Prince CD Sparks Debate

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Instead of "Musicology," Prince should have gone back into his catalog and named his new album "Controversy."

That is what he is once again stirring up as he distributes "Musicology" free to fans at his shows. Nielsen SoundScan is counting those copies as sales.

Of the 191,000 copies of "Musicology" Nielsen SoundScan tracked for the week ending April 18, 12,600 -- 6% -- were counted from his April 21 concert in Columbia, S.C.

The album hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Even without the concert CDs, Prince would have achieved that chart position.

While Nielsen SoundScan traditionally has captured sales at concerts, it usually does so by counting albums sold at merchandising tables. This is the first time it has counted sales where a concert attendee gets an album as part of the ticket price.

Every show on the Prince tour, which opened in March and is expected to last until August, likely will see copies of "Musicology" distributed to attendees. To date, 250,000 copies have been distributed during the tour, reports L. Londell McMillan, Prince's attorney.

CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO

From McMillan's point of view, Nielsen SoundScan's first-week sales should have included all the albums distributed through the tour so far.

With this distribution method, Prince "is challenging the status quo," McMillan says.

While Prince is applauded for using that unique channel, label sales and distribution executives appear split on whether the sales should be included in Nielsen SoundScan totals.

"I am violently against this," one senior distribution executive says. "This is worse than 49 cent singles. The charts are supposed to represent what consumers are spending money on. With the Prince album, there is no choice."

Another distribution executive says, "It's opening Pandora's box. It will be one more way for record companies to have to spend too much money in an attempt to influence a chart, and you can imagine that everyone will dive in and have a CD with a purchase of everything, let alone concert tickets."

But Phil Quartararo, executive VP of EMI Recorded Music North America, disagrees, saying Prince's concert sales should absolutely be counted.

"A sale is a sale," he says. "Our job is to put music in the consumers' hands, when, where and how they want it. The music company of the future has to be able to sell through conventional means as well as nontraditional ways."

Sony Music Entertainment distributes the new album. In a statement, the company said, "To ensure that SoundScan numbers accurately reflect the realities of the marketplace, it makes sense that sales of 'Musicology' generated through ticket buys are included in their tally."

Nielsen SoundScan CEO Rob Sisco wonders what all the fuss is about.

He asks how the company could not count the concert sales. "The manufacturer was paid by the promoter, who is reselling the merchandise to the consumer," he says. "Given that there is a sale ... with the album ending up in the hands of the consumer, and we can confirm this, we feel we should count the sales."

Sisco notes that Prince's approach is new and carries a certain degree of controversy.

"This is an ongoing process," he says. "Our goal is to count every possible legitimate music sale but at the same time to engage in an open dialogue with the music industry on how best to accomplish that."

PRINCE SETS PACE

Meanwhile, Prince's "Musicology" move already is being duplicated.

According to a press release, Virgin Records, Clear Channel Entertainment and PromoWest will allow fans in select markets on the band Gomez's tour to "opt in" and buy the band's new album.

Fans can either buy a ticket to the show or pay $10 more to purchase a package that includes its "Split the Difference" album and exclusive downloads from the concert they attend.

Label executives mainly see heritage acts as being able to afford to duplicate the Prince strategy. In fact, some label executives already report that managers of such bands are fascinated by the concept.

"Take this to its logical conclusion: A dinosaur act that no longer sells records but does great live business can do a stadium tour over the summer and dominate the Billboard 200," one label executive says.

The debut week for "Musicology" represents Prince's largest sales week -- 191,000 copies -- since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. His previous best SoundScan week was set in that same year, when his album with the New Power Generation, "Diamonds and Pearls," bowed at No. 5 with 172,000 copies.

Weekend Movies: a Crowded Field Ahead of 'Helsing'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's major studios and one independent debut five films nationwide on Friday ahead of next week's big-budget vampire flick "Van Helsing," which will mark the unofficial start of 2004's summer movie season.

The summer is pivotal for filmmakers because it accounts for 30 percent to 40 percent of the annual box office tally, and this summer season is setting up to be crucial with talk of several movies in the mix costing $200 million or more.

Earlier this week, News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin called the $200 million films a "dirty secret" and said there are probably three or four movies debuting in the next six months that cost that much to make.

If one flops, "it will rock the industry to its foundation," he said at a Milken Institute conference.

None of the movies this week have budgets that big. "Van Helsing" may be another story. The new movies range from "Mean Girls," a dark comedy about high school social status aimed at young women, opening in 2,800 theaters, to family friendly "Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius" playing at just over 1,300 locations.

Tucked in between are romantic comedy "Laws of Attraction" and human cloning thriller "Godsend," both aimed at older audiences, as well as comedy "Envy," with stars Jack Black and Ben Stiller who find many fans among young men.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

"Attraction," from Time Warner Inc. unit New Line Cinema, stars Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore, as a pair of mismatched attorneys -- opposites who attract -- both inside and outside the courtroom.

Brosnan sheds his action adventure armor as Bond and gets to play an ordinary man, while Moore, known mostly for work in indie films, takes on a role in a mainstream Hollywood comedy.

"A lot of us don't get to be superheroes like James Bond," she told Reuters in a recent interview. "But we do generally meet someone, fall in love with them and possibly marry them. That's something we all come into contact with."

"Attraction" is rated PG-13 for sexual content and language. Debuting in about 2500 theaters, it will likely face competition for older movie fans from "Godsend," which stars Robert De Niro, as well as last week's box office champ, "Man on Fire," starring Denzel Washington.

In Lions Gate-backed, "Godsend" -- rated PG-13 for violence and frightening images, sexuality and themes -- De Niro portrays a doctor and genetics specialist who has perfected a technique to clone humans. It is opening at 2300 locations.

Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos play a couple who have lost their young son and hire De Niro's Dr. Wells to make a clone in what turns out to be a pact with the devil.

Like "Attraction" and "Godsend," Paramount Pictures "Mean Girls" faces stiff competition from one of last week's debuts, "13 Going on 30." It, too, was aimed at young women and debuted at No. 2, close behind "Man on Fire."

EVIL AND GOOD

While "13 Going on 30" prompts a tear or two for sweetness, "Mean Girls" shows that teenage girls also can have a mean streak that can cause a few tears when feelings get hurt.

The movie stars Lindsay Lohan as a young woman named Cady who, after having been schooled in the wilds of Africa, enters the jungle of an American high school. There, she has to tame the beasts that roam the hallways in order to fit in.
 
With a screenplay by "Saturday Night Live" star Tina Fey and based on bestselling book "Queen Bees and Wannabees," "Mean Girls" has a solid pedigree behind it. It is rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some teen partying.

In DreamWorks' "Envy," also rated PG-13 for language and sexual/crude humor, two neighbors are best friends until one strikes it rich with an invention that vaporizes dog poop. The inventor, Nick (Black), builds a mansion next to his jealous, poor buddy, Tim (Stiller). It debuts in about 2500 locations.

Finally, Film Foundry's "Bobby Jones" covers the early years of the golfer who is considered one of the game's best players as well as a caring man. "He was given a great talent, but he also embraced the responsibility of being a decent human," said Jim Caviezel.

Caviezel (Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ) plays the golfer as he battles a personal demon, his temper, as well as illness, to become a champion on and off the links.

"Bobby Jones" is rated PG for language.

'Spidey,' 'Potter' top summer films

LOS ANGELES -- A boy wizard, a student superhero and a newlywed ogre walk into a movie theater ...

No matter the punch line, Hollywood studios hope to laugh all the way to the ticket counter on the strength of those characters, lead players in the summer movie season's big three: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Spider-Man 2" and "Shrek 2."

The computer-animated follow-up to 2001's blockbuster "Shrek" reunites the voice talents of Mike Myers as the lovable ogre, Cameron Diaz as his newly "ogrified" bride and Eddie Murphy as their motormouth donkey pal. The sequel debuts just before Memorial Day.

Arriving a couple of weeks later is the third "Harry Potter" flick, with Daniel Radcliffe returning as the young sorcerer, this time sought by a murderous wizard who escapes from a prison for conjurers.

And for Fourth of July weekend comes "Spider-Man 2," the film that has the best chance of catching "The Passion of the Christ" as 2004's biggest moneymaker.

"Spider-Man" shattered box-office records with a $114.8 million opening weekend in 2002 and went to become the year's top movie with $404 million.

The sequel pits Spider-Man against villain Doc Ock (Alfred Molina). Complicating matters, while moonlighting as a superhero, Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker is coping with life as a frazzled college kid, working two jobs and pining over girl-next-door Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).

"He's a relatable superhero. He's a normal kid or human being who happens to be bitten by a spider," said Maguire of the gawky teen whose encounter with an irradiated arachnid gives him awesome powers. "He's a kid who goes through the usual stuff. Girl problems. ... His own selfish desires versus a greater responsibility. Questions we might all ask ourselves if we were in his position."

The summer season gets rolling in early May with "Van Helsing," the latest from writer-director Stephen Sommers, who scored hits in the same release date with 1999's "The Mummy" and its 2001 sequel "The Mummy Returns."

Sommers again borrows from the classic Universal horror tales of the 1930s, this time setting Bram Stoker's vampire hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) and a beautiful ally (Kate Beckinsale) against Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster.

While sticking to movie-monster iconography (Frankenstein's creation still has a flat head and bolts in his neck, for example), Sommers sought to add human dimensions to each creature.

So Dracula's an immortal longing to father a true heir, Frankenstein's monster is a brutish outcast akin to Lenny from "Of Mice and Men," and the Wolf Man's "very much like an alcoholic or drug addict. He could be your best friend or neighbor, very noble and upright during the day, but at night ...," Sommers said.

"Anybody could make a movie about Van Helsing taking on the three monsters and killing them one at a time," Sommers said. "But I think we came up with a really fun story going beyond that and interweaving all the characters."

"Shrek 2" interweaves some new fairy-tale characters, including Puss-in-Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) and the ogre's disapproving in-laws (Julie Andrews and John Cleese) -- parents to Diaz's Princess Fiona.

"The parents' expectation is that Fiona would have met a handsome prince and stayed beautiful and lived happily ever after, so they are understandably a bit shocked when they meet Shrek," said Andrew Adamson, a director on both "Shrek" movies. "It's almost like a Shakespearean farce."

The third "Harry Potter" reunites key cast members, including Radcliffe as the title wizard and Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as his chums at Hogwarts School. Michael Gambon signs on as school patriarch Dumbledore, inheriting the role from the late Richard Harris, while Gary Oldman plays the escaped wizard.

Alfonso Cuaron took over as director from Chris Columbus, who oversaw the first two movies and remained a producer on the third. At two hours and 15 minutes, "Prisoner of Azkaban" is by far the shortest yet in the series, troubling news to young fans who want every stitch of action from J.K. Rowling's books translated to the screen.

With the first two films setting the stage, though, Cuaron was able to leap right into the action for the third, Columbus said.

"It's always a double-edged sword. Every kid who saw the movies wanted them to be longer and almost every adult wanted them shorter," Columbus said. "But I think this movie is so good that I don't think you'll get a lot of gripes."

Other action adventures for summer include "Troy," a tale of the ancient siege starring Brad Pitt as Greek warrior Achilles; the global-disaster flick "The Day After Tomorrow," with Dennis Quaid; Halle Berry's "Catwoman," featuring the DC Comics' character; an update of "The Manchurian Candidate," starring Denzel Washington; "Collateral," with Tom Cruise in the story of a hit man on a killing spree; Jackie Chan's "Around the World in 80 Days," a reprise of the Jules Verne classic, featuring a bit part by Arnold Schwarzenegger; and "I, Robot," with Will Smith in an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's tales.

Smith plays a detective in 2035, when robots have taken over trash-collecting, working mines and other grunt jobs to free humanity for higher pursuits. A man who mistrusts technology, Smith's character is on the trail of a robot he thinks committed a murder, an impossibility under Asimov's robot rules.

"We took the basic gist of the stories, that there are three laws of behavior that prevent robots from injuring human beings or allowing human beings to be injured," Smith said. "Because my character's had a bad experience with robots, he doesn't trust the three laws. Something intuitively in his mind tells him that the three laws don't work."

While "I, Robot" depicts a world moving toward technological perfection, "The Day After Tomorrow" presents a planet wracked by global warming, which causes cyclones, deep freezes, squalls and other catastrophes.

"This is the ultimate disaster movie," said Quaid, who plays a climatologist trying to save the world. "It's got everything. Tornadoes, floods, tidal waves, blizzards, hail storms with hail the size of bowling balls."

Also coming this summer: "King Arthur," starring Clive Owen as the legendary English ruler and Keira Knightley as Guinevere; "The Village," the latest creepfest from M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense," "Signs"), starring Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody and William Hurt; the monster smackdown "Alien Vs. Predator," featuring the two extraterrestrial beasts; "The Chronicles of Riddick," with Vin Diesel back as the sci-fi anti-hero from "Pitch Black"; "Thunderbirds," starring Bill Paxton in a live-action update of the cult TV puppet series about future rescue pilots; and "The Bourne Supremacy," with Matt Damon returning as the amnesiac spy from "The Bourne Identity."

Damon's Jason Bourne this time is framed for murder and on the run, and though his memories remain cloudy, he continues to find he possesses just the right skills to get out of any scrape.

"One of the hurdles we had on the first one was just the way I look. I don't look like your classic action guy," Damon said. "What we decided is, the more things I could do, the more believable and credible the character would be and the better the ride would be for the audience. So we just wanted to put me in as many situations as possible."

Lighthearted summer films include: "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in a follow-up to their 2001 summer hit; "The Stepford Wives," with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler and Christopher Walken in a black-comedy remake of the 1970s hit; "Garfield," a live-action and computer-animated adaptation of the comic strip, with Bill Murray providing the fat cat's voice; "Shall We Dance?" starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon in a remake of the Japanese film about a businessman who falls in love with formal dancing; "A Cinderella Story," with Hilary Duff giving a contemporary spin to the fairy-tale romance; and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," featuring Will Ferrell as a '70s newsman facing off against a feminist colleague (Christina Applegate).

Still, summer is not all action and laughs.

A few classy films will be mixed in among the popcorn flicks.

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg reunite for "The Terminal," the story of an Eastern European visitor who becomes a man without a country, stuck in the arrivals area at Kennedy airport after a coup in his home land leaves him without a valid passport. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars.

Robert Redford plays a kidnapped tycoon engaged in a socio-economic debate with his abductor (Willem Dafoe) in "The Clearing," which co-stars Helen Mirren.

Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd star in "De-Lovely," an elegant portrait of Cole Porter's hedonistic life. The film features a superstar musical lineup, with cameos by Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Diana Krall and Natalie Cole singing Porter tunes.

"De-Lovely" opens on Porter as a dying old man suddenly transported to a theater where long-gone loved ones are the cast in a stage musical of his life.

The action then flits from more conventional film biography to fanciful musical sequences, including one in which Kline's Porter and legendary studio boss Louis B. Mayer break out in song on the MGM lot.

"It's sort of like that split second before you die," Kline said. "Only Cole Porter would have his life flash before him as a musical. The sheer theatricality of that.

How better for his life story to play out?"

Here are the highlights of Hollywood's summer film slate (Release dates are tentative, and some films play in limited release).

Late April:

BOBBY JONES: STROKE OF GENIUS: Jim Caviezel follows up "The Passion of the Christ" with a film biography of golf legend Bobby Jones.

ENVY: Buddies (Ben Stiller and Jack Black) wind up at odds after one strikes it rich on a crackpot invention. Barry Levinson directs.

GODSEND: A couple (Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) clone their dead son, with harrowing results. Co-starring Robert De Niro.

LAWS OF ATTRACTION: Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan are rival divorce attorneys who fall for each other.

MEAN GIRLS: A teen (Lindsay Lohan) raised in Africa copes with high school culture clash when her family moves stateside.

THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD: A Depression-era beer baroness (Isabella Rossellini) stages an absurdist contest to find the world's saddest tunes.

May:

BAADASSSSS!: Mario Van Peebles stars as his dad, Melvin, in the story behind the black-power classic "Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song."

BREAKIN' ALL THE RULES: Dumped by his girlfriend, a man (Jamie Foxx) becomes a best-selling author on the art of breaking up.

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES: Jim Jarmusch spins a strange series of encounters over caffeine and nicotine. With Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Tom Waits and Iggy Pop.

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW: Global warming turns Earth's climate haywire. Directed by Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") and starring Dennis Quaid.

A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN: California's economy crumbles after the state's Latino population -- a huge portion of the work force -- mysteriously vanishes.

LOVE ME IF YOU DARE: A whimsical French romance traces a lifelong game of wicked tease between best pals who can't quite acknowledge their love.

THE MOTHER: A widowed London grandma falls for a man half her age. With Anne Reid and Daniel Craig.

NEW YORK MINUTE: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen play bickering sisters who must unite to survive a chaotic day trip to New York City.

RAISING HELEN: A fashion hotshot (Kate Hudson) finds her fast-lane life derailed when she's named caretaker to her sister's three children. Garry Marshall directs.

SAVED!: A good girl (Jena Malone) at a Christian high school falls out of favor when she becomes pregnant. With Mandy Moore.

SHREK 2: The ogre's in-laws aren't in happy-ever-after mode about their daughter's new hubby. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy reprise their voice roles.

A SLIPPING-DOWN LIFE: Lili Taylor and Guy Pearce in a romance about a shy woman obsessed with a musician. Based on Anne Tyler's novel.

SOUL PLANE: A black man wins a cash settlement from an airline and launches his own funky air service.

SUPER SIZE ME: Director Morgan Spurlock chows down on a McDonald's-only diet for a month in an examination of American obesity.

TROY: Legendary warrior Achilles (Brad Pitt) champions the Greeks in their siege of Troy. Wolfgang Petersen directs.

VAN HELSING: Bram Stoker's vampire hunter takes on Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man. With Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale, directed by Stephen Sommers ("The Mummy").

June:

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS: Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan reinvent Jules Verne's globe-trotting adventure. With a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

THE BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI: The legend of the blind Japanese swordsman comes to the big screen.

THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: Vin Diesel revives his "Pitch Black" role in a sci-fi battle against an interstellar tyrant.

DEAR FRANKIE: A mother concocts exotic fantasies to explain to her deaf son about his father's absence. With Emily Mortimer.

DE-LOVELY: Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd in a Cole Porter film biography packed with performances by Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette.

DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY: Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn square off in a grudge match of dodgeball.

THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR: Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger are a couple racked by tragedy. Based on John Irving's "A Widow for One Year."

GARFIELD: The comic-strip fat cat sounds suspiciously like Bill Murray in this live-action and computer-animation combo.

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN: The teen wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals face an inmate escaped from a sorcerer's prison.

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE: Geeks rule in a Sundance festival favorite about teenage outsiders who find their place in the world.

THE NOTEBOOK: A tale of fiery romance stretching from World War II to the present. With James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

SEDUCING DOCTOR LEWIS: A remote French-Canadian village connives to lure a big-city doctor so a company will open a factory there.

THE STEPFORD WIVES: Nicole Kidman's a suspicious newbie in a town of bizarrely ideal wives in this update of the '70s flick. With Matthew Broderick and Bette Midler.

THE TERMINAL: Steven Spielberg directs Tom Hanks as an Eastern European in limbo at Kennedy Airport after a coup back home invalidates his passport. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars.

TWO BROTHERS: A family adventure about tiger cubs separated in youth and reunited as opponents as adults. With Guy Pearce.

WHITE CHICKS: FBI agents (Shawn and Marlon Wayans) go undercover as society gals in a kidnapping investigation. Keenen Ivory Wayans directs.

July:

AMERICA'S HEART AND SOUL: Documentary filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg travels the land to find the pulse of ordinary Americans.

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY: Will Ferrell's a hot-dog '70s news anchor challenged by a feminist colleague (Christina Applegate).

BEFORE SUNSET: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and director Richard Linklater team for a follow-up to 1995's "Before Sunrise."

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY: Matt Damon returns as Robert Ludlum's amnesiac agent in a follow-up to "The Bourne Identity."

CATWOMAN: A wallflower artist (Halle Berry) gains feline powers in this spinoff of DC Comics' "Batman."

A CINDERELLA STORY: Hilary Duff's a put-upon stepdaughter whose prince charming tries to track her down with a cell phone she leaves behind.

THE CLEARING: Robert Redford plays a kidnapped rich guy tussling with his abductor (Willem Dafoe). With Helen Mirren.

DANNY DECKCHAIR: Rhys Ifans and Miranda Otto star in a fanciful romance about a man who takes a voyage in a chair flown by helium balloons.

GARDEN STATE: Zach Braff writes, directs and stars in a romance about a depressive man who finds love on a trip home for his mom's funeral. With Natalie Portman.

HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE: A quest for hamburgers turns into a consciousness-expanding road trip for two stoned buddies.

A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD: Colin Farrell, Robin Wright-Penn and Sissy Spacek star in a drama based on the book by Michael Cunningham ("The Hours").

I, ROBOT: Will Smith's a future detective investigating a crime that may have been committed by a robot. Based on Isaac Asimov's story collection.

KING ARTHUR: Clive Owen's the legendary English leader in his battle to unite the land. With Keira Knightley as Guinevere.

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE: Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber update the 1960s assassination thriller. Jonathan Demme directs.

MARIA FULL OF GRACE: A young Colombian woman (Catalina Sandino Moreno) finds danger when she signs on to carry drugs to New York.

METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER: The heavy-metal band opens its heart -- and its group-therapy sessions -- in this behind-the-scenes documentary.

RIDING GIANTS: A rousing documentary examining the development of American surfing as sport and culture.

SHE HATE ME: Spike Lee's latest centers on a fired biotech exec (Anthony Mackie) with a new career: Impregnating lesbians who want babies.

SLEEPOVER: Alexa Vega ("Spy Kids") leads a pack of pals on an all-night scavenger hunt during a slumber party.

SPIDER-MAN 2: The web-slinging hero (Tobey Maguire) returns to battle villainous Doc Ock (Alfred Molina). Sam Raimi again directs.

THUNDERBIRDS: Bill Paxton leads a fleet of sleek aircraft against bad guy Ben Kingsley in a live-action version of the cult TV puppet series.

TOUCH OF PINK: An Asian-Canadian man (Jimi Mistry) thinks he's living with the spirit of Cary Grant (Kyle McLachlan).

THE VILLAGE: A town lives amid evil in a surrounding forest. With Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody and William Hurt. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense").

August:

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR: In this corner, a scary beast. In that corner, another scary beast. The sci-fi monsters duke it out in Antarctica.

ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID: Adventurers face a giant predator in this follow-up to the 1997 action flick.

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS: Actor Stephen Fry directs a story of the last gasp of British hedonism before World War II. With Emily Mortimer, Dan Aykroyd and Peter O'Toole.

CELLULAR: A wrong number on his cell phone is a man's only clue to saving a kidnapped stranger (Kim Basinger).

CODE 46: Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton find forbidden romance in a future world where travel is severely restricted. Michael Winterbottom directs.

COLLATERAL: Tom Cruise stars in a thriller about a hit man who hijacks a taxi for a one-night round of killings. Michael Mann directs.

EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING: Stellan Skarsgard stars as "The Exorcist" priest in his first satanic encounter in Africa.

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS: Charlize Theron follows up her best-actress Academy Award win as a French socialite living it up on the eve of World War II.

HERO: Jet Li stars in an epic set in ancient China, where a lone warrior stands in the way of assassins out to kill the future emperor.

I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD: "Croupier" star Clive Owen and director Mike Hodges reunite for the tale of a former London hoodlum drawn back to gangster life.

OPEN WATER: A scuba-diving outing turns terrifying for a couple mistakenly left behind in shark-infested waters. Based on a true story.

PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT: The princess-in-waiting (Anne Hathaway) must find a hubby in a month or forfeit the throne. Julie Andrews again co-stars.

SHALL WE DANCE?: Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon star in a remake of the Japanese hit about a businessman entranced by formal dancing.

SWIMMING UPSTREAM: An Australian rises above his harsh upbringing to become a champion swimmer. With Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis.

TWIN SISTERS: Nominated for the foreign-language Academy Award, the Dutch film follows orphaned siblings raised in wildly different upbringings.

WE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE: Laura Dern, Naomi Watts, Mark Ruffalo and Peter Krause team for a drama of infidelity among two couples.

WITHOUT A PADDLE: Three pals take a misguided canoe trip in search of treasure. With Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Burt Reynolds.

YU-GI-OH!: The TV cartoon comes to the big screen as heroic Yugi takes on the Egyptian god Anubis.

ZELARY: An Academy Award nominee for foreign-language film, the Czech tale centers on a nurse caught up in the resistance during World War II.

Enjoy!

Beastie Book

The Beastie Boys are planning to write an anthology book. To be released in October, "Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science" chronicles the creation of "Fight for Your Right," "Hey Ladies," "So What'cha Want," "Sure Shot," "Intergalactic" and more, with photographs taken by Spike Jonze, Danny Clinch and others. The book comes with two CDs of their hits and B-sides.

Duran Duran Eyes Epic Deal

Duran Duran is close to signing to Epic Records, sources tell Billboard.com. For several months, reports have surfaced that Epic parent Sony Music was a leading contender in signing the band, whose original lineup reunited in 2001 and embarked on a world tour last year.

Duran Duran spent most of its career on EMI/Capitol Records, with which it recorded until 1997. The band's 2000 album, "Pop Trash," was issued by Hollywood Records " in the U.S. and various other labels internationally.

The act recorded several new songs in 2002 with producer Nile Rodgers, but sources say producer and band had creative differences and that those songs will probably not be released. Last year, lead singer Simon LeBon told Billboard.com that Duran Duran was self-producing the new material.

A Duran Duran spokesperson denies the band has signed with Epic, but hinted a major announcement was coming in the weeks ahead. Epic representatives had no comment.

As previously reported, EMI/Capitol will on Tuesday (May 4) reissue on DVD Duran Duran's 1984 tour documentary "Sing Blue Silver" and 1985 concert film "Arena." The label will also release a CD version of "Arena," with bonus tracks.

Duran Duran is in the midst of a world tour that will play London's Wembley Arena tomorrow (April 30) and Saturday (May 1). According to the group's official Web site, these two concerts will be filmed for an upcoming TV special and DVD, with details to be announced.

Mom Hard

Bonnie Bedelia, aka Mrs. John McClane, talked to TV Times about DIE HARD 4. "It's being written right now," says Bedelia. "I'm definitely doing this one. It's going to feature John and Holly's kids too, I believe. It's taken a while to do another one because Bruce wasn't sure whether he really needed to do one and the studio wasn't so sure that it was the best time to do a Die hard film with all that's going on in the world right now. So they've waited a few years, worked on a story that doesn't necessarily concentrate on the whole terrorist theme, and everyone feels it's time to make it happen." Bedelia also says she doesn't know anything about popstress Britney Spears dancing her way into the film as her daughter.

May Sweeps Big on Farewells

In TV's May sweeps, we'll lose our friends, our shrink and our favorite Boston law firm. But we'll gain a brand-new homemaking diva.

Don't know if that's an even swap, but it's the best we can do in a somewhat underwhelming month of extra-special prime-time programming.

Owing to a spate of super-sized series and season finales by the likes of Friends, Frasier, The Practice, American Idol and Survivor: All Stars, the number of gratuitous dog pageants and Three's Company docudramas has dwindled considerably from sweeps periods past.

All is not lost, though. Lest you think the networks have gone all classy on us, may we direct your attention to Cops: Resisting Arrest.

Here's a look at that, and other highlights of the May sweeps, running Thursday night through May 26:

FINAL FAREWELLS

* Friends (May 6, NBC): A mere 10 years after they started hanging out, Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey decide to get on with what's left of their adult lives. "We leave these characters in a really good place," series cocreator David Crane told reporters this month. Crane wouldn't spoil his own ending, but allowed that "a really good place" didn't necessarily mean anyone (read: Rachel) was going to get married. Milking its $2 million commercial cash cow for all its worth, NBC will precede the show's hourlong finale with an hourlong clip fest.

* Frasier (May 13, NBC): A mere 20 years after he began portraying fussy Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers, Kelsey Grammer is ready to move on with what's left of his career. He and the Frasier cast and crew take 31 Emmy Awards with them. The hourlong sendoff, featuring guest appearances by Jason Biggs, Laura Linney, Jennifer Beals and more, will be--stop, if you've heard this before--preceded by an hourlong clip fest.

* The Practice (May 16, ABC): After eight seasons, David E. Kelley shutters the law firm of Young, Frutt & Berluti en route to spinning off shark Alan Shore (James Spader) to his own show next fall. Original series star Dylan McDermott returns for the finale. (He also appears in the episode to air Sunday.)

* Angel (May 19, WB): Mourn the undead. After five seasons, David Boreanaz's vampire with a heart of gold faces his final battle--but not before one of his "closest friends" meets a "violent death."

* Law & Order (May 19, NBC): Don't worry. This series goes on (and on and on...), but Jerry Orbach, a fixture since Year Three, works his last case before being farmed out to producer Dick Wolf's latest franchise operation, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, premiering next fall.

CLIFFHANGERS

* The O.C. (Wednesday, Fox): "Sparks fly, emotions run high and lives are forever changed." Who knew Orange County was so close to Dallas?
* That '70s Show (May 19, Fox): Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) walk down the aisle...or do they?

* Everybody Loves Raymond (May 24, CBS): Technically, this is the season closer, and a fairly standard one at that: Ray (Ray Romano) and Robert (Brad Garrett) get into a fight. But for CBS, this show presents the biggest cliffhanger of all: Will Romano reup for a ninth season? (Will Welcome to Mooseport end up in Comedy Central rerun hell?)

* 24 (May 25, Fox): "Jack [Keifer Sutherland] is faced with a horrible dilemma." You know, unlike all those other wussy problems he deals with.

REALITY SHOWDOWNS

* Survivor: All-Stars (May 9, CBS): Jeff Probst gathers the last contestants standing for a live, two-hour finale at New York's Madison Square Garden. An hourlong reunion show and we-hate-Jerri venting session follows.

* The WB's Superstar USA (premiering May 17, WB): What has William Hung wrought? Music greats Vitamin C and Tone-Loc make fun of people who can't sing. Barring FCC intervention, this short-run series is to be broadcast on Monday and Tuesday nights for three consecutive weeks.

* The Bachelor (May 19, ABC): Jesse Palmer presents the final rose to the love of his life prior to returning to his chick-magnet job with the New York Giants.

* The Swan (May 24, Fox): A beauty-pageant winner is crowned. Plastic surgeons rejoice.

* American Idol (May 26, Fox): One night after LaToya and George (or Fantasia and Jasmine, or...) engage in a grueling, two-hour sing-off at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, the two finalists (whoever they may be) return to the stage to endure an excruciating, two-hour reveal of the final vote tallies.

VERY SPECIAL EPISODES

* Will & Grace (Thursday, NBC): In a rare bit of stunt casting for this little, unassuming comedy, a really big star (Jennifer Lopez) just so happens to bump into Karen (Megan Mullally).

* Grounded for Life (Friday, WB): O.C. star Adam Brody slums.

* Cops: Resisting Arrest (Saturday, Fox): Rocket scientists fail to heed the request of authorities.

* King of the Hill (Sunday, Fox): The late John Ritter did voice work on this episode, which finds Bobby Hill testing his mental acuity at a quiz competition.

* Yes, Dear (Monday, CBS): A piano falls on Jimmy (Mike O'Malley). Fabio guest stars. We did not, and could not, make this up.

* Less Than Perfect (Tuesday, ABC): Tori Spelling earns mad money for her upcoming honeymoon by guesting here as a ditzy personal assistant.

* Eve (May 10, UPN): "Shelly [Eve] refuses to design a suit for a pimp [Morris Day]."

* Las Vegas (May 10, NBC): "Delinda (Molly Sims) attempts to make her kitchen demonstration a success."

* Joan of Arcadia (May 14, CBS): Joan (Amber Tamblyn) thinks God is telling her to have sex. Way to go, God!

* Hope & Faith (May 14, ABC): In the hourlong season finale, Kelly Ripa's former soap-opera colleagues descend on her demi-hit sitcom. Numerous back-from-the-dead-evil-twin jokes are told.

* Fear Factor (May 17, NBC): Children are locked in boxes filled with Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Parents are told to remove said cockroaches with their mouths in order to free their beloved offspring. Good times!

* George Lopez (Friday, ABC): Apparently George Lopez never got to go to Disneyland as a kid. Hence, the inspiration for this episode wherein his character finally visits the Magic Kingdom as an adult and gets all depressed because he never went as a kid. Amidst all this Sturm and Drang, the Mouse House-owned network will award a family vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth, so that you, the viewer at home, can get all depressed just like George Lopez.

VERY SPECIAL SPECIALS

* The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited (May 11, CBS): Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore and other surviving cast members from the 1960s classic sitcom step back into their former roles. Ray Romano is on hand to host and witness what may turn out to be a very good idea, or a very sad one.

* The Carol Burnett Show: Let's Bump Up the Lights (May 12, CBS): Never-before-seen clips of Tim Conway cracking up Harvey Korman!

* The Mentalist (May 12, NBC): Mind-reader Gerry McCambridge "demonstrates sensory deprivation on American Dreams star Brittany Snow." The revelations, we are promised, are both "intriguing and dumbfounding."

* America's Next Top Model: The Runway Ahead (May 12, UPN): Tyra Banks catches up with second-season champ Yoanna House and her 11 defeated comrades.

* Super Millionaire (May 16-18, May 20, May 23, ABC): Regis Philbin is back, and he's got $10 million burning a hole in his pocket. Have your final answers ready.

* Motown 45 (May 17, ABC): How the mighty record labels have fallen. Twenty-one years ago, on Motown 25, Michael Jackson moonwalked his way to solo superstardom. This time around, Jermaine Jackson duets with Nick Lachey.

* 60 Minutes: Salute to Don Hewitt (May 18, CBS): On the eve of his retirement, the newsmag's ultra-longtime executive producer recalls the time he hired Mike Wallace to cover the Peloponnesian War.

* The Great Domestic Showdown (May 25-26, ABC): With Martha Stewart otherwise engaged, Loveline's Adam Carolla hosts this search for the next lifestyle guru. The winner gets a book deal, and a shot at his or her own TV show. Federal charges not included.

AWARD SHOWS

* 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (May 21, NBC): Soap stars present. Hairdressers are thanked.

* 39th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (May 26, NBC): Reba McEntire hosts. God is thanked.

TV MOVIES

* The Book of Ruth (Sunday, CBS): Christine Lahti and The Nanny's Nicholle Tom work on mother-daughter issues in this based-on-an-Oprah-Book-Club-selection weepy.

* A Wrinkle in Time (May 10, ABC): Madeleine L'Engle's children's classic gets the Wonderful World of Disney treatment. Alfre Woodard stars.

* 10.5 (May 2-3, NBC): In this four-hour miniseries, a really big earthquake hits the West Coast, threatening Kim Delaney, John Schneider and Beau Bridges, though fortunately none of the good stars.

NEWSMAKERS

* Nightline (Friday, ABC): Ted Koppel reads off the names of the U.S. soldiers killed in action in Iraq since March 2003. All 500-plus of them.

* 20/20 (May 7, ABC): Hobbit Sean Astin talks to Barbara Walters about bi-polar mom Patty Duke.

* 20/20 (May 21, ABC): Hilary Duff addresses the issues of the day.

Prince on new CD, love of T.O.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It might make some sense if Prince, the cooler-than-cool funk/rock superstar whose career is suddenly in serious revival mode, had found happiness at 45 settling down in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Paris or London.

But Toronto?

"I love Toronto," Prince said late Tuesday in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press after a wild two-hour concert in this north Florida city. It was the 21st stop of a tour he's loathe to call a comeback -- because, he insists, he's never truly been gone.

"It's cosmopolitan," he said. "There's all sorts of different kinds of people everywhere you go in Toronto, there's all sorts of great music, great restaurants, great night spots that don't respond to a lot of American playlists and have playlists which I really dig. It's a real melting pot in every sense of the word."

Prince is married to Toronto-born Manuela Testolini. The couple spends "a lot of time" in Toronto, where they own a home in an upscale north-end neighbourhood and where he recorded his recently released album, the critically acclaimed Musicology.

The CD jacket features the diminutive Prince in front of the gleaming Toronto skyline at night, and includes at least one veiled reference to the street where he lives that he asked not be pointed out "in case any crazies show up at my door."

But it's not simply romantic love that attracts Prince to his wife's hometown. The Minnesota native likes the frigid winters -- "it's worse in Minneapolis," he laughs -- he likes Canadian songstress Nelly Furtado, and most of all he likes Canada's tendency to ignore the American recording industry, obviously an alluring quality to a man who famously scrawled the word "slave" across his cheek in the 1990s in a protracted dispute with his record company over creative and financial control of his music.

"Musicology is the first record I've recorded in Toronto and I can really feel the difference. It has a completely unique sound that came from the total disregard for what's happening in American music, and for the workings of the American music industry. It doesn't sound like anything else that's out there right now," Prince said.

He's also a fan of the Toronto institution known as Speaker's Corner, a City-TV show that features everyday citizens in a tiny video booth opining on everything from politics to lost love.

"I love Speaker's Corner!" says Prince, dressed in black and sporting shaded spectacles in his candlelit dressing room. "I just love the idea of it. I am so tempted when I go by to stop the car and go into the booth and say what I have to say."

Relaxed and charming even after a frenetic show that saw him writhing on the stage during some of his guitar solos, the recent Jehovah's Witness convert seems serene these days. That's in stark contrast to the apparently angry man referred to simply as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince until four years ago.

He acknowledges he's at peace now that he's got complete control over his music, but points out he's never stopped churning out his brand of exuberant, rock 'n' roll-tinged funk.

He doesn't deny, however, that his phenomenal opening number at this year's Grammy Awards with R and B superstar Beyonce seems to have the masses clamouring for a full-fledged Prince resurrection.

That hasn't been by design on his part, he insists -- it's just been all about the timing.

"I get asked every year to play at the Grammys," he says. "This year I did it because I have an album out that I want to promote and a concert tour that I want to promote. My fans have always come out."

The tour comes to Toronto in July for two shows, and tickets have sold out rapidly in every city where they've gone on sale.

Prince is amused. But he adds he's delighted if he's now introducing young music fans to some quality funk and R and B.

"To us, this doesn't feel like anything new -- we've been playing the same show for awhile. It's me -- I'm just doing what I always do and what I love to do. But someone has to do this, because no one else is. The music is such a treasure, so celebratory and joyous, and no one's doing it anymore -- I'm happy to keep it going."

Johanssen added to 'M:I 3' cast

"Lost in Translation" star Scarlett Johanssen has won a coveted role in "Mission: Impossible 3," Variety reports.

Johanssen will play an ally of Tom Cruise's character, secret agent Ethan Hunt.

According to Variety, there had been quite a battle for the part, with many unnamed Hollywood female stars vying for the spot in the film.

As JAM! reported yesterday, British actor Kenneth Branagh added to the cast of the action franchise. The cast also includes "Matrix" star Carrie-Anne Moss and Ving Rhames, who will be back as Hunt's sidekick Luther Stickel.

Joe Carnahan ("Narc") will direct "Mission: Impossible 3", which is set to start filming this summer for a May 2005 release.

Brosnan Sheds Bond Image in 'Laws of Attraction'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Irish-born actor Pierce Brosnan has tangled with a lot of diabolical villains as super agent 007, but the James Bond star finally meets his match in Julianne Moore in the romantic comedy "Laws of Attraction."

In the New Line Cinema release that opens on Friday, they play rival high-powered divorce lawyers who reluctantly, awkwardly fall for each other amid the messy, matrimonial carnage of their opposing clients.

The film, a light-hearted confection from director Peter Howitt ("Sliding Doors"), marks a change of pace for both performers. Moore is best known for her dramatic roles, receiving two Oscar nominations last year for her work in "Far From Heaven" and "The Hours."

But it's an even bigger leap for Brosnan, who sprang to fame as the cool, charming sleuth in the 1980s TV drama "Remington Steele" and has built on that persona in such films as "The Thomas Crown Affair," "The Tailor of Panama" and the last four Bond films.

Perhaps sensing he can't play the tuxedo-wearing spy with a license to kill forever, Brosnan said he has been looking to shift gears.

"I've wanted to do this kind of movie for a long time, I've wanted to make a romantic comedy," he told Reuters in a recent interview. "As an actor, it allows you to show a certain vulnerability to yourself because to play a comedy I think you have to be able to laugh at yourself."

He then confides, with mock earnestness, "I wish I were James Bond, but I'm not. I'm an actor."

Moore, feigning surprise seated next to Brosnan on a sofa, chimes in with a laugh, "What a horrible shock! Too bad."

Seemingly embarrassed now, Brosnan trails off, "Anyway, I don't know how to explain it. I had a great time. It was a wonderful summer."

TRADING IN GUN FOR BRIEFCASE

In "Laws of Attraction," Brosnan trades in his gun for a briefcase to assume the role of Daniel Rafferty, a high-priced Manhattan divorce lawyer who is as clever as he is casual -- a study of contrasts with his leading rival, the brilliant but reserved legal beagle Audrey Miller (Moore).

The pair find themselves on opposite sides of several cases as their mutual attraction gradually, grudgingly grows before they are thrown together in the Irish countryside to obtain depositions in a high-profile divorce between two famous clients (Parker Posey and Michael Sheen).

After a night of heavy drinking, they wake up married and must return to New York City to face each other in court as opposing counsels who happen to be man and wife.

"I love that this fellow is like an unmade bed and didn't work out ... and for me hopefully there is something there the audience hasn't seen before," Brosnan said.

But like Cary Grant, who managed to remain debonair even when running through a corn field chased by a low-flying plane, Brosnan's trademark elegance shines through the rumpled sport coat and shaggy hair.

"I can't wait to grow up and become a character actor. Enough of this leading-man role stuff," he said half-jokingly. "Oh, what performances I shall give then."

Brosnan, who served as an executive producer on the film, said he was inspired by the sharp, dialogue-driven comedies of yore, especially "Adam's Rib," the 1949 film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers on opposite sides of an attempted murder case in which a woman is accused of trying to killer her philandering husband.
 
For Moore, a major appeal of doing a romantic comedy is the universality of the experience. "A lot of us don't get to be superheroes like James Bond. We don't necessarily bore into the center of the Earth or go into space," she said.

"But we do generally meet someone, fall in love with them and possibly marry them. That's something we all come into contact with."

Branagh Takes on 'Mission: Impossible 3'
 
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Kenneth Branagh has chosen to accept his next mission.

The 43-year-old Brit will join Tom Cruise and Carrie-Anne Moss for "Mission: Impossible 3," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cruise will reprise his role as the buff agent Ethan Hunt. It isn't known what role Branagh will play, but it's expected he will be a bad guy.

Joe Carnahan ("Narc") will direct from a script by Frank Darabont. Production will begin in late summer.

Branagh last appeared as the narcissistic Gilderoy Lockhart in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and will next appear in another adaptation of a children's novel, "Five Children and It."

'Frasier' Finale Packs in Guest Stars

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - There may be a wedding in store for the series finale of "Frasier" -- but not necessarily for its title character.

NBC, which is keeping mum on details of the "Friends" finale Thursday, May 6, is less circumspect about "Frasier's" final episode a week later. The hour-long episode will feature a number of guest stars and revolve around the pending marriage of Frasier's (Kelsey Grammer) dad, Martin.

Frasier and brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) offer to take over planning for Martin's wedding to Ronee (Wendie Malick) after their dad mistakenly books a reception hall for the wrong day. The brothers only have a few days to do the job, however.

Mom-to-be Daphne (Jane Leeves), meanwhile, gets a visit from her prankster brothers. Anthony LaPaglia reprises his Emmy-winning role as Simon Moon, who returns to Seattle with previously unseen brothers Michael (Robbie Coltrane, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban") and Stephen (Richard E. Grant, "Gosford Park," "Spice World").

Laura Linney will continue her role as Frasier's star-crossed love, Charlotte. Jason Biggs ("American Wedding") and Jennifer Beals ("The L Word") also appear in the finale.

The Beasties Are Now Digital Files

The Beastie Boys catalog is now available for paid digital download for the first time at Apple's iTunes Music Store. Seven of the group's studio and compilation releases, including such classics as "Paul's Boutique" and "Check Your Head" but omitting its 1986 Def Jam debut "License To Ill," are augmented with 21 exclusive non-LP mixes. In all, more than 120 tracks will be available for sale.

As previously reported, the rap trio's new single, "Ch-Check It Out," arrives for sale on iTunes tomorrow. It is drawn from the Beasties' upcoming new album, "To the 5 Boroughs," due this summer via Capitol.

Russell Crowe Offers Aid to Montreal Jewish School

TORONTO (Reuters) - Tough guy actor Russell Crowe was so upset by a fire-bombing at a Jewish elementary school in Montreal, he called the school to offer a donation to help rebuild its library, a school spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Crowe is in Toronto to film "Cinderella Man," a film directed by Ron Howard about the life of boxer James J. Braddock, who defeated world champion Max Baer in an upset match in 1935.

"It was a huge morale boost for the school community," said Shelley Paris from Montreal.

United Talmud Torahs elementary school was fire-bombed earlier this month and police said a note with anti-Semitic comments was found on the outside wall of the gutted library.

"He said he was very upset about what had happened that a place of learning should be attacked that way," Paris said.

"He wanted to make sure that our students knew that he was thinking about them and that he was very upset about the fire-bombing," Paris said.

The Academy Award-winning actor, who captured an Oscar for "Gladiator" four years ago, offered to make a donation to help rebuild the library, Paris said. The figure was not available.

Paris said the school hopes to reopen the library by August, the start of the new school year, and has received donations and support from across the country.

The arson attack sparked outrage in Canada and prompted a fierce condemnation from Prime Minister Paul Martin. The incident was one of a series of attacks on Jewish targets in Canada and raised concerns about a rise in anti-Semitism.

In March, vandals knocked over dozens of tombstones in a Jewish cemetery in Toronto while someone sprayed swastikas on a synagogue in a separate incident.

The Couch Potato Report - April 27th, 2004

In The Couch Potato Report this week there's love, actually, a big fish and The
Statement.

I just want to say this boldly and honestly so you don't misunderstand me. I adored the movie LOVE ACTUALLY. Just adored it. It was so charming and entertaining, I just adored it!

That said, let me say more.

LOVE ACTUALLY is the latest British romantic comedy from the folks who gave us FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, NOTTING HILL and BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY.

Written and directed by Richard Curtis LOVE ACTUALLY is an ensemble comedy that tells ten separate - but intertwining - stories of love.

Love lost, love found, love taken for granted, love missed and potential love. LOVE ACTUALLY is about love, actually.

In other recent movies that attempted to tell more than one story, and failed miserably, every single story and every character in the film is interesting and engaging.

You'd be friends with them if you knew them, so it's easy to feel their pain, pleasure and passion.

The personable cast includes Hugh Grant as the British Prime Minister, Emma Thompson plays a mother and wife who loves Joni Mitchell, Colin Firth is a wronged husband who finds a new love, Liam Neeson is a recent widow with a stepson who's fallen in love, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM's Kiera Knightly portrays a new bride, Laura Linney is a woman with a crush and Alan Rickman is a husband and father with a very attractive secretary. Topping it all off is a hilarious appearance from Rowan Atkinson as a jewelry salesman.

LOVE ACTUALLY is smart, sappy, funny, touching and heartwarming, but the main word I would use to describe it is charming.

LOVE ACTUALLY is charming, and I adored it.

I also adored the new film from director Tim Burton.

BIG FISH is the story of a son trying to get to know his Dad as his father is dying.

The son just wants to know which of his Dad's stories are real and which ones
aren't.

Neither the son, nor you as a viewer, will actually know until the very end of the movie where the truth lies.

The first time I saw BIG FISH I wasn't able to fully let myself go and grasp the
fantasy element. I just thought the dad was just full of sh..., well, full of himself is
perhaps a better way to put it.

Once it unfolded I was overwhelmed, and that is why it has my adoration.

The superb cast of BIG FISH includes Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Danny DeVito, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman and Steve Buscemi.

BIG FISH combines your imagination with motion picture fantasy and I hope when you're done watching it you're moved as much as I was.

Yes, I was bored during my initial viewing, but I hope you do what I did and give it a chance because BIG FISH is an enchanting film.

Canadian Director Norman Jewison's film THE STATEMENT isn't enchanting and I didn't adore it. It was just okay.

Michael Caine stars in this based on a true stroy as a French Policeman who is a Nazi collaborator who is being pursued by a passionate French judge and an army colonel.

Caine's Pierre Brossard is also being hunted by another group who don't want to bring him to justice, they just want him dead.

THE STATEMENT isn't a bad film, but once it reaches it's conclusion, I assure you that you'll want more.

After two hours THE STATEMENT just ends. It concludes, but there's no conclusion.

STUCK ON YOU concludes, but you'll wish it ended much earlier.

Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear are conjoined twins who pursue a career in acting in the "comedy" STUCK ON YOU.

This film comes from the Farrelly Brothers, who gave us the very film flicks THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, SHALLOW HAL and DUMB AND DUMBER. Apparently they've forgotten how to be funny, as this "comedy" has no laughs at all.

None!

If it wasn't for the scrumptious Eva Mendez' skimpy wardrobe I wouldn't know how it ended. I've never said this about a movie before, but thank god for that bikini!

The bikini, and the woman inside were great. STUCK ON YOU wasn't.

LOVE ACTUALLY, BIG FISH, STUCK ON YOU and THE STATEMENT are all available right now on video and DVD at your favourite local video store.

COMING NEXT WEEK IN THE COUCH POTATO REPORT

Tom Cruise stars as Tom Cruise playing an American soldier who trains a Japanese army in THE LAST SAMURAI. The only reason to see the film is for the amazing performance of the Oscar nominated Ken Watanabe.

J.M. Barrie's classic children's fantasy PETER PAN is a less than classic live action movie. If you're in the mood to spend time with the boys of Never Neverland, just watch the classic animated version. Better yet, read the book.

CALENDAR GILRS in the true story of a group of women, all over the age of 50, pose provocatively for a calendar to raise money for Leukemia research. The film doesn't go for cheap laughs, but it has a few anyway.

In CHASING LIBERTY pop-tart Mandy Moore is the teen daughter of the President who ditches her bodyguards. Want me to make it sound worse? Well, the boy she falls for turns out to be her Secret Service agent!

If you've ever wondered what a movie would be like if it were based on a Vermeer painting, you're answer comes in the form of THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING. The movie stars Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth and somehow evokes the Dutch artist's masterworks.

And,

Words cannot explain the thoroughly enjoyable, animated Oscar nominated THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, but that's okay as there are only a few spoken sentences in the entire film.

I'll have more on those releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

Get Saved

USA Today has announced the results of their annual Save Our Show Survey. With around 43,000 people responding, the top three choices for saving were ENTERPRISE, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT and TRU CALLING, while viewers urged NBC to dump the awful show WHOOPI and UPN to dump ROCK ME BABY.

From the Batcave to Your Shelf

A four-disc set of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES will be released on DVD on July 6. The set, retailing for $49.98, will feature 28 episodes plus a commentary from Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Eric Rodomski and the featurette BATMAN: THE LEGACY CONTINUES.

OFF THE MARKET

Ali Landry, the actress best known for turning guy's heads in a 1998 Super Bowl Doritos ad, tying the knot Saturday with Mario Lopez in Mexico.

New Tunage

Here are teh new CD releases for Tuesday, April 27, 2004:

* BLACK SABBATH Black Box: Complete Original Black Sabbath (Rhino)
* DIANA KRALL The Girl In The Other Room (Universal)
* FLEETWOOD MAC Fleetwood Mac (CD+DVD) - TBA (Warner)
* FLEETWOOD MAC Fleetwood Mac (DVD) (Rhino)
* FLEETWOOD MAC Tusk (DVD) (Rhino)
* GORDON LIGHTFOOT Harmony (Linus Entertainment)
* JULIE HOLLAND Escondida (Anti/Epitaph)
* NEKROMANTIX Dead Girls Don't Cry (Hellcat)
* ROYAL JELLY ORCHESTRA Seriously Happy (Linus Entertainment)

Mona Lisa's Deterioration Causes Concern

PARIS - The Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of the unknown woman with the enigmatic smile, is sparking a new kind of mystery: What is causing the Renaissance masterpiece to deteriorate so quickly?

The thin, poplar panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since conservation experts last evaluated it, the Louvre Museum said. Leonardo's masterwork — now nearly 500 years old — is inspected every one to two years.

The Louvre said the "state of conservation" of the most famous artwork in France's most famous museum "has aroused some worry."

The state-run Center for Research and Restoration of Museums of France will conduct a study to better determine what materials the painting is made of and evaluate its vulnerability to temperature changes.

Some seasoned visitors say they have noticed changes.

"We lived in Paris in 1962 and 1963 — she seemed brighter back then," said Enid Kushner, 74, a retired lawyer from Cleveland.

First-time visitor Kristy Vander Ploeg, 23, of Toronto, said: "I didn't expect it to look like that — it's a lot more faded than I thought it would be."

The painting has yellowed from layers of varnish applied over the centuries, but the Louvre has resisted pressure to touch it up. The last real work on the Mona Lisa dates to the mid 1950s, when experts removed several age spots.

The Louvre says the most recent analysis can be done without taking the painting out of the public eye. The Mona Lisa now has its own wall; next year it will get its own room.

For the museum's crown jewel, little is left to chance: The painting is housed in an air-conditioned glass case, and visitors are held back by a waist-high barrier.

The Mona Lisa is seen each year by nearly all the 6 million people who visit the Louvre. Just last year, it was on the cover of Dan Brown's best seller, "The Da Vinci Code," and figured in the plot.

On Monday, as usual, rubbernecking tourists peered at the painting, and camera flashes went off with the speed and frequency of a Paris fashion show.

Louvre spokeswoman Aggy Lerolle said the flash photography — which is "theoretically forbidden" at the museum — is not believed to be the cause of the painting's deterioration.

But some visitors, after hearing about the Mona Lisa's woes, felt a little guilty for using their flashes.

"It's our fault, I know," said Mikhail Kouzmenko, a Moscow executive, after a friend snapped him, smiling, in front of the painting. "It's bad for the picture, I know."

Most days, security guards and ushers keep the flow of tourists to a regular pace. Often lines to see the Mona Lisa stretch for dozens of yards.

Experts believe Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa in Italy over a long period beginning about 1505. The identity of the model is not known.

The work is clearly a survivor. During World War II, French authorities hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces. In 1911, an Italian house painter stole the masterpiece, saying he planned to return it to Italy; it was recovered two years later in Florence and sent back to France.

The admiration that the painting has evoked has been attributed to fascination with Leonardo's genius; the painting's stunning realism and technique; the mystery of the Mona Lisa's identity; and the twists and turns in its history.

Some tourists say the Mona Lisa now is simply feeding off its own fame. And nearly everyone seems to have an opinion about it.

"Her popularity is just based on what has happened over the years," said Joanne Rosini, 40, an animal trainer from Brooklyn. "It's really a boring painting, she's just sitting there."

Her father-in-law, retired police officer Eugene Rosini, said he finds meaning in the Mona Lisa's smile.

"It's a smile to tempt her lover," he said with a wry grin — acknowledging that the come-hither look might have worked on him.

Five Music Channels to Air Prince Special

NEW YORK - Get ready for five channels of Prince. MTV, MTV2, BET, VH1 and VH1 Classic will simultaneously broadcast a 30-minute Prince concert special on Wednesday at 9 p.m. EDT, network executives told The Associated Press.

The concert, recorded live last week before an audience at New York's Webster Hall, includes performances of material from Prince's new album, "Musicology," plus some of his classics. The telecast also includes interviews, with certain segments reserved for the individual stations.

"The networks have never done this before," said Will Botwin, president of Prince's record label, Columbia.

"We wanted to do something unprecedented," said Judy McGrath, MTV Networks group president.

McGrath, who was at the taping, said the show was "like a party" with a few hundred audience members at the small club. Prince wanted an intimate feel to the show, she said.

Although Prince has been out of the spotlight for a few years, Botwin said he wasn't concerned that the teen audience won't want to watch him. Kids have learned about Prince through their brothers and sisters, he said.

"There's another generation getting turned on to Prince," Botwin said.

'Man on Fire' Burns Box Office Rivals

LOS ANGELES - Denzel Washington, who sets out to rescue a little girl in "Man on Fire," pushed aside another little girl in the comedy "13 Going on 30" to claim the top spot at the weekend box office.

The violent revenge thriller "Man on Fire" debuted with $23 million, while Jennifer Garner's lighthearted child-in-an-adult-body movie "13 Going on 30" came in at No. 2 with $22 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The difference is close enough that the films could switch places when final figures are released Monday.

This marks Washington's strongest opening since his Oscar-winning role in "Training Day," which opened in October 2001 with $22.5 million. He has lately had a lukewarm spell with the drama "Antwone Fisher" and the thriller "Out of Time."

"This is a harder-edged Denzel. People seem to like that and he can pull it off," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

In "Man on Fire," Washington stars as a security guard who goes on a vicious spree to save 10-year-old Dakota Fanning from kidnappers. It's the latest in a line of successful vengeance films to score well with moviegoers, following last week's No. 1 debut for "Kill Bill — Vol. 2" and successful runs for "The Punisher" and "Walking Tall."

The audience for "Man on Fire" was about 55 percent female, said Bruce Snyder, the head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which is unusual for an action-adventure movie.

Garner, despite her fame from the "Alias" TV spy show, remains a relatively untested commodity among movie audiences, but her film's close second-place finish points to a star on the rise.

"This is a stepping stone to stardom," said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced the movie for distributor Sony. "The camera loves her, you can see it, you can feel it."

The key to her success, Dergarabedian said, is that the super-fit actress appeals to both genders. The tough-as-nails star is not an overt sexpot, nor a willowy sweetheart.

"What she brings to the table is a sexiness to her, but a down-to-earth likeability," Dergarabedian said. "The premise of '13 going on 30' has been used numerous times, but the marketing campaign has been very effective."

Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill — Vol. 2" ranked third in its second week with $10.4 million. Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax, said the simultaneous DVD debut of the first "Kill Bill" installment helped feed interest in the followup.

After an Easter surge to No. 1, "The Passion of the Christ" fell out of the top 10 this weekend to No. 11 with $2.1 million. Since opening on Ash Wednesday, the movie has taken in a spectacular $364.3 million domestically.

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. "Man on Fire," $23 million.
2. "13 Going on 30," $22 million.
3. "Kill Bill — Vol. 2," $10.4 million.
4. "The Punisher," $6.1 million,
5. "Home on the Range," $3.4 million.
6. "Johnson Family Vacation," $3.15 million.
7. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $3.13 million.
8. "Hellboy," $3 million.
9. "Ella Enchanted," $2.7 million.
10. "Walking Tall," $2.6 million.

Estee Lauder Dead at 97

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Estee Lauder, who took a family recipe for skin cream and a passion for female beauty and turned them into a $10 billion cosmetics empire, died on Saturday at her home in Manhattan, a spokeswoman for the company that bears her name said on Sunday.

Estee Lauder company spokeswoman Sally Susman said she was 97 and died of cardiopulmonary failure, but gave no further details of the cause of death.

Lauder, who founded her company in 1946, prospered by offering women the promise of eternal youth and beauty with an aura of cool, upper-class refinement.

She had not been actively involved for 10 years in the management of the company, which markets its products in 130 countries, Susman said. Lauder's son Leonard Lauder is currently chairman of the company.

Fox bolsters lineup

24 will live to see another day.

The Kiefer Sutherland real-time thriller has been renewed for a fourth season, the Fox network announced yesterday.

24 wasn't the only show to get the greenlight for another year from the network. Also picked up for another season were Malcolm in the Middle, the Bernie Mac Show and the hit teen soap opera The O.C.

"We are delighted," Fox entertainment president Gail Berman told media yesterday.

"These celebrated and groundbreaking shows are the backbone of Fox's scripted programming and we're pleased that these outstanding series will remain a vital part of our year-round programming mix."

The four shows join That '70s Show, The Simpsons and King of the Hill, which were previously renewed for another season. MADtv has been picked up until 2008.

Of the renewed series, 24 is the highest rated, attracting about 11 million viewers.

Bernie Mac averages about seven million watchers weekly. Malcolm, which celebrated its 100th episode this year, garners almost nine million weekly viewers.

The O.C., which debuted last summer as a 21st-century Beverly Hills 90210, has an average weekly audience of about 10 million and, given its subject matter, predictably attracts the much-coveted teen and young adult demographic.

The bad news? No renewal yet for Arrested Development, the sensationally-funny comedy starring Jason Bateman that, despite critical acclaim, remains on the bubble. The fate of Tru Calling, starring Eliza Dushku, is also as yet undetermined.

Bond, Generic Bond

According to Variety, MGM is writing the next James Bond film with a generic Bond in the lead and not Pierce Brosnan.

Indiana Jones Back on Shelf

Indiana Jones can hang up his hat and put the whip back in storage because it doesn't look like he's making a return to the big screen any time soon.

The Indiana Jones triumvirate of Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas all have other commitments on their rosters that rank above the long anticipated Indy 4.

While the fourth installment in the franchise was initially targeted for release by Paramount on July 4, 2005, the script was sent back for a rewrite after Lucas decided he was displeased with the material. Production is now slated to begin in 2005, with a release date in 2006.

All three men are keeping themselves busy in the interim.

Ford has signed on to star in The Wrong Element, an action film in which the graying actor will play the earnest hero-type he's well known for--a security guard whose family is kidnapped.

As the story unfolds, the kidnappers order Ford's rent-a-cop to steal $37 million from the bank where he works in exchange for the return of his brood. Meanwhile, the conniving kidnappers set things up to make the hapless security guard appear guilty of embezzlement. Many furled brows of concentration and impassioned claims of innocence à la Fugitive are sure to ensue.

Spielberg's Indy interval oeuvre will be a feature film focusing on the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian extremists. Schindler's List star, Ben Kingsley is attached to a lead role.

The film's title remains a secret, but Spielberg and his production crew have reportedly already traveled to Europe to begin locking down locations. The new film will mark Spielberg's first European shoot since Saving Private Ryan.

After the Munich film, Spielberg will direct the DreamWorks drama, The Rivals, about the legendary rivalry between 19th-century stage divas Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse. He'll then move on to team with Tom Cruise in the Paramount/DreamWorks venture, The War of the Worlds, an adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells alien invasion tale.

Spielberg's most recent film, Terminal, starring Tom Hanks, opens in June.

Lucas, meanwhile, has been keeping himself occupied with another pet project--Star Wars: Episode III, which is slated for release in May 2005.

The Indiana Jones postponement may actually be a boon for Lucas, as its original projected release date came just a scant five weeks after the final Star Wars installation is due to hit screens--meaning that the two films could have wound up competing for box office dollars.

Though the title of the latest Indy flick has yet to be unveiled, one thing's for certain: Ford's not getting any younger. Unless they're planning to call it Indiana Jones and the Quest for Trifocals, they better get a move on.

Star Wars DVD Specs

Lucasfilm has finally provided more details on their Star Wars Trilogy 4-disc set.

The set will include more than 10 hours of bonus content in all, in addition to the films. Each film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen video and a full frame version, both certified by THX and lovingly restored and remastered by the folks at Lowry Digital. Audio for all three films will be Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX.

Each film will also include audio commentary with the likes of creator George Lucas, director Irvin Kershner, actress Carrie Fisher, sound designer Ben Burtt and ILM's Dennis Muren.

Disc Four will feature all new and exclusive bonus material. The centerpiece of the disc Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. According to Lucasfilm: "This two-and-a-half hour documentary traces the evolution of the saga, from a low-budget labor-of-love space saga to the movie phenomenon that defied the odds and reinvented the rules.

This comprehensive documentary features all new interviews with George Lucas and more than 40 members of the cast and crew from the original trilogy, as well as a host of filmmakers and mediapersonalities.

Empire of Dreams includes some never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the three films."

When you're done with that, you can check out the Episode III behind-the-scenes preview featurette, The Return of Darth Vader, in which Lucas discusses how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. We also get a first look at the new Vader costume for Episode III, and see how actors Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor prepared for the epic lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Next up, The Birth of the Lightsaber featurette takes a look at the origins and creation of "this elegant weapon from a more civilized age." The Characters of Star Wars featurette takes an in-depth look at how all the classic characters developed, from original concept art to interviews with Lucas and the cast. The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars featurette looks at the influence of the Star Wars films on filmmaking and entertainment as a whole, and includes interviews with "the most notable filmmakers of our time."

Rounding out the film content on this disc, are the original theatrical teaser, launch and re-release trailers for each film, plus TV spots, a gallery of hundreds of rare production art images and photos, and a gallery of poster and print campaign artwork.

Then there's "the rest of the disc", which will be of less interest to film fans. This includes preview trailers for the Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Episode III videogames, an Xbox playable demo of Battlefront, and DVD-ROM access to a special online site with additional exclusive content.

All in all, not too bad. Certainly not the definitive special edition treatment of these films on disc, but you know that'll happen later on Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD, so not bad for now.

Washington, Garner Fire Up Weekend Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Some genuine suspense appears to surround this weekend's box office matchup.

The two new wide releases couldn't be more different: the hard-edged revenge thriller "Man on Fire" faces off against the lighthearted comedy "13 Going on 30." But because each film has several drawing points as well as a couple of drawbacks, it could make for a close race.

Vengeance has ruled at the box office in recent weeks. Last weekend, "Kill Bill-Vol. 2" reigned with a $25.1 million haul, with "The Punisher" scoring the second spot. Three weekends ago, "Hellboy" held sway with $23.2 million, and "Walking Tall" claimed the runner-up position. And even though it runs the risk of courting moviegoers whose death wish might be satiated, "Man on Fire" should continue what Uma Thurman's "Kill Bill" character called the "roaring rampage of revenge."

Certainly, "Man on Fire," from 20th Century Fox/New Regency Enterprises, boasts top-notch credentials to guarantee that attention will be paid. Oscar winner Denzel Washington plays a military vet serving as a bodyguard to little Dakota Fanning in Mexico City. When she is abducted despite his best efforts, Washington is forced to shift into righteous action, choreographed by director Tony Scott, whose credits range from "Top Gun" to "Spy Game."

The movie's tony collaborators lend the film a note of gravitas that could well pull in moviegoers older than the young-male demographic that is the core audience for action pics. Washington's presence should attract a wide range of moviegoers -- among them blacks. And by putting Fanning in jeopardy, the filmmakers are even courting an older female audience. Fox added one more element to its marketing arsenal by opening the film Wednesday in single theaters in Los Angeles and New York to ignite the buzz. (It picked up $19,825 for the day in its two engagements.)

At the same time, the film also must contend with the restrictions of its R rating, a running time of almost 2-1/2 hours, and the fact that some thrill-seekers will be siphoned away by the second weekend of "Bill 2" and "The Punisher." Arriving in 2,979 theaters, "Man" could be looking at an opening weekend that registers in the high-teen millions -- possibly even flirting with the $20 million mark.

Although it packs a softer punch and is aiming for a very different audience -- primarily females in their teens and 20s as well as any older women it can corral -- "13 Going on 30" could give "Man" a run for its money. Directed by Gary Winick, the Sony Pictures/Revolution Studios release stars Jennifer Garner as a 13-year-old who suddenly finds herself inhabiting the body of a 30-year-old.

When they work, body-transfer comedies can be catnip for moviegoers. "Big" (1988) proved to be one of Tom Hanks' earliest successes. And just last year, the remake of "Freaky Friday," starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, was a surprise success, pulling in $110 million. With a couple of national sneak previews under its belt, "13," with its audience-friendly PG-13 rating, hopes to prove that it's just as appealing.

But it also has a few hurdles to overcome. Although Revolution is positioning Garner as the next Julia Roberts (news), this is the first film that the star of ABC's cult hit "Alias" has been asked to carry by herself. And in recent months, younger females have proved fickle, mostly ignoring a string of romantic concoctions like "The Prince & Me" and "Chasing Liberty." Making a stand in 3,438 theaters, a wider opening than "Man's," "13" is also tracking in the high-teen millions.

Meanwhile, setting up shop in 417 theaters, Warner Bros. Pictures is continuing its rollout of the animated kids movie "Clifford's Really Big Movie," directed by Robert C. Ramirez. And Imax is beginning its rollout of "Sacred Planet," a documentary narrated by Robert Redford about Earth's few remaining unspoiled locales.

On the specialty film scene, ThinkFilm unveils "The Agronomist," Jonathan Demme's documentary about the late Haitian radio journalist and human rights activist Jean Dominique.

Porn Company to Release Paris Hilton Video

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The notorious home video circulated on the Internet showing reality TV star Paris Hilton having sex with her former boyfriend is coming to an adult film store near you.

Red Light District Video, a suburban Los Angeles porn production company, said on Thursday it has acquired rights from Hilton's ex-beau, Rick Salomon, to distribute the full 45-minute video in June under the title "One Night In Paris."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. A spokeswoman for the company said the homemade tape, parts of which surfaced last year on Internet porn sites, will be released commercially in adult video stores on June 15.

She said the retail price has not been set. In February, Salomon posted a 38-minute version of the night-vision video on his own Web site, where it sold for $50 per copy.

The 23-year-old socialite, whose grandfather founded the Hilton hotel chain, has sued a Panama-based Internet firm for $30 million, claiming the company violated her privacy and engaged in illegal business practices by distributing the video.

Best known for starring on the Fox television reality hit "The Simple Life," Hilton claimed in the lawsuit that the videotape was "intended only for personal use" and that she never consented for it to be distributed to the public.

There was no immediate comment from Hilton's representatives in Los Angeles or New York about Red Light District's plans. And Salomon's lawyer, Martin Singer, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Red Light District said its video will include never-before-seen scenes from the tape Salomon and Hilton made in May 2001, including footage of the hotel heiress "partying in a nightclub."

Here are the new music releases for Tuesday April 20, 2004:

* A PERFECT DAY All Over Everything (ISBA)
* AUDREY DE MONTIGNY Audrey (BMG/Vik)
* BARRY MANILOW 2 Nights Live (BMG Heritage)
* BARRY MANILOW Ultimate Barry Manilow Live (DVD) (BMG Heritage)
* BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Hangover Music Vol. VI (Spitfire)
* ERIC CLAPTON Me and Mr. Johnson (DVD) (Warner)
* FATS WALLER The Fats Waller Centennial Collection (Arista Associated Labels)
* FEAR FACTORY Archetype (Liquid 8)
* GENE SIMMONS Asshole (Sanctuary Records)
* GLEN MILLER The Glen Miller Centennial Collection (Arista Associated Labels)
* GRANDMASTER FLASH Grandmaster Flash (DVD) (Rhino)
* JACKSON BROWNE The Naked Ride Home (DVD Audio) (Rhino)
* JACKSON BROWNE Running On Empty (DVD Audio) (Rhino)
* JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY Letters From Home (Warner)
* KELLIE COFFEY A Little More Me (RCA Country)
* LUDOVICO EINAUDI Echoes (Windham Hill)
* NORTHSTAR Pollyanna (Razor & Tie)
* PATTY GRIFFIN Impossible Dream (ATO Records)
* QUEENSRYCHE The Art of Live (DVD Video) (Sanctuary Records)
* ROGER WHITTAKER Moments in My Life (Ariola)
* RON SEXSMITH Retriever (Warner)
* SEAL Seal IV (DVD AUDIO) (Warner)
* SHAWN DESMAN TBA Shawn Desman (BMG Canada/Vik)
* SKYE SWEETNAM Noise From The Basement (Capitol/EMI)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Rock Against Bush (Fat Wreck Chords)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Country Heat All Stars (BMG Canada)
* WAND GUNTER NDR Sinfoni- Orchestra/ Schuman: Symphony Nos. 3 & 4 (Arista Associated Labels)
* WARREN HAYNES TBA Warren Haynes (ATO Records)

New Darth Vader Costume Shown on DVD

LOS ANGELES - Fans can get a first look at the new Darth Vader costume from the 2005 "Star Wars: Episode III" prequel on the upcoming DVD collection of the original trilogy, Lucasfilm announced Monday.

The first three "Star Wars" films debut for the first time in digital format on Sept. 21.

The Darth Vader featurette promises an interview with creator George Lucas discussing how Jedi warrior Anakin Skywalker became the fearsome space villain.

It also will show behind-the-scenes footage of actors Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin, and Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, engaged in the forthcoming film's climactic lightsaber duel.

"We're going to see the evolution of this character and go places with Darth Vader we've never gone before," said Jim Ward, a Lucasfilm marketer and DVD executive producer. "Our fans have been eagerly awaiting every morsel of `Episode III' as we divulge it. We're giving it to them piece by piece."

He said the DVD would hold back, however, on most of the details, which are being saved for the final installment in the prequel trilogy, set for release in theaters on May 19, 2005.

Besides the three movies, subtitled "A New Hope," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," the DVD collection also will include documentaries about the history of the laser-sword lightsabers, an exploration of how some of the famous alien creatures were inspired and created, and a playable Xbox videogame demo for the upcoming game Star Wars: Battlefront.

The Couch Potato Report - April 20th, 2004

In The Couch Potato Report this week there’s an office that’s fun to go to, a master and a commander and a funny man whose funny no more.

Comedy is subjective.

What I find funny, you might think is stupid, and vice versa.

I find a lot of things funny and have no problems stating that my favourite movie of all time is THE ADVENTURES OF BOB & DOUG McKENZIE IN STRANGE BREW.

I’ve seen the film at least a hundred times and still laugh out loud every time.

I haven’t seen every episode of the British Sitcom THE OFFICE a hundred times, but I suspect that once I have I’ll still be laughing.

On the other hand, you might not think the show is funny at all.

After all, there are no punch lines, no jokes, no laugh tracks, and no smile inducing happy endings.

But what makes it better than almost everything else on TV is how it’s funny, because it isn’t funny. At times it’s actually painful because the situations are so real, but once you sidestep the pain, you’ll enjoy a good laugh.

THE OFFICE takes place in the offices of a fictional British paper merchant.

The writing is subtle and deft, yet broad and daft at the same time. The ensemble cast are so perfect together that the documentary feel of the show sometimes feel very real.

That cast is led by co-director and co-writer Ricky Gervais who plays David Brent, the office manager. Gervais steals every scene he’s in as he is so letcherous and idiotic that you can’t help but laugh at what he does, and how funny HE thinks he is.

Some day David Brent will become a name as symbolic as Basil Fawlty in the history of British Humour.

That all said, you still might not find this show funny. I do, and it is with great pleasure that I sat and watched the DVD set that is THE OFFICE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES.

This SECOND SERIES picks up where the FIRST SERIES left off and we see the continuation of the fall of David Brent. That fall allows for some darker comedic moments, which like the rest of the series, have to be seen to be believed.

But the best part of THE OFFICE are the moments that come out of nowhere, for instance in a moment prior to the opening credits when the entire cast sings along to the Muppet classic Mahna Mahna.

THE OFFICE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES far surpasses the sky-high standards set in THE FIRST SERIES of the show and I find it laugh out loud funny stuff.

You might find it boring and unfunny.

And that’s okay. We don’t have to agree on everything.

I suspect another area that we’ll disagree on is how good MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD is.

Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany from A BEAUTIFUL MIND star with Billy Boyd from THE LORD OF THE RINGS in the Oscar Nominated MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD.

Based on Patrick O'Brian's enormously popular novels about British naval hero Capt. Jack Aubrey, and directed by Peter Weir, some think MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD to be a seafaring adventure like no other. I’ve also heard that people thought it was impeccably authentic, dynamically cast, and thrilling enough to give any classic swashbuckler a run for its money.

Unfortunately I didn’t think any of that. It's unfortunate as I love movies about the sea. If you put a boat or the sea in your movie I'm almost certain to love it.

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD has both boats and the sea, but it didn't entertain me.

The film is about the HMS Surprise, an English warship sailing around South America during the Napoleonic era. Russell Crowe is superb as the ship's captain as he engages in a battle of wits, wills, and firepower with a rival captain during the perilous sea trek.

There are also great moments of humour and camaraderie.

But the action, the plot, the characters and the entire film just stopped and re-started too often to keep me interested. I understand that the story has to stop at one point so we can see that the captian is human after all, but once it stops it stops.

Then it takes too long to get started again. I would argue that it never actually gets started again.

I respected MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, and I will watch it again some day to see if I am way off base.

Upon my initial two viewings I have to say that I didn’t think the movie was very good, and I’m prepared to hear that you liked it.

Just as prepared to hear that you don’t think THE OFFICE is funny, but like I said we don’t have to agree on everything.

What I think we can agree on is that fact that Eddie Murphy used to be one of the funniest people in the world.

On SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, in his stand up routines RAW and DELIRIOUS and in films like 48 HOURS, BEVERLY HILLS COP and TRADING PLACES he started the eighties off on a huge role.

With the notable exception of SHREK his recent work in THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, SHOWTIME, I SPY and DADDY DAY CARE has been unwatchable. It’s almost as if he can’t be funny anymore.

Eddie Murphy’s downward role continues in the very unfunny THE HAUNTED MANSION. Like THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN it too was based on a ride at Disneyland. Unlike THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, this movie is dreadful!

Murphy plays a workaholic who visits a haunted house with his family during a job interview. He meets a ghost that teaches him a lesson about the importance of the family that he has neglected and nothing interesting happens.

If you have very young kids they might, and this is a very remote possibility, they might get a kick out of some of the special effects and things that happen when a family moves into a haunted mansion, but I doubt it.

Plus, why did Murphy even make this movie?!?!?

In his concert film DELIRIOUS he talks about how only white people are stupid to stay in a haunted place:

Says Eddie as a Black Male Householder: “Aw baby this is beautiful, we got a chandelier hanging up here, kids playing outside, it's a beautiful neighborhood. Ain't got nothing to worry about... I really like this place...”

Demonic Voice: Get out!

Black Male Householder : Too bad we can't stay...

If you ignore THE HAUNTED MANSION maybe it will just go away. As for Eddie Murphy, with SHREK 2 due in theatres in less than a month, I’m sure he’ll be fine. I only hope that SHREK 2 is vintage Murphy.

Good luck to us all!

THE OFFICE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES, MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD and THE HAUNTED MANSION are available right now on video and DVD at your favourite local video store.

COMING NEXT WEEK IN THE COUCH POTATO REPORT

Tim Burton’s luscious BIG FISH is an enchanting film about a son who is reunited with his estranged, tale-telling father.

In the wonderful LOVE ACTUALLY ten couples look for love during Christmas. From the same people who made FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and NOTTING HILL the movie features a personable and talented large ensemble cast that includes Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Keira Knightly.

The latest film from the comedic Farrelly Brothers is called STUCK ON YOU. Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear are conjoined twins who pursue a career in acting. Sadly, the funniest thing about the movie is the premise.

TITANIC collaborators James Cameron and Bill Paxton lead an expedition to the Titanic wreckage in the documentary GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS.

In THE COOLER William H. Macy is the unluckiest sap on the planet. He is employed as a "cooler" at a casino; his very presence can chill the hot streak of any patron on a roll. The film is a little offbeat, but the cast that also includes Mario Bello and Alec Baldwin is full of great characters.

And finally,

Norman Jewison’s THE STATEMENT is a thriller that stars Michael Caine as an escaped Nazi collaborator who is being pursued by a French judge and an army colonel so he can answer for his crimes.

I'll have more on those releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

Fade To Yellow?

USA Today outlined Fox's options since the vocal cast behind THE SIMPSONS are holding out for more money. The net has enough episodes in the can to last them to January next season, but they are looking at either canceling the show, recasting the main roles, or replacing it with AMERICAN IDOL, which will start its next season in January.

SETTING A DEADLINE

NBC announcing that Dec. 1 will be Tom Brokaw's last day anchoring NBC Nightly News. Brian Williams will take over the following day.

...go here and buy them right now. This way they will be shipped within three weeks.

The difference between these discs that are available right now and the ones coming out on June 8th isn't much.

These DVDs will have the same content as the retail box set, but don't include the 24 page booklet and nicer packaging of the box set.

As a comedian in all seriousness, if you are impatient - like I am - you'll want them now.

SCTV DVD Set 1 - What's Changed

While it appears the company releasing SCTV on DVD has done a pretty good job securing music for the new set, there have been some things taken out of the upcoming box set.

Here is what's different show by show:

* Episode 1: The end credits music has been changed to a generic theme; the original had a recording of "Thanks for the Memories."

* Episode 2: Part 1 of Polynesiantown has been moved forward, swapped with Brenda Vaccaro commercial and Sammy Maudlin. Again, the end credits music has been changed to a generic theme.

* Episode 3: The Star Wars music in Empires Are A Girl's Best Friend has been changed to a similar-sounding theme.

* Episode 4: No changes!

* Episode 5: No changes!

* Episode 6: The repeat of Indira has been removed. The Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young music (Gerry Todd Show) has been changed, though the "White Christmas" vocals remain.

* Episode 7: The bumper for The Nobel has been moved from the first break to the very last piece in the show. The Kovak Expert commercial has been moved from segment 2 to segment 5. The bumper for The Tubes on Scuttlebutt Lodge has been removed. A seemingly new (?) bumper for Roy Orbison has been inserted before his performance of "Working for the Man." Bumpers for The Silly Bastard and One On the Town have been reshuffled throughout the show.

* Episode 8: No changes!

* Episode 9: Max Lax and Shakespeare in the park have been swapped in the running order. The Mckenzie Brothers National Anthem music has been replaced with the GWN theme. Fantasy Island has been moved to the end of the show and its SCTV Afternoon Movie identifier has been removed. Finally, many bumpers have been shuffled.

Puzzling breakups and peace deals

We've all been there. We've all gone through terrible break-ups.

You know the kind -- where both parties scream and yell and say the most bilious, hate-filled things to one another before finally vowing to never, ever speak with one another again.

But then, usually, two or three years later, at a bar or, say, a barbecue at the house of a mutual friend who, for no reason, we'll call Gary, you see each other again from across the yard, and several gin and tonics, raspberry coolers and vodka Jell-O shots later, all of those bad things once said are forgotten and you wind up slurring apologies in the kitchen, before ultimately winding up embarrassing yourselves on the basement couch together in a sweaty, passionate ...

Um, you get the idea.

It's the same kind of thing in the world of music.

The only real difference being that in most cases you need to replace those alcoholic beverages with the promise of gobs and gobs of cash fed by a public hunger for nostalgia, and the basement couch with a tour of (hopefully) sold-out arenas and stadiums.

As for the embarrassment, well, that's a case-by-case scenario, with the best case being a great show that captures the essence of the band during its original run and the worst case usually being a new studio album.

Over the years, the scenarios have been put to fans of such acts as the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Motley Crue, Led Zeppelin, The Who, KISS and even lesser lights such as Soft Cell, Duran Duran and (gak!) Hall & Oates.

Even a Beatles reunion was speculated on and drooled over until it was eventually put to rest with the body of John Lennon.

One of the most recent examples of the rock 'n' roll reunion is '80s alternative legends the Pixies, who announced earlier this year they were putting past differences aside to hit the road for one more kick at the cat (or maybe taco, would be more appropriate).

The band -- featuring Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis), Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering -- formed in the mid-'80s in Boston and went on to have a career that paved the way for the alternative revolution of the '90s.

Unfortunately, before they finally split in 1993 -- Black informed the rest of the members via a faxed statement after already announcing it during an interview -- the relationships were so sour they curdled.

Most of that tension was between frontman Black and Deal over his refusal to record her material, and her refusal to accept that.

In the years since the split, any mention of a reunion has been rebuffed by all parties -- if they acknowledged the existence of the Pixies at all -- with Black only warming to it slightly in the most recent past, even playing old Pixies tunes during his solo shows.

The questions were finally put to rest when it was announced that yes, indeed, the four were holed up in L.A. to rehearse for a tour that would, after a brief round of warm-up dates, begin with a headlining appearance at the Coachella Festival May 1 before heading overseas.

As to how embarrassing the patched-up Pixies are, Calgarians will get their opportunity to decide for themselves tomorrow night when the quartet plays a sold-out warm-up show at the U of C's MacEwan Hall.

The following are some other reunions from over the years and how they fared:
EAGLES -- Country soft-rock kings split up in 1982 after a not-so long run of a decade, with member Don Henley stating they would reunite when "hell freezes over."

Jump to 1994, when that phrase is used as an "ironic" and "clever" name for a reunion album and tour, which had lumpy middle-aged music lovers everywhere leaping -- figuratively speaking, of course -- at the chance to pay an exorbitant sum to see barely mobile musicians robotically deliver the hits of their wasted -- literally speaking, of course -- youth.

Ten years later, they're still going, having somehow evaded the cynicism radar of most of their fans and having siphoned not quite enough money out of the economy yet.

How embarrassing: It's hard to be embarrassed for anyone when they're billionaires and you're fast asleep.

THE GUESS WHO

Canadian classic rock icons conquered the world with their hit American Woman, before principals Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings parted company in 1970.

It was a timeless story: Bachman was a Mormon from Winnipeg who shunned the rock 'n' roll lifestyle; Cummings was a moustachioed party machine who embraced it to its fullest -- however could it succeed?

In 1983, they got back together to see if it could work again. It didn't.
It took the 1999 Pan Am Games in their hometown -- and a hefty paycheck -- to finally get them back for a lengthy period of time, with a cross-Canada tour that won over even the most hardened of critics.

Subsequent tours and appearances, including a much ballyhooed set at Sars-stock, have gone over just as well.

How embarrassing: Surprisingly not at all.

SIMON & GARFUNKEL

Forever known as the talented little fella and that other guy what'shisname, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have been an on-again, off-again duo for most of their lives.

Their two biggest splits came in the early '70s, when Simon went onto a popular solo career and Garfunkel ... um, didn't.

A brief reunion did occur halfway through the decade and then a full-blown one came about in 1981 with their famous concert in Central Park.

A planned new studio album never materialized due to artistic differences -- presumably due to Simon being an artist and Garfunkel being not.

Finally, they were brought back one more time for 2003's Grammy Awards, looking and sounding like two people who hadn't spoken in more than 20 years.
Still, Art oddly had enough free time to fit in a full tour late last year.

How embarrassing: Charity, especially among friends or acquaintances, is never embarrassing.

KISS

The original KISS lineup -- Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss -- was responsible for some of the most memorable theatrical arena rock of the '70s.

Criss left in 1980 and Frehley left soon after, with the band going downhill steadily from there and Simmons and Stanley pretty much bad mouthing the departed pair as merely hired hands.

However, those hired hands were more than helpful in refilling the KISS coffers when they put the makeup back on and reunited in 1996.

Since then, the band has embarked on a farewell tour that has lasted longer than most childhoods, with Frehley and Criss alternately quitting or being punted from the band at regular intervals.

How embarrassing: They're 50 years old, wearing wigs, makeup, moon boots and spandex -- what could possibly be embarrassing about that?

SEX PISTOLS

They burned brief and bright for a couple of years in the '70s, but it was enough to push punk rock into the frightened mainstream.

A reunion seemed like an entirely unlikely thing considering the death of bassist Sid Vicious, but completely likely considering they were a well marketed and better managed cash grab from the beginning.

With frontman Johnny Rotten's (a.k.a. John Lydon) career in the dumper -- even after producing several superb albums with his new band Public Image Limited -- it didn't take much to get him to agree to a 1996 reunion with the other members and original bassist Glen Matlock to celebrate the Pistols' 20th anniversary.

What followed was the Filthy Lucre Tour and, since then, a few less successful dates and tours.

How embarrassing: Punk's not dead, it's hiding.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND

More than a decade apart proved to be just the tonic for The Boss and his legendary backup band.

In 1999, they put all differences aside for a successful reunion tour, which paved the way for a studio reunion with the 9/11-inspired The Rising.

That then gave way to a full world tour which, for many, captured the essence of their shows together in the '70s that are the stuff of rock legend.

Here's hoping more is on the way.

How embarrassing: How brilliant.

BANDS ON THE RUN

STILL WAITING:

* Pink Floyd
* Cream
* ABBA
* The Smiths

Suppose They Had a Reunion and No One Cared:

* Men Without Hats
* Wham!
* Extreme
* Bootsauce
* Guns N' Roses

Corrs In 'Heaven' On New Album

Irish pop act the Coors will return next month with its fourth album, "Borrowed Heaven." The set will arrive May 25 in North America via Atlantic and a day earlier internationally. First single "Summer Sunshine" can be streamed from the group's official Web site.

The set is the follow-up to 2000's "In Blue," which peaked at No. 21 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.1 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Irish band came off the road in 2001 after six years of almost continual touring and recording. "We needed to get our lives back," lead singer Andrea Corr admits. After a break, the family quartet spent 18 months writing and recording "Borrowed Heaven" in Dublin and Los Angeles.

"It's our strongest songwriting to date," Sharon Corr says. "We had more time, and all four of us contributed." The album features the song "Time Enough for Tears," co-written by U2 frontman Bono and Gavin Friday. Andrea Corr previously sung the track in the 2003 film "In America." It was produced by Olle Romo, who has previously worked with Pulp, Shania Twain and Backstreet Boys

The Corrs have European tour dates on tap beginning June 19 in Bonn, Germany, through July 21 in Mallorca, Spain. The group's first-ever North American tour is in the planning stages for August and September.

Here is the "Borrowed Heaven" track list:

"Summer Sunshine"
"Angel"
"Hideaway"
"Long Night"
"Goodbye"
"Time Enough for Tears"
"Humdrum"
"Even If"
"Borrowed Heaven"
"Confidence"
"Baby Be Brave"
"Silver Strand"

'We Built This City' ranks as the worst record ever

We Built This City is the single worst single ever constructed, according to Blender's ranking of reeking tunes.

Not so hip to be square: Huey Lewis' The Heart of Rock & Roll rates as one of the worst songs ever, according to Blender magazine.

The magazine's list of "The 50 Worst Songs Ever," which hits newsstands Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles and April 27 nationwide, distills the lamest popular rock-era records into one sonic landfill.

Starship's 1985 anthem, the runaway No. 1 stinker, "seems to inspire the most virulent feelings of outrage," editor Craig Marks says. "It purports to be anti-commercial but reeks of '80s corporate-rock commercialism. It's a real reflection of what practically killed rock music in the '80s."

Also sealing the song's fate were Starship's steep fall from grace as the admired Jefferson Airplane and "the sheer dumbness of the lyrics," Marks says.

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

1. We Built This City Starship 1985
2. Achy Breaky Heart Billy Ray Cyrus 1992
3. Everybody Have Fun Tonight Wang Chung 1986
4. Rollin' Limpbizkit 2000
5. Ice Ice Baby Vanilla Ice 1990
6. The Heart of Rock & Roll Huey Lewis & The News 1984
7. Don't Worry, Be Happy Bobby McFerrin 1988
8. Party All the Time Eddie Murphy 1985
9. American Life Madonna 2003
10. Ebony and Ivory Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder 1982

The May issue, a sequel to the 2003 roundup of history's worst bands, coincides with a Blender/VH1 special, The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever, which airs May 12.

Harvesting clunkers that range from The Doors' The End to Aqua's Barbie Girl entailed more digging than expected.

Each dud had to be a hit to make the hit list. Though Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy got in, such novelties as Macarena and Who Let the Dogs Out, which by design are cheesy, were nixed. The jury also whittled down the bulk of "rotten, excruciatingly bad low-hanging fruit from the '70s," Marks says.

Blender had no qualms about riding herd on sacred cows, inducting The Beatles' Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, R.E.M.'s Shiny Happy People and John Mayer's Your Body Is a Wonderland. The entry most likely to peeve fans is Simon & Garfunkel's The Sounds of Silence.

"It's the freshman-poetry meaningfulness that got our goat," Marks says. "With self-important lyrics like, 'Hear my words that I might teach you,' it's almost a parody of pretentious '60s folk-rock.

"If Frasier Crane wrote a song, this would be it."

To accommodate coming horrors, the list can't be considered definitive. Noting that Clay Aiken's Invisible landed at No. 11, Marks predicts that "as soon as the American Idol season is finished, there will be a new entry."

"If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten."

— George Carlin

THERE ARE SPOILERS CONTAINED IN THIS STORY

High Noon School: A Pistol-Packin' Lesson on Westerns, Love, Flutes and Spit

Okay, so Bill hasn't died yet.

He's going to, though. Just as the title of Quentin Tarantino's two-movie bloodbath/love story promises. But before biting the dust, the title character gets plenty of action in Kill Bill: Volume 2, after missing Volume 1 entirely. As played by leathery badass David Carradine (remember him from the '70s TV series Kung Fu, young grasshopper?), he's the former boss, spurned love and revenge target for Uma Thurman's left-for-dead Bride.

While resurrecting long-forgotten TV studs is a Tarantino specialty, he also tosses plenty of pop-culture potpourri into his megaplex blender. We pin him down--along with Thurman, Carradine and bad guys Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen--to decode Kill Bill: Volume 2's influences, twists and carnage.

1. Uma Is Now a Verb: After slicing and knifing her way through piles of foes last time, Thurman has caught on as a role model. She says she has heard of young girls acting tough, claiming they're "getting Uma" or "getting Uma'd up." She urges caution, though: "Not that I want people to fight. There is that thin line between self-confidence and aggression."

2. Great Scenes Can Be Afterthoughts: A dirty, show-stopping throw-down in Volume 2 between the Bride and Hannah's eye-patched baddie Elle Driver was supposed to happen in the open desert. One day before filming, Tarantino instead crammed the catfight--samurai swords and all--into a cramped trailer home. "He just kept making it longer and more funny and more stupid," says Hannah. Stupid in a good way, right?

3. David's Not Just Coasting on Reruns: At 67, Carradine still has deadly moves, and he wasn't too old to learn new tricks from Japanese sword masters and "wire fu" master Yuen Woo-ping. "I've always been in pretty good shape, but you can always get better," he says. "The martial art they use in Chinese movies is a little different from kung fu. I had to get into that."

4. Zamfir, No; Wind Instruments, Yes: When Bill's finally introduced in Volume 2, he's playing a bamboo flute, much like the one Carradine's character Caine carried throughout his journeys on Kung Fu. "I sneaked it in," he says. "Every day, when we were stretching, I would do some meditation and flute. I knew that if I did enough of that, maybe Quentin would put it in the picture. And he did."

5. Not So Many Lopped-Off Ankles: Bad news for The Passion of the Christ fans: Kill Bill: Volume 2 is far less blood-soaked and cringe-inducing than the first installment--both here and in Japan, where they saw a gorier, more graphic Volume 1.

6. The Pussy Wagon Has Been Stolen: The Bride mentions her signature car only in a throwaway line, but we've gotta wonder about her Volume 1 ride, the bright yellow truck with its name painted on the back. "Quentin has the Pussy Wagon," says Thurman. "He possesses the Pussy Wagon, he drives the Pussy Wagon, he loves the Pussy Wagon. It was supposed to have been blown up in the desert by Elle Driver at some stage. I'm not exactly sure what happened with that."
Thrill Bride: Uma doesn't kill quite as many people this time.

7. Kung Fu Never Gets Old: The director loves his grind-house cinema genres, but of all influences (spaghetti westerns, Chinese martial arts, Japanese samurai, Asian gangsters, blaxploitation, Italian horror), could he choose a favorite? "I guess it might be the old Shaw brothers kung-fu films," he says. "I spent a year watching one, two or three of them a day. I never got tired of them."

8. Movies Move East to West: As you can tell by the cowboy hats and tumbleweeds, Volume 2 flees the Far East in favor of some western flavor. Is the director paying homage to any old-timey spaghetti western in particular? "There's no super-direct influence," he says, "unless you're counting the music I take from this movie or that movie." He did mull revenge plots from, say, Death Rides a Horse and Navajo Joe (with Burt Reynolds!). But what about Clint Eastwood's nameless drifter--does he get no love? "There is," he adds, "a bit of the Man with No Name in the Bride."

9. Robert Rodriguez Brought His Guitar: When the soundtrack lets up with all the snippets from old western scores (by Ennio Morricone, Luis Enríquez Bacalov, etc.), you can hear From Dusk Till Dawn director Robert Rodriguez strumming on a Spanish guitar. The Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Spy Kids filmmaker shares Volume 2 original-music credit with the first part's composer, Wu-Tang Clan man RZA.

10. The Vega Brothers Live: As all Tarantino nerds know, Reservoir Dogs' Mr. Blonde (Madsen) and Pulp Fiction's Vincent Vega (John Travolta) were brothers. There has been talk about a prequel (a sequel's out, as they're both, uh, dead) for years.

Fu for Thought: Gordon Liu may look tiny, but he's heavy. Recently, Tarantino told Madsen that the two actors were--sorry!--getting too old. "But right after saying that, he went off to Mexico for a couple of days," says Madsen. "I'm not sure what he did down there, but when he came back he called me and said, 'I think I've figured out how to make the Vega brothers movie. Listen to this...' Then he pretty much told me the plot of the film in 20 minutes. I couldn't repeat it to you, because it's really confusing."

11. You Don't Say "No" to Samuel L. Jackson: Tarantinoland regular Sam Jackson cameos as an organist, but that wasn't always the plan. Says Tarantino, "He was just like, 'Hey, I gotta be in this movie. There ain't no way Quentin's gonna make Kill Bill if I ain't in it.' "

12. Kids Love Bloody Revenge: In a twist at the end of Volume 1, we learn that the Bride's daughter survived the wedding-rehearsal massacre. She and mommy meet in the sequel, sure, but don't worry--it's not all cutesy and gooey. The kid insists they get to know each other, lounging about and watching the infamously gruesome samurai-and-son revenge flick Shogun Assassin.

13. Dead or Not, Bill Can Live On: What, you think that after Bill's killed it's over? The director and mastermind says this could be the beginning of a franchise that includes:

• An anime flick about the young Bill and his three mentors: swordsman Hattori Hanzo, martial-arts master Pai Mei and Mexican pimp Esteban Vihaio

• Graphic novels about individual members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad

• And another live-action revenge movie, but only after the young girls in Volume 1 and 2 have grown up. "Maybe 15 years from now. I have an idea for doing the last chapter in the story," says Tarantino. "But it wouldn't star the Bride. It would star Nikki, Vernita's daughter. [She watched the Bride kill her mother in Volume 1.] She'd be 20 years old and going out to get revenge on the Bride. Uma wouldn't be the star of it, she'd kind of be the bad guy, because the little girl deserves her revenge."

Mr. Blonde's Ambition: Is Madsen the sheriff of Tarantino County?

14. Quentin's Getting Faster: Six years elapsed between Tarantino's previous movie, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill: Volume 1. But Volume 2 came together lickety-split, in less than six months. He describes the editing as "no airy-fairy, Frank Lloyd Wright, arty architect dream. Grunt work!" At this rate, his next movie (he's hinted at wanting to direct a James Bond flick) should be coming out...next week?

15. It's Official--Spit Is Grosser Than Blood: If Kill Bill's spurting body fluid looks different from what you're used to, it's because of an ancient Chinese (circa, like, 1970s) method: squeezing condoms full of fake blood until they burst. It's revolting but effective. "Not as gross as the can full of spit," says Hannah, who got splattered plenty. "That was really gross. That was disgusting."

16. Gordon Liu's Kung Fu Is Still the Best: Tarantino originally planned to play the white-maned martial-arts wizard Pai Mei. But why bother, when he's already got chop-socky movie veteran Gordon Liu on board (he was the bald leader of the Crazy 88 in Volume 1)? And reports that Tarantino still speaks Pai Mei's Chinese dialogue are funny, but way, way off. "No, no, that's his voice," he insists. "I was going to dub it, but I just fell so in love with Gordon Liu's voice."

17. Bill Takes On, Yes, Clark Kent: At one point, Bill lets loose with a bizarre rant about Superman's subtle contempt for mere mortals. As with much great wisdom about superheroes, Carradine and Tarantino hit upon it while at a Beijing cigar lounge. "We got into this conversation about Superman and Clark Kent [and] were kind of bouncing off of each other," says Carradine. "Six days later, a rewrite showed up, and he'd dropped that entire conversation in my mouth."

18. The Videogame Was Killer--Er, Killed: It's a no-brainer, right? Put Bill's characters on your Xbox, kicking, sword-fighting and questing, and you've got a hit. Delay after delay, the game was put on hold last year, and then it was canned. (And what happened to the Kill Bill novel Tarantino promised to write?) There is, however, a Reservoir Dogs videogame in the works. No, seriously. There is!

19. Eye Patches Wreck Your Balance: Daryl Hannah's stunning in an eye patch, but fighting with it on was a bitch. "After I did the first three and a half months of training, I had to start wearing the eye patch," she says. "Then I had to start all over again, because it messes with your center of gravity and your aim and all that stuff. But the good thing is, you just feel cool wearing it."

20. Okay, It Could Have Been One Movie: If he had to slam all of Kill Bill into one instead of two flicks, the director knows what he'd lose: his heart, for one thing. Then what? "The first thing to go would've been the [Volume 1] anime sequence." And...? He'd kill the Volume 2 scenes in a strip club and Mexican brothel and shorten the Bride's training with Pai Mei. "You can imagine the movie yourself," he says. "But I would've lost something."

'Havana Nights'; 'Friends' finale' Disney's 'Teacher's Pet'

This weekend's news kicks off with the announcement for Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, which will at last get a DVD release on July 20th from Lion's Gate Home Entertainment. Featuring an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital EX surround track, extras include the "Dance Piece" documentary, which features cast and crew interviews, screen tests and dance audition footage, plus additional interviews, two multi-angle dance sequences, music videos, an audio commentary with JoAnn Jansen and Sarah Green, a new Diego Luna interview "intercut with the film," and theatrical trailers. All this will cost you a mere $26.95.

Friends 'til the End

"Remember forever!" how one of the biggest sitcoms in history ends with this "Limited Exclusive Edition" DVD of the Friends: The Series Finale. Set for release on May 11th, only five days after the series finale airs, this special set will include a special version of the finale with never-before-seen footage, the original series pilot, a featurette and more to be announced. Retail will be $14.95.

Also just announced from Warner Home Video for a July 20th release is La Femme Nikita: The Complete Second Season. This six-disc box set includes 4:3 full screen transfers, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtracks, an audio commentary on the first episode, additional scenes (with introductions) by director John Cassar and a gag reel. Retail will be $99.95.

Apt Pupil

Rounding out today's news is the latest from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, who have just announced the recent animated film Teacher's Pet for a DVD release on June 15th. The disc will feature the studio's usual "family friendly" 1.66 anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital and DTS surround tracks, .plus "The Art of Gary Baseman" documentary, deleted scenes, the premiere episode of the television series, Disney's Song Selection featurette, a music video and theatrical trailers. Retail will be $29.95.

Senators Force Game 7 With Double OT Win

OTTAWA - Mike Fisher scored 1:47 into double overtime to give Ottawa a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night and force a seventh and deciding game in the first-round playoff series.

The Senators have been eliminated from the playoffs by the Maple Leafs in three of the past four years. Game 7 is Tuesday night in Toronto.

"Our crowd will be with us," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "Hopefully, we'll be a bit better than we were tonight."

Following a 2-0 loss in Game 5 on Friday, Daniel Alfredsson — the Senators captain — guaranteed his club would win Games 6 and 7.

"I don't think you've seen the last of us yet (in Toronto)," Alfredsson said following a closed-door meeting. "We're going to go home, win, and force Game 7. Then we'll come back in here and we'll win the series."

Fisher made Alfredsson's promise come true when he redirected Antoine Vermette's pass across the crease into a wide-open left side, setting off a wild celebration.

Toronto seemed determined to prevent that after Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe scored during a five-on-three power play 4:14 in.

The Senators were stifled by goalie Ed Belfour until Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal 4:55 into the third period.

Moments after the 6-foot-9 defenseman flattened Joe Nieuwendyk with a big open ice hit in Toronto's zone, Chara circled behind the Maple Leafs net. He spun around as he approached the left circle and put a wrist shot past Belfour, just inside the left post.

He pumped his fist repeatedly while the sellout crowd of 18,500 erupted in cheers. The goal ended Belfour's shutout streak at 116 minutes, 55 seconds.

"I thought we had good energy from the start," Senators coach Jacques Martin said. "But there's no doubt it gave us a big lift."

The Senators hadn't put a goal past Belfour since Chris Phillips scored eight minutes into the third period of Ottawa's 4-1 win in Game 4. Belfour recorded his third shutout of the series in a 2-0 win Friday.

Belfour also held the Senators scoreless for 157:45 earlier in the series while recording shutouts in Games 2 and 3.

Alfredsson had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory in Game 4 after guaranteeing the Senators would not be shut out in three straight games. He also promised earlier this season that the Senators would win the Stanley Cup, though he didn't specify when.

Maple Leafs center Mats Sundin missed his second straight game because of a left ankle injury sustained in Game 4. His status for Game 7 is still undecided.

"I don't know at this point," Quinn said. "I'd still say probably doubtful."

Toronto missed an opportunity to win it in the last minute of regulation. Senators center Todd White swiped away a loose puck before Alexei Ponikarovsky could reach it in front of an open net.

"We had big chances and missed," Quinn said. "It would have been nice to have had those."

'Kill Bill' Slays Box-Office Competition

LOS ANGELES - Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" saga slayed its movie rivals once again, with part two of the vengeance tale following its predecessor as the country's No. 1 weekend draw.

"Kill Bill — Vol. 2," with Uma Thurman as an ex-assassin continuing her bloody quest for revenge against former colleagues, debuted with $25.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That was up 16 percent from the $22.1 million opening weekend that "Kill Bill — Vol. 1" delivered last October. Part two is expected to match or exceed the $69.9 million domestic total of "Kill Bill — Vol. 1," said Rick Sands, chief operating officer of Miramax, which released the movies.

Another tale of retribution, the comic-book adaptation "The Punisher," opened in second place with $14 million. The movie stars Thomas Jane as an ex-FBI agent targeting the crime boss (John Travolta) who wiped out his family.

"A very big weekend for revenge," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Revenge in movies is very cinematic. Everyone lives vicariously through characters in movies, and they can safely get their revenge fix without actually doing it themselves."

Nia Vardalos — writer and star of the weekend's other big new release, "Connie and Carla" — was unable to recapture the box-office magic that made "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" a blockbuster.

"Connie and Carla," about two musical-theater singers posing as men in a drag-queen revue while hiding from mobsters, finished well out of the top 10 with $3.26 million. The movie co-stars Toni Collette and David Duchovny.

Vardalos' "Greek Wedding" debuted in 108 theaters two years ago with little fanfare, grossing $597,362 and averaging a solid $5,531 per cinema over opening weekend. Audience word of mouth gradually built the romantic comedy into a $241 million sensation.

In contrast, "Connie and Carla" debuted in 1,014 theaters and averaged a weak $3,210.

Studio polls found audience reaction was good for "Connie and Carla," "so I hope there's a little bit of life left in it," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released the movie.

The overall box office dipped slightly after seven straight weekends of rising revenue. The top 12 movies grossed $86.6 million, down 2 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

By splitting "Kill Bill" into two parts, Tarantino and Miramax gambled that audiences would be willing to pay twice the ticket price to catch both chapters.

The risk paid off nicely. The two movies cost a total of $60 million to produce, and "Kill Bill — Vol. 1" alone has grossed $180 million worldwide, with the movie's video release last week selling 2 million copies in its first day, padding revenues by about $40 million more.

"It was a terrific decision financially," Sands said.

After an Easter surge that lifted it back to the No. 1 spot the previous weekend, "The Passion of the Christ" fell to ninth place with $4.2 million. Since opening on Ash Wednesday, the movie has taken in $360.9 million domestically.

Disney's expensive flop "The Alamo" came in at No. 10 with $4.05 million in its second weekend. "The Alamo" cost about $140 million to make and market but has grossed just $16.3 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. "Kill Bill — Vol. 2," $25.6 million.
2. "The Punisher," $14 million.
3. "Johnson Family Vacation," $6.4 million.
4. "Hellboy," $5.7 million.
5. "Home on the Range," $5.4 million.
6. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $5.1 million.
7. "Walking Tall," $4.6 million.
8. "Ella Enchanted," $4.4 million.
9. "The Passion of the Christ," $4.2 million.
10. "The Alamo," $4.05 million.

'The Office' Celebrates BAFTA Hat Trick in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Comedy "The Office" continued its runaway success story by dominating Britain's BAFTA television awards for a third consecutive year Sunday.

The series' star Ricky Gervais celebrated a personal hat-trick of BAFTA wins, taking the best comedy performance category for the third year running and pipping fellow nominated "Office" actor Martin Freeman in the process.

It was a stroke of luck for Gervais, who plays dysfunctional boss David Brent in the sitcom, after a BBC clerical error almost left him out of the running for the awards.

"It's probably the last time I'll be up here for a while -- this is an end to the chapter...apart from the DVD," he said to roars of laughter from the star-studded audience.

The "Office Christmas Special" won the best situation comedy category, which it has scooped the previous two years.

Julie Walters also notched up a hat-trick taking her third consecutive best actress award -- this year for her performance in "The Wife of Bath."

Bill Nighy, who won the best supporting actor gong at BAFTA's film awards in February, picked up the best actor title for his role as a newspaper editor in the drama "State of Play."

Quirky sketch show "Little Britain" won the award for best comedy program, while Jonathan Ross triumphed in the best entertainment performance category.

Long-running soap Coronation Street was named best continuing drama in a category that had won much attention after the BBC's Eastenders failed to earn a nomination.

Other winners included "Wife Swap" in the best features category and Channel 4 News for its coverage of the fall of Saddam Hussein.

McCartney, John Join Wilson

Brian Wilson will release the star-studded Gettin' In Over My Head on June 22nd. Joining the Beach Boys mastermind on his first solo album of new material in six years are Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Elton John and Van Dyke Parks.

Also included is a duet with late brother and fellow Beach Boy Carl Wilson on the song "Soul Searchin'," with Brian adding vocals to an existing track, to complete the tune.

Wilson will debut songs from Getting' In Over My Head -- which include "City Blues," "The Waltz," "Desert Drive," "A Friend Like You" and "How Can We Still Be Dancin'?" -- on a summer European tour.

The album's release continues an active period for the famously reclusive songwriter, who has toured extensively over the past few years. In February, Wilson took to a London stage to perform the lost Beach Boys album Smile in its entirety.

Wilson will be honored with the BMI Icon award on May 11th at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. "I was so thrilled to hear that I've been chosen to receive the BMI Icon award, especially as so many of my all-time favorite songwriters have previously received this honor," said Wilson upon hearing of his selection. "I still have a rock & roll heart, so to be included with a list of all-time greats that includes my heroes like Chuck Berry and Little Richard is unbelievable."

Dueling 007s

Moviehole had word from a scooper that Heath Ledger has some competition for the role of 007.

"Ledger's still definitely in the running to take over from Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, " said the site.  ..."can't say anyone's too keen on the idea though - but that doesn't mean he has no competition....One of other interesting names on the list is Eric Bana, funnily enough, another Australian.

Now, Bana's had a bit more success at the box office of late than Ledger."

Apparently MGM also isn't too keen on making Quentin Tarantino's remake of CASINO ROYALE. Apparently they want to play it safe and produce another lackluster sequel.

Tarantino's 'Bill' Makes a Killing on DVD

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Quentin Tarantino's bloody revenge tale "Kill Bill-Vol. 1," starring Uma Thurman, sold more than 2 million DVDs during its first day in release, according to studio executives.

While Tuesday's 2 million first-day sales figure is not a record, it does bode well for Tarantino's pop culture comedy, whose sequel opens in theaters Friday via Miramax.

"'Kill Bill' is an extraordinary achievement and reaffirms that Quentin's films are true movie events," Miramax chief operating officer Rick Sands said.

Warner's "The Matrix Revolutions," starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, was the top-selling DVD for the week ending April 11, according to Nielsen VideoScan's First Alert weekly sales chart.

Mrs. Boss Is back

Patti Scialfa will release her sophomore solo album, "23rd Street Lullaby," June 15 via Columbia. The E Street Band singer/guitarist and wife of Bruce Springsteen wrote the entirety of the 12-track album, which she co-produced with Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion).

Jordan also played drums on the set, which also sports contributions from E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren and singer/violinist Soozie Tyrell, bassist Willie Weeks, keyboardist Clifford Carter, guitarist Marc Ribot and cellist Jane Scarpantoni. One song, "Romeo," was heard in the 1998 film "No Looking Back."

Tyrell, Carter and Lofgren also helped out on Scialfa's 1993 debut, "Rumble Doll," which reached No. 23 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. That set boasted appearances by Springsteen, drummers Jim Keltner and Kenny Aronoff, and Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and guitarist Mike Campbell, among others.

Scialfa is playing a showcase concert this weekend at an as-yet-undisclosed location in New York. Columbia is giving tickets away through a trivia contest on her label-based Web site.

Nine Discs of Hell

Guillermo del Toro told VideoStoreMag that he plans to release two DVD versions of HELLBOY. The director said the first edition will be a double-disc regular cut of the film, while the second will be an extended cut with 20 more minutes of footage that extends the Hellboy-Selma Blair-Agent Meyers love triangle and something about Rasputin's eyes.

MUCH NEEDED THERAPY

Weird Al Yankovic telling the Los Angeles Times that he will go ahead with his current concert tour despite the death of his elderly parents last week from carbon monoxide poisoning. The satirical singer said performing would be a "somewhat therapeutic experience" for him right now and give him a break from "sobbing all the time."

HAPPY REUNION!

The New York Post reporting that Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Carl Reiner and other stars of original Dick Van Dyke Show will reunite for 159th Episode, an all-new installment set in the present day and airing on CBS on May 11.

'The Simpsons' Creator to Guest Star

NEW YORK - Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons," will make his first guest voice appearance on Sunday's show, Fox network said.

Although Groening's image has appeared on "The Simpsons," including a framed photo on the wall of Comic Book Guy's store, this will be his first speaking role on the animated series, Fox said Wednesday.

In the episode, titled "My Big Fat Geek Wedding," Principal Skinner gets cold feet before his pending nuptials and his fiancee, Edna Krabappel, calls off the wedding. Skinner asks Homer to help him win her back, while Marge convinces Edna she can do better.

Edna rebounds into the arms of Comic Book Guy, who whisks her off to a sci-fi convention. While at the convention, they run into Groening — guest-starring as himself — who is signing autographs for his fans.

Dick Clark Has Diabetes, Says PR Firm

LOS ANGELES - Dick Clark, renowned as "America's oldest teenager," has diabetes. Clark, 74, has had type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, since 1994, but kept it a secret from everyone except close friends and family, according to the Ogilvy public relations firm, which is promoting his new role as a spokesman for the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the pharmaceutical maker Merck & Co.

Clark is working with the firms to launch "Diabetes: Know the Heart Part," a national public education campaign to alert Americans to the link between diabetes and heart attack and stroke.

Clark, the former host of "American Bandstand" and producer of the American Music Awards, declined to speak to The Associated Press Tuesday after word of his illness was first reported in a gossip column in the New York Daily News.

Rocker Courtney Love Owes Millions - Report

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Add financial woes to the long list of worries bedeviling rock star Courtney Love.

The trouble-prone musician claims in the upcoming issue of Blender magazine that she has been swindled out of $40 million, while a former business associate says she is in debt to the tune of at least $4 million.

Love, the 39-year-old widow of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, is already dealing with a stack of legal and health concerns, and her music career suffered a recent blow when her long awaited debut solo album bombed.

"I'm covered with loser dust," she was quoted as telling Blender, whose May issue featuring the Love cover story will hit newsstands on April 20.

Love told Blender that "... $40 million has been stolen from me and (11-year-old daughter) Frances by a fiduciary institution."

She added, "I found out that our dog walker was making $100,000. One person put a BMW on my credit card. My daughter's trust fund has been stolen from to the point where she may have, like, nothing. I can't let this happen to Frances."

Blender said "multiple parties close to Love agree that a large sum of money is unaccounted for," while a former business associate who had access to her accounts in the past six months told Blender she is at least "... $4 million in debt."

Love faces two separate trials in Los Angeles, one for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and being under the influence of a controlled substance, and the other for two felony counts of unlawful drug possession. She also temporarily lost custody of Frances, her only child with Cobain, who shot himself in the head 10 years ago.

Love's album "America's Sweetheart," released by EMI GroupPlc's Virgin Records unit, spent just four weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

William Hung's Sales Figures Are Nothing To Laugh At

"This is someone who's doing it for the love of music, unencumbered by expectation." — Fred Fox, Trans World Entertainment

It's fitting that William Hung is going to enter the albums chart with a bang.

When figures are released Wednesday, industry insiders expect the "American Idol" reject to debut in the top 30 with sales between 30,000 to 40,000 copies.
Not Usher numbers — more in line with recent releases from Courtney Love, Drag-On and Hoobastank — but impressive considering that Hung, by most accounts, can't sing.

"It's sold far in excess of our expectations," Fred Fox, a marketing VP at Trans World Entertainment, said Monday. Trans World owns several music-retail chains, including FYE, Coconuts and Planet Music. "I mean, you listen to the album, and I don't profess to being an A&R guy, but I gotta tell you, it doesn't move me," Fox added with a laugh.

Inspiration, which includes Hung's signature cover of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" (see "William Hung 'Bangs' Latin Lovers, R. Kelly Cover On Inspiration"), was the #5 best seller at Trans World stores last week. At the trendsetting Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, it was #14, just behind Modest Mouse.

So who in their right mind would buy this album?

People looking for a laugh, according to Sharon Vitro, operations manager at the Tower on Sunset. "We had a couple of girls come in Tuesday morning right when we opened to buy it, and they looked like they might think he's cute or something, but other than that it's been mostly, 'I can't believe this guy has an album out,' and they pick it up and buy it," Vitro said. "I can't really see people playing it more than once."

Fox said he feels people are drawn to Hung's personality and are willing to overlook his tuneless singing. "Compared to some of the other crap on the radio, it's no better or no worse, and they like what he stands for," he explained. "It really comes down to people cheering on the little guy. There's no doubt this is someone who's doing it for the love of music, unencumbered by expectation."

Perhaps telling of Hung's appeal are the many T-shirts selling online, which quote inspirational lines from his infamous "American Idol" audition — including "I already gave my best" and "I have no regrets at all."

"His reaction to the criticism was so polite," said Geoff Mayfield, director of charts at Billboard magazine. "He's not the first horrible-sounding person we've heard during the early weeks of 'American Idol,' he's just the first that really connected. And the fact that his name is Hung probably helped."

Mayfield pointed out that Hung isn't the first bad singer to sell albums. A housewife who went by the name Mrs. Miller scored a #15 hit in the mid-1960s with a collection of off-key covers that included the smash "Downtown." And Tiny Tim was a smash a few years later, despite having a horrible voice. "If you look at the history of this kind, I guess we were about due for something like this to happen," Mayfield said.

The Billboard editor also noted Hung's massive media blitz, which included high-profile appearances on several TV shows. "He even did 'Leno' in L.A. one night and the 'Today' show in New York the next morning," Mayfield said. "Not even the big names do that."

Nigel Lythgoe, co-executive producer of "American Idol," believes America is enjoying rooting for something different. "In the U.K. we have supported losers for a long time, probably because we don't get that many winners nowadays," he said. "Not everyone in this life can be winners, and to celebrate a loser is fantastic."

Whatever their reasons, fans of all demographics are picking up Inspiration.

"There's been middle-aged people, college kids, real young kids, all across the board," Vitro said.

Alan Grunblatt, general manager and executive vice president of Koch Records, which signed the 21-year-old UC Berkeley engineering student, admits Hung's accent makes the music funny, but he believes Hung's skills are nothing to laugh at. "He's taking lessons," Grunblatt said, "and I think in a year from now he's going to be a really talented singer. I would sign 10 more people just like him."

Grunblatt, who also praised Hung's sincere personality, said the key to the album's success has been the speed with which the label was able to capitalize on William Hung mania. "We put this together in five weeks," he boasted. "The people behind Paris Hilton's album should have done the same thing, because it might be too late."

Koch moved so fast, Grunblatt said, that Inspiration only made it into about half of the country's record stores last week. For that reason, he expects the album to keep climbing the chart.

Tower's Vitro, however, isn't as optimistic. "I can't imagine it going along for more than another week," she said. "After that, it should go into oblivion."

One place the album will likely not disappear is in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse. The team has a 4-0 record when it listens to Hung's CD while warming up; when the players tried different music before Sunday's game, the boys in blue lost 4-2.

" 'She Bangs' is classic," Shawn Green told reporters. "It's our victory song."
The whole Hung scenario is baffling to "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest. "For whatever reason, people just like to watch William Hung," he said. "There are times when I think it'd be a great joke on all of us if we find out that William knew that he was bad the whole time, and just decided to play it out because it was fun."

Reunited and it Feels so Good

Granting everyone's wish, Quentin Tarantino plans to recut KILL BILL VOLS. 1 & 2 for one special cut that will be released in theaters, reports Davis DVD. Tarantino plans to use the Japanese cut of Volume 1, which is longer and bloodier. Tarantino also plans to make a special edition DVD out of the film.

MUSIC IN MOVIES

John Travolta hosting AFI's 100 Years 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies June 22 on CBS, which will include interviews with Celine Dion, Paul Simon and Barbra Streisand.

New Claim Against Michael Jackson Arises

LOS ANGELES - Detectives are investigating a new allegation of child abuse against pop star Michael Jackson involving a person who claims to have been victimized in the late 1980s, a police spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Jackson has pleaded innocent to child molestation charges involving another alleged victim in Santa Barbara County. Jackson attorney Benjamin Brafman said he was unaware of the Los Angeles Police Department investigation.

"We have never been informed by the LAPD of any investigation that they are conducting of Michael Jackson," he said. "I would point out that since I have been involved in this case I have addressed literally dozens of completely baseless rumors on a daily basis, and this appears to be just another one of them."

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office asked the LAPD to investigate the new allegation a month ago, said Mary Grady, commander of the department's public information office.

"The victim alleges the acts took place in the city of Los Angeles in the late 1980s," she said.

The allegations are being investigated by the Child Protective Section of the department's Juvenile Division. Grady declined to elaborate on such details as the age or sex of the alleged victim.

Los Angeles district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined comment.

"This is a matter under investigation by the LAPD," she said. "We are not the investigative agency."

Santa Barbara County prosecutors did not immediately return calls for comment Tuesday evening.

Steve Cron, a defense attorney who has represented clients accused of molestation, said the new alleged abuse would be within the statute of limitations if it occurred after 1988. He said the accuser could also help prosecutors in the Santa Barbara case show a pattern of abuse, though the amount of time since the alleged acts could hurt the accuser's credibility.

"The questions are asked: Why didn't this allegation surface earlier? Why didn't he report it to someone a long time ago? How accurate is his recollection? How accurate is his ability to relay the events to someone else?" Cron said.

Also Tuesday, an appeals court rejected a request by several news agencies to lift a gag order placed on the parties by the judge in the Santa Barbara case.

An attorney representing news organizations, including The Associated Press, said in a filing last week before the state Court of Appeals that the order imposed unconstitutional "prior restraint" on attorneys and potential witnesses. He asked that it be immediately lifted.

Jackson and his attorneys also oppose the order on grounds that it blocks their ability to address false rumors and news reports.

At a hearing earlier this month, the judge made what he said was a final change to the policy: He said attorneys wishing to respond to news reports could submit to him in writing what they wanted to release, and that he would rule on whether the statements violated the gag order.

Jackson was charged by the Santa Barbara district attorney late last year with committing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child and administering an intoxicating agent to the child. Jackson has pleaded innocent. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 30.

The pop singer reportedly reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with a boy who accused him of molestation in 1993. No criminal charges were brought in that case.

The Couch Potato Report - April 13th, 2004

In the Couch Potato Report this week, it's the return of Quentin Tarantino, we’ll go back in time, and some guy named Paul McCartney releases a collection of music and animation.

Quentin Tarantino has only directed a handful of films, but what a handful.

He made his debut in 1992 with RESERVOIR DOGS.

That startling, always keeping the audience guessing, interestingly violent debut was followed by the Oscar winning, Cannes Film Festival taming, often imitated but never duplicated PULP FICTION in 1994.

On Christmas Day in 1997 Tarantino’s third full-length film JACKIE BROWN hit theatres. In an interview prior to its release the director, who also superbly writes his films, described it as: “…at a lower volume then ‘Pulp.’ It's not an epic, it's not an opera. It's a character study.”

Since character studies rarely do as well as bank heist films and one-of-a-kind movies, and probably due to the fact that he wanted to take a break, it was almost 6 years between the release of JACKIE BROWN and last year’s October 10th release of KILL BILL: VOLUME 1.

Six years may have been way too long to have to wait between pictures from
Tarantino but in retrospect I am happy to state that the wait was worth it.

Just ahead of the theatrical release of KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 on Friday, Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL: VOLUME I is now available on video and DVD.

Before I go on, let me stop right here and tell you that KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 is not for everyone. As with Tarantino’s other pictures KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 is excessively violent, full of revenge, and even a bit mean at times. And I can’t say that the way people talk to each other is as wondrous as it is in other Tarantino movies because there isn’t much dialogue in the movie.

There’s just some things that have to get done and one woman who’s more than happy to do them.

Uma Thurman is a pregnant bride who is left for dead on her wedding day. After she wakes up from a less than peaceful coma she’s out for vengeance.

It all culminates in an ultraviolent, ultra-stylized tour-de-force showdown.

Nosiree, KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 is not for everyone.

But just like RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION and JACKIE BROWN it sure is for
the likes of me!

KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 is gory, violent, and bloody...and I loved every scene, every action, and every precious word of Tarantino dialogue.

Luckily, we won’t have to wait six long years to see how the story ends.

I only hope the title doesn’t give the ending away.

So, now that you know I loved the movie, let me address the DVD release of
KILL BILL: VOLUME 1.

These days most DVD’s have behind-the-scenes footage, director and cast
commentaries and a plethora of extras. All of Tarantino’s films on DVD are loaded with extras.

Well, all of them except for KILL BILL: VOLUME 1. Thus unless you need to own it right away, you might want to hold off buying this one and wait for the inevitable release of VOLUME 1 and 2 in one package.

I am also quite confident in my prediction that there will eventually be a KILL BILL: DIRECTOR’S CUT that will piece it all together as one 3-hour movie. Those later editions will likely have all the extras that we’ve come to expect and enjoy from the DVD format.

Personally, I’ve already bought the DVD, as I am a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino and his work.

What you do is up to you.

What the characters at the center of the movie TIMELINE do is also totally up to them.

This group of archaeologists and combat experts decide to travel back in time to France in 1357, in hopes of retrieving their professor and returning safely to the present.

I propose to suppose that you don’t believe it will all be that easy, especially since the film is based on the book written by Michael Crichton, who also gave us JURASSIC PARK and TWISTER.

TIMELINE isn’t a bad film, but it just doesn’t cover any new territory.

Time travel is such a much written, filmed and discussed premise that if I’m expected to believe that that time travel is possible, it better make me believe that it’s possible, or at least entertain me with what could happen on the other side.

IN the past The BACK TO THE FUTURE films did both of those things and BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE entertained me a great deal along the way.

TIMELINE just unfolded in front of my friend and I. But, when she said afterward that she wished she could go back in time to get her two hours back we had a great discussion about how, even if she went back in time, she would still have seen the film.

Now that was a good dialogue! Much better than anything in TIMELINE.

Finally this week, I’d like to recommend a 43-minute release called PAUL
MCCARTNEY - MUSIC & ANIMATION.

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of him, but Paul McCartney used to be in a band from the 1970’s called Wings. I’ve heard rumours that he was in another band before that, but I can’t find anything about them on the internet or in bookstores, so I’ll just call him a former member of Wings and move on to telling you that PAUL MCCARTNEY - MUSIC & ANIMATION is a trio of short films that celebrate nature, animal welfare, and the imaginative innocence of childhood.

McCartney composed the music and voices many of the characters in this collection that he has been quietly creating over the past 20 years.

Whether you check out PAUL MCCARTNEY - MUSIC & ANIMATION because you’re a fan of animation, or you pick it up because you are a fan of the band he was in before Wings, you’ll be rewarded.

It’s fun, charming and completely enjoyable.

KILL BILL: VOLUME 1, TIMELINE and PAUL MCCARTNEY - MUSIC & ANIMATION are available right now on video and DVD at your favourite local video store.

KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 will be in theatres on Friday.

COMING NEXT WEEK IN THE COUCH POTATO REPORT

In THE OFFICE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES the award-winning BBC
mockudrama far surpasses the sky-high standards set in THE FIRST SERIES of
the show. This is laugh out loud funny stuff.

Also next week, Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany and LORD OF THE RINGS’ Billy Boyd star in the Oscar Nominated MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE
WORLD, based on Patrick O'Brian's enormously popular novels about British
naval hero Capt. Jack Aubrey.

And

The once very funny Eddie Murphy stars in the very unfunny THE HAUNTED
MANSION. Like THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN it was based on an attraction
at Disneyland. Unlike THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN this movie about a man
and his family who encounter a haunted mansion has no entertainment value
whatsoever.

I'll have more on those releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

Here are the new music releases for Tuesday April 13, 2004:

* DEATH IN VEGAS TBA Death in Vegas (BMG Associated Labels)
* EMMYLOU HARRIS Roses In The Snow (DVD) (Rhino)
* FAITHLESS Greatest Hits (BMG Associated Labels)
* FRANK SINATRA Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (DVD) (Rhino)
* JOHN DENVER Greatist Hits (BMG Associated Labels)
* KEVIN HEARN Nightlight (Maple Nationwide)
* KILL BILL VOL. 2 OST Kill Bill Vol. 2 OST (Warner)
* SU ALEXANIAN Purple Songs (EMI/Sextant Records)
* THE CARS Cars (DVD) (Rhino)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Pop Idol 2 Runner (BMG Associated Labels)
* WARREN ZEVON Excitable Boy (DVD) (Rhino)

Beastie Boys Album Preview: Political Bleats And Old-School Beats

Having fun in troubled times: That's the theme running through the Beastie Boys' new album, To the 5 Boroughs, due this summer.

Part love letter to New York, part political commentary and part, well, pop-cultural smorgasbord, the 15-song Boroughs is the trio's first new LP since 1998's Hello Nasty.

"The last album was a good album," Beastie Boy Ad-Rock said in a prerecorded video interview that accompanied media-listening sessions for the new album.

"But coach felt we needed to work on defense and stuff in the off-season. So the past — I don't know, three years? — we've been working on defense."

Fans won't have much time to contemplate how different the older, ostensibly wiser Beastie Boys are from their younger selves. The album's first song, "Ch-Check It Out," also its first single, is a blast from the past, with Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA mugging for the mic and weaving through a rumbling bed of throwback breakdance beats.

Boroughs has a distinctly old-school feel thanks to synthesized bass lines and scattered percussion laced with classic hip-hop samples. On "Triple Trouble" the Beasties flow into the harmonized rhymes of vintage hip-hop group Double Trouble. While DJ Mix Master Mike cuts up the song's extended rhythms, Ad-Rock rhymes, "Versatile like All-Temp-a-Cheer/ If you wanna drink, call Mr. Belvedere/ Run this rap game like a brigadier."

The litany of pop-culture references is matched, if not eclipsed, by the amount of politically and socially engaged lyrics. The Beasties aren't shy about who they fault for the chaos they see around them — and it's safe to say no one in the Bush family will be rocking this Beasties album in the limo.

"We've got a president we didn't elect/ The Kyoto Treaty he decided to neglect," MCA rhymes on "Time to Build." It's one of several songs in which he overtly, colloquially comments on the issues in the world today.

To the cynical, the Beasties' we're-all-in-this-together rhymes will probably sound hokey, like when Ad-Rock, also on "Time to Build," raps, "Why you hatin' on people that you never met/ Didn't your mama teach you to show some respect?" Or when the group harmonizes for the chorus of "All Lifestyles": "We gotta keep the party goin' on/ All lifestyles, sizes, shapes and forms."

The other ingredient in Boroughs, obvious from its album title, is the Boys' love of New York. Tentative cover art features a sketch of the Manhattan skyline, including the former World Trade Center. Boroughs was recorded in the group's new studio on the west side of Manhattan.

Songs like "An Open Letter to NYC" pay homage to the city in literal terms. The song sounds like a mash-up remix of a lost, post-disco New York rock track, with snarling guitars and a buoyant bass line. MCA raps, "Dear New York, I hope you're doing well/ I know a lot's happened and you've been through hell/ So we give thanks for providing a home/ Through your gates at Ellis Island we passed in droves."

Track list for To the 5 Boroughs, according to a spokesperson:

"Ch-Check It Out"
"Right Right Now Now"
"The Hard Way"
"Time to Build"
"Rhyme the Rhyme Well"
"Triple Trouble"
"Hey F--- You"
"Oh Word?"
"That's It That's All"
"All Lifestyles"
"Shazam!"
"An Open Letter to NYC"
"Crawlspace"
"The Brouhaha"
"We Got The"

TV shifts for president's news conference

On Monday President Bush scheduled a news conference for Tuesday at 8:30 pm Eastern that is scrambling prime-time TV schedules — most dramatically that of Fox, whose No. 1 hit, American Idol, must move to make room.

Bush will take questions for about an hour from the East Room at the White House in his first formal news conference this year. The situation in Iraq is expected to dominate. The four major networks, plus cable news channels, will carry it live.

Idol's eight remaining singers will still perform today in Los Angeles, but the normally live broadcast — which draws more than 25 million viewers on a typical Tuesday — will be tape-delayed, airing Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Fans will vote afterward; the results show, usually shown Wednesday, will move to Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The results shows normally draw upwards of 20 million viewers. (Another Tuesday show, the drama 24, shifts to Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT.)

Instead, Fox will air repeats of the sitcom That '70s Show at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET and at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. PT.

Other networks are making Tuesday changes, too:

• NBC will postpone the season finale of the sitcom Happy Family until April 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Tonight, Frasier moves to 9:30 p.m. ET, a half-hour later than usual, and will run twice in the West, at 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. PT.

• CBS postpones a new episode of The Guardian.Navy NCIS, usually at 8 p.m., won't run in the East. Instead, reruns will air of comedies Still Standing at 8 p.m. ET and King of Queens at 9:30 p.m. ET; in the West, Queens runs at 9 p.m., Standing at 9:30 p.m. PT.

• ABC will run 8 Simple Rules ... at 8 p.m. ET and According to Jim at 9:30 p.m. ET; in the West, two episodes of Rules will run at 8 p.m. PT followed by two Jims at 9 p.m. PT.

UPN and WB plan to stick to their normal schedules.

McCartney Dreams of Following in Disney's Footsteps

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Music star Paul McCartney has a wish to follow in Walt Disney's footsteps by making a beautiful feature-length animation film.

McCartney, who has had the dream since his days with the Beatles, takes what he hopes will be a big step toward his goal with "Paul McCartney: The Music and Animation Collection," being released on DVD on April 13.

The DVD contains three exquisitely animated musical shorts made in collaboration with director Geoff Dunbar, along with interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at the painstaking craft, and fun, of creating a musical animation.

"My ambition in the '60s was to make a feature. I don't know why I wanted to but I just loved it so much. It is a passion," McCartney said in a telephone interview last week after a studio recording session in California.

"I remember saying to the guys in the Beatles, 'I'd love to do it some day,' and them saying to me, 'Then do it."'

McCartney began pursuing the hobby more than 20 years ago and has been creating characters, writing the stories, consulting on the look, doing the voices, composing the music and, of course, singing the songs on the short animations done in the old Disney style of individual cell drawings.

"The big new thing that we want to do is to finally fulfill the ambition of making a feature," said McCartney, who is working on a story idea he hopes to turn into a children's book and then a full-length film.

McCartney and the other three Beatles, or course, were featured in "Yellow Submarine," the animated film that was a hit during their heyday. They provided the music but were not the designers of that psychedelic-era movie.

McCartney, 61, said he came to love animation growing up in Liverpool, England, where he immersed himself in the animated feature films of Disney.

"You could lose yourself in it, it's a magical world, really," he said. "I just always loved that stuff as a kid."

The DVD features Rupert the Bear in "Rupert and the Frog Song," Wirral the Squirrel in "Tropic Island Hum," and a community of frogs in a fantastical frolic in "Tuesday," based on a book by David Wiesner.

McCartney's Rupert animation was already a success in Britain as the top-selling video of 1985, accompanied by the chart hit "We All Stand Together."

Wirral, a squirrel with a Liverpool accent, escapes hunters and finds refuge on an animals' island paradise. Sir George Martin, the longtime Beatles producer, arranged the music for the short.

"Disney was a great infiltrator," said McCartney, a champion of animal rights. "He taught us against cruelty to animals. He made us sympathize so much with animals. He made us realize we've all got a mother. He gave us a compassion for animals. I credit him a lot."

He cited "Bambi," "Dumbo," "The Fox and the Hound," and "The Jungle Book," as consciousness raisers, but named "Lady and the Tramp" as his all-time Disney favorite.

McCartney said he is not "retro," but sees the benefit of some "old fashioned" ways.

"Everybody's into CGI (computer generated images)," he said of the technology that has yielded such modern hit films as "Toy Story" and "Shrek." But he added: "I don't love that as much as the old Disneys."
 
McCartney says the hand-drawn process produces "a more artistic look, a soft look, a warmer look," although he would probably use a combination of techniques for his feature.

"We'd use computer technology for other things, like coloring in. It's not the same old process, but won't get that sort of shiny, 3D, squeaky clean look."

Although he has spent as long as two years making a short animation, the former Beatle bristled when asked whether the labor-intensive hand-drawn process would prove too costly these days for a feature.

"It's a complete fallacy about computers. They take longer than anything," he said. "Making a record, we used to make four tracks in a day with the Beatles. Now we've got equipment coming out of our ears and it takes us at least a week to make a track.

"It's just our modern world. It's a wonderful world. I'm not retro, but there are an awful lot of people getting away from synthesizers and going back" to creating sounds with instruments.

Now McCartney is looking forward to a new adventure.

"Releasing this DVD is a first step. Then we'll see how the book does and then the film," he said.

McCartney is certainly accustomed to successful ventures. A British tabloid published a list last month that put Sir Paul's fortune at $1.3 billion -- more than the combined wealth of fellow-rockers Elton John, Mick Jagger and Madonna.

"People say, 'Why do you do it? Why are you still working?' McCartney said.

"For me, it's playing."

John Hiatt launches extensive round of U.S. dates

Singer-songwriter John Hiatt is traversing the U.S. through the spring and summer as he works out material for a planned solo-acoustic album that's expected to hit stores in October.

The itinerary, which sports dozens of dates, focuses on the club and theater circuits, with a few festival appearances also in the mix.

To date, Hiatt's 2004 performances have been freewheeling, solo-acoustic affairs with loose playlists that draw from throughout his nearly three-decade career.

Hiatt's latest release is 2003's "Beneath this Gruff Exterior." The set, his 18th, is the first to be credited to "John Hiatt and the Goners," which refers to his longtime band.

Guitarist Sonny Landreth, bassist Dave Ranson and drummer Kenneth Blevins reunited with singer-guitarist Hiatt for the first time in almost a decade on Hiatt's previous album, "The Tiki Bar is Open," which hit stores in 2001.

Hiatt is scheduled to play himself on the May 17 episode of the CBS sitcom "Yes, Dear," according to his official website.

Tour Itinerary

April 2004
12 -Tucson, AZ - City Limits
14 - Sacramento, CA - Crest Theatre
15 - Petaluma, CA - Mystic Theater
16, 17 - Sparks, NV - Nugget Casino

May 2004
1 - Greenville, SC - The Handlebar
3 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head
6 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theater
14 - Amagansett, NY - Stephen Talkhouse (2 shows)
15 - Concorde, NH - Capitol Center for Arts
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's
21 - Portland, ME - State Theater
22 - Harrisburg, PA - Whitaker Center (W/ Leo Kottke)
23 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre (w/ Leo Kottke)
24 - Rochester, NY - Montage Grille (2 shows)
26 - Boston, MA - Avalon Theater
27 - Albany, NY - Hart Theater

June 2004
15 - Medford, OR - Britt Festival
17 - Telluride, CO - Bluegrass Festival
18 - Denver, CO - Botanic Gardens
19 - Boulder, CO - Chautauqua Concert
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden

July 2004
1 - Rockport, Maine - Strom Auditorium
2 - Tarrytown, NY - The Music Hall
9 - Grand Rapids, MI - Meijer Gardens
10 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
11 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
13 - Chicago, IL - Ravinia
17 - Sioux Falls, SD - Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues
19 - Bozeman, MT - Emerson Theater
22 - Eugene, OR - Secret Vineyard
23 - Portland, OR - Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre
25 - Seattle, WA - Seattle Zoo
28 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery

August 2004
7 - Tower, MN - Fortune Bay Resort Casino (Bluesberry Jam)
21 - Big Horn, WY - WYO Theater
26, 27 - Fort Smith, AK - Riverfront Blues

September 2004
24 - Staunton, VA - Fortune Williams Music

October 2004
11-15 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere

Van Halen reunion tour itinerary continues to grow

Van Halen has added more dates to its summer tour schedule as fans continue to wait for information on the group's forthcoming best-of set.

The band--which last month announced plans to mount a reunion tour with singer Sammy Hagar--has added to its itinerary new stops in Richmond, VA; Albany, NY; Hartford, CT; Oklahoma City, OK; and San Diego, as well as a second consecutive night in Philadelphia.

The group has also juggled some previously announced shows: a July 1 stop in Pittsburgh is now set for June 29; a July 6 stop in Columbus, OH, has been pushed back to July 7; and a July 7 stop at Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse now takes place on July 1 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

Ticket on-sale dates have been announced for a number of shows. Details are shown below.

Van Halen's summer tour will be its first with Hagar since he and the other group members--guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony--split on bad terms in 1996.

Hagar first joined the group in 1985 after original Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth left to pursue a solo career. The Hagar-fronted lineup released four multi-platinum studio albums--"5150" (1986), "OU812" (1988), "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" (1991) and "Balance" (1995)--and one live set, "Live: Right Here, "Right Now" (1993).

The group plans to release this summer a greatest-hits collection that will also feature new material recorded since Hagar returned to the fold several months ago; Hagar recently told radio host Howard Stern that one of those new songs is titled "It's About Time."

A Warner Bros. spokesperson, who last week said that a press release containing information on this hits package would surface this week, said on Friday (4/9) that no information was available.

Tour Itinerary

June 2004
11 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (on sale now)
13 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium (on sale now)
14 - Richmond, VA - Richmond Coliseum (on sale to be announced)
16 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center (on sale now)
17 - Philadelphia, PA - (on sale 4/24)
19 - Worcester, MA - Worcester's Centrum Centre (sold out)
20 - Worcester, MA - Worcester's Centrum Centre (on sale now)
22 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena (sold out)
23 - East Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena (on sale now)
25 - Washington, DC - MCI Center (on sale now)
26 - Albany, NY - Pepsi Arena (on sale tba)
28 - Hartford, CT - Hartford Civic Center (on sale tba)
29 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena (on sale tba)

July 2004
1 - Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (on sale tba)
2 - Cleveland, OH - Gund Arena (on sale 4/17)
3 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre (on sale 4/24)
7 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center (on sale 4/17)
10 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena (on sale now)
11 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills (on sale now)
19 - Chicago, IL - United Center (on sale tba)
22 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center (on sale now)
25 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center (on sale
26 - Kansas City, MO - Kemper Arena (on sale now)
28 - Saint Louis, MO - Savvis Center (sold out)
29 - Saint Louis, MO - Savvis Center (on sale now)
31 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center Omaha (on sale 4/24)

August 2004
1 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center (on sale tba)
5 - Phoenix, AZ - America West Arena (on sale 4/24)
6 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center (on sale now)
7 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center (sold out)
10 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion (on sale tba)
11 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena (on sale tba)
13 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena (on sale tba)
14 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center (on sale tba)
16 - Anaheim, CA - Arrowhead Pond (on sale tba)
17 - San Diego, CA - Coors Amphitheatre (on sale tba)
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center (on sale tba)

Bat-Toys

Where does Batman get his suit and utilities in BATMAN BEGINS? Well, an on-set scooper says that Bruce Wayne gets them from projects set up at Wayne Enterprises. The suit specifically comes from a powered prototype suit for the military. The utility belt toys are all gleaned from other military contracts.

SPLITSVILLE?

Star magazine reporting that John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos have called it quits after five years of marriage because he wanted kids and she didn't. According to the tab no third party is involved.

'Passion' Reclaims Top Box-Office Spot

LOS ANGELES - Many Christians made "The Passion of the Christ" a part of their Easter weekend, lifting the crucifixion saga back to the top box-office spot with $17.1 million.

Mel Gibson's bloody retelling of Christ's final hours raised its domestic total since opening on Ash Wednesday to $354.8 million, passing "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" for the No. 8 spot on the all-time domestic charts, just behind "Jurassic Park."

"The Passion" had been No. 1 its first three weekends, then fell back in the pack for the next three before claiming the top spot again.

"That's unprecedented. I've never seen that before. 'The Passion' is just rewriting box-office history," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "This is a holy day, and this movie is tailor-made for a weekend like this. It's not just a movie. It's a religious experience for many people."

"The Passion" easily fended off a rush of new movies. Disney's costly historical epic "The Alamo" opened weakly with $9.2 million, tying for No. 3 with Cedric the Entertainer's comedy "Johnson Family Vacation," according to studio estimates Sunday.

Other studios actually were tracking "Johnson Family Vacation" slightly ahead of "The Alamo," which could finish in fourth place when final numbers come out Monday. Making comparisons worse, "Johnson Family Vacation" put up the same numbers while playing in only half as many theaters as "The Alamo."

Disney faces a big loss on "The Alamo," a chronicle of the 1830s last stand whose budget swelled to about $100 million.

Starring Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett and Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, "The Alamo" had been scheduled for release last December and caught bad headlines after Disney delayed it for four months to give director John Lee Hancock more time in the editing room. Hancock took over as director after Ron Howard backed out.

"The Alamo" drew mixed reviews, with some critics calling it a historical bore and others praising its authenticity and rousing battle sequences.

"We're disappointed, mostly because we think we made a really good film," said Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution. "I'm shocked, quite honestly, at the number. If I could only figure out what went wrong, you'd never let it happen again. The movie deserved better than it did."

Finishing ahead of "The Alamo" was the previous weekend's top movie, "Hellboy," which came in at No. 2 with $11.1 million.

Three other new movies finished at the bottom of the top 10. "The Whole Ten Yards," Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry's sequel to their hit-man comedy "The Whole Nine Yards," premiered at No. 8 with $6.7 million, less than half the $13.7 million the first movie did over opening weekend in February 2000.

Anne Hathaway's fairy-tale comedy "Ella Enchanted" opened ninth with $6.1 million. "The Girl Next Door," with Emile Hirsch as a youth who falls for an ex-porn star (Elisha Cuthbert), debuted in 10th place with $6 million.

Despite so-so showings for new movies, the overall box office rose for the seventh-straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in just under $100 million, up 13 percent from the same weekend a year ago.

Newmarket Films, which distributed Gibson's "The Passion," had expected Easter weekend to provide a solid bump for the film. Rob Schwartz, Newmarket head of distribution, said "The Passion" is expected to finish with at least $380 million and could top $400 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. "The Passion of the Christ," $17.1 million.
2. "Hellboy," $11.1 million.
3 (tie). "The Alamo," $9.2 million.
3 (tie). "Johnson Family Vacation," $9.2 million.
5. "Walking Tall," $8.3 million.
6. "Home on the Range," $8.2 million.
7. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $8 million.
8. "The Whole Ten Yards," $6.7 million.
9. "Ella Enchanted," $6.1 million.
10. "The Girl Next Door," $6 million.

Parents of 'Weird Al' Yankovic Found Dead

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The elderly parents of parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic have died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning at their home outside San Diego, the county medical examiner's office said.

Nick Yankovic, 86, and his 81-year-old wife, Mary, were discovered on Friday by family members at their Fallbrook, California, residence. It was unclear how long they had been dead.

A fire was still burning in the fireplace and authorities said that the home had filled with toxic fumes because the chimney flue was closed.

Their son, Al Yankovic, known as "Weird Al," could not immediately be reached for comment.

The younger Yankovic, 46, has built a career recording parodies of rock stars' songs. In "Like a Surgeon," he rewrote the lyrics of Madonna's hit, "Like a Virgin."

Last year he won a Grammy award for his "Poodle Hat" comedy album.

Comic Book Giveaway on 'Punisher' Opening Day

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It's a comic book lover's dream come true.
When Lions Gate Films' "The Punisher" debuts nationwide on Friday, April 16, superhero fans will get more bang for their buck. While supplies last, each paid admission for the film will be accompanied by a special giveaway reprint of "Amazing Spider-Man #129" -- the 1974 Marvel comic book that featured The Punisher's first appearance.

The original comic book is currently going for over $900 on eBay.

In the comic, The Punisher is introduced as a one-man army taking on society's worst criminals. He's fooled by the villainous Jackal and mistakes Spider-Man for a bad guy. By the end, the two vigilantes realize they're on the same side and part ways to fight crime in America.

"From that first appearance ... Marvel readers responded very strongly to The Punisher, so much so that he earned his own comic," says Avi Arad, the film's producer and CEO of Marvel Studios. "We think the movie 'The Punisher' -- not to mention Tom Jane's incredible performance -- is going to make an equally lasting impression."

In the film, Jane stars as Frank Castle, an ex-Delta Force operative who seeks vengeance for losing his family. With no superpowers and only his intelligence, training and fury on his side, Castle transforms into a merciless vigilante known as The Punisher.

"Punisher" also stars John Travolta, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Roy Scheider and Samantha Mathis.

Tarantino Unloads Pulp Friction as 'Idol' Judge

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is about to take on John Stevens and Jon Peter Lewis and FOX may want to institute a five-second delay. The gleefully profane writer-director (and semi-actor) will become just about the greatest guest judge ever in life when Tuesday night's (April 13) "American Idol" takes on Movie Theme Night.

Tarantino is a long-time "Idol" fan, even appearing in the studio audience last May. Of course, it isn't merely personal passion or altruism that brings him to the "Idol" set next week. He'll be sure to promote the release of his latest film, "Kill Bill: Vol. 2."

Tarantino's most recent television appearance was a guest spot on ABC's "Alias," which followed a pair of 2002 visits. The "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" director also helmed the "Motherhood" episode of NBC's "ER."

He'll join Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell on the judging panel as the remaining eight Finalists perform songs from their favorite movies. Last season's Movie Night (with ubiquitous "Idol" favorite Gladys Knight as guest judge) featured highlights like Ruben Studdard's rendition of "A Whole New World" (prompting Knight to dub him the Velvet Teddybear).

Then, next Wednesday, "Idol" will welcome back Christina Christian, a Finalist from the show's first season. During the half-hour results show, Christian will sing her single "Forever or Never."

New Music Packs 'Shrek 2' Set

A host of new songs by the Counting Crows, Tom Waits, Eels and others will highlight the soundtrack to the animated feature "Shrek 2." Due May 11, the Geffen/DreamWorks set will also boast musical numbers from the film, including songs featuring Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Saunders.

As previously reported, Pete Yorn contributes a cover of the Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love." Meanwhile, Butterfly Boucher's cover of David Bowie's "Changes" features the original artist.

Although the full track listing is not yet available, the set will feature confirmed new songs by Frou-Frou and Joseph Arthur, as well as the Lipps, Inc classic "Funkytown" and the previously released Dashboard Confessional song "As Lovers Go."

Murphy, reprising his role in the "Shrek" franchise as the cocky donkey, teams with Banderas (Puss-in-Boots) on a duet of "La Vida Loca." Saunders, best known for her role in the U.K. comedy series "Absolutely Fabulous," sings "Fairy Godmother Song," aptly named for her character in the film.

The follow-up to the wildly successful 2001 film "Shrek" reunites the vocal talents of Murphy with Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona) and John Cleese (King Harold). Joining the cast for the sequel are Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett and Larry King.

The DreamWorks Animation film is due May 21 in U.S. theaters. For a preview, visit the movie's Web site, shrek2.com.

Here is a listing of confirmed "Shrek 2" tracks:

"Accidentally in Love," Counting Crows
"I Need Sleep," Eels
"Little Drop of Poison," Tom Waits
"Ever Fallen in Love," Pete Yorn
"Changes," Butterfly Boucher featuring David Bowie
"You're So True," Joseph Arthur
"As Lovers Go," Dashboard Confessional
"Funkytown," Lipps, Inc
"Fairy Godmother Song," Jennifer Saunders
"La Vida Loca," Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas

Smith Wants to Kid Around for 'Simpsons' Movie

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Yeardley Smith, who plays the squeaky-voiced Lisa Simpson on "The Simpsons," hopes that the series' writers will maintain her character's childlike qualities for the feature film.

"If they just make her too esoteric, too philosophical, too bright, too much the voice of reason then she really becomes insufferable," she tells the AP. "You have to always, always, always remember that she's 8 and that she's a huge 'Itchy and Scratchy' fan, that she loves Krusty the Clown. And that in spite of her beliefs and her issues, she's a kid."

Although the screenplay is currently in the works, the film won't be made until the series is over, which is at least two years away. Fans of the yellow-skinned family will have three more years to wait on top of that though, since, as Smith explains, "animation takes forever."

According to industry sources, the primary cast all have agreements in their contracts that hold them to doing three movies based on the show in the future. Besides Smith, "Simpsons" regulars include the voices of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer.

The show has been renewed to run through 2005, which would be its 16th season, making the series the longest running comedy series in U.S. television history except for NBC's "Saturday Night Live." In 1997, "Simpsons" beat "The Flintstones" as the longest-running prime time animated series.

Smith has appeared in a number of films already, including 1991's "City Slickers" and 1997's "As Good As It Gets."

Beasties take on Bush on new CD

The Beastie Boys mix partying and politics on their upcoming album "To the 5 Boroughs," the rap group's first album since 1998's "Hello Nasty," Billboard reports.

The 15-track album, due for release this summer, is politically charged with critiques of U.S. President George Bush and U.S. foreign policy.

However, the Beasties trademark humour remains intact, with references to the likes of Herman Munster, Jabba the Hut, Foghorn Leghorn and "Three's Company" landlord Mr. Furley.

The album, which features many programmed backing tracks and only a few songs using live instrumentation, will be preceded by the single "Ch-Check It Out."

The Beasties are expected to tour in support of the new album. They have already confirmed August 7-8 performances at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan.

FRIENDS' PROM FLASHBACK WINS

AOL users have voted "The One with The Prom Video" as their all-time favorite episode of "Friends."

The episode airs tonight on NBC, which had asked AOL users to vote for their favorite "Friends" episodes. For the past six weeks ending tonight, NBC has aired them, from the sixth-favorite to tonight's all-time classic.

In "The One with The Prom Video," which first aired in February 1996, Monica and Rachel drag out a home video from the night of their senior prom, which reveals:

-- Monica (Courteney Cox Arquette) was once very fat; Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) had a much bigger nose; and Ross (David Schwimmer) always had deep feelings for Rachel.

-- Rachel, discovering Ross' true feelings for her, decides to give their romance another chance.

Series creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright chose 40 clips from their six favorite "Friends" episodes, which were then posted on AOL back in January.

About 1.6 million votes were cast for the six favorite "Friends" clips - and 2.5 million "video streams" of the clips were downloaded, according to an AOL spokeswoman.

The series resumes with original episodes next Thursday - leading up to the series finale on Thursday, May 6.

'Alamo' Should Repel Invaders at Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The battle of "The Alamo" gets under way at the box office this Easter weekend.

More than 40 years after John Wayne staged his own defense of the famed Texas fort, Disney has restaged the San Antonio showdown between the Mexican Army and the embattled group of Texans that included Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

The movie boasts an unforgettable title -- who doesn't remember the Alamo? -- and the release carries a PG-13 rating to broaden its appeal. But it's shaping up as a brutal weekend as five new wide releases try to establish a foothold against the four films that opened wide last weekend.

Additionally, Newmarket Films' "The Passion of the Christ" is looking divine. As Holy Week proceeds, Mel Gibson's religious drama has been picking up disciples. While it ranked No. 5 last weekend, it moved up to second place in the rankings on Monday and Tuesday, and anecdotal evidence suggests that a lot of believers plan to make a visit to the movie part of their Good Friday observances. So "Passion," which took in $10.6 million last weekend, could actually hold to that figure in its seventh weekend of release, and possibly even better it. And that could pose problems for the heavy slate of competitors arrayed against it.

"Alamo" is still likely to take the top spot. Laying siege to 2,609 locations, the film is expected to claim something in the $15 million territory, maybe even a few million more. That might prove to be something of a Pyrrhic victory, though. The movie, which Ron Howard originally planned to direct as an R-rated venture, has been a long time coming. With John Lee Hancock ("The Rookie") taking over the director's reins, the film -- which stars Billy Bob Thornton as Crockett, Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston and Jason Patric as Bowie -- had originally been scheduled as a December release before it was shifted into 2004.

While "Alamo" is attracting interest among older males, the male audience has plenty of other options. Sony Pictures' "Hellboy," which commanded the last box office round with a $23.5 million gross, could settle somewhere around the $13 million mark. MGM's revenge actioner "Walking Tall," which had to settle for second place last weekend, will probably slip further down the list. And Warner Bros.' new arrival, "The Whole Ten Yards," looks to be making a bid for younger males.

A sequel to the 2000 odd-couple comedy "The Whole Nine Yards," which opened to $13.7 million and went on to collect $57.3 million domestically, the new "Yards" returns Bruce Willis as a former mob hit man and Matthew Perry as a nervous dentist. Howard Deutch -- who has helmed similarly mismatched-pair comedies like "Grumpier Old Men" -- handled directing chores on the PG-13 comedy, which opens in 2,654 locations.

Meanwhile, a whole other battle will be taking place for the potential female audience. 20th Century Fox is rolling out "The Girl Next Door," an offbeat comedy about a teenager (Emile Hirsch) who discovers that the girl next door (Elisha Cuthbert) is not only the object of his fantasies but also a former porn star. Luke Greenfield ("The Animal") directed the R-rated film, which appears to be speaking primarily to older teen females.

Younger girls, possibly with their moms in tow, might opt for Miramax Films' "Ella Enchanted," a slightly askew PG-rated fairy tale starring Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries") and directed by Tommy O'Haver ("Get Over It"). But both it and "Girl" also will be competing with the second weekend of Paramount Pictures' "The Prince & Me," so that could keep both of the new female-skewing features below the $10 million mark.

Finally, Fox Searchlight's comedy "Johnson Family Vacation," starring Cedric the Entertainer and Vanessa Williams, should carve out its own niche. Directed by Christopher Erskin, the PG-13 comedy about -- what else?-- a family vacation gone awry, opened Wednesday to get a jump on the competition, a shrewd move in a logjam of a weekend.

Garner: Alias returning next season

ABC hasn't officially announced its fall programming, but "Alias" star Jennifer Garner says you can count on seeing her spy series in the network's lineup.

"We are coming back for next year, which we are thrilled about," Garner told Zap2it.com. "I don't know if it's announced, but I'll be back."

Garner, who plays CIA agent Sydney Bristow, says the show has hired new writers and new cast members for the next season.

"Alias" has been beloved by critics, but this season has only ranked 73rd overall in the Nielsen numbers.

Garner is in the middle of promoting her upcoming movie "13 Going on 30" and training for "Elektra," where she will reprise her "Daredevil" role.

Brian Wilson Honored by BMI

Beach Boy to be saluted at publishing company's annual dinner

Brian Wilson will be honored with the 2004 BMI Icon Award at the 52nd annual BMI Pop Awards dinner. The event is scheduled for May 11th at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, and Wilson will be saluted along with the songwriters and publishers of the most performed pop and rock songs of 2003.

Past Icon Award winners include the Motown songwriting team of Holland/Dozier/Holland, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes, Dolly Parton and Little Richard.

"I was so thrilled to hear that I've been chosen to receive the BMI Icon award, especially as so many of my all-time favorite songwriters have previously received this honor," says Wilson. "I still have a rock & roll heart, so to be included with a list of all-time greats that includes my heroes like Chuck Berry and Little Richard is unbelievable."

Founded in 1939, BMI is a U.S. performing rights organization that represents nearly 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.

Tarantino Says This Won't be the End of the Bride
 
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Kill Bill Vol. 2" will bring the revenge saga to a close when it opens on April 16, but the director reveals that he may not be through with the story of the Bride and the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad yet.

"In the writing of the film, since I'm creating my own mythology from the ground up, I had to figure out that mythology, I had to really figure out what's going on," Tarantino says. "In the course of doing that I came up with all these cool stories and all these cool tales and these interesting things that would just bog everything down if I tried to get them across. So now that the mythology is set up, I'd like to explore it in a few different ways."

While there are no deals signed as of yet, Quentin Tarantino says that he is planning to do a couple of spin-offs of some of the other characters in the films.

"I have an idea about writing, like I did for the animation section in 'Vol. 1,' a Japanese anime feature about the origins of Bill -- how Bill became Bill, you know, and deal with his three godfathers -- Esteban Vihaio, Hattori Hanzo and Pei Mei," he says, adding that for other ideas about the Bride or any of the DiVAS, he might do a "Frank Miller-style graphic novel or something."

In addition, Tarantino is thinking of, maybe in a few years, doing a follow-up to the Bride's story.

"I do have an idea that maybe 15 years from now, doing the last chapter in the story. But it wouldn't star the Bride, it would star Nikki, Vernita's daughter, and she would be the star of it and she would be 20 years old," he says. "It would be Nikki going out to get revenge on the Bride. Uma wouldn't be the star, she'd kind of be the bad guy, because the little girl kind of deserves her revenge."

He says he might even shoot some footage for the project in the next couple years, while the actors are still young so that he can "stick them in a vault until I need them." Up next for the director is "Inglorious Bastards," a World War II films that the director has describes as a Spaghetti Western set in Nazi Germany.

'Episode III' in a Theater Not So Far Away
 
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The Force is strong with "Star Wars: Episode III."

The sixth film in the sci-fi franchise by George Lucas will conclude the saga when it is released in the United States and Canada on Thursday, May 19, 2005, according to Lucasfilm.

The almost-simultaneous worldwide release follows tradition in North America, where the previous five films were also released in May, starting with "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" on May 25, 1977. In Japan, "Episode III" will be released in July, the traditional month for the country's Star Wars premieres.

"Episode III" continues the Clone War with Anakin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christensen as the future Darth Vader) finding himself dangerously close to the dark side of The Force and butting heads with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Also reprising their roles are Natalie Portman as Senator Amidala, Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu and Frank Oz as the voice of the olive-hued, pint-sized Jedi master Yoda.

Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" made over $310 million at the U.S. box office in 2002.

IT'S MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY, THANK YOU!

Reps for former Full House stars-turned-"tween" entrepreneurs Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen asking the media to no longer refer to them as "The Olsen Twins." Rather, the sisters would like to be called simply by their own names.

Red Sox Fans Pick Name for Documentary

Boston Red Sox fans have given a name to their pain, choosing "Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie" as the title of a documentary about their beloved, beleaguered baseball team.

The makers of a film about the dramatic 2003 season had asked fans to select a title online from among four choices. But so many varied responses came in that a second round of voting took place last week on the Red Sox and Boston Globe Web sites.

Nearly 8,000 people voted, and "Still, We Believe" was the favorite. Other choices included "This Is the Year," "The Ecstasy and the Agony" and "Always the Bridesmaid."

"The fans have spoken," Red Sox spokesman Charles Steinberg said. "This truly is a film about fans, for the fans, and now named by the fans."

The documentary follows last season, from spring training to the American League championship series, in which the Sox were five outs away from beating the rival New York Yankees in Game 7.

Instead of having a shot at winning their first World Series since 1918, they ended up losing 6-5 in 11 innings.

But at least Sox fans still have a sense of humor. Among the title suggestions they posted on the Boston Globe Web site: "Dude, Where's My Bullpen?" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Wish I Didn't Know What You Did Last Fall."

"Still, We Believe," a THINKFilm release, is scheduled to open May 7 in Boston and expand nationwide throughout the spring.

Jason Mewes Celebrates Year of Sobriety

NEW YORK - Jason Mewes, Jay in the "Jay and Silent Bob" movies, is celebrating one year of sobriety today. His pal, director Kevin Smith, says he thinks Mewes is off heroin, OxyContin and booze for good now.

He says even though Mewes has had several relapses in the past, he doesn't think he'll have another slip. Smith can see for himself. Mewes lives with Smith and his wife.

"He just doesn't even really think about doing drugs anymore. He'll always be a drug abuser at heart, I mean it's something you can't escape, he'll always have that. But he says right now in his life he just doesn't need it," Smith told AP Radio.

Smith says he may even be up for making another "Jay and Silent Bob" film. "I've been hanging out with Mewes pretty tight for the last six months and that always leads me kind of right down that path again because he is Jay in many ways," Smith told AP Radio.

Mewes seems eager to start acting again and may even make an appearance in Smith's latest venture, "The Green Hornet."

"I told him I wanted to use him in "Green Hornet." And he goes 'I knew it dude you want me to be the Hornet.' And I said 'No dude, you're not going to be the Hornet but you'll be in the Hornet," Smith told AP Radio.

New Star Wars DVD Details

According to FYE, the 4th disc in the Star Wars DVD Box Set will include:

Star Wars: The Independent Films feature length documentary - The story of Star Wars is the story of the most successful independent series film ever produced. It's the story of a Hollywood outsider named George Lucas and a low-budget labor of love space saga that defied the odds and reinvented the rules. It's the story of a revolution born of a dream. It's the story of an independent filmmaker who had to innovate and invent an entirely new way of creating motion pictures. It's the story of a fundamental paradigm shift in the creative process made, not by the studio system, but by a single filmmaker with a simple dream. (150 min.)

The Evolution of Characters featurette - Get an in-depth look at how all your favorite characters came to be with exclusive concept art and discussion with George and the people who shaped what ultimately became out favorite heroes and villains. Includes a separate still/video gallery cut to Star Wars music with access to artwork and classic scenes for each major character. (30 min.)

The Influence of Star Wars featurette - Without Star Wars, there would be no... The groundbreaking special effects that were pioneered to make Star Wars movies not only helped viewers escape to a galaxy far, far away, but they changed the way every movie was made thereafter. Experience never before seen effects innovations from the films and learn how pivotal the films were to modern effects wizards and filmmakers. (20 min.)

Lightsabers/Fights featurette - Forget laser pistols, the lightsaber is the coolest weapon in the Star Wars galaxy. What were George's influences for creating the lightsaber? How did Mark Hamill, Alec Guiness, and Darth Vader stunt people approach wielding a saber? How did the effects guys figure out the lightsaber beam? How did each fight escalate from the previous one? And what influences did this creation have on movies thereafter? (10 min.)

1977 Featurette - Transport people back in time to the opening of each Star Wars film. Menus will showcase all the pop culture features from the 1977 opening such as: TV references, toy ads, promotional partner commercials, news clips, songs inspired by Star Wars, Star Wars magazine and newspaper coverage, classic video game demos. (20 min.)

Star Wars Battlefront X-Box Video Game Demo (15 min.)

Teasers and Trailers from the original theatrical releases of each of the movies along with the 1997 re-releases. (15 min.)

TV Spots from the original theatrical releases of the movies along with the 1997 re-releases (5 min.)

Episode III Behind the Scenes Preview

Section One - The Creator: Finally the birth of Vader. George talks about finally bringing Vader back to the series and teases about Anakin's descent to the Dark Side and the powers of seduction in play. Section Two - The Costume: Black is back. For the last Star Wars movie ever and the birth of the ultimate villain, a new costume was forged. This segment answers some key questions: who created it? was it made for Hayden? Section Three - The Actors: Finally I get to become Vader. Key interviews with the cast (including Hayden) and crew sharing their thoughts and experiences about working on the last Star Wars film and finally seeing the completion of the Saga. (10 min.)

Stills - A comprehensive gallery of posters from around the world, classic artwork, and never-before-seen photos from all three films (approximately 300 images.)

DVD-ROM Features - DVD ROM link to exclusive Star Wars website.

So there you go... certainly sounds interesting. By the way, each of the movie discs will also reportedly include a credit roll Easter egg. Just so you know, all of this does jive what we've heard from other retailers recently, so it sounds like the real deal. Throw in the audio commentaries we've reported on previously, and you've got a nice little package.

ABBA Says 'No' to Reunion - at Any Price

LONDON (Reuters) - Nothing -- not even $2 billion -- could tempt ABBA back together again. After 30 years, the Swedish supergroup might even have trouble remembering the words of its pop classics.

The sight of the group's outrageous stage outfits is enough to make its 58-year-old songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus cringe nowadays.

Thirty years to the day after ABBA won the Eurovision song contest with "Waterloo," the bearded Ulvaeus is fiercely proud of its music -- but the group will never strut its stuff again.

Four years ago, ABBA was offered $1 billion to reunite. The answer was 'No.' But what if that figure doubled?

"No, not even if you did that," Ulvaeus told Reuters.

"It is never going to happen again. I think it is a bit too long now. We split up in 1981. People haven't seen us as a group since then and it would come as such a disappointment to them."

As for the spangly jumpsuits, Ulvaeus said: "I haven't squeezed into them for years. I still had a couple of them in the wardrobe and would get into them on a Saturday evening -- but not any more. They are in a museum now."

Tuesday marked another ABBA milestone -- the musical "Mamma Mia," which is based on their hit songs, celebrated five years playing to packed houses in London.

ABBA songs may be staple fare in karaoke bars around the world but songwriter Ulvaeus would need prompting.

"I cannot remember a whole lyric of any that I have written," he confessed.

"I am translating them into Swedish now for the first time because we are doing a production in Sweden at the beginning of next year. I find that I don't know them by heart -- not one of them."

ABBA once ranked alongside Volvo as Sweden's most famous export. The "Mamma Mia" show could prove even more profitable than the 350 million ABBA albums sold around the world.

"It's possible," Ulvaeus said." "'Mamma Mia' is going to run for a longer time than ABBA did. So who knows? We will see."

With 11 productions running and six more in the pipeline, it has grossed over $750 million worldwide and has been seen by more than 10 million people.

The musical weaves in ABBA music to tell the story of a single mother living on a Greek island with her daughter, who is getting married.

Reading her mother's diary, she finds any one of her mother's three lovers could be her father. All get invited to the wedding.

Ulvaeus reckoned the timing was perfect.
 
"I think the world perhaps was ready for something happy, a comedy. The big musicals in the '80s and the beginning of the '90s were rather somber - like "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables" -- wonderful musicals but of a different kind."

Ulvaeus still shakes his head in wonderment.

"I am fiercely proud, amazed and astonished. I thought this would be a little show running for perhaps a year in a small theater in London."

The two couples who made up the group's acronym -- Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid -- have long since divorced but all is sweetness and light between them now.

"We do indeed stay in touch," he said. "I met Agnetha last week. We have a grandchild who is 3. We meet much more often these days than we did perhaps 10 years ago."

Brosnan done with 007: Pierce pal

HOLLYWOOD -- Pierce Brosnan is finished with James Bond, according to his friend, neighbour and one-time 007 co-star, Michael Madsen.

"Pierce lives right down the beach from me. Our kids play together," Madsen said during interviews for his own new movie, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1.

"And he told me he doesn't want to do another one.

"I also heard that they bought him out. I really don't know but an impasse is an impasse."

Madsen said he was told that Brosnan will be replaced with an Australian, although he did not know who and could not confirm if it was Hugh Jackman, who has been touted as a possible future Bond. So has Englishman Clive Owen.

Madsen's comments seem to put in stone something that Brosnan has only hinted at. The Irish-born actor admitted last month that, while he was willing to do his fifth Bond picture if the filmmakers could get a decent script written and find a director for the project, the negotiations were not going well. Neither was the script development.

"We've reached an impasse with the producers," Brosnan said in March. "They seem to be paralyzed and cannot move forward. If they want me, they know where to find me.

"I was prepared to do a fifth film and then walk away. I made that very clear to the producers. We had started negotiations and I want to follow through, but conversations and telephone calls have dried up."

Madsen said he himself is interested in the new Bond because he was supposed to get a role in it. He last worked with Brosnan as Bond in Lee Tamahori's Die Another Day (2002), playing Damian Falco. Now Madsen is wary.

"Well, I was going to do it with Pierce but, now that Pierce is out of the Bond picture, I don't know what is going to happen. If (producer) Barbara Broccoli calls me up and says: 'Michael, I want you to be in the James Bond picture,' I'll probably go do it, but I'm not going to call her.

"I don't know the new Bond guy. I've never seen anything he's done. I don't even know what he looks like. I can't remember the guy's name. I would have to feel like he's going to be a good Bond for me to want to do it."

Madsen, who plays the assassin Sidewinder in the Kill Bill films, said that watching Brosnan on Die Another Day taught him how torturous it is for the star on a 007 set.

"You know, making a Bond film is not an easy thing to do. That's a heavy shoot, man. That's a long, long, big, big, heavy thing. The Bond thing is a tremendously gigantic production and the last one was hugely successful.

"For Pierce, that was the fourth one that he did. He's tired, man. You know, he's James Bond. He doesn't have to do another one. Why would you? Why would you bother?"

BROSNAN'S BOND YEARS: Pierce Brosnan, who will be 51 on May 16, reinvigorated the James Bond franchise with GoldenEye (1995) and continued with Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). His final 007 credit may end up being the 2004 video game, James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing, which features Brosnan's voice.

The Couch Potato Report - April 10th, 2004

In the Couch Potato Report This Week there's a revolution with mixed results, 12 for the price of a dozen and two more great TV series debut on DVD.

By the time most film trilogies get to the third chapter the filmmakers usually have little left to say and even less left to show us. THE LORD OF THE RINGS, INDIANA JONES and STAR WARS trilogies are exceptions to that rule, but prime examples of trios that have run our of gas before concluding are THE GODFATHER, BACK TO THE FUTURE, AMERICAN PIE and MAD MAX.

Those films do all have something to offer in their own right, but they’re nowhere near the quality of their pedigree. They just don’t have much of the magic that drew us to their series in the first place.

Many filmgoers added THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS to the latter list when it came out last November. Personally, I sort of enjoyed this not entirely satisfying third and final chapter in THE MATRIX trilogy.

Make no mistake, it has none of the originality or personality of the original MATRIX and it lacks the WOW action factor that propelled THE MATRIX RELOADED, but I liked THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS.

I won’t bother to explain the plot as by this point you’re either familiar with THE MATRIX films or you’re not. What I will reiterate is that THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS is a highly adrenalized action film that has some superb and seamless special effects.

But there is no denying that the Wachowski Brothers' trilogy goes out with a whimper instead of the mesmerizing conclusion many were waiting for after Part Two.

The film is available as a two-disc DVD and those discs have several in-depth documentaries, a featurette, a 3-D Matrix timeline and much more.

THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS might not have hit a home run with all of the series fans, but as I mentioned, it's not entirely unsatisfying.

The remake of CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN with Steve Martin in the Clifton Webb role of the father is totally satisfying; sort of in the way Pabulum was when we were babies. It is what it is and you’ll enjoy it.

Martin stars with Bonnie Hunt of JERRY MAGUIRE as parents trying to raise 12 kids and manage their careers. Twelve messy, messed up and mischievous kids.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN is an enjoyable family flick that stars a bevy of today’s most popular young actors – including SUPERMAN’s Tom Welling, Ashton Kutcher from THAT 70’S SHOW, Piper Perabo of COYOTE UGLY and pop-princess Hilary Duff. It isn’t a great movie, an important movie or even a surprising movie, but it is a crowd-pleaser.

The TV show IN LIVING COLOUR pleased crowds from 1990 until 1994. This original, bawdy, hilarious sketch comedy show succeeded by exploiting stereotypes and then proving how ridiculous they could be, without being politically correct or preachy.

Led by Keenan Ivory Wayans, his brother Damon, David Allen Grier and some guy named James – who would later become Jim - Carrey the writing was spectacular, the performers were incredibly talented, and they had natural comedic chemistry.

Now IN LIVING COLOUR: SEASON ONE is being released as a 3-disc set and we can watch Homey the Clown, Fire Marshall Bill, The Men On Film and The Fly Girls anytime we’d like.

I, for one, couldn’t be happier, even if Homey don’t play dat!

Finally this week, if you were a fan of a brilliant little TV show called FREAKS AND GEEKS that came and went too quickly in 1999 then you’ll be happy to know that there is a new DVD box set now available that has all 18 episodes of the show. This 6 DVD set has a wide array of extras that include the director's cut of the pilot with never-before-seen footage, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and outtakes.

Simply put if you went to high school in the early 80’s you’ll relate to FREAKS AND GEEKS as it’s the most realistic approach you will ever see about our time getting an education.

The show is colourful and hilarious and you will easily identify with the characters as you laugh at them while laughing at yourself.

It was an awesome show that makes a superb DVD set.

THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, IN LIVING COLOUR: SEASON ONE and FREAKS AND GEEKS are available right now at your favourite local video store.

COMING NEXT WEEK IN THE COUCH POTATO REPORT

Just ahead of the theatrical release of Volume II, Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL: VOLUME I is being released on video and DVD. Uma Thurman plays a wronged bride and a former assassin who awakes from a coma with a vengeful desire to, …Kill Bill.

In TIMELINE a group of students go back in time to Medieval France to save their professor.

And

PAUL MCCARTNEY – MUSIC & ANIMATION is a trio of short films that celebrate nature, animal welfare, and the imaginative innocence of childhood.

I'll have more on those releases in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!

New CD Releases For The Week

Even though I think the Tears For Fears reunion CD has been delayed here are what I'm told are to be the new CD released for Tuesday, April 6, 2004:

* AMBULANCE LTD. Ambulance - LP (TVT)
* BARBIE & FRIENDS Barbie's Hit Mix (Warner Strategic Marketing)
* BEN KWELLER On My Way (RCA)
* BLONDIE The Curse of Blondie (Sanctuary Records)
* CHRISTINA AGUILERA Stripped... Live In The U.K. (DVD Video) (RCA)
* D.R.I. Dirty Rotten Hits (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* DELTA GOODREM Innocent Eyes (Epic)
* DILATED PEOPLES Neighborhood Watch (EMI)
* DIRT BAG TBA-WW Dirt Bag (Zomba)
* EURYTHMICS Be Yourself Tonight (RCA)
* EURYTHMICS In The Garden (RCA)
* EURYTHMICS Peace (RCA)
* FOLLY Insanity Later (Razor & Tie)
* GIOARIA Like a Dream (ISBA)
* I 20 Self Explanatory (EMI)
* IGGY POP Sister Midnight (re-release) (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES Search And Destroy (re-release) (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* INFORMATION SOCIETY Pure Energy- The Very Best Of (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* J-KWON Hood-Hop (Arista)
* JACK BLADES Jack Blades (Sanctuary Records)
* JAMES CARTER Live at Bakers (Warner)
* JETHRO TULL Stormwatch (EMI)
* JETHRO TULL Bursting Out (Live) (EMI)
* JOHNNY THUNDERS Anthology (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* KENNY ROGERS & THE FIRST EDITION Anthology (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* MICHAEL GORDON Light is Calling (Nonesuch/Warner)
* ONE WAY SYSTEM Punker Than F*ck- The Best Of (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* PAT MCGEE BAND Save Me (Warner)
* PETEY PABLO Still Writing In My Diary: 2nd Entry (Zomba)
* PETEY PABLO TBA Petey Pablo (DVD) (Zomba)
* PITBULL DAYCARE Unclean (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* PROJET ORANGE TBA Projet Orange (Le Groupe/BMG)
* RACHEL YAMAGATA In Search of Edith (Arista)
* RAUL MALO, PAT FLYNN, ROB ICKES AND DAVE POMEROY The Nashvile Accoustic Sessions (Cmh/Navarre)
* RYAN TYLER TBA Ryan Tyler (RCA Country)
* SERGE LAMA Serge Lama - TBA (Warner)
* SWEETBACK Stage 2 (Epic)
* TAMIA More (Elektra)
* TEARS FOR FEARS Everybody Loves A Happy Ending (Arista)
* THE CLIPSE Hell Hath No Fury (Arista)
* TOOTS & MAYTALS Strength in Numbers (V2)
* TOOTS & MAYTALS True Love (V2)
* TREY ANASTASIO Trey Anastasio - TBA (Elektra)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS V-3: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Zomba)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Part 1: African Prayer (Warner Strategic Marketing)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Part: 2 Long Walk to Freedom (Warner Strategic Marketing)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Part: 3 Amandla (Warner Strategic Marketing)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Lullaby: A Windham Hill Collection (Windham Hill)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Pink Panther's Penthouse Party (Capitol)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS The Girl Next Door (Soundtrack) (Lakeshore Records/Navarre)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Lunch At Allen's (EMI)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Wanna Be (VP)
* VARIOUS ARTISTS Sweet Love Volume 7 (VP)
* WARRANT Cherry Pie- And All The Hits (re-release) (Cleopatra Records/Navarre)
* WATERBOYS This Is The Sea (EMI)
* WILLIAM HUNG Inspiration (Koch)

'VAN DYKE' REUNION

CBS is putting together a reunion of the "Dick Van Dyke Show" that is being billed - with good reason - as the classic series "159th episode."

The special will pick up Rob and Laura Petrie, played by Mary Tyler Moore, 40 years later.

In the episode, Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) wants Rob and Sally to write his eulogy before he dies. He wants the chance to do a rewrite.

All the surviving cast members have agreed to return for the show, set to air May 11.

'Vega Brothers' Rumors Reemerge
 
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Back in 2002, stories broke that Quentin Tarantino had plans to make a film prequel on the criminally minded Vega brothers -- Michael Madsen's Vic of "Reservoir Dogs" and John Travolta's Vincent -- that would be titled "The Vega Brothers."

Yet, nothing ever happened. Then, at last year's San Diego Comic Con, Tarantino himself quashed the rumors saying, "I might write it still, but I'm not sure if I can do it as a movie anymore. I think the time might've passed it by, and Michael and John would be too old for their parts. I mean, it's supposed to be a prequel and 'Reservoir Dogs' was over 10 years ago already."

But it looks like the film may happen after all. During interviews for "Kill Bill Vol. 2," Madsen revealed that after Tarantino quashed the idea, "he went off to Mexico for a couple of days and, I'm not sure what he did down there, but when he came back" Tarantino had figured out a solution to the age problem.

"I was in a hotel in San Diego and he called me on the phone and said, 'I think I figured out how to make the "Vega Brothers."' And I said, 'Really?' And he said, 'Yeah, listen to this ...' and he pretty much told me the plot of the film in about 20 minutes," Madsen says. "I couldn't repeat it to you because it's really confusing but it did make sense, but only he could tell it in a way that made sense. If I tried to tell you, everybody would be very confused."

"So, he's going to do it and he has the idea and the idea works very well. I think it's just going to be a matter of getting the screenplay finished and actually getting out to shoot it because I think we're going to do this World War II thing first," adds Madsen, referring to "Inglorious Bastards," in which Madsen will also appear.

If Tarantino ever does get the script done, John Travolta says he's also ready to jump on board.

"I heard it though a journalist that said Michael Madsen had said something about it. But that's up to Quentin. I don't question him. I wouldn't even ask him," Tarantino says during interviews for "The Punisher." "Someone said I had to vie to be in one of [Tarantino's] films [now] and I said 'I didn't the first time, why would I have to that this time?' He'll let me know."

Sharp Sails Solo On New Set

Formerly a member of modern rock hitmakers Weezer and the Rentals, Matt Sharp says his upcoming solo album is a labor of love that brought him peace of mind. A plaintive country affair in decidedly stark contrast to his past work, the self-titled release is due April 15 through online retailers and May 4 via traditional outlets on the independent In Music We Trust label.

"Certainly, there is very little in common between the music I am most well known for and [my] debut," Sharp tells Billboard.com. "I guess the main thing is that coming towards the end of [the tour for the Rentals' 1999 release] 'Seven More Minutes,' there was a point where I looked into my CD collection and realized that most of the music that I was listening to wasn't the same kind of music that I was writing and performing."

What he was listening to was Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, which didn't jive with his David Lee Roth-like onstage antics with the Rentals. "It seemed like the best thing for me to do was to take a break," he explains. "Go away for a while and do some thinking and start asking questions about how I can get to a place where I can write the kind of music that I was most inspired by."

After considering a possible third Rentals album, which he says would have been a "very direct punk kind of record," Sharp packed up a van full of recording equipment and rented a house in Leipers Fork, Tenn., a one-restaurant, one-gas-station town located just under an hour outside of Nashville, with former Cake guitarist Greg Brown and producer Josh Hager.

"I just didn't want to get to a place where I started to feel dishonest about what I was doing," he says. "I didn't want to continue to make a certain kind of music only because it would be easy for people to understand because that is how they understand me. To me, to continue on because it is financially viable, [there] doesn't seem to be a lot of honor in that."

A preview of the 11-track album can be heard at Sharp's official Web site, which boasts a free download of the meditative "Just Like Movie Stars," an album track reminiscent of Nick Drake.

"I think that people should expect that the album itself is going to be quite a different experience than anything I've done in the past, as far as the mood and tone of the record," says Sharp. "It is a very sleepy record. It is kind of a Sunday morning record. And saying that, I think they should also expect the concerts to be more of a lighter affair."

"The record was written and recorded during a darker time in my life and I am really enjoying where I am at now," he adds. "So, even though [the songs] are sparse and contemplative, a lot of times they still have a sense of joy about them."

An extensive tour is planned for the fall, with a handful of solo dates scheduled later this month on college campuses. Sharp says he feels safe playing in the university setting, which he describes as "an environment where people are just used to being attentive and being polite."

At one such mid-February show at California State Fullerton, fans were treated to a surprise appearance by Sharp's former Weezer bandmate and estranged friend Rivers Cuomo. The pair performed the newly written track "Time Song" and the Weezer hits "Undone (The Sweater Song)" and "Say It Ain't So."

"It was quite a surreal day," says Sharp. "I guess it is somewhat of a second act. We started hanging just before that show and started writing at his place and just started rediscovering our friendship and enjoying each other's company. We decided to try to approach that through writing music, which is kind of how we began. So, it seems like a good way to reintroduce ourselves after we've had all of these turbulent waters under the bridge."

Dead?

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Producer Lawrence Gordon says that there will likely be no more sequels to TOMB RAIDER. "I don't think the financiers will do it," he says. "I don't think the last film did the business we expected. Of course, I'd love to do another one. Angelina Jolie is perfect as Lara Croft."

Reunited

The New York Post is reporting that the series finale of FRIENDS will be available on DVD on May 11, five days after it airs on NBC.

More Killing of Bill

Quentin Tarantino told Empire Online that he's considering a couple of sequels to the KILL BILL duology. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about revisiting the story in a couple of ways,” said the director. “I’ve been thinking about doing it as an anime feature that would tell the entire origin of Bill.” Tarantino also says he's thinking about doing an entire movie about Nikki, the five-year old daughter of Vernita Green, The Bride's first victim in the first film.

BYE FOR NOW

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick ending their run on Broadway's The Producers Sunday night. The two will now star in the big screen version, expected to hit theaters in 2005.

..."Spidey" Trailer Trumps Trump

Spider-Man does what ever a spider can. But how about swinging with New York's rich and famous?

Sony Pictures has announced plans to debut the latest trailer for its upcoming summer blockbuster Spider-Man 2 on Thursday night at 9 p.m. during NBC's The Apprentice, starring another Big Apple icon, real estate mogul Donald Trump.

According to USA Today, the new Spidey 2 preview is two and a half minutes long--a far cry from most movie advertisements on the tube which usually run only 30 seconds.

And unlike the short teaser that hit theaters during the holidays, it features much more never-before-seen footage of the film--including snippets of Alfred Molina's multi-tentacled villain Doc Ock, aka Doctor Octopus and, of course, more shots of Spidey's alter-ego, Peter Parker (played by Tobey Maguire) struggling with the burden of his superpowers and considering giving up his suit.

After airing 40 minutes into the Don's highly-rated reality series, the new trailer will begin showing in multiplexes on Friday.

For Sony marketeers, utilizing a block of time on the boob tube to get Spidey senses tingling is a must these days given the short attention spans of today's moviegoing public who are constantly distracted by TV and the Internet.

"We've got to look at unconventional ways to get our message across," Geoffrey Ammer, Sony's head of worldwide marketing, told USA Today. "Running your trailer in a theater is a great place because you've got a captivated, moviegoing audience. But if you want to reach a broader, more general audience, you need to go beyond the theater."

With box office tallies now firmly cemented as a favorite American pastime among the press and general public, the studio isn't taking any chances with its Marvel superhero franchise, especially since it's already begun development on a third installment and is plotting upwards of six big screen Spidey adventures.

It is hoped that the web of advertising will help the sequel trump the amazing gross of its predecessor which raked in a record $115 million in its opening weekend in May of 2002 on its way to a global haul of more than $800 million.

And a primetime spot on one of TV's hottest shows would go a long way toward achieving that goal, considering 22.8 million viewers watched last week's episode of The Apprentice.

By contrast, a trailer screening ahead of this week's box office winner pulled in a much smaller audience, roughly 4 million people.

Of course, there's a fine line between promoting your movie, and giving away too much of the plot--the latter of which could up alienating moviegoers if they think they've seen it already.

Which is why some studios have resorted to literally showing full scenes of their pictures on TV and the Internet--a strategy which aims to entice viewers without making them feel like they're being marketed to.

To that end, Universal recently presented the first 10 minutes of its R-rated horror remake of Dawn of the Dead on USA Networks in March. The flick went on to knock The Passion of the Christ out of the top spot at the box office and has since made $51.5 million.

Warner Bros. also presented exclusive clips of its Harry Potter movies on the WB network while Sony hyped its thriller Darkness Falls by broadcasting five minutes over the Net.

With all the advertising hoopla, fans of the wallcrawler aren't likely to miss the new flick when it swings into theaters.

Spider-Man 2, which was set to open on Friday, July 2, will now hit theaters two days earlier on Wednesday June 30 to take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday.

Furtado's 'Forca' Is Official Song of Euro 2004

LISBON (Reuters) - Canadian-born singer Nelly Furtado's 'Forca' has been chosen as the official song of the Euro 2004 soccer championship being held in Portugal, tournament organizers said on Monday.

Furtado, who was born in Canada to Portuguese emigrant parents from the Azores, will sing the song as part of the entertainment before the final at the Stadium of Light on July 4 and is likely to release a new version in Portuguese.

"My understanding is that there will be a Portuguese version and that it will be released in June in time for the start of the event," UEFA marketing director Alan Ridley said at a news conference to launch the song on Monday.

Euro 2004, one of the world's largest sporting events, runs from June 12 to July 4. Holders France are among 16 finalists at the tournament, which takes place every four years.

Disney Film Studio Hopes for Texas-Size 'Alamo'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. is hoping its new movie "The Alamo" will put up a good fight at U.S. box offices this Friday after a quarter in which it failed to deliver a hit and lost a lucrative film deal with the makers of "Finding Nemo."

The $98 million "Alamo," a re-telling of 1836's legendary battle in Texas' fight for independence from Mexico, is a huge bet for the studio. Movies have fueled Disney's earnings for the past several quarters with hits like "Nemo," which it co-produced with Pixar Animation Studios Inc.

In January, Pixar walked away from renewing a long-term film deal with Disney that had produced five smash hits with $2.5 billion at box offices globally. Last week, Disney debuted its animated "Home on the Range" to poor ticket sales of $14 million and No. 4 placement at domestic box offices.

"A lot is riding on the Alamo," said Paul Degarabedian, head of movie-tracking service Exhibitor Relations. "This is a movie that they have a lot invested in. They've really been pushing it on the marketing side." The Alamo debuts April 9.

Degarabedian said Disney's box office results so far this year are similar to 2003 except for one crucial bit. Last year, it released comedy sensation "Bringing Down the House" in the first quarter to $132 million in domestic ticket sales.

Disney's six movies this year had brought in $197 million in ticket sales by April 4, while the five films last year had grossed $286 million by the same point, he said. He added that most of the studio's fortunes rested on the summer.

SOME HOT, MOST NOT

In a teleconference with investors last week, Disney's chief executive officer Michael Eisner said the movie studio group "is on fire," but the heat has been lukewarm at best through 2004's first three months.

"Range" cost $80 million to $100 million to produce and may lead Disney to take a financial charge, some analysts said -- although others expect it to gain speed overseas.

Western-style epic "Hidalgo" cost $85 million to $90 million to make, and its box office is only at $60 million.

Disney's top-grosser so far this year is ice hockey movie "Miracle" with a comparatively small $63 million in ticket sales, but it was made on a relatively low budget.

Eisner said last week word-of-mouth and expected reviews for "Alamo" looked good. "I won't oversell it because I don't want to disappoint," he told investors on a conference call.

Studio chief Dick Cook told Reuters at the "Alamo" premiere in San Antonio that "No one movie makes or breaks a studio ... that is crazy."

But a poor performance by "Alamo" would put pressure on Eisner, Schwab SoundView analyst Jordan Rohan said in a research note.

Moreover, poor performance could also nudge the board toward negotiating with Comcast Corp., the cable company eager to buy Disney, Rohan said.

"With or without Eisner, if Comcast takes over Disney at a premium, the stock will go up," Rohan added.

Beyond "Alamo" the bottom line may look less black this year partly because 2003 was so good.
 
"Last year was just a phenomenal year," said David Miller, financial analyst at Sanders Morris Harris.

In 2003 the studio had an internal rate of return on its movies of 25 percent, excluding "Nemo," Miller said, quoting chief financial officer Tom Staggs. This year, Miller expects between 9 percent and 13 percent.

Backstreet Boys Reunite For New Album

After a two-year break, where no one noticed they were gone, the Backstreet Boys are at work on their first album since 2001's "Black and Blue." In a post on the Web site of its management company, Wright Entertainment Group, the group reveals, "All five of us went back into the studio this past February and have been working to create what we think will be our best album yet. It has been really great being back together working on our music."

The as-yet-untitled album is being targeted for a summer release on Jive. "We will be touring in the United States this fall," the post adds.

Since the release of "Black and Blue," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 5.4 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the group's members have busied themselves with various pursuits. The lone member to issue a solo album was Nick Carter, whose "Now or Never" was released in 2002 by Jive.

Group member Howie Dorough told Billboard in May 2003 that he was working on a solo album with songs in English and Spanish, but the set has yet to materialize.

Kung Fu Fighting

According to News Askew, Kevin Smith has confirmed he's after Jet Li to star in his film version of GREEN HORNET. However, a rumor has also popped up indicating that Smith may go female with the character, seeking Zhang Ziyi (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) to take the role.

Summer is for Superheroes

BATMAN BEGINS will be released on June 17, 2005 and X-MEN 3 will be released on May 5, 2006.

Nickelback, Sam Roberts kings of Junos at Sunday's awards

EDMONTON (CP) - Juno fever hit an oil gusher Sunday with a record number of fans to witness Alanis Morissette disrobe - sort of - and Sam Roberts, Sarah McLachlan and Nickelback pick up their hardware.

Morissette, who was host for the music awards show, shocked viewers when she dropped a white robe to reveal a nude-coloured body suit with pasties covering her breasts. "I'm overjoyed to be back in my homeland, the true north, strong and censor-free," she said, apparently referring to the aftermath caused by Janet Jackson's nipple exposure at the Super Bowl in January.

A few weeks later, the outspoken Morissette was asked by U.S. radio stations to change a word in the first verse of her new single Everything. In Canada, radio stations are playing the original version with the word "asshole." She performed the song - with the questionable word - to close the show.

"Any repression of acceptance of the human body has a cause and effect . . . everything you see from eating disorders to pornography and rape," she explained backstage.

"These are all manifestations of what happens when we repress acceptance of not only our body but our sexuality."

With three statuettes - all in major categories - Roberts was the biggest winner of the night. The Montrealer won every category he was nominated in, including the top prize of artist of the year.

His debut record We Were Born in a Flame, which included the hit songs Brother Down and Don't Walk Away Eileen, took album of the year and rock album of the year.

"What an award represents to me more than anything is a life in music and for that I am very, very, very thankful," said Roberts, who looked ever the rock star with shaggy hair, blue jeans and a white T-shirt.

"The second album all of a sudden feels as heavy as the ring on poor Frodo's shoulders. I don't really know what we're going to do from here."

Backstage Roberts was giddy with excitement, howling to friends and nearly knocking over a wall where media were working.

Nickelback, originally formed in Hanna, Alta., about 200 kilometres northeast of Calgary, was welcomed home with statuettes for group of the year and fan's choice award.

"These always feel so incredible but it feels so much more to receive one of these at home," said frontman Chad Kroeger.

McLachlan had the happy task of making room in her suitcase for the songwriter of the year trophy alongside the award for best pop album, which she collected Saturday at a pre-Juno ceremony where the majority of awards were announced.

"I've been gone a quite a long time . . . to come back and have this kind of love it feels really, really amazing," she told the audience.

The show was stuffed full of live music, including Kathleen Edwards, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Avril Lavigne, the Barenaked Ladies and Aaron Lines.

Nelly Furtado gave the best performance of the night with a melody of Try and Powerless. She was accompanied by aboriginal group Whitefish Juniors while more than 100 extras carrying placards reading "spirit" paraded through the audience.

This year's Juno marked the 10th anniversary of an aboriginal music category. Singer Susan Aglukark took the prize this year.

"I try to follow my heart. You have the power to say something, you might as well do it in a cool way," Furtado said backstage. "It was really important to have an aboriginal drum group because it was part of the inspiration for the song Powerless."

An appearance by leather-clad Alice Cooper sent the audience into a frenzy. The shock rocker inducted Bob Ezrin, who produced Cooper's albums, into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

"I met Bob over 30 years ago. We were just five guys from Detroit wearing our girlfriend's dresses looking for a record deal and a producer," said Cooper.

Furtado's Powerless was named single of the year, while rock outfit Billy Talent from Toronto was crowned best new group.

The government city with a reputation for being a little staid compared to honky-tonk Calgary was whipped into a frenzy by the Juno festival, which turned bars and restaurants across town into standing-room-only concert venues. Parties raged late into the night Friday and Saturday.

Sunny skies and mild temperatures made it easy for fans on the prowl for celebrity sightings. Tour buses and limos crowded streets near downtown hotels and along trendy Whyte Avenue's popular eateries and shops.

Juno buzz grew all week and prompted fans to snap up a remaining thousand tickets for the show at the 16,000-seat Rexall Place, despite a high price tag of between $57 and $91.50.

The support wowed Juno organizers who reported it was the largest crowd in the show's 33-year history.

In addition to international superstars, political figures were in town to take advantage of the hipster scene, including Prime Minister Paul Martin, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, who is an Edmonton MP.

In all, 38 Junos were awarded over two nights of awards. During a four-hour dinner and ceremony Saturday, Shania Twain's Up! was named best country recording. Michael Buble won best new artist, while Buck 65 was awarded best alternative album of the year.

Holly Cole took home best vocal jazz album for Shade. Her technicians Mike Haas, Dylan Heming and Jeff Wolpert were named recording engineers of the year.

Winnipeg will play host to next year's fest.

Fans to Mark 10 Years Since Cobain Death

ABERDEEN, Wash. - Kurt Cobain and his band, Nirvana, spent only three years in the public eye, and they released only three studio albums. But what he accomplished before committing suicide 10 years ago Monday at age 27 — deciding it was "better to burn out than fade away," as he quoted Neil Young in his suicide note — was remarkable.

Beneath this bridge above the muddy banks of the Wishkah River, a troubled young Cobain would come to escape his unhappy home and the persistent gray drizzle of the Washington coast.

Among the cracking concrete supports, he would smoke pot and drink and plot his stardom, bragging to friends of his "suicide genes" and that he would die a young rock star.

It's here that many of his fans have come to pay their respects since he fulfilled that prophesy with a needle and a shotgun.

"Peace, love, empathy," reads one message scrawled in graffiti under the bridge.

"Kurt," says another, "Your spirit will bounce on happily."

Critics describe 1991's "Nevermind," which has sold more than 10 million copies, as one of the decade's most important albums. Its biggest hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," remains a seminal expression of teen angst. Cobain brought the dark, driven sound of grunge rock to the nation, helped save the world from hair metal, and with a single line — "Here we are now, entertain us" — captured and captivated a generation that had grown bored and cynical about popular music.

Andrew Harms, a 24-year-old disc jockey on a Seattle radio station, still remembers his first exposure to Nirvana, which remains his favorite band: seeing the video for "Teen Spirit" on MTV.

"It filled me with an energy that music had not done for me before," Harms says. "The guy had an amazing creative mind, and he took all the emotions within him and expressed it through music. It was music of substance, music that seemed real to me."

Cobain biographer Charles Cross says that when Nirvana went to record "Nevermind," they followed Warrant into the studio — a band known for big hair, open shirts and their "Cherry Pie" video.

"Music at that point was so prefabricated, so fake, so hairspray that Nirvana was really a breath of fresh air," Cross says. "It was more organic than anything we'd seen in music in years."

Much of the screaming desperation in Cobain's songs can be traced to his life in this timber town on the Washington coast, and in Montesano, just inland, where his grandparents and father lived. Cobain's parents divorced when he was 9, an event that scarred him deeply, and much of his adolescence was spent bouncing among the homes — and garages and vans — of his parents, grandparents, relatives and friends.

As Cross writes in "Heavier Than Heaven," a family history of alcohol abuse and suicide weighed on him, but several relatives on both sides were artistically talented. Many friends recall Cobain saying he would one day join the "27 Club" — a reference to the age Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix were when they died.

Cobain found an outlet for these emotions in guitar, punk rock and painting, through which he would express himself for the rest of his life. He spoke frequently during the last two years of his life of giving up music for painting.

Shortly before he dropped out of Aberdeen's Weatherwax High School, Cobain began playing with classmate Krist Novoselic. They formed Nirvana after moving to Olympia in the late 1980s, and drummer Dave Grohl — now of the Foo Fighters — joined the band in 1990, the year Cobain began taking heroin, and the year Nirvana's first album, "Bleach," helped it win a major label deal with DGC, part of Geffen Records.

Over the next year, Nirvana — and grunge — exploded onto the national stage, with Seattle becoming the locus, thanks to Nirvana and other local bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. In September 1991, when "Nevermind" went on sale, Cobain had just been evicted from his Olympia apartment and was sleeping in his car. Geffen initially expected to sell only 50,000 copies of "Nevermind." By year's end, it sold 2 million.

Shortly before Cobain brought his dyed locks and emaciated frame onto "Saturday Night Live," he learned "Nevermind" had knocked Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" out of the No. 1 spot on the charts.

As his fame soared, though, so did his heroin use, in part as a self-treatment for his chronic stomach pain. Encouraged by his wife, Courtney Love, who had her own drug problems, Cobain checked into detox several times over the next 2 1/2 years. But he always returned to heroin, even around the time his daughter was born in the summer of 1992.

Nevertheless, his songwriting remained impressive and became more polished with Love's collaboration, especially on "Heart-shaped Box" and other songs for Nirvana's third album, "In Utero."

In January 1994, as Cobain's despondency spiraled, he recorded his last great song, "You Know You're Right." It would not be released until 2002, following a long legal battle between Love and the surviving Nirvana members, but the song's ironic couplet "Things have never been so swell/ and I have never been so well" lent a serious insight into Cobain's mind at the time.

While in Rome a month after recording it, he tried to kill himself by taking 60 tranquilizers. The overdose left him in a coma.

He survived, but in early April he jumped a wall at a detox center in Los Angeles and flew back to Seattle.

On April 5, 1994 — give or take 24 hours — Cobain wrote a suicide note, in which he said he couldn't stand to think of his daughter becoming "the miserable self-destructive, death rocker that I've become." He went into the greenhouse of his mansion, injected himself with a massive dose of heroin, put a 20-gauge shotgun against the roof of his mouth, and fired.

An electrician found his body the morning of April 8.

Thousands of people attended a vigil for him at Seattle Center back then. There is no such widespread event planned for the 10th anniversary of his death, though some fans communicating on the Internet have suggested meeting at Seattle Center. Others will come here, beneath the Young Street Bridge, or to the benches at Viretta Park, next to Cobain's house in Seattle, where some of his ashes are scattered.

Radio stations around the country plan to devote airplay to Nirvana's music Monday, and the Aberdeen Museum of History plans to open an exhibit and walking tour of Cobain-related sites this summer.

"You can't get around the drug use, but we're not going to dwell on it a lot," curator Dann Sears says. "What's important is his legacy, his music ... and he revolutionized music."

'Hellboy' Topples the Rock at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - A wisecracking demon from hell took down The Rock for the weekend's box-office title. "Hellboy," starring Ron Perlman as the comic-book superhero with red skin, horns and a tail, debuted as the top flick with $23.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Rock's "Walking Tall," a remake of the 1973 vigilante-justice tale, opened in second place with $15.3 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," fell to No. 3 with $15.1 million, lifting its 10-day total to $50 million.

The weekend's other new wide releases followed: Disney's animated cow tale "Home on the Range" at No. 4 with $14 million and Julia Stiles' love story "The Prince and Me" at No. 5 with $10 million.

Having five movies pull in $10 million or more is a rarity for early April, typically a slower time at theaters. The range of movies left something for all audiences, from G-rated family adventures to teen romance to violent shoot-'em-ups.

"This weekend was like the classic movie-goers' weekend. You had all these different genres represented," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "If you wanted lots of choices, they certainly were there for you."

The overall box office rose for the sixth-straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in $114.5 million, up 40 percent from the same weekend last year.

That string of up weekends began with the blockbuster debut of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ, which continued to hold strongly. "The Passion" came in sixth with $9.9 million, raising its total to $330.1 million.

Distributor Newmarket Films expanded "The Passion" to 3,408 theaters, up about 200, in anticipation of a solid run through Easter next Sunday.

Hollywood's domestic revenues for 2004 are just over $2 billion, about 6 percent ahead of last year's.

That's a solid springboard for the busy summer season, whose May releases include the animated sequel "Shrek 2," Brad Pitt's epic "Troy," the vampire yarn "Van Helsing" and the end-of-the-world tale "The Day After Tomorrow." Following in June are "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Spider-Man 2."

A cult attraction compared to better-known comic books such as "Spider-Man" and "X-Men," "Hellboy" managed to draw a broad audience with its mix of dark humor and nonstop action.

Perlman plays a demon raised by a loving adopted father (John Hurt), who grooms the hero to work for a government paranormal bureau disguised as a waste-management operation.

The movie presents a working-class hero fighting for good despite his demonic pedigree and wistful longing for the affection of a beautiful colleague (Selma Blair).

"He's a plumber. He rides around in a garbage truck. How's he supposed to get the girl?" said Tom Sherak, a partner in Revolution Studios, which produced the movie for distributor Sony. "You think of the title `Hellboy,' you think of the end of the world, but it turns out to be a fun movie."

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. "Hellboy," $23.5 million.
2. "Walking Tall," $15.3 million.
3. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $15.1 million.
4. "Home on the Range," $14 million.
5. "The Prince and Me," $10 million.
6. "The Passion of the Christ," $9.9 million.
7. "The Ladykillers," $7 million.
8. "Jersey Girl," $5.1 million.
9. "Dawn of the Dead," $4.4 million.
10. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," $3.6 million.

Kids Pick OutKast, 'Nemo' at Nick Awards

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The green slime oozed freely and the enthusiasm raged at a fever pitch Saturday during Nickelodeon's 17th annual Kids' Choice Awards, which crowned animated smash "Finding Nemo," and hip-hop duo OutKast as the top choices of children voting coast to coast.

This year's ceremony, held at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, was co-hosted by Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz in a canny bit of "Shrek 2" promotion (they portray the voices of the ogre and the princess, respectively). It marked the first time in eight years that Rosie O'Donnell failed to preside.

Myers would find himself dripping slime by the show's conclusion, though it proved a significantly less satisfying moment than the earlier sliming of tycoon twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen -- who were caught in a fountain of the stuff at the show's midway point while presenting.

As for the awards themselves, the KCAs -- which found 17 million kids voting both online and by telephone for their fave actors, musicians, sports stars, movie, TV series, video game, book and, uh, movie fart -- had a decided OutKast ring this time. The Grammy-winning duo ended up with two of the distinctive orange blimps, for favorite music group and favorite song ("Hey Ya!").

OutKast member Andre 3000 opened the show with "Hey Ya!" accompanied by his young son. His conrade, Big Boi, later performed "The Way You Move," with help from Sleepy Brown and Sean Combs' former manservant, Bentley Farnsworth.

"We're having a great time, and it is so great to learn how to read. You gotta read, that's it, and count . . . and stay off them drugs," Andre 3000 told the crowd. Big Boi urged the tykes to tell their parents to get out and vote.

Also carting off a pair of awards was Ellen DeGeneres, earning the trophy as favorite animated voice for her portrayal of Dorie in "Finding Nemo," and accepting the award for the film's top movie win.

"Enjoy being a kid. It's the best time of your life. Don't grow up too fast," she said.

The screaming kids in the crowd appeared to be taking her advice to heart, just as they were following the orders of favorite movie actor winner Jim Carrey (for "Bruce Almighty").

"The most important thing in life growing up is to learn how to play," Carrey said.

Amanda Bynes celebrated her 18th birthday Saturday by winning her second consecutive blimp in the favorite movie actress category, this time for "What a Girl Wants." Frankie Muniz took the Kids' Choice statuette for a second consecutive year as favorite TV actor for "Malcolm in the Middle," while Raven-Symone was the TV actress choice for "That's So Raven." The Nickelodeon comedy series "All That" was honored as favorite TV show.

Other repeat winners included skateboard legend Tony Hawk (favorite male athlete) and the Los Angeles Lakers (favorite sports team) as well as "SpongeBob SquarePants" (a second consecutive double for favorite cartoon and video game).

And what can you say about an awards show in which Adam Sandler is bestowed the Wannabe Award -- given annually to the celebrity that kids most want to be like? Or one that finds "X-Men" star Hugh Jackman winning the title as finest celebrity burper.

Quipped Jackman in his acceptance: "Finally, something my family can be proud of."

'Hellboy' Hath Fury at Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - During the coming week, the country will turn its attention to religious observances as the beginning of the Jewish Passover coincides with the Christian Holy Week. But first, moviegoers are expected to take a detour to hell -- or at least to the Sony Pictures release of "Hellboy."

Based on the Dark Horse Comics saga, "Hellboy," from Revolution Studios, stars Ron Perlman as a beet-red spawn of Satan who's defending the forces of good against dastardly Nazi villains. Director Guillermo del Toro, who has proved his genre chops with movies including "Mimic" and "Blade II," has fashioned a PG-13 film for widest possible appeal. And as the first superhero movie of the year, "Hellboy" should find a ready audience of younger males just as "Daredevil" did when it bowed to $40.3 million in February 2003.

"Hellboy," though, faces a very crowded field -- it's one of four new releases hitting multiplexes this weekend -- so most observers are pegging it to bow around the $20 million mark, though a few said they would not be surprised if it debuts even higher.

"Hellboy" will be duking it out with MGM's "Walking Tall" for the action-seeking, young male crowd. A remake of the 1973 revenge tale that starred Joe Don Baker as justice-seeking Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser, the new version stars Dwayne"The Rock" Johnson as a former member of the U.S. Special Forces and relocates the action to Washington state. Kevin Bray ("All About the Benjamins") directed the PG-13 feature.

The Rock's most recent outing, last year's "The Rundown," opened to $18.5 million. But while "Walking Tall" also might attract some older males who remember the big-stick approach of the original, it will have to fend off "Hellboy," and so the betting is that it will debut at the $15 million mark or slightly higher.

Meanwhile, there will be another face-off going on over the family audience. Warner Bros. Pictures' "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," which opened at No. 1 last weekend with $29.4 million, will remain a major factor. Even with a 40%-50% fall-off, it should bring in another $15 million-$18 million.

Trying to siphon away some of the family crowd is Walt Disney Pictures' latest animated entry, the PG-rated "Home on the Range." A 2-D toon directed by Will Finn and John Sanford, "Home" features a herd of cows trying to save the family farm, and sports a voice cast that includes Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, Jennifer Tilly, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Steve Buscemi.

"Home" is the weekend's widest opening, but, given the presence of "Scooby," its true strength is difficult to predict. The cautious betting is that it might not be strong enough to wrest the bragging rights for top family film away from "Scooby."

The main option for teenage girls will be Paramount Pictures' "The Prince & Me." Directed by Martha Coolidge, who defined a generation of teenagers 20 years ago with "Valley Girl," the PG-rated romantic comedy stars Julia Stiles as a college girl who falls in love with a fellow student (Luke Mably) who turns out to be a European prince. "Prince" is tracking in the $12 million range.

Newmarket Films' "The Passion of the Christ," which has continually confounded predictions, could do so once again. Entering Holy Week, the Mel Gibson-directed passion play has been experiencing 35%-40% declines in its five weeks in theaters. But the prospect of religiously inspired repeat moviegoing could give it an extra boost this weekend. It should easily pull in another $8 million, perhaps more, as it approaches the $330 million mark.

Burn a Little Longer

Guillermo del Toro says that there was quite a bit left on the cutting room floor for HELLBOY, but it will be back for the DVD.

"I can now say this safely: With HELLBOY there are at least 20 minutes of scenes that were cut for rhythm, for length, but they are very, very nice," del Toro said.

"So we are going to have an extended edition of HELLBOY coming out at the end of the year that will be longer than two hours. But quite frankly, I think an action-adventure movie shouldn't be longer than two hours in a theater. So it will be an extended cut. If you feel a scene is strong enough to be there, that's the way to integrate it."

The Force Returns

Just announced from Fox Home Entertainment and Lucasfilm are the complete specs for the upcoming Star Wars Trilogy box sets, hitting a galaxy near you on September 21st.

Available in separate anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, each includes Dolby Digital Surround EX tracks, plus additional English, French and Spanish Dolby 2.0 surround options and English, French and Spanish subtitles.

The set will also contain audio commentaries for each film: George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher (A New Hope); Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Burtt, Muren, and Fisher (The Empire Strikes Back); and Lucas, Kasdan, Burtt, Muren, and Fisher again (on Return of the Jedi).

Other extras include the bonus fourth disc with "The Most Comprehensive Feature-Length Documentary Ever Produced On the Star Wars Saga" plus "Never Before Seen Footage From the Making Of All Three Films."

Expect more possible extras to be announced soon, and retail for either box will list for $69.95.

Brosnan Calm Amid Reported 007 Hunt

MEXICO CITY - The producers of the James Bond franchise may be doubting their choice of leading man, but Pierce Brosnan — who has portrayed the suave superspy four times — is hardly worried; he's beginning filming in Mexico on another movie, "The Matador."

The Bond producers are reportedly looking for a younger face to replace Brosnan, who has starred in four Bond films since 1995.

The 50-year-old Irish actor acknowledged Thursday that his participation in the next Bond movie is indeed uncertain.

"The producers last year invited me back, and I said 'Yes'," Brosnan told journalists in Mexico City, where he is shooting "The Matador," in which he plays a hit man at the end of his game.

"They (the Bond producers) now seem to be in a malaise of confusion as to how to go forward," Brosnan added.

The next Bond film is scheduled to start shooting in 2005. Brosnan is credited with having rejuvenated the franchise when he first played 007 in 1995's "Goldeneye."

And the latest Bond film, "Die Another Day," released in 2003, was the franchise's biggest money maker ever. All told, Brosnan's four Bond films grossed about $1.5 billion at the box office.

Brosnan was initially tapped to play the British lady killer in 1986, at the tail end of his stint on the hit TV show "Remington Steele." Unable to wiggle out of his contract with NBC, Brosnan was forfeited the role to Timothy Dalton.

Having waited so many years to bring some Irish charm to Bond, Brosnan is reluctant to let the character go.

When asked Thursday who he would like to be the next James Bond, Pierce Brosnan leaned toward his microphone, locked eyes with the reporter and answered in a clear, determined voice: "Me."

Rumored replacements for Brosnan include Ewan McGregor, who took a stab recently at playing a mature, debonaire role in "Down With Love," and Hugh Jackman, who won over comic book fans with his portrayal of Wolverine in the "X-Men" movies.

While the Bond producers continue to brood, Brosnan plans to pursue other projects. He's due to grace the silver screen this month opposite Julianne Moore in "Laws of Attraction," a romantic comedy about two divorce lawyers falling in love.

After shooting "The Matador," Brosnan will move on to work on another film in Mexico - "Mexicali" - about a tourist who witnesses a murder.

The father of five is also busy with his production company, Irish DreamTime, which has been involved in several of his recent non-Bond films.

Looking more like a weekend yachter Thursday - dressed in a button-down white shirt and navy sport jacket, and donning a bushy, graying mustache - than the well-groomed 007, Brosnan said he's "very happy" with his other projects.

"They (the Bond producers) know where to find me if they want me for the next one," he said.

Stern Shocks Listeners with April Fool's Hoax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fans of Howard Stern were horrified on Thursday to hear that the radio shock jock was yanked off the air and replaced by a more wholesome show only to find out later it was all an April Fool's day prank.
 
Instead of hearing Stern and his sidekicks open the morning show, New York's WXRK Radio's General Manager Tom Chiusano read a statement saying the show was taken off the air.

"Viacom can no longer bear the weight of the government pressure and its affects on our corporation," he said, adding, "While we're sorry to end the Howard Stern Show, we promise quality programing in the future."

After the message, two other deejays then played about an hour of music interspersed with sterile banter and a promise of a show with "all the fun without the filth."

Listeners across the country called the show to complain. But then Stern and his sidekick Robin Quivers came on the show and revealed it was a hoax.

"We are back for anybody who was stupid enough to fall for that," Stern said.

Added Quivers: "Check your calendar, people."

The joke was taken seriously by many since Stern has been in the eye of a national storm over indecency in radio and TV broadcasting and has said he will be thrown off the air.

Stern, notorious for lewd talk about sex and bodily functions, has railed against the crackdown on indecency and has made President Bush and his conservative policies a target of on-air rants.

Broadcasters have been under pressure in recent months with lawmakers contemplating legislation to substantially raise fines for those who violate indecency regulations.

Clear Channel Communications Inc., the top U.S. radio station owner. dropped Stern's show from six stations after a racist remark from a listener was aired in February.

Earlier this month, Viacom Inc. President Mel Karmazin apologized for broadcasting the comment. Stern's show is syndicated by Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting unit.

Stern, who generates as much as $100 million in advertising and fees for his nationwide carrier, blamed the conservative backlash on the exposure of singer Janet Jackson's breast during a performance in February's Super Bowl half-time show.

MTV 'Punk'd' Again by Kutcher

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Four months after ending his top-rated MTV series "Punk'd," Ashton Kutcher has apparently changed his mind.

The music channel said Thursday that the celebrity prank showcase will return to its schedule next month for a third season, with eight episodes already in production. Kutcher, who serves as star and executive producer of "Punk'd," had said in December he decided to "stick with the old adage of 'leave 'em wanting more"' and discontinued the series.

A spokesman for Kutcher's Katalyst production company declined comment.

MTV had no explanation for the about-face but expressed gratitude for the return of its highest-rated series. "We are always happy to have a show back that does as well as his has on the channel," a network spokeswoman said.

Although most speculation within the TV industry interpreted Kutcher's previous declaration as a ploy to renegotiate his contract with MTV, others suggested a more creative-oriented motive: Staging the demise of "Punk'd" could be an effective method for keeping celebrities unsuspecting of pranks in the works.

The return of "Punk'd" plugs a hole in MTV's "Sunday Night Stew" programing block, which has been a magnet for young male viewers from 9-11 p.m. "Stew" returns April 26 with "Punk'd" back as the 9 p.m. anchor, along with "Viva la Bam," "Wildboyz" and "Pimp My Ride," which replaces "One Bad Trip."

In other MTV news, the 10:30 p.m. special "Choose or Lose: 20 Million Questions for John Kerry" drew 3.4 million viewers Tuesday with an interview with the Democratic presidential candidate. It was the highest-rated "Choose or Lose" special since the campaign's inception in 1992.

'Simpsons' Stars Strike for More D'oh - Report

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The actors who provide the voices for the cartoon characters on the long-running TV show "The Simpsons" have stopped work in a bid to force a settlement of lengthy contract renewal talks, Daily Variety reported in its Thursday edition.

The Hollywood trade paper said the six actors have not shown up for two script readings in the past few weeks, holding up production on the hit satire's upcoming 16th season.

It quoted insiders as saying each cast member is asking for about $360,000 an episode, or $8 million for a 22-episode season. Each member currently earns $125,000 an episode. The highest-paid star in TV is Ray Romano, who reportedly earns between $1.7 million and $2 million per episode of his Emmy-winning series "Everybody Loves Raymond."

The three-year contracts for Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Hank Azaria (Moe, Apu, Comic Book Guy), Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns and others), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Julie Kavner (Marge) and Nancy Cartwright (Bart) expired several months ago, and their representatives have been negotiating new ones to no avail, Daily Variety said.

The last "Simpsons" work dispute was in 1998, at a time when the actors were making $30,000 per episode. The show's producer, Twentieth Century Fox TV, hired casting directors in five cities to replace most of them before both sides worked out a new deal and resumed production.

"The Simpsons" airs in the United States on the Fox network. Both Fox and Twentieth Century Fox TV are owned by News Corp. Ltd.

Sarandon wanted for Crowe film

Susan Sarandon may be teaming with Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom in Cameron Crowe's upcoming romantic comedy "Elizabethtown," Variety reports.

Sarandon would play the mother of Bloom's character in the movie about an unexpected romance that develops at a Kentucky patriarch's memorial.

Judy Greer, Jessica Biel, Loudon Wainwright III and Paula Dean are also in talks for parts in the movie.

Production on "Elizabethtown" is expected to begin this summer.

Sarandon's other upcoming projects include "Shall We Dance?" with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez, "What Is It About, Alfie?" with Jude Law and Omar Epps, and "Noel" with Alan Arkin, Penelope Cruz and Robin Williams.

Pink-Haired Amy Gets 'Idol' Pink Slip

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "Last night the Top 10 'American Idol' Finalists showed why they all deserved a place on our stage," the "Idol" announcer declaims boldly, as Wednesday night's (March 31) results show begins.

Um, Mr. Disembodied Voice, I don't mean to nitpick, but the only people who consistently showed they belonged on the "Idol" stage for Motown Night (March 30) were the backup band, the Funk Brothers. Others showed that they can't yet sing and dance at the same time (like Camile Velasco) or that they can't yet carry a conventional tune (poor John Stevens) or that they can't ever hope to be heard above their musical accompaniment (sheepish Jon Peter Lewis).

This isn't to say that the frontrunners -- the LaToya Londons, Fantasia Barrinos and George Huffs -- didn't show why they deserve a place on the stage, but even if 20 million votes were cast, the show was far from an unqualified success.

The recap of Tuesday night's show confirms that fact and also allows for one more chance to gawk in awe at guest judge Nick Ashford's hypnotically grotesque hair process.

The 10 Finalists then follow with an equally hypnotically grotesque take on the Ashford & Simpson classic "Ain't No Mountain." The remaining seven gregarious women sound great and even seem capable of throwing in some rudimentary dance moves. The three guys look embarrassed. It's like a junior high dance where the girls are perfectly content to dance together in packs and the boys are too shy to do anything more than stand in the corner whispering. Certainly neither Jon nor John contributes much more than a whisper.

After the usual shout-out to Ford and its diverse array of "Idol"-lovin' driving machines, host Ryan Seacrest returns to pull the Bottom Three. As you may have heard through the grapevine, Fantasia continues to ripen. A legion of teenage girls refuse to break this old heart of Jon-Boy's, keeping him safe for another week. Jasmine Trias proves that the support of the nation is all she needs to get by. George ain't too proud to beg for votes and the voters ain't too proud to comply. While Amy Adams may have been dancing in the streets, America leaves her dancing to an ignominious position at center stage. Similarly, voters give Jennifer Hudson the cold shoulder when what she craved was a heatwave.

Diana DeGarmo asked viewers "Do You Love Me?" and enough of them replied that they do. She's safe. Camile, nearly voted out last week and mediocre last night, seems to be in trouble, but she discovers that for once in her life she's got someone who needs her. That leaves John and LaToya waiting through a commercial break for the last spot in the Bottom Three.

First, though, the "Idol" Finalists take to the desert in their Ford automobiles, scaring the cacti and Joshua Trees as they ramble through "Life is a Highway," by everybody's favorite Manitoba-born "Idol," Tom Cochrane. Where have you gone, Tom Cochrane? We haven't thought of you since 1991 and this is how you want us to remember you?

The showdown between LaToya and John should be a simple enough choice, right? Surely John must have scared off at least a few of his fans by delivering an entire song flat, right? Wrong. After ads explaining that, like Ford, Toyota also produces a diverse array of "Idol"-lovin' driving machines, we discover that John is actually safe.

Amy, Jennifer and LaToya stand together as the crowd gasps and boos. John looks frustrated, agog and mournful.

Ryan turns to the judges. First he asks Paula if what she sees before her is the correct Bottom Three.

"Nope," Paula declares, shaking her head so wildly it threatens to swivel on its axis like the "Trainspotting" baby.

Ryan puts Randy on the spot and asks how many of the contestants don't belong in the Bottom Three.

"At least two of them," Randy says without hesitation.

Ryan, following the train of thought, challenges Simon on which two don't belong. The British judge isn't playing.

"Let America vote, you live with the decision," he rationalizes.

Every week on "American Idol" there are one or two baffling moments that make you wonder what the voters were watching and what they think the point of the show is. I'm not sure, though, that I can recall a Bottom Three this disconnected from the performances of the night before. For John, Jon Peter and Camile to all be safe after what they put the audience through last night almost seems cruel to the nearly 26 million people who watched the show.

LaToya is safe, sent back to the podium.

As Jennifer and Amy stand under the glare, shifting back and forth out of nervousness, the cameraman keeps going back to shell-shocked John. Amy is humbly gracious about her prospects. Jennifer isn't so humble, but she's gracious enough. It turns out that her humility can wait an extra week. Pink-haired Amy Adams is heading home.

One week after blowing the competition away during Country Week, the 24-year-old make-up artist (and reputed Jay Leno lookalike) comes up short.

"I'm not gonna go away," she promises, as the camera goes back, one last time, to John Stevens, looking miserable.

Jewel Planning 'Lo-Fi' New Album

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Jewel's current solo acoustic tour will likely influence the approach she'll take with her next album.

The singer/songwriter told Billboard.com she's planning to make "a really simple, kind of lo-fi record" to follow up last year's "0304," which took her in an unexpected dance/pop direction.

"I've started," she said during a tour break in Texas. "I always write. I'm fairly prolific. I'm probably going to do a pretty simple record this next year. I've just been touring solo and have a lot of material I'd like to do ."

That as-yet-unscheduled next album will be the last under her deal with longtime home Atlantic Records, which is in flux in the wake of an Edgar Bronfman Jr.-led acquisition of the label's parent company, Warner Music Group. Jewel says she'll "have to see what the offer is" before deciding if she'll remain with the label or decide to work with another company.

"I'm in a really unique position," she says. "I have been since my first record. You know, I lived in a car and I was broke and I sold 11 million records on my first record . I'm not broke anymore and I have the freedom to do whatever the heck I like."

Armed with just a guitar, Jewel will resume touring April 6 in Charlotte, N.C., and plans to be on the road in the United States through July. Along with "0304," she is also out in support of her first concert DVD, "Live at Humphrey's by the Bay," released March 30 by Eagle Vision.

Recorded in 2001 in San Diego, the disc features the artist performing 13 songs, including the hits "Who Will Save Your Soul," "Hands" and "You Were Meant For Me." Three bonus tracks recorded elsewhere on that tour, as well as an interview, behind-the-scenes tour footage, a photo gallery and discography are also included.

"I think anything that can get you directly to a fan without a lot of middlemen is great. I prefer it," Jewel says of the DVD. "I think I'm better live. I think my personality comes across a lot more; it's a lot more three-dimensional format . And, really, rarely does a fan ever get to hear a person talk directly without an outside editor with some kind of agenda working on it. For this, I just think it's a really pure format.

"That was my first night with a new band, literally our first show, so there were a lot of times, just personally, where I was going by the seat of my pants," she remembers. "We all were!"

"0304" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 last June, and sold 619,000 copies during its 21 weeks on the chart.

Oscars to Keep Early Date Next Year

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Next year's AcademyAwards will keep to the shortened schedule introduced amid some controversy for last month's event.

The 77th annual ceremony will take place on Feb. 27, the last Sunday of the month, and the same relative spot on the calendar where this year's show was set. Nominations will be announced at 5:30 a.m. PST on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

In previous years, the Oscars took place at the end of March. The truncated schedule resulted in less time for the studios to promote their contenders and for voters to view all the offerings. But the early finish has allowed Hollywood to get back to business as usual sooner.

"I think people were surprised by how much they didn't dislike the new schedule," Academy spokesman John Pavlik said. "This year was sort of abnormally smooth. It certainly seemed to work better than we had feared. I think people did like the earlier schedule, and they liked the fact that it was all over (earlier in the year)."

Under next year's schedule, nomination ballots will be mailed Monday, Dec. 27, and nominations polls will close at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, 2005. Final ballots will be mailed Feb. 2 and due back at the Academy by Feb. 22.

There is only one departure from the original template used during the past awards season: When the schedule for the 76th awards was first announced last year, nomination ballots were scheduled to be mailed Jan. 2. However, realizing that the Academy would be closed that day for the New Year's holiday, the Academy decided to begin mailing ballots Monday, Dec. 29, a last-minute move that caught a number of Oscar campaigns off guard.

Next year, the nominations mailings are officially set for Dec. 27, the first Monday after the Christmas holiday weekend. That move is expected to put pressure on distributors to release their Academy hopefuls earlier than the year-end dates that have been favored in the past. If a movie is released on Dec. 24, the Friday before Christmas, Academy members will barely have a chance to sample it before their nomination ballots arrive in the mail, so the shift to November and early December releases for potential awards contenders -- a shift that began this year and that a number of distributors have vowed to continue next year -- is likely to gather momentum.

The 2005 timetable was approved at a regularly scheduled board of governors meeting Tuesday night.

There was some discussion at the meeting of moving the entire 2005 timetable up one week, which would have seen nomination ballots go out before the Christmas holiday and the awards take place on the third weekend of February. But after concerns were voiced about mailing ballots amid the crush of holiday mail as well as well as the possibility of February rainstorms materializing on show night, that idea of moving to an even earlier date structure was quickly dropped.

When the Academy decided to accelerate its awards schedule last year by shifting the ceremonies to late February rather than late March, it decided to follow the new, foreshortened schedule for two years before assessing its use in future years.

Decisions about the 2006 schedule are not expected to be made until after the 2005 awards. But with this year's schedule drawing generally positive reviews within the Academy, the Academy could well opt to stick to the new timetable in future years.

However, in 2006, the Academy Awards will face one competitor that could force it to move its date by at least one week either forward or backward on the calendar.

The Winter Olympics, taking place in Torino, Italy, will stage its closing ceremonies, to be broadcast by NBC, on Feb. 26, 2006. Because the Academy is not likely to want to pit the Oscars against the end of the games, the 2006 Oscar calendar may have to make some adjustments on the 2005 template.