NEW CD RELEASES FOR MARCH 1, 2005

Jessi Alexander Honeysuckle Sweet (Columbia)

Solomon Burke Make Do with What You Got (produced by Don Was; songs written by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Dr. John and others) (Shout! Factory)

C-Universum C-Universum (54º40' or Fight!)

Jim Camacho Stalker Songs (TMG)

Clairdee Music Moves (DeClare)

Coralie Clement Bye Bye Beauté (guest members of Nada Surf) (Nettwerk)

Elvis Costello The Delivery Man (two CD deluxe edition w/enhanced CD) (Lost Highway/UMG)

Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine (Deluxe Edition) (two CDs; includes bonus tracks, video and artwork) (Roadrunner)

Bart Davenport (ex-Loved Ones singer) Maroon Cocoon (Antenna Farm)

Deveroa Chyba Do Stran (54º40' or Fight!)

Mark Dignam Box Heart Man (Times Beach)

Doves Some Cities (Capitol)

Kathleen Edwards Back to Me (Rounder)

El Pus Hoodlum Rock (Virgin)

Shelly Fairchild Ride (Columbia)

Richie Furay I Am Sure (w/guest members of Poco) (Friday Music)

Geography Life in Binary (Universal Warning)

Julie Gold The Girl I Found (guest Lesley Gore) (Gadfly)

Adam Green Gemstones (Sanctuary)

Half-Handed Cloud Thy Is a Word, and Feet Need Lamps (Asthmatic Kitty)

Jeff Hanson Jeff Hanson (Kill Rock Stars)

Heartless Bastards Stairs and Elevators (Fat Possum)

The Hermit Wonderment (Nettwerk)

Hip Hop Hoodios Agua Pa' La Gente (Jazzheads)

Lily Holbrook Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt (w/cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home") (Narada)

Ivy (members of Fountains of Wayne and Tahiti 80) In the Clear (w/guests James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins/A Perfect Circle and Girls Against Boys' Scott McCloud) (Nettwerk)

Shooter Jennings Put the ‘O' Back in Country (Universal South)

Jack Johnson In Between Dreams (Universal Motown)

Judas Priest Angel of Retribution (Epic)

Killswitch Engage The End of Heartache (Deluxe Edition) (two CDs w/six bonus tracks, 2 videos and new artwork) (Roadrunner)

Julie Larson Wakening (Artmuse)

Le Concorde Universe and Villa (W.A.R.?)

Amos Lee Amos Lee (produced by Lee Alexander (Norah Jones' bassist/songwriter) (Blue Note)

O'Donel Levy In the Name of Love (Room 302)

Little Wings Grow (K Records)

Jennifer Lopez Rebirth (Epic)

Maksim Maksim (Blue Note)

The Mars Volta Frances the Mute (Universal Motown)

James "Jimbo" Mathus Knockdown South (enhanced CD) (Knockdown South)

Matt Bianco featuring Basia Matt's Mood (first album w/original line-up in 20 years) (Decca)

Eric Matthews Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit (Empyrean)

Montag Alone, Not Alone (Carpark)

Norma Jean O God the Aftermath (Solid State)

O'2L Doyle's Brunch (Peak/Concord)

Jamie O'Neal Brave (Capitol)

Oojami Urban Dervish (Ark 21)

Our Own Somewhere Wherever You Go EP (Has Anyone Ever Told You?)

Judith Owen Lost and Found (guests Cassandra Wilson and Keb' Mo') (Century of Progress)

Pentaphobe Sa'iyr: A Tribal Metamorphosis (Ark 21)

Populuxe deep in an american evening... (Volume & Tone)

Ragz Mo' Rocka Rising of the Phoenix (3:33 Records)

Kurt Rosenwinkel Deep Song (w/Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman) (Verve)

Tom Russell Hotwalker (original music set to spoken word recordings from Jack Kerouac, Lenny Bruce, Charles Bukowski and more) (HighTone)

Kate Ryan Stronger (Fuel)

David Singer and the Sweet Science The Stars Burn Out (Engine Studios)

Soel Memento (Warner Bros.)

Some Other Place To Be Continued (54º40' or Fight!)

Regina Spektor Soviet Kitsch (Warner Bros.)

Marvin Stamm & Ed Soph The Stamm/Soph Project Live at Birdland (Jazzed Media)

Ticonderoga Ticonderoga (54º40' or Fight!)

Transistor Transistor In Name and Likeness (Level-Plane)

Ronan Tynan Ronan (Universal Classics)

The Vacancy Heart Attack (A-F)

Waawe All Fabulous Things Turn Out to Happen (54º40' or Fight!)

Watchers The Dunes Phase EP (Gern Blandsten)

Kanye West College Dropout: Video Anthology (CD/DVD combo) (Island Def Jam)

Phil Woods Groovin' to Marty Paich (Jazzed Media)

Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings Just for a Thrill (guests Mark Knopfler and Procul Harem's Gary Brooker on classic blues and rock covers) (Fuel)

Savina Yannatou Sumiglia (ECM)

VA Connections 2 (w/rare tracks from Tom Waits, Charlie Musselwhite, Camper Van Beethoven and more) (Jackalope)

VA Innocent Words Records Compilation Vol. 3 (charity compilation for the Riley's Hospital for Children Project) (Innocent Words)

OST Be Cool (John Travolta/Uma Thurman sequel to "Get Shorty" w/songs by Black Eyed Peas, Christina Milian, Commodores, James Brown and more) (TVT Soundtrax)

OST Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood film) (Varèse Sarabande)

OST Robots (animated film w/new songs by Fountains of Wayne, Earth, Wind and Fire, Ricky Fante and Blue Man Group) (Virgin)

What's in Store for Next Year's Oscars?

LOS ANGELES - "Million Dollar Baby?" Old news. Jamie Foxx? Ancient history. It's time to set odds on which films will dominate next year's Academy Awards, based on what's visible in Hollywood's ever-changeable lineup for 2005.

Granted, no one's seen these movies, and some haven't even started shooting, so who knows which might have that touch of Oscar gold, or which won't manage to be ready in time to qualify?

But there are keys to early Oscar handicapping. Does it have Gwyneth Paltrow in it? Does it feature a woman pretending to be a man? Does it have Gwyneth Paltrow pretending to be a man?

Beyond that, the best signposts are a film's heavyweight-drama quotient and pedigree of talent. How many past Oscar winners are involved? Does a cover-girl performer efface her looks for a stark and sober story? Is it a "master" filmmaker tackling a "momentous" subject?

These are subjective criteria, but as a studio mogul noted in "Barton Fink": "I guess we all have that Barton Fink feeling. But since you're Barton Fink, I'm assuming you have it in spades."

For this crystal-ball exercise, we're looking for that Oscar feeling, and we figure people such as these — Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Ron Howard, Roman Polanski — must have it in spades.

And the Oscar could go to:

"Cinderella Man" — Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger star in the story of Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock, who gets a second chance in the ring. The academy loves underdog stories, Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind") directs and Crowe punches people out.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" — Rob Marshall ("Chicago") directs this adaptation of the novel about an orphan girl (Zhang Ziyi) who becomes a queen-bee madame kept in style by powerful men. Sex, sumptuous sets, exotic locales, a beautiful leading lady poised for a breakout role. Sex.

"Kingdom of Heaven" — Ridley Scott ("Gladiator") directs the saga of a battling knight (Orlando Bloom) in Jerusalem during the Crusades. Scott revived the moribund Roman epic. If anyone can make a Crusades story palatable in this politically correct age, he's the man.

"War of the Worlds" — Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise spin the spectacle of sci-fi spectacles, a new take on H.G. Wells' invaders-from-Mars classic. Everyone secretly loves to see the world toasted, and it co-stars that adorable Dakota Fanning.

"All the King's Men" — Sean Penn stars in this update of Robert Penn Warren's novel loosely based on political kingfish Huey Long. Penn in the meatiest role since his Oscar win for "Mystic River," backed by Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, Jude Law and James Gandolfini. Can you say dream cast?

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" — Johnny Depp has scored Oscar nominations as a sashaying pirate and a repressed Edwardian playwright. Can he earn another as Willy Wonka? Tim Burton's remake offers endless visual possibilities, and the story of candyman Willy playing tour guide to children is a beloved one for academy boomers.

"Jarhead" — Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") aims for another mix of drama and macabre humor with this tale of an elite sniper unit in the Gulf War. British theater vet Mendes has a keen outsider's eye for stories about Americans. And enlisting Jamie Foxx to co-star doesn't hurt.

"King Kong" — "Lord of the Rings" maestro Peter Jackson directs a remake of the great ape biopic, with Naomi Watts as the new Fay Wray. After elevating the fantasy genre to Oscar glory by treating hobbits with dead earnestness, Jackson's madman enough to do the same for a giant gorilla.

"The New World" — Colin Farrell tries to put "Alexander" behind him in this colonial tale of John Smith and Pocahontas, from director Terrence Malick ("The Thin Red Line"). Malick hardly ever makes movies, but when he does, they're awesome.

"Oliver Twist" — For his first film since winning the best-director Oscar for "The Pianist," Roman Polanski has a go at Charles Dickens' classic of an orphan among pickpockets. Oscar winner Ben Kingsley as the nefarious Fagin. Doesn't everyone prefer Sir Ben in "Sexy Beast" demeanor rather than "Gandhi" mode?

"The Producers" — Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reunite for a movie based on a stage hit based on a movie, about con men bilking investors on a Nazi musical. A best-picture trophy for producer Mel Brooks would make a nice companion bookend for his screenplay Oscar on the 1968 original.

"Walk the Line" — Joaquin Phoenix is the man in black, Johnny Cash, with Reese Witherspoon as wife June Carter. In the same way people went, "Huh? Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles? ... Oh, yeah. I see it," Phoenix bears a curious resemblance to Cash. But can he lip-synch?

"Untitled Steven Spielberg Project" — The director goes for another twofer in one year, this one featuring Eric Bana in a drama chronicling events at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, when 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed by Palestinian militants. It's his most "important" film since "Saving Private Ryan."

Record Industry Sues 753 for Song Swaps

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A recording industry trade group on Monday said it has filed another wave of copyright infringement lawsuits against 753 people it suspects of distributing songs over the Internet without permission.

To date, the Recording Industry Association of America has sued over 9,000 people for distributing songs over "peer to peer" networks like eDonkey and Kazaa, in an effort to discourage the online song copying that it believe has cut into CD sales.

The trade group represents big record labels like Warner Music, EMI Group Plc, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group.

'Million Dollar Baby' Oscars No Ratings Knockout

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A U.S. television audience of more than 41 million people watched the Oscar show capped by the triumph of boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" -- a respectable showing but hardly the ratings knockout ABC had hoped for, first figures showed on Monday.

The three-hour, 10 minute Oscar broadcast averaged 41.5 million viewers, down 5 percent or 2 million viewers from last year, when box-office powerhouse "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," was the big winner, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.

Sunday's Academy Awards also registered a 3 percent decline from last year in ratings for the network's target audience of young adults -- those aged 18 to 49 -- the group most coveted by advertisers.

The latest Oscar ratings might be considered lackluster in light of the intense hype surrounding the Oscar producers' choice of provocative comedian Chris Rock to host the proceedings, one of several moves aimed at attracting a larger, younger audience.

On the other hand, Sunday night's best-picture champion, "Million Dollar Baby," had nowhere near the popular following that "Return of the King" brought to the Oscar ceremony last year.

Last year's average viewer tally of 43.5 million was the largest Oscar viewership in four years.

The highest-rated Academy Awards ceremony in recent history remains the 1998 show, when blockbuster "Titanic" dominated the awards.

A record low of just 33.1 million tuned in for the 2003 ceremony, which coincided with the start of the U.S.-led military campaign to topple Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.

The Oscars are television's single most watched entertainment broadcast of the year.

By comparison, NBC's Golden Globe Awards in January averaged 16.8 million viewers, the Grammy Awards show on CBS last month drew 18.8 million and ABC's Emmy telecast last September eked out a mere 14 million.

Rock, making his first appearance as Oscar host, received mixed reviews for a performance that many critics said failed to live up to its hype.

While some critics credited Rock with raising the show's energy level, others thought his humor fell flat. The Washington Post's Tom Shales called Rock's performance "strangely lame and mean-spirited" and predicted he would not be back.

Rock and Penn Clash Over Law

Oscars host Chris Rock infuriated 2004 winner Sean Penn at Sunday night's Academy Awards, when he doubted the acting ability of Penn's latest co-star Jude Law. The comedian placed Law as a 'second choice' for casting agents after Tom Cruise in between award presentations at the ceremony in Hollywood's Kodak Theater. Rock said, "You want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law? Wait. You want Russell Crowe and all you can get is Colin Farrell? Wait. Alexander is not Gladiator. You want Denzel Washington and all you can get is me? Wait. Denzel's a fine actor. He would have never made Pootie Tang." When Penn arrived on stage to present the Best Actress trophy to Hilary Swank, he took time to defend Law, his co-star in All The King's Men, which is currently filming in New Orleans, Louisiana. Penn says, "Jude is one of our finest actors. What Jude and all other talented actors know is that for every great, talented actor, there are five actresses who are nothing short of magic." Backstage, Rock said he had spoken to Penn about their disagreement. He explains, "Sean said because he's working with Jude on a movie right now he felt the need to... I don't know. It's kind of funny."

Holly Celebrated With Anniversary Set

Universal Music International is prepping what it calls the definitive audio/video collection of a lost rock'n'roll icon. Due April 25 in the United Kingdom, "The Music of Buddy Holly and the Crickets" will boast a DVD collecting archive footage and new interviews and a bonus 20-track audio disc.

In North America, the DVD/CD package will be released via Universal's Geffen label and will be titled "The Definitive Collection." At deadline a specific release date for the region has not been confirmed.

The release marks the 50th anniversary of Holly's first appearance opening a set of Texas shows for Elvis Presley and Bill Haley & the Comets.

The DVD will include clips of Holly and his band performing such well-known hits as "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "It's So Easy," "Rave On" and "Maybe Baby." Also featured will be 1957-58 appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Among the interviews are conversations with Crickets drummer Jerry (J.I.) Allison, backing vocalists John Pickering and Ray Rush, early Crickets bassist Joe Mauldin, and guitarists Sonny Curtis and Tommy Allsup. It was Allsup who gave Ritchie Valens his seat on the plane that crashed in Clear Lake, Iowa, on Feb. 2, 1959, killing him, Valens and the Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson).

Rare audio interviews with late producers Dick Jacobs and Norman Petty, the latter also being Holly's manager, are also included on the DVD.

While the CD includes most well-known Holly songs, its track listing was chosen by those who played, sang and wrote on or inspired the original recordings.

Last year, Geffen issued a remastered version of Holly's first two albums, 1957's "The 'Chirping' Crickets" and 1958's "Buddy Holly," in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of rock'n'roll that was spearheaded by a celebration in Memphis. Both discs were augmented by additional tracks.

Here is the "The Music of Buddy Holly and the Crickets" bonus CD track list:

"That'll Be the Day"
"Not Fade Away"
"Everyday"
"Peggy Sue"
"Listen to Me"
"Oh Boy"
"Send Me Some Lovin'"
"It's Too Late"
"Maybe Baby"
"Rock Me My Baby"
"Rave On"
"Well...All Right"
"Think It Over"
"Lonesome Tears"
"It's So Easy"
"Early in the Morning"
"It Doesn't Matter Anymore"
"Raining in My Heart"
"Peggy Sue Got Married"
"Crying, Waiting, Hoping"

'Black Woman' Tops 'Hitch' at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" got its revenge against mixed critics' reviews by earning $22.7 million and taking first place at the weekend box office.

The drama-comedy is based on a script by Tyler Perry from his play of the same name and also features him cross-dressed as a gun-toting grandmother and in two other supporting roles. The film's strong debut pushed Will Smith's romantic comedy "Hitch" to the second spot with a weekend haul of $21 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Films contending for top honors at the Academy Awards also continued to draw healthy audiences with best picture nominees "Million Dollar Baby," "The Aviator" and "Sideways" ranked among the top 11 films.

Final figures were to be released Monday.

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" follows Kimberly Elise's character, Helen, who is kicked out of her house by her husband on their 18th wedding anniversary so his longtime mistress can move in. Helen recovers from heartbreak by reconnecting with her cantankerous grandmother Madea, played by Perry, and by relying on her faith.

The film received some poor reviews, with The Associated Press giving it a single star in its four-star rating system and National Public Radio describing it as "half inspired and half really, really terrible."

Showing in 1,483 theaters, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" averaged a healthy $15,307 a cinema.

Perry, who has gained a strong following among blacks with his plays, should be given credit for the film's success, said Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Films Releasing.

"The performance of the film is really a testament to Tyler Perry," Ortenberg said. "He's a cultural phenomenon that is taking America by storm. In the next few weeks, those unfamiliar with Tyler will become familiar with Tyler."

Audiences in exit polls gave the film an A-plus rating and the vast majority said they would recommend the PG-13 rated film to others, Ortenberg said.

"Every once in a while there is a film that comes out of nowhere and grabs the No. 1 spot and certainly 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' has done that," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "It shows the power that the urban audience wields at the box office."

"Hitch," another PG-13 rated film, played widely in 3,571 theaters and its $122 million over three weeks made it the first film in 2005 to crack the $100 million mark.

"Million Dollar Baby," which stars best-actress nominee Hilary Swank as a bullheaded boxer, ranked sixth with an estimated $7.2 million. Fellow best-picture nominees "The Aviator," a biopic about Howard Hughes, finished in ninth with $3.9 million, while the drinking road-trip movie "Sideways" ranked 11th with $3.5 million.

The latest Wes Craven horror film, "Cursed," debuted in fourth place with $9.6 million, while the weekend's other new film, the action-comedy "Man of the House" starring Tommy Lee Jones, opened in fifth place with $9 million.

Revenues from the top 12 movies were estimated at $105.4 million, down 24.6 percent from the same weekend last year. The comparison was skewed because Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" debuted last year with $83.8 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

1. "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," $22.7 million.
2. "Hitch," $21 million.
3. "Constantine," $11.8 million.
4. "Cursed," $9.6 million.
5. "Man of the House," $9 million.
6. "Million Dollar Baby," $7.2 million.
7. "Because of Winn-Dixie," $6.8 million.
8. "Are We There Yet?", $4 million.
9. "The Aviator," $3.9 million.
10. "Son of the Mask," $3.8 million.

Dan Recaps Dan's Predictions

Last week as the headline for my Oscar Predictions in The Couch Potato Report I wrote:

"He (Dan) seems a bit confident, even though everyone else is saying it is too close to call!"

As it turned out it wasn't too close to call as, with one slight exception, I managed to get 5 out of my 6 predictions correct.

This is what I predicted in the six major categories:

BEST ACTOR - Jamie Foxx - RAY
BEST ACTRESS - Hilary Swank, MILLION DOLLAR BABY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Morgan Freeman, MILLION DOLLAR BABY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Virginia Madsen, SIDEWAYS
BEST PICTURE - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
And
BEST DIRECTOR - Clint Eastwood, MILLION DOLLAR BABY

The category I got wrong was BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS.

No excuses, but if I had only paid attention to what I wrote, I would have been a perfect six for six for the second year in a row.

What I wrote was:

"...as I said earlier regarding the BEST ACTOR category, biographies of remarkable, real-life individuals are heavily represented among Oscar winners.

Since Katharine Hepburn won more Academy Awards than any other actor it would seem to make sense that a victory would be in the cards for Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Hepburn in THE AVIATOR..."

I also wrote:

"...I usually get this category wrong."

Yet I still went with Virginia Madsen for SIDEWAYS.

Had I been paying attention to myself, I would have predicted a victory for Cate Blanchett in THE AVIATOR.

But I don't always listen to myself.

Now had you listened to me, you would have had five out of six as well.

Congratulations to us both!

'Baby' Is Oscar Heavyweight With 4 Wins

LOS ANGELES - The boxing saga "Million Dollar Baby" was the Academy Awards heavyweight Sunday, claiming best picture and three other trophies, including honors for director Clint Eastwood, lead actress Hilary Swank and supporting actor Morgan Freeman.

The night meant more heartbreak for Martin Scorsese. "The Aviator" came away with the most Oscars — five, including the supporting-actress prize for Cate Blanchett — but Scorsese lost the directing race for the fifth time.

Eastwood, who at 74 became the oldest directing winner ever, noted his mother was with him when his Western "Unforgiven" won the 1992 best-picture and directing Oscar.

"She's here with me again tonight, so at 96, I'm thanking her for her genes," Eastwood said. "I figure I'm just a kid. I've got a lot of stuff to do yet."

Scorsese matched the record of Oscar futility held by a handful of legendary filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Altman, who also went 0-for-5 in the directing category.

Swank became a double Academy Award winner Sunday for "Million Dollar Baby," while Jamie Foxx took lead actor for "Ray." The wins for Freeman and Foxx made it only the second time blacks won two of the four acting prizes.

Swank, who previously won the best-actress Oscar for "Boys Don't Cry," once again beat out main rival Annette Bening, nominated for the theater farce "Being Julia." Bening had been the front-runner for "American Beauty" five years ago but lost to underdog Swank.

"I don't know what I did in this life to deserve all this. I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream," said Swank, who played an indomitable boxer.

Swank joined Vivien Leigh, Helen Hayes, Sally Field and Luise Rainer as the only actresses with a perfect track record at the Oscars: Two nominations and two wins.

Foxx won for his uncanny emulation of Ray Charles in "Ray." As he had at earlier awards triumphs, Foxx led the Oscar audience in a rendition of the call-and-response chant from Charles' 1959 hit "What'd I Say," whose funky electric-piano grooves play over the opening credits of "Ray."

"Give it up for Ray Charles and his beautiful legacy. And thank you Ray Charles for living," said Foxx, who climbed to Oscar glory after an early career built mainly on comedy, including his TV series "The Jamie Foxx Show" and the raunchy sex flick "Booty Call."

Foxx had been a double Oscar nominee, also picked in the supporting category for the hit man thriller "Collateral."

Playing Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator," Blanchett had the spirit of the Oscars' most-honored actress on her side. Hepburn, the love of Hughes' life in the 1930s before she began her long romance with Spencer Tracy, earned 12 nominations and won a record four Oscars.

"Thank you, of course, to Miss Hepburn. The longevity of her career I think is inspiring to everyone," said Blanchett. She added thanks to "Aviator" director Scorsese, saying, "I hope my son will marry your daughter."

Oscar host Chris Rock said Blanchett was so convincing that Sidney Poitier, Hepburn's co-star in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," showed up at Blanchett's house for supper.

The wins by Freeman and Foxx followed Denzel Washington and Halle Berry's triumph three years ago for "Training Day" and "Monster's Ball," the only other time blacks claimed two acting Oscars.

"It means that Hollywood is continuing to make history," Freeman said backstage. "We're evolving with the rest of the world."

The superhero action comedy "The Incredibles" won the animated-feature prize, beating 2004's biggest box-office hit, the fairy-tale sequel "Shrek 2." It was the second-straight animated Oscar for Pixar Animation, which won a year ago for "Finding Nemo."

"I don't know what's more frightening, being watched by millions of people, or the hundreds of people that are going to be annoyed with me tomorrow for not mentioning them," said Brad Bird, writer-director of the "The Incredibles."

The latest win dabs salt on the Walt Disney Co.'s wounds over the looming expiration of its distribution deal for Pixar films, which ends after next year's "Cars." The back-to-back Oscars underscore Pixar's growing ascendance and the weakening position of animation pioneer Disney, which has yet to win the animated-feature Oscar with any of its homegrown films and whose biggest recent cartoon hits have all been made by Pixar.

Unlike last year, when "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" dominated the awards as expected and flat-out front-runners took all four acting prizes, the 77th Oscars shaped up as a mixed bag, with only Foxx a virtual lock to win.

"Boy, am I glad there wasn't a fourth episode of `Lord of the Rings,'" said John Dykstra, who shared the visual-effects Oscar for "Spider-Man 2."

With no huge hits among top nominees, Oscar organizers worried that TV ratings could dwindle for the live ABC broadcast. The Oscars tend to draw their biggest audiences when blockbusters such as "Titanic" or "Return of the King" are in the mix, stoking viewer interest.

Producers of the show hoped the presence of first-time host Rock might boost ratings, particularly among younger viewers who may view the Oscars as too staid an affair. Rock had mocked the Oscars a bit beforehand, calling awards shows "idiotic," but he was on his best behavior in his opening monologue.

Rock chided some celebrities by name and included one mild three-letter word, but his routine was fairly clean for the comedian known for a foul mouth in his standup act.

"The only acting you ever see at the Oscars is when people act like they're not mad they lost," Rock said. He recalled the year when Halle Berry won and fellow nominee "Nicole Kidman was smiling so wide, she should have won an Emmy at the Oscars for her great performance. I was like, if you'd done that in the movie, you'd have won an Oscar, girl."

Organizers also tried to spice up the show with new presentation tactics, including herding all nominees on stage at the same time, beauty-pageant style, for some awards.

The first prize of the night, for art direction, was awarded that way, with a total of nine nominees from five films spread across stage behind presenter Berry. The Oscar went to "The Aviator," whose awards also included cinematography, film editing and costume design.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" took the original-screenplay award for Charlie Kaufman. "Sideways" won the adapted-screenplay prize for director Alexander Payne and his writing partner, Jim Taylor.

"My mother taught me to write, and she died before she could see any of this, so this is for you, mom," Taylor said.

"The Sea Inside," the Spanish film based on the true story of a bedridden euthanasia lobbyist, won as best foreign-language film, while "Born Into Brothels," which examines the lives of children of prostitutes in Calcutta, India, received the Oscar for feature-length documentary.

2005 Academy Awards

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner: Million Dollar Baby - Clint Eastwood, Albert S. Ruddy, Tom Rosenberg

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Jamie Foxx for Ray

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Morgan Freeman for Million Dollar Baby

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Cate Blanchett for The Aviator

Best Achievement in Directing
Winner: Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Winner: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Winner: Sideways - Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Winner: The Aviator - Robert Richardson

Best Achievement in Editing
Winner: The Aviator - Thelma Schoonmaker

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Winner: The Aviator - Dante Ferretti, Francesca LoSchiavo

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Winner: The Aviator - Sandy Powell

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Winner: Finding Neverland - Jan A.P. Kaczmarek

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Winner: Diarios de motocicleta - Jorge Drexler("Al Otro Lado Del Río")

Best Achievement in Makeup
Winner: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - Valli O'Reilly, Bill Corso

Best Achievement in Sound
Winner: Ray - Greg Orloff, Bob Beemer, Steve Cantamessa, Scott Millan

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Winner: The Incredibles - Michael Silvers, Randy Thom

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Winner: Spider-Man 2 - John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, John Frazier

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Winner: The Incredibles - Brad Bird

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Winner: Mar adentro - Alejandro Amenábar(Spain)

Best Documentary, Features
Winner: Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids - Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Winner: Mighty Times: The Children's March - Robert Hudson, Robert Houston

Best Short Film, Animated
Winner: Ryan - Chris Landreth

Best Short Film, Live Action
Winner: Wasp - Andrea Arnold

Rock Comes Out Swinging As Oscar Host

LOS ANGELES - Apropos for an Oscar ceremony in which a boxing movie was one of the leading nominees, host Chris Rock came out swinging Sunday night, unleashing his acerbic wit on anyone and everyone in Hollywood — including himself.

Rock kept it clean compared to the profanity that fills his standup comedy routine. But he slung the mud in a way that kept the audience laughing.

"All right! Sit your a---- down!" he shouted after walking on stage in a white tie and tux and receiving a standing ovation from many in the star-studded crowd.

Then he let 'em have it.

His main point: Filmmakers should wait for better talent instead of rushing bad movies into theaters.

"Clint Eastwood's a star, OK? Tobey Maguire's just a boy in tights," Rock joked. "You want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law? Wait. You want Russell Crowe and all you can get is Colin Farrell? Wait. 'Alexander' is not 'Gladiator.'"

But Rock wasn't afraid to include himself in that assessment. "You want Denzel (Washington) and all you can get is me? Wait," he joked. "Denzel's a fine actor. He woulda never made 'Pootie Tang.'"

One of the raunchier moments — though an intentionally goofy one — came with help from Adam Sandler, who like Rock is a fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum.

Sandler took the stage to present the adapted-screenplay Oscar, and it was announced that Catherine Zeta-Jones would be joining him. But Zeta-Jones never came out.

So Rock strode calmly from the wings and offered to read Zeta-Jones' teleprompter lines — which he did in a playfully stiff manner, making fun of the often awkward exchanges that take place between presenters at awards shows.

The dialogue went like this:

Sandler: "Catherine, may I just say your dress looks incredibly sexy tonight."

Rock: "Why thank you, Adam. It's Versace."

Sandler: "Well, with you in it, it should be Ver-sexy."

When Rock said teasingly that Sandler needed a spanking for being so naughty, Sandler responded, "Sign me up, Mrs. Douglas."

Robin Williams got in on the act, too. Before announcing the winner of the best animated feature award, he stopped to rip a large piece of white tape from his mouth. The stunt appeared to confirm reports that producers had censored his gags.

Then he made fun of those who connect cartoon characters with pro-gay messages.

Getting down to business, the first category, art direction, provided the first chance for producer Gil Cates to show off some of the new logistical tricks he implemented to jazz up the broadcast.

The nominees walked out on stage together en masse, then stood around on a floor illuminated by dozens of LED screens, waiting to find out who would be the winner. After hearing presenter Halle Berry announce their names, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo stepped forward and accepted their statuettes for "The Aviator." The losing nominees quietly exited.

Asked backstage what he thought about receiving the award in this new format, Ferretti responded, "I liked to be there, to be on the stage — also because we won."

Later, Cate Blanchett announced the nominees in the best makeup category while standing in an aisle in the audience. The winners — who happened to be seated right next to her — were Valli O'Reilly and Bill Corso for "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," who made their acceptance speech standing at a microphone a few feet away.

And Scarlett Johansson announced some of the earlier technical Oscar winners while standing in a Kodak Theatre balcony.

But the evening began in a traditional manner, with a montage of scenes from decades of classic films, including "Gone With the Wind," "Singin' in the Rain," "Animal House" and "The Sixth Sense."

NEW NIGHT

Looking to expand its programming schedule, HBO announcing the fifth and final season of Six Feet Under will shift from Sundays to Monday nights when it returns in June.

Berry Good Loser at the Razzies

Halle Berry was a good winner. She might be an even better loser.

Berry checked her ego at the door at the 25th Annual Razzie Awards, showing up Saturday in Hollywood to personally accept a spray-painted golf ball dis-honoring her work as Worst Actress in Catwoman.

"I want to thank Warner Bros. for casting me in this piece of [excrement]," Berry told the audience.

Berry's speech mocked her teary Oscar thank-yous from 2002 when she was honored as Best Actress for Monster's Ball.

"I'd like to thank the rest of the cast--to give a really bad performance like mine you need to have really bad actors," she said.

Indeed, Berry, who took the stage at the Ivar Theatre with her Academy Award in one hand, the Golden Raspberry in the other and her agent in tow, had company in Razzie hell. Catwoman was one of the night's big winners, as it were, taking four awards, including the ultimate dis, Worst Picture.

The other big "winner" was Fahrenheit 9/11, which also claimed four Razzies. Michael Moore's popular and polemic documentary on President Bush and post-9/11 politics was not itself ridiculed. Voting members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, a consortium of 675 dues-paying film buffs from around the world, reserved their scorn for the featured talking heads.

To whit, President Bush was named Worst Actor; Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Worst Supporting Actor; and Britney Spears, seen in a brief clip voicing support for the President, Worst Supporting Actress. Bush scored a second Razzie win for Worst Screen Couple category, a needling shared with now Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and the titular hero of the children's book My Pet Goat.

The White House contingent did not attend the Razzies ceremony. Aside from Berry, neither did any of the other scorned winners, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, named Worst Razzie Loser of Our First 25 Years for his knack of racking up nominations (eight in all), but never quite converting them to wins. Until now, that is.

As one might expect, star appearances at the Razzies are rare. The last name act to take his medicine--and his golf ball--in person was Freddy Got Fingered's Tom Green, proving himself a better sport than filmmaker in 2002.

Berry's act of bravery was the product of her upbringing, she told the audience. "When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser," she said, according to the Associated Press, "then there's no way you could be a good winner."

The failed feline heroine will bounce back Sunday as a scheduled presenter at the 77th Annual Academy Awards.

Good egg or no, Berry said she has no intention of becoming a Razzies regular. Quipped the actress, per the AP: "I hope to God I never see these people again!"

Here's a complete look at the razzed winners of the 25th annual Razzie Awards:

Worst Picture: Catwoman
Worst Actor in a Leading Role: President Bush, Fahrenheit 9/11
Worst Actress in a Leading Role: Halle Berry, Catwoman
Worst Supporting Actor: Donald Rumsfeld, Fahrenheit 9/11
Worst Supporting Actress: Britney Spears, Fahrenheit 9/11
Worst Screen Couple: President Bush and either Condoleeza Rice or his pet goat, Fahrenheit 9/11
Worst Remake or Sequel: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Worst Director: Pitof, Catwoman
Worst Screenplay: Catwoman
Worst Razzie Loser of Our First 25 Years: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Worst Musical of Our First 25 Years: From Justin to Kelly (2003)
Worst Comedy of Our First 25 Years: Gigli (2003)
Worst Drama of Our First 25 Years: Battlefield Earth (2000)

Shout! Factory reveals more SCTV

This volume offers nine 90 minutes show from the fourth season to feed the demand for more SCTV. Broadcast on NBC in 1982, these episodes introduce new cast member Martin Short and chronicle the height of success for characters Bob and Doug.

It is here where The Shmenge Brothers (John Candy and Eugene Levy) make their first appearance and the Great White North gets the “special” treatment in the “Great White North Palace” featuring Tony Bennett. Celebrities Bill Murray and Carl Perkins join the fray and musical guests Bennett, Jimmy Buffett and Hall and Oates offer classic performances.

The set contains commentaries, the featurettes The Producers, That's Life with John Candy, SCTV Remembers, Part 3 and Television Festival Presents SCTV and a John Candy Photo Gallery.

The set arrives with an $89.98 suggested retail price on March 1st.

New movies already seen as bombs

You won't find many reviews for either of this weekend's major movie releases.

Sony Pictures refused to screen its Tommy Lee Jones comedy Man of the House for critics. Alliance Atlantis wouldn't preview its new Christina Ricci werewolf flick Cursed either.

Sony is following orders from Revolution Pictures which created Man of the House and Alliance Atlantis is heeding directives from Miramax's Dimension Pictures.

Revolution even screened its road trip comedy Are We There Yet?

So, hard as it is to comprehend, the company must consider Man of the House far inferior.

Man of the House had a production budget in excess of $40 million US plus a $25 million marketing budget and is being released on 2,300 screens across North America.

It stars Jones, Cedric the Entertainer and Anne Archer as well as hotties Christina Milian, Kelli Garner, Vanessa Ferlito, Monica Keena and Paula Garces as cheerleaders under the protection of Tommy Lee Jones.

Dimension's Cursed has been a troubled project for almost two years.

It's been rewritten, reshot and re-edited so many times that director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson are distancing themselves from it.

It started out to be an R-rated horror comedy in the vein of the Scream movies Craven and Williamson collaborated on. It's now a PG-13 flick.

Cursed cost Dimension $38 million plus a $25 million marketing campaign. It will be released on 3,000 screens.

When a studio refuses to screen a film for critics, it essentially reviews the film itself, admitting it's a dog that needs one clear day before reviews and word-of-mouth start chipping away at audiences.

Cursed has the better chance of making some pocket change this weekend, given that White Noise, Hide & Seek and Boogeyman have all made upwards of $50 million.

Horror movies are popular and Cursed has slick production and the Scream cache.

All Man of the House has going for it is Jones and without a black suit and Will Smith, he has limited box-office clout.

Smith's Hitch and Keanu Reeves' Constantine will rule the box-office again.

Thompson shot himself while on phone

ASPEN, Colorado (AP) - The widow of journalist Hunter S. Thompson said her husband killed himself while the two were talking on the phone.

"I was on the phone with him, he set the receiver down and he did it. I heard the clicking of the gun," Anita Thompson told the Aspen Daily News in Friday's editions.

She said her husband had asked her to come home from a health club so they could work on his weekly ESPN column - but instead of saying goodbye, he set the telephone down and shot himself.

Thompson said she heard a loud, muffled noise, but didn't know what had happened. "I was waiting for him to get back on the phone," she said.

Hunter Thompson, famous for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and other works of New Journalism, shot himself in the head Sunday in the kitchen of his Aspen-area home. He was 67.

His son, daughter-in-law and six-year-old grandson were in the house when the shooting occurred.

Anita Thompson, 32, said her husband had discussed killing himself in recent months and had been issuing verbal and written directives about what he wanted done with his body, his unpublished works and his assets.

His suicidal talk put a strain on their relationship, she said.

"He wanted to leave on top of his game. I wish I could have been more supportive of his decision," she said. "It was a problem for us."

WHAT A DRAG!

John Travolta in drag? As bizarre as it sounds, Travolta is the front-runner to play the overweight laundress Edna Turnblad in the new film adaptation of "Hairspray," knocking out Harvey Fierstein, who originated the role on Broadway.

And many involved with the show aren't pleased.

"All the creators of 'Hairspray' very strongly wanted Harvey for the movie," says Tom Meehan, co-writer of the Broadway production. "This is a decision New Line made; they can do what they want."

Travolta's publicist had no comment.

What New Line wants, says Meehan, is for "Hairspray" to be a blockbuster Christmas release for 2006. New Line refused comment on the casting negotiations, first reported in yesterday's Variety.

But Meehan said it was widely known among the show's creators that the studio had also been considering Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson. "They were thinking big," he says, laughing. "It got pretty wild."

Edna was first played in the 1988 John Waters film by the late drag queen Divine, who famously ate real dog excrement in Waters' trash-terpiece, "Pink Flamingos."

Michael McKean, Bruce Vilanch and Fierstein have all interpreted Edna on Broadway, but Fierstein was considered the true soul of the hit musical, based on the demented yet sweet movie about kids in racially segregated '60s Baltimore.

Fierstein wouldn't comment on Travolta's possible casting, other than to say, through a spokesperson, that since he gets royalties, "the bigger a hit 'Hairspray' is, the happier I am."

Travolta "is certainly a good marketing hook," says Hollywood Reporter columnist Martin Grove, even if he "may not be the first name to come to mind." Travolta's career has gone through truly steep low points ("Perfect," "Battlefield Earth," "Look Who's Talking!"), but he's built a decades-long career on playing characters that are cool in an off-kilter way: the dim rebel Vinnie Barbarino on "Welcome Back, Kotter," Danny Zuko in "Grease," Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever" and the smack-addled hit man Vincent Vega in "Pulp Fiction," his 1994 comeback.

"Edna Turnblad is not a character you associate with him," says David Poland, editor of Movie City News. "He's never played high camp. But now he's aging. It's time for him to start playing senior adults, instead of clinging to the macho stuff."

And there are few things less macho than donning a polyester housecoat and technicolor make-up - which was traumatic even for Divine, who spent almost his whole life in drag.

As Edna, Divine was stuck "in my flip-flops and hideous housedress, with varicose veins drawn on my nubbly shaved legs and everything wrong with me accentuated, schlepping along in these pin curls."

Even Travolta's champions, Grove and Poland, say cross-dressing could prove too much for the actor.

"I just saw him at the premiere for his new movie, 'Be Cool,' and he is a big, macho guy," says Grove. "He does not look like he would enjoy being in drag."

"He's never played in this realm before. He plays characters at a lower note," says Poland. "In many ways, it's why he's still a star."

Yet for all the complaining about Travolta's likely casting, even co-writer Meehan understands the bottom line.

"Harvey is not the world's greatest singer or dancer; he's just a great, great performer," says Meehan.

"We all agree that we'd love to have a successful movie, so we're not going to walk away."

Coming Soon?

Here's some cool information from our industry sources on great DVD titles currently being worked on (or planned) by the folks at 20th Century Fox.

The first title we should mention is the one we get the most requests for by far - the long-awaited Office Space: Special Edition. It's currently in production, and is being actively worked on by director Mike Judge. Look for it sometime later in 2005.

There's also work being done on a special edition of David Cronenberg's The Fly. With any luck, it'll be ready in time to be a Halloween release.

You Denzel fans will be thrilled to learn that Tony Scott's Man on Fire has being given 2-disc special edition treatment. It's tentatively planned for release around Father's Day (so watch for an announcement soon). Expect this to be a great SE, complete with an alternate ending and a version of the film that's some 20 minutes longer than the theatrical cut.

A lot of you have asked about a more elaborate edition of Alien Vs. Predator. It's not on the radar at the moment, but that could change depending on how well the current DVD version sells. There is a 2-disc "extreme" edition currently available in the U.K., but it doesn't include any of the unrated material.

A lot of you have also been asking about the Mel Brooks promotion that Fox had planned for March (High Anxiety was among the titles expected). As we mentioned the other day, this has been delayed indefinitely. The reason apparently is that Fox wants to really give these films the attention they deserve on DVD. Special editions are planned, they're just going to take some time to realize.

No movement yet on the classic Batman TV series, which is still tied up legally with Warner and D.C. Comics.

Likewise, there's been no work started yet on the Space Above And Beyond TV series, although the current plan is to try to get this out in early 2006.

Finally today, let's talk about the BIG Fox title you probably want to know about. No, not Episode III (although you can likely expect that to hit DVD in time for the holidays). We're talking about James Cameron's Titanic. Our industry sources have confirmed that a SERIOUS special edition is currently being worked on by Fox. You can expect it to follow a similar pattern to New Line's Lord of the Rings films on DVD - a 2-disc version and a more elaborate 4-disc edition. Both will feature a sparkling new anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film. Among the many extras you can expect are lots of deleted scenes and tons of "behind-the-scenes" material. Watch for it to be announced later this year for release in the 4th Quarter. As expected, it'll be released by Paramount here in the States, and Fox internationally.

Oddmakers Make Underwood Early 'Idol' Favorite

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Carrie Underwood is no "American Idol" underdog. In fact, the 21-year-old Oklahoma native with the voice made for country is the competition's favorite, according to odds supplied by online oddsmakers BetWWTS.com.

The set of odds, established in the immediate aftermath of the first set of "American Idol" eliminations on Wednesday (Feb. 23) night, have Underwood as an 11/4 favorite. Mario Vazquez, a 27-year-old New Yorker who wowed the judges with a Michael Jackson cover, was the second pick with 7/2 odds. Anwar Robinson and Vonzell Solomon, both gifted with much early exposure, were a joint third choice at 6/1.

The good people at BetWWTS.com are much less enthusiastic about Joseph Murena and Janay Castine, both longshots at 50/1. Things also don't look particularly good for Celena Rae, installed at 35/1.

Lest you doubt the oddsmakers' credibility, the odds at the start of the Final 12 last "American Idol" season had Fantasia Barrino as the top choice and Diana DeGarmo as a popular second option. BetWWTS.com also tapped Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken as early favorites.

The next round of "American Idol" performances begins on Monday (Feb. 28) with four more eliminations next Wednesday.

Westerberg Anthology, 'Mats Reissues On The Way

Paul Westerberg will be the subject of a solo retrospective this spring via Rhino. According to the artist's official Web site, the 20-track set will feature two new songs, B-sides and rare tracks, Westerberg's soundtrack contributions and highlights from his post-Replacements releases.

The artist is in the midst of a North American tour backed by the three-piece His Only Friends band, which rolls into Tempe, Ariz., tomorrow (Feb. 25). Earlier this week in Los Angeles, confessed Westerberg fanatic Lucinda Williams joined the band for a cover of the Kitty Wells-popularized "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels."

While appearing on Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones' Los Angeles radio show earlier this week, Westerberg revealed he recently recorded a song with Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, which is expected to appear in Cameron Crowe's forthcoming film "Elizabethtown."

And while the likelihood of a Replacements reunion remains slim ("It can't be the Replacements without Chris [Mars] the drummer, and he's moved on into art and doesn't really want to come back," Westerberg told Jones), a host of reissues are in the works.

Rykodisc, which owns the rights to the band's Twin Tone releases, will reissue the Replacements first four albums in the fall, bolstered with rare bonus tracks. Rhino will give the same treatment to the group's late-period albums for Warner Bros.

Asked last summer if there were unreleased gems still in the archives, Westerberg told Billboard.com, "There probably are, but that haven't already been bootlegged in some way? The real fans have probably heard most of it. The only stuff that might be [unreleased] is cassettes of things that I have from real early on -- down in the basement kind of stuff when we were rehearsing."

Westerberg admitted he still reflects fondly on the 'Mats' early days, especially "when we were riding in the van and we ripped the seats out and would just listen to tapes and listen to Black Flag. [We would] sort of slam dance and stuff around in the back of the van and be drinking hard liquor at noon and it was just, you know, carefree times. We didn't give a damn."

Presley Asks 'Now What' On Sophomore Set

Preceded by a cover of Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry," Lisa Marie Presley will return with her second solo album this spring. Due April 5 from Capitol, "Now What" boasts 10 original songs in addition to her version of the 1983 Henley hit, and guest appearances by pop singer Pink and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.

Presley wrote six of the album's tracks with in-demand songwriter Linda Perry, who has worked with everyone from Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera to Unwritten Law and Courtney Love. "You went with who I am," Presley writes to Perry in the album's liner notes, "and I don't think I've ever had so much fun in the writing process."

The artist also co-wrote material with Gus Penaloza, Michael Lockwood and Eric Rosse, who reprises his role as her producer on the new album. Jones adds guitar to the virulent "Idiot," while Pink adds vocals to "Shine."

Presley's take on the Henley/Danny Kortchmar-written "Dirty Laundry" (which Henley took to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100) is already getting substantial exposure in a series of television promos for the hit ABC series "Desperate Housewives." Further on-air promotion will come with appearances on the syndicated "Oprah Winfrey Show" (March 28), ABC's "Good Morning America" (March 29), CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" (April 1) and the syndicated "Ellen DeGeneres Show" (April 5).

At deadline the artist had only one concert appearance on her schedule, a March 20 show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif.

"Now What" is the follow-up to 2003's "To Whom It May Concern," which debuted at No. 5 on The Billboard 200. The set has sold 588,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Here is the "Now What" track list:

"I'll Figure It Out"
"Turbulence"
"Thanx"
"Shine"
"Dirty Laundry"
"When You Go"
"Idiot"
"High Enough"
"Turned To Black"
"Raven"
"Now What"

SMELLS LIKE PILOT SEASON

Emmy winner Camryn Manheim is testing out her comedic chops in a pilot for the WB, while Mark-Paul Gosselaar has landed his first post-"NYPD Blue" gig, and Natasha Henstridge has been cast in ABC's "Pros and Cons."

Also Wednesday, Fox has ordered the comedy project "Dirtbags," from Will Gluck, Matt Boren and Doug Segal. Comedy reps the first pilot to come out of the net's Creative Writer Development and "Naked TV" programs. And UPN greenlit the pilot "Wingwoman."

Manheim will star in the WB project, which comes from scribes Anne Flett Giordano and Chuck Ranberg, as the single mother of three kids. Pilot presentation follows Manheim's character as she relocates to soccer mom suburbia.

Eric and Kim Tannenbaum will exec produce alongside Flett Giordano and Ranberg for Warner Bros. TV and the Tannenbaum Co.

Manheim scored the Emmy for her portrayal of Ellenor Frutt on "The Practice." Her other recent credits include guest spots on "Strong Medicine" and "Two and a Half Men."

Gosselaar, meanwhile, has been picked to play the lead, Michael, in Fox's untitled wedding chapel pilot from scribe Jeffrey Lieber.

Hourlong project revolves around a brother and sister who operate a wedding chapel in Las Vegas. Warren Littlefield has come on board to exec produce the Spelling TV pilot, along with Lieber, Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent.

Gosselaar spent the last several seasons as Det. John Clark on "Blue." His other credits include "Hyperion Bay," "D.C." and "Saved by the Bell."

Littlefield is also behind "Wingwoman," which he'll exec produce with Adam Chase ("Friends"), Mark Burg and Oren Koules ("Two And A Half Men") for Paramount Network TV and the Littlefield Co. and Evolution Entertainment.

Project follows the exploits of a woman who helps men talk to other women.

Henstridge ("Species") will star as Charlie on "Pros and Cons," the Touchstone/Bad Robot drama about ex-criminals who work inside the FBI. J.J. Abrams, Raven Metzner, Stu Zicherman and Thom Sherman exec produce.

Henstridge's other credits include "The Whole Ten Yards" and the series "She Spies."

As for "Dirtbags," laffer revolves around twentysomething pals in a blue-collar Boston suburb. Gluck ("Luis," "Method & Red") will exec produce with Boren and Segal.

Concept was originally staged at "Naked TV," a partnership between Fox and the Naked Angels Theater Co. (Daily Variety, Feb. 23).

"When I saw the play, I was floored by how original the world was and how well-defined the characters were," Gluck said. "It became clear that whatever the medium, Matt Boren and Doug Segal are incredible storytellers and have the passion and talent to make something great."

Twentieth Century Fox TV is producing the laffer. Separately, Gluck is also exec producing another sitcom pilot with Pam Brady for Fox.

With the success of last year's crop of "Naked TV" performers, Fox announced last month that it had renewed its deal with Naked Angels. This year, freelance journalist Tony Horkins, novelist Veronica Chambers, director Segal and playwrights Patricia Cotter, Evan Smith and Aida Croal are all creating concepts for a "Naked TV" showcase this April.

Peterson to be honoured on postage stamp

MONTREAL - Canada Post plans to honour jazz icon Oscar Peterson this summer by issuing a postage stamp in his honour on his 80th birthday.

The stamp marks the first time a living individual – other than the Queen or a member of the royal family – will be honoured on a postage stamp for his personal achievement, says Charles Verge, president of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

Oscar Peterson would be the first living individual, save members of the British royal family, to be honoured with a stamp for his personal achievements.

"I've always believed that Canadians prefer seeing stamps that they have a relationship with," Verge told CBC Arts Online Thursday. "Most Canadians don't remember dead politicians of 200 years ago and are not interested in them. They would be interested in seeing people who have some relationship to their knowledge base."

Modern personalities also help attract people to the hobby of stamp collecting, Verge said, noting that Canada Post recently picked singer Bryan Adams's portrait of the Queen for a new stamp.

Though Adams must have talent to have been selected to photograph the monarch, his celebrity as an internationally known musician has "brought that particular stamp into the domain of Bryan Adams fans," Verge said. It has also racked up "a large amount of sales."

Early on, Canada Post had a policy that the only living person who could be depicted on a stamp was the sovereign. The policy gradually grew to include members of the royal family. Over the years, the agency has also portrayed other living Canadians.

"There are many living individuals on stamps," Verge said, pointing out that hockey players, theatre actors and Canadian astronauts have all been depicted on postage commemorating landmark anniversaries of institutions like the NHL, the Stratford Festival or the Canadian Space Agency.

"Here we're saying that Mr. Peterson is being honoured for Mr. Peterson, basically," Verge said.

South of the border, the U.S. maintains its policy that no living person – save the president – shall be honored on postage, and that prominent individuals are only eligible for commemorative stamps 10 years after the person's death.

Other countries are much more liberal about whom they honour on postage. Austria, for example, has issued stamps featuring Peterson as well as actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Canada Post has scheduled the Peterson stamp for issue on Aug. 15, the Montreal-born pianist's birthday.

"We are recognizing a legendary Canadian, someone whose life work is established," Cindy Daoust, marketing manager for Canada Post, told the Montreal Gazette. "His legacy as a pianist and as a composer is solid."

Though the stamp advisory committee has approved the suggestion, it has yet to determine the design or what image is to be used, she added. "This is still very much a work in progress.

Canada Post is "not going to rush and put everybody on stamps," Verge said, suggesting that the agency may be using this stamp as a trial run.

"You won't see Avril Lavigne or Shania Twain or Celine Dion on stamps tomorrow," he said. "It doesn't mean that they will never be on [Canadian] stamps. It just won't happen tomorrow."

Feature film to explore drama of Villeneuve father and son in Formula One

MONTREAL (CP) - For most of his career, Jacques Villeneuve avoided answering questions about his late father, flashy Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve.

But the 1997 world champion from Iberville, Que., has finally agreed to participate in a feature film that will look at the human drama in the lives of the father and son Formula One drivers.

The film, simply called Villeneuve, is to begin production in 2006 and has a budget of more than $30 million, said producer Gabriella Martinelli.

"When I started my career, it was difficult to talk about my father," Villeneuve said Thursday at a packed news conference at his downtown restaurant Newtown. "I was getting a lot of attention from the media and public, but not because I had achieved anything.

"That was a bit embarrassing. People looked at me like they were seeing my father's ghost. I was very proud to be Gilles Villeneuve's son, but I wanted to achieve something myself."

He said the pressure eased after he won the 1997 championship with the Williams team and he opened up more after making an exhibition run in his father's old Ferrari, while wearing his father's helmet, last summer in England.

Villeneuve said the film will dissolve the notion that he resented his father.

"No one knows about my relationship with my dad," said Jacques, who was 11 when Gilles died. "The misconception was that people thought I hated him and didn't want to be part of his life and that's totally wrong. He was always my hero.

"But I was doing the same job as him and I was doing it for myself. I tried to keep them separate and that's not what people wanted to hear. They wanted to hear Gilles again and were annoyed that I wasn't willing to give them that."

While Jacques didn't get the chance to learn much about driving from his father, he said the two shared a passion for speed and risk. But cars, drivers, tracks and rules have evolved so that racing is safer these days.

"If he was driving in the 1990s, he'd still be a driver and if I was driving in the 1970s, I'd be dead," Jacques said.

The film, made by Capri Films, will follow the career of Gilles, the dashing driver from Berthierville, Que., who was killed in a crash during practice for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982, and the rise of his son Jacques to become world champion.

The film is based on the book Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Driver, by Gerald Donaldson. It is to be directed by Montrealer Christian Duguay while Malcolm Clarke of Britain will write the script.

"This is a human drama with a backdrop of Formula One racing," said Duguay. "It's the story of Gilles from his son's point of view."

Villeneuve, now driving for the Sauber Petronas team, will act as a consultant to the filmmakers, but actors will be hired to play the drivers.

Craig Pollock, Villeneuve's agent, said he had received at least 10 requests over the years from people who hoped to do a film or TV mini-series on the father and son, but they were all turned down.

"This was different - Jacques will have his say," said Pollock. "This film would happen whether you like it or not.

"Everything about Gilles is in the public domain and neither Jacques nor the family could stop it. So the best thing is to be involved, to act as consultant and try to control what happens inside the script."

Tarantino Bloodying 'CSI' Team

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Call it "Kill Gil."

Quentin Tarantino has signed to direct the season-finale episode of primetime's most-watched series, CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Tarantino also has come up with an original story for the episode, which is expected to shoot in early April and air May 19, according to "CSI" executive producer Carol Mendelsohn.

Tarantino has long been a fan of the stylish forensic drama as series creator/executive producer Anthony Zuiker learned when he bumped into Tarantino at an awards show during "CSI's" first season. They have pursued him to direct an episode for some time, and after members of the "CSI" crew ran into Tarantino a few weeks ago while the show was doing some location shooting in Las Vegas, the stars finally aligned for him to helm the show's fifth-season closer, Mendelsohn said.

"He knows everything there is to know about 'CSI,' and he is into the whole mythology of 'CSI,"' Mendelsohn said. "Quentin came in a couple of weeks ago. We had a story meeting with the writers. He had a great idea, and it was so much fun to have him in the room. . . . We are positively giddy."

Zuiker, in particular, "worships Quentin," she added.

Mendelsohn said the story will involve a plot that finds one of the key members of the CSI team, led by Gil Grissom (William Petersen), in serious jeopardy.

"There will be more bugs and blood this time," Mendelsohn joked.

Tarantino, who earned an Oscar for co-writing the screenplay to his 1994 smash "Pulp Fiction," directed a 1995 episode of "ER" and appeared as a guest actor on ABC's "Alias" in 2002 and last year. His other features include the "Kill Bill" films, "Jackie Brown" and "Reservoir Dogs."

The Couch Potato Report - February 24th, 2005

In The Couch Potato Report this week, I offer you my Academy Award predictions, and two alternatives to all of the Oscar hype.

On Sunday night the eyes of the world will be focused on one address: 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood, California.

For on that night at The Kodak Theatre The 77th Annual Academy Awards will be awarded in 24 categories.

The six major categories are BEST ACTRESS, BEST ACTOR, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, BEST DIRECTOR and BEST PICTURE, and those are the categories I am going to focus on right now and give you my predictions of who is going to win.

Some have called this the most unpredictable year at the Academy Awards in a long time, but it really isn't.

Especially in the BEST ACTOR category where the nominees are Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA, Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND, Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR, Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY and Jamie Foxx - RAY

Not only am I telling you that Jamie Foxx will win for RAY, but I will also plainly state that if Foxx doesn't walk away with the trophy, it will be seen as the biggest Oscar blunder since SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE won for BEST PICTURE over SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.

Biographies of remarkable, real-life individuals are heavily represented among Oscar winners.

Plus, an overwhelming number of actors have won the top acting awards for portraying characters with physical or mental disabilities or diseases.

A few examples are Cliff Robertson in 1968 for CHARLY, Jack Nicholson in 1975 for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, Dustin Hoffman in 1988 for RAIN MAN, Daniel Day-Lewis in 1989 for MY LEFT FOOT, Al Pacino - SCENT OF A WOMAN in 1992, Tom Hanks for PHILADELPHIA in 1993, and for FORREST GUMP in 1994, and Jack Nicholson again in 1997 for AS GOOD AS IT GETS.

Plus, even though DiCaprio, Cheadle, Depp and Eastwood are all also playing real-life people, some even with physical or mental disabilities or diseases, Jamie Foxx is also a shoo in to win because he is playing Ray Charles, one of the most beloved American entertainers of the past century.

Jamie Foxx may be the one sure thing this year, but if you look at some of the trends that the Academy voters have followed over the years, there seems to be clear indications as to who will win in the other five major categories as well.

For instance, it helps an actress's chances of winning the BEST ACTRESS Oscar if the character dies during the movie, is a prostitute, an alcoholic or addicted to drugs, or is a murderess.

Some examples of that Oscar truism are Elizabeth Taylor for BUTTERFIELD 8 in 1960, Jane Fonda in 1971's KLUTE, and Charlize Theron in Monster in 2003.

The nominees in the BEST ACTRESS category this year are: Annette Bening - BEING JULIA, Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE, Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE, Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY and Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.

The two frontrunners are Annette Bening and Hilary Swank, who also competed against each other in this category in 1999.

That year Swank won the BEST ACTRESS Oscar for her work in BOYS DON'T CRY, even though Bening was pregnant, and her film AMERICAN BEAUTY won BEST PICTURE and four other statuettes.

Sadly, for Bening, after Sunday night the score will now be Swank - 2, Bening - 0.

Sad for Bening, but good for movie lovers as Swank's performance is just that good.

Should you be looking for a dark horse to come along and surprise pundits like myself, this is the category it could happen in.

It is possible that Hilary and Annette will split the vote, meaning the incredible Imelda Staunton will win for her performance in VERA DRAKE.

However, that is quite unlikely as Swank has all of the buzz in the movie industry right now, and she does have the Academy's history of voting patterns behind her.

Let me move now to the BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR category, where another voting pattern of the Academy is going to pay off this year for a beloved actor.

That pattern is how the Academy likes to award an Oscar for an entire body of work.

The nominees for BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR are Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR, Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS, Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL, Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY and Clive Owen - CLOSER.

This year expect Morgan Freeman to claim the prize.

Freeman was nominated in this category in 1988 for STREET SMART and he was nominated as BEST ACTOR in 1990 for DRIVING MISS DAISY and in 1994 for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION.

Freeman has been the heart and soul of too many movies to list, he has been the voice of reason in too many more, and in BRUCE ALMIGHTY he even played God.

Freeman's work in MILLION DOLLAR BABY is a steady and as brilliant as always, but it isn't the best performance that he's ever given.

Yet just like Paul Newman in THE COLOUR OF MONEY, Al Pacino in SCENT OF A WOMAN and the work Sean Connery did in THE UNTOUCHABLES, Freeman will take home Oscar gold because of his body of work.

We move on now to the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS.

I can tell you two things that are facts about this category: 1) First-time nominees often win this Award, and 2) Even though I correctly predicted that Renee Zellweger would win this award last year for COLD MOUNTAIN, I usually get this category wrong.

That said, the Academy Award nominees for BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE are Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR, Laura Linney - KINSEY, Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS, Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA and Natalie Portman - CLOSER.

As I said earlier regarding the BEST ACTOR category, biographies of remarkable, real-life individuals are heavily represented among Oscar winners.

Since Katharine Hepburn won more Academy Awards than any other actor it would seem to make sense that a victory would be in the cards for Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Hepburn in THE AVIATOR.

But some in the movie community have called Blanchett's performance "over the top", so the buzz is against her.

In addition to the negative buzz, the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS category has a few trends that are all it's own.

This award is usually given to a young actress for their first nomination, such as Marisa Tomei in 1992 for MY COUSIN VINNY, Anna Paquin in 1993 for THE PIANO and Mira Sorvino's 1995 win for MIGHTY APHRODITE.

By that logic I should tell you that Sophie Okonedo will win for HOTEL RWANDA, and some prognosticators are saying that these days.

But this category has another trend.

The BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS award has also been given for a performance that is seen as comeback, a la Kim Basinger in 1997's L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.

Granted, Okonedo is very strong in HOTEL RWANDA, but the buzz all seems to be behind this year's comeback kid, Virginia Madsen.

Madsen was a star in such eighties and nineties films as ELECTRIC DREAMS, DUNE, THE HOT SPOT, CANDYMAN and THE RAINMAKER, but her profile over the last few years has been well below the radar of the Academy.

Plus, prior to this year, the only nomination she has ever received was due to her work in 1992's CANDYMAN. That year she was singled out as BEST ACTRESS by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.

Yes, they are a reputable and respected group to be sure, but they are not the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences, so Virginia's nomination this year in the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS category will correctly be seen as her first.

Since she is a first time nominee AND her work can be seen as a comeback. I say that she will win.

But, just remember, even though I got it right last year, this has traditionally been my weakest category for predicting the Academy Award winners.

Whereas guessing the BEST PICTURE winners has been a strong suit of mine.

This year I see no reason to feel that pattern will end.

The nominees for BEST PICTURE are THE AVIATOR, FINDING NEVERLAND, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, RAY and SIDEWAYS, but there are only two films to remember. This category is a race between Martin Scorsese's THE AVIATOR and Clint Eastwood's MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

Over the past decade the BEST PICTURE race has been the one that has been the easiest to predict. The one exception was in 1998, when the aforementioned SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE beat the far superior SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.

SCHINDLER'S LIST, FORREST GUMP, BRAVEHEART, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, TITANIC, AMERICAN BEAUTY, GLADIATOR, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, CHICAGO and THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING all had the two things that are required to be named the BEST PICTURE of the year at the Academy Awards: momentum and buzz.

This year MILLION DOLLAR BABY has all of the buzz and all of the momentum.

All of it!

Even if this was originally intended to be the year that Martin Scorsese's career was recognized, due to Oscar history, THE AVIATOR has to be seen as the second place finisher.

No movie about Hollywood has ever won the top prize. Even Billy Wilder's classic SUNSET BOULEVARD didn't win best picture!

Clint Eastwood's UNFORGIVEN was named BEST PICTURE in 1992, and this year his MILLION DOLLAR BABY will take the top prize again.

The only question remaining now is: Does Eastwood also win for BEST DIRECTOR?

Does he beat out Scorsese's work in both of the top two categories?

Yes.

But Scorsese is in incredible company. Some of the greatest directors of all time have never won an Academy Award for BEST DIRECTOR. The list includes Charlie Chaplin, Howard Hawks, D. W. Griffith, Brian De Palma, Cecil B. DeMille, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Terrence Malick, Robert Altman, Spike Lee, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton, Tim Burton, Blake Edwards, Arthur Penn, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, David Lynch, Peter Weir, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Sam Peckinpah, and Martin Scorsese.

The last name on the list was nominated in 1980 for RAGING BULL and again in 1991 for GOODFELLAS. He should have won both times.

He was also nominated in 1989 for THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST and in 2002 for GANGS OF NEW YORK.

Still, the great Martin Scorsese has never won an Oscar.

With the epic THE AVIATOR on the release schedule, 2004 looked to be the year that Hollywood would reward him for an unprecedented career.

Sadly, this won't be Martin Scorsese's year, yet again.

Even though Clint Eastwood has won before, and the beloved Scorsese hasn't, Eastwood's work on MILLION DOLLAR BABY is the favourite to win.

That is partially due to the fact that Eastwood won the Directors Guild of America's Best Film Director award for MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

The winner of the DGA award has gone on to win the Academy Award in 50 of the past 56 years.

Because of his incredible career, and due to the fact that the Academy likes to award an Oscar for an entire body of work, Martin Scorsese would seem to (finally) be guaranteed an Oscar come Sunday night.

But the only guarantee in this year's Oscar races is Jamie Foxx. All everyone else can do is hope.

Of course, I am not hoping anything, I sit here quite confident that my choices will all win, due to the reasons I've given you. So, to recap, my predictions in the six major categories for the 77th Annual Academy Awards are:

BEST ACTOR - Jamie Foxx - RAY
BEST ACTRESS - Hilary Swank, MILLION DOLLAR BABY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Morgan Freeman, MILLION DOLLAR BABY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Virginia Madsen, SIDEWAYS
BEST PICTURE - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
And
BEST DIRECTOR - Clint Eastwood, MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Sorry Marty!

Now if you find yourself sick and tired of all of this Oscar talk, and you would rather just sit and watch something that will never win an Academy Award, I offer you two alternatives.

The new special edition DVD release of HALF BAKED and SOUTH PARK - THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON.

Let's start with the very stupid, very juvenile, very funny comedy HALF BAKED.

The movie is about four pothead buddies, one of whom is thrown in jail.

His buddies - including Dave Chappelle from CHAPPELLE'S SHOW and Jim Breuer of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - have to come up with the money to free their buddy.

As I said, HALF BAKED is very, very stupid, but if you like films about stoners, like DAZED AND CONFUSED and the repertoire of CHEECH AND CHONG, then you will find HALF BAKED much to your amusement.

You will also be amused with the additional features that are now available in the HALF BAKED - FULLY LOADED EDITION DVD. There is an Alternate Ending, ten Deleted Scenes and a Director's Commentary with Tamra Davis.

Whatever you do, just make sure you have some snacks handy in case you get the munchies!

The other Academy Award alternative I have for you this week is from a franchise that was actually nominated for an Oscar once.

Yes, the movie version of SOUTH PARK - BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT was nominated for BEST ORIGINAL SONG.

In SOUTH PARK - THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON you can join Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as they discover a government secret, accidentally get sent to Afghanistan and get into an extreme slugfest when 'Big Gay Al' returns. Some of the episodes are: It Hits the Fan, Cripple Fight, Super Best Friends, Scott Tenorman Must Die and Cartmanland.

Call it dumb fun, call it a guilty pleasure, or whatever you'd like. I just call it funny.

If you need an alternative to this weekend's Oscar festivities The HALF BAKED - FULLY LOADED EDITION and SOUTH PARK - THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON are both available now on DVD.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

Walt Disney's classic 1942 film BAMBI debuts on DVD in a special Platinum Edition 2-disc set.

In THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE SpongeBob and Patrick set out to save Bikini Bottom. If you think this is a movie just for kids, I offer this phrase: You are only as young as you feel. Feel young, enjoy SpongeBob!

The word "enjoy" will never be used in conjunction with EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING. In this prequel to the classic horror film Father Merrin has his first encounter with demonic forces. Stellan Skarsgard, James D'Arcy and Izabella Scorupco star.

Eric Idle stars in THE RUTLES 2 - CAN'T BUY ME LUNCH. Yes, Pre-Fab Four are back!

SCTV is back as well. In the box set SCTV - VOLUME 3 the series reacts to the success of "The Great White North" segments featuring Bob and Doug McKenzie and Martin Short joins the cast.

I'm Dan Reynish and I'll have more on SCTV - VOLUME 3, and those other releases, in seven days.

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

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

Imbruglia 'Days' Away From Third Album

Australian vocalist Natalie Imbruglia will release her third album, "Counting Down the Days," April 4 internationally via Sony/BMG's new Brightside imprint. According to a spokesperson for RCA, which issued Imbruglia's previous two albums here in North America, the set is not yet on the release schedule here.

The 12-track "Counting Down the Days" will be led by the single "Shiver," which will be released commercially on March 21. An accompanying video, shot in Kiev by director Jake Nava, can be streamed from Imbruglia's official Web site.

Among the contributors were producer Ben Hillier (Doves, Blur), Imbruglia's husband, Silverchair's Daniel Johns, as well as Faultline's David Kosten, who co-wrote the closing track "Honeycomb Child."

The album is the follow-up to 2001's "White Lilies Island," which debuted at No. 35 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 171,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The single "Wrong Impression" peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart.

Imbruglia will make a series of U.K. TV appearances next month, including performances on March 16 on "CDUK" and March 26 on "Top of the Pops."

Here is the track list for "Counting Down the Days":

"Starting Over"
"Shiver"
"Satisfied"
"Counting Down the Days"
"I Won't Be Lost"
"Slow Down"
"Sanctuary"
"Perfectly"
"On the Run"
"Come Home"
"While You're Sleeping"
"Honeycomb Child"

SHOW TIME

Prince, who won the Oscar in 1984 for his Purple Rain score, set to make his first appearance as an presenter at this Sunday's 77th Academy Awards. Last year's Best Actor winner, Sean Penn, has also been tapped as a presenter.

Springsteen Returning Favor to Bono

NEW YORK - Bruce Springsteen is returning the favor to Bono. U2's talkative frontman, who gave memorable stream-of-consciousness speeches inducting Bob Marley and Springsteen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will be saluted by Springsteen when the Boss inducts U2 next month.

Springsteen's no slouch in the induction speech department himself: He slyly noted last year how inductee Jackson Browne's audience always seemed to be filled with women.

Justin Timberlake will board the "Love Train" to pay tribute to the O'Jays in this year's ceremony. B.B. King and Eric Clapton will team to induct bluesman Buddy Guy, Rod Stewart will speak about "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy Sledge and Neil Young will honor the Pretenders.

The 20th annual ceremony will be held March 14 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Highlights will be televised March 19 on VH1.

Explore The Life Aquatic

The latest Wes Anderson outing The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou will be getting two releases on DVD later this spring.

A single disc version will be available from Buena Vista with an audio commentary and deleted scenes along with the film in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1. A second Criterion version of the film will also be available with a second disc including a video journal, musical performances of Seu Jorge, a featurette and interviews.

Both versions arrive on May 10th and will be priced at $29.99 and $32.99 respectively.

The Couch Potato Report

The Report will appear this week on Thursday and it will contain Dan's Oscar prediction.

Apple releases cheaper photo IPods, more roomy IPod mini

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday released new versions of its popular IPod digital music player, cutting prices and expanding memory capacities.

The price of the four-gigabyte IPod mini was cut $50 to $199 US. A new six-gigabyte version will sell for $249.

The 60-gigabyte IPod Photo, which can display photos on its small colour screen or when connected to a TV set, was cut from $599 to $449. A new 30-gigabyte model for $349 replaces a 40-gigabyte version for $499.

Apple also said it expects to start selling a cable that allows the transfer of photos straight from a digital camera to an IPod photo, eliminating the need for a computer. The IPod Camera Connector is expected to be available in late March for $29.

Razzies Still Knocking Hollywood Down

LOS ANGELES (AP) — They started as an Oscar night joke. A quarter-century later, they're still a joke, but they come a night before the Oscars.

On Saturday the Golden Raspberry Awards, better known as the Razzies, will deliver their 25th annual spanking of all things bad in Hollywood.

"Catwoman," "Alexander" and "Surviving Christmas" among contenders for 2004's worst picture.

Normally a modest affair at a Santa Monica magic shop, the Razzies ceremony this time will be held in a 300-seat theater in the heart of Hollywood to mark the 25th year.

Razzies founder John Wilson also recently published "The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst," his take on the 100 most awful — yet perversely fun — movies to watch. Among his picks: "Mommie Dearest," "Showgirls," "Jaws: The Revenge" and "Rambo: First Blood, Part II."

The Razzies started in 1981, after Wilson had suffered through a double feature of the musicals "Can't Stop the Music" and "Xanadu." That gave him the idea for an Oscar-night potluck gathering in his living room, with Wilson handing out ballots beforehand for friends to choose the worst of Hollywood for the previous year.

Standing at a cardboard podium in the tackiest secondhand tuxedo he could find, Wilson bestowed the first of the Razzies' worst upon "Can't Stop the Music."

The joke became an annual tradition, which Wilson later moved to the day before the Oscars. Today's Razzies are chosen by about 675 voters from around the world.

Last year's big winner was "Gigli," which took the Razzies for worst picture, plus lead actor, actress and worst screen couple prizes for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.

Sylvester Stallone is the all-time Razzies champ, receiving a record 10 awards, including worst actor of the century. Madonna is close behind with nine Razzies.

"It's so hard to find anything to laugh about these days," Wilson said. "I don't think it's a bad thing to take dreck and turn it into laughter. And when it's at the expense of somebody like Sylvester Stallone, too bad, Sly."

Thompson Probably Planned Suicide

DENVER - Journalist Hunter S. Thompson did not take his life "in a moment of haste or anger or despondency" and probably planned his suicide well in advance because of his declining health, the family's spokesman said Wednesday.

Douglas Brinkley, a historian and author who has edited some of Thompson's work, said the founder of "gonzo" journalism shot himself Sunday night after weeks of pain from a host of physical problems that included a broken leg and a hip replacement.

"I think he made a conscious decision that he had an incredible run of 67 years, lived the way he wanted to, and wasn't going to suffer the indignities of old age," Brinkley said in a telephone interview from Aspen. "He was not going to let anybody dictate how he was going to die."

Thompson, famous for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and other works of New Journalism, spent an intimate weekend with his son, Juan, daughter-in-law, Jennifer, and young grandson, William, the spokesman said.

"He was trying to really bond and be close to the family" before his suicide, Brinkley said. "This was not just an act of irrationality. It was a very pre-planned act."

The family is looking into whether Thompson's cremated remains can be blasted out of a cannon, a wish the gun-loving writer often expressed, Brinkley said.

"The optimal, best-case scenario is the ashes will be shot out of a cannon," he said.

Other arrangements were pending.

Kelly Clarkson mounts inaugural headlining tour

Singer Kelly Clarkson, the first-season winner of Fox-TV's "American Idol," works the North American theater circuit this spring behind her sophomore album, last year's "Breakaway."

Clarkson's 34-city outing kicks off with a late-March, three-night stand in Tulsa, OK, and dates stretch through late May. Tickets for most shows will hit the box office this month. Details are shown in the itinerary below.

"Nothing makes me happier than being out on the road," Clarkson said in a statement. "I can't wait to see the fans and perform the new material. Playing in these small venues will be a great opportunity for me to connect with my die-hard fans in an intimate setting. I'm really excited and I know it's going to be awesome."

Released in November, "Breakaway" follows Clarkson's 2003 debut, "Thankful," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart. The new set's title track went to No. 1 on the Mainstream Top 40 radio chart, and currently sits at No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 3 on the Adult Top 40 chart. Follow-up cut "Since U Been Gone" holds the No. 3 slot on the latest Mainstream Top 40 chart.

The "Breakaway" single and "Since U Been Gone" are both streaming at Clarkson's website.

Clarkson scored her first No. 1 hit, "A Moment Like This," in 2002. The song went on to be the top-selling single of the year.

Tour Itinerary

March 2005
28-30 - Tulsa, OK - Performing Arts Center (on sale 2/26)
31 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre (on sale 2/26)

April 2005
2 - Omaha, NE - Civic Music Hall (on sale 2/26)
3 - Saint Louis, MO - Keiner Plaza (on sale 2/26)
5 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre (on sale 2/26)
6 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre (on sale 2/26)
8 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre (on sale 2/26)
9 - Cleveland, OH - Palace Theatre (on sale 2/25)
11 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre (on sale 2/26)
12 - Detroit, MI - State Theatre (on sale 2/26)
14 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre (on sale 2/26)
16 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall (on sale 2/19)
17 - Kitchener, Ontario - Centre in the Square (on sale 2/19)
19 - London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre (on sale 2/19)
21 - Montreal, Quebec - Place des Arts (on sale 2/26)
22 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre (on sale 2/26)
24 - Wallingford, CT - Oakdale Theatre (on sale 2/26)
25 - Newark, NJ - New Jersey Performing Arts Center (on sale 2/26)
27 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom (on sale 2/26)
28 - Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center (on sale 2/26)
30 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre (on sale 2/26)

May 2005
1 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall (on sale 2/19)
3 - Clemson, SC - Littlejohn Coliseum (on sale 3/5)
4 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre (on sale to be announced)
6 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amphitheatre (on sale 2/26)
7 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall (on sale 2/26)
9 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater (on sale 3/5)
10 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Live (on sale 2/25)
13 - Chula Vista, CA - Coors Amphitheatre (on sale to be announced)
16 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre (on sale 2/25)
18, 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern LG (on sale 3/6)
24 - San Jose, CA - Civic Auditorium (on sale 2/26)
26 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre (on sale 2/25)
28 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Hall (on sale 2/26)
29 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Queen Elizabeth Theatre (on sale 3/4)

Foos Draft A Pair Of Jones' For New Album

Foo Fighters have landed guest appearances by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and singer/songwriter Norah Jones for their upcoming double album, which will feature one disc of rock tracks and another of songs recorded in acoustic settings. With basic tracks completed, the band will now focus on overdubs and final vocals, with an eye on releasing the album this summer.

"We've recorded a lot of music for this record," guitarist Chris Shiflett writes on the Foos' message board. "It's over 40 songs or versions of songs. Of course, that'll get narrowed down to about half of that number for the final track list."

Shiflett gushes about the appearance of John Paul Jones, who contributed mellotron, piano and mandolin to several songs. "That guy is like royalty but he was so down to earth and cool, it was incredible," he says. "Of course, we managed to sneak in a few Zeppelin trivia questions and he even riffed 'Kashmir' on the mellotron for a minute."

Norah Jones' appears on a song with "a really cool Elvis Costello vibe to it," according to Shiflett. "Her voice is beautiful and fits the song really nice." Addressing fans who scoffed at the artist collaborating with a loud rock band, Shiflett said, "Trust me, it's really good. You'll see soon enough."

At present, the Foos have three international festivals on their performance slate, beginning July 7 at the Quart Festival in Kristiansand, Norway. As previously reported, frontman Dave Grohl plays drums on Nine Inch Nails' upcoming album, "With Teeth," due May 3 via Interscope.

Punk Trio Blink-182 on 'Indefinite Hiatus'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California pop-punk trio Blink-182, famed for its practical jokes and disdain for clothing, has gone on "indefinite hiatus," with no plans to work together again, its Geffen Records label said Tuesday.

Singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge, singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker want to "spend some time enjoying the fruits of their labors with loved ones" after a decade of working together nonstop, the statement added.

"While there is no set plan for the band to begin working together again, no one knows what tomorrow may bring," it said.

San Diego-based Blink-182, cast in the same mold as Grammy-winning punk combo Green Day, enjoyed major success with such tunes as "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things," winning an MTV Video Music Award for the latter tune.

The group toiled in obscurity for years before hitting the big time with its 1997 major-label debut album "Dude Ranch," which sold 1 million copies. The 1999 follow-up, "Enema of the State," cemented its success, bolstered by the unlikely suicide ballad, "Adam's Song."

But for the most part, Blink-182 was best known for its goofball antics, including running naked through the streets of Hollywood for the "What's My Age Again?" video. It topped the U.S. pop charts in 2001 with the cheekily titled album "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket."

Barker, considered the band's linchpin on stage, kept busy with two other bands, Box Car Racer (along with DeLonge) and the Transplants, as well as a boutique record label.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2003 that DeLonge bought a $5 million home in a gated community outside of San Diego because fans were bugging him at his former abode. Hoppus, meanwhile, co-owns a clothing company.

Miramax's Weinsteins, Disney Near Break-Up

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Brothers Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein will meet with executives of Walt Disney Co. this week to iron out the details of their exit from Oscar-winning powerhouse Miramax Films, a source with knowledge of the talks said on Tuesday.

The brothers founded the Disney unit and guided it to best film Oscars -- the top U.S. movie honors -- for the likes of 2002's "Chicago," but have for years had a contentious relationship with Disney chief executive Michael Eisner.

The pair have been in talks to exit Miramax since last year, and it appears the Oscar ceremony this coming Sunday, Feb. 27, will be their swansong with Miramax, which is backing best picture nominees "The Aviator" and "Finding Neverland."

"They are continuing negotiations this week," the source said, "A deal is imminent."

A Disney spokeswoman was not immediately available. Miramax would say only that there was nothing new to report in the ongoing negotiations.

Under plans being considered, the Weinsteins would leave their posts as co-chief executives but remain as consultants to help market certain upcoming films, the source said.

Some of those titles include comic book themed "Sin City" and kids' movie "The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl" -- both from director Robert Rodriguez -- as well as drama "Proof," starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Weinsteins would be free make their own movies and find a new distribution partner.

Disney would pay the Weinsteins around $100 million to settle their contract, which expires on Sept. 30, 2005, although a final amount has yet to be determined.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Disney would retain the Miramax library of some 800 films with titles that include 1998's Oscar winner "Shakespeare in Love," starring Paltrow, and director Quentin Tarantino's popular "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" and "Vol. II" titles. Libraries are a highly lucrative means of generating cash from sales of DVDs, videos and television rights.

Disney would retain the Miramax brand name, which the Weinsteins had sought to keep because it is based on their parent's names, Miriam and Max.

Miramax would become a slimmer unit with an annual budget around $300 million, far less than the $700 million Miramax under the Weinsteins but closer to the budgets of the art-house movie wings of Hollywood's other major studios.

Staff, which now numbers less than 300 people, would be cut, although a final number has yet to be determined, the source said.

The employee count has fallen steadily since Miramax said in August of last year it was laying off 13 percent of its then 485-member staff. Just last month, Miramax Chief Operating Officer Rick Sands left to join DreamWorks SKG.

The Weinsteins have been a major film force in New York, where Miramax is based, and in Hollywood for more than two decades. Based on the success of low-budget hits like "sex, lies and videotape," the brothers sold their company to Disney in 1993 for around $75 million.

Since then the Weinsteins have increasingly pursued more expensive films like last year's Oscar contender "Cold Mountain," while Disney wanted the unit to stay closer to its low-budget, independent roots.

Tension between the Weinsteins and Disney came to a head last May when Disney refused to release Michael Moore's controversial anti-Bush documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," which Miramax had backed. The Weinsteins acquired the film from Miramax and found an independent distributor to release it.

Raptors Rock Nets 100-82

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The sight of his old team made Vince Carter look like the player the Toronto Raptors wanted to get rid of. Carter struggled in his first game against the team that traded him to New Jersey earlier this season, missing 17 of 25 shots while being outplayed by Jalen Rose in Toronto's 100-82 victory over the Nets on Tuesday night.

Rose shot 12-for-15, scored 30 points and did a fine defensive job on Carter, who seem to be pressing in a game that he acknowledged meant a lot to him.

Rose led the Raptors on a 14-4 run early in the fourth quarter, and New Jersey never recovered. Chris Bosh had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Milt Palacio added 13 points for Toronto, which had six players in double figures.

Carter scored 22 points, and Jason Kidd added 20 for the Nets, who had no one else in double figures.

Carter seemed loose before the game as he discussed last weekend's slam dunk contest won by J.R. Smith of Atlanta. Carter said he has a dunk in his repertoire that no one had seen yet, a specialty he plans to keep under wraps until the next time he enters the dunk contest.

But once the game began, Carter missed several drives, was off-target with his jumper, committed four turnovers and missed four free throws.

Toronto led 71-64 after three quarters, getting 20 points from Rose on 8-for-10 shooting. Carter was 6-for-20 for 15 points.

Rose had a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter as the shot clock expired before Carter came up with his lone highlight-reel move of the night, spinning 360 degrees as he drove beneath the basket before spinning in a reverse layup.

But Rose answered by driving around Carter for a layup, then stealing the ball from Carter as he was double-teamed. The steal led to a 3 by Donyell Marshall that made it 79-66, and Carter followed by missing a running jumper to make the Nets 1-for-9 in the period.

Carter fouled Marshall on a 3-point attempt with 5:09 left, and Marshall made two of the free throws for a 17-point lead. That was it for the Nets, who were without starting center Nenad Krstic (viral infection) and Rodney Buford (left ankle), leaving them with only 10 players in uniform, one of whom, Jabari Smith, made his first career start.

Notes:@ Bosh, 20, became the third-youngest NBA player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds. Only Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady reached the plateau at a younger age. ... Krstic has a viral infection, and the team was worried he had mononucleosis before tests came back negative. "Hopefully antibiotics and rest will be the cure," coach Lawrence Frank said. Krstic will miss Wednesday night's game at Milwaukee, and Rodney Buford (left ankle) also will sit out against the Bucks. "He's not ready to roll," Frank said. We'll give him two more days and see where he's at."

'Star Wars' Bosses Warn Websites Again

Movie bosses financing forthcoming prequel Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith are threatening to take legal action against internet sites that leak pictures and plot details. Currently, various websites are displaying photographs of a pregnant Padme Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, and a new android villain named General Grievous. Other shots online include an aggressive light-saber duel between Anakin Skywalker and his former mentor Obi-wan Kenobi - which leaves Skywalker horribly scarred and propels him to don the black suit of Darth Vader. Producers of the film had issued a warning to various internet sites last year, and have now renewed their threat of legal action. Revenge Of The Sith is due to hit American cinemas on May 19.

The Couch Potato Report

The Report will appear this week on Thursday and it will contain Dan's Oscar prediction.

Hurley Chased To Star in 'Harry Potter V'

Movie bosses are pursuing Elizabeth Hurley to play a wicked witch in forthcoming sequel Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. The 39-year-old British beauty is being lined up to play evil Bellatrix Lestrange, a member of Potter nemesis Voldemort's gang, in the fifth film of the popular wizard series. A source says, "The producers have tried to keep details of the cast under wraps but they have always wanted someone beautiful and mystical to play Bellatrix and they reckon Liz can pull it off." Before Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix hits screens audiences will first be treated to fourth film Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, due for release in November.

Having trouble keeping up with all the "Law & Orders"?

Well, a new Web site popped up last week that keeps track of all — and we mean all — the versions of "L&O" that are on every day.

Original and repeats.

The site is called "When is Law & Order On?", and the answer to that question seems to be almost all the time.

From "Criminal Intent" to "SVU" to the original "L&O," the site shows that the series is on sometimes 10 hours a day across NBC, TNT and USA.

It is hard to tell if the site is purely practical — or something of a joke about how creator Dick Wolf's cops-and-courts franchise has taken over TV.

It is full of listings info — including synopses of each episode that will air over the next week.

It even provides a bar chart showing how many episodes a day are on the air. (For the record, there is no such thing as a day without "Law & Order.")

The creator of the bare-bones site gives little information about his identity — or what motivated him to provide this public service.

"My name is William, and one day I thought it would be neat to know when 'Law & Order' is on," he wrote on his site.

'Simpsons' character comes out of the closet

Marge Simpson's sister is out of there.

In a twist that shocked few, chain-smoking Patty revealed she's gay on last night's much-hyped episode of The Simpsons.

As Homer put it: "Big surprise! Here's another surprise -- I like beer!"

Last night's episode, There's Something About Marrying, saw Springfield legalize gay marriage to attract tourists. When Rev. Lovejoy refuses -- "I can't marry two people of the same sex any more than I can put a hamburger in a hot dog bun" -- Homer becomes a minister in the hopes of generating -- as the town's mayor put it "hot gobs of gay green."

In the end, Patty remains single since her bride-to-be turns out to be a man disguised as a woman.

"I like girls!" Patty declares before leaving him/her at the altar. Can a cameo by the ladies of The L Word be far behind?

'Gonzo' Godfather Hunter S. Thompson Kills Himself

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hunter S. Thompson, a renegade journalist whose "gonzo" style threw out any pretense at objectivity and established the hard-living writer as a counter-culture icon, fatally shot himself at his Colorado home on Sunday night, police said. He was 67.

Thompson's son, Juan, released a statement saying he had found his father dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at the writer's Owl Creek farm near Aspen.

Thompson, famed for such adrenaline-packed narratives as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," turned his drug and alcohol-fueled clashes with authority into a central theme of his work, challenging the quieter norms of established journalism in the process.

He also cultivated an aura of recklessness, starting with the blurb on his book "Hell's Angels," in which he called himself "an avid reader, a relentless drinker and a fine hand with a .44 Magnum."

A longtime gun enthusiast, Thompson had a shooting range on his property.

"Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family," said the statement released on behalf of Juan and Thompson's wife, Anita.

By his heyday in the 1970s, Thompson had distilled his style of invective-laced, outlaw journalism into a slogan: "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," adapted from a two-part article written for Rolling Stone magazine in late 1971, chronicled Thompson's drug-fueled misadventures in Las Vegas while ostensibly covering a motorcycle race in the desert.

'WRITER OF SIGNIFICANCE'

The book established Hunter as a cult celebrity and became the basis for a 1998 Hollywood adaptation, starring Johnny Depp as Thompson's alter-ego, Raoul Duke.

Thompson's refracted coverage of the Super Bowl and the 1972 presidential race also inspired the 1980 movie "Where the Buffalo Roam," with Bill Murray as the self-proclaimed doctor of gonzo journalism.

He was also caricatured as "Uncle Duke" in the comic strip Doonesbury, right down to his signature aviator glasses and cigarette holder.

Although Thompson's later work got mixed reviews, critics credited him with pioneering a style of invective-laced and hyperbolic political commentary that was uniquely American.

A 1994 essay in Rolling Stone written as an obituary for former President Richard Nixon was typical. At a time when many commentators offered a more generous re-assessment of Nixon's legacy, Thompson called him "a liar, a quitter and a bastard. A cheap crook and a merciless war criminal."

"I think Thompson has remained a writer of significance, because, essentially a satirist, he has displayed an utter contempt for power -- political power, financial power, even showbiz juice," novelist Paul Theroux wrote in 2003.

Raised in a middle-class family in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson's father died when he was 14, and by 18 he had been jailed for his part in a robbery.

After a stint in the Air Force working as a sports editor, he became a foreign correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune in Puerto Rico.

In 1965, Thompson broke through with an article about the Hell's Angels that he turned into a critically hailed book.

It was his association with Rolling Stone that turned both into literary icons -- even though Thompson initially considered the upstart San Francisco-based magazine "a bunch of faggots and hippies."

Loverboy still going strong

In a heated round of word association with a buncha teens-twentysomethings of the '80s, pairing the terms "red leather pants'' and "headbands'' will inevitably end in one particular exclamation: Loverboy!

After all, what other Canadian rock album featuring a bright red, leather-clad butt sold 300,000 copies in this country alone? And even that's barely a fraction of the 14 million copies of the Vancouver group's first five albums that were moved worldwide.

Vocalist Mike Reno and company (lead guitarist Paul Dean, keyboardist Doug Johnson, drummer Matt Frenette, and late bassist Scott Smith) earned themselves a record six Juno Awards back in 1982, sealing Loverboy's reputation and elevating them to the ranks of popular, respected bands like Journey and Kansas.

It's been 25 years since Loverboy's inception and, with the exception of new bassist Spyder, not a whole lot has changed. The five are hitting hard onstage with all their greatest hits, including such radio staples as Turn Me Loose and Workin' For the Weekend.

Reno acknowledges the difficulty in transcending the tender nostalgia undoubtedly consuming much of the audience, but feels that 25 years of experience onstage has enabled the band to work the crowd right and thus share their new material.

"We get 'em pretty riled up," he says. "They're pretty focused on what we're playing and we throw (new songs) in at the right time."

The band still plays over 100 shows a year, and has had the opportunity to visit some really amazing places. For Reno, the culture shock of Japan has proved the coolest. "They treat you like gods," he explains incredulously, relaying tales of constant gifts, gifts and more gifts. Things onstage are just as bizarre: "They clap for about three seconds and then stop because they don't want to take up your stage time."

Ever-charitable and humanitarian, it was five years ago that Loverboy initiated the annual Rockin' For Research, which raises money for juvenile diabetes - a condition guitarist Dean was diagnosed with at age three. Though Loverboy hasn't played it every year, they continue to have a hand in things and to date, Rockin' For Research has raised over a million dollars.

As if that weren't enough, generous Reno was recently inspired to throw a pair of his trademark red leather pants up on online auction site EBay to raise even more dough for charity. Yes, they were worn, and yes, they sold - for almost $800 US - to a proud new owner, a Loverboy superfan from South Dakota named Kelly. It was Reno's pleasant surprise; the two are well-acquainted through her unusual vacations. He says, "Every year since I can remember, she's followed Loverboy around for eight or nine shows."

At each show she takes photos, gets them developed almost immediately and drops off a folder at the hotel for each band member the next day - such sweet devotion.

But back to that game of word association - Reno is adamant that Loverboy remains famous for more than just headbands and red leather.

He says, "Hopefully they think of high energy rock 'n' roll because that's what we're known for."

Meet The "Cool" Crowd

Growing up in the 1970s, future movie producers Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg loved those goofy all-star-cast comedies - "like 'Smokey and the Bandit,'" Shamberg says.

But the "Smokey" all-stars - Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Dom DeLuise and Terry Bradshaw - have nothing on the Hollywood dream team that Sher and Shamberg have assembled for "Be Cool," the free-wheeling and silly sequel to 1995's blockbuster hit "Get Shorty," which opens on March 4.

Witness Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, the Rock, Christian Milian, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, OutKast's Andre 3000 and Anna Nicole Smith (playing Danny DeVito's wife).

And at the center of it all is John Travolta, who's back as Chili Palmer, super-smooth loan shark turned movie mogul - a character that Travolta likes to call "a street James Bond."

When we last saw him in "Shorty," Chili had conquered Hollywood. But in "Be Cool," also based on an Elmore Leonard novel, he moves on to the record business - "an industry," Travolta says, "that's even more cutthroat than movies."

Before long, Chili is crossing swords with all sorts of outrageous characters - and that's where the all-star cast comes in.

"I wanted to throw the greatest party of 2005 that everyone would want to come to," recalls director F. Gary Gray ("The Italian Job").

The Rock was the first to RSVP - partly because he's such a John Travolta fan.

"He's just amazing - Vinny Barbarino!" says the Rock. "But I drove John crazy. By day 18 of working together, I was still like 'You remember in "Grease," when you did that thing?'"

Sher says the other big names came onboard after they heard that the Rock, who normally gets star billing, had been willing to take a supporting role.

Once filming started, celebs like James Woods, Fred Durst and former Lakers coach Phil Jackson stopped in for cameos.

"After a while," Sher recalls, "We were like, 'Let's shoot for the moon.'"

And they succeeded - signing up everyone on their wish list.

Here are some highlights.

JOHN TRAVOLTA

Even a fellow '70s icon like Harvey Keitel used to worship John Travolta back in the day.

"When I was a young guy living in New York in the early '70s, with no money and no work, there were two guys that helped me make it through - Johnny Carson and John Travolta on 'Welcome Back, Kotter,'" Keitel recalls.

Uma Thurman was just a child back then, of course, but she still remembers when Travolta swaggered onto the big screen in "Grease."

"I was 12 years old when I had that 'Grease' experience," Thurman says. "And all the girls know what that was."

Thurman grew up to dance with Travolta in "Pulp Fiction," and in a nod to that classic, the duo hit the dance floor again in "Be Cool."

But this time, Travolta says, the dance scene is completely different.

"I said it would have to be something Chili would feel good dancing to. In 'Pulp Fiction,' our characters were hoping for death," he says. "But in this one, we're dancing for life. That was novelty dancing. This is traditional dancing. "

UMA THURMAN

"I found the script incredibly funny and enjoyable, but the main initial hook was to team up with John again," says Thurman, explaining why she signed up for "Be Cool."

Though Thurman is best known for her serious acting chops, watching Travolta in "Grease" made her a huge fan of musicals.

"It sort of bit me with that fire," she says. "Now I love musical theater and dance and song. I'll basically do anything to dance in a movie."

So it's little surprise that her dance scene with Travolta was one of the highlights for her in "Be Cool."

"John is the best partner you could get to dance with in the whole world," she says. "He makes it so easy."

She'll get to hit the dance floor even more in her next project - as Ulla in the movie version of "The Producers," with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

"I dance every day, so I'm beyond overjoyed," she says.

She's also singing, at least for the moment.

"I would say that I'm a poor but passable singer," she says. "When I signed on, they said they would have someone sing for me if I needed it. No one's mentioned it, so I feel I must be passing."

THE ROCK

Elmore Leonard is a pro wrestling fan, so when he was writing the novel "Be Cool" in the late 1990s, he based one of the characters on one of the sport's biggest stars, the Rock.

"My agent told me about it," recalls the Rock.

"He read me the description: 'Elliott, 30, good looking, talented, wants to be an actor, raises one eyebrow and - dot-dot-dot - is gay."

That didn't put him off, however.

"We got a call from the Rock's agent," Sher recalls. "And he said the Rock loved that Elmore was making fun of him, and he really wanted to be in the movie."

The Rock winds up with the movie's funniest moments, including one audition scene that Travolta loves.

"To see the Rock, dead serious, doing a two-character scene about cheerleaders from 'Bring It On' as a monologue," Travolta says, "that's as good as it gets."

The Rock also got to meet Leonard while making the movie.

"When I did, I said, 'Elmore, where did the gay part come in?," he recalls.

"He just said, 'I thought it would be interesting.'"

ANDRE 3000

Director Gray first met Andre 3000 (aka Andre Benjamin) when he directed him and his OutKast partner, Big Boi, in videos for songs such as "Southernplayalisticadillacmusik."

"He told me I had a future in movies if I wanted it," Andre recalls.

And now he's taking Gray up on it.

After releasing the most successful OutKast record ever, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" in 2003, Benjamin moved to Hollywood and threw himself into movies.

"I thought, 'Before I completely hate music, I'd rather just take a break,'" Andre says.

Andre will soon be everywhere. He and Big Boi have shot an OutKast musical set in a 1930s speakeasy that will air on HBO later this year, and he's currently in Toronto filming "Four Brothers," a thriller with Mark Wahlberg and directed by John Singleton.

But "Be Cool" is Andre's official movie debut, playing an over-the-top gangsta rapper character that he based on real people he knows in the music business.

"I have homeboys just like that, with the baggy pants down to your knees, and four or five pagers and all these platinum chains," says Andre, who did such a good job developing the part that it grew from just one line (in the first draft of the script) to a big supporting role.

Andre's character was so small at first, he didn't even have a name. But after it grew, so Gray offered a $200 prize for whomever "could come up with the most ghetto name," in Andre's words.

Cedric the Entertainer won the contest, slapping him with the moniker, "Dabu."

CHRISTINA MILIAN

A Grammy-nominated singer, Milian, 23, is best known for her duet with Ja Rule, "Between You and Me."

But now she's breaking out on the big screen, with roles in "Be Cool"and "Man of the House,"which opens this weekend.

It's the chance she's been waiting for since she started performing at the age of 9.

"I hope this will be a really big break-out moment for me," Milian tells The Post. "In 'Be Cool,' I'm getting to fulfill all my dreams in this one film. I'm acting and singing and working with all these A-list actors. I'm still trying to catch up with myself. It's so crazy."

Not only does she work with John Travolta - "I had this big crush on him," she admits - she also got to share a microphone with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

"He's soooo sexy," she says. "We shot that scene at a live Aerosmith concert, so there were 30,000 fans there to see the band. I was really nervous, but when I got on stage, it was a whole other situation. The chemistry was there and it felt like I was with the band for my entire life. It was quite a moment - maybe the highlight of my life."

Bono, Shankar Among Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

U2 singer Bono and Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar are among 166 nominees for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, a list that also includes Pope John Paul II and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

"We have received 166 nominations so far, of which 29 are organizations," says director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute Geir Lundestad. "The geographical scope is wide."

As usual, he declined to name any candidates for the prize, which last year went to Kenya's Wangari Maathai, the head of a tree-planting movement and the first environmentalist to win. Some names have been made public or leaked privately by people nominating them.

The 10 million Swedish crown ($1.43 million) prize will be announced in October and awarded on Dec. 10.

Many Nobel watchers believe the 2005 award will go to an individual or a group involved with relief efforts after the devastating Dec. 26 tsunami, such as Save the Children or Oxfam.

The deadline for mailing nominations for the award, named after Swedish dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, passed on Feb. 1. Those who can make nominations include members of parliaments, former Nobel laureates and some university professors.

The Nobel committee broadened its interpretation of peace last year by picking an environmentalist. Another unorthodox pick would be a musician, such as Bono or Shankar.

The pope, nominated many times, is unlikely to win since the five-member awards committee is widely believed to object to his conservative moral teachings, like opposing birth control.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is nominated for his role in his country's peaceful "Orange Revolution," former Czech President Vaclav Havel is on the list as he has been several times before, and one group, "Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005," wants the prize split between 1,000 women around the world.

The number of nominations might rise with some arriving late even if they are postmarked by Feb. 1. Also, committee members can make nominations at their first meeting after the deadline. Last year, a record 194 candidates were nominated.

Coming Up At The Movies This Year!

In the world of Animation and Comedies:

The Barnyard: The director of ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS offers up this CGI-animated tale of farm animals that sound like Kevin James, Courteney Cox Arquette and Danny Glover. What I don't see here is A Pixar film, which means I'm not really interested.
Paramount Pictures, holiday.

Madagascar: The director of ANTZ offers up this CGI-animated tale of shipwrecked zoo animals that sound like Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith and David Schwimmer. What I don't see here is A Pixar film, which means I'm not really interested.
DreamWorks, May 27.

Robots: You've seen the trailers already, and know that you get robots that sound like Halle Berry, Mel Brooks and Greg Kinnear. What you maybe didn't know is that our own Brian (MONKEY MAN) Lynch had a hand in punching up the script, which makes me want to give it a look.
Fox, March 11.

A Scanner Darkly: If you're a Philip K. Dick fan, or you read the weekly SQUIB CENTRAL here, you already know about this movie. If not, know that SCHOOL OF ROCK's Richard Linklater is using a similar, but improved, version of the animation technique he used in WAKING LIFE. And finally Winona Ryder returns to the big screen. Maybe it's just me, but I've missed her. Pot-smokers Keanu Reeves and Woody Harrelson also star.
Warner Independent Pictures, Sept. 16.

Steamboy: From the director of AKIRA, which should be enough to intrigue you. Here, Otomo's movie is a blend of hand-drawn animation and 3-D computer effects, in a story set in Victorian England--a young inventor prodigy must harness the energy in a mysterious metal ball to save London.
Triumph Releasing, March 18.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: It's got Tim's name over the titles, but this stop-motion tale is directed by Mike Johnson. Still, if you liked A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, this'll be right up your alley. It stars voicework from Burton troup-ers Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.
Warner Bros., Sept. 23.

Wallace & Gromit: If you've seen WALLACE & GROMIT on TV before, you know what you're getting, just longer. And since it's co-directed by Oscar-winner Nick Park and Steve Bob, it should be funnier, too.
DreamWorks, Oct. 7.

Comedy
Après Vous: All I can tell you is the title means "after you." "Daniel Auteuil stars as a Parisian restaurant manager who saves a distraught man from killing himself and then feels responsible for the man's future happiness. José Garcia and Sandrine Kiberlaine also star. Directed by Pierre Salvadori."
Paramount Classics, summer.

April's Shower: "A chef struggles to provide the perfect shower, but her complicated relationship with the bride-to-be and the eclectic guests make for a chaotic get-together. Trish Doolan directed and co-stars with Maria Cina and Randall Batinkoff."
here!/Regent Releasing, April 1.

Art School Confidential: From the makers of GHOST WORLD. Graphic novelist Dan Clowes really had some room to flesh out this story of a freshman at a prestigious East Coast art school, since the original story was only about 20 pages long. If it even approaches GHOST WORLD in quality, and the source material certainly does, it should be something special.
United Artists, TBA.

The Bad News Bears: Richard Linklater's presence here makes me think the movie won't be too tame a remake, which is the one fear in seeing an un-PC movie like the original get made over. Billy Bob Thornton as Buttermaker also gives me hope.
Paramount Pictures, summer.

Balls: Would any American film with this story have the, er, 'nads to title the movie the same way? In this German flick, a soccer-playing German bakery worker gets tossed off his local team because he's gay.
here!/Regent Releasing, Aug. 12.

The Baxter: "Michael Showalter directed and stars in this tale about a quintessentially nerdish accountant who can't believe that he's about to marry a beautiful, sophisticated woman." In short, it's a fantasy.
IFC Films, summer.

Be Cool: You know, Elmore Leonard's sequel to GET SHORTY wasn't all that great, actually. But the movie looks fun enough, and that scene of Travolta and Thurman dancing will surely suck people in. Don't get me wrong, the book--about Chili Palmer entering the music biz--was still decent, it just didn't quite have the zing of the original. I know everyone else loved THE ITALIAN JOB, but I hope director F. Gary Gray does better here than he did there.
MGM, March 4.

Beauty Shop: Queen Latifah stars in a kinda-sequel to THE BARBERSHOP. Tell me Jimmy Fallon's nowhere to be found in this and I'll be happy.
MGM, March 30.

Bewitched: I don't know... not only do I not really need a remake of the old TV show, but I really don't need a movie that's about a movie version of the old TV show. Especially with Nicole Kidman trying hard to be as warm and funny as Elizabeth Montgomery. Why is there a good chance I'll still see it, though? Will Farrell.
Columbia Pictures, July 8.

Casanova: Heath Ledger plays the legendary lover who faces his most daunting adversary — a woman who refuses him. I can't imagine what that must have been like. Directed by Lasse Hallström.
Touchstone Pictures, Dec. 25.

CSA: The Confederate States of America: I caught this last November at the Hamptons Film Festival and it was decent, if a little too serious of a parody.
IFC Films, July/August.

D.E.B.S: Sara Foster, Jordana Brewster (above), Meagan Good and Devon Aoki star in director Angela Robinson's satire about a group of sexy, crime-fighting, secret-agent teens. Any movie with Meagan Good is good by me, but that title... it just calls to mind B.A.P.S., and that's never a good thing.
IDP/ Destination Films/Samuel Goldwyn Films, March 25.

Death of a Dynasty: "Damon Dash's mockumentary goes behind the scenes at hip-hop mecca Roc-a-Fella Records and features appearances by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre and Flavor Flav. As long as Brigitte Nielsen isn't here, too...
TLA Releasing, March.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo: Is it funny only to me that Mike Bigelow is the director? The original might only have been funny to me, too, but as long as Rob Schneider sticks to what he knows, he does stupid comedy better than just about anyone.
Columbia Pictures, Aug. 12.

Dorian Blues: "A high school outcast awkwardly comes out to his family, a priest and a social worker, then embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery while attending NYU. Michael McMillan stars. Directed by Tennyson Bardwell."
TLA Releasing, June.

The Dukes of Hazzard: Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg? Stifler and a Jackass as Bo and Luke? Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke? So far, the only casting I'm sold on is Willie Nelson as uncle Jesse. But until I hear who's playing Cooter, or Roscoe P. Coltrane, I'm wary...
Warner Bros., summer.

The Edukators: "A trio of young Germans' habit of breaking into expensive homes and rearranging the furniture as an act of political rebellion turns dangerous. Daniel Brühl ("Good Bye Lenin!") stars. Directed by Hans Weingartner."
IFC Films, May 27.

Elizabethtown: Finally a new Cameron Crowe flick. And luckily, the story, a romantic look at Orlando Bloom as a down-in-the-dumps industrial designer and Kirsten Dunst as the sharp flight attendant who helps him through his father's memorial in Kentucky, sounds much more like a good Crowe flick than VANILLA SKY. Even better, no appearance from Ashton Kutcher.
Paramount Pictures, July 29.

Fever Pitch: I was okay last time Nick Hornby's excellent-but-British novel got remade as an American story, but I don't know... Hornby's extreme love of his Arsenal is now changed to Red Sox obsession, and most of us have had enough of the Red Sox for a while. Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly.
Fox, Oct. 7.

Formula 17: "A gay 17-year-old journeys to Taipei, locks eyes with a notorious playboy and attempts to win his heart."
Strand Releasing, June.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Judd Apatow, of FREAKS AND GEEKS fame, directs THE DAILY SHOW's Steve Carell as a middle-aged electronics store employee whose friends decide it's time for him to go all the way? Yeah, it hopefully doesn't get much better than this in comedy this year.
Universal Pictures, Aug. 19.

Fun With Dick and Jane: Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni turn to crime after getting knocked out by a corporate scandal. Based on an old George Segal-Jane Fonda movie, this is directed by GALAXY QUEST's Dean Parisot. And if he could make a movie with Tim Allen that entertaining, he should be able to work wonders here.
Columbia Pictures, June 24.

A Good Woman: This might not be for me, despite the presence of Scarlett Johansson. It's based on Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan," and details misunderstandings and betrayals on the Italian Riviera of the 1930s.
Lions Gate Films, TBA.

Le Grand Rôle: "A journeyman actor's talents are tested when he must conceal from his seriously ill wife that he did not land a role in a famous American director's film. Directed by Steven Suissa. Stéphane Freiss, Bérénice Bejo and Peter Coyote star."
First Run Features, TBA.

Guess Who: Speaking of Ashton Kutcher... he's here, in a remake of GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER, as a guy about to marry Bernie Mac's daughter.
Columbia Pictures, March 25.

Happy Endings: No, it's not about successful massages, but since it's from THE OPPOSITE OF SEX's Don Roos and it explores the diversity and complexity of modern life through a multiplicity of stories involving adoption, sperm donors and pansexual couplings, it'll no doubt not be far off. Lisa Kudrow, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tom Arnold star.
Lions Gate, July 15.

Herbie: Fully Loaded: I was tempted to say "HERBIE's not the only one," since this movie co-stars Lindsay Lohan, but I figured I'd take the high road. Instead, I'll just wonder how Michael Keaton got suckered into appearing here.
Walt Disney Pictures, June 24.

The Honeymooners: Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps play Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton. The trailer seems fine and all, but it's just one more TV remake I didn't really ever need to see.
Paramount Pictures, March 11.

The Ice Harvest: John Cusack is back to GRIFTing, along with Billy Bob Thornton. Their presence alone makes me happy, as does the fact that this is directed by Harold Ramis.
Focus Features, Nov. 4.

Ice Princess: Damn you, Michelle Trachtenberg, for making a movie I'll never want to see. Would another EURO TRIP be so bad, compared to this story about a smart girl who wants to be a championship figure skater against her mother's wishes?
Walt Disney Pictures, March 18.

In Her Shoes: "Motherless sisters (Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette) fight over a man but reconcile with help from their previously unknown grandmother (Shirley MacLaine)." Despite direction from Curtis Hanson, there's not one thing in the preceeding sentence that makes me want to see this.
Fox, April 8.

Intimate Stories: "An old man, a traveling salesman and a young mother with a baby cross paths on the roads of southern Patagonia. With Antonio Benedicti, Javier Lombardo, Javiera Bravo. Directed by Carlos Sorin."
New Yorker Films, March 4.

Jiminy Glick in Lalawood: How is it that the so-unfunny Martin Short character in the fat suit now has a big-screen movie on the way? Really, I like to think my sense of humor is pretty well-rounded, from base to sophisticated, but this character just makes me cringe. Since when is demeaning humor so celebrated?
MGM, May.

Just Like Heaven: Mark Ruffalo, I still feel bad that you accepted a role in 13 GOING ON 30, since you're capable of so much more. I don't know if this is it, with you as a man who reluctantly discovers that the San Francisco apartment he's sublet comes complete with a spirited young woman (played by Reese Witherspoon, above) who may or may not be a ghost, but we'll see.
DreamWorks, fall.

Kicking & Screaming: I can't remember the last good kids' soccer movie (LADYBUGS? Uh, no.) but Will Ferrell gives it a go anyway, coaching against his overly competitive father (Robert Duvall).
Universal Pictures, May 13.

King's Ransom: "To avoid losing his fortune to his ex-wife, an arrogant businessman plots his own kidnapping. Anthony Anderson stars. Directed by Jeff Byrd."
New Line Cinema, March 22.

Kung Fu Hustle: SHAOLIN SOCCER's Stephen Chow makes this update of THEY CALL ME BRUCE. Okay, not really, but it is a parody of historical action flicks, anyway.
Sony Pictures Classics, March 25.

Last Holiday: Wayne Wang, what are you doing? Sir Alec Guinness is rolling around in his Jedi-coffin-thing, with this remake of his old flick starring Queen Latifah and LL Cool J.
Paramount Pictures, TBA.

A Lot Like Love: A lot like something I don't want to see... Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet are in some sort of romantic comedy or other, but really, any of us who saw the trailer for Kutcher's last romantic comedy, let alone any of the movie itself, know better than to check this out.
Touchstone Pictures, April 22.

Mail Order Wife: "Faux documentary in which the filmmaker pays for an obnoxious doorman from Queens to get a beautiful bride from overseas in exchange for the right to film them. Directed by Andrew Gurland and Huck Botko."
Tartan Films, March 11.

Man of the House: Well, in the trailers, Tommy Lee Jones has proven to be as adept at comedy as he is at playing Two-Face. But there's Cedric the Entertainer for laughs and cheerleaders for other thrills.
Columbia Pictures, Feb. 25.

The Man Who Copied: "Lazaro Ramos stars as a Brazilian copy machine operator who spends his nights fantasizing by drawing comic book art." Which just means he doesn't have high-speed Internet if this is how he's fantasizing.
TLA Releasing, April.

The Man: The omnipresent Samuel L. Jackson joins up with Eugene Levy as they try to track down a murderer. Expect yelling, and laughs, respectively.
New Line Cinema, fall.

Matador: Want to see Antonio Banderas before Melanie got ahold of him? This '86 Pedro Almodóvar movie has him playing a bullfighter.
Sony Pictures Classics, fall.

Melinda and Melinda: Woody Allen's new flick tells the same story twice, once from a humorous point of view and once from the dramatic. Wonder which side Will Ferrell will be better at?
Fox Searchlight, March 23.

Millions: TRAINSPOTTING's Danny Boyle gets back to crime and away from the zombies of his 28 DAYS LATER with this tale of a train robbery goes wrong.
Fox Searchlight, March 11.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous: This movie will allow me to stick to my firm rule about never, ever seeing a movie with the word "FABULOUS" in the title. Especially when my secondary rule is to avoid Sandra Bullock flicks.
Warner Bros., March 25.

Monster-in-Law: Can Jane Fonda out-MONSTER J-Lo? Maybe. Poor Michael Vartan somehow got stuck in a movie dealing with both.
New Line Cinema, May 6.

Must Love Dogs: Diane Lane and John Cusack, and everyone's favorite generic romantic comedy co-star, Dermot Mulroney all appear here.
Warner Bros., summer.

Nanny McPhee: Emma Thompson wrote and stars in this adaptation of Christianna Brand's NURSE MATILDA books about a magical woman who comes to live with a widower and his seven ill-mannered children. Who would you expect the widower in this sort of movie to be? That's right, Colin Firth.
Universal Pictures, TBA.

Nina's Tragedies: "The graphic journal entries of a melancholy 14-year-old Israeli boy chronicle his infatuation with his beautiful, young and recently widowed aunt. Aviv Elkabets and Ayelet July Zurer star. Written and directed by Savi Gabizon."
Wellspring, February.

Old New Borrowed and Blue: "A young Danish woman's wedding plans become more complicated with the arrival of a carefree Swede whose earlier disappearance landed the woman's sister in a psychiatric ward. Sidse Babett Knudsen, Björn Kjellman and Lotte Anderson star. Directed by Natasha Arthy."
Newmarket Films, TBA.

The Pacifier: Vin Diesel rips off Hulk Hogan's MR. NANNY, and adds a dash of Arnold's KINDERGARTEN COP. But, you know, he's handled by the director of BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, so expect it to be... much worse than the trailer.
Walt Disney Pictures, March 4.

The Perfect Man: Well, Heather Locklear is finally breaking down and playing a mom. Even worse, her daughter is Hilary Duff. Mr. Big is saddled with this sappy comedy, too.
Universal Pictures, Aug. 12.

The Pink Panther: Steve Martin takes over as Inspector Clouseau, and while the trailer looks like it's going for very broad comedy, I still have interest in it. As long as THE CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN guy doesn't repeat the formula he used in that movie.
MGM, Sept. 23.

Prime: Uma Thurman is the older woman to some lucky younger bastard.
Universal Pictures, TBA.

Rebound: That's exactly what Martin Lawrence tries for here as he coaches some young kids. Lots of that going around.
Fox, April 15.

The Ringer: Now, there has to be one good dumb, un-P.C. comedy a year (more than one would be good, too) and this one, with Johnny Knoxville as a guy who fakes his way into the Special Olympics, could just be it. As long as they don't go too sappy, which'll probably happen.
Fox Searchlight, TBA.

Rumor Has It: How's this for a cast in Rob Reiner's new fim: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine and Mark Ruffalo all star in this family dramedy.
Warner Bros., April 15.

Saint Ralph: "A high school freshman, convinced that only a "miracle" can save his mother's life, begins training for the Boston Marathon with help from a reluctant Catholic priest."
IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films, March 25.

Saving Face: "A Chinese American surgeon from Queens makes her first tentative steps toward a lesbian relationship just when her widowed 48-year-old mother turns up on her doorstep, pregnant. Michelle Krusiec, Joan Chen and Lynn Chen star. Written and directed by Alice Wu."
Sony Pictures Classics, May 27.

Schultze Gets the Blues: "An accordion-playing retired German miner breaks with old habits and trades polka for Louisiana zydeco. Horst Krauss, Harald Warmbrunn and Karl-Fred Müller star. Directed by Michael Schorr."
Paramount Classics, Feb. 18.

Sex, Politics & Cocktails: "Julien Hernandez directs and stars as a 30-year-old Cuban director, dissatisfied with his love life, who takes a walk on the gay side."
here!/Regent Releasing, March 25.

Shopgirl: Steve Martin looks maybe 5 years too old to play the title character, but since he wrote the excellent novella, and adapted it here, he can do whatever he wants. How about setting a release date, Touchstone?
Touchstone Pictures, TBA.

Sky High: An academy for the children of superheroes is a nice premise for a film, especially one starring Bruce Campbell. Forget the director's SURVIVING CHRISTMAS pedigree, this one, co-starring Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston, could be decent.
Walt Disney Pictures, Aug. 3.

Son of the Mask: Oh, Alan Cumming, I like to think you're better than this. Jamie Kennedy, you're probably not.
New Line Cinema, Feb. 18.

Torremolinos 73: "The erotic "education" films produced by a struggling encyclopedia salesman and his wife in 1973 Spain become porn hits in Scandinavia. Javier Cámara and Candela Peña star. Directed by Pablo Berger."
First Run Features, April 1.

Undertaking Betty: Chris Walken in a funeral home comedy? Nice. Alfred Molina, Brenda Blethyn and Naomi Watts also star.
Miramax Films, TBA.

Untitled Jim Jarmusch: Bill Murray stars in quintessentially cool director's latest film. Which means it might not be as boring as Jarmusch's other films.
Focus Features, TBA.

Untitled Mike Judge Futuristic Comedy: They shouldn't even change the title, this one does it for me. A man played by Luke Wilson participates in a hibernation experiment and wakes up 1,000 years later to discover he's the smartest guy on Earth. Mike Judge, it's about time.
Fox, Aug. 5.

Up and Down: "Prague serves as a melting pot for a series of parallel stories dealing with immigration and estranged families. Petr Forman, Emilia Vasaryova and Natasa Burger star. Directed by Jan Hrebejk ("Divided We Fall")."
Sony Pictures Classics, Feb. 25.

A Wake in Providence: "A young Italian American actor (Vincent Pagano) living in California returns home to Rhode Island for his grandfather's funeral with his African American girlfriend (Victoria Rowell) as a reluctant surprise for his family. Directed by Rosario Roveto Jr."
Indican Pictures, March 11.

Wannabe: "A New York model moves to L.A. to be an actress and befriends a struggling singer-songwriter. With Pell James, Steven Strait and Kip Pardue. Directed by Meiert Avis."
Lions Gate Films, TBA.

Wedding Crashers: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson team up? As a pair of divorce mediators who pick up women by going to weddings where they weren't invited? AND Chris Walken shows up, too? Oh, you bet.
New Line Cinema, July 22.

You I Love: "A Moscow anchorwoman finds herself in an unusual love triangle when she discovers her ad exec boyfriend in bed with another man. Directed by Olga Stolpovskaya and Dmitry Troitsky."
Picture This!, Feb. 11.

Gordie Sampson wins five awards at East Coast Music Awards in N.S.

SYDNEY, N.S. (CP) - Gordie Sampson walked away with so much pewter he could probably go heavy metal.

The Cape Breton singer-songwriter beat a steady path to the winner's podium Sunday night, winning five East Coast Music Awards before an adoring home crowd at Sydney's Centre 200.

"Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow," Sampson exclaimed after taking the stage for the fifth and final time.

Sampson, of Big Pond, N.S., swept every category he was nominated in - including male artist of the year and album of the year for Sunburn.

The title song won both single of the year and pop recording of the year, and Sampson teamed up with Blair Daly and Troy Verges to take the SOCAN songwriter award for crafting it.

"This is the most important award for me," he said after receiving the songwriting award. "The songs are the essence of what we do."

Sampson, who performed Sunburn during a slick, performance-heavy show broadcast nationally by the CBC, said he's concentrated in recent years on honing his craft.

It's obviously worked. The songwriting award was his fifth in the last six years.

"There's no Songwriting for Dummies book," Sampson said. "What you have to do is write a lot and make it a living. You have to do it every day."

George Canyon also had a big night. Besides hosting the show, the lantern-jawed country singer from New Glasgow, N.S., won three times, including the rising star award and the coveted entertainer of the year award - the only one voted on by fans.

"I feel like a million bucks," a beaming Canyon said after his album, One Good Friend, won for top country recording.

"I've been fighting the flu since I landed here in Sydney, but right now I'm feeling nothing but the fuzzies."

Canyon rose to prominence after finishing second at last year's Nashville Star, a country talent search in the United States.

"I still can't believe I get to do this. I can't believe you guys are letting me do this," he said, gesturing to a row of reporters throwing questions.

The Trews, a hard-rocking quartet from Antigonish, N.S., received five nominations but won just once - for group of the year.

"This is a big honour - we've never really won an award before," singer Colin MacDonald told the crowd.

It's been a breakthrough year for Sampson, who also produces records at his studio in Point Aconi, N.S., and whose songwriting prowess has attracted the attention of heavy hitters in Nashville.

Paris, a song from Sunburn, has been recorded by country superstar Faith Hill for potential inclusion on her next album.

"This is probably the busiest, most extensive music work year I've ever had," Sampson said after winning his first award of the night.

"Just trying to juggle things has been an art in itself, but it's alright now," he said holding up his trophy, a stylized pewter treble clef, for male artist of the year.

Nathan Wiley, a wispy singer-songwriter from Summerside, P.E.I., was named alternative artist of the year for his second album High Low.

"This is the first award of the night and it's going to P.E.I. - and that's who I'm doing it for," Wiley said seconds after leaving the stage in a segment of the show not broadcast.

The Cottars, The Joel Plaskett Emergency, Canyon, Wiley and The Trews were among the performers on the show, which included a touching tribute to Cape Breton's Rita MacNeil.

Thirty years after she recorded her first album, MacNeil was recognized as one of Atlantic Canada's most popular musical exports when she was given a lifetime achievement award.

Jimmy Rankin, Matt Minglewood, Shaye, the Men of the Deeps and Dutch Robinson sang songs written by the shy, soft-spoken singer from Big Pond.

MacNeil wiped tears from her eyes as she watched from the crowd before taking the stage to a standing ovation.

"You sure know how to ruin a girl's makeup," she said, before thanking everyone "for allowing me to live my dream."

"I'm proof you can make it. Be true to what you do."

Newfoundland's Great Big Sea won for video of the year - a record 19th East Coast Award for the popular celtic rock band.

A capacity crowd of about 5,000 took in the show, including Tory MPs Peter MacKay and Belinda Stronach. Ottawa's latest power couple sat together prominently in the front row.

Winners of the 2005 East Coast Music Awards

SYDNEY, N.S. (CP) - Here are the winners from the 2005 East Coast Music Awards on Sunday night:

FACTOR Album of year: Sunburn, Gordie Sampson.

Female artist of year: Natalie MacMaster.

Group of year: The Trews.

Male artist of year: Gordie Sampson.

CBC Galaxie rising star: George Canyon.

Single of year: Sunburn, Gordie Sampson.

SOCAN songwriter of year: Gordie Sampson, Blair Daly, Troy Verges (Sunburn.)

Video of year: When I Am King (Great Big Sea.)

Aboriginal recording of year: Something To Dream Of (Forever).

Alternative recording of year: High Low (Nathan Wiley.)

Bluegrass recording of year: XB ... A Mandolin Collection (J.P. Cormier.)

Blues recording of year: The Salty Sessions Vol. 2 (Hot Toddy.)

Classical recording of year: The Great Square of Pegasus (Jasper Wood.)

Vibe marketing country recording of year: One Good Friend (George Canyon.)

Francophone recording of year: Derange (Grand Derangement.)

Folk recording of year: Two-Bit World (Dave Gunning.)

Gospel recording of year: This Christmas (The LaPointes.)

Instrumental recording of year: X8 ... A Mandolin Collection (J.P. Cormier.)

Jazz recording of year: Duane Andrews (Duane Andrews.)

Pop recording of year: Sunburn (Gordie Sampson.)

Rock recording of year: Truthfully Truthfully (Joel Plaskett.)

Roots/traditional recording of year: On Fire! (The Cottars.)

Roots/traditional solo recording of year: Blueprint (Natalie MacMaster.)

Urban single recording of year: Shake Ya Caboose (Pimp Tea.)

Entertainer of year: George Canyon.

Lifetime achievement award: Rita MacNeil.

CNN Headline News Undergoes Big Changes

NEW YORK - For a network that has built its reputation on predictability, CNN Headline News is undergoing some dramatic changes on Monday.

The network will debut a new prime-time lineup that dispenses with its usual continuous "wheel" of news. Like all-news radio stations, Headline News has run half-hour newscasts throughout the day and evening for its entire 23-year history.

The new lineup includes an hour-long entertainment program, a legal talk show with Nancy Grace as host and an hour-long newscast at 9 p.m.

"By the time you get to prime-time in this day and age, most people are aware of the headlines of the day and want some different, distinctive programming," said Ken Jautz, executive vice president of the CNN News Group.

Translation: Headline News' ratings sag during the evening. But the network is pleased with daytime ratings, and that format is remaining the same.

Grace's show, at 8 p.m. ET, is the highest-profile launch. The former prosecutor is a frequent substitute for Larry King on CNN, and the new schedule allows her to continue this and not compete with King.

Karyn Bryant and A.J. Hammer are the hosts of "Showbiz Tonight" at 7 p.m. ET, the hour many of the syndicated entertainment programs air. They'll focus on Academy Award coverage this week and have interviews with the casts of "24" and "Lost."

Following Grace will be a traditional newscast, with Mike Galanos and Erica Hill. The timing is designed to not compete with newscasts on CNN, Jautz said.

CNN Headline News is also revamping its onscreen look. A few years ago, the network instituted a graphics-heavy format with several different elements, designed to appeal to computer-savvy viewers. The network is stepping back, making pictures the dominant element on the screen.

'Hitch' Edges 'Constantine' at Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Keanu Reeves went to hell and back, but he could not unhitch Will Smith from the top of the box office. Smith's romance "Hitch" remained the No. 1 weekend movie with $31.8 million, narrowly beating Reeves' demonic thriller "Constantine," which debuted in second place with $30.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The girl-and-her-dog tale "Because of Winn-Dixie" won bragging rights as the weekend's family-film winner over the baby-with-superpowers comedy "Son of the Mask." "Because of Winn-Dixie" opened at No. 3 with $10.85 million, and "Son of the Mask" opened at No. 4 with $7.7 million.

Hollywood continued its strong early-year showing, with the top 12 movies taking in $119.1 million, up 13 percent from President's Day weekend last year.

If those figures hold when final numbers are released Tuesday, that would make it the second-best President's Day weekend ever, behind the $123.8 million total in 2003, when "Daredevil" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" led the box office.

"Hitch," with action star Smith playing a "date doctor" for romantically hopeless men, pushed its 10-day total to $90.1 million and will become the first movie released in 2005 to top the $100 million mark.

The movie's weekend haul was down just 26 percent from its $43.1 million debut, a solid performance given that revenues for big-studio films often plunge 50 percent or more in the second weekend. Smith's presence made "Hitch" an easy sell for the male audience, which normally leaves romantic comedies to women.

"This is one of those romantic comedies that appeals to men and women equally because of Will Smith," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Constantine," adapted from the DC Comics' "Hellblazer" series, stars Reeves as the title character, a man who dispatches hell's minions back to the underworld.

Executives at "Constantine" distributor Warner Bros., which also released Reeves' "Matrix" franchise, said they were satisfied with the opening weekend even though the movie did not take the No. 1 spot. Like "The Matrix" flicks, "Constantine" carried an R rating, limiting the under-17 audience to those accompanied by an adult.

"For an R-rated movie, this is fabulous," said Dan Fellman, Warner head of distribution. "In trying to look for some comparison, it was only our goal to reach the opening of the original `Matrix,' and we exceeded that."

"The Matrix" had an opening weekend of $27.8 million in April 1999.

Best-picture contenders for next weekend's Academy Awards continued to hold well, with the boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" coming in at No. 5 with $7.2 million, raising its total to $54.7 million.

The Howard Hughes epic "The Aviator" was ninth with $4.2 million, lifting its domestic gross to $88.1 million. The wine-country comedy "Sideways" finished 10th with $3.9 million, increasing its total to $58.1 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Hitch," $31.8 million.
2. "Constantine," $30.5 million.
3. "Because of Winn-Dixie," $10.85 million.
4. "Son of the Mask," $7.7 million.
5. "Million Dollar Baby," $7.2 million.
6. "Are We There Yet?", $6.5 million.
7. "Boogeyman," $5.5 million.
8. "Pooh's Heffalump Movie," $4.4 million.
9. "The Aviator," $4.2 million.
10. "Sideways," $3.9 million.

'Carousel' Star John Raitt Dies at 88

LOS ANGELES - John Raitt, the robust baritone who created the role of Billy Bigelow in the original New York production of "Carousel" and sang with Doris Day in the movie "Pajama Game," died Sunday. He was 88.

Raitt, the father of singer Bonnie Raitt, died from complications of pneumonia at his Pacific Palisades home, his manager, James Fitzgerald, said in a statement.

Raitt had become well known on the West Coast for his handsome presence and ringing voice when in 1944 he was invited to New York to try out for the role of Curly in the road company of "Oklahoma!" He was rushed from Penn Station to the St. James Theater and an audition with Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers.

In 1995, Raitt recalled: "I hadn't sung since California, so I said, 'Do you mind if I warm up?' I sang Figaro's aria from 'The Barber of Seville.' Then I sang all of Curly's songs.'"

There was silence when he finished. The problem was not his voice, which was both melodic and powerful, but his height. At 6 feet 2 was he too tall for Curly? Hammerstein reasoned: "I'm a tall man. Why can't Curly be tall?" Raitt was hired for the Chicago company of "Oklahoma!"

Rodgers and Hammerstein had been working on their second collaboration, "Carousel," and they chose Raitt for the role of the doomed hero Billy Bigelow.

Raitt astounded the opening-night audience in 1945 with his dynamic soliloquy, which he called "practically a one-act opera which took six and a half minutes to sing." He said Hammerstein had been inspired to write it when he heard the newcomer sing Figaro at the audition.

Raitt's star status on Broadway was assured, and after the long run in "Carousel" he appeared in "Magdalena," "Three Wishes for Jamie" and "Carnival in Flanders." He lacked a big crossover to film until "The Pajama Game" in 1954.

"The Pajama Game" became a successful movie with Raitt and several others in their stage roles and Doris Day for popular appeal. The numbers "Hey, There," "Steam Heat" and "Once a Year Day," choreographed by Bob Fosse, helped make the 1957 film a delight. Despite his good notices, it was Raitt's only starring movie (he had played two minor roles while briefly under contract to MGM in 1940).

In his later years, Raitt was overshadowed by the fame of his blues-singing daughter. He delighted in her success and approved of her campaigning for civil rights, peace and other causes. "She used to be known as John Raitt's daughter; now I'm known as Bonnie Raitt's father," he observed.

After she had become a big attraction in pop music, they sometimes appeared together, singing duets with her song "Blowing Away" and his "Hey, There."

"He treats every show with equal thrill and passion," Bonnie Raitt once said. "He puts the same into it no matter whether it's a charity breakfast for 50 people or opening night of a Broadway show.

"He never sold out for the quick buck. If he did Vegas, he would have been a bigger star, but he didn't want to sing for drunks and hecklers, and neither do I."

John Emmett Raitt was born Jan. 10, 1917, in Santa Ana, Calif. At Fullerton Union he excelled in track, winning a scholarship to the University of Southern California. He concluded his college education at the University of Redlands in 1940.

His deep, resonant voice developed early, and he sang at service clubs and churches throughout Southern California. His professional debut came in 1940 as a chorus singer in "HMS Pinafore" with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, where he would be a frequent star in later years.

With little operatic training, he sang lead roles in "The Barber of Seville" and "Carmen" at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. That led to the fateful meeting with Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Raitt remained a top musical star, touring with Mary Martin in "Annie Get Your Gun," and lead roles in "Destry Rides Again," "Man of La Mancha," "Kismet" and "Zorba" as well as "Oklahoma!" "Carousel" and "The Pajama Game." He played in summer stock from 1959 to 1984, keeping his fee moderate so theaters could afford him. "I liked the work, and if I upped the price, I wouldn't get the work," he reasoned in a 1995 interview.

In his 80s, he continued touring with a one-man show, "An Evening with John Raitt," and made appearances with Bonnie on the Boston Pops broadcast and her own concerts.

Bonnie and two brothers, Steven and David, were born to Raitt's first marriage to Marjorie Haydock. They divorced in 1971. A second marriage to Kathleen Smith Landry ended in divorce in 1981. That year, he learned from an old friend that Raitt's high school sweetheart had recently been widowed.

"Having played Zorba, I believe in grabbing at life," he recalled. "So I called her and this sweet voice answered. 'I'm free now,' I told her, 'and I'm coming to dinner.'"

Raitt and Rosemary Kraemer were married in 1981. Bonnie sang "Safe in Your Arms" at the wedding. Raitt sang "My Heart's Darling" at her 1991 wedding to actor Michael O'Keefe.

Pepsi Wins Movie Product Placement 'Oscar'

LONDON (Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc. may be only the world's No. 2 soft drinks maker, but in terms of product placement on the big screen it outranked every other brand on the planet in 2004.

Brandcameo, a product placement offshoot of consultants Brandchannel (www.brandchannel.com), awarded its top tongue-in-cheek "accolade" to the maker of Pepsi, Aquafina and Mountain Dew on Sunday after the Pepsi brand featured in no less than one in five No. 1 U.S. movie box office smashes last year.

Featuring in movies as diverse as "Alien vs. Predator" and "Dodgeball," Pepsi beat arch-rival Coca-Cola and its ubiquitous Coke brand into second place, where it tied with Motorola and Nike.

While Pepsi actually only featured in seven No. 1 U.S. movie hits, the scale of this achievement is illustrated by the fact that only 37 movies topped the list last year.

Product placement is a lucrative business that really kicked off at the seminal moment in Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic "E.T." when the protagonist alien consumes a trail of Reese's Pieces that lead him to the house of the little boy that befriends him. Sales of the Hershey-made candy soared.

Nowadays, consumer products companies can pay top dollar for a placement on the billboard a car crashes into in a Hollywood blockbuster, or to supply James Bond's latest gadget-laden car.

"Ford reportedly paid millions of dollars for "Die Another day," said Abram Sauer, analyst at Brandchannel.

"These days, product placement agencies are trying to find a way of measuring the value of placement so they can charge for it. And now Ford has opened its own office in LA with the sole purpose of getting Fords featured (in movies)."

NOT ENOUGH BRANDS?

While product placements can have spectacular results when an item is first launched, its effects are harder to demonstrate when a placement is used to help maintain a brand.

So while computer and mobile entertainment maker Apple -- a mainstay in any branding poll -- gets a Brandcameo "Lifetime Achievement" award for almost 20 years of product placement from "Short Circuit" and "Star Trek IV" in 1986 to "Garfield" in 2004, Apple's computer market share has hovered resolutely around the 2 percent mark.

Brandcameo's awards -- timed to capitalize on the massive interest in the Academy Awards to be made on Feb. 27 -- run to several categories, but perhaps the most interesting point is that movies actually tend to under-emphasize the impact of branding in our lives.

Of course, documentary films such as "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Super Size Me" often lampoon or criticize the products or companies "placed" in them, as Halliburton and McDonald's found to their cost.

But the irony is that there are far more products and brands on display in documentaries - and in real life -- than in movies like "Die Another Day" or "Minority Report" that come under fire for their heavy use of product placement.

"People who complain about product placement say that movies are becoming too branded. That can mean the products are featured too unrealistically -- there are just too many products on display," Sauer said.

"But if you take a documentary that has no sets, and no one arranging things for the set, you get a lot more brands."

'Sideways' Wins Writers Guild Award

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In an important pre-Oscar test, wine country comedy "Sideways" was named best adapted screenplay and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" won for best original screenplay at the Writers Guild of America awards on Saturday night.

"Eternal Sunshine," a complicated comedy fantasy about falling out of love written by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, beat original screenplays for "The Aviator," "Garden State," "Hotel Rwanda" and "Kinsey."

"Sideways," by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, based on Rex Pickett's novel, won over "Before Sunset," "Mean Girls," "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Motorcycle Diaries."

The Writers Guild awards often are considered predictors of who will win in the writing categories at the Oscars, which take place next Sunday.

In television, the award for best TV movie or miniseries adapted screenplay went to HBO's "Angels in America," which Tony Kushner adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.

Another HBO TV movie, "Something the Lord Made," by Peter Silverman and Robert Caswell, won for best original screenplay.

Actress Sandra Dee Dead at 63 in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Sandra Dee, a perky blonde teen matinee idol of the 1950s and 1960s who played the title role in the surfer film "Gidget," died Sunday in Thousand Oaks, California, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Dee died shortly before 6 a.m. at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center near Los Angeles, spokeswoman Cynthia Mead said. She was 63. A family spokesman, Steve Blauner, told Reuters that Dee's death was caused by complications from kidney disease.

Dee's son, Dodd Darin, whose father, Bobby Darin, was also a popular movie idol and pop singer of the same era, told CNN his mother had been hospitalized for two weeks prior to her death for kidney disease and pneumonia.

A former child actress and model, Dee made her film debut in "Until They Sail" in 1957. She rose to stardom in the 1959 film "Gidget," about a teenage girl who falls for a surfer. The same year Dee and Troy Donahue starred as teenage lovers in the popular film "A Summer Place."

In 1960, Dee married Darin. Together the young duo starred in "Come September" (1961), "If A Man Answers" (1962), and "That Funny Feeling" (1965). Dee also took over the title role from Debbie Reynolds in the popular "Tammy" film series, starring in "Tammy and the Doctor," (1963) and "Tammy Tell Me True" (1961).

Dee and Darin divorced in 1967 and her career faded shortly thereafter. She never remarried. Her popularity was briefly revived after the film "Grease" (1978) patterned a lead character after her and named one of its signature songs "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee."

She was portrayed last year by Kate Bosworth in the film "Beyond the Sea," which also starred Kevin Spacey as Darin.

Lucas To "Cameo" in New 'Star Wars' Movie

Star Wars director George Lucas will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming final film in the sci-fi series. Lucas is set to follow in the footsteps of Lord Of The Rings film-maker Peter Jackson by briefly appearing before cameras in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith, playing Baron Papanoida in an opera house scene. Jackson has immortalized himself on screen in all three Lord Of The Rings films, playing hobbit Albert Dreary, an uncredited Rohirrim Warrior and an unnamed Mercenary On Boat in The Fellowship Of The Ring, The Two Towers and Return Of The King, respectively.

Da Vinci Code goes on 'trial' at hands of Italian art experts, clergy

ROME (AP) - Art experts and conservative clerics are holding an unusual "trial" in Leonardo da Vinci's hometown aimed at sorting out fact from fiction in the The Da Vinci Code after many readers took the smash hit novel as gospel truth.

The event in Vinci, just outside of Florence, began Friday with an opening statement by Alessandro Vezzosi, director of a Leonardo museum. He said he will produce photographs and documents as evidence of the mistakes and historical inaccuracies contained in Dan Brown's best-seller.

"Leonardo is misrepresented and belittled," Vezzosi said in a telephone interview hours before the event began.

"His importance is misunderstood. He was a man full of fantasy, inventions and genius."

The novel's contentious allegations - namely, that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and sired a bloodline - have provoked unprecedented protest among Christian conservatives, who said Brown's characters inaccurately malign Christianity.

The book portrays Roman Catholic leaders demonizing women for centuries and covering up the truth about the Holy Grail, which the novel said is Mary Magdalene.

Vezzosi said he will produce evidence through 120 photographs based on documents and paintings with the aim of "reassessing and disclaiming the author" of the mystical thriller, a mix of code-breaking, art history, secret societies, religion and lore.

Vezzosi said one example of the mistakes contained in the book is the statement the Mona Lisa was made in Leonardo's image.

"There's a very big difference between Mona Lisa's and Leonardo's noses, mouths, eyes and expressions," he said, adding he will compare two portraits to prove it.

Brown in the past has not said much about the controversy surrounding the blockbuster book but he told NBC's Today in June 2003 that while the novel's main character, Robert Langdon, is fictional, "all of the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies, all of that is historical fact."

Organizers said there would be nobody speaking in the book's defence and the "verdict" would be contained within the presentations of the speakers.

But that does not mean the book will be completely hung out to dry: hundreds of fans are expected to attend the trial.

"This initiative has received a lot of interest with people calling to confirm their attendance," Vezzosi said.

The Da Vinci Code has sold more than 7.5 million copies worldwide and is expected to be made into a movie. Its success has inspired guided tours in Paris that take fans to sites described in the novel and it also has spawned a cottage industry in books seeking to debunk it.

More than 10 books have been written trying to discredit the historical and theological content of Brown's novel.

Msgr. Renato Bellini, vicar of Vinci, said the book reveals nothing about religion and contains a mystifying and inaccurate portrait of the conservative Roman Catholic movement Opus Dei.

"This book depicts the movement as a mysterious centre of political and economic power that tries to hide the historical truth on Jesus and Magdalene, which is absurd," Bellini said.

A representative of Opus Dei is participating in the mock trial in an attempt to reassess the historical truth about the movement, Bellini said.

Rock Says Time Delay a 'Safety Net'

NEW YORK - First-time Oscar host Chris Rock, a comedian known for his frequent use of expletives, says the five-second decency delay on the ABC show's Feb. 27 telecast will be a welcome "safety net."

"I've been on TV and been funny not cursing," Rock says in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" newsmagazine, to air Sunday night. "As far as content is concerned, I will talk about the movies. I'm not really worried about it. I'm sure ABC is more worried about it than me."

Gil Cates, the producer of the Oscar show, has expressed confidence in Rock, who suggested in a recent Entertainment Weekly magazine interview that no straight black men watch the telecast.

"(A time delay is) a safety net. You know, you're a trapeze artist ... you welcome the net," Rock says.

Rock also says that when he arrives on Oscar night, he may be traveling "small," without an entourage. The 39-year-old actor-comedian says that "with a posse, you're not letting the real world in. And if you don't let the real world in, you're not going to be funny."

He added: "Donald Trump rolls pretty small, you know."

Bugs Bunny and pals get makeover

The WB network will take the famed Looney Tunes characters as models for a new children's series, Loonatics, that will air Saturday mornings starting this fall. The characters' descendants - Buzz Bunny and the like - will be superhero action figures for the cartoon set in the year 2772.

The network's animators have reimagined Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Wile E. Coyote as sleek new figures for a modern age.

"We all flipped for it," David Janollari, president of the Kids' WB, said this week.

"We just said: 'Wow, what a great way to take the classic Looney Tunes franchise that has been huge with audiences for decades and bring it into the new millennium."'

Janollari said both boys and girls enjoyed the new action figures in test runs of the show. Their parents may be a little surprised, however. and his pals are being updated for the future - way in the future.

"I think the legacy is intact," he said.

"If anything, it's an homage to the legacy, instead of a destruction of the legacy."

REMEMBER WHEN 'SNL' WAS FUNNY?

February 17, 2005 -- It's impossible to think that 30 years ago, "Saturday Night Live" made its debut and changed forever the way TV was produced and watched.

"SNL" - with its insane ensemble company of pot-smoking rogues, bad boys and naughty girls - brought to TV what had never been there before: true irreverence.

On Sunday night, a documentary disguised as yet another annoying anniversary show, brings back the best of the first five years of "SNL." And you'll laugh as hard as if you'd never seen the sketches before.

Perhaps because two of the show's most important cast members died way before their time, NBC didn't attempt a - God forbid - reunion show.

Instead, there's this terrific documentary, "Live From New York: The First Five Years of Saturday Night Live," by Kenneth Bowser - so good it debuted at the Miami Film Festival earlier this month.

It chronicles how these funny kids - well, young adults anyway - did things that you just couldn't do on TV. Not then, and in some cases, not now. Not on regular broadcast TV anyway.

But all the forbidden words - which are still forbidden - somehow were broadcast. And will be again on Sunday night.

They might have been very young, Lorne Michael's loony bin ensemble company of comics: John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, and Jane Curtin. But they understood that saying the forbidden words out loud took away their power.

They show the sketch with Richard Pryor, for example, where Chase plays a job counselor giving Pryor a word-association quiz that degenerates into racist craziness of "What pops into your mind when I say 'spearchucker'" - and Pryor answers, "honky!"

Then Chase uses the n-word, and Pryor answers, "dead honky!"

Try to get away with that now. They'd shut the network down and institute immediate diversity-sensitivity training.

The filmmakers talk to Morris - the smart, funny black guy (as opposed to just the smart, funny guy) who never quite fit in.

They discuss how Curtin hated Belushi (although there are no comments from her), and how Chase left after his one-year contract ran out because - yes - his California girlfriend wouldn't move to New York!

"I was in love," he says. Loser!

With many of the original stars and guest hosts, as well as clips of musical guests from George Harrison and Paul Simon to The Grateful Dead and Blondie, and clips from the most unforgettable, ground-breaking, and screamingly funny stuff ever on TV, this show is definitely a keeper.

It does have a real downside, however: It serves as a horrifying reminder that we used to have John Belushi. And now we have Paris Hilton.

Charlottetown awarded 2006 edition of East Coast Music Awards annual gala

SYDNEY, N.S. (CP) - Charlottetown has been chosen as the site of the 2006 East Coast Music Awards and Conference, it was announced Thursday. The annual conference and awards weekend was last held in Charlottetown in 2001.

"The people of Charlottetown love the ECMAs and have proven in the past that they are ready to come out and support this event," said Shelley Nordstrom, chair of the East Coast Music Association board of directors.

The 2005 edition of the popular awards show goes Sunday night in Sydney.

Swank and Bening in Actress Oscar Rematch

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood didn't quite know what to do with Hilary Swank after she emerged from obscurity to win the best actress Oscar in 2000 for chopping off her hair and dressing as a male in the searing transgender movie "Boys Don't Cry."

Swank didn't fit the glamorous leading lady mold, was never cut out to be a Hollywood babe and at 25 was too young to be a character actress.

But after an undistinguished hiatus, Swank has come back swinging as a gutsy female boxer whose career is dramatically cut short in "Million Dollar Baby."

There's one problem for Swank on her path to a rare second Oscar -- Annette Bening, the classy "American Beauty" actress Swank beat in 2000 and who is still looking for her own elusive piece of Oscar glory.

Call it a rematch, or as Bening terms it "a funny coincidence," but the two women are front-runners again for the best actress Oscar at the Feb. 27 ceremony.

"Five years ago, Hilary Swank came out of nowhere to win the best actress category. It looked for a while as if she was one of those Oscar flukes who we would never hear from again," said Tom O'Neil, host of the showbiz Web site goldderby.com.

"So Annette is due and she came back this year to get the Oscar and here's that darn Hilary Swank again," said O'Neil.

COINCIDENCE OR JINX?

Bening, 46, was considered the early Oscar front runner for her role as a luminous English stage diva in "Being Julia." She has already won a Golden Globe, National Board of Review and Golden Satellite award for her performance.

But that was before the release of Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" was brought forward to catch the awards season and Swank captured a Golden Globe of her own as well as a Screen Actor's Guild trophy and a slew of critics awards.

"I think Hilary Swank is probably the front runner, even though she's won once before. Annette Bening is charming and wonderful in 'Being Julia' but I think the picture itself is a little lightweight," said Time magazine movie critic Richard Schickel.

Neither Swank, now 30, nor Bening see it in terms of a rematch. "I don't experience it that way. We just happen to be giving performances that people like in the same year in movies that are recognized," Bening told Reuters.

"It felt like a funny coincidence. I think 'Million Dollar Baby' is a really special movie and Hilary is great in it."

British actresses Kate Winslet for quirky romance "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and Imelda Staunton for 1950s abortion drama "Vera Drake" along with Colombian newcomer Catalina Sandino Moreno in "Maria Full of Grace" round out the nominees in the best actress category. All are considered to have given fine performances by movie pundits.

JOINING THE ELITE?

The Academy's exalted 77-year history and the demographics of Academy voters are as likely to play a role in determining the acting honors as performances on the screen.

If Swank wins again, she will enter the elite ranks of actresses who have won two or more Oscars -- including the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Jodie Foster.

"There are Academy voters who say Hilary hasn't earned the right yet to be in the pantheon of double winners so there may be some resistance to giving her that," said O'Neil.

The make-up of Academy voters remains shadowy but industry insiders believe they are two-thirds male and mostly over 50.

"The sad truth about women at the Oscars is that the babe always beats the mature star. This bias is historical, consistent and obvious," said O'Neil.

Schickel said Swank posed a conundrum for Hollywood after winning her first Oscar. "The part she won for was so weird. So Hollywood wondered who is she, what is she as a star personality? And that is a problem she may face again.

"She is a nice-looking lady but she's not a glamour queen. She is a real actress," he said.

If Bening had any sore feelings about losing out to Swank five years ago, they were swept aside by giving birth two weeks later to her fourth child with actor Warren Beatty and the prospects of a new, post-children career.

"I feel really excited and interested by a lot of things that are coming my way. It feels like a new beginning in a way, without a baby on my hip," Bening said.

"My husband won a lifetime achievement award that night in 2000, and I was so pregnant. When I got home, the feeling was 'OK, all of that's over now'. It was just heavenly to know I didn't have to try to squeeze into another pair of shoes.

"This time the whole red carpet thing is so much more fun," she said.

Rather to Host His Own Farewell Tribute on CBS

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - No sooner will Dan Rather bid viewers a final good night as anchor of the CBS Evening News than he will be back on the air to lead viewers through a retrospective of his 50 years in broadcast journalism.

CBS News said on Thursday that an hourlong special, "Dan Rather: A Reporter Remembers," will be telecast on March 9, at 8 p.m. EST, within an hour of his stepping down as host and managing editor of the "Evening News."

The broadcasts come exactly 24 years after Rather assumed the anchor chair from legendary newsman Walter Cronkite.

The prime-time special is billed as a "candid memoir of Rather's extraordinary career, told in his own words." CBS said it will span the past five decades of his life and include never-before-seen archival footage.

A network spokeswoman said Rather would address the controversy surrounding his now-discredited "60 Minutes" report last September questioning the military service of President Bush.

The program will undoubtedly highlight the more celebrated points of Rather's career, including his coverage of the Kennedy assassination in 1963, the tumultuous Democratic National Convention of 1968 and the Watergate scandal during the 1970s, not to mention testy on-air exchanges with President Nixon and then-Vice President George H. W. Bush.

It remained to be seen how CBS would handle Rather's less flattering moments, such as walking off the set in 1987 after a tennis match pre-empted the start of a newscast, or the jokes he endured after being assaulted on the streets of Manhattan by a man who asked him: "Kenneth, what's the frequency?"

While TV retrospectives have become ubiquitous on prime time, paying homage to figures ranging from Johnny Carson to "Laverne & Shirley," a self-hosted special paying tribute to a living broadcast journalist on the day of his retirement is rare.

"I don't remember them doing one like this for Walter Cronkite, but you could bet they would if Walter Cronkite were retiring today," said Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television.

On the other hand, Thompson said, "He (Rather) has got a lot of good clips.

'PROBST WILL REPLACE ME': REGIS

There could be a new Regis on the block.

Regis Philbin appears to be grooming "Survivor" host Jeff Probst to take over "Live with Regis & Kelly" when he one day says "adios amigos."

"This is a guy who would kill, kill to sit here every day," Philbin told viewers yesterday while priming the audience for a guest appearance by Probst, who dropped by to promote the latest season of "Survivor."

"And one of ['Live' executive producer Michael] Gelman's favorites," Regis said.

Probst has subbed as a guest host for Philbin several times in the past, when the 73-year-old TV icon has gone on vacation.

Gelman "is grooming him for the day I say adios amigos — you'll see him fighting his way in," Regis joked.

"He sits here and he looks at you — the whole thing is developing right before your eyes," Regis told his leggy co-host, Kelly Ripa.

"I think a little jealousy is what we're watching unfold," Ripa shot back.

"Regis was kidding around with a friend of the show and it's nothing more than that," a spokesperson said.

Low-Rated Series Struggle for a Future

LOS ANGELES - "Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman and the sitcom's creator, Mitchell Hurwitz, were assessing the cuddle quotient in a show that viewers may soon lose the chance to embrace.

"There are a surprising number of hugs in the show. We just make jokes about how they (the characters) never hug," said Hurwitz. "So even when Michael's mother hugs him, he says, `What are you doing? Why are you squeezing me with your body?'"

Bateman, who stars as Michael in the acerbic Fox comedy about the dysfunctional Bluth family, offers a solution: "You've got the Pax network if you want a good hug."

But he and the rest of the "Arrested Development" clan might be in need of comfort: Fox is halting production after 18 episodes, shy of the usual 22, bringing the season — and maybe the series — to a premature end April 17.

"American Dad" takes its 8:30 p.m. EST Sunday slot starting May 1. The animated comedy about a CIA agent and his family scored in a post-Super Bowl preview and Fox awarded it the premium real estate after "The Simpsons."

With the football extravaganza as launching pad, "American Dad" drew 15 million viewers. For its sophomore season to date, "Arrested Development" is averaging 6 million weekly viewers, down from last season's average audience of 6.2 million.

The lack of interest persists despite rave reviews and awards: a Golden Globe for Bateman in January and a best-comedy series Emmy last year.

It's not the only program suffering a gap between quality and ratings. "Jack & Bobby" (9 p.m. EST Wednesdays), the WB's drama about the formative years of a future U.S. president, can't stoke viewer interest despite a critically acclaimed first season.

Although a relatively new network like WB doesn't demand "American Idol"-size ratings, the 2.7 million average weekly audience for "Jack & Bobby" is scant compared to the nearly 6 million watching WB's most-watched series, "7th Heaven."

Worthy shows have come and gone many times before, but the irony is acute for the latest endangered pair. "Arrested Development," which is ferociously clever and daringly breaks the laugh-track, multicamera sitcom mold, arrived as the genre cried out for rejuvenation.

With the passing of "Friends," "Sex and the City" and (at the end of this season) "Everybody Loves Raymond," observers have lamented the mostly uninspired retreads that are left.

"Arrested Development" wasn't entirely startling — "Seinfeld" reveled in the crassness of its characters; "Curb Your Enthusiasm" saw its cynicism and raised it.

But the Fox show was asking a sitcom family to be received as something other than inherently warm and loving, and derived its dry humor from the characters' odd, morally suspect behavior.

That audiences would take awhile to adapt was understandable, Bateman said.

"If anybody says this show is not accessible, which I think is not really accurate or fair or deserved, perhaps that's what they're talking about," the actor said. "It's around the side door for laughter. You have to watch two episodes to understand what our joke is. Then, if you're in that gear, it delivers nonstop."

Adds Hurwitz: "I think people understand dealing with adult parents and adult siblings, and that's at the core of every show."

Relationships also are central to "Jack & Bobby," which stars Christine Lahti as the loving but eccentric single mother of a boy destined to be a leader (Logan Lerman) and his older brother, Jack (Matt Long).

Along with family and romantic skirmishes, the series created by Greg Berlanti explores how Bobby's childhood shapes the character and moral sense he ultimately brings to the presidency.

It's a sophisticated twist on popular youth-oriented dramas such as "Everwood" and "Smallville," and arrived in a season of renewed viewer interest in scripted shows ("Lost," "Desperate Housewives") after the reality flood.

"Jack & Bobby" also appears to have the potential to attract the somewhat older audience that WB executives have said they want to cultivate as the network focuses on 20-somethings as well as teenagers.

Berlanti knows how to make appealing dramas, with "Everwood" and "Dawson's Creek" among his credits. He searches for an answer when asked why his latest effort isn't getting traction.

Maybe there's audience fatigue from too many family dramas, he suggests. Maybe it's the political element that's putting people off.

"I'd very much be looking forward to a second season when we didn't have an election," Berlanti said. "I think it was a case of people being oversaturated with that."

He expects "Jack & Bobby" to go the full season with 22 episodes and have a fighting chance to build its audience. With the truncated run for "Arrested Development," it seems unlikely that Fox (which gets points for bringing it back after the first low-rated season) will find a reason to renew it when the 2006-05 schedule is announced in May.

Veteran actress Jessica Walter, who stars as the cold-fish Bluth mother, Lucille, is dismayed by the show's peril.

"I think it's awful that art or creative entertainment is made for some formula of Nielsen ratings, and I don't buy into that," she said. "I'd rather be on something good watched by 1 million people than something awful watched by 20 million."

Berlanti strikes a more philosophical note.

He and his writers are working "to tell the best stories we know how to tell and hope that some point down the line people look back on the series, whether it goes for five years or just one year, and want to buy the box (DVD) set."

Springsteen Stares Down 'Devils' on New Album

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Bruce Springsteen has re-teamed with producer Brendan O'Brien for his 19th album, "Devils & Dust," which Columbia will release on April 26.

The 12-track set follows the format of Springsteen's '90s studio work, in which he eschewed the presence of the full E Street Band and was instead surrounded by a rotating cast of collaborators.

The core band here features only Springsteen on guitar, O'Brien on bass and Steve Jordan (Steely Dan, Keith Richards) on drums. The latter also produced Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa's 2004 Columbia studio album, "23rd Street Lullaby."

The title cut has been in Springsteen's catalog for several years, and was dusted off in soundchecks for the E Street Band's run on last fall's Vote for Change tour, but never performed at a show.

Two of the tracks -- "Long Time Comin"' and "The Hitter" -- date back at least 10 years and were performed during the tour in support of the 1995 album "The Ghost of Tom Joad."

Like much of the material on that set, the songs are both first-person narratives, using details and fragmented scenes to sketch out a life's story. The first is about a father celebrating the optimism that comes with an awaited child; the second about a street fighter nearing the end of an unenviable career.

Springsteen will tour acoustically in support of the new album, but no details have been announced as to who, if anyone, will back him or what size venues he will play.

"Devils & Dust" is the Springsteen's first studio album since 2002's O'Brien-produced "The Rising," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 2.1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The tour in support of the set grossed $221.5 million from 121 shows reported to Billboard Boxscore.

Springsteen won a Grammy on Sunday for best solo rock vocal performance for the "Code of Silence," which was released on the 2003 collection "The Essential Bruce Springsteen."

Here is the track list for "Devils & Dust":

"Devils & Dust"
"All The Way Home"
"Reno"
"Long Time Comin"'
"Black Cowboys"
"Maria's Bed"
"Silver Palomino"
"Jesus Was an Only Son"
"Leah"
"The Hitter"
"All I'm Thinkin' About"
"Matamoras Banks"

George Michael Bids Farewell to Pop World

BERLIN (Reuters) - Singer George Michael said farewell to the world of pop music on Wednesday, using a candid documentary about his life to put the record straight before he "disappeared."

He also declared the genre that brought him fame and riches, as well as unwanted media attention, was dead.

"That genre is just dead as far as I am concerned," he told Reuters in an interview after the premiere of his documentary at the Berlin Film Festival.

"George Michael: A Different Story" traces a rags-to-riches journey that made Michael one of the biggest selling artists of the 1980s and 1990s but which was not without tragedy along the way.

"I just thought it was very important to explain myself before I disappear," the 41-year-old said. "I truly believe that there's a life for me that is not this one."

When asked what he would do next, he replied:

"Perhaps it will mean writing for other people. I have an ambition to write a truly contemporary musical, not necessarily even for the stage, but for the screen ... I have got to find ways to make music and enjoy it the way I used to."

Michael railed against the advent of manufactured bands and the music world's obsession with celebrity, explaining that he was not interested in competing with the likes of British musicians Robbie Williams or Will Young.

"Nobody want to hear about politics, or any kind of strong ideas in pop any more."

In the 100-minute film, he speaks frankly about losing a lover to AIDS and the death of his mother, of the infamous lewd act in a Beverly Hills toilet and the media fury over his anti-Iraq war stance.

CELEBRITY LIFE "UNBEARABLE"

The documentary is fascinating as much for its insight into life as a celebrity as it is for revealing some of the truth about the notoriously publicity-shy star.

"It's never suited me very well, the business of media and celebrity," Michael said. "Now I just find it unbearable."

His meteoric rise to superstardom, first with Wham! and then as a solo artist, was complicated by the fact that he was gay while widely believed to be straight.

"I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm a massive star and I think I may be a poof. This is not going to end well'," he said in the film.

Michael eventually outed himself after being charged with lewd behavior in a toilet in 1998, although he lost Brazilian boyfriend Anselmo Feleppa to an AIDS-related condition in 1993.

"I remember looking at the sky and saying: 'Don't do this to me'," Michael said, referring to the moment when Feleppa told him he was going for medical tests.

Ballads like "Careless Whisper" and "Faith" have propelled Michael to the pinnacle of the music world.

He has sold more than 70 million records, and his 1987 album "Faith" yielded six number one singles in the key American market. He has amassed a personal fortune estimated at 80 million pounds ($150 million).

But he has also had fallow years, such as when he fought a losing legal battle against his record label in the early 1990s.

He came roaring back in 1994, performing the acclaimed "Jesus to a Child" single under Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

Elton John appears in the film and repeats his criticism of Michael that a decision not to tour was a waste of his talent.

"I find him very frustrating," said John.

John also takes a swipe at Michael's reluctance to tell the world that he was gay.

"To be busted in the toilet is not the best way to come out of the closet, is it?" John asked.

Michael said he never thought the incident would destroy his career, but he was "floored" by the media backlash triggered by his opposition to the war in Iraq.

The video for "Shoot the Dog" features cartoon figures of President Bush in bed with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife.

New Order Answer the Call

After a four-year hiatus, veteran British rockers New Order will release their eighth studio album, Waiting for the Sirens' Call, on April 26th.

"From the days of Joy Division to the Republic album, we'd just been touring, and we got burnt out, really," says guitarist/vocalist Bernard Sumner of the band's slow pace of the past decade. "We needed to get off the road and dry off for a bit."

Produced by Tore Johansson (Franz Ferdinand, the Cardigans), Waiting favors guitars over the synth pop that made New Order famous. "It's pretty rock-y," Sumner says. "Reason being, we don't really go out to clubs anymore. We don't own a club anymore. And in order to be a part of that kind of music, you have to be involved in it."

They've also added another guitarist: Phil Cunningham has joined Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris, who have not had a steady fourth member since longtime keyboardist (and Morris' wife) Gillian Gilbert left to focus on her children. "It's good to have someone else," says Sumner, "because I used to have to do all the guitar, and the vocals, and the keyboards."

New Order have signed on to play the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival on May 1st, and they plan to tour the U.S. after the album's release.

Sammy Hagar to mount spring 'Cinco de Cabo' tour

Reinstated Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar returns to the solo circuit this spring during his Mexican-themed "Cinco de Cabo" tour.

The veteran rocker and his band, The Waboritas, launch the outing with a three-night stand at his Cabo Wabo club in Lake Tahoe, NV; the April 29-May 1 run marks the one-year anniversary of the venue, a spin-off of the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, nightspot that Hagar and Van Halen opened in 1989.

A half-dozen subsequent dates are set through mid-May, and tickets for most shows will hit the box office Friday and Saturday (2/18-19), according to Hagar's website.

Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony--who often toured with Hagar in the years leading up to Hagar's 2004 return to Van Halen--will again join the singer during the upcoming roadtrip.

Last year, Hagar re-teamed with Anthony, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen for a North American tour that kicked off in June and ran until November. The reunion also spawned a two-disc hits set titled "Best of Both Worlds," which featured three new cuts.

Last November, Alex Van Halen told a Kansas newspaper that the group planned to take a break after the tour, and would then head into the studio to record a new album with Hagar on vocals.

A late-December message that Anthony posted on his own website, however, raised some question marks about the state of Van Halen.

"I'm not sure what the future holds for Van Halen, but I can tell you Sammy and I will be out there rocking together with the Wabos in 2005," Anthony wrote.

April 2005
29, 30 - Lake Tahoe, NV - Cabo Wabo @ Harrahs (on sale 2/19)

May 2005
1 - Lake Tahoe, NV - Cabo Wabo @ Harrahs (on sale 2/19)
6 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel/Casino (on sale 2/19)
7 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Casino (on sale 2/18)
10 - Green Bay, WI - Oneida Casino (on sale tba)
12 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre (on sale 2/19)
13 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre (on sale 2/18)
14 - Maryland Heights, MO - UMB Bank Pavilion (on sale 2/19)

What a Doll: Lindsay Lohan Goes Barbie

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Lindsay Lohan, who was inducted into popular girl clique known as the Plastics in "Mean Girls," is going plastic in real life.

The 18-year-old redhead will get the Barbie treatment with a Mattel fashion doll made to look like her, reports the AP.

The doll is red-carpet ready in a beige dress with a sheer handkerchief skirt laid over a pink leopard print material. A coordinating faux fur-trimmed coat, tasteful jewelry and mauve heels complete the Hollywood glam look. Accessories include a pink director's chair bearing the starlet's name and a velvet rope strung between two posts.

The Lindsay Lohan doll is part of the "My Scene" line, which features fashion dolls with heads slightly larger than the typical Barbie doll and ensembles of hip and somewhat skimpy clothes. The doll will retail for about $30.

Barbie and Lindsay fans will be able to get their first glimpse of the doll at the annual American International Toy Fair, which begins Sunday, Feb. 20 in New York and runs through Wednesday.

Besides the 2004 teen comedy "Mean Girls," Lindsay Lohan's other film credits include "The Parent Trap," "Freaky Friday" and "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen." She recently released her debut album, "Speak," and is currently filming "Just My Luck" in New Orleans. Her latest Disney remake, "Herbie: Fully Loaded," will open nationwide in June.

CRYFEST LINEUP

ABC announcing Oscar nominee Jamie Foxx, actor Will Ferrell and Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher will be the guests on Barbara Walters' post-Oscar The Barbara Walters Special. No word from Vegas on the odds of WaWa getting Ferrell to cry.

NBC Says Unlikely to Offer Enough to Get NFL Rights

BOSTON (Reuters) - NBC probably will not offer enough to secure broadcast rights to National Football League games even though it would be interested in carrying the widely watched games, executives at corporate parent General Electric Co. said on Tuesday.

NBC gave up the right to televise NFL games in 1998, saying it had become too costly. NBC Universal Chief Executive Bob Wright said cost considerations would again be the main factor in a decision for the network.

"We would have an interest in something like football, but it's unlikely that on a broadcast side we would be able to put up enough money to interest football to do something with us," said Wright at an analyst meeting in Orlando, Florida.

NBC also stopped televising National Basketball Association games three years ago and the network's sports line-up now focuses on the summer and winter Olympics, auto racing and golf.

"We'd love to have football, (but) we will not make a stupid deal," NBC Universal Television Group President Jeff Zucker said in January.

Last November, rival networks CBS, a division of Viacom Inc. and Fox, owned by News Corp., paid a combined $8 billion to extend their broadcast agreements with the NFL until 2011.

Walt Disney Co. units ABC and ESPN are currently in negotiations with the league for the rights to broadcast Sunday and Monday night games.

Complicating those negotiations are what to do with the NFL's proposal to broadcast eight games on Thursday or Saturday nights later in the season.

The Couch Potato Report - February 15th, 2005

In The Couch Potato Report this week, there are six Academy Award nominees.

We are now less than two weeks away from the 77th Annual Academy Awards.

I’ll give you my predictions on who will win in the six major categories next week.

This week I thought I would remind you about some of the nominated films that are now available on video and DVD, just in case you’d like to see them prior to their appearance on Hollywood’s biggest night.

Lets start in the BEST PICTURE category, with a movie that also features the actor leading the BEST ACTOR race. The actor is Jamie Foxx, the movie is RAY.

RAY is a warts-and-all look at the man, the musician and the businessman who was Ray Charles.

Yes, RAY does celebrate Ray Charles, but it doesn't shy away from detailing his frequent infidelities, the hostility that Brother Ray suffered due to the racism of 1950s and '60s in America, and Ray's heroin addiction.

In addition to the great music, one other reason to watch RAY is so you can bear witness to the amazing performance of Jamie Foxx in the title role.

For once, all of the hype you are hearing about a performance is completely justified.

Foxx is absolutely amazing in the picture!

Ray Charles had an unprecedented 50-year career, and when we lost him last year, we lost a powerful musician, and a great man.

It was my pleasure to watch RAY, and I take pride in admitting to you that RAY is a fitting eulogy to a great artist.

Jamie Foxx became a great artist in 2004 with his work in RAY, but he also received a nomination as BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in COLLATERAL.

Tom Cruise strays away from a career of good guys to play a contract killer named Vincent who hires an unsuspecting cab driver to drive him through a nocturnal tour of Los Angeles.

COLLATERAL is just a tad shy of superb. It is an excellent movie and Jamie Foxx is as well.

But “excellent” doesn’t even begin to describe the film that features Kate Winslet’s performance that got her nominated for an Oscar as BEST ACTRESS.

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, the new film from writer Charlie Kaufman.

His previous works include BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ADAPTATION, HUMAN NATURE and CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND.

The one thing that all of those films have in common is that they are all brilliant, odd and not for everyone.

Kaufman is a writer who exists on a different plane than most of us, and that makes his vision a bit askew.

In ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND Canadian comedian Jim Carrey is a man who tries to erase his ex-girlfriend from his memory.

Be warned, this isn't your typical Jim Carrey movie. And as I've alluded to, this isn't your typical movie.

The luscious Kate Winslet plays the girlfriend and while Carrey is undergoing the procedure to erase her, he changes his mind. He wants to keep the memories, but since this is all going on inside of his head the erasure team cannot hear his request that they stop.

No, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND isn't your typical movie.

But it is the kind of film that I truly love. A movie that keeps you guessing and shows you things you haven't seen before.

At it's core ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND is a love story. A love story that juggles morality, identity, and heartbreak all at once, but a love story nonetheless.

I enjoyed it on every conceivable level and highly recommend it, even though I know many people will not like it at all.

Something that many people do like is fast food, especially McDonald's.

If you enjoy fast food, then you absolutely have to see the documentary SUPER SIZE ME.

In this very entertaining film Morgan Spurlock subjects himself to a steady diet of McDonald's cuisine for 30 days, just to see what will happen.

What happens is not good.

No, SUPER SIZE ME is not a perfect film, but it will entertain you. It is nominated in the BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE at the Academy Awards and it is available on video and DVD.

So is SPIDER-MAN 2. In fact it has a trio of nominations in the SOUND EDITING, SOUND MIXING and VISUAL EFFECTS categories.

Now, should you be unfamiliar with the Spider-Man story thus far, here is a brief recap.

Not a recap of the legacy created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the Marvel comic books, but a recap of the first movie.

Tobey Maguire is Peter Parker, a brainy high school outcast who transforms into an amazingly agile, web-shooting superhero named Spider-Man, after he is bitten by a "super-spider."

The radiant Kirsten Dunst is Mary Jane Watson, Parker's girl-next-door, unrequited sweetheart.

At the end of the first movie, he shunned her for fear that she would get hurt if his enemies knew he loved her.

In the first movie, that enemy was The Green Goblin. Spidey's nemesis in SPIDER-MAN 2 is the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus" or "Doc Ock."

But it isn't the foe that is the most compelling part of SPIDER-MAN 2, it is the dilemma that Peter Parker has to face within.

He has to decide if he should continue his obligatory, lonely life of crime fighting, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane?

The action sequences in SPIDER-MAN 2 are great! It is fast-paced, witty, and even a bit poignant at times.

And it is nominated for three Academy Awards.

BEFORE SUNSET, on the other hand, is only nominated for one Academy Award, and that nomination is for WRITING - ADAPTED SCREENPLAY.

The original creative team of actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and writer/director Richard Linklater have all returned to make BEFORE SUNSET.

In the movie Jesse has written a book about the pair's time together and his book tour comes to an end in Celine's hometown of Paris.

She comes to see him and the two get together and begin to catch up on how the other has been doing with the other's life in the eighty minutes that Jesse has before his flight back to the United States.

The fact that he only has eighty minutes is important to point out because the entire film plays out in real time. There is not a single wasted moment between the end of the opening credits and the start of the closing credits.

Once again we get to watch the two as they walk and talk about everything from career to sex to misconceptions about the last time they were together.

Do Jesse and Celine stay together at the end of this encounter?

Did they meet up six months after their first one?

Have you ever wondered if the characters in films you love have stayed together?

You won't get any answers from me. I don't want to rob you of one second of the ongoing or back story that is revealed in BEFORE SUNSET.

What I will reveal is the fact that BEFORE SUNSET is a unique cinematic window that lets us look at two lives intersecting years after a hopelessly romantic fling.

BEFORE SUNSET was also one of the best films of last year, and it deserved more nominations.

But I don’t decide who does or doesn’t get nominated for Academy Awards. All I can do is remind you that the Oscar nominated films BEFORE SUNSET, RAY, COLLATERAL, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, SUPERSIZE ME and SPIDER-MAN 2 are all available on video and DVD.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

I will give you my predictions on who will win the Oscar in the Best Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, and Director categories. I will also tell you if THE AVIATOR, FINDING NEVERLAND, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, RAY or SIDEWAYS will be named Best Picture.

Plus, I’ll speak about I HEART HUCKABEES, a movie that stars Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin as a married couple who help others solve existential predicaments. The film’s all-star cast also includes Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts and Shania Twain.

And with the release of SOUTH PARK - THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON you can join Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as these four characters embark on the adventure of growing up in a small mountain town. In the fifth season, the boys discover a government secret, accidentally get sent to Afghanistan and get into an extreme slugfest when 'Big Gay Al' returns, among many more hilarious adventures. Some of the episodes are: It Hits the Fan, Cripple Fight, Super Best Friends, Scott Tenorman Must Die and Cartmanland.

I’m Dan Reynish and I'll have more on those releases, and my Oscar Predictions, 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!

Eyeing IPod sales, phone makers like Sony Ericsson announce music push

CANNES, France (AP) - With a covetous eye on the success of portable music players, mobile phone makers are going after would-be IPod buyers by building high-quality players into their handsets.

Sony Ericsson announced Monday it would soon market music-player mobiles under its parent's Walkman brand, drawing on the music catalogue of a sister company, Sony BMG, the world's No. 2 record company.

And Nokia Corp., the world's leading phone maker, announced an alliance with Microsoft Corp. to allow mobile subscribers to load music from a PC onto their phones - much the way that a digital music player works.

Unlike owners of dedicated MP3 players, Nokia users will also be able to download tracks directly onto their handsets through the wireless phone network and transfer them to computer for storage or burning onto a CD.

At a news conference on the first day of the 3GSM World Congress, a major mobile industry gathering on the French Riviera, Nokia also unveiled a new 3G phone with an integrated music player and high-quality stereo output.

"Music is the next big thing in mobile multimedia," said Anssi Vanjoki, head of Nokia's multimedia division.

Mobile phone makers and networks are looking for ways to boost their revenue given difficulties finding new customers in saturated industrialized markets and even in some developing countries.

Free voice calls over the Internet - which are already available on broadband-equipped PCs and could soon migrate to portable wireless devices - pose a further threat to revenues, forcing mobile operators to look to entertainment and data services for their future profitability.

With high-speed 3G networks now widespread, companies like Nokia hope demand for pricier, more sophisticated phones and airtime will be spurred by new features from wireless gaming and instant messaging to pay TV and remote banking services.

The uptake of 3G phones last year fell short of earlier predictions, but Nokia said Monday it still expects the number of people using them to reach 70 million people at year's end, up from 16 million in December.

The company unveiled three new models Monday: two 3G "smartphones," the 6680 and 6681, and the 6101 folding camera phone that can be heavily customized to suit operators' needs and branding.

Each of the smartphones features two cameras - a lens close to the screen for VGA-quality video calls and a 1.3 megapixel camera and flash on the back for still images.

In addition, the 6681 has a music player delivering high-quality audio through a stereo output as well as software for organizing music tracks into IPod-style playlists.

With up to a gigabyte of storage - or a quarter of the capacity of the IPod Mini from Apple Computer Inc. - the 6681 can hold more music than many of the flash-based MP3 players currently on the market.

Nokia has partnered with Seattle-based Loudeye Corp. to provide a download service to make songs available, and it hinted that deals with recording labels could follow.

"We see music-to-mobile as fundamentally transformative of the music business," said Michael Nash, senior vice-president of digital strategy at Warner Music, in a video statement played at the Nokia news conference.

Jonas Guest, Nokia's vice-president for entertainment, said the company is already "in talks" with unspecified mobile network operators about implementation.

Smaller rival Sony Ericsson also announced two new 3G phones on Monday: the K600 designed for business applications such as video conferencing and seamless e-mailing; and the Z800i, a clamshell design with an MP3 music player and user-friendly playlists.

But the bigger news was the imminent arrival of the new Walkman phones, which the company said will be unveiled in March.

Sony Ericsson president Miles Flint said the phones will handle open standards including MP3 and AAC, but refused to be drawn on which networks were likely to launch them commercially.

"I think it's fair to say that we're talking to many and the reaction's been positive," Flint said.

Nokia, Microsoft, Sony Ericsson and others believe a strong musical offering - unlike ringtones and other essentially cosmetic downloads - has the potential to win over new customers for mobile networks and the handset brands they offer.

The success of Apple's iconic music player, which sold more than 4.5 million units in the quarter ended Dec. 25, has whet appetites in the mobile industry, analysts say.

Now key players are betting they can win a slice of the IPod's phenomenal business by providing their own selection of high-quality music downloads from a single handheld - with a phone thrown in.

Kurt Loder On The Grammys: Can We Get Some Answers?

The 47th annual Grammy Awards show was a collection of indelible moments, moments we'll not soon forget. Not for the next day or two, anyway. I do have a few questions, though.

How do Maroon 5 qualify for the Best New Artist award? The band was formed in 1995 (under the name Kara's Flowers), and released its first album in 1997. Songs About Jane, the group's first and, so far, only album as Maroon 5, was released in 2002. Just wondering.

Wasn't it a little embarrassing, in a show dedicated to "the 50th birthday of rock and roll" (if indeed it is the 50th birthday of rock and roll — a questionable assertion), to have to hand out pat-on-the-back "lifetime achievement" awards to rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and to Led Zeppelin because their actual music never won a Grammy? Or, even more vaguely, to have to name Brian Wilson a "person of the year" because his classic band, the Beach Boys, was never deemed worthy of a Grammy Award, either? On the other hand, it was nice to see Iggy Pop making his first appearance on the Grammy stage — on the "Lust for Life" T-shirt worn by Ellen DeGeneres.

Since the RZA clearly has the ear of Quentin Tarantino (having scored his "Kill Bill" movies), shouldn't he maybe advise Quent to pull back on the gangsta look a little? He may be thinking Eminem, but I was thinking Ali G.

Is mortality a new Grammy motif? "Nothin' in this life is promised," said Kanye West, "except death." The Blind Boys of Alabama came equipped with an actual coffin. And then there was the Jennifer Lopez/ Marc Anthony duet, which is the kind of thing you might see after you die. Unless you go to heaven.

— Kurt Loder

'Scrubs,' Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) It's 6 p.m. on a Friday in January. On a smallish, stuffy soundstage in suburban L.A., the cast and crew of "Scrubs" film part of Tuesday's (Feb. 15) episode.

The show's creator, Bill Lawrence, is making jokes about how he's jealous of star Zach Braff's talent and hopes he "does horrible" during the evening's shoot. Somewhere backstage, guest star Clay Aiken is being made to look like a sad-sack hospital employee.

None of this would be all that out of the ordinary for the show, were it not for the 300 or so people sitting to one side of the stage, taking it all in. "Scrubs," which in every one of its previous 84 episodes has strived to look and feel nothing like a traditional sitcom, will this night become the sitcommiest sitcom around.

"All the patients in the beds will be models and very handsome, very attractive," Lawrence says a few days prior to the shoot, which harkens back to his time working on shows like "Spin City" and "Friends." "All the female doctors will, for some reason, be wearing low-cut scrubs. Everything that a sitcom might do."

The sitcom premise is an extended fantasy sequence by J.D. (Braff), who's treating a man who once wrote for "Cheers" (Ken Lerner, himself a sitcom vet). Lawrence also wants the episode to be a thank-you to the show's audience by inviting some of them to watch the show being made -- something that doesn't happen during a normal week, when "Scrubs" is shooting at an abandoned hospital in North Hollywood.

"What we're trying to do in the middle of it, even though we're doing sitcommy stories and sitcommy things, is ultimately have a great experience for the fans," he says. "Which means we're still writing funny jokes. So I hope people will like it on two levels -- hopefully they'll watch it and laugh because we took time to write really funny stuff, and on some level be enjoying the fact that we're tweaking the format a little bit."

Lawrence will enlist those of us in the studio audience in that format-tweaking. He asks us for raucous applause when Aiken first appears, and for Kramer-like huzzahs when the Janitor (Neil Flynn) makes his entrance.

"We're doing all the sitcom conventions," he says. "One of the stories is they have to raise some money, so of course there's a hospital talent show with a big cash prize. If people pay attention early on, they'll realize one of the cafeteria workers is Clay Aiken, which is such a sitcom moment.

"You can already put it together."

Lawrence has a practical reason for doing the episode as well. He's executive producing several multi-camera comedy pilots this development season, and he wants to use the "Scrubs" crew for those shows as well. "Part of this is sitcom practice for the crew, so they're ready to do those pilots and shows with me," he says.

That doesn't really matter during the shoot, though, as Ted the hospital lawyer (Sam Lloyd) and his a cappella group, the Worthless Peons, entertains the crowd with renditions of TV theme songs during one break, and former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, who's appeared on the show in the past, sings during another.

Lawrence admitted to being a little worried about how the experiment would come off, but following the taping, tie loosened and shirt untucked, he looks pleased with the outcome. He's autographs a couple dozen scripts for audience members, thanking each one for supporting the show. "Sitcom practice" has gone off without a hitch.

---

The multi-camera episode of "Scrubs" airs at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday on NBC.

New Tunage

Here are the new CD releases for Tuesday, February 15th, 2005:

The A-Lines You Can Touch (produced by Billy Childish) (Sympathy for the Record Industry)

American Head Charge The Feeding (DRT Entertainment)

Astarte Sirens (Cleopatra)

Cal Bennett Live at the Blue Note, Las Vegas (Thump)

Blue Merle Burning in the Sun (Island Def Jam)

Zach Brock and the Coffee Achievers Chemistry (Secret Fort)

Buttersprites Buttersprites (Dionysus)

Copperpot Chapter Seven (EV Productions)

Daniel Crommie Sargasso Manuscript (New Weave)

Damon & Naomi The Earth Is Blue (20/20/20)

Ethan Daniel Davidson Free the Ethan Daniel Davidson Five (w/cover of John Prine's "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore") (Times Beach)

Joey DeFrancesco and Jimmy Smith Legacy (Concord)

Dierdre One (Six Degrees)

Electric Six Senor Smoke (w/cover of Queen's "Radio Ga Ga") (Warner Bros.)

Dodd Ferrelle & the Tinfoil Stars Murder of Love (w/cover of ABBA's "S.O.S.") (Two Sheds)

Five Minute Ride The World Needs Convincing of All That It's Missing EP (Rise)

Franklin Delano Like a Smoldering Gun in Front of Me (w/members of Califone and Red Red Meat) (file13)

Mary Gauthier Mercy Now (produced by Gurf Morlix) (UMG Nashville)

Goldfinger Disconnection Notice (Warner Bros.)

Grayskul Deadlivers (guests Aesop Rock, Mr. Life, Canibus and Abstract Rude) (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

Marcia Griffiths (of I-Threes) Shining Time (newly recorded classics and originals; w/Shaggy and Cutty Ranks) (V.P. Records)

Gunmetal Grey Solitude EP (Indianola)

Hatemail Killerz Pipe Bombs and Anthrax (Six Weeks)

Hermano (ex-Kyuss frontman John Garcia) Dare I Say... (Meteor City)

Hollow Points Black Spot (Disaster)

Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (Universal Motown)

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem (two CDs) (Capitol)

Jeff Lorber Flipside (Narada)

Mommy and Daddy Fighting Style Killer Panda (Kanine)

Hunter Moore South of St. Louis (Wind River)

Cyril Morin Western Pansori (Milan)

The Music Welcome to the North (repackaged) (Capitol)

My Way My Love Hypnotic Suggestion: 01 (file13)

John O'Gallagher A Line of Sight (w/Tony Malaby) (Fresh Sound)

One Mile South One Mile South (Infinity)

Opera IX Anphisbena (Cleopatra)

Plate Fork Knife Spoon (members of Crown City Rockers and Soulive's Eric Krasnow) Plate Fork Knife Spoon (guest David Boyce of Broun Fellinis) (Wide Hive)

Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower Love in the Fascist Brothel (Revelation)

Chris Rock Never Scared (CD/DVD combo) (Geffen)

Deion Sanders The Encore Remix (CD/DVD combo) (Bungalo)

Pete Schlegel Strong Stuff (Infinity)

Trygve Seim Sangam (ECM)

Shade Empire Sinthetic (Cleopatra)

John Stevens (American Idol contestant) Red (Warner Bros.)

Striker Spekulantsvinet (Six Weeks)

SubNoize Souljaz (Kottonmouth Kings and labelmates) SubNoize Souljaz (Suburban Noize)

They Might Be Giants Here Come the ABCs (children's album; DVD same day) (Walt Disney)

Throes of Dawn Quicksilver Clouds (Cleopatra)

VMW VMW (Coalition)

Watershed 5th of July (Idol Records)

The Wedding Present Take Fountain (first album in eight years) (Manifesto)

The White Mice Assphixxxeatateshun (Load)

The Willowz Are Coming (includes songs from previously released EP plus new recordings) (Sympathy for the Record Industry)

VA Just Go Destroy Everything in Sight! (compilation of Japanese punk bands) (Dionysus)

VA Lowrider 2005 Tour (Thump)

VA Suite 706: Hyatt Regency Paris (electronica comp.) (Milan)

OST Cursed (Wes Craven horror film; rare and exclusive tracks from Collective Soul, Dashboard Confessional, Crystal Method and more) (Treadstone)

DVD Al Di Meola One of These Nights (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Incognito In Concert: Ohne Filter (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Audio R.E.M. Around the Sun (w/bonus CD) (Warner Bros.)

A Year at the Movies 2005

Thrillers

Asylum: Natasha Richardson plays a psychiatrist's wife, drawn to a patient (Marton Csokas) at the institution her husband helps run. Magneto also stars. As long as you can guarantee me this movie will have nothing in common with GOTHIKA, maybe I'll consider it. But keep in mind I'm still scarred from GOTHIKA.
Paramount Classics, May/June.

Casshern: Director Kazuaki Kiriya presents an anime film that also adds some manga-like live-action bits, too. The pic is set in the mid-21st century after a half-century of chemical, biological and nuclear warfare.
Go Fish Pictures, fall.

The Constant Gardener: Ralph Fiennes, who seems to gravitate toward movies that have less-than-exciting titles, does so again. Of course, his instincts are usually good, and since this is based on a John Le Carré book, co-stars Rachel Weisz and is directed by CITY OF GOD's Fernando Meirelles, that seems likely here, too.
Focus Features, TBA.

Eternal: "A hard-boiled Montreal vice detective's fascination with an attractive aristocrat leads him to a bloody trail of women's bodies. Conrad Pla and Caroline Néron star. Directed by Wilhelm Liebenberg and Federico Sanchez."
here!/Regent Releasing, Spring.

Fascination: Jacqueline Bisset (and I'd recommend you rent THE DEEP if you're not familiar with Jackie) gets remarried a little too soon after her husband dies, causing her son, Adam Garcia, to get suspicious over the new guy and his daughter.
MGM, Jan. 28.

Fear X: John Turturro is a Wisconsin mall security guard who becomes obsessed with the seemingly random murder of his wife in this film co-written by the guy who wrote REQUIEM FOR A DREAM.
Silver Nitrate, Jan. 28.

Flightplan: Jodie Foster's daughter disappears on a flight and no one believes that she was ever on there. Why does this remind you of THE FORGOTTEN? It doesn't--in fact, that movie needs to be forgotten, it was so bad. This one, well, let's hope it's better.
Touchstone Pictures, Sept. 30.

A History of Violence: Based on a comic, yes, but don't worry, you'll never know it. Viggo Mortensen plays a man whose quiet lifestyle is turned upside-down after a bloody incident forces him to return to his secret past to save his family. First of all, you know that Viggo's not going to live a quiet lifestyle for long--he just ain't built that way. And since it's directed by freaky David Cronenberg and features freak-ass actor William Hurt, you know it's going to be even weirder than that. With Maria Bello and Ed Harris, too.
New Line Cinema, TBA.

The Interpreter: As much as Sean Penn threatens to overwhelm a movie with his uber-acting, this one looks good from the trailer (which shows too damn much). Nicole Kidman is a U.N. worker who overhears a death threat, getting her involved in all kinds of intrigue. Directed by Sydney Pollack.
Universal Pictures, April 22.

The Island: No, not a remake of the Michael Caine Peter Benchley adaptation (although that one freaked me out as a kid), this is instead set in the future as Young Ob-Wan and Scarlett Johansson try to escape from an island where clones are being harvested. Directed by Michael Bay, so expect an explosion or six.
DreamWorks, July.

The Jacket: Adrien Brody, who's done as much impressive post-Oscar work as Halle Berry (which means, not much, although he might break that streak here) is an amnesiac Gulf War veteran charged with murdering a police officer and confined to a mental institution where he is subjected to an extreme form of treatment. Keira Knightley and Kris Kristofferson are along for the ride, too.
Warner Independent Pictures, March 4.

Kontroll: "The labyrinthine Budapest subway is the setting for a race against time among three people, one of whom is a killer. With Sándor Csányi, Zoltán Mucsi and Csaba Pindroch. Directed by Nimród Antal." These kinds of movies always make me feel claustrophobic, but in a good way.
ThinkFilm, April.

Layer Cake: A producer of LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS directs his first movie here, about a drug dealer who has a couple things to take care of before he can retire. Hopefully one of which is giving this movie a better name.
Sony Pictures Classics, April 15.

Mindhunters: How long has this been delayed? Not long enough, I don't think. Christian Slater continues his push for obscurity, and drags down LL Cool J and Val Kilmer here, too. Eight FBI profilers in a remote locale come to realize that one of them is a serial killer blah blah blah. Directed by Renny Harlin.
Dimension Films, May 13.

Night Watch: The next great trilogy? In Russia, if not here? "The forces of dark and light face off in this adaptation of the first of Sergei Lukyanenko's sci-fi trilogy set in contemporary Moscow. Directed by Timour Bekmambetov."
Fox Searchlight, TBA.

November: Monica from FRIENDS plays some role or other as she tries to move beyond the murder of her boyfriend in a grocery-store holdup, but you know all you're gonna be able to see is Monica from FRIENDS acting dramatic.
Sony Pictures Classics, July 22.

Nowhere Man: "After discovering his fiancée's porn-star past, a distraught man cuts short the engagement — but she exacts a really painful revenge." He never wondererd how she could do all those tricks in the bedroom before?
First Run Features, March 11.

The Other Side of the Street: Not quite REAR VIEW WINDOW: "Fernanda Montenegro stars as an elderly Brazilian woman who believes she witnessed a murder in her neighborhood and proceeds to get involved with the suspect." Directed by "Central Station" screenwriter Marcos Bernstein.
Strand Releasing, March 4.

Red-Eye: Wes Craven tries for more "thriller" than "horror" with this tale of a woman, Rachel McAdams, on a flight to Miami when she learns that the guy next to her plans to kill a wealthy businessman, and she's the key to the murder. Co-starring The Scarecrow from the upcoming BATMAN BEGINS movie, Cillian Murphy.
DreamWorks, TBA.

The Skeleton Key: Kate Hudson tries to develop a second expression as she appears in a thriller where she works as a live-in nurse to Gena Rowlands. Peter Sarsgaard hopefully knows what he's doing here.
Universal Pictures, July 8.

Syriana: This movie's going to get more attention for being the one where George Clooney had big health problems, but it's also got a decent supporting cast (Chris Cooper, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet) and a good political storyline.
Warner Bros., Summer.

The Underclassman: Nick Cannon stars as a young detective who goes undercover at a top prep academy to break up an auto-theft ring. I'm sorry, but expecting me to think of a guy named Nick Cannon as anything but a porn actor is asking a lot.
Miramax Films, TBA

Horror
The Amityville Horror: They're going to have to work hard to make this movie seem scary. I thought the James Brolin one was freaky... until I saw it again. Flies and a room painted red? An invisible pig-ghost? Yep, good luck to you, Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George. The day this movie opens is scarier to a lot of people.
MGM, April 15.

The Cave: "A group of American cave explorers finds more than it bargained for in the dark caverns hidden below a 13th century Romanian abbey." Cole Hauser, Morris Chestnut, Piper Perabo and Eddie Cibrian star, which tells you what the budget on this one is.
Screen Gems, April 8.

Cursed: Was there ever a more fortuitously named movie? Kevin Williamson tries to conjure up another SCREAM, but not if the word on this movie is any indication. Delays, on-set fights, bad test-screenings, you name it. Nevertheless, Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg and Joshua Jackson star in what's supposed to be aun updated werewolves movie.
Dimension Films, Feb. 25.

Dark Water: THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES director, Walter Salles, directs Jennifer Connelly in this flick as a mom driven to extreme measures to protect her daughter when their new apartment takes on a life of its own in this remake of a popular Japanese film. It's way too late for a HOT SPOT sequel, isn't it?
Touchstone Pictures, TBA.

Devil's Rejects: Rob Zombie's sequel to HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES is sure to offend some people, if he's done his job right.
Lions Gate Films, Aug. 12.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose: I like this twist on an old tale: "Laura Linney plays an attorney defending priest Tom Wilkinson in the death of a young girl officially recognized by the Catholic Church as being possessed." And it's got some good supporting actors, too, in the form of Campbell Scott and Shohreh Aghdashloo co-star.
Screen Gems, Sept. 9.

The Fog: Well, I was okay with the last John Carpenter remake, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, even if most critics weren't, so let's see how this one, about some deadly, er, fog, works out.
Columbia Pictures, Oct. 14.

George A. Romero's Land of the Dead: Romero is back to reclaim his place as King of the Zombie Movies. This one, which picks up years after DAWN OF THE DEAD (and which is soon to be a comic adaptation from... someone), features a modern-day society in which the walking dead inhabit a wasteland outside the walls of the fortified city that houses the living. Asia Argento, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper star.
Universal Pictures, Oct. 21.

Hellbent: A gay slasher film set on Halloween night in the middle of West Hollywood's outrageous street celebration. Yep, this one's got a good chance of getting some press for one reason or another. Can't imagine everyone will be GLAAD to see this.
here!/Regent Releasing, June 17.

High Tension: "The quiet weekend of studying planned by two French college students is disrupted by a late-night visitor with a knife. Cécile De France, Maïwenn and Philippe Nahon star. Directed by Alexandre Aja."
Lions Gate Films, June 3.

House of Wax: There are so many good Paris Hilton jokes that can be made here, but I'll pass on them, even though she co-stars here in this remake. It also features Elisha Cuthbert, so, you know, I might have to give it a look.
Warner Bros., June 3.

Saw 2: Writer-director James Wan and writer-actor Leigh Whannell offer this follow-up to last fall's hit about a serial killer.
Lions Gate Films, Oct. 28.

Undead: Always happy to see more zombie movies. Meteorites rain on a sleepy fishing village, triggering a zombie feeding frenzy. Felicity Mason and Mungo McKay star. Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig.
Lions Gate Films, July 1.

Underworld: Evolution: Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman are both back, but if Speedman is still in that ridiculous blue half-vamp/half-wolf costume from the end of the first, well, good luck to it. Still, it's a good premise if only they deliver on the potential.
Screen Gems, Dec. 9.

The Woods: It's not a movie with Morris Chestnut or the original title of M. Night's last movie, but it is a new Bruce Campbell movie, anyway. Agnes Bruckner plays a lonely teenager dumped by her parents at a creepy boarding school where she begins to have gruesome visions.
United Artists, Sept. 2.

Documentary
Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt: "The late, highly influential Texas singer-songwriter is profiled by filmmaker Margaret Brown. Willie Nelson, Steve Earle and Guy Clark are featured."
Palm Pictures, summer.

Blossoms of Fire: "Maureen Gosling's film illuminates the colorful culture of Mexico's Isthmus Zapotecs, known for their work ethic and powerful matriarchy."
New Yorker Films, TBA.

Deep Blue: "Michael Gambon narrates this natural history of the oceans that was culled from the BBC documentary series "The Blue Planet." Directed by Andy Byatt, Alistair Fothergill."
Miramax Films, April.

Dust to Glory: "'Step Into Liquid' director Dana Brown steps onto dry ground for this chronicle of the Baja 1000, a point-to-point endurance race that includes motorcycles and trophy trucks."
IFC Films, April 8.

Gunner Palace: "In the months after the end of "major combat operations" in Iraq, U.S. soldiers housed in Uday Hussein's bombed-out Adhamiya Palace fight a daily life-and-death struggle for survival. Directed by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein."
Palm Pictures, March 4.

A League of Ordinary Gentleman: "Bowling legends Wayne Webb and Walter Ray Williams Jr. are among those featured in this look at attempts to revitalize the Professional Bowlers Assn. tour. Directed by Chris Browne."
Magnolia Pictures, March 25.

Murderball: "Highly competitive quadriplegic athletes engage in a fast-paced, full-contact sport that tests their abilities to transcend their physical limitations. Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro."
ThinkFilm, summer.

Mondovino: "Director Jonathan Nossiter ("Sunday"), who also happens to be a sommelier, consultant and wine writer, traveled across three continents to uncork the complexities and subtleties involved in the production, distribution and consumption of wine."
ThinkFilm, April.

Naked Fame: "After a successful career as a gay adult film star, Colton Ford attempts to make the leap into the music industry as a singer-songwriter. Directed by Christopher Long."
here!/Regent Releasing, Feb. 25.

The Nomi Song: "New Wave singer Klaus Nomi sang pop music like opera and was an underground club sensation before dying from AIDS-related complications in 1983. Directed by Andrew Horn."
Palm Pictures, Feb. 4.

Rock School: "Pint-sized guitar gods learn the riffs and licks of Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa from their exacting teacher in a Philadelphia music program."
Newmarket Films, March.

Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus: "Roaring through the South in a beat-up 1970 Chevy Impala, alt-country singer-songwriter Jim White gives a guided tour to some of the off-the-interstate locales and milieus that inspire his music. Directed by Andrew Douglas."
Shadow Distribution, April.

Tell Them Who You Are: "Director Mark Wexler explores his intricate relationship with his father, cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler."
ThinkFilm, May.

Up for Grabs: "Barry Bonds' record-setting home run ignites a free-for-all over ownership of the baseball — and more important, the right to sell it. Directed by Mike Wranovics."
Crooked Hook Productions, April.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: "A homeless San Francisco street musician's relationship to these exotic, escaped pets who breed in the wilds of the city leads him in an unexpected direction. Directed by Judy Irving."
Shadow Distribution, March 4.

Year of the Yao: "Chinese basketball star Yao Ming makes the difficult transition to the NBA as a rookie center for the Houston Rockets. Directed by Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern."
Fine Line Features, spring.

Musical
The Boys and Girl of County Clare: "Sibling rivalry tears at three Irish brothers when they meet up at a ceili music competition 30 years after they went their separate ways. Colm Meaney and Andrea Corr star. Directed by John Irvin)."
IDP/ Samuel Goldwyn Films, March 11.

The Producers: Once this is made, hopefully it can then go away in all forms, because, man, I'm kinda sick of it. Will Ferrell shows up alongside Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, reprising their roles in Mel Brooks' astonishingly successful Broadway musical based on his 1968 movie about two schemers with the perfect plan to make a fortune by putting on a sure-fire flop. Stage director Susan Stroman makes her feature film debut.
Universal Pictures, Dec. 21.

Rent: I'm pretty sure this is based on the musical that appeared in TEAM AMERICA last year, but maybe I'm getting that wrong... "Jonathan Larson's popular rock opera based on "La Bohème" (yep, I had that wrong) makes it to the screen with much of the original cast. Rosario Dawson joins Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin and Idina Menzel. Directed by Chris Columbus."
Columbia Pictures, Nov. 11.

Romance and Cigarettes: James Gandolfini singing? Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet also star in writer-director John Turturro's working-class love story about an ironworker who loses his way. He lost this viewer, too.
United Artists, TBA.

Backstreet Boys set to return with new song on March 18

(CP) - The Backstreet Boys were eager to show the paparazzi they were back together, appearing at parties and red carpets throughout Grammy weekend.

The quintet has just completed a CD, set for release in late spring. One of the new songs will hit radio on March 18, said member Kevin Richardson.

"We're all excited again," he said. "We just needed a break to recharge our batteries and step back and absorb it all, and realize what happened to us over the last 10 years."

The so-called Boys have grown considerably since their reign of the teen world. AJ McLean has overcome his alcohol and drug addictions, and Brian Littrell has a new baby, said Richardson.

Boy bands have gone out of flavour so it will be a challenge for the singing group to find a place in the current market, especially since most of their teen fans have moved on to other types of music.

Richardson said other "boys" have managed to stay the course and so will they.

"You still have the Beach Boys and the Beastie Boys," quipped Richardson.

Thankfully, he admitted the crew will be leaving their aerobic dance moves behind.

"We're practising what they call 'dancing without dancing' right now," he explained.

Foxx, Farrell Take on 'Miami Vice' Duty

LOS ANGELES - Add Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell to the roster of stars resurrecting TV shows for the big screen. Foxx and Farrell will star in a movie version of the cop series "Miami Vice," which will be written and directed by Michael Mann, an executive producer on the show that ran on NBC from 1984-89.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this spring, with the movie tentatively due in theaters July 28, 2006.

Other upcoming movie updates of TV shows include Cedric the Entertainer's "The Honeymooners," Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell's "Bewitched" and "The Dukes of Hazzard," with Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson and Burt Reynolds.

Foxx, who co-starred with Tom Cruise in Mann's hitman thriller "Collateral" last summer, will play Detective Ricardo Tubbs, a role originated for TV by Philip Michael Thomas. Farrell is playing Detective Sonny Crockett, the part created by Don Johnson.

Universal Studios, which is releasing the movie, recently released a DVD set with the first season of "Miami Vice."

Coming off a breakout year, Foxx is the favorite to win the best-actor prize at the Academy Awards on Feb. 27 for his spot-on emulation of Ray Charles in "Ray." He also earned a supporting-actor Oscar nomination for "Collateral."

Foxx's next film is "Jarhead," a Persian Gulf War drama due out this fall from director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty").

Farrell is coming off the epic flop "Alexander." He next stars in another historical saga, "The New World," a tale of John Smith, Pocahontas and the conflict between Indians and 17th century settlers. Terrence Malick ("The Thin Red Line") is directing the film, due out in fall.

Oscar Show Host Chris Rock Stirs Controversy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Producers of the upcoming Academy Awards are getting what they paid for when they hired sharp-tongued comic Chris Rock to host the Oscars -- a bit of pre-show controversy that could boost TV ratings.

Recently published remarks by Rock poking fun at the awards sparked talk in Hollywood that the Oscar host-in-waiting was living up to the title of his celebrated 1996 HBO special "Bring the Pain."

Internet gossip columnist Matt Drudge posted an item on his Web site over the weekend quoting unnamed members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressing outrage at some Oscar-bashing comments by Rock in an Entertainment Weekly interview. Rock said he had rarely watched the Oscars, and called award shows "idiotic."

"Come on, it's a fashion show," Rock told the magazine. "What straight black man sits there and watches the Oscars? Show me one. And they don't recognize comedy, and you don't see a lot of black people nominated, so why should I watch it?"

Drudge, whose item ran under the headline, "Host Chris Rock Shock: Only Gays Watch Oscars," cited unnamed sources as saying angry academy members were privately calling for Rock to be removed as host.

But Oscar producer Gil Cates issued a statement on Monday saying he and the academy stand behind Rock, and denying that anyone at the academy had taken offense.

"The Academy is excited about Chris Rock hosting this year's Oscar telecast and looking forward to a very funny evening with him," Cates said. "Chris's comments over the past few weeks are meant to be humorous digs at the show that some people, obviously including Chris himself, think may be a bit too stuffy."

Likewise, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation issued a statement in defense of Rock. "Chris Rock isn't making fun of gays -- he's poking fun at the Oscars," GLAAD executive director Joan Garry said. "It's shtick ..."

When Oscar organizers picked Rock as host it was because of his provocative brand of humor. Industry observers have said his selection made sense in light of efforts by the ABC network to draw more interest in the show, especially from younger viewers.

ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co., will broadcast the 77th Academy Awards on Feb. 27, with a time delay of several seconds.

Grammys shower Ray Charles with love

LOS ANGELES (CP) - Grammy voters had Ray Charles on their mind this year, paying tribute to the late musician with awards and sonic tributes at the Grammy Awards.

Charles's posthumous duets album Genius Loves Company, which has become the biggest seller of his storied career, took eight trophies, including the coveted album of the year and record of the year for a duet with Norah Jones.

"It just shows how wonderful music can be," said an emotional Jones.

High profile winners included Alicia Keys with four trophies, followed by Kanye West and Usher with three apiece.

The annual show seemed to even out the playing field, with no one musician dominating the winners podium. As well, a melting pot of musical genres was showcased, with air time for Lynyrd Skynyrd-styled southern rock, Jennifer Lopez's Latino romance, gospel-infused rap and politically charged punk rock.

"This is the best Grammys I've ever seen," exclaimed U2's Bono when he accepted one of the band's two trophies including best rock song for Vertigo.

Charles's presence was felt early in the show with a musical tribute by Ray-impersonator Jamie Foxx who performed Georgia On My Mind. It was followed by another epitaph at the very end by Bonnie Raitt and Billy Preston.

Dressed all in white, producer-turned-rapper West, who was the frontrunner going into the awards with 10 nominations, had the most spirited acceptance speech of the night.

"Everybody wanted to know what I'd do if I didn't win. I guess we'll never know," he said, waving the golden trophy over his head. He won best rap song for Jesus Walks and best rap album for The College Dropout.

In the night's biggest upset, West lost the best new artist category to alt-pop outfit Maroon5.

"Kanye West, I want to thank you for being unbelievable," said frontman Adam Levine, who stopped to shake West's hand on the way to the podium.

Backstage, Levine added: "Everyone in the room expected him to win. He deserves it as much as we do."

Heartthrob Usher also made off with three, including one he shared with Keys for the hit song My Boo.

As expected, Green Day's punk opera, American Idiot, snagged best rock album. The politically aware disc has catapulted the group back into the limelight. The last time the Southern California band won a Grammy was 11 years ago, when their breakout record Dookie netted them a trophy for best alternative music performance.

"Rock and roll can be dangerous and fun at the same time," frontman Billy Joe Armstrong said accepting the award.

At a ceremony prior to the televised show at the Staples Center, Charles won best pop vocal album. He's been on the voter radar for months, buoyed in part by his death last June at age 73 and the success of the film Ray.

His CD was also named best engineered and best surround sound album

"I thank God for giving us Ray for all those years," said the disc's producer Phil Ramone.

Charles's Heaven Help Us All with Gladys Knight won best gospel performance while Here We Go Again with Jones won best pop collaboration.

"I worship him," Jones, who also took home a trophy for her song Sunrise, gushed backstage. "I felt musically challenged sitting there with Ray Charles. He's the best singer ever in the history of the universe."

Backstage, Charles was on many people's minds.

"He had the greatest God-given talent that ever lived," said Jerry Lee Lewis, who was feted with a lifetime achievement award.

The 47th annual awards opened with a 10-minute-long number by five nominated artists: the Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani (performing with Eve), Los Lonely Boys, Maroon5 and Franz Ferdinand.

As for the Canadian contingent, Toronto-born Howard Shore won another two Grammys for Lord of the Rings. The first was for best score soundtrack album for Return of the King - his third consecutive year picking up that trophy.

His other was for co-writing Annie Lennox's Into the West, shutting out first time nominee Benoit Charest, of Montreal, who was up for best song written for a film for his work on The Triplets of Belleville.

Shore didn't attend to accept his hardware.

Another Canadian winner was Peter Buchanan-Smith, 32, originally from Guelph, Ont. The art director, who now resides in New York, won for the packaging on Wilco's A Ghost Is Born.

Others didn't fare too well with Victoria-born producer David Foster losing to Victor Vanacore, who arranged Over the Rainbow, the Charles and Johnny Mathis duet. Sarah McLachlan also lost to the Charles album.

Newcomer Gretchen Wilson beat out veteran country stars Shania Twain, Alison Krauss, Loretta Lynn and Martina McBride in the best female country vocal performance category.

Twain lost her other nomination to White Stripes frontman Jack White and Lynn who collaborated on Portland Oregon.

Toronto-based Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra also lost in its category as did polka band leaders Walter Ostanek and John Gora and Gorale. Nickelback lost to Velvet Revolver while rapper k-os lost to Britney Spears, who won her first-ever Grammy for the dance track Toxic.

Beach Boy Brian Wilson beat Rush for best rock instrumental for Mrs. O'Leary's Cow from Smile, the album he'd begun nearly 40 years ago but put on hold because of a near mental breakdown.

It was his first-ever Grammy.

"I waited 42 years for this Grammy and it was well worth the wait," he said backstage. "I'm so thrilled to win."

Lynn, also a sentimental favourite, won best country album for Van Lear Rose, her project with White Stripes frontman Jack White.

"You're an American treasure," White told Lynn, who looked resplendent in a long blue gown.

A few faces from outside the music world won awards including former U.S. president Bill Clinton for best spoken word album for his autobiography My Life and comedian Jon Stewart for best comedy album.

There are a whopping 107 Grammy categories, most of which were awarded at a three-hour ceremony prior to the televised show.

Grammy winners are determined by the U.S. recording academy's 15,000 members based on merit, although commercial success often influences votes.

Grammy Winners

Here is a partial list of winners at Sunday's 47th Annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles.

Record of the Year: Here We Go Again, Ray Charles, Norah Jones.

Song of the Year: Daughters, John Mayer

Rock Duo or Group with Vocal: Vertigo, U2

Country Album: Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn

Rap Album: The College Dropout, Kanye West.

R&B Album: The Diary of Alicia Keys, Alicia Keys.

New Artist: Maroon 5.

Rock Album: American Idiot, Green Day.

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: Heaven, Los Lonely Boys.

Male R&B Vocal Performance: Call My Name, Prince.

Engineered Album, Classical: Higdon: City Scape; Concerto for Orchestra, Jack Renner, engineer (Robert Spano).

Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost.

Classical Album: Adams: On the Transmigration of Souls, Lorin Maazel, conductor; John Adams and Lawrence Rock, producers.

Orchestral Performance: Adams: On the Transmigration of Souls, Lorin Maazel, conductor; John Adams and Lawrence Rock, producers.

Opera Recording: Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro, Rene Jacobs, conductor; Patrizia Ciofi, Veronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager and Lorenzo Regazzo; Martin Sauer, producer (Various Artists; Concerto Koln).

Choral Performance: Berlioz: Requiem, Robert Spano, conductor; Norman Mackenzie, choir director (Frank Lopardo, tenor; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra).

Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra): Previn: Violin Concerto 'Anne-Sophie'/Bernstein: Serenade, Andre Previn, conductor; Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin (Boston Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra).

Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra): Aire Latino (Morel, Villa-Lobos, Ponce, etc.), David Russell, guitar.

Chamber Music Performance: Prokofiev (Arr. Pletnev): Cinderella - Suite for Two Pianos/Ravel: Ma Mere L'Oye, Martha Argerich, piano and Mikhail Pletnev, piano.

Small Ensemble Performance (with or without conductor): Carlos Chavez - Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 2, Jeff von der Schmidt, conductor; Southwest Chamber Music.

Classical Vocal Performance: Ives: Songs (The Things Our Fathers Loved; the Housatonic at Stockbridge, etc.), Susan Graham, mezzo soprano.

Classical Contemporary Composition: Adams: On the Transmigration of Souls, John Adams (Lorin Maazel; Brooklyn Youth Chorus and New York Choral Artists; New York Philharmonic).

Classical Crossover Album: LAGQ's Guitar Heroes, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

Traditional Folk Album: Beautiful Dreamer - The Songs of Stephen Foster, Various Artists.

Contemporary Folk Album: The Revolution Starts ... Now, Steve Earle.

Native American Music Album: Cedar Dream Songs, Bill Miller.

Hawaiian Music Album: Slack Key Guitar Volume 2, Various Artists.

Reggae Album: True Love, Toots and The Maytals.

Traditional World Music Album: Raise Your Spirit Higher, Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Contemporary World Music Album: Egypt, Youssou N'Dour.

Polka Album: Let's Kiss: 25th Anniversary Album, Brave Combo.

Musical Album for Children: cELLAbration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins, Various Artists.

Spoken Word Album for Children: The Train They Call The City of New Orleans, Tom Chapin.

Spoken Word Album: My Life, Bill Clinton.

Comedy Album: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents ... America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, Jon Stewart and the Cast of The Daily Show.

Musical Show Album: Wicked.

Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Garden State, Various Artists.

Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Howard Shore, composer.

Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Into the West, Annie Lennox, Howard Shore and Fran Walsh, songwriters, track from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Instrumental Composition: Merengue, Paquito D'Rivera, composer (Yo-Yo Ma), from Obrigado Brazil - Live in Concert.

Instrumental Arrangement: Past Present and Future, Slide Hampton, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra), from The Way - Music of Slide Hampton.

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): Over the Rainbow, Victor Vanacore, arranger (Ray Charles & Johnny Mathis), from Genius Loves Company.

Recording Package: A Ghost Is Born, Peter Buchanan-Smith and Dan Nadel, art directors (Wilco).

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Once in a Lifetime, Stefan Sagmeister, art director (Talking Heads).

Album Notes: The Complete Columbia Recordings of Woody Herman and His Orchestra and Woodchoppers (1945-1947), Loren Schoenberg, album notes writer (Woody Herman and His Orchestra).

Historical Album: Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm and Blues, 1945-1970, Daniel Cooper and Michael Gray, compilation producers.

Best Engineered Album, non-classical: Genius Loves Company.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: John Shanks.

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: Jacques Lu Cont, It's My Life (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix).

Best Surround Sound Album: Genius Loves Company.

Latin Pop Album: Amar Sin Mentiras, Marc Anthony.

Latin Rock/Alternative Album: Ozomatli.

Traditional Tropical Latin Album: Ahora Si! Israel Lopez Cachao.

Salsa/Merengue Album: Across 110th Street, Spanish Harlem Orchestra featuring Ruben Blades.

Mexican/Mexican-American Album: Intimamente, Intocable.

Tejano Album: Polkas, Gritos y Acordeones, David Lee Garza, Joel Guzman and Sunny Sauceda.

Short Form Music Video: Vertigo, U2.

Long Form Music Video: Concert for George, Various Artists.

Gospel Performance: Heaven Help Us All, Ray Charles and Gladys Knight.

Rock Gospel Album: Wire, Third Day.

Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: All Things New, Steven Curtis Chapman.

Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Worship and Faith, Randy Travis.

Traditional Soul Gospel Album: There Will Be a Light, Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Contemporary Soul Gospel Album: Nothing Without You, Smokie Norful.

Gospel Choir or Chorus Album: Live ... This is Your House, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

Traditional Blues Album: Blues to the Bone, Etta James.

Contemporary Blues Album: Keep It Simple, Keb' Mo'.

New Age Album: Returning, Will Ackerman.

Contemporary Jazz Album: Unspeakable, Bill Frisell.

Jazz Vocal Album: R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal), Nancy Wilson.

Jazz Instrumental Solo: Speak Like a Child, Herbie Hancock.

Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: Illuminations, McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride and Lewis Nash.

Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Concert in the Garden, Maria Schneider Orchestra.

Latin Jazz Album: Land of the Sun, Charlie Haden.

Female Country Vocal Performance: Redneck Woman, Gretchen Wilson.

Male Country Vocal Performance: Live Like You Were Dying, Tim McGraw.

Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: Top of the World, Dixie Chicks.

Country Collaboration With Vocals: Portland Oregon, Loretta Lynn and Jack White.

Country Instrumental Performance: Earl's Breakdown, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas.

Country Song: Live Like You Were Dying, Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman (Tim McGraw).

Bluegrass Album: Brand New Strings, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Female R&B Vocal Performance: If I Ain't Got You, Alicia Keys.

R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: My Boo, Usher and Alicia Keys.

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: Musicology, Prince.

Urban/Alternative Performance: Cross My Mind, Jill Scott.

R&B Song: You Don't Know My Name, Alicia Keys, Harold Lilly and Kanye West (Alicia Keys).

Contemporary R&B Album: Confessions, Usher.

Rap Solo Performance: 99 Problems, Jay-Z.

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Let's Get It Started, The Black Eyed Peas.

Rap/Sung Collaboration: Yeah! Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris.

Rap Song: Jesus Walks, Miri Ben Ari, C. Smith and Kanye West (Kanye West).

Female Pop Vocal Performance: Sunrise, Norah Jones.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: Daughters, John Mayer.

Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Here We Go Again, Ray Charles and Norah Jones.

Pop Instrumental Performance: 11th Commandment, Ben Harper.

Pop Instrumental Album: Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar, Various Artists.

Pop Vocal Album: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles and Various Artists.

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Stardust ... The Great American Songbook Volume III, Rod Stewart.

Dance Recording: Toxic, Britney Spears.

Electronic/Dance Album: Kish Kash, Basement Jaxx.

Alternative Music Album: A Ghost Is Born, Wilco.

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Code of Silence, Bruce Springsteen.

Hard Rock Performance: Slither, Velvet Revolver.

Metal Performance: Whiplash, Motorhead.

Rock Instrumental Performance: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Brian Wilson.

Rock Song: Vertigo, Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen (U2).

Minute by minute from the Grammys

What's happening minute by minute at the Grammys? USA TODAY's William Keck reports from the red carpet, Whitney Matheson checks in from backstage and Alison Maxwell and Jayme Deerwester are glued to the tube.

Man of the evening: Ray Charles won a leading eight Grammys for his final album, Genius Loves Company. A musical eulogy of sorts.—A.M. Posted 11:47 p.m.

Album of the year: Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company won the night's biggest award. "If he's looking upon us he's just made his career about another 50 years longer," said a producer accepting on Charles' behalf. Gary Sinise and nine-time Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt presented the award. "I have a band called the Lt. Dan Band and we're 100% Grammy-free," Sinise joked. —A.M. Posted 11:32 p.m.

Happy Valentine's Day: Does John Mayer have a Valentine to share his pair o' Grammys with? "I don't — I've been too busy," he told a reporter. "How about you?" In keeping with the family theme of his winning song (Daughters), Mayer said his father was especially thrilled when he realized Mayer was part of the same record label Frank Sinatra used to be on. —W.M. Posted 11:25 p.m.

Bargain single: Velvet Revolver's Scott Weiland, who participated in the benefit performance of Across the Universe (and won a Grammy tonight), said he hoped "we inspired some people and put some good blessings in people's hearts." He also applauded Melissa Etheridge's performance and wig-less appearance: "She's very brave. A lot more brave than I would be." Slash kept his comments brief: "It's only 99 cents," he said of the benefit single. The band heads to Australia tomorrow to continue its worldwide tour. —W.M. Posted 11:20 p.m.

In memoriam: Grammy attendees took a moment out of the ceremony to remember those that died in the last year. Among those remembered: Johnny Ramone, Artie Shaw, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Laura Branigan, Ray Charles and Rick James. —A.M. Posted 11:19 p.m.

'Here We Go Again': Norah Jones accepted the record of the year for her collaboration with the late Ray Charles. "Listen to that. I'm gonna cry," said Jones. "How many people has he made smile?" But the play-off music guy wasn't smiling — he played off the producer before he could finish the speech. —J.D. Posted 11:01 p.m.

So that's where the dress came from: Sheryl Crow, on hand to present record of the year, joked that she used some of Lance Armstrong's old yellow jerseys to make her gown. —J.D. Posted 10:59 p.m.

A Town down!: Usher took to the stage to perform Caught Up, the latest tune from Confessions, which has already won three Grammys. Then he got christened the "new godson of Soul" by a guy who would know : James Brown. —J.D. Posted 10:58 p.m.

Singers, be good to your songwriters: Stevie Wonder and Norah Jones remained on stage after the sing-along to present John Mayer with Song of the Year for Daughters. Normally, this trophy goes to the writer rather than the artist. This time, they were one and the same. "I'd like to thank my grandmother, who had a really awesome daughter — my mom," Mayer told the crowd. Does that mean he's off the hook if he forgets to call on Mother's Day? —J.D. Posted 10:47 p.m.

Something's gotta change our world: Bono, no stranger to charity singles, lead an all-star rendition of the Beatles' Across the Universe that will soon be made available on iTunes, with proceeds going to tsunami relief. Joining him: Norah Jones, Brian Wilson, Alison Krauss, Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler, Alicia Keys, Tim McGraw, and somewhat surprisingly, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and the members of Velvet Revolver. —J.D. Posted 10:42 p.m.

Is the stage high enough to induce 'Vertigo'?: U2 returns to the stage for the second time to accept the Grammy for rock duo/group vocal. Bono noted the competition in the field, which included the Killers and Franz Ferdinand. "I actually think this is the best Grammys I've ever seen," proclaimed Bono. Doing a bit of crisis management, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. wisely took a moment to apologize for their recent ticket sales snafu. —J.D. Posted 10:33 p.m.

That guy's name sounds familiar: Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas explained that special award recipient and record industry veteran Ahmet Urtegun was one of the reasons his band signed with Atlantic Records. If the name sounds familiar, it could because he was recently portrayed in the Oscar-nominated biopic Ray. He was played by Curtis "Booger" Armstrong. —J.D. Posted 10:28 p.m.

Good luck charm: "My record people tell me they want to rub me for good luck," John Legend said backstage after his Grammy performance. "They feel things are really happening for me right now." Legend, often described as a "neo-soul" artist, made his debut last year with Get Lifted. He also praised legendary singer Mavis Staples: "As soon as I met her, the energy from her I felt was so good."—W.M. Posted 10:24 p.m.

Get back here, Jack: Loretta Lynn had to force collaborator Jack White to take his share of the credit for their win for best country album, Van Lear Rose. The White Stripes frontman recalled a conversation he had with Lynn while they were recording the disc. "Loretta told me 'Fourteen of my songs got banned by country radio, and every time they did that, the song went to No. 1.' Well they didn't play this record either, but it's No. 1." Lynn complimented the other acts in the category, singling out country hunk McGraw while apologizing to his wife, Faith Hill. "I love Tim McGraw. Faith, I can't help it!"—J.D. Posted 10:22 p.m.

It's only fitting that Lance Armstrong was here: Between Etheridge's bald, bold performance and Tim McGraw's live rendition of the Grammy-winning Live Like You Were Dying, we felt the urge to go run laps around the USA TODAY building — just because we could.—J.D. Posted 10:14 p.m.

Melissa, Joss and Janis: Best new artist nominee Joss Stone and Grammy vet Melissa Etheridge honored one of their shared inspirations and another of the night's lifetime achievement award recipients, Janis Joplin. Stone belted out Cry, Baby and Etheridge totally channeled the late singer during Piece of My Heart.—J.D. Posted 10:04 p.m.

No hard feelings, right, Kanye? Not only are members of Maroon 5 fans of Kanye West — whom they thanked after winning the Grammy for best new artist — they worked with him on a remix of This Love. Backstage, lead singer Adam Levine said the award "will definitely not hurt our love lives." Another post-show perk, according to Levine: "We know a lot of places to go to right now and drink massive amounts of alcohol."—W.M. Posted 10:01 p.m.

'Jesus' wins: "Y'all might as well get the music ready, 'cause this is gonna take a while. When I had my accident [West broke his jaw in a car accident], I found out that nothing in life is promised except death. If you have the opportunity to live this life, you have to take every moment. A lot of people don't appreciate their opportunity until it's passed and they have to tell Al Bundy stories," Kanye West said as he accepted the best rap album Grammy for The College Dropout. "Everybody wanted to know what I'd do if I didn't win. I guess we'll never know." —J.D. Posted 9:53 p.m.

Raise your lighters: The members of Lynyrd Skynyrd are still reeling from their performance as part of the Southern rock tribute. "That was pretty cool when they stood up, man," Johnny VanZant said backstage. Added Ricky Medlocke: "I actually saw P. Diddy get into it!" —W.M. Posted 9:48 p.m.

Forget going to Disneyland: Now that they've won a Grammy, what's next for the three brothers in Los Lonely Boys? "A lot of people say they're going to Disneyland," bassist JoJo Garza said backstage. "I'm thinking about buying it, to be honest with you." —W.M. Posted 9:50 p.m.

Their Sunday best: Lifetime achievement award recipients the Staples Singers and up-and-comer John Legend performed a rousing I'll Take You There before backing up Kanye West for a theatrical rendition of Jesus Walks. Jesus took a brief respite as The Blind Boys of Alabama continued the churchifying with an a capella version of I'll Fly Away. But Kanye brought it home — and brought the house to its feet.—J.D. Posted 9:44 p.m.

Make it six for Alicia: Keys claimed a sixth Grammy in the R&B album category, and dedicated her speech to the folks who helped her get on the stage — her songwriting collaborator ("the other half of Crucial Keys"), her longtime manager and the first radio stations to play her debut CD. —J.D. Posted 9:36 p.m.

Can you hear the sound of hysteria?: Director Quentin Tarentino introduced Green Day, noting "They made an album with a real novel concept: All the songs are good." Tarentino stayed on the censors' good side, but Green Day opted not to censor the title track from American Idiot. —J.D. Posted 9:30 p.m.

They are loved: Maroon 5 claimed best new artist honors for Songs About Jane. "These are my best friends, and this is the trippiest thing I've ever gone through in my life," said frontman Adam Levine. But don't feel too bad for Kanye West — he already has one award and he's nominated for eight more. —J.D. Posted 9:23 p.m.

Doing double duty: Hey, where'd Queen Latifah go? Over to the performance stage to perform some standards from her Dana Owens disc. —J.D. Posted 9:19 p.m.

Let's get the next record started: Pressed for time, the Black Eyed Peas could only stop backstage for a couple minutes (if that), but it was long enough for Apl.de.Ap to let out a string of excited, yet odd, yelps. "Hopefully we can get the record of the year," Will.I.Am said. 'If we don't, we had a really, really great year." —W.M. Posted 9:19 p.m.

Play some Skynyrd, man: Matthew McConaughey introduced the southern-fried portion of tonight' s live entertainment. After Gretchen Wilson joined surviving Lynyrd Skynyrd members for the band's classic Free Bird, they called in reinforcements like Tim McGraw and Keith Urban for Sweet Home Alabama and Ramblin' Man. —J.D. Posted 9:10 p.m.

You sang to me (en Español): Mr. and Mrs. J.Lo invited us into the bedroom for the ballad Escapemonos from Marc Anthony's CD Amar Sin Mentiras (Love Without Lies), which just won a Grammy a few hours back. —J.D. Posted 8:59 p.m.

Boulevard of big honors: The members of Green Day accepted the best rock album Grammy for American Idiot. A touched Billie Joe Armstrong climbed over several people to bear-hug producer Rob Cavallo, who helped them earn their first Grammy for 1994's Dookie. "Rock and roll can be dangerous and fun at time same time," Armstrong said of their politically charged rock opera. —J.D. Posted 8:51 p.m.

So that's where he got that voice: Bono paid tribute to his dad, a postal clerk who liked to sing opera around the house, as U2 began Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own. "He had a beautiful tenor voice and I'd like to think that when he died, he passed it on to me."—J.D. Posted 8:41 p.m.

Making a statement: Ben Harper just came backstage wearing a white, rhinestone-studded suit, custom-made by a disciple of legendary country designer Nudie Cohen. How does the two-time Grammy winner feel about award shows? "I think they're completely self-indulgent … and I couldn't be more excited about winning," he said. After winning, Harper said he called his four children (two of which are with longtime love Laura Dern). "I don't know if this is the first of many (awards) or one of the last, so I figured I'd make it count," he said. —W.M., Posted 8:40 p.m.

We called your name, dude: Adam Sandler and Nelly, castmates in the upcoming remake of The Longest Yard, accepted an absent Prince's Grammy for R&B male vocal performance for Call My Name. —J.D. Posted 8:34 p.m.

Now, that's saying something: Backstage, those who saw Jamie Foxx and Alicia Keys pay tribute to Ray Charles on a TV screen were just as blown away as those in the auditorium. After the performance, applause could be heard across the Staples Center's media area — and that's saying a lot for this group, which has remained quiet for most of the day. —W.M., Posted 8:36 p.m.

Yeah, he really can play: A recently shorn Jamie Foxx joined in the fun, sitting down a second piano to help Keys pay tribute to Brother Ray. The tune? An elegant version of Georgia On My Mind. At the end, Charles' longtime pal Quincy Jones silently opened his jacket to reveal a T-shirt bearing his friend's likeness.—J.D. Posted 8:30 p.m.

Ebony and ivory: Alicia Keys, decked out in white, sat at a matching baby grand to play If I Ain't Got You. —J.D. Posted 8:25 p.m.

Meanwhile, backstage...: How come it took more than three decades for Brian Wilson's Smile to hit record stores? "We were taking a lot of interesting drugs — so we had to shelve it for quite a few years," he said backstage. On the worldwide tour he did to support the album: "Every minute of it was heaven for me." Wilson said a Christmas album is possible later this year. On a sad note, Wilson said band member Scott Bennett, who worked on Smile and has been missing since the tsunami, still has not been found. —W.M., Posted 8:25 p.m.

Work of Art: Latifah paid tribute to jazz legend Art Blakey, who also received a lifetime achievement award. Also being honored: blues pianist Pinetop Perkins.—J.D. Posted 8:24 p.m.

Weren't we just here?: Los Lonely Boys made a quick trip back to the stage to claim the first prime-time award, pop duo/group vocal for Heaven. —J.D.. Posted 8:18 p.m.

All hail the Queen: Host Queen Latifah kicked off her monologue with a toast to the birthday of rock n' roll, which turns 50 this year. "I'd have to say it's looking pretty fit," observed Queen.—J.D. Posted 8:14 p.m.

Faking it: Every winner who makes the rounds backstage is holding a Grammy — but it's not their own. As several performers have noted, a non-personalized, all-purpose trophy is handed to them before facing the press. After all, it's not like awards can be engraved ahead of time — and it's not like photographers want to take pictures of winners without Grammys in hand. —W.M., Posted 8:10 p.m.

Yeah, what she said: The Black Eyed Peas' Fergie got the ball rolling with her call to rock: "Let's get it started." Next came Gwen Stefani and Eve, who teamed for Let Me Blow Ya Mind a few years back, followed, doing their best Fiddler on the Roof impression for Stefani's Rich Girl. Then it was the boys' turn — Los Lonely Boys, to be specific. The XY chromosomes kept control of the mic as a nicely attired Maroon 5 dug intoThis Love. And finally, Grammy offered a musical tribute to the guy whose murder started World War I: Franz Ferdinand. —J.D. Posted 8:09 p.m.

No longer living 'La Vida Loca'? Ricky Martin, during arrivals, said he'd just heard about Christina Aguilera's engagement to music executive Jordan Bratman. He said, "I am so exicited. I am going to call her tonight." —W.K. Posted 8 p.m.

Saying goodbye to friends: Bonnie Raitt, on the carpet, said she was going to be doing a tribute for people who have died. "I can't believe how many greats we lost this year. When I was growning up, Howard Keel was what we played in our house. He became a great family friend, and I can't believe he's gone." —W.K. Posted 8 p.m.

Get ready, folks: With just seconds to go before the show, the crowd in the Staples Center is being told to "be loud tonight." Said a Grammy organizer onstage: "I hope you take this the right way, but tonight there are no boy bands, no pop teen divas, but some amazing performers. It's really about the music." —W.M., 7:54 p.m.

Another dream to check off the list: "I've been dreaming about this my whole life, ever since I sang in private into a brush," Grammy winner Jill Scott said backstage. She credits her mother as a major inspiration: "She really facilitated my dreams," she said. "We lived in a ghetto ... but I was so filled up with love that I didn't really know that we were broke until I was in high school." What performance is she looking forward to tonight? J. Lo and Marc Anthony, of course. —W.M., 7:54 p.m.

Bald is Beautiful: Melissa Etheridge looks stunning, despite a recent bout of chemotherapy, sporting large diamond studs. "My hair's growing back," she told Reynolds Jones. —J.D. Posted 7:44 p.m.

A new record for Lance Armstrong?: Sheryl Crow says her bicycling beau is "the annoying kind of person who can do almost anything" including sing. So don't rule out the possiblity of him singing a little back-up on her next disc. —J.D. Posted 7:43 p.m.

Not a Fan: Kanye West didn't know how to respond when Kathy Griffin asked him if he thought Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up was written about the same higher power as Jesus Walks. Said West after a pause, "I haven't heard the song." —J.D. Posted 7:42 p.m.

Deja vu all over again?: Perhaps some of the pre-telecast's final winners signal good things to come for the televised ceremony. Among them: U2, for best rock song; Brian Wilson, for best rock instrumental performance; Ray Charles, for best pop vocal album; Kanye West for best rap song; and John Mayer, for best male pop vocal performance. Britney Spears has even won a Grammy tonight for best dance recording (the song: Toxic). W.M. Posted 7:42 p.m.

Snack attack: How many Grammy-winning musicians can you cram on a small backstage platform? So far Ozomatli holds the record with nine members taking the mike. After talking about how gratifying it was to win after 10 years performing together, they had one question for the press: "Where are the snacks at?" —W.M. Posted 7:40 p.m.

More from Garcia: Actor Andy Garcia just strolled backstage to talk about his other passion — Latin music. He produced Israel Lopez's Cachao, which won the Grammy for best traditional tropical Latin album. "It started as a fan," Garcia said of the relationship. "And then it became … he considers me his son, you know? I think I'm a good producer for him because I know his music so well." Garcia said he's also working on a documentary about the recording of the album, which was done in a speedy three days. —W.M. Posted 7:29 p.m.

Aging with grace: James Brown came up to Kris Kristofferson, and they congratulated each other on how young they look. When asked what the secret to looking young was Brown said, "Don't fight with your wife." Brown also recently saw the movie Ray and is not sure the time is right to his own story yet. "I listen to the young people now, and they are telling my story every day — Michael (Jackson) and Usher. If they do do my story, there is only one person I want to play me, and that is my son, James Joseph Brown II." —W.K. Posted 7:27 p.m.

Grammy legend: Kris Kristofferson stopped during arrivals to say, "I started coming to the Grammys in the '70s. Things have changed a lot. I went to the rehearsal today and it looks like they have a really tight show." —W.K. Posted 7:18 p.m.

Dog-gone it!: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, during arrivals, said that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were "trying to dispell the rumors that they suck" by performing during the show. On what he was wearing: "an animal death coat, the hides of cats with their heads still on." —W.K. Posted 7:17 p.m.

A home run: Bronson Arroyo, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, during arrivals said that he has an album of covers coming out July 11 called Covering the Bases. He sings and plays the guitar, which he did not start playing until 1999. Among the band covers on the album are Pearl Jam and Incubus. —W.K. Posted 7:15p.m.

More from Zach: Zach Braff just whisked through the backstage area to chat about his unexpected Grammy win. At his side: Cary Brothers, one of the artists on the Garden State soundtrack. "My Grandma is driving around Boca Raton cranking Coldplay, so you know the album has crossed over," Braff said. He added he hopes to direct his second feature in 2006, and will soon appear in the animated flick Chicken Little and Last Kiss, "a modern-day Diner." When asked what music first moved him, Braff admitted loving Sheena Easton's Morning Train as a kid. —W.M. Posted 7:09 p.m.

Fresh and beautiful: New Grammy winner Jill Scott just accepted her Grammy for best urban/alternative performance. "This is fresh," she said, clutching her award for Cross My Mind, a track on her Beautifully Human album. —W.M. Posted 6:55 p.m.

Gift of music: Ricky Skaggs just picked up a Grammy for best bluegrass album — even though the presenter at the pre-telecast called him "Ricky Shaggs" by mistake. "I want to thank the Lord for the gift of music," said the singer, who won for his album with Kentucky Thunder, Brand New Strings. —W.M. Posted 6:49 p.m.

Hip-hop who?: Andy Garcia, who won for hispanic album Ahora Si, arrived with his 21-year-old daughter, Domenique. "I have no knowledge of the hip-hop world whatsoever, but my kids and I listen to classic rock and reggae. I think the first concert I took Domenique to was the Rolling Stones. I have kids ranging in age from 13 to 21." Domenique was wearing a heavy coat, and when asked why, Garcia responded "always keep 'em guessing." —W.K. Posted 6:45 p.m.

Grammy gold: A few of tonight's country winners during the pre-telecast: Gretchen Wilson, for best female country vocal performance; Tim McGraw, for best male country vocal performance; the Dixie Chicks, for best country performance by a duo or group with vocal; and Loretta Lynn and Jack White, for best country collaboration with vocals. Unfortunately, none of the winners was around to give an acceptance speech. —W.M. Posted 6:43 p.m.

Give me credit: Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine on the best part of being famous: "When I go somewhere I'm not fearful my credit card is going to be declined." —A.M. Posted 6:41 p.m.

His 'n hers: Did Jimmy Jam pick out a lavender tie to match wife Lisa Harris's low-cut Monique Lhuillier gown? —A.M. Posted 6:39 p.m.

Bluegrass beauty: Alison Krauss, decked out in a red dress, is whisked back down the green carpet, apparently for more photo and press ops. —W.M. Posted 6:30 p.m.

Laugh lines: E!'s red carpet comedian Kathy Griffin got off a good one right before Star Jones Reynolds interviewed former Attorney General Janet Reno. "I can hardly wait to hear when her CD drops." Reno, sporting a classic white wrap top and pearls, was there with her nephew David Macias, producer of Beautiful Dreamer:The Songs of Stephen Foster. —A.M. Posted 6:25 p.m.

Feeling green: Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 was on the carpet with his wife, Marisol. Asked what he thinks of the arrivals carpet being green this year, "It reminds me of how I was feeling this morning. I partied hard at Clive's (Davis) party last night. I ate the whole bottle of wine. We must have gotten home around 2 in the a.m. and then walked our dog, Tyler." The couple brought Tyler with them when they flew from the East Coast. "We had to give him doggie Valium, but today I am the one who needs the Valium. The green carpet is a travesty; I like Heineken (which sponsored arrivals), but they have got to get over themselves." —W.K. Posted 6:15 p.m.

Hammer time: Three-time Grammy award winner M.C. Hammer tells Star Jones "anytime you're nominated by your peers it feels good." He says he's pulling for Kanye West. —A.M. Posted 6:14 p.m.

A beautiful day: U2 has won best short-form music video for Vertigo. As for best long-form music video, that Grammy went to the team behind Concert for George, a show honoring George Harrison.—W.M. Posted 6:09 p.m.

A win for Marc: Marc Anthony takes home the award for best Latin pop album. Even though Anthony is scheduled to perform later in the evening with wife Jennifer Lopez, he wasn't around to accept the award. (Anthony didn't win the other category he was up for tonight, best salsa/merengue album.)—W.M. Posted 6:01 p.m.

Going solo: Matchbox 20 lead singer Rob Thomas tells E! the band has not broken up. "We're just taking a break," he said. On his new solo CD: "I turn 33 tomorrow. It's a new chapter in my life." —A.M. Posted 5:58 p.m.

More from Earle: Steve Earle spoke backstage about his "pretty political records" and upcoming tour. Though he has played several overseas dates since the release of The Revolution Starts … Now, he said, "I didn't write these songs to sing in Europe." He'll perform in Santa Cruz, Calif., tomorrow; the tour winds up April 10 in Nashville. Also on Earle's plate: producing the next Allison Moorer record and staging a play he wrote about death-row inmate Karla Faye Tucker. —W.M. Posted 5:56 p.m.

Halloween or the Grammy Awards? Members of Slipknot just hit the red carpet wearing very scary masks. —A.M. Posted 5:45 p.m.

Best artwork: Wilco's A Ghost is Born just nabbed an award — for its egg-themed album artwork. Art directors Peter Buchanan-Smith and Dan Nadel accepted the Grammy for best recording package. Its competition: Pretty packages from The Shins, Ani DiFranco, Beastie Boys and a compilation called The Wandering Accordion. —W.M. Posted 5:44 p.m.

State of elation: Zach Braff just picked up his first Grammy for the Garden State soundtrack. "I never thought I'd win a Grammy," he said. "This is not for me, this is for all the amazing musicians … I can't thank them as fellow artists enough." Before leaving the stage, he read the names of each musician on the soundtrack, including Coldplay, Colin Hay and The Shins. —W.M. Posted 5:31 p.m.

Another early winner: Jon Stewart and The Daily Show gang won for best comedy album. Stewart wasn't present to grab his award, which was for the audio recording of his best seller, America (The Book). —W.M. Posted 5:30 p.m.

Hail to the chief: Former President Bill Clinton just won a Grammy for the audio recording of his autobiography, My Life. Clinton was not in attendance, so members of Jars of Clay accepted on his behalf.—W.M. Posted 5:27 p.m.

For Danny: Steve Earle just accepted his award for the best contemporary folk album with a brief, to-the-point acceptance speech: "This one is for Danny Goldberg." Goldberg is chairman of Earle's label, Artemis Records, which released Earle's latest release, The Revolution Starts … Now, which criticized the Bush administration. —W.M. Posted 5:20 p.m.

Early birds: We're about 45 minutes into the Grammy pre-telecast, where 95 of the 107 awards are being handed out inside the Staples Center. Jars of Clay just took the stage to present the award for best traditional folk album. The winner: Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster. Awards for world music, soundtracks and the best comedy album will follow shortly.—W.M. Posted 5:17 p.m.

YOU’VE GOT NO FRIEND IN ME

Steve Jobs threw more cold water Thursday on the possibility of renewing a deal with Disney as Pixar reported strong fourth-quarter earnings due in equal parts to "The Incredibles" and continued strength for "Finding Nemo" in homevid.

Animation powerhouse's topper said repeatedly in an investor conference call that it was "likely we will not forge a new relationship with Disney beyond our current deal." Mouse House prexy and possible future CEO Bob Iger also has said such a renewal is doubtful.

Prospect of a deal wasn't helped when Michael Eisner recently said the artistry on some of the Disney-Pixar pics was "pretty pathetic." Asked to respond during the conference call, Jobs quipped, "I know our films don't stack up against 'Atlantis' or 'The Emperor's New Groove' or 'Treasure Planet,' " referring to Disney animated flops and underachievers.

Jobs stayed mum on who will end up as its distribution partner, saying only that the shift in major studio toppers, such as the recent installation of Brad Grey at Paramount and the hunt for a new Disney CEO, gave him reason to pause.

He did indicate a decision is likely by late this year, though, when the company also plans to release details on its slate of post-Disney pics, the first of which is already in production.

Whoever partners with Pixar next, though, will be limited to a small distribution fee, as the company ended 2004 with $855 million in cash and is on track to amass a hoard of $1 billion by the end of this year. That gives it plenty of coin with which to entirely fund its own productions.

Looking to the future, Jobs hinted Pixar may move to a schedule of two releases per year, like its major competitor DreamWorks Animation. Asked about such a scenario, he said: "We need to get on a solid footing at one picture per year. Then all sorts of discussions are possible."

Jobs also cast some light on his decision not to participate in the Mouse House's sequels, such as the in-development "Toy Story 3."

"The question is: Should we fill the previous slots in our production schedule with sequels on which we will earn only 50% of the profits and will be forever controlled by Disney?" he asked. "Or should we fill it with original Pixar films, on which we will earn 100% of the profits, fully own and control?"

He noted that under the terms of their contract, Disney won't be able to use the Pixar brand in any of its marketing to sequels of the studios' jointly produced pics.

Company generated $108.9 million in revenue and net income of $55.2 million last quarter, down 33% and 34%, respectively, from a year ago, as the company had "Finding Nemo" in the more lucrative homevid window last year.

For the full year, Pixar earned $141.7 million on revenues of $273.5 million, up 11% and 4% from 2003.

"The Incredibles" is on track to gross around $625 million, putting it about equal with "Monsters, Inc." and behind Pixar's biggest hit, "Finding Nemo," which generated significant coin for the animation studio last year on DVD.

That trend continued a year after pic first hit homevid. Company made $38.4 million from "Finding Nemo" DVDs and consumer products in the fourth quarter, just slightly behind the $40.8 million it took in during the fourth quarter from theatrical release of "The Incredibles."

"Finding Nemo" has sold 48.6 million homevid units worldwide, 75% of which were on DVD.

Pixar also made $26.8 million from the rest of the pics in its library, primarily from "Monsters, Inc." hitting network TV.

Company made just $3 million from sales of its animation software.

Pixar shares closed up 1% Thursday at $89.88. (As reported by VARIETY)

Smith's 'Hitch' Blows Away Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Will Smith usually brings audiences in at gunpoint. This time, he did it with hugs and kisses. Starring in his first romantic comedy, the action hero scored a No. 1 debut with "Hitch," which took in $45.3 million over Valentine's Day weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Clearly, Will Smith is the man," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "He can open any kind of movie. He has multi-genre appeal."

The previous weekend's top movie, the horror tale "Boogeyman," fell to second place with $10.8 million, lifting its 10-day total to $33.3 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, the animated family tale "Pooh's Heffalump Movie," opened at No. 5 with $6 million.

Sony Pictures had the weekend's top three movies with "Hitch," "Boogeyman" and "Are We There Yet?", which was No. 3 at $8.5 million.

"Hitch" stars Smith as a Manhattan "date doctor" who helps hopeless men win the hearts of their dream women but has romantic troubles when he meets his own soul mate (Eva Mendes).

It was the fifth-straight No. 1 debut for Smith, following "Shark Tale," "I, Robot," "Bad Boys II" and "Men in Black II." Those movies all opened in the $46 million to $52 million range.

"Will Smith certainly delivers, doesn't he?" said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution. "He's one of those rare stars that just appeals to everyone, men, women and children. There's no doubt he's somewhat of a king of action, but he is every bit as good in comedy."

The $6 million debut for "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" was on par with distributor Disney's last Winnie the Pooh cartoon, 2003's "Piglet's Big Movie," which opened with $6.1 million, though below the debut of the Pooh adventure "The Tigger Movie," which premiered with $9.4 million in 2000.

Disney spokesman Dennis Rice said the Pooh flicks are made cheaply enough that it will turn a solid profit once television and home-video revenues roll in.

Three key contenders for the Feb. 27 Academy Awards remained in the top 10. The boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" was No. 4 with $7.6 million, raising its total domestic gross to $45.1 million.

The buddy tale "Sideways" took in $4.75 million to finish in eighth place, lifting its total to $53.1 million. The Howard Hughes epic was ninth with $4.6 million, pushing its domestic haul to $82.3 million.

Two movies opened solidly in limited release. "Bride & Prejudice," a romance that updates Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" to a modern-day Bollywood musical in India, took in $388,076 in 32 theaters. The film is directed by Gurinder Chadha ("Bend It Like Beckham").

The documentary "Inside Deep Throat" debuted solidly with $91,000 in 12 theaters. Produced by Brian Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind"), the NC-17-rated film examines the cultural impact of the 1972 porn blockbuster "Deep Throat."

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. "Hitch," $45.3 million.
2. "Boogeyman," $10.8 million.
3. "Are We There Yet?", $8.5 million.
4. "Million Dollar Baby," $7.6 million.
5. "Pooh's Heffalump Movie," $6 million.
6. "The Wedding Date," $5.6 million.
7. "Hide and Seek," $5.55 million.
8. "Sideways," $4.75 million.
9. "The Aviator," $4.6 million.
10. "Meet the Fockers," $3.4 million.

Pop Star Christina Aguilera Gets Engaged -Report

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American pop princess Christina Aguilera has got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Jordan Bratman, People magazine reported on Saturday.

Music executive Bratman proposed to the 24-year-old three-time Grammy award winner on Friday while on vacation, the magazine said on its Web site, citing her representative.

New York-born Aguilera, whose music industry awards include a Grammy for best new artist in 1999, has been dating Bratman for more than two years.

"Christina was very surprised," People quoted a close friend of Aguilera's as saying. "She's ecstatic."

Aguilera made a big splash as part of the teen pop revolution with her self-titled 1999 debut album, including hit singles "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants."

Playwright Arthur Miller Dies at 89

ROXBURY, Conn. - Arthur Miller, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright whose most famous fictional creation, Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman," came to symbolize the American Dream gone awry, has diedy. He was 89.

Miller died Thursday night at his home in Roxbury of heart failure, his assistant, Julia Bolus, said Friday. His family was at his bedside, she said.

His plays, with their strong emphasis on family, morality and personal responsibility, spoke to the growing fragmentation of American society.

"A lot of my work goes to the center of where we belong — if there is any root to life — because nowadays the family is broken up, and people don't live in the same place for very long," Miller said in a 1988 interview.

"Dislocation, maybe, is part of our uneasiness. It implants the feeling that nothing is really permanent."

Miller's career was marked by early success. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman" in 1949, when he was just 33 years old.

His marriage to screen star Marilyn Monroe in 1956 further catapulted the playwright to fame, though that was publicity he said he never pursued.

In a 1992 interview with a French newspaper, he called her "highly self-destructive" and said that during their marriage, "all my energy and attention were devoted to trying to help her solve her problems. Unfortunately, I didn't have much success."

"Death of a Salesman," which took Miller only six weeks to write, earned rave reviews when it opened on Broadway in February 1949, directed by Elia Kazan.

The story of Willy Loman, a man destroyed by his own stubborn belief in the glory of American capitalism and the redemptive power of success, was made into a movie and staged all over the world.

"I couldn't have predicted that a work like `Death of a Salesman' would take on the proportions it has," Miller said in 1988. "Originally, it was a literal play about a literal salesman, but it has become a bit of a myth, not only here but in many other parts of the world."

In 1999, 50 years after it won the Tony Award as best play, "Death of a Salesman" won the Tony for best revival of the Broadway season. The show also won the top acting prize for Brian Dennehy, who played Loman.

Miller, then 83, received a lifetime achievement award.

"Just being around to receive it is a pleasure," he joked to the audience during the awards ceremony.

Miller won the New York Drama Critics' Circle's best play award twice in the 1940s, for "All My Sons" in 1947 and for "Death of a Salesman." In 1953, he received a Tony Award for "The Crucible," a play about mass hysteria during the Salem witch trials that was inspired by the repressive political environment of McCarthyism.

That play, still read by thousands of American high-school students each year, is Miller's most frequently performed work.

Probst: 'Palau' is a different 'Survivor'

According to Jeff Probst ‘Survivor Palau’ is the response to critics who believe the CBS reality series has become too predictable.

“There are more firsts this season than we have ever had,” Probst told Jam! Showbiz. “That’s what struck me as the season went on and on. Some of them are twists. Some of them are things that happened organically and some are a result of challenges but there are more things you have never seen before this season.”

Calling ‘Palau’ the “water season”, Probst promised the challenges on this the tenth installment are the most physical and original ever.

“The visibility underwater was so good we decide to pull out a lot of challenges we have been sitting on. In the first three or four episodes we have some of the most physical challenges I think we have ever put on in terms of endurance and needing to be physically fit,” said Probst.

To the delight of the producers, strengthening the challenges made things difficult for the tribes to immediately target the athletic players as they had in the past. A problem which had haunted the series as a whole and ultimately doomed ‘Survivor: Vanuatu’.

“The message that they (the players) are going to find out is if you vote out your strong simply because they are strong…go ahead…but odds are, you will back at Tribal Council,” said Probst revealing that there is a major “cat fight” at one of the challenges early on.

The producers also kept the players off balance right out of the gate by not providing the them with any information or tools whatsoever to begin the game. The ‘Palau’ players didn’t even know if they were one tribe or not.

“This time, I literally show up and say…There’s your beach. Have a good time,” Probst stated. “The players began wondering…Do I start making alliances now or will that maybe bite me in the ass? Should I not say anything at this moment? Do we build a shelter? Are we staying here? There is no name on the flag. It just says ‘Survivor Palau’.”

Probst said that confusing start doesn’t sound like a whole lot but it “pays off” in the first few days and Day 33 because the producers put into the players’ heads that ‘Palau’ is a slightly different game.

Viewers will see that difference for themselves when the first two ‘Survivor Palau’ contestants get booted. They don’t get kicked the traditional way at Tribal Council. They are victims of a tribal pick ‘em. Two players aren’t selected to be on a tribe and therefore must leave the game immediately.

“It is brutal. It is the same feeling you have when you’re not picked on a schoolyard or when you’re the first guy laid off. At its core, without question, ‘Survivor’ is a social game and that is put to the test right away. These people in essence never really get a chance to play this game and yet they go through all the work to get there,” said Probst.

Besides the water-based premise, ‘Palau’ also will underscore the theme of “choices” and their “consequences”.

“You may not even pick up on it but it started filtering in and we started making it an element to some challenges, some situations and some decisions. The thinking was…Let’s every time we can let them make a choice and it ends up having an impact,” said Probst.

While the producers did use the Second World War heritage of the ‘Palau’ area as a backdrop, Probst maintains they didn’t exploit it. The Tribal Council area is in a bunker-like set and there may be some military themes to the challenges but the producers viewed ‘Palau’ as a living monument to the conflict.

'Die' Another Day

Bruce Willis is 49, but that's not stopping him from donning John McClane's tank top one more time. The long-in-development fourth Die Hard movie, the first since 1995, is about ready to shoot, Willis told BBC Radio this week. A year ago, Willis told reporters that the big hurdle was coming up with a script that handled the franchise's usual terrorism plot in a way that was appropriate after 9/11. But Willis and Twentieth Century Fox have apparently overcome that stumbling block.

In London to promote his forthcoming action drama Hostage, Willis also revealed the sequel's title. ''Die Hard 4.0 is being written as we speak,'' he said, ''and if all goes well we'll be shooting it in autumn on the East Coast of the United States.'' The actor was reluctant to divulge much more than that. He said, ''John McClane has retired as a cop, and that's all that Fox have allowed me to tell you about it.''

GOOD NEWS FOR ALL YOU NEWBIES… AND THE REST OF US, TOO

BURBANK - Relive the entire first season of SCRUBS, the groundbreaking, Emmy and Golden Globe nominated television show starring Zach Braff (“Garden State”), in a spectacular DVD box set available on May 17.

Capturing every episode of the show’s highly acclaimed first season, the DVD set boasts a host of hilarious bonus features, including never-before-seen dream sequences, audio commentaries and a gag reel of flubs and bloopers.

Plus, each SCRUBS DVD package includes a collectible, SCRUBS-themed x-ray. SCRUBS is a top comedy hit, and this great DVD box set captures every irreverent and outrageous moment from the first season in the collection you will want to watch over and over.

Zach Braff stars as J.D., a medical resident at Sacred Heart Hospital. Joining the rumpled J.D. are fellow residents Turk (Donald Faison, “Clueless”) as J.D.’s college buddy who is part of the more elite surgical group, and the beautiful but socially awkward Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke, “Roseanne”).

SCRUBS’ talented cast also includes the sure-of-himself Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley, “Office Space”), the terrorizing janitor (Neil Flynn, “Mean Girls”), the fatherly Dr. Kelso (Ken Jenkins, “The Sum of All Fears”) and the feisty Nurse Carla (Judy Reyes, “Oz”).

SCRUBS is created by Bill Lawrence (“Spin City,” “Friends,” “The Nanny,” “Will & Grace”) and produced by Touchstone Television.

The 3-disc DVD set is available for $49.99 (S.R.P.) from Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

SCRUBS BONUS FEATURES

NEWBIES
A retrospective documentary examining the actors before they were cast

PRACTICE, PRACTICE AND MALPRACTICE
Gag reel of flubs and bloopers

THE B TEAM
Featuring the Janitor and Lawyer

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH CAST

AUDIO COMMENTARY
On six episodes

Comedy Is Hard, Winning an Oscar Harder

LOS ANGELES - Good comedies are among the hardest films to make. So why does comedy usually strike out at the Academy Awards? The road-trip romp "Sideways" is a rare comic tale that earned a best-picture slot and four other nominations for the Feb. 27 Oscars.

While "Sideways" won the ensemble prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globe for musical or comedy, it's considered a just-happy-to-be-in-the-same-room-with-the-big-boys Oscar contender.

As usual, sober dramas are favored for best picture, either "Million Dollar Baby" or "The Aviator." "Sideways" filmmaker Alexander Payne is a best-director long shot against Clint Eastwood of "Million Dollar Baby" and Martin Scorsese of "The Aviator."

Heavyweight performances are expected to take the supporting-acting categories, possibly Cate Blanchett for "The Aviator" and Morgan Freeman for "Million Dollar Baby" rather than Virginia Madsen and Thomas Haden Church of "Sideways."

Despite giving one of last year's most acclaimed performances, "Sideways" star Paul Giamatti was snubbed for an Oscar nomination.

Payne and Jim Taylor's screenplay for "Sideways" is the film's best shot to actually win one of those little gold statues.

Other comedies such as "Working Girl," "Babe" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" occasionally sneak into the best-picture mix, but they hardly ever win key Oscars. Kevin Kline's supporting-actor prize for 1988's "A Fish Called Wanda" is one of the few Oscar triumphs for a flat-out comic role.

Church figures part of the Oscar appeal for "Sideways" is that it's comedy mixed with real-life drama as the misadventures of two buddies spin out of control.

"We don't really characterize `Sideways' as a comedy at all," Church said. "I think it's a life movie. It's a movie about everything that can happen to you in one week given the circumstances where these two guys are out to have a good time, and one guy's definition of a good time has nothing to do with the other guy's."

Grammys Could Put a Smile on Brian Wilson's Face

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wouldn't it be nice if Brian Wilson finally won a Grammy?

The former Beach Boy will compete for two of the music industry's most coveted awards on Sunday, hoping to end one of the most infamous losing streaks in the event's 47-year history.

Along with influential rock acts such as the Who and Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beach Boys -- in which Wilson was the main creative force -- never won a Grammy. Their 1960s peers the Rolling Stones had to wait until 1995 for their first statuette.

The Grammys largely ignored the nascent rock revolution, preferring to reward acts like Frank Sinatra and the 5th Dimension.

Wilson, 62, bears no grudges.

"I just don't think the Beach Boys were that impressive of a vocal group to be nominated. They were a good group, but they weren't great," he told Reuters in a recent interview.

"I thought maybe I should have been nominated a little bit more as a songwriter, but I wasn't."

The Beach Boys did receive a nomination in 1966 for their No. 1 single "Good Vibrations," a tune many consider to be Wilson's crowning glory. But along with such worthy contenders as the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and the Mamas and the Papas' "Monday, Monday," it lost the contemporary rock Grammy award to the novelty song "Winchester Cathedral."

WILSON'S "SMILE"

This year, Wilson has been nominated for "Brian Wilson Presents Smile," a re-recording of a 1966 Beach Boys album that was never finished. At the time, Wilson envisaged "Smile" as a "teenage symphony to God," but he abandoned it as his drug abuse played havoc with his mental state.

Tunes from "Smile," such as "Heroes and Villains" and "Surf's Up" turned up on later albums, and "Smile" took on a mythical status as one of rock's great lost works.

In 2003, Wilson and "Smile" lyricist Van Dyke Parks finally completed the project. Wilson and his band played "Smile" in its entirety for the first time last February in England.

Back in Los Angeles, he recorded the basic tracks for the album over five days in April. Released in October by the boutique Nonesuch Records label, "Brian Wilson Presents Smile" debuted at No. 13 on the U.S. pop charts and has sold more than 300,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album yielded Grammy nominations for pop vocal album and pop instrumental ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"), as well as best-engineered album (non-classical), an award that would go to Mark Linett.

Wilson said he was most confident of winning the pop vocal album award, although one of his rivals is seven-time nominee Ray Charles, who is considered a sentimental favorite.

The 47th annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The main televised event begins at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Monday), but most of the winners in the 107 categories will be announced immediately beforehand.

Juno brass snub Randy Bachman

By TOM BRODBECK -- Winnipeg Sun

Talk about a slap in the face.

Winnipeg rock legend Randy Bachman spends the past couple of years lobbying to help get the Juno Awards to come to Winnipeg for the first time.

He's asked by Juno organizers to contact another Winnipeg rock legend, Neil Young, and convince him to perform at the televised event, scheduled for April 3 at the MTS Centre.

Bachman travels to the U.S. and finds Young and gets him to agree.

And what does Bachman get from Hogtown Juno organizers for his enthusiasm and effort? A pig sticker in the eye.

Turns out there are no plans for Bachman to perform at the Junos.

He wants to. But they won't invite him.

The folks in Toronto didn't mind using Bachman for their own purposes. But when it came time to pick the lineup for the ceremonies, they told Bachman to sit at the back of the bus.

They want him to hand out an award. That's it. So Bachman says he may not show up at all.

"Something's broken there and I don't know how to fix it without being a dink," Bachman told Winnipeg Sun entertainment reporter Rob Williams in Toronto this week. "If they don't want me on the show, what's the point of going?"

I don't think Bachman's the one being a dink here. I think Juno organizers are being dinks.

Burton Cummings, another Canadian rock hero from Winnipeg, isn't scheduled to perform at the ceremonies, either.

What's up with that?

The Juno Awards are -- finally -- being held in Winnipeg and they're not inviting two of Canada's most important rock icons who grew up in Winnipeg and launched their music careers here.

These are the guys who blazed the trail for future generations of Canadian talent.

The Guess Who was the first Canadian band to score a No. 1 hit single on the U.S. charts in 1970 with American Woman.

Isn't there any recognition of that in Toronto among Juno organizers?

Winnipeg has played a tremendous role in the growth of Canada's music industry.

And now that the Junos are finally being held here, shouldn't the industry be showcasing that contribution by having pioneers like Bachman and Cummings perform at the ceremonies?

It's great that Neil Young has agreed to perform at the awards.

But snubbing Bachman the way they have is a low blow.

It's not only a slap in the face to Bachman. It's a slap in the face to Winnipeg.

Perhaps not altogether surprising, though, coming from we-are-the-centre-of-the-universe-Toronto.

Perhaps Neil Young should boycott the Junos if they don't invite Bachman to perform.

After all, if it wasn't for Bachman, Juno organizers wouldn't even have Young for the event.

I say we flood Juno organizers with a petition demanding that they invite Bachman to perform at the ceremonies.

Bachman deserves to perform at the Junos.

Let's speak up on this one.

Sexy shows mark Valentine's Day

Has talking about sex replaced actually having sex? That grim thought might occur to anyone watching TV over the next week or so. There are dozens of TV shows featuring people blabbing on about their sex lives, all in the name of Valentine's Day.

Cupid seems to have been replaced with Kinsey. Over the last month, my desk has been flooded with steamy promotional tapes, some wrapped in red ribbons and covered in chocolate-covered hearts.

After years of Blind Date, Elimidate, The Bachelor, Temptation Island and other randy relationship fare, programmers must feel they have to ramp up the shock factor to seduce viewers. It is enough to send you screaming back to The Lawrence Welk Show.

Still, sex sells, so fill 'er up. Here is a list of lust-themed programming just in time for Valentine's Day. Push yourselves away from all that Internet porn and check these out:

* Last Chance For Romance (beginning Friday, 8 p.m., Global). Hosted by news babe Cheryl Hickey, this 13-part series will look at couples in crisis. Can they pull their relationship out of the ditch while cameras roll? At least these Bickersons get free trips to a five-star Caribbean resort as thanks for airing their dirty laundry in public. Therapist Joe Rich referees.

* Older Women/Younger Men (Feb. 14, 7 p.m., W). Resident Sun Cougar Valerie Gibson explains why young bar dudes are suddenly ga-ga over grannies. (Gibson also appears Feb. 14 on Dr. Phil, 5 p.m. on CTV).

* Sex, Truth And Videotape (Feb. 14, 10 p.m., CBC Newsworld). This six-part series from former Fifth Estate host Francine Pelletier is a cut above the usual boff blather. It starts with a bang (so to speak) as several famous Canadians (including Mary Walsh, Sandra Shamas, Susan Swan and dancer Margie Gillis) blab about everything from first times to orgasms. Their wit and candor will disarm, entertain and empower. Future episodes, featuring Canadian women from all ages and preferences, bring more human stories, some funny, others painful. All are real and riveting.

* Sex, Toys & Chocolate Valentine's Special (Feb. 14, 10 p.m., Life Network). Learn new and exciting positions, like how to lunge for the remote in case any kids come into the room while this skanky show is on. Hosts Robin Milhausen and Michael Cho trick kiss-and-tell twentysomethings into spilling the beans on their most erotic encounters. There's a 'How could they?' giddiness to this voyeuristic chatfest, but you'll want to shower after every viewing.

* American Experience: Kinsey (Feb. 14, 9 p.m., PBS). If you saw Liam Neeson in the recent biopic, meet the real Alfred Kinsey, an erudite, tweedy academic who became the granddaddy of all sexperts. Back in the 1940s, Kinsey was the first to pry into the bedrooms of average citizens for sex data. The result was explosive, best-selling reports. The fact that the dawg was basically doing it with everything but small farm animals only adds to the mystique (and TV appeal).

* The Bachelorette (Feb. 14, 9 p.m., City-TV). Jen and the three remaining dudes go on overnight dates. Hope somebody brought protection!

* Legendary Sin Cities - Shanghai: Paradise For Adventurers (Feb. 15, 8 p.m., CBC) concludes this three-part look at the steamy capitals of the world. Hey, where's Brampton?

* Get It On! A Brief History Of Sex & Music (Feb. 16, 10 p.m., CITY-TV). A SexTV special tracing horny music from the pimply '50s to today's graphic rap filth. Followed by two more SexTV specials: Utopia: Love & Sex in a Perfect World (Feb. 23, 10 p.m. on CITY-TV) and Gay Hollywood: The Last Taboo (March 2, 10 p.m., CITY-TV).

* The Language Of Love (Feb. 17, 8 p.m., CBC). Canadian jazz artist Carol Weisman journeys to Rio and Umbria in search of musical amore. Guests include Herbie Hancock, Brazilian Djavan and Italian composer Romano Musumarra.

* As well, Star! is having a Hollywood Sweethearts Weekend, with specials featuring Ashton Kutcher, George Clooney, Halle Berry and Cameron Diaz, among others (Saturday and Sunday). The Movie Network has cued up some romantic films for the 14th, including Lost In Translation (11:25 a.m.), The Goodbye Girl (1:10 p.m.), Something's Gotta Give (8 p.m.) and 50 First Dates (10:15, all on MMORE). MESCAPE has oldies but goodies Casablanca (4 p.m.) plus Dirty Dancing (8 p.m.).

* For kids, Teletoon has a Valentine's Day exclusive interview with Johnny Bravo, a.k.a. God's Gift To Women (6 p.m.). At least he's not blabbing to some sex therapist.

Britain's Prince Charles to Marry Camilla Parker Bowles

LONDON (Reuters) - British heir to the throne Prince Charles announced Thursday he will marry long-time lover Camilla Parker Bowles, the woman blamed for destroying his "fairytale" marriage to the late Princess Diana.

Aware of public misgivings over his lover, Charles ruled out Camilla becoming queen once he assumes the throne.

His mother Queen Elizabeth, who had been slow to accept the divorced mother of two into the royal midst, wished the pair well for their April 8 wedding in Windsor Castle, west of London.

The couple, lovers during Charles' tumultuous marriage to Diana, plan a quiet, civil ceremony. It will be in sharp contrast to the dazzling church wedding to Diana, which was beamed worldwide from St Paul's Cathedral in London.

"Mrs. Parker Bowles and I are absolutely delighted. It will be a very special day for us and our families," 56-year-old Charles said in a statement.

Camilla, 57, will take the official title of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall after marriage.

Once Charles becomes king, his wife will be called Princess Consort, a fudge aimed at killing off constitutional controversy and one that legal experts said will demand a change in the law.

Charles was divorced in 1996 from Diana, who blamed "rottweiler" Parker Bowles and the prying media for the break-up of what had promised to be a dream union.

Charles' sons William and Harry, next in line to the throne after their father, have also accepted Parker Bowles, who shares official rooms with their father at his London residence.

Parker Bowles is the great love of Charles' life -- the pair met in their 20s at a polo match and share a passion for country pursuits -- but she has faced an uphill struggle to rival his former wife in the public's affection.

ESTABLISHMENT RALLIES

Opinion polls show most Britons have gradually accepted the idea of their marrying but balk at Camilla ever becoming queen.

Now their fears have been assuaged with a formula that constitutional expert David Starkey derided as "an ill-thought out compromise."

Once Charles succeeds his 78-year-old mother Queen Elizabeth, he will be titular head of the Church of England, which overcame clerical objections to his marrying a divorcee.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who heads the world's Anglicans, will preside over "a service of prayer and dedication" after the civil ceremony, bestowing establishment approval on their controversial union.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, who famously mourned "People's Princess" Diana after her death in a 1997 Paris car crash, welcomed Charles's marriage as "very happy news."

NO DIANA

Charles and Camilla had a two-year love affair after first meeting in their 20s; Camilla then married cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles, divorcing him in 1995.

Charles admitted in 1994 that he and Camilla had resumed their affair after his marriage had irretrievably broken down.

Diana memorably said on national television "there were three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded," while he was secretly taped sharing intimate pillow talk with his lover.

Charles' biographer Penny Junor said of the marriage announcement: "This will divide opinion and some people will think it is the end of the world. But once it has happened, people will accept it.

"He's very much in love with her and she with him. That's just the way it is."

JAY: 'I WASN'T CLOSE TO JOHNNY'

Though he succeeded Johnny Carson as host of "The Tonight Show," Jay Leno admits he and Carson were not close.

Leno put his relationship with Carson in perspective yesterday on "The View." It was the first time Leno had talked about Carson in any public venue other than "The Tonight Show" since Carson's death Jan. 23.

"We were all very sad when we heard about Johnny Carson's death and you did this wonderful tribute," co-host Barbara Walters said to Leno, referring to the special "Tonight Show" Leno hosted Jan. 24, just one day after Carson died, that paid loving tribute to his legendary predecessor.

"You said you still feel like a guest in his house . . .," Walters said.

"Well, yeah, I think that's true," said Leno, who was on hand to help "The View" inaugurate a week of broadcasts from Los Angeles.

"Johnny built 'The Tonight Show' and made it what it is," Leno said, "and, you know, it's a very tricky situation to be in because I did not have a close relationship with Johnny.

"He was always very nice to me and very kind to me. And whenever we needed a piece of tape, I would call over to the office once in a while and say, 'Oh, we have Sally Fields [sic] on. Could we have a piece of tape from, like, 1974 when she was a kid?' And he was always very gracious to us.

"But I can't say that I was close to the man. I would have liked to have been, but I wasn't."

Leno was Carson's permanent guest host for about four years before he won the job as host of the show following Carson's retirement in May 1992.

DIRTY 'DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES'

'Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry says the show's hotly anticipated DVD will include censored scenes too hot for ABC.

"Certain actresses [on the show] really don't like to wear bras," Cherry says. "We try to accommodate them as much as possible. We do a lot of blurring."

Cherry also says that one unaired scene, featuring "Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan (Edie Britt) in her skivvies, could be included on the show's DVD version.

"We didn't realize how skimpy her underwear was," Cherry says in a report that appeared first on the TV industry website, jackmyers.com.

"Housewives," the season's highest-rated new show, has raised eyebrows with its racy content centered around the women of Wisteria Lane.

DVDs of TV shows have become a marketing bonanza, reaping huge profits for studios, stars and creators. And "extras" — like new scenes — often help sell the discs.

Nowadays, a DVD of a show's first season can be issued immediately after the show's inaugural season has wrapped — a likely scenario for "Housewives," which has generated the most attention this TV season and grabbed a raft of awards.

Cherry says other deleted "Housewives" content that could grace a DVD include an S&M sequence featuring Sharon Lawrence and Steven Culp, who plays Bree Van De Kamp's husband, Rex.

"Standards and practices went nuts," Cherry says, and the scene had to be cut.

And it won't just be naughty stuff that will find its way into the DVD, officials say.

"We've got a couple of plots that are going to make much more sense once you see what we've cut out," Cherry says.

Tame Super Bowl Still Draws FCC Complaints

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) In stark contrast to last year's wardrobe malfunction-dominated Super Bowl, viewers were apparently relatively comfortable with Sunday's (Feb. 6) football action and its surrounding entertainments and commercials. Through Monday, the Federal Communications Commission has reportedly only received 33 comments stemming from the game, including several complimenting the broadcast.

According to "Mediaweek," most of the complaints stem from the expensive commercials that aired during the game. The GoDaddy.com ad featuring a curvaceous brunette, received the bulk of the ire. Eight people wrote in about the spot, which FOX and the NFL refused to air a second time. Five more people took offense at the ad for erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, while one lone viewer was disgusted by a Pepsi spot featuring lusty "Queer Eye" star Carson Kressley.

Paul McCartney's halftime show generated four complaints, though two of them kvetched about how boring the former Beatle was. Two others took exception to the drug references in one of McCartney's songs.

At least one viewer, probably misjudging the FCC's power, asked that the regulatory agency have Joe Buck removed from the announcing crew.

While those isolated complainers may have had concerns about the Super Bowl content, the normally pugnacious Parents Television Council was entirely copasetic with the game and its surrounding festivities.

"The PTC commends FOX, the NFL and its advertisers for displaying a modicum of respect for the many viewers who voiced concern about last years Super Bowl broadcast," the PTC says in a statement. "The PTC also thanks each and every viewer who took the time to voice his or her concern for the wholly inappropriate content which Viacom arrogantly dumped into our living rooms."

The "Mediaweek" article notes that more complaints may still be coming. It seems highly unlikely, though, that Sunday's game will distort the entire media landscape in the same manner as last year's game.

Rock icons Cummings, Bachman among inductees to Songwriters Hall of Fame

TORONTO (CP) - They've been festooned with awards through the last few decades, but rock icons Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings agree their latest honour is the big enchilada - having their songs recognized as timeless pieces of Canadian history.

In a ceremony Tuesday night, the pair joined a list of inductees into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame that included Quebec artist Claude Leveillee and ragtime pioneer Shelton Brooks. "I have never been as proud to be a Canadian as this evening," Cummings said.

"To me this is right at the top of the list," Cummings said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"You know gold records are beautiful and everything but they are (awarded) for sales. But the songwriting award itself, this is where it all starts."

Cummings and Bachman, who performed an extended version of The Guess Who hit No Sugar, were given their award by another music legend, Gordon Lightfoot, who said Cummings and Bachman "could be considered the foundation of the rock scene here in Canada."

In a joking tribute to his partner Tuesday night Bachman said of Cummings "he was born to be wild and I was born to be mild."

Earlier, Bachman, fresh from rehearsing The Guess Who song No Time with Cummings and a band consisting of stars Tom Cochrane and Jeff Healey, said: "Somebody told me way back when I was a teenager learning to play guitar... 'There's always going to be a younger, faster guitar player, but if you can write good songs... that song will come back and last forever.' "

A case in point is their famed hit American Woman, which has recently seen a revival in films such as the Oscar-winning American Beauty. Rocker Lenny Kravitz covered the song in the Austin Powers comedy The Spy Who Shagged Me, making it a hit again around the world, a fact some found curious since Kravitz is an American, singing a song perceived to be anti-U.S.

But Cummings reiterated what he has said in the past, that the song was not meant to be a political metaphor. Instead, he said, it really was about women.

"We had been touring the States incessantly and then we came back to Canada and as I looked out from the stage the girls just seemed to be younger and fresher (than Americans)," he explained.

"So my thought process was not American woman, stay away from me, but Canadian woman I prefer you to the American woman."

But he admits the lines about war machines and ghetto scenes could be construed to be political, yet he dismisses them as being largely "gobbledygook."

Nonetheless, Cummings and Bachman are happy about their success with the song.

This is the second year for the fledgling Hall of Fame.

It currently exists only as a website, but the stated aim of the non-profit organization is to honour the accomplishments of Canadian popular music songwriters. The Canadian Music Publishers Association and the Songwriters Association of Canada are also involved.

Buffy Sainte-Marie put in an appearance at the gala after flying in from her home in Hawaii to sing her antiwar anthem Universal Soldier.

That song was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The show gave Bachman and Cummings yet another chance to relive their heyday.

But Cummings noted their songs are being kept very much alive as movies continue to assemble soundtracks using hits of yesteryear. Cummings joked about seeing 1999's American Beauty.

"I tell people this is why Kevin Spacey (news) got the Oscar, because when he gets in the car and lights up a big joint and starts driving away, he pushes the cassette deck in and American Woman comes on. I was sitting alone in a theatre and I floated about a foot off my seat," he said.

Chris Noth Has New 'Law & Order' Duty

LOS ANGELES - Chris Noth's guest appearance this weekend on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" is the start of something big. Noth, who left the original "Law & Order" 10 years ago, will become a regular on the spinoff beginning next season, series spokeswoman Pam Ruben Golum said Tuesday.

He will split duties with current series lead Vincent D'Onofrio, who's continuing as police Detective Robert Goren. Each actor will appear in 11 episodes for the fifth season. The NBC series airs at 9 p.m. EST Sunday.

Noth's casting will ease the work load for D'Onofrio, who was hospitalized briefly last year for exhaustion.

"The hardest job in show business is being a single lead on an hour drama series," said "Law & Order" creator and executive producer Dick Wolf. "Vincent has done an unbelievable job for the last four seasons, but after 3 1/2 years, the grueling pace finally took its toll."

He called Noth's addition to the show an "ideal solution."

Noth, who was Sarah Jessica Parker's love interest, Mr. Big, on HBO's "Sex and the City," will again play police Detective Mike Logan, his character from 1990-95 on "Law & Order."

Genie Award nominees announced

TORONTO (CP) - Nominees for the 25th annual Genie Awards - the Canadian version of the Oscars - were unveiled Tuesday by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

Being Julia, the Robert Lantos film that stars Annette Bening, was nominated for best picture, along with Love Sex and Eating the Bones, the Triplets of Belleville and two French-language films Ma Vie en Cinemascope (My Life in Cinemascope) and Memoires affectives (Looking for Alexander)

Andrea Martin, who is currently starring on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, will host the awards this year, the academy announced.

"Things haven't gone too well since my SCTV days," Martin joked to a news conference in a taped segment from New York.

"So when the kids in Canada found me on the street and said would you host this, the Genie thing - the I Dream of Genie thing - I said yeah . . . bring on the bling."

Her sister Marcia Martin will be executive producer of the Genie telecast.

Filmmaker Atom Egoyan and his wife, actor Arsinee Khanjian, announced this year's nominees.

"It's an ongoing festival in this country that goes on with every film that we produce," said Khanjian. "I think that is something that remains our first and foremost task to be able to make it not only available but make people aware - the audiences per se - that we have one of the richest production pools in this country."

CHUM Television stations, including Citytv outlets in Toronto and Vancouver, Star, Bravo and Access will be broadcasting the awards, which will take place March 21.

BEST MOTION PICTURE
MEILLEUR FILM
BEING JULIA - Robert Lantos
LOVE, SEX & EATING THE BONES - Jennifer Holness
MA VIE EN CINÉMASCOPE - Denise Robert, Daniel Louis
MÉMOIRES AFFECTIVES / LOOKING FOR ALEXANDER - Barbara Shrier
LES TRIPLETTES DE BELLEVILLE / THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE - Paul Cadieux

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
ISABELLE BLAIS - Les aimants / Love and Magnets
CÉLINE BONNIER - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
PASCALE BUSSIÈRES - Ma vie en cinémascope
EMILY HAMPSHIRE -Blood
JACINTHE LAGÜE - Elles étaient cinq / The Five of Us

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
MICHEL CÔTÉ - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
ROY DUPUIS - Mémoires affectives / Looking for Alexander
DAVID LA HAYE - Nouvelle-France
IAN MCKELLEN - emile
NICK STAHL - Twist

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
JULIETTE GOSSELIN - Nouvelle-France
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH - Childstar
SYLVIE MOREAU - Les aimants / Love and Magnets
ELLEN PAGE - Wilby Wonderful
SUSANA SALAZAR - A Silent Love

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
GARY FARMER - Twist
BRENDAN FEHR - Sugar
BRUCE GREENWOOD - Being Julia
JEAN LAPOINTE - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
KYLE MACLACHLAN - Touch of Pink

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION
MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
DENISE FILIATRAULT - Ma vie en cinémascope
PIERRE HOULE - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
BRONWEN HUGHES - Stander
FRANCIS LECLERC - Mémoires affectives / Looking for Alexander
DAVID "SUDZ" SUTHERLAND - Love, Sex & Eating the Bones

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
DENISE FILIATRAULT - Ma vie en cinémascope
FEDERICO HIDALGO, PAULINA ROBLES - A Silent Love
FRANCIS LECLERC, MARCEL BEAULIEU - Mémoires affectives / Looking for Alexander
DON MCKELLAR, MICHAEL GOLDBACH - Childstar
DAVID "SUDZ" SUTHERLAND - Love, Sex & Eating the Bones

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
JOËL CHAMPETIER, DANIEL ROBY - La peau blanche / White Skin
JERRY CICCORITTI - Blood
LUC DIONNE, SYLVAIN GUY - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
TODD KLINCK, JAIE LAPLANTE, JOHN PALMER - Sugar
JACOB TIERNEY - Twist

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
MEILLEURES IMAGES
LOUIS DE ERNSTED - Nouvelle-France
BERNARD COUTURE - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
PIERRE MIGNOT - Ma vie en cinémascope
PAUL SAROSSY - Head in the Clouds
ANDRÉ TURPIN - Childstar

ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
MEILLEUR MONTAGE
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BERGERON - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
RICHARD COMEAU - Elles étaient cinq / The Five of Us
DOMINIQUE FORTIN - Head in the Clouds
REGINALD HARKEMA - Childstar
YVANN THIBODEAU - Ma vie en cinémascope

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE
MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
BENOIT CHAREST - Les Triplettes de Belleville / The Triplets of Belleville
MICHEL CORRIVEAU - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
PIERRE DUCHESNE - Mémoires affectives / Looking for Alexander
TERRY FREWER - Head in the Clouds
CHARLES PAPASOFF - La Lune viendra d'elle-même / So the Moon Rises

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG
MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE
REBECCA JENKINS - Wilby Wonderful - "Something's Coming"
KYPRIOS - Childstar -" Ignorance is Beautiful (Help Me)"
LUC PLAMONDON, PATRICK DOYLE - Nouvelle-France - "Ma Nouvelle France"
RON PROULX, JACOB TIERNEY - Twist - "Pantaloon in Black"
LORRAINE RICHARD, MICHEL CUSSON, PIERRE HOULE - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly - "Le Blues de Monica"

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ANDRÉ-LINE BEAUPARLANT - Camping Sauvage
JEAN BÉCOTTE - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
JONATHAN LEE, GILLES AIRD - Head in the Clouds
MICHEL PROULX - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
JEAN-BAPTISTE TARD - Nouvelle-France

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
MEILLEURS COSTUMES
FRANÇOIS BARBEAU - Nouvelle-France
MARIO DAVIGNON - Head in the Clouds
MICHÈLE HAMEL - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
SOPHIE LEFEBVRE - Camping Sauvage
DENIS SPERDOUKLIS - Ma vie en cinémascope

ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND
MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
PIERRE BLAIN, JO CARON, MICHEL DESCOMBES, GAVIN FERNANDES - Head in the Clouds
CHRISTIAN BOUCHARD, LUC BOUDRIAS, JOCELYN CARON, CLOVIS GOUAILLIER, BENOIT LEDUC - Mémoires affectives / Looking for Alexander
DOMINIQUE CHARTRAND, GAVIN FERNANDES, PIERRE PAQUET - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel
DEAN HUMPHREYS, TODD BECKETT, DAVID LEE - Resident Evil: Apocalypse
NICOLE THOMPSON, JEFF CARTER, BRAD HILLMAN, MIGUEL NUNES - emile

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
MARIE-CLAUDE GAGNÉ, GUY FRANCOEUR, GUY PELLETIER, CLAIRE POCHON, JEAN-PHILIPPE SAVARD - Camping Sauvage
CRAIG HENIGHAN, STEPHEN BARDEN, TONY LEWIS, NATHAN ROBITAILLE
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
MARCEL POTHIER, NATALIE FLEURANT, GUY FRANCOEUR, ANTOINE MORIN, GUY PELLETIER - Head in the Clouds
MARCEL POTHIER, NATALIE FLEURANT, GUY FRANCOEUR, CAROLE GAGNON, ANTOINE MORIN - Monica la mitraille / Machine Gun Molly
CHRISTIAN RIVEST - Le Dernier Tunnel / The Last Tunnel

BEST DOCUMENTARY
MEILLEUR DOCUMENTAIRE
THE CORPORATION - Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, Bart Simpson
MR. MERGLER'S GIFT - Beverly Shaffer, Germaine Ying-Gee Wong
WHAT REMAINS OF US -François Prévost, Yves Bisaillon, Hugo Latulippe

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA
MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE
CAPACITÉ 11 PERSONNES - Gaël d'Ynglemare, Yves Fortin
CHOKE - David Hyde, Tyler Levine, Carolyn Newman
DESASTRE - Jay Field
THE DOG WALKER - James Genn, Andrew Rosen, Geoffrey Turnbull
TV DINNER...(BURP!) - Vanessa-Tatjana Beerli, Antonello Cozzolino, Annie Normandin

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION
L'HOMME SANS OMBRE - Georges Schwizgebel, Marcel Jean
LOUISE - Anita Lebeau, Michael Scott, Jennifer Torrance
MABEL'S SAGA / LE VOYAGE DE MABELLE - JoDee Samuelson, Kent Martin
RYAN - Chris Landreth, Steven Hoban, Marcy Page, Mark Smith
THROUGH MY THICK GLASSES - Pjotr Sapegin, Marcel Jean, David Reiss-Anderson

Five Nominated Acts Will Open Grammys

NEW YORK - The 47th Annual Grammy Awards show will open with five music acts.

The show, airing live Sunday from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on CBS, will begin with performances by five nominated artists: the Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani (performing with Eve), Los Lonely Boys, Maroon5 and Franz Ferdinand.

They will perform separately across three stages at the start of the broadcast, the Recording Academy announced Tuesday.

Usher, who is nominated for eight Grammys, joins previously announced performers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Green Day, Alicia Keys, U2 and Tim McGraw, The Recording Academy also announced. Also planned is a tribute to Ray Charles featuring Bonnie Raitt and Billy Preston, and a salute to Southern Rock with Gretchen Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and others.

Queen Latifah will host the show, which airs at 8 p.m. (EST).

The Couch Potato Report - February 8th, 2005

In The Couch Potato Report this week, one of the best films of the 80's, one of the best TV show's of the 80's and two films released in the 21st century.

To me, a movie is a movie is a movie.

Whether it is live action, animated, a comedy, a drama, a sappy love story, science fiction, a documentary, or a combination of all of those. They are all movies.

A movie is a movie is a movie.

But I know that others don't think that way. The Academy Of Motion Pictures Of Arts and Sciences doesn't see comedies the same way they see dramas and most film goers still think that animated films are cartoons for kids.

Sure, many adults went to see the SHREK films and FINDING NEMO, but the majority of adults that did go, went with a kid.

I, on the other had, go to see animated films just to be entertained, not to entertain someone.

A movie is a movie is a movie.

Our first movie this week is SHARK TALE.

SHARK TALE features Will Smith from MEN IN BLACK as the voice of Oscar, a lowly tongue-scrubber at the local Whale Wash.

When a shark accidentally kills himself Oscar just happens to be right there, prompting all of the undersea creatures to believe that Oscar killed the shark himself.

That lie makes Oscar a celebrity and he becomes revered by the general fish population, lusted after by a golddigger, missed by his best friend, hunted by the godfather of great white sharks, and he befriends a vegetarian shark named Lenny, who may or may not be able to make everything alright.

Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger, Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese are just a few of the well known Hollywood stars who lend their voices to this entertaining film.

I was hoping I didn't have to bring it up, but comparisons between SHARK TALE and FINDING NEMO are inevitable. The films both take place under water, and they were released in close proximity of each other.

So, to compare the two head to head, FINDING NEMO is a wonderfully fun film to watch and each one of its scenes gives you something new to see, feel and experience.

SHARK TAKE, on the other hand, is entertaining, and I liked it a lot, but it never excels at anything, and every single thing plays out like you think it will.

That said, it is the performances of the cast of SHARK TALE that make the film better than it is, or better than is should be.

Simply put, FINDING NEMO is a classic, SHARK TALE is now available on video and DVD.

Also now available on DVD - finally - is the two disc Special Edition of the classic film RAGING BULL. This edition has been out in Europe for years, and now we fans of this 1980 Academy Award winner can enjoy it as well.

RAGING BULL is Martin Scorsese's brutal black-and-white biography of self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta. This is the film that Scorsese should have won an Oscar for making as it is a complete knockout of a film!

Robert De Niro plays LaMotta, a man who is just as fascinating as he is pathetic and the fight scenes are astounding. It is not a film that I would recommend to everyone as the language and violence are excessive at times.

But when RAGING BULL was made, Scorsese and DeNiro were at the top of their game, and the result is a classic movie.

The two-disc SPECIAL EDITION features three commentary tracks, a documentary on the writing, casting, and preproduction of the film, an in-depth look at the choreography and the shooting of the fight scenes, a shot-by-shot comparison of De Niro and LaMotta in the ring, newsreel footage of the real LaMotta and much, much more!

For better or for worse, I was able to compare SHARK TALE to FINDING NEMO.

For RAGING BULL there is no comparison.

It stands alone.

A TV show that stood alone in the last part of the 1980's was MIAMI VICE.

MIAMI VICE ran from 1984 until 1989 and was set in and around the seedy side of Miami. The show featured a never-ending array of criminals, drug dealers and lowlifes.

Don Johnson was Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas played Rico Tubbs, but Jan Hammer's unforgettable music was as much a star of the show as any of the actors.

In it's day, MIAMI VICE was a TV show, but it looked and sounded like a movie.

That was due to the fact that it had high production values, featured stylish clothing, and was full of the music from familiar artists of the time like Glenn Frey, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, U2 and Peter Gabriel.

Now, all twenty-two episodes of the first season of the show are available in the three-disc box set MIAMI VICE - SEASON ONE.

I remain a huge MIAMI VICE fan and I enjoyed watching the episodes again.

The show's executive producer was Michael Mann. He is the the director of such films as COLLATERAL, HEAT and THE INSIDER. Mann is working on a feature film version of this iconic show that is set to star Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.

The film is guaranteed to be a lot of fun, but it won't really be MIAMI VICE.

MIAMI VICE will forever be a show firmly rooted in the '80s, thanks to the show itself, and a great new DVD box set.

If you are a fan of old television shows on DVD, the first seasons of NIGHT COURT, THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR and FULL HOUSE are now available as well.

Our final new release this week is the sweet and cliché filled THE NOTEBOOK.

And I won't mince words about this love story based on the popular Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name - I loved it!

It is the kind of movie that made me wish I was in love!

THE NOTEBOOK is about two teenagers and two elder people loving couples in the early 1940s and present-day North Carolina.

As we meet the young pair, he is poor and she is rich, but you can't deny love.

The pleasure in this film is watching the love between the couples, as the juniors meet and fall in love, demonstrating their love at every turn, and how the seniors love is unspoken.

Yes, it is sweet and and it is cliché, but I enjoyed it for what it was - a good movie.

And as I like to say, a movie is a movie is a movie.

THE NOTEBOOK, SHARK TALE, the RAGING BULL - SPECIAL EDITION, the complete first seasons of MIAMI VICE, NIGHT COURT, THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR and FULL HOUSE are all available now at your favourite local video store.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT

The Motorcycle Diaries is a portrait of the young communist revolutionary Che Guevara. It is a film that is half buddy-movie, half social commentary.

Also next week, I'll talk about ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, RAY, COLLATERAL, SPIDER-MAN 2 and the other Academy Award nominated films that are now available on video and DVD. Just in case you'd like to see some of them prior to Oscar's big night.

I'm Dan Reynish and I'll have all of that 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!

PlayStation Portable gets March release date

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Last Thursday Sony Corp. said it will release the PlayStation Portable in North America on March 24 and have one million units ready for sale in the first week.

The PSP game machine, a challenger to Nintendo Co.'s long-standing grip on the handheld video gaming market, will be sold as a "value pack" for $249 US and $299 Cdn. It will include numerous accessories and a copy of the Spider-Man 2 movie on the new Universal Media Disc format that Sony designed for the PSP.

Sony said it has already shipped 800,000 PSPs in Japan, where it went on sale on Dec. 12 for about $190 US.

By comparison, Nintendo's newest product, the Nintendo DS sells for $150 US. It was among the must-have Christmas gadgets, with 1.5 million sold worldwide since its release in late November.

The PSP is designed, however, with more multimedia features. It can play digital music, movies and display photos on its 11-centimetre colour display, using Sony's 1.8-gigabyte UMD discs or a Memory Stick.

Sony said 24 game titles will be available around the time of the launch with prices starting at $40 US each.

CTV-Rogers score Olympics rights

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (CP) — The Olympics have a new TV home in Canada. And for the first time the price tag of the Winter Games has exceeded that of the Summer Games.

A consortium led by Bell Globemedia, incorporating CTV and Rogers Communications, was awarded Canadian television rights Monday for the plum 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 Summer Olympics, another high-profile event with a quintet of glamourous cities bidding to host.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said the winning bid was $153 million US, an increase of 124 per cent on the $73 million spent for the 2006 and 2008 Games.

Of that, $90 million US is for the 2010 Games and $63 million for the 2012 Games.

“This is the first time that the amount for the Games exceeds the Summer Games,” IOC Finance Commission chairman Richard Carrion told an IOC news conference.

“We certainly believe that 2010 will be the biggest sport events in Canada this decade, may well be the biggest event in Canada this decade,” added Ivan Fecan, president and CEO of Bell Globemedia.

“We really felt we needed to be part of it and right at the centre of it. We also think there’s a huge amount of interest, from viewers and advertisers for 2010.”

The winning bid offers a wide-ranging Olympic menu of networks. CTV’s subsidiaries include TSN, TQS, RDS and the Outdoor Life Network. Rogers holdings includes Rogers Sportsnet and the Omni channels, plus radio stations.

The winning bid offers round-the-clock coverage.

CTV will get the glamour items on the Olympic calendar, with TSN and Rogers Sportsnet offering more indepth look at certain events. Outdoor Life will also play a role, as will the consortium’s ethnic and aboriginal stations.

In Quebec, TQS will be the main carrier with RDS also helping out in coverage.

More than 4,000 hours of coverage is planned.

Fecan called it the “most inclusive (Olympic) coverage” in Canada.

CBC paid a Canadian record $45 million US for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, part of a $165-million US package deal for five Olympics back in 1998.

In contrast, CTV paid $4.3 million US in 1988 for rights to the Calgary Games.

The IOC declined to specify financial details from the CBC bid. But CBC’s website, citing sources, said “there was a wide disparity in the amount of money each camp was willing to offer.”

Fecan called his offer “a strategic but responsible bid.”

It’s more bad news for CBC Sports, which is already suffering from the NHL lockout. There had been speculation the network might reduce its amateur sports coverage if it lost the bid.

The loss is also a blow to the prestige of the CBC, which has broadcast every Olympics since 1996, recently sharing coverage with TSN. It also holds the rights to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

“We would like to acknowledge the CBC for their efforts,” Carrion said. “They’ve been an excellent partner and will continue to be our partner in 2006 in Turin and 2008 in Beijing.

“This was obviously a very good result for the IOC. It was a very hotly contested negotiation.”

CTV broadcast the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, the ‘92 Summer Games in Barcelona and the ‘94 Winter Games in Lillehammer.

One source told The Canadian Press that CBC went into the bidding knowing they didn’t have enough cash to win.

“They knew their bid was not going to be enough,” said the source.

“What the strategy was, if it was close, people would look at the fact CBC does a good job of broadcasting the Games and is pretty dedicated to amateur sports in the country.”

But the decision is a resounding victory for the alliance of private broadcasters, led by CTV Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc., and points to the intertwining of media interests.

CTV is owned by BCE Inc., which also owns Bell Canada. Bell paid $200 million Cdn for the telecommunication rights for the 2010 Games.

London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris are all vying to host the 2012 Games. The IOC will decide the 2012 host city July 6 in Singapore.

The stakes are high because of 2010. With the Games in Vancouver, Canadian interest will be sky-high.

NBC has already paid $2.201 billion US for the American television rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics. That deal included $820 million US for the 2010 Games.

The IOC will share a percentage of television revenues with the Vancouver Games organizing committee.

Monday’s decision came after each network made a two-hour presentation and then handed over a sealed bid.

The CBC option involved its main network, CBC Newsworld, its French service, the digital channel CBC Country Canada and its radio network. CBC was also allied with The Score on this bid, giving it another cable outlet.

'Raging Bull' returns to the ring

Raging Bull, considered one of the greatest American films, won neither the Oscar for best picture nor best director for Martin Scorsese in 1981.

The film that won those awards was Ordinary People, while Raging Bull's Robert De Niro won for best actor, and Thelma Schoonmaker won for editing.

That outcome convinced Scorsese that perhaps his destiny was not entwined with an Oscar.

"I said, 'It's OK. Look at the film you got to make.' Certain types of films don't sit well within the system itself. So you just be glad you got to make them."

At 62, Scorsese finds himself on the verge of academy recognition again. The Aviator leads with 11 Oscar nominations, including best director and best picture, going into Feb. 27's Academy Awards.

Today, as part of the campaign to get him that Oscar, a 25th-anniversary edition DVD of Raging Bull is in stores ($30 or $50 as part of The Martin Scorsese Film Collection, which also includes New York, New York, The Last Waltz and Boxcar Bertha).

The DVD is loaded with extras: three commentary tracks and new interviews with Scorsese, De Niro, co-star Joe Pesci and crewmembers and comparison footage of De Niro and boxer Jake LaMotta.

"When the film came out, it got some nice reviews and some bad reviews," Scorsese says. "I was surprised it got (eight) nominations. It was a tough film with its language and action. Ten to 12 years later, people started saying they really liked it. That brought the film to the attention of a new generation."

Raging Bull was voted the greatest film of the '80s in three polls and tied for sixth (with Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo) on the Top Ten All-Time director's list conducted in 2002 by British film magazine Sight & Sound.

"It may have been the best film of the decade despite the fact that in a lapse of sanity, I put it No. 2 on my list for the year it was released," says film critic Roger Ebert, author of The Great Movies II (Broadway Books, $29.95). He puts the film in his all-time top 10.

For more than five years, De Niro had nagged Scorsese about making a movie based on LaMotta's autobiography. While Scorsese was in the hospital recovering from what he told Playboy magazine was "a period of excess," De Niro told him that he should make the movie because he knew the material: that of a self-destructive personality.

De Niro's physical transformation to play LaMotta through the years was a shape-shifting accomplishment that was followed more recently by Charlize Theron in Monster and Nicole Kidman in The Hours. He dropped to 152 pounds for the lean welterweight LaMotta and ballooned to 212 for the retired version of the character.

Producer Irwin Winkler remembers halting production for several months while De Niro gained the weight. "My office door opened suddenly one day, and there was a very rotund man walking in with a big smile. I was about to throw him out, and it was Bob," Winkler says.

De Niro's intensity as LaMotta could be frightening, such as when he confronts Pesci's character about a rumored affair with LaMotta's wife.

"When he stands up and he looks at his brother, he just became Jake LaMotta. It doesn't even seem like acting," Schoonmaker says.

LaMotta was one of several fatalistic protagonists Scorsese has chronicled, from Mean Streets' Johnny Boy to Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle and now The Aviator's Howard Hughes. Like LaMotta, Hughes' story travels "the path I like," Scorsese says. "He had a serious tragic flaw, and there was a price he had to pay for his genius. It's a film about the spectacle of flying and making films, and at the same time, it's about the fear of touching a doorknob."

Pitt takes a Super Bowl ad and runs with it

Brad Pitt finally has diverted the world's attention from his breakup with Jennifer Aniston by mocking the celebrity-obsessed media in a Super Bowl beer commercial.

The 60-second spot, which has Pitt running from paparazzi while trying to buy a six-pack of Heineken, was a hot topic Monday on the Internet. The background song was The Styx classic Renegade, with sample lyrics: "The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me."

At the end of the ad, Pitt calls someone for a ride home. Guessing who that would be now that he is separated from Aniston was a subject of much online speculation.

"It's the biggest mystery since Bill Murray whispered in Scarlett Johansson's ear at the end of Lost in Translation," Noelle Hancock wrote on celebrity Web site Gawker.com.

The ad aired in select cities because Anheuser-Busch's deal as the exclusive national beer advertiser on the game limits other beer ads to regional buys.

According to a source with knowledge of the costs, the total bill came to about $5 million, including ad time and production expenses. That would leave Pitt earning $1 million to $2 million.

The spot was directed by David Fincher, who also directed Pitt in Seven and Fight Club. It was created by the Weiden + Kennedy agency in Amsterdam, where Heineken is based.

Heineken USA spokesman Dan Tearno says the ad, which was shot specifically for the Super Bowl, will never air again in the USA. It was widely circulating Monday on the Internet.

"We've had tremendous feedback," says Tearno, who declined to discuss specifics, citing an agreement with Pitt. "It's clear that our commercial will go down as one of the Super Bowl's most memorable moments."

Many celebrities do ads for overseas markets, but major stars shun ads in the USA, although that has been changing. Nicole Kidman is the new face of Chanel No. 5. Catherine Zeta-Jones has a contract with T-mobile. Robert De Niro appears in an American Express ad.

The Heineken ad worked, says Glenn Pere of Pere Partnership advertising agency in New York, because fans recognized Pitt's personal challenges with the paparazzi. "Everyone feels sorry for him. And they take it that if anyone knows anything about beer, it's going to be Brad Pitt."

New Tunage!

Here are the new music releases for Tuesday, February 8th, 1005:

3 Doors Down Seventeen Days (w/Bob Seger on single "Landing in London") (Universal Motown)

The 5 Browns (classical pianist siblings) The 5 Browns (DualDisc w/music videos and interviews) (BMG Classics)

Tara Angell Come Down (produced by Joseph Arthur) (Rykodisc)

Steve Barton (ex-frontman for Translator) Charm Offensive (produced by Ed Stasium; w/cover of The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home") (Sleepless)

Big Fuzz (ex-Deep Banana Blackout) Exercising the Demons (2004 release on new label) (Harmonized)

Andrew Bird The Mysterious Production of Eggs (Righteous Babe)

Bird Show (Ben Vida of Town & Country) Green Inferno (Kranky)

Michael Bublé It's Time (Reprise)

Dälek Absence (Ipecac)

Carlos del Junco Blues Mongrel (Northern Blues)

Devoted Spirits A Tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire (Thump)

Linda Draper One Two Three Four (produced by Kramer) (Planting Seeds)

Eisley Room Noises (Reprise)

Ronny Elliott Valentine Roadkill (Blue Heart)

Eric Felten Meets the Dek-Tette (VSOP)

The Frames Burn the Maps (Anti/Epitaph)

Sage Francis A Healthy Distrust (Epitaph)

Garaj Mahal Mondo Garaj (Harmonized)

Girls Under Glass Zyklus (Metropolis)

The Golden Republic The Golden Republic (Astralwerks)

The Golden Virgins Songs of Praise (Beggars Banquet)

Good Charlotte The Young & the Hopeless (DualDisc) (Epic)

The Grascals The Grascals (Rounder)

Kim & Reggie Harris and Rabbi Jonathan Kligler Let My People Go! (covers of traditional Jewish songs, black spirituals and ‘60s protest songs; guests Tony Levin and David Sancious) (Appleseed)

Glenn Hughes (of Deep Purple) Soul Mover (guests Dave Navarro and Chili Peppers' Chad Smith) (Sanctuary)

Incubus A Crow Left of the Murder... (DualDisc) (Epic)

Karen Jacobsen Here in My Heart (Kurly Queen)

Emer Kenny Cast a Spell (Artemis)

Lagwagon Live in a Dive (Fat Wreck Chords)

Avril Lavigne Under My Skin (DualDisc) (RCA)

Sylvie Lewis Tangos & Tantrums (Cheap Lullabye)

Los Lonely Boys Los Lonely Boys (DualDisc) (Epic)

Lotus Germination and Nomad (Harmonized)

Mardo Mardo (House of Restitution)

Brian McKnight Gemini (Universal Motown)

Lucia Micarelli Music from a Farther Room (Warner Bros.)

The Motet Live and Music for Life (Harmonized)

Paul Motian Trio I Have the Room Above Her (ECM)

New Mexican Erection Co-Dependent (Nasty Cactus)

Outrageous Cherry Our Love Will Change the World (Rainbow Quartz)

Perpetual Groove All This Everything and Sweet Oblivious Antidote (Harmonized)

James Robinson Colors (Favored Nations)

Rocket Science Eternal Holiday (Modular)

The Roosevelts It's So Hard to Make a Sound (Word of Mouth)

Samael Reign of Light (Nuclear Blast)

Sammy and the Wabos (Hagar) Live Hallelujah (DualDisc; live greatest hits; guests Michael Anthony of Van Halen) (Silverline)

Wonderful Smith Hello It's Wonderful (Fundamental)

Sonata Arctica Reckoning Night (Nuclear Blast)

The Soul Rebels Rebelution (Barn Burner Music)

Stray Cats Live from Europe (15 separate releases from 2004 tour) (Surfdog)

Antony & the Johnsons I Am a Bird Now (guests Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, Devandra Barnhardt and Boy George) (Secretly Canadian)

Mia Doi Todd Manzanita (guests Beachwood Sparks, Dead Meadow and members of Brian Jonestown Massacre) (Plug Research)

Trüby Trio Retreated (remixes w/bonus mix CD) (Compost)

Eddie Turner The Harlequin & the Gypsy Girl (Northern Blues)

Ian Tyson Songs for the Gravel Road (Stony Plain)

ulu Nerve (2003 release on new label) (Harmonized)

Velvet Revolver Contraband (DualDisc) (RCA)

Cheryl Wheeler Defying Gravity (Rounder)

Lee Ann Womack There's More Where That Came From (UMG Nashville)

Danny Wright Real Romance (Atlantic)

VA Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know (two CDs; formerly titled "Drive-Thru Records Pure Volume Compilation") (Drive-Thru/Sanctuary)

VA St. Moritz Vibes Vol. 3: Late Vibes (electronica comp.) (Milan)

VA Universal Smash Hits 3 (Universal Motown)

OST Alone in the Dark (Christian Slater/Tara Reid horror film; w/Fear Factory, Dillinger Escape Plan and more) (Nuclear Blast)

OST Deadwood (HBO series) (Lost Highway)

OST Hitch (Will Smith romantic comedy) (Columbia)

OST Lackawanna Blues (HBO film; tracks by Mos Def, Blind Boys of Alabama and Big Joe Turner) (Vanguard)

DVD Digital Video Destruction (w/Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Cattle Decapitation and more) (Metal Blade)

DVD The Cardigans Live in London (Mercury)

DVD The Cranberries Live (Island)

New Rules at Oscars: Not All Winners Take the Stage

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - The long walk down the Oscar aisle will be a lot shorter for some of this year's Academy Awards winners -- in fact, some will not make it to the stage.

Oscars telecast producer Gil Cates told the annual luncheon of nominees on Monday that he had major changes planned for the awards, including not inviting the victors in some categories to the stage.

Instead, Cates said they will receive their awards from a presenter parked in the audience. In other cases, all the nominees in a single category will be invited up on stage and the winner then announced.

And, finally, some nominees will get their Oscars the old-fashioned way, walking down the aisle to the stage after the envelope is opened and the name announced.

Cates said the changes for the 77th annual Academy Awards, to be broadcast on Feb. 27, were aimed both at saving time and making sure that every nominee is seen by a worldwide television audience estimated in the hundred of millions.

Many treasured Oscar moments have involved the trek to the stage, as when Italy's Roberto Benigni was named best actor in 1998 for "Life is Beautiful" and made an elaborate display of climbing over seats and people to get to the stage.

Cates, who this year, as in years past, made an impassioned plea for Oscar winners to keep their acceptance speeches short, said the main reason for the change was to "get more of the nominees seen on television."

As in years past, the luncheon drew a Who's Who in Hollywood to the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

A total of 115 nominees posed for a group photo that featured Leonardo DiCaprio standing in the last row near Clint Eastwood, also up for best actor, and Morgan Freeman, up for best supporting actor. In front of them, stood Jamie Foxx nominated for best actor in "Ray" and that film's director, Taylor Hackford.

In the front row in front of Australian actress Cate Blanchett was diminutive British actress Imelda Staunton, up for a best actress nomination in "Vera Drake," a role that is giving her international recognition for the first time.

Asked how the nomination had changed her life, Staunton dead-panned, "I am totally changed. I won't do any domestic duties at all."

And then when asked if the nomination had led to her being offered more roles, the 49-year-old actress said, "I bloody well hope it does. I'd like to think I am an actress in mid-career, not at the end of one."

Avril leads Juno noms

TORONTO (CP) - The Junos looked with love on a punk princess-turned-woman, a rapper with a conscience and several boy bands that reached the status of rock royalty this past year.

Avril Lavigne led nominations Monday for the annual music showdown, earning five nods including artist of the year, fans' choice and best songwriter. Under My Skin, on which the young star sang about more mature topics, was also nominated for album of the year and best pop album. The CD earned one of its producers, Raine Maida, normally the frontman of Our Lady Peace, a nomination as well.

Diana Krall had four nominations, while K-os, Shania Twain, Billy Talent and Simple Plan received three nominations each.

Punk-pop outfits Billy Talent of Toronto and Simple Plan of Montreal each had a stellar year, selling plenty of CDs and criss-crossing Canada and the U.S. performing in packed venues. The bands, favourites among skateboarding teens, will face off in the best album and group of the year categories.

Crabbuckit, a high-energy track with gospel-style hand claps from Toronto rapper k-os's Joyful Rebellion CD, was among those vying for single of the year.

The others are: River Below by Billy Talent, One Thing by Finger Eleven, Not Ready To Go by The Trews and Party For Two by Twain and Mark McGrath.

Producer Bob Rock, Sum 41, Ron Sexsmith, Marc Jordan, Fefe Dobson, Matt Mays and Feist were double nominees.

Hosted by comedian Brent Butt, the Junos will be awarded April 3 at a ceremony and concert in Winnipeg. As well as crowning the year's kings and queens of the music charts, mainstay rockers the Tragically Hip will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

The bash will be broadcast live on CTV.

There are 39 categories this year including a new one, best adult alternative album. Juno organizers, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, hope the fresh category will embrace some of the country's more eclectic musicians, who often get pushed out of the top categories by mainstream artists.

Mays, Sexsmith, Sarah Harmer, Sarah Slean and Rufus Wainwright will compete for the award.

The best country recording category will see newcomer George Canyon face off against veteran performers Terri Clark, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Shania Twain and Paul Brandt.

Usher, U2, Eminem, Green Day and Norah Jones are up for the title of best international album. The category is entirely based on sales.

Here is the complete list of nominees in the 39 categories announced Monday for the annual Juno Awards, to be celebrated April 3 in Winnipeg:

1. Single of the year: River Below, Billy Talent; One Thing, Finger Eleven; Crabbuckit, k-os; Not Ready to Go, The Trews; Party For Two, Shania Twain with Mark McGrath.

2. Fan choice award: Diana Krall; Avril Lavigne; Sarah McLachlan; Marie-Elaine Thibert; Shania Twain.

3. International album of the year: Encore, Eminem; American Idiot, Green Day; Feels Like Home, Norah Jones; How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2; Confessions, Usher.

4. Francophone album of the year: Ecoute-moi donc, Dany Bedar; Audrey De Montigny, Audrey; J’t’aime tout court, Nicola Ciccone; Marie-Elaine Thibert, Marie-Elaine Thibert; Gros Mammouth Album Turbo, Les Trois Accords.

5. Album of the year: Billy Talent, Billy Talent; Miracle, Celine Dion; The Girl In The Other Room, Diana Krall; Under My Skin, Avril Lavigne; Still Not Getting Any, Simple Plan.

6. Artist of the year: Bryan Adams; Celine Dion; Diana Krall; k.d. lang; Avril Lavigne.

7. Group of the year: Billy Talent; Great Big Sea; Simple Plan; Sum 41; The Tragically Hip.

8. Instrumental album of the year: A Warrior’s Journey, Longhouse; Mi Destino/My Destiny, Oscar Lopez; Celtic Reverie, Loretto Reid & Dan Gibson Solitudes; Rest & Relaxation, Montgomery Smith; Mediterranean Nights, Vehkavaara & Piltch.

9. Pop album of the year: Miracle, Celine Dion; Fefe Dobson, Fefe Dobson; Under My Skin, Avril Lavigne; Home, Ryan Malcolm; Still Not Getting Any, Simple Plan.

10. Rock album of the year: Elocation, Default; Chuck, Sum 41; Seven Circles, The Tea Party; Come Again, Thornley; In Between Evolution, The Tragically Hip.

11. New artist of the year: Keshia Chante; Fefe Dobson; Matt Dusk; Feist; Matt Mays.

12. New group of the year: Alexisonfire; Death From Above 1979; The Marble Index; Thornley; The Waking Eyes.

13. Songwriter of the year: Buck 65 for Wicked and Weird, 463, Sore; Marc Jordan for Let’s Waste Some Time, Shot Down My Heart, Tears of Hercules; Avril Lavigne for Don’t Tell Me, My Happy Ending, Nobody’s Home; Gordie Sampson for Sunburn, Paris, You (Or Somebody Like You); Ron Sexsmith for Whatever It Takes, Not About to Lose, Hard Bargain.

14. Country recording of the year: This Time Around, Paul Brandt; One Good Friend, George Canyon; Girls Lie Too, Terri Clark; Dress Rehearsal, Carolyn Dawn Johnson; Party For Two, Shania Twain with Billy Currington.

15. Adult alternative album of the year: All Of Our Names, Sarah Harmer; Matt Mays, Matt Mays; Retriever, Ron Sexsmith; Day One, Sarah Slean; Want Two, Rufus Wainwright.

16. Rap recording of the year: F.A.M.E., Concise Shoreline; Life’s a Collection Of Experiences, DL Incognito; Joyful Rebellion, k-os; Bang Bang, Kardinal Offishall; Say Something, Kyprios.

17. Alternative album of the year: Funeral The Arcade Fire; Let It Die, Feist; Now, More Than Ever, Jim Guthrie; The Slow Wonder, A.C. Newman; Set Yourself on Fire, Stars.

18: Vocal jazz album of the year: That’s For Me, Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer; Eclipse, Kate Hammett-Vaughan Quintet; Make Believe Ballroom, Marc Jordan; The Girl In The Other Room, Diana Krall; Open Your Eyes, Dione Taylor.

19: Contemporary jazz album of the year: Red Dragonfly (AKA Tombo) Jane Bunnett; 5, Alain Caron; New Danzon, Hilario Duran Trio; City of Neighbourhoods, NOJO with Sam Rivers; Sekoya, Sekoya.

20. Traditional jazz album of the year: Vivid: The David Braid Sextet Live, David Braid; Extra Time, The Mike Murley Quintet; Deep Cove, Ryga / Rosnes Quartet; Exponentially Monk, John Stetch; Elenar, Francois Theberge.

21. Children’s album of the year: Songs for You, Jennifer Gasoi; MathJam K, Judy & David; A Poodle in Paris, Connie Kaldor; Angela May’s Magnificent Musical Menagerie, Angela Kelman; The 5 Elements, Rick Scott & Harry Wong.

22. Classical album of the year, solo or chamber ensemble: Dvo—k, Jan—ek, Smetana: Romantic Pieces, James Ehnes, Eduard Laurel; Nikolai Kapustin Piano Music, Marc-Andre Hamelin; Bach: The English Suites, Angela Hewitt; Takemitsu: Toward the Sea, Robert Aitken, New Music Concerts Ensemble.

23. Classical album of the year, large ensemble or soloist(s) with large ensemble accompaniment: Frenergy: Music of John Estacio, Mario Bernardi, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; Hummel, James Ehnes, London Mozart Players; Mahler: Symphony No. 4, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal Atmaclassique; Dardandus/Le temple de la gloire:Music of Jean-Phillippe Rameau, Jeanne Lamon, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; Borodin, Bramwell Tovey, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

24. Classical album of the year, vocal or choral performance: Cleopatra, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; So Much to Tell, Measha Brueggergosman, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra; Brahms Lieder, Marie-Nicole Lemieux; Bach: Psaume 51, Cantate 82, Karina Gauvin, Daniel Taylor, Violons du Roy; Italian Oratorios, Matthew White, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

25. Classical composition of the year: The Tents of Abraham, Istvan Anhalt, Canadian Composers Portraits: Istvan Anhalt; A Farmer’s Symphony, John Estacio, Frenergy; Nuevas monod“as espanolas, Jose Evangelista, The Art of Touching the Keyboard; Pangaea, Jeffrey Ryan, Variations on a Memory; Third Symphony, Robert Turner, Canadian Composers Portraits: Robert Turner.

26. Dance recording of the year: All Of My Life, Aluna; Feel Love, DJ’s Rule; Money Shot, Hatiras; Ghetto Love - Extended Original Version, Original 3; All Things (Just Keep Getting Better), Widelife with Simone Denny.

27. R&B/soul recording of the year: Gary Beals, Gary Beals; Keshia Chante, Keshia Chante; Resurrected, jacksoul; What It Is, Ray Robinson; More, Tamia.

28. Reggae recording of the year: Empty Barrel, Blessed feat. Kardinal Offishall; WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), Sonia Collymore; Bare as She Dare, Carl Henry feat. Ce’Cile CeSoul; It’s All Bless, Korexion; Uncorrupted, Steele.

29. Aboriginal recording of the year: Green Dress, Wayne Lavallee; Pishimuss, Claude Mckenzie; Full Circle, Pappy Johns Band with Murray Porter; Taima, Taima; KATAKu, Florent Vollant.

30. Roots & traditional album of the year, solo: Michael Jerome Browne & The Twin River String Band, Michael Jerome Browne; The Waking Hour, David Francey; Acoustic Album, Amos Garrett; West Eats Meet, Harry Manx; Hopetown, Jenny Whiteley.

31. Roots & traditional album of the year, group: Let Em Run The Bills; In All Things, Leahy; Jimson Weed, Nathan; Migration, La Volee d’Castors; 40 Days, The Wailin’ Jennys.

32. Blues album of the year: Fresh Horses, Jim Byrnes; No One To Blame, Rita Chiarelli; Come On In, Downchild; Soap Bars & Dog Ears, The Jimmy Bowskill Band; I’m Just a Man, Garrett Mason.

33. Contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year: Red Letterz, Fresh I.E.; Living Water, Aileen Lombardo; Taken, Raylene Scarrott; Here to Stay, Greg Sczebel; Phenomenon, Thousand Foot Krutch.

34. World music album of the year: Dho-Mach (Sacred Gift), King Achilla Orru Apaa-idomo; Four Higher, autorickshaw; En Voyage, Les Gitans de Sarajevo; African Guitar Summit, Mighty Popo, Madagascar Slim, Donne Robert, Alpha Ya Ya Diallo, Adam Solomon, Pa Joe; Road to Kashgar, Orchid Ensemble.

35. Producer of the year: David Foster; Raine Maida; Nickelback and Joey Moi; Bob Rock; Track & Field.

36. Recording engineer of the year: Vic Florencia; John MacLean and Sheldon Zaharko; Peter Prilesnik (co-engineer Eric Ratz); Bob Rock; L. Stu Young.

37. CD/DVD artwork of the year: Bryan Adams (director/photographer) and Dirk Rudolf (designer) for Room Service, Bryan Adams; Tracy Maurice (director/designer/illustrator) and N Hilary Treadwell (photographer) for Funeral, The Arcade Fire; Jesse F Keeler (director/designer/illustrator) and Eva Michon (photographer) for You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine, Death From Above 1979; Vincent Marcone (director/designer/illustrator) for It Dreams, Jakalope; John Rummen and Kim Kinakin (director/designer/illustrator) and James Michin III (photographer) for Under My Skin, Avril Lavigne.

38. Video of the year: Perfect Wave, Stephen Scott for Barlow; The End Of The World, Floria Sigismondi for The Cure; One Evening, George Vale for Feist; B-Boy Stance, The Love Movement feat. k-os & Micah Meisner for k-os; The Reasons, Benjamin Weinstein for The Weakerthans.

39. Music DVD of the year: The Barenaked Truth, David Langer, Barbara Barde, The Barenaked Ladies; In Stereovision, Ron Mann, Blue Rodeo; Great Big DVD, John Small Hallway Entertainment, Great Big Sea; A Night In Vienna, Michael Fischer-Leenice, Scott Morin, Oscar Peterson; Toronto Rocks, Dave Russell, Marty Callner, Michael Cohl, Stephen Howard, David Kines, Fred Nicolaidis, Jake Cohl, Randy Gladstein, Various Artists.

Grammy Preview 2005

From Kanye to Green Day, our guide to music's biggest night

By STEVE BALTIN, BRIAN HIATT and AUSTIN SCAGGS

At last year's Grammys, Outkast's Andre 3000 rolled joints, Courtney Love misplaced her daughter and Dave Navarro fiddled with his nipple rings. And that was just backstage! We can't predict what hilarious celebrity antics we'll see on February 13th at Los Angeles' Staples Center, but we can speculate on who may (or may not) be taking the trophies. Will it be Kanye, Alicia Keys or Green Day who walks away with the most gold? Rolling Stone has assembled an eclectic panel of prognosticators -- including Grammy nominees, tastemakers and one talking dog -- to dish on eleven major categories. We also hit up oddsmaker John Avello, of Las Vegas' Bally's casino, to find out where the smart money is going. Finally, we scrapped it all and delivered our own picks.

Song of the Year
And the nominees are...

Kanye West and C. Smith "Jesus Walks"
John Mayer "Daughters"
Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman "Live Like You Were Dying," performed by Tim McGraw
Daniel Estrin and Douglas Robb "The Reason," performed by Hoobastank
Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You"

RANDY JACKSON "The Reason" is definitely a little sappy for a rock band. I gotta go with "If I Ain't Got You": It's got a classic sound, almost like Aretha Franklin.
FERGIE "Jesus Walks." Anytime someone goes through a huge struggle and comes out of it, without letting themselves go to shit, it's definitely commendable.
BRANDON FLOWERS Anything but "Daughters." It makes me cringe. You should not be singing about that when you're twenty-four. That's, like, Luther Vandross territory.
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG Definitely Hoobastank. Think how much those Grammys will fetch at their garage sale next year.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: Yee-haw! "Live Like You Were Dying" (at 7:5 odds) barely edges out "If I Ain't Got You" (at 8:5).
WHO SHOULD WIN: Kanye walks.

Record of the Year
Usher, featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris "Yeah!"
Ray Charles and Norah Jones "Here We Go Again"
The Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get It Started"
Green Day "American Idiot"
Los Lonely Boys "Heaven"

DOUG ROBB "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys? What about "Heaven" by Warrant?
BRANDON FLOWERS I like "Yeah!" I like that sound that goes through it. It's repetitive, but it sounds great. Los Lonely Boys have good harmonies, though.
RANDY JACKSON It should be "Yeah!" The other songs are good, I guess, but I couldn't sing them to you.
AMY LEE The Black Eyed Peas. They remind me of the Smashing Pumpkins -- every bandmate is a character. I actually listen to those guys.
JOSH SCHWARTZ I've never seen a crowd react in my entire life like they do to Usher. And I saw Michael Jackson's Bad tour.
JIMMY KIMMEL "Heaven," which is a Hefty bag full of weed and a four-foot-long churro.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: At even odds, "Yeah!" takes it. But look out for Los Longshot Boys (12:1).
WHO SHOULD WIN: "Yeah!" Shorty's pickin' up an award!

Album of the Year
Ray Charles and Friends Genius Loves Company
Kanye West The College Dropout
Alicia Keys The Diary of Alicia Keys
Green Day American Idiot
Usher Confessions

MARIO They all deserve to win. This will be the first year in Grammy history that you have more than one winner.
BRANDON FLOWERS With Green Day, all I can think about is them singing about masturbation ten years ago, so I can't take them seriously.
DOUG ROBB I'm a little Ushered out. He can poop on a record and it would go to Number One.
JOE PERRY Based purely on the strength of his career: Ray Charles. That means a lot in my book. But that Green Day record is pretty powerful. They transcended the trend.
WILL.I.AM That Ray Charles movie struck a nerve this year. He'll win. Emotion always wins.
TRIUMPH Usher -- but hasn't he won enough? Plus, he's banged every chick in the industry, including Clay Aiken.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: The sentimental favorite, Ray Charles (8:5), wins a squeaker over Usher (9:5).
WHO SHOULD WIN: A close call, but Kanye is our pick (sorry, Green Day).

Best New Artist
Joss Stone
Maroon 5
Gretchen Wilson
Los Lonely Boys
Kanye West

JOSH SCHWARTZ Maroon 5 could surprise a lot of people, but I'm not big on a man who sings in falsetto.
FERGIE Kanye. He's not new, though. They always give this award to the person with the longest career.
BRANDON FLOWERS Maroon 5 is kind of like the new Savage Garden -- you know, "I loved you before I met you." Kanye West is more important.
EVE Maroon 5. Because the lead singer is cute.
TRIUMPH Final score: Maroon 5, Grammys zero.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: The race is between Kanye West (8:5) and Joss Stone (9:5).
WHO SHOULD WIN: Kanye. But we hope he loses, and pulls an ODB.

Best Rock Album
Elvis Costello and the Imposters The Delivery Man
Hoobastank The Reason
The Killers Hot Fuss
Velvet Revolver Contraband
Green Day American Idiot

DOUG ROBB Honestly, I don't think we have a shot in this one.
RANDY JACKSON Voters may get nostalgic and vote for Elvis, but that's not really a rock record.
BRANDON FLOWERS You've got the votes for Velvet Revolver based on who they are, which kind of sucks for us. I've heard all their singles, and I can't remember one of them.
JOE PERRY The fact that Velvet Revolver even got a record out is an admirable feat. But Green Day outdid themselves on American Idiot.
TRIUMPH Elvis Costello. The guy is very talented and original. So why is he nominated for a Grammy? The real winner will be Velvet Revolver's drug dealer.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: American Idiot (8:5) kicks Costello's limey ass (2:1).
WHO SHOULD WIN: Hating our president is so rewarding! Green Day.

Best Rap Album
Nelly Suit
LL Cool J The Definition
Kanye West The College Dropout
Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs
Jay-Z The Black Album

JOSH SCHWARTZ How do you give a rap award and not nominate Chingy? This is an injustice!
BRANDON FLOWERS LL Cool J was awesome when I was, like, sixteen. I don't know what happened.
RANDY JACKSON For me it's a tie between Kanye West and Jay-Z. Kanye made a different, edgy record. LL and the Beastie Boys -- those weren't their best albums.
DOUG ROBB I like The Black Album -- I made it through the whole album, which is really rare for me.
FERGIE The Beasties. They made a great comeback record. And they can still put on a kick-ass show.
EVE That's a tough one. I love the Beasties and I love Jay-Z, but it'd be amazing for Kanye to win.
TRIUMPH To the 5 Boroughs. The Grammys will look great next to the Beasties' bedpans.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: Kanye (8:5) schools Nelly (5:2).
WHO SHOULD WIN: Jay-Z. Ninety-eight problems to go.

Best Rap Song
Snoop Dogg, featuring the Neptunes "Drop It Like It's Hot"
The Black Eyed Peas "Hey Mama"
Jay-Z "99 Problems"
The Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get It Started"
Kanye West "Jesus Walks"

RANDY JACKSON "Let's Get It Started" is a rap song?
JOSH SCHWARTZ Kanye's got Jesus in the title, which did rather well for Mel Gibson. Then again, "Ninety-nine problems, but a bitch ain't one" -- I think that song expounds a universal truth that we can all live by.
WYCLEF JEAN No doubt: "99 Problems."
TRIUMPH Black Eyed Peas are nominated twice? Jethro Tull didn't put anything out this year?

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: Bow down before Jesus! It's Kanye, at even money, in a landslide.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Hit me! Jigga, please.

Best Alternative-Music Album
Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand
Wilco A Ghost Is Born
Bjork Medulla
Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love Bad News
PJ Harvey Uh Huh Her

BRANDON FLOWERS Really, it's Modest Mouse. Without trying to write hits, they wrote some amazing songs.
AMY LEE I'm a huge Bjork fan, so I pray that she wins just to see her get up onstage. But I think Modest Mouse will take it.
JIMMY KIMMEL Modest Mouse, because it was my son's first rock T-shirt. Incidentally, mine was Huey Lewis and the News.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: A Ghost Is Born (2:1) assassinates Franz Ferdinand (5:2).
WHO SHOULD WIN: Franz Ferdinand should take this one out.

Best Hard-Rock Performance
Incubus "Megalomaniac"
Metallica "Some Kind of Monster"
Nickelback "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good"
Slipknot "Duality"
Velvet Revolver "Slither"

RANDY JACKSON Slipknot. Maybe we should have them on American Idol.
BRANDON FLOWERS I really like that Metallica song -- it stuck in my head after the documentary.
AMY LEE I love that Slipknot riff. It's hard to balance really edgy death metal and make it commercial enough to listen to.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: Metallica (6:5)
WHO SHOULD WIN: "Slither." It's OK to cry-yi-yi, Axl.

Best Rock Song
Modest Mouse "Float On"
The Killers "Somebody Told Me"
Velvet Revolver "Fall to Pieces"
U2 "Vertigo"
Green Day "American Idiot"

BRANDON FLOWERS "Somebody Told Me" is great, but I think "Float On" and "Vertigo" are better.
DOUG ROBB Let's face it: You just can't get more rock than Velvet Revolver.
AMY LEE "Vertigo" totally pisses me off. "Uno, dos, tres, catorce"? ... "One, two, three, fourteen ..." It's just so incredibly irritating. I gotta give props to Modest Mouse.
TRIUMPH Green Day. But if those guys are real punk rockers, then I'm hung like Marmaduke.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: Green Day (7:5) dookie it out with U2 (8:5).
WHO SHOULD WIN: "Float On." Time for Boastful Mouse.

Best R&B Song
Prince "Call My Name"
Alicia Keys "You Don't Know My Name"
Usher, featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris "Yeah!"
Usher, featuring Alicia Keys "My Boo"
Usher "Burn"

DOUG ROBB I don't know much of his shit, but I gotta go with Prince. He's the fucking man!
RANDY JACKSON "My Boo" is one of the best songs in the past ten years.
BRANDON FLOWERS "My Boo" is the worst song. It's just terrible.
WILL.I.AM That motherfucker Usher got three songs in the same category?
FERGIE Alicia! My boy John Legend worked on that track, and he's just ridiculous. It goes back to old R&B, and that's nice.
TRIUMPH This category has more inbreeding than a puppy mill.

VEGAS ODDS FAVOR: "Yeah!" (6:5) and "You Don't Know My Name" (7:5)
WHO SHOULD WIN: "My Boo." It's catchy. (But not "one of the best songs in the last ten years," dawg.)

[Panel of Experts ]
1. Wyclef Jean Hip-hop singer
2. Fergie The Black Eyed Peas
3. Triumph The Insult Comic Dog
4. Doug Robb Hoobastank
5. Amy Lee Evanescence
6. Joe Perry Aerosmith
7. Josh Schwartz Creator of "The OC"
8. Jimmy Kimmel Talk-show host
9. Mario R&B singer
10. Randy Jackson "American Idol" judge
11. Will.i.am The Black Eyed Peas
12. Eve Rapper
13. Brandon Flowers The Killers

Joe Perry Goes Solo

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry will release his self-titled solo album on May 3rd. The thirteen-track blues-rock effort is Perry's first under his own name since 1984's Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker, the third and final release under the Joe Perry Project moniker.

Perry admits that his own mortality was an impetus for finishing the new record. "I had this pile of riffs, but a song really isn't a song until you get lyrics and a melody on it," he says. "I thought, 'If my motorcycle hits a tree, my wife's gonna have nothing to put out.'"

After using three different lead vocalists for the Joe Perry Project albums, the guitarist took on the challenge of singing many of the Joe Perry songs himself. By writing in a lower register, he came up with songs that fit his deep voice, but he doesn't think Steven Tyler's job as Aerosmith singer is in jeopardy. "A lot of my riffs were originally written with Steven in mind," he says. "I work with one of the best rock & roll voices in the world, and my voice isn't anywhere near that.

The album -- which includes eleven Perry originals, including the uptempo single "Shakin' My Cage," plus covers of the Doors' "The Crystal Ship" and Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" -- was recorded in the guitarist's home studio in Boston, a.k.a. "the Boneyard." Engineer Paul Caruso, who has worked on recent Aerosmith records, also served as drummer and co-producer.

Perry does not have plans for a tour to support the album, but that might be good news for Aerosmith fans. "I may end up not having the time," he says. "We're talking about going on the road with Aerosmith in September."

Green Day Spring Ahead

Green Day will kick off the second leg of their North American tour in support of American Idiot on April 15th in Miami. The veteran punk rockers are currently touring the U.K., and they'll visit Australia and Japan before the U.S. shows.

But first, they'll take a detour to Los Angeles on February 13th to perform at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. Green Day are up for six awards, including Album of the Year for Idiot, their first Number One album since 1994's Dookie.

Green Day's North American tour dates:

4/15: Miami, Convocation Center
4/16: Orlando, TD Waterhouse Arena
4/18: Tampa, USF Sundome
4/19: Jacksonville, FL, Veterans Memorial Arena
4/20: Charlotte, NC, Crickett Arena
4/22: Norfolk, VA, Convocation Center
4/23: Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena
4/24: Atlantic City, NJ, MGM Arena
4/25: Albany, NY, Pepsi Arena
4/27: Binghamton, NY, Binghamton Arena
4/28: Portland, ME, Cumberland Arena
4/29: Manchester, NH, Verizon Wireless Arena
4/30: Amherst, MA, Mullins Arena
5/2: Quebec City, Colisee Pepsi Center
5/4: London, ONT, John Labatt Center
5/5: Columbus, OH, Schottenstein Center
5/6: Cleveland, CSU Convocation Center
5/7: Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena
5/9: Madison, WI, Dane County Coliseum
5/10: Peoria, IL, Peoria Civic Center
5/11: Cedar Rapids, IA, US Cellular Arena
5/13: St. Louis, Savvis Center
5/14: Kansas City, MO, Kemper Arena
5/15: Omaha, NE, Qwest Arena
5/16: Winnipeg, MTS Center
5/19: Edmonton, Rexall Place
5/20: Calgary, Saddledome

Raimi Plans for More Realistic 'Spider-Man 3'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -- Sam Raimi says he's not quite happy with the computer-generated swinging and jumping that his live-action Spider-Man does on the big screen. So, before he starts filming his third part of the superhero franchise, he's going to get it right.

"We're really trying to shoot for a level of reality that we haven't yet achieved yet with the 'Spider-Man' films," Raimi says to Zap2it.com in an interview on Thursday (Feb. 4) just before the release of "Boogeyman," which he produced. "It'll be subtle, and the audience probably won't even be aware of them, but to that character specifically, we're looking at how can we improve his style of movement, his density, the sense of weight, how can we take the next step."

He plans to start some test shooting "Spider-Man 3" in March, although not yet with the principle cast. He did the same thing with "Spider-Man 2," testing special effects for the big hospital scene and used a lot of the footage they shot during the test phase.

"I'm actually going to start shooting tests next month -- tests, experiments with costume and characters and movement and new CG types of technology that we're going to develop, combinations of existing technologies that are put together in new ways that make it seem new, but it already exists," says Raimi, who was on the backlot of Sony Pictures in Culver City, Calif. "Our stunt people are also going to be working also shooting tests, mechanical FX tests."

Although Sony Pictures won't let him give out specifics, he says screenwriter Alvin Sargent is busy on the screenplay for "Spider-Man 3" based on drafts done by Raimi and his brother. He has figured out who Spider-Man's next nemesis will be, but won't say -- nor will he even speculate about Internet gossip predicting it will be Venom. Meanwhile, he's just planning on getting the film done by May 2007.

"We're going to do big scenes earlier and probably even in the first thing that we shoot really early might be plate photography and maybe even as early as September," he says. "It could be as early as that."

'Sideways' Makes Pinot Noir the New Merlot

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Ever since Clark Gable bared his chest in 1934's "It Happened One Night," thus causing a nationwide decrease in undershirt sales, the moviegoing public has looked to movies for clues to what's hot or what's not.

The "in" item these days is pinot noir, thanks to the wine-swilling offbeat comedy "Sideways," reports Reuters.

The film centers on struggling writer Miles (Paul Giamatti) trying to find himself during a trip through California's wine country. In one scene, Miles waxes poetic to Maya (Virginia Madsen) about why he likes pinot noir so much, namely that the sensitive grape from which the wine is derived must be carefully nurtured in order to produce just the right flavor.

The long, intense panegyric reveals several things: Miles' wish to demonstrate his wine knowledge, a reverence for well executed efforts and identification with how something tender can be easily damaged.

"People have really latched onto the romance of the scene, which made pinot the star, no doubt about it," says Phil Lynch, spokesman for wine producer Brown-Forman Inc.

The buzzworthy -- in more ways than one -- film catapulted pinot noir sales 22 percent higher during the four-week period over the holidays than the year before. Increased sales from particular wineries include a 10 percent jump for the Louisville, Kentucky Brown-Forman, a 50 percent jump for Napa Valley's Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines and a whopping 147 percent leap for Constellation Brands Inc.'s Blackstone Pinot Noir from California in the first 12 weeks after "Sideways" was released.

"Anything that moves cases these days is great," adds Lynch. "This movie could help pinot noir replace merlot as the new hot red wine."

"Sideways" has earned $41.5 million at the box office and five Oscar nominations for best picture, director, adapted screenplay, and supporting actors for Madsen and Thomas Haden Church.

'Boogeyman' Tops Box Office; 'Date' 2nd

LOS ANGELES - Movie-goers showed that they weren't afraid of the "Boogeyman," pushing the horror flick to the top of the weekend box office with a $19.5 million debut.

"Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi's film about a man who tries to overcome his fear of what's lurking in the closet by spending a night in his boyhood home beat romantic comedy "The Wedding Date," which opened at No. 2 with $11 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The road-trip comedy "Are We There Yet?" slipped into third with $10.4 million, raising its total after 17 days to $51.1 million. Last weekend's No. 1 movie, "Hide and Seek," dropped into fourth place with $8.9 million, lifting its 10-day gross to $35.7 million.

For a Super Bowl weekend, when many movie-goers stay at home, Hollywood had a fairly strong showing, with the top 12 movies grossing $91 million. During Super Bowl weekend last year, the top 12 took in $73.4 million.

As with recent horror movies "Hide and Seek," "White Noise," and "Saw," "Boogeyman" overcame harsh critical reaction to draw in the faithful horror crowd. "Boogeyman" was not screened for critics, generally a sign that the studio knows a movie will get bad reviews.

Helping prime the path, the trailer for "Boogeyman" ran before screenings of "The Grudge," allowing the new movie to ride the coattails of that $100 million hit. The movie was made by horror-production outfit, Ghost House Pictures, which also made "The Grudge."

"I certainly believe it's a genre where people are going to be more moved by the marketing materials they see for the movie than by what the critics say," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony Pictures, whose Screen Gems banner released "Boogeyman."

Many fright flicks tend to open well then quickly vanish from theaters as the horror audience moves on to something else. Produced for just $7 million, though, "Boogeyman" should turn a tidy profit even if revenues nosedive in subsequent weekends.

Another comparatively low-cost movie that is expected to turn a solid profit despite being trashed by critics is "The Wedding Date." With a budget under $15 million, the film stars Debra Messing as a woman who hires a male escort as her companion to a wedding to show up her ex-fiance, who is the best man.

Using Messing's audience appeal from her sit-com "Will & Grace" and a relative lack of current movie choices for women, "The Wedding Date" was able to draw in a good portion of the female crowd. Women accounted for three-fourths of the movie's audience.

"I've always believed you don't have to have a big budget to have a successful movie if you have the benefit of a movie that hits a basic appeal button," said "Wedding Date" producer Paul Brooks, whose other low-budget hits include "White Noise" and the romantic comedy blockbuster "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

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. "Boogeyman," $19.5 million.
2. "The Wedding Date," $11 million.
3. "Are We There Yet?", $10.4 million.
4. "Hide and Seek," $8.9 million.
5. "Million Dollar Baby," $8.8 million.
6. "The Aviator," $5.4 million.
7. "Meet the Fockers," $5 million.
8. "Sideways," $4.8 million.
9. "Racing Stripes," $4.43 million.
10. "Coach Carter," $4.4 million.

McCartney Plays It Safe at Super Bowl

NEW YORK - Nobody, but nobody was worried when Paul McCartney stripped off his jacket midway through his halftime performance at the Super Bowl. All he revealed was a long-sleeved red shirt. Nothing malfunctioned. And if he wore any nipple jewelry, he mercifully kept it to himself.

NFL officials wanted a safe halftime show after last year's Janet Jackson fiasco, and McCartney delivered. It was sweet nostalgia for the people stunned by Jackson's MTV-produced spectacle, if a bit off-putting for the kids: Each of his four songs was more than 30 years old.

Surely you recall last year's climax to a body-shaking, crotch-grabbing festival: Justin Timberlake yanking part of Jackson's top off to reveal her bare breast to some 90 million people viewers.

McCartney's stage set — a giant cross of video boards on the stadium floor with the singer at the center — was visually arresting, although it made his opening song, "Drive My Car," look like one of the broadcast's dozens of auto commercials.

McCartney's theatrical James Bond theme "Live and Let Die" was a perfect backdrop for a stadium fireworks show. The lights, placards and video images also made "Hey Jude" a sight to see, although it was odd to see the red, white and blue placards co-opt one of the original British musical invaders for an all-American event.

There wasn't any danger of a lip-synch controversy, either: you could tell it was the lived-in voice of a 62-year-old singing.

It was strange seeing the former Beatle, a bold and shocking performer for another generation, now presented as the sedate option. NFL censors were probably hoping the "California grass" reference in "Get Back" slipped by unnoticed, or figured people would think he was simply referring to a football field.

Another irony: the overwhelmingly safe and patriotic musical presentations before and during the game appearing on the usually envelope-pushing Fox network, while last season's shocker came on fogey-friendly CBS.

The closest thing to a wardrobe malfunction during all the performances came courtesy of country singer Gretchen Wilson's guitar player. His jeans had a strategically placed rip in the crotch.

Before the game, Alicia Keys oozed both class and chops as she took a creepy concept — a duet with the late singer Ray Charles on one of his signatures, "America the Beautiful" — and made it work wonderfully. A picture of Charles singing appeared on the stadium scoreboard screens.

The pregame show was a mixture of old and new schools, with country, rap and soul. Wilson brought out white-bearded fiddle player Charlie Daniels, and the Black Eyed Peas had Earth, Wind & Fire along to sing "Shining Star."

Although with the NFL watching so closely, it's a wonder how Wilson's "Here For the Party" managed to slip through.

"Gonna have a little fun," she sang. "Gonna get me some."

One can almost hear the small voices in living rooms across the country: "Daddy, what does 'get me some' mean?"

"Some chips, honey. Now pass the salsa and quiet down."

FAKING THE BAND ON 'LOST'

The TV show LOST has gotten so popular, the fictional rock band on the show, Drive Shaft, is threatening to become a real band — and may even put out an album.

"We've been talking about putting out an official album," "Lost" executive producer Bryan Burk tells TV Guide Online.

On the show, Dominic Monaghan ("Lord of the Rings") plays Charlie Pace, the bass player for Drive Shaft — a supposedly famous rock band fronted by his brother, Liam.

Already, several faux fan Web sites, including www.driveshaftband.com, have sprung up that include fake bios of its members, tour dates and even a downloadable song called "You All Everybody" (which popped up as background music at a party on a recent episode of "Alias").

There's even a music video at www.abc.com.

One of the Web sites mentions how Charlie has mysteriously disappeared and has dedications to the band's missing bassist.

CBC seeks more funds from feds to restore local news, boost Canadian content

TORONTO (CP) - The CBC has outlined a multimillion-dollar plan to improve its Canadian programming, including a strategy to restore regional radio and TV content, notably local supper-hour newscasts.

Such programming was slashed in 2000 due to a series of cuts in the broadcaster's public funding. The strategy was presented Thursday to the Canadian heritage committee by Richard Stursberg, the new vice-president of the CBC's English-language TV network, and his counterparts for French-language TV and English and French radio. It had already been submitted to Heritage Minister Lisa Frulla last December.

CBC president Robert Rabinovitch also outlined the plan in remarks to staff on Friday.

"Faced with massive government reductions in our funding during the 1990s, CBC/Radio-Canada was forced to make very difficult programming decisions," Rabinovitch said. "But we are committed to rebuilding our local and regional service and this plan details how we would do that, and what it would cost."

Under a three-year regional/local program restoration strategy, special operating funds would be required: $34.4 million in the first year, $61.2 million in the second, ramping up to $82.8 million by the third year.

In addition, the CBC wants the government to make permanent a $60-million annual pay-out that has been added to the broadcaster's fixed budget of nearly $900 million in each of the past three years. And there's an ongoing plea that the CBC get back its once-protected 50 per cent allotment of the Canadian Television Fund, the public-private source of program financing.

There are also plans to double the amount of current Canadian drama series and specials, mount a weekly cultural affairs program and bring back late night and weekend local news. Stursberg says the CBC is the only network willing to devote prime-time hours to Canadian drama.

Stursberg indicated there would be some streamlining or even elimination of existing shows to free resources to get back into regional programming, where cuts have lost the network hundreds of thousands of viewers. Even CBC's national supper-hour newscast, Canada Now, has been rumoured to be under re-evaluation.

"This represents a good reversal in previous CBC policy, and that's great," said Arnold Amber, the Canadian Media Guild's CBC branch president after the committee hearing. "It was also good to see the support coming from the members of the committee for this ambitious plan."

Meanwhile, ACTRA, the Canadian actors' union, is warning again that Canadian TV drama continues to decline. Citing a new statistical report issued by the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, the union said there was a seven per cent decline in government-certified Canadian content during the 2002-2003 season.

"Canadian drama has been on a steady decline since the CRTC's 1999 television policy let private broadcasters off the hook," said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA's national executive director, referring to the broadcast regulator's decision to relax the definition of required Canadian content.

"Canadians are losing their jobs and their culture."

But the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, which represents the bulk of the country's private broadcasters, offered a different picture, citing the same statistical report, entitled Profile 2005, that was released Thursday in Ottawa.

"Canada's private broadcasters continue to be independent production's strongest partner with year-over-year growth of investment in independent production of 13 per cent in the 2003 broadcast year," CAB president Glenn O'Farrell said in a statement.

O'Farrell added that the difficulties faced in getting domestic production off the ground are due largely to the increased value of the dollar, a general decrease in production throughout North America and increased competition from various U.S. states to lure TV production.

The producers association report admits the industry is in a slump at present, citing the dollar and increased foreign competition. But it also looked positively at recent tax credit hikes announced in Ontario, Quebec and B.C.

"It's a tough, cut-throat business and Canadian producers have got to fight for their turf," said Guy Mayson, president and CEO of the producers association. "We're moving in the right direction with the recently improved provincial tax credits, but we need to do more with the federal tax credits. And ultimately we need a business strategy for building stronger independent companies."

Laszlo Barna, a Toronto producer responsible for such shows as Da Vinci's Inquest, called for a streamlining of the key cultural industries, including the CBC, the National Film Board, Telefilm Canada, the CRTC and the Canadian Television Fund.

"The producer's cash flow also needs to flow," Barna added. "Right now it's restricted by outdated administrative rules."

Actor Ossie Davis Dies at Age 87

MIAMI (Reuters) - Actor Ossie Davis, who brought dignity and a passion for social justice to the stage and screen in a career of more than 50 years, was found dead early on Friday at the age of 87.

Davis' body was discovered by his grandson and paramedics at the Shore Club hotel in Miami Beach, where the actor had been shooting the film "Retirement," according to police and his office in Los Angeles.

"According to the grandson, he was suffering from heart disease," said police spokesman Bobby Hernandez. "The grandson knocked on the door, and when Mr. Davis didn't respond, he called fire rescue."

A longtime civil rights activist, Davis spoke at the funerals of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and gave voice to the famous United Negro College Fund slogan, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

He and his wife of more than 50 years, actress and frequent collaborator Ruby Dee, received Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 for their body of work.

In the late 1990s, they co-wrote the book "With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together," chronicling their struggles against racial injustice as well as their decades as a couple.

They also spoke in the book about their decision to have an open marriage. The couple had three children.

Davis broke barriers for black performers on television, stage and in the movies and developed a reputation as one of the country's most recognizable character actors.

"In the roles he took, he was a standard bearer for dignity and integrity," said longtime friend Madeleine Moore, an advertising executive who met Davis and his wife while working on a public affairs radio show the couple hosted together.

"Even as a young actor, he took on the mantle of this wise sage, this person who carried wisdom and a sense of purpose and the history of a people," Moore said.

A fellow activist, the Rev. Jacques DeGraff, said Davis' greatest role was that of an off-screen champion of the downtrodden.

"Wherever the cause of justice was in question, Ossie Davis in some way or fashion was there lending his voice and his visibility to that moment," DeGraff said. "His loss is a loss to African Americans and really to all Americans."

THE STAGE, SCREEN AND TELEVISION

After serving in the Army during World War II, Davis made his Broadway debut in 1946 in the title role of "Jeb," which also marked his first joint appearance with Dee. The couple toured together in a production of "Anna Lucasta" and married in 1948.

He later succeeded Sidney Poitier on Broadway in the lead role of "A Raisin in the Sun" and also wrote and starred in the Broadway hit "Purlie Victorious," a satire of racism in the Old South. He later adapted the show for big screen as "Gone Are the Days" and wrote the script for "Purlie," the 1970 Broadway musical version.

He made his film acting debut with Poitier the racially charged 1950 drama "No Way Out" and first appeared on TV the following year in a production of "Green Pastures."

Since then his screen acting credits have including the Spike Lee films "Jungle Fever" and "Do the Right Thing" and TV projects such as the miniseries "Roots: The Next Generation" and the sitcom "Evening Shade." He also played Martin Luther King Sr. in the TV biographical drama "King."

In the film "Retirement," Davis, Peter Falk, George Segal and Rip Torn were starring as four grumpy old men who leave their Florida retirement homes on a road trip to Las Vegas to stop one of their daughters from marrying the wrong guy.

Beck Seeing Triple On 'Guero'

In the wake of an unfinished copy of his new album leaking onto the Internet last month, Beck will offer fans a bounty of reasons to purchase the real deal. Due March 29 via Interscope, "Guero" will be released as a standard CD, a double-disc package with two videos and a 5.1 audio mix and a third edition featuring four remixes.

Videos for "E-Pro" and "Black Tambourine" will be included on the double-disc set, while Boards Of Canada, Octet, Dizzee Rascal and, as first reported here, Royksopp, contribute the remixes on the third package.

On Tuesday (Feb. 1), Beck quietly unveiled the "Hell Yes" EP on Apple's iTunes Music Store, featuring remixes of the title track and "Que Onda Guero" by 8-bit and remixes of "E-Pro" and "Girl" by Paza. A video for "Hell Yes" directed by Mumbleboy is also available on iTunes.

Beck has yet to confirm tour dates in support of "Guero," but he played his second surprise show in recent weeks last Friday at Echo in Los Angeles, which featured a number of tracks from the new album.

Weezer Mixing And Matching On New Album

Now that frontman Rivers Cuomo has completed a semester of school at Harvard University, the track list for Weezer's new album is "97% settled," according to the band's official Web site. The as-yet-untitled set is due in May via Geffen; first single "Beverly Hills" will hit U.S. radio outlets in late March.

The selection process is nearing completion thanks to "some heavy listening sessions between the band and producer/mentor Rick Rubin," the site reports. "A few songs got swapped out and switched around, and there is high confidence in the final selection, which now includes a few songs from the late '03 recording sessions that were originally left behind in favor of the new sessions in July-October '04."

Cuomo still has to complete his vocals for three songs, at which point the album will be ready for mixing.

As previously reported, Weezer earlier this week announced its first show since late 2002, which will come on the first day of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 30. A full North American and European tour is expected to follow.

Bond Bets on "Casino Royale"

GoldenEye helmer Martin Campbell has been given the chance to try another day.

The brain trust behind the 007 franchise have tapped Campbell to direct Casino Royale, the 21st film featuring the one and only Bond. James Bond.

Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson of Eon Productions together with MGM announced the move on Thursday. The film had previously been pushed back from an anticipated November start date to sometime next year while the search for a director was underway.

"We are thrilled that Martin has accepted our offer to direct Casino Royale," Broccoli and Wilson said in a joint statement. "He is an extremely talented director and we believe he will help take our films in a new and exciting direction. He...will be joining Eon Productions shortly to work on the development of the script with our writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade."

Campbell is currently at work on Legend of Zorro, the sequel to The Mask of Zorro, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas.

His first foray onto Bond turf marked Pierce Brosnan's introduction to the 007 role in 1995's GoldenEye. The Irish-born actor went on to star in 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies; 1999's The World Is Not Enough; and 2002's Die Another Day.

However, it seems unlikely that Campbell will have the chance to direct Brosnan again. In a July 2004 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the thesp sounded ready to turn in his license to kill.

"That's it," Brosnan said in the interview. "I've said all I've got to say on the world of James Bond."

Brosnan is the fifth actor to profess his preference for martinis shaken, not stirred. He follows in the footsteps of fellow Bond men Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton.

Rumors of who will be the next secret agent to keep company with the likes of Miss Moneypenny have included Hulk vet Eric Bana, Jude Law, Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom. The BBC reported last month that one British oddsmaker has stopped taking bets on the next 007 after wagers on Dougray Scott, best known as the baddie in Mission: Impossible 2, began to increase in recent weeks.

According to Eon Productions, no decisions about Bond casting have been made.

Casino Royale was Bond creator Ian Fleming's first book and the only title not initially purchased by Eon Productions.

An unrelated spoof version of the book, starring Peter Sellers and Woody Allen, was made into a 1967 film as a mockery of the spy genre.

Founder of MP3.com to launch new MP3-based online music service

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The founder of pioneering music download website MP3.com is preparing to re-enter the digital music business with a new online music service set to debut next week.

As when he launched MP3.com in 1997, Michael Robertson's new service, dubbed MP3tunes, will sell tracks in the MP3 format, which doesn't have any copy-protection restrictions and can be played on most, if not all, digital music players.

The service, to go online next Thursday, will sell individual tracks for 88 cents and albums for $8.88 US, said Robertson.

Because major record companies don't generally licence their artists' music as MP3s, preferring to use formats that can set limits on copying and CD burning, none of the roughly 300,000 tracks initially for sale on MP3tunes will be from major label artists.

Most other major online music services are licensed to sell a million or more major label and independent acts.

Robertson, 37, said he's optimistic major record labels, despite their concerns over piracy, will eventually licence music in the MP3 format.

"The industry has changed remarkably over the last seven to eight years and I think the next step . . . is to say we'll sell a song without DRM," Robertson said. "I don't think it's such a stretch."

DRM is short for digital rights management, the industry term for copy-protection encoding.

He is also planning to eventually launch a device for the home designed to function like a computer server where users can store their digital music and access it from other computers over the Internet.

The device, dubbed MP3beamer, stems from Robertson's original "music locker" concept - a system to enable people to access their personal music collections wherever they go.

Robertson's first stab at it involved buying thousands of CDs and making them accessible in a central server run by MP3.com. That led to a slew of litigation.

"Obviously, having one big centralized system didn't work out because of the licensing issues," he said. "So this is a different approach to that same problem."

Robertson's iconoclastic entrepreneurial adventures include creating Lindows Inc. to sell distributions of the open-source Linux operating system.

He later changed the company's name to Linspire after getting $20 million US from Microsoft Corp. in the July settlement of a trademark infringement suit.

Actor John Vernon, star of Wojeck, various films, dies at 72 in L.A.

TORONTO (CP) - He was the smarmy Dean Wormer in the sophomoric cult movie Animal House.

He was a bad guy who got tossed out a window to his death by the even badder Lee Marvin in Point Blank. But Canadians may best remember actor John Vernon as a crusading coroner in the groundbreaking 1960s CBC crime series Wojeck.

Vernon, 72, died peacefully at his Los Angeles home Tuesday, his family said.

With his pockmarked face and heavy-lidded blue eyes, Vernon proved to be the ideal villain in dozens of the 85 motion pictures he made over a four-decade career. But he started as a hero in Wojeck in which his character was based on real-life Toronto coroner and politician Dr. Morton Shulman and which formed the template for future forensics-based crime series, from Quincy to Da Vinci's Inquest to CSI.

"Everybody's seen my face but nobody's sure who I am," he once told an interviewer, revealing that he had often been mistaken for Richard Burton or Robert Shaw. "People confuse me with other people and I enjoy that."

He was seen most recently on the "double secret probation" DVD edition of Animal House, in a feature that offered a tongue-in-cheek current look at the characters of the 1978 film. Vernon's Dean Wormer was a crotchety, snowy-haired senior in a wheelchair.

Chris Haddock, creator of Da Vinci's Inquest, said at the time he was surprised that Vernon was still around and agreed it was a great idea to see if he could make a cameo appearance on the series as a sort of tribute.

Vernon's other notable film roles included The Outlaw Josey Wales, Dirty Harry, Airplane II, Topaz, Brannigan, Charley Varrick, Nobody Waved Goodbye and Tell Them Willie Boy Was Here. He also starred in a short-lived ABC-TV Animal House spinoff series called Delta House and in a 1990 CBC movie that reprised his Wojeck character.

TV guest roles included The FBI, Bonanza, Mission Impossible, The Name of the Game, High Chapparall, Judd for the Defence and Quincy. He also made a pilot for a failed U.S. series called Hunter. There were more than 100 roles in Canadian TV, running the gamut from Tugboat Annie to Cannonball to Forest Rangers.

Regina-born and stage trained, the six-foot-two Vernon, whose birth name was Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz, spent five years at the Stratford Festival, where he met his future Wojeck co-star Ted Follows, Megan Follows' father.

Speaking from his home in Kitchener, Ont., Follows said Thursday that although he and Vernon hadn't been in touch since they made the Wojeck movie, they had been close friends for many years. He understood Vernon had had heart problems and was recently released from hospital.

He recalled how "way ahead of its time" Wojeck was as a prime-time series that dealt frankly with such issues as abortion and lesbianism.

"(Vernon) was awfully good in that show . . . he really was perfect in that role."

Follows believes that Vernon would have preferred leading-man roles during his Hollywood years but accepted being slotted in as the perennial heavy.

"John was superb. He really knew how to use the camera, and vocally he was just born to have a mike nearby."

Vernon attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and in London joined several repertory companies. His Broadway debut came in Royal Hunt of the Sun, and from there he moved to Hollywood for a prolific career playing all those heartless villains.

"The stars are always the good guys, so the guest stars have to be the bad guys," he said in a 1979 interview. "Even though I played a lot of heavies I was very lucky to work all the time, without getting pigeon-holed."

Vernon is survived by his former wife Nancy, his children Chris, Kate, Nan, Jim West and Grant West, and a granddaughter.

There will be a private service in Los Angeles and, at a later date, a gathering of friends to remember him in Toronto, the family said.

Academy to settle producer credit dispute

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In an industry where the egos behind the camera can be as big as those in front of it, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is settling a dispute over who deserves "producer" credit for films.

The academy said it will announce its decision Thursday on who will be awarded Oscars if one of three nominated films — the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator, the boxing saga Million Dollar Baby and the Ray Charles portrait Ray— should win.

The academy stepped in after the studios behind the films failed to pare the long list of producers credited on each film down to the maximum three allowed under academy rules.

Why limit the number of producers who can take credit for an award-winning film? And what do producers do, anyway?

Those questions came to a head in 1999, when five producers, including Miramax studio chief Harvey Weinstein, took the stage to accept the best-picture Oscar for Shakespeare in Love.

The spectacle rankled those angered by "credit creep," the tendency of filmmakers to massage the egos of actors, directors, studio executives — even talent managers and agents — by giving them on-screen credit for jobs they did not perform.

"The title of producer has in the last 20 years become a bargaining chip, a negotiated perk, given to those who can extract it from the studios," Kathleen Kennedy, president of the Producers Guild of America, said last year when introducing a new program designed to limit credits.

After the Shakespeare in Love flap, the academy adopted its rule limiting each nominated film to three producers.

In October, the guild began a Truth in Credits campaign, which included advertisements featuring such prominent producers as Jerry Bruckheimer and Star Wars creator George Lucas.

"Even in science fiction, the fiction should end when the credits roll," the Lucas ad read.

According to guild guidelines, a producer exercises decision-making authority in one or more of four areas of filmmaking — development, pre-production, production and post-production/marketing.

Most moviegoers have no clue who produced a movie. Directors, such as Martin Scorsese or Clint Eastwood, and the stars themselves carry more clout with audiences.

Vance Van Petten, the guild's executive director, says audiences snicker when they see a dozen or more names of "producers" scroll by at the end of a film.

And he says moviegoers should care when hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent to pay people who do not directly contribute to the making of a film — money that could have been spent improving the movie's quality.

Those arguments fail to persuade Chuck Binder, a talent manager who's credited as a producer on several movies starring ex-client Sharon Stone.

"If you have talent that the buyer wants, they are going to give you a producer credit, they are going to do whatever it takes to lock somebody up," Binder said. "People knew that if you wanted Sharon Stone you were getting Chuck Binder as a producer."

Producer fees can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The norm for managers and agents is to demand 10% of their actor's fee, Binder said.

Binder dismisses claims that long lists of producer credits hurt audiences or constitute false advertising.

"That's a bit of a reach," he said. "What about people who sit in the seats and watch Ford commercials? Seeing one more name flash up on the screen for 20 seconds isn't really going to harm the viewer."

Since the academy is expected to use the Producers Guild criteria on who should receive credit for producing The Aviator, chances are good the list will not include Charles Evans Jr.

In a suit against fellow producer Michael Mann in 2001, Evans said he was responsible for developing the idea and persuading Leonardo DiCaprio to portray Hughes.

Eventually, Evans claimed, Mann cut him out of the deal altogether, taking DiCaprio and the project to another studio.

The lawsuit was settled, and Evans was listed as a producer on the final film. Then Martin Scorsese was hired to direct.

Mann and fellow producer Graham King were recognized when the movie won this year's Producers Guild award. But Evans was left out because, according to guild guidelines, he had no decision-making authority over the final film.

The decision has already created one awkward moment, when Evans forced his way into a photo backstage at the Golden Globes ceremony.

Binder, for one, thinks Evans deserves as much credit as anyone.

"Even though Michael Mann and Marty Scorsese are much more powerful than Charlie Evans Jr.," Binder said, "it seems like he was the one who got the train rolling. He really should be considered their equal."

When movies save the best for last

What makes a great film finale. Kisses and sunsets? Sometimes. Breakups, fire and dancing dwarves? Those can work, too.

Compiling a list of the Top 25 movie endings can make one realize that some flicks that we are fond of end, well, badly.

Here are the good ones:

25. Boogie Nights. From what I remember, most folks sitting near me were either giggling or staring nervously at their sodas during the credits. Personally, I was just trying to figure out if the last scene would classify as "best costume design" or "best makeup" at the Oscars. (It was nominated in neither category.)

24. Nowhere. The final installment of Gregg Araki's violent "teen angst trilogy" may not have won any awards — and I don't think it should have — but I will never, ever forget the shocking final scene. Nor will I forget turning to my friend Leanne afterwards, relieved to see she was as wide-eyed and open-mouthed as I was. Eight years later, I still can't wrap my mind around it.

23. Waiting for Guffman. Throughout the flick I kept hoping director Christopher Guest wouldn't let me down in the end ... and he didn't.

22. Carrie. The fact that I first saw this movie with my junior-high best friend — also named Carrie — made it even creepier. For weeks afterward, I couldn't walk through our backyard without thinking of Carrie's last scare.

21. Se7en. "What's in the box?" The look on Brad Pitt's face pretty much summed it up.

20. Clue. My family rented this tape so many times during the '80s they would've saved a chunk of change just buying the thing. The twists were so frequent and surprising, my brother and I would forget them within days, prompting us to beg Dad for another rental.

19. Pi. Sometimes, when I'm staring into the bathroom mirror with an electric toothbrush in my hand, Pi comes to mind.

18. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Not only are the flick's final minutes flawless (especially the soundtrack, which I can hear in my head this instant), we get a great "ending after the ending" during the credits, tracking Mr. Rooney's tumultuous ride home.

17. Donnie Darko. Dream? Reality? Aliens? It's no secret my brain spun at the end of this one, as I also wondered, "Where can I get a copy of this amazing song?"

16. Fight Club. The only time I've seriously considered starting a conversation with a stranger in a theater lobby was after I went to see Fight Club alone.

15. E.T. It only could've concluded in one way. Just remembering it brings a tear to the eye.

14. The Sixth Sense. Perhaps this is my most obvious pick, but you must understand I was one of those people who saw the film on opening weekend, before any buzz had circulated. I think every moviegoer must have gasped at the ending, making Sense one of my best movie-theater experiences.

13. The Wizard of Oz. Think back: When you were a kid, the first time you saw an "it was all a dream" ending, it didn't seem trite — it seemed magical. Thankfully, my first exposure to such a scene was with Wizard, and not, say, that crazy episode of Dallas.

12. The Graduate. More is said with that one look on the bus than in the rest of the movie.

11. The Blair Witch Project. Whatever the heck happened, all that screaming and shaky camera work nearly scared the Twizzlers out of my stomach.

10. Short Cuts. On more than one occasion, someone has raved to me about the ending to Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia. I always respond by asking if they've seen Robert Altman's Short Cuts, which I feel employs a similar wrap-up, only better. More often than not, the answer is no.

9. Being John Malkovich. The first time I watched it, I spent most of the movie wondering how on earth it was going to end: Was Malkovich going to kill himself? Was someone going to discover a portal into John Cusack's brain? I never could've guessed what actually happened.

8. Thelma and Louise. I know people who hate this ending, and will argue 'til dawn that it's weak, disgusting, upsetting, sexist or (insert negative adjective here). I disagree, and every time I see it's on cable, I make sure to watch the last three minutes for the billionth time, just to make sure it actually happened that way.

7. Barton Fink. No strangers to a satisfying movie ending, the Coen brothers delighted me with this simple, yet surprising, denouement.

6. The Empire Strikes Back. As a kid, the first time I felt overwhelmed with so much simultaneous confusion, fear, sadness and excitement was while watching the ending of Empire. The second time, perhaps, was when I realized there was no Santa Claus.

5. Dancer in the Dark. In a book I read recently, the author says, "Dancer in the Dark made me cry so hard for so long that all I could do was put my drained self to bed and apologize the next morning to a friend whose party I missed." She's right: The ending doesn't just astound you, it wrecks you.

4. Say Anything. Ding. Perfection.

3. Harold and Maude. It's the movie that inspired me to take banjo lessons and contemplate buying a hearse. (In the end, a Saturn just seemed more practical and easier to park.)

2. Easy Rider. One sign of a great film finale is that viewers do everything they can to preserve its secret. I find it amazing that about 25 years after its initial release in 1969, I could see Easy Rider and be floored by the ending. I mean, how did I not hear about this before?

1. Being There. As far as I'm concerned, no film ending will ever top this one, penned by screenwriter Jerzy Kosinski. You hear that, M. Night Shyamalan? Don't even try.

LIVE FROM...PARIS?

Paris Hilton set to host this week's Saturday Night Live with musical guest Keane. The heiress made a previous appearance to poke fun at herself in a "Weekend Update" sketch with Jimmy Fallon.

CBC seeks another $75 million to reinstate regional programming

OTTAWA (CP) - A quartet of CBC executives is scheduled to appear before the Commons heritage committee Thursday morning where a recent request for millions of dollars in extra government funding to reinstate regional and local programming is expected to surface. Such programming has been scaled back over the past decade because of a series of Ottawa-imposed budget cuts.

Under the plan, already submitted to Heritage Minister Lisa Frulla for review, the public broadcaster is requesting $25 million in special operating funding for the first year, ramping up to some $75 million by year 3.

"CBC operates in tough financial circumstances so I'm sure it will be a subject of discussion," Jason MacDonald, CBC spokesman, said Wednesday.

Attending the hearing will be the new vice-president for English-language television, Richard Stursberg , and his counterparts for French-language TV and the English and French radio services.

The request comes after the CBC has endured widespread criticism for reducing supper-hour programming in its various regional markets, which in turn has led to a loss of hundreds of thousands of regular viewers.

The heritage committee has argued that the CBC must ensure that levels of local programming outside of Montreal and Toronto are delivered.

"A CBC that pays attention to its Broadcasting Act mandate to serve the special needs of Canada's regions would balance network with grassroots radio and TV programs," Ian Morrison, spokesman for the advocacy group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, said in a letter this week to the CBC.

"That's the challenge we hope the CBC will address."

In a committee hearing last November, CBC president Robert Rabinovitch noted that the network's parliamentary appropriation is $415 million less than it was in 1990. When asked if the cuts to local and regional programming were a mistake, he replied that the CBC had to live within its reduced budget.

The CBC receives base funding of nearly $900 million a year from the federal government, which has topped up the budget by an additional $60 million for each of the last four years (minus a $10-million reallocation in recent supplementary estimates). And while the CBC has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues from other sources, including advertising and programming and property sales, it has also lost an estimated $20 million due to this season's NHL lockout and incurred less than anticipated revenue from the Summer Olympics.

Super Bowl Ads Bring Back Icons of Yore

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Advertisers for this year's Super Bowl game hark back to the familiar in new commercials for TV's biggest event, dusting off celebrities from decades ago and putting childhood icons into the spotlight.

Cartoon heroes like Spider-Man and Captain America rush to the rescue in payment card company Visa's spot, the Muppets dig in to Pizza Hut fare and brand icons from Charlie the Tuna to the Pillsbury Doughboy share dinner in a MasterCard spot.

Rounding out the list, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny join forces for Emerald of California snack nuts at the National Football League championship game on Sunday, when the Philadelphia Eagles play the New England Patriots.

Some marketers will rely on safe and reassuring symbols from the past to counter an indecency scandal from the 2004 Super Bowl and to recognize the event's popularity beyond men who love beer, according to advertising executives.

"What last year really illustrated was that people always assume it's a male audience of a certain age, but you do have moms watching and kids ... and if they don't like what they see, they will be heard," said David Droga, worldwide creative director at Publicis Worldwide .

For advertisers and their agencies, the Super Bowl is the biggest stage, where they vie for the title of most memorable or entertaining commercial. This year, TV network Fox sold 30-second spots for up to $2.4 million each.

The rivalry for surprise left a bitter taste last year when an outcry over Janet Jackson's exposed breast during a half-time show performance spilled over to a critique of edgy ads throughout the game.

"After the scrutiny that everything was put under last year, no company or CEO wants to be held up as an example," said Droga. "They will overcompensate and find other ways to entertain."

PLAYING UP THE FAMILIAR

Using established stars and icons helps companies get their message across, as viewers already know them and identify a clear persona with their images.

Characters like Spider-Man also play a dual role, recalling childhood for older audiences while appearing fresh to young viewers. In MasterCard's ad, animated icons of well-known U.S. grocery brands meet for dinner and banter.

"We worked with all of the (food) companies to get their approval and to make sure the icons were behaving the way they were meant to behave," said Amy Fuller, group head of brand marketing at MasterCard.

Actor Burt Reynolds and singers Gladys Knight and MC Hammer are some of the celebrities past their heyday, or in the midst of a comeback, expected to appear. Perennial Super Bowl advertiser PepsiCo mixes new and older stars, like hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and model Cindy Crawford.

"You like to see people like that come back," said Tom Cordner, worldwide creative director at WPP agency JWT, in charge of ads for automaker Ford . "You may know something about their lives -- maybe they ran into some misfortune at one point -- and you root for them."

WHERE RACY REFERS TO SPEED

Brewer Anheuser-Busch, the single largest Super Bowl advertiser, was criticized last year for ad gags including a flatulent horse and a crotch-biting dog. This time the maker of Budweiser and Bud Light beers promises to go heavy on the humor, light on the offense, in as many as 10 Super Bowl ads.

"You've got to be careful because if you do cross the line ... you get slapped down so hard by critics and people who do take offense, it really isn't worth taking that risk," said Bob Lachky, director of global brand advertising at Anheuser-Busch.

Anheuser's most titillating spot didn't make the cut this year, but is driving traffic to its Web site. The ad shows a stagehand opening a Bud Light with Janet Jackson's black leather bustier before she dons it to perform, a spoof of the "wardrobe malfunction" which bared her breast in public.

The brewer may put other edgy ad work on its Web site to target its core audience and avoid controversy, Lachky said.

Internet domain manager GoDaddy.com also parodies the indecency fracas in its ad. A buxom dancer describes her routine for a commercial before broadcast censors.

The "raciest" ad in this year's game may be a spot for Cadillac's V-Series car, which casts the vehicle accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour as akin to a speeding bullet.

And lust is not entirely absent. Lincoln Mercury returns to the Super Bowl after more than a decade, showing a clergyman coveting a churchgoer's Mark LT truck in the parking lot.

Latest 'Star Trek' Series to End in May

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Star Trek: Enterprise," the latest incarnation of one of the most storied franchises in televised science-fiction history, will end its four-season run in May, broadcaster UPN said on Wednesday.

UPN said the last episode would air on Friday, May 13. The series generated 98 episodes over its run, although it struggled in the ratings.

The original "Star Trek" gave rise to generations of fans who eagerly took in movies, books, and follow-on television shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager."

"Star Trek: Enterprise" was positioned as a prequel to the original "Star Trek." It starred Scott Bakula and premiered in September 2001.

k.d. lang, k-os join Juno lineup

WINNIPEG - If you still need proof that the underground has gone mainstream, look no further than the Juno awards.

Punk groups Billy Talent and Simple Plan; hip-hop artist k-os; and former cowpunk turned torch singer k.d. lang were added to the lineup of performers during the April 3 Juno broadcast yesterday.

"They're very well representative of what has been going on during the past year -- I think they're perfect for the show," said Melanie Berry, president of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The four acts join previously announced performers Neil Young and The Tragically Hip for the 34th Juno Awards at the MTS Centre. Comedian Brent Butt will host. Further acts will be determined in the next few weeks after nominees are announced Monday. This year CARAS is aiming to have about nine live performances during the show's two hours, Berry said.

Tickets for the awards show in Winnipeg go on sale Saturday, Feb. 12, for six different prices:

* $40 for a seat behind the stage with viewing available on a video screen.

* $50 for partially obstructed seats beside the stage.

* $67 for upper bowl seats.

* $80 for seats in the 200 section of the lower bowl.

* $100 for seats in the 100 section of the lower bowl.

* $116 for floor seats.

* An early-bird ValuPak will be sold for one day only on Fri. Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. The $119.95 package includes a ticket to the broadcast awards ceremony in the 200 section; a JunoFest wristband; a ticket to the JunoCup hockey game in Selkirk; and a first balcony ticket to the Songwriters' Circle at the Burton Cummings Theatre.

About 10,000 tickets will be available to the public from Ticketmaster, ticketmaster.ca and 780-3333. The stage setup will be posted online so people can see where their seats are. All of the floor seats will be sold to fans.

"Last year they were walking through the crowd to get their awards so it makes it more interactive and fun," Berry said.

The stage will be at the south end of the arena, but there may be a second stage somewhere on the floor, Berry said.

About 3,000 tickets are being held for industry representatives, musicians and sponsors. Berry expects another 500 to 1,000 additional tickets will be released to the public the day before the show when the stage is built.

Ticket prices and on sale dates for the other Juno week events will be announced over the next month. After examining several locations, the Duckworth Centre at the University of Winnipeg has been chosen as the site of the Juno Fan Fare autograph sessions on April 2.

Johnny Carson: The Rolling Stone Interview

By TIMOTHY WHITE

He sits behind his microphone
He speaks in such a manly tone . . .
Don't you think he's such a natural guy?
The way he's kept it up could make you cry.
--the Beach Boys, "Johnny Carson"

Back in the late Fifties, when ABC-TV's Who Do You Trust? daytime quiz show was headquartered in New York's Little Theater, host Johnny Carson and sidekick Ed McMahon were frequent patrons of nearby Sardi's bar. On at least one occasion, the pair enjoyed an overlong recess with their favorite publican and returned to the studio fairly pie-eyed. During the afternoon taping, Carson sought to engage the show's guests in his usual wry repartee, but his liquid lunch had all but derailed his train of thought, causing him to repeatedly ask the contestants if they were married, where they hailed from, etc. Realizing his own limitations, Carson managed to turn the dangerously muddled situation into an uproarious circular conversation that delighted the studio audience and compelled ABC to let the questionable program run. To this day, Carson says that it was one of his favorite moments before the camera; he had fashioned another victory from near failure and offended no one in the process -- because he let everyone in on his predicament.

Whether he is dispensing sly double-entendres or tropical barbs, Johnny disarms us with his personable delivery, as if each hit-or-miss crack were a parlor trick between mutually pleased friends. His true close friends are extremely few in number, however, and as guarded in their comments about him as he is about every aspect of his personal life and private self.

For seventeen years, he has been a mighty distraction in the nation's bedrooms, keeping 15.5 million of us awake with his well-ordered antics. A true show-business legend, he has demonstrated unparalleled staying power in a medium characterized by shooting stars and swift burnouts. Yet few figures so famous in their own time have remained so elusive.

The fifty-three-year-old Carson has long since given up the jovial nightclub binges of the sort that once prompted an indignant Jacqueline Susann to dash a Black Russian in his face. He and his statuesque third wife, Joanna, now usually confine their socializing to small gatherings with such friends as Henry Bushkin, Johnny's lawyer and trusted confidant. When not working on The Tonight Show or paying his annual visit to the Las Vegas stage, Carson is usually at home reading, watching TV (sparingly), playing tennis on his own court, working out in his gym, pounding skillfully on the set of white pearl drums that sit across from his gleaming weight-lifting apparatus, or practicing other enduring hobbies like magic and astronomy. When it comes to personal deportment and late-night comedy, the venerable host of The Tonight Show trades the capital sin of excess for the cardinal rule of control.

As a result, he is a virtual nonentity to the gossip columnists that haunt the lavish premieres, gaudy receptions and chic bistros that are the stomping grounds of the star community -- a fact that pleases him greatly. And he has hardly made himself available to other members of the press; this is his first in-depth interview in thirteen years.

John William Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, on October 23rd, 1925, the son of Homer Lloyd and Ruth Hook Carson. The elder Carson was an itinerant lineman for an electric company, and the family (including daughter Catherine and son Richard) moved during the first eight years of John's life to numerous other small towns in the state (like Shenandoah, Clarinda and Avoca) before settling in a large, frame house in Norfolk, Nebraska. By all accounts it was a secure childhood. Homer Carson landed a supervisory post with the Norfolk power and light company and the Carsons spent their summer vacations on a lake in Minnesota.

A shy child, Johnny nevertheless mustered the courage to make his acting debut as a bumblebee in a grammar-school skit. Roles in other school productions followed, and he simultaneously honed his household flair for mimicry, most notably a creditable impersonation of Popeye. At twelve, he came upon an inspirational text called Hoffman's Book of Magic and quickly became immersed in the art of illusion. He sent away to various Chicago mail-order houses for additional manuals and tricks, and shortly thereafter received a black-velvet-covered magician's table from his parents for Christmas.

Armed with these tools, "the Great Carsoni" first appeared at the age of fourteen before the local Rotary Club, his prodigious feats of prestidigitation rewarded with a purse of three dollars. His interest in dramatics and magic grew as he entered high school, and he shunned sports in favor of school plays and presentations of magic for Norfolk 4-H picnics. To earn additional money, he worked part time as a movie usher in the Granada Theater and sold Saturday Evening Post subscriptions door-to-door. A good student, he also wrote a humor column for the Norfolk High newspaper and contributed random notes of levity to the high school yearbook:

Football season opened this [September] and I went out to make the team. I would have too if they hadn't found where I hid my brass knuckles . . . November was the month of blackouts, which the students enjoyed very much. December ended with Bob Jesson waiting at his fireplace for Santa Claus and bag. Bob was interested in the bag, I believe . . .

After graduating from high school in 1943, Carson toyed with the idea of becoming a psychiatrist or a journalist but shelved both notions when he was accepted in the navy's V-12 training program. He later attended the midshipmen's school at Columbia University and ultimately was assigned to the battleship Pennsylvania, bringing a footlocker of card tricks along for comic relief. Between entertaining his fellow swabbies and fighting in the Pacific, Johnny once found time to amuse Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal for several hours with his best sleight of hand.

Carson entered the University of Nebraska after his discharge in 1946, majoring in journalism with the intention of pursuing a career as a comedy writer. Boredom set in and he switched to radio and speech, a move that led to a ten-dollar-a-week writing job on Lincoln's KFAB radio station in a comedy western entitled Eddie Sosby and the Radio Rangers. Carson eventually wrote a senior college thesis, "How to Write Comedy Jokes," that was fleshed out with taped excerpts from the popular Fibber McGee and Molly program and the shows of Fred Allen and Jack Benny. The effort earned him an A.B. degree in 1949 and he settled in Omaha with his new wife, a fellow graduate and former magic assistant named Jody Wolcott.

In time, Johnny got his own show, The Squirrel's Nest, on Omaha's WOW-TV He also served as a disc jockey on WOW radio, often butchering the commercials of such local advertisers as the Friendly Savings Bank. ("Drop in any time. At two or three in the morning is fine. Help yourself. Just leave a note.") With the help of a cameraman, Carson put together a half-hour audition film of his best routines and spent his vacation peddling it, to no avail, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. At length, a family friend intervened and recommended Johnny for a staff announcer job at KNXT-TV in L.A. This opportunity was parlayed into a Sunday afternoon broadcast, budgeted at twenty-five dollars per show, called Carson's Cellar. Among the Cellar's avid fans was a fellow named Red Skelton, who hired the witty young man as a writer and supporting player on his CBS-TV program. One night during rehearsal, Skelton was knocked cold by a breakaway door that failed to fulfill its function, and Carson was called in to substitute for the unconscious clown prince of television.

This stroke of luck led to the fateful creation by CBS of The Johnny Carson Show, a thirty-nine week clunker that was canceled in the spring of 1956. His burgeoning career suddenly deflated, the semistar found himself playing a club in remote Bakersfield, California, to half-interested houses.

Borrowing money from his father and a bank, Carson and family left for New York, where he joined the Friars Club and gradually repaired a shattered reputation with his deft roasting of such sharp-tongued colleagues as Jack E. Leonard. Hired by ABC to handle Who Do You Trust?, he built the whimsical quiz show into the network's biggest daytime attraction. During the evening, he occasionally filled in for Jack Paar, who was then hosting The Tonight Show over at NBC. Admiring his quick, offhanded approach to comedy, the networks offered Carson starring roles in various sitcoms, but he always declined and held on to his "secure" position with Who Do You Trust? But as Paar began to publicly reaffirm his intentions to leave The Tonight ShowM -- and mentioned Johnny on the air as a possible successor -- NBC redoubled its efforts to lure Carson away from ABC. He finally gave in to their entreaties and signed on with a first-year salary of approximately $100,000. On October 1st, 1962, at 11:15 p.m., Groucho Marx introduced Johnny Carson as the moderator of The Tonight Show, and a new era in television, and comedy, was born.

Johnny's guests that inaugural evening were Joan Crawford, Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks and Rudy Vallee, and the hand was under the direction of Skitch Henderson, with Doc Severinsen on trumpet. Ed McMahon, of course, was the announcer and resident straight man, duplicating his earlier duties on Who Do You Trust?

The New York Times bestowed a favorable review, the writer noting that, "at the onset he [Carson] said he was not going to describe every guest as an old and dear friend, an indication of a refreshing attitude against prevalent show business hokum." In summation, the Times ruled that his "healthy independence" could "wear very well."

The same could not be said for Carson's marriages. His first had produced three sons -- Chris, Ricky and Cory -- but little lasting happiness. As his star ascended, a yearlong separation from Jody sank into eventual divorce in 1963. In August of that year, Johnny was remarried to Joanne Copeland, 30, a vivacious, dark-haired actress that he had met briefly years earlier. A former airline stewardess, she was currently appearing on a daytime TV program called Video Village. The couple separated seven years later, and was divorced in June 1972. That August, Carson made the surprise announcement during the tenth anniversary party for The Tonight Show that he had secretly wed divorced ex-model Joanna Holland that afternoon. The celebration took place in Los Angeles, and the New York-based Tonight Show, after having made regular "trips" to the West Coast during the latter part of the decade, soon after relocated permanently in California.

The ever-faithful Ed McMahon left his wife of twenty-seven years and four children to follow the show to L.A., and in short order his marriage was dissolved. He has since remarried.

Professionally, the years since have been relatively peaceful and prosperous ones (insiders estimate that Carson now banks as much as $4 million per annum for his services), although there have been occasional storms, such as Johnny's ire at being preempted by night football games; or his suit against a toilet manufacturer to prevent the production of a portable "Here's Johnny!" commode; or his lingering threats to leave The Tonight Show, first expressed in 1967 after NBC allegedly violated his contract by showing reruns of the program during an AFTRA strike.

Carson himself has become a kingpin of our popular culture, and The Tonight Show is a kinetic icon for adults of all ages. His conversational comedic style, which he acknowledges as having been shaped by such early heroes as Jack Benny, Bob Hope and George Burns, has become the very paradigm of nonchalant patter for every aspiring young stand-up or sit-down wit.

As a fashion plate, he has easily eclipsed such seminal Tinsel Town trend setters as Fred Astaire, Adolphe Menjou and Cesar Romero with his smart, ungarish taste in sportswear. When he adopted the turtleneck sweater as a respectable alternative to a shirt and tie, millions of American men responded in kind. His Johnny Carson Apparel, Inc., formed in 1970 in conjunction with the Hart, Schaffner & Marx Company, continues to thrive. Likewise, since wife Joanna convinced him to stop tinting his hair and let the silver shine through, the look has been universally embraced as the hallmark of seasoned suavity.

But behind his affecting raiment and distinguished visage, the private Johnny Carson retains the same intensely reticent disposition he has carried all his life. So when his puckish off-camera side does surface, it sometimes catches even his oldest associates completely off guard.

"I'm always impressed with how funny he can be off-camera," admits veteran Tonight Show writer Pat McCormick. "One time I went into the Polo Lounge [in the Beverly Hills Hotel] with him, and the guy at the door insisted that he wear a tie before he could enter. So he went off to his room and put on a tie, but took off his shoes and socks. I was amazed. And there was no rule in the place about shoes and socks, so he just walked in, sat down and put his bare feet up on the table. The guy at the door was stunned. It was a hilarious night."

A few practical jokes notwithstanding, Carson is a man profoundly uncomfortable with his own emotions, and unable to express his pain, insecurity and deep caring without considerable difficulty. A frequent giver of generous, thoughtful gifts, his magnanimity is one manifestation of his submerged sensitivity, but sometimes such distanced overtures to others simply do not suffice.

"They were changing the sun on the Shubert Theater across the street and we spent most of the time looking out the window at that and commenting about it," says Ed McMahon, recalling the day in 1957 when Carson interviewed him for the announcer's job on Who Do You Trust? "We spent five minutes together, and then he said, 'Well, thanks a lot, Ed, for coming up. I appreciate it.'

"I walked out and I was convinced I had blown the job. I figured he didn't like me; I'm not the type he wants. A couple of weeks later a guy calls me on the phone and says, 'When you start Monday . . . And I said, 'What?' Everybody assumed I knew I had been hired!"

"Johnny has a very strong shyness," McMahon explains. "I think he would love to have hired me without meeting me, because that meant getting out of his shy character and into being Johnny Carson, and that's something that he has to turn on."

Usually, Carson hides behind precise, dispassionate regimen, and expects others to understand.

"When you never hear anything from him, you're doing a great job," says McMahon, "because he doesn't constantly send you laudatory phrases or gestures. It's just assumed you're doing a good job, or you wouldn't be there. And we have the kind of friendship where we don't have to keep saying to each other, 'I'm your friend.'

"On the show he likes efficiency. It's all done in a pattern. I mean, I psych myself up at a quarter after five every night and I walk into his office to see him. Everything is geared so that he and I will see each other and chat for five to seven minutes each day beforehand. And will just kind of ramble -- we never talk about the show; I never hear the monologue -- until I leave him at twenty-three after five to go down and do a five-minute warmup with the audience. And I usually leave his office laughing.

"He has great difficultly in getting his emotions of love and warmth out," McMahon confides. "I'll tell you a story I don't think I've ever told anyone before, that explains a lot about the man and our relationship.

"One night after the show about ten years ago, he was so nervous he was chainsmoking cigarettes, and he said, 'C'mon, I want to talk with you,' which was very unusual. It was the last night of our performance in Hollywood, back when we were based in New York and used to come out a few times a year. So I said to myself, 'What the hell is this? "He said, 'Let's go outside.' So we went outside the studio to a quiet room. And then we went into another/I> room, and he lit another cigarette. And he said, 'I have something I went to tell you.' I thought. 'Jeeze, this is it. I'm getting the ax. He couldn't bring himself to tell me before.'

"And finally he says, 'I just want to tell you that I know what you're doing; I know what you're doing. I know you're helping me out there. I know what a supportive person you are. I know that you are . . .'

"He was trying to pay me a compliment but he was having the greatest agony in doing it. I was in tears, and I left the room and I started running down the hallway at NBC. He came out after me and over my shoulder I could hear him yelling, and I looked and saw that he was crying too. And his final words to me were: 'You see, goddamnit! You can't take a compliment any better than I can!'"

It is sunny but cool on the November morning that I arrive at Carson's Bel Air mansion. Before admitting me, a beefy guard at the front gate punches the button on the outdoor intercom and confirms my appointment. The expansive compound consists of a large, modernart-filled ranch house and a smaller two-story building that contains Johnny's private study and gym, the two adjacent structures flanked by a kidney-shaped swimming pool, tennis courts and lush, manicured grounds. Barefooted and dressed in tennis whites, Johnny greets me at the front door of his study with an iron grip of my hand and then sits me down inside on a long couch amid his many mementos, among them a prominently displayed photo of himself with Hubert Humphrey.

"It's about time we spoke in person," he says with a businesslike smile, alluding to the months of phone conversations that preceded our meeting. Up close, his strong, flinty features are lined and accented with a salt-and-pepper stubble. The eyes are bluegreen and piercing, and his frame is trim, muscular and agile. Obviously tense, he drums his fingers, taps his feet and rises from his chair opposite me at measured intervals to pace in a tight circle and light another Pall Mall -- but his steely eyes remain fixed on mine with nary a dart or a flutter. During our initial head-to-head exchange (and a followup session a week later at The Pierre in Manhattan), his manner is affable but resolute. Clearly, he sees our talk essentially as a task, but one to which he is determined to lend a cordial, relaxed air. (After the first interview he is markedly becalmed and gregarious, as if a burden has been lifted from him.)

That night, I stand on the sidelines in Studio I on NBC's sprawling Burbank lot as bespectacled executive producer Freddie de Cordova warms up the audience for a Wednesday installment of The Tonight Show that features guests F. Lee Bailey and Andy Williams. De Cordova baits the anxious crowd, toying with their dismay at the prospect of an absentee Carson, and then proclaims, to elated cheers, that Johnny will indeed be hosting tonight: ". . . and we're just as surprised as you are!"

Big Ed McMahon hurries out to detail the ground rules of audience participation, consisting mainly of repeated pleas for wild applause for whatever may ensue. A gaudily attired Doc Severinsen cranks up the brassy theme song as McMahon barks his intro, and then Ed intones the prayerlike "Heeeerrrrrrre's JOHNNY!"

The white-suited star strolls out through the parted curtains that hang between his tiny desk and the bandstand, flashing a winning grin and clicking into his time-honored repertoire of nervous ticks: the craning of the neck, the smoothing of the tie, etc.

Carson's in high spirits and his monologue flows out briskly to an enthusiastic reception; he winks to the cameramen and jokes easily with the tiered throng before him. It's another round of The Tonight Show, the sight all too familiar, yet still strangely fascinating, and every mechanism in this curious little universe is in its place and operating like clockwork.

Johnny titters his last opening quip with habitual panache, and the wholesome, fresh-laced audience settles back as if in church for a live dose of the safe, comfortable ritual. He signals to the band and winds up his golf swing as the booming music segues into a commercial break, but tonight Johnny draws out the gesture just a few seconds longer than usual, carefully watching his monitor for the station break as he delivers aloud, robust "Ahhhhhhhhhhh -- shit!"

[Smiling] I gotta tell you from the start, I don't know anything about comedy.

[Laughing] Oh? Well, I don't know about that.

I don't know many people who do, strangely enough.

A lot of comedians, comics and humorists prefer to be funny than to talk about being funny.

Yeah, because you always end up being pedantic or really unctuous. If you try to analyze a joke and dissect it, take it apart -- it's no longer funny. Unfortunately when you talk about humor, comedy, it's so relative. That's the big problem. The worst thing you can say about anybody is that he has no sense of humor. That's the crusher -- all things; the girl says to the guy, "You have no sense of humor."

But everyone has a sense of humor. A lot of things that some people find funny, other people just don't find funny, so that is the problem for comedians or people who do comedy -- just trying to find some kind of common denominator if there is such a thing, or just reach as many people as you can. But it's a very hairy problem. That's why you have somebody who will say, "Gee, I think Laurel and Hardy are wonderful," and somebody else will say, "They stink, I don't understand them."

They might be put off for instance, by the pratfalls of buffoonery, one shoving the other.

That's the big problem when you start discussing comedy. When you say, "What is funny?" I don't know. It sounds like a copout, but l don't really know until I go out and do it -- and I just hear the laughter. I like Laurel and Hardy, but I don't see them just as pratfall comedians. If you study Laurel and Hardy, it's a very, very special relationship. Books have been written on it. At times they are very polite, they are very protective of each other. Whenever Ollie introduces Stan, he says [doing an effective Oliver Hardy imitation], "This is my good friend, Mr Laurel."

He'll be very courtly.

[Nodding] Very courtly manners. But . . . and then when they go at each other, it's "Stanley!" and so forth. There's a wonderful relationship between the two of them. I think a lot of their humor is very good satire, a lot of it's slapstick, but . . . I keep looking at that pillow over there [indicating an embroidered pillow on a nearby couch].

[Reading the pillow's needlepoint axiom] It's all in the timing.

Yes, it's all in the timing, as far as I'm concerned. Humor is so much timing, and that's why, as we talk here for reproduction in print, I know that you can never make that transference from the audio sound of a joke or delivery, with all the nuances, to paper. That's why some funny people who can write very well -- for example, S.J. Perelman's a good writer; H. Allen Smith had a brief flurry where he was funny -- never fared too well when they tried to do it in person.

I think there is a noticeable shift in the comedic climate from time to time in this country. When you were writing that humor column back in Norfolk high school, what was the climate?

I emulated a lot of people when I first started. I think everybody, when they first find out they can get laughs as a kid, they steal deliveries, steal the jokes that are kind of current at that time. I was an admirer of Fred Allen, Jack Benny, all the radio comedians in that day, and your humor takes on their realities because you haven't developed your own style yet.

I was writing jokes more or less in the style of a Bob Hope. Picture jokes of that style, because I'd listen to him. And then sometimes I would copy Fred Allen. I loved Fred Allen because he was one of the true natural wits, a man who could sit around and say amusing things and not make jokes. There are a lot of good deliverers and there are a lot of good stylists, but the genuine wits are few. There's that old cliche that you hear over and over again: that a comic says funny things and a comedian says things funny.

But Fred Allen, to take a specific example, was a man who wrote very funny. I remember I used to have a few letters from him, and in his letters he would really take time -- he was a laborious kind of writer -- to write amusing things.

Well, Fred Allen was one of the great wits, but he was very critical of TV throughout his career, even when he was on TV.

I think television, when Fred was alive, was so basically new that maybe he didn't even really see the possibil