Here are the new CD releases for Tuesday October 19, 2004:
JIMMY EAT WORLD Futures (Universal)
NEVILLE BROTHERS Walkin' in the Shadow of Life (Narada)
RHEOSTATICS 2067 (True North)
ROBBIE WILLIAMS Greatest Hits (EMI)
THE MUSIC Welcome to the North (Capitol)
VANESSA CARLTON Harmonium (Interscope)
VARIOUS ARTISTS Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon (Sony)
The Couch Potato Report - October 19th, 2004
In The Couch Potato Report this week, there's, well, there's a lot! Corner Gas, SCTV, Garfield, Van Helsing and Ed Wood!
By now I am sure you are well aware of the made-in-Saskatchewan television show CORNER GAS.
If not, it is set in the fictional Saskatchewan town of Dog River, takes place mainly at the corner gas station, and stars Tisdale, Saskatchewan's own Brent Butt.
CORNER GAS is one of the most popular shows on Canadian television and now CORNER GAS - SEASON ONE is set to become a very popular DVD and video set as well.
CORNER GAS - SEASON ONE features all 13 episodes from the first year of the show, and the 2-DVD set also has audio commentaries on three episodes from Brent Butt and others, a blooper reel and many other extras.
THE TAXMAN, PILATES TWIST, GRAD '68, WORLD'S BIGGEST THINGS, HOOK, LINE & SINKER, FACE OFF. All of the imminently quotable, and very funny episodes are all included.
Just press play and enjoy!
You can now also press play and enjoy more episodes of SCTV on DVD!
Back in June I professed the first SCTV Box Set that was released to be "The Comedy Release Of The Year."
I must now amend that statement as SCTV - VOLUME 2 is just as good. Thus, my new statement is - "The SCTV Box Sets Are The Comedy Releases Of The Year."
SCTV - VOLUME 2 picks up where the first box set left off and we get nine more 90-minute shows from SCTV's fourth season.
Originally broadcast in 1981 and 1982, this set contains many SCTV classic parodies, including "The Jazz Singer" and "The Godfather," as well as the uniquely SCTV segments "I'm Taking My Own Head, Screwing It On Right, and No Guy's Gonna Tell Me That It Ain't"; Meryl Streep blowing up real good on the "Farm Film Report"; Bob and Doug McKenzie demonstrating how to stuff a mouse inside a beer bottle; "Benny Hill Street Blues"; performances by musical stars Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole, The Boomtown Rats, Talking Heads and much, much more!
The 5-disc box set is also loaded with over 90 minutes of special features, including new & unreleased material, and there is also a 24-page booklet.
Yes, the SCTV Box Sets Are The Comedy Releases Of The Year. And you can expect me to proclaim something similar next year as Volume 3 will be released in February!
Okay, CORNER GAS - SEASON ONE and SCTV - VOLUME 2 are the best of this week's new releases. Let me briefly tell you about two other releases before I get to this week's final good title.
The first of those other releases is VAN HELSING. This was supposed to be the start of a franchise that would see Hugh Jackman from X-MEN star in many, many films as a vampire hunter. If they do make it a franchise, I hope they work harder to make sure the next films aren't also absolutely dreadful.
The sets in VAN HELSING are all amazing, and the characters are interesting, but instead of making a movie, they made a video game.
All of the action that takes place is all done with computer-animated special effects and bad effects at that. Not one thing looks real. It just looks like a computer game. Press this button to kill the bad guys, press that button to change your weapon.
Not long into the movie's 132 minute running time I found myself actually saying, "Who cares?!?!"
Who cares if Van Helsing succeeds, who cares if he fails, who cares if Dracula's minions live, or die, who cares, who cares, who cares!!
I certainly didn't care while I watched the movie and I don't care now.
Even the presence of the lovely and talented Kate Beckinsale of SERENDIPITY and UNDERWORLD as the love interest slash equal of Van Helsing didn't interest me. Both she and Hugh Jackman have great screen presence, but together in VAN HELSING they don't add up too much.
VAN HELSING just isn't worth your time. See it if you want to, but I don't recommend it at all.
I also don't recommend GARFIELD: THE MOVIE, but if you see it you won't hate it. I certainly didn't hate it, it just serves no purpose.
On June 19, 1978 the comic strip Garfield debuted in 41 newspapers. Today, Garfield is the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world appearing in 2,570 newspapers.
On June 11, 2004 GARFIELD: THE MOVIE debuted in 3,094 theaters. Even though the film isn't horrible, and Bill Murray is okay as the voice of the titular cat, here's hoping we get another 26 years of laughter from the comic strip before they even think about making another film.
None of the characters in the film look or act like their cartoon counterparts and the actual human beings who embody the cartoon people don't have the personality of the drawings either.
Garfield, the comic cat, is usually funny on several levels. GARFIELD - THE MOVIE isn't funny, or entertaining at all.
But, as I said, if you see the movie you won't hate it. You'll watch it and it will be over.
Over. Done. Finished.
And now that I am over, done, finished with this week's mediocre films let me get back to something good stuff to wrap up this week's Report.
Back in 1994, after he had scored major box-office hits with BATMAN, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and BATMAN RETURNS, director Tim Burton announced that his next film would be a biography of failed 1950's filmmaker Ed Wood.
Wood resume includes movies that are universally thought of as some of the worst movies ever made. GLEN OR GLENDA, THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST and PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SOACE are just three of his cinematic messes.
Wood loved movies, and he just wanted to make movies, but he could never catch a break, even when Hollywood's biggest director of the mid-nineties decided to make a picture about him.
Tim Burton's film ED WOOD starred Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette and Martin Landau, who won an Oscar for his work in the movie. It debuted in theatres in 1994 and it wasn't a hit.
In his day no one went to Ed Wood's films and that year no one went to see a film about Ed Wood either.
Well, I shouldn't say no one went. My friends and I went, and we loved the movie ED WOOD. We loved it then and we love it now.
For us, and others like us, there is now an ED WOOD: SPECIAL EDITION DVD!
If you are a fan of old Hollywood, classic characters, or just a recent convert of Johnny Depp's due to his work in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, then ED WOOD is a movie for you!
The comic highlight of the movie is a scene featuring a stuffed octopus that was being used as a prop. Since he didn't have the necessary motor, Martin Landau throws his body down upon the puppet and, in an attempt to create the illusion of mobility, wraps the limbs about him.
It is a classic scene in a classic film many people have never seen, but should tak ethe time to watch.
ED WOOD is one of the best films of all time about one of the worst filmmakers of all time.
CORNER GAS: SEASON ONE, SCTV - VOLUME 2, VAN HELSING, GARFIELD: THE MOVIE and ED WOOD: THE SPECIAL EDITION are all available now at your favourite local video store.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT...
...is a film that is horrible on every level. It is called WHITE CHICKS and it features two male FBI agents who go undercover as rich heiresses. Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Jaime King are the "stars" of this complete waste of time.
Man is that movie bad, but luckily next week's other release is pretty good.
That movie is DAWN OF THE DEAD, the 2004 remake of the respected 1978 zombie movie where zombies overrun the United States. Canadian national treasure Sarah Polley stars with PULP FICTION's Ving Rhames and Mekhi Phifer from 8 MILE.
I'm Dan Reynish and 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!
Group rips on CBC movie night
TORONTO (CP) -- The CBC would do better to acquire the rights of other hockey league games for Saturday night telecast, instead of "foreign" movies for the duration of the current NHL lockout, says Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.
In an open latter to CBC president Robert Rabinovitch on Monday, Friends says that in the place of Hockey Night in Canada, the public broadcaster could be airing Canadian Hockey League games, such as Drummondville at P.E.I. next Saturday night.
"In the last month of your mandate as CBC president, we find it highly regrettable that you would preside over a scheduling change that will have the effect of reducing Canadian content on CBC Television's prime time schedule to a level last seen in the 1980s," says Friends spokesman Ian Morrison.
"Hockey is an important part of Canadian culture."
Last Saturday, CBC aired the popcorn classics Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Disney's Dinosaur. On Oct. 30, the network will show a prime-time pre-Halloween airing of Monsters, Inc.
The open letter is just the latest in a series of critical broadsides aimed at the CBC for failing to come up with Canadian programming alternatives in light of the current NHL dispute.
Pop singer picks up the pace on her second record
"It's the past two years as a journal of my life, basically," Kelly Clarkson says of her second album, due November 30th. Because her life has been more fast-paced, Clarkson promises a decidedly more aggressive style the second time around.
"It's rock & roll, baby," she says excitedly of the sound, before adding with a huge smile, "It's pop as well, obviously. I'm not Metallica -- but it is more rock, and it's a little deeper. It's very rock, and it's very cool."
Helping her dig deep are an array of producers and writers, including Clif Magness and Rhett Lawrence, both of whom return from Clarkson's chart-topping debut, Thankful. Also on board are former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody and Kara Dioguardi, who has written songs for Ashlee Simpson, Marc Anthony and Kylie Minogue.
With all the talent involved, Clarkson and Co. are having a difficult time pairing down the material. "We're still picking tracks right now," she says. "We've got so many songs, we're just picking our favorites."
Clarkson is anxious to wrap up the process so she can return to the road. "I'll be touring right after the album comes out," says the former American Idol champion. "I think people know that when I perform live, I usually win the audience over."
Season of Change for 'The West Wing'
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) "The West Wing" went through behind-the-scenes upheaval last season, with executive producer John Wells and a team of writers taking over for the show's prolific creator, Aaron Sorkin.
The changes sparked a good deal of debate among critics and fans about whether the show was better or worse in the wake of Sorkin's departure. (Ratings, which had been dipping toward the end of Sorkin's tenure, took a significant hit.)
As "The West Wing" begins its sixth season on NBC Wednesday (Oct. 20), the show is likely to spark further discussion -- this time for what goes on in front of the camera. As the fictional administration enters its last years, members of the White House staff will find themselves in new roles, while several candidates begin their campaigns to replace President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen).
In addition to following the show's timeline -- Bartlet is now in the third year of his second term -- the shakeup should allow viewers to see familiar characters in a new light, Wells says.
"One of the things that starts to happen on long-running TV shows -- and I didn't know this until I did 'ER' -- is that unless you shake things up and sort of change the way characters relate to each other, you inevitably end up with the same character dynamics and you start in three or four years to feel like you're repeating yourself," he says.
"A lot of the things we're doing are just changing the dynamics between the characters you've already come to know and love so they're not doing exactly the same thing, and they have to confront the differences in the way their job works and how they work with their co-workers."
For example, White House chief of staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) suffers a heart attack in the season's second episode, forcing him to give up his job. Bartlet makes an unexpected choice to replace him, ruffling feathers among other staffers.
Then there are the people vying to replace Bartlet. Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda have joined the cast, playing candidates from both major parties. Smits plays Matt Santos, a former Houston mayor and three-term congressman running a long-shot campaign for the Democratic nomination; he impresses Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) during a policy debate.
Alda, meanwhile, plays Arnold Vinick, a moderate senator seen as a front-runner for the Republican nomination. Vice President Bob Russell (Gary Cole) is also in the mix, aided by White House staffer Will Bailey (Joshua Malina).
"Part of what we're playing throughout the fall is the growing unease with the leading candidates that show up for the Democratic nomination," Wells says, "and should the White House try behind the scenes to get more involved in seeing if a better candidate should be put forward?"
The campaign to replace Bartlet doesn't necessarily mean "The West Wing" is in its homestretch; although the show is in the last year of its contract with NBC, Wells says he's "fairly certain" the network will renew it.
"I expect they'll respect the quality of the show and what it's meant to them and make certain we have lots of time to continue to make the show," he says.
Wells doesn't yet know who might win the fictional election the show is setting up, most likely for next season. He has contingency plans, though: Smits and Alda both have options in their contracts to return next season.
GANGSTER ADD
Universal greenlighting production on Carlito's Way: The Beginning, a prequel to Brian DePalma's 1993 drama that will star Jay Hernandez, Sean Combs and Luis Guzman.
Winslet Scoffs at Rumors About Her Weight
LONDON - She is famed for her pride in her curvy figure — and actress Kate Winslet says reports that she had slimmed down to a British size 8 — the equivalent of a U.S. size 4 — are "insane."
British newspapers carried prominent photographs Monday of the svelte-looking "Titanic" star in a floor-length Ben de Lisi gown at the premiere in London Sunday of her latest movie, "Finding Neverland."
Most speculated that she had been dieting to regain her figure after the birth of her second child, Joe.
"It is so insane; I haven't lost any weight," Winslet said in an interview Monday morning with GMTV.
"Everybody likes to think it is a great story to talk about my fluctuating weight. The reality is I have had two children in four years and the only time my weight goes up and down is when I'm pregnant, which happens. I have stayed the same weight apart from those times," she said.
In "Finding Neverland," the 29-year-old Winslet plays Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, whose four young sons inspired Scottish author J.M Barrie — played by Johnny Depp — to write the children's classic "Peter Pan."
The film, which also stars Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman, tells how Barrie, who had no children of his own, befriended the Davies boys in London's Kensington Gardens.
Winslet is married to Sam Mendes, director of the Oscar-winning "American Beauty" and creative producer of the upcoming stage version of "Shrek."
CNN's Tucker Carlson, Jon Stewart Feuding
NEW YORK - How's this for a feud that straddles the line between politics and entertainment: CNN's bow-tied conservative Tucker Carlson vs. "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart.
Carlson on Monday fanned embers still hot from their "Crossfire" confrontation, saying Stewart looked ridiculous during his CNN appearance and was a sellout for publicly backing Democrat John Kerry for president.
Stewart, appearing on the debate show Friday, angered Carlson by saying "Crossfire" is "partisan hackery" that does little to advance the cause of democracy.
And that was the mild stuff.
"You have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably," Stewart said.
Responded Carlson: "You need to get a job at a journalism school, I think."
"You need to go to one," Stewart shot back.
Carlson complained that for a comedian, Stewart wasn't being very funny.
"Come on," he said. "Be funny."
"No," Stewart said. "I'm not going to be your monkey."
Carlson chided Stewart for lobbing softball questions when Kerry appeared on "The Daily Show" last month.
Later, Carlson told Stewart he was "more fun" on his Comedy Central show, and Stewart called him a jerk — although he used a more vulgar term.
"I thought that he looked ridiculous," Carlson said in an interview Monday, "and I think the tape makes that clear."
Carlson said Stewart continued lecturing the "Crossfire" crew after the show went off the air. "I wasn't offended as much as I was unimpressed," he said.
Stewart wasn't talking about the confrontation on Monday, a spokesman said. Comedy Central executive Tony Fox said there may be some regret over the vulgarity, but that Stewart has been a longtime critic of cable news networks and their political argument shows.
The comedian hasn't gone out of his way to endorse Kerry. In a public forum last week in New York, he was asked who he would vote for, and he said he'd back the Democrat.
Carlson noted that many of the great comedians kept their political opinions to themselves, not for fear of offending anyone, but because it could hurt their art.
"You're selling out," he said. "If you are a satirist or an acute social observer, and he is, and all of a sudden you suspend disbelief on someone or suck up rather than prod or poke someone, people will look at you and say, `Even if I agree with you, I don't like it,'" he said.
Fox said "The Daily Show" poked fun at people in power, regardless of their party. Most people who watch Stewart are aware that he leans to the left politically.
"I don't think it really impacts the show at all," he said. "The show does what it does regardless of Jon's political persuasion."
Melissa Etheridge Recovering from Cancer Surgeries
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock singer Melissa Etheridge, who revealed earlier this month that she was battling breast cancer, says she is recovering at home from two recent surgeries and plans to undergo chemotherapy.
"The good news is they took out the tumor and a few lymph nodes, only one of which was positive (for cancer)," Etheridge, 43, said in a statement posted on her Web site on Friday.
"I still have both of my breasts, and whether I will keep them is a bridge I have to cross later."
"What an unexpected journey this is," she added. "I will be entering the phase of chemotherapy next. Who knows what that will bring."
In the meantime, the Kansas-born artist said she plans to continue working on an upcoming greatest-hits album, as well as a pilot TV comedy being developed for ABC. In it, she stars as a single lesbian raising a child with a straight roommate.
Etheridge made headlines and became a hero in the gay community in 1993 when she publicly revealed that she is a lesbian. In 2000, she disclosed that fellow rocker David Crosby was the biological father of her children.
The raspy-voiced rocker, known for such hits as "Come to My Window" and "I'm the Only One," announced Oct. 8 that she was canceling the remaining 11 dates on her North American tour in order to deal with her illness. She said doctors have described her prognosis as "excellent."
She also urged her fans to "please vote" in the U.S. presidential election on November 2.
SMELLS LIKE KERRY SPIRIT
Former Nirvana mates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic making their first joint public appearance together in over a decade at a rally for Kerry Tuesday night in Las Vegas.