An Unhappy 25th Anniversary
Music, activism, vigils.
Things that were so much a part of John Lennon's life are being used to mark the 25th anniversary of his death.
In New York City, fans of former Beatle will gather Thursday night outside the apartment building where he was shot to death on the evening of Dec. 8, 1980.
Not far from the imposing facade of the Dakota, others will pay their respects at Strawberry Fields, the Central Park oasis dedicated in 1985 to the memory of Lennon.
In London and New York, Dave Matthews, Paul Weller, 1960s pop star Lulu ("To Sir With Love") and others will perform Lennon music in a live concert Thursday for Sirius satellite radio and the BBC. Lennon Live, a planned four-hour event, padded with an hourlong documentary, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (ET).
ABC News Radio has put together its own special, Lennon: The Loss, the Legacy, for non-paying customers of over-the-air radio. The hourlong show has been airing on various ABC Radio outlets since last week.
For those who like their Lennon with a New Age twist, flautist Michael Rose has weaved "Imagine" and "Give Peace a Chance" into the first movement of his new opus, Imagine: A Flute Serenade. The 12-minute cut will be available for free download from Thursday through Jan. 2 at www.SapphireRecording.com.
While the Amnesty International downloads of a batch of new Lennon covers aren't free--they're 99 cents each--the proceeds will benefit the non-profit human rights organization.
Downloads of the Black Eyed Peas' version of "Power to the People," the Cure's take on "Love," and more will be available starting Friday at www.amnesty.org/noise--their releases timed to International Human Rights Day. An Avril Lavigne Lennon cover will be released by the Make Some Noise project early next year.
With Lennon raking in $22 million annually, per Forbes' most recent ranking of the top-earning dead celebrities, a certain amount of commerce is also part of the tributes.
Tuesday saw the DVD release of Imagine: John Lennon--Deluxe Edition, the disc debut of the 1988 documentary which allowed its late subject to tell his own life story.
Also relatively new to stores, issued earlier this fall to coincide, in part, with what would have been Lennon's 65th birthday in October: Working Class Hero: The Definitive Lennon, a double-CD set of his greatest post-Beatles hits; Life: Remembering John Lennon: 25 Years Later, one of countless coffee-table tributes suitable for gift wrap; and, John, a warts-and-all look at the icon from ex-wife Cynthia Lennon.
Cynthia Lennon, as Amazon.com points out, is not one of those to offer observations on her former husband in Memories of John Lennon, yet another new book title, released just last week. Edited by Lennon widow Yoko Ono, the collection of reminisces also notably does not include those by surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. It does, however, feature contributions from Elton John, Bono, "fifth Beatle" Billy Preston and more.
In the introduction to Memories of John Lennon, according to Amazon.com, Ono, now 72, writes that she wasn't yet up to writing at length about her late husband, bandmate and bed-in partner: "I could not open that part of my heart while it's still shaking."
Ono was with Lennon when he was shot four times by former Boy Scout leader Mark David Chapman, then 25. Lennon was pronounced dead at a New York hospital within a half-hour of the attack. He was 40.
"I still miss him massively," McCartney recently told The Associated Press. "It was a horrific day for all of us."
Ono will have make no statements or appearances on Thursday, her spokesman told the A.P.
In Britain, meanwhile, Lennon's killer will be the subject of his own TV special.
I Killed John Lennon features newly released tapes of Chapman discussing his muddled motives for the shooting. The tapes were heard by stateside audiences last month on Dateline NBC.
At the time, Ono denounced the NBC special as "macabre." And according to the BBC, the Chapman tapes aren't playing any better to Lennon's family in the United Kingdom.
"It's very sad for the family when it's all brought up again," Stanley Parkes told the BBC. "The anniversary of his death is upsetting enough without this as well."
'Corner Gas' star releases Yule tune
TORONTO (CP) - First he conquered Canadian TV prime time, now comic Brent Butt is taking aim at the music industry.
Butt, the star of CTV's sitcom hit Corner Gas, is releasing a record single to the nation's radio stations called Christmas in Dog River.
It's not so much a carol, or even a song, but basically Butt, in a recording studio, trying to convince the audio engineers that his riffing on some classic holiday tunes is an original composition and not just a plug for his show's upcoming Christmas special episode, Merry Gasmas.
The three-minute track was written by Craig Northey who is also heard on the recording as Butt tries to disguise his version of Jingle Bells and other familiar seasonal tunes.
Disney gives Pooh a makeover for 80th anniversary
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Winnie the Pooh is getting a makeover as the Walt Disney Co presses its second-largest franchise into play for a larger share of the $21 billion preschool market, the company said on Wednesday.
Disney is readying a yearlong marketing push in 2006 to commemorate and capitalize on the 80th anniversary of the publication of "Winnie-the-Pooh" and expand the brand beyond The Forest and infant toys, clothing and furniture.
The tubby yellow bear will appear in brighter colors and Disney will emphasize the active side of Pooh's adventures as described in A.A. Milne's 1926 book to appeal to activity loving preschoolers, said Preston Kevin Lewis, global director of the Winnie the Pooh franchise.
"Trust, friendship and happiness -- Pooh doesn't lose any of those things, it just changes how we talk about him," Lewis said.
Disney is still battling an appeal of a 14-year-old Los Angeles lawsuit by heirs of Milne's agent, who claim they are owed millions in royalties.
The company won a dismissal of the lawsuit last year but had warned investors that it could be on the hook for "hundreds of millions" of dollars if it eventually loses the case.
In its December report on the U.S. market for infant, toddler and preschool toys, Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, said the sector has outperformed the general toy market.
"The single greatest reason for the overall toy market's decline has been that kids now have access to many other amusements, especially video and videogames," the report said. "The good news is that the infant/toddler/preschooler population will trend higher in the long term, unstoppable, forever and ever and ever..."
Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood generated $5.3 billion in retail sales in 2004 -- topped only by Mickey Mouse among the Disney stable. Disney gets a portion of those revenues through its licensing agreements.
Martin Brochstein, an analyst for EPM Communications, said the growing preschool market is one of the most competitive and Disney will by competitive only if it convinces retailers to feature the Pooh products prominently.
"Pooh has a wonderful thing going for it in that it is a heritage brand. It's just a matter of them as marketers making it important enough so that retailers will commit to it," Brochstein said.
Disney plans to toast the honey-loving bear throughout the year with a Broadway show, a weekly radio show, a new animated television series in 2007 and toys and collectibles.
Major international retailers such as Sears and Toys 'R Us in the United States, Takashimaya in Japan, Carrefour in France, BVG in Germany as well as corporate partners Coca-Cola and Fuji have also signed on to do promotions with Pooh, Disney said.
"This is the first type of retail promotion that the Walt Disney Co has done across the company with promotions taking place worldwide," Lewis said.
The festivities start December 24, 2005 -- the 80th anniversary of publication of Milne's first Winnie the Pooh story in the London Evening News. The next year Milne published the first "Winnie the Pooh" book and followed it in 1928 with "The House at Pooh Corner."
Simon Waters, vice president of infant/toddler/pre-school franchises for Disney Consumer Products said 2- to 5-year-olds generate an average of $1 billion in retail sales across all product categories.
Disney will add the Pooh cartoon to a mix of Disney Channel programs that target preschoolers and spur sales of other consumer products -- including Little Einstein and the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Lohan Misses 'Regis and Kelly' Appearance
NEW YORK - Even in absence, Lindsay Lohan makes news. The teen starlet missed a scheduled appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly" Tuesday morning. Though stars frequently change appointments with TV shows, Lohan's no-show was unusual because the live program was informed minutes after showtime.
On air, Regis Philbin announced: "Lindsay Lohan is sick. She's not coming. Well, that's kind of a blow."
"She has food poisoning," Philbin said. "What'd they find out, about (9:05)? ... She tried to make it."
The talk show filled time with an interview and performance by Ashanti.
The 19-year-old actress-pop star did make it to MTV's "TRL" Tuesday afternoon. In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Lohan acknowledged feeling very tired having only gotten two hours sleep; she arrived in New York early that morning after her plane from Los Angeles was delayed several hours. Later Monday, she was seen at the "King Kong" premiere.
On Wednesday, Lohan told syndicated entertainment show "Access Hollywood" that, "I had some food poisoning, which wasn't really fun."
She apologized to Philbin and co-host Kelly Ripa on "Access": "I know it came across really bad ... I'll make it up to you, I swear!"
Lohan is currently promoting her sophomore album, "A Little More Personal (Raw)," which was released Tuesday.
Carey, West Among Likely Grammy Nominees
NEW YORK - Mariah had a comeback year, 50 Cent dropped another multiplatinum album, Coldplay was hot and Kanye West beat the sophomore jinx. Gwen Stefani made us holla, Kelly Clarkson reveled in being free and the Black Eyed Peas celebrated those lovely lady lumps.
But while a lot of artists combined for some memorable music this year, few dominated the music scene like in years past. So it's unlikely that one name will dominate the Grammy nominations on Thursday.
"I think Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani and Kanye West are going to be going at it for who has the most awards," says Steve Stoute, a former music industry executive who remains tapped into the scene through his company Translations, which links music superstars with commercial products. "They have songs that have song-of-the-year potential on their albums."
Although U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" came out late last year and the album wasn't much of a presence on the charts this year, the perennial Grammy favorites are assured of multiple nominations, according to People magazine music critic Chuck Arnold. "Just the cache of U2 being U2, being around all year with the tour, is enough to get them at least five or six nominations," he said.
Coldplay's name is also likely to pop up a few times. The group, which won record of the year in 2003 for "Clocks," arguably had the top rock album with "X&Y" this year, along with hits like "Fix Me."
"Coldplay has a lot of buzz going for it," said Arnold. "(Lead singer) Chris Martin has definitely emerged as a rock star, and it's a great record and they've already proved to be favorites with the academy."
Clarkson, who proved her artistic worth with songs like "Since U Been Gone" and "Because of You" may be one of the surprise multiple nominees, says Arnold. "She's now a major star, a proven star, and now people don't even associate her with 'American Idol' too much."
Still, Carey is likely to lead the pack. Her career had been languishing in recent years, and some insiders doubted whether the multi-octave singer could return to her multiplatinum ways after a series of debacles, including a breakdown and being bought out of her record contract with Virgin Records.
"The Emancipation of Mimi" proved the skeptics wrong. Not only did it sell more than 4 million copies, making it the No. 2 best-selling album of the year, it also spawned one of the year's most popular songs, the torch ballad "We Belong Together."
Carey is expected to be nominated in the top categories, including album of the year and perhaps song and record of the year for "We Belong Together."
The year's top-selling disc belongs to rapper 50 Cent for "The Massacre." But while he's expected to get nods in the rap categories, it is unlikely the album will get any serious consideration elsewhere.
The rapper more likely to get an album of the year nod is West, who earned an album-of-the-year nomination at the last Grammys for his 2004 debut, "The College Dropout." His follow-up, "Late Registration," also garnered glowing reviews; in addition, he had one of the year's biggest singles with the Ray Charles-inspired "Gold Digger."
Other likely nominees for album of the year include Stefani's "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." The No Doubt frontwoman's kitschy solo debut mined '80s pop and soul and was a fan favorite thanks to her nonsensical but irresistible hit, "Hollaback Girl."
Another top nonsensical hit was the Black Eyed Peas "My Humps," a celebration of the female body. Though it's unlikely that song will merit song or record of the year nods, the group's "Monkey Business" was a top-seller and the group has twice before been nominated for record of the year and may get nominated in other categories this year.
While there are many favorites, there are likely to be surprise acts that surface from beneath the radar to garner key nominations.
"Every year, the Grammys make it their business to find an act that people are not potentially looking at or paying attention to, and it's almost like 'Wow,'" says Stoute. "It's something truly artistic driven and not necessarily relying on sales."
A possibility this year: Raul Midon, a soulful, blind, singer-songwriter who garnered plenty of acclaim for his debut, "A State of Mind."
Though the Grammy nominations will be held in New York, the actual awards are scheduled for Los Angeles on Feb. 8. They will be broadcast on CBS.
Cash, Kong and Capote May Join Oscar List
LOS ANGELES — The theme for Academy Awards night is a costume ball, but the following costumes are already spoken for: geisha, giant ape, country crooner, 18th century British belle, transsexual and gay cowboy.
A wealth of performance-driven films, costume pageants and visual spectacles are in the Oscar hunt, among them the cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain"; the great-ape flick "King Kong"; the Oriental pageant "Memoirs of a Geisha"; the Jane Austen adaptation "Pride & Prejudice"; and the road-trip chronicle "Transamerica." Then there are three films centering on illustrious figures in the 1950s and '60s, the Johnny Cash saga "Walk the Line," the Truman Capote drama "Capote" and the Edward R. Murrow story "Good Night, and Good Luck."
Other films jockeying for attention include the colonial epic "The New World"; the gangster tale "A History of Violence"; and two dramas dealing with Middle East turmoil, the oil-industry thriller "Syriana" and "Munich," about the massacre of Israelis at the 1972 Olympics.
After last season's showdown between eventual Oscar champ "Million Dollar Baby" and runner-up "The Aviator," clear frontrunners have yet to merge for the March 5 Oscars. The nominees will be announced Jan. 31.
In the best-picture race, Steven Spielberg returns with "Munich," his most serious film since Oscar winner "Schindler's List" and runner-up "Saving Private Ryan." It recounts an Israeli assassination squad's manhunt for Palestinians suspected of plotting the massacre of 11 athletes and coaches at the 1972 Olympics.
Yet "Munich" could be a tough sell for Oscar voters, a disturbing reminder of unresolvable conflicts in the Middle East. Critics speculated that Spielberg was too pro- Israel to make a fair movie, but along with angering Muslims, "Munich" could vex Jews for its depiction of Israel's Machiavellian machine of vengeance and the human face put on the assassins' Arab targets.
Still, this is a Spielberg film, and a very good one.
Peter Jackson delivered a best-picture winner two years ago with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the most otherworldly film ever to win the top Oscar.
Can Jackson do it again with the return of "King Kong," his three-hour remake of the 1933 adventure about a 25-foot gorilla who falls hard for a perky blonde?
Classic that it is, the original "King Kong" earned no Oscar nominations. But like "The Lord of the Rings" films, all of them best-picture nominees, Jackson treats his primate story with utter seriousness, capturing a sense of tragic love that leaves a strong dramatic impression amid the film's amazing visual effects and action sequences.
Terrence Malick, the reclusive director whose 1998 war saga "The Thin Red Line" was a best-picture nominee, is back with "The New World," a work of high art on the big screen.
Malick's portrait of colonial leaders John Smith and John Rolfe and their romances with Indian princess Pocahontas is a hypnotic feast of sight and sound with almost a silent-movie feel, much of the conventional dialogue replaced by poetic voice-overs.
Other leading best-picture candidates include "Brokeback Mountain," "Walk the Line," "Pride & Prejudice," "Syriana," "Cinderella Man" and "Memoirs of a Geisha."
A year ago, Jamie Foxx had an early lock on the bst actor prize for his remarkable emulation of Ray Charles. This time, Joaquin Phoenix has a good shot for his portrayal of another beloved musician, country maestro Johnny Cash.
Phoenix illuminates the gloomy corners of Cash's life and the singer's sheer joy in music, life and love as his long courtship with soul mate June Carter unfolds. And Phoenix does a fine job doing his own singing, something Foxx didn't do.
Philip Seymour Hoffman bursts into the Oscar forefront in the title role of "Capote." Hoffman uncannily replicates the effete mannerisms of Truman Capote and presents a remarkable portrait of an artist torn between human affection and the call of his art as he crafts his true-crime book "In Cold Blood."
George Clooney of "Syriana" and Colin Farrell of "The New World" are being pushed by their films' distributors in the supporting-actor field, but they could end up drawing votes in the lead category from the actors branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which will choose nominees.
Other top possibilities: Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in "The Producers," David Strathairn in "Good Night, and Good Luck," Viggo Mortensen in "A History of Violence"; Russell Crowe in "Cinderella Man," Eric Bana in "Munich" and Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain."
In the best-actress race, Felicity Huffman won an Emmy in September for "Desperate Housewives." Now she's a key Oscar prospect for "Transamerica," in which she undergoes an extraordinary metamorphosis as a man preparing for the final surgery to become a woman.
A rush of twentysomething actresses are in the running for their first Oscar nominations: Keira Knightley in "Pride & Prejudice," Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line," Ziyi Zhang in "Memoirs of a Geisha" and Claire Danes in "Shopgirl."
The directing prize could go to past winners Steven Spielberg for "Munich," Ron Howard for "Cinderella Man," Woody Allen for "Match Point" or Peter Jackson for "King Kong."
Other prospects: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"; Terrence Malick, "The New World"; Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana"; James Mangold, "Walk the Line"; Joe Wright, "Pride & Prejudice"; Rob Marshall, "Memoirs of a Geisha"; Susan Stroman, "The Producers"; David Cronenberg, "A History of Violence"; Fernando Mereilles, "The Constant Gardener"; Stephen Frears, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"; Bennett Miller, "Capote"; Tommy Lee Jones, "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"; and Paul Haggis, "Crash."
Seinfeld: Season 5
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has also added some hidden features on 'Seinfeld: Season 5' for you to uncover. Here is how to get to them.
Insert the third disc of the DVD set and from the Main Menu go to the 'Extras' section. There, highlight the menu entry 'Setup' and then press the 'Right' arrow key on your remote control. This will highlight the zig-zagging lifeline on the screen. Now press the 'Enter' key and you will see the Seinfeld cast discuss the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.
Now insert the fourth disc of the DVD set and from the Main Menu go to the 'Setup' section. Highlight the menu entry 'subtitles' here and then press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control. This will highlight the heart symbol and if you press the 'Enter' key now you will get to observe a suggested camera angle of the ugly baby.
Seinfeld: Season 6
A number of Easter Eggs can also be found on the season 6 DVD set of 'Seinfeld' from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Insert the first disc of the set in your DVD player and form the Main Menu go to the 'Setup' section. There, highlight the 'Main Menu' entry and press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control to highlight the enter key on the keyboard. Press 'enter' now and you will see a clip of the Seinfeld cast talking about the Rob Reiner tribute.
Now go to the 'Extras' section of the disc and highlight the entry' Running With The Egg: Part 1. Press the 'Up' arrow key to highlight the poison spray can.
Press the 'Enter' button and you will get to see the Seinfeld-imation.
Now insert the second disc and go to the 'Extras 'section, accessible from the Main Menu. There, highlight the menu entry 'Setup' and press the 'Right' arrow key on your remote control twice to highlight the pecan. You will now see a small clip featuring Jerry Seinfeld talking about the little things in the show.
Time to insert the third disc of the set. There, go to the 'Extras 'section and highlight the 'episodes 'menu entry. Then press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control to highlight the pencil, which will take you to a clip of Jerry Seinfeld talking about the Dark Side.
Finally, insert the fourth disc of the DVD set and go to the 'Extras' section. Highlight the menu entry 'Cramer vs. The Monkey' and then press the 'Up' arrow key on your remote control. This will highlight the hot dog and if you press 'Enter' now you will get to view a clip of Jerry discussing the pain he caused on the show.