many have seen it only on television or home video, whereas the theater version offers an entirely different movie experience.

"Scarface" will play in theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Dallas, Miami and San Francisco.

Justin Timberlake and McDonald's Team Up

CHICAGO (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp. said it signed pop star Justin Timberlake for a global advertising campaign it launched on Tuesday, as it seeks to connect with younger customers and head off stiff competition.

Timberlake, of the "band" 'N Sync, will sing vocals for some of the English-language spots in the campaign, the world's largest fast-food company said.

Executives for McDonald's, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, declined to provide the cost of the campaign or Timberlake's contract, which includes sponsorship of a 35-country tour by the singer.

"We are spending a great deal," Larry Light, McDonald's chief marketing officer, told reporters on a conference call from Munich, where McDonald's launched the campaign. It is the first global marketing effort in the company's 50-year history.

The television spots roll out in other countries this month and in the United States on Sept. 29.

Analysts noted that few U.S. brands have successfully carried out worldwide campaigns, due to cultural differences between countries. "Let's see how it works," said Lawrence McNaughton, managing director of brand consultancy CoreBrand LLC.

German agency Heye and Partners, part of Omnicom Group Inc.'s DDB unit, is leading the creative work for the campaign, which is dubbed "I'm lovin' it."

It follows McDonald's "Smile" campaign in the United States, which experts said had a lukewarm impact. Recent menu additions like premium salads featuring Newman's Own dressing linked to actor Paul Newman have done more to boost sales, helping the company post significant U.S. second-quarter sales improvement.

In 2002, McDonald's spent about $548.2 million on advertising, according to trade publication Advertising Age.

Today's New Releases

If you are a fan of TV shows, or TV stars who have made the leap to the big
screen then this is your week for video and DVD releases!

Up first, the film that tries to answer questions like:

Why are we here, what's life all about?
Is God really real, or is there some doubt?
Well tonight, we're going to sort it all out
For tonight it's the Meaning of Life.

Over the course of time many theologians, writers and philosophers have
unsuccessfully examined the meaning of life. It took the collective minds
that are Monty Python to provide us with the answer. MONTY PYTHON'S THE
MEANING OF LIFE explains everything one could conceivably needs to know
about the perplexities of human existence, from the mysteries of Catholic
doctrine to the miracle of reproduction to why one should avoid the salmon
mousse to the critical importance of the machine that goes ping!

Sadly, this was the last original Python film, but I think they saved the
best for last. MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE is not a film for
everyone, but if you like witty humour you'll laugh, you'll cry. And you may
even learn something about the Meaning of Life.

Either way I assure you that you will never think of wafer thin mints the
same way again.

Some of the DVD Features on this Special Two-Disc Edition are:
* Commentary by directors Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, plus general
complaints and back-biting by John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin
* Deleted Scenes
* The Meaning of Making the "Meaning of Life"
* The Songs
* Snipped Bits
* Un Film de John Cleese
* Songs Unsung
* Education Tips
* Re-mastering a Masterpiece,
* Song and Dance
* Selling the Meaning of Life
* Rejects
* UK Radio
* Telepathy
* Virtual Reunion
* What Fish Think
* DVD-ROM Content including the script
* Widescreen anamorphic format

In the thriller IDENTITY ten people stranded at a roadside motel begin
disappearing one-by-one. John Cusack from CON AIR and Ray Liotta of HANNIBAL are just two of the ten and even though they're very good in the film, and you probably won't figure things out right away, once everything is revealed
the movie gets pretty boring.

With the new TV season only a few weeks away there are several box sets of
previous seasons coming out today to get you in the mood. Those sets include
THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON OF ALIAS; SEASON TWO OF ANGEL; CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION - THE SECOND SEASON; SAVED BY THE BELL - SEASONS 1 & 2; and the complete second season of XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS.

COMING NEXT WEEK

THE CORE - Terranauts must travel to core of planet to save the world.
(Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Delroy Lindo)

BULLETPROOF MONK - A monk is charged with protecting an ancient scroll.
(Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, Jamie King)

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND - The tale of TV variety show creator Chuck Barris. (Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts)

PLUS

* Family Guy, Vol. 2 (Season 3)
* 24 - Season Two
* Sleeping Beauty (Special Edition)

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

Short And Sweet

Just one new CD is coming out today. So I present the new CD release for Tuesday, September 2, 2003

* JESSE COOK Nomad

Buy it don't. The choice is all yours.

'Nemo' rules summer box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hollywood banked big on sequels this summer, scoring hugely on a couple but falling short of the industry's pie-in-the-sky expectations on many.

Studios dodged early forecasts of a slump in box-office receipts, riding a late surge of hits that produced another summer of record revenue.

The main surprise was the little fish that could. No one figured the goofy sea creatures of "Finding Nemo" would swim past the daring heroes of "The Matrix Reloaded" to become the year's top-grossing film.

"Finding Nemo" has climbed to $330 million in domestic ticket sales, passing "The Lion King" to become the highest-grossing animated film ever. Factoring in today's higher admission prices, though, 1994's "The Lion King" sold more tickets.

Summer's most anticipated movie, "The Matrix Reloaded," came in second at $279 million. Another surprise blockbuster, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," is creeping past $270 million and could commandeer the summer's runner-up slot.

Add in "Bruce Almighty" and "X2: X-Men United," and a record five summer movies crossed the $200 million mark. Twelve have topped $100 million, with four others positioned to do so, breaking the record of 13 $100 million movies in summer 2002.

Among the hits were "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," "Bad Boys II," "The Hulk" and "S.W.A.T.", along with sleeper success "The Italian Job" and the classy drama "Seabiscuit."

From early May through Labor Day, domestic grosses are expected to total $3.87 billion, up 2 percent from summer 2002's record, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

With an estimated 4 percent rise in admission prices, though, ticket sales will be down about 2 percent from summer 2002, the first decline in three years.
"It's just slightly off. I don't think it's any big deal. If it were off dramatically, it would be a different story," said Richard Cook, studio chairman at Disney, which released "Finding Nemo," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the hit remake "Freaky Friday."

"If it continued to be off for another nine months or a year, then certainly we'd all be scratching our heads."

Unlike the glut of G- and PG-rated movies in summer 2002, Disney largely had the family market to itself this season. The only other notable summer family flick came from Disney-owned Miramax, which gambled on a revival of the three-dimensional format with "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over."

It paid off, with the "Spy Kids" sequel topping $100 million.

"We can say what a great idea it was now because it worked," said Josh Greenstein, senior vice president for marketing at Dimension Films, the Miramax banner that released "Spy Kids 3-D."

Produced for a relatively modest $37 million, "Spy Kids 3-D" will turn a tidy profit. Many other sequels showed diminishing gains because of rising expenses.
Hollywood once dashed off cheap sequels to wring a few more dollars out of a blockbuster brand name. Franchises such as "Austin Powers" and "The Mummy" taught the industry that by investing more up front to bring back key talent, sequels could produce larger paydays than their predecessors.

That backfired on some franchise flicks this summer. Studios shelled out bigger and bigger sums for talent and advertising, then found audiences far less interested in sequels than anticipated.

"The Matrix" and "X-Men" sequels easily outgrossed their predecessors. Others fell well short, including "Terminator 3" (topping out at about $150 million compared to $205 million for 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day") and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" (barely crawling past $100 million compared to $125 million for the first movie three years ago).

Sequels to "Legally Blonde" and "The Fast and the Furious" also were underachievers compared to the original flicks. "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider -- The Cradle of Life" rolled over and died, taking in just half the $131 million domestic total of the first "Tomb Raider."

That does not spell the end of sequels, just a more cautious approach by Hollywood. In the future, studios likely will aim to pay stars and filmmakers less up front in exchange for bonus money depending on how well a sequel performs at the box office.

Studios also will lean more toward multipicture deals for original movies that might result in sequels, locking the talent in at a fixed salary for follow-up films.
"Anybody who tells you sequels are dead, sequels aren't going to be made, doesn't know what they're talking about," said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which teamed with Sony on the summer hit "Daddy Day Care" and the season's big flop, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's "Gigli."
"Sequels are pre-sold pictures with a pre-sold audience that normally do really well. They are not going to go away. They're going to be a mainstay in Hollywood. It's just a matter of re-examining the economics of sequels."

`Jeepers Creepers 2' Tops Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Horror held sway at theaters again as "Jeepers Creepers 2" sunk its claws into audiences, debuting as the top movie with $18.5 million over the long Labor Day weekend.

"Jeepers Creepers 2" deposed another horror sequel, "Freddy vs. Jason," which had been the No. 1 movie for the previous two weekends. "Freddy vs. Jason" fell to No. 6 with $8.1 million, bringing its 17-day total to $73.4 million, according to industry estimates Monday.

Hollywood had a brisk finish to summer-blockbuster season, with revenues up for the third straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in $101.2 million over Labor Day weekend, an 11 percent increase over the same period last year.

The industry rang up $3.87 billion in ticket sales domestically from early May through Labor Day, beating summer 2002's revenue record by about 2 percent. Factoring in higher admission prices this year, though, the number of tickets sold fell about 2 percent.

Revenues had slumped during the first half of summer, but a strong lineup of late-season hits helped Hollywood catch up to summer 2002's pace.

"It was a very impressive finish," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Summers are known for burning out or faltering at the end, but this summer certainly bucked that trend with some pretty strong films."

A followup to 2001's horror mini-hit, "Jeepers Creepers 2" features the return of the bestial, bat-like "Creeper," this time butchering and munching on a bus full of high school athletes and cheerleaders.

The sequel did better business than the original "Jeepers Creepers," which took in $15.8 million in its debut over Labor Day two years ago.

"Jeepers Creepers 2" was the only new film in wide release for Labor Day weekend, traditionally a quiet time at theaters when families are preoccupied with barbecues and other outdoor activities and students are preparing to return to school.

Arthouse films in limited release expanded to eager audiences. "American Splendor," starring Paul Giamatti as cult comic-book writer Harvey Pekar, widened to 88 theaters and took in a healthy $1.08 million.

The coming-of-age drama "Thirteen," featuring Holly Hunter as a single mother of a troubled teenage daughter, expanded to 73 theaters and grossed $800,000.

Four movies passed $100 million over the weekend, bringing summer's total to 15 flicks hitting that mark, breaking summer 2002's record of 13.

Crossing $100 million were "S.W.A.T.", "Seabiscuit," "The Italian Job" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." At least two other movies released this summer are positioned to top $100 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Jeepers Creepers 2," $18.5 million.
2. "Freaky Friday," $11.7 million.
3. "S.W.A.T.", $10.5 million.
4 (tie). "Open Range," $10.2 million.
4 (tie). "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," $10.2 million.
6. "Seabiscuit," $8.2 million.
7. "Freddy vs. Jason," $8.1 million.
8. "The Medallion," $5.7 million.
9. "Uptown Girls," $5.2 million.
10. "My Boss's Daughter," $4.5 million.

Paper Apologizes for Spears-Madonna Photo

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution apologized to readers Monday for using a picture of Britney Spears kissing Madonna on the front page.

The picture, not much bigger than a postage stamp, was near the top of Friday's front page. It showed Spears and Madonna in an open-mouth kiss they shared at the MTV Video Music Awards the night before. A larger version of the picture was in the Living section.

The sloppy kiss picture elicited a deluge of complaints to the newspaper. In Monday's editions, managing editor Hank Klibanoff apologized, saying the picture should have been inside but not on the front page.

Klibanoff compared the Spears picture to graphic images from the war in Iraq.

"We ran images we otherwise might not have run. But that was war, and war was news. The photo we ran Friday was neither, and I wish I had limited its display to the inside of the Living section," Klibanoff wrote in a response to letters on the opinions page.

Jerry Lewis Telethon Nets Record $60.5M

LOS ANGELES - The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon received a record $60.5 million in nationwide pledges during its annual fund-raising drive for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The 77-year-old Lewis, his body bloated due to steroid medication he takes for pulmonary fibrosis, was assisted during the 21 1/2-hour fund-raiser by Ed McMahon and performances from a number of entertainers, including Cher, Celine Dion and Don Rickles.

"I'm consistently humbled by the generosity of the American public. Every year I ask, and without blinking, you open your hearts and wallets," Lewis said. "You've also let 'my kids' of all ages, and their loved ones, know that they aren't alone in this fight."

Originating from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, the telethon pledges received through Monday broke last year's record of $58.3 million, telethon spokeswoman Carol Sowell said Monday. The 38th annual broadcast was shown on about 200 television stations.

The money raised included the largest single donation ever pledged during the telethon: $18.3 million from the International Association of Fire Fighters, a longtime sponsor of the MDA.

The privately funded MDA works to combat more than 40 neuromuscular diseases through research, services to those afflicted, and professional and public health education.

Harrison Ford Says He's Not a Big Film Lover

BERLIN (Reuters) - Harrison Ford said Monday he's not a big movie fan and doesn't like going to the movies much.

But the Hollywood hero said what really annoys him are lies about his private life that he says are printed in tabloid newspapers and celebrity magazines around the world.

"I don't answer questions about my private life," Ford told Reuters in Berlin, where he was promoting his latest film "Hollywood Homicide."

"The celebrity press that abounds in every country around the world today is not truthful about people's private lives," the famously tight-lipped American actor added.

"But it's not my job to sit here and correct what's incorrect. That just gives it a second life. So I leave it alone and concentrate on the mission I'm here on."

Even though "Hollywood Homicide" and his previous film, a Russian submarine drama "K-19:The Widowmaker," were box-office disappointments, Ford has starred in four of the 10 top-grossing movies made -- "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Return of the Jedi."

Ford said he would start shooting a fourth Indiana Jones film next year. But he declined to reveal any details about it other than to say that Steven Spielberg will direct it.

"I promise you he'll be 15 years older," Ford, 61, said of the Indiana Jones character who last appeared on the screen in "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade" in 1989.

"There's no intention of trying to stay in the same period of time. Other than that I can't really tell you anything about the story."

Ford and American actress Calista Flockhart have been the subject of tabloid gossip since they hooked up at the January 2002 Golden Globe awards but their relationship has elicited mostly terse "no comments" from Ford.

Flockhart, 38, moved into Ford's Los Angeles home with her 2-year-old son Liam earlier this year.

Ford separated from his second wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, in 2001. His first marriage ended in divorce in 1979.

In Berlin, Ford said he was sad to hear of the death of tough-guy actor Charles Bronson, a veteran of more than 60 films. But he said he did not know much about Bronson.

"I'm not a big movie fan so I don't go often to the movies," Ford said. "The films he was most well-known for were not really my cup of tea."

R&B Star Beyonce Leads Mobo Nominations

LONDON (Reuters) - American R&B star Beyonce Knowles and British newcomer Terri Walker lead a record number of female nominees for the Music of Black Origin (Mobo) awards with four nominations each, organizers said late on Monday.

Former Destiny's Child singer Beyonce, who spent three weeks at the top of the UK singles charts with "Crazy in Love," is up for best album, best single, best video and best R&B act at the premier urban music awards.

Soul singer Walker burst onto the scene with her album "Untitled," which is also nominated for a Mercury prize. She has been shortlisted for best R&B act, UK act of the year, best newcomer and best album at the Mobos.

British artists Big Brovaz, a six-piece group from London, were also nominated for four awards in the best video, best album, UK act of the year and best newcomer categories.

This year's awards are the most female friendly in the event's eight years. Four of the six nominees are female in the best UK act while three female acts will compete for the best album.

The Independent newspaper quoted founder and organizer Kanya King as saying the rise of female artists showed a "changing of the climate. The industry has become more accepting," she said.

*N Sync pretty boy Justin Timberlake is in the running for two categories, best R&B act and best album.

The Mobo awards celebrate the spectrum of music of black origin -- R&B, hip hop, rap, jazz, reggae and gospel -- and reward performers of any color.

This year's awards take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 25. The majority of awards are voted for by the public.

Final 'Kill Bill' Set for February Execution

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Bill will finally get his comeuppance next February.

Like a magician, director Quentin Tarantino has sliced "Kill Bill" in two, with the second half to be released February 20, 2004. As scheduled, "Kill Bill Vol. 1" will debut in theaters on October 10, 2003.

Uma Thurman stars as a former assassin who is betrayed by her boss, played by David Carradine. Four years after surviving a bullet in the head, she emerges from a coma and swears revenge on her former master and his deadly squad of international assassins.

The two-part film will also star Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox and Michael Madsen.

"I am thrilled about Kill Bill being in two volumes," Tarantino says. "While editing the film, we thought we could make it work. It is about storytelling and the best way to tell this story is in two parts."

Lawrence Bender and Tarantino are producing "Bill" through their A Band Apart company.

Thurman will star opposite Ben Affleck in John Woo's "Paycheck" this Christmas.

Bryan Adams Says New CD/DVD Started Live On TV

Bryan Adams hasn't released a studio album since On A Day Like Today in 1999. But he is promoting a new project, Live At Budokan, a CD and DVD that was recorded June 15 and 16, 2000, in Tokyo.

Adams told LAUNCH that the concerts were initially filmed only for broadcast in Japan, but he decided he wanted the rest of the world to see it. "It started out as a TV show in Japan, and when I saw the results of the tape, I really liked it, and then just spent, you know, like, two years trying to buy it from NHK, which is the TV company, or get permission to use it," Adams said. "After that, we just basically put together the show and the DVD and everything, and I think it's a really cool show."

The Live At Budokan CD features 15 songs, while the DVD includes the entire 22-song show that was aired on Japanese TV, plus four bonus tracks.

Adams is nearing completion of his next studio album, which he hopes to release before the end of this year or in early 2004.

Potter Stars Staying On for Fourth Movie

Emma Watson has announced that she and fellow HARRY POTTER film stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint have decided to stay on and star in the fourth movie, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. The third film is currently in production and shortly after it is done, the fourth will begin. After being asked if they'll stay on through all seven, Watson said, "We’re not up to speculate on that. One movie at a time."

WAS ANYBODY WATCHING?

Despite Madonna's liplock with Britney and Christina, only 10.7 million tuned in to Thursday's MTV Video Music Awards, down from last year's record breaking audience of 12 million, though the music net did manage to capture that all important demo, young folks aged 12-34.

Tough-Guy Actor Charles Bronson Dies at 81

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rugged tough-guy actor Charles Bronson, a veteran of over 60 films, including the 1974 movie "Death Wish" has died at the age of 81, CNN reported on Sunday.

CNN said he died in Los Angeles after a bout with pneumonia.

Bronson, who was famous for his roles as a quiet, tough-talking hero in often violent films, was in 1972 named the biggest box office star by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and received the Gold Star Award as the film industry's top international star in 1979.

His craggy looks, menacing presence and understated acting style helped earn him applause in such films as "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), "The Great Escape" (1963) and "The Dirty Dozen" (1967).

His reputation was confirmed in such later movies as "Mr. Majestyk" (1974) as well as "Death Wish" and its sequels in 1981 and 1986.