Canada wins World Cup of Hockey
TORONTO (CP) - Shane Doan scored in the third period as Canada defeated Finland 3-2 on Tuesday night to add the World Cup of Hockey to its string of recent international triumphs.
Doan's goal 34 seconds into the third period stood up behind superb goaltending from Martin Brodeur as Canada ended the eight-team tournament with a perfect 6-0 record.
"That was pretty special, it's something I'm never going to forget," said Doan. "It was incredible, this whole experience has been incredible. It's a dream to score that goal."
Canada, which only a few years ago feared it had slipped a notch in the hockey world, now holds the 2002 Olympic gold medal, two consecutive IIHF world championship gold medals and the World Cup.
"This was an amazing group of players," Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky said.
Vincent Lecavalier, one of the young players who led Canada in this World Cup, was named tournament MVP.
"With all the young players, we have a great future here in Canada," Joe Sakic told CBC. "It's nice to win some tournaments. ...
"It's just awesome to be a part of this."
Sakic and Riku Hahl traded goals in the opening period and Scott Niedermayer put Canada ahead 3:13 into the second.
A spectacular goal by Tuomo Ruutu with one minute left in the second period sent the teams into the final frame at 2-2, but Doan broke the deadlock on the first shift of the final period when he banged a pass from Joe Thornton past Miikka Kiprusoff.
"Kipper didn't play his best game, our defence didn't help either," said Finnish coach Raimo Summanen. "I'm proud of the spirit and the attitude on our team."
It may have been the last top-level hockey available for a long time, as the NHL was set to lock out its players at midnight Wednesday unless a last-minute agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.
The checking line of Doan, Thornton and Kris Draper had a huge night, producing two goals and tying up Finland's big line of Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne and Jere Lehtinen.
"It was a total team effort and I'm so proud of the guys," said Thornton. "It was four great weeks of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
The Finns played a strong forechecking game and several times had Canada boxed in its zone, but the home side responded with a robust checking game of its own.
The difference may have been in goal.
A chanting, sellout crowd of 19,370 saw Brodeur shine in his return to the net after missing a game with a wrist injury. He had the edge on Kiprusoff as Canada outshot Finland 33-29.
"I felt great, my wrist didn't bother me at all," said Brodeur.
It looked like Canada may have an easy night when Sakic scored only 52 seconds into the game, taking a feed in the slot from Mario Lemieux and scoring on the first shot on goal.
But a tenacious Finland forecheck had Canada running around in its zone when Hahl tipped Toni Lydman's point shot past Brodeur to tie the game at 6:34.
Niedermayer put Canada ahead on a routine shot during a rush down the left side that dribbled through Kiprusoff's pads.
But at the 19:00 mark, Ruutu chipped the puck free in the neutral zone, sidestepped a hit by Simon Gagne and blew past Niedermayer to beat Brodeur with a shot just inside the post.
It was the first time in the tournament Brodeur allowed more than one goal in a game.
Spirited checking helped Canada open the third period by keeping the puck in the Finland zone and Thornton flipped a pass out in front for Doan to score his first of the tournament.
Finland was seeking its first ever hockey win in a best-on-best tournament. Its last major title was at the 1995 IIHF world championships.
The winning team got $1 million, to be split equally between Hockey Canada and the players, who are to donate the money to a charity of their choice.
Canada also continued the Lucky Loonie tradition, this time with a twist. Instead of burying a loonie in the ice at centre or under a crossbar, six of the coins were taped under the Canadian bench, one for each of the team's wins at the World Cup.
Saskatoon and Medicine Hat, Alta., cheer on their hometown Idol hopefuls
(CP) - If the pre-show circus is any indication, telephones across Saskatchewan and Alberta should get a pretty good workout on Wednesday night.
With a soulful songstress named Theresa Sokyrka from Saskatoon and Kalan Porter, an angelic-looking teenager from Medicine Hat, set to duke it out in the final of Canadian Idol, more than a few eyes will be glued to the television on the Prairies as the series wraps up. The winner will be announced Thursday night.
"I'm so looking forward to it," said Betty Stephenson, an 82-year-old Porter fanatic from Medicine Hat.
Stephenson watches each show from the comfort of her recliner then heads straight to the phone and logs as many votes as she can before midnight, when the polls close.
"I had a bridge party planned for that night, but I cancelled it," she said. "I said I can't have bridge when I am so interested in Kalan."
In Medicine Hat last weekend, fans waited in line overnight for tickets to watch the airing of the final episode live at the local arena.
People drive around the city with Vote 4 Kalan signs plastered to their cars and the daily paper, the Medicine Hat News, plans to print two special souvenir editions to commemorate the final show.
The News held a search for the ultimate Idol fan and some of the responses were downright bizarre.
One fan claimed to witness her friend kissing a picture of Kalan so many times that she faded the ink from his lips.
Another fan admitted making a five-hour trip to British Columbia where there were more free phone lines so she could vote for her Kalan.
In Saskatoon, the city has officially dubbed August and September as Theresa Sokyrka Months.
When the Saskatoon StarPhoenix ran a story under the headline Theresa's Bubble May Soon Burst, it prompted a letter from at least one angry fan.
"I was dismayed to say the least," the woman wrote. "Theresa is a phenomenal talent and we are fortunate to call her our own."
Nick Hartle runs the Odeon Event Centre, a renovated theatre that has been showing the Idol episodes to more than 500 people each night they are broadcast.
Hartle said the crowd has enjoyed following the ups and downs of Sokyrka's run at the title. He is expecting a full house Wednesday night.
"It's mass hysteria," Hartle said. "It's been quite a ride, a lot of fun."
Even Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert is rooting for Saskatoon's favourite singer and plans to attend the taping of the final show in Toronto.
"She has served as an ambassador for this province for many months now," Calvert said. "I would just love to be there."
The hype has stretched resources in both communities.
After one of the more recent episodes, Saskatchewan's telephone company, SaskTel, reported logging a million calls. There are fewer than a million people in the province.
In Alberta, Telus reported logging about 90,000 calls from Medicine Hat after the quarter-finals. The population of Medicine Hat is only 45,000.
All the support has not been lost on the Idol hopefuls.
"I feel such warmth coming from home," Sokyrka said.
"It's really hard to know what is going on in Saskatoon, but my parents and my friends let me know all the time. It's pretty incredible to receive that much support from your hometown."
Porter, 18, said it has been strange going from being a small-town kid to teenage heartthrob, but he has enjoyed it.
"It's really cool to have that support and I am really flattered by it," he said. "All the girls have just been so great and I really appreciate it."
The Hip reveal Canadian tour plans
The Tragically Hip have announced tentative dates for their upcoming Canadian fall tour.
In an email message to fans, the group revealed they will play 15 dates in November and December on a tour that is moving from west to east this time around.
"The wait is over," the band says in their email to fans. The day after our wonderful hometown benefit show we wanted to give you a sneak peak at how our Canadian tour is shaping up. While these dates are not 100% confirmed, we wanted to give you advance notice on how it's shaping up."
Ticket on-sale dates will be announced soon.
The tour is in support of the band's latest album, "In Between Evolution."
Here are the tentative dates:
Nov 14 - Vancouver, GM Place
Nov 15 - Kelowna, Prospera Place
Nov 17 - Edmonton, Rexall Place
Nov 19 - Calgary, Pengrowth Saddledome
Nov 20 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Place
Nov 22 - Brandon, Brandon Arena
Nov 23 - Winnipeg, MTS
Nov 26 - Toronto, ACC
Nov 27 - London, John Labatt Center
Nov 28 - Hamilton, Copps Coliseum
Nov 30 - Ottawa, Civic Centre
Dec 1 - Montreal, Bell Centre
Dec 3 - Saint John, Harbour Station
Dec 4 - Sydney, Centre 200
Dec 5 - Halifax, Metro Centre
The Couch Potato Report - September 14th, 2004
This week in The Couch Potato Report, there are two films that are, plain and simply, awful!
People say to me all the time, "You're so lucky! You get to watch movies as a part of your job."
I'll usually just politely agree, but sometimes, just sometimes, I'll them how for every good movie I get to see there are two bad ones.
This week, that average holds true as there is one good movie and two films that are so bad, so idiotic and so unwatchable that I am forced to decree that they are, and I'll say it again, simply awful!
SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASED is so bad I'm not sure how I even sat through all of it.
Granted, I didn't think the first one was LA DOLCE VITA either, but at least the first one had its moments.
All this film has is the time I gave it while I sat there and watched it.
In SCOOBY DOO 2 the live-action detective team with the computer animated pooch open a museum exhibit of costumes of their old foes.
And wouldn't you know it, a new masked foe appears and steals everything and all the costumes come to life.
Will Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby Doo prevail in the end?
Well I'm not going to be the one to tell you. If you want to know you'll have to sit through the movie like I did.
But trust me, you don't want to doo that! That's "doo" with two o's, by the way.
Denzel Washington's latest film MAN ON FIRE is also doo with two o's,
In MAN ON FIRE Washington is a man who seeks vengeance on kidnappers in Mexico who have taken the little girl he was hired to protect.
There's not much I can actually say about this film without giving away the totally idiotic, unbelievable and stunningly ludicrous ending.
As bad as that ending, and this movie is, I don't want to give anything away if you are actually going to watch it.
And I could see why you would want to watch it. MAN ON FIRE reunites Washington with his CRIMSON TIDE director Tony Scott, and since that movie was pretty good, my thoughts going in was that the film would be pretty good.
Trust me - its not good at all!
The film is so chopped up by edits and other screen tricks that the interesting premise and talents of Denzel Washington are completely wasted.
It is truly a movie where style trumps substance.
If that interests you, then go ahead and watch it. If you ask me if you should watch it, I have three words for you. No. No. No!
Okay, so lets overcome this week's bad with a movie that's good.
HOME ON THE RANGE is the new hand drawn animated film from Walt Disney.
I mention that it is hand drawn because hand drawn animation on new films looks outdated to some.
With computer animation allowing films like FINDING NEMO and SHREK to overwhelm us with how they look, a film like HOME ON THE RANGE suffers a bit by comparison.
This is not a bad movie, I actually liked it a lot and I think kids will too, but it will be forever cursed with being in the shadows of all the computer animated, and Disney greats that came before it.
A trio of cows voiced by Roseanne, Dame Judi Dench and Jennifer Tilly, hit the high prairie, with the aid of a horse that has heroic ambitions, to track down a cattle rustler in hopes that the reward money will save their farm.
The songs in the film are all pleasant to listen and sing along to, and they were composed by Alan Menken - whose pedigree includes writing the music for the animated classics THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
HOME ON THE RANGE isn't bad, but it isn't the best animated film you'll see this year. I think kids will really enjoy it, and in the end isn't that who animated films are for anyway?
The good HOME ON THE RANGE and the bad SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED and MAN ON FIRE are all available now on video and DVD at your local video store.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT
The hit teen film MEAN GIRLS stars Lindsay Lohan as a home-schooled teen who has to deal with students at her new school. Yes, it is a film for teens, but it is good for us adults too!
It's been said that coffee and cigarettes aren't good for you, but if you are curious about what they look like on film COFFEE AND CIGARRETTES might just be a picture for you.
The final new title next week is the DVD release of THE STAR WARS TRILOGY.
Man, I can hardly wait for that one!
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!
...Britney Fans, You Can Stop Speculating Now — Official Hits LP Track List Revealed
Various track lists for the forthcoming greatest-hits album from Britney Spears have been circulating on the Internet, causing fans to worry that the singer wouldn't be including some of their favorite songs, such as "I'm a Slave 4 U."
Those worries turned out to be premature, as the official track list, made available on Monday, reveals that not only are the promised two new songs included in the collection, but so is a lesser-heard track that recently became a hit online.
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, which is slated to come out on November 9, will include the singer's cover of the Bobby Brown hit "My Prerogative," as well as a new song called "Do Somethin' " and the dance cut "(I've Just Begun) Having My Fun." The latter song is from the "In the Zone" sessions and was originally found as a bonus track on the European version of Spears' "In the Zone" DVD.
Other songs on the 17-track compilation include "Toxic," "I'm A Slave 4 U," "Everytime," "... Baby One More Time," "Stronger" and "Oops! ... I Did It Again."
Spears' single "My Prerogative" hits radio on Wednesday, while the video will premiere on MTV on Thursday.
Britney Spears' Greatest Hits: My Prerogative track list, according to Jive Records:
"My Prerogative"
"Toxic"
"I'm a Slave 4 U"
"Oops! ... I Did It Again"
"Me Against the Music"
"Stronger"
"Everytime"
"... Baby One More Time"
"(You Drive Me) Crazy (The Stop Remix!)"
"Boys"
"Sometimes"
"Overprotected (The Darkchild Remix)"
"Lucky"
"Outrageous"
"I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet a Woman"
"(I've Just Begun) Having My Fun"
"Do Somethin' "
NERDS ARE BACK
According to Variety Fox Searchlight is giving the go-ahead for a remake of 1984's hit comedy, Revenge of the Nerds.
The update will likely feature cameos of original cast members as well.
Albertan Carolyn Dawn Johnson steals show at Canadian Country Music Awards
EDMONTON (CP) - Alberta songstress Carolyn Dawn Johnson stole the show Monday night at the Canadian Country Music Awards.
Nominated in almost every category she was eligible for, the 34-year-old from Deadwood, Alta., won four awards on the strength of her second album Dress Rehearsal, released in 2004. "What a great way to start the night," cheered a happily tearful Johnson after she was presented with her first award of the evening, single of the year.
Alberta's Olympic gold medallists Lori-Ann Muenzer and Kyle Shewfelt presented Johnson with album of the year.
She also took home SOCAN song of the year, CMT video of the year and, along with co-producer Dann Huff, producer of the year in Sunday night's industry awards.
"OK, you're making me feel really special," said Johnson, who didn't have time to sit down as she accepted the first four awards in the two-hour show at Rexall Place.
Though Johnson took home the most awards Monday night, it was spunky fan favourite Terri Clark who brought some sizzle to the sold-out show that was broadcast by CBC Television and CMT in the U.S.
Throwing her hands in the air and mouthing, "I love you" to the camera, Clark bounded to the stage to accept her fifth fan's choice award - one more than the previous record set by k.d. lang.
"I'm just a kid from Medicine Hat who wanted to be Reba McEntire," said the 36-year-old Albertan, who also took home the award for female vocalist of the year.
"I'll play for you for the rest of my life if you keep listening," she promised her fans, many of whom stayed after the show to chant her name as she made her way to a waiting limo.
Before presenting the award for male artist of the year, Clark compared music to sex, saying, "You can't live without 'em and you just can't get enough of 'em," of the nominees.
When Jason McCoy's name was called, he ran to the stage and hugged Clark, burying his face in her chest.
"All that talk of sex," joked the 34-year-old from Minesing, Ont. "I got all worked up."
Manitoba band Doc Walker grabbed their first group of the year award and George Canyon was chosen as the rising star of the year.
"I can't believe I have this," said Canyon, tipping his black cowboy hat.
The 34-year-old singer from Pictou County, N.S., recently placed second in the USA Network's Nashville Star talent search. He's since been signed to Universal South.
"It's been 14 years, but if you want to call me an overnight success, I'll take it," he said after the show.
Edmonton's Corb Lund Band - chosen as the roots artist of the year - joined nominees Sean Hogan and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings for a special performance saluting the Good Brothers and their induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
"This is a great compliment here in our home town," said Lund, former front man of indie rock band the Smalls, who thanked "all the people who like their country a little bit scruffy."
Five-time host Paul Brandt kicked off the night with a splashy production of C.W. McCall's 1976 hit Convoy, flanked by Aaron Lines, award winners McCoy and Canyon and marching members of the Canadian military from CFB Wainwright in northern Alberta.
Other performances included Doc Walker, Emerson Drive and a videotaped performance of Keith and Clark in Hartford, Conn.
Clad in tight blue jeans and a large silver belt buckle, self-described "Redneck Woman" Gretchen Wilson from Nashville, Tenn., performed her hit Here for the Party to the crowd of 7,500.
Next year, the Canadian Country Music Awards will be held in Calgary.
Here were the winners at the 2004 Canadian Country Music Awards:
Fans' Choice: Terri Clark.
Single of the Year: Simple Life - Carolyn Dawn Johnson.
Album of the Year: Dress Rehearsal - Carolyn Dawn Johnson.
Song of the Year: Die Of A Broken Heart (written by Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Shaye Smith, recorded by Carolyn Dawn Johnson).
Video of the Year: Simple Life - Carolyn Dawn Johnson.
Top Selling Album: Alan Jackson's Greatest Hits - Alan Jackson.
Female Artist of the Year: Terri Clark.
Male Artist of the Year: Jason McCoy.
Group or Duo of the Year: Doc Walker.
Roots Artist or Group of the Year: The Corb Lund Band.
Rising Star Award: George Canyon.
Sony Closer to Content/Gadget Vision with MGM Deal
TOKYO (Reuters) - With its acquisition of Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Sony Corp is one step closer to its vision of linking hardware and content, and to winning the key battle for the next generation DVD.
Sony's acquisition of MGM will create the world's largest film library of about 7,600 titles and would appear to fit nicely into Sony's overall strategy of creating synergies between its consumer electronics and movies, music and games.
A group headed by Sony Corp of America has agreed to buy MGM, the 80-year-old studio that owns the James Bond, Pink Panther and Rocky movies, in a deal worth about $4.85 billion including the assumption of about $2 billion of debt.
Analysts and investors are worried about the potential damage to Sony's balance sheet and have doubts about when and how the synergies between movies and electronics will be achieved. But they say the reasoning behind the acquisition was sound.
"The MGM library is a rich source of content and potential profits for Sony," said Kiyoshi Yamanaka, a fund manager at T&D Asset Management.
Sony also announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with U.S. cable TV operator Comcast Corp. to offer Sony and MGM movies over Comcast's video-on-demand systems and on new cable channels that it would form with the Sony group.
This means Sony will also be able to generate cash flow by selling the Sony and MGM library of films on cable TV, in addition to the revenues produced by retail sales of DVDs.
Sony does not provide a breakdown of its DVD sales, but the company's music division recorded an operating profit of 35 billion yen ($318 million) in the previous business year to March 31, on sales of 756 billion yen, or about 10 percent of the group's total.
DVD FORMAT BATTLE
Sony acquired Columbia Pictures in 1989 for $3.4 billion, which at the time was the largest ever acquisition by a Japanese firm. That deal caused numerous headaches for Sony due to losses from large budgets and box office duds.
The MGM purchase could help stabilize earnings in its movie division, and may also advance Sony's cause in the battle to establish a format called Blu-ray as the industry standard for the next generation of DVDs.
"One of the important aspects of this deal with MGM is that it may help Sony prevail in the DVD format war," T&D Asset's Yamanaka said.
Sony knows how important formats are, having lost out to Victor Co. of Japan Ltd. (JVC) in the famous fight over videotape formats more than two decades ago, with JVC's VHS system becoming mainstream at the expense of Sony's Betamax.
Sony's consortium is up against a format called HD DVD, which is endorsed by Japan's NEC Corp. and others.
Both HD DVD and Blu-ray technologies use blue laser light, which, with a shorter wavelength than red light used in conventional DVD recorders, can read and store data at much higher densities needed for high-definition recordings.
Sony would also look to use its larger library to capitalize on the spread of broadband Internet access worldwide, UFJ Tsubasa Securities analyst Kazuya Yamamoto said
"Delivering movie content to the home online could become a lucrative business in the future as broadband access expands. Holding movie contents will become more valuable in that light," Yamamoto said.
U2 to Release 'Atomic Bomb' Album in November
LONDON (Reuters) - Irish rock band U2 Tuesday disclosed the title and set the release date for its next album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," which will hit record shops on Nov. 23.
The album, recorded in Dublin and the south of France, hit the headlines after recordings from it disappeared in July. The disappearance of rough versions of some tracks from a Nice, France, recording studio prompted fears they would turn up on the Internet before their official release.
"Vertigo" will be the first single from the new album, which is a follow-up to the 2000 success "All That You Can't Leave Behind." The song will arrive on radio Sept. 24, according to U2's label Interscope.
U2, whose first album "Boy" came out 24 years ago, was also nominated for membership to the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tuesday, along with Grandmaster Flash, Randy Newman and other music stars.
Simpson Puts Up Her 'Dukes' for First Feature Role
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Pop star Jessica Simpson has been cast as Daisy Duke in the big-screen remake of "The Dukes of Hazzard," a project that essentially marks her feature film debut.
Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville already had been cast as Bo and Luke Duke, respectively, in the Warner Bros. project. Jay Chandrasekhar is directing. A start date has not yet been set.
The series, which ran on CBS from 1979 to 1985, followed the weekly adventures of southern cousins Bo and Luke -- "just two good ol' boys, never meaning no harm," according to the Waylon Jennings theme song -- who raised hell driving their souped-up Dodge Charger, the General Lee, in fictional Hazzard County. They, along with their cousin Daisy and Uncle Jesse, staged running battles with the corrupt authorities, Boss Hogg and Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane.
Pop star Simpson shot to fame when her marital misadventures with fellow singer and husband, Nick Lachey, aired on MTV's "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica." She has played herself in countless TV appearances and had a guest starring run on "That '70s Show." On the big screen, she played herself in the 2002 feature "The Master of Disguise."