'Tonight Show' pioneer Jack Paar dies
GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) -- Jack Paar, who pioneered late-night talk on The Tonight Show, then told his viewers all farewell when still in his prime, died Tuesday. He was 85.
Paar died at his Greenwich home as a result of a long illness, said Stephen Wells, Paar's son-in-law. Paar's daughter and wife were by his side, Wells said.
"We're in a bit of a fog," he said. "There were a lot of people who knew Jack and loved him."
Since the mid-1960s, Paar had kept mostly out of the public eye, engaging in business ventures and indulging his passion for travel.
But Paar's years on NBC enlivened an otherwise "painfully predictable" TV landscape, wrote the New York Times' Jack Gould in 1962. "Mr. Paar almost alone has managed to preserve the possibility of surprise."
Johnny Carson took over The Tonight Show in 1962. Paar had a prime-time talk show for three more seasons, then retired from TV in 1965.
Paar had taken over the flagging NBC late-night slot in July 1957; Steve Allen had departed some months earlier. Allen's show was a variety show; Paar's a talk show.
"Like being chosen as a kamikaze pilot," Paar wrote in I Kid You Not, a memoir. "But I felt sure that people would enjoy good, frank and amusing talk."
They did. Viewers loved this cherubic wiseguy, someone once referred to as "like Peter Pan, if Peter Pan had been written by Mickey Spillane."
Soon, everyone was staying up to watch Paar, then talking about his show the next day. Even youngsters sent to bed before Paar came on parroted his jaunty catch phrase, "I kid you not," with which he regularly certified his flow of self-revealing stories.
Just why he walked away from such a breakthrough career at age 47 would become an enduring source of conjecture, possibly even for Paar. His explanation would have to suffice: that he was tired and ready to do other things.
But off the air, as on, he never stopped doing the thing he did best: talk.
"The only time I'm nervous or scared is when I'm NOT talking," he said in 1997. "When I'm talking, I know that I do it well."
What he accomplished with the spoken word -- not only his words but those he wooed from fellow raconteurs like Peter Ustinov, Elsa Maxwell, Hans Conreid and Genevieve -- proved irresistible to his audience.
Paar also played host to Muhammad Ali when he was still known as Cassius Clay, to a pleasantly pickled Judy Garland, and to the outrageous pianist-composer Oscar Levant. Entertainers Paar championed included Jonathan Winters, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, Woody Allen and Bill Cosby.
Paar's circle of guests included leading politicians. During the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy made a triumphant appearance -- so much so, that a few days after the election, Paar got a letter from Joseph P. Kennedy, the proud father, gushing, "I don't know anybody who did more, indirectly, to have Jack elected than your own good self."
But Paar was a show all by himself, just talking about himself. "I'm against psychiatry -- for me, anyway," he told viewers. "I haven't got any troubles I can't tell standing up."
A man of boundless curiosity and interests, he was charming, gracious and famously sentimental: He could shed tears, as he put it, just from "taking the Coca-Cola bottles back to the A&P."
He could also be volatile, pettish and confounding. And never so much as in February 1960, when, making headlines, he emotionally told his thunderstruck audience that he was leaving his show. It was the night after a skittish NBC executive had judged obscene, and edited out, a story by Paar where the initials "W.C." were mistaken for "wayside chapel" instead of "water closet."
A month later, the network managed to lure Paar back. Returning on the night of March 7, he was greeted with generous applause as he stepped before the cameras. Then he began his monologue on a typically cheeky note: "As I was saying, before I was interrupted . . . "
My Picks Versus Their Reality
Overall, not a bad year for my predictions of the Academy Award nominations. I didn’t get any one category 100% right but I got at least 3 out of 5 in every category. My final score was 22 out of 30.
While I may not have seen the absolute surprise that was the snub of Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Connelly or the actual nomination of Keisha Castle-Hughes for WHALE RIDER and Fernando Meirelles for CITY OF GOD, I did nail some of the surprises, especially Shohreh Aghdashloo for her work in HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG.
And man am I excited for Bill Murray!! I personally really wanted him to be nominated for his exceptional work in LOST IN TRANSLATION, and he was. I am also stoked about the fact that the picture was also nominated and so was writer/director Sophia Coppola.
In the end, I stand by my predictions, which you can compare with the actual nominations below.
Finally, if the awards were given out today, here’s who would win (I do reserve the right to chance these predictions in the weeks before the 76th Annual Academy Awards are given out on Sunday, February 29th):
Dan’s 2004 Early Oscar Predictions:
BEST PICTURE - The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
BEST DIRECTOR – Peter Jackson, THE LORD OF THE RINGS
BEST ACTOR – Bill Murray, Lost In Translation
BEST ACTRESS – Charlize Theron, Monster
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Tim Robbins, MYSTIC RIVER
Best SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
DAN’S PREDICTIONS FOR 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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* In America
* Seabiscuit
ACTUAL NOMINEES
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT
DAN CORRECTLY PREDICTED
4 out of 5 (Seabiscuit was listed as a possible).
DAN’S PREDICTIONS FOR 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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 21 Grams
* Gary Ross, Seabiscuit
ACTUAL NOMINEES
Fernando Meirelles, CITY OF GOD
Peter Jackson, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Sophia Coppola, LOST IN TRANSLATION
Peter Weir, MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
Clint Eastwood, MYSTIC RIVER
DAN CORRECTLY PREDICTED
4 out of 5.
DAN’S PREDICTIONS FOR 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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* Samantha Morton, In America
* Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: Vol. 1
ACTUAL NOMINEES
Keisha Castle-Hughes - WHALE RIDER
Diane Keaton - SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Samantha Morton - IN AMERICA
Charlize Theron - MONSTER
Naomi Watts - 21 GRAMS
DAN CORRECTLY PREDICTED
3 out of 5 (Morton was listed as a possible).
DAN’S PREDICTIONS FOR 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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* Russell Crowe, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
* Peter Dinklage, The Station Agent
ACTUAL NOMINEES
Johnny Depp - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Ben Kingsley - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Jude Law - COLD MOUNTAIN
Bill Murray - LOST IN TRANSLATION
Sean Penn - MYSTIC RIVER
DAN CORECTLY PREDICTED
4 out of 5
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
* Patricia Clarkson, Pieces Of April
* Laura Linney, Mystic River
ACTUAL NOMINEES
Shohreh Aghdashloo - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Patricia Clarkson - PIECES OF APRIL
Marcia Gay Harden - MYSTIC RIVER
Holly Hunter - THIRTEEN
Renée Zellweger - COLD MOUNTAIN
DAN CORECTLY PREDICTED
3 out of 5 (Clarkson was listed as a possible).
DAN’S PREDICTIONS FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
TOP 5
* Sean Astin, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
* Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
* Albert Finney, Big Fish
* Tim Robbins, Mystic River
* Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
OTHER CONTENDERS
* Jeff Bridges, Seabiscuit
* Bill Nighy, Love Actually
ACTUAL NOMINEES
Alec Baldwin - THE COOLER
Benicio Del Toro - 21 GRAMS
Djimon Hounsou - IN AMERICA
Tim Robbins - MYSTIC RIVER
Ken Watanabe - THE LAST SAMURAI
DAN CORRECTLY PREDICTED
3 out of 5.
The 76th Annual Academy Academy Award Nominees
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Johnny Depp - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Ben Kingsley - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Jude Law - COLD MOUNTAIN
Bill Murray - LOST IN TRANSLATION
Sean Penn - MYSTIC RIVER
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alec Baldwin - THE COOLER
Benicio Del Toro - 21 GRAMS
Djimon Hounsou - IN AMERICA
Tim Robbins - MYSTIC RIVER
Ken Watanabe - THE LAST SAMURAI
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Keisha Castle-Hughes - WHALE RIDER
Diane Keaton - SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Samantha Morton - IN AMERICA
Charlize Theron - MONSTER
Naomi Watts - 21 GRAMS
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Shohreh Aghdashloo - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Patricia Clarkson - PIECES OF APRIL
Marcia Gay Harden - MYSTIC RIVER
Holly Hunter - THIRTEEN
Renée Zellweger - COLD MOUNTAIN
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BROTHER BEAR
FINDING NEMO
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
ART DIRECTION
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
CINEMATOGRAPHY
CITY OF GOD
COLD MOUNTAIN
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
COSTUME DESIGN
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
DIRECTING
CITY OF GOD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BALSEROS
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
THE FOG OF WAR
MY ARCHITECT
THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
ASYLUM
CHERNOBYL HEART
FERRY TALES
FILM EDITING
CITY OF GOD
COLD MOUNTAIN
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
EVIL
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI
TWIN SISTERS
ELARY
MAKEUP
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
MUSIC (SCORE)
BIG FISH
COLD MOUNTAIN
FINDING NEMO
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MUSIC (SONG)
"Into the West" - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
"A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" - A MIGHTY WIND
"Scarlet Tide" - COLD MOUNTAIN
"The Triplets of Belleville" - THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
"You Will Be My Ain True Love" - COLD MOUNTAIN
BEST PICTURE
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
BOUNDIN'
DESTINO
GONE NUTTY
HARVIE KRUMPET
NIBBLES
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
DIE ROTE JACKE (The Red Jacket)
MOST (The Bridge)
SQUASH
(A) TORZIJA ([A] Torsion)
TWO SOLDIERS
SOUND
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
SEABISCUIT
SOUND EDITING
FINDING NEMO
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
VISUAL EFFECTS
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
CITY OF GOD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
FINDING NEMO
IN AMERICA
LOST IN TRANSLATION
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'Lord of Rings' Is Oscars Front-Runner
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Hobbits, wizards and elves are marching on the Academy Awards, with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" emerging as front-runner for Hollywood's top honor.
The final chapter of Peter Jackson's fantasy trilogy is a certain best-picture nominee Tuesday, following the lead of its predecessors, "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers."
Other best-picture prospects for the 76th annual Oscars include the Civil War saga "Cold Mountain," the Tokyo tale "Lost in Translation," the naval adventure "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the brooding vengeance story "Mystic River" and the horse-racing drama "Seabiscuit."
"Return of the King" led last weekend's Golden Globes with four wins, including best dramatic picture and director, and its broad critical and fan support give the film the inside track at the Oscars.
Voters in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never have crowned a fantasy film as best picture. But the sense in Hollywood is "Return of the King" may take the top prize for the sheer scope of Jackson's achievement, marshaling a cast and crew of 2,000 to shoot the three films simultaneously and rush them into theaters just a year apart.
The three segments of Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth epic total more than nine hours, loaded with groundbreaking visual effects and stellar performances from its ensemble cast. The franchise has rung up $2.6 billion at the box office worldwide, with "Return of the King" still climbing toward $1 billion on its own.
Jackson also appears to be the lead contender for the directing Oscar.
Among actors, the nomination front-runners include Globe winners Charlize Theron for "Monster," Renee Zellweger (news) for "Cold Mountain," Diane Keaton for "Something's Gotta Give," Bill Murray for "Lost in Translation" and Sean Penn and Tim Robbins for "Mystic River."
Nominees in most categories are chosen by specific branches of the 5,700-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, such as actors, directors and writers.
All academy members are allowed to vote for best-picture nominees. The full academy also is eligible to vote in all categories for the awards themselves.
ABC will broadcast the Oscars on Feb. 29 live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Billy Crystal returns as host after a four-year absence, his eighth time as Oscar master of ceremonies.
Director Blake Edwards, whose films include "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Victor/Victoria," "Days of Wine and Roses" and "The Pink Panther" movies, will receive an honorary Oscar for career achievement.
Good Luck To Bill Murray!
Nominations for the 76th Annual Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday morning, January 27th, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Frank Pierson and his fellow Academy member Sigourney Weaver.
Pierson and Weaver will announce ten of the 24 categories at a 8:30 a.m. (EST) press conference.
Here are the folks I expect to receive nominations, 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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* In America
* Seabiscuit
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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 21 Grams
* Gary Ross, Seabiscuit
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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* Samantha Morton, In America
* Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: Vol. 1
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
POSSIBLE OTHER 2
* Russell Crowe, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World
* Peter Dinklage, The Station Agent
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
* Patricia Clarkson, Pieces Of April
* Laura Linney, Mystic River
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
TOP 5
* Sean Astin, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
* Alec Baldwin, The Cooler
* Albert Finney, Big Fish
* Tim Robbins, Mystic River
* Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai
OTHER CONTENDERS
* Jeff Bridges, Seabiscuit
* Bill Nighy, Love Actually
The list of the ACTUAL nominees will be posted here as soon as it is available.
The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2003 will be presented on February 29, 2004, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland® and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. (PST) with a half-hour arrivals segment.
This week in The Couch Potato Report, three movies I haven't seen, Star
Trek VI and an animated TV show about a critic, who isn't me.
Last week in The Couch Potato Report I proclaimed my adoration for
movies.
If you missed my proclamation, here is what I wrote:
"I like watching movies.
I like going out to the movies, watching movies at home and visiting
friends houses to see movies. I've even traveled to other cities,
provinces and countries sometimes with the sole intention just to see
movies.
Like I said, I like watching movies. Especially when they are good and
not a waste of time."
I enjoy movies so thoroughly that when a film, or TV Series comes along
that skewers them, it usually gets a positive response from me.
Such is the case with THE CRITIC, now available as a box set containing all of the 23 glorious episodes in 1994 and 1995.
Created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who also worked on THE SIMPSONS, and featuring the vocal talents of Saturday Night Live alumnus Jon Lovitz THE CRITIC skewered Hollywood and it's stars with hilarious parodies of classics and contemporary blockbusters. From the musical "Apocalypse Wow" to "Dennis the Menace II Society," this series was a delight for people, like me, who love movies.
That's also why this series failed. You simply have to be a film fanatic to understand and appreciate it. Satires of films like "Cliffhanger" and "Scent of a Woman" are a lot funnier if you know the movies or if they are fresh in your head.
If you love movies, or if you are a huge fan of THE SIMPSONS, THE FAMILY GUY or FUTURAMA then you should pick up this three disc box set containing every episode of THE CRITIC that was produced.
Otherwise you should stay away or you'll be quoting THE CRITIC's main catch phrase and stating "it stinks."
To this day many science fiction fans use the "it stinks" catch phrase to describe the odd numbered films in the Star Trek movies.
Very few people have ever uttered those words to describe the even numbered 2- THE WRATH OF KHAN, 4- THE VOYAGE HOME or STAR TREK 6- THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY.
Star Trek V left us nowhere to go but up, and with the return of Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer, Star Trek VI restored the movie series to its classic blend of space opera, intelligent plotting, and engaging interaction of stalwart heroes and menacing villains.
Borrowing its subtitle (and several lines of dialogue) from Shakespeare, the movie finds Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and his fellow Enterprise crew members on a diplomatic mission to negotiate peace with the revered Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner).
When the high-ranking Klingon and several officers are ruthlessly murdered, blame is placed on Kirk, whose subsequent investigation uncovers an assassination plot masterminded by the nefarious Klingon General Chang (Christopher Plummer) in an effort to disrupt a historic peace summit. As this political plot unfolds, Star Trek VI takes on a sharp-edged tone, with Kirk and Spock confronting their opposing views of diplomacy, and testing their bonds of loyalty when a Vulcan officer is revealed to be a traitor.
With a dramatic depth befitting what was to be the final movie mission of the original Star Trek crew, this film took the veteran cast out in respectably high style. With the torch being passed to the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov would return, however briefly, in Star Trek: Generations, which was another odd numbered film.
Something else that is odd is that of the three big new films being released this week I haven't seen one of them. I've seen commercials for them, seen the synopsis' and read a slew of reviews for each of them, I just haven't actually seen them. So I'll tell you what I know and you can make up your own mind if they are worth seeing
In RADIO Ed Harris stars as a football coach who mentors mentors a
mentally challenged boy, played by Cuba Gooding Jr.
During the course of LE DIVORCE French and American social customs and
behaviors are observed in a story about an American visiting her sister in
Paris.
And
A thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test
as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime. The film itself is called
THIRTEEN.
Enjoy them, should you choose to do so.
THE CRITIC, STAR TREK 6- THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, RADIO, LE DIVORCE and THIRTEEN are all available at a store near you right now.
Coming Next Week
LOST IN TRANSLATION - Simply put: This is the best movie of the past year! Bob Harris (played by Bill Murray) is an American film actor, far past his prime. He visits Tokyo to appear in commercials, and he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johannson), the young wife of a visiting photographer. Bored and weary, Bob and Charlotte make ideal if improbable traveling companions. Both separately and together, they live the experience of the American in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte suffer both confusion and hilarity due to the cultural and language differences between themselves and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they come to the realization that their visits to Japan, and one another, must soon end. Or must they?
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - An American takes vacation to Italy and settles there. (Diane Lane, Raoul Bova, Sandra Oh)
AMERICAN SPLENDOR- Everyman Harvey Pekar creates comic book based on himself. (Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Harvey Pekar as himself)
More on those next week.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you here on The Couch!
Smith Not Afraid of Big, Bad Weinstein
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Don't mess with Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein or you'll have to contend with director Kevin Smith.
Smith, who got his Hollywood break when Miramax backed "Clerks" in 1994, sent a release to the press recently, defending Weinstein.
"[Rather] than jump on the recent bandwagon of unloading a character assassination sniper rifle into the Kevlar-tempered hide of perhaps the only truly interesting Suit [in Hollywood]," says Smith, "I'd like to defend a man I respect, love, and would take a bullet for: the last, great movie mogul."
Smith begins by addressing the co-chairman's notorious temper, which the director has witnessed personally on more than one occasion. Despite being on the receiving end of Weinstein's wrath, Smith says that he is more than happy "to wear a spit guard on occasion."
"So he blows his top inappropriately from time to time," says Smith. "Big deal. He's the only non-actor personality in this business I know who people will still be telling stories about generations from now, marveling at his repertoire."
Smith backs his claim and counters statements calling Weinstein a sellout by pointing to films such as "The Magdalene Sisters," "Citizen Ruth" and "Dirty Pretty Things." In the same breath the director defends himself against the epithet, explaining, "'Sellout' is the cry of the garage band fan who wants to keep a good thing to himself; the kinda folks who'd govern your growth by insisting you never diversify."
Smith concludes his eloquent diatribe with words that he imagines Weinstein would utter: "'Jersey Girl.' In theaters everywhere, March 19.'"
"Jersey Girl" stars Ben Affleck, his ex Jennifer Lopez and Liv Tyler. 2004 marks the tenth anniversary of Smith's working relationship with Miramax. To experience his tirade in its entirety, visit the director's View Askew website.
the director's View Askew website.
Cast Wants More 'Raymond,' Romano's Not Sure
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It was often reported that the cast of "Friends" operated as a democracy, that no decisions were final until they were approved by the entire Central Perk gang. Things appear to be a little bit more autocratic on the set of CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond."
"If they got to vote, there'd be no question -- we'd be doing another season," says the show's star Ray Romano.
So while Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle, Patricia Heaton and Brad Garrett all may desperately want their award-winning series to return for a ninth season, the choice seems not to be in their hands. Romano and executive producer Phil Rosenthal have long discussed the importance of going out on top and following the show's 2003 Emmy win for outstanding comedy, now would be a perfect time to test that notion.
While Romano may hold some percentage of that absolute power, it's clear that Rosenthal will have the final say.
"I swear to god I don't know, I don't know," Romano sighs. "I know Phil Rosenthal's gut feeling is it's time to go, but he's even left the door open to see if there's some stories [left], you know?"
While Romano may be tiring of the sitcom grind, he knows that what he and the cast of "Raymond" have is something special. Since the beginning of the show's run, Heaton, Garrett and Roberts have earned multiple Emmys and the star won for outstanding lead actor in 2002 (Boyle, the only cast member without a win, has five nominations).
"There's no denying that you're doing the same thing, the same character over and over and over again," Romano says. "You're doing 196 shows [by the end of this year], but I still appreciate that we have something here that you don't get a lot. I mean there's a little magic thing, chemistry and the way it touches a nerve with the audience and this and that -- that doesn't come by frequently."
In its eighth season, "Raymond" averages more than 18 million viewers per episode, television's second most watched comedy after the departing "Friends."
CBS Chairman Les Moonves isn't anxious to lose his Monday night anchor. Earlier this month he told reporters that he had pretty much offered the "Raymond" team anything they wanted to come back. Romano, in the midst of promoting his big feature splash "Welcome to Mooseport," confirms Moonves' largesse, but emphasizes that he doesn't want money to be a deciding factor.
"The other day he [Moonves] joked around and said he would buy me a golf course if I do it," Romano says. "Look, put it this way: If we decide not to do it, I'm going to tell my manager that I don't even want to know the offer, I don't even want to know what they're offering because I don't want to say, 'OK, I'll come back for that much.'"
Gabriel, Eno Launch Musicians Alliance
Veteran rock artists Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno are launching a provocative new musicians' alliance that would cut against the industry grain by letting artists sell their music online instead of only through record labels.
With the Internet transforming how people buy and listen to songs, musicians need to act now to claim digital music's future, Gabriel and Eno argued Monday as they handed out a slim red manifesto at the Midem conference in Cannes, France.
They call the plan the "Magnificent Union of Digitally Downloading Artists" - or MUDDA, which has a less lofty ring to it. "Unless artists quickly grasp the possibilities that are available to them, then the rules will get written, and they'll get written without much input from artists," said Eno, who has a long history of experimenting with technology.
By removing record labels from the equation, artists can set their own prices and set their own agendas, said the two independent musicians, who hope to launch the online alliance within a month.
Their pamphlet lists ideas for artists to explore once they're freed from the confines of the CD format. One might decide to release a minute of music every day for a month. Another could post several recorded variations of the same song and ask fans what they like best.
Gabriel, who has his own label, Real World Records, said he isn't trying to shut down the record companies -- he just wants to give artists more options. "There are some artists who already tried to do everything on their own," he said, adding that those musicians often found out they didn't like marketing or accounting. "We believe there will be all sorts of models for this."
Gabriel previously co-founded a European company, On Demand Distribution, which runs legal download sites in 11 European countries. The company would provide the technology for MUDDA, though Gabriel and Eno are looking for online partners.
Because both legal and illegal digital download sites offer tunes a la carte, many in the industry believe they'll make albums less important by putting the focus on catchy singles. But Eno and Gabriel both suggested they'd welcome a chance to make songs that stand alone.
"I'm an artist who works incredibly slowly," Gabriel said. "If some of those [songs] could be made available, you don't have to be so trapped into this old way of being confined only by the album cycle."
Gabriel adds that he is interested in putting multiple versions of the same song online. He's also looking forward to being able to hear unfinished music from other artists. "We tend at the moment ... to try to find a moment when a song is right. You stick the pin in the butterfly and put it in the box and you sell the box," he said. "Music is actually a living thing that evolves."
OUT OF THE WOODWORK
Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson's two older children, claims the kids aren't biologically his and that she was artificially inseminated with anonymous donor sperm, according to The News of the World, a British tabloid.
Britney, Beyonce, Pink Do Pepsi - Sell Out? It's Art
LONDON (Reuters) - Imagine you wrote a great pop song. Now imagine you get to watch Britney Spears, Beyonce and Pink all sing it together. On a giant set in Rome with Enrique Iglesias.
"I will die happy," said Brian May, guitarist for the group Queen whose hit anthem "We will Rock You" is being made into -- of all things -- a Pepsi commercial with the three priciest divas in pop and the world's number one Latin heartthrob.
The three female superstars were mobbed by screaming fans on London's Trafalgar Square on Monday, where the song was blasted into the evening sky.
The Gladiator-themed commercial was filmed in Rome with Iglesias in the role of the evil emperor. It was given a Hollywood-style premier at London's National Gallery on Monday.
May insisted the project wasn't a sell-out.
"I think in the end, it will be a good piece of art. There is more money and more talent per second in an ad than in anything else," he told Reuters.
"It was incredible to work with the three of them, and hear the song come to life in a new way. Freddie would definitely have enjoyed it," he said of Freddie Mercury, Queen's late frontman.
Spears, signing autographs for hordes of fans craning over the crash barriers, was also thrilled with her co-stars:
"It's amazing to work with artists like Pink and Beyonce. It's really, really cool. You want to pinch yourself," she told Reuters. "This was a thrill beyond belief."
But don't ask her about the wedding.
Questions about her two-day Las Vegas marriage to a childhood friend were strictly off limits as she met the world's media. Perhaps quickie marriages don't sell cola.
ABC Bringing 'Millionaire' Back for Limited Run
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Regis Philbin, once America's most-watched television personality, is coming back to ABC's hot seat, and the network is hoping he'll bring a ratings lifeline.
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire," the onetime game show gargantuan that powered ABC to No. 1 in the ratings before withering in the glare of overexposure, will return for a brief run next month with host Philbin asking questions worth a lot more money, the Disney-owned network said on Monday.
ABC plans to air a souped-up version of the quiz show, retitled "Super Millionaire," in five hour-long segments during the final full week of the February ratings "sweep."
Like the original show, the new format will present contestants with 15 multiple-choice questions that escalate in difficulty as the size of potential winnings mount. But the value of the correct answers will be higher -- ranging from $1,000 to $10 million. The old show started at $100 and built to a $1 million jackpot.
And new "lifelines" will be added to the three original last-resort assists the show was famous for offering its players -- calling a friend, polling the studio audience and removing two incorrect answers from the multiple-choice list. As before, each contest will open with 10 players competing in a "fastest-finger round" to advance to the hot seat.
"For months, we have been carefully monitoring the environment to determine if the time is right for a new, totally amped-up version of 'Millionaire,' broadcast in its original, event-like form. We think this is the time," ABC Chairman Lloyd Braun said in a statement.
The "Super Millionaire" sweeps gambit comes just after ABC announced plans to return to the game-show genre with another prime-time offering, "Deal or No Deal," which will be added to the network's schedule this spring.
Embracing the quiz show format is a risky move for ABC, following its experience with the original "Millionaire."
CHANGING THE FACE OF TV
"Millionaire" became an instant ratings bonanza for the network -- and a pop culture sensation -- when it launched with a two-week run in August of 1999. The show did so well during a second 18-day outing during the November sweeps that year that it earned a regular three-night-a-week place on ABC's lineup in January 2000.
Airing Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, "Millionaire" averaged 28 million viewers a show, catapulting ABC from a distant third-place to a decisive first-place finish in one season while transforming the landscape of prime-time TV.
It made Philbin, then already the popular co-cost of the morning show "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee," one of the hottest talents on television. His oft-repeated query of "Final answer?" became an American catch-phrase.
The colossal success of "Millionaire" sparked a wave of game shows on rival networks unseen on prime time since the late 1950s, but none did as well in the ratings. "Millionaire" also ushered in a new era of nonscripted programing that persists to this day.
At the start of the 2000-2001 season, "Millionaire" went to four nights a week, then ultimately wore out its welcome and was scaled back to twice weekly before its final telecast in April 2002.
ABC declined to renew the show last season but a daytime half-hour version of "Millionaire," hosted by "The View" talk show moderator Meredith Vieira, was launched in the fall of September 2002.
The collapse of "Millionaire" coincided with the abrupt crash in ABC's fortunes overall and was widely seen as a contributing factor in the resignation of ABC Entertainment Television Group co-chairman Stuart Bloomberg in January 2002.
Ten contestants on the original show won the big prize, including Kevin Olmstead, who actually took home a bonus $2.18 million jackpot in April 2001 and claimed a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest TV game show winner of all time.