The Couch Potato Report - August 15th, 2005
This week The Couch Potato Report features four, count 'em four, TV show releases, and Sin City!
I have said it before, and I will say it again, I love watching TV.
Especially good TV.
And this week I have four good television shows that are now available on DVD to tell you about.
As much as I love TV, and good TV, I love good TV shows on DVD!!
One of the greatest things about the invention of DVDs is the fact that a lot of shows that might otherwise air and then be forgotten, no matter how beloved they are, get released for us to buy!
Once such example is the show UNDECLARED. This show is beloved by many, but forgotten by many more.
UNDECLARED aired in 1001 and 2002 and it is about University freshman Steve Karp and his fellow freshman dorm-mates.
They are about to embark on one the greatest experiences of their lives...unfortunately for Steve, the girl he slept with last night has a boyfriend, and his lonely and recently divorced father is tagging along for the ride.
If you were a fan of the under appreciated FREAKS AND GEEKS then you will enjoy the humour and honesty that is front and centre in UNDECLARED.
And now UNDECLARED- THE COMPLETE SERIES is now available in a 4-disc box set with an array of extras.
Those extras include an unaired episode and a bonus director's cut, 18 commentaries with directors, writers & cast, deleted scenes, auditions, outtakes, and a 28-page booklet!
I never went to University, but I have visited more than a few friends over the years at various schools.
In addition to its realistic portrayal of dorm life, UNDECLARED is a show that is full of a likeable and talented cast.
I do declare that I love UNDECLARED, and I am quite pleased that I now own THE COMPLETE SERIES on DVD.
I don't yet own the complete series of THE SIMPSONS, but I do proudly own seasons one through six. Six is the latest one to be released and THE SIMPSONS- THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON is another tremendous set from the creators of the show.
This set features all 25 episodes from the sixth season, including Part One of the season cliffhanger "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", "Homer Badman" where a gummy Venus de Milo makes Homer the object of feminist protest and tabloid TV fodder, "Homer The Great" featuring The Stonecutters ("Who holds back the electric car/Who made Steve Guttenberg a star?/We do!"), "Lisa's Wedding", "Bart's Girlfriend" and "Itchy and Scratchy Land".
There are also commentaries on every episode from Matt Groening, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, and other members of the creative team.
Even if you think THE SIMPSONS isn't as funny now as it was then, this box set represents then, so enjoy!
For most of its run THE SIMPSONS has aired on Sunday nights, but at one time it was moved to Thursdays to try and compete with THE COSBY SHOW.
Happily, both shows thrived and we didn't lose either one.
The first season of THE SIMPSONS debuted on DVD in 2001.
Now, in 2005, Season One of THE COSBY SHOW is on DVD as well.
THE COSBY SHOW ran from 1984 to 1992 and it since it is one of the most popular programs in TV history I will only briefly recap the premise:
Bill Cosby stars as a happily married doctor who, along with his attorney wife, raise their five children in an supportive, loving, very funny environment.
Okay, back to me giving you the full details, all 24 episodes from the 1984-85 season are now available in the 4-disc box set THE COSBY SHOW - SEASON ONE.
The set also includes the 90-minute 2002 TV special "A Look Back" including deleted scenes, bloopers, audition footage and more.
It was fun to go back and watch the first season of THE COSBY SHOW! I don't think I've seen some of the episodes in this set since they first aired, and I especially liked how the writers changed a few things as the show went along.
For instance, in the pilot episode, the parents discuss their "four" children. That wasn't a mistake, when the show began they had four children.
But as I mentioned above, the family has five kids.
The changes were minor because THE COSBY SHOW was good right from the start.
And this great new box set is proof of that. Enjoy it!
The final TV show to cover this week is THE OFFICE.
Now if you are thinking that maybe there are more episodes of the BBC series THE OFFICE coming out, sorry but that is not the case.
THE OFFICE that I am referring to is the American remake of that classic BBC series. A series I love, admire, respect and revere.
That said, I don't hate this remake.
The BBC version was two and a half perfect seasons, but this version gives us some extra episodes, even if it is just a copy.
But for a copy, there are some very unique and inspired moments.
Many people will view this version of THE OFFICE with disdain and apprehension due to the fact that Ricky Gervais' original masterpiece is so incredible, but I say watch it and give it a chance.
The writing is good, the cast is worth getting to know and even if it makes you long for the original, well so what! Funny is funny!
It made me laugh and I like it! Yes, I like the American version of THE OFFICE. But I must admit that I love the original BBC version.
And as I mentioned, I love watching TV and TV shows on DVD!
I also like reading comic books, or as many of them are known today "graphic novels", and I very much enjoy movies based on graphic novels and comic books.
Our final release this week is SIN CITY.
SIN CITY is director Robert Rodriguez's realistically realized vision of three of Frank Miller's books.
This film is possibly the most faithful comic book movie ever made with many shots coming right from the books themselves.
Rodriguez has actually referred to the film as a "translation" rather than an adaptation.
Like the books it is based on SIN CITY is almost entirely in black and white, with only a few bits of colour popping up from time to time.
The movie is a treat for the eyes, unless you have a problem with graphic violence. The film is quite violent in parts, and most of the film's population are less than reputable, and thus I can't call it a must see, unless those sort of issues don't bother you.
They don't bother me, and I think this is one of the best films of 2005. It certainly is one of the most unique.
The story is engrossing and the huge cast includes Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Josh Hartnett and Michael Madsen.
While not for everyone, SIN CITY is an incredible cinematic experience.
But be aware, the DVD comes with only a few special features. Robert Rodriguez is a huge fan of DVDs and his films usually are released with an incredible array of features. The fact that this one has so little means that there will be a SPECIAL EDITION coming out soon.
So beware!
But if you must have it right away, like I must, SIN CITY is available in stores now. So are THE SIMPSONS - THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON DVD COLLECTION, THE COSY SHOW - SEASON ONE and the incredible UNDECLARED.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUCH POTATO REPORT
In THE RING TWO an unmarked videotape continues its cycle of violence. This is the less than successful sequel to THE RING with the lovely Naomi Watts back in the lead role.
Amanda Peet is lovely as well but her film A LOT LIKE LOVE sinks due to the presence of male star Ashton Kutcher. They play a couple who struggle to find a way to make their relationship work.
ALF- SEASON TWO is a four disc set with all 25 episodes from the TV series about an Alien Life Form living on earth.
And the GLADIATOR - EXTENDED EDITION has an all-new, widescreen extended version of the film, including 17 minutes of additional footage, and a three hour and twenty minute documentary that includes some never-before-seen footage.
I'm Dan Reynish and I will have more on those, and some other releases in seven days.
For now, that's this week's Couch Potato Report.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next week on The Couch!
Cinderella DVD
It sure got clobbered this summer, but Cinderella Man will find a much more deserving audience on DVD this fall when it's released on 6 December (when Universal should have released the film theatrically). We'll get both full-frame and widescreen versions of the film as well as a nice 5.1 sound mix, two commentaries - one with director Ron Howard and another with writers Akiva Goldsman and Cliff Hollingsworth - deleted scenes, a few featurettes, and some trailers. This one will run you $29.98. There will also be a Collector's Edition, which will come with an extra disc of deleted scenes and featurettes that aren't included on the single-disc edition, and a collectible booklet. That one will cost you $44.98.
Canada Post, Diana Krall help mark Oscar Peterson's 80th birthday
For the first time ever, a living Canadian has been honoured with a postage stamp. On Monday hundreds of fans crowded into a downtown Toronto music store to see Canada Post formally unveil its new Oscar Peterson stamp. They also saw Diana Krall and husband Elvis Costello offer their own tribute to Peterson.
It was a special 80th birthday tribute to Canada's legendary jazz pianist. Peterson said he always considered himself proud to be a Canadian, "But to have the honour of this stamp issued in my likeness goes beyond my wildest dreams."
Diana Krall told how, as a teenager, she had first seen Peterson performing with Ella Fitzgerald and how it had changed her life. Krall performed a Peterson instrumental with lyrics penned specially by Costello, then led the crowd in a jazzy rendition of Happy Birthday.
After the cake cutting, Peterson surprised everyone by playing a number he wrote entitled Requiem, which he called a tribute to the many jazz artists who have died in recent years.
The 50-cent stamp, a large version of which was presented to Peterson, bears a sepia-coloured photo of the smiling musician with a keyboard motif behind him. He said he didn't have much room left on his wall for awards, but would definitely find room for this one.
Four million of the stamps and 500,000 souvenir sheets have been printed and went on sale immediately. After a 50-year career in music, Peterson is regarded as one of the world's greatest jazz pianists.
He first learned music from his father, a West Indian immigrant who worked at CN Rail as a porter. Early breaks came when he won a CBC Radio amateur contest, followed by appearances on the Happy Gang variety show.
Peterson was discovered performing in a Montreal club in the 1940s, played Carnegie Hall in 1949 and has performed with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington. He's recorded more than 300 albums. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1984, has two Juno Awards and seven Grammys -- including the 1997 Lifetime Achievement Award -- as well as several honorary doctorates from educational institutions in both Canada and the United States.
Fiona Apple's New Album to Be Released
SAN FRANCISCO - Fiona Apple is ending her curiously long hiatus from the business of making music. A year after 11 tracks were leaked onto the Internet, drawing praise from critics and fans, Epic Records announced Monday that Apple's "Extraordinary Machine" will be released Oct. 4.
It's been six years since Apple's last album, "When the Pawn...," was released in 1999. Since then, the young Grammy-winning singer has been treated to a deluxe serving of the frustrations of modern music: It isn't always easy to make a beautiful songs, and creative control is a nebulous concept at best.
Last year, Apple and the multitalented producer Jon Brion came up with a wonderfully complex construction of Brion's vision and Apple's voice. But after months of silence from Apple and Epic parent Sony on a release date, all 11 songs popped up on the Internet, in high-quality MP3s, freely available for anyone who couldn't wait another minute. And there was not an iTunes link to be seen.
The Internet had proved to be the most extraordinary machine of all.
Moreover, the album was very good. Tracks titled "Oh Sailor" and "Please, Please, Please" ooze the same sullen sultriness that made Apple's debut album, "Tidal," triple-platinum.
How the album got online is a question that gets fingers pointing in all directions. What is known is that only Apple, Brion, recording engineers and the label had access to the songs — and Apple is now moving forward without Brion.
The album now has 12 songs. One is new, and nine are reworked versions of leaked tracks.
"Now that my album is finally finished, I am very, very excited to have people hear what we did. I am so proud of it, and all of us who worked on it," Apple said in a short statement released Monday.
Through Epic, Apple refused several interview requests from The Associated Press.
Mike Elizondo is Apple's new producer, a curious departure from Brion, who has worked with artists such as Aimee Mann and David Byrne. Elizondo cut his teeth working under superproducer Dr. Dre, and most of his work has been with rappers such as 50 Cent and Obie Trice.
Brion also wouldn't talk about his involvement with Apple's upcoming album. But his publicist, Ray Costa, denies Brion leaked the album.
"That's one sore subject with him," Costa said, acknowledging the persistent rumors. And Brion insists that the version of "Extraordinary Machine" available online has been tweaked, and does not represent the music he and Apple created.
"The version that's out there right now has been additionally manipulated even from what Jon had done before," Costa said. "Whether the album comes out, Jon's done his part."
Some die-hard Apple fans say what they've already heard was plenty good enough. Many of them posted links to the MP3s songs on their personal web pages. Other released the entire album — including some homespun album cover art — over the Bittorrent file-sharing network.
Nadja Dee Tanaka of Seattle posted all 11 of the "Extraordinary Machine" MP3s on her Web site. She even went a step further to get Apple's music out to fans.
"A lot of people, I would burn a disc and send it to them if they would cover the postage for me," said Tanaka, a 42-year-old film industry professional. She said the Apple downloads reached about 5,000 per day at its peak.
Tanaka begrudgingly took the links down after receiving a notice from the Recording Industry Association of America.
"I was scared. I was angry," Tanaka said.
She might have been a bit confused as well. At the time it was made, no one would confirm Apple had even made the recordings, much less delivered them to the label.
If no new Apple material existed, what were downloaders being asked to stop downloading?
And it remains unclear if the RIAA went after the original album leaker with the same vigor it went after Tanaka and other Apple fans, like Lane Collins of San Francisco, who saw the long delay in bringing "Extraordinary Machine" to stores as an extraordinary pain.
"From a fan perspective, what I see is that they put a lot of money into having her record this music," said Collins, a 23-year-old photography student. "I think it's silly to leave it on the shelf, when they've already invested in it."
All eyes on Rachel McAdams
HOLLYWOOD -- It took horror king Wes Craven to rekindle Rachel McAdams' darker side.
McAdams, 28, is best known as the nasty girl in Mean Girls, the romantic heroine of The Notebook and the girl who tames playboy Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers.
In Craven's thriller Red Eye that opens Friday, McAdams plays a woman who becomes the pawn of an assassin played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy.
"I was flattered out of my mind that Wes Craven even knew who I was. I was so excited he wanted me for Red Eye because the thriller is a genre I've never done before," says McAdams.
Well at least not on screen.
"Ironically one of the first plays I did when I was 12 was Woody Allen's Death. I started this acting thing out in a dark moment and it took Wes to bring me back to those themes."
McAdams who was born and raised in London, Ont., joined the city's Original Kids Theatre Company when she was in elementary school.
"We took classes during the school year and then went to summer drama camps. It was at the summer camp when I was 12 that we did Death.
"In retrospect it seems like an awfully strange play for children to be doing but it was a great experience for many reasons," she recalls.
Not the least was that McAdams got to wear high heels for the first time. "I danced around my room in heels for hours. I felt so grown up."
McAdams is talking heels because in Red Eye her character ends up running through a busy airport in high heels.
"I tried out dozens of pairs before we found one that made the whole run look more precarious than it actually was."
Far more precarious were the two scenes in which she is first head-butted by Murphy and then later retaliates by head-butting him. "Cillian was far more worried about the scenes than I was. He was so afraid he'd actually hurt me that we practised for hours the day we were set to film the head-butt on the plane."
McAdams says she is thrilled that her character in Red Eye is an ordinary person who must call upon all her resources to thwart this killer who has targeted her and her father.
"I was so relieved that she was not some sweaty, tank-top-wearing, Uzi-carrying super woman. I think it makes it easier for audiences to share her terror and fear."
McAdams who was a brunette in Wedding Crashers and Red Eye is back to her blond look from The Hot Chick, Mean Girls and The Notebook. "I've not done this for a movie role. Going blond again is for me. I was born blond. More of a dishwater blond than this but still a blond."
In Red Eye, McAdams' character is a super efficient senior hotel employee.
"She's very much the woman I envisioned myself being when I was growing up.
"I always saw myself as a really efficient secretary. I loved the whole idea of paper clips, staplers and filing cabinets. The trouble was I was a terrible typist so that kind of sidelined that career. The arts were a much better route for me."
McAdams admits her parents where "hesitant and worried for me but they were always very supportive. They are immensely happy for me that my career is doing so well."
That's a bit of an understatement. She is one of the stars of the hit summer comedy Wedding Crashers and shares top billing for Red Eye with Murphy, one of the stars of Batman Begins. "It's definitely empowering to be in a string of hit movies. Mean Girls and The Notebook did very well and now Wedding Crashers is turning out to be one of the biggest successes of the summer. I finally feel somewhat in charge of my career. I'm getting to read some very interesting scripts."
Her next outing is a role in the ensemble drama The Family Stone scheduled for release Nov. 4. "It's never about line counts for me. It's about the people I get to work with. In the case of The Family Stone that meant working with Diane Keaton. I went to the set when I wasn't needed just to watch her work. It's awe-inspiring. It was like sitting in on a master class in acting."
McAdams still lives in Toronto, the city she says "feels like home. It's where I feel most like Rachel McAdams. It's where I can be myself."
McAdams insists it's not a even a casual relationship let alone a serious one that grounds her in Toronto. "Because my career is so intense, I hardly have time for ME these days.
"It wouldn't be fair to enter into a serious relationship because that takes a lot of time, commitment and choice. I've chosen to be an actress and I've been given so many great opportunities that I owe it to myself to make acting my priority these days."
She is quick to point out this doesn't mean she's "not open to love. If it happens that will be wonderful. I've definitely not closed the door on love."
Costello Commentary Spiffs DVD Retrospective
Originally expected earlier this year, the DVD "The Right Spectacle: The Very Best of Elvis Costello -- The Videos" will arrive Sept. 6 in the United Kingdom via demonVision. A North American release date has not yet been finalized for the project, which rounds up all of the artist's classic promo clips plus a wealth of rare European TV appearances.
Of perhaps most interest to fans is the fact that Costello provides commentary for each of the 27 videos, including such early MTV favorites as "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding" and "Everyday I Write the Book."
But securing the artist's services for the project nearly didn't happen, according to DVD producer Sophie Coolbaugh. "Elvis was completely booked up last summer and no matter how we looked at his schedule, there was no way he could spare us a few hours," she tells Billboard.com. "We had given up on the idea when the call came late on a Thursday afternoon -- we could have him for a couple of hours on the following Sunday in New York."
Due to short notice, the producers were forced to rent a studio without air conditioning "on a muggy September evening," Coolbaugh recalls. "Elvis had not dabbled in the art of the DVD audio commentary before, and he took to it like a fish takes to water. It is both witty and interesting, and definitely a key highlight of the disc."
Coolbaugh delighted in "finding bits and pieces that we knew no one had seen in over 20 years, if at all," including an extra song from a 1983 performance on the U.K. show "The Tube" and clips from Holland's Pink Pop Festival ("fabulous pink suit").
However, one classic piece of film eluded "The Right Spectacle." Says Coolbaugh: "The master of Elvis' first-ever TV appearance [performing 'Alison' for 'Granada Reports' in July 1977] has gone missing sometime between 1977 and now. It was very, very lucky that the producers of [the show] 'So It Goes' lifted a clip from it for their show later that year, so the excerpt we have on the disc is the only surviving clip from [Costello's] TV debut."
Since there are no U.S. TV appearances on the collection, could a follow-up "Elvis in the U.S." compilation see the light of day in the future? "We had access to a large number of archives and in the end it was a question of finding clips that were most representative of the period," Coolbaugh says. "Who knows what the future holds -- there are certainly plenty of great clips to consider for a follow up."
Here is "The Right Spectacle" track list:
"(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea"
"Pump It Up"
"Radio Radio"
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding"
"Oliver's Army"
"Accidents Will Happen"
"I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down"
"High Fidelity"
"Love for Tender"
"Possession"
"New Amsterdam"
"Clubland"
"New Lace Sleeves"
"Good Year for the Roses"
"Sweet Dreams"
"You Little Fool"
"Everyday I Write the Book"
"Let Them All Talk"
"The Only Flame in Town"
"I Wanna Be Loved"
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
"Veronica"
"This Town"
"The Other Side if Summer"
"So Like Candy"
"Sulky Girl"
"13 Steps Lead Down"
Bonus Material:
"Granada Reports" / "So It Goes" (U.K.):
"Alison" (excerpt), "Lip Service," "No Dancing"
"Revolver" (U.K.):
"This Year's Girl," "Radio Radio"
"Countdown" (Holland):
"Oliver's Army," "Accidents Will Happen," "Watching the Detectives," "You Belong To Me"
"Pink Pop" (Holland):
"Lipstick Vogue," "Watching the Detectives"
"What's In" (U.K.):
"Shot With His Own Gun"
"The Tube" (U.K.):
"Shipbuilding," "Everyday I Write the Book," "Clowntime Is Over," "TKO (Boxing Day)"
"Mandagsboren":
"Big Sister's Clothes," "Peace in Our Time"
Ashlee Planning 'SNL' Redux?
Ashlee Simpson is ready to return to the scene of the crime. She is in talks with "Saturday Night Live" to host and perform on the NBC show around the Oct. 11 release of her sophomore Geffen album, "I Am Me."
"It's not confirmed yet, but I want to do it," she tells Billboard in her first interview about the new album. "I've battled those demons. I'm ready to go back out and do it again."
Lest anyone has forgotten, Simpson, on the back of her Geffen debut "Autobiography" -- which bowed at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 last year and has sold 2.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- appeared on the show last October. As she prepared to sing her second song, a prerecorded vocal track of her first performance erroneously began playing, revealing that she had been lip-syncing. Simpson, who said she had to use prerecorded vocals because her acid reflux had left her unable to sing, was vilified for passing off her performance as live.
Not surprisingly, that event and the aftermath found their way onto the new album, which, like "Autobiography," she wrote with Kara Dioguardi and John Shanks, who also produced.
The tune "Beautifully Broken" most clearly references those events. "I've obviously fallen on my face before in front of a bunch of people, but I've learned it's a beautiful thing and it's OK for people to be broken," she says. "That song is about the moment where it's like, 'God, I don't even know if I'm going to be able to get out of my bed tomorrow.' But you have to get yourself to get up and continue."
Musically, the album is more aggressive than "Autobiography" and also shows the 1980s influence of such female rockers as Joan Jett and Terri Nunn, which is surprising, since Simpson is only 20. "I just love '80s music," she says. "It's just so light and fun, and that was a lot of what I wanted to do on this record."
Simpson knows that after her "SNL" snafu, some folks won't be willing to give her a second chance, but she left the ghosts of her naysayers outside the recording studio.
"The first two days, I was like, 'What am I gonna [do]'... and then I was like, 'Who cares? I'm going to make a record that's true to myself and if people get that I can sing off of it, great, but if it's just a record that my fans love, then that's great for me too.' I'm not afraid of criticism anymore, must I say?"
'Four Brothers' Tops Amid Box-Office Slump
LOS ANGELES - The John Singleton revenge flick "Four Brothers" beat its cinematic siblings to take the top spot at the weekend box office.
However, the R-rated action film's three-day ticket sales of $20.7 million did little to stem a prolonged box office slump, which entered its third week after a brief respite.
The total box office take for the top 12 films was down 16 percent over the same weekend last year, when the horror movie "Alien vs. Predator" reaped a three-day gross of $38 million.
"It was a fairly unremarkable weekend at the box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office-tracker Exhibitor Relations. "August usually is a slowdown month."
Box office revenues slumped for 19 straight weeks until being lifted briefly last month with the help of hits such as "Fantastic Four."
The supernatural thriller "The Skeleton Key," starring Kate Hudson, came in second with $15.8 million. The big screen remake of the TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard" fell 58 percent in its second week, but that was good enough for third place with $13 million.
The other debut in wide release, the gross-out sequel "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," finished a distant fifth with $9.4 million.
"Four Brothers," directed by Singleton and distributed by Paramount, stars Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000 of OutKast) and Garrett Hedlund as adopted siblings reunited in grief and anger after their mother is slain.
"Deuce Bigalow," starring Rob Schneider, did worse than the first film, which opened with $12.2 million in 1999. But that movie went on to earn $65 million domestically, giving hope to distributor Sony.
The Morgan Freeman-narrated documentary "March of the Penguins" continued to do well, dropping only one spot and bringing its cumulative ticket sales to $37.6 million.
The other new release this weekend, "The Great Raid," from Miramax, earned $3.4 million. Half of the World War II tale's audience was over age 50, unusual for an industry that strains to appeal to a younger audience.
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. "Four Brothers," $20.7 million
2. "The Skeleton Key," $15.8 million
3. "The Dukes of Hazzard," $13 million
4. "Wedding Crashers," $12 million
5. "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," $9.4 million
6. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," $7.3 million
7. "March of the Penguins," $6.7 million.
8. "Sky High," $6.1 million
9. "Must Love Dogs," $4.6 million
10. "The Great Raid," $3.4 million
'Notebook' Wins Eight Teen Choice Awards
LOS ANGELES - A story told by an old man proved popular with young people as the multigenerational love story "The Notebook" took eight categories Sunday at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards.
The tear-evoking tale, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, was the favorite drama and date movie among teens.
The film's young male lead, Ryan Gosling, won for actor in a drama, and his co-star, Rachel McAdams, won for actress in a drama.
Gosling and McAdams won for best movie chemistry, and their rain-soaked kiss in the film earned awards for best movie liplock and best movie love scene.
Ashton Kutcher took home three of the awards, including favorite TV actor in a comedy. The perennial teen favorite has won 11 of the awards, more than anyone else.
The awards show, hosted by Rob Schneider and Hilary Duff at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, will be broadcast at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday on Fox.
A complete list of winners of the 2005 Teen Choice Awards:
Movies:
Actor, Action/Thriller - Chad Michael Murray ("House of Wax")
Actor, Drama - Ryan Gosling ("The Notebook")
Actress, Comedy - Sandra Bullock ("Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous")
Actress, Drama - Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook")
Bad Guy - Jim Carrey ("Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events")
Blush Scene - Hilary Duff ("A Cinderella Story")
Breakout, Female - Haylie Duff ("Napoleon Dynamite")
Breakout, Male - Ryan Gosling ("The Notebook")
Chemistry - Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook")
Comedy - "Napoleon Dynamite"
Dance - Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite")
Date Movie - "The Notebook"
Drama - "The Notebook"
Hissy Fit - Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite")
Liplock - Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook")
Love Scene - Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook")
Rockstar Moment - Ashton Kutcher ("A Lot Like Love")
Scream - Paris Hilton ("House of Wax")
Sleazebag - Jennifer Coolidge ("A Cinderella Story")
Thriller - "House of Wax"
Television:
Actor, Comedy - Ashton Kutcher (That '70s Show.)
Actor, Drama - Adam Brody (The O.C.)
Actress, Comedy - Alexis Bledel ("Gilmore Girls")
Actress, Drama - Rachel Bilson (The O.C.)
Breakout, Female - Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives")
Breakout Show - "Desperate Housewives"
Chemistry - Adam Brody & Rachel Bilson (The O.C.)
Parental Unit - Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore "Gilmore Girls")
Personality, Male - Ashton Kutcher ("Punk'd")
Sidekick - Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show)
Comedy - "Gilmore Girls"
Drama - The O.C.
Reality - American Idol
Cast - "Desperate Housewives"
Music:
Album - Kelly Clarkson ("Breakaway")
Breakout, Female - Gwen Stefani
Breakout, Male - Jesse McCartney
Collaboration - Gwen Stefani featuring Eve ("Rich Girl")
Female Artist - Kelly Clarkson
Love Song - Mariah Carey ("We Belong Together")
Make-out Song - Ciara featuring Ludacris ("Oh")
Male Artist - Jesse McCartney
Party Starter - Black Eyed Peas ("Don't Phunk With My Heart")
Rap Artist - Eminem
Rap Track - Eminem ("Mockingbird")
R&B Hip-Hop Track - Ciara ("1 - 2 Step")
R&B Artist - Mariah Carey
Rock Group - Simple Plan
Single - Kelly Clarkson ("Since U Been Gone")
Additional Awards
Comedian - Adam Sandler
Crossover Artist - Jesse McCartney
Hottie, Female - Rachel Bilson
Hottie, Male - Chad Michael Murray
It Girl - Alexis Bledel
CBC, union fail to reach deal
TORONTO (CP) - Viewers and listeners across the country tuned in to unfamiliar faces and voices on the airwaves Monday morning after the CBC locked out 5,500 of its workers.
Negotiators for the broadcaster and the Canadian Media Guild could not agree on a contract by the CBC-imposed lockout deadline of 12:01 a.m. ET Monday. Lise Lareau, president of the Canadian Media Guild, called the lockout a dark day for viewers of Canadian television. "It won't really be the CBC because the people who are the CBC are outside the doors," she said.
Richard Stursberg, executive vice-president of CBC Television, said the network will rely on contingency plans and the 10 per cent of its workforce that is not unionized to maintain programming.
"The truth is it is still going to be a reasonably interesting service, but it's not going to be the service we hoped to offer Canadians," he said.
The lockout will mean local radio morning shows will be replaced by a single national broadcast, and TV newscasts will be pared down, although the network can rely on BBC newscasts for coverage of international events.
Television coverage of sporting events such as CFL games will also have a much different look and sound.
TV content may not be familiar, but the CBC has indicated programming on all services - radio, television and online - will continue.
Union negotiator Arnold Amber said the work stoppage will likely result in "an incredible backlash" from the Canadian public.
"The CBC doesn't know what's in store for it," Amber said from a picket line in front of the CBC building in Toronto shortly after the lockout was announced.
"You don't suddenly do this and expect the Canadian public to say, 'Oh isn't that lovely - I'm not getting any service.' "
Lareau said it will be interesting to see how the CBC replaces high-profile personalities like Peter Mansbridge, anchor of The National, the network's flagship television newscast.
Stursberg would not speculate on who would be filling in for Mansbridge or other well-known personalities for the duration of the lockout.
He said the major sticking point is that the CBC wants the flexibility to hire more non-permanent workers.
Stursberg said the last offer the corporation put forth guaranteed all permanent CBC workers would retain their jobs.
"What stands between us and the union is a theoretical point in the sense that nothing that we have asked for applies to anybody who works here now, in terms of their employment status."
Stursberg said the CBC is 90 per cent unionized - a rate he said is much higher than in the private broadcasting sector.
"We owe a duty to the Canadian public ... who actually pay for the CBC to have a set of arrangements that are not only as effective and as efficient as the private sector, but indeed are more so."
But Lareau said 30 per cent of the CBC's workforce is already non-permanent, giving the network all the flexibility it needs.
"We believe the CBC intended this dispute from the outset," she said. "It's a very aggressive senior management team, and this was part of the plan."
Stursberg said the CBC is willing to get back to negotiations at "any time."
"We are prepared to stay up all night long to get this concluded," he said.
Amber said it was too early to determine when talks might resume, but said the union also wants to get back to the table.
"Fifty-five hundred members of our union are out," he said. "We are taking a service away from Canadians across the country. It's awful."
Lareau said locked-out workers are hoping to have an Internet presence for the duration of the labour disruption as an alternative to CBC broadcasts.
She said workers will know within a couple of days what types of web programming are possible.
The producers, newsroom staff and technicians have been without a contract for more than a year.
Last month, guild members voted 87.3 per cent in favour of a strike mandate.
Employees in Quebec and Moncton, N.B., belong to different unions and are expected to continue working but not to cross over into Ontario to help out.
The broadcaster's last major dispute was late in 2001, when technical staff were locked out across the country. In some cases, the sound and lighting was not up to usual standards, newscasts were pared down, and there were plenty of repeats.
ACTRA, the 21,000-member actors' union, will not perform CBC work during the pending lockout, but that's not expected to have an immediate impact onscreen since many shows are not currently in production.