Johansson replaces Winslet in Allen film

"Lost in Translation" star Scarlett Johansson is replacing Kate Winslet in the lead role of Woody Allen's new film, Variety reports.

The untitled film, which also stars Emily Motimer and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, begins shooting in July and August in London.

Winslet decided to drop out of the movie to spend more time with her family.

The film marks the first time Woody Allen has headed up a movie+ entirely outside New York.

There Can Be Only One Bond, James Bond

Clive Owen told About.com that despite rumors he won't be playing 007 any time soon. TheRuggedElegance website is saying that the new 007 just might be Adrian Paul (HIGHLANDER).

Rowling Announces Title of Potter Book

NEW YORK - No word yet on when the next Harry Potter book comes out, but at least there's a title: "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince."

"Well the door opened at last and I showed you the title of book six — the genuine title, the title that will appear on the published book, the title I have been using in my head for ages and ages," author J.K. Rowling wrote on her Web site.

The British author's U.S. publisher, Scholastic, confirmed the title on Tuesday.

A previous posting on Rowling's site, listed under "Gossip," had led some fans to believe the book would be called "Harry Potter and the Pillar of Storge." Rowling dismissed that title as laughable.

The most recent Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," was released last summer. The paperback comes out Aug. 10 with a first printing of 2 million.

Can 'Spider-Man 2' Break Own Records?

LOS ANGELES - Peter Parker is older, wiser and better-equipped to navigate the web of pitfalls that accompany the superhero life. The real issue is: Can he manage a raise in pay?

"Spider-Man 2" arrives Wednesday with a huge box-office legacy to live up to. The first "Spider-Man" obliterated records by selling $114.8 million in tickets over its opening weekend, almost $25 million more than the previous champ, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

With fans in a fever for the sequel, distributor Sony can count on a big return with "Spider-Man 2," whether or not the movie breaks opening-weekend records.

Yet in a town of ever-rising expectations, big sequels often are considered letdowns if they fail to exceed the take of their predecessors.

"Yes, I think for Hollywood, if this movie doesn't make, I don't know, some number they all have in their head, I don't know what it is, then it will be considered a failure," said Sam Raimi, who directed both "Spider-Man" movies and is set to make a third due out in May 2007. "If it makes above that number, I think it will be considered a success."

How "Spider-Man 2" does in relation to 2004's other top flicks also will reflect on the franchise. At $403.7 million domestically, "Spider-Man" easily held the top box-office spot among films released in 2002, finishing some $62 million ahead of its closest rival, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."

"Spider-Man 2" already has stiffer competition. Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" became a surprise blockbuster with $377 million. This year's top-grossing "Shrek 2" is just crossing the $400 million mark and has enough steam left to reach $425 million or more. At $108 million over its opening three-day weekend, "Shrek 2" also ran a close second to "Spider-Man" for biggest debut ever.

Tobey Maguire reprises his role as Marvel Comics youth Peter Parker, transformed by a mutant spider's bite into the superhero. Kirsten Dunst, James Franco and other co-stars also return, and Alfred Molina plays Spider-Man's new nemesis, Doc Ock.

Unlike "Spider-Man," which debuted on a Friday, "Spider-Man 2" opens on Wednesday, which could undermine its prospects for a record weekend since many fans will have seen it the first two days. The first Sunday for "Spider-Man 2" lands on the Fourth of July, a slower movie night because many people will be watching fireworks.

"Shrek 2" also opened on Wednesday and set a record for best five-day opening at $129 million, beating "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which did $124.1 million last December. On its first Saturday, "Shrek 2" also scored the best single-day gross ever with $44.8 million, $1.2 million ahead of the previous record held by "Spider-Man."

Sony originally scheduled "Spider-Man 2" to open the Friday before July 4 then moved it up two days to get a jump on the holiday weekend. With many people off from work Monday, the studio has positioned the film for a colossal first week.

"It looks to me like Sony is trying to maximize its return over six days," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "I think it's all about that first week, not about breaking records."

"Spider-Man 2" could rake in $150 million between Wednesday and Monday, which would surpass the record $146.9 million that "The Matrix Reloaded" grossed in its first six days, Dergarabedian said.

Considering the enthusiastic early reviews, "Spider-Man 2" could end up sweeping away all the debut records. The film opens in more than 4,100 theaters, about the same as "Shrek 2" and well above the 3,615 cinemas for the first "Spider-Man."

"On box office, I'm just too superstitious to speculate. I just know we have a better movie," said Avi Arad, head of Marvel Studios and a producer on "Spider-Man 2." "The way the reviews are looking, no one is going to look at this and be saying, `You didn't live up to the first one.'"

The Couch Potato Report - June 29th, 2004

This week in The Couch Potato Report, a movie about a mountain that will leave you cold, another barbershop and 17 more episodes of a southern park.

A lot of fuss was made in back in January when the movie COLD MOUNTAIN didn’t receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It did receive 7 nominations, but it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture.

The fuss wasn’t due to the fact that people thought an incredible picture was snubbed, instead it was due to the fact that Miramax, the studio who released it, hadn’t been able to get COLD MOUNTAIN nominated.

Going into this year’s Oscar race Miramax had an 11-year streak of fielding at least one best-picture candidate.

In the 1990s Miramax pioneered the modern marketing blitz that has become the norm for studios seeking awards attention on their films.

Miramax's campaign machine has helped produce such best-picture winners as THE ENGLISH PATIENT, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and CHICAGO, along with other Oscar successes that include GOOD WILL HUNTING, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and THE CIDER HOUSE RULES.

This time, Miramax was unable to sway voters in favor of its Civil War film, a movie directed by Anthony Minghella, the filmmaker – and Oscar winner – behind THE ENGLISH PATIENT.

My feeling is that this time Academy voters decided to actually watch the movie in question and not just go with the hype provided by the Miramax machine.

And when they watched COLD MOUNTAIN, what they saw was a movie that is certainly not one of the Best Pictures of last year.

Not by any stretch of the imagination!

Seemingly, COLD MOUNTAIN does offer everything you'd want from a dramatic romantic movie with big name stars. Well, everything except a resonant emotional core.

Every single thing that happens in this wannabe epic depends on whether you believe the instant love that ignites during a very, very brief encounter between Nicole Kidman, a city-bred preacher's daughter and a Confederate soldier played by the Oscar nominated Jude Law.

Admittedly, Nicole looks amazing, but there is ZERO chemistry between her and Law.

That makes the fact that Law deserts the battlefield to return, weary and wounded, to Kidman on a farm in the rural town of Cold Mountain, North Carolina utterly uninteresting.

If you can’t see the two of them together, how can you care if they end up together!??!

I didn’t care. I wasn't entertained and, truth be told, I even started to lose interest in staring at Nicole Kidman. At one point I found myself wondering how her teeth stayed so white, even though she was in dirt all the time and that she wouldn't have had time for tooth paste. Did they even have tooth paste during the time when the film was taking place?

Like I said, my mind was wondering. Except when Rene Zellweger appeared on screen to help Kidman run her farm.

Zellweger won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work and she deserved it.

Without her support COLD MOUNTAIN might have been unwatchable.

With a running time of two hours and thirty-two minutes, I was glad for every single Zellweger moment!

COLD MOUNTAIN was obviously supposed to be an example of grand, old-fashioned filmmaking, boosted by star power of the highest order.

Instead, it is a boring movie that offers no chemistry between the two lead actors.

I hate to be harsh, but COLD MOUNTAIN left me bored, and well, cold.

On the other hand, BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS warmed me up and made me laugh.

And I like to laugh.

BARBERSHOP 2 is a great sequel that delivers fresh laughs.

Yes, the plot is just about the same as the first movie - a group of likable characters at a Chicago Barbershop rise above adversity to keep their way of life - but the movie still entertains and the cast is even better since we have a few new characters, including Queen Latifah from CHICAGO and BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. She plays Gina, the owner of a beauty shop.

For the record, Queen Latifah is currently shooting the spin off film BEAUTY SHOP.

Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer and Eve all return from the original and I recommend BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS if you enjoy a good laugh.

I will also sit here and recommend SOUTH PARK – THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON, a new 3-disc box set with all 17 episodes from the fourth season of the still funny TV show South Park.

While the episodes might seem less hilarious when compared to the originality of the three previous seasons, or the incredible Oscar nominated feature film that came before them, the fourth season is still very funny.

Especially during the episodes that feature a new character. A character that most fans of the series came to love: the wheelchair bound Timmy who is only capable of saying his name.

Two of the best episodes from this season are the one that sees Eric, Stan, Kyle and Kenny form their own boy band; and the episode where the truth about Mr. Garrison is finally revealed once and for all.

Should you not be a fan of SOUTH PARK, this box set and my comments won’t change your mind.

But, if you do love the show, the fourth season is a box set you’ll need to own.

As a bonus, series creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker offer up mini-commentaries on all of the episodes. Their opinions and recollections are worth the price of the set on its own.

COLD MOUNTAIN, BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS and SOUTH PARK – THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON are all available now at a video store near you.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

Since the past few months have been busy for us all, I suspect that you just don’t have as much time as you’d like to have to spend watching movies.

Well, I have time and I watch movies every week!

So next week, just in case you’ve finally found some time to catch up on some of the releases you might have missed, I’m going to look back on some of the more worthy releases of the past six months.

That includes: SPELLBOUND, SWIMMING POOL, LOST IN TRANSLATION, FREAKS & GEEKS, THE OFFICE – THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE and SCTV.

It’s a look back at the six months that were (I’ll have more on those, and some
other 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 Tunes

Not much coming out today, except for the releases from two of the best Canadian bands of all time!!!

Enjoy.

Here are the new music releases for Tuesday, June 29, 2004:

FROM FIRST TO LAST Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body Count (Epitaph)
LATEEF & THE CHIEF ARE MAROONS Ambush EP (Quannum)
RUSH Feedback (Universal)
THE TRAGICALLY HIP In Between Evolution (Universal)
TIGER ARMY Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Return (Hellcat)

Jack Black Warns That Peter Jackson's King Kong Is A Scary Flesh-Eater

CULVER CITY, California — When it was announced that Jack Black would be starring in the new remake of "King Kong," a lot of people wondered: He's not going all serious-actor guy, is he?

"There are some funny things about my character but, yeah, it is a different thing for me," Black revealed backstage at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards. "But I'm not approaching it differently. I'm approaching it with the same balls-to-the-wall attitude."

And there'll be a similar attitude throughout Peter Jackson's "Kong" remake, which Black promised will feature a much fiercer giant gorilla than some of the kinder, gentler versions.

"I just read the script for the first time. It's so rad. And it's top secret. I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this," he teased. "King Kong is going to be scary as hell, dude. He's not gonna be sweet and cuddly. It's not gonna be the cute kind [of movie]. He's a f---ing carnivore, as in, eats flesh!"

The movie will be shot in New Zealand with Jackson's team re-creating parts of 1930s New York. Black will be joined in the movie by Naomi Watts ("The Ring") and Andy Serkis, who will provide motion-capture work for the computer-generated Kong, a role similar to what he did for Jackson when he played Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings." Serkis will also play a smaller part in the movie, sans effects.

Serkis isn't the only "Rings" alum looking to re-team with Jackson, who achieved cult status with the horror flicks "Bad Taste" and "Dead Alive" before getting art-house credibility with Kate Winslet's "Heavenly Creatures" and his Hollywood break with 1996's "The Frighteners." Late last year, while promoting "The Return of the King," everyone from Elijah Wood to Ian McKellen publicly expressed interest in being involved (see " 'Rings' Cast Scrambling For Parts In Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' ").

"I don't blame them. You know, all my friends are telling me the same thing, too: 'Get me in "King Kong," man, you're tight with Jackson!,' " Black said, laughing. "And I'm not really that tight with Jackson. And I'm not going to be telling him, you know, 'Cast my neighbor, he really wants to be in your movie!' "

Black first encountered Jackson as something of a fanboy himself.

"It was weird because I kind of look like him now, with the beard and the 'baby,' " he said, patting his stomach. "We are kind of the same guy. But it was good to meet him. I was nervous. I'm a huge fan of his and I really wanted to be in 'King Kong.' I hadn't even read it yet, you know? I just met him and said, 'Uh, yeah, I heard you're doing 'King Kong.' So, uh, what do you think, man?' And he was like, 'I'm thinking about you for the role.' And I was like, 'Oh, all right!' "

Black is such a fan that he's likening one of his other projects — the long-discussed movie about his band Tenacious D, which is written and now has an April 1, 2005, start date — to the New Zealand filmmaker's famous trilogy. "It's like the 'Lord of the Rings' of rock. I swear to God it's going to be the best movie ever made. And there are lots of special effects, car chases and stuff — for real."

"I want — I need — Meat Loaf to play my dad," he added, without a hint of irony. "I want Rob Zombie to play the wizard. And I want Ronnie James Dio to play himself. I have my dream list. If I could get those people, I'd be squared."

He mentioned to Peter Jackson that he's aiming to surpass, or at least equal, "The Lord of the Rings" with the Tenacious D flick. "He's all right with it. He's closed that chapter in his life, you know? So there's room for more epic quests."

And perhaps there'll be room on Black's shelf for another MTV Movie Award.

"It's always good to win. I'm very competitive, so when I lose, it burns in my skull," he said about his taking home the golden popcorn for Best Comedic Performance in another guitar-driven movie, "The School of Rock." "I'd like to say to the other people that were in my category: I thank you all for being not quite as funny as me this time."

"King Kong" is scheduled to begin filming in August, with a December 2005 release date. Black's voice will be heard before that in the animated "Shark Tale," alongside Will Smith and Angelina Jolie ("I call her Angie," Black noted), which opens October 1.

Moore Backtracks on 'Fahrenheit 9/11' DVD Release

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -- When it looked like his film wasn't going to get a distributor until he won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, Michael Moore said he would get "Fahrenheit 9/11" out on DVD and video by November in order to get his message out and influence the presidential election.

Even after signing a deal with Lions Gate and IFC Films to distribute the movie before Independence Day, Moore says he wanted to get "Fahrenheit 9/11" out to audiences at home who won't go see a documentary in the theater.

But now, Moore tells Zap2it.com, "There are no plans yet for a DVD before the election, it's pretty much out of my hands."

It's tough to imagine anything is out of Moore's hands after overwhelming box office numbers this past weekend, becoming the most successful money-making documentary in history, landing $21.8 million in one weekend. However, Moore's movie is mixed up in a complex web of a newly-formed company -- Fellowship Adventure Group -- by Miramax co-chairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein who joined forces with Lions Gate Films and IFC Films.

Through a deal with Lions Gate, Showtime has the pay-TV rights and the DVD/video plans are still in the works, although there is some speculation that it could end up at Universal Home Video.

Lions Gate publicist Sarah Greenberg says, "We can't comment yet on the DVD."

Meanwhile, Moore is riding high on the theatrical release.

"If it's playing this well, I'd rather people see it on the movie screen with hundreds of their fellow Americans applauding a blank screen," he says.

Wanna Be In TLC?

TLC's surviving members (Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas) are reportedly in talks with production company Fox Television Studios for a reality show/contest to find a vocalist to replace the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Representatives for TLC and Fox had no comment.

Watkins and Thomas had previously insisted that TLC would not continue making music under that name in the wake of Lopes' 2002 death in a car accident.

Harry's "Goblet" Gets Going

The Hogwarts Express is heading out again.

Principal photography on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth feature based on J.K. Rowling's magical mystery series, is now underway, Warner Bros. announced Monday.

Goblet of Fire is being shot at England's Leavesden Studios and is being helmed by Mike Newell, whose credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco and the recent Mona Lisa Smile. The film is being produced by David Heyman and features a script by Steve Kloves, who masterfully adapted all three previous installments.

Potter's troika of young stars, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are once again on board. This time the action takes place during their fourth year at Hogwart's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, a term in which the lightning-scarred boy magician will encounter his greatest challenge yet--taking part in the life-threatening inter-school Triwizard Competition.

As usual, the movie will feature a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, this one named Mad-Eye Moody, who will be played by Brendan Gleeson (Troy, Cold Mountain).

Other new additions to the cast include Robert Pattinson as Harry's heroic rival, Cedric Diggory, Stanislav Ianevski as Quidditch star Viktor Krum, Clemence Poesy as Fleur Delacour, Katie Leung as Harry's new crush, Cho Chang, and Francese De La Tour as Madame Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

Returning to their respective parts are Tom Felton, the young actor who plays Harry's nemesis, Draco Malfoy, along with Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Michael Gambon (Professor Albus Dumbledore), Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), Alan Rickman (Professor Snape), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) and Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy).

One major role yet to be cast, however, is Voldemort--the wizarding world's ultimate practitioner of the dark arts and Harry's archenemy, who finally reveals himself in Goblet of Fire (not including the fleshy bloated face that pops out the back of Professor Quirrell's head in The Sorcerer's Stone).

According to London's Daily Mirror, producers are in talks with Ralph Fiennes to play You Know Who once the actor wraps The Constant Gardener opposite Rachel Weisz currently shooting in Kenya.

Fiennes is a fine choice to play the villainous Voldemort, having earned an Oscar nomination for his work as a Nazi thug in Schindler's List and playing the serial killer known as the Tooth Fairy in 2002's Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon.

There's a hitch, however. Reportedly Fiennes isn't sure he wants to commit to at least three additional Potter installments, which will likely feature Voldemort.

But if all goes accordingly, Fiennes could be on the Leavesden set by the end of the year

Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban--the Alfonso Cuarón-directed third film in the franchise, which received overwhelming praise from critics as the best of the three--has so far grossed more than $211 million domestically in four weeks of release. The film is projected to fall short of the $261 million and $303 million in ticket sales respectively generated by its predecessors, 2002's Chamber of Secrets and 2001's Sorcerer's Stone.

Goblet of Fire is scheduled to hit theaters in November 2005.

Box Office Tally Climbs for 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Box-office fever for Michael Moore's searing anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" climbed a bit higher on Monday as distributors touted record-breaking ticket sales about $2 million more than first reported.

According to a final tally of weekend receipts, Moore's critique of President Bush and his policies since the September 11, 2001 attacks on America grossed $23.9 million during its first three days of release across the United States and Canada.

That made it No. 1 at the box office and surpassed the $21.5 million generated by Moore's previous film, the Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine," as the highest-grossing documentary ever.

All told, the movie's total stood at just over $24 million counting the head-start it received on Wednesday in two Manhattan theaters, generating extra media buzz before expanding to a relatively modest 868 theaters two days later.

Previous tallies reported Sunday had Moore's film grossing $21.8 million since Friday.

By contrast, most of the other movies in the top five were showing in more than 2,500 theaters each, giving "Fahrenheit 9/11" a much higher per-theater average -- above $27,000 -- than any of its competition and demonstrating that it was playing to packed houses.

The comedy "White Chicks" opened at No. 2 with $19.6 million in Friday-through-Sunday ticket sales, the same as reported over the weekend.

Distributors Lions Gate Films and IFC Films have said release of the film, already unprecedented for a political documentary, would be expanded further in the weeks ahead.

Tom Ortenberg, Lions Gate distribution president, said the film played strongly in big cities and small towns, alike, and in Democratic as well as Republican states.

Next week, the film faces far stiffer competition from the highly anticipated opening of "Spider-Man 2."

Moore's film suggests that Bush's response to the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were clouded by his relatives' close ties to the Saudi Arabian elite, including Osama bin Laden's family. It further claims that the Bush administration stoked public fears about terrorism to support a needless and costly invasion of Iraq.

Moore and backers of the film have said they hope it can influence the outcome of the November presidential race. Republican supporters dismiss the movie as a blatant piece of political propaganda.

The "Indestructible" technology shows its age

The Bar-Kays' "Greatest Hits," a soul CD on Michele Youket's desk at the Library of Congress, has seen better days. On its surface are dozens of tiny holes and rusted-out blotches, making it resemble a chrome bumper that's been left to rot in a junkyard. Youket has many CDs like that -- one, by the New Age artist Paul Winter, has shed its silvery surface, leaving only a transparent disc with a printed logo on top.

Youket's music collection, stored in her windowless subbasement office in Washington, D.C., has implications for every CD buyer and record company in the world. She is the lead scientist on the library's four-year-long project testing the life span of compact discs, a twenty-two-year-old technology once touted as indestructible. It's the first major public study of its kind; upon the release of its findings, the library will decide whether to shift its large CD-ROM collection to another medium.

And as the blotchy Bar-Kays album shows, CDs are, in fact, destructible. "Oh, definitely," says Youket, who works in the library's Preservation Research and Testing Division. "Everything organic degrades."

How soon CDs wear out is a much more complicated -- and controversial -- question. The discs on Youket's desk have undergone 150-plus-degree humidity "soaks" in the library's ovens to accelerate their age. Youket can't say how many years of aging these ovens simulate, but the library's scientists estimate poorly made CDs may deteriorate after as little as five or ten years, while better-made discs could last up to a century. The Bar-Kays CD came out in 1998 on K-Tel, and Winter's 1987 Earthbeat was on a small, low-budget label. Although some major-label releases similarly wore out after being soaked, a 1996 Sony disc by soul singer Puff Johnson showed only minimal damage.

Experts say today's music CDs are built for longevity -- but only as long as they're kept in cases, unscratched, at room temperature, away from extreme moisture. "If it's stored carefully, it'd probably come close to a human's lifetime," says Alan Sahakian, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northwestern University. Adds Jerry Hartke, president of Media Sciences, a CD-quality testing facility, "The error correction in those things is so powerful you can actually drill a two-millimeter hole in the thing, and it'll still play."

The CD-deterioration issue resurfaced in early May, when Dan Koster, Web-content manager at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, told an Associated Press reporter he'd discovered a "constellation of pinpricks" in hundreds of his properly stored collection of more than 2,000 CDs. Youket contacted Koster -- her Bar-Kays album showed similar pinpricklike defects. Does that mean all CDs will develop deadly pricks over time? No, says Chandru Shahani, chief of Youket's division: "CDs are sturdy. We're not trying to scare people. We'd like to guide the industry into putting out a more stable product."

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Sets Documentary Record

LOS ANGELES - Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" took in a whopping $21.8 million in its first three days, becoming the first documentary ever to debut as Hollywood's top weekend film.

If Sunday's estimates hold when final numbers are released Monday, "Fahrenheit 9/11" would set a record in a single weekend as the top-grossing documentary ever outside of concert films and movies made for huge-screen IMAX theaters.

Adding the film's haul at two New York City theaters where it opened Wednesday, two days earlier than the rest of the country, boosted "Fahrenheit 9/11" to $21.96 million.

"Bowling for Columbine," Moore's 2002 Academy Award-winning documentary, previously held the documentary record with $21.6 million.

"Fahrenheit 9/11," Moore's assault on President Bush's actions after the 2001 terrorist attacks, won the top honor at last month's Cannes Film Festival and has attracted attention from both sides in the presidential campaign.

The movie has been embraced by left-wing groups, which mobilized members to see it during the opening weekend. Conservative groups sought to discourage theaters from showing it and asked the Federal Election Commission to examine its ads for potential violations of campaign-finance law regulating when commercials may feature a presidential candidate.

"I want to thank all the right-wing organizations out there who tried to stop the film, either from their harassment campaign that didn't work on the theater owners, or going to the FEC to get our ads removed from television, to all the things that have been said on television," Moore said. "It's only encouraged more people to go and see it."

The Wayans brothers' comedy "White Chicks," about two black FBI agents who go undercover as white debutantes, opened in second place with $19.6 million for the weekend. That pushed the total for "White Chicks" to $27.1 million since opening Wednesday.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," slipped to third place, taking in $18.5 million and pushing its 10-day total to $67.2 million. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' "The Terminal" fell from second to fourth place with $13.9 million, raising its 10-day gross to $41.8 million.

Premiering in fifth place with $13 million was the tearjerker romance "The Notebook," featuring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands.

Despite good reviews, the family film "Two Brothers," about tiger siblings separated in youth and reunited as opponents in the ring as grown cats, opened weakly at No. 9 with $6.2 million.

"Fahrenheit 9/11" opened in 868 theaters, a wide release for a documentary but narrow compared to big Hollywood flicks. The film averaged $25,115 a theater, compared to $7,190 in 2,726 cinemas for "White Chicks."

Distributors Lions Gate and IFC Films plan to put "Fahrenheit 9/11" into a couple of hundred more theaters this Wednesday, when competition heats up with the release of "Spider-Man 2," summer's most-anticipated movie.

Lions Gate and IFC came on board after Disney refused to let subsidiary Miramax release "Fahrenheit 9/11" because of its political content. Miramax bosses Harvey and Bob Weinstein bought back the film and went looking for independent distributors.

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. "Fahrenheit 9/11," $21.8 million.
2. "White Chicks," $19.6 million.
3. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $18.5 million.
4. "The Terminal," $13.9 million.
5. "The Notebook," $13 million.
6. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," $11.4 million.
7. "Shrek 2," $10.5 million.
8. "Garfield: The Movie," $7 million.
9. "Two Brothers," $6.2 million.
10. "The Stepford Wives," $5.2 million.

Long in the Works, Charles Biopic Nears Release

NEW YORK (Billboard) - When Ray Charles passed away June 10, he left more than his music as testament to his talent and influence.

The Universal Pictures movie "Ray" (formerly titled "Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story") is a tribute to Charles' life and legacy. Jamie Foxx portrays Charles in the film, which opens Oct. 29 in U.S. theaters.

Curt Sobel, music supervisor and music editor for "Ray," gave Billboard an exclusive insider's story about the film.

"Ray Charles OK'ed the script, and he was 100% supportive of what we were doing in telling his life story," Sobel said.

Although Foxx did much of his own singing, Charles' vocals are a huge part of the movie. Sobel worked with the singer to re-record many of his classic songs.

"If there were that were unavailable, or if they didn't match the script, we had Ray come in and do the songs," says Sobel. "Jamie only sang on the set, not in the studio. We felt that many of the older songs needed to have Ray's vocals."

Rhino/Atlantic/Warner Strategic Marketing will release the soundtrack Aug. 24.

Taylor Hackford directed "Ray," which covers Charles' life from 1935 to 1979. James L. White and Hackford wrote the screenplay.

"The way the script was written, they told Ray's life through the songs," Sobel says. "You'll hear a song like 'Hit the Road Jack' in a scene when Ray has a fight with his wife Margie."

Sobel elaborates on his musical responsibilities for the film. "I was more like a musical director than anything else. Taylor decided that nothing on the film would happen musically unless it went through me first.

"So that meant everything from choosing the pianos to coordinating the dance routines with the Raelettes to working with Jamie Foxx on the musical numbers."

Making the film was a labor of love, Sobel adds. The picture was an independent production until Universal signed on in March for distribution, long after filming wrapped last year. Prior to that, the movie had been in development for 16 years.

"We had budgetary constraints," Sobel says. "Everyone took a paycheck cut for this picture."

Sobel says his favorite memories of working on the film include his initial meetings with Charles.

"I was there the first time Jamie met Ray. Jamie was tongue-tied at first, but Ray was so warm and giving of himself. They ended up sitting at pianos side by side and playing music and telling stories.

"I happened to bring a digital video camera with me to record those meetings. We made a 'making of' documentary, which will probably end up on the 'Ray' DVD. I deeply regret Ray's passing; it's an incredible loss to the world."

As a music editor, Sobel's credits include "X-Men," "I Am Sam," "La Bamba" and "Risky Business." He previously worked with Hackford on the films "Proof of Life," "Dolores Claiborne," "Bound by Honor," "Chuck Berry: Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' roll," "White Nights," "Against All Odds" and "An Officer and a Gentleman."

Sobel says, "Everything Taylor and I worked on before was like practice for 'Ray.' This movie is definitely a highlight of my film career. I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked on this movie."

The Clash Reissue 'London Calling' with Demos, DVD

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A disc of recently discovered demos for the Clash's "London Calling" and a DVD boasting previously unseen live performance footage will be included in Epic Records' Sept. 21 reissue of the English punk band's landmark 1979 album.

The demos, dubbed "The Vanilla Tapes," were recently discovered in a storage facility belonging to guitarist/vocalist Mick Jones, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Legacy Recordings heritage unit of Epic's Sony Music parent.

The demos include songs that did not make the final cut for "London Calling," although a spokesman said the track listing had not been finalized.

In addition to the original album and the demos, "London Calling: The 25th Anniversary Edition" will boast a DVD chronicling the Clash at that point in its existence. A 45-minute documentary was created by longtime biographer Don Letts, and features recording studio footage, previously unreleased live performances, interviews with Jones, late singer/guitarist Joe Strummer, drummer Topper Headon and bassist Paul Simonon and a conversation with one-time band manager Kosmo Vinyl.

The new edition will also feature full song lyrics, a new essay and photos by band photographer Pennie Smith, who was responsible for the blurry cover shot of an angry Simonon smashing his bass during a gig at the New York Palladium.

"London Calling," the Clash's third album, has come to be regarded as one of the best records of the punk era. Its 19 tracks feature such classics as the title cut, "Clampdown," "Guns of Brixton," "Spanish Bombs," "Rudie Can't Fail," "Death or Glory" and the final hidden tune "Train in Vain."

Vince Vaughn Revs Up 'Speed Racer' at Warner Bros.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chim Chim must be doing back flips. Warner Bros. is back on track with development of a live-action film adaptation of the popular Japanese-made cartoon series "Speed Racer," the studio said on Thursday.

The "Speed" project, idling in Warner's slow lane for about a decade, shifted back into high gear after actor Vince Vaughn ("DodgeBall") sold the studio on his own concept for the movie, with Vaughn cast as the title character's mysterious big brother, Racer X, a studio spokeswoman said.

Entertainment trade paper Daily Variety reported that the studio was receptive to Vaughn's vision because it focused on character development and a family story in lieu of potentially costly racing scenes.

A previous incarnation of the project had director Julien Temple at the helm with Johnny Depp on board to star, but Variety said that version stalled over budget considerations.

The Warner Bros. spokeswoman said no other talent was yet attached to the project, and producer Joel Silver ("The Matrix"), who owns feature rights to "Speed Racer," is currently shopping for a screenwriter. Vaughn also will hold executive producer credit.

"Speed Racer," a popular Japanese "anime" that gained a devoted following on U.S. television, centered on the adventures of a young driver named Speed and his supercharged racing machine, the Mach 5.

A colorful cast of characters included the elder Pops Racer, Speed's girlfriend Trixie (known for shouting "SPEEEEEED!" in times of crisis), and the pet chimpanzee Chim Chim. And there was the enigmatic Racer X.

"I've been a fan of the show since I was a kid and always liked the theme of the protective older brother who can't reveal his identity," Vaughn told Variety.

In addition to the recent comedy "DodgeBall," Vaughn's other big-screen credits include "Old School," "Starsky & Hutch" and "Swingers."

Canada's Walk of Fame develops cachet as stars appear for 2004 inductions

TORONTO (CP) - They cried "Mario! Mario! Mario!"

And they sang "Born to Be Wild!"

But mostly and loudly they chanted "Jim, we love you!"

A thousand screaming fans outside Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall on Wednesday night belied the ongoing concern that there's no star system in Canada.

They waited for hours in bleachers alongside the red carpet for the official arrivals of this year's inductees into Canada's Walk of Fame, an event that included the official unveiling of the latest sidewalk plaques as well as a gala variety show telecast live on TV.

Jim Carrey's limousine was the last to arrive and he didn't disappoint, dashing along a fenceline shaking hands and signing autographs for the delirious hometown fans.

"When I come back here, I always get that same feeling, that feeling of lightness and the feeling of home and I'm so glad to finally get a chance to say to the Canadian people how much they mean to me and how wonderful the whole trip has been," he said to the crowd. "I couldn't have done it without you."

And naturally Carrey didn't just unveil his plaque. He yanked the cover off with the flourish of a matador and then sat atop it, his legs spread apart while his family flanked him for the photographers.

"It's the whole DNA strain!" he shouted with a laugh.

NHL superstar Mario Lemieux had his own cheering section, many sporting Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys.

"Obviously it's a great honour," Lemieux said. "I had a chance to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame a few years ago but this is very special."

The arrival of rocker and founder of Steppenwolf, John Kay, was greeted by an impromptu version of Born to be Wild, a rock anthem made legend by the band. Dressed in black and accompanied by his official presenter, old friend Peter Fonda, Kay injected politics into the affair when he told reporters that if the governing Liberals have dropped the ball, Canadian voters shouldn't punish them by voting them out of office.

"Don't shoot yourself in the foot by electing those who do not represent your views. Re-elect the ones who theoretically do represent your views and then hold THEIR feet to the fire."

Kay said in his world travels he's found Canadians are viewed as peacemakers and the nation as one with enlightened leadership.

"And when you have a somewhat belligerent neighbour next to you, that's not always easy."

He added that regime change may be at hand soon in the U.S., though.

Fonda said his mother was Canadian and wondered jokingly if he could have a piece of one of the Walk of Fame stars because he wanted to be a part of Canada.

Actor and social activist Shirley Douglas said it was important that events like the Walk of Fame encourage Canadian talent.

"I would say to any young actor tonight 'If you see me, believe me you can do the same thing. All you have to do is believe that you want to do it and if you truly want to do it, it will happen.

"Work at it and you'll get here."'

Actor-director Helen Shaver said she was proud of such an incredible honour.

"I remember when we used to say there are no stars in Canada, and here we are and there are so many stars that we have to scatter them on the sidewalk. It's fabulous!"

The other living inductees included jazz performer Diana Krall who, like Fonda, wore faded jeans on the bottom half of formal attire, and director Denys Arcand.

And there were posthumous inductions for four pioneers of Hollywood who had Canadian roots: studio bosses Jack Warner and Louis B. Mayer, producer Mack Sennett and silent screen star Mary Pickford.

Filmmaker Norman Jewison was on hand to help with the tribute to the so-called Canadian Connection. He said it's a much bigger event than the debut year in 1998 when he got his star.

"There was 30 people, a cop and my sister, that's who was here," he quipped. "We're growing up and we're starting to embrace success which is what we should do."

In an unusual and even daring move, unpredictable shock comic and MTV personality Tom Green served as emcee for the gala. The list of presenters included directors Jewison and David Cronenberg, film producer Robert Lantos and actors Peter Fonda and Fiona Reid.

Rohm Closing 'Law & Order' Case

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Elisabeth Rohm is expected to end her record-setting stint on NBC's veteran crime drama "Law & Order" sometime next season to pursue other acting opportunities.

Rohm, who plays Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn, is locked for the first 13 episodes of the show's 15th season this fall. Beyond that, there is a possibility for her to do a few more episodes before she departs.

"Lis has done a terrific job as ADA Serena Southerlyn and she has been a consummate professional," "Law & Order" creator/executive producer Dick Wolf said in a statement. "We knew she had other career interests and opportunities and she graciously agreed to stay through the transition with Dennis (Farina), for at least 13 episodes of the new season."

Last month, Farina was tapped to join the cast of the Emmy-winning series as Detective Joe Fontana. He will replace longtime star Jerry Orbach, who is expected to join the cast of the upcoming fourth "Law & Order" series, "Trial by Jury."

Rohm, the fifth actor to play the role of the ADA, has made her character the longest-running ADA on the show, having replaced Angie Harmon in 2001 to work alongside Executive ADA Jack McCoy, played by Sam Waterston since 1994.

"Sam Waterston has been a great teacher and friend who has taught me about taking risks, and it is time to put that knowledge into action. It is because of 'Law & Order' that I have so many opportunities come my way," Rohm said.

Rohm, who is shooting "Miss Congeniality II," already has several television projects in the works. Before "Law & Order," she starred in the soap "One Life To Live."

Beastie Boys End Six-Year Lull with No. 1 Album

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Proving they can still party for their right to fight, the Beastie Boys returned in style from a six-year recording lull to top the U.S. pop album charts with their latest release, "To the 5 Boroughs."

The Beasties' toast to their native New York sold 360,000 copies for the week ended June 20, about half the first-week tally of the veteran rap trio's last offering, "Hello Nasty," but enough to clinch the fourth No. 1 album of their career, Nielsen SoundScan reported on Wednesday.

By comparison, "Hello Nasty" opened at No. 1 in July 1998 with 682,000 copies sold its first week and remained on top for three weeks, going on to sell 3.8 million units to date.

Still, "5 Boroughs" (Capitol Records) got a stronger start than the Beasties' 1994 release "Ill Communication," which opened at No. 1 with 220,000 copies sold.

The band also went to No. 1 for seven weeks with its 1986 debut album, "Licensed to Ill," which produced the band's massive cross-over hit "Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and preceded the May 1991 launch of the SoundScan sales system for calculating chart rankings.

The Beasties' 1989 album, "Paul's Boutique," peaked at No. 14, and 1992's "Check Your Head" at No. 10.

The group's sixth album finds bandmates Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock (aka Mike Diamond, Adam Yauch and Adam Horovitz) all approaching their 40s as they continue to present their familiar brand of old-school rap spiced with punk.

Last week's chart-topper, Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" (RCA Records), the first album by a rock band to top the Billboard 200 since Metallica's "St. Anger" a year ago, slipped to No. 3 with sales of 122,700 copies, a 52 percent slide from its opening number.

"Contraband," the debut album from the supergroup featuring former Guns N' Roses musicians and Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland, has sold nearly 380,000 copies to date.

Usher's "Confessions," which has spent a total of nine weeks at the top, held steady at No. 2 after a mere 1 percent drop from the previous week to sales of 169,000 copies. Its cumulative total rose to 4.3 million copies.

Gretchen Wilson remained at No. 4 for a second week with "Here for the Party," and Avril Lavigne dropping two spots to No. 5 with "Under My Skin."

Rounding out the top 10 were Prince's "Musicology," Hoobastank's "The Reason," D12's "D12 World," Los Lonely Boys' self-titled release and Celine Dion's latest set, "A New Day: Live in Las Vegas."

Josh Gracin, the active-duty Marine who finished fourth on the second season of Fox Television's "American Idol," entered the pop chart at No. 11 and the country chart at No. 2 with his self-titled debut album, selling 57,000 copies its first week.

Alias Returns To Old

In a interview with TV Guide.com ABC President Stephen McPherson is saying that next season ALIAS will be back to the old, where Sydney will juggle her dual roles as an international spy and normal twenty-something girl.

"We got so deep in the Rimbaldi and Covenant [mysteries] that we lost sight of some of the stuff we fell in love with [in the beginning]. J.J. is talking about getting back to some of the joy that she used to have in her personal life early on... while still living in this crazy world."

SHOT DOWN

The MPAA ratings board reaffirming its decision to give an R rating to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, despite a last-ditch appeal by distributors hoping for a PG-13. Moore has encouraged teens to do whatever it takes to see the film, even sneak in. The film opens in 800 theaters on Friday.

AFI Says 'Over the Rainbow' Top Movie Tune

LOS ANGELES - There's no song like "Over the Rainbow." Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale's wistful ditty in "The Wizard of Oz" led the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs Tuesday, followed by "As Time Goes By" from "Casablanca" at No. 2 and the title tune from "Singin' in the Rain" at No. 3.

"Over the Rainbow," sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 musical fantasy, was picked as the top song in U.S. cinema in voting by about 1,500 actors, filmmakers, writers, critics and others in Hollywood.

"That deserves it. It's one of the great, great songs. Judy Garland, the emotion in that song. It gives me chills whenever I hear it," said Burt Bacharach, who was represented on the list for co-writing "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" (No. 23) from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (No. 79) from "Arthur."

In 2001, Garland's "Over the Rainbow" (and Bing Crosby's "White Christmas") also topped the 365 "Songs of the Century" selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America.

The rest of the AFI top 10: 4. "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's"; 5. "White Christmas" from "Holiday Inn"; 6. "Mrs. Robinson" from "The Graduate"; 7. "When You Wish Upon a Star" from "Pinocchio"; 8. "The Way We Were" from "The Way We Were"; 9. "Stayin' Alive" from "Saturday Night Fever"; 10. "The Sound of Music" from "The Sound of Music."

Two other songs made the list from both "The Sound of Music" ("My Favorite Things" at No. 64 and "Do Re Mi" at No. 88) and "Singin' in the Rain" ("Make 'Em Laugh" at No. 49 and "Good Morning" at No. 72). "West Side Story" also landed three songs: "Somewhere" (No. 20), "America" (No. 35) and "Tonight" (No. 59).

Chosen from 400 nominees, the list was announced in the CBS special "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs," the institute's latest countdown to promote U.S. film history. The show's host was John Travolta, star of "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," whose "Summer Nights" came in at No. 70.

"A list like this really drives people back to rediscover or discover these movies," said Jean Picker Firstenburg, the institute's director. "It's about older generations revisiting them and younger generations finding them for the first time."

Past specials presented such lists as the best 100 American movies, comedies, screen legends and love stories. AFI leaders had been mulling a list of best movie songs for years.

"It's an idea we've had floating around since the beginning," said Bob Gazzale, who produces the AFI specials. "Movies and music are so obviously linked at the heart, really. Even before sound came to films, there were songs that went with silent pictures, as well."

The earliest song to make the list was "Isn't It Romantic" (No. 73), sung by Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in 1932's "Love Me Tonight." The newest came from 2002 with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger's rendition of "All That Jazz" (No. 98) from "Chicago" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" (No. 93) from "8 Mile."

Unlike the Academy Awards, which honors songs written specifically for new movies, the AFI list allowed any tune integral to a movie. So songs such as "It Had to Be You" (No. 60) from "When Harry Met Sally..." and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (No. 94) from "The Big Chill" made the cut.

Other tunes ranged from sublime with Paul Robeson's "Ol' Man River (No. 24) from the 1936 version of "Show Boat" and Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (No. 76) from "Meet Me in St. Louis" to the goofy with "Springtime for Hitler" (No. 80) from Mel Brooks' "The Producers" and Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle's wacky rendition of "Puttin' on the Ritz" (No. 89) from Brooks' "Young Frankenstein."

Songs came from blockbusters ("My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic" at No. 14 and "Unchained Melody" from "Ghost" at No. 27) and from counterculture flicks ("Born to Be Wild" from "Easy Rider" at No. 29 and "Aquarius" from "Hair" at No. 33).

"I think this list is about music that has made its way into daily lives, rather than an assessment of what's great," said Jennifer Warnes, who sang two duets that made the list, "Up Where We Belong" (No. 75) from "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (No. 86) from "Dirty Dancing."

"The reason why my songs made it there is that they're used. I still hear `Up Where we Belong' when I'm at the store buying frozen peas, and it makes me happier to be buying frozen peas."

Mary-Kate Olsen Being Treated for Eating Disorder

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Teen actress Mary-Kate Olsen, who with her twin sister Ashley has grown into an American pop icon and fashion brand, has entered a program for treatment of an eating disorder reported to be anorexia.

The 18-year-old co-star of last month's film "New York Minute" recently "entered a treatment facility to seek professional help for a health-related issue," publicist Michael Pagnotta said on Tuesday.

"She is thankful for the encouragement and support of her friends and family, who are with her every step of the way," he added.

A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that Olsen was suffering from an eating disorder. Olsen entered a facility during the past week or 10 days and was expected to remain in treatment for about a month, the person said.

Us Weekly magazine, in the cover story of its upcoming issue, identified the disorder as anorexia.

Speculation about Olsen's rail-thin figure has been the subject of tabloids, gossip columns and the Internet for weeks. The actress herself poked fun at the issue during the twins' recent appearance on "Saturday Night Live," shouting to an extra playing herself, "You're too skinny! Eat a sandwich!"

Pagnotta said both sisters, who turned 18 on June 13, were going ahead with plans to attend New York University together in the fall.

But Ashley Olsen will be making a planned trip later this month to Australia and New Zealand without Mary-Kate to launch overseas promotion of "New York Minute" -- the sisters' first theatrical feature, he said.

The twins have been in the public eye since they were 9 months old, starring in the television sitcom "Full House." Since then, they have sold millions of videos, DVDs and books and have launched their own fashion line.

But director-producer Michael Kruzan, who has worked with the twins for years, was quoted in Us Weekly as describing Mary-Kate as the "more competitive" of the two girls.

The Couch Potato Report - June 22nd, 2004

This week in The Couch Potato Report, there's two films that are destined to become cult classics.

Some films that come out in theatres don’t do well.

Those same films are hugely successful once they are available on video and DVD.

The best example of that is the original AUSTIN POWERS movie.

It made less than $54 million dollars when it was released in theatres, but was so successful on video and DVD that the studio green lit a sequel.

The second film turned out to be more popular than the original, grossing $54.7 million in its opening weekend on the way to a box office gross of over $200 million.

Some other popular cult films are CLERKS, THIS IS SPINAL TAP, OFFICE SPACE, HEATHERS, WITHNAIL & I, RED DAWN, REPO MAN and CABIN BOY.

This week, you can add two more recent theatrical mis-fires to that list: Johnny Depp’s SECRET WINDOW and BAD SANTA, starring Billy Bob Thornton.

I’ll begin with the less than good SANTA.

And I don’t refer to it as less than good just because the film is called BAD SANTA, but also because the film itself is less than good. Sure its funny, but I doubt anyone will ever say its a good movie.

But BAD SANTA instantly qualifies as a cult favorite because this movie is going to quite well in the company of people's homes where they can laugh without feeling bad for doing so.

And you will laugh because BAD SANTA has some great comedic moments. At times it is, plain and simply, a comedy without compromise.

Billy Bob Thornton plays a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed thief who targets a different department store every holiday season. Each year he gets the job as the store’s Santa while he cases the joint with his dwarf elf-partner.

The movie also stars Bernie Mac from OCEANS 11, the lovely Lauren Graham of GILMOUR GIRLS, and the late John Ritter in his final film.

BAD SANTA is an anti-holiday film that is not for everyone.

This is a black comedy. If you have a dark sense of humor, you will enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy comedies that push the limits, then don’t watch it.

One thing is for sure, you don’t have to rush out today to check this film out. Its
cult status will ensure that it is around for years.

Just like the film SECRET WINDOW will be.

This newest release from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN star Johnny Deep has several things working it its favour to ensure it becomes a cult classic. Among those are Depp's quirky performance, a score by Philip Glass and the fact that it is based on a short story by Stephen King.

In SECRET WINDOW, Depp plays a writer who is divorced and depressed. He's stuck at an isolated cabin and he begins to lose lucidity when a stranger arrives, accusing him of plagiarism.

If you’ve seen commercials for this movie, let me tell you right now that it isn’t as scary as it looks to be. It is actually more of a suspense film.

SECRET WINDOW isn’t a great film, but if you like a movie to keep you guessing, this is the film for you.

Plus, ten years from now when this picture has the aura of OFFICE SPACE or RED DAWN, you can tell everyone that you saw it when it first came out. Maybe not in theatres, but at least during the first week it was on video and DVD.

BAD SANTA and SECRET WINDOW are available now on video and DVD. For that matter, so are cult classics AUSTIN POWERS, THIS IS SPINAL TAP, OFFICE SPACE, HEATHERS, WITHNAIL & I, RED DAWN, REPO MAN and CABIN BOY.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

In the drama COLD MOUNTAIN Jude Law plays a wounded soldier who is struggling to get home to Nicole Kidman, his more than beautiful sweetheart. You will also be struggling…to get through the whole movie. Ouch is it slow! Renee Zellweger also stars and she won an Academy Award for her role as Ruby.

BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS sees the barbershop crew dealing with a new shop on the block. Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer and Eve all return from the original.

Not surprisingly, the 3-disc box set entitled SOUTH PARK – THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON features the complete fourth season of the still funny TV show South Park.

Finally next week,

THE PERFECT SCORE tells the story of six students who band together to cheat on their SAT tests. The cast includes young and up and coming starlets Scarlett
Johansson and Erika Christensen, but you won’t care. Call this one THE PERFECT SNORE.

I’ll have more on those, and some other 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!

Do You Like Music!

Here are the new CD Releases for Tuesday, June 22, 2004:

BRANDY Talk About Our Love (Atlantic)
DONELL JONES TBA Donell Jones (Arista)
JOHN FRUSCIANTE The Will to Death (Warner)
KESHIA CHANTE TBA Keshia Chante (BMG Canada/Vik)
MARTIN CHARLOTTE Martin Charlotte TBA (RCA)
THE CURE TBA (The Cure) (I Am/Universal)
WILCO A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch/Warner)

Also out today:

Brian Wilson - Gettin' In Over My Head: For the Brian Wilson faithful, the hard part is over when the wizard of SoCal releases an album. For those who need more than cheery, expert melodies and arrangements from on high to be satisfied, for skeptics not satisfied with agreeable guest spots from Eric Clapton, Elton John and Paul McCartney, and for hardheads who need to overcome Wilson's frightening detachment from our moment, there is an answer. Perhaps it's best to think of Gettin' In Over My Head as Wilson's celebrity children's record. "Make a Wish," "Rainbow Eyes" and "Fairy Tale" are right in the pocket already. On a couple of vigorous tracks, such as "Soul Searchin'," which inserts a lead vocal from departed brother Carl and deserves to appear on a future best-of, grown-ups can sneak in their enjoyment sideways.

Bill Clinton's 'My Life': Much too much of a not-so-good thing

(AP) - In 1992, presidential candidate Bill Clinton flew home from New Hampshire to affirm the execution of a cop killer, Rickey Ray Rector. Rector was brain-damaged; when he took his last walk, he left a slice of pecan pie in his cell, intending to eat it when he returned.

Many have wondered whether the Arkansas governor was influenced by politics. His campaign was struggling with reports that he had had an affair with a blond entertainer, Gennifer Flowers, and the execution embellished his tough-on-crime reputation. But Rickey Ray Rector is not mentioned in Bill Clinton's autobiography, My Life.

Instead, we read about people like Mauria Jackson, with whom he attended his senior class party in high school: "Since Mauria and I were both unattached at the time and had been in grade school together at St. John's, it seemed like a good idea, and it was."

That's it. Nothing more about Mauria Jackson, except that she showed up in New Hampshire to campaign for him in 1992, along with hordes of other Friends of Bill.

Jackson is not the only person who makes a cameo appearance in My Life. There are multitudes of them, each of them no doubt treasured by the former president but many of them completely irrelevant to the rest of us.

None of them comes alive, not even the main characters of this badly conceived, flatly written, poorly edited book. Not Hillary Rodham Clinton, who comes off as a cardboard saint who is said to be smart and tough and good. Not special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, the book's villain, who comes off as pure evil - not really a human being at all, more of an incubus.

And not even Bill Clinton himself. Here is one of the most fascinating figures of his time, a charismatic and brilliant man - a fatherless boy who rose from humble beginnings to live, in his own words, "an improbable life", and he has produced a book that lacks anything more than the most rudimentary insights. This master politician does not even offer a single good discussion of the art of politics.

Part of the problem is that My Life is relentlessly chronological, especially the second half of the book, which is devoted to his presidency. Almost every paragraph describes another meeting with a foreign leader or the signing of another bill or delivery of another speech.

The effect is mind-numbing. It's like being locked in a small room with a very gregarious man who insists on reading his entire appointment book, day by day, beginning in 1946.

There is one exception to the chronology: Clinton tells about his indiscretions with Flowers and Monica Lewinsky only when he is caught and exposed, not when they happened. The consequences, not the dalliances, are part of My Life.

He doesn't say a lot about either woman. He concentrates on his remorse and the effects on his marriage and career. He suggests that he is a damaged man, prone to secret, shameful, parallel lives because of his upbringing as the stepson of an alcoholic. But his explanations seem too pat, and finally too brief. And then the chronology continues.

There are some interesting passages, such as Clinton's accounts of his first, unsuccessful campaign (for Congress) and his later races for governor. He brings passion to his brief on the Whitewater investment scandal, and his description of his unsuccessful efforts to end the violence in the Middle East in his last months as president.

But to find the interesting stuff, you have to dig through so much that is not.

Like much of the first half of the book, which alternates the story of Clinton's life (and his encounters with such people as Mauria Jackson) with primers on the history of the 1960s and tidy lessons that would serve him well when he became president.

Like an explanation of why he allowed junior staffers to eat in the White House mess (it's good for morale).

Like occasional, detailed rundowns of University of Arkansas football or basketball games.

And like all those unhelpful descriptions of those multitudes he has encountered. On Prince Charles and Diana: "I liked them both and wished that life had dealt them a different hand."

You dig and you dig. And in the end, it just isn't worth it.

Music Labels Aim to Pocket a Comeback with New CD

LONDON (Reuters) - Some of the world's largest record companies are testing a new music format in Europe known as the pocket CD to spin new life into faltering music singles.

At three inches in diameter -- or roughly half the size of a conventional compact disc -- the pocket CD carries a selection of music tracks and mobile phone ring tones from a host of artists ranging from 50 Cent to Black Eyed Peas.

The technology made its debut in Germany last summer with Universal Music, Sony Music and later EMI and BMG, all selling a limited number of the CDs to test the public's appetite.

Now, Universal Music, for one, is introducing the format in the United Kingdom next month. A spokesman said it will ship 1,000 units of the pocket CD for 16 of its artists including 50 Cent and The Rasmus. Pricing has yet to be determined, he added.

With ringtone sales on the rise and CD single sales plummeting, record executives are hopeful the new format will reverse the fortunes of an industry beset by rampant piracy and slumping sales.

The discs can be played on a PC where the ringtones can be downloaded and then transferred to a mobile phone.

The pocket CD is viewed as a way to recapture the market for tech-savvy teenagers and twentysomethings -- the same group that has abandoned record shops in favor of downloading songs off the Internet. The CD single is one of the biggest casualties of the downloading revolution.

"We believe there is still demand for a physical single format, and hope that folding in a ringtone will make pocket CDs an attractive - and, hopefully, collectible - purchase," a Universal Music UK spokesman said.

"That said, it is a very early days, and this is purely a test to see how the market responds," he added.

A BMG spokesman in Germany said that while sales went well, retailers had difficulties stocking the odd-shaped disc forcing the label to stop the program last month.

For Universal, the move comes amid plans to phase out the sale of copy-protected compact discs in Germany, a market battered by online piracy and CD-burning.

A Universal spokesman said the decision was made to address ongoing concerns that copy-protected CDs do not play in some hi-fi devices. The company could return to some form of copy-protected discs after further fine-tuning of the technology, he added.

Chen: 'Big Brother 5' to be 'twisted'

There are changes coming to how the 'Big Brother' game is played but host Julie Chen is providing few details.

In a highly-edited promotional video interview on the official 'Big Brother 5' site, Chen confirms that the new rules are going to handicap the liars and deceivers.

"I think these new rules are probably going to hurt people who go in as a manipulative player and help those who go in with a pure and open heart," said Chen without explaining what the modifications might be. Whatever the changes are, they could be in response to finale of last year's series which saw the much loathed twosome of Jun Song and Alison Irwin finish first and second. It is rumoured that the way in which the producers are handicapping the liars is that the Head Of Household bedroom has been modified to allow those in it to spy and eavesdrop on the other houseguests.

Chen also promises that this season's twists will shock and surprise the viewers as well as the houseguests themselves.

"Last year, we threw in ex-girlfriends and ex-boyfriends of houseguests. They had to deal with that. This season, we have major twists in how the game is going to be played and it is so twisted it is going to make the X-Factor look enjoyable," Chen stated.

One surprise that Chen did unveil in the interview segment is that there will be one bedroom in the 'Big Brother' house which will be as comfortable as sleeping on a bed of nails.

"Let me just say there is one bedroom that is going to make the army cot that we had as a bed from previous seasons look comfortable. All of the bedrooms are never created equal and this season there is one that is pretty bad so you don't want to be the one stuck with that bedroom," Chen warned.

'Big Brother 5' debuts on Tuesday, July 6th on CBS. On the 'Big Brother' series, a group of strangers will live together in a house outfitted with dozens of cameras and microphones recording their every move 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As the outside world watches on television and the Internet, the HouseGuests will vote each other out, one by one, until only one remains and goes home a half million dollars richer.

Jennifer Garner Explores Elektra's Darkness

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Jennifer Garner needs to get something off her chest.

Regardless of what it may have looked like at the end of "Daredevil," Elektra isn't dead. In fact, she's alive and well and kicking some serious ninja butt in a movie of her own.

"That's a common misconception, that she died, but she wasn't dead," Garner insisted, taking a break before enduring a grueling stunt sequence on the chilly set of the "Elektra" movie.

"Apparently we didn't explain that very well. But at the very end of the movie, when Daredevil found the necklace that said 'Elektra' in braille, that was his message from her saying, 'I'm alive. I'll come back ... I'll have a spinoff!' "

FOX studio executives were so intent on launching Garner's character into a film of her own that during production on "Daredevil" — the Ben Affleck comic-book flick that made over $100 million last year despite mixed reviews from critics — they had writer/director Mark Steven Johnson film Elektra spinning her trademark Sai swords on a rooftop across from Daredevil when he finds the necklace.

Johnson ultimately cut the shot, which was done with a stunt person posing as Garner, afraid that the character's "death" at the hands of Colin Farrell's Bullseye would lose its emotional impact.

But now, a new director is at the helm (Johnson retains an executive-producer credit) and the Marvel Comics heroine lives. "We did not see her actually die in 'Daredevil.' Even if she flatlined, there is a plausible point that we can bring her back," insisted Rob Bowman, whose credits include the "X-Files" movie, several episodes of the television show and "Reign of Fire."

"But we don't bring her back through conventional means. We bring her back through... um, a higher form of martial arts," he said. "I'll just be cryptic like that. That's all I can say."

The director's attention on this particular day was focused on the rain machine, which soaked the fake pine trees on his soundstage so thoroughly that everything started to smell like mildew; and on making sure that every stunt felt real and served a genuine storytelling purpose.

Ben Affleck is nowhere to be found on the set of "Elektra," which will focus on the character's training by a band of ninja assassins known as the Hand. Bowman won't have her leaping from rooftops and isn't relying heavily on special effects, opting instead for crazy camera angles and a more character-driven story, with movies like "The Cooler" and "21 Grams" as his reference points.

"We have our share of blowing things up, I've learned a few new weapons and I'm definitely, definitely fighting. It's not like I'm in a period piece, in a corset, or talking Shakespeare," Garner promised. "But it is very much driven by Elektra's darkness and what happens when she comes back to life, and what that second life means: whether it's redemption or whether it's a dark place from which you can't be redeemed. It's very dark and honest."

To that end Bowman is employing similar lighting techniques (and the same cinematographer) he used on "X-Files" to lend the movie a look in line with its story. His goal, at least partially, is to reinvent the way comic-book movies are done. "Because Elektra is a tortured soul, and in the middle of an emotional crisis, I thought this would be the right way to go," he said.

And what makes Elektra so dark? Well, during the course of this film, we'll learn that she kills people for hire. In the comic books she does a lot more for hire, too, although the film won't be exploring that. "I would rather follow the story and not focus on the gore or the fact that she sells her body," Garner admitted. "[In the movie] she's not a prude, she just isn't interested. And I love to fight but it kind of kills it for me to see people bleeding all over the screen. As long as a ninja dies I don't really care how much blood there is."

This isn't meant to imply that "Elektra" has gone soft or will abandon its source material — far from it. In fact, the movie is relying heavily on the Marvel comic books, from putting Garner in a red outfit more true to the character than the black leather she wore alongside Affleck, to the introduction of several supporting players taken right from the page.

"I have the comics pasted up all over my trailer, because it's as though we have our storyboards right from the comic book," Garner said. "You'll see the Hand, Stick, Typhoid Mary; we definitely fold them into our story."

"Typhoid Mary is kind of loopy and armed with this enormous power to kill people," Bowman said of the villainous girl portrayed by model/actress Natassia Malthe. "Because of her beauty she can lure you in right up to that poisonous kiss."

Terence Stamp, whom comic book fans remember fondly as General Zod in the "Superman" movies, has taken on the role of Elektra's martial-arts mentor, Stick. "He is the grittiest guy in the movie, the smartest guy, and I'm sort of making him into a prophet," Bowman explained. "He is the perfect example of 'tough love' and the architect of this journey. Stick feels like there is a gem of light buried inside Elektra's black soul."

Ah yes, Elektra's "black soul." Is there any hope for her at all? Neither Bowman nor Garner will tell, but if there is, it will likely come in the form of a father (played by Goran Visnjic of "ER") and his daughter (newcomer Kirsten Prout) and the bonding the three of them do in a cabin around Christmastime.

A cabin, of course, that gets attacked by ninjas.

"I love playing this role, I love how lethal she is, how completely different she is from me, and how hard it is to find a crack or a crevice in her heart or soul," Garner said, shortly before being called back onto the set. "She's pretty cold. When we're shooting, Rob is always saying to me, 'Too nice, too nice! Go back, there's too much heart, go back.' And I love that!

"Because, he's right, Elektra would just as soon kill you as look at you. And I would play her any day of the week and twice on Sundays."

"Elektra" is due in theaters next year.

High School Confidential

Don't piss them off!

Some MEAN GIRLS are going to hit DVD on September 21st, so hide your burn books.

Paramount Home Entertainment will give this $85 million hit the special edition treatment, complete with anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, audio commentary with director Mark Waters and writer Tina Fey, featurettes, deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer.

Sam Roberts video wins three trophies as Beasties rock MuchMusic Video Awards

TORONTO (CP) - A video from Sam Roberts snagged three trophies and Avril Lavigne was the people's choice for favourite Canadian artist as fans clamoured Sunday night at the gates of the music industry's annual house party, the MuchMusic Video Awards.

"We've done very little to deserve any of this," said the scruffy-faced rocker from Montreal. Roberts' modesty was somewhat accurate, as the video Hard Road won for best director, best post production and best cinematography - tasks taken on by members outside the band.

"We contributed our song and whatever acting skills we could muster," said Roberts. But of his band's success this year, the affable singer took credit where credit was due. "It's been based on hard work, there's no hype."

The remainder of the microphone-shaped trophies were spread evenly among several other contenders at one apiece, with best video going to Finger Eleven, and best pop video to Nelly Furtado.

The video for Fallen, which marked Sarah McLachlan's return to the music scene after a lengthy hiatus, snagged the MuchMoreMusic Award.

As in previous years, the show was held at MuchMusic headquarters - both in the parking lot and throughout the building. With no podiums or scripted dialogue, and an absence of seats from which to take in the multi-stage, live performances, the event has a reputation as the most unconventional of awards shows.

Enthusiastic teenage fans squealed as the rock heroes made their way down the red carpet, but the chatter from the artists predominantly revolved around one act - Beastie Boys.

"It's huge, it's huge," said Nickelback lead vocalist Chad Kroeger of the groundbreaking hip-trio's performance at the awards. "It really puts the spotlight on Canada."

Roberts, Three Days Grace, and shock funny man Tom Green were on the same page. "I've never seen them live," Green enthused.

While the Beasties - who made the trip from hometown New York to drop their cheeky rhymes on the Much audience - were a critical favourite they left empty handed, losing to Outkast for best international video by a group. Crazy in Love won best international video for artists Beyonce and Jay-Z.

Performers who were on the bill included Evanescence, Kanye West, Hoobastank, Fefe Dobson, Finger Eleven, Three Days Grace, Hilary Duff, and Billy Talent - who won for best rock video.

"We live just down the street, so for us, this is just hilarious," said singer Benjamin Kowalewicz of the fan adulation.

Those who lined the streets around MuchMusic for the 15th annual event delighted in the star gazing, perhaps more so than the awards. Hollywood celebs Rob Lowe and Heather Locklear were joined by Vivica A. Fox of Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2 fame and Samaire Armstrong from the TV series The O.C. on the list of guests announcing the homegrown and international winners. Kaley Cuoco, who plays daughter Bridget on the TV series 8 Simple Rules, and David Gallagher, Simon from 7th Heaven, were on hand, as was one of the Baldwin brothers - Daniel.

But there was no shortage of Canadian content. Green and Sum 41 were tabbed to present trophies as the party raged around them.

"Let's hear you make some noise Chicago," Green shouted out to the Toronto crowd.

Toronto's Jelleestone won best rap video while the honours for best R&B video went to In Essence. Local band Pilate took home the trophy for best independent video.

"We had five nominations and anything would have been great, and this is a great one to have," said singer Todd Clark.

And it wouldn't be a Canadian awards show without a couple of hockey players in attendance, namely Joe Thornton of the Boston Bruins and Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets - both on the list of invitees.

Always an event that can be counted on to be different, the inaugural MuchMusic Awards were held in 1989 during a train ride across Canada.

Awards are chosen by an in-house MuchMusic panel, except for the People's Choice Awards which are selected by fans via an online and telephone voting system.

Here are the winners of the 2004 MuchMusic Video Awards handed out Sunday night in Toronto:

- Best Video: Finger Eleven, One Thing
- Best Pop Video: Nelly Furtado, Powerless (Say What You Want)
- Best Rock Video: Billy Talent, Try Honesty
- Best Rap Video: Jelleestone featuring Elephant Man, Who Dat
- Best R&B Video: In Essence, Friend Of Mine
- MuchMoreMusic Award: Sarah McLachlan, Fallen
- Best Independent Video: Pilate, Into Your Hideout
- Best Director: Kyle Davison, Hard Road (Sam Roberts)
- Best Post Production: Kyle Davison/Erik Nordby/Pete Dionne, Hard Road (Sam Roberts)
- Best Cinematography: Erik Nordby, Hard Road (Sam Roberts)
- Best French Video: Corneille, parce qu'on vient de loin
- Best International Video, Artist: Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, Crazy In Love
- Best International Video, Group: Outkast, Hey Ya
- VidoeFACT award: Alexisonfire, Counterparts And Number Them

'Dodgeball' Bombards 'Terminal' in Debut

LOS ANGELES - Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn buried Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg under a barrage of red rubber balls. Stiller and Vaughn's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" debuted as the weekend's top movie with $30 million, whipping Hanks and Spielberg's "The Terminal," which opened at No. 2 with $18.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"With a Spielberg and Hanks movie, we never thought we would be this far ahead. That's rarefied air," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released "Dodgeball."

The weekend's other new wide release, Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan's "Around the World in 80 Days," came in at No. 9 with just $6.8 million for the weekend and $9.6 million since opening Wednesday.

"Dodgeball" stars Vaughn as a gym owner whose squad of geeks and losers tries to save their destitute health club in a dodgeball showdown against rival bully Stiller's team.

The movie's lowbrow humor — including a coach forcing his players to duck metal wrenches to hone their dodging skills — proved a stronger draw than the classy comedy "The Terminal," about an Eastern European stuck for months in customs limbo at Kennedy airport.

"It's really hard to beat a movie like `Dodgeball.' Everybody I talked with wanted to see it, even though they thought it looked really dumb," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"The Terminal" had the weakest opening among Spielberg's recent wide releases — "Catch Me If You Can," "Minority Report," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and "Saving Private Ryan." Those films all opened in the $30 million to $35 million range.

"Dodgeball" drew a young male audience, while "The Terminal" played mostly to older crowds less likely to rush out on opening weekend. DreamWorks, which distributed "The Terminal," hopes the film has staying power.

"Smart, high-concept movies can be a difficult sell, but they often have a long theatrical life," DreamWorks head of distribution Jim Tharp said.

Based on Jules Verne's adventure and featuring a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Around the World in 80 Days" was produced by Walden Media, a family-entertainment outfit that is part of Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz's empire.

Disney acquired the movie, which became the latest in a string of duds from the studio this year, including "The Alamo," "Home on the Range" and "Raising Helen." The studio hopes to rebound with "King Arthur," "The Village" and "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" in July and August.

"Little streaks like this happen to everybody, but it's never about the short term," said Chuck Viane, Disney head of distribution.

After a monthlong surge, Hollywood's business dipped, with the top 12 movies taking in $126.9 million, down 10 percent from the same weekend last year.

Some of the previous weekend's new flicks tumbled. Vin Diesel's "The Chronicles of Riddick" fell from second place to seventh, taking in $8.3 million, down a steep 66 percent. Nicole Kidman's "The Stepford Wives" came in at No. 6 with $9.2 million, a 57 percent drop.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the No. 1 film the previous two weeks, was No. 3 with $17.4 million. Its 17-day total of $190.3 million lagged about $10 million behind revenues for the franchise's last installment, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," after 17 days.

"Shrek 2" was fourth with $13.6 million, pushing its total to $378.3 million and passing "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" to become No. 6 on the all-time domestic chart.

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. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $30 million.
2. "The Terminal," $18.7 million.
3. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," $17.4 million.
4. "Shrek 2," $13.6 million.
5. "Garfield: The Movie," $11 million.
6. "The Stepford Wives," $9.2 million.
7. "The Chronicles of Riddick," $8.3 million.
8. "The Day After Tomorrow," $7.55 million.
9. "Around the World in 80 Days," $6.8 million.
10. "Troy," $1.7 million.

Lohan Apologizes to Mental Health Watchdogs

Teen star Lindsay Lohan has apologized to mental health watchdogs who slammed her for repeatedly using the word "retarded" in interviews. The Mean Girls actress, 17, has used the slang term several times in recent chats with journalists, using it to deflect questions about her alleged breast implants, to describe the paparazzi and to rubbish reports of a feud with rival star Hilary Duff. And Maryland, America based mental health organization The ARC Of The United States president Lorriane Sheehan is not happy. She says, "There are few more deeply wounding words than these, which are painful reminders that people with disabilities are still not fully welcome in our society." But Lohan's spokeswoman Leslie Sloane Zelnik says her client had no intention of upsetting people suffering from mental or physical disabilities at all. Zelnik says, "It wasn't meant to offend anyone - it was used as slang. She'll be more cautious and conscious in the future."

Box Office Runway Cleared for 'Terminal'

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Another Steven Spielberg - Tom Hanks matchup lands at theaters this weekend, and if history is any indicator, DreamWorks' "The Terminal" has all the pedigree to knock "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" off its course.

Also vying for some box office dollars this crowded weekend are 20th Century Fox's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" and Disney's "Around the World in 80 Days."

The latest "Potter" installment brought in $37.9 million last weekend, its second, but it also slid 63%, suggesting some softness that opens a window for the Spielberg film to take over.

"Terminal" is targeting a wide demographic similar to the one captured by the previous Hanks-Spielberg pairing, "Catch Me If You Can," which opened to $30 million during Christmas weekend in 2002. The PG-13 "Terminal," a romantic comedy-drama based on a true story, stars Hanks as an Eastern European immigrant who becomes a resident of a New York airport terminal when his passport is voided after his home country's government is overthrown. Adding to the film's marquee allure are Catherine Zeta-Jones, playing the Hanks character's love interest, with Stanley Tucci appearing as Hanks' nemesis.

Sneaks of the film conducted June 11 to raise awareness with younger audiences saw 125 screens averaging 85% capacity. The film is tracking slightly female and older, but DreamWorks hopes positive word-of-mouth will helps lure the teen audience as well. Bowing in more than 2,800 runs, "The Terminal" should get close to "Catch Me's" opening take.

However, DreamWorks' efforts to reach a teen audience will be complicated by the comedy "Dodgeball," starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Stiller and Vaughn, whose recent roles as goofy guys in "Starsky & Hutch" and "Old School," respectively, have earned them a strong following with young men, should be able to strike at an audience that has been rather underserved in recent weeks. With many critics finding the movie's lowbrow humor funny -- very much to the surprise of some -- "Dodgeball" is scheduled to bow in 2,694 theaters. It should earn in the high-teen millions and has the potential to garner upward of $20 million.

The crowded family audience is Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan's target with their wacky, physical-comedy roles in the latest adaptation of Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in 80 Days." Directed by Frank Coraci ("The Waterboy," "The Wedding Singer"), the film stars Chan as the partner of Coogan's English adventurer.

Produced by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz's Walden Media, "80 Days" opened Wednesday to $1.4 million from 2,612 theaters, coming in fourth place for the day behind "Potter," "Shrek 2" and "Garfield: The Movie." The packed marketplace may not bode well for "80 Days" considering that it lacks the brand-name appeal of its competitors.

Chan's most recent movie, "The Medallion," opened to only $8 million, but his previous feature, last year's sequel "Shanghai Knights," saw a much better $19.6 million opening. Industry insiders expect "80 Days" to fall somewhere in the middle, with the $13 million range as the best estimate for the three-day period.

In limited release, Paramount Classics will debut "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" in New York. British director Mike Hodges reteams with his "Croupier" star Clive Owen in a revenge tale in which Owen plays a former drug dealer lured back into the game to avenge his brother's death at the hands of his rival.

Sony Pictures Classics will release "Facing Windows" in New York and Los Angeles. A recent festival darling, the R-rated Italian picture centers on an Italian woman who takes care of a Jewish Holocaust survivor.

Stiller Gives Wife 'Dodgeball' Facial

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The humiliating pain suffered playing dodgeball should be a distant childhood memory, but for the cast of "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," the torment is all too fresh.

On the set of the sports comedy, the actors went through a dodgeball boot camp to learn how to move and throw convincingly. Unfortunately, star Ben Stiller proved to possess the treacherous combination of a strong arm and poor aim, much to the dismay of his wife and co-star Christine Taylor, who received two accidental blows to the face.

"I hit her in the face a couple of times, which was not good. That actually affected our relationship for like a week," laments Stiller. "There's just no way not to get upset with somebody after you've done that."

His wife confirms that she was hurt physically as well as psychologically.

"He got me square on the cheek and the ear. I had red speckles on my face," explains Taylor. "[But] when you get hit, the pain isn't as much as the shame. You are mortified. You don't want people to come over and you don't want pity."

After her second agonizing mishap, the extras hired to play the dodgeball audience became outraged and booed Stiller. Taylor eventually recovered and forgave her husband, but the three cameras he nailed with errant throws weren't as resilient: All three were put out of commission.

On top of Taylor's injuries, the rest of the cast learned to live with the aches, bruises, skinned knees, sore shoulders and even a torn rotator cuff. Stiller is relieved that his dodgeball days are over.

"It was just exhausting," he says. "Children have the energy, but once you're like, in your later 30s, it's not fun."

The film's first-time director, Rawson Marshall Thurber, understood exactly what he was asking of his stars when he put them through the wringer. Thurber is one of many wise to dodgeball's revival and has participated in the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Celebrity Charity Dodgeball Tournament that's been held for the past three years.

"It's actually really fun and really fast and really strenuous. It's a hard core cardiovascular workout," says the director.

"Dodgeball" stars Stiller as White Goodman, Globo Gym's narcissistic owner who tries to buy out the run-down Average Joe's gym. He hires lawyer Kate Veatch (Taylor) to facilitate the foreclosure, but she eventually becomes his opponent on the dodgeball court.

The film opens across North America today!

Costello's Rock, Classical Albums Set for Sept. 21

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Elvis Costello has set a Sept. 21 release date for the simultaneous release of two new albums.

A new rock album will be issued by Lost Highway, while "Il Sogno," his first full-length orchestral work, will emerge via Deutsche Grammophon.

Largely recorded at Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Miss., the as-yet-untitled rock album features Costello backed by his band the Imposters -- Attractions drummer Pete Thomas and keyboardist Steve Nieve and former Cracker bassist Davey Farragher.

The disc also includes guest appearances by Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, who give voice to characters in the song "The Delivery Man." Also featured is pedal steel guitarist John McFee (Doobie Brothers), who previously appeared on Costello's 1977 debut "My Aim Is True" and 1981's "Almost Blue."

Produced by Costello and Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Throwing Muses), the album also features the song "Monkey to Man," recorded in Clarksdale, Miss., home to the Delta Blues Museum and often referred to as the birthplace of the genre.

The set will be the follow-up to 2002's "When I Was Cruel," his last album with the Imposters. The Island set debuted at No. 20 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 201,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As for "Il Sogno," it was recorded in 2002 by the London Symphony Orchestra after being originally commissioned by Italy's Aterballeto dance company for an adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"I was extremely surprised to be asked, I had little or no understanding of the world of dance," Costello says. "When asked 'Who is your favorite dancer?,' I replied honestly, 'Cyd Charisse."'

"There are elements of humor," he says. "When it came to writing music for the supernatural beings in the story, I thought it is only appropriate that they should be swinging faeries. However, there are also passages representing confusion, jealousy, anger and turmoil. These cues have the edges, angles that I go looking for in rock and roll but the way they are achieved is utterly different. I hope there are also moments of tenderness."

The ballet premiered in Bologna and was staged elsewhere in Italy before Costello began to adapt the score to a concert piece. Michael Tilson-Thomas conducted the London Symphony's recording, which features guest soloists drummer Peter Erskine and saxophonist John Harle.

Costello has plans to open Rotterdam's North Sea Jazz Festival with a July 8 performance at the Buhrmann Midsummer Jazz Gala. Nieve and the Metropole Orkest will join him for the performance of songs from Costello's 2003 solo album, "North," and other back-catalog tracks, as well as several unrecorded pieces.

The 52-member Metropole Orkest will reprise its performance with Costello July 13 when it makes its North American debut at New York's Lincoln Center Festival 2004. Costello will play the event two nights later with the Imposters, and on July 17 attend the continental premiere of "Il Sogno," performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Nieve and Costello will also perform several songs accompanied by the orchestra during the second half of the evening's program.

Expanded reissues of "Almost Blue," the 1984 set "Goodbye Cruel World" and 1995's "Kojak Variety" will arrive Aug. 3 via Rhino. Costello is also featured performing "Let's Misbehave" on the soundtrack to the Cole Porter biopic "De-Lovely." Released Tuesday by Sony Music Soundtrax, the collection features Costello's new bride, Diana Krall, as well as Alanis Morisette, Sheryl Crow and Natalie Cole, among others.

Forbes Names Mel Gibson Most Powerful Celebrity

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mel Gibson, whose controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" paid off big at the box office, is the year's most powerful celebrity, according to Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100 power rankings.

Gibson, who directed, produced and co-wrote the violent movie about the last hours of Jesus, earned $210 million and tremendous media buzz from the project, according to Forbes magazine, which factors in media attention to compare the biggest money-makers from various fields of entertainment.

Magazine covers, press clippings, TV and radio coverage and Internet hits are all factored into the rankings formula. Money earned in the last 12 months was used to identify the finalists in each category.

Golf star Tiger Woods, the leading money-maker among athletes with $80 million, was second on the list, followed by talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, who matched Gibson in earnings.

Actor Tom Cruise ($45 million) was fourth, followed by venerable rock group Rolling Stones ($51 million). "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling was sixth on the list, boosted by her earnings of $147 million.

"Very broadly, it's a combination of money and fame," said Peter Kafka, who wrote the Forbes story on the rankings in the issue on newsstands on Friday. "We divide the celebrity world into categories and we find the top earners in each category. The power list compares them."

Actress Jennifer Aniston, who topped the rankings last year, slipped to 17th place on the 2004 list.

Casualties from the previous list included singer/actress Jennifer Lopez, who ranked fifth last year, and her former fiancee and movie bomb "Gigli" co-star Ben Affleck, rated seventh in 2003. Both failed to make the 2004 list.

Other power-list dropouts were Eminem and Dr. Dre, the performer and record producer who shared last year's No. 2 spot, and former reality show darlings The Osbournes (12th).

Former President Bill Clinton ranked 51st this year with an income of $6.3 million that qualified him in the "speakers" category. Despite his relatively low income, Clinton ranked first of all 100 contenders in TV/radio attention, press clippings and Internet hits.

"There is intense interest in him still," said Kafka.

Clinton will likely climb higher in the power rankings next year when earnings and media attention from his hotly anticipated memoir, to be published next week, is factored in.

Patti Scialfa's the Boss

Patti Scialfa has always been a mystery. As a member of the E Street Band alongside husband Bruce Springsteen, she's a familiar but enigmatic presence, and her one solo album, 1993's Rumble Doll, yielded few biographical clues. "When you're married to someone famous," she says, "people know you, but they're not really seeing you."

With her deeply personal new album, 23rd Street Lullaby, Scialfa has decided it's high time she opened up. She is sitting in a New York recording studio, where she's tweaking songs for a pay-per-view special. The epitome of a sexy rock chick, Scialfa is long and lean in her stovepipe jeans, and she kicks off her high heels to lounge barefoot, her red hair spilling down her back as she leans over the board. She is a down-to-earth Jersey girl, funny and likable. ("I'm fifty," she says at one point, moving her face under a light. "This is what fifty looks like.")

On 23rd Street Lullaby, Scialfa delves into her starving-artist years in Seventies and Eighties New York, a richly creative time both for the city and herself. Scialfa is a born storyteller, and her evocative rock songs perfectly conjure the wild hopefulness of youth, when you knew everything and stayed up all night talking, talking, talking about life and philosophy and music.

Scialfa is backed by a solid band of old friends, including E Streeter Nils Lofgren and drummer Steve Jordan, who co-produced the album with her. "I've always loved the way Patti sings," Jordan says. "She has a little Ronnie Spector in her voice, but she can remind you of Emmylou Harris." He pauses. "You know, the person she's married to casts an extremely long shadow, so there's a tendency to get lost in the sauce. But if you're making good, timeless music without the pyrotechnics and helicopters and the bombs going off, it doesn't matter when you do it."

Springsteen, her husband of thirteen years, agrees. "Patti has only been able to use a small portion of her talent onstage with the E Street Band," he says. "She's always been a beautiful songwriter, and on this record people will get the chance to hear what she can really do."

Scialfa's life is, essentially, a love story - not just between her and Springsteen, although there is that, too (they grew up ten miles from each other). It's really the story of a girl and her music. She was raised in the Jersey Shore town of Deal, the daughter of a successful entrepreneur. As a teenager at Asbury Park High School, she hung out at the beach and cruised the streets, blaring music in a Firebird repossessed from a race-car driver. (Who else could Springsteen have possibly married?) Sometimes she and her girlfriends would cut class and hitchhike into New York. "We'd tell our art teacher we weren't going to class, and that we needed to borrow markers to make hitchhiking signs," she says. "He'd go, 'Oh, don't tell me this. The world's not as nice a place as you think.' And you're that age where you're just thinking, 'Oh, please.' " She laughs. "And we'd walk out the door. We'd get lost on the subways, drunk on red wine. I just wanted to go out."

Scialfa's interest in music sparked when she was twelve and envied her older brother Michael, who played in local bands. At fourteen, she joined her first group, the excellently titled Ecstasy, which played, among other places, Catholic Youth Organization dances supervised by nuns.

After high school, she attended the University of Miami's well-regarded music school, whose alumni include Pat Metheny and Bruce Hornsby. At the time, Scialfa was the lone girl in the jazz department, and she immersed herself in the local music scene. "You'd go see your friends play, or your teachers, or your teachers would see you play, and sit in," she says. One memorable course was the Listening Class. "You'd listen to Charlie Parker or John Coltrane straight from six to nine," she says.

While at Miami, she started shopping around her demos. One day, she received a call in her dorm room from Atlantic Records honcho Jerry Wexler, who produced Bob Dylan and helped launch Aretha Franklin's career. He asked if he could give one of her songs to Franklin. When she agreed, he met with her in Miami at Criteria Studios (nicknamed Atlantic South). "He said, 'If you change one verse of this song, I guarantee you'll have a big hit,' " Scialfa recalls. With the hubris of a twenty-year-old, she refused. "I remember Jerry just shaking his head and saying, 'Well, you think about it,' " she says.

Wexler doesn't remember the incident ("I'm lurching into the sunset at the tender age of eighty-seven") but does recall that "she was charming and gracious, and had some talent for songwriting," he says. "I very well might have wanted to edit her lyrics. Because they're never sacrosanct, are they?" He laughs. "But I totally lost track of her, and the next thing I know, there's a Patti Scialfa married to Bruce Springsteen."

In 1974, Scialfa transferred to New York University and started scratching out a living in the music business, waiting tables and busking on the New York streets with her friend Soozie Tyrell (who sings on the new album). "It just looked like an adventure," she says. "And we could make forty bucks apiece on a good evening."

A third friend soon joined, and they became a downtown fixture, sometimes singing in cocktail dresses for the hell of it. "We thought we were on the Left Bank of Paris," says Scialfa. "It was one of the best times of my life. As soon as you have enough money, you go into a cafe, order some wine, talk to everybody, go to another cafe. It was this whole community."

By the late Seventies, Scialfa had landed work as a backup singer for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, which led to gigs with David Johansen and the Rolling Stones. In 1984, Springsteen auditioned her to join the E Street Band for the Born in the USA tour. They'd never had a woman in the band, he told her, warning her that he wasn't sure how this would work. Three days before the tour, he invited her on the road.

Frantically, she learned all of the band's songs, poring through piles of notebooks. ("I was a fan, but I listened to a lot of women's music.") On the tour's opening night, she realized that the group was just as unprepared for her. "I was wearing some kind of pastel kind of ribbony top," she says, "and Bruce goes, 'Maybe you should wear something not as pretty.' " She laughs. "I tease him about it now. I'm surprised he didn't ask me to get a haircut. He said, 'Why don't you try this?' It was a T-shirt of his that said BROADWAY MOTORS on it."

In 1985, Springsteen married actress Julianne Phillips, but a few years on, the marriage began to fray. Tunnel of Love, from 1987, chronicled their rocky relationship, and after Phillips saw tabloid photos of Scialfa and Springsteen together, she filed for divorce.

In 1990, Scialfa gave birth to their first son, Evan James, now fourteen. She and Springsteen married in 1991, the year their daughter, Jessica Rae, was born (their youngest son, Sam Ryan, is five). The couple have one of the most enduring marriages in rock, even if their kids are grossed out when she and Bruce kiss in the kitchen. "They say, 'Please don't do that in front of us,' " she says. "I said, 'Hey, you're going to be happy one day when you look back and know your parents really loved each other.' "

They live in a nineteenth-century farmhouse in Rumson, New Jersey, where their low-key lifestyle centers around the family. Indeed, if you live in Rumson or its environs, you are not issued your driver's license unless you can do the "Jersey boast," a story of your personal encounter with Bruce and Patti that concludes with the proud declaration that they are Just Like Us: "I saw Bruce and Patti at the grocery store/diner/dry cleaners, and they were so freakin' down to earth. They were buying trash bags/talking to my sister's cousin/eating pancakes while they sat in a booth, just like everyone else."

"What am I supposed to do at a diner?" says Scialfa. "Speak in French?"

Scialfa's peaceful home life has been the perfect perch from which to examine her past for 23rd Street Lullaby. "And it's always fun going back," she says. "I mean, you drive past your old high school, and even if everybody treated you terribly, you still go take a look, don't you?"

And as she has excavated her past, she has unearthed some surprises. Until a high school girlfriend reminded her, she had utterly forgotten that when she was fifteen, she actually called Springsteen to audition for his band. "I had seen an ad in the Asbury Park Press," she says. " 'Touring band, must be able to travel.' " She called the number and was pleased to discover that it was Springsteen, already known around town for his fast guitar playing. "He was very sweet on the phone," Scialfa recalls. "I was so relieved." How old are you? Springsteen asked. Fifteen, she replied. Well, that's a little young, he said kindly. You should stay in school. But good luck. See you around.

'Family Guy' Finds Another Home

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The formerly unloved-by-networks "Family Guy" is going back into production at its original home, FOX. It's one of Cartoon Network's highest-rated shows. And now it's being added to a third lineup.

The animated series will join the TBS prime-time slate on July 7, airing Wednesdays at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET. The pickup is part of TBS' effort to remake itself as "the ultimate destination for comedy lovers," chief operating officer Steve Koonin says.

"Family Guy" will be paired with "Seinfeld" reruns on Wednesdays. It will also remain part of Cartoon Network's lineup, where it remains the No. 1 show in the late-night "Adult Swim" block that's a haven for young-adult viewers, in particular the elusive college-age male.

The show follows the lives of the middle-class Griffin family of Quahog, R.I., with portly patriarch Peter (voiced by creator Seth MacFarlane) doing his best to provide for his family -- wife Lois (Alex Borstein), insecure daughter Meg (Mila Kunis, "That '70s Show"), dim-bulb son Chris (Seth Green, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), evil genius baby Stewie (MacFarlane again) and talking dog/voice of reason Brian (also MacFarlane).

After bouncing it around the schedule numerous times over three seasons, FOX cancelled "Family Guy" in 2002. Strong ratings for the Cartoon Network repeats and brisk DVD sales persuaded the network to order new episodes, scheduled for summer 2005. MacFarlane is also at work on a new FOX series, "American Dad," set for midseason.

RISE OF THE EMPIRE

USAToday recently asked George Lucas a few questions about the next STAR WARS installment. "...The director said the title of STAR WARS: EPISODE III won't officially be announced until November, when the first trailer hits theaters. But he conceded that fans on Web sites already have guessed correctly. So we threw a couple of rumored titles at him: RISE OF THE EMPIRE? "No, that's not it," Lucas said. How about REVENGE OF THE SITH? With that, Lucas smiled knowingly, backed away and teased, "That's a possibility. Lots of titles out there ..."

Triumph the Insult Dog returns to Quebec for summer comedy festival

MONTREAL (CP) - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who brought howls of protest after slagging French-Canadians during an appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, will visit La Belle Province again.

The foul-mouthed puppet will appear in his one-dog show, Make Poop Not War, on July 22 as part of the Just for Laughs comedy festival. In February, the politically incorrect Triumph mocked French-speaking Quebecers at the Quebec City winter carnival, calling them "obnoxious" and "dull" and telling them to learn to speak English.

The skit was part of the visit to Toronto by O'Brien's show and Triumph was condemned in the House of Commons by politicians who denounced his humour and the fact that $1 million in tax money was spent to bring Late Night to Toronto.

The incident even made headlines south of the border, being picked up by CNN and USA Today, among others.

Just for Laughs said in a news release Wednesday that Triumph will "extend his paw in a demonstration of conciliation and understanding" and will show unbroadcast excerpts of his last trip to Quebec.

He will also sing bawdy songs and insult members of the audience as well as surprise guests.

Trek TOS on DVD!

Paramount has finally announced the DVD release of Star Trek: The Original Series - The Complete First Season for 8/21.

The 8-disc set (no SRP, but expect the price to be about $100) will include all 29 episodes of the show's first year in broadcast order (full frame video with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio). Extras on the first season will include the The Birth of a Timeless Legacy featurette (on how the show began), the Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner featurette (an interview with the actor who played Kirk on how the show has affected his life), the To Boldly Go... featurette (a discussion with cast and crew members on key episodes of the season), the Reflections on Spock featurette (a similar interview with actor Leonard Nimoy on how the role has influenced him), the Sci-Fi Visionaries featurette (on some of the famous Sci-Fi writers that have contributed to the series), original preview trailers for each episode and a photo 'log' (gallery). All these extras are contained on the 8th disc. In addition, the episodes Where No Man Has Gone Before, The Menagerie, Part I, The Menagerie, Part II and The Conscience of the King will all feature text commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda.

The studio has also announced the DVD release of Trekkies 2. Look for that on 8/21 as well (for about $19.99). The film will be presented in its original full frame aspect ratio with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Extras will include audio commentary (with filmmakers Roger Nygard, Denise Crosby and Mike Leahy, and composers JJ Holiday and Billy Sullivan), 20 deleted scenes and 2 short films by Trek fans Brian Dellis and Gabriel Koerner (both of whom appear in Trekkies 2).

Eddie Murphy Raw is coming on DVD!!!

No details are available yet, but Eddie Murphy: Raw and a new two-disc special edition of Star Trek: Generations are being released by Paramount Home Video on DVD on on September 7th.

Also, a Collector's Edition reissue of the Kevin Bacon 80's classic Footloose is coming out on September 28th.

But wait, there's more from Paramount this summer. For you classic fans, Paramount will also unleash six romantic favorites on August 31st. Swoon to remastered transfers and no extras for The Black Orchid, Broadway Bill, Come Back Little Sheba, The Country Girl, Desire Under the Elms, The Rose Tattoo and The White Dawn. Retail will cost you $14.95 a pop.

All-American Girl Is Also On The Way

The dream of every red-blooded, (heterosexual) American boy in suburbia, The Girl Next Door will hit DVD on August 24th from Fox Home Entertainment. Starring the sexy Elisha Cuthbert, the box office bomb is due for release in separate R-rated and Unrated edition, each is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 5.1 surround and includes an audio commentary with director Luke Greenfield, a subtitle trivia track and theatrical trailers. The Unrated version also drops the optional 4:3 full screen version on the R-rated release in favor of an additional audio commentary with actors Emile Hirsch and Cuthbert, the "Eli XXXperience" and "A Look Next Door" featurettes, deleted scenes with optional commentary, a still gallery, and uncut "dirty" theatrical trailers.

Go On A Magic Carpet Ride

Walt Disney Home Video has just announced the full specs for two of their biggest releases of 2004, both already announced.

Debuting on October 5th for the first time ever is Aladdin, which will of course get the Disney Platinum Collection treatment. "A Whol