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.