New Songs Enliven Eurythmics Best-Of
The Eurythmics have re-teamed to record two new songs for the upcoming retrospective “Ultimate Collection,” due Nov. 8 via Arista. The tracks “I've Got a Life” (the first single) and “Was It Just Another Love Affair?” were recorded in Los Angeles and mark Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart's first new material in more than five years.
“Annie and I didn't plan to go in the studio -- she was staying with me in Los Angeles and we seemed to spontaneously write and record some songs,” Stewart says. “It was just like the old days, songs coming at lightning speed and recorded and mixed in a week.”
“Ultimate Collection” is rounded out by some of the most enduring pop songs of the 1980s, including “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “Here Comes the Rain Again,” “Would I Lie To You?” and “Missionary Man.”
Eurythmics' last album of new material was 1999's “Peace.” Expanded reissues of the group's studio albums have been in the pipeline for some time but have yet to be given a release date.
Here is the track list for “Ultimate Collection”:
“I've Got a Life”
“Love Is a Stranger”
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”
“Who's That Girl?”
“Right by Your Side”
“Here Comes the Rain Again”
“Would I Lie To You?”
“There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart)”
“Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves”
“It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)”
“When Tomorrow Comes”
“Thorn in My Side”
“The Miracle of Love”
“Missionary Man”
“You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart”
“I Need a Man”
“I Saved the World Today”
“17 Again”
“Was It Just Another Love Affair?”
Mulroney says he's tops, Trudeau's not
Brian Mulroney says he was the greatest prime minister -- after John A. MacDonald.
However, the former prime minister says Pierre Trudeau's contribution "was not to build Canada but to destroy it."
Of Lucien Bouchard, he says, "I have never known a more vulgar expression of betrayal and deceit."
The comments come in a soon-to-be-published book by Peter C. Newman. The Secret Mulroney Tapes: Confessions of a Prime Minister draws on 98 interviews with Mulroney. Excerpts are printed Monday in the Globe and Mail.
FROM THE CBC ARCHIVES: From Cheers to Jeers: The Mulroney Years
"By the time history is done looking at this, and you look at my achievements as opposed to others, certainly no one will be in Sir John A.'s league -- but my nose will be a little ahead of most in terms of achievements," Newman quotes Mulroney as saying.
According to the Globe, Mulroney gave Newman access to documents, and to family and colleagues as long as Newman agreed not to publish the material while Mulroney was still in office.
Mulroney served as prime minister from Sept. 1984 to June 1993. After he left office, his Progressive Conservative party was trounced by Jean Chrétien's Liberals.
Lucien Bouchard was a friend and political ally to Mulroney. But Bouchard quit Mulroney's federal cabinet in 1990 in a dispute over the doomed Meech Lake constitutional accord. Bouchard went on to lead the Bloc Québécois.
Post-Brosnan, Bond is a tough suit to fill
Where is James Bond?
With production set to begin in January on the 21st Bond picture, "Casino Royale," the dashing movie hero who dates back to the '60s might as well be missing in action.
The latest Bond film, "Die Another Day," starring Pierce Brosnan, was released by MGM in 2002. But last year, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the sibling producers who control the Bond franchise, told the Irish Brosnan, 52, the fifth actor to portray Bond in the long-running series, that after four films they would not require his services for the new one.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the producers and Brosnan were too far apart on terms to close a deal. One Sony executive described Brosnan's salary demands, which within the industry have been said to be as much as $30 million, "usurious." (No Bond has ever landed gross points.) Still, commented Steven Jay Rubin, author of "The Complete James Bond Encyclopedia": "They shouldn't have let him go. Now they have to find a guy they can patch up to a seven-year contract."
"It was a big mistake to let Pierce go," agreed casting agent Debra Zane. "He's got it all. Who cares if he's in his early 50s? He's completely Bond."
As a result, the producers now face the difficult challenge of casting a new Bond.
The difficulty of that task became apparent shortly after a consortium headed by Sony Corp. of America announced its intent in September to acquire MGM and its assets.
In November, the many players who are involved in casting the new Bond -- including Amy Pascal, chairman of the Sony Pictures Entertainment motion picture group -- held their first meeting at a British men's club in London, but they were unable to reach an agreement.
"Casino Royale" is scheduled to start production in January for an October release. Once again, Judi Dench will play M. and John Cleese will be Q. The casting of a new Miss Moneypenny is moving forward.
But so far there's no Bond in sight. Broccoli and Wilson, her half-brother -- were schooled in the Bond tradition by the late, legendary Bond producer Cubby Broccoli -- often don't agree with each other on the casting possibilities, according to talent agents. One source close to the movie reported that Broccoli liked "Layer Cake" star Daniel Craig, 37, but Wilson didn't. Broccoli also thought Australian star Hugh Jackman, 36, who in addition to playing Wolverine in "X-Men" has appeared in Broadway musicals, wasn't masculine enough. Colin Farrell, 29, was judged too much of a bad boy. Eric Bana, 37, star of "Troy" and the upcoming "Munich," wasn't good-looking enough. Ewan McGregor, 34, was too short. "Their natural instinct is to do what's been done before," the source said.
Bond director Martin Campbell, who helmed "GoldenEye," has his own ideas about reinventing the franchise. He was involved in the recent hiring of Paul Haggis ("Million Dollar Baby," "Crash") to rewrite old Bond hands Neal Purvis and Robert Wade ("The World Is Not Enough," "Die Another Day"). "Campbell wants to find a complete unknown," one source said. "He wants to take credit for re-energizing the franchise again."
Compounding the challenge, several bigger stars have passed on the opportunity to play Bond. When Clive Owen, 41, was approached by Campbell, who directed him in "Beyond Borders," he told Campbell that he wasn't interested in the role, his spokesman said. "He already had so many interesting, varied offers on the table that he wanted to keep his options open," he said. Owen instead signed up for a string of films, including Spike Lee's "Inside Man," Alfonso Cuaron's "The Children of Men" and Michael Davis' "Shoot 'Em Up." In the meantime, Owen will send up Bond by playing Agent 006 in the upcoming remake of "The Pink Panther."
As the search has dragged on, Bond spokeswoman Ann Bennett has been fending off one Internet rumor after another. Just about every leading man capable of a British accent has been bandied about for Bond. There have been rumors of a black Bond: British "Prime Suspect" star and 007's agent cohort on the last three films, Colin Salmon, 43. There has been talk of a Croatian Bond: "ER" star Goran Visnjic, 32, who studied for 10 days in London with a dialogue coach and did a screen test. And there's even been speculation about a baby Bond: Brit Henry Cavill ("Goodbye, Mr. Chips"), 22, also did a screen test, along with 28-year-old Australian Alex O'Lachlan ("The Oyster Farmer"). Glasgow-born Ewan Stewart ("Titanic"), 47, was reported to have tested for the role but did not, according to a Sony spokesman. "There is no pending announcement," he added.
As a result, agents and managers from Hollywood to Sydney to London and beyond have all been dreaming about one of their clients landing the coveted Bond assignments. There have been lobbying efforts -- some subtle, some not -- to get the producers' attention.
One campaign by Julian McMahon, 37, who has starred in "Nip/Tuck" and "Fantastic Four," already appears to have backfired. After the Australian actor struck a Bond pose, dressed in a tuxedo and wielding a gun, along with the headline "License to Thrill" on the April cover of Angeleno Modern Luxury, he might have alienated the producers, sources said. Campbell did want to test McMahon. But according to several sources, the actor's new representatives at CAA and Three Arts Entertainment advised him to turn down a test, a charge a CAA spokesman denied.The producers are determined to give Bond a face-lift. Before MGM's sale to Sony was finalized, MGM execs arranged for "Layer Cake" director Matthew Vaughn to meet with the Broccoli family about directing the next Bond, possibly with Craig as his star. "They loved him more than me," Vaughn said ruefully. "I would have nailed Bond."
Other directors who have spoken about their interest in reviving the franchise include Quentin Tarantino and John Woo, but the Broccolis decided to work once more with Campbell.
However, they are concerned that the franchise has been skewing older as the boomer audience that grew up with Bond ages. In deciding to adapt Ian Fleming's first Bond tale, the 1953 novel "Casino Royale," they can reintroduce Bond as a young 28-year-old. "They were looking young," the agent of one Bond wannabe said. "They said they wanted the next generation's James Bond. Someone the younger audience could relate to."
Meanwhile, the media have been busy advancing their own candidates, including Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("Bend It Like Beckham"), 28, who insisted that he was never approached for the role. "Who wouldn't want the chance of being the world's greatest super-spy agent?" he said. "It's not reality for me at the moment."
Jude Law, 32, earned the most votes in a Total Film Magazine Internet poll on Bond. Gerard Butler ("The Phantom of the Opera"), 35, also has been mentioned as a real contender. Other names that have surfaced -- either in the media or inside the Hollywood beltway -- are Hugh Grant ("Bridget Jones's Diary"), 44; Ralph Fiennes ("The Constant Gardener"), 42; Rufus Sewell ("The Legend of Zorro"), 37; Matthew MacFadyen ("Pride and Prejudice"), 31; Karl Urban ("The Bourne Supremacy"), 33; Orlando Bloom ("Kingdom of Heaven"), 28; Jason O'Mara ("Band of Brothers"), 33; Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), 32; Robbie Williams ("De-Lovely"), 31; Jeremy Northam ("Gosford Park"), 43; Dominic West ("The Wire"), 35; Dougray Scott ("Dark Water"), 39; Rupert Friend ("Pride & Prejudice"), 26; David Morrissey, ("Derailed"), 41; Gary Stretch ("Alexander"), 36; James Purefoy ("Rome"), 41; and Ioan Gruffudd ("Fantastic Four"), 31.
But there is a risk in casting a young Bond, one former Bond marketer said: Although the global franchise needs to be made more contemporary -- many kids see Bond movies as belonging to their parents -- "the danger of going too young to broaden the appeal is that you alienate the core, which is males over 25. He has to wear the suit well, as Brosnan did. You can't lose sight of the core."
Broccoli and Wilson will find themselves competing with movies like "The Bourne Identity" series, starring Matt Damon, one ICM agent said. The "Bourne" filmmakers "took a '70s low-tech action franchise and made it work like gangbusters. Now they (the Bond producers) have to make Bond relevant all over again."
"It's a tough casting job to replace someone whose qualities are stuck in people's heads," said Marcia Ross, senior vp casting at Walt Disney Studios. "He can't be so profoundly different that he's jarring. You have to find someone with similar elements. He has to be charming, intelligent, sexy, commanding and authoritative. You can argue that you bring more value to the part by going to an actor who the audience knows and likes. But the minute you get into somebody who has a career, he'll want to be paid. I'd pick Gerard Butler, who has an impish quality hiding behind his sexiness."
All of which has Hollywood asking: Will the next Bond please stand up?
How 9/11 Affected 'Flightplan's' Cast and Story
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It's been four years since the horrifying terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 that shook the world and made their mark on the Toronto International Film Festival as well -- stranding thousands of visitors when the airports closed and shutting down the film screenings and events. The world has changed since then, with security tightened and paranoia heightened.
At a press event at this year's festival, the cast of Jodie Foster's latest film "Flightplan," explained what they learned about the crew that's essential to making the flight not only comfortable, but also safe for the passengers. Sean Bean ("Lord of the Rings") plays the pilot of Alto Airline's 8474 plane, a monstrous double-decker aircraft, who must decide whether Foster's character, Kyle Pratt, is merely a distraught mother worried about her missing child or a mentally unstable woman who is a danger to everyone stuck in the air at 30,000 feet.
Less obvious is the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of the flight attendants, whom Erika Christensen says are "not just waitresses in the sky." The 23-year-old starlet plays the film's newest stewardess Fiona and reveals that her family has a history with aviation.
"My grandmother was a flight attendant, my mother had a pilot's license and my grandfather was a pilot. That's how my grandmother and grandfather met," says Christensen. "They have a huge responsibility. On the one hand they're glamorous and serve your food, and on the other hand, they're nurses and security guards and a bunch of jobs rolled into one. They have a huge responsibility for the people on the plane. So, respect to them."
Another result of the 9/11 tragedy is the increase in plainclothes air marshals that provide the muscle and firepower to guard the passengers.
"I know that the number of air marshals before 9/11 was in the three digits. And a couple of months after 9/11 it was in the four-digit area," explains Peter Sarsgaard, who plays a passenger in the film who helps Pratt search for her missing child. "A lot of people were hired very quickly after 9/11. There are a couple of mistakes and problems, but we're very lucky. It could be a lot worse."
In researching the film, the "Skeleton Key" actor also says that he can now make an informed guess about who on the flight is an incognito air marshal.
"They sit in first class, and a lot of them are former military," he says. "Former military, sitting in first class, wearing a blazer, not doing anything, and not talking to anyone is a pretty good sign. Also on a high-risk flight, [like] New York-LA or on a big plane, that's more likely. Sometimes I'll look around and I'll guess."
Because of the ethnicity of the Sept. 11 terrorists, the filmmakers had to carefully consider the portrayal of the film's Arab characters that Foster's character believes are behind her daughter's disappearance.
Says writer Billy Ray: "I thought it was a better idea to use the imprint of 9/11 ... so that we can deal with the notion that we've all become sort of racial profilers of necessity -- deal with that openly and honestly, but not in a prejudicial way at all."
"Flightplan" takes to the air beginning Friday, Sept. 23 nationwide.
MORE DVDS ABOUT NOTHING
The fifth and sixth seasons of "Seinfeld" will be released in two DVD volumes Nov. 22 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
A holiday gift package of the two four-disc sets includes a collectible version of the Smithsonian-enshrined shirt and a reproduction of the hand-written script for season four episode "The Pilot," by Jerry Seinfeld.
Among the bonus features will be "Sein-imation" scenes -- classic "Seinfeld" scenes reimagined for animation using original cast voices, plus fresh outtakes, bloopers, deleted scenes and audio commentary.
'Exorcism of Emily Rose' Bedevils Rivals
LOS ANGELES - "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" bedeviled its competition in its box-office debut this weekend, hauling in $30.2 million with its mix of courtroom drama and classic horror.
The film, inspired by true events, follows a Catholic priest on trial for negligent homicide following the death of a satanically possessed 19-year-old.
Its PG-13 rating and cast, including Oscar nominees Tom Wilkinson, Laura Linney and Shohreh Aghdashloo, helped give it wide appeal, bumping last week's newcomer, "Transporter 2," from the No. 1 spot, according to studio estimates.
Overall revenue for this weekend's top 12 films was up 16 percent from the same period last year, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
"Transporter 2" fell to third place with three-day estimated ticket sales of $7.2 million. The action sequel dropped below "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," which held on to the No. 2 spot in its fourth week with $7.9 million, boosting its total domestic gross to $82.3 million.
The critically panned "The Man," a buddy comedy that throws together federal agent Samuel L. Jackson and dental supply salesman Eugene Levy to solve a murder, opened in sixth place with $4.0 million.
"An Unfinished Life," which stars Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lopez in the story of a rancher reluctantly reunited with his estranged daughter-in-law, opened well in limited release, with $1.0 million and a per theater average of $7,264.
Meanwhile, "The Constant Gardener," starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz and based on a John le Carre novel, moved to fourth place in its second week. The film took in $4.8 million, bringing its total to $19.1 million, while playing on fewer than half the number of screens given to "The Exorcism of Emily Rose."
Dergarabedian attributed the popularity of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," to its genre-bending style.
"It has a lot of very interesting elements that make it not your typical horror movie," he said.
The film's debut marks the third biggest September opener, behind "Sweet Home Alabama" and the first "Rush Hour."
Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Sony Pictures, called the opening "phenomenal."
"The movie cost us less than $20 million to make. We would have been very happy had the picture opened to $15 million," he said.
Raunchy summer comedies like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "The Wedding Crashers" also continue to boost the sagging box office.
Still, overall revenues for the year are down about 6 percent and attendance is down about 9 percent.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," $30.2 million.
2. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," $7.9 million.
3. "Transporter 2," $7.2 million.
4. "The Constant Gardener," $4.8 million.
5. "Red Eye," $4.6 million.
6. "The Man," $4.0 million.
7. "The Brothers Grimm," $3.3 million.
8. "Wedding Crashers," $3.2 million.
9. "Four Brothers," $2.9 million.
10. "March of the Penguins," $2.5 million.
11. "The Skeleton Key," $1.6 million.
12. "The Cave," $1.3 million.