SOME SURE-FIRE STRATEGIES FOR 'IDOL' HANDS
If you wanted to be a rock star in the old days, all you had to do, according to the Byrds song, was "get yourself an electric guitar and take some time and learn how to play."
But in the world of the hit Fox TV series "American Idol," it takes smarts and strategy, as well as talent, to survive the scrutiny of judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. Whether you're a contestant or a viewer, here's how to separate golden idols from those with clay feet:
1. All three critics say they don't want to see gimmicks, yet so far, an Elvis impersonator and a girl who rides a scooter have made it to round two.
2. Simon is a sucker for any Righteous Brothers song, especially "Unchained Melody."
3. Old pop (that's pre-1970) gets the judges' attention since tunes from that era are the music of their youth. Really old pop, like a Bing Crosby number, falls into the gimmick category, which is supposed to be bad, but is really good.
4. Phrasing and timing are meaningless to all three judges. It's strictly about keeping in key and maintaining pitch.
5. Dancing is an open invitation to ridicule.
6. Being a good-looking blonde - male or female - is a great asset.
7. The wackier or ditzier you are, the better - especially if you can back it up by singing in key.
8. The show is about melody, so never rap or sing a song that's totally rhythm-dependent, such as "Not Fade Away."
9. When the judges laugh at you - they are laughing at you, not with you.
10. No matter how badly you want to be on the show, if the judges give you the ax, lose with dignity. Begging, even in the kneeling position, just doesn't work.
'Titanic' Director Sets Sail with New Film, Report Says
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Titanic" writer/director James Cameron is preparing a follow-up feature, six years after his maritime saga smashed worldwide box office records, Daily Variety reported in its Thursday edition.
Cameron hopes to start shooting the untitled project, which he described as "a big-budget science-fiction film with a pile of special effects" later this year for 20th Century Fox with high-definition 3-D video cameras, the trade paper said.
Cameron announced his plans to sci-fi buffs on Tuesday during a question-and-answer session following a special Hollywood screening of his 1991 blockbuster "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," the paper said.
Fox, a unit of News Corp.'s Fox Entertainment Group Inc, financed "Titanic" with Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures. Although it went way over budget, the 1997 film grossed $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office and won 11 Oscars, including best picture and director.
Since "Titanic," Cameron has directed two documentaries: "Ghosts of the Abyss," a 3-D giant-screen film that took him to Titanic's resting place at the bottom of Atlantic; and the TV special "Expedition: Bismarck," about the famed German battleship.