Larroquette Will Guest Star on 'Joey'
NEW YORK - John Larroquette will guest star on NBC's "Joey," which premieres Sept. 22.
Larroquette plays a classically trained, award-winning actor who co-stars with Matt LeBlanc's character, Joey Tribbiani, in a movie called "Captured."
The first of his two episodes will air on Sept. 29, the network announced this week.
Larroquette, 57, won four Emmy Awards for his role as Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding on "Night Court," which aired from 1984-1992.
He also won an Emmy for his guest role on "The Practice."
Oscar Winning Director Robert Wise Dies
LOS ANGELES - During his half-century career, Robert Wise — who died of heart failure Wednesday at 91 — was nominated for seven Academy Awards, had hits in a variety of genres and worked with Orson Welles on "Citizen Kane."
But he gained his greatest acclaim — and four Oscars — with the big-budget productions of "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music," two of the most popular musicals of all time.
In all, Wise directed 39 films, ranging from science fiction ("The Day the Earth Stood Still") to drama ("I Want to Live!") to war stories ("Run Silent Run Deep") to Westerns ("Tribute to a Bad Man").
He also was nominated for an Oscar for editing "Citizen Kane."
"I'd rather do my own thing, which has been to choose projects that take me into all different kinds of genres," he once told The Associated Press. "I don't have a favorite kind of film to make. I just look for the best material I can find."
Wise died after falling ill and being rushed to the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, family friend and longtime entertainment agent Lawrence Mirisch told The Associated Press.
The director had appeared to be in good health Saturday when he celebrated his 91st birthday with friends, Mirisch said.
Wise's wife, Millicent, learned of her husband's death while in Spain for the inauguration ceremony of the San Sebastian Film Festival, which was featuring a retrospective of his work.
While many of his films were classics of their genre, his two revered musicals towered over all of them.
Wise won the best director Oscar for 1961's "West Side Story" (shared with Jerome Robbins) and for 1965's "The Sound of Music." He also received producer Oscars for each film for winning best picture.
"West Side Story" was the tale of "Romeo and Juliet" set in the New York City tenement slums. Co-directed by Wise and Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, it won 10 Academy Awards.
"The Sound of Music," which told the story of the singing von Trapp family's escape from Nazi-ruled Austria, won five Oscars. It was for many years the top-grossing film of all time.
Wise gave much of the credit for the film's success to its stars, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
"A big part of a director's job is done if he gets the right actors in the right roles," he once said. "That doesn't mean you don't help actors, but once we thought about Julie and Chris, we didn't seriously consider anyone else."
He also credited Welles, for whom he edited "The Magnificent Ambersons" as well as "Citizen Kane," as a major influence, adding that the actor-director-writer was "as close to a genius as anyone I have ever met."
"Citizen Kane" was "a marvelous film to work on — well-planned and well-shot," Wise once said. It has topped many polls over the years as the best film ever made.
More recently, he served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Directors Guild of America.
Born Sept. 10, 1914, in Winchester, Ind., Wise dropped out of college during the Depression after his brother, an accountant at RKO, helped get him a job at the studio.
He worked his way up to film editor or co-editor on such movies as "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "The Devil and Daniel Webster."
He got his chance at directing almost by accident when he was assigned to finish the 1944 film "The Curse of the Cat People" after the original director fell too far behind schedule.
Pleased with his work, horror film producer Val Lewton assigned Wise to direct the Boris Karloff film "The Body Snatcher" the following year.
In addition to his four Oscars, Wise was awarded the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, a special Oscar for sustained achievement, in 1966. He also received the Directors Guild of America's highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award, in 1988.
His last film, 1989's "Rooftops," was another try at an urban musical like "West Side Story" but with modern-day pop music and rough language. It wasn't successful but many critics praised Wise's effort.
Toy Story: The 10th Anniversary Edition
On the 10th Anniversary Edition of Pixar’s 'Toy Story,' the studio has laos included a large number of Easter Eggs. So many, in fact, that it is easy to lose track of them.
Insert the second disc of the DVD set and on the 'Main Menu' press the 'Down' arrow key on your remote control until you highlight the badge at the bottom of the screen. Press 'Enter' now to view a clip of what all of Andy's toys do while he's at school.
Now, go to the 'Deleted Scenes' menu, and there press the 'Down' arrow key until you highlight another badge at the bottom of the screen. Press the 'Enter' key to view a funny clip of Woody having a nightmare.
Next up, from the 'Main Menu', select the 'Behind the Scenes' menu entry. From there, press 'Down' until you highlight yet another badge. Press 'Enter' to view a clip of Buzz Lightyear teaching some of the toys how to be like him.
Now, from the 'Behind the Scenes' menu, select 'Design' (not 'Designing Toy Story!). Once here, press the 'Down' arrow key until you highlight another Badge. Hit 'Enter' to view a clip of what Woody does during his spare time.
From the same menu, select 'Sets' at the bottom of the screen. Once you get there, press 'Down' until another badge is highlighted. Now press the 'Enter' key to view a clip of some of the other toys playing tricks on Rex.
Without leaving this menu, select 'Color' at the bottom of the menu and on the following screen highlight the 'Sets' menu entry and then press the 'Left' arrow key to highlight yet another badge. Now it’s time to press 'Enter' again for a clip of Hamm and the Aliens having fun.
Now it is time to return to the 'Behind the Scenes' menu. Select 'Story' and once you're on this menu, hit 'Down' until you highlight another badge. Press the 'Enter' key to view a clip of Rex and one of the other toys telling scary 'Toy Stories.'
Return to the 'Behind the Scenes' menu now and then select the 'Production' menu entry. On the next screen press 'Down' until you highlight another badge. Hit 'Enter' to view a clip of the Aliens doing flips off the Jack-In-the-Box.
Now, back on the 'Behind the Scenes' menu again, select 'Music and Sound' and from there, press the 'Down' key until you highlight another yellow badge. If you press 'Enter' now you’ll have the chance to view a clip of Rex, Hamm, Buzz, Woody, and the Aliens watching TV.
Without leaving this menu, select 'Randy Newman Demos'. From here, press 'Down' until you highlight another yellow badge. Hit 'Enter' to view a clip of Rex educating everybody about dinosaurs.
Time to go back to the 'Behind the Scenes' menu now and enter the 'Publicity' section. To highlight another badge, simply press the 'Down' arrow key on your remote control a few times. Hit 'Enter' to view a clip of Woody and Buzz finding miniature versions of themselves in a plastic bucket.
Next, go all the way back to the disc’s 'Main Menu' and select 'Set Up.' On the following menu, press 'Down' until you highlight another yellow badge. Now press the 'Enter' key and you can view a clip of the Aliens annoying Woody by showing off.
Finally, go back to the 'Main Menu' and select 'Index'. From here, press 'Down' until you highlight another badge. Hit 'Enter' and you'll be taken to a hidden sub-menu called 'Toy Story Treats.' These are all of the Easter Eggs on the DVD put into a menu by themselves.
And, of course, at the bottom of this menu is another badge. Press 'Enter' to view a clip of woody playing on a wooden block.
'Big Brother' HOH finalists decided
1st phase of 'Big Brother' comp ends
'Big Brother' has its final two...in the last and most important Head of Household Competition, that is.
Although the actual competition was blocked on the live 24/7 'Big Brother 6' Internet feeds, viewers saw Disciples Alliance members Ivette Corredero and Maggie Ausburn discussing how disappointed they were that surviving Outcast Alliance member Janelle Pierzina was victorious in the second leg of the final HOH Challenge when the feeds returned.
"I am sorry if you have any regrets," Ivette said to Maggie about her losing or possibly throwing the first phase of the competition.
"Everything happens for a reason," replied Maggie.
"I feel so bad," said Ivette, winner of the first phase.
"I could have won that competition but I misread the question," explained Maggie who went into the Diary (confessional) Room and complained to the producers that the wording of one of the questions was hard to decipher.
Janelle will now go on to face Ivette in the final leg of the competition which will air on Friday's live episode of 'Big Brother 6'. The winner of the last Head of Household title will immediately vote out the last jury member and in doing so will decide who will sit beside them in the final two.
The season finale of 'Big Brother 6' will air next Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. EDT on CBS. The winner will take home $500,000 U.S. The second place finisher will score $50,000 U.S.
Calgary teen Melissa O'Neil becomes first female winner of Canadian Idol
TORONTO (CP) - Melissa O'Neil, the 17-year-old powerhouse from Calgary who won over fans with her emotional vocals and poised stage presence, is the latest Canadian Idol.
O'Neil embraced runner-up Rex Goudie of Burlington, N.L., on Wednesday as idiotic host Ben Mulroney declared her winner of the televised singing contest.
"Oh my God, thank you so much," an ecstatic O'Neil yelled, throwing a shout-out to her hometown.
"Calgary, yes! Calgary! Canada, thank you so much!"
She's the first female to take the Canadian Idol crown.
The athletic teen initially auditioned for the show straight from playing in a basketball game. She also has a passion for rugby.
During the competition, she occasionally found herself in danger of being voted off, at one point forgetting the words to a song. She always recovered, however, receiving praise from the judges for exuding a maturity beyond her years.
As Canadian Idol's Season Three winner, O'Neil will receive a recording contract and release the single Alive.
But backstage, immediately after the show, she was insistent that she also plans to finish her final year of high school.
"I'm not taking a year off, I'm going to just let everyone know that right now. I'm either going to get a tutor or I'll get correspondence," she said.
She conceded, however, that she might have to put her rugby career on hold: "I don't think they'd let me play in case I get hurt."
O'Neil received high praise from the judges this week. During Wednesday's finale, judge Sass Jordan said the young singer has "the most phenomenal, natural instincts for being a performer."
During Tuesday's sing-off with Goudie, judge Zack Werner predicted she would surpass past Idol winners Ryan Malcolm and Kalan Porter.
"In year one we had a waiter boy. In year two we had a little prince," he said. "Thursday morning it's going to say, 'The king is dead, long live the queen."'
O'Neil received a congratulatory call from Prime Minister Paul Martin directly after the show.
The high-energy two-hour finale kicked off with a medley by the Top 10 contestants, and featured performances by the Barenaked Ladies, Jordan and Porter.
It also included updates from Calgary's Roundup Centre, where O'Neil's screaming supporters - including the city's mayor - clutched buttons and signs dedicated to their hometown hero.
Goudie's fans, meanwhile, packed an arena in Corner Brook, N.L.
As runner-up, he likely won't walk away empty-handed. The show - which auditions hundreds of young people across Canada each year - gives singers once-in-a-lifetime exposure.
Many past top 10 contestants - including last year's runner-up Theresa Sokyrka - have gone on to recording success.
About 3.6 million votes were cast to decided Wednesday's winner.
SONGS LIST BELONGS IN BLENDER
The October issue of Blender magazine, on newsstands Tuesday, lists "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born," which, for their readers, means the best songs since 1980.
No. 1 is "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. Catchy, important. A good choice.
But after that, Blender veers into "What the hell?!?!?"
Out of any number of Van Halen songs that could have made the list, editors made "Jump" come in at number 162.
Twenty-five of the Top 50 are rap songs. And there's not a single Red Hot Chili Peppers on the list.
Some tune called "Mybabydaddy" by B-Rock and the Bizz - plus two songs by critics' darling Outkast - beat out anything by Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Green Day or Rage Against the Machine.
"We just wanted to give people some new juice for their iPod," said Blender Editor-in-Chief Craig Marx. "They're all really good songs."
No chance! Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" is No. 45, but Britney Spears' "... Baby One More Time" is in the Top 10?
50 Cent, who puts "In Da Club" at No. 10, beats Eminem, Public Enemy and N.W.A.?
And whatever happened to rock 'n' roll? The Police had three albums in the '80s, and their only great song, according to Blender, is "Every Breath You Take"?
"Sampling a loop, like it or not, is what's considered great, vibrant music these days," says Marx, whose team of list-makers apparently holds a grudge against anyone who actually plays an instrument.
"For Blender, what makes a song a great song doesn't have a lot to do with the level of musicianship," Marx adds.
Well, that much is obvious.
Blender's top 10 choices are:
1. "Billie Jean," Michael Jackson
2. "B.O.B.," Outkast
3. "Sweet Child O' Mine," Guns N' Roses
4. "One," U2
5. "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Nirvana
6. "Like a Prayer," Madonna
7. "Love Will Tear Us Apart," Joy Division
8. "Sucker MCs," Run-D.M.C.
9. "... Baby One More Time," Britney Spears
10. "In Da Club," 50 Cent
Bush Address Shakes Up Thursday Primetime
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) A planned TV address from President Bush has caused several networks to shuffle their schedules for Thursday night (Sept. 15).
The White House requested TV time from networks Tuesday so that Bush could speak to the nation about Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region. All of the Big Four broadcast networks, along with cable news outlets, will carry the speech at 9 p.m. ET Thursday. It's expected to last about 30 minutes.
NBC, which had reruns scheduled for the night, will simply pre-empt one episode of "Scrubs" to accommodate the address on the East Coast (viewers out West will see what was previously scheduled). ABC, CBS and FOX, however, will all rearrange their schedules somewhat.
ABC had scheduled a two-hour season premiere of its newsmagazine "Primetime" for Thursday, featuring a story on stepparent-stepchild relationships from Diane Sawyer. Instead it will devote the entire night to news coverage of Katrina, with two hours of "Primetime" bookending Bush's address follow-up analysis. Out West, viewers will see fill-in programming at 8 p.m. and the two hours of "Primetime" starting at 9.
The "Primetime" season premiere will move back a week, to Thursday, Sept. 22, and be shortened to 90 minutes to make room for the "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-Off" results show.
FOX is delaying the second episode of "Reunion" until next week, where it will have to square off against the season premieres of "CSI" and "The Apprentice." A repeat of "The War at Home" premiere will follow Bush's address. The network had also planned to show the "Reunion" episode again Friday; instead, it will repeat last week's premiere.
CBS has bumped a repeat of the two-hour "CSI" season finale from Thursday to Wednesday, Sept. 21. That, in turn, forces the second-season premiere of "CSI: NY" back to Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Two different repeats of "CSI" will air following Bush's address (and at 9 and 10 p.m. Pacific time), pushing affiliates' local newscasts back from their normal time in the eastern part of the country.
Bon Jovi Taking 'Nice Day' On Tour
Bon Jovi will hit North American arenas this fall in support of its upcoming Island album, "Have a Nice Day." The tour will begin Nov. 2 in Des Moines, Iowa, and has dates on tap through Jan. 23 in Toronto. As previously reported, the group will also inaugurate New York's Nokia Theatre with a Monday (Sept. 19) show that will be simulcast on AOL and XM Satellite Radio.
Additional tour stops are planned for Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Milwaukee, Nashville, Houston, San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, but dates have yet to be announced.
"Have a Nice Day" arrives Tuesday as the first DualDisc from Island/Def Jam. It will include five live performances and the video for the title track. The song is No. 17 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart this week.
In an attempt to broaden Bon Jovi's usual listener base, Island/Def Jam sister label Mercury Nashville is planning to work album track "Who Says You Can't Go Home?" to country radio. The cut is a duet with Jennifer Nettles from country act Sugarland, which joined Bon Jovi for a recent episode of the CMT series "Crossroads."
Here are Bon Jovi's tour dates:
Nov. 2: Des Moines, Iowa (Wells Fargo Arena)
Nov. 4: Chicago (United Center)
Nov. 8: Cleveland (Gund Arena)
Nov. 9: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center)
Nov. 11: Minneapolis (Target Center)
Nov. 16: Madison, Wis. (Kohl Center)
Nov. 18: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Nov. 26: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun)
Nov. 28-29: New York (Madison Square Garden)
Dec. 2-3: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Dec. 6: Pittsburgh (Mellon Arena)
Dec. 9: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
Dec. 12: Albany, N.Y. (Pepsi Arena)
Dec. 14: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Dec. 17: Washington, D.C. (MCI Center)
Dec. 19, 21: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)
Jan. 18: Charlotte, N.C. (Bobcat Arena)
Jan. 20: Buffalo, N.Y. (HSBC Arena)
Jan. 23: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Report: Britney Spears Has Baby Boy
NEW YORK - Britney Spears has given birth to a baby boy, Us Weekly reported. The baby was born Wednesday by Caesarean section at the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center in California, the magazine said. No other details were available.
A call to Spears' publicist by The Associated Press wasn't immediately returned.
It is the first child for the 23-year-old pop star and her husband, Kevin Federline. Federline, 27, has two children with ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson.