ABC Schedules 'Alias' Endgame

The countdown to the end of "Alias" can now officially begin.

ABC said Tuesday (Feb. 28) that the high-octane spy drama, which has been on hiatus to allow for star Jennifer Garner's maternity leave and to make room for "Dancing with the Stars," will begin its final run of episodes with a two-hour show at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 19. That's a change from earlier in the season, when the show aired on Thursdays.

The network also announced a few more schedule changes, including a delay in the premiere of "What About Brian," the return of "Hope & Faith" and "Invasion" and the scheduling of its miniseries "The Ten Commandments."

"Alias," which last aired in December, was originally scheduled to return in March, after "Dancing with the Stars" ended its season. As ABC rolled out its midesason schedule, though, the show was left hanging.

The later return date also likely means that the series will have fewer than 22 episodes for its final season. ABC does, however, promise that the final episodes will reveal the final stages of the Rambaldi prophecy and feature the return of Bradley Cooper as Will Tippin and Gina Torres as Anna Espinosa -- not to mention the reappearance of the presumed-dead Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and the birth of his and Sydney's (Garner) baby.

"Alias" will take the place of comedies "George Lopez" and "Freddie" on the Wednesday schedule; those shows will end their seasons a little early. "Invasion," which will get a four-week break for "The Evidence" starting March 22, will also return on April 19.

The network's update of "The Ten Commandments," starring Dougray Scott (NBC's "Heist") as Moses, will air April 10 and 11 -- a few days before Easter and the start of Passover. The miniseries also features "Lost" star Naveen Andrews, "Alias'" Mia Maestro and Omar Sharif ("Doctor Zhivago").

With "The Ten Commandments" scheduled for Easter week, ABC has moved the debut of "What About Brian" back two weeks. It was originally scheduled to premiere Sunday, April 2 and move to its regular Monday home the next night. Rather than pre-empt it for the miniseries, the network decided to hold back; "Brian" will now premiere Sunday, April 16 and take over the 10 p.m. Monday spot on the 17th.

Finally, "Hope & Faith" will make the move to Tuesday nights starting March 21. It will replace "Rodney" at 8:30 p.m.

New, improved on DVD, "Network" hasn't aged a day

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "I think I'd like to be an angry prophet denouncing the hypocrisies of our time," fallen news anchor Howard Beale tells co-workers in the opening minutes of Paddy Chayefsky's masterpiece "Network."

Writer Chayefsky, equally mad as hell, used his black comedy about a raggedy fourth TV network to denounce the hypocrisies of 1976 and warn of media evils to come.

Like his creation Sybil the Soothsayer, "Paddy was capable of seeing the future," director Sidney Lumet says. Chayefsky warned of entertainment masquerading as news, corporate meddling, violent reality shows, the tyranny of ratings, foreign ownership of U.S. media -- essentially the strip-mining of what already was a vast wasteland.

"The vision that the movie displayed so eloquently is alive today," producer Howard Gottfried maintains. Adds Lumet, "TV today has become its own satire."

Warner Bros. has released "Network" in a double-disc set that's tagged "Still mad as hell after 30 years." Disc 1 includes a sober but quite good commentary from Lumet, who focuses on who won what Oscar, why he rehearses actors and the thinking behind the "Network" lighting scheme, in which "even the camera is corrupted" as the movie descends into anarchy.

The extra features leadoff is a making-of by DVD documentary specialist Laurent Bouzereau. It includes chapters on the late Chayefsky, the "mad as hell" phenomenon and the film's powerhouse actors. The docus cover a lot of material and get the job done, but don't expect much of that loopy "Network" spirit.

Also on Disc 2, Chayefsky ponders "Network" on a segment of the talk show "Dinah!" And there's an hour-long Lumet retrospective from 2005, when he received an honorary Oscar, partly to atone for oversights that included losing the best director award (for "Network") to John Avildsen for "Rocky."

"THE DEATH HOUR." A GREAT SUNDAY NIGHT SHOW FOR THE WHOLE

FAMILY.

Aside from "Network's" on-air killing of a TV personality -- "because he had lousy ratings" -- all of its outrageous events happened in real life, Lumet points out.

"Network" anchorman Beale (Peter Finch) starts his wild ride by threatening to kill himself on camera. Crazy talk, but it mirrored headlines of the time. In 1974, as Chayefsky was writing "Network," a Florida TV personality shot herself to death on a morning show, saying it was "in keeping with (the) policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts." In the world of "Network," an on-air suicide was good for "a 50 share, easily."

The home video hit "Faces of Death" followed "Network" by two years, launching an above-ground snuff franchise. "Cops," "The Morton Downey Jr. Show" and Howard Stern were in the wings.

Today, death and violence -- real and imagined -- do brisk business in all media. News divisions draw and redraw the line between electronic journalism and morbid pandering. Freeway chases don't always end with surrenders and handcuffs, a percentage play that keeps viewers tuning in at 10 and 11. Local TV news "is as corrupt as anything I've ever seen," Lumet charges.

As for death in primetime, the director says: "On one of the reality shows it'll happen. There will be a real death. And it'll be shown to you, I promise."

Ratings are money, Chayefsky said in 1976. "If you follow the desire to get ratings . . . we will pursue this right into 'Coliseum '77' -- in which we will throw Christians to the lions every Saturday night."

The message of "Network," he said, was, "When do we say 'Hold it!' A human life is a hell of a lot more important than your lousy dollar."

Star Faye Dunaway reflects: "The reason ('Network') was so funny was because it was so outrageous. You're thinking, 'C'mon, nobody's going to kill somebody on television, are they?' And now we sort of think, yeah, we think so."

THE NEWS DIVISION WILL BE REDUCED FROM AN INDEPENDENT

DIVISION TO A DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE TO NETWORK.

Walter Cronkite, who worked with Lumet on the historical re-enactment series "You Are There," recalls CBS news staffers' reactions to "Network": "I understand it was supposed to be a combination of drama and comedy, but to us it was all comedy -- it was so overdrawn. . . . We howled with laughter."

Chayefsky talked extensively with NBC's John Chancellor but otherwise relied on his own adventures in live television. Cronkite says accusations that Chayefsky and Lumet were turning on the medium that made them were just "sour grapes from some who were envious." Adds Lumet: "We didn't leave TV. It left us."

Of ratings demands on network news, Cronkite says, "It is a fact that the pressure is there" to entertain. But taken too far, "The newspeople would revolt, pressure and maybe quit." As they did in "Network." Sort of.

Cronkite, whose daughter Kathy played the film's Patty Hearst lookalike, says the film's legacy is "it waved a banner of warning to the TV industry that it better not let things do as far as it did on that (UBS) network."

ALL I WANT OUT OF LIFE IS A 30 SHARE AND A 20 RATING.

Faye Dunaway's portrayal of lone-wolf programming VP Diana Christensen won her the best actress Oscar -- and it is her top-billed performance that gets the most attention in the DVD extras.

Diana, "who learned life from Bugs Bunny," stalks the sagging UBS network's news division, eventually hijacking its madman anchor for her evening news carnival. The ratings potential of her show "The Mao Tse-Tung Hour," featuring the criminal exploits of black radicals, brings the slinky executive to orgasm. She beds the everyman news chief (William Holden), stealing him from his wife and then stealing his division.

The part "wasn't easy to say yes to," Dunaway says. "I was advised not to do it. Because, you know, she didn't have a soul. She was a TV baby. There was a vacantness behind those eyes. People were afraid I'd be thought of that way."

Theater veterans Dunaway and Finch helped Holden adjust to Lumet's drawn-out rehearsals, a new one on the longtime film star. Dunaway says rehearsals "always struck me as insane not to do" on films.

SHE GETS THE WINTER PASSION; I GET THE DOTAGE.

Three "Network" players won Academy Awards: Dunaway, Finch (posthumously) and Beatrice Straight. There were five acting nominations in all, making the cast the most honored in Oscar history.

Straight, a stage actress, took home the supporting actress gold for one five-minute scene, in which Holden's newsman tells his wife of 25 years he's in love with the beautiful young programming exec. Her reply, in a heartbreaking monologue, contains some of Chayefsky's finest writing. Lumet says he deliberately exhausted the actress by making her do repeated takes, then captured this amazing scene.

Ned Beatty, who played a corporate chieftain, likewise was nominated for a single scene in which he uses the voice of doom to warn Beale that he's "meddled with the primal forces of nature." Beatty, who mimicked his hometown holy roller for the tirade, describes himself as just "a day player" on the film.

"Network" couldn't beat "Rocky" in the best picture race, a loss that Chayefsky took hard. "I think it's a hell of a film," he told Dinah Shore.

VIDEO DIFFICULTIES ARE TEMPORARY -- PLEASE DO NOT ADJUST

YOUR SET.

The new! improved! "Network" DVD smokes Warner's bare-bones versions of 1998 and 2000. Images are suitably colorful and handsome for a '70s film, though the presentation suffers from some speckling and unwelcome grain. The stereo Dolby Digital seems challenged by the audio's occasional spikes, lessening their intended impact. The aspect ratio is 2.35:1; the video employs the enhancement for widescreen monitors.

Courteney Cox Returns to TV in 'Dirt'

LOS ANGELES - When "Friends" left television, so did Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller on the long-running series. But the actress is coming back in "Dirt," a drama pilot for the FX network, in which she will play tabloid editor Lucy Spiller.

Production on the pilot is scheduled to begin in March.

"We are absolutely thrilled that Courteney has chosen `Dirt' for her return to series television," Nick Grad, the network's vice president of original programming, said in a statement Tuesday.

Along with the show's director, Matthew Carnahan, Cox and her husband, David Arquette, are credited as executive producers.

Woody serves up Match Point

A serious departure for Woody Allen in virtually every respect, Match Point still bares the soul of its director from start to finish. Dreamworks will unveil the story of luck and disaster on DVD this spring.

A one-time tennis pro, Chris Wilton (was used to falling just short in his life. But when he befriends Tom Hewett (and marries his sister, Chloe), the doors are opened to the kind of money and success that Chris had once only dreamed of. Chris should have settled for happiness, but he is torn by his attraction to Tom’s impossibly beautiful and sensual fiance, Nola. The attraction turns to an obsession that forces Chris to make a critical choice. Now everything in his life hinges on if Chris falls short again…and whether or not his luck runs out.

The DVD like all Allen films will be in mono only, but with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. No supplements appear to be included.

The DVD arrives on April 25th with a $29.98 suggested retail price.

The Couch Potato Report - February 28th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on Johnny Cash, Jane Austen and a lady, and her tramp.

When I was a kid my Dad's friend Mark Walsh used to always talk about and play music for us by Johnny Cash.

I have no idea where Mark Walsh is today, but I will never forget him for introducing me to Johnny Cash.

Even though I never met Mr. Cash, I feel as if I know him, because I know so much about him.

I know his real name is JR, I know about his drug problems, his religious beliefs, his wives, his children, and his music.

Most of all, I know about his music.

And it is because I feel like I know Johnny Cash that watching the film WALK THE LINE was so tough.

WALK THE LINE is a well made, engaging film that - on its own - isn't tough to watch, but because Johnny and June Carter Cash are the subjects of the film, it was tough to watch because I know the subject so well.

That is unlike last year's successful music biopic RAY.

I love Ray Charles' music, but I didn't know that much about his life, so all of RAY was new and interesting, and it inspired me to find out more.

However, there were a few times in WALK THE LINE when I found myself saying, "That's not how that happened!"

But, I still loved WALK THE LINE.

That is primarily due to the Man In Black himself, but also because this is an exceptionally entertaining film.

WALK THE LINE looks at Cash's life from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm, through his rise to fame and marriage to June.

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give superb performances, and they do their own singing as well. The Academy Award nominations they received for their work are truly justified.

Johnny and June's love story is at the heart of WALK THE LINE, but it is Johnny Cash's music that is the film's centre.

That music will always remain honest and true, just like Johnny Cash himself.

WALK THE LINE is a superb film, even if you find yourself saying: "That's not how that happened!"

If you are a fan of Jane Austen the way that some of us are fans of Johnny Cash, you might find yourself saying something similar to "That's not how that happened!" when you see the new film adaptation of her book PRIDE & PREJUDICE.

While this youthful retelling of the story about five sisters in Georgian England, and their mother's attempt to marry them off, is very faithful to the original text, some purists may have some problems with the changes.

Purists can rest easy though because a few things haven't changed; Elizabeth is still strong-willed and opinionated, and Mr. Darcy is still wealthy and a good romantic match for Elizabeth.

Keira Knightley from LOVE ACTUALLY and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL was given an Academy Award nomination for her work in PRIDE & PREJUDICE and even if I don't believe she is entirely deserving of the honour, the film she is in is entirely deserving of your time.

When PRIDE & PREJUDICE was released in theatres last November the studio promoted it as "the greatest love story of all time."

With all apologies to the folks at Universal, but isn't the greatest love story of all time Walt Disney's LADY AND THE TRAMP?!?!

Well, I think it is!

The classic animated film LADY AND THE TRAMP is about a young Cocker-Spaniel named Lady and her meeting with Tramp, a dog who lives life to the fullest, and their adventures together.

It is the perfect film for everyone because the animation is beautiful and the film is fun.

And now it is time to celebrate the film once more with the 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION of LADY & THE TRAMP.

Disney's new two-disc DVD set includes an all-new digital restoration with enhanced picture and sound; two never-before-seen deleted sequences; The making of Lady and the Tramp; plus you can learn about the real-life breeds that inspired the characters in the movie; and there is also an all-new "Bella Notte" music video.

As LADY AND THE TRAMP teaches us, no dog is above the law. But the new 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION of Walt Disney's masterpiece LADY & THE TRAMP definitely stands above all of this week's other new releases that are available now at a store near you, including PRIDE & PREJUDICE and WALK THE LINE.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

The made in Saskatchewan Hollywood film JUST FRIENDS debuts on DVD, alongside HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, the fourth installment of that uber-successful franchise.

In JARHEAD soldiers battle the heat and enemy in the first Gulf War, PRIME features Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep and HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE is the latest film from Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll 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 time on The Couch!

Tyra Banks does more than talk on her daytime TV show; goes undercover

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tyra Banks really throws herself into her job as a talk-show host, often in ways only a recently retired supermodel can.

On Wednesday's show, for instance, Banks will be shown going "undercover" as a stripper at a topless club, although the former Victoria's Secret model stops short of complete disclosure. In the past, she's posed as a Las Vegas showgirl and used her face as canvas for makeup lessons.

The stripper segment, she said, was the result of hearing friends and viewers express frustration about the men in their lives spending time and money in strip clubs.

"When I found out the majority of business is from males from married homes, I wanted to go inside the minds of the men who frequent these clubs. I wanted to see and hear why they went. And the only way to do that was to go undercover and see for myself," Banks said.

Having Banks strut her stuff incognito as a dancer (named "Chanel") can only be a ratings plus for the syndicated The Tyra Banks Show, exactly the point in a sweeps month used to set local TV ad rates (check local listings for time).

But Banks, 32, said she considers her program, which typically draws a heavily young and female audience, a vehicle to educate as well as entertain.

For one segment, she donned an elaborate disguise that turned her into a 350-pound woman and then ventured into stores and on blind dates to test people's reactions to obesity.

"I feel like it's the last form of discrimination that's openly acceptable. I wanted to experience that firsthand to share that with my audience," Banks said. She also did a show in which people confronted their phobias (for her, it's dolphins and birds).

There are further issues she wants to explore, she said, both through her show and the Tyra Banks Foundation, which sponsors an annual summer camp program intended to help boost self-esteem in girls.

Women can "have a hard time trusting each other. ... It's something very important to me to change that," she said. Encouraging self-sufficiency is another goal.

"I think that's very important, whether you're a house mom or a working mother, that you have that independence so you're not stuck in a situation you're not comfortable in for financial reasons or emotional reasons," she said.

Banks lacks the therapy credentials for such topics - she brings experts on her show when the going gets deep - but she's certainly got the resume of a successful woman.

She started modelling at age 15 and ended up smashing boundaries: she was the first black model on the covers of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition, GQ and the fabled Victoria's Secret catalogue.

Before she jumped into the talk show arena as host and producer, she successfully launched America's Next Top Model, the UPN reality series which may end up with even more clout when the network merges with WB to form the new CW network.

Did she imagine her career would extend beyond modelling?

"Yes," she said, laughing. "When I was 18 years old I was doing an interview for Italian television and I told them I was going to have my own talk show. I try to teach my girls on Top Model that modelling is temporary and you have to find what your true passion is.

"And I found out this is mine," Banks said of her daytime show.

She took her last runway stroll for the Victoria's Secret show last December, finally deciding to shut the lingerie drawer on modelling. Does she regret the decision at all?

"Oh, gosh, no. I have no second thoughts. My mom told me to always leave at the top, and that's what I did."

Pamela Anderson to host Juno Award telecast; Nickelback among performers

HALIFAX (CP) - The Juno Awards will undoubtedly be a sexier affair than in previous years with the announcement Monday of Pamela Anderson as host of the April 2 bash.

The actress will pilot the two-hour show, which will feature performances by Nickelback, Michael Buble and Broken Social Scene. It'll air on CTV. "Canadian music rocks," Anderson said in a statement.

"No matter where I am in the world I can listen to Canadian music and feel like I'm at home. This is going to be one kick-ass awards show."

Anderson is no stranger to the world of music, having been married to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and later engaged to country-rocker Kid Rock.

She's also dabbled in singing. The former Baywatch babe joined Bryan Adams on his latest CD for a duet of his 1998 hit When You're Gone.

Adams has already signed on to perform on the show, during which he'll be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

"She's pretty rock 'n' roll," Adams has said of Anderson, who grew up in Ladysmith, B.C.

No word on whether singing will be part of her hosting duties.

Matt Mays and El Torpedo win big at ECMAs

Matt Mays & El Torpedo dominated Monday evening's East Coast Music Awards, taking four honours at the Charlottetown ceremony.

In addition to being named best group, the Nova Scotia rockers won best single for their song Cocaine Cowgirl while the band's self-titled album won best rock recording and best album.

Mays thanked family and friends for "letting us do what we do," and later added that "basically, we'd just like to thank everybody who puts up with us, wearing what we want, being ourselves. Thanks a lot!"

Joel Plaskett won two prestigious honours: male artist of the year and songwriter of the year for his song Happen Now, from his album La De Da.

"I wrote Happen Now on my father's tenor guitar so I have to thank him for buying it," Plaskett said, adding extra thanks to his band, the Emergency.

Celtic singer Mary Jane Lamond was also a double-winner, taking trophies for female artist of the year and roots/traditional solo recording of the year for Storas.

Up-and-coming rockers The Novaks were one of the first winners of the televised broadcast, with the Newfoundland quartet winning the Galaxie Rising Star Award and thanking Matt Mays and The Trews for "teaching us how to tour."

Nova Scotia-born country star George Canyon won the fan-voted entertainer of the year trophy.

"These things always get me so emotional," Canyon said. "This is such a huge honour. My hat's off once again to my fans for allowing me to stay in this business."

The annual celebration of the best in Atlantic Canadian music featured both established and emerging artists taking the Charlottetown Civic Centre stage.

Dapper PEI pop-rockers The Chucky Danger Band, who won the best pop recording category, kicked off the ceremony with an energetic performance of their hit, Sweet Symphony.

The music-heavy national broadcast also included performances by Matt Mays & El Torpedo, The Novaks, Canyon, folk recording winner J.P. Cormier with blues guitarist Matt Andersen and francophone singer Christian "Kit" Goguen.

The evening's hosts — Julian (John Paul Tremblay), Ricky (Robb Wells) and Bubbles (Mike Smith) of TV's Trailer Park Boys — popped up throughout the evening to introduce acts and entertain the audience, including a performance of Bubbles's song Liquor and Whores. However, any expletives from the typically foul-mouthed trio were carefully bleeped out.

After the boys discovered that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was sitting in the front row, Bubbles led the crowd in a singalong version of the Beatles song Don't Let Me Down, directed to Harper.

The broadcast also included a video highlight package of Halifax-born singer Sarah McLachlan, who was presented with the Director's Special Achievement Award last June.

Cape Breton fiddle legend Buddy MacMaster won the ECMA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fiddler Natalie MacMaster delivered a stirring performance in honour of her uncle, who then joined her for a fiddle duet onstage before receiving a standing ovation.

"It's wonderful to receive this award. I am honoured and at the same time, I do feel humbled," the 81-year-old MacMaster said. "I have to thank all the listeners and everybody. Thank you all very much."

The awards ceremony, an annual celebration of music spearheaded by the East Coast Music Association, was the grand finale of a five-day event, which also featured concerts, workshops and industry meetings.

WINNERS OF THE 2006 EAST COAST MUSIC AWARDS

Album:Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Matt Mays & El Torpedo

Single:Cocaine Cowgirl, Matt Mays & El Torpedo

Group:Matt Mays & El Torpedo

Female Artist:Mary Jane Lamond

Male Artist:Joel Plaskett

Entertainer:George Canyon

Rising Star:The Novaks

Songwriter:Joel Plasket, Happen Now

Video:So She's Leaving, The Trews

Aboriginal Recording:,Halifax Indie Rock, Jonathan Andrews

African-Canadian Recording:Gary Beals, Gary Beals

Alternative Recording:Where are they Going?, Slowcoaster

Bluegrass Recording:Just in Case, Crooked Stovepipe

Blues Recording:The Story, Matt Minglewood

Children's Recording:Celtic & Traditional Lullabies from our Cape Breton

Classical Recording:Folklore, Denise Djokic

Country Recording:Sunday Morning, Sons of Maxwell

Francophone:Ode a l'Acadie, Ode a l'Acadie

Folk Recording:The Long River: A Personal Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot, J.P. Cormier

Gospel Recording:Always There, The Quintons

Instrumental Recording:Duane Andrews, Duane Andrews

Jazz Recording:Piano Trios, Tom Roach

Pop Recording:6-pack, The Chucky Danger Band

Rap/Hip-Hop Recording:5th Element, Classified

Rock Recording:Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Matt Mays & El Torpedo

Roots/Traditional Group Recording:The Hard and the Easy, Great Big Sea

Roots/Traditional Solo Recording:Storas, Mary Jane Lamond

Urban Single Recording:Gonna Get Down, Jamie Sparks

Vince Vaughn Heads to the North Pole

Vince Vaughn is heading for the North Pole in his next movie, as Santa's troubled brother in the holiday comedy, Fred Claus. Variety reports Warner Bros. is confident Vaughn can dish-up the laughs as a comic-lead, after his performance in Wedding Crashers proved such a hit to the funny-bone with moviegoers. The film will re-team Wedding director, David Dobkin, and his Crasher star, as Santa's on-the-oust sibling, who heads to the North Pole in hopes to make amends with his famous brother. Vaughn also has another upcoming comedy in the works, playing a thief who heads home to the mid-west to face the consequences, in Other Side Of Simple.

The Peter Travers Oscar Scorecard

The lowdown on who's gold and who's cold on Hollywood's hottest night from Rolling Stone magazine's film critic.

Brace yourself for the toughest Oscar race in years. With no sure things, the competition is fierce. Who will go home with the gold during the ABC Oscar telecast on March 5th? You'll find my best guesses, along with barbs about where the 6,000 members of the Academy screwed up. This year the big surprise is they got it right more often than not. Some contests are so close, such as the Best Actor race between Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), that a tie seems the only fair solution. Let the bottom-line types grouse about the lack of blockbusters in the Best Picture category. The fact that small, independent-minded films, such as Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, Munich and Good Night, and Good Luck, made the cut should give every genuine movie fan a cause for celebration. So check my choices, pick your own fights and get ready to rumble.

BEST PICTURE
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich
The front-runner Unless Academy voters develop a case of galloping homophobia, Brokeback Mountain, the gay-cowboy movie, will ride off with the Oscar, a golden boy with no genitalia. Don't even think about what John Wayne would have said about the cute butts on co-stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. No matter how much fun Oscar host Jon Stewart has at the film's expense, this tragic love story has lassoed the most nominations (eight) and the biggest claim on voter tears.
The spoilerCrash, about racial tension in present-day Los Angeles, is developing more avid fans on DVD than it ever had at the multiplex. It's the underdog to watch on Oscar night.

BEST DIRECTOR
George Clooney -- Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis -- Crash
Ang Lee -- Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller -- Capote
Steven Spielberg -- Munich
The front-runner Lee leads. But the director was favored for 1995's Sense and Sensibility and lost nomination and Oscar to Braveheart Mel Gibson. Moral: Beware actors who direct.
The spoiler Like Gibson, Clooney is a first-rank movie star who did a first-rank job of directing.

BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench -- Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman -- Transamerica
Keira Knightley -- Pride and Prejudice
Charlize Theron -- North Country
Reese Witherspoon -- Walk the Line
The front-runner Witherspoon helped bring June Carter out from the shadow of her husband, Johnny Cash, in Walk the Line. She will be hard to beat.
The spoiler If anyone can cause a Reese upset, it's Emmy-winning desperate housewife Huffman, playing a man who wants to be a woman in Transamerica.

BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- Capote
Terrence Howard -- Hustle and Flow
Heath Ledger -- Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix -- Walk the Line
David Strathairn -- Good Night, and Good Luck
The front-runner In the toughest category, Hoffman's Truman Capote is first among equals.
The spoiler Ledger stays with you as Brokeback's grieving heart.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Crash -- Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco
Good Night, and Good Luck -- George Clooney and Grant Heslov
Match Point -- Woody Allen
The Squid and the Whale -- Noah Baumbach
Syriana -- Stephen Gaghan
The front-runner Here's a chance for Oscar to show Crash some love. Syriana, which is even stronger, is too much of a political hot potato.
The spoiler Not that Oscar cares, but Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale -- a take-no-prisoners comedy about the effect of divorce on a family -- actually is the year's best original screenplay.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
George Clooney -- Syriana
Matt Dillon -- Crash
Paul Giamatti -- Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal -- Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt -- A History of Violence
The front-runner I love hearing Hurt say, "Jesus, Joey" in A History of Violence, but the race is between Cinderella Man's Giamatti, working off Academy guilt for ignoring him in Sideways, and Syriana's Clooney, for gaining thirty pounds and playing a CIA operative with touching gravity.
The spoiler Call me crazy, but a never-better Dillon is out there repping all of Crash's non-nominated performances.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams -- Junebug
Catherine Keener -- Capote
Frances McDormand -- North Country
Rachel Weisz -- The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams -- Brokeback Mountain
The front-runner Weisz in The Constant Gardener is the most deserving.
The spoiler Ironic, huh, if Williams, playing a straight character, takes the acting honors for a gay movie.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Brokeback Mountain -- Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
Capote -- Dan Futterman
The Constant Gardener -- Jeffrey Caine
A History of Violence -- Josh Olson
Munich -- Tony Kushner and Eric Roth
The front-runner Brokeback Mountain is a model of screen adaptation for the way McMurtry and Ossana ease Annie Proulx's tightly wound short story onto the screen with lyrical expansiveness.
The spoiler Munich keeps taking hits from the political right and left, which suggests moral confusion on the topic of terrorism. Pay closer attention and you'll find that the script by Kushner and Roth is a focused provocation of uncommon intelligence and compassion.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Howl's Moving Castle -- Hayao Miyazaki
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride -- Tim Burton and Mike Johnson
Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit -- Nick Park and Steve Box
The front-runner The British Wallace and his mute dog Gromit are a comfy comic fit for the Academy as well as for audiences.
The spoiler Burton's Corpse Bride is a twisted wonder, even if Oscar voters can't warm to its tale of necrophiliac love.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Batman Begins -- Wally Pfister
Brokeback Mountain -- Rodrigo Prieto
Good Night, and Good Luck -- Robert Elswit
Memoirs of a Geisha -- Dion Beebe
The New World -- Emmanuel Lubezki
The front-runner Brokeback Mountain benefits from the wide-open spaces and the way Prieto's camera lets nature invade this love story with beauty and harshness but not a hint of judgment.
The spoiler To my mind, the black-and-white play of light and shadow that Elswit brings to Good Night, and Good Luck evokes 1950s TV journalism as crucially as the acting, writing and directing.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Brokeback Mountain -- Gustavo Santaolalla
The Constant Gardener -- Alberto Iglesias
Memoirs of a Geisha -- John Williams
Munich -- John Williams
Pride and Prejudice -- Dario Marianelli
The front-runner Can Academy members not vote for John Williams? He's been nominated forty-five times and will probably win this year for Geisha instead of Munich. Here's my unsolicited advice: Stop it!
The spoiler Santaolalla for Brokeback Mountain. Why? For openers, it's a better and more resonant score.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
King Kong
War of the Worlds
The front-runner It's hard not to be knocked out by the spectacular sequence from War of the Worlds in which the evil Tripods sink the ferry.
The spoiler King Kong, or at least it should be. Must Peter Jackson continue to be punished for making a crowd-pleaser that performed below greedy box-office hopes? His beast is a beauty well deserving of Oscar gold.

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Don't Tell -- Italy
Joyeux Noel -- France
Paradise Now -- Palestine
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days -- Germany
Tsotsi -- South Africa
The front-runner Hany Abu-Assad's Paradise Now deserves credit for digging deep into what drives two Palestinian men into becoming suicide bombers on a mission in Tel Aviv.
The spoiler Gavin Hood's Tsotsi, about a South African street thug who shoots a woman and then cares for her baby, hits hard at the tear ducts. A more pertinent question is why superior foreign films, such as France's Cache, Korea's Oldboy and Hong Kong's 2046, aren't on the honor roll.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Darwin's Nightmare
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Street Fight
The front-runner Are you kidding? It's those damn penguins, falling in love and acting all humanlike. Never mind that the four other nominees take on tougher questions. March of the Penguins is the highest-grossing doc after Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 -- it's real good for business.
The spoiler Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room couldn't be more pertinent to the corporate corruption -- listen up, Academy -- infiltrating all our lives. It's just the kind of thing that doesn't win Oscars.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"In the Deep" -- Crash
"It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" -- Hustle and Flow
"Travelin' Thru" -- Transamerica
The front-runner Given the Academy's jones for musical legends (Springsteen, Dylan, Eminem) -- it makes the voters look hip -- Dolly Parton should travel through to the podium for her Transamerica ditty.
The spoiler In a year when box-office grosses sank badly, "It's Hard Out Here" could stand as Hollywood's national anthem.

OSCAR'S SHAMEFUL SNUBS
A History of Violence got the brushoff for Best Picture, actors Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello and Ed Harris, and, most egregiously, world-class director David Cronenberg. One more piece of evidence to add to A History of Oscar Stupidity.

Joan Allen She gives what may be her finest performance to date in The Upside of Anger, and Oscar wears blinders. And yet Charlize Theron makes the cut for smudging her sexy puss with coal dust in North Country, as does Judi Dench for phoning it in via Mrs. Henderson Presents. Sheesh!

Russell Crowe He boxes his way to triumph in Cinderella Man. Then he throws a phone at a guy at a Manhattan hotel, and Oscar starts confusing acting with etiquette.

Scarlett Johansson First Oscar rebuffs her for Lost in Translation (did Bill Murray do it alone?), and now she's ignored for powering Woody Allen's comeback with Match Point. Jeff Daniels I can't be alone in thinking he gave the performance of his career in The Squid and the Whale. But Oscar thinks I am.

Grizzly Man Werner Herzog makes the year's best documentary, and the Academy decides cute penguins trump lethal bears.

Danny Elfman He writes wicked, wonderful tunes for Corpse Bride, and Oscar snubs them all, reducing nominees in the category from five to three. The bright side? Less of the torture of watching songs being butchered on the Oscar telecast.

New CD Releases For February 28, 2006

Bayside Acoustic (CD/DVD combo) (Victory)

Bizzy Bone Thugs Revenge (enhanced CD) (Thump)

Bombay Dub Orchestra Bombay Dub Orchestra (Six Degrees)

Shannon Brown Corn Fed (produced by Big $ Rich's John Rich) (Warner Bros. Nashville)

Michael Camilo Rhapsody in Blue (Telarc)

The Capes Hello (Hard Soul)

Cyrus Chestnut Genuine Chestnut (Telarc)

Jessi Colter Out of the Ashes (produced by Don Was; guests Shooter Jennings, Tony Joe White and previously unreleased '80s recordings with Waylon Jennings) (Shout! Factory)

Elvis Costello and Metropole Orkest My Flame Turns Blue (two CDs; July, 2005 concert at the Netherlands' North Sea Jazz Festival; includes classic Costello songs, jazz covers and previously unreleased compositions) (Deutsche Grammophon)

El Da Sensei The Unusual (Fat Beats)

James Hand The Truth Will Set You Free (Rounder)

Hawthorne Heights If Only You Were Lonely (Victory)

Tom Heyman Deliver Me (w/members of Wilco, American Music Club, the Mother Hips and more) (Jackpine Social Club)

Tom Hunter Here I Go Again (FS Music)

Intronaut Null (Goodfellow)

Alan Jackson Precious Memories (Arista Nashville)

Kid Rock Live Trucker (Atlantic)

La Peste Better Off La Peste (Bacchus Archives)

Jeannette Lambert Sand Underfoot (Jazz from Rant)

Latterman Turn Up the Punk, We'll Be Singing (Deep Elm)

Ian Love (ex-Rival Schools) Ian Love (Limekiln)

Carmen Lundy Jazz and the New Songbook: Live at the Madrid (two CDs; DVD same day) (Afrasia)

Rhett Miller The Believer (Verve)

Bob Mintzer Big Band Old School, New Lessons (guests Kurt Elling and the Yellowjackets) (MCG Jazz)

Ne-Yo In My Own Words (Def Jam)

Nine Black Alps Everything Is (Interscope)

Alecia Nugent A Little Girl...A Big Four-Lane (Rounder)

Bobby Osborne and the Rocky Top X-Press Try a Little Kindness (Rounder)

Michael Parenti Rulers of the Planet (CD/DVD combo) (Alternative Tentacles)

Phobia Cruel (Willowtip)

Plumb Chaotic Resolve (Curb)

Ranaldo/Giffoni/Moore/Cline (Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore and Wilco's Nels Cline) Four Guitars Live (2001 performance) (Important)

Ursula Rucker Ma'at Mama (!K7)

Samite Embalasasa (Artemis)

Say Anything ...Is a Real Boy (two CDs; includes 2004 indie release plus bonus disc of demos and new, acoustic versions of older songs) (J Records)

Tom Scott Bebop United (w/Phil Woods) (MCG Jazz)

Serapis Serapis (One Day Savior)

Skylines Identity (Blood & Ink)

Smoking Popes at Metro (DVD same day; live album) (Victory)

Spitfire Self-Help (Goodfellow)

Spyro Gyra Wrapped in a Dream (SACD same day) (Heads Up)

Tresspassers William Having (produced by Dave Fridmann) (Nettwerk)

Steve Tyrell Once Upon a Dream - The Disney Standards (w/Dr. John, Dave Koz and more) (Disney)

Uncurbed Welcome to Anarcho City (Sound Pollution)

Hank Williams III Straight to Hell (Curb)

VA Hotel Chill (two CDs) (Water Music)

VA Munk Presents Gommagang 3 (electronica compilation; includes remixes and previously unreleased tracks) (Gomma)

OST Freedomland (score by James Newton Howard) (Varése Sarabande)

DVD Nardwuar the Human Serviette Doot Doola Doot Doo...Doot Doo (two DVDs) (Alternative Tentacles)

Mariah's Cinematic Comeback

Mariah Carey apparently subscribes to the old adage: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

After making a musical comeback with her award-winning, chart-topping album The Emancipation of Mimi, Carey is ready to take another shot at the big screen.

The singer has signed on to star in the independent film Tennessee, playing a waitress who teams with her two brothers to search for their estranged father in an effort to help the youngest brother, who has leukemia.

If you're thinking that whomever made this casting decision must not have seen Glitter, it just so happens you're right.

Tennessee producer Lee Daniels admitted that he never took in the box office flop that earned his star the Razzie Award for Worst Actress in 2001, but said he decided to cast Carey based on her work in 2002's WiseGirls and the success of The Emancipation of Mimi.

"I never saw Glitter, but I liked her work in the other film," Daniels told Daily Variety. "Because this character is interracial and struggles with all sorts of issues because of that, I thought she was perfect."

The film is scheduled to begin shooting this spring in Tennessee and New Mexico.

Carey's return to acting comes at a time when her diva ego can afford a few blows.

In recent months, she notched the top-selling album of 2005, with 4.97 million copies sold and tied Elvis Presley's record of 17 number one singles.

Carey also picked up three Grammys, four Vibe Awards, five Billboard Awards, four Radio Music Awards and four World Music Awards, to name a few.

On Saturday, she added to her haul, taking home Best Album at the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards.

'Gunsmoke' Actor Dennis Weaver Dies

LOS ANGELES - Dennis Weaver, the slow-witted deputy Chester Goode in the TV classic western "Gunsmoke" and the New Mexico deputy solving New York crime in "McCloud," has died. The actor was 81.

Weaver died of complications from cancer Friday at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, his publicist Julian Myers said.

Weaver was a struggling actor in Hollywood in 1955, earning $60 a week delivering flowers when he was offered $300 a week for a role in a new CBS television series, "Gunsmoke." By the end of his nine years with "Gunsmoke," he was earning $9,000 a week.

When Weaver first auditioned for the series, he found the character of Chester "inane." He wrote in his 2001 autobiography, "All the World's a Stage," that he said to himself: "With all my Actors Studio training, I'll correct this character by using my own experiences and drawing from myself."

The result was a well-rounded character that appealed to audiences, especially with his drawling, "Mis-ter Dil-lon."

At the end of seven hit seasons, Weaver sought other horizons. He announced his departure, but the failures of pilots for his own series caused him to return to "Gunsmoke" on a limited basis for two more years. The role brought him an Emmy in the 1958-59 season.

In 1966, Weaver starred with a 600-pound black bear in "Gentle Ben," about a family that adopts a bear as a pet. The series was well-received, but after two seasons, CBS decided it needed more adult entertainment and cancelled it.

Next came the character Sam McCloud, which Weaver called "the most satisfying role of my career."

The "McCloud" series, 1970-1977, juxtaposed a no-nonsense lawman from Taos, N.M., onto the crime-ridden streets of New York City. His wild-west tactics, such as riding his horse through Manhattan traffic, drove local policemen crazy, but he always solved the case.

He appeared in several movies, including "Touch of Evil," "Ten Wanted Men," "Gentle Giant," "Seven Angry Men," "Dragnet," "Way ... Way Out" and "The Bridges at Toko-Ri."

Weaver also was an activist for protecting the environment and combating world hunger.

He served as president of Love Is Feeding Everyone (LIFE), which fed 150,000 needy people a week in Los Angeles County. He founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, which sought solutions to economic and environmental problems. He spoke at the United Nations and Congress, as well as to college students and school children about fighting pollution and starvation.

"Earthship" was the most visible of Weaver's crusades. He and his wife Gerry built a solar-powered Colorado home out of recycled tires and cans. The thick walls helped keep the inside temperature even year around.

"When the garbage man comes," Jay Leno once quipped, "how does he know where the garbage begins and the house ends?"

Weaver responded: "If we get into the mindset of saving rather than wasting and utilizing other materials, we can save the Earth."

The tall, slender actor came by his Midwestern twang naturally. He was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Mo., where he excelled in high school drama and athletics. After Navy service in World War II, he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and qualified for the Olympic decathlon.

He studied at the Actors Studio in New York and appeared in "A Streetcar Named Desire" opposite Shelley Winters and toured in "Come Back, Little Sheba" with Shirley Booth.

Universal Studio signed Weaver to a contract in 1952 but found little work for him. He freelanced in features and television until he landed "Gunsmoke."

Weaver appeared in dozens of TV movies, the most notable being the 1971 "Duel." It was a bravura performance for both fledgling director Steven Spielberg and Weaver, who played a driver menaced by a large truck that followed him down a mountain road. The film was released in theaters in 1983, after Spielberg had become director of huge moneymakers.

Weaver's other TV series include "Kentucky Jones," "Emerald Point N.A.S.," "Stone" and "Buck James." From 1973 to 1975, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Weaver is survived by his wife; sons Rick, Robby and Rusty; and three grandchildren.

DVDs: Oscar special

Sunday is Oscar's golden moment so it is no surprise that a slew of Oscar-nominated films are coming to DVD.

One crucial factor is that most of the 2006 Academy Award nomination leaders are art films and/or edgier material, not mainstream studio blockbusters. So they need awards to fuel their financial success, in theatres and on DVD.

Of the 35 films that received at least one Oscar nomination in the feature categories for 2005, 12 have already been released and the rest are pending.

Here are the titles that are available:

WALK THE LINE

Out on DVD tomorrow. James Mangold's stirring biopic of legendary country music couple Johnny Cash and June Carter earned five Oscar noms but missed out in the best picture category. Both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are acting contenders, with Witherspoon cited as the likely best actress winner. Both actors are excellent dramatically and -- because their vocal stylings invoke the originals -- ace the singing, too.

The DVD is available in the basic one-disc release, in separate full and widescreen editions. It has Mangold's excellent, thoughtful commentary plus 10 deleted scenes with optional commentaries.

Better is the widescreen-only, two-disc Collector's Edition that, in addition to five souvenir postcards, has the same first disc plus a second disc of first-rate bonus materials. There are extended versions of three songs, with Cocaine Blues the star entry. Strong featurettes background Cash & Carter, focus on the upheavals of 1968 as the year of crisis and redemption for Cash and explain how Mangold struggled for a decade to make this film.

The crucial thing missing is live performances by Cash & Carter. For that, and a lot of religion, turn to tomorrow's widescreen DVD release of Gospel Road: A Story Of Jesus (1973), in which Cash talks/sings through a docu-drama about the life of Jesus, with Carter as Mary Magdalene. It is crudely done but heartfelt.

PRIDE & PREJUDICE

Out tomorrow as well. Joe Wright's lovely reworking of Jane Austen's classic novel earned four nominations, key among them Keira Knightley as best actress. The DVD is available in separate full and widescreen editions that boast good extras.

Wright's droll commentary is articulate, as is his participation in the four featurettes which delve into the history of Austen and the making of the film. The highlight is listening to Donald Sutherland wax poetic about Knightley, whom he adores and respects, and watching Brenda Blethyn with her bubbly brood of girls on set.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK

Out on DVD March 14. George Clooney's sly second film as a director is less a conventional narrative and more of a poetic mood piece about a political era: The upheavals of Joe McCarthy's Communist witchhunts of the 1950s. It earned six noms -- including best picture, Clooney as best director and the wonderfully subtle David Strathairn, who plays crusading TV journalist Edward R. Murrow, as best actor.

The widescreen DVD will feature a sometimes funny, even silly, but often useful commentary shared by Clooney and co-writer/co-star Grant Heslov. The DVD is good but this is a title that demands more, perhaps even a civics lesson. A special edition DVD would be welcome.

CAPOTE

Out on DVD March 21. Bennett Miller shocked Hollywood with the subtle yet explosive quality of his biopic about colourful writer Truman Capote and his controversial research for In Cold Blood. The film earned five noms, including as best picture and Philip Seymour Hoffman as best actor. Hoffman is the front-runner for not merely his mimicry of Capote's high-pitched voice but his embodiment of Capote's tragic internal conflicts.

The widescreen DVD will contain a lineup of excellent extras, none of them hype and all created with the same clear-minded care as the film. Among insights, Miller says of casting Hoffman: "It was a huge risk for Phil to take. The possibility of profound humiliation is always there."

CRASH

On DVD since Sept. 6 last year; a special edition due April 4. Paul Haggis, who was born in London, Ont., leapt into the public eye by writing Million Dollar Baby. Now his remarkable L.A. race drama has six noms, including as best picture, with Haggis named as best director and for best original screenplay (shared with Bobby Moresco).

The original DVD, available in full or widescreen, has a commentary shared by Haggis, Moresco and Don Cheadle, as well as a punchy featurette on the making of the film and its ambition to illuminate the race struggle. "This is a passion piece," Haggis says. That is why the special edition due in April is appropriate. Even more is a good thing.

OSCAR'S DVD LIST

Release dates for selected Oscar nominees:

Crash: Sept. 06, 2005
Batman Begins: Oct. 18, 2005
Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge Of the Sith: Nov. 1, 2005
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory: Nov. 8, 2005
War Of The Worlds: Nov. 22, 2005
Cinderella Man: Dec. 6, 2005
The Constant Gardener: Jan. 10
Hustle & Flow: Jan. 10
Junebug: Jan. 17
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: Jan. 31
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit: Feb. 7
North Country: Feb. 21
Walk The Line: Feb. 28
Pride & Prejudice: Feb. 28
Howl's Moving Castle: March 7
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire: March 7
Good Night, And Good Luck: March 14
A History Of Violence: March 14
Capote: March 21
The Squid And The Whale: March 21
Memoirs Of A Geisha: March 28
King Kong: March 28
Brokeback Mountain: April 4
Crash: April 4 (Special Edition)
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe: April 4
Munich: TBA
Match Point: TBA
Syriana: TBA
Mrs. Henderson Presents:TBA
Transamerica: TBA
The New World: TBA

Sheryl Crow's Cancer Fight

Sheryl Crow says she is heading toward a full recovery from breast cancer surgery earlier this week.

News of Crow's cancer battle was broken Friday on her Website and confirmed by her publicist, Dave Tomberlin, who announced the 44-year-old singer-songwriter underwent successful surgery on Wednesday.

"Her doctors think her prognosis is excellent," Tomberlin said.

The nine-time Grammy winner, who described the procudure as "minimally invasive," will now begin precautionary radiation treatment, according to a statement on sherylcrow.com.

"I am joining the more than 200,000 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year," Crow says on the site, adding the cancer was detected early.

"I am inspired by the brave women who have faced this battle before me and grateful for the support of family and friends."

To allow time for rest and recuperation, Crow has scrapped her North American tour, which was scheduled to kick off next month and run through April in support of her recent album, the Grammy-nominated Wildflower. Crow says she hopes to make up the dates as soon as possible.

Everyday in February must seem like a winding road to Crow. The cancer announcement comes exactly three weeks after she made public her split from Lance Armstrong.

The couple had been engaged for four months and romantically linked since 2003.

Armstrong, 34, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996.

"Once again I'm reminded of just how pervasive this illness is, as it has now touched someone I love deeply," he said in a statement Friday. "

Crow can take solace in knowing that after surgery and treatment, Armstrong was declared cancer-free and rebounded to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles.

Will Eva Green escape the 'Bond curse'?

A little bit Barbara Bach (The Spy Who Loved Me) and a little bit Carole Bouquet (For Your Eyes Only), French actress Eva Green definitely has the decolletage to be a Bond girl.

But according to one school of thought, the relative unknown -- who was announced last week to play original Bond girl Vesper Lynd opposite newly crowned James Bond Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (which opens Nov. 17) -- is now doomed to stay a relative unknown.

Green's previous major exposure has been as Orlando Bloom's love interest in the big-budget Crusades bomb Kingdom Of Heaven. So careerwise, she is a blank slate.

But as blank as Lois Chiles, who played Holly Goodhead in Moonraker? Or Lana Wood who played Plenty O'Toole in Diamonds Are Forever?

Whether there's a career-killing "Bond curse" or not (and there are enough post-Bond success stories to at least poke holes in the theory), the latter-day Bond era of big-name leading ladies appears to be over.

The part of Vesper, Bond's tragic one true love according to the Ian Fleming books, was reportedly turned down by the likes of Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, Thandie Newton and Canadian girl Rachel McAdams.

Is it the bimbo factor? If so, it's an unfair rap if you consider Bond girls pre- and post- what I consider the null-point of Bond and his Girls -- The Living Daylights.

TLD, you may recall, was the film that introduced Timothy Dalton as a humourless Bond. Released at the height of the AIDS scare, it was the first film in which Bond became a one-woman man (girl next door Maryam D'Abo as the cello-playing Kara Milovy), and the first in which it's suggested he doesn't sleep with his leading lady or anybody else.

Listen, you don't want a guy with a licence to kill getting cranky.

James and Kara ride a Ferris wheel. They hug and hold hands. They might as well have cast Timothy Hutton.

Before? Well, there was a bit of Austin Powers in Bond lines like, "There's something I want you to get off your chest" (Diamonds Are Forever). And perhaps a touch of misogyny in how quickly he moves on after a bedmate is poisoned by his side (You Only Live Twice). But it was the times, and the role of Bond girl was that of sex kitten.

After? As often as not, Bond girls kicked more butt (Grace Slick, Famke Janssen, Michelle Yeoh), and toyed with Bond as much as he used to toy with the likes of Tiffany Case. So maybe Angelina et al are just paying heed to Halle Berry's inauspicious post-Bond career (Catwoman? Gothika?).

You don't want your last words, careerwise, to be: "Oh, James!"

Herewith, some of our fave Bond babes, and the "curse" analyzed:

MAUD ADAMS

as Andrea Anders (The Man With The

Golden Gun) and Octopussy (Octopussy)

Post Bond career highlights

Was rumoured to have actually had sex on screen with Bruce Dern in Tattoo. Returned to Bond in an uncredited role in A View To A Kill as "Woman In Fisherman's Wharf Crowd."

Cursed? Yes

URSULA ANDRESS

as Honey Rider (Dr. No)

Post Bond career highlights

Played Aphrodite in Clash Of The Titans. TV series appearances include The Love Boat, Manimal and Falcon Crest.

Cursed? Yes

CLAUDINE AUGER

as Domino Derval (Thunderball)

Post Bond career highlights

"Stays busy" working in TV and film in France, Italy and Spain.

No awards to speak of.

Cursed? Yes

BARBARA BACH

as Anya Amasova (The Spy Who Loved Me)

Post Bond career highlights

Married Ringo Starr, starred with him in Caveman (but lost him in the movie to Shelley Long).

Cursed? Yes

KIM BASINGER

as Domino Patacchi (Never Say Never Again)

Post Bond career highlights

Won an Oscar for L.A. Confidential.

Battling it out with Halle Berry for Worst Post-Oscar career -- and with Alec Baldwin for worst Hollywood marriage breakup.

Cursed? No

HONOR BLACKMAN

as Pussy Galore (Goldfinger)

Post Bond career highlights

Won acclaim in a '60s production of Wait Until Dark. Played Penny Husbands-Bosworth in Bridget Jones' Diary. Recently played recurring character Rula Romanoff on Coronation Street. Has a one-woman stage show Wayward Ladies.

Cursed? No

TERI HATCHER

as Paris Carver (Tomorrow Never Dies)

Post Bond career highlights

Sidra, the girl on Seinfeld whose breasts are "real ... and they're fabulous!" Currently stars as Susan Mayer in some show about housewives whose state of mind is usually, um, what's the word I'm looking for here? Oh yeah, Desperate!

Cursed? No

FAMKE JANSSEN

as Xenia Onatopp (GoldenEye)

Post Bond career highlights

Plays Dr. Jean Grey in the X-Men movies -- a character who apparently can't be killed (talk about job security).

Dated Ben Affleck. Survived that, too.

Cursed? No

GRACE JONES

as May Day (A View To A Kill)

Post Bond career highlights

Co-starred with Chris Makepeace

in the vampire movie Vamp. Played

Helen Strange opposite Eddie Murphy and Robin Givens in the laugh-a-minute chortlefest Boomerang.

Cursed? Yes

JANE SEYMOUR

as Solitaire (Live And Let Die)

Post Bond career highlights

Gave up tarot cards, got her medical degree and spent six seasons as Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. Played villainess

Genevieve Teague in Smallville.

Cursed? No

JILL ST. JOHN

as Tiffany Case (Diamonds Are Forever)

Post Bond career highlights

Played Sylvia Maxwell on Hart To Hart.

Did a Love Boat AND a Fantasy Island.

Dated Henry Kissinger.

Married Robert Wagner.

Cursed? Yes

MICHELLE YEOH

as Wai Lin (Tomorrow Never Dies)

Post Bond career highlights

Been in one or two movies you might have heard of, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs Of A Geisha, and is the highest paid actress in Asia.

Cursed? No

Why 'Sex in the City' movie didn't happen

NEW YORK -- There will be no big-screen Sex in the City.

Sarah Jessica Parker, who played advice columnist Carrie Bradshaw on the hit cable TV series, says the time has passed.

"There was a time in 2004 and even last year when there was great momentum for a film.

"The production was all set and readied and the script was ready," reveals Parker.

"We had our stages up but those stages are gone now. The sets have been dismantled and sold. The wardrobe is gone. There are nothing but memories left."

She doesn't even pretend it wasn't Kim Cattrall who put the brakes on a feature film.

"It's true, everyone was on board for the film except Kim."

She's a little more cautious when asked why Cattrall, who played catty, vampy Samantha, refused to participate.

"I was led to believe there were a number of reasons. It wasn't just a case of money, but I'm not certain exactly what all those reasons were.

"You have to respect someone's choice to want to move on in their life."

Though Sex in the City gave Parker's career an enormous boost, she's not looking for another TV series any time soon.

"If I'd wanted to continue doing TV I'd have done more seasons of Sex in the City," she says.

"TV is too demanding and I want to spend more time with my son. He's almost three now and he needs me. Films are less of a commitment."

Nor does Parker see herself doing a Broadway show.

"That would take me away from my son every night for months. That's even worse than the daytime commitment of a TV series."

On March 10, Parker will be seen starring opposite Matthew McConaughey in the romantic comedy Failure to Launch.

She has already completed the race relations drama Spinning into Butter with Beau Bridges and Miranda Richardson.

Ang Lee may make Oscar history

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ang Lee seems poised to go where even Japanese film master Akira Kurosawa never went: The winner's circle for best director at the Academy Awards.

A win March 5 for front-runner Lee, director of the cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain, would make him the first Asian filmmaker to earn the directing prize.

Lee has dominated at earlier awards shows, taking the directing prize at the Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America, the recipient of the latter almost always going on to win the Oscar.

His competition on Oscar night: Two-time best-director winner Steven Spielberg for the assassination thriller Munich; George Clooney for the Edward R. Murrow tale Good Night, and Good Luck; Paul Haggis for the ensemble drama Crash; and Bennett Miller for the Truman Capote saga Capote.

Though nominated for best director previously with his martial-arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lee arrives as the Oscar favourite with a distinctly un-Asian film.

Brokeback Mountain is a modern twist on the Western, casting Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as sheepherding pals whose summer fling turns into a passionate romance they conceal from their wives.

"I like the unknown place," Lee said backstage after his win at the Golden Globes. "I think the American West, true west, not west in movies, it's very romantic. It's lighthearted. It's a place that I hardly know, and I like to explore that."

Born in Taiwan, Lee first came to Hollywood's notice with the romantic charmers The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman, which earned back-to-back Oscar nominations for foreign-language film for 1993 and '94.

Since then, Lee has been a chameleon, directing the Jane Austen costume romance Sense and Sensibility, a best-picture nominee, the stark American drama The Ice Storm and the comic-book adaptation Hulk.

Crouching Tiger won the foreign-language honour for 2000 and earned a best-picture nomination.

Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping romantic melodrama with one foot rooted in the grand weepers of old Hollywood and the other kicking show business into modern times with its sensitive portrayal of a gay love affair.

Its subject matter aside, Brokeback Mountain stands as an estimable directing achievement for presenting an intimate character portrait against a backdrop of boundless Western vistas.

At 51, Lee already has eclipsed the Oscar track record of Kurosawa, whose film Rashomon received an honorary foreign-language film award and whose Dersu Uzala won the foreign-language Oscar. Kurosawa's films never broke into the best-picture category, though he was nominated for best director with Ran and received an honorary Oscar for 1989.

A look at the other directing nominees:

-Steven Spielberg, Munich: The film was a daring choice for Spielberg, who incurred the wrath of Jewish groups that felt he humanized Arab terrorists in his dramatization of the Israeli pursuit of Palestinians linked to the massacre of Israelis at the 1972 Olympics.

Starring Eric Bana as leader of an Israeli hit squad, Munich is a dazzling directing achievement that creates an authentic period feeling through design and camera techniques that emulate the look of 1970s political thrillers.

But with two directing Oscars already for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, it's unlikely Spielberg will win a third for a film that left audiences lukewarm.

-George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck: In 2005, Clooney graduated from superstar hunk who really wants to direct to serious filmmaker and actor.

Along with his directing honour, Clooney was nominated for co-writing the Good Night screenplay, and he earned a supporting-actor nomination for the oil-industry thriller Syriana.

If he's going home with an Oscar, it probably will be for his excellent performance in Syriana. That prize also would serve as a nice honourable mention for Clooney's directing accomplishment on a little black-white film about newsman Murrow (David Strathairn) that confounded expectations by becoming a commercial success as well as a critical hit.

-Paul Haggis, Crash: Haggis was the one key member of the Million Dollar Baby quartet who did not win an Oscar last time. Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman all won, but screenwriter Haggis came away empty-handed.

Oscar voters might remedy that this time by giving him the prize for the original screenplay of Crash, which he co-wrote. The film features a huge cast led by Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton in a crisis-mode 36-hour period in Los Angeles.

Haggis himself has said he expects Lee and Brokeback Mountain to triumph, but the seamless stitching he managed with so many characters and story lines in Crash makes him a serious longshot contender.

-Bennett Miller, Capote: Miller looks to be along for the ride with his searing portrait of author Capote, which is expected to make its Oscar splash in the best-actor category, where Philip Seymour Hoffman is favoured to win for the title role.

For Miller, making his dramatic film debut after directing a single documentary previously, Capote and the Oscar attention are signs of good things to come from a fresh talent.

Italy bids ciao to Games

Led by snow explorers with a white horse symbolizing victory, the Olympic closing ceremony began in grand style at Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Italy, Sunday.

Canada had a star turn in the ceremony, as the next Winter Games will be in British Columbia in 2010.

Canadian opera star Ben Heppner sang a stirring rendition of Canada's national anthem, which started the section of the program that signifies the countdown to Vancouver.

Heppner, an internationally renowned tenor, performed the anthem a cappella joined by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police honour guard. Heppner's performance led to the passing of the Olympic flag by Turin Mayor Sergio Chiamparino to Vanvouver mayor Sam Sullivan.

Canadian pop superstar Avril Lavigne rocked Stadio Olimpico in a special eight-minute celebration.

The theme of the closing ceremony is Carnivale Italiano, the Italian masked festival that included performances by some of Italy's most famous circuses. Popular Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is the headline performer.

Following the Italian national anthem, the flag-bearers of each nation entered the stadium simultaneously.

Canadian speed skater Cindy Klassen had the honour of leading Canada into the closing festivities as its flag-bearer. The news came to no one's surprise as the 26-year-old Winnipeg native won a Canadian record five medals and is the nation's most decorated Olympian with six career medals.

In his final speech to the Italian people, IOC President Jacques Rogge closed the Torino Olympics by saying "these have been wonderful, fantastic Games." In grand tradition, he then called on the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in Vancouver for the 21st Winter Olympics.

Some 2,000 performers took part in the ceremony. It's expected this closing ceremony was viewed by a television audience of 500 million people.

'Madea's Family Reunion' Tops Box-Office

LOS ANGELES - Tyler Perry fans reunited at theaters for another tale of mad black women. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," a comic drama in which writer-director Perry also stars in three roles, debuted as the weekend's No. 1 movie with $30.25 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was a second gold mine for Lionsgate Films, which also released Perry's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," the movie that opened as No. 1 with $21.9 million on the same weekend last year.

Lionsgate hopes to have a third Perry movie out over the same weekend next year, said Steve Rothenberg, the company's president of distribution.

"It's a time when we can really dominate the box office," Rothenberg said. "If we were out at Christmas, we'd be competing with the big holiday and Oscar films, but late February with Black History Month and less competition is a great time period for us."

This weekend's other new wide releases flopped. The Weinstein Co. animated tale "Doogal," a fairy-tale adventure with a voice cast that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Fallon, debuted at No. 8 with $3.6 million.

New Line's crime thriller "Running Scared," starring Paul Walker as a mobster scrambling to recover a gun used in the slaying of a cop, opened at No. 9 with $3.1 million.

Walker also stars in last weekend's No. 1 movie, Disney's dog tale "Eight Below," which slipped to second place with $15.7 million. "Eight Below" grossed $45.1 million in 10 days.

Though "Madea's Family Reunion" opened more strongly than "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," the overall weekend box office declined. The top 12 movies took in $99.8 million, down 4.4 percent from the same weekend last year.

Based on Perry's stage play, "Madea's Family Reunion" depicts a variety of domestic crises as a clan prepares for a reunion. Among the characters Perry plays is the heavyset, pistol-packing Grandma Madea, whom he also played in "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

The film was shot for just $6 million.

Perry's stories about empowerment of women set among Madea's family have a built-in following among black audiences familiar with his plays and video versions of the tales. Black women 35 and older made up 52 percent of the movie's audience, according to Lionsgate.

"The themes Tyler Perry presents resonate very strongly with the black community," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "It reminds me of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding.' It has elements of comedy and drama and community that just definitely works."

The South African film "Tsotsi," a nominee for best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards, opened strongly in limited release with $78,000 at six theaters, for a healthy $13,000 average.

By comparison, "Madea's Family Reunion" averaged $13,788 in 2,194 theaters, "Doogal" did $1,557 in 2,318 cinemas, and "Running Scared" averaged $1,909 in 1,611 theaters.

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. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," $30.25 million.
2. "Eight Below," $15.7 million.
3. "The Pink Panther," $11.3 million.
4. "Date Movie," $9.2 million.
5. "Curious George," $7 million.
6. "Firewall," $6.3 million.
7. "Final Destination 3," $5.35 million.
8. "Doogal," $3.6 million.
9. "Running Scared," $3.1 million.
10. "Freedomland," $2.9 million.

Don Knotts, TV's Barney Fife, Dies at 81

LOS ANGELES - Don Knotts, who won TV immortality and five Emmys for playing the bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show" with self-deprecating humor, was remembered by his friend and co-star as a comedic genius who wrote some of the show's best scenes.

"Don was a small man ... but everything else about him was large: his mind, his expressions," Griffith told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Don was special. There's nobody like him."

Knotts, 81, died Friday of pulmonary and respiratory complications at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, said Sherwin Bash, his friend and manager.

His half-century career included more than 25 films and seven TV series, most notably playing the bug-eyed deputy who carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. The constant fumbling, a recurring sight gag, was typical of his self-deprecating humor.

The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld." The 249 episodes have appeared frequently in reruns and spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.

Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and didn't mind being remembered that way.

He also played the would-be swinger landlord Ralph Furley on "Three's Company," which he joined in 1979, and was an original cast member of "The Steve Allen Show," the comedy-variety show that ran from 1956-61.

Knotts' G-rated films were family fun, not box-office blockbusters. In most, he ends up the hero and gets the girl — a girl who can see through his nervousness to the heart of gold.

In the part-animated 1964 film "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," Knotts played a meek clerk who turns into a fish after he is rejected by the Navy.

In 1998, he had a key role in the back-to-the-past movie "Pleasantville," playing a folksy television repairman whose supercharged remote control sends a teen boy and his sister into a TV sitcom past.

The West Virginia native began his show biz career even before he graduated from high school, performing as a ventriloquist at local clubs and churches. He majored in speech at West Virginia University, then took off for the big city.

"I went to New York cold. On a $100 bill. Bummed a ride," he recalled in a visit to his hometown of Morgantown, where city officials renamed a street for him in 1998.

Within six months, Knotts had taken a job on a radio Western called "Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders," playing a wisecracking, know-it-all handyman. He stayed with it for five years before making his series TV debut on "The Steve Allen Show."

He married Kay Metz in 1948, the year he graduated from college. The couple had two children before divorcing in 1969. Knotts later married, then divorced Lara Lee Szuchna.

Knotts is survived by his wife of three years, Francey Yarborough, and two children, Karen and Thomas, from his first marriage.

Prolific Actor Darren McGavin Dies at 83

LOS ANGELES - Darren McGavin was painting a movie set in 1945 when he learned of an opening for a small role in the show, climbed off his ladder, and returned through Columbia's front gates to land the part.

The husky, tough-talking performer went on to become one of the busiest actors in television and film, starring in five TV series, including "Mike Hammer," and endearing holiday audiences with his role as the grouchy dad in the 1983 comedy classic "A Christmas Story."

McGavin, 83, died Saturday of natural causes at a Los Angeles-area hospital with his family at his side, said his son Bogart McGavin.

McGavin also had leading roles in TV's "Riverboat" and cult favorite "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Among his memorable portrayals was Gen. George Patton in the 1979 TV biography "Ike."

Despite his busy career in television, McGavin was awarded only one Emmy: in 1990 for an appearance as Candice Bergen's opinionated father in an episode of "Murphy Brown."

He lacked the prominence in films he enjoyed in television, but he registered strongly in featured roles such as the young artist in Venice in "Summertime," David Lean's 1955 film with Katharine Hepburn and Rosanno Brazzi; Frank Sinatra's crafty drug supplier in "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955); Jerry Lewis's parole officer in "The Delicate Delinquent" (1957); and the gambler in 1984's "The Natural." He also starred alongside Don Knotts, who died Friday night, in the 1976 family comedy "No Deposit, No Return."

Throughout his television career, McGavin gained a reputation as a curmudgeon willing to bad-mouth his series and combat studio bosses.

McGavin starred in the private eye series "Mike Hammer" in the 1950s. In 1968 he told a reporter: "Hammer was a dummy. I made 72 of those shows, and I thought it was a comedy. In fact, I played it camp. He was the kind of guy who would've waved the flag for George Wallace."

Born in Spokane, Wash., McGavin was sketchy in interviews about his childhood. He told TV Guide in 1973 that he was a constant runaway at 10 and 11, and as a teen lived in warehouses in Tacoma, Wash., and dodged the police and welfare workers. His parents disappeared, he said.

He spent a year at College of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., taking part in dramatics, then landed in Los Angeles. He washed dishes and was hired to paint sets at Columbia studio. He was working on "A Song to Remember" when an agent told him of an opening for a small role.

"I climbed off a painter's ladder and washed up at a nearby gas station," McGavin said. "I returned through Columbia's front gate with the agent." The director, Charles Vidor, hired him. No one recognized him but the paint foreman, who said, "You're fired."

McGavin studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio and began working in live TV drama and on Broadway. He appeared with Charlton Heston in "Macbeth" on TV and played Happy in "Death of a Salesman" in New York and on the road.

He is survived by his four children — York, Megan, Bridget and Bogart — from a previous marriage to Melanie York McGavin, Bogart McGavin said. McGavin was separated from his second wife, Kathy Brown, he said. Services were set for March 5 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Sex Pistols Flip Off Rock Hall

Never mind the Rock Hall, there go the Sex Pistols.

Britain's most infamous punk rabble rousers are giving the big middle finger to the music industry types who've tapped the band for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, issuing a grammatically impaired open letter saying they have no intention of attending the induction ceremony scheduled for Mar. 13 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

"Next to the sex Pistols, rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum. Urine in wine. We're not coming," the band says via a handwritten note posted on frontman Johnny Rotten's Website, thefiilthandthefury.co.uk. "Were [sic] not your monkey and so what? Fame at $25,000 if we paid for a table, or $15,000 to squeak up in the gallery, goes to a non-profit organization [sic] selling us a load of old famous."

The Sex Pistols, who had been passed over by voters for several years before making the list, had been expected to inject a little anarchy into the proceedings as one of five acts being inducted. Black Sabbath, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the late Miles Davis will also be feted.

But, in a nod to the rebel spirit that inspired generations of mohawk-wearing youth, and helped them sell millions of records, the Sex Pistols made it perfectly clear where their loyalties lie--with themselves.

"Congratulations," the missive continues. "If you voted for us, hope you noted your reasons. Your [sic] anonymous as judges, but your [sic] still music industry people. Were [sic] not coming. Your [sic] not paying attention. Outside the sh-t-stem is a real Sex Pistol."

With the Sex Pistols apparently sitting out the ceremony, there could still be some fireworks courtesy of Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. In 2000, tired of repeated rejections by voters who opted for tamer acts like Percy Sledge and Bob Seger, Osbourne and his "War Pigs" comrades slammed the Rock Hall selection process, calling it "meaningless" because it's not voted on by fans. However, the bat-chomping metalhead is expected to turn up at next month's induction.

Despite releasing only one album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here Comes the Sex Pistols, the Sex Pistols--whose lineup included Johnny Rotten, Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and the late Sid Vicious--gave 1970s rock 'n' roll a major kick in the ass with blistering, two-minute odes to self-destruction, rebellion and generally bad behavior, including the indelible punk anthems "Anarchy in the U.K." and "God Save the Queen."

The band split in 1978, but surviving members regrouped in 1996 and 2003 for two extremely lucrative tours, which caused some longtime fans to grouse that the band sold out.

In a 2003 interview with Billboard.com, Rotten dissed the band's induction into the "Hall of Shame" and explained why the Sex Pistols have never issued new material since their heyday.

"We only needed to make one album to absolutely define how the world is," the snarling singer said. "Quite frankly, I think it's a miracle that we're still alive, and that's historical in itself. We fought this industry tooth and nail nonstop for 25 solid years, and we're still here."

They just won't be in New York for the ceremony.

Bono Among Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

OSLO, Norway - Rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof were nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize along with Indonesia's president, a former U.S. secretary of state and a Finnish peacemaker.

That was the easy part.

Making the Norwegian award committee's deeply secret shortlist, already whittled down from the 191 nominees, is another matter, the nonvoting secretary said Friday.

"It's easy to get nominated, but very hard to win," Geir Lundestad told The Associated Press in releasing the number he compiled and checked after the Feb. 1 deadline for mailing proposals.

He said the committee has started pruning the original field of 168 individuals and 23 organizations. That is the second highest number of nominations ever, behind last year's 199.

"It does indicate strong interest," Lundestad said, expressing delight that nominations came in from across the globe, including countries submitting entries for the first time.

The 2005 award went to the International Atomic Energy Agency and its leader Mohamed ElBaradei for their efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons.

The tightlipped committee keeps the names of candidates secret for 50 years. However, thousands of people have nomination rights, and some announce their choice.

This year, known nominees include former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for helping to secure a peace deal in the Aceh conflict. Both were seen as frontrunners in early speculation.

"The president is very honored and humbled by this nomination," said Yudhoyono's spokesman Dino Pati Djalal. "As a general, politician and president he has always tried to promote peace, democracy and reform.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was nominated for his effort to end Sudan's civil war.

Geldof, former leader of the Irish punk group the Boomtown Rats, was nominated for organizing last year's Live 8 benefit concerts, while another Irish singer, U2 frontman Bono, was proposed for his fight against world poverty.

"They are the typical kind of high-profile, celebrity nomination," Nobel watcher Dan Smith, former head of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, said by telephone from London.

Smith said the committee was more likely to use Nobel prestige to propel some lesser-known person into the world spotlight.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, and longtime Iran investigator Kenneth R. Timmerman were nominated by a politician from Sweden's Liberal Party.

The American Friends Service Committee proposed Jeff Halper, an Israeli Jew, and Ghassan Andoni, a Palestinian Christian from the occupied Palestinian territories.

Other announced contenders include former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Indian scholar Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Israeli nuclear whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu. Austria's SOS Children's Villages, former Illinois governor and death penalty opponent George Ryan, and Indian anti-child labor campaigner Kailash Satyarthi have also been nominated.

Likely, but not confirmed, nominations include the movement Thousand Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2006, American entertainer Oprah Winfrey, dissident Buddhist monk Thich Quang Do from Vietnam, Chinese Muslim activist Rebiya Kadeer, Russian human rights activist Lida Yusupova, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iraqi Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Save the Children, Oxfam and the Salvation Army are also believed to be on the original list.

The awards committee, which is appointed by but does not answer to Norway's parliament, met for the first time this year on Feb. 17. They usually add their own nominations then to make sure no big names are left out. After that meeting, there is no way to get on the list.

At least once, a favored candidate was left out because he was not nominated in time: former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Carter won the award later, in 2002.

Lundestad has said the list quickly gets reduced to a few names, which staff then study in depth. After four or five meetings, a winner is picked by consensus, and announced in mid-October.

The committee works in deep secret, is fiercely independent, and determined to resist lobbying for or against candidates.

Given the number of people with nomination rights — including Nobel laureates, committee members, politicians and university professors — Lundestad said it is surprising that there are so few groundless proposals.

"There are largely good nominations," he said, adding that being nominated does not imply any support or endorsement from the committee itself.

The award is always presented in Oslo on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of its founder, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. The other Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm, Sweden.

ADVANCE FILM REVIEWS IN CRITICAL CONDITION

How do you keep a movie from being savaged by the critics? Don't let them see it.

Fuhgeddaboud opening-day reviews for two new movies this weekend, "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion" or the animated feature "Doogal."

"We are not going to spend $50,000 for the privilege of negative reviews for a film that isn't going to be affected by them," Tom Ortenberg, president of "Madea" distributor Lionsgate, told The Post.

"Doogal" and "Madea" are joining a growing number of wide releases that are skipping the customary critics' screenings, much to the dismay of consumers looking for opening-day guidance.

That makes eight so far this year, compared with seven in all of 2005, by The New York Post's count.

"It's a pure business decision," says analyst Gitesh Pandya of boxofficeguru.com. "They're realizing that for films which the critics will hate anyway, it's just not worth going through the trouble and expense of setting up screenings in cities around the country."

In the past, a typical nonscreened movie was a studio mistake dumped to satisfy contractual obligations. Now, nonscreening is more often part of a conscious marketing policy, particularly flicks aimed at teens.

"These kids aren't reading reviews, so these movies are essentially bulletproof," says one former studio publicist.

"Sometimes a director or a star refuses to believe how bad a movie is [think "Gigli"], so they pressure the studio into screening it," Pandya says

Presumably, Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, for example, had no problem with Paramount opening "Aeon Flux" without screenings.

As far as "Doogal," The Weinstein Company claims the film — a British-French co-production that opened to blah reviews overseas and has been retooled for the American market with a new voice cast — wasn't ready in time to screen.

Ortenberg is more blunt about why there were no screenings for "Madea," a follow-up to Perry's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which grossed $26 million in its opening weekend on its way to a $50 million gross last year — despite awful reviews.

Although his research and exit polls for "Diary" and "Madea" had more than 95 percent of the crowds rate the films excellent or very good, Ortenberg says of the new "Madea," "our hunch is that critics will have pretty much the same opinion they did of 'Diary.' "

Ortenberg concedes it's a "tough decision" to skip screenings. But in this case, he says, "the money for screenings will be better spent on more advertising."

"For most movies, reviews are an important part of the overall release strategy," the film executive admits.

I think Ortenberg is right about that — studios such as Lionsgate are always going to want critical support for movies like "Crash," so skipping screenings is unlikely to become the norm.

ON THE DOWNLOAD

Apple announcing Thursday that one billion songs have been legally downloaded from its iTunes Music Store since it was launched less than three years ago. The billionth song downloaded was Coldplay's "Speed of Sound."

Keith & Nicole Set for March Marriage?

The Interpreter actress Nicole Kidman and country star Keith Urban have sent out Invitations for their wedding, which will reportedly take place next month. Marriage rumors have besieged the couple - who began dating last year - since November, when Kidman began wearing a large diamond ring on her left hand. Sources tell American magazine Us Weekly the couple will exchange vows in Australia in early March. The source says, "Nicole is an Australian girl at heart. It's no surprise that she would want to get married here."

Superman, Batman Sequelize?

It is the ultimate fanboy fantasy not involving Princess Leia: More Batman, more Superman.

According to Thursday's Variety, the dream could come true as soon as 2008, in the form of sequel to Batman Begins, and 2009, in the form of a sequel to the upcoming Superman Returns.

Warner Bros., the studio behind both revived superhero franchises, would not comment on sequel plans. It called the Variety report "speculative."

Earlier this month at WonderCon, a leading comics convention, Superman Returns director Bryan Singer copped to having "ideas" for more Superman movies, ComicBookResources.com reported. But Singer said those ideas were "like my ideas for X-Men 3," a movie the ex-X-Men helmer is definitely not directing.

Still, the Website said, fans pressed ahead, asking what villains might pop up in additional Superman adventures. ( Kevin Spacey plays Lex Luthor in Returns.) And, still, the Website said, Singer deflected.

"Let's see how the game plays," Singer said, per ComicBookResources.com.

The notion of a Superman Returns sequel, though a no-brainer, is indeed presumptive--the movie, the first Man in Steel big-screen adventure since 1987, doesn't open until June 30.

Batman Begins, the first Caped Crusader big-screen adventure since 1997, swooped into theaters last summer. With a $205.3 million take, it was the eighth-highest grossing 2005 release, per BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Variety pegged the Superman and Batman sequels as being in the planning stages. The trade paper noted that Warners has contractual dibs on the movies' respective cape-wearers, Superman Returns' Brandon Routh and Batman Begins' Christian Bale, but that it doesn't have done deals with the films' respective directors, Singer and Christopher Nolan.

The Batman project, however, does have a screenwriter, Variety said: Jonah (or Jonathan) Nolan, brother of Christopher.

Christopher Nolan currently is directing Bale and Hugh Jackman as dueling magicians in The Prestige. According to the Internet Movie Database, he's also set to call the shots on The Exec, an action/drama penned by his sibling.

Singer's schedule is just as booked.

The director probably would get his long-planned Logan's Run remake up and running before returning to Metropolis, Variety said. His to-do list also includes a dramatized version of The Mayor of Castro Street, about slain gay politician Harvey Milk.

Roger Moore defends new 007

TORONTO (CP) - It took an old Bond to come to the rescue of the new Bond.

Roger Moore, who played Agent 007 in seven of the James Bond movies, said Wednesday that critics of the film franchise's new star, Daniel Craig, should give him a chance. "He's a helluva good actor," said Moore, 78, noting that critics haven't even seen Craig in the role yet. "So why attack him?"

A group of James Bond fans has launched a website (www.craignotbond.com) to protest the hiring of Craig to replace Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale, now shooting in Prague.

The blond Craig, whose film work includes Munich and The Jacket, has so offended the fans they say they'll boycott the film unless EON Productions and Sony Pictures admit they've made a big mistake.

Moore suggested the group was merely trying to attract people to their website, which says producers had refused to meet the price demanded for the role from Brosnan or other candidates like Hugh Jackman and Clive Owen.

Moore, meanwhile, will be in Quebec City this weekend to take part in a charity film festival called Vue sur Bond 007, organized by filmmaker Hilary Saltzman, daughter of Canadian-born Harry Saltzman. The senior Saltzman, who died in 1994, was, along with Albert Broccoli, the co-producer of most of the early Bond films.

In a recent interview, Hilary Saltzman was also eager to defend Craig, saying she's excited about seeing him in the role.

"When I saw Munich. . .every time Daniel Craig was onscreen that's who you're watching. And I thought 'my god, they've got something very interesting there'."

Also in attendance at Vue sur Bond will be several other celebrities known to 007 fans, including actors Richard (Jaws) Kiel and Britt Ekland, director Guy Hamilton and singer Shirley Bassey.

The festival has three purposes: to honour the senior Saltzman, to draw attention to his daughter's upcoming Festival of the Three Americas - which showcases little-known films from Latin America - and to make a donation to UNICEF (Moore is a goodwill ambassador and was in town Wednesday to attend the release of a report on child health).

Moore said he agreed to show up at the Bond festival because Saltzman asked him on behalf of both her father and UNICEF.

He also dismissed suggestions Wednesday that Bond is obsolete in a post-Cold War, post-9-11 world where real terrorists like Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida have trivialized such Bondian super-villains and organizations as Goldfinger, Blofeld and SMERSH.

"It's fantasy," counters Moore. "Bond is fantasy, there's no real substance to it. It's a figment of imagination. . .sort of crazy, you know, a spy who is recognized wherever he goes. Spies ain't like that."

Saltzman concurred.

"There's a threat to the world and there's one man out there that can save us. And actually I think right now people want to go to that fantasy world."

She also thought it was a "huge coup" on the part of the producers that they snagged Canadian screenwriter Paul Haggis - who is up for a couple of Oscars for his work on Crash - to work on the script.

Apatow adds Hathaway to "Knocked Up"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Anne Hathaway, currently on screen as Jake Gyllenhaal's icy wife in "Brokeback Mountain," is joining the cast of Universal Pictures' "Knocked Up."

The actress is set to star opposite Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann in the Judd Apatow romantic comedy.

Apatow is writing, producing and directing the movie, which follows a twentysomething guy who finds out he impregnated his one-night stand. The picture will be similar in budget to his last film, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," which grossed $109.5 million at the domestic box-office and garnered a Writers Guild of America nomination.

Shooting is slated to start in the early summer.

Hathaway, who made her feature debut in the 2001 Buena Vista/Walt Disney hit "The Princess Diaries," will next be seen in 20th Century Fox's "The Devil Wears Prada."

Two Naked Actresses Draw Magazine Buzz

NEW YORK - Pick up this month's Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair and you'll see two lovely young stars-of-the-moment, Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, posing alluringly in the altogether. Open the foldout, and you'll even see Johansson's bare buttocks.

What you won't see is a third, equally lovely young actress, Rachel McAdams of "Wedding Crashers" fame. It seems McAdams arrived at the photo shoot and decided she didn't want to take her clothes off.

And so, sitting between Johansson and Knightley is fashion designer Tom Ford, the issue's guest editor. He nuzzles Knightley's ear and, though he shows plenty of chest hair, is fully clothed. Presumably, no one thought of asking HIM to disrobe.

Is it arty and fun, or does it say something about sexual politics in Hollywood? In 2006, four decades after the launch of the feminist movement, does a serious actress still need to take her clothes off to get attention?

And where, oh where, are the naked men?

The reason female stars disrobe is simple, says Janice Min, editor of the much-read celebrity magazine US Weekly. "It's tried and true. You show some cleavage on an actress. You make her look sexy. You make her look hot." She NEEDS to be hot — because in Hollywood, "you have to be sexy to be a successful actress. You just have to be."

So where's the nude photo of Brad Pitt? Or George Clooney, who appears later in the issue, dressed, amid a bevy of women in flesh-toned bras and panties? Let's face it, Min says: Women do like to see sexy men — just not with all their clothes off.

"Men just aren't viewed as sex objects in the same way that women are," Min says. "Women don't think about men being naked in the same way that men think about women." In fact, she says, at her magazine's offices, when photos come in of a male star with no shirt on, "We say, 'Gross! Put some clothes on!'" (Imagine that being uttered about an attractive female.)

For one expert on the magazine industry, it's a little more complicated. "There's an inherent fear in this country of pictures of naked men," says Samir Husni, a journalism professor at the University of Mississippi. "We've been trained to look at pictures of naked women, but we haven't been trained yet to look at pictures of naked men."

A few male stars have blazed a trail. Burt Reynolds appeared nearly nude in Cosmopolitan in 1972. David Cassidy, in Rolling Stone, the same year. David Hasselhoff. And Ford, too. But it's a lonely group.

Husni calls the current VF cover the "Playboy" issue, because "you can call it art as much as you want — it's still naked women." Nonetheless, he says the magazine has scored huge buzz.

And buzz, in the cutthroat magazine industry, goes a long way. If a magazine sells more than 30 percent of its copies of a particular issue, it's a success. Every copy sold above that is money in the bank. And how do you sell those extras? By grabbing the first-time buyer at the newsstand. The industry rule of thumb is you have 2 1/2 seconds to grab that buyer. And you do it with the cover.

"The cover is your calling card," says Will Dana, managing editor of Rolling Stone magazine, which over the years has produced its share of memorable covers (including the iconic photo of a nude John Lennon wrapped around a clothed Yoko Ono — a rare exception to the rule.) "People are making a split-second decision. It's got to be compelling."

By that standard, the VF cover, shot by Annie Leibovitz, is a slam-dunk. Society columnist Liz Smith wrote about a dinner party where people were passing the issue around, declaring it "ridiculous ... egotistical ... absurd."

"So, I ask you, is editor Graydon Carter smart or what?" Smith wrote.

Carter, in an e-mail message to the AP, said "I chose Tom Ford with the intention of giving him a lot of creative freedom — which I did. And I was extremely pleased with the results."

The results include a 46-page photo spread in which actresses Sienna Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Joy Bryant also appear in various states of nudity. There's also an L.A. plastic surgeon (male and dressed) appearing on a golf course next to a giant female breast. And actor Jason Schwartzman, dressed in a suit and tie, posed next to a nude model — with her head cropped out of the photo.

Vanity Fair spokeswoman Beth Kseniak said it's too early to say how the magazine is selling, but that it has scored about 3,000 new subscriptions and almost 5 million web site page views.

Some of that buzz has been negative. "The whole cover just seems faux-racy to me," says Siobhan Burns, a New Yorker in her mid-30's who reads the magazine in her office. "And why, in 2006, do women still have to take their clothes off and look pouty, rather than being heralded for their accomplishments?"

Writing in Salon.com, Rebecca Traister called the cover an "over-the-top orgy of self-love, misogyny and idiocy" by Ford. Of McAdams, who also starred in "Red Eye" and "The Family Stone" in 2005, she wrote: "There you have it, ladies, straight from Vanity Fair. We don't care if you star in three successful movies in one year; if you won't get naked for a 'threesome,' you can forget your spot in our pages!"

Vanity Fair says McAdams, 29, was well aware beforehand that the cover concept called for nudity. "At the last moment, she didn't feel comfortable with the idea," Kseniak says.

McAdams' manager did not respond to a request for comment. As for Johansson, 21, who's drawn attention for her recent performance in Woody Allen's "Match Point" as well as having her breasts groped by Isaac Mizrahi on the Golden Globes red carpet, her publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said she was happy with the magazine.

No one has suggested that Johansson or Knightley, 20, the winsome, Oscar-nominated British star of "Pride & Prejudice," were forced into anything. Yet, Min says, it was a "huge honor" for a young actress to appear on VF's cover — especially the Hollywood issue: "A lot of people would think it's better to be naked and on the cover than NOT on the cover."

So buzz-worthy was the VF cover, Min says, that her magazine went out and asked people what they thought of it.

The answer? Most thought the actresses looked better with clothes on.

Emmy Overhauls Voting. Again.

Tired of seeing the same batch of housewives, presidential cabinet members and flamboyant buds and their platonic gal pals walking away with Emmys year in and year out?

So was the Academy.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced plans for an overhaul of their nomination voting process Tuesday, designed to end the reign of terror of perennial nominees and give overlooked rookies a shot at Emmy gold.

The changes will affect the nomination process of six major categories: Best Actor, Actress and Series in both comedy and drama genres.

The nominees in each category will now be whittled down by both popular vote and a judging panel, rather than the old method which determined finalists through a simple Academy member vote. The result was a Nielsen rating-dominated crop of nominations chosen more for their popularity than by virtue of performances, and routinely ignored much-heralded yet low-rated shows.

Here's looking at you, Lauren Graham.

The new system will still hold an Academy vote, but asks members to list 15 possible nominees for acting and 10 for series, rather than the standard five. The finalists from that vote will then be asked to submit a sample TV episode to a top notch judging panel, which convenes in North Hollywood on June 24-25, and which will--get this--actually watch the nominated shows and performances before naming the five nominees.

The more democratic--and critic-pleasing--process is not a new one.

"We currently use the same process to determine the nominees for performers in a music variety show and guest actors in a series," Academy director John Leverence said. "Now we're extending it to the lead acting categories and best series. At this point we are not yet introducing it in the supporting actor races."

The new rules will also allow for 700 more voting members. The Academy is inviting a slew of directors and casting executives to cast their votes in the acting categories, which were previously decided on by 1,400 actors alone.

"This new voting initiative hits the issue of a narrow nomination's process head-on," Academy Chief Executive Dick Askin said. "It significantly increases the potential for the widest and most diverse selection of nominees as possible."

But only time will tell if the extra vetting process makes any real dents in the nominees or if, come this summer, it'll be more of the same old, same old.

It's the second time in as many years that Emmy officials have attempted to overhaul the staid program with some major changes, increasing the pool from which nominees were chosen in 2004 to allow new blood into the often predictable winners circle.

Needless to say, the enacted changes weren't exactly successful.

Bringing new nominees into the stale mix may also help boost Emmy's perpetually low-rated ceremonies. Critics have argued that the lack of suspense in honorees has driven away viewers, particularly younger ones who feel disenfranchised that their favorite shows are routinely shunned from the awards.

Here's looking at you, too, Kristen Bell.

Emmy nominees will be announced July 6, with the new and improved kudosfest airing Aug. 27.

Forget Lies--G N' R Leaks!

For Guns N' Roses fans still wondering when frontman Axl Rose will ever release the legendary rockers' forever-in-the-works Chinese Democracy album, your patience is finally paying off.

Three studio-quality tracks found their way onto the Internet this week, perhaps not so coincidentally just days after a reclusive Rose, 44, made a rare appearance Friday at a tour kick-off party hosted by Korn in Los Angeles and told RollingStone.com that "people will hear music this year."

The leaked tunes have generated big buzz since various Websites began posting them and prompted some radio stations, such as Boston's WAAF, to put them into heavy rotation until cease-and-desist orders arrived from Rose's lawyers.

Early response has so far generally been positive with fans describing the song "There Was a Time" (aka T.W.A.T.) as recalling such Use Your Illusion-era power ballads as "Estranged" while the other two, "I.R.S." and "Better," stick to the hard rock we're used to hearing from the Gunners with some modern emo and techno-infused touches such as loop tracks laid over Buckethead's intricate guitar work and Axl's trademark squeals.

On his morning show on Sirius Satellite Radio, even shock jock Howard Stern got in on the act, critiquing the opening to "I.R.S." after jokingly asking how Rose went "from so cool to being a douche."

"It seems like they are trying to put his voice all the way in the back in the mix," Stern said, noting that while the MP3 was pretty good the mix needed work.

Rose's manager, Merck Mercuriadis, could not be reached for comment but initial reports indicating he had ordered the websites to take down the tracks appear to be true as many of the links have since been removed.

However, the unexpected leaks are fueling speculation that after nine years spent working on Chinese Democracy, the flame-haired singer is finally close to putting the wraps on the magnum opus and has an appetite for touring again with his revamped Guns N' Roses lineup (original members Slash and Duff McKagan are suing Rose, claiming he cheated them out of royalties from the iconic group's song catalog)

2002's ill-fated Chinese Democracy trek, which was touted as the Gunners' comeback tour, was scrapped largely due to Rose's shenanigans, including his penchant for swaggering onstage hours late, the occasional riot, and sluggish ticket sales mainly due to the fact that they had no album to promote.

As if on cue, news broke Monday that G N' R has booked several performances across Europe in May and June, including a gig at Dublin's Arena on June 9 with fellow rockers Motley Crue as the opening act, plus appearances at the U.K.'s Download Festival, Austria's NovaRock Festival, with headliners Metallica and the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal.

While Rose has remained mum on the leaks, Lisa Reed, the wife of longtime Gunner keyboardist Dizzy Read, posted a message on her hubby's website saying "all signs point to [the release of Chinese Democracy] getting closer and closer" and pleaded with fans not to leak any more tracks.

"It's like shaking all your Christmas presents on the 23rd of December and figuring out what they are," she wrote. "No surprise and you ruined the fun for the giver. I just as much as anyone want this record to com out, but BE PATIENT!"

Guns N' Roses' last official studio set was 1993's underwhelming collection of covers, The Spaghetti Incident.

Nelly Furtado Brings the Punk-Hop

After a year and a half spent writing new songs, traveling the world to collaborate with Pharrell Williams, Coldplay's Chris Martin and producer Nellee Hooper (No Doubt, Madonna), Nelly Furtado is finally ready to release her third album, Loose, on May 23rd.

"It was a very indulgent experience," says the eclectic Canadian pop singer. "It was actually the most idyllic sort of album-making ever. It's sort of every artist's dream, where you're flown around the world, just kind of having a good time and making music."

In August, when it came time to lay down the tracks, Furtado turned to hip-hop talent Timbaland, who featured her on Missy Elliott's "Get UR Freak On" remix in 2001. When Interscope President Jimmy Iovine played Furtado some of the producer's latest tracks, her reaction was "Wow! It sound[ed] like he's listening to all the same stuff as me -- everything from System of a Down to Bloc Party and Death From Above 1979, and a lot of Coldplay, too." Within no time, says Furtado, "I was in Miami and having the time of my life."

Working in the evenings, the pair laid down ten of Loose's thirteen tracks, forging a new genre from their shared influences. "We call it 'punk-hop,'" she says of most of the album's sound. "We were thinking, 'Let's do modern Eurythmics -- You're Dave and I'm Annie. Let's make this modern, poppy, spooky music.' And we achieved that on some of the tracks."

The track "Maneaters," Furtado says, is "a 'couture pop' song, where it's in your face and very fashionable, stylistic and of-the-moment," while "No Hay Igual" takes its cues from reggaeton. "I didn't know what reggaeton was until I went to Miami and Pharrell's like, 'You're crazy!'" she confesses. "He played me a reggaeton song, and then I was like, 'Holy shit, it's great!'" She was inspired to write "No Hay Igual," in Spanish, nearly on the spot.

The album closer "All Good Things," which features Chris Martin, was actually a last-minute addition, after Furtado bumped into her old friend during August's MTV Movie Awards. "I was telling him what I was up to, and he's like, 'I love Timbaland. Can I come by?'" she recalls. "But [Tim's] like a big dude, and Chris was scared to sit down at the keyboard. I'm like, 'Chris, sit down. Let's make some music.' I'm always the instigator."

It was, in part, these spontaneous creative decisions that led Furtado to name the album Loose. "I left in all the sour notes; I left in all the giggling," she says. "It's good times."

Gilmour Fine Without Floyd On New Album, Tour

David Gilmour has remained quiet since Pink Floyd's unexpected reunion last July for the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park, but hardly inactive. The man described as "the guitar and the voice of Pink Floyd" was busy putting the finishing touches to only his third solo album in a career that spans close to 40 years.

As previously reported, "On an Island" is due March 6 through EMI in Europe and a day later via Columbia Records in the United States. A 25-date sold-out tour starts in March in Europe and crosses over to America in April before returning to the U.K. at the end of May for a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

"I do really think it is about as good a piece of work as I have ever done," Gilmour tells Billboard, adding, "It felt to me that this album should be me and not Pink Floyd this time. It's just a slightly different way of working. I worked from home on my own [without] having to be involved in the rather large machinery that is the Pink Floyd thing."

And while Pink Floyd played stadiums on its final 1994 tour, Gilmour is constraining himself to theaters and mid-size venues this time. "I don't owe people anything," he says. "If people would like to come to my concerts I'd love them to come. And if they like the music that I make, I love that too. But I do not make music for other people. I make it to please myself."

Gilmour confirms Pink Floyd "were offered a lot of money to go on tour" after Live 8, with or without founding member Roger Waters, with whom Gilmour has incessantly feuded since the mid 1980s.

"I have no interest in going on a tour to make money without making new product, new art," he says. "So just going out and replaying our old hits again on a tour does not appeal to me at all."

So will there ever be a chance to see the band live again? "Who knows?," Gilmour offers. "I have no plans at all to do that. My plans are to do my concerts and put my record out."

APPETITE FOR G N' R

Three studio-quality tracks from Guns N' Roses' long-delayed Chinese Democracy album leaked to the Internet. The news comes a few weeks after singer Axl Rose turned up at a Korn tour party in Los Angeles and told Rollingstone.com that "people will hear music this year."

Lohan Doesn't Want to Be Called Teen Queen

NEW YORK - Lindsay Lohan doesn't want to be called a Teen Queen. In an interview in the March issue of Allure magazine, now on newsstands, the 19-year-old says she wants to be considered a serious actress — and rejects her youthful, party-girl image.

"I hate it when people call me a teen queen," Lohan says in an interview.

Lohan, star of family friendly movies such as "Freaky Friday" and "Herbie: Fully Loaded," has recently graduated to more grown-up roles, acting opposite Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and Tommy Lee Jones in Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion," due in theaters in June.

She's also been working on "Chapter 27," a film about the death of John Lennon, starring Jared Leto.

As for her days as a Skinny Girl, Lohan says: "Sometimes being that thin doesn't look healthy. I kind of didn't realize that."

She dropped pounds from her shapely figure following a hospital visit last year, she says. "I lost weight when I was in the hospital, and then I wanted to keep it off."

"It was an attention thing, too," she adds. "(But) you start to wonder if your friends are your friends because you look a certain way."

Regarding her breakup with Wilmer Valderrama, Lohan tells the magazine: "I know now that I don't need a boyfriend."

The past year "felt like five lifetimes because I've grown up a lot," she says. "I know better what to do and what not to do. I lost sight of the people and things that are most important to me."

Angry Bond Fans Threaten to Boycott Film

NEW YORK - They're shaken, stirred and just plain angry. And several months late with their response. A group of James Bond fans have launched a Web site, www.craignotbond.com to protest British actor Daniel Craig replacing Pierce Brosnan in the 007 film franchise, and boycott the upcoming Bond movie "Casino Royale."

The fair-haired Craig, whose recent screen credits include "Munich" and "The Jacket," was tapped last October to play the secret-agent icon.

"EON Productions angered fans around the world when they fired Pierce Brosnan at the height of his popularity as Bond," said a statement on the site. "To add insult to injury, EON cast a short, blond, odd-looking Daniel Craig in the role of Bond."

"Craig, described by The New York Times as having a 'pale, flattened face and large, fleshy ears' is a terrible choice for Bond. If EON Productions and Sony Pictures will not accept they've made a big mistake, then Bond fans promise to boycott Casino Royale!"

Calls by The Associated Press to EON Productions and a representative for Craig were not immediately returned on Tuesday.

Brosnan stepped into the shoes of dashing predecessors Sean Connery and Roger Moore to play a blue-eyed, dark-haired Bond in "Tomorrow Never Dies," "The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day."

In its statement, the Web site claimed EON did not want to pay for Brosnan or other high-profile actors Hugh Jackman and Clive Owen as replacements.

Ricky Gervais Podcast to Be Sold

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Ricky Gervais' podcast is going commercial.

A New Jersey-based company announced Tuesday it will begin selling subscriptions to the "Ricky Gervais Show" next week.

Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the team behind the BBC's acclaimed comedy series "The Office," launched the podcast in December. Podcasts are audio recordings that are posted online; most are free.

The 30-minute show contains much scatological humor. It features the pair interviewing Karl Pilkington, a producer at their old radio show, about topics such as the cognitive abilities of chimpanzees and the existence of vampires and ghosts.

Wayne-based Audible said it will offer two seasons of the show — one starting Feb. 28 and one in the fall — each with at least four episodes. The podcasts will cost $1.95 per episode or $6.95 per season.

The Couch Potato Report - February 21st, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report includes two releases that I don't really have an opinion on.

Each week I sit here and give you my thoughts, musings and opinions on new video and DVD releases.

Whether it is a release I loved - like DOCTOR WHO - or one I hated - such as WAITING - I usually have an opinion.

This week I don't.

Over the past seven days I watched the film NORTH COUNTRY and the first season of the TV show GREY'S ANATOMY, but neither release moved me enough to have an opinion about it.

I didn't like them, I didn't hate them. I didn't enjoy them, I didn't not enjoy them.

Wait, was that a double negative? Well, if there is a double negative in my thoughts, at least there isn't a double negative regarding this week's two releases.

No negatives, no positives, just some thoughts. So let me get to them.

I'll start with NORTH COUNTRY.

This film is "based on real life events" that took place in the late seventies and eighties at a mine in Minnesota state.

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron from MONSTER stars as a woman who goes to work in the mine, to the dismay of her male co-workers.

Theron only wants the job because she has two children to feed after leaving her husband and the mine will pay six times what she was making elsewhere.

From her first day on the job she learns that she isn't wanted. Even the human resources manager tells her and her female counterparts that he doesn't want them there and if it wasn't for the Supreme Court, he wouldn't have hired them.

But NORTH COUNTRY is only partially about the hardships that Theron and her co-working women face in the mine. It is also about the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed against the mine in the early 1990's.

A case of which the outcome is clearly revealed on the film's packaging, an outcome I am not going to give you.

The women in NORTH COUNTRY's story are threatened, attacked, degraded and made to feel like second-class citizens.

While watching the movie I felt sorry for them, and I felt saddened that they had to put up with this abuse just because they wanted to earn a living.

But once you know the outcome of the lawsuit, there is no drama in the film. The middle of the film, the "how do they get from the mine to the conclusion" has little to offer as a movie, and by the end of the two hour plus running time I was indifferent.

It is a very positive thing that these real life women fought back against their oppressors. Everyone should do that! The fictionalized movie named NORTH COUNTRY that tries to tell their story is neither positive nor negative.

It isn't good enough to recommend it and it isn't bad enough for me to tell you to ignore it.

Charlize Theron may have received an Oscar nomination for her work, but the movie she is in just didn't move me enough to have any feelings about it whatsoever.

And neither did the first season of the medical ensemble drama GREY'S ANATOMY.

The second season of this show airs on TV Sunday nights and last week the show was the fourth highest watched program in North America.

Now, GREY'S ANATOMY - SEASON ONE is available on DVD.

GREY'S ANATOMY is a one-hour drama that is primarily about five young and very competitive surgical interns at a fictional hospital in Seattle.

The doctors all juggle romance - in and out of work - and try to remain friends while they simultaneously try to grab the best cases and perform surgeries.

I never got in to the show when it first debuted, and I don't watch GREY'S ANATOMY now, but I did sit down and watch all nine of the episodes on this new 2-DVD set.

As I was watching them I started to think of the medical dramas that I have enjoyed over the years from ST. ELSEWHERE to SCRUBS, and while I didn't feel that GREY'S ANATOMY was in the same league as those shows, I had no problems watching all 9 of the episodes, and the DVD's extra features.

I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, and I didn't try and figure out how the show is doing so well in the ratings.

I watched it, it ended, yet I don't have an opinion about it.

Of course, I suppose the fact that I don't have an opinion on GREY'S ANATOMY or NORTH COUNTRY can be taken as a negative review since if I liked them I would just say I liked them.

However, I didn't like them, and I didn't dislike them.

I watched them, and they are over.

And now both NORTH COUNTRY and GREY'S ANATOMY - SEASON ONE are available at a store near you for you to watch and see if you can form an opinion about them.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

The superb WALK THE LINE is a cinematic look at the early years in the life of Johnny Cash.

Jane Austen's book PRIDE & PREJUDICE is given a youthful update with Oscar nominee Keira Knightley leading the cast.

And it is time to celebrate the 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION of Walt Disney's masterpiece LADY & THE TRAMP.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll 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 time on The Couch!

New CD Releases For February 21, 2006

Android Lust Devour, Rise and Take Flight (Projekt)

Anna Oxygen This Is an Exercise (Kill Rock Stars)

Annette Growing Into Myself (Inspired)

Apollo Nove Res Inexplicata Volans (Crammed)

Arab Strap The Last Romance (Transdreamer)

Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Domino)

AZITA Detail from the Mountain Side EP (Drag City)

Bad Wizard Sky High (produced by ex-Royal Trux's Jennifer Herrema) (Howler)

Eef Barzelay (of Clem Snide) Bitter Honey (spinART)

Gary Bennett (ex-BR549) Human Condition (guest Marty Stuart) (Landslide)

Biosphere Dropsonde (Touch)

Bleu Da Vinci BMF Presents (Koch)

Bloc Party Helicopter EP (single w/remixes) (Dim Mak)

Evans Blue The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume (Hollywood)

Wade Bowen Lost Hotel (Sustain)

Meredith Bragg and the Terminals The Departures EP (The Kora)

Bril Airless Alarm (Kirtland)

Cecil Brooks III Double Exposure (Savant)

Birdie Busch The Ways We Try (Bar/None)

C-Murder The Tru Story Continued... (CD/DVD combo) (Koch)

José Carreras Energia (Koch)

Joe Chambers The Outlaw (Savant)

Chicago Underground Duo In Praise of Shadows (Thrill Jockey)

David Childers & the modern don juans Jailhouse Religion (Little King)

B.J. Cole Trouble in Paradise (DualDisc; guest Groove Armada, Luke Vibert and more) (Silverline/Immergent)

Nick Colionne Keepin' It Cool (Narada)

Phil Coulter Country Serenity (Shanachie)

Cowboy Mouth Voodoo Shoppe (Eleven Thirty)

Cranebuilders Sometimes You Hear Through Someone Else (Azra)

Das Oath Mini LP (Dim Mak)

Ray Davies Other People's Lives (V2)

Deadstring Brothers Starving Winter Report (Bloodshot)

Destroyer (New Pornographers' Dan Bejar) Destroyer's Rubies (Merge)

Dilated Peoples 20/20 (Capitol)

Dirty North Conflict Resolution (CD/DVD combo) (Slam Jamz)

DJ Ferret Underground Club Mix #1 (Dancing Ferret)

Downtown Singapore Don't Let Your Guard Down (DCide)

Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack - V.2 (Clean Cuts)

Dub Tractor Hiedout (City Centre Offices)

Jimmy Edgar Colorstrip (Warp)

Eels with Strings: Live at Town Hall (DVD same day) (Vagrant)

Elbow Leaders of the Free World (V2)

Ex-Boyfriends Dear John (Absolutely Kosher)

Five Deez Kommunicator (Rapster)

B. Fleischmann The Humbucking Coil (Morr Music)

Stephen Fretwell Magpie (Interscope)

Erik Friedlander Prowl (Cryptogramophone)

Gamble Brothers Band Continuator (Archer)

Tony Gilkyson Goodbye Guitar (Rolling Sea)

Girls in Hawaii From Here to There (China Shop)

Ben Goldberg the door, the hat, the chair, the fact (Cryptogramophone)

Goldspot Tally of the Yes Men (Union/Nettwerk)

Grand National Kicking the National Habit (w/bonus tracks, remixes and music video) (Recall)

Jesse Harris Mineral (Secret Sun)

Head Like a Kite Random Portraits of the Home Movie (Pattern 25)

Hell Is for Heroes Transmit Disrupt (Epitaph)

Heros Severum Plague Dogs (Two Sheds)

Fred Hersch In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis (Palmetto)

The Hidden Cameras The Arms of His Ill (Absolutely Kosher)

Higgins Dear Higgins (Maggadee)

Andrew Hill Time Lines (Blue Note)

The Holy Fire In the Name of the World EP (produced by the Flaming Lips' Michael Ivins) (The Militia Group)

Hot Buttered Rum String Band Well-Oiled Machine (guests Mike Marshall, Peter Rowan and Darol Anger) (Harmonized)

The Howling Hex 1-2-3 (Drag City)

Janis Ian Folk Is the New Black (Cooking Vinyl)

ism Monkey Underneath (STM)

Gordon Jackson Thinking Back (Sunbeam)

Bob James Urban Flamingo (Koch)

Stone Jack Jones bluefolk (guest Patty Griffin) (Fictitious)

Cledus T. Judd Presents Boogity, Boogity - A Tribute to the Comedic Genius of Ray Stevens (Koch Nashville)

Kataklysm In the Arms of Devastation (Nuclear Blast)

Arden Kaywin Quarter Life Crisis (Pega)

Kiki Boogy Bytes Vol. 01 (BPitch Control)

The Lashes Get It (Columbia)

Last Laugh No Regrets (Suburban Noize)

Juliet Lawson Boo (Sunbeam)

Lazy Farmer Lazy Farmer (Sunbeam)

Le Volume Courbe I Killed My Best Friend (Honest Jons/Astralwerks)

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra Strings and Things (Ubiquity)

Lilys Everything Wrong Is Imaginary (Manifesto)

Eliot Lipp Tacoma Mockingbird (Hefty)

The Loved Ones Keep Your Heart (Fat Wreck Chords)

Low Skies All the Love I Could Find (Flameshovel)

Lúnasa Sé (Compass)

Lying in States Wildfire on the Lake (Flameshovel)

The M's Future Women (Polyvinyl)

The Mammals Departure (Signature Sounds)

Marley's Ghost Spooked (produced by and featuring Van Dyke Parks; cover art by R. Crumb) (Sage Arts)

Karen Matheson Downriver (Compass)

Jonah Matranga (ex-Far/Gratitude singer) There's a Lot in Here (CD/DVD combo; live performances and music videos) (Equal Vision)

Maximo Park Missing Songs (b-sides and rarities compilation) (Warp)

Maysa Sweet Classic Soul (Shanachie)

Megaherz 5 (Eclipse)

Metal Hearts Socialize (Suicide Squeeze)

Midstates Boxing Twilight (Reincarnate)

Mind Controls Mind Controls (Dirtnap)

Moonkyte Count Me Out (Sunbeam)

Nelly Nelly & the Tiks (Fastlife/Koch)

Next Life Electric Violence (Cock Rock Disco)

Willie Nile Streets of New York (w/Jakob Dylan) (00:02:59 Records)

William Orbit hello waveforms (Sanctuary)

Orion String Quartet and Chick Corea The Adventures of Hippocrates (Koch)

Oxbow Love That's Last (CD/DVD combo) (Hydra Head)

Niamh Parsons The Old Simplicity (Green Linnet)

Gianluca Petrella Indigo 4 (Blue Note)

Polysics Now Is the Time! (Tofu)

Porest Tourrorists! (Abduction)

Razor X Productions Killing Sound (two CDs) (Rephlex)

Remembering Never God Save Us (Ferret)

Althea Rene In the Moment (Chocolate Caramel)

Revolver Modéle Discothéque Crypt (enhanced w/bonus video) (Estate Sale)

Steve Roach immersion: one (Projekt)

RobinElla Solace for the Lonely (DualTone)

Robocop Kraus They Think They Are the (Epitaph)

Scarface Presents the Product One Hunnid (Kela/Koch)

Secret Oyster Sea Son (Laser's Edge)

Shaggy 2 Dope (of Insane Clown Posse) F.T.F.O. (Psychopathic)

Shakeyface Bicycle Day Boogaloo (It's Bananas)

Simaku Echoes from... (Reincarnate)

The Slackers Peculiar (Epitaph)

Slave to the System Slave to the System (Spitfire/Eagle Rock)

Sleeper Set Sail Eyes Just Like Forest Fires (Sonic Unyon)

Bob Sneider/Joe Locke Fallen Angel (Sons of Sound)

Bob Sneider/Paul Hofmann Escapade (Sons of Sound)

The Society of Rockets Where the Grass Grows Black (Underpop/Parasol)

Solarstone Destinations (two CDs) (Water Music)

Souls She Said As Templar Nites (Dim Mak)

(The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope (The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope (Hackshop)

John Stewart The Day the River Sang (Appleseed)

Sun City Girls Static from the Outside Set (Abduction)

Supersilent 7 Rune (Grammofon)

Synanthesia Synanthesia (Sunbeam)

Howard Tate Live (Shout! Factory)

Tempest The Double-Cross (Magna Carta)

They Shoot Horses Don't They Boo Hoo Hoo Boo (Kill Rock Stars)

Teddy Thompson Separate Ways (guests Richard and Linda Thompson and Rufus and Martha Wainwright) (Verve Forecast)

Tic Code FBCCADE (Sickroom)

Torture Storm Alert (Escapi)

Torture Killer Swarm! (Metal Blade)

Alif Tree French Cuisine (mix CD) (Compost)

A Triggering Myth The Remedy of Abstraction (Laser's Edge)

Robin Trower Living Out of Time: Live (Ruf)

Two Gallants what the toll tells (Saddle Creek)

Uncle Jim Superstars of Greenwich Meantime (Abduction)

Victory at Sea All Your Things Are Gone (Gern Blandsten)

Amelia White Black Doves (Funzalo)

Johnny Whitehorse Johnny Whitehorse (Silverwave)

Wicked Wisdom (w/actress-singer Jada Pinkett-Smith and ex-Fishbone drummer Fish) Wicked Wisdom (100% Womon/Suburban Noize)

Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice Gipsy Freedom (Kill Rock Stars)

Stephen Yerkey metaneonatureboy (The Echo Label/World's Fair)

Bird York Wicked Little High (Narada/EMI)

VA Brazilian Lounge (w/songs by Marcos Valle, Bossacucanova, Bebel Gilberto and more) (Putumayo)

VA Compounds and Elements (label sampler w/Brian Eno, John Cale, Harold Budd and more) (Hannibal/All Saints)

VA Congotronics 2: Buzz 'N' Rumble from the Urb 'N' Jungle (Crammed)

VA Dalí: The Endless Enigma (songs inspired by Salvador Dalí paintings; w/Steve Roach, Djam Karet and more) (Projekt)

VA Futurism Ain't Shit to Me 2 (w/Slum Village, Daedelus, 8-Bit, Quasimoto and more; includes previously unreleased tracks) (Kitty Yo)

VA Send Me to the Moon (Paper Bag)

VA Smooth Jazz Does the Divas (Shanachie)

VA Take Action! Vol. 5 (two CDs; w/Hawthorne Heights, Sugarcult, Panic! At the Disco and more) (Hopeless/Sub City)

VA Tales from the Tavern (Real Eyes)

VA Texas Unplugged, Volume 2 (w/the Derailers, Two Tons of Steel, Cindy Cashdollar and more) (Palo Duro)

VA Welcome to Gearhead Country (Gearhead)

OST Madea's Family Reunion (Tyler Perry comedy w/Maya Angelou; w/songs by LL Cool J, Brian McKnight, Chaka Khan and more) (Universal Motown)

OST Underworld: Evolution (original score) (Lakeshore)

OST Nick Cave and Warren Ellis The Proposition (Mute)

DVD Live from Da Crib (live performances and music videos from Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Diddy, Trick Daddy and more) (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Afterlife DVD, Album, Single, Remixes, Journey (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Noam Chomsky Imperial Grand Strategy (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Iron Maiden Death on the Road (three DVDs; 2003 performance) (Metal-Is/Sanctuary)

DVD Kid Dynamite Four Years in One Gulp (Jade Tree)

DVD Satellite Evening Dreams (September, 2005 Poland performance w/band interviews) (Music Video Distributors)

DVD SBB Live in Theatre 2005 (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Tegan & Sara It's Not Fun. Don't Do It! (2004 live performance in Toronto plus documentary, music videos and band commentary) (Sanctuary)

DVD Robin Trower Living Out of Time: Live (March 2005 concert in Germany celebrating 60th birthday; w/bonus interview) (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Howard Zinn Voices of a People's History of the USA (Music Video Distributors)

DVD VA Metal's Dark Side: Hard and the Furious Volume 1 (music videos and interviews w/Cannibal Corpse, Death Angel, Damageplan and more; includes tribute to Damageplan/Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell) (Music Video Distributors)

DVD VA Silverback Music Festival (w/bonus CD; live performances from 2005 reggae concert; w/Fishbone, Barrington Levy, DubCat and more) (Immergent)

DVD VA VH1 Metal Mania: Stripped Across America Tour (live acoustic versions of hits by Don Dokken, Kip Winger, L.A. Guns and more) (Sidewinder)

PBS brings back 'Monty Python'

More than 30 years after introducing American audiences to the Monty Python gang, PBS is preparing to relive its adventures with dead parrots and silly walks.

Beginning Wednesday, the public broadcaster will air six new Monty Python specials, produced exclusively for PBS. The series will air Feb. 22, March 1 and March 8 in two-hour blocks.

Each of the one-hour programs will focus on one member of the original Monty Python troupe, which famously spoofed upper class twits, lumberjacks, old ladies and pet shop owners.

Five of the original Python gang are still living. They've gone on to produce, direct and star in other series and major movies.

An adaptation of their 1975 movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, became a hit last year when it opened on Broadway as the musical Spamalot. Former Python member Eric Idle co-adapted Spamalot, which now is touring the U.S. and reminding Python fans what they've been missing.

John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Idle each produced and wrote an episode for the new PBS series, beginning with Eric Idle's Personal Best, which airs on Wednesday. Together they created a sixth special to honour the late Graham Chapman, who hallowed the taste of Spam.

Each chose his "personal best" original Python skits for the specials. Jones, who warned the world that "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" chose the bicycle repair man and the bishop, while Palin brings back the Piranha brothers sketch.

Monty Python's Flying Circus debuted in Britain on the BBC in 1969 and the series ran until 1974. The series began airing on CBC in Canada in 1971. PBS was the first U.S. network to pick up the show, which developed a cult following in both the U.S. and Canada.

PBS plans to introduce a whole new generation to the series by airing all 47 of the old episodes beginning this spring.

The Python gang also produced the movies The Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life and And Now for Something Completely Different.

Rick Rubin Producing New Metallica Album

Metallica has drafted Rick Rubin to produce its next studio album, work on which is underway at the band's California headquarters. In a post on its official Web site, the band confirms Rubin "has been coming by the studio every now and again to listen to some of our new stuff and throw his two/three cents in."

"We have been jamming, writing, just plain messing around and having fun in the studio for the last few weeks," the post continues. Photos show band members with instruments in hand, as well as drummer Lars Ulrich with a lyric sheet held just far enough back from the camera so as to not reveal key details.

There's no timetable yet for the release of the as-yet-untitled album, which will be the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger." As previously reported, Metallica has also committed to a run of shows in South Africa next month as well as a handful of summer festival appearances in Europe.

As for Rubin, the news comes on the heels of confirmation that he will produce the next Warner Bros. album from multi-platinum rock act Linkin Park, which is expected before the end of the year.

Saturn Awards sweet on "Revenge"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films has announced the nominations for the 32nd annual Saturn Awards.

George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" leads the pack with 10 nominations. "Batman Begins" follows closely with nine, while "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" and " Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" have eight nominations apiece.

In the television categories, ABC's "Lost" and WB Network's "Smallville" received six nominations each. Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" garnered four nominations, while "Stargate SG-1" and "The Triangle" received three nominations apiece.

Contenders for science fiction film are 20th Century Fox's "Fantastic Four" and "Revenge of the Sith," DreamWorks' "The Island," Warner Independent Pictures' "The Jacket," Universal Studios' "Serenity" and Paramount's "War of the Worlds."

The fantasy film nominees are Warner Bros. Pictures' "Batman Begins," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," Buena Vista Pictures' "The Chronicles of Narnia," Sony Pictures' "Zathura" and Universal's "King Kong."

In the horror film race are Warners' "Constantine," Screen Gems' "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," Universal's "Land of the Dead" and "The Skeleton Key," Lionsgate's "Saw II" and the Weinstein Co.'s "Wolf Creek."

The action-adventure or thriller nominees are Buena Vista's "Flightplan," New Line Cinema's "The History of Violence," Warners' "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang," Fox's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Tartan's "Old Boy," DreamWorks' "Red Eye" and Dimension/Miramax's "Sin City."

This year's awards event will be hosted by comedian Jeffrey Ross on May 2 in Universal City.

Sportscaster Curt Gowdy Dies

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Curt Gowdy, one of the signature voices of sports for a generation and the longtime broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox, died Monday at 86.

He died in Palm Beach after a long battle with leukemia, Red Sox spokeswoman Pam Ganley said.

Gowdy made his broadcasting debut in 1944 and went on to call 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games.

In 1951 Gowdy became main play-by-play voice on the Red Sox broadcast team. He left the Red Sox in 1966 for a 10-year stint as "Game of the Week" announcer for NBC. He was also the longtime host of the "American Sportsman" series.

"He's certainly the greatest play-by-play person up to this point that NBC sports has ever had," NBC Universal Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said Monday. "He literally carried the sports division at NBC for so many year on his back. ... He was a remarkable talent and he was an even more remarkable human being."

Lightfoot announces fall tour

TORONTO (CP) - A few years ago, fans of Gordon Lightfoot were wondering whether the music legend would ever be able to perform again.

But after a long stay in hospital due to a burst blood vessel in his abdomen, Lightfoot eventually returned to the stage. Last year, he played more than 40 concerts, including the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ont., and a stint at a Las Vegas casino.

On Monday, Lightfoot announced an 11-city fall tour that will take him to six provinces.

It's the first cross-country tour the 67-year-old troubadour has undertaken in seven years.

"The pure pleasure of playing live never wears off, even after 40 years in the business," Lightfoot said in a statement.

"I am overjoyed to once again tour this great country."

The concerts will kick off October 3 in Vancouver, followed by shows in Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Ont., and Ottawa. He'll complete his travels with a three-night stop at Toronto's Massey Hall.

Tickets for select cities are already on sale.

Lightfoot's repertoire includes Early Mornin' Rain, If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Gordon Lightfoot's list of dates:

October 3 Vancouver, BC The Centre For The Performing Arts

October 5 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

October 6 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

October 7 Regina, SK Casino Regina

October 8 Saskatoon, SK Sid Buckwold Theatre

October 10 Winnipeg, MB Pantages Theatre

October 11 Winnipeg, MB Pantages Theatre

October 12 Thunder Bay, ON Community Auditorium

October 15 Kitchener, ON Centre In The Square

November 9 Montreal, PQ Place Des Arts

November 10 Ottawa, ON National Arts Center

November 16 Toronto, ON Massey Hall

November 17 Toronto, ON Massey Hall

November 18 Toronto, ON Massey Hall

'Eight Below' Mushes to No. 1 Debut

LOS ANGELES - "Eight Below," a tale of survival among abandoned sled dogs, was the leader of the box-office pack with a $25 million opening over the four-day holiday weekend.

The romance spoof "Date Movie," from 20th Century Fox, debuted in second place with $22.3 million, according to studio estimates Monday.

"If you will, we won the dog race," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, which released "Eight Below."

The new movies bumped off Sony's "The Pink Panther," the previous weekend's No. 1 film, which slipped to third place with $21 million, raising its 11-day total to $46.7 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, Sony's urban drama "Freedomland" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, opened a weak No. 7 with $7 million.

In limited release, the Russian fantasy thriller "Night Watch," a huge hit in its native country, opened strongly with $110,171 in three theaters, averaging a whopping $36,724 a cinema. By comparison, "Eight Below" played in 3,066 theaters and averaged $8,164, while "Date Movie" averaged $7,709 in 2,896 cinemas.

Distributor Fox Searchlight plans to expand "Night Watch" to about 150 theaters by March 3.

Overall, Hollywood had a healthy weekend, with the top 12 movies taking in $135.9 million, down only a fraction from a strong President's Day weekend last year.

Like the previous weekend, when "The Pink Panther" drew a strong family crowd while New Line's fright flick "Final Destination 3" grabbed horror fans, the two top movies scored well with different target audiences.

Parents and their children accounted for about two-thirds of movie-goers catching "Eight Below," while four-fifths of the audience for "Date Movie" was under 25.

"By programming two films that aren't chasing the same audience, you can really build a pretty good weekend for two movies at the same time," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Eight Below" stars Paul Walker as a guide in Antarctica forced by a killer storm to leave his sled-dog team behind in the frozen wasteland, where the animals must band together to survive the winter.

"Date Movie" features Alyson Hannigan and Adam Campbell in a "Scary Movie"-type parody of such romantic comedies as "Hitch," "Meet the Fockers" and "The Wedding Planner."

While "Eight Below" drew solid reviews, "Date Movie" was not screened for critics beforehand, a sign the studio knows a film will get bad reviews.

"Young teens and early twenty-somethings, and that is who this is geared for, critics aren't necessarily quite in tune with that crowd," said Chris Aronson, general sales manager for "Date Movie" distributor 20th Century Fox.

Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain," the favorite to win the best-picture Academy Award, continued to benefit from its Oscar buzz, taking in $3.8 million to lift its total to $72 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Eight Below," $25 million.
2. "Date Movie," $22.3 million.
3. "The Pink Panther," $21 million.
4. "Curious George," $15.3 million.
5. "Final Destination 3," $12.5 million.
6. "Firewall," $10.3 million.
7. "Freedomland," $7 million.
8. "Big Momma's House 2," $5.85 million.
9. "When a Stranger Calls," $5.8 million.
10. "Nanny McPhee," $5.1 million.

'TODAY' READY TO LOSE KATIE

It is exactly 100 days until Katie Couric's contract on the "Today" show expires — and NBC seems to be preparing for bad news.

Two news leaks over the weekend indicate that Katie is ready to leave the show to take over the anchor desk at "CBS Evening News."

First, TV Guide reports that Nat alie Morales has moved to the top of the replace ment list if Katie bolts to CBS.

Morales is close to signing a long-term deal with the network, which would move her out of MSNBC, where she's been a daytime anchor since 2002, to become a "full-time correspondent" for "Today."

Meanwhile, the authoritative trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that "NBC lawyers have told Couric's agent, CAA's Alan Berger, 'not to put us through hoops' . . . if Couric doesn't really plan to stay."

According to the magazine, Katie has already begun talking to several close and trusted colleagues — "hypothetical, what-if" conversations, it called the talks — about coming with her if she jumps.

Morales has already begun appearing regularly on the third hour of "Today."

Being on the air during the more heavily watched 7-9 a.m. hours would mean more exposure and a chance for viewers to get to know her better.

While there's no guarantee Morales would definitely replace Couric, it's as close to an on-the-job tryout as anyone is going to get.

"It solidifies her role in the 'Today' family," an NBC insider says.

'Brokeback Mountain' wins four Brit awards

LONDON (AP) - Gay cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain took four awards including best picture Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards, a result that boosts its hopes for the Oscars in two weeks' time.

The film beat a strong best-picture shortlist that included literary biopic Capote, L.A. story Crash, 1950s drama Good Night, and Good Luck and British favourite The Constant Gardener.

The Constant Gardener, a spy thriller and love story that went into the ceremony with 10 nominations, took only one award, for editing. Memoirs of a Geisha won three awards, for cinematography, music and costume design.

Ang Lee was named best director for Brokeback, which is up for eight Academy Awards on March 5. Jake Gyllenhaal won the best supporting actor prize for playing Jack Twist, one of two cowpokes who fall in love over the course of a Wyoming summer.

Gyllenhaal said onstage that the movie, whose commercial success is unprecedented for a gay-themed film, "means even more to me socially than it does artistically."

"I've had a lot of people say to me after the film, to my surprise, 'Thank you for making it,"' Gyllenhaal told reporters backstage. "It's made a social impression, and that social impression to me is the aftermath of an artistic impression, and so much more important."

Lee thanked the British people for their support.

"I don't know what makes me so connect to you," he said. "I'm pretty sure it's not the food."

Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, who adapted Annie Proulx's short story, won the adapted screenplay prize.

Gyllenhaal's co-star Heath Ledger was beaten to the best-actor prize by Philip Seymour Hoffman for his depiction of troubled writer Truman Capote in Capote.

Reese Witherspoon was named best actress for playing June Carter Cash, wife and muse of country great Johnny Cash, in Walk the Line.

Thandie Newton took the best supporting actress award for Crash, an edgy depiction of racial divisions in modern-day Los Angeles. The film, which had nine nominations, also won the prize for best original screenplay.

A host of stars brought Hollywood glitz to rainy London as they walked a sodden red carpet in Leicester Square before the ceremony.

George Clooney, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger - in a black Caroline Herrera gown - Desperate Housewives Felicity Huffman, The O.C.'s Mischa Barton and Crash star Matt Dillon were among the performers cheered by hundreds of fans huddled under ponchos and umbrellas against the downpour.

Clay-animation romp Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was named best British film, beating nominees including The Constant Gardener and Pride and Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright won the award for best first-time writer, producer or director.

De Battre Mon Coeur S'est Arrete (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) - an acclaimed French film about a man torn between a love of music and a life of crime - was named best film not in the English language.

Producer David Puttnam received the Academy Fellowship for outstanding contribution to the film industry.

In a nod to the often-unsung professionals who make movie magic, the award for outstanding British contribution to cinema went to veteran gaffer - head electrician - Robert (Chuck) Finch and his assistant, or best boy, Bill Merrell.

Clooney went home empty-handed despite three nominations, as director for his study of repressive 1950s anti-Communism, Good Night, and Good Luck, and as supporting actor for that film and for political thriller Syriana.

But he said he was pleased that political cinema was undergoing a renaissance.

"In our country we hadn't talked about politics or anything interesting since Watergate," Clooney said on the red carpet. "Now you go to a coffee shop and people are talking about politics. It's good."

Legacy Plans Ambitious Orbison Reissue Series

Sony BMG's Legacy Recordings label is embarking on a two-year campaign that will see virtually everything Roy Orbison ever recorded released. At the same time, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will curate a special exhibit with the help of the late rock'n'roll icon's family.

Legacy's campaign got underway with the Feb. 7 reissue of "Black & White Night," a 1987 star-studded concert that originally aired as an HBO/Cinemax special. The concert famously saw Orbison backed by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and k.d. lang, among others.

Quick on its heels will be the March 28 release of the career-spanning, two-disc compilation, "The Essential Roy Orbison." The collection will pull together a total of 40 tracks that originally appeared on Sun, Monument, Virgin, MGM, Warner Bros., Mercury and Def Jam labels, reaching back as far as 1956.

Among the highlights are the early rockabilly cuts "Ooby Dooby" and "Rock House" and such classics as "Blue Bayou," "Only the Lonely," "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "Crying."

This year alone, Legacy will reissue Orbison's entire Sun and Monument catalogs. Titles from the Jewel, MGM and Virgin catalogs will follow. Plans include a remastered version of Orbison's final studio album, 1989's "Mystery Girl" and a DualDisc edition the 1992 Virgin set "King Of Hearts," both originally released by Virgin. The latter posthumous album utilized Orbison's final vocal recordings and was highlighted by a duet with lang on "Crying" that won a Grammy for best country vocal collaboration.

On April 18, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland will open its Orbison exhibit, which will focus on the artist's career and his contribution to the American songbook. Orbison's family has loaned such artifacts as handwritten lyrics, rare records, stage clothing, business documents and photographs to the gallery display. Orbison was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1987.

Supported by his widow, Barbara Orbison, a movement to commemorate the artist with an official U.S. postage stamp has taken off in recent weeks thanks to a bevy of media reports. An online petition had, at deadline, logged nearly 12,000 signatures.

Here is "The Essential Roy Orbison" track list:

Disc one:
"Ooby Dooby" (Sun, 1956)
"Go! Go! Go!" (B-Side to "Ooby Dooby")
"Rock House" (Sun, 1956)
"Uptown" (Monument, 1959)
"Only the Lonely" (Monument, 1960)
"Blue Angel" (Monument, 1960)
"I'm Hurtin'" (Monument, 1960)
"Lana" (Monument, 1966)
"Love Hurts" (Monument B-side, 1961)
"Crying" (Monument, 1960)
"Candy Man" (B-side of "Crying")
"Dream Baby" (Monument, 1962)
"The Crowd" (Monument, 1962)
"Leah" (Monument, 1962)
"Falling" (Monument, 1963)
"Working for the Man" (Monument, 1962)
"Mean Woman Blues" (Monument, 1963)
"Blue Bayou" (B-side of "Mean Woman Blues")
"Pretty Paper" (Monument, 1963)
"It's Over" (Monument, 1964)
"Oh, Pretty Woman" (Monument, 1964)

Disc two:
"You Got It" (Virgin, 1989)
"She's a Mystery To Me" (Virgin, 1989)
"California Blue" (Virgin, 1989)
"The Only One" (Virgin B-side, 1989)
"Ride Away" (MGM, 1965)
"Crawling Back (MGM, 1966)
"Best Friend" (MGM, 1967)
"Communication Breakdown" (MGM, 1966)
"Walk On" (MGM, 1968)
"That Lovin' You Feelin' Again" with Emmylou Harris (Warner Bros., 1980)
"Running Scared" (1985 version, Virgin, 1987)
"In Dreams" (1987 version, Virgin, 1987)
"A Love So Beautiful" (Virgin, 1989)
"The Comedians" with Elvis Costello (live, Virgin, 1989)
"Claudette" (live, Orbison, 1998)
"I Drove All Night" (Virgin, 1992)
"Wild Hearts Run Out of Time" (Virgin, 1992)
"Coming Home" (Mercury, 1986)
"Life Fades Away ("Less Than Zero" soundtrack, Def Jam, 1987)

Stewart Joining Elite Group As Oscars Host

NEW YORK - Jon Stewart just won the Heisman — the comedians' version. As host of the Academy Awards, Stewart joins an elite group that includes Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson.

"It doesn't mean you're going to have a good pro career, or even do well in the bowl game," Stewart says, sitting in his Manhattan office behind a desk cluttered with papers. "But to get to that point means something. Now you're in the club."

Membership requires entertaining a television audience of more than 40 million, plus getting laughs from some of the most powerful people in Hollywood.

Stewart's up for the challenge. It's why he took the gig. The huge audience. The intense glare.

"For a comedian," he says, "it feels like the ultimate stage."

But between preparing for the Oscars, hosting Comedy Central's award-winning fake news program "The Daily Show" and caring for his newborn daughter and 19-month-old son with wife Tracey, Stewart is going for a record-breaking season.

Punctuated with a smirk.

"Some people will burn themselves to the nub," says the 43-year-old. "I've decided to exist in a sea of mediocrity. That's allowed me to do all my tasks, but to in fact do them poorly."

He's even allowed his familial obligations "to suffer and absolutely corrode."

"What we're hoping is, in my daughter's first two weeks, she's not going to remember a whole lot of this," he says. "So instead of me being there, I just take my deodorant and jam it in her crib. She'll have the faint smell of me but won't really know I haven't been an influence."

In reality, Stewart and his "Daily Show" writing team are putting on the nightly program while preparing material for the big night on March 5. They'll do that until the week before the Oscars, when Stewart will land in Los Angeles with just a handful of writers in tow. He hasn't even had time to see all the nominated films yet.

But if he's nervous, he's not showing it.

"If I had to go out there and surf, that would be a problem," Stewart says. "But you know, it's just comedy."

The New Jersey native started doing stand-up in New York in 1986. He moved to television in 1990 as host of Comedy Central's "Short Attention Span Theater." Stewart also hosted his own show on MTV and appeared in such films such as "Half Baked" and "Big Daddy" before taking on hosting duties at "The Daily Show" in 1999. Since then, the program has become a cultural touchstone, even the main source of news for many young people.

"Hopefully I've done enough things that prepare (me) to walk out in front of an (Oscar) audience and do the jokes," he says.

Besides, what he's really excited about is "getting to use the same bathroom Steve Martin did" and enjoying "refreshments" in the green room.

"My sincere hope is that there are some fun-size chocolate bars backstage, in say, a wicker basket," Stewart says. "Whether they be Musketeers or Milky Way, not really the issue."

Though he's known for his irreverent approach to comedy and current events — Dick Cheney's recent shooting incident was like "a gift" — Stewart says he won't get too topical, even in this year of highly political Oscar contenders.

It's not "The Daily Show," he says. Accepting the gig means abiding by Oscar convention.

"He's 78, I'm 43, I will defer," he says. "I'm not an anarchist. I'm a comedian."

Stewart and his staff have free comedic rein and plan to focus their jokes on the Oscar pomp, he says. But the serious subject matter of the year's best picture candidates — revenge, racism, injustice, murder and doomed romance — could present some challenges.

"You're gonna see a ton of 'Munich' stuff. Lots of hilarity to be mined there," Stewart deadpans. "This would not be the easiest song parody in the world to pull off. Not a whole lot rhymes with 'Syriana' or 'Capote.'"

The comedian's reputation for cracking wise on political affairs adds interest to the Oscars, says Robert Thompson, professor of television and pop culture at Syracuse University, who called Stewart a "public intellectual."

Time magazine named Stewart one of its most influential people of 2005. Outside the United States, "The Daily Show" is broadcast on the news channel CNN International.

"To have a public intellectual host the Oscars, that doesn't happen too much," Thompson says. "My biggest worry would be that he'd upstage the entire night."

Stewart says he's just hoping to deliver a competent performance. He hopes to avoid "doing something so screwy," a la David Letterman's infamous Oprah/Uma, that it's repeated every year as Oscar lore.

Besides that, even bombing would be OK, he says.

"I've bombed in front of many fine audiences filled with many talented people," he says. "And if this is that night, well, that's the way it goes."

Latin Jazz Drummer Ray Barretto Dies

HACKENSACK, N.J. - Ray Barretto, a Grammy-winning Latin jazz percussionist known for integrating the conga drum into jazz, died Friday, officials said. He was 76.

Barretto had undergone heart bypass surgery in January and suffered from pneumonia, said George Rivera, a friend and family spokesman. He died at Hackensack University Medical Center with his wife and two sons by his bedside.

"He was suffering too much, so the Lord took him," Fidel Estrada, a family friend, told The Associated Press in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said news of Barretto's death was met with great sadness.

"He left us a great musical legacy of humility, love and fullness that should be emulated to serve as an inspiration for the benefit of future generations," the governor said in a written statement. "We give thanks to God for the opportunity to have celebrated his music, and the happiness that characterized all of his life."

Barretto won a Grammy for best Tropical Latin performance in 1989 for the song "Ritmo en el Corazon" with Celia Cruz.

The following year, Barretto was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame, and last month, he was named one of the National Endowment for the Arts' Jazz Masters of 2006, the nation's highest jazz honor.

Barretto's "Time Was - Time Is," released last September, was nominated for a Grammy this year as Best Latin Jazz Album.

His 1979 album "Ricanstruction" is considered one of the classic salsa recordings.

Barretto grew up in New York City listening to the music of Puerto Rico and to the jazz of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman.

In the late 1950s, he played in Tito Puente's band, and his popularity grew in the New York jazz scene. Over the years, he recorded with such musicians as Cannonball Adderley, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader and Dizzy Gillespie.

Napoleon Dynamite gets the Special Edition treatment

Scheduled for release in May, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has just unveiled plans for Napoleon Dynamite - Like The Best Special Edition Ever!
“Napoleon Dynamite” is a new kind of hero, complete with a tight red 'fro, sweet moon boots, and skills that can’t be topped. Napoleon spends his days drawing mythical beasts, duking it out with his brother, Kip, and avoiding his scheming Uncle Rico. When two new friends enter Napoleon's life - shy Deb and mustachioed Pedro - the trio launches a campaign to elect Pedro for class president and make the student body's wildest dreams come true. But if Pedro is to beat by stuck-up Summer, Napoleon will have to unleash his secret weapon...

This 2-disc Special Edition will contain an anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film complete with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, as well as Dolby surround tracks in English, French and Spanish. Additionally, the release will contain a Commentary Track featuring Jon Heder, director Jared Hess and producer Jeremy Coon.

A selection of Deleted Scenes will be included, complemented by optional commentary, as well as a Photo Gallery.

On the second disc of the release you will find The Short Film “Peluca” complete with a commentary track, as well as a Featurette called “The Wedding Of The Century!” “The Real Napoleon Dynamite” is another Featurette found on the release, as well as a “Behind-the-scenes” featurette. Then there will be the MTV Interstitials as well as Outtakes from these interstitials, as well as Interstitial Raw Tapes.

Last but not least, you will get to see “Napoleon Sightings,” a selection of “Napoleon Dynamite” Interstitials and Clips including the ESPN clip – “2005 Scripps National Spelling Bee”, clips from TRL, clips from the MTV Movie Awards, the opening of SNL with Jon Heder, Cartoon Network-Napoleon Bonomite, the 2004 Teen Choice Awards-Napoleon Dynamite & Nicole Richie Playing Tetherball, the 2005 Teen Choice Awards-Hissy Fit Award, new outtakes and deleted scenes, sweet Jumps-Nap on the bike outtakes, Lord of the Dance-freestyle dance of Napoleon filmed during Peluca and Chugger - alternate scenes of chugging sports drink.

“Napoleon Dynamite - Like The Best Special Edition Ever!” will be in stores on May 16 and carry a $26.98 suggested retail price.

More Bourne After "Ultimatum"?

Matt Damon might not be handing over his guns after the next installment of his hit spy movies.

MTV News reports Frank Marshal, producer of the Bourne films, says "It's kinda up to Matt [Damon]. Maybe to five [films] ... At some point, he's gotta find out who he is."

The 35-year-old actor will swing back into action, as the memory challenged Jason Bourne, when The Bourne Ultimatum begins filming in Berlin and Toronto this summer.

Marshall also says Julia Stiles will "be a central character in this. So will Joan Allen and some of the other characters from the last movie."

The plot for the upcoming third chapter will be different from Robert Ludlum's book, leaving future film storylines for the vengeance-bent spy, in Hollywood's hands.

French actress Eva Green named next "Bond girl"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Makers of the upcoming James Bond movie "Casino Royale" have cast little-known French actress Eva Green as the next femme fatale to pair up with British agent 007, distributor Columbia Pictures said on Thursday.

Green, 25, who made her 2003 film debut in "The Dreamers," about a French brother and sister who befriend a young American during the Paris student riots of 1968, will play the enticing Vesper Lynd opposite English actor Daniel Craig in his first performance as Bond.

Last year, she appeared in the big-screen crusades drama "Kingdom of Heaven."

In landing the coveted role of the next "Bond girl," the French actress edged out a list of contenders reported in the Hollywood trade press to have included Oscar winner Charlize Theron, as well as Thandie Newton, Olivia Wilde and Kimberly Davies.

The Sony Corp.-owned studio also announced that Danish-born actor Mads Mikkelsen had signed on to play Bond's villainous nemesis Le Chiffre. American actor Jeffrey Wright, who co-starred in "Syriana," has joined the "Casino Royale" cast as undercover CIA agent Felix Leiter.

Production on "Casino Royale," the 21st movie in the multibillion-dollar Bond film franchise that began with "Dr. No" in 1962, started on January 21 in Prague, and the movie is slated for release in November. Other production locations will include the Bahamas, Italy and Britain.

The film, directed by Martin Campbell, is being adapted from the 1953 Ian Fleming novel that introduced the Bond character.

Craig, the latest actor to fill the tuxedo of the British spy with a license to kill, was named in October to assume the role from Pierce Brosnan, who starred in the last four Bond movies.

The most recent film, 2002's "Die Another Day," which paired Brosnan with actress Halle Berry, grossed more than $425 million in worldwide ticket sales.

Nickelback leads Juno nominations

TORONTO (CP) - In a year when Canadian musicians were hyped around the world for their cutting-edge sound, the Junos played it safe on Wednesday, nominating perennial favourites like Nickelback and Diana Krall.

The Alberta rockers are up for a leading six Junos, including album of the year for All the Right Reasons and single of the year for Photograph.

Juno darling Diana Krall and boyish crooner Michael Buble tied with five nominations apiece; both are up for artist of the year, fan's choice and album of the year.

Krall's seasonal effort, Christmas Songs, and Buble's standards-filled It's Time will compete against the Nickelback CD as well as 219 Days by Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter and Under the Lights by Idol runner-up Rex Goudie.

Wednesday's nominations bring Krall's career Juno nomination total to 16. She's won six times.

Buble's nods come as no surprise. It's Time was the country's top-selling CD by a Canadian artist in 2005, according to Neilsen Soundscan

Other multiple nominees include rock icon Neil Young, Porter, and Hedley, fronted by another Idol runner-up - Jacob Hoggard.

And, in an echo of the recent Grammy Awards, where U2 and Green Day scored success over two years for one album, several Canadian artists made the Juno cut for work that was lauded last year.

Feist won best new artist and best alternative album at the 2005 awards, but is back competing for single of the year with her track Inside and Out.

As well, Arcade Fire lost last year in the alternative album category for Funeral but is up this year for songwriter and video awards - for material from the same record.

The repeat nominations are possible because the eligibility window spans Sept. 1, 2004 to Nov. 16, 2005. The acts squeaked through because either a song, album or video was released during that period.

Nickelback's nominations come despite middling reviews for All the Right Reasons.

Still, the album sold exceptionally well, giving the band a No. 1 debut in Canada and the U.S.

Canada had not had a homegrown rock band debut on the Billboard chart since Bachman-Turner Overdrive did so in 1974.

The band is currently on a cross-Canada sold-out tour.

International album of the year nods went to 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson. The category is determined by sales figures.

Bands like Wolf Parade, Cuff the Duke and Matthew Barber - who received raves from the international music press - were notably absent from the nomination list.

Some other buzz bands, including New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, Hot Hot Heat and Metric were relegated to the alternative album category despite mainstream appeal.

The nominees are selected based on a combination of sales and votes from the 2,000-plus members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The Junos will be handed out in Halifax on April 2. Coldplay, Nickelback, Bedouin Soundclash and Broken Social Scene are scheduled to perform.

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Here is the complete list of 2006 Juno nominations:

Fan Choice: Celine Dion; Diana Krall; Michael Buble; Nickelback; Simple Plan.

Single of the year: When the Night Feels My Song, Bedouin Soundclash; Inside and Out, Feist; Man I Used To Be, k-os; Home, Michael Buble; Photograph, Nickelback.

International album of the year: The Massacre, 50 Cent; Monkey Business, Black Eyed Peas; X&Y, Coldplay; Love.Angel.Music.Baby, Gwen Stefani; Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson.

Album of the year: Christmas Songs, Diana Krall; 219 Days, Kalan Porter; It's Time, Michael Buble; All The Right Reasons, Nickelback; Under The Lights, Rex Goudie.

Artist of the year: Boom Desjardins; Diana Krall; Kalan Porter; Michael Buble; Rex Goudie.

Group of the year: Barenaked Ladies; Blue Rodeo; Nickelback; Our Lady Peace; Theory Of A Deadman.

Instrumental album of the year: Sentimental Strings, Bobby Creed & His Orchestra a.k.a. Roberto Occhipinti; Belladonna, Daniel Lanois; Christmas Serenity, George Carlaw a.k.a. Yuri Sazonoff; Rainy Days and Mondays, Nancy Walker; Balance, Tomas Hamilton aka Charles T. Cozens.

Pop album of the year: Boom Desjardins, Boom Desjardins; Jann Arden, Jann Arden; 219 Days, Kalan Porter; It's Time, Michael Buble; These Old Charms, Theresa Sokyrka.

Rock album of the year: Hedley, Hedley; Jonas, Jonas; All The Right Reasons, Nickelback; Healthy In Paranoid Times, Our Lady Peace; Gasoline, Theory Of A Deadman.

New artist of the year: Daniel Powter; Divine Brown; Jonas; Martha Wainwright; Skye Sweetnam.

New group of the year: Bedouin Soundclash; Boys Night Out; Hedley; Pocket Dwellers; Silverstein.

Songwriter of the year: Arcade Fire for Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), Neighborhood 3 (Power Out), co-writer Josh Deu, from Funeral by Arcade Fire; Joel Plaskett for Happen Now, Natural Disaster, Lying on a Beach from La De Da by Joel Plaskett; Kathleen Edwards for In State, Copied Keys, Back to Me, co-writer Colin Cripps from Back To Me by Kathleen Edwards; Neil Young for The Painter, When God Made Me, Prairie Wind from Prairie Wind by Neil Young; Ron Sexsmith for Listen, One Less Shadow, Lemonade Stand from Destination Unknown by Sexsmith & Kerr.

Country recording of the year: Waitin' On The Wonderful, Aaron Lines; Amanda Wilkinson, Amanda Wilkinson; Hey, Do You Know Me, Lisa Brokop; Life Goes On, Terri Clark; The Road Hammers, The Road Hammers.

Adult alternative album of the year: Are You Ready, Blue Rodeo; Back To Me, Kathleen Edwards; Ex-Girlfriends, Low Millions; Broken (and other rogue states), Luke Doucet; Prairie Wind, Neil Young.

Rap recording of the year: Boy-Cott-In The Industry, Classified; It's Called Life, Eternia; Fire & Glory, Kardinal Offishall; The Dusty Foot Philosopher, K'Naan; United We Fall, Sweatshop Union.

Alternative album of the year: Broken Social Scene, Broken Social Scene; Elevator, Hot Hot Heat; Live It Out, Metric; So Jealous, Tegan & Sara; Twin Cinema, The New Pornographers.

Vocal jazz album of the year: Twenty For One, Cadence; Christmas Songs, Diana Krall; Rock Swings, Paul Anka; Just You, Just Me, Ranee Lee; Sophie Milman, Sophie Milman.

Contemporary jazz album of the year: Shurum Burum Jazz Circus, David Buchbinder; Encuentro en la Habana, Hilario Duran & Perspectiva; Radio Guantanamo (Guantanamo Blues Project Vol. 1), Jane Bunnett; One Take: Volume Two, Marc Rogers, Robi Botos, Phil Dwyer, Terri Lyne Carrington; Yemaya, Roberto Occhipinti.

Traditional jazz album of the year: Mainly Mingus, Dave Young Quintet; Ask Me Later, Don Thompson Quartet; In a Sentimental Mood, Ian McDougall Quintet; Time Flies, P.J. Perry; Let Me Tell You About My Day, Phil Dwyer with Alan Jones and Rodney Whitaker.

Francophone album of the year: Le trashy saloon, Anik Jean; Hors de tout doute, France D'Amour; Pages blanches, Jim Corcoran; Garde la tete haute, Senaya; Sur le fil, Stephanie Lapointe.

Children's album of the year: A Butterfly In Time, CMSM Concert Theatre Productions; Happy All of the Time, Jake; The Fabulous Song, Michelle Campagne & Davy Gallant; Canada Needs You (Volume One), Mike Ford; Baroque Adventure: The Quest for Arundo Donax, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

Classical album of the year: solo or chamber ensemble: Magic Horn, Canadian Brass; Folklore, Denise Djokic & David Jalbert; J.S. Bach: Sonates pour violon et clavecin, Vol. 1, James Ehnes & Luc Beausejour; Albeniz: Iberia, Marc-Andre Hamelin; Awakening, St. Lawrence String Quartet.

Classical album of the year: large ensemble or soloist(s) with large ensemble accompaniment: Freitas Branco: Violin Concerto; Alexandre Da Costa Extremadura Symphony Orchestra - Jesus Amigo; J.S. Bach: Keyboard Concertos Vol. 1, Angela Hewitt - Australian Chamber Orchestra - Richard Tognetti; Brahms: Concertos pour piano et oeuvres pour piano seul, Anton Kuerti - Orchestra Metropolitain du Grand Montreal - Joseph Rescigno; Concerti Virtuosi, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra - Jeanne Lamon; Beethoven: Symphonies nos. 5 et 6, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra - Bruno Weil.

Classical album of the year: vocal or choral performance: Viardot-Garcia: Lieder Chansons Canzoni Mazurkas, Isabel Bayrakdarian - Serouj Kradjian; Hyver, Karina Gauvin/Les Boreades - Francis Colpron; Scarlatti: Stabat Mater, Emma Kirkby, Daniel Taylor - Theatre of Early Music; Schubert: Die schone Mullerin, Michael Schade & Malcolm Martineau; Schubert: Winterreise, Russell Braun, Carolyn Maule.

Classical composition of the year: Illuminations, Brian Cherney, Ovation 4; Our Finest Hour, Chan Ka Nin, Majestic Flair; String Quartet No. 1 (The Awakening), Christos Hatzis, Awakening; Illuminations, Peter Togni, The Heart Has Its Reasons; Symphony for Strings, Robert Turner, Ovation 4.

Dance recording of the year: She's Looking Good, Boza; Hot Box, Da Skunk; Spanish Fly, Hatiras & Macca feat. Shawna B.; Robopop, M1; Walkin & Talkin, Ray Charles vs DIO.

R&B/soul recording of the year: The Naughty Song, Cory Lee; Divine Brown, Divine Brown; This Is Me, Jully Black; Massari, Massari; Back For More, Shawn Desman.

Reggae recording of the year: Reggae Time, Blessed; Hot Gal feat. Rally Bop, Carl Henry; River of Healing, Jah Beng; Mind & Body, Sold, Odel; Live Up, Truths and Rights.

Aboriginal recording of the year: Rattle & Drum, Asani; Muskrat Blues and Rock & Roll, Billy Joe Green; Hometown, Burnt Project 1; Life Is..., Eagle & Hawk; Sinaa, tagaq.

Roots and traditional album of the year: solo: Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer, Corb Lund; Mantras For Madmen, Harry Manx; Songs From The Gravel Road, Ian Tyson; Love Sweet Love, Lynn Miles; Recidive, Yves Lambert.

Roots and traditional album of the year: group: Ambassador, Elliott Brood; Malins Plaisirs, Genticorum; The Hard & The Easy, Great Big Sea; Destination Unknown, Sexsmith & Kerr; The Duhks, The Duhks.

Blues album of the year: Voice + Story, Harrison Kennedy; Songs of Vice and Sorrow, Julian Fauth; Let It Loose, Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne; Villanelle, Paul Reddick; The Gas and the Clutch, The Perpetrators.

Contemporary Christian/Gospel album of the year: Amanda Falk, Amanda Falk; Livin' for Something, Janelle; In This Time, Patricia Shirley; MMHMM, Relient K; The Art of Breaking, Thousand Foot Krutch.

World music of the year: Fusion, Adham Shaikh; Humo De Tabaco, Alex Cuba Band; Djama, Alpha Yaya Diallo; Capivara, Celso Machado; Gaia, Gaia.

Producer of the year: David Foster for Home, Feeling Good from It's Time by Michael Buble; Gggarth Richardson for Gunnin, Villain from Hedley by Hedley; Jann Arden and Russell Broom for Where No One Knows Me, Willing To Fall Down from Jann Arden by Jann Arden; Neil Young for The Painter from Prairie Wind by Neil Young; Nickelback (co-producer Joey Moi) for Photograph, Animals from All the Right Reasons.

Recording engineer of the year: Adam Messinger & Dylan Bell for Dry Cleaner from Des Moines, Sittin' In the Cellar from Twenty for One by Cadence; Denis Tougas for Oleander from I Am A Mountain by Sarah Harmer, Independent Thief from Back To Me by Kathleen Edwards; Randy Staub for Angels Losing Sleep from Healthy In Paranoid Times by Our Lady Peace, Animals from All The Right Reasons by Nickelback; Russell Broom for Where No One Knows Me from Jann Arden by Jann Arden, God Bless The American Housewife from Music From and Inspired by Desperate Housewives by SHeDaisy; Vic Florencia for Everyday is a Holiday, Melancholy Melody from Wikked Lil Grrls by Esthero.

CD/DVD artwork design of the year: Seth (director/designer/illustrator) for A Story-Gram From Vinyl Cafe Inc. by Stuart McLean; Louise Upperton (director/designer), Christopher Mills, Kevin Drew, Justin Peroff (illustrators) for Broken Social Scene by Broken Social Scene; Rob Baker (director/illustrator), Garnet Armstrong (director/designer), Susan Michalek (designer), Will Ruocco (illustrator) for Hipeponymous by the Tragically Hip; Matthew Good (director), Garnet Armstrong (director/designer), Ivan Otis (photographer) for In A Coma: 1995-2005 by Matthew Good; James Mejia/Jud Haynes (director/designer/illustrator) for 2005 Album by Wintersleep.

Video of the year: Bom Bom Bom, Floria Sigismondi, Living Things; Devil's Eyes, Micah Meisner & Rich Terfry, Buck 65; Con Toda Palabra, Ralph Dfouni & Brigitte Henry, Lhasa de Sela; Neighborhood 3 (Power Out), Plates Animation, Arcade Fire; Rebellion (Lies), Chris Grismer, Arcade Fire.

Music DVD of the year: A la station C, Mathieu Houde, Ariane Moffatt, Dominic Laurence, Paul Page, Ariane Moffatt; LIVE 8 - Toronto, Michael Watt, Rob Brooks, Various Artists; Hipeponymous, Pierre Lamoureux/Christopher Mills, Gord Downie/Allan Reid/Shawn Marino, The Tragically Hip; Live At The Montreal Jazz Festival, Pierre Seguin, Luc Chatelain, Diana Krall; Publicity Stunt, The Love Movement, K-OS.

'Casino Royale' Finally Finds Its Villain

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)- Mads Mikkelsen would be a fantastic name for a villain in a James Bond film. Before that happens, though, the Danish actor of that name will play La Chiffre, 007's main adversary in the upcoming "Casino Royale."

According to media reports, Mikkelsen's casting, long rumored in the Danish press, was confirmed by the "Royale" filmmakers at a press conference held Wednesday (Jan. 15) in Prague, where shooting on "Casino Royale" has already begun.

In Fleming's novel, La Chiffre is a fascinating and abhorrent character, a debauched pornographer, pimp, gambler and Holocaust survivor. His unappealing physical description also makes him an odd match with Mikkelsen, whose IMDb bio notes is often listed among Denmark's most attractive men.

The 40-year-old Mikkelsen may be vaguely familiar to international audiences from his small role in "King Arthur" and a larger part in "Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself." His big break came in 1996's "Pusher."

While the casting announcement on Mikkelsen ends one endlessly speculated "Casino Royale" question, James Bond remains without a love interest. Director Martin Campbell made no effort to put a stop to the suspense about which actress will play the mysterious Vesper Lynde. The most recent buzz has centered on Eva Green ("The Dreamers") and Olivia Wilde ("The O.C.").

Stay tuned, as we like to say. They've just got to cast somebody eventually.

Jet-lagged Canadians beat Italy

It seemed all Canada needed to find its game was a scare by a motivated Italian team Wednesday morning at Palasport Olimpico arena.

Jarome Iginla scored two power-play goals to lead Canada to a 7-2 win over Italy as the team opened defence of its Olympic gold medal.

The Canadians looked sluggish and confused early as they missed passes and good scoring opportunities.

The result was only a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period on Iginla's goal. He took a perfect pass from Todd Bertuzzi and then one-timed a shot from the slot to beat Italian goaltender Jason Muzzatti at 5:33.

Italy scored the tying goal on the power-play just 43 seconds into the second period that shocked Canada and prompted the home crowd into loud chants of "Italia, Italia," after Giulio Scandella directed a shot to the Canadian net that beat goalie Martin Brodeur.

The mometum didn't last as Dany Heatley scored a power-play goal to give Canada a 2-1 lead a 1:12 later.

Heatley's goal seemed to settle the Canadians en route to five unanswered goals. Winger Todd Bertuzzi, who had two assists in the game, said his Canadian team wasn't unnerved by the Italian goal.

"Not at all, not with the amount of character we have," Bertuzzi told CBC Sports.

"We know what we have to do, we came out strong in the second period, we kept building and building, our passes got better and we started scoring goals."

Iginla's second goal with the man advantage gave Canada all the insurance it would need.

He took a nifty cross-ice pass from Joe Sakic and wristed a shot to the short side past Italian goaltender Jason Muzzatti at 6:04.

While motivated by the crowd, the Italians were undisciplined as Canada's speed produced three goals on the eight chances on the power play.

Canadian coach Pat Quinn's decision to put Iginla, Bertuzzi and captain Sakic paid off in this game as the three combined for five points.

"We all play similar roles on the power play," said Bertuzzi. "Me and Jarome are better suited for around the net and in the corner. It was pretty easy, especially [playing with] Jarome and I tried to get him the puck in the slot and worked off Joe."

Shane Doan, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Joe Thornton scored Canada's other goals, while forward John Parco tallied for Italy's second goal.

Despite Canada's immense advantage in talent and 50-20 edge in shots, Italy worked hard and Muzzatti made several key saves.

The Italians are making only their third Olympic appearance in hockey. They participated in the 1948 and 1956 Winter Games.

Italy does have some players with limited NHL experience.

Muzzatti, a former Calgary Flames first-round pick, had his only NHL shutout in 1996 when he stopped all 40 shots to lead the Hartford Whalers to a 1-0 win over a young Martin Brodeur and the hometown New Jersey Devils.

"It was a tremdous challenge for us," said Muzzatti, who gained a lot of respect from the Canadian team. "My boys worked so hard to keep it at [7-2]. There's a lot of people at home saying prayers in Toronto and I think they helped me keep it to seven."

The win gives Canada its 91st Olympic victory, the most by any coutnry.

Canada's next game is Thursday (CBC, 2 p.m. EST) against Germany.

Kevin Smith Moves Past 'Fletch,' 'Hornet'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)- Kevin Smith knows a few things about fanboy expectations.

"I'm in the business of announcing things and then never doing them," Smith cracks to a WonderCon audience in San Francisco that seems prepared to forgive him for any failed promises. "I'll make an announcement right here: By next year at this time, I will have lost 200 pounds. Never gonna happen."

Similarly, it appears that audiences will never get to see Smith's versions of "Fletch" or "Green Hornet."

"I parted ways with 'Fletch' because of five, six years of trying to get Jason Lee cast, it was just apparent it wasn't gonna happen," says Smith of Gregory McDonald's "Fletch Won," on origin story for the wise-cracking reporter made cinematically famous by Chevy Chase. "It thought this year might be the one that tipped the scale, because he's in 'My Name Is Earl' and he has billboards all over the f***ing country."

While "Earl" has convinced television audiences and critics that Lee is a star, Smith's boss Harvey Weinstein has proved a tougher nut to crack.

"For years I kept saying, 'Jason Lee is Fletch' and Harvey kept saying 'No.' And then finally I'm like 'Jason Lee is Fletch? 'My Name Is Earl'?' And he was just like, 'Nah. It's still not gonna happen.'"

The "Fletch Won" property remains viable for the Weinsteins, with Zach Braff as the newly speculated lead, but Smith has moved on. He's also taken a step back from writing and directing duties on the "Green Hornet" film.

"As I started writing it, I was like, 'I cannot direct and action movie. I have no idea how to do it,'" Smith says. "I'm not good at it and I don't have patience. My version of it would be like Green Hornet and Kato leaning against the Black Beauty -- the amazing supercar and home arsenal that can do almost anything and just leaning against it talking about sex."

He continues with his scenario, "Like, 'Did you get laid last night?' 'Yeah. In the mask.' And Kato'd be like 'I think there's some trouble over there.' And Green Hornet's like, 'Yeah, let's check it out.' They both just walk off camera. We still hold on the car. Then from off camera you hear [He mimics the sounds of a comic fight]. Then they walk back in and dust themselves off."

If the laughter and applause are any indication, the WonderCon audience sounds perfectly content with Smith's "Green Hornet" vision. Studio executives? Not so much.

"Nobody wants to entrust you with $70 million to make that kind of movie," he notes. "So I realized I'm so not the guy for it, but I did write the script and I turned it in. I was really happy with the script, but I don't know where it is right now."

"It's not like a presold franchise, you'd really have to make a great movie. And I can't make a great movie. I've tried for 12 years."

Smith's next stab at making a great movie, "Clerks II," will open this fall.

No Oscars 'Pimp' Performance for Howard

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Although Terrence Howard will be pimped out in his best red carpet attire for the 78th Academy Awards, he won't reprise his role as a rapping pimp for the Oscars telecast.

Howard, 36, is nominated for his lead performance as DJay, a Memphis pimp pursuing his hip-hop dreams in Craig Brewer's "Hustle & Flow." And even though he performed "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" in the film, he doesn't think he could do justice to the Oscar-nominated song when it comes to the live telecast.

"We don't have time in the schedule to work all that stuff out," says Howard in an interview at the annual Oscar nominees luncheon on Monday, Feb. 13. "It took me seven months to find DJay and find that voice. I don't think I could give it the full service that I gave it in the film."

Instead, he believes the performance will be left to the Memphis-based trio Three 6 Mafia, comprising Jordan "Juicy J" Houston, Cedric "Crunchy Black" Coleman and Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard.

"They're the ones that wrote it and they're the ones that are nominated for that song," says Howard. "It would be different if it were just plain old me."

The first-time nominee is eager to see how the audience will greet the gritty, expletive-filled song. In 2000, Robin Williams performed "Blame Canada" from the "South Park" movie, but was forced to change certain lyrics for the censors.

"I'm ready to see the entire roomful of people in there singing 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,'" Howard says, adding, "If they know the words, then we really got a problem."

The Oscars will be telecast live from the Kodak Theatre on Sunday, March 5.

Pink's video pokes fun at 'Stupid Girls'

The title of Pink's upcoming album, due April 4, is I'm Not Dead. And if you don't believe the 26-year-old singer/songwriter is indeed alive and kicking, check out some of the lyrics in her already controversial new single, Stupid Girls:

Go to Fred Segal, you'll find them there/Laughin' loud so all the little people stare/Lookin' for a daddy to pay for the champagne ...

They travel in packs of two or three/With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teenie weenie tees .../Porno paparazzi girls ...

Sound like anyone you might have spotted in the tabloids lately? In the video for Girls, which premiered Jan. 26 on MTV's Overdrive, Pink (Alecia Elliott) appears at one point stumbling around in oversized shades, beads and a billowy frock, possibly evoking Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen in an unguarded moment.

Another clip shows the singer driving recklessly while sporting a red bouffant that makes her look like Lindsay Lohan. And in a third sequence, Pink writhes atop a soaped-up car while clad in a long blond wig, bikini top, short shorts and boots, suggesting a parody of Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke or Paris Hilton in her ad for Carl's Jr. hamburgers.

There's also a scene resembling an amateur sex video, perhaps alluding to one of Hilton's earlier, less polished efforts.

Pink herself isn't naming any names in the song or in the press.

"It's pretty obvious," the singer says. "I'm talking about a general mentality. I use examples because I can't help but be blunt." (Representatives for the Olsens, Lohan, Simpson and Hilton either didn't return calls or e-mails or declined to comment.)

The single and video, which also has images referring to bulimia and cosmetic surgery, aren't judgmental in intent, Pink says. "I use humor as well. And I'm not saying I'm better than any of these girls. There are 50 new tabloids every year, and I'm in them, and I read them, and I do stupid things.

"But this is a reaction to that, and it was brought on by several conversations I've had with women and girls. Women have fought so long and hard for our rights and equality, and now all our attention is put on being a size 0.

"Rather than focusing on someone who can't pay rent, or a child who's sick, or on our children and brothers overseas, it's about living vicariously through these people who seem to shop all day."

Although Pink has been outspoken on disc in the past, primarily about more personal matters, the topical focus of Stupid Girls is a venture into new territory. She leaps even further on another track on the new album, the even more pointed Dear Mr. President.

Girls and President fundamentally address "the exact same thing: distraction, consumerism and fear. I've always tried to rally people to fight for what they believe in."

Jason Vorhees Lives!

You just can't keep a good psycho killer down.

Hollywood testosterone king Michael Bay has been charged with breathing new life into Jason Vorhees and resurrecting the Friday the 13th franchise with a prequel.

Bay's production company, Platinum Dunes, will attempt to crank out the 11th installment in the hearty horror series for New Line Cinema by October--on Friday the 13th, natch.

Per the trades, Bay's company is scrambling to meet the pre-Halloween deadline. The script, by Mark Wheaton, is not yet finished and there's no immediate word on a director or cast.

The new, untitled chapter in the ongoing saga of the hockey-masked antihero Jason is purportedly going to be a prelude to Sean S. Cunningham's original Friday the 13th, which was released by Paramount in 1980. The horror classic followed the hacking up of various teens at Camp Crystal Lake. The low-budget gorefest grossed more than $40 million and spawned a franchise that eventually descended into camp with 1989's Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.

New Line bought the rights to the never-say-die slasher series in 1993 from Paramount and churned out Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday that same year. But it was far from being the "final Friday": The studio embraced the space age by launching the series into orbit with 2001's Jason X.

The studio then decided to pit two of its aging horror icons against each other, Jason and Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger, in 2003's battle royale, Jason vs. Freddy. The face-off scared its way to $82 million in ticket sales.

New Line has been trying to figure out more ways to unleash Jason on moviegoers in the past few years. First, the studio toyed with the idea of another combo deal, with Ash from the Evil Dead movies joining the fray. But that fell through when filmmaker Sam Raimi decided to relaunch Evil Dead separately.

Then, New Line reached out to Quentin Tarantino to put his stamp on the Friday the 13th franchise. Tarantino also passed.

Now it's up to Bay and his Platinum Dunes to do for Friday the 13th what it did with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The production company's 2003 remake of Massacre exceeded expectations, raking in more than $80 million and spawning a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. The latter, starring Jordana Brewster, is scheduled to unspool Oct. 6, a week before the new Friday.

Bay is seeking a return to blockbuster form after last summer's box-office bomb The Island. His hit credits include Armageddon, Bay Boys II, Pearl Harbor and The Rock.

Doctor Who - Canadian Release Of 2005 Show Delayed?!?!

The 2005 version of Doctor Who, starring Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor, was delayed in the USA until the 4th of July holiday, due to the SciFi Channel's pick-up of the show for broadcast in the USA on the popular cable network.

The Canadian release, as of last week, was still on track for its long-planned February 14th release.

Even though Amazon.ca's website now states "Usually ships within 24 hours." there are some internet rumours that the streetdate is now March 7th.

I have ordered it from Amazon.ca and in my account information it states: "Delivery estimate: Feb 21 2006 - Feb 23 2006."

I can't get any real confirmation on this, but if it is delayed until March, it is still coming out four months ahead of the south-of-the-border DVD release!

'Rock Star: Van Halen' Rumors Unfounded

Persistent rumors that Van Halen will audition new singers on the upcoming season of CBS reality series "Rock Star" are untrue, according to the network.

"All it is is a rumor, we deny it," a CBS Entertainment spokesperson tells Billboard.com. "We don't even have [an act] firmly established yet, though, hopefully we will shortly."

A spokesperson for Van Halen referred Billboard.com to a previously published report in which the band's involvement with the show was vehemently denied.

Speculation of the "Rock Star"/Van Halen pairing has been running wild since the fall when, in an interview, the series' producer Mark Burnett ("Survivor") used the group as an example, along with Queen, as an act appropriate for the show's mission of filling vacancies.

The story got new legs during this morning's (Feb. 14) broadcast of the syndicated David Lee Roth radio show as the former Van Halen frontman declared, "They really are gonna do it, I think. It's the 'Rock Star' open call schedule. They just handed me the schedule... they won't say who it's for, but I think it's for Van Halen."

"Rock Star," which is co-hosted by former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, has indeed announced its audition schedule. Tryouts will be conducted throughout North America for about a month, starting March 1 in Austin. An announcement about the featured artist is forthcoming, according to the CBS spokesperson. The network plans to air the program's second season this summer.

The first season bowed last year as "Rock Star: INXS." The Australian band ultimately crowned J.D. Fortune as its new lead singer, recorded an album and is on the road in North America, playing Reading, Pa., tomorrow night.

Since Roth exited the band in 1985, hard rock crew Van Halen has been helmed by Sammy Hagar, who left the band in 1996, and former Extreme singer Gary Cherone. Attempts to regroup with Roth failed, and the band has been quiet since guitarist Eddie Van Halen began battling cancer around the turn of the millennium

Uncle Owen, R.I.P.

To Phil Brown, it seemed "a very unimportant role." But in Star Wars lore, it was anything but.

Brown, who died last week at age 89, was being remembered by Jedi faithful as Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen from the original Star Wars movie.

In George Lucas' 1977 space saga, farmer Owen Lars and his dying-for-adventure nephew, played by Mark Hamill, come into possession of two junked droids: R2-D2 and C-3PO, setting in motion the ragtag Rebellion's overthrow of the evil Empire, not to mention a six-picture, mega-billion-dollar franchise.

The find also led to the eventual off-screen slaughter of Owen and wife Beru at the gloved hands of droid-seeking Imperial Stormtroopers, but nothing's perfect.

Shelagh Fraser, who played Aunt Beru to Brown's Uncle Owen, died in 2000.

Brown was plagued by various heart ailments in recent years. In an undated post on his official Website, the actor noted his retirement from the convention scene.

"Meeting my fans personally has been endlessly rewarding for my wife Ginny and me," Brown wrote. "I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all for your support of my career, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind thoughts and warm wishes."

Brown succumbed to pneumonia last Thursday at the motion picture retirement home in Woodland Hills, California, the Associated Press reported.

Born April 30, 1916, in Massachusetts, Brown's pre-Star Wars career was far removed from the blighted lands of Tatooine. Per his official biography, he danced on Broadway in the 1930s, courted (but never won) the likes of Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr in Hollywood movies of the 1940s, and directed Dorothy Dandridge in a 1951 feature about the Harlem Globetrotters, simply titled The Harlem Globetrotters.

The Communist witch hunt of the 1950s ensnared Brown, who himself denied ever being a member of the party. For 40 years, from 1952-92, the once-blacklisted Brown lived and worked out of London.

By the time Lucas was in London casting Star Wars, Brown wasn't looking at Uncle Owen as a life-changing opportunity. "This [part], what seemed to be a very unimportant role, occurred at the end of my acting career," Brown once told TheForce.Net.

In the interview, Brown said he suspected Lucas selected him for Owen "because of my resemblance to Alec Guinness, a contemporary and an old friend of mine." In Star Wars, Guinness played Luke's Force-full mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

In the Star Wars prequels, the role of the younger Obi-Wan went to Ewan McGregor. Similarly, Uncle Owen got a new look in the newer movies, with Australian actor Joel Edgerton inheriting the role.

Brown told TheForce.Net that he wished Edgerton luck "in having as many devoted followers as I have had."

Brown's post-Star Wars credits included a bit in the 1980 TV miniseries, The Martian Chronicles.

The Couch Potato Report - February 14th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report includes the Doctor, David and Maddie and the Richard Pryor Collection.

DOCTOR WHO is a British Broadcasting Corporation science fiction show about a mysterious time-traveling adventurer known only as "The Doctor".

Doctor Who first appeared on BBC television at 5:15 p.m. (GMT) on November 23rd, 1963. The BBC produced the show for the following twenty-six seasons, but with the show's ratings falling it was cancelled as an ongoing series in 1989.

A TV movie was produced in 1996, but that did not lead to a regeneration for the series.

Although novels and audio plays provided new stories for the Doctor's fans, the TV show remained dormant until last year!

The new series, starring Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor and former pop star Billie Piper as his sidekick Rose, debuted on BBC on March 26, 2005, and on CBC on April 5th, 2005.

Now, it has debuted on DVD in a six-disc set!

The DOCTOR WHO 2005 -COMPLETE FIRST SERIES box set features all 13 of the episodes starring Eccleston. There is also a wide array of special features and interviews.

While I admit to being a huge fan of DOCTOR WHO, I can't admit to having enjoyed all of the episodes from the series first twenty-six seasons. Some are great, yes, but some are quite cheesy, and even awful.

But I haven't got one awful thing to say about this new series, even if it is still cheesy at times. The two main actors are a treat to watch, the storylines are all interesting, and the show is filled with some very good special effects.

The DOCTOR WHO 2005 - THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES box set is the first release of 2006 that I am truly excited about! It is a great show that makes a great box set!

Another great DVD box that I am excited about is the four-disc set for MOONLIGHTING - SEASON THREE.

MOONLIGHTING ran for five seasons from 1985 until 1989. Each week we were given an inside look at the unique cases that an ex-model and a wise guy detective ended up with at their private detective agency.

Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd were the shows two stars and Season Three was the time when they were part of a perfect show.

Once the two of them became a couple in later seasons the show went downhill, but Season Three is all uphill!

From twenty-four hours on a murder mystery train, to a trip to New York to Atomic Shakespeare, MOONLIGHTING - SEASON THREE had, and has it all!

MOONLIGHTING remains one of my all-time favorite television shows, and this is a great box set!!

I wish I could say that THE RICHARD PRYOR COLLECTION was a great box set honouring a groundbreaking comedian who we lost late last year.

But even though the collection contains the very funny films WHICH WAY IS UP?, BREWSTER'S MILLIONS, CAR WASH and BUSTIN' LOOSE, its not a box set.

Instead, it is a single DVD - in a box - with two films on one side, and two films on the other. That is not bad for low retail cost of the item, but when I first heard about this collection, I was hoping for an expansive set with bonus footage and special features.

The only special feature I found in THE RICHARD PRYOR COLLECTION was the trailer for BREWSTER'S MILLIONS.

But, in the end, I can't complain about the lack of special features and such because, in the end, it is the films that make the disc worth owning.

And WHICH WAY IS UP?, BREWSTER'S MILLIONS, CAR WASH and BUSTIN' LOOSE are all films worth owning, and watching again. They are far from Richard Pryor's best film work, but anytime the late, great comedian makes me laugh is welcome.

And I laughed a lot at THE RICHARD PRYOR COLLECTION.

THE RICHARD PRYOR COLLECTION, MOONLIGHTING - SEASON THREE and the superb DOCTOR WHO 2005 - THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES are all available now at a store near you.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Charlize Theron stars in NORTH COUNTRY as a woman who goes to work in a Minnesota Steel mine, to the dismay of her male co-workers.

Scott Baio is the title character in the goofy, but enjoyable 1980's TV show CHARLES IN CHARGE.

The first season of the medical ensemble drama GREY'S ANATOMY also debuts on DVD; and so does SAW II.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll 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 time on The Couch!

CBC axes 'Davinci's,' 'Wonderland'

TORONTO (CP) - Da Vinci's City Hall, The Tournament and This Is Wonderland, three of CBC's critically acclaimed but low-rated series, will not be renewed, a spokeswoman for the public broadcaster confirmed Monday.

Da Vinci's season finale is scheduled for Feb. 28 and Wonderland's on March 15. The hockey comedy The Tournament has already wrapped up its second year.

"These are three programs that CBC believed in and attached significant resources to," said Ruth-Ellen Soles. "Unfortunately the audiences for all three have been in steady decline and did not resonate with Canadians. These decisions are always difficult but they had to be made."

Wonderland kicked off its third season last November with high hopes. Created by George F. Walker, Dani Romain and Bernard Zukerman, it starred Cara Pifko as Alice De Raey, a novice Toronto lawyer who has her eyes opened to the realities of practising law in the crowded, manic criminal courts housed at Old City Hall.

Last October, after seven seasons under the helm of creator-writer Chris Haddock, Da Vinci's Inquest morphed into Da Vinci's City Hall.

Nicholas Campbell's crusading chief coroner Dominic Da Vinci proved he could master the political ropes and won election as mayor of Vancouver, in much the same manner as the series' inspiration and consultant, former mayor Larry Campbell who is now a Liberal senator.

While the public broadcaster has often indicated that its Canadian cultural mandate is more important than ratings, it's clear that ratings matter a lot. Soles says Da Vinci had been averaging 394,000 viewers, Wonderland 376,000 and Tournament 268,000.

Da Vinci had lost about 40 per cent of its audience from its high point a few years ago.

ACTRA, the actors union, condemned the cancellations as short-sighted and "a startling display of incompetence by irresponsible CBC brass."

"CBC management is punishing these shows for a decline in ratings - a decline clearly brought on by its own brutal decision to lock out 5,000 professional workers last fall," says Stephen Waddell, ACTRA national executive director.

But Soles dismissed any connection to the lockout and subsequent delayed season launch. She said the numbers decline had started well before that.

"It's a shame because they're terrific programs. It just doesn't seem to be what Canadian viewers want to watch," she says.

"We're in continuing discussions now regarding all of the arts and entertainment programming, everything."

The CBC has reportedly ordered 13 episodes of Intelligence, a new series based on Haddock's recent Vancouver-produced CBC-TV movie. In addition, negotiations are under way for a TV movie spinoff of Da Vinci, similar to what happened when the North of 60 series was cancelled.

Festival to reunite 'Swingers' actors

DENVER (AP) — It's still money, baby.

The U.S. Comedy Arts Festival announced Monday that its centerpiece showcase next month will be a 10th-anniversary celebration of the 1996 film Swingers, which made "money" the coinage of cool. The festival, set to run March 8th-12th in Aspen, Colo., will reunite the film's cast — Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau (who also wrote the movie) and Ron Livingston.

Favreau, who in Swingers plays a New Yorker transplanted to Los Angeles as he painfully tries to get over a broken relationship, feels it was the story's exploration of universal themes for young adults that struck a big chord.

"It had a lot of sort of heat associated with how timely it was to what was going on in pop culture," he said Monday in a phone conversation. "It was a very personal story ... and I wrote it at a moment when I was really wrestling with those dilemmas and the whole idea of friendship and what the future might hold overcoming the depression and in overcoming a relationship or being alone in a new town."

The film was ahead of its time, Favreau said, setting the stage for the type of comedy found in more recent box office hits Old School and Wedding Crashers.

"Now it seems all so familiar, but at the time it was cutting edge and we were grouped with all that independent film stuff," Favreau said. But, he continued, "Vince and I and (director) Doug Liman too, and Ron, we've hit the mainstream as we're closing in on 40 years old and now we're the system."

Besides honoring Swingers, the 12th annual festival, sponsored by HBO, will offer 23 feature films, including Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion,Dave Chappelle's Block Party and Damon Wayans' Behind the Smile, 23 shorts and live comedy.

The festival announced earlier this year that actress Goldie Hawn and director James Burrows would be honored during the event.

Last year's festival reunited Cheech Marin and former film partner Tommy Chong, who appeared together for the first time in 20 years. The 2005 event also saw Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau receive the festival's Freedom of Speech Award while prone on a stretcher after he broke his collarbone while skiing

New CD Releases - February 7, 2006

Aceyalone Magnificent City (produced by RJD2) (Project Blowed/Decon)

Acid Mother's Temple Starless and Bible Black Sabbath (Alien 8)

All-Stokz A Bronx Tale (Papercha$e)

AM Syndicate Empire (Sickroom)

Arctic Monkeys When the Sun Goes Down EP (Domino)

AV Club AV Club (Insubordination)

The Avett Brothers Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (Ramseur)

Latrice Barnett Illuminate (Ultra)

Belle & Sebastian The Life Pursuit (Matador)

Bola Abimbola Ara Kenge (Fast Horse)

Pat Boone Hopeless Romantic (ballads album; w/Chet Atkins) (The Gold Label)

Carol Bui This Is How I Recover (Drunken Butterfly)

Bullets for My Valentine The Poison (enhanced CD) (Trustkill)

Shauna Burns Every Thought (33rd Street/Bayside)

Burst Origo (Relapse)

Rachel Cantu Rachel Cantu EP (Q Division)

Century Faith and Failure (Tribunal)

Chamillionaire The Sound of Revenge (Chopped & Screwed) (Universal Motown)

Richard Cheese The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of (includes new versions of hits) (Surfdog)

The Chuck Norris Experiment The Chuck Norris Experiment (Devil Doll)

Clogs Lantern (Brassland)

Jason Collett Idols of Exile (Arts & Crafts)

Chick Corea The Ultimate Adventure (Stretch/Concord)

The Corrs Home (produced by Mitchell Froom; traditional Irish songs; w/the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra) (Atlantic/Rhino)

Cross Culture Proof Positive (Selectric)

The Danger O's Little Machines EP (Blackout!)

De/Vision Subkutan (Dancing Ferret)

deadboy and the Elephantmen We Are Night Sky (Fat Possum)

Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers (Golden Beams/Kindred Rhythm)

Dem Franchise Boyz On Top of Our Game (Virgin)

Désolé A Story to Tell (Reybee)

DJ Reflex Sandunga Music (Cutting)

Doomriders Black Thunder (The Magic Bullet)

Dave Douglas Keystone (2005 album reissue) (Koch)

Everlovely Lightningheart Cusp (Hydra Head)

Frankel Chatterbox EP (Three Ring)

Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit (ex-Can drummer) Secret Rhythms 2 (guest David Sylvian) (Nonplace)

Frank Gambale Natural High (Wombat)

Gastr del Sol Harp Factory on Lake Street (Table of the Elements)

Gate The Dew Line (Table of the Elements)

A Global Threat Where the Sun Never Sets (BYO)

Sarah Harmer I'm a Mountain (Rounder)

Walter Hawkins Live Songs in My Heart (Coda)

Hem No Word from Tom (covers and new versions of originals) (Nettwerk)

Himsa Hail Horror (Prosthetic)

Charlie Hunter Trio Copperopolis (Ropeadope)

In Flames Come Clarity (Special Edition w/bonus DVD available same day) (Ferret)

The Ladies (members of Pinback and Hella) They Mean Us (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers Pandelirium (guests Jello Biafra and Rev. Horton Heat) (Yep Roc)

Lesbians on Ecstasy Giggles in the Dark (remixes) (Alien 8)

Jackie Leven Shining Brother, Shining Sister (DualDisc) (Silverline/Immergent)

Lil Al Hood Raised (SMC)

Lil Uno The Streets (Toltec Music)

Lokyata Purified by Anger (Indianola)

Magnet The Tourniquet (Filter)

Mastodon Call of the (Relapse)

Matson Jones The Albatross Mates for Life, but Only After a Lengthy Courtship That Can Take Up to Four Years EP (Sympathy for the Record Industry)

Mean Reds/Wires on Fire Split (CD/DVD combo; live performance from bands' recent tour) (Buddyhead)

Jason Miles What's Going On? Songs of Marvin Gaye (Narada)

Lynn Miles Loves Sweet Love (Red House)

Minus 5 Minus 5 (aka "The Gun Album"; w/members of R.E.M., Wilco, the Decemberists, John Wesley Harding and more) (Yep Roc)

Misstress Barbara Come with Me... (mix CD) (Koch)

Monday Morning Fool's Paradise (Selectric)

Cindy Morgan Postcards (Reunion)

Mylo Destroy Rock & Roll (RCA)

Oceansize Everyone Into Position (Beggars Banquet)

Pauline Oliveros Primordial/Lift (Table of the Elements)

Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers (Astralwerks)

Penuckle the sun beckons... (Basement)

Prefuse 73 Security Screenings (guests Four Tet and members of TV on the Radio) (Warp)

Psychic Ills Dins (The Social Registry)

Remy Ma There's Something About: Based on a True Story (Universal Motown)

Sherri Roberts The Sky Could Send You (w/Phil Woods and Lew Soloff) (Pacific Coast Jazz)

Ray Russell Goodbye Svengali (Cuneiform)

San Quinn The Rock: Pressure Makes Diamonds (SMC)

Shrift Lost in a Moment (Six Degrees)

Sibylle Baier Colour Green (Orange Twin)

Slowride C/S (Deep Elm)

Sly and the Family Stone Different Strokes for Different Folks (covers and remixes of Sly & the Family Stone songs by Maroon 5, the Roots, John Legend and more) (Epic/Legacy)

Small Arms Dealer A Single Unifying Theory (Deep Elm)

State Radio Us Against the Crow (Nettwerk)

Stereo Total Discotheque (Disko)

Kelley Stoltz Below the Branches (Sub Pop)

The String Cheese Incident On the Road: Big Summer Classic '05, Fall 2005, Spring 2005 and Vegoose 2005 (SCI Fidelity)

Stroke 9 Café Cuts (acoustic versions of old songs, plus two new tracks) (Rock Ridge)

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives Live at the Ryman (2003 concert) (Universal South)

The Suspicions The Suspicions (Rip Off)

Swearing at Motorists Last Night Becomes This Morning (Secretly Canadian)

Telepathe Farewell Forest EP (The Social Registry)

Thrill Seekers Nightmusic (two CDs) (Water Music)

Bill Toms and Hard Rain The West End Kid (BT)

Truckfighters Gravity X (Meteor City)

The Derek Trucks Band Songlines (Columbia)

KT Tunstall Eye to Telescope (Virgin)

Univers Zero Live (Cuneiform)

Jason Whitton Thriftstore Cowboy (VAVV)

Mary Lou Williams Collective with Geri Allen Zodiac Suite: Revisited (Mary)

Joachim Witt Bayreuth 3 (Dancing Ferret)

Trisha Yearwood Jasper County (w/new Garth Brooks duet, "Love Will Always Win," not included on 2005 release) (MCA Nashville)

VA A Six Degrees Collection - Traveler '06 (new and exclusive tracks and remixes from Karsh Kale, Niyaz, the Real Tuesday Weld and more) (Six Degrees)

VA Asthmatic Kitty Compilation - Mews Too (Asthmatic Kitty)

VA Hi Power 2006 (Thump)

VA Idol Tryouts Two: The Ghostly International Company Vol. Two (two CDs; exclusive tracks from Matthew Dear, Dabrye, Mobius Band and more) (Ghostly International)

VA It Came from the Hills, V.1 (w/Nitro Tokyo, Forensics, Earthen Sea and more) (The Magic Bullet)

VA Lowrider 2006 Tour (Thump)

VA New Arrivals: Vol. 1 (w/Jill Sobule, Noe Venable and more) (Mpress)

VA Not Alone (five CDs) (Durtro Jnana)

VA Perfecto Chills Vol. 3 (two CDs; remixes of Massive Attack, Faithless, Postal Service and more) (Thrive/Perfecto)

VA Run the Road Volume 2 (compilation of UK hip-hop/grime artists; w/Lady Sovereign, Sway, Miss Beats and more) (Vice)

VA To: Elliott From: Portland (covers of Elliott Smith songs) (Expunged)

VA Totally Country Vol. 5 (BMG Heritage)

OCR Billy Elliot (two CDs; score by Elton John; includes three of his original songs performed solo) (Decca)

OST Curious George: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film (w/new songs by Jack Johnson and G. Love) (Universal)

OST Date Movie (romantic comedy spoof w/Eddie Griffin) (Lakeshore)

OST Elizabethtown - Volume II (w/My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, the Temptations and more) (RCA)

OST Transamerica (w/exclusive new song by Dolly Parton and songs by Lucinda Williams, Old Crow Medicine Show, Duncan Sheik and more) (Nettwerk)

DVD Hip Hop Elements (live MC, DJ and breakdancer battles) (Street Life Films/Koch)

DVD Rebel Roads (documentary on motorcycle culture; w/performances by Disturbed, Journey and Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder) (Immergent)

DVD Jim Brickman The Disney Songbook (Walt Disney)

DVD Brotha Lynch Hung Ghetto Celebrities Vol. 2 (Real Talk/Koch)

DVD Bireli Lagrene and Gipsy Project Live in Paris (Dreyfus)

DVD Mint Condition Live (Image)

DVD Sasha and John Digweed Present Delta Heavy (documentary of 2002 DJ tour) (System)

DVD Yonder Mountain String Band Mountain Tracks: Volume 4 (Frog Pad)

DVD VA Buddyhead: Punk Is Dead (music videos w/TV on the Radio, the Jesus Lizard, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more) (Image)

DVD VA Get Crunk'd (behind-the-scenes footage of Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Pastor Troy and more) (Koch)

DVD VA Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan (Image)

DVD VA Tribunal Records: The Video Collection (music videos and rare live performances from Facedown, Age of Ruin, Animosity and more) (Tribunal)

UMD 50 Cent The Massacre (Interscope)

Van Halen: The Next 'Rock Star'?

Sources tell TMZ.com that Van Halen is in the market for a new lead singer, and the marketplace will be the upcoming reality show 'Rock Star: The Series.'

Last October, Van Halen reps vehemently denied the band would use 'Rock Star' in a talent search for a new lead singer. The reps are now singing a different tune. Van Halen publicist Larry Solters told TMZ: "I'm not denying it. I'm not going to answer any questions about it."

Last year, the band INXS used 'Rock Star' to find a new lead singer. J.D. Fortune won the competition, and the band is now making a comeback with a hit new album and a sold-out tour.

As for Van Halen, the group has had three lead singers since it hit the scene back in 1978: David Lee Roth, who left the band in 1985, Sammy Hagar, who split in 1996, and Gary Cherone, who did just one album and tour with the band in 1998.

The next season of 'Rock Star,' produced by Mark Burnett for CBS, is scheduled to air during the summer. Neither Burnett nor CBS would comment on the Van Halen buzz.

Cash dividend: 3 "Line" DVDs arriving February 28

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hoping to ride on the Oscar buzz for "Walk the Line," 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is rushing the Johnny Cash biopic to DVD in three versions February 28.

"Line" is up for five Oscars, including best actor for Joaquin Phoenix, who portrays the Man in Black, and best actress for Reese Witherspoon, who plays his wife and musical partner, June Carter.

Consumers can choose from a single-disc widescreen edition, a single-disc full-screen edition and a two-disc special edition packed with extras.

All three versions come with a commentary by director James Mangold and 10 deleted scenes.

The two-disc edition also comes with three extended musical sequences, three featurettes and collectible postcards.

The film won three Golden Globe Awards last month, for Phoenix and Witherspoon and as best picture in the musical/comedy category.

Coroner: Chris Penn Died Accidentally

LOS ANGELES - Actor Chris Penn died accidentally from an enlarged heart and the effects of a mix of multiple medications, the county coroner's office said Monday.

"There is absolutely no indication that this is anything but an accident," chief coroner investigator Craig Harvey said.

Penn, 40, the younger brother of Sean Penn, was found dead in his Santa Monica condominium on Jan. 24, but the results of his autopsy and toxicology tests were not released until Monday.

The primary cause of death was "nonspecific cardiomyopathy," an oversized heart, with the "effects of multiple medication intake," according to a statement issued by the coroner's office.

"We know he had several prescriptions, including promethazine with codeine, which featured predominantly in his death," Harvey said.

Promethazine with codeine is known as a highly addictive prescription medication. Promethazine is an antihistamine that prevents vomiting, while codeine suppresses coughing and relieves pain, Harvey said.

"We don't know how much he ingested or when," Harvey said. "There are a lot of 'what ifs' to be factored in."

A full coroner's report with further details will be available in a few weeks, Harvey said.

Penn's heart weighed 700 grams, a few hundred grams more than an average heart. Harvey said Penn was not taking heart medication at the time of his death.

Penn appeared in such films as "Reservoir Dogs," "Rush Hour," "Starsky & Hutch" and "Corky Romano."

Norah Jones to make film debut

HONG KONG (AP) - Grammy-winning singer Norah Jones will make her film debut in the first English-language film by acclaimed Hong Kong art-house director Wong Kar-wai, a film industry consultant said.

Wong was originally scheduled to shoot Lady from Shanghai, featuring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, but has delayed the project until 2007 because they have not found a strong male lead actor, a film industry consultant attending the ongoing Berlin Film Festival told The Associated Press by telephone.

Details of the new movie weren't immediately available, but the official, who declined to be further identified, said it won't revolve around the hurricane Katrina disaster in the U.S. as reported earlier. It also won't be filmed in New York doubling as New Orleans.

The consultant spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid identifying his relationship with Wong and because the project hasn't been officially announced.

"The only cast member that is confirmed . . . is Norah Jones," the consultant said at the weekend.

The consultant also said the movie's earlier reported $50 million US budget is incorrect, but didn't provide an accurate budget figure.

It wasn't clear if Jones will contribute to the music in the movie.

Jones, 26, rose to fame with the success of her debut album Come Away With Me, which won eight Grammys. She is the daughter of Indian musician Ravi Shankar.

Wong is known for his subtle and beautifully shot movies like In the Mood for Love, Happy Together and 2046. His films also feature melancholy soundtracks. Wong won best director at Cannes for Happy Together, a gay love story.

Jones' management company didn't immediately return a reporter's call seeking comment.

AL FRANKEN FOR SENATOR

Al Franken, the "Saturday Night Live" alum and Bill O'Reilly nemesis, is inching closer to a run for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Franken, who has a daily radio show on the liberal Air America network, was based in New York until a last month, when he quietly picked up and moved his residence and his show to Minneapolis.

The comedian says he's still undecided about challenging Republican Sen. Norm Coleman — but it appears that his reluctance is only a matter of convenience.

Once he announces his bid for office, he will have to give up his three-hour, daily radio show. Radio and TV stations are reluctant to carry programs hosted by political candidates since it opens them to charges of favoritism.

"I think I'm going to let it evolve," he told an Internet interviewer, alternet.org, a few days ago.

"I don't have to decide for a while, and I'm sort of doing the things that I'd have to do if I did run.

"So if I do make the decision to do it, I'll have done the things I needed to have done," he says.

"I'm learning — traveling within Minnesota, talking to people. I've been raising money for candidates in Minnesota and around the country."

Franken has already raised $168,000 in just over two months, according to a campaign-finance report. So far, he has given the money to six other liberal candidates — a classic strategy for politicians trying to build up a position for themselves within the party.

"Baywatch" washing up on DVD

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Beach-and-babes TV series "Baywatch" is finally headed to DVD.

A late-summer best-of set, with episodes chosen by star Pamela Anderson, will be the initial release, followed by complete series sets.

"Baywatch," which aired from 1989-2001, is again making headlines, with a big-budget movie in the works from director Eli Roth ("Hostel," "Cabin Fever").

The series gained fame for its look at the Southern California beach lifestyle as seen through the eyes of a team of sexy lifeguards.

'Jaws' Author Peter Benchley Dies at 65

NEW YORK - Peter Benchley, whose novel "Jaws" made millions think twice about stepping into the water even as the author himself became an advocate for the conservation of sharks, has died at age 65, his widow said Sunday.

Wendy Benchley, married to the author for 41 years, said he died Saturday night at their home in Princeton, N.J. The cause of death, she said, was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive and fatal scarring of the lungs.

Thanks to Benchley's 1974 novel, and Steven Spielberg's blockbuster movie of the same name, the simple pastime of ocean swimming became synonymous with fatal horror, of still water followed by ominous, pumping music, then teeth and blood and panic.

"Spielberg certainly made the most superb movie; Peter was very pleased," Wendy Benchley told The Associated Press.

"But Peter kept telling people the book was fiction, it was a novel, and that he no more took responsibility for the fear of sharks than Mario Puzo took responsibility for the Mafia."

Benchley, the grandson of humorist Robert Benchley and son of author Nathaniel Benchley, was born in New York City in 1940. He attended the elite Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, then graduated from Harvard University in 1961. He worked at The Washington Post and Newsweek and spent two years as a speechwriter for President Johnson, writing some "difficult" speeches about the Vietnam War, Wendy Benchley said.

A 1974 article in People magazine described Benchley as "Tall, slender and movie-star handsome, with eyes like the deep blue sea." The author's interest in sharks was lifelong, beginning with childhood visits to Nantucket Island in Massachusetts and heightening in the mid-1960s when he read about a fisherman catching a 4,550-pound great white shark off Long Island, the setting for his novel.

"I thought to myself, `What would happen if one of those came around and wouldn't go away?"' he recalled. Benchley didn't start the novel, for which he received a $7,500 advance, until 1971 because he was too busy with his day jobs.

"There was no particular influence. My idea was to tell my first novel as a sort of long story ... just to see if I could do it. I had been a freelance writer since I was 16, and I sold things to various magazines and newspapers whenever I could."

The editor of "Jaws," Thomas Congdon, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he had been impressed by some articles Benchley wrote for National Geographic and arranged a lunch at a French restaurant in New York — "a second-class restaurant, not first class, since he was an unknown."

"The lunch didn't go very well," said Congdon, an editor at Doubleday at the time and now retired. "His nonfiction ideas did not seem very promising, but at the end of the meal, I said, `Have you ever thought of writing a novel?' And he said, `Well, I have an idea about a great white shark that marauds an Eastern coastal town and provokes a moral crisis in the community.'"

Congdon loved the idea, but said Benchley was reluctant to start the book because he couldn't afford time away from his journalistic work. So Congdon got him $1,000 as a down payment, in return for an initial submission of 100 pages.

"Ninety-five percent of it was jokey stuff, because he thought that was the way you do it," said Congdon, who dismissed a longtime publishing legend that the book was heavily edited and as much his triumph as Benchley's.

"But the first five pages were wonderful. There were no jokes. I wrote heavily in the margin: `NO JOKES.' He went out and did it again, and it generated whole industries — the movie, amusement park rides. It changed the way people looked at sharks."

While Peter Benchley co-wrote the screenplay for "Jaws," and authored several other novels, including "The Deep" and "The Island," Wendy Benchley said he was especially proud of his conservation work. He served on the national council of Environmental Defense, hosted numerous television wildlife programs, gave speeches around the world and wrote articles for National Geographic and other publications.

"He cared very much about sharks. He spent most of his life trying to explain to people that if you are in the ocean, you're in the shark's territory, so it behooves you to take precautions," Wendy Benchley said.

The author did not abide by the mayhem his book evoked. In fact, he was quite at ease around sharks, his widow said. She recalled a trip to Guadeloupe, Mexico last year for their 40th wedding anniversary, when the two went into the water in a special cage.

"They put bait in the water and sharks swim around and play games," she said.

"We went at a time when the females came in and the females were much larger than the males. And at times we would have 4 or 5 of the most gorgeous female torpedoes drifting by the cage. We were thrilled, excited. We'd been around sharks for so long."

Besides his wife, Peter Benchley is survived by three children and five grandchildren. A small family service will take place next week in Princeton, Wendy Benchley said.

'Pink Panther' Claws to Top of Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Inspector Clouseau bumbled his way to the top of the box office as Steve Martin's "The Pink Panther" debuted with $21.7 million to lead a rush of new releases.

New Line's horror sequel "Final Destination 3" ran a close second with $20.1 million, followed by Universal's animated "Curious George" at No. 3 with $15.3 million and the Warner Bros. thriller "Firewall" starring Harrison Ford in fourth with $13.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The overall box office rose slightly despite the Winter Olympics and a Northeast snowstorm, both of which kept many movie-goers at home. The top 12 movies took in $106.8 million, up 3 percent over the same weekend last year, when "Hitch" opened as the No. 1 movie with $43.2 million.

After a slump in which attendance dropped 7 percent in 2005, Hollywood is off to a better start this year. Revenues are at just over $1 billion, up 8 percent from last year's. Factoring in higher ticket prices, attendance has risen 5 percent, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Sony's "The Pink Panther" stars Martin in the role defined by Peter Sellers, whose French detective Clouseau was the idiot-savant hero of a string of 1960s and '70s comedy hits by Blake Edwards, who continued the franchise into the '80s and '90s after Sellers' death.

The remake drew a broad audience, with parents and their children accounting for 51 percent of the crowds and viewers evenly divided between those older and younger than 25.

"It was just all over the place, kids, parents, teenagers. We had everybody," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, which inherited "The Pink Panther" from MGM in a Sony-led takeover last year.

The top 10 was dominated by five family-friendly films — "The Pink Panther," "Curious George," 20th Century Fox's "Big Momma's House 2," Universal's "Nanny McPhee" and the Weinstein Co. animated tale "Hoodwinked" — and three horror flicks — "Final Destination 3" and Sony's "When a Stranger Calls" and "Underworld Evolution."

"It's a battle of the genres," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "Family films and horror films are the most consistently performing genres at the box office, and there really is a lot of choice out there for both right now."

Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain," the favorite for best picture at the Academy Awards, remained the top-grosser among Oscar contenders, finishing at No. 8 with $4.2 million and lifting its domestic total to $66.6 million.

In limited release, the acclaimed concert film " Neil Young: Heart of Gold" opened strongly at four theaters, taking in $57,303 for a $14,326 average, compared to a $6,241 average in 3,477 cinemas for "The Pink Panther."

Directed by Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs"), "Heart of Gold" presents Young as he premiered the songs of his latest album, the country-tinged "Prairie Wind," at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium last August. "Heart of Gold" expands to more theaters this weekend.

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 Pink Panther," $21.7 million.
2. "Final Destination 3," $20.1 million.
3. "Curious George," $15.3 million.
4. "Firewall," $13.8 million.
5. "When a Stranger Calls," $10 million.
6. "Big Momma's House 2," $6.8 million.
7. "Nanny McPhee," $5.2 million.
8. "Brokeback Mountain," $4.2 million.
9. "Hoodwinked," $2.502 million.
10. "Underworld Evolution," $2.5 million.

Clooney Doesn't Expect to Win Any Oscars

BERLIN - He has three nominations, but George Clooney doesn't expect to win any Oscars this year. Clooney is a directing and screenplay nominee for "Good Night, and Good Luck" and a supporting-actor nominee for the provocative oil-industry thriller "Syriana."

"I don't think we're going to win any," a deadpan Clooney told reporters Friday, where "Syriana" was screened at Berlin's annual film festival. "There's been a lot of 'Brokeback Mountain' stuff."

His nomination in the screenplay category for "Good Night, and Good Luck" puts him up against Stephen Gaghan, who wrote and also directed "Syriana."

In "Syriana," Clooney plays a veteran CIA agent assigned to assassinate the heir to the throne in an oil-rich Persian Gulf country.

"Oscar nominations are as important as anything," he said. "The hope is that people will see this film — I don't know about wins."

Clooney grew a beard and piled on weight for the role.

"I put it on so quickly I was anxious to get it off," the 44-year-old actor-director said. "The depressing thing was that I could put on 35 pounds in 30 days."

'Gilmore Girls' Feud Upset More Than Fans

BURBANK, Calif. - This season's "Gilmore Girls" story line where the normally tight mother-and-daughter team of Lorelai and Rory feuded and gave each other the silent treatment caused some sharp arguments among the show's rabid fans.

Turns out there were some divisions on the set, too.

"It wasn't my favorite," admitted Lauren Graham, who plays mom Lorelai.

Lorelai and Rory have since made up; tears flowed. Their rapid-fire repartee is back, although usually by phone. Rory is in Yale now, and, in one busy episode this month, became editor of her school paper and moved in with her boyfriend.

The show's creators are clearly trying to push things and avoid the fatigue that usually afflicts television shows in their sixth season.

Long the WB's most critically acclaimed series, "Gilmore Girls" has quietly grown to become its second most popular after "7th Heaven." The show averages just under 5 million viewers a week, up from 4.1 million two seasons ago, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Last month's announcement that the WB and UPN will shut down to form a new network in the fall has left all of their programs in flux. But "Gilmore Girls" would seem to have earned the right to determine its own destiny and make the move to the new CW network.

The growth has come despite the widely objected-to story line.

Part of Graham's problems with the feud were personal; she missed working with co-star Alexis Bledel every day. Primarily she believed it didn't ring true to her character.

"I struggled with the idea that this character, being the parent, would go so far as to stop speaking to her daughter and not make more of an effort," said Graham, taking a break in her trailer on the Warner Bros. lot during a slow day of filming. "We had it in bits and pieces, but it was hard for me to justify — that I wouldn't try harder, that I wouldn't reach out more, that I could stand to be away from her for that long."

She questioned co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino more this year than ever, "and I'm sure they enjoyed it not at all," Graham said.

Some critics took her side. Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald said "it seemed suddenly as if the characters were being manipulated to create drama, rather than allowing the drama to flow naturally out of the characters."

The Palladinos concede that it's tough to come up with new stories for a long-running show without them seeming contrived. But in this case, they said it was important to do something that shakes Rory to her foundation — a typical rite of passage for budding adults, who learn about themselves by how they respond.

"To really rock Rory's world, we had to go to what the core of the show was and to really have them have a rift and explore what the show would be," Sherman-Palladino said. "I know there are two camps. Personally, for me, I've loved the psychological implications of this year more than any other year because we've really gotten to do some real mother-daughter stories."

Think deeply about the characters, and the silence rings true, she said. Lorelai has spent her life trying to do everything differently from her own mother. And if it was Lorelai taking time off from Yale, her mother would have personally dragged her back to school.

While things are better now between Lorelai and Rory, it's not so for Lorelai and Luke, her diner-owner beau.

They're engaged after an agonizingly long courtship. But the sudden emergence of Luke's daughter from a previous relationship has thrown their marriage plans in doubt.

It's never simple, is it? Driving wedges between seemingly well-suited characters is another risk to an audience's patience. The Palladinos like the idea of exploring the difficulties in bringing together two strong personalities very set in their ways.

"It's very different if you get married at 29, than at 38," Sherman-Palladino said. "It's a very different world, and that's what we're trying to tap into."

The future of "Gilmore Girls" is a convoluted plot itself. The Palladinos say they're genuinely undecided about whether they will continue with the series after this season — alarming news for fans of a series that, more than most, reflects the strong sensibilities of their creators.

One factor that may have driven them away — a pilot for a new series, a romantic comedy, that would have been filmed in New York — is no longer in the picture. It was scrapped with the WB's dissolution.

The Palladinos are making plans for a cliffhanger ending to this season (wedding? no wedding?) and for the show to run without them in the fall, just in case.

Graham said the signs point to one more season after this one; the production company is making sure to add another year for people who had six-year contracts. Graham said that's when she'd like to move on, citing the show's workload.

"Getting the language perfect requires a number of takes that you might not have on another show," she explained. "It's just a lot of work — 13, 14 hours door to door. I've missed weddings, I've missed babies being born. I'm not complaining, because of what it has brought me, but I would be ready for a different balance."

She has a hard time imagining the Palladinos not involved, particularly if the series is coming to an end.

Television economics may also play a part in the decision. The WB is canceling "7th Heaven" because, after a decade on the air, the network's most popular show was losing money because it was so expensive to make.

"They've come to us before and asked point-blank how long we think the show can go," Sherman-Palladino said, "and we say it's a family show, it can go on forever. If `7th Heaven' could have gone on for 10 years, why couldn't this show go for 10 years? There's no reason. They're going to be hard-pressed to assemble a cast this good on television again."

Actor Who Played 'Jeffersons' Neighbor Dies

LOS ANGELES - Franklin Cover, who became a familiar face as George and Louise Jefferson's white neighbor in the long-running TV sitcom "The Jeffersons," has died, his publicist said Thursday. He was 77.

Cover died of pneumonia Sunday at the Lillian Booth Actor's Fund of America home in Englewood, N.J., said publicist Dale Olson. He had been living at the home since December 2005 while recuperating from a heart condition.

In his nearly six decades in show business, Cover made numerous appearances on television shows, including "The Jackie Gleason Show," "All in the Family," "Who's the Boss?" "Will & Grace," "Living Single," "Mad About You" and "ER."

He began his career on the stage, appearing in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "Henry IV," and later in numerous Broadway productions, including "Any Wednesday," "Wild Honey and "Born Yesterday."

But Cover was best known for his role as Tom Willis, who was in an interracial marriage with a black woman, in "The Jeffersons."

He and his wife lived in the same "deluxe apartment building" that Sherman Hemsley moved his family to after making money in the dry-cleaning business. There, Cover often played a comic foil to Hemsley's blustering, opinionated black businessman. The show ran from 1975 to 1985.

Cover also appeared in several films, including "The Great Gatsby," "The Stepford Wives" and "Wall Street."

He is survived by his widow, Mary, a son and a daughter.

CBC Radio blasted over fundraiser

CBC Radio was blasted yesterday for spending an undisclosed amount of taxpayers' dollars to throw a concert in New Orleans.

The Maple Leaf Mojo benefit concert on Saturday night will feature 14 Canadian artists -- including Daniel Lanois and The Mighty Popo -- who will fly down to the Big Easy today along with five CBC staff members.

The show, which was originally described by the CBC as a fundraiser for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, will be broadcast live by satellite on Radio 1 from 7:05 to 11 p.m.

With 1,000 tickets selling for $10 each, the $10,000 a sell-out would generate would pale in comparison to the costs of hosting the event, a price the CBC won't divulge.

"Their lack of accountability is offensive and flippant behaviour," said NDP MP Pat Martin. "You'd think that after the stink with (Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson's) junket with journalists to Scandinavia, you'd think that the CBC would be careful about even the perception of a junket such as this."

Martin, a card-carrying member of the Friends of the CBC, questioned why the same concert couldn't be held at home and then the money sent to the New Orleans cause.

"Couldn't they go to The Black Sheep or record portions of the Bluesfest?" he asked. "I recommend they scrap the remote immediately."

In the crosshairs

Martin went on to predict that if the CBC doesn't rethink its spending policies, the new Heritage Minister Bev Oda will.

"CBC is in the crosshairs of the Conservative budget trimmers," he said.

A spokeswoman for Oda's office said while the minister saw the story about the trip in yesterday's Sun, she would not be making any comment on it until next week after she gets settled into office.

Ruth Ellen Soles, CBC director of media relations, refused to say how much the trip will cost.

"We don't discuss budgets of individual programming initiatives. We never have," Soles said.

No one-off

When asked how much the CBC hoped to raise from the event, Soles responded: "Does any fundraising event cost out how much they're going to raise before they go?"

Soles said the concert is not a one-off fundraising event but a major investment in future radio programming.

"This concert is a benefit concert, so there will be funds raised, but this is also a programming initiative," Soles explained. "It's a part of our regular remote programming budget for the fiscal year.

"What we're getting is eight hours of live broadcasting on Saturday as well as live concert recordings we can use for one year. There will be news stories, documentaries done, items for Sounds Like Canada and programming for Definitely Not the Opera and Jowi Taylor's Global Village.

"It's a very sound programming decision as far as we're concerned."

Adam Taylor, a spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, was "embarrassed" by the details of the junket.

"How can they justify sending so many people at taxpayers' expense?" he asked.

"Accountability and transparency are major buzzwords in Canadian politics. It's the height of arrogance for a Crown corporation like the CBC to spend tax dollars with little to no concern for accountability to the public.

"I'm dumbfounded. We have the right to know (how much is being spent)."

Great Big Sea unhurt after bus crash

VANCOUVER (CP) - A tour bus carrying members of the band Great Big Sea ended up on its side Thursday after its driver pulled over to avoid stopped traffic on a highway outside the city.

The musicians weren't hurt in the accident, shook off the scare and were ready to perform in Vancouver on Thursday night, said their concert promoter, House of Blues.

"It's all good, everyone's OK. They're good hearty people. The show's going on," said general manager Paul Haagenson of House of Blues.

Great Big Sea's tour bus was travelling on the Trans-Canada Highway from Calgary when it went off the road near Abbotsford, about 80 kilometres east of Vancouver.

"In an attempt to avoid a collision with a line of cars stopped on the highway the driver moved to the shoulder of the road," the band's Halifax-based manager, Louis Thomas, said in a statement.

"Once the bus had come to a full stop, it tipped."

It was clear and bright when the accident happened at mid-day Thursday.

Thomas said the despite the accident, Great Big Sea wanted to perform.

"Everyone is OK and the priority is to make the show happen in Vancouver tonight. The band is looking forward to playing in the concert tonight," he said.

The band declined an interview request about the accident.

A police spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Adam Sandler & Kevin James Pronounced "Chuck & Larry"

Universal Pictures plans to feature Adam Sandler and Kevin James as a couple of guys who get married, in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry." Variety reports the upcoming comedy will be directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers), from a script written by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor (Sideways). The story will follow two straight firemen who try to qualify for their fire department's domestic partner benefits by posing as a gay married couple. The project seems to have been a long time in the making, as the film is apparently being produced by Bruce Almighty director Tom Shadyac, after previously planning to direct the film, which then had Nicolas Cage and Will Smith considering the roles.

CBS Cages "Love Monkey"

Looks like Love Monkey's ready to be put down.

CBS has shelved the critically praised hourlong dramedy series, following the adventures of four single thirtysomethings in New York, after just three episodes. And the prospects for its future seem glum.

"Love Monkey is on hiatus and there's no scheduled return date," a network spokesperson says. However, sources close to the show tell E! Online's TV columnist Kristen Veitch that Love Monkey won't be coming back.

Love Monkey's Tuesday time slot will be the latest edition of The Amazing Race, whose two-hour premiere 9-11 on Feb. 28 was already scheduled to preempt the series.

Beginning Mar. 7, Race will move to the 10 p.m. slot previously occupied by Love Monkey to make room for The Unit. The high-octane action drama from producers Shawn Ryan (FX's The Shield) and David Mamet stars Dennis Haysbert (24) and Robert Patrick (T2, The X-Files) as covert special forces operatives on secret missions and the wives who protect their identities.

Based on the book of the same name by Kyle Smith, Love Monkey starred Tom Cavanagh as a record company executive who loses his job and his girlfriend all in the same day. With a little help from his buddies, including Jason Priestley as his brother-in-law, Cavanagh's character manages to bounce back, not only finding a new woman, but also a new record company job.

CBS had ordered seven episodes, plus the pilot, as a midseason replacement from producers Sony Pictures Television and Paramount Network Television.

But ratings for the show have been underwhelming. Monkey shed viewers with each airing, and averaged just 8.1 million for its run, about 6 million fewer viewers than NBC's time slot champ, Law & Order: SVU. Also not helping is its Friends-type vibe, which doesn't quite jibe with CBS' crime drama-heavy schedule.

Before Amazing Race takes over at the end of the month, CBS will fill Monkey's slot with a rerun of NCIS next week and a rerun of CSI the following week.

Winfrey Signs Deal With XM Satellite Radio

NEW YORK - Oprah Winfrey has signed a three-year, $55 million deal with XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. to launch a new radio channel beginning in September, Winfrey and XM announced Thursday.

The new channel, "Oprah & Friends," will air programming on fitness, health and self-improvement topics with personalities that appear on Winfrey's TV program, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," as well as in O, The Oprah Magazine. It will also feature a weekly radio show with Winfrey and Gayle King, a frequent guest on her TV show.

The $55 million deal is a far cry from the five-year, cash-and-stock deal that rival satellite radio-broadcaster Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. has with morning shock jock Howard Stern. Originally worth $500 million when it was signed in 2004, Stern's deal is now worth $600 million due to appreciation of Sirius' stock price. XM also has signed other big programming contracts, including an 11-year, $650 million deal for Major League Baseball.

Winfrey's new channel on XM will feature personalities that appear on her show and in her magazine including Bob Greene, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Nate Berkus.

The Winfrey news and an unrelated positive analyst report helped send XM's shares up $1.74, or 7 percent, to $26.35 in heavy trading Thursday morning on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Sirius' shares edged up 3 cents to $6.01, also on the Nasdaq.

XM and Sirius are locked in a fierce competition to sign up programming and new subscribers as they both strive to reach profitability. Each service costs about $13 a month and offers dozens of channels of commercial-free music as well as other channels of talk and news.

XM, which is based in Washington, D.C., is the larger of the two, with more than 6 million subscribers, while the New York-based Sirius has more than 3 million.

Spears admits driving with baby in lap "a mistake"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Britney Spears said on Thursday she "made a mistake" by driving a car with her infant son in her lap, but the agency that photographed the incident denied her claim that paparazzi were hounding her.

Spears has said a "frightful" encounter with "physically aggressive" photographers on Monday outside a coffee shop prompted her to pull out of the parking lot without first strapping her 5-month-old baby, Sean, back into his car seat.

Pictures published on Tuesday showed Spears at the wheel of her vehicle, holding Sean on her lap, as she drove down the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. A man identified as her bodyguard is shown next to her in the front passenger seat.

The photos ignited a media firestorm and led the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to visit Spears' home on Tuesday at the request of county child welfare authorities.

In an interview broadcast on Thursday by the TV show "Access Hollywood," Spears, 24, acknowledged she had used poor judgment, saying, "I made a mistake and so it is what it is, I guess."

She stuck to her assertion she was reacting to photographers: "Being put in the situation that I was in, it was kind of bad with the paparazzi."

The photo agency X17, which took the exclusive pictures, disputed Spears' account in a statement, saying, "These pictures were taken in a very peaceful context, in which photographers exhibited no aggressive behavior."

X17 Vice President Kelly Davis told Reuters only two photographers were involved, one of whom happened to be in a Starbucks parking lot when Spears arrived.

"He was parked four or five parking spaces away and never got out of his car," Davis said.

Spears, whose bodyguard and gone into the coffee shop while she waited outside with Sean in her lap, actually recognized the photographer, waived at him through her window and asked him not to take pictures, to which he agreed, Davis said.

A second photographer, alerted by his colleague to Spears' presence, arrived in time to snap a picture of the singer as she drove out of the parking lot. The first photographer then followed her onto the highway, taking the photo that ran in the New York Post and elsewhere.

"At the point where she made the decision to drive with the baby in her lap, there was only one photographer and he wasn't even shooting," Davis said. "They (paparazzi) usually are swarming around her, but on that day they weren't."

Under California law, children are required to be secured in a child-safety seat until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 pounds. Both the sheriff's department and the California Highway Patrol said they are not investigating the incident.

Gilmour: Pink Floyd over, for good

Pink Floyd fans can officially put the reunion rumours to bed.

Despite a successful one-off show at Live8 last summer and speculation of tour dates later this year, the band is "over," according to former singer-guitarist David Gilmour.

Speaking in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, he stated that a reunion is definitely not in the cards.

"The band? It's over," announced Gilmour. "Reunited because of the good cause, to get over the bad relationship, and not to have regrets.

"I think I've had enough. I am 60. I don't want to work much anymore. It's an important part of my life, I have had enormous satisfactions, but now it's enough. It's much more comfortable to work on my own."

Gilmour also stated that his thoughts have nothing to do with the tension between he and co-founder Roger Waters, who left the band in 1983, and didn't play with them again until Live8.

"The issue about Roger is irrelevant, because even without him I don't want to go on as Pink Floyd... I am fine as I live now. It was fantastic but now I don't feel like (it) any more."

RICKY TEMPS AT 'OFFICE'

Ricky Gervais, the master mind behind the classic BBC series "The Office," will write an episode for its NBC counterpart, starring Steve Carell.

Gervais and "The Office" co-creator Stephen Merchant, who serve as executive producers of NBC's "The Office," will co-write the episode, scheduled to air next season.

"I had extended an open invitation for them to write or direct at any time," says "The Office" executive producer Greg Daniels.

"But I think they were smart to wait until we had developed our own following and our own style.

"I'm excited — that's one out of 22 I don't have to worry about for next year," Daniels says.

"But I don't want to see any 'lifts' or 'lorries' in the script — it's 'elevators' and 'trucks' in this version."

Gervais starred in the original BBC series as obnoxious boss-from-hell David Brent, a smarmy middle manager in the Wernham-Hogg paper company, located in the dreary industrial town of Slough.

In NBC's "The Office," set in a paper company in Scranton, Pa., Carell plays boss Michael Scott — a portrayal which earned him a Golden Globe last month in Hollywood.

Daytime Emmys in Rerun Mode

Tony Danza must be crushed. Ditto Tyra Banks.

Both talk-show hosts were dissed by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which rounded up the usual suspects Wednesday for nominations for the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmys.

CBS sudser The Young and the Restless fared the best, racking up a leading 18 nominations overall, including the big kahuna for Outstanding Drama Series. The show also dominated in the younger actor categories but was completely shut out among the leading ranks.

Perennial favorite Ellen DeGeneres managed to dance her way to the top of the heap yet again, nabbing 11 nominations--the same as last year and just one nod shy of two years prior--including Outstanding Talk Show, Talk Show Host, Writing, and scores of technical nods, ranging from main title design to multiple camera editing.

The nominees were announced live on ABC's The View and, naturally, Barbara Walters and her gaggle represented. The femme-fuelled chatfest garnered 10 nominations, going up against DeGeneres for most of them, including Outstanding Talk Show and Talk Show Host awards.

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, along with Soapnet's Ty Treadway and Lisa Rinna, are also up for host-with-most honors; Dr. Phil McGraw didn't make the cut in the hosting department but his eponymous program is up for Outstanding Talk Show.

There will be less competition in the game show ranks. Bob Barker and the Wheel of Fortune tandem of Pat Sajak and Vanna White were among those overlooked in the Outstanding Game Show and Game Show Host categories. There were only two nominees in each category this year: Meredith Vieira and her Who Wants to Be a Millionaire vs. Alex Trebek and Jeopardy!

Meanwhile, Martha Stewart's new post-prison daytime effort warranted six nominations, including Best Service Show and Service Show Host, pitting her against the likes of Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray and Suze Orman.

Finally, no Daytime Emmy story would be complete without noting reigning afternoon queen Oprah Winfrey. Although she long ago removed herself and her show from the major talk-show categories, it was still honored with eight technical nominations.

The Daytime Emmys will air Apr. 28 on ABC, and after 32 years in New York, the ceremony will be held for the first time in Los Angeles, at the Kodak Theater.

Here's a breakdown of the major categories:

Drama Series:
As the World Turns (CBS)
General Hospital (ABC)
Guiding Light (CBS)
The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Lead Actress, Drama Series:
Bobbie Eakes, All My Children
Susan Flannery, The Bold and the Beautiful
Kelly Monaco, General Hospital
Beth Ehlers, Guiding Light
Kim Zimmer, Guiding Light

Lead Actor, Drama Series:
Thorsten Kate, All My Children
Anthony Geary, General Hospital
Maurice Benard, General Hospital
Robert Newman, Guiding Light
Ron Raines, Guiding Light

Supporting Actress, Drama Series:
Jennifer Ferrin, As the World Turns
Crystal Chappelle, Guiding Light
Gina Tognoni, Guiding Light
Renee Goldsberry, One Life to Live
Tracey E. Bregman, The Young and the Restless

Supporting Actor, Drama Series:
Trent Dawson, As the World Turns
Grayson McCouch, As the World Turns
Tyler Christopher, General Hospital
Jordan Clarke, Guiding Light
Greg Rikaart, The Young and the Restless

Talk Show:
Dr. Phil
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Live with Regis & Kelly
The View

Talk Show Host:
Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa, Live with Regis & Kelly
Ty Treadway, Lisa Rinna, Soapnet
Barbara Walters, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones Reynolds, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The View

Game Show:
Jeopardy!
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Game Show Host:
Alex Trebek, Jeopardy!
Meredith Vieira, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Service Show:
30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray (Food Network)
Essence of Emeril with Emeril Lagasse (Food Network)
Martha (syndicated)
Suze Orman: For the Young, Fabulous & Brroke (PBS)
This Old House (PBS)

Service Show Host:
Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray
Emeril Lagasse, Essence of Emeril with Emeril Lagasse
Martha Stewart, Martha
Suze Orman, Suze Orman: For the Young, Broke & Fabulous

Children's Series:
Between the Lions (PBS)
Endurance: Tehachapi (NBC)
Postcards from Buster (PBS)
Strange Days at Blake Holsey High (NBC)
Zoom (PBS)

Preschool Children's Series:
Blue's Room (Nickelodeon)
HI-5 (Discovery Kids)
Paz (Discovery Kids)
Sesame Street (PBS)

Affleck, Damon Together Again

After all these years together, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are finally making it legal.

The Oscar-winning Boston buddies will reunite onscreen in an untitled drama inspired by two real-life attorneys, who fight a 15-year battle to free an innocent man on death row, Daily Variety reports.

Save a couple of cameos in Kevin Smith's Dogma and Jersey Girls, the twosome hasn't headlined a movie together since 1997's Good Will Hunting, for which they shared the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Affleck will play Michael Banks and Damon, J. Gordon Cooney, two lawyers at a Philadelphia firm who work pro bono on the appeal of John Thompson, who claims he was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The attorneys manages to win nine stays of execution over the next decade and a half and eventually overturn the conviction and have Thompson cleared of all charges.

The film, which will be distributed by Disney's Touchstone Pictures division, is being produced by Affleck and Damon's Live Planet shingle. Chris Murphey has been tapped to write the script. As part of the movie deal, the companies acquired the life-story rights to the attorneys and Thompson for an unspecified sum.

Live Planet is the multimedia outfit that hatched Damon and Affleck's now-scotched reality series Project Greenlight. It's also developing for Miramax Gone Baby Gone, the story of two Beantown private detectives investigating a girl's kidnapping. The film is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane and is expected to mark Affleck's feature directing debut.

That project is scheduled to start shooting this summer in Boston. No word when Affleck and Damon will roll cameras on the death row story.

Besides Gone, Affleck has three more movies in the pipeline: playing an assassin in Joe Carnahan's Las Vegas crime comedy Smoking Aces, going up, up and away as original Superman actor George Reeves in the mystery Hollywoodland, and appearing in Smith's highly anticipated sequel Clerks II.

Damon, who's currently in theaters in Syrnana, has been in the Dominican Republic shooting Robert De Niro's CIA film The Good Shepherd, costarring De Niro and Angelina Jolie. This December he stars with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson in Martin Scorsese's crime drama The Departed. He's also signed on to reprise his role as Jason Bourne for The Bourne Ultimatum and is likely to be in the cast of Ocean's 13, if the sequel gets off the drawing board.

With news of their legal drama circulating, Damon and Affleck can finally put aside the rumors spread by OK! magazine that the actors were ready to take over the roles immortalized by Paul Newman and Robert Redford in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

"There's no truth, never was," Affleck's rep, Ken Sunshine, tells E! Online. "Never any thought about Butch Cassidy, never any meetings about it. It's just not true."

Carey, U2 and Kanye Win Grammy Awards

LOS ANGELES - Mariah Carey ended her 16-year Grammy drought by winning three trophies Wednesday, but her hopes of making Grammy history were smashed as rock gods U2 won four awards, including song of the year for "Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own."

Carey, one of the best-selling artists of all time, hadn't won a Grammy since her first two as a fresh-faced ingenue in 1990. On Wednesday, she was nominated for eight and won three in the pre-telecast ceremony. No woman had ever won more than five in one night.

But she was shut out through most of the televised portion, losing best female pop vocal performance to Kelly Clarkson's triumphant "Since U Been Gone," song of the year to U2 and record of the year to Green Day.

"If you think this is going to go to our head, its too late," Bono said after the group captured their 19th Grammy.

Kelly Clarkson, who also won best pop album, also helped steal some of Carey's spotlight.

"I'm sorry I'm crying again on national television," said Clarkson, the former "American Idol," tearful and shaking as she held her first Grammy. "Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me."

Carey was considered the year's comeback queen, having overcome personal difficulties and a career slump of a few years ago to emerge in 2005 with the most popular album of the year.

But Carey's comeback was upstaged — along with everything else — by the appearance of Sly Stone, the mercurial, psychedelic pioneer who disappeared from the music scene decades ago and hadn't performed in public since 1993.

Toward the end of a sizzling all-star tribute, Stone emerged onstage sporting a tall blond Mohawk and breathed new life into one of his biggest smashes, "I Want To Take You Higher." Though the tribute was planned, many didn't expect Stone — who hasn't performed in public in years — to show up.

Keith Urban was answering questions backstage when Stone's performance began playing on a nearby monitor, and he had to stop talking.

"I think we just got upstaged," Urban said in amazement. "Everything pales in comparison."

Stone's performance was one of the many that upstaged the actual awards, but there were some actually given out during the telecast.

U2 won for best rock album for "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." Guitarist The Edge said the award meant a lot to the group, "but even more precious than the awards is the gift you've all afforded us, you've allowed us to continue to make our music."

U2 provided one of the more rousing performances in the jam-packed show as they sung their hit Vertigo, then collaborated with R&B queen Mary J. Blige's gospel-inflected fervor for their classic "One."

West's three Grammys matched his total for last year. The brash rapper/producer played up (or lived up to) his egotistical reputation as he won best rap album for "Late Registration.

"I had no idea, I had no idea," West said in mock shock as he pulled a huge sheet of paper that read "Thank You List."

The show started off on a two-dimensional note as the cartoon-fronted rock group Gorillaz performed their record of the year contender, "Feel Good Inc." with the help of animation, a blue screen and guest rappers De La Soul. The performance then segued into a Madonna moment, as the pop queen — who was not nominated for any awards — sang her latest hit, "Hung Up," with a chorus of dancers behind her.

But it was a brief, impromptu performance of Keys and Stevie Wonder, who introduced the first award, that energized the crowd. Wonder pulled out his harmonica and the two soulfully sang his classic "Higher Ground" as a tribute to the late Coretta Scott King, who was buried Tuesday.

"Let's keep trying to reach that higher ground," Keys said. "I forever want to reach that higher ground."

John Legend was also an early winner, beating out Wonder, Keys, Fantasia and Earth, Wind & Fire to snag best R&B album for his platinum debut, "Get Lifted." He picked up his second trophy for best male R&B vocal for "Ordinary People."

Alison Krauss & Union Station also had three awards each, including for best country album, while Wonder, who released his first album in ten years last year, also had two.

Bryan Adams headed to Hall of Fame

TORONTO (CP) - Canuck recording superstar Bryan Adams is headed for the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

"Bryan is one of Canada's most admired artists and one of our leading ambassadors. We are proud to have him join the Canadian Music Hall of Fame," Melanie Berry, president of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, said Tuesday in a statement. "His distinguished collection of influential recordings have entertained and inspired many generations of music-lovers and will continue to do so."

Adams will be honoured at the 2006 Juno Awards, to be held April 2 in Halifax.

Born in Kingston, Ont., Adams launched his career in 1980 with a self-titled album. A few years later he became a household name thanks to a string of hits such as Heaven, Straight for the Heart, Run to You and Summer of '69.

Last fall, he released Anthology, a two-disc retrospective that coincided with a Canadian tour.

For more than 25 years, CARAS has been inducting musicians and industry leaders into a hall of fame, but has not had a "bricks-mortar" base. Last spring, the academy announced plans to build a flashy music museum in Toronto, where the hall will be housed.

At the time, the academy said it would open in the summer of 2007.

Resurgent Mariah Has Momentum for Grammys

LOS ANGELES - In less than a year's time, Mariah Carey managed to escape pop's most dreaded fate — faded superstar — to become its reigning queen, ruling the record charts with the year's most popular single and its best-selling album.

Carey could also become queen of the Grammys if her momentum carries in to Wednesday night. The diva, who won her only two Grammys 16 years ago as a multiplatinum newcomer, has the opportunity to win a record-setting eight trophies, including in the coveted categories of record, song, and album of the year. No woman has won more than five Grammys in one evening.

A big win would be especially sweet for Carey, one of the best-selling artists of all time, who fell into a slump a few years ago after dealing with an emotional breakdown, a flop movie with "Glitter" and its poorly received soundtrack. In 2005, she was redeemed — "The Emancipation of Mimi" sold more than 5 million copies and her torch ballad "We Belong Together" was the year's most popular song.

"I think Mariah is going to have a great night," said Carey fan Alicia Keys, who shares the most-Grammys-in-one-haul record with Beyonce, Lauryn Hill and Norah Jones. "It's very nice to see people not give up."

"I'm just so happy for her," said Mary J. Blige. "I watched them count her out; I watched them not believe her; I watched them say she was done. And she's back! So I'm going there just to see that, clap for her, and just be happy for her, and yes — I want her to get all of them. I want her to clean up."

Ten years ago, Carey was also in a position to sweep the Grammy awards, up for six of them, including record of the year for the tear-jerker ballad "One Sweet Day" with Boyz II Men. But she went home empty-handed as edgy newcomer Alanis Morissette became the belle of the ball, winning four for "Jagged Little Pill."

This time, Carey again has tough competition in many of the categories in which she's nominated.

"The nominees are as strong as they've been in a long time," said Rick Krim, executive vice president of music and talent programming at VH1. With a diverse field of nominees that includes U2, Paul McCartney, Green Day and Gwen Stefani, he said, it's possible no artist — even Carey — will dominate the Grammys this year.

"I just think the nominees are so strong in the big categories and so deserving, it would somewhat be surprising," he said of a single-artist sweep.

Carey is not the only artists with eight nominations Wednesday night. Maverick rapper Kanye West and his R&B protege, newcomer John Legend, join her at the head of the pack. Carey and West are competing for record and album of the year — Carey for "We Belong Together and "The Emancipation of Mimi," and West for "Gold Digger" and "Late Registration."

This is the second year in a row that West finds himself nominated for a possible avalanche of Grammys — and it's only his second album. Last year, he was the leading nominee with 10 for his groundbreaking debut rap album, "The College Dropout" and his songwriting and production skills for other artists.

West is also considered a strong favorite Wednesday — "Gold Digger," featuring Jamie Foxx reprising his Ray Charles bit, was one of the most popular songs of the year, and "Late Registration" sold more than two million copies.

But Carey and West face tough competition in the record of the year and album of the year categories. Other nominees for record of the year include Green Day's poignant "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Gwen Stefani's crowd-pleaser "Hollaback Girl," and "Feel Good Inc." from the cartoon-fronted band, The Gorillaz.

For album of the year, the field is just as fierce. U2, who seems to win a Grammy every time it puts out an album, is nominated for "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"; Stefani is up for her kitschy solo debut, "Love. Angel. Music. Baby."; and rock god Paul McCartney, who released his most acclaimed work in years with "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," is also nominated.

Though the former Beatle's album hardly had the commercial appeal of the rest of the nominees, the 63-year-old has never won a Grammy for best album — and he might be able to pull off an upset.

"People are always sentimental for a Beatle," Krim said, though he added that a McCartney win "would be the one that would be a bit of a shocker to people."

Compared to McCartney and many other nominees, Legend is a far less familiar name. The silky soulful balladeer made his debut in late 2004 with the album "Get Lifted," and was nominated for a stunning eight Grammys, including song of the year for his simple yet elegant ballad, "Ordinary People." He is a heavy favorite to win the best new artist category, in which he is competing with R&B dance queen Ciara, emo rockers Fall Out Boy, the rock group Keane and the country trio SugarLand.

"I think he's a classic Grammy type of artist, who's made a great record, critically acclaimed," says Krim. "Sort of like the Grammys adopted Alicia Keys, and she's sort of a Grammy mainstay, I think he'll be the same. There's no glitz or glamor around it, it's very true."

The Grammys will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. EST.

Armstrong Recalls 'Moonlighting' Days

Curtis Armstrong had an atypical introduction to film and television work.
"I was spoiled going into movies, because my first movie was 'Risky Business' and I was spoiled for television by 'Moonlighting,'" says the veteran character actor.

Armstrong arrived on "Moonlighting" early in its third season, a transitional moment for the private investigator comedy. The show had just received 16 Emmy nominations, including a somewhat peculiar outstanding drama series nod.

"Once 'Moonlighting' had established its reputation for being clever and flip and self-referential, that's what everybody was looking for and at the same time everyone's looking for that, maybe the leads are saying, 'You know, we've done a pie fight and we've done drag. Now I would like to do something that gives me a little exercise.'" Armstrong says.

Introduced as an unwilling love interest for Allyce Beasley's Agnes, Armstrong's Herbert Viola initially provided an awkward, bumbling injection of humor, allowing stars Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd to concentrate on their emotions.

"As much as it may have pleased Bruce to do serious dramatic stretches on that show, it may not have been what the audience particularly wanted," explains Armstrong. "They might have liked the flip, crazy David Addison of the old days, so they needed somebody to dress up as a woman and pop out of a cake and that was me."

The show's third season, premiering on DVD on Tuesday (Feb. 7), had only 15 episodes. Amidst that truncated schedule came classics like "Atomic Shakespeare," the show's take-off on "Taming of the Shrew."

"They wrote the script, which was so clever, and they had these fabulous costumes ... and then we went to shoot at the Court of Miracles at the backlot of Universal and, for me, this was the biggest thrill of my life, because I had grown up loving the old Universal horror movies and the Universal Sherlock Holmes movies, which all took place on that set," Armstrong recalls.

That season also featured "The Straight Poop," a behind-the-scenes exploration of the animosity between Willis' Dave Addison and Shepherd's Maddie Hayes, which parodied tabloid rumors surrounding the real on-set antics.

"Because of the tensions around the set there were different camps and you had to avoid being in any of the camps -- and I'm not just talking about two camps, there were other camps," Armstrong says. "They were dancing around this Maypole of weirdness and stress."

Armstrong only recently revisited his "Moonlighting" experience, screening an episode for his daughter.

"It was enough to live it and I've never really been compelled to relive it," he laughs.

Armstrong has found Europeans associate him with "Moonlighting," while Americans recognize his familiar face from films like "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Better Off Dead." Armstrong has never had a problem being approached by fans, even ones calling him "Booger."

"The way I look at is, if you're an actor and you have one role in a career that people remember with affection and write you letters about and stop you in the street, then you're damned lucky. To have more than one is an incredible blessing."

Armstrong pays tribute to ex-fiancee Crow on his radio show

NEW YORK (AP) — Lance Armstrong closed his weekly satellite radio show on a bittersweet note by playing ex-fiancee Sheryl Crow's song Letter To God.

The seven-time Tour De France winner and the Grammy-winning rocker announced their breakup in a joint statement last week after "much thought and consideration," despite their "deep love and respect."

Armstrong acknowledged the split in his Sunday night talk show, "Armstrong Radio," on the Sirius Satellite Radio channel "Faction," saying he was "torn it didn't work out."

"Obviously, this week was a rough week for us, but that doesn't change the fact that Sheryl is an unbelievable lady, one of the smartest, wisest, most gifted people I've ever met and a person that I can honestly say has shown me a love that I never knew," he said.

"It's only fair that I say that, and it's only fair that we play one of her songs tonight and not run from the situation."

Crowe, 43, has called Armstrong, 34, the inspiration for her last album, Wildflower, which was released in September.

They announced their engagement in September. It would have been her first marriage and his second. He has three children from a previous marriage.

Following the breakup announcement, Armstrong reportedly canceled his scheduled appearance as a presenter at the 48th annual Grammy Awards on Wednesday. A call to the Recording Academy by The Associated Press was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Crowe is up for three Grammys: best pop vocal album (Wildflower ), best female pop vocal performance for Good Is Good and best country collaboration with vocals for Building Bridges.

Rolling Stones say Super Bowl censors "ridiculous"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones considered the decision to censor two of their songs during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday "ridiculous" and unnecessary, a representative for the band said on Tuesday.

Stones spokeswoman Fran Curtis took issue with a comment by a National Football League spokesman on Monday that the band was not only aware of the plan to lower the volume on Mick Jagger's microphone for two lines but also "fine with it."

Producers of the top rated U.S. television event of the year have been cautious about causing offense ever since Janet Jackson bared her breast during her act in 2004 in a now famous "wardrobe malfunction."

During the Rolling Stones' act on Sunday, in the song "Start Me Up," the line "you make a dead man come" was cut short and a barnyard reference to "cocks" in the new song "Rough Justice" also disappeared.

"The Rolling Stones were aware of our plan which was to simply lower the volume on his microphone at those two appropriate moments," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Reuters on Monday. "We had agreed to that plan earlier in the week. The Stones were aware of it and they were fine with it."

But the Stone's representative said the members of the band were far from happy with the decision to cut the lines on the broadcast which was carried by ABC.

"The Rolling Stones thought the censorship of their songs by the NFL/ABC was absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary," Curtis said, adding that they were aware of the plan before the show.

Asked whether the Stones had felt strongly enough to take any action, such as pulling out of the show, she said: "The band did the songs they were supposed to do and they sang all the words."

"There were many many conversations back and forth and the band clearly was not happy about it."

ABC Sports has said any alteration of the lyrics was done by the NFL and its production company.

Apple cuts iPod Shuffle price, adds 1-GB Nano

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday cut the price of its cheapest digital music player, the iPod Shuffle, and launched a smaller-capacity version of its mid-priced iPod Nano.

The move by Apple, which has 70 percent of the U.S. digital music player market, is aimed at further consolidating a market that it leads, Apple executives said. The company also said it has now sold 12 million videos on its iTunes online store.

Apple has already sold more than 40 million iPods since their introduction in October 2001, and, in 2005 alone, sold more than 30 million of the popular items.

The price cuts could raise questions about whether Apple's profit margins will suffer, but American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said he was not concerned.

"The price of components have come down more than 70 percent, especially flash memory for the Shuffle," he said. "And the price of the Shuffle hadn't changed, so they were making a ton of profit off the Shuffle. So they're passing some of those savings on."

Asked whether Apple needed to cut prices for products that were already so popular, Wu said, "While iPods have a 70 percent share in the U.S., internationally its share is much lower at around 40 percent."

Cupertino, California-based Apple said the 512-megabyte Shuffle will now sell for $69, down from $99 previously. The 1-gigabyte model will sell for $99, down from $129.

The 512-megabyte version holds about 120 songs.

The new 1-gigabyte Nano, the sleek iPod model that won rave reviews from critics and consumers when it was introduced last September, was priced at $149.

The 2-gigabyte Nano sells for $199 and holds about 500 songs; a 4-gigabyte model sells for $249.

Greg Joswiak, head of iPod product marketing, in a telephone interview declined to comment on the lower prices' impact on iPod gross margins, he said the announcement was part of Apple's longer-term strategy. Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer has said that average gross margin on all iPod models is 20 percent or more.

"It's fair to say this has been a planned move," Joswiak said when asked about gross margin impact.

Wu also said that recent studies suggest only a third of all U.S. households have a digital music player, suggesting that the market opportunity for the iPod is greater than its global market share suggests.

Apple shares rose 30 cents to $67.60 on Nasdaq. During the session they traded as high as $69.48, a gain of 3 percent. The shares fell nearly 13 percent over the previous four intraday trading sessions.

The stock trades at about 25 times its projected earnings per share before items for its fiscal year 2007 ending in September.

Scarlett and Keira get naked for Vanity Fair

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rising film stars Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley, better known for their work with their clothes on, have bared all for Vanity Fair.

"Lost in Translation" actress Johansson, 21, and Britain's Knightley, 20, who is Oscar-nominated for her role in "Pride and Prejudice" stripped naked for the cover photo of the magazine's annual Hollywood issue.

Fashion designer Tom Ford, guest artistic director for the Hollywood portfolio which hits newsstands on Wednesday, said the pair had few qualms about the shoot.

"We didn't have to convince them. And you know, in today's world everything is vetted through a publicist, so they all knew right before they got to the set," Ford told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday.

But Ford said Rachel McAdams, who starred in "The Notebook" and appeared in "Mean Girls," got cold feet at the last minute.

"She did want to do it, and then when she was on set, I think she felt uncomfortable, and I didn't want to make anybody feel uncomfortable," he said.

Angelina Jolie also posed naked -- in a bathtub -- for the special, which includes shots of a fully clothed George Clooney and a galaxy of other stars.

Spears incident draws attention of child welfare

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Photographs showing pop star Britney Spears driving a car with her infant son in her lap, in apparent violation of motor safety laws, caught the attention of child welfare authorities and ignited a media uproar on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said a deputy paid a visit to Spears' home in Malibu to obtain "contact information" at the request of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

"We were contacted by DCFS to obtain contact information from the Spears for them," said the spokesman, Luis Castro. "What they're going to do with the information we don't know. It's not our investigation."

A spokeswoman for the Family Services Department, Louise Grasmehr, declined comment on the Spears incident. But she said her agency routinely sends social workers to any homes where a child has been reported to be placed in danger, including the failure to properly restrain a baby in a moving car.

Meanwhile, Spears, 24, issued a statement insisting that she is a good mother and that incident in question was the result of a "frightful encounter with the paparazzi."

Pictures published in the New York Post and elsewhere on Tuesday showed Spears at the wheel of her sport utility vehicle, holding her 5-month-old baby, Sean, on her lap. A man identified as her bodyguard is shown next to her in the front passenger seat.

According to the Post, Spears drove for at least two miles along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Monday.

A source close to Spears told Reuters that the incident occurred after the singer had driven to a Starbucks shop with her son strapped into his car seat in the back of her SUV.

She moved the baby to her lap after stopping at the coffee shop to let her bodyguard go inside, then became unnerved as photographers swarmed around the vehicle as she waited for him to return, the source said. When the bodyguard got back in the car, Spears quickly drove off with her son still in her lap.

"I had a horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi while I was with my baby," Spears said in a statement issued through her publicist. She said Monday's episode reminded her of an incident last summer in which she was "trapped" in her car by a throng of photographers.

"I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm's way, but the paparazzi continued to stalk us, and took photos of us which were sold to the media," she said. "I love my child and would do anything to protect him."

Under California law, automobile passengers are required to be secured in a child-safety seat or booster seat until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 pounds.

The photos of Spears and her baby drew widespread media attention, even becoming a subject of discussion on the popular morning television show "Live with Regis and Kelly."

Spears, who has kept a relatively low profile since marrying dancer Kevin Federline in September 2004, is planning to return to the spotlight this spring with a guest appearance on the NBC television sitcom "Will & Grace."

The Couch Potato Report - February 7th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report includes two films I love, three I don't, and one that isn't as good as the original.

If a filmmaker other than Cameron Crowe made ELIZABETHTOWN I would call it a self-indulgent, unsatisfying disappointment.

However, from FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH through SAY ANYTHING, SINGLES, JERRY MAGUIRE and ALMOST FAMOUS I have been a huge fan of his work, so I was more than willing to forgive him for ELIZABETHTOWN and I really enjoyed it.

But unless you are as big a fan of his as I am you might will probably think that ELIZABETHTOWN is self-indulgent, unsatisfying and a disappointment.

Orlando Bloom from THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY is a man who causes the company he works for to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, and he then gets dismissed by his girlfriend.

As he is attempting to commit suicide, he finds out about the death of his father.

So he travels to his family's small Kentucky hometown of Elizabethtown and on the way there he meets a flight attendant played by Kirsten Dunst from ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.

Dunst may radiate emotion, but Bloom is bland, and by the time the film gets to the father's funeral, which is just one of its many conclusions, you probably won't even be interested in seeing how it ends.

Me, on the other hand, well I completely enjoyed it, just not as much as some of Crowe's other films.

Yes, ELIZABETHTOWN is a self-indulgent, unsatisfying disappointment, but Cameron Crowe's disappointments are better then some filmmaker's best work.

And it is certainly better than three of this week's other new releases. Releases that are so mediocre that they only deserve a passing mention.

JUST LIKE HEAVEN stars Mark Ruffalo from YOU CAN COUNT ON ME as a man who falls in love with a woman. The problem is only he can see her as she might be dead.

The recently Academy Award nominated Reese Witherspoon is the woman, and she is beautiful as always, but Ruffalo looks bored and I was bored. JUST LIKE HEAVEN is just a substandard romantic comedy, with very little romance or comedy.

DOOM is the film based on the best selling game. The Rock from BE COOL and Karl Urban from THE BOURNE SUPREMACY play Marines who must go to Mars to battle experiments gone bad.

If you are a fan of the game, or you love any film that has action and guns in it, maybe you will take something away from DOOM.

The only reason I watched this horrible movie to the end is because I find one of the actresses in the film to be very talented, and very beautiful. Her name is Rosamund Pike and you will hear me speak of her again in a few weeks when I speak about the new version of Jane Austen's PRIDE & PREJUDICE.

For now, I am done speaking about DOOM, it is just too bad to waste any more of my time on.

But no matter how bad I think DOOM is, the film WAITING is worse.

This film stars Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris from JUST FRIENDS about a group of young people working in a restaurant.

Now that is a great idea for a movie!

But WAITING doesn't capitalize on the idea and the result is stupid and idiotic.

It was so bad that I watched the documentaries on the DVD to see if the people who made it knew how bad it was. If they knew, or admitted it, I would have been more entertained. Instead, they feel they have made a real-to-life movie about what its like working in a restaurant, and they feel that they have produced an honest to goodness great film.

Since the guy who wrote and directed the movie worked in a restaurant and I haven't, I will give him the benefit of the doubt on that one. As for this being a great movie, take my word for it, WAITING is not a great, good, or even mildly interesting movie. It is just a waste of your time!

So lets move away from the mediocre to BAMBI II, the straight to DVD sequel of the classic Disney film.

BAMBI II picks up right where the original BAMBI left off, and I mean story wise, not in quality.

Bambi's stoic and serious father decides to raise the fawn, since his mother - as you may remember - was killed by hunters.

Bambi meets new friends and learns to live in the wild as he grows into a young buck, and if you have a young child who won't sit still for the original BAMBI, because it is a bit slow, then they will probably like this sequel.

What makes me happy about the film is that the folks at Disney did a great job ensuring that the legacy of the original film wasn't tarnished by a lackluster sequel. They took their time and produced a quality film. BAMBI II is very, very good.

But it will never join BAMBI as one of the most treasured, celebrated and beloved classics of all time. It may sit beside it on the shelf, but it will never join it.

The young kids will love BAMBI II, and those who revere the original won't hate it. That is probably the best thing I can say about it.

Okay, now that I have gotten through all of those other films, let me give you the best of this week's releases, which I have saved for last.

WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT features the wonderful stop motion animated characters in their first full-length movie!

A very good, and entertaining movie!!

If you have never heard of Wallace and Gromit, or their creator Nick Park, let me briefly tell you that the latter gentleman created these stop motion animation characters for the short films A GRAND DAY OUT, THE WRONG TROUSERS and A CLOSE SHAVE. TROUSERS and SHAVE both won Academy Awards as Best Animated Short.

Nick Park also created and produced the stop motion animated film CHICKEN RUN in 2000.

That is their very successful, and well-deserved pedigree.

WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT only expands on their legacy and Nick Park and company have given us a superb movie!

When a creature with an over zealous appetite is threatening the cancellation of their town's annual vegetable competition, only Wallace and his ever silent dog Gromit can save the day!

Save it they do, entertain us they do!

THE CURSE OF THE WERE RABIT has plenty of inside jokes for longtime fans, a wonderful array of British style humour, and enough references to classic films to entertain one and all!

In a week full of films that aren't worth watching, or are only barely worth watching because you are a fan of the filmmaker or star, WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT is a superb film for the whole family that comes highly recommended.

And it is now available at your favourite local video store along with BAMBI II, ELIZABETHTOWN, WAITING, DOOM and JUST LIKE HEAVEN.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

I'll talk about the new box sets for DOCTOR WHO 2005 SEASON ONE, MOONLIGHTING - SEASON THREE, CHARLES IN CHARGE - SEASON ONE and GREY'S ANATOMY - SEASON ONE.

There will also be a look at SAW II; THE RICHARD PRYOR COLLECTION - which includes his films WHICH WAY IS UP?, BREWSTER'S MILLIONS, CAR WASH and BUSTIN' LOOSE; and in PROOF the daughter of a brilliant man puts his affairs in order. The wonderful cast features Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anthony Hopkins.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll 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 time on The Couch!

Bryan Adams strives to write 'great songs'

MUMBAI, India (AP) - Bryan Adams is writing a new album, but of the 30 songs he's already come up with, he loves just three.

"There's a saying: 'It's easy to write songs, but very difficult to write great songs.' I'm going through that right now," Adams told reporters Friday while on his fourth tour to India.

Adams spoke of the discipline and objectivity that songwriters must have.

"It's a really difficult process," he said. "You have to be methodical and focused."

The Canadian rocker recalled the rough, early days when as a struggling 18-year-old he signed a contract with a record company for just $1.

"I didn't have a manager, I didn't have a band, I was just a songwriter," Adams said. "But I needed to get my foot in the door, so I took the dollar."

He released his first album in 1980, but it wasn't until his third Cuts Like a Knife in 1983 that the hits began to roll in.

Adams has since won 10 Grammys and scored 12 platinum discs worldwide.

He celebrated 25 years in the music business last year with a collection, Anthology.

Adams played in Pakistan before coming to India. His Karachi concert helped raise money for victims of the South Asian earthquake in October that killed 87,000 people and left millions homeless, mostly in northern Pakistan.

New CD Releases For February 7th, 2006

Aceyalone Magnificent City (produced by RJD2) (Project Blowed/Decon)

Acid Mother's Temple Starless and Bible Black Sabbath (Alien 8)

All-Stokz A Bronx Tale (Papercha$e)

AM Syndicate Empire (Sickroom)

Arctic Monkeys When the Sun Goes Down EP (Domino)

AV Club AV Club (Insubordination)

The Avett Brothers Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (Ramseur)

Latrice Barnett Illuminate (Ultra)

Belle & Sebastian The Life Pursuit (Matador)

Bola Abimbola Ara Kenge (Fast Horse)

Pat Boone Hopeless Romantic (ballads album; w/Chet Atkins) (The Gold Label)

Carol Bui This Is How I Recover (Drunken Butterfly)

Bullets for My Valentine The Poison (enhanced CD) (Trustkill)

Shauna Burns Every Thought (33rd Street/Bayside)

Burst Origo (Relapse)

Rachel Cantu Rachel Cantu EP (Q Division)

Century Faith and Failure (Tribunal)

Chamillionaire The Sound of Revenge (Chopped & Screwed) (Universal Motown)

Richard Cheese The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of (includes new versions of hits) (Surfdog)

The Chuck Norris Experiment The Chuck Norris Experiment (Devil Doll)

Clogs Lantern (Brassland)

Jason Collett Idols of Exile (Arts & Crafts)

Chick Corea The Ultimate Adventure (Stretch/Concord)

The Corrs Home (produced by Mitchell Froom; traditional Irish songs; w/the BBC Radio 2 Orchestra) (Atlantic/Rhino)

Cross Culture Proof Positive (Selectric)

The Danger O's Little Machines EP (Blackout!)

De/Vision Subkutan (Dancing Ferret)

deadboy and the Elephantmen We Are Night Sky (Fat Possum)

Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers (Golden Beams/Kindred Rhythm)

Dem Franchise Boyz On Top of Our Game (Virgin)

Désolé A Story to Tell (Reybee)

DJ Reflex Sandunga Music (Cutting)

Doomriders Black Thunder (The Magic Bullet)

Dave Douglas Keystone (2005 album reissue) (Koch)

Everlovely Lightningheart Cusp (Hydra Head)

Frankel Chatterbox EP (Three Ring)

Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit (ex-Can drummer) Secret Rhythms 2 (guest David Sylvian) (Nonplace)

Frank Gambale Natural High (Wombat)

Gastr del Sol Harp Factory on Lake Street (Table of the Elements)

Gate The Dew Line (Table of the Elements)

A Global Threat Where the Sun Never Sets (BYO)

Sarah Harmer I'm a Mountain (Rounder)

Walter Hawkins Live Songs in My Heart (Coda)

Hem No Word from Tom (covers and new versions of originals) (Nettwerk)

Himsa Hail Horror (Prosthetic)

Charlie Hunter Trio Copperopolis (Ropeadope)

In Flames Come Clarity (Special Edition w/bonus DVD available same day) (Ferret)

The Ladies (members of Pinback and Hella) They Mean Us (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers Pandelirium (guests Jello Biafra and Rev. Horton Heat) (Yep Roc)

Lesbians on Ecstasy Giggles in the Dark (remixes) (Alien 8)

Jackie Leven Shining Brother, Shining Sister (Silverline/Immergent)

Lil Al Hood Raised (SMC)

Lil Uno The Streets (Toltec Music)

Lokyata Purified by Anger (Indianola)

Magnet The Tourniquet (Filter)

Mastodon Call of the (Relapse)

Matson Jones The Albatross Mates for Life, but Only After a Lengthy Courtship That Can Take Up to Four Years EP (Sympathy for the Record Industry)

Mean Reds/Wires on Fire Split (CD/DVD combo; live performance from bands' recent tour) (Buddyhead)

Jason Miles What's Going On? Songs of Marvin Gaye (Narada)

Lynn Miles Loves Sweet Love (Red House)

Minus 5 Minus 5 (aka "The Gun Album"; w/members of R.E.M., Wilco, the Decemberists, John Wesley Harding and more) (Yep Roc)

Misstress Barbara Come with Me... (mix CD) (Koch)

Monday Morning Fool's Paradise (Selectric)

Cindy Morgan Postcards (Reunion)

Mylo Destroy Rock & Roll (RCA)

Oceansize Everyone Into Position (Beggars Banquet)

Pauline Oliveros Primordial/Lift (Table of the Elements)

Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers (Astralwerks)

Penuckle the sun beckons... (Basement)

Prefuse 73 Security Screenings (guests Four Tet and members of TV on the Radio) (Warp)

Psychic Ills Dins (The Social Registry)

Remy Ma There's Something About: Based on a True Story (Universal Motown)

Sherri Roberts The Sky Could Send You (w/Phil Woods and Lew Soloff) (Pacific Coast Jazz)

Ray Russell Goodbye Svengali (Cuneiform)

San Quinn The Rock: Pressure Makes Diamonds (SMC)

Shrift Lost in a Moment (Six Degrees)

Sibylle Baier Colour Green (Orange Twin)

Slowride C/S (Deep Elm)

Sly and the Family Stone Different Strokes for Different Folks (covers and remixes of Sly & the Family Stone songs by Maroon 5, the Roots, John Legend and more) (Epic/Legacy)

Small Arms Dealer A Single Unifying Theory (Deep Elm)

State Radio Us Against the Crow (Nettwerk)

Stereo Total Discotheque (Disko)

Kelley Stoltz Below the Branches (Sub Pop)

The String Cheese Incident On the Road: Big Summer Classic '05, Fall 2005, Spring 2005 and Vegoose 2005 (SCI Fidelity)

Stroke 9 Café Cuts (acoustic versions of old songs, plus two new tracks) (Rock Ridge)

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives Live at the Ryman (2003 concert) (Universal South)

The Suspicions The Suspicions (Rip Off)

Swearing at Motorists Last Night Becomes This Morning (Secretly Canadian)

Telepathe Farewell Forest EP (The Social Registry)

Thrill Seekers Nightmusic (two CDs) (Water Music)

Bill Toms and Hard Rain The West End Kid (BT)

Truckfighters Gravity X (Meteor City)

The Derek Trucks Band Songlines (Columbia)

KT Tunstall Eye to Telescope (Virgin)

Univers Zero Live (Cuneiform)

Jason Whitton Thriftstore Cowboy (VAVV)

Mary Lou Williams Collective with Geri Allen Zodiac Suite: Revisited (Mary)

Joachim Witt Bayreuth 3 (Dancing Ferret)

Trisha Yearwood Jasper County (w/new Garth Brooks duet, "Love Will Always Win," not included on 2005 release) (MCA Nashville)

VA A Six Degrees Collection - Traveler '06 (new and exclusive tracks and remixes from Karsh Kale, Niyaz, the Real Tuesday Weld and more) (Six Degrees)

VA Asthmatic Kitty Compilation - Mews Too (Asthmatic Kitty)

VA Hi Power 2006 (Thump)

VA Idol Tryouts Two: The Ghostly International Company Vol. Two (two CDs; exclusive tracks from Matthew Dear, Dabrye, Mobius Band and more) (Ghostly International)

VA It Came from the Hills, V.1 (w/Nitro Tokyo, Forensics, Earthen Sea and more) (The Magic Bullet)

VA Lowrider 2006 Tour (Thump)

VA New Arrivals: Vol. 1 (w/Jill Sobule, Noe Venable and more) (Mpress)

VA Not Alone (Durtro Jnana)

VA Perfecto Chills Vol. 3 (two CDs; remixes of Massive Attack, Faithless, Postal Service and more) (Thrive/Perfecto)

VA Run the Road Volume 2 (compilation of UK hip-hop/grime artists; w/Lady Sovereign, Sway, Miss Beats and more) (Vice)

VA To: Elliott From: Portland (covers of Elliott Smith songs) (Expunged)

VA Totally Country Vol. 5 (BMG Heritage)

OCR Billy Elliot (two CDs; score by Elton John; includes three of his original songs performed solo) (Decca)

OST Curious George: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film (w/new songs by Jack Johnson and G. Love) (Universal)

OST Date Movie (romantic comedy spoof w/Eddie Griffin) (Lakeshore)

OST Elizabethtown - Volume II (w/My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, the Temptations and more) (RCA)

OST Transamerica (w/exclusive new song by Dolly Parton and songs by Lucinda Williams, Old Crow Medicine Show, Duncan Sheik and more) (Nettwerk)

DVD Hip Hop Elements (live MC, DJ and breakdancer battles) (Street Life Films/Koch)

DVD Rebel Roads (documentary on motorcycle culture; w/performances by Disturbed, Journey and Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder) (Immergent)

DVD Jim Brickman The Disney Songbook (Walt Disney)

DVD Brotha Lynch Hung Ghetto Celebrities Vol. 2 (Real Talk/Koch)

DVD Bireli Lagrene and Gipsy Project Live in Paris (Dreyfus)

DVD Mint Condition Live (Image)

DVD Sasha and John Digweed Present Delta Heavy (documentary of 2002 DJ tour) (System)

DVD Yonder Mountain String Band Mountain Tracks: Volume 4 (Frog Pad)

DVD VA Buddyhead: Punk Is Dead (music videos w/TV on the Radio, the Jesus Lizard, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more) (Image)

DVD VA Get Crunk'd (behind-the-scenes footage of Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Pastor Troy and more) (Koch)

DVD VA Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan (Image)

DVD VA Tribunal Records: The Video Collection (music videos and rare live performances from Facedown, Age of Ruin, Animosity and more) (Tribunal)

UMD 50 Cent The Massacre (Interscope)

Super Bowl Ratings 2nd Only to 'M-A-S-H'

NEW YORK - The Pittsburgh Steelers' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl was watched in an average of 45.85 million homes, the second-highest total in television history behind the final episode of 'M-A-S-H' in 1983.

Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory Sunday got a 41.6 preliminary national rating, Nielsen Media Service said Monday, up slightly from the 41.1 rating last year. The share remained the same at 62.

The game was watched by an estimated 141.4 million people in the United States, ABC said, the second-highest total to view a program behind the 144.4 million who tuned to New England's victory over Carolina in the 2004 Super Bowl. That number estimates the total amount of people to watch the game at any point.

The estimated average of 90.7 million people — or the estimated number of viewers throughout — was the largest Super Bowl audience since the Steelers last played in the title game in 1996, a loss to Dallas that attracted an average of 94.1 million people watching. This year's audience was 5 percent bigger than the 86.1 million people who watched the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

In 1983, the final episode of `M-A-S-H' was watched in an average of 50.15 million homes.

Super Bowl viewers feasted on another halftime show controversy, when the NFL briefly shut off Mick Jagger's microphone to avoid sexually-suggestive lyrics in two Rolling Stones songs. ABC also scored solid ratings for an episode of "Grey's Anatomy" following the game.

While the Steelers won by 11 points, the game wasn't really decided until the final five minutes or so, which kept the audience attracted, said Larry Hyams, ABC research executive.

"The Super Bowl obviously is a national event and people are going to tune in regardless of whether the teams have national appeal," Hyams said. "It's up to the game to hold the audience."

The Super Bowl is traditionally the biggest television event of the year. The Academy Awards, jokingly called the Super Bowl for women, often comes in second; last year, 41.5 million people saw the Oscars.

Pittsburgh had the largest Super Bowl rating (percentage of all sets, whether on or off) of any media market, with a 57.1, Nielsen said. Seattle followed directly behind with a 55.

The "Grey's Anatomy" episode after the game was seen by 38.1 million people, Nielsen said. That's 15 million more than has ever watched a single episode of the medical soap. It was the most-watched entertainment program of the season so far — even beating "American Idol."

Since 1991, only two post-Super Bowl programs have drawn a bigger audience: "Survivor" in 2001 and "Friends" in 1996. It was solid exposure for a series that has already been growing in appeal during its second season.

At halftime, Jagger was silenced during portions of the songs "Start Me Up" and "Rough Justice." An NFL spokesman said the band knew ahead of time that the league — still skittish over Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction from two years ago — wouldn't accept the particular lyrics.

"It wasn't that big of an issue for us," said Frank Supovitz, the NFL's senior vice president, who said the league wanted to make the halftime show family entertainment.

Did You Hear the One About 'Brokeback'?

NEW YORK - Some of the "Top Ten Signs You're a Gay Cowboy," courtesy of David Letterman:

_You enjoy ridin', ropin' and redecoratin'.

_Instead of a saloon, you prefer a salon.

_Native Americans refer to you as "Dances With Men."

Is the bottomless font of "Brokeback Mountain" humor — late-night monologues, fake Internet movie trailers, movie poster imitations — harmless and fun, or insulting?

Most gay groups find it fairly benign, and note that in any case, the movie's overwhelming publicity can only be a good thing.

"Some of the humor may be insensitive, but even that has spurred positive conversation," says Susanne Salkind of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national gay rights group.

But Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, says he's sick of it: "It may be funny, but there is a real element of homophobia. It's making jabs about sex between gay men."

Jay Leno made at least 15 "Brokeback" jokes in January. Many were references to gay sex. One that wasn't: "The cold weather continues to spread across the United States. In fact, down south it was so cold people were shaking like Jerry Falwell watching "Brokeback Mountain."

The Internet is saturated with "Brokeback" imitations. One of the best is a fake movie trailer called "Brokeback to the Future," which uses deftly edited shots from Michael J. Fox's "Back to the Future" to make it look like Marty McFly and that wacky Dr. Emmett Brown are falling in love. There's also "Top Gun 2: Brokeback Squadron," with Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer.

And then there are the poster imitations. Like "Kickback Mountain," with the faces of indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Rep. Tom DeLay superimposed over those of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Andy Borowitz, author of The Borowitz Report.com, says people get insulted by everything — "so the safest bet is to make jokes about everything."

Besides, he says, "I run into so few gay cowboys in Manhattan. So I think if I'm at a cocktail party and I make a good 'Brokeback' joke, I'll be safe. I guess if I were on a ranch and there were a few strong, silent types, I'd be careful."

Of the movie's iconic line, "I wish I knew how to quit you," Borowitz says he's "hoping it'll become the new 'Show me the money.'"

Paul Rudnick, a playwright and comedy writer, sees the humor as coming from heterosexual men who are both fascinated and very uncomfortable with the content of the movie.

"They're not quite sure what to make of it," says Rudnick, who is gay. "They know their wives are going to fall in love with the movie, and with the men in it."

Rudnick hasn't written about "Brokeback" yet — but only because he'd have to find something really original.

"Just joking about a gay cowboy isn't enough anymore," Rudnick says. "If you're going to joke about it now, you really have to be up to the challenge."

___

On the Net:

"Brokeback to the Future" video: http://www.youtube.com

Howard Stern's brand of shock radio hits Canadian satellite airwaves

TORONTO (AP) — Shock jock Howard Stern's Sirius satellite radio show made its belated Canadian debut Monday, with a lengthy discussion about the Super Bowl followed by the usual raunchy fare and his assertion that the Canadian government is no fan of his brand of entertainment.

Stern's arrival on Sirius Canada came nearly a month after his U.S. debut.

"That whole Canadian Sirius thing is weird," he said. "Like on the one hand they want us because they know that we sell radios, but on the other hand they kinda want to keep us low key because the Canadian government hates us."

Stern sidekick Robin Quivers observed that the Canadian carrier didn't want to have to field expected complaints from listeners.

The talk show had no shortage of profanity and political incorrectness. There were also commercials despite Sirius being a subscription-based service.

The self-proclaimed King of all Media was dropped by CHOM-FM in Montreal in 1998 and in 2001 by Q-107 in Toronto after thousands of complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council — the industry's voluntary watchdog agency.

Sirius Canada has said it does not expect Stern to run into censorship trouble this time because his satellite show is a pay service and has developed special lockout technology for customers.

But a representative for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has said that any abuse of human rights under the Broadcasting Act would still be investigated if there are complaints.

Sirius Canada is 40% owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., 40% by Standard Radio and 20 per cent by Sirius in the United States.

Stern announced last year that he was jumping from conventional radio to satellite to avoid the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. He's also taken potshots in the past at Canadian regulatory bureaucrats he said lacked a sense of humor.

'Clerks II': Growth and gross-outs

Director Kevin Smith's sequel to his groundbreaking Clerks is a coming-of-age story for guys in their 30s who never grew up.

The first film, which came out in 1994, was a homemade, grainy, black-and-white chronicle of one slacker's daylong shift of misery at a tiny convenience store that became a cultural touchstone for Generation X and inspired a wave of do-it-yourself filmmakers.

Clerks II, set for release this fall, picks up more than a decade later with the two cashier-jockeys from the 1994 original: sweet-but-stagnated Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and his insult-spewing friend Randal (Jeff Anderson).

A calamity at their shops sends them looking for new horizons - but they ultimately settle at Mooby's, a fictional Disney-McDonald's-style fast-food empire.

Not exactly a promotion.

"I've got nothing to say about fast food," director Smith says during an exclusive USA TODAY visit to the yellow and purple restaurant he's using as a set. "But I've got everything to say about getting past that period of life where you've been one person for 10 or 15 years and suddenly you have to change."

Free from his dead-end job (and lodged in a new one), Dante begins to break free of his rut, planning to move away with his clingy fiancée, played by Smith's wife, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, who used to work for USA TODAY. Dante is ready to leave the horrors of minimum-wage New Jersey behind, but Randal - always the more hostile of the two - starts to become overwhelmed by his own rancor.

"I wanted to see what happened to the characters when they lost their center point," Smith says, sitting on the creaky merry-go-round outside the restaurant building they've co-opted for the shoot. "It opened up a world for Dante. He met somebody, fell in love and got engaged, then he met somebody else (the restaurant manager, played by Rosario Dawson). He reacted well to the outside world, while Randal just got more closed up and scared and angrier.

"The whole flick comes down to whether or not the two of them can reach a compromise of some sort," Smith adds. "It really comes down to the choice a friend makes for another friend."

The writer/director, speaking as a giant fiberglass cartoon cow stares from the restaurant roof, calls it a series of love stories.

But Clerks II is so audaciously raunchy - one scene is sure to challenge the squeamishness of even the most ardent gross-out comedy fan - that Smith says the film may ultimately make its debut unrated, even if that restricts its availability at some theaters. (Clerks initially was rated NC-17 for its frank talk, but on appeal, it got an R.)

Smith's screen alter ego, the trench-coated drug dealer Silent Bob, and his oversexed "hetero life mate" Jay ( Jason Mewes) also return for the sequel, still hanging around, but no longer using - a reflection of Mewes' sobriety after fighting drug addiction, and a sign that even Smith's most cartoonish characters grow and change.

"This is talking about the movie in far loftier terms than most people ever will," says Smith, whose script relies heavily on sex and gross-out jokes.

"In terms of the edginess of the humor, I don't think we've ever gone this far before," the director says. "People who are really critical of us and dismiss us for making (dirty-joke) pictures: They're right, they're not wrong. But at the same time, that's not all we do."

Kelly Clarkson explains her movie debacle

NEW YORK (AP) - Like the critics, Kelly Clarkson was less than thrilled with her 2003 movie musical From Justin to Kelly - and she wants people to know that she had no choice in the matter.

"Two words: Contractually obligated!" the first American Idol winner told Time magazine for its issue on newsstands Monday.

"I knew when I read the script it was going to be real, real bad, but when I won, I signed that piece of paper, and I could not get out of it," said the 23-year-old singer, whose second album, Breakaway, contains four top 10 hits and earned her two Grammy nominations. "Seriously, I never thought I could act, but I knew I could sing. Not to sound cocky, but I can."

If Clarkson seems charmed lately, she says it's largely due to her own insistence on independence.

"To be totally honest, the problem was I wanted to write a lot of my own songs on Breakaway. Nobody else wanted me to," she told Time. "So there was a big ol' fight."

Clarkson ended up writing or co-writing six tracks, including one bona fide hit, Behind These Hazel Eyes.

That fight led to her split with 19 Entertainment, the management firm that has the right to sign any Idol contestant. Her new company, The Firm, is using a strategy of moderate exposure to make her a durable star.

Clarkson is to perform Wednesday at the Grammy Awards. She is nominated for best pop vocal performance and best pop vocal album.

'Wallace and Gromit' takes 8 Annie Awards

British-made claymation film Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit took eight animated film awards, including best animated film, at the 33rd Annual Annie Awards in Los Angeles.

Wallace & Gromit beat fellow Oscar contenders Corpse Bride and Howl's Moving Castle and digitally animated films such as Chicken Little and Madagascar.

Nick Park and Steve Box took home best directing, best music and best writing awards for their work on the film.

The Annie Awards, given Saturday, are presented by The International Animated Film Society, and often predict the winner of the Academy Award's best animated film category.

Park created the cheese-loving Wallace and his dog Gromit for a film school project and introduced the characters in TV shorts in 1989 to 1995. They starred in the 2000 animated film Chicken Run.

In Curse of the Were-Rabbit, they track a rabbit that is stealing from local vegetable gardens.

An award for voice acting went to British actor Peter Sallis, who has been the voice of Wallace since the show's inception.

The film picked up further awards in character animation, effects, storyboarding and production design.

Unlike many modern animated movies, Wallace and Gromit are crafted of clay and moved one frame at a time with stop-motion action, enhanced by computer animation. Aardman Animation produced in association with U.S. animation firm, Dreamworks.

Other awards given Saturday were:

- Animated television production: Star Wars: Clone Wars II, Cartoon Network Studios.

- Animated video game: Ultimate Spider-Man, Activision/Treyarch.

- Voice acting in an animated TV production: Seth MacFarlane, the voice of "Stewie" in Family Guy.

- Best home entertainment: Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch.

Angelina Jolie To Visit "Sin City 2"?

Angelina Jolie is considering joining the cast of the upcoming sequel to Sin City. Aintitcool.com reports the 31-year-old screen siren has met with the film's director, Robert Rodriguez, to discuss the possibility of bringing her film-noir flair to Basin City. It's expected that Rodriguez is considering Jolie for the role of Ava, the seductive woman with a hidden agenda for Clive Owen's character Dwight. Based on Frank Miller's second installment of his dark brooding story, A Dame To Kill For, production on the sequel is scheduled to begin this month in Austin, Texas.

Al 'Grandpa Munster' Lewis Dies

Al Lewis, best known as the vampish vampire Grandpa on the 1960s sitcom "The Munsters" -- but also a restaurant owner, radio host, basketball scout and quixotic political candidate -- has died.

The 95-year-old Lewis died Friday night (Feb. 3) at his home in New York. He had been in failing health for the past couple years. His death was announced Saturday on WBAI-FM, during the time he normally hosted his radio show.

Born in April 1910, Lewis grew up in Brooklyn and played basketball at Jefferson High School. As an adult, he sometimes worked as a scout. He broke into acting in the dying days of vaudeville and also worked as a circus performer before making his television debut in the late '50s.

Following a few guest appearances and a role in the 1960 gangster movie "Pretty Boy Floyd," Lewis landed the role of Officer Leo Schnauzer in the NBC sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You?," co-starring with Fred Gwynne.

Following "Car 54's" cancellation, Gwynne and Lewis reteamed on "The Munsters," which ran from 1964-66. The role forever branded Lewis as "Grandpa," but he never seemed to mind. In fact, when he ran for governor of New York in 2000 as a Green Party candidate, he unsuccessfully fought to be listed as "Grandpa Al Lewis" on the ballot.

He continued acting well into his 80s, racking up credits ranging from 1969's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" to a guest spot on "Taxi" to a big-screen remake of "Car 54" in 1994.

He also owned a restaurant, Grandpa's, in New York, and did his radio show.

Lewis survived by his wife, Karen, three sons from a previous marriage and four grandchildren.

Crow, Armstrong Call It Splits

We finally found one race Lance Armstrong couldn't win--the one to the altar.

Armstrong and Sheryl Crow have called off their wedding just four months after getting engaged and weeks before their expected nuptials.

They made the announcement in a joint statement late Friday.

"After much thought and consideration we have made a very tough decision to split up," they said. "We ask that everyone respect our privacy during this very difficult time."

While no official wedding date had been announced, they had indicated the ceremony would take place this spring in Armstrong's adopted hometown of Austin, where they have been cohabitating for much of the past two years.

It would have been the first marriage for the "If It Makes You Happy" singer, who was previously involved with Owen Wilson and Eric Clapton, and second for Armstrong, who has three children from his first marriage.

Armstrong, 33, and Crow, 43, met at a charity event in October 2003 and instantly clicked. She was a fixture on Tour de France last July, rooting Armstrong on to his record seventh consecutive triumph.

He retired shortly thereafter, and during a late August mountain biking retreat to Sun Valley, Idaho, he popped the question.

Crow cited Amstrong and his children as the inspiration for the title cut on her latest album, Wildflower, released in September. Shortly after the album came out, she performed a free concert in Austin to mark the ninth anniversary of Armstrong's diagnosis with testicular cancer.

By November, however, the tabloids--which previously speculated that (a) Crow had been visiting fertility clinics and (b) that the couple had secretly married two years ago--went on breakup alert, but the couple tried to dispel the reports.

"When we were rumored to have split, and when our publicists called these magazines to say we haven't split, the magazines were all so disappointed because that's really what's selling, rooting for a couple and then they split," Crow told the Associated Press at the time. "That's what sells the magazines.

The rumors kicked in again in late December, but the couple issued another round of denials. In the February issue of Allure, Crow was photographed trying on wedding gowns and discussed having "adult time" with her betrothed before trying to have kids. Armstrong, in a solo trip to Johannesburg last month, also shot down the stories.

Despite the demise of their relationship, "We both have a deep love and respect for each other," the couple added in their statement.

At least for Crow there could be some happier news this week. A nine-time Grammy winner, Crow is up for three more at Wednesday's ceremony, including Best Pop Vocal Album for Wildflower.

'When a Stranger Calls' Scares Up $22M

LOS ANGELES - Horror fans remained on the line for "When a Stranger Calls," a remake of the scary movie about a terrorized baby sitter that debuted at No. 1 with $22 million over the typically sluggish Super Bowl weekend.

Distributor Sony, whose Screen Gems banner released "When a Stranger Calls," said it was the best Super Bowl debut ever, beating the $19 million haul the studio's horror flick "Boogeyman" took in over the same weekend last year.

20th Century Fox's "Big Momma's House 2" fell to second place with $13.35 million, lifting its 10-day total to $45.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The weekend's other new wide release, Focus Features' romantic comedy "Something New," opened at No. 7 with $5 million.

With fans staying home Sunday for the big game, theaters were quiet, though key Academy Awards contenders including Focus Features' best-picture front-runner "Brokeback Mountain" benefited from last week's nominations.

"The Super Bowl is one of those television events like the Academy Awards that really dominates and monopolizes the audience," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The top 12 movies took in $81.7 million, down 7 percent from Super Bowl weekend last year.

On the heels of its leading eight nominations, the cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain" expanded to its widest release yet in 2,089 theaters and came in fourth with $5.7 million. The film has taken in $59.8 million domestically since debuting in December.

Among other best-picture nominees:

• Sony Pictures Classics' Truman Capote tale "Capote" nearly quadrupled its theater count to 1,239 and grossed $2.5 million, increasing its take to $18.2 million.

• Universal's assassination thriller "Munich," from director Steven Spielberg, expanded slightly to 1,151 theaters, grossing $1.9 million and raising its total to $43.1 million.

• Warner Independent Pictures' Edward R. Murrow drama "Good Night, and Good Luck" went into its widest release yet at 929 theaters and took in $1.5 million, pushing its total to $26.7 million.

"There's always a segment of the audience that wants to see all five films nominated for best picture," said Steven Friedlander, head of distribution for Warner Independent. "It's our American version of the running of the bulls at Pamplona."

The fifth best-picture contender, Lionsgate's ensemble drama "Crash," already is out on DVD.

Though shut out of the best-picture race, 20th Century Fox's Johnny Cash biography "Walk the Line" climbed back into the top 10 on the strength of acting nominations for Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. "Walk the Line" was No. 9 with $3.4 million, raising its domestic total to $110.7 million.

The Weinstein Co. cashed in on best-actress nominations for Judi Dench in "Mrs. Henderson Presents" and Felicity Huffman in "Transamerica."

"Mrs. Henderson Presents," about a society dame who starts a nude stage revue in 1930s London, quintupled its theater count to 260 and grossed just under $1 million, raising its total to $3.2 million. "Transamerica," a road-trip tale about a man preparing for sex-change surgery, expanded to 101 theaters, up 19, and took in $509,000, pushing its take to $2.2 million.

"When a Stranger Calls" did not screen in advance for critics, the custom when the studio expects bad reviews. But fright flicks have a built-in audience of horror fans who pay little attention to reviews.

Here are 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. "When a Stranger Calls," $22 million.
2. "Big Momma's House 2," $13.35 million.
3. "Nanny McPhee," $9.9 million.
4. "Brokeback Mountain," $5.7 million.
5. "Hoodwinked," $5.3 million.
6. "Underworld Evolution," $5.1 million.
7. "Something New," $5 million.
8. "Annapolis," $3.5 million. 9. "Walk the Line," $3.4 million.
10. "Glory Road," $3 million.

Cartoonish Violence Rules Super Bowl Ads

NEW YORK - Cartoonish violence ruled the day at the annual knockdown competition among advertisers Sunday, as Bud Light, Diet Pepsi, Michelob and Sprint all used physical gags to hawk their wares at the Super Bowl, the most-watched television broadcast of the year.

Borrowing inspiration from Buster Keaton, advertisers used mauling bears, flying dinosaurs and even action movie star Jackie Chan to wow viewers with sight gags.

Others went against the grain, such as soap brand Dove, which sent a tender message about self-esteem among teenage girls, and Toyota, which celebrated a bilingual father and son who switch easily between Spanish and English.

In a spot that was reminiscent of the classic short film "Bambi Meets Godzilla," a hapless caveman is squished under the foot of a giant dinosaur, a final insult after being fired for not using FedEx to deliver an important parcel. Never mind that FedEx hasn't been invented yet.

Amber Bock, a brand of Michelob, harkened back to a classic Super Bowl spot featuring Terry Tate as an "office linebacker." A game of touch football goes awry when a petite female player is floored by a vicious tackle, but she gets her due later in a bar with a decidedly late hit.

Bruce Vanden Bergh, professor of advertising at Michigan State University, spent Super Bowl Sunday with more than a dozen other faculty watching and rating the commercials while ignoring the football part of the broadcast entirely. One of the standouts for his group was the FedEx spot featuring the caveman, which they found "very creative, and very original."

Bud Light, one of the biggest heavyweights of the Super Bowl every year, had an interesting multi-part ad featuring a guy who cleverly disguises his fridge stocked with beer from his thirsty friends with a secret revolving door that places the fridge in his neighbors apartment. Hilarity ensues when the neighboring kids start worshipping the "magic fridge."

Diet Pepsi got into the act as well with a stunt movie gag starring Jackie Chan and a can of Diet Pepsi. Everything seems to be going fine with the movie shoot until Diet Pepsi's stunt double, a hapless can of rival Diet Coke, is squashed.

A spot for Dove soap also resonated with viewers, sending a serious message about improving self-esteem among teenage girls — not the usual Super Bowl fare.

That spot was a favorite among a group of 35 business students at the Kellogg School of Business Evanton, Ill. Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at the school who organized the panel to rate and discuss the ads, said his group found the Dove ad the "most distinctive" of the ones they saw

"It was unusual, but one that really resonated," Calkins said. "This was a message that was very serious, but it really worked with the panel."

ABC Goes to Tape Delay for Stones Show

NEW YORK - They may not have flashed any body parts — except for Mick Jagger's well-toned stomach — but the Rolling Stones made ABC glad it imposed a five-second tape delay on the Super Bowl halftime show.

Two sexually explicit lyrics were excised from the rock legends' performance Sunday. The only song to avoid the editor was "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," a 41-year-old song about sexual frustration.

In "Start Me Up," ABC's editors silenced one word, a reference to a woman's sexual sway over a dead man. The lyrics for "Rough Justice" included a synonym for rooster that the network also deemed worth cutting out.

It was the first time a network had imposed a five-second tape delay on the Super Bowl, a sensitivity that no doubt reflects a lingering reaction to Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction two years ago.

The Stones probably didn't mind, either. It brought a little rock 'n' roll danger to the ultimate "safe" gig and — if they're lucky — it distracted attention from their mediocre show.

Jagger, at age 62, is still a force of nature, strutting and dancing across a stage designed as a replica of their famed wagging tongue logo. The band's performance felt ragged — they seemed just warming up during the opening "Start Me Up," and a three-song set affords no such luxury.

The Stones chose three tough rockers, including the best song from their well-received recent album and one of their most enduring hits.

"Here's one we could have done at Super Bowl I," Jagger wryly said in introducing "Satisfaction."

It was their best, most energetic effort, and ended with Jagger blowing a kiss to the audience. But unlike U2's performance four years ago at the Super Bowl, their set was not an example of a band at its peak rising to the majesty of the event.

Some in Detroit felt the city's rich musical history was snubbed when the Stones were selected, even if the Super Bowl had Motown-themed halftime shows twice in the past 25 years. This year's Motown tribute came before the game.

Stevie Wonder was the centerpiece, singing a medley of his hits with the help of John Legend, Joss Stone and India.Arie.

It was a typical monument to excess, with a stage more crowded than a train station at rush hour, and was marred by microphones that occasionally malfunctioned. Brightly clad dancers hoofed it incongruously when Wonder sang a portion of his angry ghetto tale "Livin' for the City," at one point pretending to fight each other.

Most importantly, the medley format did a disservice to the musicians. They rushed through the songs as if at a fast-food service line. With hours of meaningless pregame hoopla, couldn't they be given five minutes more to finish a few songs?

The National Anthem offered a particularly odd partnership — Aaron Neville and Dr. John (in a tribute to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans) with Detroit favorite Aretha Franklin. Neville sang half of the song in his feathery-soft voice, then was never heard from again when Franklin blew the dome's roof off.

She barely needed a microphone.

Chappelle says stress - not insanity - caused him to walk away

CHICAGO (AP) - Dave Chappelle told Oprah Winfrey he was stressed out and not crazy or on drugs when he abruptly left his hit Comedy Central show last spring during production.

In his first television interview since ditching Chappelle's Show in May, the comedian said that after he signed a $50-million deal for the third and fourth seasons in August 2004, too many people were trying to control him and his show.

"I wasn't crazy but it is incredibly stressful," Chappelle, 32, said during his appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show that aired Friday.

"I felt in a lot of instances I was deliberately being put through stress because when you're a guy who generates money, people have a vested interested in controlling you," Chappelle said.

Last May, with the premiere date looming for the third season, Chappelle stunned his fans and the entertainment industry by leaving the show in mid-production. He spent two weeks in South Africa before returning home to his farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio. Chappelle has since resumed performing live standup.

The provocative comedian denied reports that his mysterious departure was caused by mental or drug problems. But he told Winfrey that other people were trying to get him to take psychotic medication when he decided to leave the show and country, without telling anyone except his brother before he left.

Chappelle stressed that the fame that grew as his show became increasingly popular wasn't the problem, but the environment he faced at Comedy Central.

"I would go to work on the show and I felt awful every day," he said. "I felt like some kind of prostitute or something. If I feel so bad, why keep on showing up to this place? I'm going to Africa. The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself, especially when everybody is watching."

The comedian did not rule out returning to film the rest of the third and fourth seasons of Chappelle's Show but only under certain circumstances. For example, Chappelle said he would like to donate a portion of the proceeds from DVD sales to the less fortunate.

The status of his show has hung in limbo since May. Comedy Central announced in December that four half-hour episodes of Chappelle's Show - based on what Chappelle taped before leaving the production - will premiere in weekly airings this spring. A full season would have been between 10 and 13 episodes.

In a statement released Friday, Comedy Central said, "Dave is a comedic genius whose work we truly value, and the door is always open to him."

PHASE OF THE 'MOON'

Twenty years after it debuted, "Moonlighting" is still a constant presence for stars Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis and show creator Glenn Gordon Caron.

Shepherd and Willis, who shot to fame on "Moonlighting," famously had their ups and downs — with their own lives and with each other — during the show's storied run.

The third season of "Moonlighting," which some consider the show's best — and a season fraught with interruptions, delays and agita on the part of ABC execs — is being released Tuesday on DVD (Lion's Gate).

"I think we'd be fine working together," Shepherd says. "People sure want Bruce and I to work together again. They want the 'Moonlighting' reunion, obviously, but Glenn doesn't know how to do it.

"He feels like we shouldn't revisit it because we did it so well. Just leave it in the past," Shepherd says.

Tuesday's DVD release reminds everyone of one of the most tumultuous, nerve-wracking, controversial and exciting seasons for any show in TV history.

"I do have a diary that I kept," says Shepherd. "I dictated it into a cassette recorder. And I wouldn't want that published."

Everyone knows about the on-set fighting, the delayed scripts, the weeks between original episodes and the prints — delivered to ABC so late the nights they aired, the network saw the new episodes the same time as America.

And, in the midst of it all, Shepherd gave birth to twins.

"Oh, how in the world did I do that?" laughs Shepherd, just back from Sundance with her new movie "Open Window." "I really don't know how."

The show only produced 15 episodes in that third season, thanks to that pregnancy, a skiing accident with Willis and the lengthy delays as Caron crafted scripts. But the results were legendary.

One episode began with a Movietone newsreel story about the lack of episodes. Another episode — a stop-gap clip job — featured gossip queen Rona Barrett on the set talking with cast members about their squabbles.

And then there's Maddie getting married to a dweeb she barely knew, Dave and Maddie finally sleeping together and perhaps the most famous "Moonlighting" episode of all: "Atomic Shakespeare," their re-telling of "The Taming of the Shrew."

The fights ("I once threw a director's chair against a wall," admits Shepherd) didn't get in the way. In some ways, they helped.

"When we met, Bruce and I had this great sexual chemistry and also the idea of sending each other up," says Shepherd.

"We would see the absolute worst in each other as characters, as David and Maddie. We fought before every scene in which we had a fight.

"At some point, I realized it and mentioned it to Bruce and he said, 'Yeah, you're right.' That didn't change it."

The twins Cybill gave birth to played a big role, too.

"When we did the interviews and commentary for the DVDs, Bruce thanked me profusely for getting pregnant because it made it possible for him to do 'Die Hard.' "

Jay Mohr and Nikki Cox Engaged

LOS ANGELES - Jay Mohr and Nikki Cox are engaged, Cox's publicist announced Friday.

The couple plan to marry next winter, publicist Alisha Mahon said.

Cox plays Mary Connell on the NBC series "Las Vegas." She and Mohr, host of "Last Comic Standing," met when Mohr guest-starred on the Sin City drama, Mahon said.

Mohr, a comedian, has appeared in films including "Jerry Maguire," "Go" and "Suicide Kings." He was a member of "Saturday Night Live" from 1993-1995.

Syndicated entertainment news show "Access Hollywood" first reported the engagement.

Cox, 27, was previously engaged to comedian Bob Goldthwait.

Mohr, 35, was married to model Nicole Chamberlain for six years. They had one child together before divorcing in 2004.

'Mermaid' Swims to DVD Oct. 3

The Little Mermaid will be the next Walt Disney animated classic to get the full VIP treatment on DVD.

The 1989 film won two Oscars (for best song and best original score) and is credited with revitalizing Disney’s animated features after a long dry spell. It will arrive in stores Oct. 3 (prebook Aug. 8) at $29.99 as the studio’s eighth “Platinum Edition” DVD, a designation that brings with it significantly more bells and whistles than a standard DVD release.

The film is Disney’s eighth Platinum Edition DVD — following Lady and The Tramp, which streets Feb. 28 — and marks the first time The Little Mermaid will be available on DVD in seven years.

“The Little Mermaid is a monumental film in the history of Disney animation that is beloved by everyone,” said Gordon Ho, EVP of brand marketing and business development for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. “It signaled the beginning of a new era of animation at the Walt Disney Studios that included Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King.”

Ho said Mermaid is the most-requested Disney movie for release on DVD and will be backed by a massive marketing campaign similar to that for Cinderella, last year’s holiday-season Platinum Edition release. Cinderella went on to sell more than 6.5 million units and, according to Nielsen VideoScan data, is the No. 8 DVD seller of 2005, outselling such major new theatricals as Batman Begins and Ray.

Like other Platinum Edition releases, The Little Mermaid will be a two-disc set, with one disc reserved solely for bonus materials. Several cutting-edge features still are being developed, along with such expected extras as deleted scenes, commentaries, and featurettes on various aspects of the making of the movie. The DVD also will include several musical bonuses.

Ho said the film itself has been digitally restored, as has the audio track.

And like Cinderella, Ho said, Disney Consumer Products is working with a variety of partners to develop “a whole range of licensed products” to hit stores at the same time as the DVD, from costumes and other apparel to dolls and toys — more than 2,000 new products, in all.

“One of the greatest things about working on DVD releases like The Little Mermaid is that unlike a big theatrical release, we have the ability to plan very far in advance because we don’t have to guess whether the film will become a hit,” Ho said. “It already is.”

Survivor's ten best players

They are the kind of people you would want on your tribe when Jeff Probst first dumps you in the middle of no-freaking-where.

They are the people you would love to form an early alliance with and then quietly turn on before they stab you in the back.

Combining both brains and brawn here are the MVPs of 'Survivor'.

10. Andrew Savage: 'Survivor Pearl Islands'

The heart and soul of the Morgan Tribe on 'Pearl Islands', Andrew would not be denied. Even though his tribe suffered crushing defeat after crushing defeat, he did not raise the white flag...ever. Instead, he led by example and rallied them on even during the bleakest times. Who can forget how he held those logs on his shoulders for what seemed like an eternity? Talk about pure will. We haven't seen a more gutsier player yet.

9. Ian Rosenberger: 'Survivor Palau'

Until he started thinking with his heart and not his brain, Ian swept through the challenges like a man possessed and back at camp showed that he was no slouch when it came to strategizing as well. A fan of the show and a student of the game, Ian almost had it all on 'Survivor Palau'.

8. Colby Donaldson: 'Survivor Australia' and 'Survivor All-Stars'

A resilient athlete and trust-worthy ally, Colby thrives on competition. Much like Bobby Jon, he is an honourable player who respects those who make things happen and looks down upon Under The Radar players who sit around waiting for the next coat-tail to present itself.

7. Bobby Jon Drinkard: 'Survivor Palau', 'Survivor Guatemala'

Although he could benefit from being a little more cut-throat sometimes, BJ has a heart, a conscience and a will that relentlessly carries the fight onward. His body will quit long before he does. A gentleman through and through, he is a man of his word who upholds the virtues of fair play and honesty. A hell of a guy.

6. Rafe Judkins: 'Survivor Guatemala'

Who would have thunk it, eh? If Rafe proved anything during his stint on 'Survivor' it was that you can't underestimate any of your opponents. Rafe played one of the most perfect 'Survivor' games ever until he took himself out of the running during the final three. What a great run he had though.

5. Richard Hatch: 'Survivor Borneo'

Sure, he was the grandfather of the voting block strategy but as the series has progressed he has fallen down the rankings simply because he was only so-so when it came to the challenges themselves. Still, the sly one that he is, Richard could almost talk himself out of any situation so he still deserves to be in the top five.

4. Stephenie LaGrossa: 'Survivor Guatemala', 'Survivor Palau'

You cannot quench that fighting spirit. A true inspiration, Steph doesn't back down and doesn't surrender...despite the griping here and there. She can hang tough with any competitor and doesn't avoid challenges, she ploughs head-long into them. Simply awesome.

3. Brian Heidik: 'Survivor Thailand'

As clever as a fox, Brian dominated the 'Thailand' edition from almost the moment he stepped onto the beach. Viewing his time in the game as nothing more than a "business trip", Brian played a very cool and very calculated game that turned out to be a masterwork of 'Survivor' gameplay.

2. Rob Mariano: 'Survivor Marquases', 'Survivor All-Stars'

Like him or hate him, 'Boston Rob' is a force to be reckoned with. A master manipulator and physical force, Rob can work magic even in the direst of circumstances. Being such a snake, you would assume his trust factor would be nil but time and time again, people place their faith in him and usually pay the price for doing so. You think they would have learned by now, eh?

1. Tom Westman: 'Survivor Palau'

Whether it be engaging in a challenge or formulating a winning strategy, Tom Westman has no equal thus far. Like Brian Heidik before him, Tom stampeded through 'Palau' even though he shone the spotlight on himself as a dominant player. A charming competitor and leader who isn't afraid to let his dark side loose on occasion, Tom is pretty much fearless.

Honourable Mentions

Ami: 'Survivor Vanuatu'.

Chris: 'Survivor Vanuatu'.

Lex: 'Survivor Africa', 'Survivor All-Stars'.

Ethan: 'Survivor Africa', 'Survivor All-Stars'.

Rupert: 'Survivor Pearl Islands', 'Survivor All-Stars'.

Gary: 'Survivor Guatemala'.

Cindy: 'Survivor Guatemala'.

Keith: 'Survivor Australia'.

Tammy: 'Survivor Marquesas'.

Matthew: 'Survivor Amazon'.

Kelly: 'Survivor Borneo'.

Zach Braff & Mandy Moore Engaged

Scrubs star Zach Braff and singer/actress Mandy Moore might soon be tying the knot. According to In Touch magazine, the 31-year-old actor/director/writer proposed to Moore, 22, at the end of January. Although the pair are not divulging any news just yet, Braff is said to have given his potential bride-to-be a $450,000 diamond-and-platinum engagement ring. Sources close to the couple say plans are in the works for a possible April wedding, the birth-month of both Braff and Moore.

Corgan, Chamberlin Revive Smashing Pumpkins

In the clearest sign yet that Billy Corgan is moving ahead with his plan to revive seminal alternative rock act Smashing Pumpkins, sources say the group has signed a new management deal with Jared Paul and Paul Geary at the Irving Azoff-helmed Front Line Management.

Billboard.com has learned that Corgan and Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin will initially begin work on a new studio album, the first under the group name since the original Pumpkins' 2000 swan song, "MACHINA/the machines of god." When asked for comment, a Corgan spokesperson said there was no information to report at present.

It is understood that at this point, original members James Iha (guitar) and D'arcy Wretzky (bass) are not participating in the reunion, but sources say multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler will be involved in some fashion. Mohler formerly played bass in pop/rock act the Calling and was a featured contributor on Chamberlin's 2005 solo album, "Life Begins Again."

The Pumpkins are expected to hit the road at some point this year, although, as first reported here, a rumored appearance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in late April will not materialize. The group's name is already being kicked around as a possible headliner for Lollapalooza, which is set for Aug. 4-6 in its Chicago hometown.

"As long as Billy has Jimmy, he can make the essential Pumpkins record, I'm sure," former Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur tells Billboard.com, adding that while she is not involved in any reunion plans, "my services are always there to play my favorite songs. If D'arcy is not available, I'm always happy to be second in line."

As previously reported, Corgan stunned fans last June when he took out a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times announcing his intentions to "renew and "revive" the Pumpkins. In 2004, he broke his silence about why the band dissolved, lashing out at Iha and Wretzky for walking away from an endeavor he described as "essentially my entire life... a dream I still believe in."

Corgan's newspaper ads came out the same day as his Reprise solo debut, "The Future Embrace," which met with a chilly reception at retail. The album debuted at No. 31 on The Billboard 200 and has sold just 69,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In the past few weeks, the URL SmashingPumpkins.com has begun redirecting to Corgan's own home page. In December, he teased fans on his Myspace.com site with the promise of a surprise, saying that it "all will be announced soon enough. Hold on to your horses. After all, good things surely [come] to those who wait. Don't you just love the suspense?"

No Superbowl snub for Stevie Wonder

There's no controversy, Stevie Wonder said.

The Motown legend appeared at a news conference Thursday featuring the Super Bowl pregame performers.

Before a reporter could ask a single question, Wonder lifted his microphone up and said: "If we didn't want the Stones, we wouldn't be here. We want the Stones."

In the weeks leading up to Sunday's game at Ford Field, some Detroiters, including Aretha Franklin — who sat beside Wonder Thursday — complained that the city's Motown legacy was being snubbed with the choice of the Rolling Stones as the halftime entertainment.

Wonder put that to rest, saying he didn't "have a problem with the Stones."

"They even recorded two of my songs," he said with a smile.

The Stones were scheduled to speak to the media at a news conference later Thursday afternoon.

Wonder will play a 12-minute set before the game, and Franklin will team on the national anthem with singer Aaron Neville, keyboardist Dr. John and a 150-member Detroit-based choir.

Wonder, a 21-time Grammy winner who was born in Saginaw, will join with singers John Legend, India.Arie and Joss Stone for the pregame show. They are expected to perform some of Wonder's hits, as well as other Motown hits. In addition, the Four Tops will also perform prior to kickoff, but they will not be carried live on the ABC broadcast.

Neville said he was thrilled at the opportunity to perform alongside Detroit's own "Queen of Soul."

"I'm like a schoolboy about it," he said. "I have butterflies."

Neville, a New Orleans native, predicted the anthem would be a "bit of New Orleans and Motown mixed together.

Franklin talked about being asked in the past to perform at the Super Bowl and how excited she was to finally be able to do so in her hometown.

Near the end of the news conference, Franklin was asked whether she was surprised the big game was returning to Michigan, considering the subzero temperatures that plagued the 1982 game played at the Pontiac Silverdome.

Her reply: "I never knew it came the first time."

Fifth Harry Potter Movie to Start Filming

LONDON - A veteran Academy Award nominee and a 14-year-old unknown will join the cast of J.K. Rowling's epic Harry Potter series as filming begins next week on the latest movie, producers said Thursday.

Millions of fans across the world are eagerly awaiting the adaptation of Rowling's fifth book — "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" — which sees the return of young actor Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.

Filming will begin Monday in Hertfordshire, a county in southern England. The movie is not slated for release until next year.

The plot centers on the arrival of Dolores Umbridge, an unpopular new professor at wizard academy Hogwarts. She will be played by actress Imelda Staunton, nominated for a 2005 Oscar for her performance in the bleak period drama "Vera Drake."

Potter also wrestles with his attraction to new character Luna Lovegood, a role taken by 14-year-old newcomer Evanna Lynch.

Lynch beat out 15,000 young rivals in an open casting for the part in Britain.

The last film in the series, an adaptation of the fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," was 2005's top earner at British cinemas.

It recorded box office figures of 47.6 million pounds (US$84.1 million or €69.4 million).

New Cast Members Play Big Roles on 'SNL'

NEW YORK - "Saturday Night Live," like rock 'n' roll, is perpetually dying. Throughout the 31 seasons of the NBC sketch comedy show, on a near annual basis, critics have written off "SNL" for not being "what it once was."

When the immensely popular Chevy Chase left the show early in the second season, his replacement was derided. Three decades later, Bill Murray remains one of our most celebrated comics.

"It's been dying since the second season," says Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of the long-running show. "It's always about reinvention."

With it four years since Will Ferrell was a cast member and two years since Jimmy Fallon departed, the present incarnation of "SNL" has been one, Michaels says, of "transition."

But the newest crop of cast members has helped energize this season of "Saturday Night Live," which continues Saturday (11:30 p.m. EST) with old-time "SNL" favorite Steve Martin hosting, with Prince the musical guest. This year's four newbies — Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg and Jason Sudeikis — have all made notable contributions.

"I think you're seeing the wave of the future," Michaels, 61, says.

Tina Fey, who co-anchors "Weekend Update" with Amy Poehler and who is one of "SNL's" three head writers, agrees.

"I think there's a generational shift happening now," she says. "I feel, for sure, like a senior and there's a lot of great, exciting freshmen that are coming in."

The shaggy-haired Samberg has lately become immediately recognizable to viewers. His mock hip-hop video with Chris Parnell about cupcakes and "The Chronicles of Narnia," entitled "Lazy Sunday" (penned with new writers Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer), was a huge hit online, where it was linked by blogs including Gawker.com.

Hader has proven himself with savvy impressions, including a hysterical, spacy Al Pacino. He's also experienced a few typical first-year roles, including playing a man frozen in a coma in one sketch.

"It got a laugh," Hader cheerfully defends his performance. "I've done speaking parts and not gotten a laugh."

Wiig already has a recurring character — a checkout lady at Target who couldn't be happier with her job, who races away from her register and off to the shelves to pick up each new product she spots.

Sudeikis, who was a writer for two seasons before entering the cast, has proven capable in carrying a skit himself — as he did in a virtual one-man sketch where he gradually descends from shopping for a wedding ring to trying to steal one.

"I think, in a certain sense, everyone that's new is doing well," Samberg says. "I have nothing to compare it to, but it certainly feels like there's been a sense of excitement all through this season."

There have also been some behind-the-scenes changes. Seth Meyers, the fifth year "SNL" member known for his Sen. John Kerry impression and the elaborately insulting scientist Dr. Dave Klinger, has recently been promoted to head writer. (With Fey and Meyers, the third head writer is Andrew Steele.)

The new position, Meyers says, alleviates his pain if none of his sketches make the show: "It's gives me something to do rather than stew in my own juices of disappointment. You can actually still help the show."

Aside from the Internet phenomenon of "Lazy Sunday," "SNL" sketches were also recently made available on Apple's iTunes for $1.99 each. These 21st century options, Michaels says, "changes the whole dynamic."

"The audience of the show has always been young and I think they're more likely to be aware of the new technology," he says.

Martin is returning as host for his 14th time Saturday, but doesn't like to stroll down memory lane too much: "I'm not sentimental about anything after 1970. I don't know why," the 60-year-old deadpans.

"I forget how young everybody was when we started," he says of being back at the now hallowed "SNL" studio — 8H — in NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters. "And when I come back here, I think, `Gee, everybody is so young.' Then I realize, but we all were. I'm reminded of an essential truth, that this is a very young show."

While "SNL" is still clearly geared to the young, in 31 seasons countless loyal viewers have inevitably grown up.

"The problem with a show that's been on for 30 years is that it's sort of everybody's sketch show," says Meyers. "It is, actually, your parents' sketch show because when they were your age, they were watching it."

"Other than `Meet the Press' and `60 Minutes,' other shows don't have that problem — but it's a great problem to have," he adds.

Of course, most of the cast members of "SNL" are not freshmen. Together, they make up a genuine ensemble, which Michaels says is currently like "what football has in special teams."

"There are people who are there who do something where they're the best for that."

Veteran Darrell Hammond keeps up impressions of Donald Trump and MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Fred Armisen can mimic Prince or hawk chandeliers with a Long Island accent. Chris Parnell remains, perhaps, the show's MVP, a constant reservoir of both middle-class straight men and wannabe rappers.

Will Forte, his veins often popping, has emerged as possibly the show's craziest performer. He recently, as the ponytailed lead singer of the house band for morning talk show "Duluth Live," downed a fake bottle of whiskey and began screaming things like "Go Thunderbird Spirit!"

And that still leaves Rachel Dratch, Horatio Sanz, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudolph (who returns after maternity leave Saturday), Finesse Mitchell and the "TV Funhouse" clips from Robert Smigel.

If there is a star of "SNL" right now, it might be Poehler, who seems to see more screen time than anyone else. But it may be too early to proclaim whose generation this is.

"Those kind of things of who went on to become a giant megastar, you only find out in retrospect that it was the ` Eddie Murphy Years' and the `Will Ferrell Years'," says Fey.

In the end, what might be the dominant aspect of "Saturday Night Live" isn't its fluctuations, but its consistency.

"Nothing has changed," Martin says. "Not even Lorne's photos on the walls in his office."

Locklear Files for Divorce From Sambora

LOS ANGELES - After 11 years of marriage, actress Heather Locklear has filed for divorce from rocker Richie Sambora, her publicist said Thursday.

"This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time," CeCe Yorke said in a statement.

Locklear, 44, first gained fame in 1981 as sexy Sammy Jo Dean Carrington on the TV series "Dynasty."

In the 1990s, she took on the role of cold-hearted Amanda Woodward on TV's "Melrose Place" and played mayoral love interest Caitlin Moore on "Spin City."

Sambora, 45, is a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Bon Jovi. He has also released two solo albums.

Locklear and Sambora were married in 1994. Their daughter, Ava Elizabeth, is 8.

Locklear was previously married to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

Survivor's ten worst players

For every Richard Hatch there's an Osten Taylor. For every Brian Heidik there's a Gabriel Cade. 'Survivor' has seen its fair share of winners and losers throughout its many seasons.

How do you distinguish a genuine loser from just a brainless goof-up though? In coming up with the list below, I culled all of the players who didn't have a chance to really play the game. People like the Peter Harkeys, Ryan Aikens and Jim Lynches of the world. You are forgiven if you don't remember them. Who would? Then, I had to calculate the severity and stupidity of the blunders that were made. For example, committing an idiotic tactical error while in the final three is undoubtedly more grievous than someone getting lynched in the fifth episode.

Although when we spoke to him, Jeff Probst didn't agree with our number one choice, after hours and hours of contemplation (and outright laughter), we present to you the ten worst competitors to ever play 'Survivor'.

10. Jamie Newton: 'Survivor Guatemala'

Jamie should have gone far. He was a card-carrying member of the dominant alliance on 'Guatemala' and did very well for himself at the challenges. Then, he had to go and ruin it all by becoming as paranoid as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Subsequently, the 'Axis of Evil' Alliance stopped steamrolling over the competition for one vote just to kick out the annoying Jamie.

9. Lex van den Berge: 'Survivor Africa' and 'Survivor: All-Stars'

Another strong player and all around nice guy who let the game get to him...twice! Fretting over who threw him ONE measly vote in 'Africa' (Count it. O-N-E vote!), Lex stabbed ally Kelly Goldsmith in the back. Lex had it all wrong. It was Teresa 'T-Bird' Cooper who was the culprit. Poor Kelly. When 'All-Stars' rolled around it was quite clear that Lex hadn't learned anything from his experience in 'Africa'. He shanghaied his friends once again when he targeted Jerri and Ethan, two of his pals outside of the game. To top it all off, Lex wailed like a banshee when Rob Mariano did the same thing to him.

8. Rafe Judkins: 'Survivor Guatemala'

An entry that is on both the best and worst 'Survivor' lists. Why, you ask? Simple. He was a brilliant strategist and a serious challenge threat on 'Guatemala'. By all rights, it was his game to lose and boy, did he blow it. Stephenie LaGrossa claimed he had a "martyr complex" and she was dead on. Seeing Steph bawl after losing the final Immunity Challenge, Rafe let his heart rule his head and absolved Danni Boatman of her final two promise to him thus setting the stage for her to walk away with the million dollar cheque. It is true that Danni might have just gone ahead and picked Steph any way even if Rafe didn't make the move but he still looks like a moron for putting his own neck on the guillotine after playing such a magnificent game. He isn't as nearly as bad as our next lunkhead though.

7. Ian Rosenberger: 'Survivor Palau'

It is uncanny really. Ian's gameplay mirrored that of Rafe's in almost every detail. He was cunning and he was strong...until the final phase when dolphin boy's brains turned to cottage cheese. Overwhelmed with guilt for daring to "submarine" eventual winner Tom Westman and not taking his other friend - Katie Gallagher - on a Reward trip, Ian offered Tom a deal during the final Immunity Challenge. If Tom agreed to take Katie to the finals, he'd throw in the towel. Tom accepted and Jeff Probst doesn't even waste time holding a Tribal Council vote. Ian was booted right on the Challenge site. Talk about embarrassing. The fact is dolphin boy had nothing to feel bad about. It was smart strategy to lobby against Tom as he was the toughest and most popular player on 'Palau' and he didn't owe Katie a darn thing. Katie owed them as she rode their coattails all the way to the finals. Even Flipper or Shamu would've known that.

6. Colby Donaldson: 'Survivor Australia' and 'Survivor All-Stars'

Good old Colby would've been a millionaire at the end of the second season of 'Survivor' if he had done just one itty-bitty thing. Having won the final Immunity Challenge, all he had to do was pick the less popular Keith Famie and Mark Burnett might as well of handed him the cheque right there in the Outback. Instead, Colby let Tina Wesson work her mother figure mojo on him and the rest is history. Hey, at least she followed through with her promise to buy him a Harley.

5. Lillian Morris: 'Survivor Pearl Islands'

Even before sitting down at the Final Tribal Council, Lillian had already raised the white flag. Believing nobody would vote for her just because she was allowed to return to play the game as a member of the 'Ghost Tribe', Lillian didn't even put up a fight in front of the jury. As Probst proved on the reunion show, Lillian would've won if she had just brought along Jonnie 'Fairplay' Dalton instead of Sandra Diaz-Twine. An awful and pathetic end to one of the best 'Survivor' seasons ever. Speaking of pathetic...

4. Gabriel Cade: 'Survivor Marquesas'

This Christopher Atkins wannabe committed one of the biggest 'Survivor' blunders ever. He admitted to his tribemates that he had no intention of ever trying to win the money or play the game. He was just on the show for the "experience". What he failed to mention is that he was an aspiring model looking for some face-time on national television as well. Naturally, the Rotu Tribe did the honourable thing and immediately rubbed him out. What a waste of space.

3. Shawna Mitchell: 'Survivor Amazon'

Apparently, she thought 'Survivor' was some kind of dating show as all she did was drape herself over Alex Bell. You know, the dude who hit himself in the head with a machete when he was chopping wood. She pleaded to be voted out again and again because the whiner found the actual surviving to be too hard. In the end, she got her wish. Memo to the 'Survivor' casting crew: Leave the rats at the mall where they belong. This isn't 'Big Brother'.

2. Osten Taylor: 'Survivor Pearl Islands'

The body was strong but the heart was weak...very weak. Claiming to be totally out of his element and that his health was more important to him than a million dollars, Osten quit the game in the most brutal 'Survivor' exit barring Michael Skupin's face plant in the fire during the Australian season. Probst listened to Osten plead his case, grilling him all the while like a T-bone steak. Disgusted, Probst didn't even waste ink on Osten. He held a verbal vote, snuffed his torch and laid it on the ground. Dismayed by Osten's decision to basically walk out on the series, the producers didn't even air his final words. All that was shown was Osten's snuffed torch as the credits rolled. For being so weak of will at the time, Osten deserved all of the scorn because he had so much potential. He had the ability to go really far in the game if he had just believed in himself. What's worse than making a shameful strategic blunder? Not having the heart to play the game at all. While we are on the subject of not playing at all...

1. Janu Tornell: 'Survivor Palau'

She laid around in a hammock for almost her entire stint on 'Palau' and then asked to be sent home after some controversial prompting by Jeff Probst at Tribal Council. It is not an exaggeration to say that the palm trees and rocks played a better game than her. The only spark she showed was when she was exiled to live on an island for one night. Probably a fascinating and lively person outside of the game but added very little drama to the 'Palau' instalment.

Dishonourable Mentions

Travis: 'Survivor Vanuatu'.

Clarence: 'Survivor Africa'.

Shii-Ann: 'Survivor Thailand', 'Survivor All-Stars'.

B.B.: 'Survivor Borneo'.

Judd: 'Survivor Guatemala'.

Stephenie: 'Survivor Guatemala', 'Survivor Palau'.

Ryan S.: 'Survivor Pearl Islands'.

Nicole: 'Survivor Pearl Islands'.

Joel: 'Survivor Borneo'.

Lisa: 'Survivor Vanuatu'.

Sirius Canada adds Howard Stern

TORONTO (CP) - The self-proclaimed King of All Media will be heard via satellite radio in Canada after all, starting Monday morning.

Sirius Canada has confirmed that controversial U.S. radio host Howard Stern will be included as part of the company's 100-channel lineup. Stern debuted on Sirius in the U.S. on Jan. 9 but was not initially included in the Canadian lineup. Sirius Canada launched its subscription service in early December.

In Canada, Stern will be heard on Howard One, but a second channel the shock jock programs with other on-air personalities will not be available here.

Mark Redmond, Sirius Canada president and CEO, said Wednesday that Stern was clearly a powerful force in the entertainment world and that while "he's not to everybody's taste" it was time to add him to the lineup.

Declaring he was tired of censorship, Stern abandoned over-the-air radio to elude the scrutiny of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission which had come down hard on his brand of raunchy content.

Redmond plays down reports that because of the nearly one-month delay in launching Stern in Canada, his company may have lost thousands of potential subscribers to the grey market - consumers buying U.S.-made receivers and activating them with a fake U.S. address.

"I don't know how big the grey market is," he says. "I don't think anybody really knows.

"At this point we're more concerned with addressing future subscribers."

Redmond also dismisses suggestions that Stern's program will run afoul of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council or the CRTC, explaining that there are three levels of control. First, it's a pay service; second, there are parental controls on the receivers that can be used to block channels; and third, the service can be purchased with or without Sirius Canada's six channels of "mature" content, including Stern, with no change in price.

Ron Cohen, national chair of the broadcast standards council - the industry's voluntary watchdog agency - says he's not expecting to get many consumer complaints upon which to act.

Pay radio, like pay TV, will be held to more relaxed standards than over-the-air fare - but there will still be standards, says Cohen.

"Sirius is a member of the CBSC and if there are any complaints we will deal with those," he says, stressing that Stern will not have carte blanche when it comes to abusive comment.

Sirius Canada is co-owned by the U.S. Sirius satellite company, the CBC and Standard Radio.

A Sirius Canada spokesman says there had been some temporary shortages of receivers in some stores but that they are now readily available.

Stern has already had a checkered history on Canadian radio. Rock stations in Toronto and Montreal imported his syndicated show in the 1990s in a ratings-boosting effort. Complaints from the broadcast standards council, however, led to Stern's show being put on a tape delay with heavy censorship. Although he delivered on ratings initially, Stern was eventually dropped altogether by CHOM-FM in Montreal and Q-107 in Toronto.

Stern also levelled a few volleys at Canadian bureaucrats at the time.

"They're French," he once said. "And you know what happens when someone comes down on them. They run!"

Stephen Tapp, president of Sirius's competitor XM Canada, says Stern is already a proven failure in Canada, having been pulled off both radio and TV.

"We wouldn't want the future of our company resting on just one guy and one show, especially if he's got a track record like he has in Canada," says Tapp, who insists that's not just sour grapes.

He recalls when Stern's syndicated TV show aired on Citytv, the ratings started out OK, then died because people lost interest.

"If people didn't want to listen to him or watch him before in Canada, we don't think they're going to want to pay for him."

In the past, when asked why Sirius Canada didn't opt to carry Stern from the beginning, Redmond said only that they would be assessing the demand in the marketplace. "In the normal course of our business we will be continually reviewing our channel lineup."

MARISKA GETS SU ON 'SVU'

GLADIATOR co-star Connie Nielsen will replace Mariska Hargitay for six episodes on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" while Hargitay goes on maternity leave.

The Dutch-born Nielsen, 40, will play a warrant detective who joins "SVU" while Hargitay's character, Detective Olivia Benson, is off on a "specific assignment," "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf told The Post.

"When we realized we weren't going to be able to get through the season without explaining [Hargitay's pregnancy] in some way, the best decision was to have her spelled, and Connie's name surfaced internally," Wolf said.

Nielsen played Lucilla in the 2000 Russell Crowe movie "Gladiator" and also co-starred on the big screen in "The Ice Harvest," which was released last year.

Hargitay, who's been on "SVU" since the show's 1999 premiere, is expecting her first child this spring.

CRTC demands more Canadian drama

Canada's television watchdog says the country's private TV networks should produce more English Canadian drama.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which regulates TV and radio in Canada, has released a notice saying the country's three private broadcasters should spend nearly twice as much money on original, Canadian drama as they do now.

Under current rules, the three private networks, Global, CTV and CHUM, spend about 3.3 per cent of their annual revenues on Canadian shows.

Over the next five years, they will have to increase spending on Canadian drama to six per cent of their revenue.

The networks will also have to meet rating targets for their domestically produced shows.

In an effort to prevent cheap Canadian productions being dumped into unpopular time slots, the regulator has set a target for the private networks. In five years, it wants 16.5 per cent of the networks' total drama viewership to be Canadian.

In 2003-2004, the industry average was 9.2 per cent, with CTV reporting that 10.5 per cent of its drama viewership was of Canadian shows. CHUM reported 9.1 per cent and Global 8.4 per cent.

The CRTC released the details of these new guidelines back in the summer to give the networks a chance to review them and make suggestions.

The networks have argued against the change, saying they're being asked to do too much, too soon. In their briefs to the commission, they argued that the targets have been set too high.

The regulator agreed in its ruling that the viewing targets "will be a challenge."

"However, [the CRTC] considers that the increase is achievable if the groups take advantage of the incentive program for the production of original Canadian drama," it said.

As an incentive, the private networks will be permitted more advertising during U.S.-made programming to help their bottom line.

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association have been critical of the private networks for failing to produce homemade drama.

In 1999, the CRTC began to include reality TV, documentaries and entertainment magazines in its definition of Canadian programming, which led to a dramatic fall in spending on Canadian drama, ACTRA said.

In a statement released Wednesday, ACTRA said the new rules don't go far enough. The CRTC should have asked for at least two hours of Canadian prime-time drama from each of the private networks every week, it said.

"It's time the CRTC got serious about being a regulator and imposed some requirements that actually have some teeth," Stephen Waddell, ACTRA executive director, said.

Sequel Has "Power of the Dark Crystal"

After two-and-a-half decades, Jim Henson's beloved family fantasy, The Dark Crystal, is getting a sequel, The Power of The Dark Crystal.

According to The Jim Henson Company, co-CEO Lisa Henson announced the news Wednesday, that Genndy Tartakovsky (Star Wars: Clone Wars) will direct the new film that will combine live-action animatronics with 3D animation.

Returning to the production will be Brian Froud, character designer of the original 1982 movie.

The story for the sequel will be set hundreds of years after events of the first film, when the crystal is once again split but this time by two young friends who want to save the planet by re-igniting the dying sun which exists at the planet's core.

Pretenders Plot Boxed Set, Brief Tour

The long-awaited career-spanning Pretenders boxed set, "Pirate Radio," will finally see the light of day March 14 via Rhino. The package features four audio CDs plus a DVD loaded with album tracks, rarities and 15 previously unreleased selections from the Chrissie Hynde-led group, which was inducted last year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Pirate Radio" begins with a previously unreleased Regent Park demo of "Precious" from the band's classic 1980 self-titled debut. In addition to rarities like the U.K. single version of "Talk of the Town" and a demo of "Watching the Clothes," the first disc features favorites like "Stop Your Sobbing," "The Wait," "Brass in Pocket" and "Message of Love."

Disc two is highlighted by the previously unreleased tracks "Tequila," "Reconsider Me" and "Worlds Within Worlds" plus alternate versions of "Hold a Candle to This" and "When I Change My Life." Familiar singles abound, including "Back on the Chain Gang," "My City Was Gone," "Middle of the Road" and "Don't Get Me Wrong."

The third disc of the box sports live runs through "Private Life," "Lovers of Today," "Criminal," "Revolution" and Radiohead's "Creep," plus a demo of "Every Mother's Son" and the original version of the B-side "Angel of the Morning." A cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Bold As Love" from the tribute album "Stone Free" rounds out the track list.

The final audio disc gathers previously unheard live takes of "The Homecoming," "Up the Neck" and "Fools Must Die" alongside covers of Morrissey's "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Down." The tracks "Back Down" and "California" make their debuts here as well.

The visual element of "Pirate Radio" draws from 1979 through 1995, including early career performances on the BBC's "Top of the Pops," a 1984 appearance on NBC's "The New Show" and a cover of Hendrix's "Room Full of Mirrors" from the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

As previously reported, the Pretenders will be the subject of a comprehensive interview March 17 at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, and will perform the next night at Stubb's BBQ. The group will then play its first series of live dates since 2003 on an eight-date West Coast swing that begins March 21-22 in Los Angeles. Appearances in New York, Atlantic City, N.J., and London will follow.

Split Enz Regroups For Aussie Arena Tour

They once sang history never repeats. But the members of Split Enz today (Feb. 1) announced they are reuniting for an Australian arena tour in June, 22 years after they broke up.

Melbourne-based Frontier Touring has booked the act for an initial five dates between June 7 to 16. The band still has an active fan club in Australia of 15,000, and the tour is expected to see them play to their largest crowds on the continent.

Group member Tim Finn said that while no further dates were planned, he would like to play shows in Los Angeles, New York and London. The run would most likely also include a run through Split Enz' New Zealand homeland.

Formed in New Zealand in 1972, Split Enz's eccentric theatre-pop flamboyance and pre-MTV innovative videos and artwork inspired the late 1970s British new wave as well as American bands like Pearl Jam.

The lineup that is reuniting (there were 13 member changes in the group's 12-year career) was its most successful. In 1980, Split Enz released its global breakthrough album, "True Colours," which spawned hits like "I Got You" and "I Hope I Never." Two years later, the album "Time And Tide" yielded "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" and "Dirty Creature."

Neil Finn says this lineup -- with Eddie Rayner (keyboards), Nigel Griggs (bass), Malcolm Green (drums) and Noel Crombie (percussion) -- was solid enough to cope with starving in London for three years and also cope with success. "This was the lineup that saw things through," Finn said. However, the band had a "let's wait and see" comment when asked if a new studio album would emerge from the reunion.

An Enz reunion tour has been rumored for two years. The clincher, Tim Finn says, was when the band reunited to play two shows when they were inducted at the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall Of Fame last June in Melbourne.
"There was an electricity there," Finn explains, adding that the only rehearsals they'd done for the show was a run-through at soundcheck.

At today's announcement at the masonic Ormond Hall in Melbourne where they'd played their first shows, the Enz entertained the media and fan club members with performances of "Poor Boy," "Message to My Girl," "Shark Attack" and a spoon solo from Crombie.

CBS White House correspondent John Roberts jumps to CNN

NEW YORK (AP) — Veteran CBS White House correspondent John Roberts, snubbed by his network during the long search for Dan Rather's successor, has jumped to CNN.

As a senior national correspondent based in Washington, Roberts will report for various CNN newscasts throughout the day, said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S., on Wednesday. He starts on Feb. 20.

Roberts, 49, has been CBS News' chief White House correspondent for six years, and anchored the Sunday edition of the CBS Evening News for more than 10 years.

He was widely considered the top internal choice to succeed Dan Rather, who stepped down as evening news anchor last March. But as the months went on without CBS announcing a successor, and with patron CBS News President Andrew Heyward being forced out of his job, it became clear Roberts wasn't a favorite of CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves.

As Bob Schieffer has filled in on the evening news — boosting the show's ratings — CBS has courted NBC Today show host Katie Couric to become the new anchor. Couric's NBC contract expires in May.

New CBS News President Sean McManus said last month that even if Couric doesn't join CBS, the new evening news anchor wasn't likely to come from within the network's ranks. He indicated that CBS didn't have a stable of high-profile talent ready to take over the job.

Roberts joined CBS in 1992 and was a news anchor for CBS This Morning. He was also a New York-based correspondent for the evening news before heading to Washington.

Roberts was CBS' most high-profile correspondent on the scene covering Hurricane Katrina last year. He made his last appearance for the network during Tuesday's coverage of President Bush's State of the Union address.

"Leaving CBS News will be difficult — no question," Roberts said in an e-mail to CBS colleagues Wednesday. "The ache of anxious anticipation has been gnawing away at me for some time now. It's not just the thought of leaving behind the comfort of familiar surroundings. It's about the many colleagues around the world whom I have come to call friends."

Disney to make Narnia 'Prince Caspian' for 2007

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co and Walden Media have started pre-production on a second film based on C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" children's books, a Disney spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The second film, "Prince Caspian," starring the same four child actors as "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," is expected to be released in 2007.

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," released December 9, has earned $634.4 million at box offices worldwide, according to online box office tracking site Box Office Mojo.

By domestic box office results, it is the 28th most-viewed film ever.

Disney and Walden split the profits equally from the "Narnia" films

Wanted: 007 Babe & Baddie

James Bond likes his women beautiful, his nemeses megalomaniacal and his martinis shaken, not stirred. These days he's drinking alone.

Filming on the new 007 adventure, Casino Royale, kicked off last Friday in the Czech capital of Prague with newcomer Daniel Craig taking over for Pierce Brosnan as the suave secret agent. But intelligence sources reveal Bond is currently sans babe and baddie.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, filmmakers made the decision to roll cameras on the long-delayed film in order to make a planned holiday release date--even though the two key components of a Bond film are notably missing in action.

For now, their absence is being handled by shooting around them. Crucial scenes featuring the would-be villain and Bond's latest paramour aren't scheduled to be filmed for at least a month, leaving coproducers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and director Martin Campbell a little wiggle room.

"They're talking to three to four girls right now," Casino scribe Paul Haggis, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for Million Dollar Baby and is nominated again this year for writing and directing Crash, told the Reporter. "Every week I read there's a new Bond girl, and I call them and they say, 'No, you idiot.' "

The trade reports Thandie Newton (Mission: Impossible 2) and Rachel McAdams (Red Eye and The Wedding Crashers) are the several high-profile actresses currently in the running to join the pantheon of Bond babe. (The sometime rumored likes of Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears, however, are not serious contenders.)

As for the next bad guy, the Casino brain trust is reportedly much closer to cast that role than the love interest, but no names have specifically mentioned by reliable sources.

The announcement of Craig as the sixth actor to don the tuxedo was made with great fanfare at an October press conference. But because it took so long to cast the role, the production was delayed from November to January.

Campbell & Co. promised Casino Royale, the 21st installment in cinema's longest running and most successful series, would take the iconic character back to his roots. The film is said to feature a character-driven script exploring Bond's past and eschewing the big special-effects and gadgets that have come to define the later Bond flicks, particularly the ones starring Brosnan and Roger Moore.

The director, who also helmed GoldenEye, Brosnan's first outing as Bond, said Casino Royale will show 007 at age of 28, when he's just starting out on Her Majesty's Secret Service, and purportedly explain such mysteries as to why he likes his vodka martinis prepared incorrectly. It will also be the first Bond mission since Live and Let Die not to feature the character of Q, most recently played by John Cleese.

Neither the Bond production company, the U.K.-based Eon Productions, nor its U.S.-based studio, MGM, would comment on the casting situation.

However, one Hollywood agent with an inside track on Casino's casting told the Reporter that Sony, the film's distributor, will probably have to cough up a lot of dough to get the actors given the fact that shooting has already begun.

"To be that exposed is unheard of," the agent said. "[The actor or actress] can have them over a barrel. Not to have your two principal leads [by now] is awfully strange."

With the amount of money at stake, a tight deadline and the prestige of the franchise in the balance, producers are expected to be willing to spend as much as needed to secure the right actors.

After the Czech Republic, production moves to the Bahamas, Italy and Pinewood Studios near London. Casino Royale is being targeted for a Nov. 17, 2006 release.