Shania, Phair Rock 'Housewives' Soundtrack
The new Shania Twain single "Shoes" will lead the album "Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives," due Sept. 20 via Hollywood. Its accompanying video will feature Twain alongside "Desperate Housewives" cast members Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross.
The album features a host of previously unreleased covers, including the Indigo Girls' version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson," Liz Phair's take on the Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper," Gloria Estefan's recasting of the Candi Staton-popularized "Young Hearts Run Free" and Martina McBride's cover of the Tom T. Hall-penned country favorite "Harper Valley P.T.A."
In addition, there are newly recorded tracks from Anna Nalick, Leann Rimes, Macy Gray, Joss Stone and k.d. lang, plus a new original from SheDaisy ("God Bless the American Housewife") and interspersed dialog from the "Housewives" stars.
The new season the show premieres Sept. 25 on ABC.
Here is the track list for "Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives":
"Dialog / Mary Alice"
"God Bless the American Housewife," SheDaisy
"Dialog / Edie"
"Shoes," Shania Twain
"Band of Gold," Anna Nalick
"Dialog / Lynette"
"Mother's Little Helper," Liz Phair
"Mrs. Robinson," Indigo Girls
"Harper Valley P.T.A.," Martina McBride
"Dialog / Bree"
"Running Out of Time," Leann Rimes
"Treat Me Right (I'm Yours for Life)," Joss Stone
"One's on the Way," Sara Evans
"Dialog / Gabrielle"
"Boom Boom," Macy Gray
"Young Hearts Run Free," Gloria Estefan
"Dialog / Susan"
"Damsel in Distress," Idina Menzel
"Dreams of the Everyday Housewife," k.d. lang
"Dialog / Mary Alice"
"Theme," Danny Elfman
Olivia Newton-John's Boyfriend Missing
LOS ANGELES - The Coast Guard is investigating the disappearance of Olivia Newton-John's longtime boyfriend, who failed to return from a sport-fishing trip off the California coast seven weeks ago.
Patrick Kim McDermott, 48, was listed as missing after he left San Pedro, 20 miles south of Los Angeles, on June 30 for the overnight trip.
Coast Guard officer Nathan Henise told The Associated Press on Monday that McDermott's personal belongings were found on the commercial vessel.
"We're treating it as a missing person case," Henise said. "Everyone is being interviewed, everyone on the boat."
McDermott was aboard the "Freedom," which embarked with 23 passengers and three crew members, said Frank Liversedge, landing manager at the boat's pier.
Liversedge said he called police and the Coast Guard after learning McDermott was missing and found his wallet and the other belongings in a fanny pack on the boat.
McDermott signed the passenger manifest when he boarded and was last seen eating in the galley, Chief Warrant Officer Scott Epperson told a news conference Monday afternoon. No one has told investigators they saw McDermott getting off, Epperson said.
Investigators have no leading theory of what happened and have not developed any meaningful leads, he added.
Newton-John urged anyone with information on McDermott's disappearance to contact authorities.
"I'm hopeful that my treasured friend is safe and well, and I'm grateful to the officials who are working so hard to find Patrick, whom I love very much," she said in a statement. "I ask anybody with information that could help to please, please come forward."
Gavin de Becker, a spokesman for Newton-John, said the singer was in "close and frequent contact" with McDermott's family and friends, as well as investigators.
Authorities said McDermott's family became concerned when he didn't attend a July 6 event. They contacted the Coast Guard after his car was found in the marina's parking lot on July 11.
McDermott, a cameraman, and Newton-John, 56, have been together for nine years.
Newton-John, who starred in the 1978 film "Grease" opposite John Travolta, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. After she beat the disease, she recorded the album "Gaia," documenting her experience.
'Gladiator' DVD a real killer
It is fascinating, five years later, to see how well Ridley Scott's Gladiator stands up as it matures: It is a masterwork, a thrilling if brutally violent entertainment with a rich storyline and deep character development. And despite the ancient setting in the Roman Empire of 180 A.D., the film's contemporary themes of power abuse and military recklessness ripen in the light of current affairs.
As a result, the new three-disc DVD set, Gladiator: Extended Edition, is important because it reinforces the historical significance of the film. Tomorrow's release, in a gorgeous new enhanced widescreen transfer, boasts an expanded set of extras, including a new documentary that runs longer than the film itself.
There is controversy, however. The film has been extended by 15 minutes and 56 seconds (not the full 17 minutes promised). Is this just a blatant cash grab, a push to sell more DVDs of a movie already well served in the digital format?
In an intro, Scott seems to distance himself: "This is not the director's cut," he says, adding that the true director's cut is the theatrical version (also presented in the new set as an alternative). "This has a lot of scenes in it that were removed during the editing process and might be worth seeing."
Some of the 13 new scenes are worth seeing, especially when best actor winner Russell Crowe, as Maximus, visits the field hospital to survey the carnage in the aftermath of the victory over Germania. Serving "the glory of Rome" exacts a toll. There are other more subtle yet key additions, such as showing Joaquin Phoenix, as Commodus, attack the bust of his murdered father with a sword, or letting Tomas Arana, as Quintus, explain to Maximus why he obeyed bad orders as a soldier. The scenes enrich the meaning of later events.
Also new is a commentary that teams Scott with Crowe. The two feed off each other beautifully, giving Crowe the platform for intelligent insight into the acting and filmmaking process and into the layers of meaning in the film.
Crowe, that rapscallion, also makes mischief, revealing that the hapless goof caught wearing jeans on screen in the Germania battle scene was the second assistant director Adam Somner. "You little bastard," Crowe says with a laugh, "I'd recognize that squatty walk anywhere."
Even better is his anecdote about how he conspired with Scott to pump up Phoenix's shattered confidence when the actor wanted to quit in his first days on set. The therapy included verbal shock therapy, at the victim's request: "Why don't you just try acting, you little maggot," Crowe says he told Phoenix from off-camera just before Phoenix was to perform. Meanwhile, Richard Harris plied Phoenix with drinks. It worked. The reluctant co-star became an Oscar nominee.
The documentary, Strength And Honour: Creating The World Of Gladiator, is a major addition, too. The piece is authoritive and thorough and not just self-promotion.
On the third disc, there is a collection of more conventional extras, most of them already familiar. Put it all together and fans of Gladiator are caught in a dilemma. You may own the earlier DVD -- but this new one is significantly better.