Avril, Sarah to perform at Junos
EDMONTON (CP) -- Some of Canada's top musical acts are slated to hit the stage at this year's Juno Awards.
The Barenaked Ladies, Michael Buble, Nelly Furtado, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan and Nickelback will perform at the April 4 awards show from Edmonton's Rexall Place, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced Sunday.
Tickets for the show, airing on CTV, go on sale Feb. 14 through Ticketmaster.
More acts will be announced in the coming weeks, including a host for the bash. Shania Twain emceed the event last year.
Nominations for the awards, honouring the best in Canadian music, will be announced Feb. 11.
The Fockers Have Two Faces
According to Roger Friedman over at FoxNews, Barbara Streisand may be the next big name to land in MEET THE FOCKERS, the sequel to 2000's MEET THE PARENTS.
If she does sign on, Streisand will join Dustin Hoffman, who recently joined the cast as Ben Stiller's father. That pair would, of course, be joined by film heavyweight Robert DeNiro, who will reprise his role as Pam's father.
FoxNews' Friedman thinks the role is supposedly that of a "monstrous mother-in-law and cloying, over-powering mother." But, according to previous news, Greg's (Ben Stiller) parents are supposed to be the opposite of Pam's: very laid back.
Jay Roach is directing again from a script by Jim Herzfeld, Tim Rasmussen and Vince DiMeglio. Roach and DeNiro are also producing with Jane Rosenthal.
'Gigli' Leads Razzies' Worst Film Nominees
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Can it get any worse for Hollywood's favorite tabloid couple?
Just days after Jennifer Lopez confirmed that she had ended her stormy high-profile engagement to Ben Affleck, "Gigli" -- the movie that sparked their off-screen romance -- gets the uncertain honor of leading the pack in nominations for the awards that celebrate the very worst of the American movie industry's annual output.
The nominations for the Golden Raspberry or Razzie awards for 2003, announced on Monday, included nine for "Gigli," a mob comedy starring Affleck and Lopez that critics hated and audiences spurned.
"The Cat in the Hat," a sometimes risque riff on the children's classic by Dr. Seuss, was just behind with eight Razzie nominations, including worst actor for Mike Myers for a performance award organizers called a "fur-ball hocking desecration."
Lopez and Affleck met on the set of "Gigli" in late 2001 and were engaged in November 2002.
Last September, the couple called off their supposedly secret wedding just days before it was to take place, citing a media invasion of their privacy.
The pair, who became known collectively as "Bennifer," have been seen together in public in the months since, although there have been widespread rumors that they were splitting up.
A spokesman for Lopez said on Tuesday that the actress-singer had ended her engagement to Affleck.
Lopez may be the front runner as 2003's worst actress, but other star-crossed screen lovers also had a rough ride with critics and the Razzie judges.
Angelina Jolie, who chases romance to geopolitical hot spots in "Beyond Borders," also scored a nomination, along withKelly Clarkson who chases fellow "American Idol" Justin Guarini through an antic-filled Miami spring break in "From Justin to Kelly."
Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz grabbed a dual dishonor with worst-actress nods for their high-kicking, crime-fighting return in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
Sylvester Stallone, an evil, video-game mastermind set on global domination in "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," took his 30th Razzie nomination, more than any actor in the history of the awards, which spoof the Oscars, Hollywood's highest honors.
The 2004 Razzies will be given out on Feb. 28, a day before the Academy Awards.
The Razzie awards, which were launched in 1980 by writer John Wilson, offer winners a spray-painted raspberry atop a nest of Super 8 film although most awards go unclaimed by honorees.
Dan's Potential Nominees for the Academy Awards
The Nominations for this year's Academy Awards will be announced early Tuesday morning.
There will be 5 nominees in each of the 6 major categories - Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress. Later today I'll narrow this list of potential nominees down to 7 for each category.
These are the ones that I am leaning toward right now.
Everything is in Alphabetical order:
BEST PICTURE
TOP 5
* The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
* Cold Mountain
* Lost In Translation
* Mystic River
* Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
OTHERS
* American Splendor
* House Of Sand And Fog
* In America
* Kill Bill: Vol. 1
* Seabiscuit
* 21 Grams
BEST DIRECTOR
TOP 5
* Sofia Coppola, Lost In Translation
* Clint Eastwood, Mystic River
* Peter Jackson, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
* Anthony Minghella, Cold Mountain
* Peter Weir, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
OTHERS
* Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 21 Grams
* Gary Ross, Seabiscuit
* Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: Vol. 1
BEST ACTRESS
TOP 5
* Jennifer Connelly, House Of Sand And Fog
* Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give
* Nicole Kidman, Cold Mountain
* Charlize Theron, Monster
* Naomi Watts, 21 Grams
OTHERS
* Jamie Lee Curtis, Freaky Friday
* Samantha Morton, In America
* Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: Vol. 1
* Evan Rachel Wood, Thirteen
BEST ACTOR
TOP 5
* Paul Giamatti, American Splendor
* Ben Kingsley, House Of Sand And Fog
* Jude Law, Cold Mountain
* Bill Murray, Lost In Translation
* Sean Penn, Mystic River
OTHERS
* Russell Crowe, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
* Johnny Depp, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl
* Peter Dinklage, The Station Agent
* Sean Penn, 21 Grams
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
TOP 5
* Shoreh Aghdashloo, House Of Sand And Fog
* Hope Davis, American Splendor
* Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River
* Scarlett Johansson, Lost In Translation
* Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
OTHERS
* Emma Bolger, In America
* Patricia Clarkson, Pieces Of April
* Holly Hunter, Thirteen
* Laura Linney, Mystic River
* Emma Thompson, Love Actually
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
TOP 5
* Sean Astin, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
* Albert Finney, Big Fish
* Bill Nighy, Love Actually
* Tim Robbins, Mystic River
* Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
OTHER CONTENDERS
* Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
* Paul Bettany, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
* Jeff Bridges, Seabiscuit
* Chris Cooper, Seabiscuit
* Djimon Hounsou, In America
* Ian McKellen, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
* Andy Serkis, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
'Rings,' 'Translation' Win Golden Globes
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - The intimate held its own against the epic at Sunday's Golden Globes, as the big, thunderous "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" collected a leading four trophies while the small, poignant "Lost in Translation" got three.
"Lost in Translation," a story of two lonely Americans who find friendship in a Tokyo hotel, was named best comedy film. Bill Murray won the first major acting award of his career, winning as best comedy actor, and the screenplay prize went to Sofia Coppola, who wrote, produced and directed the film.
"Return of the King" was recognized as best dramatic film, and Peter Jackson as best director. It also won two musical awards.
"I never realized that seven years on this movie would end up turning me into a Hobbit," Jackson said, referring to the shortish, big-footed magical characters in the J.R.R. Tolkien stories. "To all of the actors, our magical cast, you just gave so much to the movies and equally importantly you made it so much fun to work on."
Among TV nominees, HBO's six-hour adaptation of playwright Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" won five trophies, including best miniseries or TV movie.
But movies gathered most of the attention as Sean Penn collected best movie drama actor for playing an emotionally ravaged father seeking revenge for his daughter's murder in "Mystic River," and Charlize Theron won the drama actress honor for "Monster," the story of a prostitute serial killer.
Theron thanked writer-director Patty Jenkins for believing she could play the role: "There's only so much you can do, but if somebody doesn't give you a chance there is nothing you can do."
Murray thanked Coppola and went on to dryly mock Hollywood award speeches, declaring he had fired all his agents and representatives and had no one else to thank.
He also poked fun at the idea that comedy performers are overshadowed by dramatic stars. "Too often we forget our brothers on the other side of the aisle — the dramatic actors," he said. "I'd just like to say: Where would our war, our miseries and our psychological traumas come from?"
Coppola thanked her father — "The Godfather" director and co-writer Francis Ford Coppola, calling him "a great screenwriting teacher."
Diane Keaton, who had one her her first roles in "The Godfather," collected a Golden Globe for lead comedy performances, playing an older woman in love in "Something's Gotta Give."
"Getting to play a woman to love at 57 is like reaching for the stars with a step ladder. I know I got lucky," said Keaton.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association event is regarded by many in Hollywood as one of the year's biggest parties, but it's also a way to generate front-runner buzz for the Oscars.
The Globes are distributed by a relatively small group, about 90 journalists who cover entertainment for foreign-based media outlets.
Tim Robbins and Renee Zellweger collected supporting movie performer honors.
Robbins' supporting role as a grown child-abuse survivor suspected of murder in "Mystic River" earned him the first trophy of the evening. "Wow! We just sat down. The good thing about this coming early is that I get to drink now," Robbins joked.
Later in his acceptance speech he shouted to director Clint Eastwood: "Clint, you are the man! I have never felt so trusted and in such good hands as when we were on the set for that movie."
Eastwood accepted the drama actor award on behalf of Penn, who did not attend, and described his "Mystic River" star as an actor who has been too often taken for granted.
Zellweger received the supporting movie actress award for playing a tough-as-bark backwoods woman in "Cold Mountain." She previously won two lead comedy actress Golden Globes for "Nurse Betty" in 2001 and last year for "Chicago."
Besides winning best TV movie or miniseries, "Angels in America" won four performing awards. Co-star Meryl Streep and Al Pacino were picked best TV movie lead performers and supporting TV honors went to Jeffrey Wright and Mary-Louise Parker.
Streep, who was previously onstage to present the award to Robbins, accepted her trophy with a blushing remark: "I just realized you can see completely though my dress."
Among the nominees Wright beat out for supporting TV actor: his "Angels in America" co-stars Ben Shenkman and Patrick Wilson. "I share this with you," he told them from the stage. "But I'll keep it at my house."
Anthony LaPaglia won best drama series actor for the CBS crime show "Without a Trace," while Frances Conroy claimed the drama actress award for the HBO funeral-home show "Six Feet Under."
Sarah Jessica Parker won best comedy series actress for "Sex and the City," which is in its last season on HBO, and Fox's real-time thriller "24" won best drama series.
BBC America's "The Office," which stars co-creator Ricky Gervais as an annoying boss at a British paper merchant, defeated "Arrested Development," "Monk," "Sex and the City" and "Will & Grace" for best comedy show. The critically lauded "The Office" is being developed into an American version.
"I'm not from these parts," said Gervais, who later won best TV comedy actor. "I'm from a little place called England ... We used to run the world before you."
The honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award went to Michael Douglas, whose actor father, Kirk Douglas, received the honor in 1968.
The Globes event came just two days before Tuesday morning's announcement of the Oscar nominations. The Oscar ceremony is set for Feb. 29, about three weeks earlier than previous years.
Golden Globes 2004: Minute by Minute
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Say whatever you like about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association -- and lord knows, many have over the years about the group's small size, nebulous membership policies and outsize awards-season clout, but the people there run a tight ship. The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards Sunday zipped along right on schedule, something we can say probably won't happen at the Oscars next month.
There weren't a lot of huge surprises among the winners, but the combination of an open bar and a roomful of famous people made, as usual, for an entertaining show. Here's a minute-by-minute account of the broadcast:
8 p.m.: The show opens with a re-working of OutKast's "Hey Ya," which is so bad that it could very well kill Andre 3000 and make him turn over in his grave, all in one motion.
8:03: With no host, the Globes get right to the awards. Meryl Streep, presenting the award for best supporting actor in a drama, says she's never opened an envelope before. We assume she's talking about awards-show envelopes, because otherwise that would just be weird. Tim Robbins wins for his work in "Mystic River." He's excited to win the first award of the night, because "now I can drink."
8:06: The always-solid Anthony LaPaglia wins the Globe for best actor in a drama series for his understated work on CBS' "Without a Trace." "Now I can drink with Tim," he exclaims. After starting to leave, he runs back to the mic to thank the Golden Globes' sponsoring organization, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
8:09: Rolling right along, "Six Feet Under's" Frances Conroy accepts the award for best actress in a drama series.
8:14: The consensus among both men and women is that Renee Zellweger looks just fine with the extra weight she gained for the "Bridget Jones" sequel.
8:20: We meet this year's Miss Golden Globe, Lily Costner, the 17-year-old daughter of Kevin. She'll stand on stage looking nice for the rest of the evening.
8:25: British import "The Office" wins best comedy series. Star/co-creator Ricky Gervais doesn't much know what to say, noting "I'm not from around these parts. I'm from a little place called England -- we used to run the world before you."
8:30: In what will probably be the least surprising announcement of the night, HBO's "Angels in America" wins the Globe for best miniseries or TV movie. Star Al Pacino looks a little out of sorts on stage, but fellow cast member Mary-Louise Parker most decidedly does not.
8:32: Meryl Streep should really do more comedy ("Death Becomes Her" and "She Devil" to the contrary). Accepting her award for best actress in a miniseries or TV movie, she at first looks frightened when the towering Uma Thurman tries to hand her the trophy from behind, then remarks about how her dress is sort of see-through. She gets a couple more laughs by thanking her agent and noting that Tim Robbins didn't thank his.
8:43: A member of the Hollywood Foreign Press justifies the group's existence with film clips of the association handing checks out, or something.
8:45: Sarah Jessica Parker wins her fourth Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy series, and gives a halting, "um"-filled acceptance speech. You'd think she'd be better at this by now, wouldn't you?
8:50: Jeffrey Wright is surprised to win for "Angels in America," because he's sitting at a table near the wall of the ballroom. Those who saw the film aren't so shocked.
8:53: NBC is starting in with the treacly, "Don't miss the final episodes" promos for "Frasier."
8:55: Robin Williams, introducing a clip for the nautical epic "Master and Commander," says the sea is "cruel, unforgiving and wet -- a lot like Paris Hilton."
8:57: Diane Keaton wins for "Something's Gotta Give." She says "s***" in her acceptance speech, but NBC, not wanting a repeat of Bono's "This is f***in' great" from last year, makes sure to blip it out.
9:00: Bill Murray wins best actor (musical and comedy) for "Lost in Translation." He arrives dressed as brother Brian Doyle-Murray and delivers a typically dry speech, noting, "Too often we forget our brothers on the other side of the aisle, the dramatic actors." He doesn't mention radiant co-star Scarlett Johansson, which just seems mean. Murray now has a Golden Globe going for him, which is nice.
9:10: "Las Vegas" stars Josh Duhamel and Molly Sims appear on stage to present best television drama. In the crowd, Jim Belushi seems to be saying that he wishes he could win a date with Tad Hamilton.
9:11: FOX's "24" wins for best drama, suggesting that the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press live in countries where they're still getting the show's good episodes from last season or the year before.
9:13: Ricky Gervais of "The Office" picks up his second trophy of the evening and gets to play confused foreigner again. "I've been here before... It's good," he says, milking time until the band plays him off the stage. He manages to thank at least two people while staring blankly at the stars in the crowd.
9:21: Why, oh, why does Gwen Stefani look like one of the aliens from "Alien Nation"? Answer: Too much peroxide. Can she be too bleached? No doubt.
9:25: Two minutes after winning for original score and telling his kid back home to go to bed, Howard Shore wins a second trophy for the original song for "Into the West" from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Sting was nominated, but didn't win, perhaps because the HPFA was nervous about the possibility eight-hour tantric acceptance speech.
9:32: J Lo presents the screenwriting prize to Sofia Coppola. J Lo knows the importance of screenwriters. Insert your favorite "Gigli" joke here. Lopez seems upbeat despite her recent break-up with Ben Affleck, but her bangs appear to be in mourning.
9:37: Mary-Louise Parker, best supporting actress in a series, miniseries or telefilm for "Angels in America," wins a $1,000 dare from her "West Wing" co-star Janel Moloney by thanking her newborn son for enhancing the profile of her breasts in her barely-there dress. The true winners are the viewers at home.
9:42: Danny DeVito presents his old friend and frequent co-star Michael Douglas with the Cecil B. DeMille Award and makes jokes about drugs, Douglas' age and his interest in women. Nobody laughs.
9:49: Sharon Stone joins DeVito, noting that she had only made a handful of movies before appearing on top of Douglas in "Basic Instinct." We don't know if she's forgetting about "Total Recall" or "Action Jackson" or "King Solomon's Mines" or "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol," but we don't want her to sell her early career short.
10:03: Sure, it's nice to get awards, but as the announcer keeps reminding us every time a presenter comes to the stage, these people have movies to plug. Thus, we're made aware that Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon's next project is "Shall We Dance?," while Dustin Hoffman can be seen soon in "I Heart Huckabee's." Oh, and don't forget to check out Brittany Murphy in "Little Black Book."
10:07: Peter Jackson wins best director for "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." The short, scruffy New Zealander acknowledges his own hobbit-like appearance and apologizes to the HFPA for "lowering the standards on the red carpet."
10:12: "Angels in America" completes its sweep as Al Pacino wins for best actor in a miniseries or TV movie. The band is not quick with the hook.
10:21: A stunningly dressed Nicole Kidman states the obvious -- "You're not Sean" -- when "Mystic River" director Clint Eastwood steps to the stage to accept the Globe for best actor in a drama on behalf of the film's star, Sean Penn. Eastwood informs us that Penn has "family business up North."
10:36: After a very serious speech for "Osama," the best foreign-language film winner, Jack Nicholson trots onstage to announce the award for best actress in a drama -- Charlize Theron for "Monster." Jack says something disarming to her as she heads to the microphone, but she pulls it together to make her acceptance speech, despite getting played off.
10:43: A bald Jim Carrey announces that the best motion picture comedy is ... "Elf." "Oh, wait, that wasn't nominated this year," he says, getting a big laugh. In reality, it's "Lost in Translation," which picks up its third award of the night.
10:52: Leonardo DiCaprio, who has his Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator" (funny, Gwen Stefani forgot to mention it) to plug, announces "Return of the King" is the winner for best motion picture drama. Director Jackson makes his acceptance short and sweet, leading to perhaps the night's biggest shocker: an awards show that ends not only on time, but actually a couple minutes ahead of schedule.
Tears for Fears wants to rule world again
Tears for Fears, disbanded since 1990, embarks on a new beginning with Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, due April 6 on Arista. The album, a melodic pop collection, came together after Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith tested the waters of a reunion by collaborating on single Closest Thing to Heaven. The song, completed in one day, goes to radio Monday.
At its peak, the British band topped the singles chart with Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World, both from 1985's Songs From the Big Chair, a No. 1 album that sold 5 million copies. Soon after 1989's The Seeds of Love, Smith quit to escape the pressure-cooker of pop success. He later made a solo album, hosted MTV programs, started a radio show and formed Mayfield with songwriter Charlton Pettus. Orzabal released three albums under the Tears banner and a solo debut.
The songwriting duo plans a tour but isn't sure yet if Happy Ending marks a fresh page or a final chapter in the Tears for Fears saga.
THREE'S A CHARM
DreamWorks giving the greenlight to production on Shrek 3 four months before Shrek 2 even hits theaters. The studio also developing Shark Tale 2 even though the original Shark Tale won't bow until October.
'The Butterfly Effect' Debuts in Top Spot
LOS ANGELES - Ashton Kutcher punked the critics as his time-travel thriller "The Butterfly Effect" stole the top spot at the weekend box office. The film hauled in $17.1 million while the Ben Stiller romantic comedy "Along Came Polly" slipped from first to second place with $16.6 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
"The Butterfly Effect" stars Amy Smart and Kutcher as a college student haunted by repressed childhood memories who travels back in time to inhabit the body of his younger self and undo traumatic events.
Critics derided the film, but moviegoers seemed intrigued by the premise and hungry to see the 25-year-old Kutcher, star of "That '70's Show" and MTV's prank reality show "Punk'd," in more serious fare.
"There was a great curiosity to see how he'd handle a mature role," said David Tuckerman, head of distribution for New Line, which released "The Butterfly Effect." "This is the first time he's had a chance to show his dramatic acting abilities."
The film attracted nearly as many men as women, despite Kutcher's popularity among young female viewers, he added.
With the Golden Globes on Sunday and the Oscar announcements this week, viewers were expected to follow a seasonal pattern of flocking to light hearted films in the January run-up to awards season, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.
But intense media coverage of Kutcher's high-profile romance with Demi Moore and other exposure helped buck the trend and draw audiences, Dergarabedian said.
"I don't think anyone expected his film to do quite this much business," he said.
Also debuting this weekend was "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" which came in third with $7.5 million. The romantic comedy follows Kate Bosworth as a naive West Virginia girl who wins a date with a movie hunk. It also features Josh Duhamel and Topher Grace, another "That '70s Show" cast member.
The film's gross may have been hindered by "Along Came Polly," which likely fleeced weekend viewers looking for romantic comedies.
"That audience got split up so it wasn't able to do as well," Dergarabedian said.
The Tim Burton storytelling fantasy "Big Fish" took in $7.3 million to finish at No. 4. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," fell one place to fifth with $6.85 million to bring its total domestic gross to nearly $337 million.
Meanwhile, the Charlize Theron serial-killer drama "Monster" played in only 330 theaters but averaged $6,066 per screen. The film has created Academy Award buzz for Theron and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress.
The overall box office was up, as the top 12 film garnered about $83.5 million compared to nearly $80 million over the same weekend last year. "Darkness Falls," "Kangaroo Jack," and "Chicago" held the top spots a year ago.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to studios and Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., with final figures will be released Monday:
1. "The Butterfly Effect," $17.1 million
2. "Along Came Polly," $16.6 million
3. "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" $7.5 million
4. "Big Fish," $7.3 million
5. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," $6.85 million
6. "Cheaper by the Dozen," $6.6 million
7. "Cold Mountain," $5.03 million
8. "Torque," $4.43 million
9. "Something's Gotta Give," $4.1 million
10. "Mystic River," $3.13 million.
A New Album, Big Expectations for Jones
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - "I'm very over myself," Norah Jones says with a self-conscious laugh. Fortunately, she seems to be the only one who feels that way. The music industry and countless fans are looking at her Feb. 10 U.S. release "Feels Like Home" as the first potential smash of 2004.
"We expect the new album to be the No. 1 seller for Sam Goody in its first week," says Donna Beadle, spokeswoman for Sam Goody parent Musicland.
DEMAND STRONG
Indeed, anticipation for her sophomore Blue Note album is running extremely high after the success of 2002's "Come Away With Me," which swept last year's Grammy Awards.
By the time the Grammy frenzy rolled around, Jones had learned how to handle the ever-present spotlight -- but not before contemplating walking away, she reveals in one of her first interviews about the new album.
"I did, at one point in May 2002, feel too much weight," she says. "I let people know I had a limit and there were just certain things we don't want to do, like not have so much work without a few days off.
"And I thought, 'If this is how it's going to be, I don't want to do this.' I'm really thankful that I know what my limits are and that I can exercise my right to say no."
That attitude should serve her well this time around. Jones admits to getting uptight about the project, but only when someone asks her how much pressure she feels. "Every single person and their mama asks me that," the 24-year-old singer says.
Though it's unrealistic to expect "Feels Like Home" to match the stratospheric sales of "Come Away With Me," Blue Note executives know that even stellar sales could be viewed as disappointing if they don't reach the same high watermark.
"I think it's crazy to say it will sell more than 18 million," Blue Note president/CEO Bruce Lundvall adds.
Crazy, maybe, but that's the benchmark set by Jones' first album, "Come Away With Me." It sold 18 million units worldwide, according to her label. Of those, 7.8 million moved in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"There is so much excitement, and that's one of Norah's concerns, too," Lundvall continues. "So we're not hyping the record. We're not going out there and advertising all over the world. We have a very solid plan, but it's not over the top. We're not saying this is the best artist of the last 50 years."
"Feels Like Home" retains the lovely ease of "Come Away With Me" but strays from that album's jazzy roots into country, Americana and bluegrass. Additionally, "Feels Like Home" has more midtempo material than the ballad-heavy "Come Away With Me."
"It's not like the last record, kept the same mood," says Jones. "People liked that, and it was also the criticism."
Jones wrote or co-wrote seven tracks on the album, working primarily with her bandmates. "This album, I was really adamant about wanting to be all the band and no one else," she says.
Among the few outsiders allowed were guest stars Dolly Parton and the Band's Garth Hudson and Levon Helm. There are also covers of tunes by Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan.
"I met backstage, and he said, 'Did you get the songs I sent you?' And I'm like, 'Holy Moly! Are you kidding me?"'
One of the songs Waits sent, "The Long Way Home," appears on the new album. "I'm freaked out," Jones says. "I hope he likes it."
Once in the studio, Jones left the outside world behind.
RADIO PLAY
The first single, the toe-tapping "Sunrise," is off to a fast start at triple-A and several adult contemporary radio stations.
"Sunrise" is also a favorite with downloaders. The single set a new record for first-day sales at Apple's iTunes Music Store, breaking a record previously held by OutKast's "Hey Ya!"
But Jones is far from a radio-driven artist. "Come Away With Me" peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2003.
For Jones, any radio play is a bonus. "I'm not concerned about radio," she says. "The record did well before it ever got a lot of radio play."
People clearly hunger for substance over style. Studies show that many of today's successful female artists have succeeded by writing music that delivers comfort in these troubled times, instead of relying on sex appeal.
Jones' style is more sensual than sexual, and her appeal has grown as she has played to her strengths. "Come Away With Me" was the second-best-selling album in the U.S. in 2003, according to Nielsen SoundScan, even though it came out in February 2002.
Blue Note is initially shipping up to 2.5 million copies of the album in the U.S. So far, sales look strong.
More than two weeks before its release, "Feels Like Home" was already No. 2 on amazon.com, based on pre-orders. "Come Away With Me" was Amazon's top-selling album for 2002 and 2003, according to group merchandising manager Jeff Somers.
Jones is already pushing the project in international markets, where it comes out Feb. 9. She has just completed a promotional trip to Hong Kong and Japan, and she'll hit European stages before she tours again in the U.S. Jones will kick off a stateside tour in late June.
For Jones, who sold out 33 of 36 shows reported to Billboard Boxscore last year, playing live is a skill she's still developing.
"Some people are just naturally very good, talking to the audience," she says. "I don't know where to put my hands. Sometimes it's cool and endearing, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's like, 'Oh, my God. Give her more to say."'
To date, Jones has resisted accepting tour sponsorships and endorsement deals.
"We could have made more money if we had a sponsor, but that's not the kind of stuff I want to do. Deep down, in my gut, all I want to be is part of a band."
Ed Wood Delayed (Again)!! Those Bastards!!
The now delayed Ed Wood: Special Edition was shipped to stores. Some locations have already been selling their shipments of the disc from distributors.
Yes the disc, originally scheduled for release on February 3rd, is already in stock in some store's back rooms.
However, I have confirmed with the studio that the disc has been indefinitely delayed, so we expect that the disc will get recalled soon and stores will have to return their shipments.
No doubt some copies will escape and find their way to eBay. The ones currently listed are now selling for upwards of $70 (U.S.).
So if you see one, or better yet if you see two, grab them for me for personal use. They will not end up on eBay. They will be given good homes.
Barbara Walters to Leave 20/20 News Program
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Groundbreaking U.S. television newswoman Barbara Walters will step down as co-host and chief correspondent of ABC's '20/20' news magazine in September, ending her 25-year association with the program, the network said on Sunday.
Walters, who has interviewed people ranging from Richard Nixon to Fidel Castro to Martha Stewart, said in a statement posted on ABC News's Web site she was leaving the program earlier than expected to "have more flexibility in my life without the responsibilities of a weekly news magazine."
The network, which is owned by Walt Disney Co., said Walters will remain an active member of its news division and "substantially increase" the number of prime-time news specials she does.
Walters will also will continue to oversee specials produced by her own production company, and remain executive producer and co-host of 'The View' daytime talk show.
Walters joined ABC News in 1976, becoming the first woman to co-host the network news, and later joined anchor Hugh Downs as co-host of 20/20 in 1984.
Along the way, she interviewed every U.S. president and first lady since Nixon, and sat down with other leaders including Cuba's Castro, Russia's Boris Yeltsin and Britain's Margaret Thatcher.
Increasingly, she also emerged as an interviewer of choice for celebrities caught in the media glare, conducting the first televised interviews with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in 2000 and indicted home decorating guru Martha Stewart this year.
Walters still had more than a year remaining on her '20/20' contract and is negotiating a new, long-term agreement to stay with ABC News, a network spokeswoman said.
Dennis Miller's CNBC Show Favors Jokes Over 'News'
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Dennis Miller insists he is a comedian and not a journalist, and his CNBC show debuting Monday night will be "entertainment," rather than "a font of pristine journalistic ethics."
CNBC won't care what Miller does as long as his eponymous 9 p.m. show brings the network a modicum of visibility in primetime, where its audience has fallen off the radar screen. The cable network's long-term plan is to follow Miller with John McEnroe -- probably in about three months -- after an 8 p.m. newscast.
Like any talk show host who wants to be popular, Miller is prepared to be controversial. One part Libertarian, one part defense hawk, he told reporters in a teleconference Friday: "I don't have the vaguest pretension to journalistic ethics, I'm a comedian. If I can ask a smart question or show an insight into somebody, that's secondary."
He gave some indication of the rants and feistiness to come when he criticized ABC News anchor Peter Jennings for his subtle views while noting that "at least they'll know where I stand."
"Peter Jennings, over the course of the next year, will tell me in a million ways that he's liberal," Miller said. "There will be a million poker tells.
"He has more of a European look, and he's a very bright man. I don't have anything against Peter Jennings, but ... when the polls were going back and forth in Florida during that (2000) election, I could almost tell what he was thinking," Miller said. "You could see the thought bubbles; he was happier when (Al) Gore was ahead."
Miller indicated that he leans toward NBC News' Tom Brokaw in terms of balance.
"Brokaw is the most measured, partly because I work for NBC and partly because he is," he said. "The ratings convey the fact that he's even-handed."
Referring as well to CBS News' Dan Rather, Miller said, "I think they just come from a time where they think of conservatives as old squares, and they don't to be aligned with them."
Miller said his show will include his trademark mock newscast and stay heavily focused on politics during election season.
Another reason to believe Miller is taking a less-than-traditional tact to cable talk is the monkey.
"When David Garroway had a monkey on the 'Today' show, it made me laugh just because it was so random. You tell me if it's a slow news day and someone is doing an interview that you can care less about, about the gross national product, and you see a monkey ambling throughout the perimeter of the scene, tell me that won't make you sit up and notice," he said.
Miller gave a hint of the barbs he's preparing in the interview portions of his show. Responding to a question on the controversial Patriot Act, which many liberals and conservatives have attacked, Miller went into his familiar rant mode.
"All I know is when (reporters Bob) Woodward and (Carl) Bernstein wanted to see what (Watergate conspirator) Howard Hunt's library records were, it was viewed as a seminal moment in political journalism. When we want to find out if Ramsey El-Kaboom is taking out a bomb cookbook, it's thought to be Orwellian. I don't understand that discrepancy," he said.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be Miller's first guest Monday, followed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.