New Janet Single Due In May, Album In Fall

The first single from Janet Jackson's as-yet-untitled new album is expected to hit U.S. radio outlets in May, Virgin Urban president Jermaine Dupri tells Billboard. The album will likely follow at the end of September. As previously reported, longtime Jackson collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have contributed to the new album.

"It's a milestone year for us and for the collaboration," Jam previously told Billboard.com. "It'll be 20 years since the release of [Jackson's 1986 album] 'Control,' so there's definitely a little bit of a nod to that on the new album."

Will Dupri be a featured guest on any of the new tracks? "You'll hear my voice on some songs," he says. "But I don't know if Jermaine Dupri the artist exists anymore. I'm not into that right now. It's far on the back burner. It's probably in the cards somewhere down the road. But it's the last thing I'm thinking about right now."

The new offering will be the follow-up to 2004's "Damita Jo," which was released amidst the aftermath of Jackson's controversial Super Bowl halftime show. The set debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 985,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Foo Fighters Still Planning Acoustic Tour

Although the Foo Fighters are taking it easy until frontman Dave Grohl's first baby is born, the band is still planning to follow through on a previously discussed acoustic tour. "We're going to start rehearsing very soon," drummer Taylor Hawkins tells Billboard.com of the trek, which will focus on the less aggressive songs on the 2005 double album "In Your Honor."

Hawkins expects rehearsals to begin right after the April 24 completion of a two-week solo tour with his band the Coattail Riders. The group's self-titled debut was released March 21 via Thrive Records.

The Foos are already slated to play several U.K. festivals in June, but no North American dates have been announced yet. "We might do some stuff before [June], but there is nothing on the books," says Hawkins, adding, "We're knockin' some stuff around, though."

For the acoustic dates, the Foos have signed up an auxiliary backing band featuring multi-instrumentalist Petra Haden, pianist Rami Jaffee and percussionist Drew Hester. Haden and Jaffee both guested on "In Your Honor"; Haden's Foo Fighters association dates back a decade, when her band, that dog, toured with the Foos in North America.

Despite his impending fatherhood, Grohl has found time to guest behind the drums on the new album from Juliette & the Licks, who are fronted by actress Juliette Lewis. The as-yet-untitled set is expected in early fall.

Fans get taste of "The Simpsons" movie

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - To learn some long-awaited news about "The Simpsons," television's most popular cartoon family, fans had to go to the movies on Friday.

Film studio 20th Century Fox released a 25-second promotional trailer at showings of its new computer-animated movie "Ice Age: The Meltdown" to announce the first big-screen version of "The Simpsons" would be coming to theaters on July 27, 2007.

The trailer begins with a giant superhero-sized letter "S" while an announcer declares, "Leaping his way onto the silver screen ... the greatest hero in American history!"

The scene cuts to Homer Simpson sitting on his couch in his underwear, saying, "I forgot what I was supposed to say."

Now in its 17th season, "The Simpsons" is the longest-running U.S. comedy series in prime time.

Beginning as a string of cartoon shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987, "The Simpsons" made their debut as a half-hour series on the then-fledgling Fox network in December 1989.

At the outset, the series centered on the antics of the wisecracking, underachieving 10-year-old Bart Simpson, a spiky-haired misfit who darts around town on his skateboard and drives his fourth-grade teacher nuts.

But as the show evolved, the focus shifted to Bart's bone-headed father, Homer, who works at a nuclear power plant and punctuates his frequent mistakes with the anguished, half-syllable utterance "D'Oh!"

Rounding out the Simpsons brood are beehive-haired mother Marge, the sensible, good-natured anchor of the family, and Bart's two sisters -- pacifier-sucking baby Maggie, a silent observer of all, and second-grade prodigy Lisa, a baritone saxophone virtuoso and intellectual of the family.

Behind them is a huge cast of regulars who populate the fictional town of Springfield -- extended family members, neighbors, teachers, classmates, Homer's co-workers, his pals at Moe's Tavern, Apu the Kwik-E-Mart clerk, police chief Wiggum and even the Comic Book Guy.

The series averages 9.6 million viewers a week on Sunday nights, down from its peak ratings several years ago, but remains a critical favorite and worldwide pop culture phenomenon seen in dozens of countries.

It also is a cash cow for 20th Century Fox TV for the handsome revenues it generates in syndication.

Howard Stern Lashes Out at Some Fans

NEW YORK - Howard Stern is angry more fans haven't followed him to satellite radio. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 52-year-old shock jock lashes out at those of his fan base who haven't made the transition to Sirius Satellite Radio.

In January, Stern moved his popular and bawdy morning show to the subscription satellite radio provider.

"I was just at my psychiatrist and I said, `I just got great news: We hit the 4 million mark. And I'm angry. It should be 20 million,'" Stern says in the magazine, on newsstands Monday.

"It's insulting to me that everyone hasn't come with me. I take it personally," he says.

"I want to say to my audience ... `You haven't come with me yet? How dare you? We're up to wild, crazy stuff, the show has never sounded better. You cheap bastard!'"

In February, CBS Radio, formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting, filed a lawsuit against Stern for improperly using airtime to promote his new show on Sirius.

Stern has claimed the lawsuit is without merit.

Courtney & Nirvana: Smells Like a Sellout

Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit"--coming soon to a soap ad near you?

So far Courtney Love is ruling that out, but chances are we'll be hearing more of the seminal grunge band's music in unexpected places now that Kurt Cobain's cash-strapped widow has agreed to sell off a 25 percent stake in the Nirvana song catalog in a deal valued at $50 million, per Rolling Stone.

On the other end of the deal is Larry Mestel, the former COO of Virgin Records and current head of Primary Wave Music Publishing.

To preemptively squelch backlash from fans worried about the over-commercialization of a decidedly anticorporate band, Love sought to assure the Nirvana faithful that the music won't simply be licensed to the highest bidder.

"We're going to remain very tasteful, and we're going to [retain] the spirit of Nirvana and take Nirvana places it's never been before," Love told the magazine.

"I took on a strategic partner, Larry Mestel, to help me comanage the estate because it was overwhelming," Love said. "The affairs of Nirvana are so massive and so huge, and they've all fallen on my lap.

"I own almost all of [the publishing]...and it proved to be too much for me. I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation. And this guy's the guy to do it," she said.

Following her husband's 1994 suicide, Love became the primary benefactor of Cobain's estate, which included ownership rights of more than 98 percent of Nirvana's song catalog. The other two former members, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, own the remainder--slightly less than 2 percent split between them. The new deal does not affect their portion.

Mestel, too, is quick to quell rumors that he's just another suit out to profit on Cobain's legacy.

"My goal is to keep the music very true to who the songwriter was and what his passions and tastes would be and to work through Courtney to figure out exactly the best way to go about exposing his music to a new youth culture to a new generation," Mestel said.

He also told Rolling Stone that he was thrilled to have been able to buy into the Nirvana catalog and become, with his three-year-old company, a part of music history.

"The appeal to me is that [Cobain was] one of the most important songwriters of his time," Mestel said. "Kurt was an incredible songwriter, and Courtney is an exceptionally talented person herself. So I felt the combination of Courtney's creativity and the things I can add can really help in creating more value for these copyrights."

Novoselic and Grohl, long-time adversaries of Love, have yet to comment on the new deal. But we're guessing they're none too pleased.

When rumors first swirled that Love was looking to unload a stake in the lucrative catalog, it was expected that the duo may have first dibs, but, based on their troubled history with Love, it's doubtful they were ever offered the chance.

In 2001, Love filed suit against Grohl and Novoselic in an attempt to gain sole custody of the Nirvana songbook, calling the duo merely "sidemen" in the band, which she equated as a one-man show--the man of course being her late husband. The same year, Grohl and Novoselic struck back, filing their own suit alleging Love was using Cobain's music to "further her own career goals," calling her a "greedy prima donna" with a "waning recording and acting career."

Love also filed suit against Grohl and Novoselic and Nirvana's label, Universal Music Group, to block the release of a Nirvana box set, The Heart-Shaped Box. The suit was eventually settled and the album released.

In an interview with Blender magazine last year, Love claimed that "$40 million has been stolen from me and Frances by a fiduciary institution." In July, she blamed former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl for her financial woes, telling Spin magazine that Grohl had been "taking money from my child for years."

Aside from the wrangling over Nirvana, Love's once considerable fortune has been sapped by lawsuits, liens and numerous drug-related charges. In January, a mortgage company took possession of a Seattle-area house owned by Love (and the former residence of Cobain's sister), after the singer-actress failed to make payments. Last August, a Manhattan financial firm moved to foreclose on her pricey New York condo, claiming she had not made a mortgage payment in months.

But things are looking up. Aside from the Mestel deal, Love was given a good report card in February by a Los Angeles judge in her last remaining drug case. For her part, Love told the judge she had put her "very gnarly drug problem" behind her.

She's also resuming her own music career. Love is in the studio recording a follow-up to her 2004 solo album, America's Sweetheart. Linda Perry, Moby and Billy Corgan are pitching in, with the latter joining Love for a track called, aptly enough, "How Dirty Girls Get Clean."

$6M first edition Shakespeare to be sold

A rare book of Shakespeare’s plays, deemed by Sotheby’s “the most important book in English literature,” will be put up for auction in London.

It is the first complete folio of the playwright’s work, printed in 1623, seven years after his death. It is one of a print run of 750, only a third of which have survived, most incomplete.

The book being auctioned is in remarkable condition and is expected to fetch more than £3 million ($6.1 million) at Sotheby’s in London on July 13.

“Shakespeare has had a more profound and widespread impact on the artistic imagination, on language, literature and all the performing arts, than any other writer who has ever lived," said Peter Selley, Sotheby’s English literature expert.

"Relatively complete copies of the Folio in contemporary or near contemporary bindings very rarely come to the market. This sale will be a truly exceptional event."

The folio was assembled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, actors who performed with William Shakespeare in the King’s Men, the company he wrote for. It contains 36 plays and it was the first time that 18 of them – including Macbeth, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew and As You Like It – had been printed.

At the time, the folio sold for 20 shillings, the equivalent of about $200 today.

The book has annotations and markings from its readers. Some parts are highlighted and other times, texts are corrected.

The book is being sold by Dr. Williams’s Theological Library in London, which bought it from the library of another preacher in the early 18th century. The library is selling the book to secure its finances.

The book will be displayed at Sotheby's offices in London, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Beijing and Hong Kong in April and May, ahead of the auction.

'Amazing Race' Gets Fresh Start

"The Amazing Race," which has been struggling a little in the last hour of primetime, is switching nights, bumping two underperforming comedies in the process.

Starting next week, "The Amazing Race" will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays, a switch from its previous spot at 10 p.m. Tuesdays. The ninth edition of the Emmy-winning series has been averaging fewer than 10 million viewers since its Feb. 28 premiere, its lowest figures since the third "Race" in summer 2003.

The switch puts it into a fairly wide-open timeslot where no show has been dominant in recent weeks. NBC has had success there with "Deal or No Deal" the past couple of weeks, and FOX's "Bones" has performed solidly as well, but neither one dominates the hour on the level that "American Idol" or "CSI" does.

It also puts the family-friendly show in a timeslot where more kids are likely to be watching with their parents.

The move of "The Amazing Race" bumps the comedies "Out of Practice" and "Courting Alex" off the schedule; CBS offers only a vague "at a later date" as to when they might be back. Both shows have dropped precipitously since moving from their cozy Monday-night homes earlier in the season.

"Out of Practice," which drew 12.2 million viewers per week in the fall, when it was sandwiched between "Two and a Half Men" and "CSI: Miami," has averaged only 6.6 million since its Wednesday debut last week. "Courting Alex," which occupied the same Monday slot in January and February, has brought in 6.3 million viewers a week in its new home -- half what it was averaging previously.

Hatcher and Seacrest Caught Kissing

Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest have been photographed kissing after a cozy lunch in Malibu, California. The pair engaged in very public displays of affection as they took a stroll on the beach following lunch at a local restaurant last Saturday. Seated at a beach-view table, the couple ordered lobster, two orders of oysters, crab cakes, bottled water and wine. Hatcher was also seen giving Seacrest a neck massage and frequently laughing out loud at his jokes. After their lunch, they were photographed with their arms around each other, holding hands and kissing numerous times on the beach. The couple were initially introduced by a mutual friend and went on a group date at Los Angeles restaurant L'Orangerie on March 10. A source tells American publication Us Weekly, "It's not super-serious. They're not on the road to marriage or anything." Hatcher was most recently linked to George Clooney and Seacrest split from his girlfriend of two years, actress Shana Wall in July. The source adds, "They're taking it slow."

"Ice Age" sequel set to heat up box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The early spring thaw that drove the chill off the box office last weekend could escalate into genuine global warming this go-round as the animated sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown" launches in North America and a number of foreign territories.

Although three other wide releases, including "Basic Instinct 2," will bid for moviegoers' attention, "Meltdown" is guaranteed to dominate the North American box office, possibly hitting the $50 million mark.

20th Century Fox's PG sequel continues the adventures of the prehistoric pack consisting of Ray Romano's woolly mammoth, John Leguizamo's sloth and Denis Leary's saber-toothed tiger along with such new additions as a mammoth love interest voiced by Queen Latifah. The original "Ice Age" opened in mid-March 2002 with $46.3 million, and ended up with $176.4 million.

Universal Pictures' reigning champ "Inside Man" -- which made off with $29 million when it opened last weekend -- should check in at No. 2.

Warner Bros. Pictures is making a pitch for the hip-hop crowd with "ATL," a coming-of-age drama about four high school students in Atlanta. With a cast headed by Tip Harris (also known as rapper T.I.) and Lauren London, along with older actors like Mykelti Williamson, it should receive a receptive hearing from its core urban audience, which could add up to something approaching $10 million.

Sony Pictures' release of the R-rated "Basic Instinct 2" revisits the murderous Catherine Tramell ( Sharon Stone) as she resurfaces in London, where she gets caught up in another sexually charged investigation being conducted by Scotland Yard and a psychiatrist played by David Morrissey.

The first "Instinct" opened to $15.1 million in 1992, but despite ticket-price inflation, its successor could be hard-pressed to climb into the double-digit millions. And it also will have to fend off such other adult-oriented R-rated fare as "Inside Man" and Warner Bros. Pictures' "V for Vendetta," which is entering its third weekend, to do so.

Universal's "Slither," an R-rated horror movie about alien plague, zombies and all manner of creepy creatures, isn't afraid to stoop for laughs. But while the turnout among horror aficionados always is unpredictable, "Slither" could find this weekend a tough slog.

Canceled CBS series 'Love Monkey' finds new life on VH1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The short-lived CBS series Love Monkey has found new life on VH1. At least temporarily.

The cable channel will air all eight hourlong episodes of the show beginning next month, a network spokeswoman said Wednesday.

No new episodes have been ordered.

The dramatic comedy, which looks at life and love through the eyes of a cynical, single, 30-something music scout, premiered on CBS in January. The network ordered eight episodes, but the series was scrapped after three.

VH1 will air the three previously seen shows back-to-back on April 11, starting at 7 p.m. ET. The remaining five installments will air weekly on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. beginning April 18.

Love Monkey, based on Kyle Smith's 2004 book of the same name, stars Tom Cavanagh as protagonist Tom Farrell. Jason Priestly, Larenz Tate and Christopher Wiehl also star.

Paula Abdul agrees to three more years of "Idol"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bubbly "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul has signed on for three more years as the counterpoint to brutally honest Simon Cowell on TV's hottest show, the Fox network said on Wednesday.

Abdul, a Grammy-winning singer and dancer and the show's lone female judge, has become a fan favorite for her effusive, sometimes fawning praise of show's aspiring stars in the face of bad boy Cowell's punishing critiques.

"Paula's warm and nurturing nature is vital to the balance of the show," Fox spokesman Mike Darnell said of Abdul, who is expected to join Cowell and judge Randy Jackson for the duration of her new contract.

"We are thrilled to have her alongside -- or actually in between -- Randy and Simon," Darnell said in a written statement.

The announcement comes less than a year after an internal investigation by Fox found no evidence to support claims by a former "Idol" contestant Corey Clark that he had a sexual affair with Abdul, 43, and that she coached him privately.

"It is truly an honor to be a part of the American Idol phenomenon," Abdul said in a written statement. "As an artist myself it is a pleasure to have a connection with each of the contestants and be able to fully support their dreams and aspirations.

"Of course, I also look forward to putting Simon in his place for years to come."

"Idol," airing two or three nights a week this year, has grown into a ratings juggernaut for Fox and dominated U.S. television in prime time, overshadowing the hottest series of rival networks and even big-event broadcasts like the Grammy Awards and Winter Olympics.

Nickelback, Buble vie for Juno glory

TORONTO (CP) - Neil Young is set to face off against Arcade Fire. Simple Plan will duke it out with Celine Dion. And it'll be Divine Brown against Jully Black.

But with a leading six nominations, Alberta rockers Nickelback will be the act to beat on Sunday when the country's music elite gather in Halifax for the Juno Awards. "They've got a really good shot to sweep the whole thing," said Cameron Carpenter, director of talent development for satellite radio service XM Canada.

"With each successive album, they gain more and more respect . . . and keep winning people over."

Perennial favourites who have taken home Juno hardware seven times, Nickelback had a phenomenal year in 2005 with their multimillion-selling album, All the Right Reasons, featuring the No.1 hit Photograph.

Close on Nickelback's heels is torch singer Michael Buble, whose ballad-filled It's Time was the country's top-selling CD last year by a Canadian artist.

Buble, of Vancouver, had a major hit with Home, a sentimental track about feeling homesick.

He said the song has inspired many fans to write him personal stories, including U.S. troops fighting in Iraq.

"It's amazing that something I wrote that, for me, was autobiographical means so much to so many," Buble said during a conference call with Canadian media earlier this week.

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't a trip almost every day to hear that it's affected people."

The balladeer's five Juno nominations follow a Grammy nod earlier this year. Buble lost out to legend Tony Bennett at those awards.

"It's really great to be recognized," said the crooner, who will be bringing his British actor girlfriend Emily Blunt to Sunday's awards. "It's a kick, man."

Jazz siren Diana Krall tied Buble's five nominations. Young is up for three awards, as is buzz act Arcade Fire and Canadian Idol champ Kalan Porter.

But some think the real winners of the night will be the little known acts who get to share a national, prime-time stage with the megastars.

Francophone singer Boom Desjardins is a huge celebrity in Quebec, but his name barely registers in the other provinces. That'll change when viewers hear his name called among the nominees in two major categories - artist of the year and best pop album, which are typically dominated by English acts.

Bedouin Soundclash, a three-piece outfit formed in a dorm room at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., should also benefit from the Juno exposure.

Nominated for two awards, the group found success with its catchy single, When The Night Feels My Song, which was first used in a Zellers commercial.

The reggae-rock trio, however, are still not recognizable stars, said Carpenter.

"They crossed over quite a bit but not everyone knows who they are yet," he said.

Bedouin is up for best single as well as best new group - a category they should easily win, mused fellow nominees Pocket Dwellers, a seven-piece jazz-tinged, hip hop group from Toronto's suburbs.

But they aren't complaining. Drummer Marco Raposo said he's just happy the Junos have finally noticed his group, which has been together a decade and released three albums.

"We've never been a high profile band," he said. "We've always been simmering in the underground. I guess it goes to show that there are industry people that do know what we're doing."

Other interesting races include the songwriter's category, where Arcade Fire, Ron Sexsmith, Kathleen Edwards, Joel Plaskett and Young will compete.

There's also a real dogfight in the alternative album category where hipster acts Broken Social Scene, Metric, Hot Hot Heat, Tegan & Sara and the New Pornographers are nominated.

Sunday night's TV show, hosted by bombshell actress Pam Anderson, will only feature seven of the 39 awards.

The remainder of glass statues will be distributed at an industry-only gala dinner on Saturday night.

Some key Juno categories:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kidman Moves Into Action Mode for Fox

Fox hopes to develop a female version of the 'Bourne' franchise for Nicole Kidman

Regency Entertainment and 20th Century Fox have their eyes on a spy thriller being developed to star Nicole Kidman.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Kinberg ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith") will write the untitled project, which is described as being Kidman's equivalent of the "Bourne" franchise.

Kidman will produce through her Blueprint Films banner. Laurence Mark and Jonathan King are also on board as producers.

Film fans with good memories will recall that Kidman was originally supposed to star in "Smith," but had to depart the smash hit due to scheduling conflicts. Kinberg then had to rewrite his female protagonist for new leading lady Angelina Jolie.

Kidman, an Oscar winner for "The Hours," has completed work on the sci-fi/horror thriller "The Visiting" and on the biopic "Fur." She's already lined up leads in the next dramedy from Noah Baumbach ("The Squid and the Whale") and in an untitled drama from Baz Luhrmann set to co-star Russell Crowe.

Other credits for Kinberg include Fox's upcoming "X-Men: The Last Stand."

Simon Ready To 'Surprise' With Eno

After several years of work, Paul Simon is finally ready to share his long-awaited collaboration with producer Brian Eno (U2, Talking Heads) with the listening public. The 11-track project, dubbed "Surprise," will be released May 9 in North America via Warner Bros. and a day earlier internationally.

Among the songs set to appear on "Surprise" are "Sons and Daughters," "How Can You Live in the Northeast," "Outrageous" and "Father and Daughter," Simon's contribution to 2002's "The Wild Thornberrys Movie" which was nominated for the best original song Academy Award.

Guest appearances include guitarist Bill Frisell, drummer Steve Gadd and pianist Herbie Hancock, whose 2005 album, "Possibilities," featured a new recording with Simon of the latter's "I Do It for Your Love."

"Surprise" is Simon's first studio album since 2000's "You're the One," which debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 505,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The lone live date on Simon's schedule at present is a May 7 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. A small-venue show in London is in the works to coincide with the new album's release date but details have yet to be announced.

According to a spokesperson, tours are in the works for both summer and fall. Simon will also perform on the May 13 episode of NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

Here is the track list for "Surprise":

"How Can You Live in the Northeast"
"Everything About It Is a Love Song"
"Outrageous"
"Sure Don't Feel Like Love"
"Wartime Prayers"
"Beautiful"
"I Don't Believe"
"Another Galaxy"
"Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean"
"That's Me"
"Father and Daughter"

Friends Reunion Latest

We've all wished they'd just get on and do it but a Friends reunion is no closer to happening right now.

And apparently it's all down to one of the three lads.

Rumours of a reunion were fired up after Kathleen Turner - who played the transvestite dad of Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) - revealed she had been approached about appearing in more episodes.

American TV network NBC later nixed the stories of a one-off reunion show.

However, Lisa Kudrow has now revealed it was all true - but sadly, still not on the cards.

And it's Matthew, Matt Le Blanc or David Schwimmer who's to blame, she reckons - not Jennifer Aniston, as had been rumoured.

"There is an opportunity for the rest of us to do a reunion show but one member has said no," Lisa said.

"It's one of the guys. I'm gutted."

Lisa's new venture, The Comeback, a satire of reality shows, has not been as successful as she had hoped.

There's been a Friends-shaped hole in our TV schedules for almost two years now.

The series ran for 10 years and 240 episodes and made gazillion-dollar fortunes for its six stars.

No sour grapes for Romijn

CALABASAS, Calif. — If Rebecca Romijn seems generously candid, chalk it up to her deep personal happiness and fun new role as a super-snoopy investigative reporter in WB's Pepper Dennis (premieres Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET/PT).

"I do have more sympathy for reporters than I ever had before," acknowledges Romijn, 33, a former supermodel who was host and reporter for MTV's House of Style in the 1990s. "You've got to get the story, and I totally get that."

Fresh from a 13-hour catch-up sleep marathon, Romijn is having a breakfast of huevos rancheros. She has arrived at a cafe near the ranch house she shares with 32-year-old fiancé Jerry O'Connell (Crossing Jordan) and is bursting with bright colors.

The 5-foot-11 fashion queen is dressed in a striped peach rugby shirt, gold headband and necklace, a turquoise ring, a mammoth 6-carat yellow diamond engagement ring, a bright orange wallet, and toenails painted with a pink hue called "I Need a Vacation." Because her reporter character is single, she takes off her ring during scenes and replaces it with a set of yellow diamond earrings also given to her by O'Connell.

The 1999 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover girl, who posed on the sand alongside other top cover models for the 2006 cover, will hit the beach again soon for a vacation in the Bahamas with O'Connell. The previous evening, she fell asleep in his arms "around 8" — somewhere between watching rentals of A History of Violence and The Squid and the Whale.

She calls O'Connell "the most solid guy. I don't know what I would do without him."

On their grounds are the beginnings of a winery: O'Connell followed up a romantic getaway to California wine country by planting 800 Merlot and Cabernet grapevines. She calls the gesture "the most romantic gift."

It's now a favorite spot. Romijn spends weekends in the vineyard with her rocking chair, two poodles and two German shepherds to read scripts, while O'Connell shoots off golf balls or tends to the vines. As a nod to the history of their home — it was a 1930s brothel called The Wagon Wheel Ranch — they plan to eventually bottle Wagon Wheel Wine.

But also sitting behind their home is a giant letter "D" — part of the Disneyland sign that ex-husband John Stamos (Jake in Progress, ER) purchased after he and Romijn had their first date at Disneyland. She says Stamos eventually will come and collect the "D" and the other nine letters she has in storage, but in the meantime, she prefers to think the "D" stands for her character, Dennis.

News of her split from Stamos after six years of marriage broke the day before she walked the red carpet at the April 2004 premiere of her film The Punisher. "We just got outed" by the tabloids, Romijn says. "We had split up quite a while before, but John and I had decided we were just going to keep it between us because we had work to do and I didn't want to be dealing with all that.

"But we were forced to come clean, so I put on a brave face."

Of Stamos, she says, "We don't have a regular relationship anymore." She's hurt by media reports that the couple split because he wanted to start a family and she didn't. Romijn says vehemently that those accounts are wrong. She adds, "Whether or not I wanted to have kids had nothing to do with it. We were together for 10 years, and the reasons (for the divorce) are complicated. I can't wait to have kids. I'm at a point in my life where when I see a pregnant woman, I get tears in my eyes."

She and O'Connell, who she says shares her desire to start a family, plan to wed this summer after she wraps up promoting her third stint as the blue-hued Mystique in X-Men 3: The Last Stand, in theaters May 26. (She has two other films in the can: June's The Alibi, with her X-Men co-star James Marsden, and the upcoming Man About Town, in which she plays the wife of Ben Affleck.)

Her wedding will "not be a big event. I did that a long time ago. We might do it on a vacation and include just our close family."

Oh — and unlike what she did with her name for her previous marriage, she won't be changing her name to Rebecca Romijn-O'Connell.

"I'm probably just going to take the O," the actress jokes. "Rebecca O'Romijn."

Series Two Date, Titles and More News

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine, reaching subscribers today, has confirmed rumors that Series Two will debut on Saturday, April 15 at 7:00pm.

Widely rumored as the target date by fans and even the press as early as last November, this is the first official confirmation anywhere of the date of transmission of the first new episode, "New Earth".

Also revealed in the issue are the final three titles for the season. The Impossible Planet is the name of episode 8, the first half of the two-part story taking place on an alien world which is followed up by episode 9, "The Satan Pit". Fear Her is the title for episode 11, written by "Life on Mars" writer Matthew Graham. Finally, the magazine confirms the title Love & Monsters (using the ampersand, in fact, not the word "and"), which was reported last week in various newspapers during the episode's filming.

Additionally, DWM has revealed that, following each broadcast, Doctor Who Confidential - the documentary series about the making of the program - will air on BBC with writer Mark Gatiss ("The Unquiet Dead," "The Idiot's Lantern") narrating the documentary series, replacing last year's narrator Simon Pegg.

Finally, a few miscellaneous items of note about series two: writer Marc Platt, who wrote the Big Finish audio "Spare Parts" which inspired the Cyberman two-parter being seen this year, will receive a fee but the producers stress the story is not a rewrite. Also, "In the interview with Julie Gardner and Phill Collinson, they state that they are in their busiest period now, and that the script for the final episode is awesome. There is also a quote in the news section that allays the fears of the Barbara Windsor and Trisha Goddard cameos stating they are 'clever.'"

Sirius' hefty talent deals are "scary": CEO

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. CEO Mel Karmazin said Tuesday it was "scary" paying huge amounts to secure Howard Stern, the NFL, NASCAR and other high-profile programming, but still well worth it.

"It's scary how much they cost, but I would rather have them and find a way to make money with them rather than compete against them," Karmazin said at the Sports Business Journal's annual World Congress of Sports event.

Stern's deal is worth $500 million over five years. Despite the big bucks, Karmazin said he met with Stern on Monday to try to get him to extend his term with similar pay structure.

"He wasn't interested," Karmazin said. "He'll take his chances when the contract is up."

Karmazin joined Sirius in 2004 after a long career in traditional radio that culminated in a turn as president and chief operating officer of Viacom Inc. In that time, he has seen Sirius' subscriber base grow and snagged Stern from Viacom's CBS unit.

Stern's old employer recently sued the shock-jock, his agent Don Buchwald and Sirius for alleged breach of contract and fraud stemming from his much-ballyhooed move to satellite in January. The suit, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, was described by Stern as "a personal vendetta" launched by CBS chief Leslie Moonves in response to the network's sagging radio fortunes since Stern left.

Karmazin said the lawsuit only served to put Stern back on the front page.

"The last thing I would want to talk about today is Howard Stern," Karmazin said. "But I'm sure CBS had its reasons."

Karmazin was interviewed onstage at the Pierre Hotel event by noted media journalist-analyst Jack Myers.

He said that sports, along with Stern, are a major driver of subscriptions to satellite radio.

While Sirius and its bigger competitor, XM Satellite Radio, are locked in a battle for subscribers, Karmazin said the more important battle is for the entire field of satellite radio.

"This is not about us vs. them," he said. "It's about satellite radio."

He said terrestrial radio would be good for free cash flow. "It's just not going to grow much," he added.

Sirius, based in New York, reported a widened net loss of $311.4 million in the fourth quarter, due to a surge in promotional costs for the holiday season in the weeks before Stern's arrival. Revenue tripled to $80.0 million.

Unfortunate Development for "Arrested"

A new development may keep Arrested Development off the air for good.

Series creator Mitch Hurwitz announced his decision to quit the Emmy-winning comedy Monday, dealing a blow to fans still holding out hope that the canceled Fox show might be revived on another network, Daily Variety reports.

The move by Hurwitz was not entirely unexpected. E! Online's TV columnist Kristin Veitch reported last month that the executive producer was "hesitant" about sticking with the series, despite a tentative deal in place to move it to Showtime.

Though series producers 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine Television had hammered out an agreement with the cable network, it was forged on the understanding that Hurwitz would be continuing to script the various misadventures of the Bluth family.

However, the writer told Variety he had reached the end of the line as far as Arrested Development was concerned.

"I've given everything I can to the show in order to try to live up to [the fans'] expectations," Hurwitz told the trade. "I finally reached a point where I felt I couldn't continue to deliver that on a weekly basis."

He said he held off on making a final decision to give 20th Century Fox and Showtime time to reach a potential deal but ultimately had to move on due to a combination of creative and financial concerns.

"Of course, if there was enough money in it, I would have happily abandoned the fans' need for quality. But as it turns out, there wasn't," he said.

Hurwitz said he had briefed most of the show's cast and writers about his decision. He said executive producer Ron Howard asked him to consider serving as a consultant on the show if 20th Century Fox and Imagine figured out a way to continue it without him.

"I said I'd be happy to do that, but that as showrunner, I've gone as far as I can go," he told Variety.

The tragically underrated series about a dysfunctional Orange County, California, family debuted in 2003 to critical acclaim but never registered with viewers, despite winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2004.

Last month, only 3.3 million viewers tuned in for what Fox billed as a season finale, but what was most likely the series finale for Arrested Development.

Despite his defection from the show, Hurwitz left fans with one final straw to grasp, hinting to Variety that he may still be interested in adapting the series to the big screen.

It's Apple Vs. Apple in British Court

LONDON - Two legendary companies in the music industry are to meet Wednesday in a London courtroom to fight it out over what might be the world's most recognizable logo: A simple piece of fruit.

Apple Corps Ltd., the Beatles' record company and guardian of the band's musical heritage and business interests, is suing Apple Computer Inc., claiming the company violated a 1991 agreement by entering the music business with its iTunes online music store.

The case will be heard by Judge Martin Mann, who said during pretrial hearings that he was the owner of an iPod digital music player, which is used with the iTunes music store.

At issue is a 1991 pact that ended a long-running trademark fight between the two Apples in which each agreed not to tread on the other's toes by entering into a "field of use" agreement over the trademark.

Apple Computer said in a statement that "unfortunately, Apple and Apple Corps now have differing interpretations of this agreement and will need to ask a court to resolve this dispute."

Apple Corps — founded in 1968 and owned by surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the widow of John Lennon and the estate of George Harrison — is seeking both an injunction to enforce the 1991 agreement and monetary damages for the alleged contract breach.

The computer company's logo is a cartoonish apple with a neat bite out of the side; the record company is represented by a perfect, shiny green Granny Smith apple.

Apple Computer had asked to have the case heard in California, where it is based, but Mann rejected that application in 2004 and ordered the case be heard at the stately Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Computer was formed in 1976, when two college dropouts — Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak — filed partnership papers on April Fools' Day. Their goal was to build and sell personal computers, and their first product was a build-it-yourself computer kit. In 1984, the Apple Macintosh was introduced. Their ubiquitous iPods first came out in October 2001.

The iTunes music store first opened for business in the United States in April 2003; it is now available across Europe, in Australia, Japan, and Canada. About 3 million songs are downloaded every day from the service. In the United States, a song costs 99 cents; in the U.K, they fetch 79 pence ($1.38). Not available on the service are Beatles' songs, which haven't been licensed for downloading.

The Couch Potato Report - March 28th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on one of 2005’s biggest movies and one of the year’s smallest.

Some movie fans like all types of films, while others are more discriminating.

The big blockbuster releases don’t interest the discriminating, they only want smaller, character driven films.

However, the opposite is also true. Some movie fans have no interest in character driven films, they only want blockbusters.

This week, each group should be happy as I have one of both.

KING KONG is the blockbuster, and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE is the character piece.

Each one has it’s own merits, and in the end, I will recommend both of them.

The merits of Peter Jackson’s remake of KING KONG are extensive: The story itself is a classic; the special effects are seamless; Naomi Watts acting is superb, especially when you bear in mind that her co-star is computer generated; and it was generated using the body movements of Andy Serkis, who was also Gollum in THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.

Peter Jackson used his clout and success from THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY to remake the 1933 classic KING KONG and this update takes place in New York in 1933.

Jack Black from SCHOOL OF ROCK is an ambitious filmmaker who finds a map to a mysterious Island.

He then fools cast and crew to go with him, and it is there where they encounter Kong, a twenty-five foot tall Silver Back Gorilla.

Naomi Watts from THE RING is the film, and the film within a film’s leading lady.

After the Island’s residents offer her up as a sacrifice, Kong seems instantly smitten.

In the original 1933 version of the film, and the last remake in 1976, the action in KING KONG came after the human’s rescued the woman from Kong. That is true in this version as well, but due to the fact that the movie runs over three hours, there is also plenty of other action as well.

I want to make specific reference to the scenes where Kong fights with dinosaurs. If you thought the creatures in JURASSIC PARK looked real, get ready to be blown away!! From now on this is the standard for computer-generated battles between creatures that are extinct.

There is also plenty of action once the humans capture KONG and take him back to New York, and there are plenty of stories there too.

If you haven’t guessed it yet, I loved this version of KING KONG, just as I have loved the other versions.

At over three hours, I will also admit that – even though I loved it – the movie was too long. It would have benefited from having a good editor working alongside Jackson on it.

That said, when the rumoured three-hour and forty-five minute director’s cut comes out on DVD in November, I will be one of the first people in line to buy it.

KING KONG is what it is, a blockbuster, and it is a very good one at that!

The rumoured budget to make KING KONG was $207 million and it grossed over $500 million in theatres around the world.

By comparison, the budget for Noah Baumbach’s film THE SQUID AND THE WHALE was $1.5 million, and it has grossed a little over $7.3 million.

It was no blockbuster.

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE is a wonderfully made, smart and loving film about two brothers dealing with their parents divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980's.

Jeff Daniels from THE HOURS is their father and the always-superb Laura Linney from KINSEY is their mother.

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE may be the best film of 2005 that only a few people saw.

It is superbly acted and well written, and it is also very touching and heartbreaking, especially when the film’s title is explained.

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE was no blockbuster, and I loved it!

KING KONG was a blockbuster, but I loved that movie too!

And now both of them are available now at a store near you.

Coming up in three weeks on the next Couch Potato Report

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA – THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE brings the beloved literary classics to cinematic life; THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED is based on the true story of the 1913 US Open; Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni star in the remake of FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, and it is no fun at all; and then there is BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, a small film about a love story that has hardly received any press at all since it’s release last December.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in twenty-one 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!

The Who to release EP in June

While the Who might not have its full-length album ready this summer, the group is releasing "The Glass Household" EP this June, a "Mini-Opera" inspired in part from guitarist Pete Townshend's online novella "The Boy Who Heard Music."

"I decided I would like to release a record prior to the European shows, even if only on the Internet," Townshend wrote on his Web site Mar. 18. "However, Polydor has agreed in principle to release something plastic prior to the main album."

The approximately 11-minute release will contain six songs and is being delivered to Polydor at the end of March. No song titles have been revealed.

Singer Roger Daltrey began recording vocals on Mar. 20 on the project, engineered by Bob Pridden and Myles Clarke. The songs originated from an idea Townshend had in early January and were to be "the backbone for some kind of large theatrical music event."

Daltrey, however, declined to be a part of that particular project. "So the principle focus of my creative output seemed closed to me when it came to writing music for the Who album," Townshend writes. "I managed a few songs that stood alone, but even those seemed to have sprung from whatever was going on in my heart as I worked on TBWHM."

A meeting with Eel Pie manager Nick Goderson changed the idea from a "Magnum-Opus" into a "Mini-Opera" with Townshend creating roughly seven or eight lyrical poems. "I did a couple of quick demos and by January 17th I knew I had about 30 minutes of music that would create a vigorous backbone for the Who album, but allow me to continue to draw on the bloodline of 'The Boy Who Heard Music,'" Towshend says.

After completing ten songs, including two full-length numbers and the remainder being "shorter, punchier or simple and ballad-like," Townshend began working with musicians at his Oceanic studio in late February. The musicians include bassist Pino Palladino, John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards and Simon Townshend and Billy Nicholls on backing vocals. Drummer Peter Huntington, from Townshend's girlfriend Rachel Fuller's band, stood in for Zak Starkey who was wrapping up dates with Oasis.

The release will be the first of entirely new material since the band's last studio album "It's Hard" in 1982. The group will mount a series of European festival shows June 25 at the Wireless Festival in Leeds, England.

New CD Releases - March 28, 2006

Gerald Albright New Beginnings (Peak/Concord)

Monty Alexander Concrete Jungle (Bob Marley tribute; guests Luciano and Delfeayo Marsalis) (Telarc)

Linda Arnold Splash Zone (Rounder)

Atreyu A Death-grip on Yesterday (Victory)

Bangkok 5 Who's Gonna Take Us Alive? (Universal)

Steve Brodsky and Ramona Cordova Split EP (ECA)

Ray Cash C.O.D. (Cash on Delivery) (Columbia)

Charanga Cakewalk Chicano Zen (Artemis)

Ramona Cordova The Boy Who Floated Freely (ECA)

Matt Costa Songs We Sing (Universal)

J DiMenna Awkward Buildings (Exotic)

Disaster Strikes Liberty Toast (Alternative Tentacles)

DJ Boris Believe (mix CD) (Moist Music)

Taylor Eigsti Lucky to Be Me (Concord)

Freeheat (w/ex-Jesus and Mary Chain's Jim Reid) Back on the Water (includes live and studio tracks) (Planting Seeds)

Ghostface Killah Fishscale (Def Jam)

House on a Hill Ladyslipper (ButterMilk)

Jagged Edge Jagged Edge (w/John Legend, Jermaine Dupri and more) (Columbia)

Jonas Brothers It's About Time (DualDisc same day) (Columbia)

Knights of the New Crusade Knight Beat (Alternative Tentacles)

György Kurtág Kafka-Fragmente (ECM)

Lokbra Army of Soundwaves (Lucid)

Claire Lynch New Day (Rounder)

Michelle Makarski Tartini/Crockett - To Be Sung on the Water (ECM)

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's The Dust of Retreat (Artemis)

Teena Marie Sapphire (Universal)

Natasha Miller Don't Move (Poignant)

Morrissey Who Put the 'M' in Manchester? (UMD) (Sanctuary)

Moth Immune to Gravity (Hey Domingo!)

Movies with Heroes Nothing Here Is Perfect (COI)

Orthrelm/Behold...the Arctopus Split EP (Crucial Blast)

The Jaco Pastorius Big Band The Word Is Out! (SACD same day) (Heads Up)

People in Planes As Far as The Eye Can See (Wind-Up)

Rammstein Rosenrot (Universal)

Rosesdead Stages (One Day Savior)

Junior Sanchez Last Night's Party (Moist Music)

Christian Scott Rewind That (Concord)

Shattered Realm From the Dead End Blocks Where Life Means Nothing (Spook City)

Janis Siegel (of Manhattan Transfer) A Thousand Beautiful Things (Telarc)

The Spirit That Guides Us North & South (Goodfellow)

T.I. King (Atlantic)

Theo and the Skyscrapers Theo and the Skyscrapers (CD/DVD combo) (Ozit Morpheus)

Yazoo The Stuff That Dreams Are Made of (Shanachie)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones (Interscope)

Rob Zombie Educated Horses (w/Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee) (Geffen)

VA Club Mix 2006 (Water Music)

VA Palace Lounge Presents Café d'Afrique (Savoy)

VA St. Moritz Vibes Vol. 4: Les Fleurs du Mal (Milan)

VA The Glory of Byzantium (Milan)

VA Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars (songs by the Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan and more sung by actors Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Irons and others) (Rhino)

OST Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (score by John Powell) (Varèse Sarabande)

OST Take the Lead (drama about dance instructor w/Antonio Banderas) (Universal)

DVD Bastards of Young (punk documentary) (Image)

DVD Destiny's Child Live in Atlanta (July 15, 2005 show w/behind-the-scenes footage) (Columbia)

BLOND BOND SPEAKS

Daniel Craig defending his casting as James Bond to detractors who have threatened to boycott the upcoming Casino Royale because they think he was a poor choice for the part. "I'm a Bond fan," Craig told the BBC. "If I go and see a Bond movie, there are certain things I think should be in it. And they're there."

Clooney, Pitt, Damon a Go for 'Ocean's 13'

LOS ANGELES - Now that George Clooney's an Academy Award winner, he and his crew are returning to their thieving ways.

Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon will star in "Ocean's 13," the third flick in their franchise about a gang of lovable crooks, distributor Warner Bros. announced Monday.

A supporting-actor Oscar winner for the oil-industry thriller "Syriana," Clooney will reprise his role as leader of the pack Danny Ocean, with the group pulling off a new heist in Las Vegas.

Clooney's producing partner Steven Soderbergh, who made the 2001 hit "Ocean's Eleven" and its 2004 sequel "Ocean's Twelve," will direct again.

Julia Roberts, Clooney's love interest in the first two movies, and "Ocean's Twelve" co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones will not be back for the third movie, according to Warner Bros.

"It was a script issue. We didn't have a place to really use talent like theirs, two big stars like that," said Jerry Weintraub, the franchise's producer. "They're very good friends of ours, and neither Soderbergh nor I would prevail on them to come back and do nothing just to do it."

Weintraub said if the filmmakers hit on a good idea to include the actresses, there was a chance Roberts and Zeta-Jones could return.

The studio expects the rest of the cast, including Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould, will return. Joining the cast will be Ellen Barkin.

Production is scheduled to start in July, with "Ocean's 13" due in theaters in summer 2007.

Scarlett Johansson ranks No. 1 on FHM's 'Sexiest Women' poll

NEW YORK (AP) - Scarlett Johansson tops a lovely list of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World," in a poll of readers by FHM magazine.

"One of the best things for a woman to hear is that she is sexy," the 21-year-old actress, star of Match Point and Lost in Translation, said in a statement. "I'd like to thank FHM's readers for the huge compliment."

Angelina Jolie is No. 2 on the list, followed by Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, Keira Knightley, Halle Berry, Jenny McCarthy, Maria Sharapova, Carmen Electra and Teri Hatcher.

Johansson ranked ninth on last year's list. Jolie was No. 1.

"It's remarkable how Scarlett Johansson has caught the attention of our readers," said Scott Gramling, the magazine's U.S. editor in chief, in a statement. "Her sultry voice and striking beauty certainly have a lot to do with that, but so does the confidence she exudes."

"She seems to be one of those women who would be equally at ease on the red carpet as she would just hanging out with the guys."

The magazine's May issue goes on sale April 4.

'SIMPSONS' GOES LIVE WITH 'OFFICE' PARTY

Funnyman Ricky Gervais helped "The Simpsons" lampoon reality TV and skewer its own network in the process.

The putty-faced comic - best-known as the creator of the British comedy series "The Office" - wrote and starred in last night's episode of "The Simpsons" on Fox. The show also featured a novel, "live-action" sequence that replaced the show's animated characters with real-life actors for the show's famous opening.

In the episode, Gervais, 44, supplied the voice (and likeness) of Charlie Heathbar, the husband of a stern professor from Yale, who agreed to participate in a reality-TV show with the Simpsons.

The show, called "Mother Flippers," was a send-up of TV's tacky spouse-swapping reality shows, "Wife Swap" on ABC and "Trading Spouses" on Fox.

The Simpsons signed up to appear on "Mother Flippers" while on a tour of Fox Studios in Hollywood, where they were exposed to fictional Fox reality shows such as "Dwarf or Midget?" and "Million Dollar Fart-off."

In addition to writing and starring in the show, Gervais contributed two original songs.

Throughout the episode, Homer was on a quest to obtain a new high-definition, flat-screen TV.

It was a stellar episode.

Halifax latest to benefit from Junos

The streets are lined with banners. Fans have been dishing out upwards of $500 US on Ebay for a pair of tickets to the main event. Downtown retailers have turned window fronts into shrines. And hotels are booked solid. "Everybody's scurrying around like laboratory mice," said Victor Syperek, who owns several restaurants in Halifax, the site of this weekend's Juno Awards.

"It's quite interesting to see."

Added concert organizer and former MuchMusic personality Mike Campbell: "You can't really have a conversation with anybody (in Halifax) about anything without it eventually getting back to the Junos."

It's a scene that's been played out in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Ottawa and St. John's, N.L.

Once a stodgy, industry-only affair, the Juno Awards have transformed themselves into a hip, must-attend public bash by taking the show on the road.

The festivities in Halifax, which include A-list celebrities Pamela Anderson and Coldplay, mark the fifth anniversary of the roving gala.

Previously, it had been held outside Toronto only twice - Vancouver in 1991 and 1998 - since its inception 35 years ago.

"It really seemed like a crazy concept in the beginning. We thought it might just be a one-off like it had been to Vancouver a couple of times," said Melanie Berry, president of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

"Then we realized the impact."

The 2002 Juno festivities held in Newfoundland and Labrador generated some $29 million in revenue.

But perhaps the greater impact of the travelling show is the effect on fans, who have a chance to celeb spot on home turf and check out bands that seldom visit their neck of the woods.

In Edmonton, for instance, more than 12,000 people turned out to an autograph signing session at the West Edmonton Mall featuring stars such as Nelly Furtado, Nickelback and Sam Roberts. In Ottawa, fans camped out in front of hotels hoping to catch a glimpse of country vixen Shania Twain, who hosted the awards that year.

"Having this kind of concentration of musical talent in the city over one weekend is completely unheard of," said Campbell, who organized this weekend's JunoFest concert series, which will have 116 music acts performing over two nights in 15 venues.

It's a real coup since superstar acts rarely include Halifax on tour routes, he added.

"It just doesn't compute with most of the (concert booking) agents so this is really a serious feast for music fans," he said.

One local newspaper is hoping to take advantage of the Junos by launching an online petition - called More Peas Please - to get the Black Eyed Peas to do a full-on concert in the city.

The travelling show has also translated into a TV ratings windfall with more people than ever before tuning into the show.

Comedian Brent Butt, who hosted last year's show out of Winnipeg, has suggested TV viewers get caught up in the local frenzy.

"There's inherent excitement because it's a new thing that's coming to town that isn't going to be there next year. They get jacked up and, as a viewer, as a fan, as a guy watching TV, you can't not pick up on that excitement," he said at the time.

"It just wasn't there before when it was in the same location."

But bringing the show to a new city each year isn't exactly easy.

Local crews aren't always accustomed to the requirements of a large-scale awards show that has multiple stages and airs live.

Older hockey arenas, like Halifax's, don't have much loading space for the oodles of band and TV equipment required. Worse yet, for the St. John's show, the equipment - including more than 600 kilometres of cable and a broadcast truck - had to come over on the ferry, say producers.

Still, the headaches are well worth it.

"No slight to Toronto but it's been great for all the other cities to have that momentum," said singer Joel Plaskett, recalling the energy at the Edmonton awards.

"It's important to celebrate a national music scene in the smaller (cities) . . . the places that aren't just central."

Next year's Junos are to be held in Saskatoon.

Cavanagh Not 'Monkey'-ing Around

Tom Cavanagh apparently doesn't have any hard feelings toward CBS.

Cavanagh, who starred in the very short-lived "Love Monkey" on the network earlier this season, is back in business at CBS. He's signed on to star in a comedy pilot called "My Ex-Life," the showbiz trade papers report.

The latest round of pilot casting also includes Jeri Ryan, recently seen on "The O.C.," Illeana Douglas ("Action"), Xander Berkeley ("24") and Oscar-nominated screenwriter/actor Dan Futterman.

"My Ex-Life" is a comedy about a divorced couple who remain friends and share custody of their kids. Cavanagh, whose credits also include "Ed" and a recurring part on "Scrubs," will play the lead role of Nick. It's a quick bounce-back for the actor after "Love Monkey," which debuted in January and was yanked after just three episodes.

Also at CBS, Ryan will star opposite James Woods in "Shark," about a famous lawyer who becomes a prosecutor. The former "Boston Public" and "Star Trek: Voyager" star will play Woods' boss in the district attorney's office. Lynn Whitfield ("Madea's Family Reunion") will guest-star in the pilot in what could become a recurring part.

Over at ABC, Douglas has joined Heather Locklear in the comedy "Women of a Certain Age." The show centers on Locklear's character, a widow who embarks on a new life with the help of her friends. Douglas' recent TV credits include "Six Feet Under" and "Law & Order: SVU."

Berkeley, recently seen in "North Country," will co-star in the ABC drama "Women in Law." Futterman, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated script for "Capote," will guest in the network's "Brothers & Sisters," playing Calista Flockhart's boyfriend -- which he also did in "The Birdcage." The role could be a recurring one if the show is picked up.

'Inside Man' Tops at Box Office With $29M

LOS ANGELES - Denzel Washington's reunion with Spike Lee put them on the inside track at the box office.

Their bank-hostage thriller "Inside Man," an unusually commercial project for director Lee, debuted as the No. 1 weekend film with $29 million — the best opening ever for both the filmmaker and his star, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Universal's "Inside Man" knocked off the previous weekend's top movie, the Warner Bros. action tale "V for Vendetta," which slipped to second with $12.3 million. "V for Vendetta" raised its 10-day total to $46.2 million.

Disney's fright flick "Stay Alive," featuring Frankie Muniz in a tale about a video game that brings death to its players, premiered in third place with $11.2 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, Lionsgate's "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," a gross-out romp starring comic Dan Whitney investigating a food-poisoning outbreak, opened at No. 7 with $7.05 million.

Stung by declining revenues over the last year, Hollywood broke out of its latest slump, with the top-12 movies grossing $98.9 million, up 10.6 percent from the same weekend a year ago. The upswing followed a month of declines.

The solid weekend was a prelude to this Friday's debut of the animated sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown," considered an early lead-in to a summer season that launches with Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible 3" on May 5.

"This was a good kickoff to what I think will be a pretty good run leading up to summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Inside Man," starring Washington, Jodie Foster and Clive Owen in a story of cops against robbers during a Manhattan bank heist, exceeded box-office expectations for distributor Universal, which had figured on a $20 million weekend at best.

Lee and Washington's earlier collaborations include "Malcolm X" and "He Got Game."

At $29 million, "Inside Man" topped Washington's previous best opening weekend of $22.8 million for "Man on Fire" and Lee's previous best of $11.1 million for "The Original Kings of Comedy."

Two-thirds of viewers for "Inside Man" were older than 30, a promising sign for Hollywood, whose key audience of young males has been less inclined to go to the movies with so many other entertainment distractions such as video games and DVDs.

"They were motivated to go. They love the material, they love the actor," said Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution. "It's the motivation to get them to go to the movies, and I hope that we as an industry keep that up. If we want the business to survive, we have to continue to find ways to motivate them."

"Inside Man" also took in $9.6 million over its opening weekend in 18 other countries.

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. "Inside Man," $29 million.
2. "V for Vendetta," $12.3 million.
3. "Stay Alive," $11.2 million.
4. "Failure to Launch," $10.8 million.
5. "The Shaggy Dog," $9.1 million.
6. "She's the Man," $7.4 million.
7. "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," $7.05 million.
8. "The Hills Have Eyes," $4.25 million.
9. "Eight Below," $2.7 million.
10. "16 Blocks," $2.2 million.

Country Music Star Buck Owens Dies at 76

LOS ANGELES - Singer Buck Owens, the flashy rhinestone cowboy who shaped the sound of country music with hits like "Act Naturally" and brought the genre to TV on the long-running "Hee Haw," died Saturday. He was 76.

Owens died at his home in Bakersfield, said family spokesman Jim Shaw. The cause of death was not immediately known. Owens had undergone throat cancer surgery in 1993 and was hospitalized with pneumonia in 1997.

His career was one of the most phenomenal in country music, with a string of more than 20 No. 1 records, most released from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s.

They were recorded with a honky-tonk twang that came to be known throughout California as the "Bakersfield Sound," named for the town 100 miles north of Los Angeles that Owens called home.

"I think the reason he was so well known and respected by a younger generation of country musicians was because he was an innovator and rebel," said Shaw, who played keyboards in Owens' band, the Buckaroos. "He did it out of the Nashville establishment. He had a raw edge."

Owens, elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, was modest when describing his aspirations.

"I'd like to be remembered as a guy that came along and did his music, did his best and showed up on time, clean and ready to do the job, wrote a few songs and had a hell of a time," he said in 1992.

An indefatigable performer, Owens played a red, white and blue guitar with fireball fervor. He and the Buckaroos wore flashy rhinestone suits in an era when flash was as important to country music as fiddles.

"When people start looking back on his career, they are going to be surprised by the number of things he did first," said guitarist Roy Clark, who worked with Owens on "Hee Haw." "He left a great legacy in country music."

Among his biggest hits were "Together Again" (also recorded by Emmylou Harris), "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," "Love's Gonna Live Here," "My Heart Skips a Beat" and "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line."

And he was the answer to this music trivia question: What country star had a hit record that was later done by the Beatles?

"Those guys were phenomenal," Owens once said.

Ringo Starr recorded "Act Naturally" twice, singing lead on the Beatles' 1965 version and recording it as a duet with Owens in 1989. The song, by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison, tells of a poor soul who foresees a movie career playing "a man who's sad and lonely, and all I gotta do is act naturally. ... Might win an Oscar, you can never tell."

In addition to music, Owens had a highly visible TV career as co-host of "Hee Haw" from 1969 to 1986. With Clark, he led viewers through a potpourri of country music and hayseed humor.

"It's an honest show," Owens told The Associated Press in 1995. "There's no social message — no crusade. It's fun and simple."

Owens himself could be rebellious, choosing among other things to label what he did "American music" rather than country.

"I took a little heat," he once said. "People asked me, `Isn't country music good enough for you?' "

He also criticized the syrupy arrangements of some country singers, saying "assembly-line, robot music turns me off."

After his string of hits, Owens stayed away from the recording scene for a decade, returning in 1988 to record another No. 1 record, "Streets of Bakersfield," with Dwight Yoakam.

Yoakam said he saw Owens just days before his death.

"Even though he seemed in a somewhat fragile physical state, he was emotionally exuberant and still living life in a forward motion, discussing a variety of plans for his future," Yoakam said in a statement. "I will cherish, forever, the musical moments he graciously shared with me during his life. I will be eternally grateful for his fatherly chastisements, encouragement and, ultimately, his friendship and love."

He spent much of his time away concentrating on his business interests, which included a Bakersfield TV station and radio stations in Bakersfield and Phoenix.

"I never wanted to hang around like the punch-drunk fighter," he told The Associated Press in 1992.

He had moved to Bakersfield in 1951, hoping to find work in the thriving juke joints of what in the years before suburban sprawl was a truck-stop town on Highway 99, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.

"We played rhumbas and tangos and sambas, and we played Bob Wills music, lots of Bob Wills music," he said, referring to the bandleader who was the king of Western swing.

"And lots of rock 'n' roll," he added.

Owens started recording in the mid-1950s, but gained little success until 1963 with "Act Naturally," his first No. 1 single.

Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. was born in 1929 outside Sherman, Texas, the son of a sharecropper. With opportunities scarce during the Depression, the family moved to Arizona when he was 8.

He dropped out of school at age 13 to haul produce and harvest crops, and by 16 he was playing music in taverns.

He once told an audience, "When I was a little bitty kid, I used to dream about playing the guitar and singing like some of those great people that we had the old, thick records of."

Owens' first wife, Bonnie Owens, sometimes performed with him and went on to become a leading backup singer after their divorce in 1955. She had occasional solo hits in the '60s, as well as successful duets with her second husband, Merle Haggard.

One of her two sons with Owens also became a singer, using the name Buddy Alan. He had a Top 10 hit in 1968, "Let the World Keep on a-Turnin'," and recorded a number of duets with his father.

In addition to Buddy, he is survived by two other sons, Michael and John.

Mixed reviews for 'Lord of the Rings' musical

The $28-million Lord of the Rings musical, which opened in Toronto Thursday night, earned praise from one important audience member – the granddaughter of author J.R.R. Tolkien.

"It’s very beautifully done," said Rachel Tolkien, 35, who ventured from France to attend the show’s debut at the Princess of Wales theatre. "Everything that, to me, is the most important and most moving in the books is on the stage."

The three-and-a-half hour show, with two short intermissions, got a long standing ovation as the cast of almost 60, the producers, composers and British director Matthew Warchus took their bows.

The show’s technical wizardry — with 17 movable elevators — got a big thumbs up from many critics but many of them gave the show a tepid review.

"Why we’re left bored of the Rings" was the headline in Friday’s Toronto Star. While reviewer Richard Ouzounian praised the "endless visuals" and special effects, he said the actors wind up like "pawns in a giant rapid-fire chess game."

Ouzounian criticized the show’s director for leaving the audience with a show that was neither a play nor a musical. So much is packed into it, that character development suffers, he said.

Like many critics, he praised actor Michael Therriault — who recently played Tommy Douglas on CBC’s biopic and also starred in The Producers as Leo Bloom — for his gripping scenes as Gollum.

Charles Spencer of The Telegraph in Britain characterized the show as "weary" and concluded there was "nothing here to rival the imaginative visual coups and heart-tugging emotion of such great family shows as Billy Elliot, The Lion King and Mary Poppins."

The music, a mixture of folk, mystic sounds and eastern chants composed by Finland’s Värttinä and India’s A.R. Rahman, was engaging, Spencer said. But key moments, such as fight scenes, were lacklustre, he wrote, saying "jaw-dropping coups de théâtre are in short supply."

Spencer also wondered why Canadian stage and film veteran Brent Carver seemed to lack the charisma needed to bring the wizard Gandalf to life.

The Associated Press critic called Carver’s Gandalf a "washed-out wizard" and concluded the musical was a flattened adaptation of the trilogy with "moments of satisfying spectacle and elegant design."

Brent Brantley of the New York Times said he felt lost while watching the show, deeming it "incomprehensible." It felt like a very long high school drill team competition, he said. He was less than engaged with the music which he termed "Enya meets ashram."

Brantley extolled the talents of the "scenery-chewing" Therriault as Gollum and Evan Buliung as Aragorn.

The Lord of the Rings is playing at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre.

Heist thriller has "Inside" track at box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster and Clive Owen should pull an "Inside" job at the weekend box office with their new thriller.

"Inside Man," a heist film that turns into a cat-and-mouse game between a bank robber and a veteran police detective, will enter the fray Friday, along with two films that were not screened in advance for critics, the comedy "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" and the horror "Stay Alive."

"V for Vendetta" captured the top spot last weekend with a debut of $25.6 million and has reaped respectable midweek grosses. Warner Bros.' R-rated sci-fi actioner looks likely to fall to second place this weekend.

Universal's R-rated "Inside Man" has garnered mostly positive reviews, and is tracking best with the over-25 crowd and is extremely strong with black audiences, particularly females.

Washington was most recently in theaters with "The Manchurian Candidate," which opened with $20 million in the summer of 2004, while Foster's "Flightplan" took off with $25 million last August.

The opening haul for "Inside Man" should set a new high for its director, Spike Lee, whose best debut to date is "The Original Kings of Comedy" with $11.1 million in 2000.

Lionsgate's "Larry the Cable Guy" most likely will vie for the No. 3 spot with Paramount's former champ "Failure to Launch" and Disney's "The Shaggy Dog," both entering their third weekends.

Based on the blue-collar comedy of Larry the Cable Guy, the PG-13 comedy revolves around a veteran health inspector saddled with a rookie. Its appeal is tracking largely to young males and fans of the comedian.

"Failure to Launch" was off a moderate 36% last weekend, and has been generating solid midweek business; it had picked up $52.8 million through Wednesday. "Shaggy" shed a mere 18% of its audience, and had gleaned $38 million through Wednesday.

Disney's "Stay Alive," a PG-13 tale about a group of young friends in New Orleans who find a killer video game, is aimed at teens and fans of the genre. It stars Frankie Muniz, Samaire Armstrong, Sophia Bush, Jon Foster and Adam Goldberg. According to prerelease tracking, it won't make the top five.

In the limited-release arena, IFC Films' "Lonesome Jim" opens in New York. The R-rated comedy-drama, starring Liv Tyler and Casey Affleck, was directed by Steve Buscemi.

Sony Pictures Classics' "The Child" (L'Enfant) debuts in Los Angeles and New York. The drama, winner of the 2005 Palme d'Or at Cannes, was directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. The R-rated French-language film centers on a young man who sells his newborn son because he needs the money but realizes the horrendous mistake and tries to get him back.

"South Park" Roasts Chef, Literally

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have buried the hatchet with--sorry, into-- Isaac Hayes.

On Wednesday's South Park 10th season premiere, Hayes' Chef character was struck by lightning, impaled, shot, mauled by a mountain lion, eaten by a grizzly bear, and, oh, yes, accused of being a child molester.

An estimated 3.5 million people--the most for a season premiere since 2002--were witness to the carnage, the Associated Press reported.

The episode was the capper to Hayes' Mar. 13 resignation. South Park chieftains Parker and Stone cranked out the inaptly named "The Return of Chef!" as an answer to the defection.

In an off-screen twist, doubt has been cast as to whether Hayes really meant to depart the animated series. FoxNews.com columnist Roger Friedman reported Monday the 63-year-old "Shaft" soul great suffered a stroke on Jan. 17 and "is in no condition to quit anything."

"My sources say that someone quit [the show] for him," Friedman wrote.

Previous reports had Hayes hospitalized Jan. 17 in Memphis for what was said to be exhaustion. The reputed stroke diagnosis was said to be news to Comedy Central.

In his headline-making, episode-inspiring statement, Hayes, a Scientologist, said he could no longer support a show that disrespected religion. The move was widely seen as a response to a Scientology-specific South Park episode that first aired last November. (A rerun of the show, "Trapped in the Closet," was abruptly pulled from Comedy Central's schedule last week. Tom Cruise, a Scientologist, and a "Closet" parody target, denied flexing his superstar muscle to keep the episode off the air.)

Thanks to some manipulation of old sound bites ("suck on my chocolate salty balls") and song snippets ("make love..."), Hayes was heard in Wednesday's opener. But Parker and Stone got in the last words.

And for the record, not one of Parker and Stone's words was "Scientology."

In the completely made-up story, Chef is brainwashed by an organization of child molesters called the "Super Adventure Club." In order to cure Chef, Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny take their friend to a psychiatrist, a frowned-upon profession among Scientologists.

In the end, Chef dies a million Kenny deaths, only to live on, sort of, as a Darth Vader version of himself.

At his funeral, Kyle urges South Park residents to remember Chef as he was, before the brainwashing. If there is to be anger, he says, don't direct it at the beloved cafeteria worker.

Rather, says Kyle, "we should be mad at the fruity little club for scrambling his brain."

'The Simpsons' Going Live-Action

NEW YORK - Ever wonder what Bart Simpson would look like in human form? The longrunning animated Fox series "The Simpsons" is about to show you. The series will unveil a live-action opening sequence Sunday, 8 p.m. EST, a Fox spokeswoman announced Thursday.

In it, the dysfunctional cartoon family — Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie — will be seen as they would appear in real life, played by lookalike actors.

"I'm just amazed there are people who want to be known for looking like the Simpsons," said Al Jean, the show's executive producer, in a statement.

A team from British network Sky One created and commissioned the live sequence, which apes the long-running series' memorable opening shots: Bart writing on the chalkboard, Homer pulling the nuclear rod out of his shirt and Maggie and Marge at the supermarket, a Fox spokeswoman said.

"The Simpsons" was recently renewed for two more seasons, its 18th and 19th.

Beasties put new edge on concert film

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - They were the first white rappers to hit it big, and they blazed musical trails on the Web and DVD. So leave it to the Beastie Boys to take the concert film in a radical direction by letting fans call the shots.

For "Awesome; I F*****' Shot That!," which previews for one night in the United States on Thursday in digitally equipped theaters, the New York band gave 50 video cameras to fans at a 2004 Madison Square Garden concert who shot the show from their points of view. (The official title does not hide the profanity behind asterisks).

Band member Adam Yauch, who directs Beastie videos under the pseudonym Nathanial Hornblower, spent a year editing the tapes together. He said the aim was to capture the energy of die-hard fans and avoid run-of-the-mill concert footage that he believes seems manufactured and "plasticky."

"Using the cameras and having the audience shooting -- the fact they are dancing and jumping around or spazzing out with the camera -- captures the feel in the room," Yauch said.

For more than two decades, the Beasties -- MCA (Yauch), Adrock (Adam Horovitz) and Mike D (Michael Diamond) -- blazed trails in music. They became a sensation with 1986's hit album "License to Ill," and built a huge following with single such as "Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "Sabotage."

The Beasties formed a record label, published a magazine, and, while others fretted about music theft on the Web, offered songs that fans could download and remix themselves.

Under his Hornblower name, Yauch created 2000's "Beastie Boys Video Anthology" DVD that gave viewers the ability to change camera angles on videos as they watched and/or mix the music in a way that created multiple new songs and new videos.

CELL PHONES TO CINEMA

Yauch got the idea for "Awesome" after watching a short film clip from a Beastie concert that was recorded by a fan using a cell phone. "The energy that was in it more sincerely captured a concert than most things I'd seen, and I thought, wow, imagine multiplying this," Yauch said.

"Awesome" begins with the cameras being given out before the Garden concert and the Beasties heading onto the stage. For the next 90 minutes, movie audiences see the band perform songs like "Hello Brooklyn" and "Shake Your Rump."

They also watch concert-goers dancing in the aisles -- one fan directs his entire section. Another fan runs to the toilet and a pair sneak backstage. When the band enters the audience for the finale, the cameras capture the pandemonium up close.

The movie premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival to good reviews and enthusiastic crowds. Yauch remembers seeing people jump up from their seats and start to dance, and he added that some people have told him theater owners should install a small dance floor for fans.

Doing so may not be far-fetched. Theater owners are trying to stem declining admissions, which fell nearly 9 percent in 2005. One way to do so has been to install new digital projectors and feature new types of entertainment.

Keeping with their trail-blazing ways, the Beasties are previewing "Awesome" only at 200 digital venues. Preceding it is a 30-minute short, "A Day in the Life of Nathanial Hornblower," which will never be screened again.

"Nothing about the way 'Awesome' was made was conventional, so we are trying to be as imaginative in our release strategy as Adam was in making the film," said Mark Urman, president of the film's distributor, THINKFilm.

Following the one-night preview, the film begins playing in regular theaters on Friday, March 31.

Beavis and Butt-head - More details for Volume 2

When Beavis and Butt-Head first appeared on MTV more than a decade ago, critics dismissed them as brainless couch potatoes who did nothing but watch TV and make lewd jokes about bodily functions. Today we know they were ahead of their time. Beavis and Butt-Head's unique idiocy profoundly changed television, movies, pop culture and the world. This historic box set, personally edited by creator Mike Judge, includes their finest episodes, specials, promos and guest appearances that so enriched a grateful and stupid nation. Creator, Mike Judge has chosen his next set of favorite episodes & music videos for this collector's edition box set.

Paramount and MTV have released more information on the second volume of Beavis and Butt-Head, featuring 40 cartoons (226 mins) selected by Mike Judge. Here's what we can expect:

Music Videos:
Beastie Boys: Sabotage
Seaweed: Kid Candy
Pantera: I'm Broken
Mercyful Fate: The Bellwitch
Compulsion: Delivery
Madonna: Secret
Six Finger Satellite: Parlour Games
Pizzicato 5: Twiggy, Twiggy
Rush: Stick It Out
Radiohead: Fake Plastic Trees
Extreme: Hole-Hearted
Helium: Pat's Trick
MC 900 Ft. Jesus: If I Only Had A Brain
Taint of Greatness: The Journey of Beavis & Butt-Head, Part 2
Butt-Bowl '94
Butt-Bowl '95
Butt-Bowl '96
MTV 20th Anniversary Special
Calvin Klein Ad Parodies
Moron-a-thon Clips
Unaired I Love the 90's Segment
Beavis and Butt-Head Promos
Montages
Previews

The set goes on sale June 6.

Electronic Arts rolls out The Godfather game

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc. on Tuesday said its highly anticipated, but much delayed, video game based on the popular "Godfather" films is now in U.S. stores, and will debut in Europe on March 24.

The company saw its stock rise by 3.95 percent in early market trading to $54.75.

Last July it pushed back the launch of "The Godfather The Game," sending its shares lower, when it said the game would not make the crucial Christmas retail delivery window.

The game, created via a licensing relationship with Viacom Inc. affiliates Paramount Pictures and Viacom Consumer Products, is available for Sony Corp.'s. PlayStation 2, Microsoft Corp.'s. Xbox and also for personal computers. It is based on the Mario Puzo book and Paramount Pictures movie and features some of the voices of the original actors.

The Godfather game was developed by EA Redwood Shores which created other game franchises including Lord of the Rings and Tiger Woods PGA Tour.

Jewel Trips Through "Wonderland"

For the follow-up to 2003's 0304, Jewel first ducked into the studio with a group of Nashville pros to self-produce a new, folky, Pieces of You-style album. But she didn't like the results, so she rerecorded the entire thing with Green Day producer Rob Cavallo, who gave her introspective songs a slick sheen.

In a matter of weeks, the pair reworked every cut live, overdubbing only percussion, for what would become Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, her new album out May 2nd.

"It tells the story of my life from Alaska to being homeless to that little bottle that said 'Drink me,' which was my career," she says.

The record finds the singer-songwriter exploring a number of musical styles -- from the country tinge of "Stephenville, TX" and upbeat pop of "Satellite," to the folksy opening one-two punch, "Again and Again" and "Long Slow Slide." "I'm a Gemini," Jewel says to explain her range. "I have a lot of moods."

To give her moods a flow, she programmed Alice's thirteen songs -- all recorded live -- as if the album were a concert. "I start in a certain place," she says, "bring it up into sort of a rock set, and then I come back down."

Though a downloader herself, Jewel says she still wants people to listen to Alice as a whole entity. "I'm old-fashioned about records," she confesses. "I want people to hear the whole record in the order I put it in."

Thinking of taking her new material on the road, Jewel adds, "If I can, I'd love to play the record from top to bottom."

Shrek 3 News

DreamWorks Animation has updated their official site and with it they've unveiled the title and storyline for the next Shrek movie.

Titled Shrek the Third the movie finds Shrek and Fiona reluctantly reigning over Far, Far Away. But if they can find the heir to the throne and bring him back, they can return to their swamp. While Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots are in search of the heir, Fiona holds off a coup d'etat by Prince Charming.

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Bandera will all be returning to provide voice work. Also joining the cast will by Justin Timberlake as Artie, the aforementioned "heir to the throne".

Shrek the Third is due for release in May 2007.

"SNL" skit puts YouTube on map

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It took a "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring a rap about cupcakes and "The Chronicles of Narnia" to put YouTube on Hollywood's radar.

Not long after "SNL" aired the segment December 17, the clever lyrics to what was known as "Lazy Sunday" made its way to the Internet. YouTube in particular saw its traffic shoot up, with 5 million streams over 45 days -- making it the most-watched clip on the site for a time.

Nearly two months went by before NBC Universal's legal department began reaching out to viral video sites including http://www.YouTube.com requesting that the clip be removed, along with hundreds of other clips culled from its airwaves. NBC had already posted "Sunday" on http://www.NBC.com at no charge; the skit also is available for $1.99 on Apple's iTunes along with other NBC programs.

Since then, NBC has made a steady stream of "SNL" product available on new platforms, but YouTube hasn't left the picture. A skit featuring Natalie Portman this month drew another demand of removal from NBC.

And what would an Internet phenomenon be without spawning countless parodies. "Sunday" has generated more than a few versions of "Lazy Monday," picking up on the theme of hopelessly white kids trying to rap. Two standouts are "Lazy Muncie," in which two denizens of the titular Indiana town give shout-outs to Midwest franchises like Bob Evans, and "Lazy Monday: Middle East Coast," which runs subtitles under Al-Jazeera footage featuring Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri ("Let's go down to the village/and mac on some goat milk").

The Couch Potato Report - March 25th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on an author, a
little chicken, Usher, and a prizewinner, from Defiance, Ohio.

Let me get right to the point: Philip Seymour Hoffman's work in CAPOTE is a must see!

In real life Truman Capote was an American writer whose non-fiction, stories and novels have become classics in the literary world.

Capote is best known for his 1966 book "In Cold Blood" and the 1958 novella "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor who has appeared in SCENT OF A WOMAN, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, BOOGIE NIGHTS, ALONG CAME POLLY, TWISTER
and ALMOST FAMOUS.

Hoffman has been good in all of those films, but in CAPOTE his work is brilliant!

The film CAPOTE is about the author's work researching the details of the horrific and senseless murder of a family of four in Kansas for what would become the book "In Cold Blood."

During that time Capote develops a close relationship with one of the killers.

CAPOTE is not a loving biography of the man, instead it is an honest look at what Capote was willing to do to finish his book.

And if I haven't mentioned it yet, Philip Seymour Hoffman is superb in the film.

He not only master's Capote's unique voice and mannerisms, but he also lets us see the man who is both unsure that what he is doing is right, and completely sure his work will change the literary world forever.

CAPOTE is a great film with an incredible performance at its core.

Hoffman's Oscar win as Best Actor was completely justified, and if you spend time with CAPOTE, your time will be justified as well.

On the other hand, if you spend time with the animated film CHICKEN LITTLE, your time will be wasted. Your kids time might not be, but yours will!

In CHICKEN LITTLE, after ruining his reputation with the town by warning "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!" a courageous little chicken must come to the rescue of his fellow citizens when aliens start an invasion.

The story is basically the classic, age-old tale, but the film about it is no classic.

But, if you have a young child, they might find some of the film entertaining.

As for me, I love animated films, and CHICKEN LITTLE just isn't any fun.

Well, okay, one scene featuring the voice of the late, great Don Knotts as Mayor Turkey Lurkey is fun, but as a whole, CHICKEN LITTLE isn't worth your time.

And neither is IN THE MIX, the film featuring singer Usher. I wouldn't say that IN THE MIX is the worst film of last year, but it definitely deserves a place near the bottom of any such list.

The Grammy Award winning Usher plays a nightclub disc jockey who wants to start his own record label.

He is asked to play at a party for the welcome home party of a Mafia princess.

And as things go in movies like this, he saves the life of a very important mobster.

He then becomes the bodyguard for the young lady, they fall in love, and you never hear of his dream for a record label again!

Sure, Usher has on screen presence, and the princess is played by the beautiful Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, but unless you love Usher, or Chriqui, IN THE MIX is a useless movie.

It makes THE BODYGUARD with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner look like CITIZEN KANE by comparison.

Anyway, enough about IN THE MIX, let me move on to THE PRIZE WINNER OF
DEFIANCE, OHIO.

Julianne Moore from THE HOURS and FAR FROM HEAVEN stars in this based on
a true story film as a woman who enters as many commercial jingle-writing contests as she can to support her ten children and husband.

Moore is an optimistic homemaker with a husband who drinks the family's extra money away and swears at the radio all night.

Now, I like Julianne Moore, I like her work, and I thought that this true to life story would be inspirational and wonderful

Instead it is a bad movie that wastes a wonderful performance from Moore.

That said, I have never seen such a beautiful ending in a movie I didn't care for.

THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO might not be a great film, but it has inspired me to read the book the film is based on just to see if I can find the inspirational and wonderful story within that we don't get in the movie.

IN case you'd like to save yourself some time, and do the same, the name of the book is "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less" and the author's name is Terry Ryan.

As for the film they made from the book, THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO is available now at a store near you, along with IN THE MIX, CHICKEN LITTLE and the spectacular CAPOTE, starring Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Peter Jackson used his clout and success from THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY to remake KING KONG; THE SQUID AND THE WHALE was another one of 2005's best films; and in DREAMER a trainer and his daughter nurse an injured horse back to health

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!

Spade Warns 'Joe Dirt 2' May Be Coming

David Spade's 2001 redneck comedy may get sequel treatment, but only if audiences are lucky

It's news that somebody's bound to have been waiting for: David Spade may be preparing a sequel to his 2001 opus "Joe Dirt."

That pseudo-comic eventuality may come to pass sooner than you might think, Spade revealed over the weekend talking up his latest venture, "The Benchwarmers," with reporters. The revelation came amidst discussion of the upcoming return of "The Showbiz Show with David Spade," the "SNL" vet's Comedy Central show.

"I'm just doing the show for a while, might do another 'Joe Dirt' movie in the summer," Spade says. "That's about it. The show is really starting and that's what I have to do, like my day-to-day job."

But wait. Does that mean that a "Joe Dirt" sequel is just something that Spade and the Happy Madison production team could just throw together at the last second? Probably. But the script has been in the works for some time, at the urging of Happy Madison's patron saint.

"We wrote it, because Sandler thinks it's funny," Spade explains.

Spade adds, "I like the new 'Joe Dirt.' We read it. It's funny and Adam likes it. If it falls into place it will and it'll be fun to do... 'Electric Dirtaloo.'"

If "Electric Dirtaloo" actually makes it into production this summer, it will be an impressive comeback for a vehicle that attracted minimal critical (91 percent rotten on RottenTomatoes) or audience ($27 million) support when it was released.

Like so many true classics, "Joe Dirt" has only found its niche in secondary markets.

"I go on the road and I hear more about that than anything," Spade explains. "That's how you get feedback... Not everybody's asking about 'Lost and Found.'"

The secret to the success of "Joe Dirt," it seems, is Wal-Mart. Spade says that a Sony DVD rep told him that "Dirt" has been one of the studio's most prolific sellers at the ubiquitous retailer.

"I asked the DVD guy, 'What does that mean?' He goes, 'Well, it came out and sold a lot the first month and then it never dropped. It just sold the same for the year.' So that makes everyone think..." Spade says. "But maybe they just don't believe it the first time, so you got to get them in theaters. That's the tough part, because they seem to do well on video, which is a big market, but you want them to do well in the theater, because that's all people know."

"The Benchwarmers," which co-stars Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite") and Rob Schneider, opens on Friday, April 7.

New CD Releases For Tuesday, March 21st, 2006

57 State Bang Streets (Captiva)

Rabih Abou-Khalil Journey to the Centre of an Egg (Justin Time)

Aereogramme Seclusion (enhanced CD; includes short film scored by the band) (Sonic Unyon)

Mina Agossi Well You Needn't (Candid)

Rahim Alhaj Friendship (Fast Horse)

Ambulette The Lottery EP (Astralwerks)

Amorphis Eclipse (Nuclear Blast)

Anti-Flag For Blood and Empire (RCA)

Apathy Eastern Philosophy (Babygrande)

The Appleseed Cast Peregrine (The Militia Group)

Richard Ashcroft Keys to the World (Virgin)

Avant Director (Geffen)

Band of Horses Everything All the Time (Sub Pop)

The Bangkok Five Who's Gonna Take Us Alive (Execution Style/Universal)

Dave Barnes Chasing Mississippi (Ripley)

Jeff Bates Leave the Light on (RCA Nashville)

BG Heart of tha Streetz Vol. 2 (w/Mannie Fresh, Paul Wall, Young Buck and more) (Kela/Koch)

Big Silver The Afterlife (Max)

Gus Black Autumn Days (w/members of Nickel Creek and Brian Jonestown Massacre) (Cheap Lullaby)

BlueGround UnderGrass Faces (guests Col. Bruce Hampton and Jimmy Herring) (Landslide)

Bola Abimbola Ara Kenge (Fast Horse)

Claude Bolling Plays Brassens, Bechet, Vian, Becaud (Fremeaux & Associates)

Chris Botti Live with Orchestra and Special Guests (CD/DVD combo) (Columbia)

Cory Branan Um... (Madjack)

Brian Bromberg Wood II (Artistry)

Brown Boy Represent the Brown (enhanced CD) (Thump)

Cadence Songs of Vice and Virture (Paperweight)

Shawn Camp Fireball (Skeeterbit)

Cannibal Corpse Kill (Metal Blade)

Dee Carstensen Patch of Blue (Exit Nine/NYC)

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Etiquette (Tomlab)

Chicago XXX (produced by Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus) (Rhino/Warner Bros.)

The Concretes In Colour (Astralwerks)

Barbara Cook and Special Guests (two CDs) (DRG/Koch)

D-Block Mix Tape (CD/DVD combo) (Kela/Koch)

Da Backwudz Wood Work Album (Universal)

The Josh Davis Band The White Whale (Authentic)

Joey DeFrancesco Organic Vibes (Concord)

Sugar Pie DeSanto Refined Sugar (Jasman)

Arthur Dodge and the Horsefeathers Room #4 (Remedy)

The Ecclesia Birdsong Over the Interior Castle (Arena Rock)

The Essex Green Cannibal Sea (Merge)

Faktion Faktion (Roadrunner)

From First to Last Heroine (Epitaph)

Greta Gaines Can't Kill the Flavor EP (Big Air)

Jimmy Gaudreau In Good Company (guest Bela Fleck) (CMH)

Teddy Geiger Underage Thinking (DualDisc same day) (Columbia)

Howe Gelb 'SNo Angel Like You (Thrill Jockey)

Victor Goines Quartet New Adventures (Criss Cross)

Gram Rabbit Cultivate (Stink)

Guajiro Guajiro EP (Achala/Long Beach)

Ben Harper Both Sides of the Gun (two CDs) (Virgin)

Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders (Foo Fighters drummer) Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders (w/ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney) (Thrive)

David Hazeltine Trio Perambulation (Criss Cross)

Hurt Vol. 1 (Capitol)

Sherman Irby Black Warrior (Black Warrior)

Nya Jade My Denial (Katako)

Denise James Promises (Rainbow Quartz)

Jim Jones Presents Purple City The Purple Album (Kela/Koch)

Karsh Kale Broken English (Six Degrees)

Robbie Lee Sleep, Memory (I and Ear)

Frank Lenz Vilelenz and Thieves (A Hidden Agenda)

Sondre Lerche Duper Sessions (Astralwerks)

Liars Drum's Not Dead (Mute)

Lifetime Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey (Jade Tree)

Ligeia Your Ghost Is a Gift (Ferret)

LL Cool J Todd Smith (limited-edition CD/DVD combo available same day) (Def Jam)

Loose Fur (Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Jim O'Rourke) Born Again in the U.S.A. (Drag City)

Love Equals Death Nightmerica (Fat Wreck Chords)

M1 (of dead prez) Confidential (DualDisc; guests Q-Tip, Styles P, Cassandra Wilson and more) (Kela/Koch)

Machinemade God The Infinity Complex (Metal Blade)

Ashley MacIsaac Pride (Kela/Koch)

Bill Madden Gone (madmuse)

Michy Mano The Other Side of the Pillow (Enja)

Mates of State Bring It Back (Barsuk)

Virginia Mayhew Sandan Shuffle (Renma)

MC Lars The Graduate (w/members of Bowling for Soup and Non-Phixion) (Horris/Nettwerk)

Donny McCaslin Quartet/Quintet Give 'N' Go (Criss Cross)

Sophie Milman Sophie Milman (Kela/Koch)

Gerry Mitchell and Little Sparta Scalpel Slice (Fire)

Mobb Deep Blood Money (Interscope)

Ms. John Soda (members of the Notwist) Notes and the Like (Morr Music)

Murs Murray's Revenge (w/9th Wonder) (Record Collection)

The New Amsterdams Story Like a Scar (Vagrant)

Nobody and Mystic Chords of Memory Tree Colored See (Mush)

Norma Jean O God the Aftermath - Deluxe Edition (CD/DVD combo) (Solid State)

Tom Novy DJ Sessions (two CDs) (Kosmo)

Okai Dekonstruktion of the Mind (Nomadic Wax)

Steve Oliver Radiant (Koch)

Opus Däi Tïerra Trágame (Double Blind)

Mario Pavone Deez to Blues (Playscape)

Wayne Perkins Ramblin' Heart (Bandwidth)

Gilles Peterson and Jazzanova Kings of Jazz (two mix CDs) (Rapster/BBE)

Placebo Meds (mixed by Flood; guest VV of the Kills) (Astralwerks)

Danny Pound Surfer Days (Remedy)

Prince 3121 (Universal)

Quasi When the Going Gets Dark (Touch and Go)

Megan Reilly Let Your Ghost Go (w/members of the Mekons, Pere Ubu and more) (Carrot Top)

Returnables Returnables EP (Dirtnap)

Kenny Rogers Water and Bridges (Capitol Nashville)

Henry Rollins Big Ugly Mouth/Short Walk on a Long Pier (two CDs) (Touch and Go)

Jim Rotondi Quartet Iron Man (Criss Cross)

Josh Rouse Subtitulo (Nettwerk)

Röyksopp Röyksopp's Night Out EP (live 2005 show from Oslo, Norway; includes cover of Queens of the Stone Age's "Go with the Flow") (Astralwerks)

Tom Russell Love & Fear (HighTone)

The Sainte Catherines Dancing for Decadence (Fat Wreck Chords)

Kokanko Sata Kokanko Sata (Honest Jons/Astralwerks)

The Seconds (w/the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Brian Chase) Kratitude (Kill Rock Stars)

Harry Shearer Dropping Anchors (satirical album about news anchors) (Courgette)

Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra Port Chicago (Noir)

Shoplifting Body Stories (Kill Rock Stars)

David Sills Down the Line (Origin)

The Sounds Dying to Say This to You (co-produced by Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger and Smashing Pumpkins/Perfect Circle's James Iha) (Scratchie/New Line)

Southern Culture on the Skids Live and Doublewide (also available as enhanced CD w/limited-edition deluxe packaging) (Yep Roc)

Sparks Hello Young Lovers (guest members of Redd Kross and Faith No More) (In the Red)

Storsveit Nix Noltes Orkideur Hawai (w/members of múm) (Bubblecore)

Swayzak Route de la Slack (rarities and remixes) (!K7)

The Sweet Sweet Life (Friday Music)

Swollen Members Black Magic (Nettwerk)

Take 6 Feels Good (33rd Street/Bayside)

Talkdemonic Beat Romantic (Arena Rock)

Tamar Beautiful, Loved & Blessed (Universal)

Tenebrous Tenebrous (Fire)

Texas Harmonica Rumble Texas Harmonica Rumble (DualTone)

Teye & Belen FlamenoObsessionArte (Corazong)

Robin Thicke The Evolution of (guest Pharrell) (Interscope)

Lobi Traore The Lobi Traore Group (Honest Jons/Astralwerks)

TriPod TriPod (Moonjune)

Aki Tsuyoko Hokane (includes book of artwork) (Thrill Jockey)

Jesse Van Ruller Quartet Views (Criss Cross)

Vienna Boys Choir 500th Anniversary (Koch)

Dale Watson Whiskey or God (Palo Duro)

Andrew Lloyd Webber The Likes of Us (two CDs) (Decca)

Randy Weston Zep Tepi - The African Rhythms Trio (Random Chance)

Pamela Williams Elixir (Shanachie)

Young People All at Once (Too Pure)

Zero Crossing My Kinda Funk (guest Kool Keith) (Perfect Toy)

VA Breakfast Club: Milan (Water Music)

VA Idol Tryouts 2: The Ghostly International Company Vol. Two (two CDs; exclusive tracks from Matthew Dear, Dabrye, Mobius Band and more) (Ghostly International)

VA Miami Music Week (Immergent)

VA NOW Latino (BMG Heritage)

VA See You on the Moon! (kids' album w/Broken Social Scene, Sufjan Stevens, Low's Alan Sparhawk and more) (Paper Bag)

VA Songs for Sixty-Five Roses (??)

VA Soul Lounge (Shanachie)

OCR Songs from an Unmade Bed (Ghostlight)

OST Brick (score by Nathan Johnson; songs by the Velvet Underground and more) (Lakeshore)

OST Crypt of the Living Dead (score by Phillip Lambro) (Perseverance)

OST Inside Man (score by Terence Blanchard) (Varése Sarabande)

OST Lost (score by Michael Giacchino) (Varése Sarabande)

OST The Hills Have Eyes (remake of '70s horror movie; original score and new songs) (Lakeshore)

DVD Classic Albums: Queen - A Night at the Opera (UMD same day) (Eagle Rock)

DVD The Black Crowes Freak 'N' Roll...Into the Fog (2005 five-night stand at San Francisco's Fillmore) (Eagle Rock)

DVD Willy DeVille Live in the Lowlands (Eagle Rock)

DVD Oliver Jones Serenade (w/Oscar Peterson) (Justin Time)

DVD Rodney Jones Live at Smoke (Mel Bay)

DVD Bryan Lee Live and Dangerous (Justin Time)

DVD Pamela Williams A Night with (Shanachie)

Same old Courtney - still sponging off Kurt

Courtney Love said she plans to sell part of her stake in Nirvana's catalog, according to NME.com. Love, in London last week for meetings about a new record deal, a TV documentary and a role in a stage production, said she's not sure exactly how she will proceed, explaining, "I have decided that I need some co-management and a strategic partner (to help me) as it's such a huge responsibility. This is the right thing to do for my family...whoever I do this deal with, I really have to like."

Love was quoted in this past weekend's (March 12) edition of the Sunday Mirror as saying she was possibly going to sell "25 percent of the catalog for quite a lot of money."

Love is the widow of Nirvana singer, guitarist and principal songwriter Kurt Cobain, who committed suicide in April of 1994. In recent years, Love has battled with the other surviving members of Nirvana over the use of the band's material in various box sets and reissues.

The former Hole frontperson has been in all sorts of legal and financial trouble herself in recent years, including various drug arrests and lawsuits. She recently sold a condo in New York City after failing to pay off her mortgage.

"South Park" Chef back after Scientology skirmish

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Soul singer Isaac Hayes may have quit his job as the voice of Chef on "South Park" after a disagreement over religion, but his character will live on when the satiric cable TV cartoon returns to Comedy Central this week, the network said on Monday.

Hayes and his "South Park" alter ego are at the center of an ongoing flap over an episode last November that poked fun at the Church of Scientology and its celebrity adherents, including actor Tom Cruise.

The tenth season of "South Park" will launch on Wednesday with a new episode titled "The Return of Chef!," marking the "triumphant homecoming" of lusty school cafeteria cook James "Chef" McElroy to the show, the network said in a statement.

Hayes, 63, himself a follower of Scientology, surprised producers a week ago by announcing he was leaving the series because he objected to its "inappropriate ridicule" of religion, though he made no reference to the show's spoof of Scientology last fall.

Two days later, Comedy Central abruptly pulled a scheduled repeat of that episode, titled "Trapped in the Closet." Sources close to the show said the rerun was canceled after Cruise threatened to boycott promotion of his upcoming film, "Mission: Impossible III," for sister studio Paramount Pictures.

Representatives for Cruise and the studio denied this. But "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone fed the furor by issuing a statement suggesting the Church of Scientology was behind the decision to scrap the rerun.

The network has also noted that various religions including Christianity, Judaism and Islam have been targets of the show's satire since its inception.

The network statement announcing Chef's return for the "South Park" season premiere this Wednesday was a clear sign that Parker and Stone planned to use the Hayes imbroglio as further grist for their comedy.

"Knowing these guys as I do, I can't imagine that they're not going to do just that," Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox told Reuters. He added that the producers routinely "turn around" new episodes in just six days, leaving them ample time to incorporate last week's dust-up into their season debut.

Fox said he assumed someone besides Hayes would supply Chef's voice. Details of the new episode were vague.

But a network synopsis said the fictional town of South Park, Colorado, is "jolted out of a case of the doldrums when Chef suddenly reappears," leading to new antics by the group of foul-mouthed fourth graders who are the show's stars.

"While Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman are thrilled to have their old friend back, they notice that something about Chef seems different. When Chef's strange behavior starts getting him in trouble, the boys pull out all the stops to save him."

"Brokeback" DVD ride set for April 4

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Brokeback Mountain," which stunningly lost the best picture Academy Award this month to "Crash," is being rushed out on DVD in two weeks to capitalize on Oscar buzz, its distributor said Monday.

The gay-cowboy romance will be available on April 4, according to Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The release is notable, not only because the film is still playing in theaters, but because there is usually a six-week window between the announcement and the street date. Observers say the narrowing gap reflects the growing clout of mass merchants over video specialists.

"You don't need six weeks to sell to Wal-Mart," said one insider.

"Brokeback" is the latest in a series of high-profile films with drastically shortened DVD solicitation periods. While the March 28 release date for "King Kong" had been speculated on by the media since early February, Universal didn't officially announce the Peter Jackson remake until the second week in March. Similarly, 20th Century Fox waited until mid-February to announce the February 28 release of "Walk the Line."

The "Brokeback Mountain" DVD boasts a documentary in which stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal discuss their preparations for the film, such as training for a rodeo and for wrangling. There's also a profile on Ang Lee, who won the best director Oscar for "Brokeback," as well as interviews with Oscar-winning scribes Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana as they discuss bringing Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx's short story to the screen.

Capitol Boxes Up More Beatles Albums

Capitol Records will on April 11 release the Beatles' "Capitol Albums Volume 2," the companion to a 2004 collection that featured the group's first four U.S. album releases. The new edition sports "The Early Beatles," "Beatles VI," the "Help!" soundtrack and the American pressing of "Rubber Soul," all of which were originally released in 1965.

As with the first boxed set, each track is presented in both stereo and mono mixes. Out of the 92 individual tracks, 82 are appearing here in versions previously unreleased on CD. Each album is housed in a sleeve replicating its original LP artwork.

"The Early Beatles" boasts the stereo debut of such favorites as "Twist and Shout," "Please Please Me" and "A Taste of Honey," as well as the first CD appearances of 1963 simulated stereo mixes of "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You." This is the lone album represented in the box that did not reach No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, peaking at No. 43.

"Beatles VI" offers the CD stereo debut of five tracks and the mono debut of four others, plus the first release of Capitol's duophonic mix of "Yes It Is." The "Help!" soundtrack includes five instrumentals from the film, plus five of George Martin's original 1965 stereo mixes. "Rubber Soul" also offers the first CD appearance of Martin's 1965 stereo mixes.

The release of the new box is timed to coincide with the 41st anniversary of the Beatles' reign over the top five slots on the Billboard pop singles chart with "Can't Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "Please Please Me."

Here is the track list for "Capitol Albums Volume 2":

"The Early Beatles":
"Love Me Do"
"Twist and Shout"
"Anna"
"Chains"
"Boys"
"Ask My Why"
"Please Please Me"
"P.S. I Love You"
"Baby It's You"
"A Taste of Honey"
"Do You Want To Know a Secret"

"Beatles VI":
"Kansas City"
"Eight Days a Week"
"You Like Me Too Much"
"Bad Boy"
"I Don't Want To Spoil the Party"
"Words of Love"
"What You're Doing"
"Yes It Is"
"Dizzy Miss Lizzie"
"Tell Me What You See"
"Every Little Thing"

"Help!":
"Help!"
"The Night Before"
"From Me to You Fantasy" (instrumental)
"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"
"I Need You"
"In the Tyrol" (instrumental)
"Another Girl"
"Another Hard Day's Night" (instrumental)
"Ticket To Ride"
"The Bitter End / You Can't Do That" (instrumental)
"You're Gonna Lose That Girl"
"The Chase" (instrumental)

"Rubber Soul":
"I've Just Seen a Face"
"Norwegian Wood"
"You Won't See Me"
"Think for Yourself"
"The Word"
"Michelle"
"It's Only Love"
"Girl"
"I'm Looking Through You"
"In My Life"
"Wait"
"Run for Your Life"

Petty Finishing New Album, Plots Tour

Tom Petty is putting the finishing touches on a new solo album, "Highway Companion," expected to be released in June. Although Petty previously said the disc would be released by Rick Rubin's American Recordings label, confirmation of the deal is still pending at deadline.

"I'm reaching there to try and find a theme," Petty tells Billboard of the project, which he previously described as being about the passage of time. "It's just a really nice collection of songs. I think it does have an underlying theme of time and what it does to you."

In support of the album, Petty and the Heartbreakers will tour extensively in 2006, with dates concentrated in the June-July and September-October time frames. True to form, they will try something different.

"What we're trying to do is a bunch of shows with different artists that either we like or think would be an interesting show," Petty manager Tony Dimitriades tells Billboard. "One of the main things we're doing is a bunch of shows with Pearl Jam. We're also talking to John Mayer about doing some dates, as well as the Strokes."

"And maybe in the occasional show there will be a friend [to] come on the road with us for a few days," he continues.

As previously reported, director Peter Bogdonavich is also following Petty and company for a film due later this year. Why did the famously private Petty allow for such unfettered access? "I think it's a worthwhile project, and I think it's good that he's going to finally tell this story completely. Sometimes, giving up your privacy is a little like going to the dentist, and we have let him have access that no one's ever had."

'LOST' & FOUND

ABC'S hit serial "Lost" seems to be losing steam and viewers are blaming frequent repeats of the complicated castaway drama.

On the flip side, "24," an equally sophisticated thriller, continues to grow in its fifth year.

How come?

It's because "24's" network, Fox, shows the entire season straight through - no reruns ever.

"The results over the past two seasons have been gratifying," says Fox scheduling guru Preston Beckman. "But they've only been gratifying because '24' is phenomenal."

Since Fox began airing "24" - which stars Kiefer Sutherland as an anti-terrorist government agent - with no repeats the audience for the show has grown each year, a rare occurrence with any show that has been on TV for five seasons.

In 2003, the show averaged about 10 million viewers. By 2004, when it began to air straight through it drew roughly 12 million. And this year, it has joined the elite group of TV dramas in the to 10 -averaging more than 14 million viewers per show.

"It was a huge leap of faith," says Beckman. "We hoped the move would result in higher ratings and fortunately we were right. Usually by the fourth season these things are beginning to sag."

"Lost" meanwhile, was drawing a phenomenal 18 million viewers per show last year - its debut season.

But has since dropped to about 12 million this year - and repeats are drawing only about 10 million.

Both show are serials, meaning one show picks up where the last left off.

But watercooler chatter that seems so important to TV shows these days has all but died for "Lost."

"What they are doing makes no sense," wrote one frustrated "Lost" fan on alt.tv.lost, one of the many Internet group sites devoted to discussing "Lost." "They should have done what '24' does every season. No breaks in the episodes just show every episode in order. 'Lost' is not a stand alone series so why treat it like it is!"

The answer, say program execs at both networks, is about the bottom line.

"When you have an asset like 'Lost' you have to make the most of it," an ABC spokeswoman says. "It would be a luxury to schedule it straight through."

The rub is that the TV season is generally 36 weeks long, but in order to keep TV shows turning a profit at studios and networks, only 22 episodes are produced each year. And for ABC - which is slowly rebuilding its schedule with hit dramas like "Gray's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" - it would be a turnoff for advertisers if they were told that any of these shows would not be returning until January.

ABC has also tried the programming strategy in the past with series like "NYPD Blue" and "Alias" - without much success."I certainly don't think it's helping them [with viewers]," says Horizon Media's TV analyst Brad Adgate. '

"Both '24' and 'Lost' have very loyal audiences who follow each show week to week. I definitely think there's some frustration when you get constant repeats and premeptions."

Sirius Satellite tops 4 million subscribers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Monday said it recently surpassed 4 million subscribers to its nationwide pay radio service.

Sirius, No. 2 in the nascent market to rival XM Satellite Radio Inc., had previously said it ended 2005 with 3.3 million subscribers, an increase of 2.2 million, and expects to end 2006 with more than 6 million subscribers.

XM in February said it has more than 6 million subscribers and expects to reach 9 million by the end of the year.

Both services offer continuous sports, talk, and entertainment programming, including dozens of commercial-free music stations, all for about $13 a month.

Sirius' news follows its announcement on Friday that it reached a deal with music companies Warner Music Group Corp. and Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group to allow their songs to be played on a new radio unit that can store songs for future playback.

Under the pact, Sirius will pay a fee for each unit of its new S50 radio device that it sells, according to officials from the three companies.

Shares of Sirius rose 31 cents, or 6.3 percent, $5.20 in early trade on Nasdaq. XM shares rose 42 cents, or 2 percent, to $21.16.

Jodie Fostering strength

NEW YORK -- Jodie Foster has finally figured out what her weakness is: She doesn't have one.

Simply put, Foster is a two-time Oscar winner with a damsel in distress-sized hole in her resume that will never be filled.

She doesn't have a clue how to play a powerless female, and she doesn't have much interest in learning.

"I do tend to play strong women," says Foster, who continues that tradition by portraying an above-the-law "fixer" in director Spike Lee's bank heist thriller Inside Man, opening in theatres Friday.

"I've played different kinds of strong women," Foster says during a recent interview for the film. "I've played morally bankrupt strong women, I've played good girls, I've played straight-laced straight arrows, I've played wild women. Yet they're always strong.

"Sometimes I feel like that's my Achilles heel as an actor. I don't really know how to play weak characters. If I played a weak character, I don't think you'd believe me."

Foster is all too believable as Inside Man's icy and iron-willed Madeline White, a woman who knows where the bodies are buried and isn't afraid to use that information to benefit her high-paying, anonymity-seeking clientele.

"She's been in these dangerous situations where you have two dead hookers and a mayor," Foster says, likening her character to an exaggerated, corporate-world version of legendary Hollywood publicist Pat Kingsley, the image shaper who has represented clients ranging from Tom Cruise to Courtney Love to Foster herself.

"The vault that (Kingsley) is ... I mean, if anything that's in her memory or in her head ever came out, the world would probably implode."

And some of that implosion would likely involve Foster, who deftly avoids scrutiny of her social life. She's never revealed the identity of the father (or fathers) of her two sons, and has never addressed rumours about her sexual orientation.

Yet she is unfailingly warm, polite and articulate, even when it comes to defending her last starring role, 2005's Flightplan. A box-office success with a worldwide take of over $200 million, Flightplan was carved by critics who felt the film's premise crashed and burned in the third act.

"I'm really proud of Flightplan," Foster says. "It's is not an art house film , it is a genre movie, and I make no apologies for that. I really feel like that character was beautifully drawn, truthfully drawn, and I'm really proud of that as an actor. I killed myself for that movie."

Foster's next two films are Neil Jordan's revenge thriller The Brave One, opposite Hustle & Flow's Terrence Howard, and the socially conscious Sugarland, which she will direct and co-star in opposite Robert De Niro.

That will lift her career tally to something in the ballpark of 50 movies and dozens of TV appearances, though Hollywood only truly woke up to Foster's talents after her Oscar-nominated turn as a teenaged hooker in 1976's Taxi Driver. That was also the year Foster did the Disney identity-swap comedy Freaky Friday, which was remade in 2003 with Lindsay Lohan in the Foster role. And oh, how the times have changed.

"In my time, 18-year-olds could do stupid things and not necessarily be on Access Hollywood the next day," Foster says, lamenting the voracious public and media appetite that dogs young stars like Lohan today.

"You can't have a young life and be an actor anymore, and that's a shame. Because there's a lot of value to those years when you do dumb things and make mistakes and you have experiences that you don't necessarily want everyone to know about."

Foster says she was lucky: When she was growing up in the business, she had people who cared about her watching out for her best interests, and the scrutiny of young stars was nothing like what it is today.

"There was a kind of privacy that you had in your life, and I think the media had a lot of respect for the adolescent years," she says.

Foster's 40 years in the biz have taught her how to play the Hollywood game, and how to separate her work from her life. She doesn't begrudge her fame, but she doesn't enjoy it, either.

"I'm trying to think of one good thing about fame, but I can't," she says.

"Respect is good and accolades are good and doing work you love is good. But there really isn't one good part of fame."

'Doctor Who' Born Anew

Once upon a time, there was a BBC science-fiction series called "Doctor Who" whose special effects were of the bubble-gum-and-rubber-band variety and whose basic premise sounded as cheesy as the show looked: A wanderer from the distant future fights intergalactic evildoers while traveling through space and time in a machine that is camouflaged as a London police box.

Uh, right.

Yet somewhere along the line, "Doctor Who" became the longest-running sci-fi series in TV history (26 years), spawned several movie spinoffs, a mini-publishing empire, audiotapes, memorabilia, conventions, you name it. Now, after being off the air for 17 years, a new "Doctor Who" series, first seen on the BBC last year, comes to the Sci Fi Channel on Friday (March 17). And therein lies a tale.

When "Doctor Who" first appeared on the BBC in 1963, it was a show for older children that aired late on Saturday afternoons. But quicker than you can say "Daleks" -- the race of robots who became the title character's chief nemeses -- the program became a national sensation.

The reasons were soon evident. The doctor's ability to go backward and forward in time meant that story lines were highly flexible. Although obviously a kids' program, "Doctor Who" also had a wink-wink sense of humor that appealed to adults. Then there were the seven actors who played the doctor, who tended toward the warmly avuncular. And because Doctor Who takes on traveling companions from the places he visits who then join him on his adventures, the show could bounce its protagonist off against an ever-changing roster of foils. Plus, "Doctor Who's" cheesy look actually worked in its favor.

"It was shameless about its shortcomings," says Russell T. Davies, executive producer and head writer of the new series. "They did intergalactic wars and invasions of the Earth with $2. Somewhere, by accident, they captured something very true about the world, that the future is very clumsy and nailed together. There is something beautifully normal about the 'Doctor Who' universe."

Los Angeles resident Shaun Lyon, who wrote "Back to the Vortex," a book about the new series, and whose Outpost Gallifrey (gallifreyone.com) is the premier "Doctor Who" website in this country, echoes this "It's the story line, stupid" sentiment by noting that America's most popular science-fiction program also had similarly cheesy production values.

"If you look back at the original 'Star Trek,' you'll see the same thing -- bad special effects," Lyon says. "The appeal is in the storytelling, even if there are no $10 million visual effects budgets. It's the stories, the characters, the actors themselves."

Although the series has been seen on PBS over the years, "Doctor Who" never really developed a massive fan base in this country. Competition from shows like "Star Trek" certainly held it back, and its chintzy foreign flavor didn't always translate well. But it did acquire a rabid cult following that now sponsors several "Who"-oriented conventions (last month's L.A.-based Gallifrey One conclave was the 17th annual).

But as with "Star Trek," "Doctor Who's" 1989 demise did not end the appetite for it. So when veteran British TV writer Davies ("Queer as Folk") pitched the BBC a new version of the venerable doctor, the network went for it.

"I knew it could work again," says Davies, "that there was a new generation that could enjoy it. But I wasn't certain what the BBC wanted, whether they wanted an ironic version late at night. What they wanted was 7 o'clock prime time on a Saturday, which was how I wanted to bring it back. There hadn't been a sci-fi show on prime time in Britain for over 20 years, since 'V.' "

Davies understood that the fan community would want to have a say in the series' new direction, but he completely ignored the sci-fi message boards, claiming, "It's the most stupid thing you can do, and people are seduced into believing that the most creative thing you can do is engage with your online fandom." He also instinctively realized that the 21st century version of the doctor would have to be hipper, smarter and sexier than any previous incarnation.

"I decided to write it like anything else I'd write," he says. "I write character, I write funny, I write dramatic, and there's no way science fiction can't be the same thing. You just have to not steep it in nostalgia and not write techno-babble either."

Gussied up with state-of-the-art special effects and the kind of self-referential story lines that both kids and adults appreciate, the new "Doctor Who" debuted on the BBC in March 2005 and proved an immediate smash hit (the series is in production on its second season).

When he was developing the show, says Davies, "I was thinking of 'Toy Story.' We were specifically aimed at getting a family audience, which people said didn't exist anymore. It was simply following the pattern of the old 'Doctor Who,' which was quietly witty while appealing to kids at the same time. The Pixar art of aiming at adults and kids is really difficult, but that's the path I tried to follow."

The Who Not Rushing First New Album Since 1982

Surviving Who principals Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are making progress on the first new album under the group name since 1982's "It's Hard," but Daltrey says there is no timetable to finish the project.

"It will come out when it is ready," he tells Billboard. "What's the point of trying to give yourself deadlines that aren't really important? I think we have to get it good before we can finish it."

Describing the process of developing material, Daltrey admits, "We are doing it in a very different way. All the time that [the late bassist] John [Entwistle] was in the band, we kind of felt we had to go in as a group. Now, it is really only Pete and I, and Pete wants to do all the guitars and some of the bass playing. Whether we will end up going into the studio with a band and recording it all again, I don't know. These are all the kinds of bridges that we need to cross."

Daltrey says he has three tracks written for the project. "One of them is particularly fantastic in the older Who-type vain," he enthuses. "Another is particularly fantastic in a completely different way. These songs are all about the spirit and the emotion. Whether or not they are successful in today's world, who knows? The business is totally different now."

The artist says he's particularly excited about the Townshend song "Black Widow's Eyes," which concerns Stockholm syndrome. "The fact that he's done that in music and words, and he completely sums up Stockholm syndrome in this song, is so haunting," he says. "Imagine how difficult it is for Pete. He doesn't need to write another song. God almighty, all that music out of one head. But he seems driven at the moment, which is great because I've always felt that he was the kind of writer who would write his best stuff at the age he is now. His skills have caught up with his intellect."

As previously reported, the Who will tour Europe this summer, with additional international dates to follow later in the year. "If we can go out and play festival spots and play our hits, we can relight the fire," Daltrey says. "It's amazing when young people see the band. We've had an incredible resurgence with young people.

Daltrey is also involved in a long-in-the-works biopic about late Who drummer Keith Moon, but declined to reveal details. "We've had three or four scripts written, and we've never quite nailed what we wanted to do," he admits. "We've got a new writer. A very famous writer, a Pulitzer Prize winner indeed. I can't name him because I don't know the situation at the moment. You can't tell someone's life story in two hours on film. If I can do it, I hope to make a real rock'n'roll film that will be funny, poignant, sad, celebratory, all the things that Moon was. But if I can't, I'm very glad that I'm holding the reins and stopping any bad films of Keith Moon being made."

Judge Halts Notorious B.I.G. Album Sales

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A judge halted sales of Notorious B.I.G.'s breakthrough 1994 album "Ready to Die" after a jury decided the title song used part of an Ohio Players tune without permission.

The jury Friday awarded $4.2 million in punitive and direct damages to the two music companies that own rights to Ohio Players recordings.

The sales ban imposed by U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell affects the album and the title song in any form, including Internet downloads and radio play.

It was unclear when or how the ban would take effect. By Saturday evening, a search of BestBuy.com and Amazon.com showed "Ready to Die" was still available for purchase online.

The jury decided that Bad Boy Entertainment and executive producer Sean "Diddy" Combs illegally used a part of the Ohio Players' 1992 song "Singing In The Morning."

Bridgeport Music and Westbound Records, which owned the song rights, have filed hundreds of lawsuits over "sampling," the practice of lifting parts of old music for new recordings. Most were settled out of court.

The companies get most of their income from song royalties by their artists, which include funk legend George Clinton, the Funkadelics and the Ohio Players.

"We've just been battling this for such a long time," Armen Boladian, owner of Westbound and Bridgeport said. "So many have been settled because companies didn't want anything to do with it, and we knew we were right."

The defendants, Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy LLC, Justin Combs Publishing and Universal Records, plan to appeal. "We think (the verdict) is without merit," defense lawyer Jay Bowen said.

The estate of Notorious B.I.G. was originally sued but was dropped later as a defendant. The artist, born Christopher Wallace, was 24 in 1997 when he was killed in a shooting that remains unsolved.

The rotund New York rapper, also known as Biggie Smalls, was one of the most influential hip-hop artists of the 1990s. His albums "Ready To Die" and the posthumously released "Life After Death" together sold nearly 8 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

More "Simpsons," "King of the Hill" on Fox

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox is loading up on animated comedies "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill."

The network has ordered two more seasons of "The Simpsons," its 18th and 19th, and one more of "King of the Hill," the show's 11th.

The two-year renewal for "The Simpsons," the longest-running entertainment primetime series on the air, guarantees it will be on the air at least through the 2007-08 season, during which the show will hit its 400th episode.

The show's principal voice cast, which includes Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria, who threatened to go strike a few years ago until they got better deals, are all said to be locked in for the duration of the new pact.

After a two-month hiatus, production on "King of the Hill" recently resumed, after new deals were sealed with principal behind-the-scenes talent, including showrunners/executive producers John Altschuler and David Krinsky and co-creator/executive producer/voice actor Mike Judge.

Because "King of the Hill" has been a subject of frequent pre-emptions for Fox's NFL football coverage, the network has enough fresh episodes for the rest of this season. The show is slated to return for its 11th season in January.

'Groove Me' Singer King Floyd III Dies

NEW ORLEANS - King Floyd III, the soul singer and songwriter best known for his 1970 hit "Groove Me," died March 6 of complications from a stroke and diabetes, his record label said. He was 61.

As a young man, Floyd sometimes sang with the house band at the Sho-Bar on Bourbon Street. After serving in the Army, he tried to launch a career as an entertainer. On the West Coast, Floyd met Harold Battiste, a fellow New Orleans expatriate who was an established producer and band leader.

Battiste produced Floyd's debut album, "A Man in Love," which featured songs written with Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack. The album did not fare well, and in 1969 Floyd returned to New Orleans and took a job with the post office to support his family.

A year later, Wardell Quezergue, an arranger of R&B scores, brought Floyd to the Jackson, Miss., office of Malaco Records where he recorded a song he had written, "Groove Me," during the same session that Jean Knight recorded her classic "Mr. Big Stuff."

Atlantic Records picked up the song and promoted it nationally. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 6 on the pop chart.

Canadian acts angry at Junos' international lineup

TORONTO (CP) - With Coldplay and Black Eyed Peas among the scheduled performers, this year's Juno Awards are fast becoming must-see TV for music fans.

Some musicians and industry folk, however, are uncomfortable with the international lineup, arguing that homegrown artists should be the focus - particularly at a time when Canada's music scene is being lauded around the world.

"A lot of people are talking about it. A lot of people are very upset," said Fred Litwin, who runs Ottawa-based indie label NorthernBlues Music.

Trevor Larocque of Toronto's Paperbag Records didn't attempt to hide his sarcasm: "Coldplay's playing I hear. They're an amazing Canadian band."

Some in the indie music sector feel the TV component of the Junos has lost its focus, letting ratings and broadcaster CTV dictate the content rather than the country's pool of talent.

Entire genres, such as roots, country and jazz, continue to be excluded from the televised show, they say.

"We would never be asked (to perform on the broadcast). Blues is too much of a small genre. They have no commercial interest in it," said Litwin.

There's also the thorny issue of how many CTV personalities, including Ben Mulroney and Canadian Idol faces, will be included on the April 2 program.

As it stands, about nine acts get to perform and only a handful of the 39 Juno categories are awarded during the TV broadcast. The rest are handed out during a dinner the night before.

"Our award isn't going to be presented (on TV) because Coldplay and Black Eyed Peas have to play," lamented Marco Raposo of Pocket Dwellers, which is nominated for best new group.

Bringing in international superstar acts isn't new for the Junos. In the 1980s, Tina Turner and Crowded House performed. Last year, country hotshot Keith Urban was invited as a presenter.

And producers haven't ignored homegrown talent.

Indie performers like Broken Social Scene, Bedouin Soundclash and Massari are all set to play. As well, Halifax's cutting-edge rapper Buck 65 will compose and perform the show's theme music.

Other high-profile Canadian acts include Michael Buble and Bryan Adams.

Industry watcher Larry LeBlanc said the content wasn't really an issue until bombshell actress Pamela Anderson was announced as host.

"The lightning rod is Pamela Anderson," said LeBlanc, the Canadian bureau chief for Billboard magazine who's been covering the Juno Awards for more than 30 years.

"This is the year they didn't need international acts. Pam's two breasts will do more for ratings than Coldplay and Black Eyed Peas."

But the show's executive producer, John Brunton, said naysayers should look at the flip side.

"It used to be we had to beg Anne Murray and Gordon Lightfoot," he said. "We couldn't get Canadians to the show. Now the show has grown up . . . we can compete with everyone in the world."

He said Canadians should be proud to have a "world-class awards show" that attracts international acts and press, and can compete against other programs like the Grammys.

"Can we not start behaving like a world-class country and not be shy about sharing our stage with the biggest bands in the world?" he said. "The small town thinking makes me insane."

Labels lobby hard to have their acts play at the Junos, given the show's enormous profile.

A talent committee made up of representatives from the industry decides who ultimately gets one of the coveted performance spots, said Brunton, adding that organizers consider all the genres, looking at what the "big story" of the past year was.

He said the country's blooming independent music scene won out.

"Next year it might be an urban scene. (The Junos) really just tries to reflect what the stories are in the Canadian music scene each year," he said.

While Raposo said he can understand the draw of international acts, he insisted his seven-piece hip-hop funk outfit is just as entertaining as the Black Eyed Peas.

"We have enough talent in Canada that we could have put on a great show," he said.

Another option, says blues man Litwin, would be to pair less commercially viable acts with mainstream ones.

At this year's Grammy Awards, for example, gospel artist Hezekiah Walker performed with superstar Mariah Carey. At a past Juno show, Nelly Furtado was brilliantly paired with aboriginal group White Fish Juniors.

Said Litwin: "They could be worked into the show if (the Junos) really cared about different genres of music."

'V for Vendetta' Tops Box Office

LOS ANGELES - Audiences were in a rebellious mood, lifting the action tale "V for Vendetta" to the top spot at the weekend box office with a $26.1 million debut.

The Warner Bros. film, which stars Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving in a story of revolution against a totalitarian British government, bumped off the previous weekend's box-office leaders.

Paramount's romantic comedy "Failure to Launch," which debuted at No. 1, slipped to second place with $15.8 million, raising its 10-day domestic total to $48.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Disney's family remake "The Shaggy Dog," which premiered at No. 2, fell to third with $13.6 million, lifting its 10-day total to $35.9 million.

This weekend's other new wide release, Paramount's "She's the Man," opened in fourth with $11 million. The romance stars Amanda Bynes as a teen disguising herself as a male to play on a boys' soccer team in a modern update of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

Fox Searchlight's tobacco-industry satire "Thank You for Smoking" opened to huge numbers in limited release, grossing $260,066 at five theaters for a whopping $52,013 average a cinema. By comparison, "V for Vendetta" averaged $7,767 in 3,365 theaters.

Starring Aaron Eckhart as a spin doctor for cigarette companies, "Thank You for Smoking" gradually expands into nationwide release through April 7. The film was directed by Jason Reitman, son of filmmaker Ivan Reitman ("Ghostbusters").

Overall box office revenue continued a monthlong decline, with the top-12 movies taking in $93.8 million, down 11 percent from the same weekend last year, when "The Ring Two" opened with $35.1 million.

"V for Vendetta" was adapted by Andy and Larry Wachowski, creators of "The Matrix" franchise, from a graphic novel about a masked freedom fighter battling British fascism in the near future. The film was produced by Joel Silver, who also made "The Matrix" flicks, and directed by James McTeigue, a protege of the Wachowski brothers.

Critics generally gave thumbs up to "V for Vendetta," calling it a smarter-than-average, visually impressive action thriller. The movie touches on disturbing notions in a post-Sept. 11 world, raising questions about when violence is justified and examining definitions of freedom-fighting vs. terrorism.

"Here we have a movie about a guy who wears a mask the whole picture, with controversial subjects, some hot-button issues. Not the standard-fare movie, and we did a strong opening and attracted a huge amount of people," producer Silver said.

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. "V for Vendetta," $26.1 million.
2. "Failure to Launch," $15.8 million.
3. "The Shaggy Dog," $13.6 million.
4. "She's the Man," $11 million.
5. "The Hills Have Eyes," $8.1 million.
6. "16 Blocks," $4.7 million.
7. "Eight Below," $4.2 million.
8. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," $3 million.
9. "The Pink Panther," $2.5 million.
10. "Aquamarine," $2 million.

'South Park'-Scientology Battle Rages On

NEW YORK - "South Park" has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday — with an Internet report saying it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the "South Park" creators said in a statement Friday in Daily Variety. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies... You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail!"

The Internet blogger hollywoodinterrupted.com said Thursday that Cruise threatened to not promote "Mission: Impossible 3," a surefire summer blockbuster, if the offending episode ran. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, as is Paramount, which is putting out the film.

But Cruise's representative, Arnold Robinson, told The Associated Press Friday that the mega-star made no such demands.

"Not true," Robinson said. "I can tell you that he never said that."

A call by The Associated Press to a Paramount representative was not returned Friday.

The episode in question, "Trapped in the Closet," which first aired last November, shows Scientology leaders hailing Stan, one of the show's four devilish fourth-graders, as a savior. A cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out. An animated John Travolta, another famous Scientologist, enters the closet to try to get him out.

The battle began in earnest earlier this week when Isaac Hayes, another celebrity Scientologist and longtime show member — voicing the ladies' man Chef — quit the show, saying he could no longer tolerate its religious "intolerance and bigotry."

Stone and Parker didn't buy that either.

On Monday, Stone told The Associated Press, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith in Scientology...He has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians."

A Comedy Central spokesman said Friday that the network pulled the controversial episode to make room for two shows featuring Hayes.

"In light of the events of earlier this week, we wanted to give Chef an appropriate tribute by airing two episodes he is most known for," the spokesman said.

French Draft Law Threatens iPod's Future

PARIS - Apple Computer Inc. faces a serious challenge in France as lawmakers move to sever the umbilical cord between its iPod music player and iTunes online store — threatening its lucrative hold on both markets.

Amendments to an online copyright bill, adopted early Friday, would give rivals access to the hitherto-exclusive file formats at the heart of Apple's music business model as well as Sony Corp.'s Walkman players and Connect store.

Thanks to the massive success of the iPod models, which account for two out of every three music players sold worldwide, iTunes has become the global leader in online music sales. The iPod is currently designed not to play music from rival services.

According to the latest amendments, however, copy-protection technologies like Apple's FairPlay format and Sony's ATRAC3 must work with competing services and players. Companies that refuse to share all essential information with any rival that requests it would be ordered to do so by a judge, under threat of fines.

The draft law could force Apple to let French iPod users buy their music from download sites other than iTunes. Owners of other music players would also be allowed to buy songs from iTunes France.

"Without guaranteed interoperability, we run a major risk of captive client bases and an anti-competitive situation, with the consumer held hostage as a result," read the explanatory note accompanying one of the key amendments.

Lawmakers in the lower house voted to approve the amended text early Friday and will hold a further formal vote on Tuesday before sending the bill to the Senate for its final reading.

Although the draft law would also apply to Sony, "the implication is most serious for Apple" because of the phenomenal market penetration of the iPod and iTunes, said Roger Kay of U.S.-based research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling declined to comment on the law or say whether it could force the company to withdraw the iPod or iTunes from the French market. Sony also refused to comment.

Although iTunes was initially driven by iPod sales, some analysts say the two offerings now reinforce each other. Apple's large online music catalog, the result of its superior bargaining power, also boosts the iPod's appeal. Breaking the exclusive link removes both advantages.

Critics of the draft law say legislators have no business forcing Apple to share its proprietary format, arguing that most customers know about its limitations when they choose to buy an iPod. But consumer groups argue that the only way to give customers real choice is to end the restrictions.

"It's an essential condition for consumers and for the market itself," said Julien Dourgnon, a spokesman for UFC-Que Choisir, France's main consumer organization.

UFC has already filed a lawsuit in French courts, attacking Apple's exclusive music format as a form of anticompetitive behavior.

"It's only by resisting interoperability that Apple is able to keep this dominant position," Dourgnon said. "Once there's interoperability, it's over."

If the draft law goes through in its current form, experts say, Apple could have three broad courses of action from which to choose.

The company could look for technical solutions to comply with the new law in France while maintaining its format exclusivity elsewhere. Sales from iTunes sites are already restricted to local markets using credit card details. But preventing newly interoperable iPods from being used outside the "walled garden" would be much harder — although shipping them with French-only software could help.

Alternatively, Apple could follow the example set by Microsoft Corp. in its standoff with EU antitrust authorities: Drag its feet over compliance and wait to be sued. Court proceedings are long, damages relatively light and class actions impossible in France. Apple might calculate that its iPod and iTunes profits dwarf any potential penalties.

Finally, Apple could be forced to withdraw from Europe's third-largest music download market — or threaten to do so while seeking a change in the law.

"They may have to bluff initially by pulling product off the market and making everybody uncomfortable," Endpoint's Kay said.

But Apple's transformation into a major force in digital entertainment may ultimately lead to antitrust challenges elsewhere, including the United States, Kay said.

In that case, the French move will turn out to have been just the start of something bigger, he added. "Creating an open version of the iPod ecosystem is what everybody in the world except Apple would like."

Viacom to Sell DreamWorks Film Library

NEW YORK - Entertainment company Viacom Inc. said Friday it agreed to sell the film library of the recently acquired DreamWorks studio to an investment group led by financier George Soros in a deal that values the library at $900 million.

The 59 films in the library include "Gladiator," "American Beauty" and "Saving Private Ryan."

Viacom, which recently split off its broadcasting and publishing assets into separately traded CBS Corp., said the deal will complete the second stage of its acquisition of DreamWorks SKG Inc., the studio founded by director Steven Spielberg, producer David Geffen and former Walt Disney Co. executive Jeffrey Katzenberg.

The buyers are Soros Strategic Partners LP and Dune Entertainment II LLC.

Soros and Dune will acquire all 59 DreamWorks live action films released through Sept. 15 of last year, while Soros will distribute the library through an exclusive five-year agreement with Paramount, the company said.

Viacom will retain ownership of music publishing and certain other rights related to the library, including sequel and merchandising rights. The company also will own a minority stake in the entity holding the library assets.

Viacom will have the right to reacquire the library, and Soros and Dune will have the right to sell it to Viacom, beginning at the end of the fifth year after the deal. The parties also may acquire the other's interest under certain conditions.

While full details of the deal were not disclosed, it's likely Soros and Dune will look to get a return on their investment through licensing the film library's content on DVDs, cable and worldwide television broadcasts, said Harold Vogel, media analyst and author of the book "Entertainment Industry Economics."

"They'll project how much each film can generate," Vogel said. "The difficulty is, probably only the top 10 films generate 80 percent of the income."

In December, Viacom's Paramount Pictures unit agreed to buy DreamWorks SKG for $775 million in cash, plus $825 million in debt and other obligations. At that time, the studio said it would finance the deal by immediately selling the DreamWorks film library, which Paramount valued at between $850 million and $1 billion.

Viacom said Friday it expects the net purchase price for DreamWorks to be about $600 million after converting certain commercial agreements from debt to advances.

The sale is expected to close in April, pending closing conditions, the company said.

The distribution agreement with Paramount will automatically renew if Soros still owns the library after the fifth year, Viacom said.

Dune Entertainment is an affiliate of Dune Capital Management LP.

Viacom stock rose 69 cents, or 1.8 percent, to close at $39 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Sony slashes price of PSP

For those of you who are interested in movies on the go, you may be pleased to hear that Sony has just significantly lowered the price of their Playstation Portable (PSP) handheld. The PSP is now officially priced at $199 and given the wealth of movies that are available for the device on UMD discs, this may be a great little gizmo while you’re preparing for spring or summer break. For more info on movies on the PSP, please feel free to visit our UMD Review section as well.

Almost 350 movies are available for the PSP at the time of this writing and although studios have shown signs of pulling out of the segment a little due to a drop in sales there will still be a great many new releases coming out in the future, making PSP one of the most attractive handheld movie viewing devices, and of course, it plays games, too. Some 200 of them at this time

Radio group calls for 'smarter, more effective' CRTC policy

New technologies like satellite radio and digital players are changing the traditional radio landscape and the industry says it wants help from the CRTC to survive.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission had called for submissions that would be considered in its current review of the country's commercial radio policy.

A number of groups, including the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, filed written submissions before the broadcast regulator's midnight deadline on Wednesday.

The landscape has dramatically changed since the last commercial radio review, the broadcast group says in its submission.

"We no longer have one single and regulated system of radio services delivered over the public airwaves and free of charge to Canadians. Instead, we have both a regulated system of the past and a largely unregulated, parallel system of new delivery platforms for audio content," the CAB said.

"Canadian private radio is confronted with an unheard-of array of competition for listeners and for revenues."

The existence of these new competitors does not necessarily mean that more regulation is required from the CRTC, the group said, "but rather that smarter and more effective regulation needs to be designed."

The group believes that traditional radio could lose between 4.9 and 8.5 per cent of its listeners by 2010, with revenue losses of between $13 million and $39 million.

The CRTC has said that the rapid changes in digital technologies and distribution of media – such as music and other programming– have "presented the radio industry with new opportunities, but also new challenges."

It cited satellite radio, file-sharing and downloading, podcasting and audio streaming on the internet as "new and more flexible alternatives to the traditional practices of purchasing recorded music and listening to radio broadcasting."

The goal of the upcoming review is to examine the effectiveness of the 1998 policy, develop new measures to support a strong commercial radio industry that reflects Canada's diversity and local cultures, make the transition to digital transmission and benefit from new and emerging platforms for distribution, the CRTC said.

The CRTC has scheduled public hearings this spring in Gatineau, Que. as part of the review. A report, including any regulation changes,is expected later this year or in early 2007.

Originally set for 2003, the review of Canada's commercial radio policy was postponed so that that the CRTC could deal with the applications to introduce satellite radio to Canada.

CBC's Tommy Douglas movie frustrates some Saskatchewan Liberals

REGINA (CP) - The CBC's cinematic tribute to medicare founder Tommy Douglas has ruffled Liberal feathers in Saskatchewan and has at least one historian shaking his head in disapproval.

The television movie Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story has been lauded for shedding light on an overlooked Canadian political icon.

But those familiar with the life of former Saskatchewan premier James (Jimmie) Gardiner - Douglas's adversary in the movie - say his portrayal as arrogant, self-centred and vindictive was way off.

"I think it is a shame that they found it necessary to create a kind of blackguard to contrast with the white knight of Tommy Douglas," said David Smith, the retired University of Saskatchewan professor who co-wrote Gardiner's biography.

"I just think it was a very unfortunate or distorted view of the man."

Douglas, a New Democrat, and Gardiner, a Liberal, both enjoyed distinguished political careers in Saskatchewan and Ottawa.

As leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Douglas was a five-term premier of the province before leaving to become the first federal leader of the NDP.

He is best remembered as the father of medicare.

Gardiner was elected twice as Saskatchewan premier, first in 1926 and again in 1934. Federally, he held the agriculture portfolio for a record 22 years.

Saskatchewan's Gardiner Dam on Lake Diefenbaker is named after him.

When it came to politics, Gardiner was a passionate voice for the West and for agriculture, Smith said. He was hard-nosed and not always easy to get along with, but wasn't boorish the way the movie seemed to portray him.

"He's portrayed in the movie as almost thuggish," Smith said. "I think it's wrong to depict him like that."

He takes particular issue with Gardiner shown drinking in the film.

"He was one of the founders of the United Church of Canada and he, to my knowledge, was a teetotaller," Smith said. "Never, never, never."

Retired Liberal senator Herb Sparrow, who knew Gardiner, said he liked the movie, but didn't like how Gardiner was portrayed.

"Jimmie would have been disappointed in the way he came off," he said. "It didn't portray any of the good points that he had."

Sparrow said when it comes to ranking Saskatchewan politicians he would put Gardiner up there with Douglas and former Tory prime minister John Diefenbaker.

David Karwacki, the current Saskatchewan Liberal leader, compared Gardiner to Ralph Goodale in that they were strong western voices in Liberal governments.

"From 1900 to 1950 the Liberals really built the province of Saskatchewan, from Walter Scott to Jimmie Gardiner," Karwacki said.

"I think the movie might have been a little rough on Jimmie Gardiner."

Kevin DeWalt, executive producer of the film, said there was no intention to vilify Gardiner and his character was based on extensive research.

"We feel very confident that we portrayed the times accurately," DeWalt said. "Clearly we have done some fictionalization and compressed some characters into Jimmie Gardiner, but that's something that we have stated right from Day 1 that we were doing,"

That's not the way Regina lawyer Garrett Wilson sees it.

Wilson is a longtime active member of the Liberal party in Saskatchewan and also knew Gardiner personally.

"He was a great Canadian - great western Canadian - and I was never a particular fan of him politically," Wilson said.

"I understand that you'd have to dramatize things a little bit to do this stuff, but I think they went far, far too far."

Fate Helped Lilly Find Her Way to 'Lost'

NEW YORK - To hear Evangeline Lilly talk, her path to stardom on the hit series "Lost" was almost beyond her control. Perhaps a bit like her character, Kate, and the rest of the "Lost" castaways who — submitting to a grand plan, or was it just bum luck? — crashed at the obscure Pacific isle where the ABC thriller (9 p.m. EST Wednesday) has stranded them.

Granted, Kate was aboard doomed Oceanic Air flight 815 in handcuffs, a fugitive from justice. She was being brought back to the U.S. from Australia to stand trial when the jet tore apart in midair.

Nothing so tumultuous for Lilly.

While enrolled at Vancouver's University of British Columbia just a few years ago, the Alberta, Canada native was a budding actress pulling in good money doing TV commercials. Even at this early stage, stardom seemed foretold. Until Lilly, unhappy with acting, bailed out.

Then, in a bizarre display of self-demotion, she happily took work as a movie extra.

"Being an extra, ironically, turned out to be something I loved," she says with a laugh. "I could go in when I wanted. Do my homework. Read books. Eat their food. Rest. That was my job and I got paid for it!"

Never mind the pay was a fraction of what she made before. Her new plan fit perfectly with school (she was studying international relations). More to the point, she didn't like modeling and acting in commercials. It felt like a meat market. Demeaning.

Still, her agent kept pressing her to try for roles in TV shows or films.

As Lilly tells it, she finally saw the light when a friend observed how "you claim to believe in destiny, and yet you're ignoring what appears to be all the signs of destiny. Doors are opening for you, but you're afraid of your own success."

"That struck a nerve in me," Lilly recalls, "and I burst into tears."

In January 2004, she went on the first of a couple dozen auditions.

"By March, I was in Hawaii filming the `Lost' pilot."

There, to her surprise, she fell in love with acting. But she also learned that, on "Lost," it wouldn't just be viewers who were challenged by the mystery and myth. With a tale this complicated, murky and piecemeal, even the actors are often forced to play a guessing game.

For instance, when filming the pilot, Lilly realized what she knew about her character came down to this: Good-looking gal on a plane in handcuffs with a secret.

She remembers imploring J.J. Abrams, the series' mastermind, to relinquish a few more clues: "C'mon, give me a ballpark idea: Am I a fireworks smuggler or a murderer?"

All in good time.

"The first year was very hard," Lilly says. Besides suffering an identity crisis with her role, "I was surrounded by breathtaking actors, and I felt very insecure about performing next to them. I thought I was going to fall flat on my face."

She was part of a cast that also included Matthew Fox (as the sexy doctor, Jack), Josh Holloway (as the sexy con man, Sawyer) — both playing characters Kate has had flirtations with — and dozens more regulars, like veteran actor Terry O'Quinn who, as the mystical Locke, declared, "Each one of us was brought here for a reason."

Unconsciously echoing him, Lilly now recalls, "The first year I just kept thinking, `Well, there has to be a point, a reason I'm here. Otherwise, it wouldn't have happened the way it happened: in such a magical and spontaneous way.'

Meanwhile, she held her own within the huge ensemble, and as more than eye candy. A slender brunette with a dusting of freckles and a dazzling smile, Lilly is athletic and outdoorsy, which served Kate well. She has infused Kate with strength, fire and daring. Kate is nobody's fool.

Nor is the 26-year-old Lilly, even at her most perplexed.

"What I learned to do to survive on the show and enjoy it," she explains, "is to settle into the bliss of ignorance. I sort of wade my way through the dark waters of 'Lost,' and there's a comfort knowing it's the producers and writers who are responsible. If I'm walking blindfolded, then whoever's leading me is responsible for where I end up."

She has also learned to accept the instant celebrity the show thrust upon her, insisting she can normalize the impact of her fame. "I want to maintain equal footing with the rest of the world."

But although she likes this new life, it may not be forever.

"I don't know how long my career will last," she admits with a laugh. "As far as how long my nerves can hold out, I would say I give myself 10 years, and if I don't get out by then, they'll be shattered.

"I feel this year I've figured it out," says the woman who found herself on "Lost," summing up. "The dust has settled and I understand the new world I live in. That's really exciting and reassuring."

Kanye, Chili Peppers Head Lollapalooza '06

Three is the magic number for Lollapalooza '06.

As the alternative generation's standard-bearer for touring festivals parks itself in Chicago's Grant Park as a standalone affair for the second year in a row, Lollapalooza is expanding from two days to three, and adding a special emphasis on hip-hop.

To that end, organizers announced Thursday rap superstar Kanye West will headline this year's blow-out event being held Aug. 4 6, along with an eclectic group of performers that includes tour veterans Red Hot Chili Peppers, Windy City rockers Wilco, indie faves Death Cab for Cutie, stoner rock gods Queens of the Stone Age and Ween, Hassidic reggae sensation Matisyahu, the Shins, and Jack White's new band, the Raconteurs, among many others.

"It's a kickass lineup. We know you're going to have a sloppy good time," Perry Farrell, the former Jane's Addiction frontman and Lolla's founder and leading visionary, said Thursday at a press conference in Austin, Texas. "We made a concerted effort to book more hip-hop this year, and to mix it with a bunch of other amazing things too. And what we've ended up with is a beautiful, amazing thing."

Hip-hop's always been a welcome addition to Lollapalooza. The inaugural fest back in '91 boasted Ice-T while subsequent editions saw artists such as Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg representing. This year, however, Farrell and company are undeniably raising rap's profile by bringing in a variety of hip-hop heavyweights along with West to showcase the genre's diversity.

Joining the "Gold Digger" artist will be socially conscious rapper Common, 19-year-old British MC Lady Sovereign, Gnarls Barkley, a collaboration of famed artist-producer Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, hip-hop combo Blackalicious, and Lyrics Born, with more to come.

After the dismal summer of 2004, when organizers were forced to scrap Lollapalooza as a two-day traveling road show due to sluggish ticket sales, Farrell sold the Lolla brand to Austin-based Capital Sports & Entertainment, which stages the annual Austin City Limits Festival in September, with the idea of giving his baby a serious makeover.

That led to Lollapalooza '05 putting down stakes in Chicago with the intention of being a one-stop destination for music lovers as well as compete with the likes of major music festivals Bonnaroo and Coachella which, after ripping a page from the Woodstock-Lolla playbook, have become runaway successes over the last four years.

More than 65,000 fans braved a sweltering heat in the 69-acre Grant Park to see a reunited Pixies, Primus, the Arcade Fire and Weezer, among other bands, over two days and help initiate what could be the beginnings of a Second City tradition.

Hence, Farrell's desire to add a third day.

"I knew the formula we had would work, and it did," MTV quoted Farrell as saying. "And now, the goal this year is to build on it."

Other big names among the 130 or so bands on the bill include the Flaming Lips, Sleater-Kinney, Ryan Adams, the Disco Biscuits, Aqualung, the Frames, Nada Surf, Calexico, the Reverend Horton Heat, Nickel Creek, Feist, Blues Traveller, Thievery Corporation and Poi Dog Pondering.

As in previous years, expect the usual funky activities, from a text message scavenger hunt first introduced by Farrell at Lolla '03 and a fashion show from local Chicago designers to a special play area for the youngsters featuring family-oriented musicians, deejays, drum circles and kiddie yoga.

A three-day Lollapalooza pass costs $130 and is now on sale at Lollapalooza.com--not a bad deal considering the price of a decent seat at a Rolling Stones show.

Sony officially delays Playstation 3

News has just surfaced that Sony has indeed delayed the launch of Playstation 3 until November of this year. According to the Japanese newspaper “Nihon Keizai Shimbun” part of the delay is a result of the copy protection specs that have been finalized only very recently and require some additional attention on a multi-purpose platform such as the Playstation 3 as opposed to a straight forward set top player.

Undoubtedly many will now clamor that the BluRay format will severely suffer from this delay but we at DVD Review beg to differ for a few very simple reasons. The Playstation 3 is a gaming console and people buy these to play games primarily, not to watch movies. PS3’s ability to play back BluRay discs will be a nice addition but will not have an immediate impact on the early BluRay market. This early market is primarily driven by early adopters who will shudder at the thought of viewing their movies on a gaming console, especially given how poor PS2’s DVD playback is by comparison to even the cheapest set top players.

Ferrell's Lame Internet Death Hoax Fools No One

The reports of Will Ferrell's death are greatly exaggerated, misspelled and in serious need of fact checking.

On Tuesday, March 14th, a poorly written press release reported that the actor/comedian died the previous day in a freak paragliding accident -- when in actuality he was up in Canada filming his latest movie.

After hearing of the obvious hoax, Ferrell's publicist, Matt Labov, merely stated that the actor is "alive and well, and filming a movie in Montreal."

The false report stated that the fatal accident occurred in Torey Pines, Calif., after a gust of wind blew the actor and a paragliding companion into the trees before they hurtled to the ground. The release included numerous typos such as Ferrell was "the sonn [sic] of Hubert and Mary Ferrell" and had crashed "into the dense foilage [sic]." Other facts the anonymous prankster got wrong include the real name of Ferrell's parents (Kay and Lee), his alma mater (University of Southern California) and his age (38).

The online news service I-newswire.com removed the press release as soon as they learned of the error. The non-paying customer that generated the story could not be traced.

Ferrell was last seen in last summer's surprise hit comedy "Wedding Crashers," in which he played a character who mocked a lady whose boyfriend in a hang gliding accident, "Winter Passing," "The Producers," and in "Curious George" as the voice of the Man in the Yellow Hat who takes to the air with his monkey via a bunch of helium balloons.

He next stars in the NASCAR comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "Stranger Than Fiction."

Ford: "Indy 4" Script Ready

Looks like Harrison Ford can finally take the fedora out of mothballs.

The Hollywood megastar told a German magazine on Wednesday that after rewrites too numerous to count, he and director Steven Spielberg are finally satisfied with the script for the forever-in-the-works fourth installment of the whip-wielding, tomb-raiding adventurer.

"Steven Spielberg and I now have a script in hand that we both like. I believe that we can start with the filming soon," Ford was quoted as saying in an interview with Fit for Fun, a German lifestyle and entertainment magazine.

The 63-year-old actor, who's been making the publicity rounds this month for Firewall--his first certifiable action thriller since 1997's Air Force One--demurred, however, on a start date.

That depends on the busy schedules of the Indiana Jones triumvirate of Ford, Spielberg and producer George Lucas. But Ford indicated he was ready to get back into the swing of things, adding that he needed "to do a little practicing with the whip" to avoid injuries.

Ford's reps did not comment further, and a Lucasfilm spokesperson said Wednesday that Lucas was not available to comment on the status of Indy 4. But appearing at last week's Empire Awards in London, his producing partner, Rick McCallum, said Lucas had made his final tweaks to the script by Jeff Nathanson (Rush Hour and Catch Me If You Can) and handed it off to his two pals for final tweaking.

"[George has] just finished the Indiana Jones script, and Steven's having that rewritten and a few things done," McCallum said, according to published reports.

Spielberg's publicist, Marvin Levy, confirmed as much to E! Online.

"[The script] certainly seems to be [in the can], but I don't think we're at that point where we have a firm start date," Levy said. "But this is certainly the closest where we've been in this whole development process."

Levy also denied an earlier report that Spielberg was considering taking a year off after doing War of the Worlds and Munich back to back. He said the two-time Oscar winner is working not only on getting Indy 4 off the ground, but also Lincoln, his upcoming biopic on Abraham Lincoln that will reunite him with his Schindler's List star, Liam Neeson.

"I think it's much more likely that he will do an Indy movie before he does Lincoln. The Lincoln script is not as far in the development stage and...frankly, Steven may not want to do another serious movie after doing a Munich," Levy said.

He noted it's possible Spielberg "would be starting something before 2007."

It's been a slow, tortuous march to production since the project was officially announced in January 2002. The trio brought in Oscar-nominated writer-director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) to take a crack at writing a story about the aging archaeologist, but Lucas vetoed the draft, putting Indy 4 on hold indefinitely until Nathanson found an angle that pleased the principals.

By the time Indy 4 does get rolling--this year or next--Ford will have turned 64 and will probably be 65 by the time Paramount releases the movie in theaters. The actor is next set to play Colonel Everton Conger, the man who tracked down Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, in Manhunt, which starts filming next month.

Garbage's Shirley Manson Flying Solo

With Garbage on a hiatus of undetermined length, frontwoman Shirley Manson has begun work on her first solo album. The artist tells Billboard.com she recently completed a track with U.K. film composer David Arnold, with whom she collaborated on the theme song for the 1999 James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough."

"I just went to London last week and we wrote a song together," she says. "It was really quick and fast and it was really good fun." Manson admits with a laugh that beginning to write with other people is "scary and really exciting and super-freaky. It feels really weird to talk about it!"

Manson says she has no timetable for completing the project and is more interested in enjoying herself. "I've got no timetable. I'm sort of sick of timetables, to be honest," she says. "I just want to live my life a little freely and not adhere to any schedule -- just make music and have fun."

The artist acknowledges Garbage fans were confused by the mixed messages surrounding the start of the band's hiatus last fall, but insists, "We're still together, absolutely. We all feel like we want to go off and do a variety of things. [Drummer] Butch [Vig] is going back into production and some other guys are working on film soundtracks."

"Being the chaotic bunch we are, we should have put a press release together but we didn't," she adds. "We were quite taken aback by how big a deal was made of it. But we love each other and we still want to work together. We're just taking a break. We've had a crazy decade."

Wallace to Stop Being '60 Minutes' Regular

NEW YORK - Mike Wallace, the hard-driving reporter who has been with "60 Minutes" since its start in 1968, said Tuesday he will retire as a regular correspondent on the show this spring.

A television news legend who was the last person an accused wrongdoer would want to see on his doorstep, Wallace said he'll still do occasional reports for the show. CBS News President Sean McManus referred to him as a "correspondent emeritus."

Wallace, 87, has often said he'll retire "when my toes turn up.

"Well, they're just beginning to curl a trifle, which means that, as I approach my 88th birthday, it's become apparent to me that my eyes and ears, among other appurtenances, aren't quite what they used to be," he said.

Wallace has said for years that he was cutting back, but he's still done six reports in the current season, including a profile of actor Morgan Freeman and a story on soldiers who lost their limbs in Iraq. It was a significant step last fall when Wallace relinquished his position as the first face viewers saw after the ticking stopwatch on each show. Ed Bradley now has that distinction.

Wallace said that "CBS is not pushing me" and that he'll keep an office at the CBS News headquarters.

"It's hard for all of us to get used to," said Jeff Fager, "60 Minutes" executive producer. "It's a sad day, but it's also a chance to celebrate an incredible legacy and an amazing guy."

Even as age slowed him down, Wallace was still able to prod interview subjects in a style all his own. Fager remembered an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin last year where Wallace said, "This isn't a real democracy, come on!"

With founding executive producer Don Hewitt, Wallace helped invent the television newsmagazine; the Sunday-night staple was frequently TV's top-rated show. Hewitt said Tuesday that Wallace will be remembered with Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite as the three legends of CBS News.

Hewitt said he appreciated Wallace's well-rounded ability to tell different stories, from Putin to Carol Burnett, from Tina Turner to Vladimir Horowitz. It was more than the caricature of a reporter chasing a reluctant subject down a dark street.

"It was showbiz baloney," Hewitt said. "We did it for a long time. Finally, I said, `Hey, kid, maybe it's time to retire that trenchcoat.'"

Wallace interviewed hundreds of newsmakers, including Deng Xiaoping, Ayatollah Khomeini, Yasir Arafat, King Hussein and Presidents Johnson, Nixon and Reagan. He interviewed John Nash, the academician who was the subject of the movie "A Beautiful Mind," and arranged for Louis Farrakhan and the eldest daughter of Malcolm X to be interviewed together.

In 1998, Wallace aired a report which on videotape showed Dr. Jack Kevorkian injecting lethal drugs into a terminally ill man.

Some of his news subjects fought back. Retired Gen. William C. Westmoreland sued CBS for a Wallace report on the Vietnam War. Although the case was dropped after a long trial, Wallace said the case brought on a depression that put him in the hospital for more than a week.

Wallace also aired a report with tobacco company whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand in 1995 that became the subject of the movie "The Insider," alleging CBS News caved to pressure from lawyers in delaying the report.

Wallace's television career dates back to the late 1940s. He acquired his reputation as a tough interrogator with "Night Beat," a local news show in New York that was a series of one-on-one interviews.

But he was also a game-show host and a commercial pitchman for cigarettes. He became a full-time newsman for CBS in 1963, saying the death of his 19-year-old son, Peter, in an accident made him decide to stick with serious journalism.

Late last year, Wallace, to promote his memoir, sat for an interview with his son, Chris Wallace, a Fox News Channel anchor. The son asked his father, "Do you hate getting old?"

"I had my hearing aid fixed today so that I could properly hear you," the elder Wallace responded. "I can't see as well. I now have — this has stopped me from smoking — a pacemaker, have for about the last 15 years. No, I don't like getting old."

"King Kong" named top movie at Empire awards

LONDON (Reuters) - Multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster "King Kong" was named best movie at Britain's Empire magazine film awards.

The remake of the classic movie about the giant ape with a heart beat "Crash," which won a host of Oscars, "Sin City," "War of the Worlds" and "Star Wars Episode III."

"This was absolutely, really needed because we were doing really badly this year," said British actor Andy Serkis, who played Kong.

"This film was made with a lot of passion and a lot of love, the script was crafted, it was a very political film -- and it only cost $270 million," he quipped as he accepted the award.

Johnny Depp was named best actor for "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" while Thandie Newton took the best actress award for Crash.

The unlikely winners of the best director award were Steve Box and Nick Park for the animated comedy "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit."

"That's just ridiculous," Park said after beating the likes of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson for the gong.

"Pride And Prejudice" was voted best British movie while "Team America: World Police" was named best comedy.

The awards, voted for by readers of Empire magazine, were a better reflection of what filmgoers really liked than the Oscars, said editor-in-chief Colin Kennedy.

Black Sabbath, Blondie Enter Rock Hall

NEW YORK - Between an ugly feud among Blondie members spilling over onstage and a rancorous letter from the absent Sex Pistols, the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class did not enter quietly on Monday.

The animosity even made Ozzy Osbourne, inducted with Black Sabbath, seem sedate.

As midnight arrived under the chandeliers of the Waldorf-Astoria's grand ballroom, Lynyrd Skynyrd was performing the song that launched countless cigarette lighters, "Free Bird," to celebrate their own induction. Famed jazz trumpeter Miles Davis completed the honorees.

When Blondie, the most commercially successful band to emerge from a fertile New York rock scene that also produced Talking Heads and the Ramones, reformed after 15 years, they didn't include former members Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison. They sued unsuccessfully to join.

Infante, Harrison and Gary Valentine, another former member left behind in a business dispute, were barely acknowledged by former chums Deborah Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke as they received their awards.

Infante begged to perform with the band.

"Debbie, are we allowed?" he pleaded before Blondie performed their hits "Heart of Glass," "Rapture" and "Call Me."

"Can't you see my band is up there?" Harry replied. The three rejected members walked offstage, but not before Infante groaned into the microphone.

Punk rockers the Sex Pistols had turned down the honor in a profane letter that compared the hall to "urine in wine." Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner read the letter, and invited the band to pick up their trophies at the rock hall in Cleveland.

"If they want to smash them into bits, they can do that, too," Wenner said.

Behind the unnerving stare of singer Johnny Rotten and the lacerating lyrics of "God Save the Queen" and "Pretty Vacant," the Sex Pistols appeared the most shocking of the first punk-rock generation in the mid-1970s. The Pistols imploded after one album, with Rotten saying, "ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" before walking offstage after their last show for decades.

Osbourne may be better known now as an addled reality TV star, but his musical legacy with Black Sabbath got its due with the band's induction.

Osbourne has badmouthed the hall of fame for waiting a decade to induct Sabbath, a cause taken up by Metallica member Lars Ulrich in his induction. Metallica guitarist James Hetfield and Ulrich both said their band would not exist without the example of Black Sabbath.

"If there was no Black Sabbath, I could still possibly be a morning newspaper delivery boy," Ulrich said. "No fun."

Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward did not perform, but Metallica rattled the walls with versions of "Iron Man" and "Hole in the Sky."

"Thank you to all Sabbath fans everywhere," Ward said. "Hopefully our induction tonight will add to the validation ... (and) hard rock and heavy metal will have an enduring and everlasting place in rock history."

Osbourne thanked his wife, Sharon, who sat in the ballroom with their daughters Kelly and Aimee.

Davis was inducted by fellow jazz musician Herbie Hancock, who said the trumpeter often played with his back to the audience simply because he was conducting the band.

"He was a man of mystery, magic and mystique," Hancock said. "It was often said he was an enigma. I would venture to say that many who said that just didn't get it."

Southern rockers Skynyrd, whose name was a deliberately misspelled "tribute" to a hated high-school teacher, made much of its memorable music before a 1977 plane crash killed singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines.

"No one deserved to be here more than Ronnie Van Zant," said his widow Judy, "and he would truly be honored."

Johnny Van Zant, who replaced his brother as the lead singer, joined Kid Rock in a duet of the band's hit "Sweet Home Alabama," such a well-known prideful statement of Southern heritage that the title was later swiped for a Reese Witherspoon movie.

Each of the acts is still active. Blondie and the Sex Pistols reformed after long dormant periods, and so did Sabbath, who frequently headlined the popular Ozzfest summer concert tours.

The hall also is giving a lifetime achievement award to Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, founders of the influential A&M Records label that bore their initials and signed artists like the Police, Supertramp, John Hiatt, Cat Stevens and Alpert's band, the Tijuana Brass.

"I haven't seen this many people since I played bar mitzvahs years ago," said trumpeter Alpert.

Inductees are honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland. Highlights of the 21st annual ceremony will be shown on VH1 on March 21.

The Couch Potato Report - March 14th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on three great movies and 4 mediocre ones.

On March 5th George Clooney won the Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his work in the film SYRIANA.

He was also nominated in the Best Director and the Best Original Screenplay categories for his movie GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

Since SYRIANA isn't scheduled for release on DVD until June, lets focus on the better of Clooney's 2005 films, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

This superb film is set in the early 1950s, a time when the threat of Communism created an air of paranoia in the United States.

Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin made his name exploiting those fears.

At the time, and in this film, real life television reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly took a stand and challenged McCarthy on their show.

As the pressure mounted for their network to fire them, and as their show lost it's sponsors, both men decided to stand by their convictions, no matter the cost.

There are many great things that can be said about GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, but the one I will focus on first is the fact that you don't have to know anything about Senator McCarthy or Edward R. Murrow to appreciate the conflict between them.

It happened fifty years ago, and it seems incredibly relevant, even today.

I would also like to point out that Clooney made this film in glorious black and white. Sometimes it is just good to watch a film that way.

Finally, and I am limiting myself to three because I could go on and on about the great qualities in this superb film, Clooney and his cast are all superb!

The Oscar nominated David Strathairn stars and Edward R. Murrow and his supporting cast includes Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr. and Ray Wise.

In addition to co-writing and directing the film George Clooney also plays Fred Friendly.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK is smart, well made, and very entertaining.

It was one of the best films of 2005, and the accolades given to Clooney and his cast are all well deserved.

Prior to those accolades being given out, many people thought that Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg's name would be heard as well.

After all his film A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is another one of 2005's best.

However, with the exception of winning kudos from Central Ohio Film Critics, the Chicago Film Critics Association, and France's French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, the film only garnered a handful of nominations.

Yes, William Hurt was nominated for an Oscar in the Supporting Actor category, and Josh Olson's script was nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, but otherwise the Academy Awards overlooked this violent, but insightful, wonderfully acted, incredible film.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE stars Viggo Mortensen from THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY as a loving family man who is a well-respected citizen of a small town.

One night when two criminals show up at his diner, he defends himself and his staff. For his efforts he is branded a hero by his fellow residents and the media.

Suddenly, he has mobsters coming to see him, and the same people who loved him start to wonder if perhaps he isn't who they think he is.

Perhaps he too is a mobster with a history of violence.

Now that is an awesome premise, and Cronenberg pulls it off.

Yes, some of the film's violence may be a bit over the top for some people, but the story is so engrossing that it actually becomes secondary

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE may have been passed over by the people who give out awards for movies, but I recommend you don't do the same.

At one time, I would have also recommended any film that Spike Lee made. That time was 1989 and Spike Lee had just given us the masterpiece DO THE RIGHT THING.

Unfortunately after that masterpiece, Spike gave us MO' BETTER BLUES in 1990, JUNGLE FEVER in 1991, CROOKLYN in 1994 and CLOCKERS in 1995. If you add the four of those films up, they don't equal DO THE RIGHT THING.

However, each of them does have something original and unique that only Spike Lee could bring to them.

And now all five of those films are available in one low priced set called THE SPIKE LEE JOINT COLLECTION.

I recently watched all five again and MO' BETTER BLUES, JUNGLE FEVER and CLOCKERS still aren't great, but DO THE RIGHT THING is still a masterpiece.

And CROOKLYN?, well regardless of the film's quality, it will always be the reason that I got to speak with Spike Lee on Larry King Live!

Ask me to see the tape sometime if you'd like.

If you are a fan of Spike Lee's films, but you just haven't wanted to spend a lot of money to own them, then THE SPIKE LEE JOINT COLLECTION is for you!

It is available now at a store near you along with the superb films A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Philip Seymour Hoffman's work in CAPOTE is a must see; CHICKEN LITTLE isn't brilliant, but it is fun; IN THE MIX features R&B singer Usher in one of the worst films of last year; SOUTH PARK - THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON is the latest box set from the television show and Julianne Moore stars in the based on a true story film THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO as a woman who enters a commercial jingle writing contest to support her ten children.

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 March 14, 2006

Aberdien Kaleidoscope (Negative Progression)

George Acosta Mellodrama (Water Music)

Afterhours Ballads for Little Hyenas (produced by ex-Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers' Greg Dulli) (One Little Indian)

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Daybreak (Compass)

Bent Fabric Jukebox - The Album (Hidden Beach)

Big City Rock Big City Rock (Atlantic)

Blue October Foiled (CD/DVD combo) (Universal)

Border Crossing Ominous (Recall)

Burns Out Bright Save Yourself a Lifetime (Deep Elm)

Vinicius Cantuaria Sol Na Cara (Hannibal)

Michael Carvin Marsalis Music Honors (Marsalis Music/Rounder)

Oscar Castro-Neves All One (Mack Avenue)

Citizen Cope Citizen Cope (DreamWorks)

Jimmy Cobb Marsalis Music Honors (Marsalis Music/Rounder)

John Connor Dance Dance Revolution (Negative Progression)

Cordero En Este Momento (Bloodshot)

Counting the Days Finding a Balance (Strike First)

D.M.C. (of Run-D.M.C.) Checks Thugs and Rock 'N' Roll (guests Rev Run, Sarah McLaughlin, Kid Rock, members of Aerosmith and more) (RomenMpire/From Rags 2 Riches)

Devo 2.0 Devo 2.0 (w/bonus DVD; includes two brand new songs and music videos directed by original band member Jerry Casale) (Disney Sound)

Dave Douglas and Martial Solal Rue de Seine (CAM Jazz)

Driven by Hate Done with Life (Bungalo)

Nicolai Dunger Here's My Song, You Can Have It...I Don't Want It Anymore (Rounder)

E-40 My Ghetto Report Card (produced by Lil Jon; w/Kanye West, Julez Santana, Mike Jones and more) (Warner Bros.)

Fall Out Boy From Under the Cork Tree (expanded edition w/b-sides and previously unreleased remixes) (Island)

Flee the Seen Doubt Becomes the New Addiction (Facedown)

Jackie Greene American Myth (produced by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin; w/members of the Imposters) (Verve Forecast)

Guillemots From the Cliffs EP (Verve)

Hanalei Parts and Accessories (Thick)

Hard-Fi Stars of CCTV (Atlantic)

I Object Teaching Revenge (Alternative Tentacles)

Imperial Crowns Hymn Book (Ruf)

The Indulgers Out in the West (Celic Club)

Etta James All the Way (RCA)

Kudu Death of the Party (Nublu)

Leaving Rouge Elsewhere (Greyday)

Lost in Rhone Beloved Be the Ones Who Sit Down (Goodlife)

Matthias Lupri Group Metalix (Summit)

Magrudergrind/Shitstorm Split (Robotic Empire)

Gil Mantera's Party Dream Bloodsongs (Audio Eagle/Fat Possum)

Marconi Union Distance (Hannibal/All Saints)

Tania Maria Via Brasil (Sunnyside)

Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields) Showtunes (compilation of music written for three operas) (Nonesuch)

Mick Moloney McNally's Row of Flats (Compass)

Ken Will Morton King of Coming Around (guest members of Mastodon, Love Tractor and Drive By Truckers) (Fundamental)

Nana Mouskouri I'll Remember You (Phillips)

Martha Munizzi No Limits (Columbia/Integrity)

Willie Nelson You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker (Lost Highway)

NOFX Never Trust a Hippy EP (Fat Wreck Chords)

Queensrÿche Operation: Mindcrime II (Rhino)

Ariel Ramirez Misa Criolla (Jade/Milan)

Mike Reed In the Context of (w/Tortoise's Jeff Parker) (482 Music)

Kurt Reichenbach The Night Was Blue (Bungalo)

John Rich (of Big $ Rich) Underneath the Same Moon (previously unreleased album recorded in 1999) (BNA/Legacy)

Rise and Fall Into Oblivion (Deathwish)

Duke Robillard Guitar Groove-A-Rama (Stony Plain)

Rico Rodriguez Togetherness (Delanuca)

Jovino Santos Neto Roda Carioca (Adventure)

Joe Satriani Super Colossal (Epic)

Jules Shear Dreams Don't Count (MAD Dragon)

SHeDAISY Fortuneteller's Melody (Hollywood)

The Shop Fronts The Shop Fronts (Rip Off)

Soledad Brothers The Hardest Walk (Alive)

Garrison Starr The Sound of You and Me (Vanguard)

Thomas Stronen Parish (ECM)

Bryan Sutton Not Too Far from the Tree (guests Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson and more) (Sugar Hill)

A Traitor Like Judas Nightmare Inc. (Goodlife/Dockyard1)

Ultra Dolphins Why Are You Laugh (Robotic Empire)

Ultralord We Hate You and Hope You Die (Dark Reign)

Watermark A Grateful People (Rocketown)

Lise Westzynthius Rock, You Can Fly (One Little Indian)

David Wolfenberger Portrait of Narcissus (w/Victoria Williams and Michelle Shocked) (Fundamental)

VA Black on Black: A Tribute to Black Flag (2003 release w/six bonus tracks; w/Dillinger Escape Plan, Black Dahlia Murder and more) (Reignition)

VA Dance Nation (Water Music)

VA Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2004 concert w/the Roots, Erykah Badu, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and more) (Geffen)

VA Gangsta Rap Instrumentals 2 (Thump)

VA Paupers, Peasants, Princes and Kings (Bob Dylan covers by members of Chamberlain and Sparta plus Say Anything, Apollo Sunshine and more) (Doghouse)

VA Songs of Hymn (Beatmart)

VA Strummin' with the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen (bluegrass versions of Van Halen songs; guest David Lee Roth on two songs) (CMH)

VA The Year of the Dog (Milan)

VA Thump'n Freestyle Quick Mixx 4 (Thump)

VA Trance Nation (Water Music)

VA Winnipeg Riot! (regional compilation) (Dionysus)

OST Doogal (animated fantasy film w/voices by Jon Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg) (Milan)

OST Running Scared (score by Mark Isham) (Varése Sarabande)

OST She's the Man (w/Goldfrapp, All American Rejects and more) (Lakeshore)

OST Stoned (biopic about the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones) (Milan)

OST The Pink Panther (score by Christophe Beck) (Varése Sarabande)

DVD The Corrs Live in Geneva (2004 concert) (Rhino)

DVD The Coup The Best DVD Ever (music videos, interviews and tour footage) (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Pretty Ricky Live from the 305 (Atlantic)

DVD Seventh Star 100% (tour documentary) (Facedown)

DVD Mike Stern Paris Concert (Music Video Distributors)

DVD Jim White Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (Image)

New Jim Henson biography arrives in April

Ferguson Publishing Company plans on releasing a new biography on the life of Jim Henson. The book, titled "Jim Henson: Puppeteer and Filmmaker" is the latest installment in the Ferguson Career Biographies set. Written by James Robert Parish the book will provides a detailed look at the life of Muppet creator Jim Henson.

The hardcover book is listed with a reading level of "Grade 6 and up" and is approximately 144 pages of text (with over 20 black-and-white photographs; an extensive Henson timeline, career guide and more).

Here is the official summary from the publisher:

"With his unwavering belief in the positive potential of puppetry and the media of film and television, Jim Henson became one of the most beloved artists of the past century. Henson's Muppets became the basis of the award-winning television series The Muppet Show, the stars of several highly successful feature films, and the foundation of one of the most influential children’s television programs in history, Sesame Street. Henson, who passed away in 1990, garnered many awards and is loved the world over for his creative efforts. This book features a career section following the biography that looks closely at Jim Henson’s career and presents important information about the career of puppetry and filmmaking."

Muppet Show Season 2 DVD planned for release later this year

Just over six months ago, the first season of The Muppet Show was released in a 4-disc special edition DVD box set, and ever since fans have been craving more. Disney has stated that they plan on releasing "The Muppet Show: Season 2" on DVD and the next season is expected sometime this year.

The sales of the season one were outstanding, and Disney can't wait to release more subsequent sets. The first season gained great critical acclaim, won several DVD awards, and was on the top of DVD best-sellers list for months.

Word from many retailers was that that "The Muppet Show: Season 2" was originally slated for released in February 2006 (just six-months after the first season). However that February release was put on hold due to several production delays and hold-ups. The set's production is still underway, but the definitive release is still somewhat up in the air. The DVD was bumped and is currently lined up for a hopeful "summer 2006" release (however that may end up changing as well).

There were numerous delays with this particular title, however Disney has assured that these delays were not based upon the past sets performance, which Disney cited as "terrific", nor is it due to a lack of company support. The production of this set is simply taking longer than originally expected - due to the enormous amount of legal clearances needed, and the time needed on episode restoration and supplemental features. Disney knows the demand for this product is high, and wants to deliver a quality product that won't disappoint.

Disney is currently shooting for a summer release. Buena Vista Home Entertainment is not able to give a final list of any features of specifications – those aren’t finalized yet. Disney is anticipating the release of all five seasons of The Muppet Show (and there are rumors of a complete Muppets Tonight set to follow the fifth season's release).

"The Muppet Show Season 2" DVD set is simply requiring more than most of Buena Vista's TV shows on DVDs. It is coming, but rather than rush the release and cut corners, Disney wants to keep the quality of these highly-anticipated sets up to the fans' desires and expectations.

Genies show love for C.R.A.Z.Y.

Genie voters showed their love for C.R.A.Z.Y. on Monday night, as the hit Quebec coming-of-age story swept Canada's film awards.

"I'm touched. This has been something – a crazy experience," Quebec filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée said as he accepted his best-director trophy.

"I'd liked to share this honour with everybody who worked so hard on this film with so much devotion, passion and love."

C.R.A.Z.Y. entered the celebration of the year's best Canadian films as the frontrunner. It ended up snagging 10 of the 12 categories for which it had been nominated, including best film, best overall sound and best original screenplay, as well as acting honours for Michel Côté (lead actor) and Danielle Proulx (best supporting actress).

The film had already won the Golden Reel Award, presented to the homegrown movie that earns the highest domestic box office revenue in 2005.

C.R.A.Z.Y., which grossed more than $6.2 million in Canada during the Genies' qualifying period, was also Quebec's third biggest box office hit last year (after the latest instalments of Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises).

The C.R.A.Z.Y. sweep meant that the evening's second most nominated film, Water, was a distant runner-up.

The film, which revolves around a widow's ashram in India, is the third of filmmaker Deepa Mehta's elements trilogy. It won three Genies, including cinematography, original music score and best actress for Seema Biswas.

Perennial Genie favourite Atom Egoyan won best adapted screenplay for Where the Truth Lies. In his pre-taped acceptance speech, the Toronto filmmaker brandished what he claimed were rewrites for the script.

"I could have made it better … this is the proof," Egoyan said. "If it was good enough to win the award, I thank you."

Other winners included ScaredSacred (best documentary); Quebec actor Denis Bernard of L'Audition (best supporting actor); and filmmaker Louise Archambault, who won the Claude Jutra Award for Familia, her debut feature.

Instead of airing the entire gala, broadcaster CHUM showed an edited one-hour package from the "after party" at Toronto's historic Carlu concert hall. The show included pre-taped interviews with the nominated filmmakers, excerpts of the night's winners accepting their awards and post-ceremony chats.

The Genie Awards are administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

Music DVDs see growth spurt, data show

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The music DVD business grew at a higher rate in 2005 than the DVD business overall, according to sales data issued Tuesday.

Excluding CD-DVD combos, suppliers last year sold 21.4 million music DVDs, up from 20.6 million in 2004, according to Nielsen Entertainment research presented at the second annual Music DVD Awards. That translates to nearly 4% growth compared with growth of less than 1% for the DVD business overall.

Even so, music DVDs account for just 2.7% of total music transactions recorded in 2005, the first year the total number of transactions topped 1 billion. CDs still account for the vast majority of music purchases, Nielsen research shows, with 61.7%, followed by digital tracks at 35.2%.

Among retailers, mass merchants are in the lead when it comes to music DVD sales, enjoying 7% growth in 2005. Also on the upswing is the DualDisc, a hybrid that consists of a bonded disc with CD content on one side and DVD content on the other. Nielsen research shows that since the format's official bow in February 2005, 9.7 million DualDiscs have been snapped up by consumers, or 15% of total music sales.

During the conference, produced by trade publication Home Media Retailing in partnership with The Hollywood Reporter, DEG: the Digital Entertainment Group and the Video Software Dealers Assn., panelists discussed ways to grow the market while realizing music DVDs always will be a niche business.

Music DVDs can serve as a strong branding opportunity for an artist or group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment senior vp sales Harry Safter said. His company's release of a Los Lonely Boys DVD served as a bridge between two album releases, keeping interest and visibility high for the Texas-based country-rock group.

Labels primarily consider DualDisc an audio product, and they aren't abandoning the practice of releasing double-disc sets that include a DVD and CD separately. "The days of a single-format world are over," said Bill Sondheim, executive vp at DualDisc Worldwide for Sony BMG.

Also possibly on the horizon are more window-like strategies for music DVDs and the music market as a whole, panelists said.

The ideal window strategy for a music DVD would be to time it with an artist's new album release and tour, offering a digital-cinema blast around the street date and then have a TV airing, said Steve Sterling, senior vp programming and production at Live Nation, formerly Clear Channel Entertainment Home Video.

"If I could schedule that every time, I'd feel good about spending $1 million-$2 million on a release," he said. "But it's still art we are dealing with here, and it's very hard to put art in a bottle, let alone on a schedule."

How to monetize all the opportunities that the Internet and digital delivery can offer is a key issue the business must start addressing to keep up with the consumer, panelists said. Music DVDs need more and better marketing to draw in the core fans and broaden the awareness of product as it hits the streets.

Ex-Game Show Host, Wife Die in Plane Crash

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - A former TV game show host and his wife were killed Monday morning when their small plane crashed into Santa Monica Bay, authorities said. Rescue crews were searching for a third person also aboard the plane.

The bodies of Peter Tomarken, 63, host of the hit 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," and his wife, Kathleen Abigail Tomarken, 41, were identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

The plane was on its way to San Diego to ferry a medical patient to the UCLA Medical Center, said Doug Griffith, a spokesman for Angel Flight West, a nonprofit which provides free air transportation for needy patients.

Griffith said the pilot was a volunteer for the group. According to the FAA, the plane was registered to Tomarken and he was the pilot.

The plane apparently had engine trouble and was headed back to Santa Monica Airport, located about two miles inland, but went down about 9:35 a.m. just off shore, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer.

Rescue boats and divers searching for the third person believed to be aboard the plane were clustered about a half-mile southwest of the Santa Monica Pier where the plane went down in about 19 feet of water.

Luis Garr said he didn't hear the engine but heard the splash as the plane "kind of landed into the water."

"It's a big splash, a huge splash. ... Then it started going down," Garr said. "The wings were still floating so I was, `Get out! Get out!' because the door was still available to get out and nobody came out. So the plane kept going down, down, down."

Tomarken's death was first reported by "Entertainment Tonight."

"Press Your Luck" was known for contestants shouting the slogan "Big bucks! No whammies!"

Tomarken's agent, Fred Wostbrock, said his client's first game show was "Hit Man!," which ran 13 weeks on NBC, followed by the four-year hit "Press Your Luck" on CBS. He also was on "Bargain Hunters," "Wipe-Out" and "Paranoia."

"He was always a fun guy to be around, and he just loved the genre of game shows," Wostbrock said.

Isaac Hayes Quits 'South Park'

NEW YORK - Isaac Hayes has quit "South Park," where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion.

Hayes, who has played the ladies' man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday that he feels a line has been crossed.

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

"South Park" co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians."

Last November, "South Park" targeted the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in a top-rated episode called "Trapped in the Closet." In the episode, Stan, one of the show's four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as a reluctant savior by Scientology leaders, while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out.

Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker "never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin."

'Reds' star Maureen Stapleton dies

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Maureen Stapleton, an Oscar-winning character actress whose subtle vulnerability and down-to-earth toughness earned her dramatic and comedic roles on stage, screen, and television, died Monday. She was 80.

The longtime smoker died from chronic pulmonary disease in the Berkshire hills town of Lenox, where she had been living, said her son, Daniel Allentuck.

Stapleton, whose unremarkable, matronly appearance belied her star personality and talent, won an Academy Award in 1981 for her supporting role as anarchist-writer Emma Goldman in Warren Beatty's Reds, about a left-wing American journalist who journeys to Russia to cover the Bolshevik Revolution.

To prepare for the role, Stapleton said she tried reading Goldman's autobiography, but soon chucked it out of boredom.

"There are many roads to good acting," Stapleton, known for her straightforwardness, said in her 1995 autobiography, Hell of a Life. "I've been asked repeatedly what the 'key' to acting is, and as far as I'm concerned, the main thing is to keep the audience awake."

Stapleton was nominated several times for a supporting actress Oscar, including for her first film role in 1958's Lonelyhearts; Airport in 1970; and Woody Allen's Interiors in 1978.

Her other film credits include the 1963 musical Bye Bye Birdie opposite Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke, Johnny Dangerously, Cocoon, The Money Pit and Addicted to Love.

In television, she earned an Emmy for Among the Paths to Eden in 1967. She was nominated for Queen of the Stardust Ballroom in 1975; The Gathering in 1977; and Miss Rose White in 1992.

Brought up in a strict Irish Catholic family with an alcoholic father, Stapleton left home in Troy, N.Y., right after high school. With $100 to her name, she came to New York and began studying at the Herbert Berghof Acting School and later at the Actor's Studio, which turned out the likes of Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and Julia Roberts.

Stapleton soon made her Broadway debut in Burgess Meredith's 1946 production of The Playboy of the Western World.

At age 24, she became a success as Serafina Delle Rose in Tennessee Williams' Broadway hit The Rose Tattoo, and won a Tony Award. She appeared in numerous other stage productions, including Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic and Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady, for which she won her second Tony in 1971.

She starred opposite Laurence Olivier in Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Stapleton's friendship with Williams was well-known and he wrote three plays for her, but she never appeared in any of them.

Along the way, she led a chaotic personal life, which her autobiography candidly described as including two failed marriages, numerous affairs, years of alcohol abuse and erratic parenting for her two children.

She often said auditioning was hard for her, but that it was just a part of acting, a job "that pays."

"When I was first in New York there was a girl who wanted to play St. Joan to the point where it was scary. ... I thought 'Don't ever want anything that bad,"' she recalled. "Just take what you get and like it while you do it, and forget it."

Cast throughout her career in supporting roles, Stapleton was content not playing a lead character, Allentuck said.

"I don't think she ever had unrealistic aspirations about her career," he said.

Beside Allentuck, Stapleton is survived by a daughter, Katharine Bambery, of Lenox and a brother, Jack Stapleton, of Troy, N.Y.

The Cars restart the engine

Is it the late '70s again or what?

Next Tuesday, The Cars are holding a press conference in L.A. and expected to announce a new lineup and a summer tour -- including a stop at the Molson Amphitheatre -- with fellow late-'70s-early-'80s music stars Blondie as openers.

The timing is good for Blondie who will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Monday night in New York City and have a new greatest hits package out called Sound & Vision.

Meanwhile, speculation is that The New Cars lineup will consist of original members Elliot Easton on guitar and synth player Greg Hawkes, rounded out by singer-guitarist Todd Rundgren and his regular collaborators, bassist Kasim Sulton and drummer Prairie Prince.

Original Cars frontman Benjamin Orr died from pancreatic cancer in 2000 and guitarist Ric Ocasek has long not been interested in a reunion but has reportedly given Easton and Hawkes his blessing. So far there's no word on what original drummer David Robinson thinks of all this.

The Cars, who broke up in 1988, had hits that included Just What I Needed, My Best Friend's Girl, Good Times Roll, Let's Go, Shake It Up, You Might Think and Drive.

'C.R.A.Z.Y' a favourite going into Genie awards

Jean-Marc Vallée's C.R.A.Z.Y. and Deepa Mehta's Water are the leading contenders for awards at Monday night's 2006 Genie Awards.

Vallée's coming-of-age story about a young man growing up in 1960s and 1970s Quebec won a leading 12 nominations.

The awards gala for the best of Canadian cinema will be held Monday evening in Toronto.

C.R.A.Z.Y. has already won the Golden Reel award, given annually for the film with the best box office take in Canada. It grossed $6.2 million in 2005.

Water, about an eight-year-old widow who shakes up a widows' ashram in 1940s India, has nine nominations, including best picture and best director for Mehta.

It is competing for the best picture award with C.R.A.Z.Y., It's All Gone Pete Tong, Saint Ralph and Familia.

Familia, a debut feature film from Quebec's Louise Archambault, is already guaranteed recognition.

Archambault has won the Claude Jutra Award for most promising young filmmaker for her drama about two mothers and their daughters. The award is named after Quebec film director Claude Jutra.

She also has been nominated for best director, along with Mehta, Vallée, Michael Dowse for It's All Gone Pete Tong, and Luc Picard for L'Audition, about a mob enforcer who wants to become an actor.

Two actresses from Familia are nominated in the best actress category — Macha Grenon and Sylvie Moreau. They'll be competing against Water's Seema Biswas, Arsinée Khanjian from Sabah - A Love Story and Gina Chiarelli from See Grace Fly.

Quebec's vibrant movie industry is well represented among the nominees, with L'Audition and Familia earning seven nominations each. There were also strong showings from Aurore, Luc Dionne's film about a village that looks the other way as a young girl is mistreated and eventually killed, and Le Survenant, Eric Canuel's film about a stranger who disrupts life in a country village.

Two of the actors from C.R.A.Z.Y. are nominated for best actor — Michel Côté, who plays the boys' father, and Marc-André Grondin, who plays the gay son who is influenced fashion-wise by David Bowie. Also nominated are Luc Picard from L'Audition, Paul Kaye as the deaf DJ from the mockumentary It's All Gone Pete Tong and Adam Butcher as the boy who seeks out a miracle for his mother in Saint Ralph.

The Genie Awards are administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television; they were founded in 1979 to promote and celebrate the growing Canadian film industry. The first Genie Awards, held at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre, took place on March 20, 1980.

A one-hour special of the awards gala will be broadcast on CityTV, Star!, Bravo! and MusicMax.

Dixie Chicks Get Personal On 'Long Way'

The Dixie Chicks will re-emerge late this spring with the most personal album of their career. Due May 23 via Open Wide/Columbia, "Taking the Long Way" opens with "Not Ready To Make Nice," which addresses the controversy that ensued in March 2003 after singer Natalie Maines criticized President George W. Bush. Afterward, a number of country stations refused to play the group's music.

Lyrics for the track, which was co-penned by the Chicks with former Semisonic leader Dan Wilson, are available at DixieChicks.com. "Forgive, sounds good / Forget, I'm not sure I could / They say time heals everything / But I'm still waiting," Maines sings.

"Taking the Long Way" was executive produced by Rick Rubin and finds the Chicks backed by such musicians as Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Heartbreakers members Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell and veteran session multi-instrumentalist Larry Knechtel. In addition to Wilson, who collaborated on six tracks, Pete Yorn and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris contributed to the songwriting.

"Everything felt more personal this time," Maines says. "I go back to songs we've done in the past and there's just more maturity, depth, intelligence on these. They just feel more grown-up."

Among the album's selections are "I Hope," a co-write with blues artist Keb' Mo' that served as a charity download for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, "Everybody Knows," "Silent House" and "Lubbock or Leave It."

"Taking the Long Way" is the Chicks' first studio album since 2002's "Home," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 5.8 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The group is expected to launch an all-arena trek in June, with details to be announced.

Connery Has Surgery for Kidney Tumor

LONDON - Sean Connery has undergone surgery for a kidney tumor and is recovering at his home in the Bahamas, his spokesman said Sunday.

The 75-year-old Scottish actor underwent the operation a few weeks ago in New York, spokesman James Barron said.

"He's very fit — he's 100 percent plus," Barron said of the former James Bond actor, who won a 1988 Academy Award as supporting actor for "The Untouchables." In 2000, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Connery told The Sunday Times that he "was opened in five places."

His brother, Neil, told the newspaper that "as far as I'm led to believe, the tumor was benign. He seems to be quite upbeat about it."

Connery, an ardent Scottish nationalist, is scheduled to record a voiceover for a political program for the pro-independence Scottish National Party. He also plans to attend Tartan Day festivities in New York in April, party leader Alex Salmond said.

'Failure to Launch' Soars to Top of Box

LOS ANGELES - "Failure to Launch," a romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, took off at theaters, debuting as the top weekend movie with $24.6 million.

Two remakes opened in second and third place. Disney's family flick "The Shaggy Dog," starring Tim Allen, was No. 2 with $16 million, and Fox Searchlight's horror tale "The Hills Have Eyes" was No. 3 with $15.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Failure to Launch," released by Paramount, bumped off Lionsgate's "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," which had been the No. 1 movie the previous two weekends. That movie slipped to No. 5, grossing $5.8 million to raise its total to $55.8 million.

Reviews generally were poor for all three new films, but they overcame the weak critical reception to combine for a healthy $56.1 million. Still, they were unable to match last year's top three, "Robots," "The Pacifier" and "Be Cool," which combined for $64.4 million over the same weekend.

The top 12 movies this weekend grossed $92.4 million, down 10.7 percent compared to the same weekend in 2005. After a strong start this year, Hollywood has slid back into a slump that persisted last year, when domestic attendance fell 7 percent compared to 2004.

While revenues are up slightly this year, factoring in higher ticket prices, attendance is down about 1 percent compared to 2005, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"You don't want a repeat of what happened last year," Dergarabedian said. "It's still early in the year to call it, but every weekend it's down is chipping away at the advantage we had early on this year."

The three new wide releases offered solid variety for audiences, with "Failure to Launch" drawing the date crowd, "The Shaggy Dog" grabbing parents and their children and "The Hills Have Eyes" bringing in horror fans.

"Failure to Launch" stars McConaughey as a 35-year-old still living with his parents, who hire a bombshell (Parker) to entice him into moving out. The audience was two-thirds female, according to distributor Paramount.

"There hasn't been a good date movie in a while, and I think women just felt like it was going to be a fun movie," said Rob Moore, the studio's worldwide head of marketing and distribution.

"The Shaggy Dog" features Allen, Robert Downey Jr. and Parker's "Sex and the City" co-star Kristin Davis in an update of the 1959 Disney original and sequel, "The Shaggy D.A." Allen plays a prosecutor transformed by a canine bite into a goofy sheepdog.

"The Hills Have Eyes" updates Wes Craven's 1977 horror story, about a family whose road trip takes a grisly detour when they encounter mutant cannibals. Craven serves as a producer on the remake.

Though already out on home video, the ensemble drama "Crash" returned for an encore in theaters to capitalize on its best-picture Academy Award the previous weekend. The film reopened in 175 theaters and grossed $357,000, raising its theatrical total to $53.8 million.

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. "Failure to Launch," $24.6 million.
2. "The Shaggy Dog," $16 million.
3. "The Hills Have Eyes," $15.5 million.
4. "16 Blocks," $7.3 million.
5. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," $5.8 million.
6. "Eight Below," $5.4 million.
7. "Aquamarine," $3.65 million.
8 (tie). "The Pink Panther," $3.6 million.
8 (tie). "Ultraviolet," $3.6 million.
10. "Date Movie," $2.5 million.

Blond Bond stirred by criticism, but not shaken

NASSAU, Bahamas (Reuters) - Is the next James Bond too blond for Her Majesty's Secret Service? Stricken by heat rash? Licensed to kill but not licensed to drive the famous stick-shift Aston Martin sports car?

Hounded by mounting criticism -- even a threatened boycott -- for picking a blond actor to play the part of the world's most famous dark-haired spy, the makers of the next James Bond movie "Casino Royale" this week assured 007 fans that ruggedly handsome Englishman Daniel Craig will be everything they have come to expect, and perhaps more.

Yes, Craig did lose or chip a tooth during filming in Prague, but it did not stop production, the actor told reporters. No, he did not suffer from excruciating heat rash in the Bahamas. And of course, an Englishman is perfectly capable of driving a manual gear car.

"You go mad if you believe any of it (the criticism)," Craig, 38, told reporters on Wednesday after distributor Sony Pictures Entertainment Co. and producers EON Productions invited journalists to the Bahamas movie set to counter some of the Internet and newspaper nattering.

"You can't believe the good stuff. You can't believe the bad stuff. You kind of just take it in. But I'm focused on making this film."

Craig, whose character famously likes his vodka martini shaken, not stirred, acknowledged the criticism had heightened the pressure on him.

"I've been trying to give 110 percent from the beginning and maybe after that (the criticism), I was trying to give 115 percent," he said. "But I mean, I'm giving everything I can."

Casino Royale goes back to Bond's roots, when he makes his first two assassinations and earns the 00 status that gives him a license to kill. Published in 1953, it was the first book in Ian Fleming's James Bond series.

BOND FRANCHISE

It was the need for a fresh start and a younger face that made the film makers dump Pierce Brosnan, the most successful 007 to date, said producer Barbara Broccoli, whose family owns EON Productions and the Bond movie franchise.

The stakes in gambling on an untested James Bond are huge. The last Bond movie, 2002's "Die Another Day," with Brosnan and actress Halle Berry, grossed more than $425 million in worldwide ticket sales.

In all, the 20 official Bond movies including the first, "Dr. No" starring Sean Connery that was released in 1962, have grossed almost $4 billion.

At the same time, two of the five actors who have played the part so far -- Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby -- are barely remembered by mainstream cinemagoers.

Broccoli and casting director Debbie McWilliams said Craig had been their choice the minute they started the search.

"Once we started looking for someone, I really thought that Daniel would be the perfect guy and I think everybody will agree once they see the movie," Broccoli said. "I think he's the right man for the job."

But the choice has been a tough sell.

A new Web site, craignotbond.com, has even called on die-hard 007 fans to boycott the movie when it's released in November. Other sites have run exposes of set mishaps.

"The truth is if you don't get bruised doing Bond, you're not doing it properly," Craig said.

But like all publicity, even the criticism of Craig has a plus side.

"People are, thank goodness, in a way still incredibly interested," said casting director McWilliams. "Virtually a day doesn't go by where we don't read something about James Bond in a newspaper and that can only be good for us I think."

Earl Hickey, Meet Stewie Griffin

LOS ANGELES -- Imagine for a moment a TV world in which Earl Hickey, after winning his $100,000 and getting run over by a car, doesn't see Carson Daly talking about karma from his hospital bed.

Imagine, instead, that he instead took a life lesson from ... Stewie Griffin.

Or, save yourself some imaginative effort and just wait until the first season of "My Name Is Earl" is released on DVD sometime later this year. Because then you'll find out.

Greg Garcia, creator of the hit NBC comedy, unveiled plans for the show's first-season DVD set Tuesday night (March 7) to the audience at the Museum of Television & Radio's annual Paley Festival. He says it should be released before the show's second season begins in the fall, and it will contain a fair number of bells and whistles including commentary tracks and selections from "hours and hours" of gag-reel footage cast and crew have accumulated this year.

"We're actually doing 15-minute mini-episode [that asks] what if Earl [Jason Lee] passed by Carson Daly and landed on Stewie from 'Family Guy,'" Garcia says. Garcia is a former producer on "Family Guy," and both it and "Earl" are produced by 20th Century Fox TV.

Lee and Garcia also discussed the origins of television's most famous facial hair since the heyday of "Magnum, P.I." Garcia says that NBC initially was hesitant about having a mustachioed Earl, "but Jason said, 'Trust me, I look funny with facial hair.'"

The network did, however, convince Lee to trim the 'stache back a little bit. "I originally went for a fu manchu, but NBC said no. I guess it made me look a little bit too trashy," he says. "So we sort of shaved off the chu and left the fu man."

"My Name Is Earl" is in the homestretch of production for this season, with three episodes and part of a fourth left to shoot. Garcia says in the season finale, we'll find out the No. 1 item on Earl's karmic to-do list, which was the misdeed he performed just before he won the lottery.

Other upcoming episodes include two that were screened for the audience Tuesday: one in which Earl and Randy (Ethan Suplee) try to make up for all the bad Mother's Days they've given their mom (Nancy Linehan and Beau Bridges reprise their roles as Earl's parents) and a flashback-heavy episode that shows how Earl, Randy, Joy (Jaime Pressly) and Darnell (Eddie Steeples) lived through Y2K.

Sequel Planned For "The Pink Panther"

Sony may have bought them last year, but MGM is apparently still in the movie business with plans to put their Pink Panther in front of cameras again.

According to IESB.net, the studio's famous roaring lion is hot on the Panther's tail for a follow-up family/comedy film. We can be sure to expect Steve Martin to return to the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau, first made famous during the '60s by the legendary British comedic actor Peter Sellers.

With negotiations failing to bring back the large cast of Martin's on-screen family for more Cheaper by the Dozen films, the 59-year-old funny-man is free to sink his teeth into another movie remake franchise.

Family Guy video game? Giggidy-giggidy-giggidy

(KP International) Tired of having to wait week-in week-out for the adventures of the dysfunctional Griffin family to continue? 2K Games is ending that longing by bringing the characters to your fingertips with "some freakin' sweet" Family Guy vid games, the first of which is due out this fall.

2K Games, who brought the TV hit "24" to consoles, is collaborating with Seth MacFarlane, the comedic mastermind behind 'The Family Guy,' to make the game as hilarious as the cartoon.

"The irreverent and satirical humour from 'Family Guy' that has made the show a smash hit opens up exciting and untapped possibilities in game development," said Christoph Hartmann from 2K Games. "We are looking forward to bringing the colourful 'Family Guy' characters to life in a one-of-a-kind action/adventure style game.

'Family Guy' debuted in 1999 and ran for three seasons. It was cancelled twice, but the popularity of the animated sitcom grew during reruns and its DVD releases, prompting Fox to bring the show back in 2005.

The voices that bring the zany characters to life include the creator MacFarlane, Mila Kunis from 'That '70s Show,' Alex Borstein from 'MADtv' and Seth Green from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Gamers will be able to play as either intellectually-challenged father Peter, malevolent baby genius Stewie, or scathingly witty, martini-slurping talking dog, Brian.

Jay Mohr Back in 'Service' at NBC

LOS ANGELES -- Jay Mohr won't be back with "Last Comic Standing" when it returns this summer, but he's apparently gotten over his beef with NBC enough to star in a pilot for the network.

Multiple Emmy winner John Lithgow ("3rd Rock from the Sun") is also back at the Peacock, while TV veterans Tim Daly and Sharon Lawrence have jumped on the pilot bandwagon at ABC and The CW. Alicia Witt and two stars of CBS' short-lived "Love Monkey," Christopher Wiehl and Larenz Tate, have been cast as well.

Mohr, who had a falling-out with NBC in 2004 over the network's treatment of "Last Comic Standing 3" (which he hosted and executive produced), is set to star in a comedy called "Community Service," the showbiz trade papers report. It's about a New Yorker who chases an ex-girlfriend to a small town in Ohio. He then gets arrested and sentenced to community service, meaning he's stuck there.

Wiehl, whose credits also "Playmakers" and "CSI," will play the cop who busts Mohr's character.

Also at NBC, Lithgow will star in "Twenty Good Years," about two middle-aged men who decide they need to make the most of their remaining time on Earth. The two-time Oscar nominee's recent credits include "Kinsey" and "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," as well as a turn on Broadway in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

Tate ("Crash," "Ray") is staying at CBS for the pilot "Waterfront," about the mayor of Providence, R.I. (Joe Pantoliano). The cast also includes William Baldwin and Mary Stuart Masterson.

Daly, who starred in ABC's "Eyes" last season and will reprise his role on "The Sopranos" this spring, has joined the ABC drama from Hank ("Without a Trace") and K.J. ("Judging Amy") Steinberg. The show follows nine people who were held hostage in a bank robbery as they put their lives back together.

Finally, Witt ("Cybill," "The Upside of Anger") has taken the title role in FOX's comedy "More, Patience." The single-camera show is about a therapist trying to fix her own life as well as those of her patients.

Hayek Bares Body, Soul for 'Dust'

After initially rejecting her "Ask the Dust" role, Salma Hayek learned to love the character

Robert Towne ("Chinatown") is one of Hollywood's legendary screenwriters, but when Salma Hayek initially got his script for "Ask the Dust," she turned him down flat.

"What happened was that he gave me the script eight years ago and I did not understand the character and I thought she was an awful human being and racist and she wanted to be American and I just did not have vision to see the subtleties of the character," Hayek reflects.

In "Dust," Hayek plays Camilla, a fiery Mexican waitress in Depression Era Los Angeles whose desire to assimilate is complicated by her passionate love affair with fledgling writer Arturo Bandini (Colin Farrell), a first-generation Italian. The John Fante adaptation is a passion project for Towne, though Hayek shunned the book to form her own interpretation with the writer-director. Farrell gave her a first edition as a wrap present.

"I started to read it on the plane and I was sobbing," she says. "I put it away. I got home a week or two later, I couldn't read the book because I missed her so much."

Even many months later, Hayek tears up thinking about Camilla.

"My inspiration for this character was I thought of all the women in the history of the Earth that inspired a man and these men never told her, that in some way touched the life of a man and maybe the man didn't notice until they were not together anymore," she explains.

Hayek is almost more comfortable discussing the film's graphic nude scenes, including a skinny-dipping scene that was supposed to be filmed at the ocean near the South Africa sets, until there was a change of plans.

"The actual ocean, not only would it have been just as cold, but a week before we arrived, somebody got eaten by a shark exactly where we were going to shoot," she laughs.

The scene was ultimately shot in a tank, which did nothing to add warmth, as she notes, "Of course, the Irish guy was fine, but the Mexican girl gets hypothermia."

Despite his disproportionate ability to brave the elements, Farrell earns nothing but praise from Hayek, particularly for his handling of the potentially awkward love scenes.

"Out he comes, butt-naked from the trailer jumping and doing the line dance," Hayek says. "I started laughing. It was most ridiculous thing. Everybody started laughing and he did it because of that, to relax me, because me I was really tense."

She continues, "Then, I have to say, that he never, when we were doing the scene, he not once looked down. I sometimes talk to guys and I am dressed and they talk to me this [she mimics somebody staring at her chest] where it's 'Oh. Yeah. Uh-huh.' They don't know they're doing that. Colin was, for all his reputation, I was expecting, you know, 'What's he going to do? Is gonna try to get too funny here?' Never. Never took his eyes off mine."

Viewers can keep their eyes on Hayek when "Ask the Dust" opens on Friday, March 10.

Springsteen joins New Orleans jazz fest

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Boss is heading to New Orleans.

A performance by Bruce Springsteen is one of 35 added to the lineup for this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, scheduled over two weekends - April 28-30 and May 5-7. He's slated to close out the first weekend, festival producer Quint Davis said Wednesday.

Springsteen will perform with the Seeger Sessions Band, the musicians who backed him on an upcoming album inspired by folk singer Pete Seeger. It's scheduled for release April 25. Davis said part of the album's title, We Shall Overcome, is a fitting theme for the spirit of the storm-battered city.

It features Springsteen's interpretations of 13 traditional folk songs that have been associated for decades with Seeger.

Etta James, Herbie Hancock, Dave Bartholomew and Warren Haynes were among the acts announced Wednesday.

Dr. John, Bob Dylan and Cowboy Mouth will be performing on opening day, April 28. Galactic, the Dave Matthews Band and Clarence (Frogman) Henry will perform April 29, and joining Springsteen on April 30 will be the Meters, Yolanda Adams and Allen Toussaint.

Kicking off the second weekend on May 5: Doug Kershaw, Keith Urban, Little Feat, Marcia Ball and Koko Taylor and Her Blues Machine. Jimmy Buffet, the Radiators, Buckwheat Zydeco and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band perform on May 6, and Fats Domino, Paul Simon, Lionel Richie, Irma Thomas and Pete Fountain close out the festival on May 7.

As usual, Jazz Fest will be held at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. The horse racing track was flooded and had wind damage from Hurricane Katrina, but work crews have been repairing and upgrading damaged areas, Davis said.

As with Mardi Gras, it's hard to say what kind of attendance this year's festival will draw. It usually brings in roughly 500,000 music lovers over the course of the two weekends.

'Prairie Giant' stirs memories in Saskatchewan

Residents of Regina and the town of Gravelbourg, Sask., got a sneak preview Monday evening of the CBC miniseries Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story.

For some people, it brought back memories of the fiery former Saskatchewan premier and his legendary fight with the doctors.

For the residents of Gravelbourg, it was a chance to see themselves and their town on the big screen.

"It doesn't often happen that a little town like this can get this kind of recognition," said Cyriel Poirier, who saw the film at Gravelbourg's Gaiety theatre.

About 500 residents of the town participated in the filming of the two-part miniseries, to air Sunday, March 12 and Monday, March 13 at 8 p.m. on CBC-TV.

The town was a stand-in for Depression-era Saskatchewan, reflecting the poverty and hardship, but also the sense of community that shaped Douglas's ideas.

The movie spans nearly 50 years of Douglas's life, from his arrival in Weyburn, Sask., as a young Baptist preacher in 1931, to his reign as premier, his pioneering role in universal health care, and his time as the first federal New Democrat leader.

Producer Kevin DeWalt says the movie is really more about the man than his politics.

"He was very tough when he had a vision and he wanted it to be rammed through. He didn't put up with any incompetence around him, and if you were incompetent you didn't last very long, and I don't think that's something the public knew very much of," DeWalt said in an interview with CBC News.

The aim was to depict Douglas, chosen as the Greatest Canadian in 2004, with his failures as well as his victories, he said.

"Certainly during the federal election, after he lost the premiership, when he lost in Regina ... that was a very big turning point for him, and we have a scene in the movie where Irma basically says, 'After all he's done for Saskatchewan and they couldn't elect him one more time.' ... They put the house up for sale the next day and never came back," DeWalt said.

Dr. Moulds (R.H. Thomson) leads the doctors strike in Saskatchewan in 1962. (Photo credit: Allan Feildel)
Actor Michael Therriault plays Douglas, Kristin Booth is his wife, Irma, and R.H. Thomson is his nemesis, Dr. Moulds, leader of the doctors' struggle against medicare.

Written by Bruce Smith and directed by John N. Smith, Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story is produced by Minds Eye Entertainment in association with the CBC.

"I hope that this project about Tommy Douglas will help make known a person who is, in my view, exceptional ... when you think about universal health care, the first Charter of Rights and Freedoms, all of his contributions," says Pierre Letarte, director of photography.

The miniseries was originally scheduled to air in January, but was postponed because of the federal election.

More about Douglas's life can also be heard Tuesday, March 7 and Tuesday, March 14, on Ideas on CBC Radio One. A two-part series titled Dream No Little Dreams will air both nights at 9.05 p.m.

Filmmaker Gordon Parks Dies at 93

NEW YORK - Gordon Parks, who captured the struggles and triumphs of black America as a photographer for Life magazine and then became Hollywood's first major black director with "The Learning Tree" and the hit "Shaft," died Tuesday, a family member said. He was 93.

Parks, who also wrote fiction and was an accomplished composer, died in New York, his nephew, Charles Parks, said in a telephone interview from Lawrence, Kan.

"Nothing came easy," Parks wrote in his autobiography. "I was just born with a need to explore every tool shop of my mind, and with long searching and hard work. I became devoted to my restlessness."

He covered everything from fashion to politics to sports during his 20 years at Life, from 1948 to 1968.

But as a photographer, he was perhaps best known for his gritty photo essays on the grinding effects of poverty in the United States and abroad and on the spirit of the civil rights movement.

"Those special problems spawned by poverty and crime touched me more, and I dug into them with more enthusiasm," he said. "Working at them again revealed the superiority of the camera to explore the dilemmas they posed."

In 1961, his photographs in Life of a poor, ailing Brazilian boy named Flavio da Silva brought donations that saved the boy and purchased a new home for him and his family.

"The Learning Tree" was Parks' first film, in 1969. It was based on his 1963 autobiographical novel of the same name, in which the young hero grapples with fear and racism as well as first love and schoolboy triumphs. Parks wrote the score as well as directed.

In 1989, "The Learning Tree" was among the first 25 American movies to be placed on the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The registry is intended to highlight films of particular cultural, historical or aesthetic importance.

The detective drama "Shaft," which came out in 1971 and starred Richard Roundtree, was a major hit and spawned a series of black-oriented films. Parks himself directed a sequel, "Shaft's Big Score," in 1972, and that same year his son Gordon Jr. directed "Superfly." The younger Parks was killed in a plane crash in 1979.

Parks also published books of poetry and wrote musical compositions including "Martin," a ballet about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Parks was born Nov. 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kan., the youngest of 15 children. In his 1990 autobiography, "Voices in the Mirror," he remembered it as a world of racism and poverty, but also a world where his parents gave their children love, discipline and religious faith.

He went through a series of jobs as a teen and young man, including piano player and railroad dining car waiter. The breakthrough came when he was about 25, when he bought a used camera in a pawn shop for $7.50. He became a freelance fashion photographer, went on to Vogue magazine and then to Life in 1948.

"Reflecting now, I realize that, even within the limits of my childhood vision, I was on a search for pride, meanwhile taking measurable glimpses of how certain blacks, who were fed up with racism, rebelled against it," he wrote.

When he accepted an award from Wichita State University in May 1991, he said it was "another step forward in my making peace with Kansas and Kansas making peace with me."

"I dream terrible dreams, terribly violent dreams," he said. "The doctors say it's because I suppressed so much anger and hatred from my youth. I bottled it up and used it constructively."

In his autobiography, he recalled that being Life's only black photographer put him in a peculiar position when he set out to cover the civil rights movement.

"Life magazine was eager to penetrate their ranks for stories, but the black movement thought of Life as just another white establishment out of tune with their cause," he wrote. He said his aim was to become "an objective reporter, but one with a subjective heart."

The story of young Flavio prompted Life readers to send in $30,000, enabling his family to build a home, and Flavio received treatment for his asthma in an American clinic. By the 1970s, he had a family and a job as a security guard, but more recently the home built in 1961 has become overcrowded and run-down.

Still, Flavio stayed in touch with Parks off and on, and in 1997 Parks said, "If I saw him tomorrow in the same conditions, I would do the whole thing over again."

In addition to novels, poetry and his autobiographical writings, Parks' writing credits included nonfiction such as "Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture," 1948, and a 1971 book of essays called "Born Black."

His other film credits included "The Super Cops," 1974; "Leadbelly," 1976; and "Solomon Northup's Odyssey," a TV film from 1984.

Recalling the making of "The Learning Tree," he wrote: "A lot of people of all colors were anxious about the breakthrough, and I was anxious to make the most of it. The wait had been far too long. Just remembering that no black had been given a chance to direct a motion picture in Hollywood since it was established kept me going."

Last month, health concerns had kept Parks from accepting the William Allen White Foundation National Citation in Kansas, but he said in a taped presentation that he still considered the state his home and wanted to be buried in Fort Scott.

Two years ago, Fort Scott Community College established the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity.

Jill Warford, its executive director, said Tuesday that Parks "had a very rough start in life and he overcame so much, but was such a good person and kind person that he never let the bad things that happened to him make him bitter."

AIR AMERICA TUNED OUT?

Air America is close to losing its New York flagship station - knocking Al Franken and his liberal colleagues off the air on their second anniversary.

The network has a two-year lease with WLIB (AM 1190) that is reportedly set to expire April 1 - and at least one reliable report says it is "extremely likely" the deal will not be renewed.

Losing its New York outlet would be a serious blow to the fledgling liberal radio network. "Radio Equalizer" blogger Brian Maloney - who blew the whistle on questionable loans to the lefty network last year - published the first report that WLIB was on the verge of evicting Air America some time soon.

Air America's options for a new home are not promising. All of the city's other strong-signal stations are spoken for, leaving only weak-signal "fringe" stations that do not cover the entire city and suburbs.

Air America parent Piquant LLC has reportedly been paying Inner City Broadcasting - controlled by former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and his son, Pierre - $2.5 million a year to air Franken and others.

An Air America spokeswoman told The Post, "It's business as usual," and declined further comment.

Air America got unwanted headlines last year when it was learned that previous management had received what investigators called an "inappropriate" $875,000 loan - since repaid - from a Bronx charity.

Calls to Inner City execs were not returned.

The leading contenders to take over the WLIB lease are former Clear Channel exec Randy Michaels, who syndicates competing lefty talker Ed Schultz, and the new Radio One black-focused talk network that includes Rev. Al Sharpton.

BOW, NO!

The biggest upset of Oscar night wasn't "Crash." It was Charlize Theron's gown.

The South African actress shocked viewers and fashion insiders on the red carpet with her haute couture "scissor" gown selection by John Galliano. "Two years ago, she won the Oscar for 'Monster,'" says stand-up comedian Liam McEneaney. "This year, she came as 'The Creature From the Black Lagoon.' "

Looking like an origami project gone awry, the garbage-bag-green-colored silk satin gown that Theron wore was wrong in every way - from the puffy bow on her left shoulder to the "X marks the spot" folds in the center.

"It looks like she has two heads," says celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. "She clearly didn't want to talk to the person on her left."

Theron, who is the face of Christian Dior's perfume J'adore, rarely misses a fashion beat on the red carpet, but this might join the ranks of historical fashion faux pas like Demi Moore's bicycle shorts and Bjork's swan dress.

So, what happened? How did one of Hollywood's favorite A-list dressers choose such a dud?

"It's one of those sad things where couture doesn't translate to the red carpet," says celebrity stylist Philip Bloch.

"There's been many other cases, like when Celine Dion wore a tuxedo jacket. Or when Jennifer Garner wore that white lace Oscar de la Renta with the bow at the waist, but people said it looked like a tablecloth."

Possibly, Theron tried too hard.

Hal Rubenstein, fashion editor of In Style magazine, says Theron is "very particular" about her fashion selections, and instead of choosing from 27 dresses on a rack, she comes up with a concept and then sends the dress back and forth to the designer, in this case John Galliano.

"She knows just what she is doing," Rubenstein says. "She has a firm grasp on how she looks. Once, she sent back a dress because it was the color of a rose. But what she wanted was the color of the edges of the rose when the rose started to fade."

Theron's stylist Lisa Michelle Boyd also goofed by not snapping a polaroid picture of the actress beforehand.

"Now that I see the photos, I pick her as worst dressed," says Joan Rivers, who initially named Theron best dressed on the red carpet.

"Truly, I'm telling you when she walked on the carpet in real life, she blew everybody out of the box. I wanted to rip it off her and wear it to Buckingham palace."

"Then, I saw her on camera, and it looked like she was hiding a hickey."

Still, celebrity stylist Robert Verdi applauds Theron for pushing the envelope, saying that the dress will be remembered for years to come, ending up on postcards and collector's items.

"It was dramatic and iconic," he says. "People judge it because everyone likes a Miss America pageant.

"Still, she pushed it and she did it and it's going to live on. But nobody will remember the negative things. They'll only remembered she took the risk."

Christopher Reeve's Widow Dies at Age 44

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Dana Reeve, who won worldwide admiration for her devotion to her "Superman" husband, Christopher Reeve, through his decade of near-total paralysis, has died of lung cancer at the age of 44.

Reeve, a singer-actress who gave up some of her own career to be one of the nation's best-known caregivers, died late Monday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Medical Center, said Kathy Lewis, president of the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Reeve had succeeded her husband as chair of the foundation, which funded research into spinal-cord paralysis cures. She announced in August that, while she wasn't a smoker, she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Lewis visited Reeve in the hospital Friday and said Reeve was "tired but with her typical sense of humor and smile, always trying to make other people feel good, her characteristic personality."

"She was a woman with an incredible heart who really put herself out there to help people with disabilities and especially those who are caregivers — something she knew a lot about," Lewis said.

Comedian Robin Williams, a longtime friend, said of Reeve's death: "The brightest light has gone out. We will forever celebrate her loving spirit."

Four months ago, at a fundraising gala for the foundation, Reeve looked healthy in a long, formal gown and said she was responding well to treatment and her tumor was shrinking.

"I'm beating the odds and defying every statistic the doctors can throw at me," Reeve said then. "My prognosis looks better all the time."

Asked how she kept her spirits up, Reeve said she "had a great model."

"I was married to a man who never gave up," she said.

She was still looking well on Jan. 13, when she sang Carole King's "Now and Forever" at Madison Square Garden during the retirement ceremony for Mark Messier's New York Rangers jersey.

"Despite the adversity that she faced, Dana bravely met these challenges and was always an extremely devoted wife, mother and advocate," former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement Tuesday.

They described Reeve as "a model of tenacity and grace" and an "inspiration to us."

Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., said of Reeve: "I thought that after everything that she had gone through with Chris that she would have time to smell the flowers and be in the sun. But apparently that was not meant to be."

Christopher Reeve, star of Hollywood's "Superman" movies, died Oct. 10, 2004. After a horse-riding accident paralyzed him in 1995, he became an activist for spinal cord research.

Dana Reeve was a constant companion and supporter of her husband during his long ordeal and his work for a cure for spinal cord injuries. The couple had a 13-year-old son, Will, and Dana Reeve had two grown stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra.

Reeve, who lived in Pound Ridge, had appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway and regional stages and on the TV shows "Law & Order," "Oz," and "All My Children."

She was performing in the Broadway-bound play "Brooklyn Boy" in California when she had to rush home to reach her husband's bedside before he died. She gave up the role for the New York run.

A month after she was widowed, before her own diagnosis, she told The Associated Press, "I definitely will be getting back to acting. ... I am an actress and I do have to make a living."

Reeve also was on the board of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, where she met Christopher Reeve doing summer theater, and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.

A year ago, she won a Mother of the Year award from the American Cancer Society. A society vice president, Dr. Michael Thun, said Reeve "has shown strength and courage in the face of tremendous adversity." Doctors say 1 in 5 women diagnosed with the disease never lit a cigarette.

In addition to her son and step-children, she is survived by her father, Dr. Charles Morosini, and sisters Deborah Morosini and Adrienne Morosini Heilman.

No funeral plans were announced. The family said donations could be made in Dana Reeve's memory to the Christopher Reeve Foundation in Short Hills, N.J.

The Couch Potato Report - March 7th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on friends, jarheads, and a goblet of fire.

Some films need to be seen in a theatre. They deserve getting the babysitter, planning a night out, spending $20 for tickets, and perhaps that much for snacks, and sitting in a theatre with other people, who may or may not talk during the movie.

Yes, some films just require the cinematic experience

Some other films are just good rentals.

The kind you pick up at the video store on the way home, and maybe you grab some snacks to enjoy after you put the kids to bed, or before you press play you just microwave some popcorn in the privacy of your own home.

The made in Saskatchewan Hollywood film JUST FRIENDS is the textbook definition of a good rental.

And now it is available on DVD!

JUST FRIENDS was shot in and around Regina and Moose Jaw in late 2004. The movie's plot is simple: an overweight guy in New Jersey secretly pines for his best friend, but she only likes him as a friend.

After high school he loses the weight and moves to Los Angeles. When we meet him again he has a very successful job in the music industry.

Life is going well and he has no plans to every return home or see his high school crush again.

Through a mildly comical serious of events, he suddenly finds himself back home, just in time for Christmas.

No matter how successful, or thin, he might be, at his core he's the same guy and his one time crush still makes him nervous.

JUST FRIENDS isn't in the same class as the two funniest films of last year - THE 40-YEAR-OLD- VIRGIN and WEDDING CRASHERS - but it is the type of film that you will enjoy if you don't expect too much from it.

There are laughs in JUST FRIENDS, there is emotion in it, and there is Regina and Moose Jaw!

And on the film's DVD there is a special feature about the places in Saskatchewan where the film was shot. That feature is called "It's Friggin' Cold" and it features the cast and crew talking about the weather.

JUST FRIENDS might not be a classic comedy, but it is a good rental. As I said, it is the textbook definition of the words: "good rental."

If you are a fan of the HARRY POTTER franchise, I suspect that you won't just want to rent HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.

This is the fourth installment in the franchise, and if you are unfamiliar with my feelings on the series, let me state it once again: "Not everything is created for me. I can't like everything."

That said, there were parts of GOBLET OF FIRE that I did actually like. I truly liked the parts of the film where the kids were getting to know each other again, and as they get older, coming to grips with having different feelings for each other then they are used to.

The stares and sighs, fights and the moments that we all had as teenagers while we were trying to figure out why we were doing them.

That stuff I really liked. Otherwise, man was this film long! I know fans of the series probably enjoyed the two-hour and twenty-seven minute running time and wanted more, but to me, man was this film long!

In the film Harry finds himself selected as an under aged competitor in a dangerous multi-wizardry school competition and as I said when HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN was released on DVD, if you love Harry Potter and his adventures, my opinion doesn't matter as you've probably already bought or rented HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.

So enough about HARRY POTTER.

Let me now talk with you - briefly - about this week's other two major releases JARHEAD and PRIME.

A few moments ago I mentioned how some films need to be seen in theatres and others are good rentals. Well let me add a third group to the list: Some films just need to be skipped altogether.

JARHEAD and PRIME are those type of films.

JARHEAD is based on former Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudi Arabia and about his experiences fighting in Kuwait.

The film follows Swofford from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty and none of it is even remotely involving.

In reality the Desert Shield and Desert Storm conflicts didn't last very long , yet somehow this movie is over two hours long.

JARHEAD is a film only for people who have nothing but time on their hands, or love watching army pictures.

PRIME is a film only for people who really, really, really, really, like Meryl Streep or Uma Thurman. I can't imagine any other reason why someone would see this film.

Personally, I have seen it twice. Twice I have seen it, and I can't even tell you why the film is called PRIME.

Its not about math, and it isn't about meat, yet it is called PRIME.

What I do know is that this film - about a career driven professional who falls for a young painter, who just happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst - should be ignored.

Yes, Uma looks great, as always, and Meryl Streep is still Meryl Streep, but PRIME has nothing to offer.

It isn't even a good rental!

But the made in Saskatchewan film JUST FRIENDS is a good rental, and it is available now at a store near you, along with PRIME, JARHEAD, and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

In GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK early 1950s broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy. David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr., and George Clooney, who also co-wrote and directed the film, all star.

David Cronenberg's A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE stars Viggo Mortensen as a man who becomes a hero when he kills two wanted men, and then becomes wanted himself.

And THE SPIKE LEE JOINT COLLECTION features 5 films - DO THE RIGHT THING, MO' BETTER BLUES, JUNGLE FEVER, CLOCKERS and CROOKLYN - on a 3-disc set

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!

For iPod users, a budding problem

Seattle-based builder and author Pete Nelson blasts his iPod to drown out the sound of his power tools when he works. He cranks it up when he skis and even listens to the portable music player while working at his computer.

"I'm having a love affair with my iPod," says Nelson, whose wife, 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old twin sons all have iPod addictions.

They're like millions of other Americans who listen to their MP3s for hours each day.

Apple has sold more than 40 million iPods since they hit the market in 2001. Last year, 14 million were snatched up in the fourth quarter alone. Those figures don't include purchases of iRiver, Sony and other brands of MP3 players.

But lately it seems a backlash may be brewing against MP3 players with claims that the gadgets, which typically are used with dime-sized, disc-shaped earphones called ear buds, can cause hearing loss:

• Last month, a Louisiana man filed a federal lawsuit against Apple claiming iPods cause hearing damage.

• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., wrote a letter to the director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders in January, calling for a review of the scientific information on the effect of portable music players on hearing loss. He also asked for recommendations to help consumers avoid potential damage from MP3 players.

• In France, the government has set a limit of 100 decibels in MP3 players, and Apple has made adjustments. Company executives, when contacted for this report, declined to comment on the maximum volume an American-sold iPod can reach.

But independent testing showed that maximum volumes hovered in the 120-decibel range, about the level of a jet plane taking off, says audiologist Brian Fligor, a hearing expert at Children's Hospital Boston.

According to the deafness institute, almost 28 million Americans have hearing loss. One-third have damage because of loud noise.

Very few documented cases of noise-induced hearing loss are tracked to long-term use of handheld stereos alone, but more research is needed, Fligor says.

Fligor is researching safe-listening levels in MP3s. He and colleagues published a study in 2004 that determined safe-listening levels with portable music players such as the Sony Walkman; the study found that one hour a day at about 60% volume was safe. Preliminary results of the MP3 study show figures in the same ballpark, he says.

Hearing loss is preventable

If it's not healthy, why give listeners the option to pump it up to 120 decibels? Pure pleasure, Fligor says.

"There are just some songs you want to rock out on," says iPod user and Texas musician Bob Schneider, 40, who has been performing for 17 years and concedes he probably has some hearing damage. "At this stage of the game, I still play the music pretty loud. I can still hear pretty well, but that might be a whole different story when I'm 60."

By then, it might be too late for Schneider or families such as the Nelsons who sometimes listen to their MP3s more than three hours a day.

Using earphones for hours at high volumes basically causes "shock and awe" to delicate hair-like cells deep within the inner ear that help the brain process sound, says Ron Eavey, director of pediatric otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. After years of abuse, those structures won't function anymore, he says.

Nelson, 43, is concerned about hearing loss and already experiences ringing in the ears, called tinnitus, which is a symptom of damage. But he says he has no plans to cut back on his MP3 use.

Noise-induced hearing loss is preventable, says Pam Mason, an audiologist with the American Speech and Hearing Association in Rockville, Md.

Mason suggests dishing out the cash for a good pair of earphones. Sound-isolating earphones made by companies such as Future Sonics, Shure and Etymotic reduce ambient noise outside the ears so that listeners don't have to pump up the volume as high.

"People think if they listen at a lower volume, they won't get the same quality of sound. But good headphones actually allow you to hear more detailed nuances in the music without the high frequencies that do damage," says Marty Garcia, founder of Philadelphia-based Future Sonics.

Boston-based Bose and other companies sell another option: noise-canceling headphones. Battery-driven, they cover the entire outer ear and work by picking up ambient noise outside the headphones and then emitting a counter frequency that cancels out the incoming noise. This technology also allows a user to reduce the volume on his MP3 because there is little outside noise to overcome.

No two people are alike, so it's difficult to predict who will develop hearing loss, experts say.

But if you have tinnitus, find that noises sound muffled, experience temporary hearing loss after a loud concert or have difficulty hearing someone 3 feet away, you need to get your hearing tested.

Apple and other MP3 player manufacturers can help listeners by reducing volume levels, experts say. But in the end, it is up to the user. Says Harvard's Eavey: "It's like using sunblock to prevent skin cancer. Ultimately, iPod users need to make the right choices to avoid hearing loss."

Sound guide to problem noise

Any sound over 85 decibels (dBs) exceeds what hearing experts consider the "safe" range. More than that and over time, there's a good chance you'll damage your ears.

Decibel level
Firearm 140+
Jet engine 140
Jackhammer 130
Sporting event 127
Live music concert 120+
Jet plane takeoff 120
Band practice 120
iPods and other MP3 players at maximum volume 120
Health club and aerobics studio 120
Movie theater 118
Motorcycle 95-120
Chain saw or pneumatic drill 100
Lawnmower 90
Subway 90
Busy street 80
Alarm clock 80
Vacuum cleaner 70
Conversation 60
Dishwasher 60
Moderate rainfall 50
Quiet room 40
Whisper, quiet library 30
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett Dies at 45

MINNEAPOLIS - Kirby Puckett, the bubbly, barrel-shaped Hall of Famer who carried the Minnesota Twins to two World Series titles before his career was cut short by glaucoma, died Monday after a stroke. He was 45.

Puckett, whose weight gain in recent years concerned those close to him, was stricken early Sunday at his Arizona home. He died at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

"He was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the term," commissioner Bud Selig said. "He played his entire career with the Twins and was an icon in Minnesota. But he was revered throughout the country and will be remembered wherever the game is played. Kirby was taken from us much too soon — and too quickly."

Puckett was the second-youngest person to die already a member of the Hall of Fame, Hall spokesman Jeff Idelson said. Only Lou Gehrig, at 37, was younger.

Puckett led the Twins to championships in 1987 and 1991. He broke into the majors in 1984 and had a career batting average of .318. Glaucoma left the six-time Gold Glove center fielder and 10-time All-Star with no choice but to retire after the 1995 season when he went blind in his right eye.

"I wore one uniform in my career and I'm proud to say that," Puckett once said. "As a kid growing up in Chicago, people thought I'd never do anything. I've always tried to play the game the right way. I thought I did pretty good with the talent that I have."

He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first try in 2001, and his plaque praised his "ever-present smile and infectious exuberance." Yet, out of the game, the 5-foot-8 Puckett let himself fall out of shape.

"It's a tough thing to see a guy go through something like that and come to this extent," former teammate Kent Hrbek said.

"That's what really hurt him bad, when he was forced out of the game," he said. "I don't know if he ever recovered from it."

Asked what he would remember the most from their playing days, Hrbek quickly answered, "Just his smile, his laughter and his love for the game."

Puckett had been in intensive care since having surgery at another hospital. His family, friends and former teammates gathered Monday at St. Joseph's. He was given last rites and died in the afternoon, hospital spokeswoman Kimberly Lodge said.

Puckett wanted his organs to be donated. In a statement, his family and friends thanked his fans for their thoughts and prayers.

"It's tough to take," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said from the team's spring training camp in Fort Myers, Fla. "He had some faults, we knew that, but when all was said and done he would treat you as well as he would anyone else. No matter who you were.

"When you're around him, he makes you feel pretty good about yourself. He can make you laugh. He can do a lot of things that can light up a room. He's a beauty," he said.

A makeshift memorial began to form Monday night outside the Metrodome, with a handful of bouquets laid on the sidewalk.

"This is a sad day for the Minnesota Twins, Major League Baseball and baseball fans everywhere," Twins owner Carl Pohlad said.

Puckett's signature performance came in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series against Atlanta. After telling anyone who would listen before the game that he would lead the Twins to victory that night at the Metrodome, he made a leaping catch against the fence and then hit a game-ending homer in the 11th inning to force a seventh game.

The next night, Minnesota's Jack Morris went all 10 innings to outlast John Smoltz and pitch the Twins to a 1-0 win for their second championship in five years.

"If we had to lose and if one person basically was the reason — you never want to lose — but you didn't mind it being Kirby Puckett. When he made the catch and when he hit the home run you could tell the whole thing had turned," Smoltz said.

"His name just seemed to be synonymous with being a superstar," the Braves' pitcher said. "It's not supposed to happen like this."

Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk echoed Smoltz's sentiment.

"There was no player I enjoyed playing against more than Kirby. He brought such joy to the game. He elevated the play of everyone around him," Fisk said in a statement to the Hall.

Puckett's birthdate was frequently listed as March 14, 1961, but recent research by the Hall of Fame indicated he was born a year earlier.

Perhaps the most popular athlete ever to play in Minnesota, Puckett was a guest coach at Twins spring training camp in 1996, but hadn't worked for the team since 2002. He kept a low profile since being cleared of assault charges in 2003, when he was accused of groping a woman at a suburban Twin Cities restaurant.

The youngest of nine children born into poverty in a Chicago housing project, Puckett was drafted by the Twins in 1982 and became a regular just two years later. He got four hits in his first major league start and finished with 2,304 in only 12 seasons.

Though his power numbers, 207 home runs and 1,085 RBIs, weren't exceptional, Puckett won an AL batting title in 1989 and was considered one of the best all-around players of his era. His esteem and enthusiasm for the game factored into his Hall of Fame election as much as his statistics and championship rings.

He made his mark on baseball's biggest stage, leading heavy underdog Minnesota to a seven-game victory over St. Louis in 1987 and then doing the same against Atlanta in one of the most thrilling Series in history.

The Twins returned to the Metrodome that year after losing 14-5 in Game 5, needing to win two straight to get the trophy. Puckett famously walked into the clubhouse hours before Game 6, cajoling his teammates to jump on his back and let him carry them to victory.

Sure enough, after robbing Ron Gant of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch against the wall in the third inning, Puckett homered off Charlie Leibrandt to send the Series to Game 7.

"There are a lot of great players in this game, but only one Kirby," pitcher Rick Aguilera said when Puckett announced his retirement. "It was his character that meant more to his teammates. He brought a great feeling to the clubhouse, the plane, everywhere."

Puckett's best year was 1988, when he batted .356 with 24 home runs, 42 doubles and 121 RBIs. A contact hitter and stolen base threat in the minors who hit a total of four homers in his first two major league seasons, Puckett developed a power stroke in 1986 and went deep a career-best 31 times.

He became a fixture in the third spot in Minnesota's lineup, a free-swinging outfielder with a strong arm and a flair for nifty catches despite his 220-pound frame that made him look more like a fullback. The man known simply as "Puck" was immensely popular. Fans loved his style, especially the high leg kick he used as he prepared to swing. Public address announcer Bob Casey, who became a close friend, introduced him with vigor before every at-bat, "KIR-beeeeeeeeee PUCK-it."

As free agency and expansion turned over rosters more frequently in the 1990s, Puckett was one of the rare stars who never switched teams.

Hit by a pitch that broke his jaw on his last at-bat of the 1995 season, Puckett woke up one morning the following spring and couldn't see out of his right eye. It was eventually diagnosed as glaucoma, forcing him to call it quits that July.

He received baseball's Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award for community service that year, and the Twins — trying to boost sagging attendance during some lean seasons in the late 1990s — frequently turned to Puckett-related promotions. He had a spot in the front office and sometimes made stops at the state Capitol to help stump for a new stadium.

Though he steadfastly refused to speak pessimistically about the premature end to his career, Puckett's personal life began to deteriorate after that. Shortly after his induction to Cooperstown, his then-wife, Tonya, accused him of threatening to kill her during an argument — he denied it — and described to police a history of violence and infidelity. In 2003, he was cleared of all charges from an alleged sexual assault of a woman at a suburban Twin Cities restaurant.

He kept a low profile after the trial and eventually moved to Arizona. The Twins kept trying to re-establish a connection and get him to come to spring training again as a guest instructor.

Puckett, who was divorced, is survived by his children, Catherine and Kirby Jr.

New CD Releases For Tuesday, March 7th, 2006

Agency Agency (AERIA)

Herb Alpert Whipped Cream and Other Delights: Rewhipped (remixes by Medeski, Martin and Wood, Ozomatli, Thievery Corporation and more; includes Alpert's new trumpet solos) (Shout! Factory)

Big Al Anderson (of NRBQ) After Hours (Legacy)

Architects Revenge (Anodyne)

Balli New Blood - The D.N.A. (Black Five)

The Bamboos Step It Up (Ubiquity)

Warren Barfield Reach (Creative Trust Workshop)

Big Rich Fill More Rich (Kela/Koch)

Ran Blake All That Is Tied (liner notes by John Medeski) (Tompkins Square)

Boom Boom Satellites Full of Elevating Pleasures (Tofu)

Boysetsfire The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years (w/bonus DVD) (Equal Vision)

Bonnie Bramlett Roots, Blues & Jazz (Zoho Roots)

Buzzcocks Flat-Pack Philosophy (Cooking Vinyl)

Caedmon's Call In the Company of Angels II - The World Will Sing (Brentwood)

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan (ex-Belle & Sebastian) Ballad of the Broken Seas (V2)

Larry Carlton Fire Wire (Bluebird/RCA)

Caroline Murmurs (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Epitaph)

Centro-Matic Fort Recovery (Misra)

Chas. Mtn. Hugs (Western Vinyl)

Mike Compton and David Long Stomp (produced by David Grisman) (Acoustic Disc)

The Czars Goodbye (Bella Union)

Daddy Mack Blues Band Slow Ride (Inside Sounds)

Eric Darius Just Getting Started (Narada Jazz)

David & the Citizen David & the Citizen EP (Friendly Fire)

Kimya Dawson and Matty Pop Chart Kimya Dawson and Matty Pop Chart EP (K Records)

Jesse Dayton South Austin Sessions (Stag)

dEUS Pocket Revolution (V2)

Devics Push the Heart (Reincarnate)

Dian Diaz Dian Diaz (Strip City)

Dogme95 The Reagle Beagle (Empyrean)

Dryline Reach for the Surface (Zero Sum)

The Duke Spirit Cuts Across the Land (StarTime International)

Eastern Conference Champions The Southhampton Collection EP (Leftwing/Geffen)

Anthony Evans Letting Go (Integrity Media)

Cesaria Evora Rogamar (RCA)

Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan) Morph the Cat (deluxe CD/DVD combo available same day) (Reprise)

Paul Flaherty/Chris Corsano The Beloved Music (Family Vineyard)

Fresh Digress Fresh Digress (Beatmart)

The Game G.A.M.E. (Fastlife/Koch)

Charles Gayle Time Zones (Tompkins Square)

Ghostigital (ex-Sugarcubes' Einar Örn) In Cod We Trust (guest Mark E. Smith of the Fall) (Ipecac)

David Gilmour On an Island (w/David Crosby, Graham Nash, Robert Wyatt and more) (Columbia)

Goldfrapp Supernature (Mute)

Half-Handed Cloud Halos & Lassos (Asthmatic Kitty)

Jeff Hamilton Trio From Studio 4 (Azica)

Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid (Four Tet and former James Brown/Motown drummer) The Exchange Sessions Vol. 1 (Domino)

Hotel Lights (w/ex-Ben Folds Five member Darren Jessee) Hotel Lights (Bar/None)

James Hunter People Gonna Talk (Rounder)

I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness Fear Is on Our Side (produced by Ministry's Paul Barker) (Secretly Canadian)

If Hope Dies Life in Ruin (Ironclad/Metal Blade)

The Impossible Shapes Tum (Secretly Canadian)

Javier Left of Center (Capitol)

Jethro Tull Aqualung Live (Fuel)

Chachi Jones Dymaxion Daydream (Reincarnate)

Huck Jones Huck (Capitol)

Juvenile Reality Check (Atlantic)

Christian Kiefer and Sharron Kraus The Black Dove (Tompkins Square)

Glenn Kotche (Wilco drummer) Mobile (Nonesuch)

Kris Kristofferson This Old Road (New West)

Jon Langford (of Mekons) Gold Brick (ROIR)

Lanterna Desert Ocean (Jemez Mountain/Badman)

Kenny Lattimore and Chanté Moore Uncovered (La Face/Jive)

Adrienne Lau Adrienne Lau (Global Village)

Ana Laura Ana Laura (Reunion)

The Lawrence Arms Oh! Calcutta! (Fat Wreck Chords)

Lil' Wayne Tha Carter II (Chopped & Screwed) (Universal Motown)

Rolf Lislevand Nuove Musiche (ECM)

The Little Willies (w/Norah Jones) The Little Willies (originals and covers of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt) (Milking Bull/EMI)

Cheikh Lo Lamp Fall (Nonesuch)

The Lonely Hearts Paper Tapes (Tooth & Nail)

Lucky Luciano Pimps Up Hoez Down (Vista Media)

Janiva Magness Do I Move You? (NorthernBlues)

Willy Mason Where the Humans Eat (re-release of 2004 album w/bonus tracks and video) (Astralwerks)

Matisyahu Youth (DualDisc same day) (Epic)

John McBain (of Monster Magnet) The In-Flight Feature (DUNA)

Mellowdrone Box (Columbia)

Mogwai Mr. Beast (Matador)

The Moore Brothers Murdered by (Plain)

Van Morrison Pay the Devil (Lost Highway)

Most Hi-Fi Everything's Gonna Be Alright (CD/DVD combo) (Slam Jamz)

Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Cha's Hang It High, Hang It Low (Rounder)

Nicollette I Am Where the Party's at (Early)

Nightmares on Wax In a Space Outta Sound (Warp)

The Ocean Aeolian (Metal Blade)

Lee Roy Parnell Back to the Well (Universal South)

Patrizio The Italian (Universal)

Pedro Pedro (w/bonus disc of remixes by Four Tet, Danger Mouse, Prefuse 73 and more) (Mush)

Pinetop Seven Beneath Confederate Lake (Empyrean)

The Pink Mountaintops Axis of Evol (Jagjaguwar)

Pinmonkey Big Shiny Cars (Back Porch)

Planeside MILK (Exotic)

Lucas Prata Let's Get It on (Ultra)

Public Enemy Rebirth of a Nation (written, produced by and featuring Paris; guests dead prez, MC Ren and more) (Guerrilla Funk)

Revolting Cocks (Ministry's Al Jourgensen) Cocked and Loaded (guests Jello Biafra, Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, members of Cheap Trick and more) (Megaforce/13th Planet)

The Rogers Sisters The Invisible Deck (Too Pure)

Aldo Romano Chante (Dreyfus)

Gonzalo Rubalcaba Solo (Blue Note)

Scissorfight Jaggernaut (Hydra Head)

Robin Scott Woman from the Warm Grass (Sunbeam)

Seven Glory Over the Rooftops (7Spin)

Shana & Kirin The Mating Game (Quango)

Mike Shannon Possible Conclusions to Stories That Never End (Scape)

Terry Smith Fall Out (Sunbeam)

Soldier Ink The Newest and the Strongest (enhanced CD) (Thump)

Stereolab Fab Four Suture (Too Pure)

The Story Tale Spin (Sunbeam)

Streetlight Manifesto Keasbey Nights (two CDs) (Victory)

System of a Down Mezmerize/Hypnotize (two CDs) (Columbia)

Television Personalities My Dark Places (Domino)

Ten Falls Forth Excuse Me...I Believe That's My Ride (Rise)

Tennessee Boltsmokers Hydroradio (Madjack)

Trent Tomlinson Country Is My Rock (Hollywood)

Tres Chicas Bloom, Red & the Ordinary Girl (guest Nick Lowe) (Yep Roc)

Ralph Tresvant (of New Edition) RizzWaFaire (Xzault Media Group)

Gecko Turner Guapapasea! (Quango)

Vitalic OK Cowboy (Uncivilized World)

Voices and Organs Orphanage (Western Vinyl)

Voodoo Blue Smile 'N' Nod (DCide)

The Weepies Say I Am You (Nettwerk)

Witch (w/Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis) Witch (Tee Pee)

The Wood Brothers (w/Chris Wood of Medeski Martin and Wood) Ways Not to Lose (produced by John Medeski) (Blue Note)

Glenn Yarbrough Come Share My Life (Increase)

Nadine Zahr Underneath the Everyday (Chirality)

VA 29 Down (BMG Heritage)

VA Hard Truth Soldiers, Volume 1 (w/Public Enemy, Paris, the Coup, KRS-One and more) (Guerrilla Funk)

VA Tunnel Trance 2 (Water Music)

OCR See What I Wanna See (Ghostlight)

OST Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (w/Blackmore's Night, Qntal, Corvus Corax and more) (Dancing Ferret)

OST Date Movie (w/songs by Barry White, the Lovin' Spoonful, Kelis and more) (Lakeshore)

OST The Transporter (Koch)

DVD Nashville Sound (Xenon)

DVD Sin Cities (Shanachie)

DVD Agnostic Front Live at CBGB (w/bonus CD; includes documentary) (Nuclear Blast)

DVD Bad Religion Live at the Palladium (Epitaph)

DVD Corvus Corax Gaudia Vite Live (Noir)

Oscar Ratings "Crash"

Crash beating Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture was an upset. The Oscar telecast ratings shrinking was not.

As expected, a nominee slate of modestly popular movies drew modest numbers. The Jon Stewart-hosted show averaged an estimated 38.8 million viewers, per Nielsen Media Research, down 8 percent from last year. The ratings decline jibed with movie attendance, which was down 7 percent in 2005.

Preferring its glass half full, ABC pointed out that a more impressive sounding 76.6 million watched at least six minutes of the 213-minute marathon.

Overall, the stats reveal Sunday's telecast avoided a 2003 disaster, when a record-low 33 million celebrated Chicago's big night, and fell in line with Oscar's 1985-87 rut, when shows honoring Amadeus, Out of Africa and Platoon--not a popcorn movie in the popper--averaged 38 million.

Regarding a potentially more pressing concern, the 2006 Oscars might have scored just enough viewers to maintain the show's annual title as TV's biggest event not known as the Super Bowl. To date, the most watched American Idol finale ever drew 34.2 million in 2003.

Where Stewart is concerned, Sunday's numbers were the lowest for a first-time solo host since Jack Lemmon got the gig in 1985. The actor, a two-time Oscar winner, was not invited back.

In newspapers such as Variety and the Los Angeles Times, however, critics suggested Stewart would be invited back.

"As the night wore on, he got more comfortable, and reverted back to his kind of humor," Variety's Ted Johnson wrote. "He need not worry. He could do another outing."

On the whole, Stewart's and Oscar's notices ranged from okay to "a butt-ugly broadcast that even the biggest film buff had to gag through." (That last one, per a widely disseminated pan on Nikki Finke's LAWeekly.com blog.)

The New York Times, echoing Variety, thought Stewart looked "a little nervous." The Associated Press, echoing the New York Times, thought Stewart is usually funnier on The Daily Show. Most everyone, Brokeback director Ang Lee included, thought the montage looking back at the cowboy movie's secret gay history was funny. ("Quite genius," raved an otherwise downcast Lee on Sunday night.)

The controversy count was low. According to ABC, its censors went to work just twice, briefly dropping out the audio during the live performance of the Oscar-winning composition, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," and briefly dropping out the audio again during Three 6 Mafia's exuberant Jesus-, Gil Cates- and George Clooney-praising acceptance speech.

Backstage, Jordan Houston, aka Juicy J, of Three 6 Mafia was unaware of the deletions. He told reporters the group changed its lyrics "completely" to accommodate the network, if not his elders. ("My mom is watching," Houston said. "I don't want any cuss words.")

And while ABC signed off on the use of "bitches," the group decided on its own to go with "witches" on show night. The audio deletion apparently concerned an unscripted spoken word at the beginning of the performance that the censor thought sounded like a no-no.

What might have sounded like a no-no, but wasn't, per ABC, was actress Taraji P. Henson's "Pimp"-sung chorus. While the ear might have heard Henson repeatedly complaining of "witches talking sh-t," ABC said she was actually bemoaning "witches jumping ship."

Playboy Hits Back at Alba

American men's magazine Playboy has fired back at Jessica Alba's claims they implied she had posed naked by placing her on their front cover, insisting many A-list stars have graced the page without appearing nude in the publication. The Sin City beauty's lawyers sent Playboy a threatening letter last Month after the mag published an promotional image of a bikini-clad Alba from her 2005 movie Into The Blue on the front of its March issue. Alba claims the choice of front cover insinuates she appears nude or semi-nude in the magazine. She said, "Playboy has violated my personal rights and blatantly misled the public, who might think I had given them permission to put me on their cover when I didn't." However, Playboy insists they placed her on the cover because she won a readers poll as being the "sexiest star of the year" and she is among other stars who grace the cover, but do not pose naked. Playboy spokeswoman Lauren Malone says, "Many celebrities have appeared on the cover of Playboy, but not nude, including Claudia Schiffer, Paris Hilton, Goldie Hawn, Raquel Welch, Barbra Streisand, Brooke Shields and Donald Trump."

The Academy Awards show you never saw

What you see on TV is not what you get offstage during the Academy Awards.

Crash's hit-and-run win

What you saw: Surprise! Crash takes best picture.

What you didn't see: Backstage workers gasp as Crash wins over favorite Brokeback Mountain. When presenter Jack Nicholson is asked if he is surprised by the win, he says, "I didn't expect it because you heard so much about Brokeback," before confiding, "and that's who I voted for." But he cheerfully escorted Crash director Paul Haggis away.

Oscar giveth - and taketh

What you saw: Ang Lee becomes the millionth or so person to use the catchphrase "I wish I knew how to quit you," while accepting his directing Oscar for Brokeback Mountain.

What you didn't see: Nobody in the darkened wings looks more surprised about Crash's win than Lee. He silently walks away as the Crash producers begin their acceptance speech, a wan smile on his face.

Wrong-way Witherspoon

What you saw: Reese Witherspoon grasps her actress award for her portrait of country singer June Carter in Walk the Line, saying, "I never thought I'd be here my whole life." She thanks her husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, and their children, "who should be going to bed."

What you didn't see: Witherspoon was lost when she came off the stage, unsure where to go next and not wanting to be left alone. Jamie Foxx came to her aid. "I'll stay right here with you," and hung by her side until she was helped by Oscar officials.

A thankless situation

What you saw: Philip Seymour Hoffman says he is "overwhelmed" by his best-actor win for his role as the author of In Cold Blood in Capote and pays tribute to his mom, who raised four kids alone and took him to his first play.

What you didn't see: Much to his chagrin, Hoffman realizes he forgot to thank his girlfriend, Mimi O'Donnell, when he heads off the stage. Presenter Hilary Swank, who famously didn't thank her husband, actor Chad Lowe, when she won her first Oscar for 1999's Boys Don't Cry, comforts him, saying, "You can't kick yourself over it." Swank thoughtfully leaves out the fact that she and Lowe are now separated.

Hey, she hustled, too

What you saw: The lively Three 6 Mafia takes the Oscar for It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp from Hustle & Flow, the second rap tune to win best song, after Eminem's Lose Yourself from 2002's 8 Mile.

What you didn't see: Backstage, Hustle & Flow actress Tariji P. Henson, who sang with the four-man crew, teases them after their win. "When do I get one of these trophies?" she asks with a pout.

Accessorizing, Part 1: Birds

What you saw: The French makers of documentary winner March of the Penguins holding stuffed versions of their stars.

What you didn't see: The filmmakers responsible for March of the Penguins were still clutching their stuffed penguins backstage. Producer Emmanuel Priou said that their distributor in Japan "made them and sent them for good luck. They were right, because we have had a lot of good luck tonight."

When stars collide ...

What you saw: Morgan Freeman struggling to say "demonstrative" while handing out the supporting-actress award to Rachel Weisz of The Constant Gardener.

What you didn't see: Terrence Howard of Crash and Hustle & Flow, rounding the corner to prepare for his presentation and, yes, crashing into Freeman, who's waiting in the wings. The two men stop, shake hands for several seconds, then briefly linger eye-to-eye before moving on. Neither says a word.

Makeup, onstage and off

What you saw: A pancake-coated Steve Carell and over-rouged Will Ferrell give the makeup honor to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

What you didn't see: Diane Kruger of foreign-film nominee Joyeux Noel walking out of the bathroom and Felicity Huffman walking in. Huffman: "You look beautiful." Kruger: "Thanks, and thanks for lending me your makeup artist."

Accessorizing, Part 2: Ties

What you saw: A not-so-animated Reese Witherspoon handing out the feature-animation prize. Co-directors Nick Park and Steve Box, the main clay manipulators behind Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, place bow ties that matched their own on their twin Oscars.

What you didn't see: About those bow ties, Park tells the reporters backstage, "We didn't know we'd be wearing these." Just kidding. Blame British designer Paul Smith for the sight gag.

Going ape over geeks

What you saw: Presenter Ben Stiller encased in green Spandex feigns invisibility, thanks to movie magic, before handing a golden banana to the visual-effects guys behind Peter Jackson's King Kong.

What you didn't see: Backstage, Weta Workshop supervisor Richard Taylor describes his award "as a celebration of the geeks of the world, which is a good thing."

Kidman gets hi-Jacked

What you saw: Nicole Kidman, handing out the first award of the night to supporting-actor winner George Clooney for his dumpy CIA agent in Syriana. "Wow, wow. All right, so I'm not winning director," quips the actor about his nomination for helming Good Night, and Good Luck.

What you didn't see: Before the show begins, Jack Nicholson prowls the wings. The notorious flirt spies Kidman and turns on the charm. After a brief exchange, Nicholson walks away grinning and Kidman plays it cool. But only until the actor is out of earshot. She smiles giddily, puts her hand over her mouth, and exclaims, "Oh, my God!"

Jon, Jon, he's our man

What you saw: Host Jon Stewart in an opening film clip, lolling in bed first with Halle Berry, then with George Clooney

What you didn't see: Four minutes before showtime, host Stewart leaves his dressing room determined to pump up the backstage crew, cheering loudly and clapping his hands. He shouts, "Let's go, Giants!" Then he tries, "Let's go, Mets!"

The hygienic Giamatti

What you saw: Paul Giamatti of Cinderella Man, confessing his secret Oscar preparations to E! host Isaac Mizrahi: "I brushed my teeth. I took a shower."

What you didn't see: Giamatti on whether he heard from Cinderella Man director Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe about his supporting nomination. "Nooooo," he joked. "What is wrong with that?" He then quickly added, "They contact me all the time, letting me know I have their support."

Even losers can have fun

What you saw: Best director Ang Lee on why he felt compelled to make Brokeback Mountain. "I read the short story and I just had to do it."

What you didn't see: Directing nominee Steven Spielberg on the carpet, sounding as if he is mentally preparing for disappointment, in a Disney princess sort of way: "This is the royal ball in the world of Cinderella, and most of us turn into pumpkins at midnight, but one in each category doesn't. It is fun to be honored by the academy, and even on a year when we are not honored, it is just fun to be involved in this celebration."

Hey, it's Steve Austin

What you saw: Big-star presenters Will Smith, Will Ferrell and Steve Carell posing on the red carpet.

What you didn't see: Not-so-big stars Gary Busey, Lorenzo Lamas and Lee Majors milling about. Majors, the former Six Million Dollar Man, says: "I am an academy member and my wife, Faith, had never been here and she wanted to come."

All Dolly-ed up

What you saw: Best-song nominee Dolly Parton (Travelin' Thru from Transamerica), pretty in pink and admitting she sprinkled herself with cheap sparkle powder. As for her borrowed earrings, "These cost $1,200,000! It's like amazing."

What you didn't see: Matt Dillon of Crash spying Parton on the carpet behind him and joking, "She's stalking me again!"

'Crash' Joins Short List of Oscar Upsets

LOS ANGELES - The previous 77 Academy Awards ceremonies have had their share of unexpected twists, though the best-picture win by underdog "Crash" over "Brokeback Mountain" ranks as one of the biggest in Oscar history.

Some other instances where underdogs have triumphed:

• For best picture of 1948, the poignant drama "Johnny Belinda," a homegrown Hollywood production, seemed to have the edge, only to lose to a British upstart, Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet."

• Three years later, the song-and-dance romance "An American in Paris" pulled off a best-picture stunner over dramatic heavyweights "A Place in the Sun" and "A Streetcar Named Desire."

• The next year, Gary Cooper's Western "High Noon" looked as though it would ride into the winner's circle, but the splashy circus tale "The Greatest Show on Earth" came out on top.

• The 1968 best-picture award went the musical route again as "Oliver!" became an upset winner over the more popular musical "Funny Girl" and the palace-intrigue saga "The Lion in Winter."

• One of Oscar's biggest underdogs, the Olympics tale "Chariots of Fire," ran off with best picture for 1981 over the historical drama "Reds" and the family story "On Golden Pond."

• For the 1998 Oscars, "Saving Private Ryan" had been viewed as a best-picture shoo-in until "Shakespeare in Love" showed up at the last minute in December, the latter film ultimately winning the showdown.

Dan's Predictictions

My predictions in the six major categories at the 78th Annual Academy Awards were:

Best Picture - Brokeback Mountain
Best Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Best Actress - Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Best Supporting Actor - Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Best Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Best Director - Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

So my score for 2006: 4 out of 6, not perfect, but not bad.

The ones I got wrong were:

Best Picture - Crash
And
Best Supporting Actor - George Clooney.

Since Clooney is loved in Hollywood, and he had three nominations, the reality is that he had to win at least once on Sunday night. To the dismay of Paul Giamatti and I, this is the one he won. But I am fine with it as his speech was great!

As for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN losing to CRASH, well, as I wrote below, "This is the biggest upset since SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE beat SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Over the years both of those winners will be forgotten while the films that were upset will live forever."

As CRASH was announced as the Best Picture all I was thinking was: "I have no problems if I lose because a fellow Canadian won. Paul Haggis is Canadian, so I am happy.

Overall, the show was slow and quite uninteresting. When the ratings come out I suspect that they will be very, very low.

But that is the last prediction I will make until next January!

All that said, I watched every second of the telecast, and will do the same next year too!

I love Oscar night!!

Oh, congratulations to all of the winners!

'Crash' Pulls Off Best-Picture Oscar

LOS ANGELES - The ensemble drama "Crash" pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Academy Awards history, winning best picture Sunday over the cowboy romance "Brokeback Mountain," which had been the front-runner.

"Crash," featuring a huge cast in crisscrossing story lines over a chaotic 36-hour period in Los Angeles, rode a late surge of praise that lifted it past "Brokeback Mountain," a film that had won most other key Hollywood honors.

"We are humbled by the other nominees in this category. You have made this year one of the most breathtaking and stunning maverick years in American cinema," said "Crash" producer Cathy Schulman.

Lead-acting prizes went to Philip Seymour Hoffman as author Truman Capote in "Capote" and Reese Witherspoon as country singer June Carter in "Walk the Line," while corporate thrillers earned supporting-performer Oscars for George Clooney in "Syriana" and Rachel Weisz in "The Constant Gardener."

"Brokeback Mountain" filmmaker Ang Lee did win the best-director prize for the tale of two old sheepherding pals who carry on a love affair they conceal from their families for years.

Lee, whose martial-arts epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" won the foreign-language Oscar five years ago, became the first Asian filmmaker to win Hollywood's main filmmaking honor.

"I wish I knew how to quit you," Lee told the audience crowd, reiterating the film's most-quoted line.

Witherspoon won a close race over Felicity Huffman in a gender-bending performance as a transsexual in "Transamerica."

"Oh, my goodness I never thought I'd be here in my whole life growing up in Tennessee," said Witherspoon, who like co-star Joaquin Phoenix as Carter's soul mate, country legend Johnny Cash, handled her own singing in "Walk the Line."

"People used to ask June how she was doing, and she would say I'm just trying to matter. I know what she means," said Witherspoon, who told the audience the Oscar made her feel she was doing work that matters.

Hoffman's performance nimbly straddles the magnetic qualities of raconteur Capote and the effete, off-putting egoism of the gay author.

"Wow, I'm in a category with some great, great, great actors, fantastic actors, and I'm overwhelmed. Really overwhelmed," said Hoffman, who asked the Oscar audience to congratulate his mother for bringing up four children alone.

"We're at the party, mom," Hoffman said. "Be proud mom, because I'm proud of you."

Clooney's win capped a remarkable year, during which he made Oscar history by becoming the first person nominated for acting in one movie and directing another.

Along with performing in "Syriana," Clooney directed the Edward R. Murrow tale "Good Night, and Good Luck," which earned him directing and writing nominations and was among the best-picture contenders.

In "Syriana," Clooney effaced his glamour-boy looks behind the bearded, heavyset facade of a CIA patriot who grows jaded over U.S. oil policy in the Middle East.

"All right, so I'm not winning director," the first-time winner joked, adding that an Oscar always would be synonymous with his name from then on, including in his obituary. "Oscar winner George Clooney, sexiest man alive 1997, `Batman,' died today in a freak accident."

Clooney also lauded Oscar voters for their daring.

"This group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the back of theaters," Clooney said, referring to the supporting-actress winner from "Gone With the Wind," the first black performer to receive an Oscar.

In "The Constant Gardener," adapted from John le Carre's novel, Weisz played a humanitarian-aid worker whose fearless efforts against questionable pharmaceutical practices makes her a target for government and corporate interests in Africa.

Weisz thanked co-star Ralph Fiennes and director Fernando Meirelles, "and of course, John le Carre, who wrote this unflinching, angry story. And he really paid tribute to the people who are willing to risk their own lives to fight injustice. They're greater men and women than I."

"Brokeback Mountain," which led contenders with eight nominations, lost in three acting categories ( Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Jake Gyllenhaal) but picked up the Oscar for adapted screenplay by Larry McMurtry ("Lonesome Dove") and Diana Ossana and for Gustavo Santaolalla's musical score as well as for Lee as director.

The Oscar for original screenplay went to the ensemble drama "Crash," written by the film's director, Paul Haggis, and Bobby Moresco.

The raucous hip-hop tune "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow," whose expletive-laden lyrics had to be toned down for performance at the Oscars, won the prize for best song. The song was written by the rap group Three 6 Mafia, aka Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard.

Featuring dancers dressed as hookers and pimps gyrating on stage, the song's performance stood in sharp contrast to the other nominated tunes and the general stateliness of the Oscars.

"You know what? I think it just got a little easier out here for a pimp," joked Oscar host Jon Stewart.

The stop-motion family tale "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" won the Oscar for best animated feature film.

Co-director Nick Park, who also made the hit stop-motion film "Chicken Run," thanked voice stars Helena Bonham Carter and Peter Sallis, who has done the voice of cheese-loving Brit Wallace for 23 years, since the filmmaker came up with the character in his student days.

"You've been an absolute gem, Peter, and you've sparkled all the way," Park said.

The Antarctic nature tale "March of the Penguins," a surprise smash at the box office, was honored as best documentary.

"King Kong," from "Lord of the Rings" creator Peter Jackson, won three Oscars, for visual effects, sound mixing and sound editing. The Japan drama "Memoirs of a Geisha" also earned three, for cinematography, costume design and art direction, while the fantasy epic "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was picked for best makeup.

South Africa's drama "Tsotsi," based on Athol Fugard's novel about a young hoodlum reclaiming his own humanity, won for foreign-language film, beating the controversial Palestinian terrorism saga "Paradise Now."

Clooney was one of the marquee names among a lineup of acting nominees heavy on lesser-known performers. And with a best-picture field of lower-budgeted films that drew smaller audiences than the commercial flicks that often dominate the Oscars, the question was whether Hollywood's big awards night could lure TV viewers.

Oscar organizers hoped new host Stewart and the cultural buzz over front-runner "Brokeback Mountain" would beef up viewership.

The Oscars generally lure their biggest audiences in years when blockbusters such as "Titanic" or "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" are favored to win.

"Brokeback Mountain," though, has become a phenomenon far beyond those who have actually seen it, entering the pop-culture psyche with its tale of cowboys in love (acting nominees Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal).

Stewart used best-picture nominee "Capote" to set up a "Brokeback Mountain" wisecrack, saying the film "showed America not all gay people are virile cowboys. Some are actually effete New York intellectuals. It's true."

List of Academy Award winners

Here is the list of winners at the 78th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

Picture: Crash.

Director: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain.

Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote.

Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line.

Supporting actor: George Clooney, Syriana.

Supporting actress: Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener.

Original screenplay: Crash.

Adapted screenplay: Brokeback Mountain.

Animated feature film: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Costume design: Memoirs of a Geisha.

Foreign film: Tsotsi.

Cinematography: Memoirs of a Geisha.

Film editing: Crash.

Documentary feature: March of the Penguins.

Documentary short subject: A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin.

Makeup: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Original song: It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp, from Hustle & Flow.

Original score: Brokeback Mountain.

Sound editing: King Kong.

Animated short film: The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation.

Live action short film: Six Shooter.

Art direction: Memoirs of a Geisha.

Visual effects: King Kong.

Sound mixing: King Kong.

Lifetime achievement: Director Robert Altman.

-

Oscar winners previously announced this year:

Honorary Academy Award (Oscar statuette): Robert Altman.

The Gordon E. Sawyer award for technical achievement (Oscar statuette): Gary Demos.

Review: Stewart Disappoints As Oscars Host

By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - You would have been more amused Sunday night if you'd revved up your TiVo and played back an evening's worth of "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" reruns while you tracked Oscar winners on the Web.

Stewart, usually a very funny guy, displayed a lack of beginner's luck as first-time host of "The 78th Annual Academy Awards," which ABC aired live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

His usually impeccable blend of puckishness and self-effacement fell flat in the service of Oscar. But he wasn't alone. The rest of the broadcast was largely bland and by-the-numbers.

Couldn't presenter Russell Crowe have departed from his script and clobbered someone (even Stewart) with a telephone, just to jazz things up?

Thank goodness for the occasional attempt at cleverness, as when the presenters for Best Makeup arrived on stage in foolishly awful makeup: Will Ferrell scarlet-faced and Steve Carell corpse-pale.

And in a funny bit, Tom Hanks demonstrated the Academy's new strategy for speeding up acceptance speeches. Onstage musicians not only surrounded him but physically assaulted him to keep it brief.

Wait, this wasn't too far from the truth. From the instant each Oscar recipient began speaking, the orchestra's mewling Lite-FM assault began stepping on the winner's remarks, as if to play them offstage before they'd even opened their mouths. It was distracting and obnoxious, and undercut what are, potentially, the night's grandest moments.

Also irksome: a prevailing message through the broadcast preaching that movies should be seen on the big screen of a movie house, presumably at full ticket price. (Remember, DVDs: bad.)

The broadcast began on a shaky note with a filmed intro that found past Oscar host Billy Crystal being introduced as this year's host, then declining, followed by Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Mel Gibson, even Mr. Moviephone — none of whom wanted the gig.

That seemed to leave it to Stewart by default. Maybe it's come to this.

Sure, he's an outsider — a New York-based comic and TV personality. The sort of star who reminded the audience that "tonight is the night we celebrate excellence in film — with ME, the fourth male lead from 'Death to Smoochy.'"

But as the night wore on, Stewart proved too deferential, too nice and too obvious in his targets.

His biggest monologue laugh: In reference to the swan dress that singer Bjork wore to the 2001 Oscars, Stewart announced gravely that she wouldn't be on hand this year: She "was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her." Tiresome squared.

Late in the broadcast, the flashy, high-amp hip-hop number "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" surely roused any dozing viewers. And once Three 6 Mafia members Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard had received their Oscars for Original Song, Stewart got a big laugh by observing, "I think it just got a little easier out here for a pimp."

But more typical were Stewart's misfires, one of which he tried to recover from in a desperate way unworthy of him: "I am a loser," he declared.

Not true. He's really funny. The many millions of Oscarcast viewers unfamiliar with Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" should tune in and see. If they do, that will make Stewart the biggest winner from Oscar night.

Tom cruises to Razzie Award

Actor Tom Cruise was such an irritant last year, the annual Razzie awards created a special category for “most tiresome tabloid target.”

The Razzies, a parody of Hollywood awards shows, gave out its annual prizes Saturday night, one day ahead of the Oscars.

Cruise was singled out for being a celeb that “we’re ALL sick and tired of” because of his antics in 2005 — from continually professing his love for fellow thespian Katie Holmes to criticizing psychiatry and the use of antidepressants.

Cruise made an ecstatic appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, jumping on her couch and declaring his love for Holmes. The actor then went on a television morning show and called psychiatry a “pseudo-science,” saying that mothers who suffer postpartum depression should use vitamins to combat their problem.

Cruise’s outrageous behaviour raised suspicions about whether he and Holmes were deliberately courting publicity to promote their summer films — War of the Worlds and Batman Begins.

But the biggest “winner” of the night was former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy who took four honours: worst movie of the year for Dirty Love, worst actress and worst screenplay. McCarthy’s ex-husband, John Mallory Asher, captured worst director at the mock awards show.

Dirty Love is described as a modern-day Cinderella story and grossed just $58,116 US. Written by McCarthy, the film was widely panned by critics.

“Dirty Love clings to the gutter like a rat in garbage,” said New York Times film critic Stephen Holden in his review.

Worst actor went to Rob Schneider for Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Canadian Hayden Christensen grabbed worst supporting actor in his role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Christensen was ridiculed for playing “Darth Vader as a Back Street Boy gone bad.”

Rounding out other Razzies: socialite Paris Hilton for worst supporting actress in her appearance on House of Wax, Son of the Mask as worst sequel and Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman as worst screen couple for their “less-than-bewitching chemistry in Bewitched.”

The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation toasts the worst films every year and “winners” are determined by 750 film professionals, movie journalists and film fans from the U.S. and 15 foreign countries.

'Madea' Earns $13M, Stays Atop Box Office

LOS ANGELES - "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," a comic drama from the creator of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," held off a rush of new releases to maintain the top spot at the weekend box office.

The Lionsgate Films movie raked in $13 million in its second weekend, bringing its gross to $48 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It edged out the cop thriller "16 Blocks," which debuted at No. 2 with $11.7 million. The Warner Bros. film stars Bruce Willis as an NYPD detective trying to shuffle a star witness from a precinct lockup to a grand jury session 16 blocks away.

Overall, it was a lackluster weekend performance for Hollywood, where attention was focused on the Academy Awards on Sunday. The top 12 movies took in $83.8 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year.

"Not every weekend can be a blockbuster. This weekend definitely was not," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Other new wide releases this weekend had mediocre showings. Screen Gems' sci-fi flick "Ultraviolet," starring Milla Jovovich as exacting revenge on the government after being infected with a blood disease, debuted at No. 4 with $9 million.

The 20th Century Fox teen mermaid tale "Aquamarine" opened at No. 5 with $7.5 million. Focus Features' star-studded comedy "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" came in at No. 7 with $6.5 million.

"Madea's Family Reunion," which was shot for just $6 million, is a comic drama about a slew of domestic hijinks that occur as a family prepares for a reunion. Perry wrote and directed the film and starred in three roles including the overweight, pistol-packing matriarch Madea, whom he also played in last year's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

Foreign-language Oscar nominee "Joyeux Noel" opened strongly in limited release, grossing $50,133 in six theaters, for a healthy $8,356 average.

By comparison, "16 Blocks" averaged $4,307 in 2,706 theaters; "Ultraviolet" did $3,518 in 2,558 theaters; "Aquamarine" averaged $2,986 in 2,512 theaters and "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" did $5,430 in 1,200 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," $13 million.
2. "16 Blocks," $11.7 million.
3. "Eight Below," $10.3 million.
4. "Ultraviolet," $9 million.
5. "Aquamarine," $7.5 million.
6. "The Pink Panther," $7 million.
7. "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," $6.5 million.
8. "Date Movie," $5.1 million.
9. "Curious George," $4.4 million.
10. "Firewall," $3.6 million.

'South Park' Creators Get Bolder With Age

NEW YORK - "South Park" has gotten grosser over the years — but its creators are getting away with it.

Hardly anyone raised an eyebrow five years ago when the animated show depicted the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, co-creator Trey Parker told Time magazine.

"We created a brand for ourselves, so that now people can't get mad at what we do, because then they're just making fun of themselves," said Parker, 36, as the show heads into its 10th season.

The first season was much tamer than shows of late, co-creator Matt Stone, 34, told Time.

"None of the shows we've done in the last two or three seasons could have been shown on air back in 1997," he said, Time reports in its issue hitting newsstands Monday.

Over the years, Stone and Parker have reached beyond their cartoon comfort zone to work on projects including the sitcom "That's My Bush!" and the movie "Team America: World Police." Another movie is unlikely, they said.

"We have a hungry baby we have to feed," Stone said. "'South Park' takes every idea."

Jon Stewart: won't spoil party as Oscars host

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - He is America's leading anti-establishment comic, chosen to host Hollywood's biggest insider event. But Jon Stewart knows that he dare not spoil Oscar's party.

Although he has built his career skewering politicians and the media as host of his own faux newscast on cable television, Stewart says he feels genuine empathy for the film industry elite he will entertain on Sunday in his first turn as emcee of the Academy Awards.

"I'm not going out there looking to blow the place up," Stewart said on CNN's "Larry King Live" this week. "The pressure I feel is for the ... people that are nominated ... it's their big day, and you don't want to screw up their wedding."

That's not to say that Hollywood pomp and self-importance will be off-limits to Stewart in his opening monologue.

Asked by Oprah Winfrey if he worried about ruffling feathers, the star of cable TV's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," was self-deprecating -- at first.

"If I had a movie career, I might worry about that," he said. "But what can they do to a guy who's on basic cable? Can they bump me down to public access?"

Then, jabbing at an actor who threw a phone at a hotel clerk, Stewart added: "I mean honestly, if Russell Crowe gets mad at me, it's not like I work at the hotel he's staying at."

For all his seeming nonchalance, Stewart, 43, knows the Oscars show will be seen by hundreds of million of people around the world, making it by far his biggest gig.

Just landing the job of Oscar host, one of Hollywood's most prestigious assignments, has helped fuel his transformation from cult favorite into a mainstream entertainer.

Although his late-night cable TV following averages only about 1.4 million viewers, Stewart and his show have become disproportionately influential in U.S. politics and culture. Young adults, the demographic Oscar organizers are most eager to attract in greater numbers, make up the core of his fans.

Oscar producer Gil Cates undoubtedly took all that into account when he hired Stewart, a man he calls hip and "with-it." But Cates denies any intended link between Stewart's political humor and the liberal political and social overtones in many of the films in Oscar contention this year.

Stewart was already mixing politics and the Oscars on the talk show circuit this week, alluding to the furor raised by news that the company managing several major U.S. ports was taken over by a firm owned by the Dubai government.

"It's very different this year because Pricewaterhouse (the firm that counts the Oscar ballots) was bought by a company in Dubai, so the security at this year's Oscars is going to be handled by an Arab company," he joked on "Larry King Live."

THE COMIC HAS CRITICS

Not everyone is convinced that Stewart is the ideal Academy Awards emcee.

Oscar pundit Tom O'Neil calls him "hopelessly miscast," saying Stewart's anti-establishment sensibility was likely to backfire the way comedians Chris Rock and David Letterman were widely perceived as having flopped during their turns as host.

"You don't mock the importance of the event. This isn't the MTV Music Video Awards," O'Neil said. "We expect the Oscar host to be like a beloved aunt or uncle on stage playing the ringmaster to a family reunion."

The greatest Oscar hosts have been entertainers who were "gracious Hollywood insiders," O'Neil said, citing Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal and Steve Martin.

From a commercial standpoint, however, the success of the Oscars probably hinges less on the host than on the movies being showcased by the awards. TV ratings have tended to be highest in years when the films that packed the multiplexes also figured prominently at the Oscars.

A whopping 55.2 million U.S. viewers watched in 1998 when Crystal hosted and the blockbuster "Titanic" sailed to Oscar glory. He also hosted the year before when just 40 million tuned in to see "The English Patient" win best film.

None of the five movies nominated for the top prize this year made much an impact at the box office, though the prospect of "Brokeback Mountain" becoming the first overtly gay love story named best picture has generated tremendous buzz.

And for the Oscar host, there may a joke or two or three about gay cowboys.

Johnny Cash's Vault Opens

Revelatory, stripped-down tapes from the early 1970s discovered in archive

In July 1973, Johnny Cash spent several days in the studio at his House of Cash offices in Hendersonville, Tennessee, recording songs and telling tales with just an acoustic guitar and his virile craggy baritone. He sang Tin Pan Alley hits, traditional folk and gospel tunes, new originals and favorite covers by the Louvin Brothers and Johnny Horton, among others. He recited poetry and reminisced about his teenage job as a water boy on a river-dredging crew and the hours he spent glued to the radio, loving and learning the very songs he sang in these sessions.

But Cash, who died in September 2003, never issued any of these intimate performances. The tapes were shelved at House of Cash, where they sat forgotten and undisturbed until 2004, when his son John Carter Cash asked Steve Berkowitz, senior vice president of A&R at Legacy Recordings, Sony BMG's reissue imprint, and producer Gregg Geller for help in cataloging the hundreds of reels stored at the Hendersonville office. "Periodically, I would come across a white tape box with the House of Cash label on it that said 'Johnny Cash, Personal File,'" says Geller. "My sense is he had a concept album in mind, and these tapes were the beginning of that process."

Cash's dream finally comes true with the May release of the two-CD set Personal File, compiled by Geller and featuring forty-nine previously unissued solo Cash tracks, half from July '73 and the rest from similar, later House of Cash demos made in the late Seventies and early Eighties. Personal File arrives at a peak of posthumous Cashmania, fueled by the success of the biopic Walk the Line. The single-CD compilation, The Legend of Johnny Cash, is selling more than 40,000 copies a week, according to SoundScan.

But Personal File delivers a Cash even his most devoted fans have never heard before: at the height of his career and vocal power, telling the story of his life in music, as if he were sitting across from you. "This is his 'Basement Tapes,'" says Berkowitz, "as close as you can get to him singing on the porch." There was no documentation with the original reels to suggest Cash ever submitted them to Columbia, his label at the time. But John Carter Cash recalls his dad referring to these sessions at the time of his first album with producer Rick Rubin, 1994's stripped-back American Recordings. "He talked about how he'd made a record like it in the Seventies," John says, "but nobody was interested in putting it out."

The Personal File tapes were not the only riches buried at the House of Cash, now closed. The tape archive, Geller says, "was a large walk-in closet with, I like to think, virtually every recording that ever passed through his hands," including test pressings of Cash's Sun records and publishing demos by Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. On one visit, Berkowitz noticed towers of unlabeled boxes wrapped in brown paper. Inside were multitrack audio masters from Cash's ABC TV series, The Johnny Cash Show, including unaired songs by guests such as Bill Monroe, Stevie Wonder and Derek and the Dominos. "It is extraordinary," says Berkowitz, who is planning future releases of the material (Sony owns the footage from the show). "You hear Louis Armstrong teaching Johnny to sing [Jimmie Rodgers'] 'Blue Yodel' and Ray Charles trying to teach the Carter Family to sing like the Raelettes."

The two-CD Personal File is just the beginning of what may be a long parade of releases from the Cash archives. In June, Sony is releasing Live in Denmark, a DVD of the Johnny Cash stage revue in the Seventies. And Geller says "the intent is to develop some other projects from, as we call them, 'the Hendersonville tapes.' There are other demos with his band, and there's live material."

"I knew there was treasure there," John Carter Cash says of the House of Cash trove. "But specifics -- that was the mystery of it. My father was creative until the very end of his life. He was genius wherever he went, whatever he did. Luckily, there was a place where this stuff was set aside."

Stars to Arrive at Oscars in Green Cars

DETROIT - Oscar nominees Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal and Frances McDormand are among those expected to step out of green vehicles and onto the red carpet at the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday.

In all, 25 VIPs are participating in the fourth annual "Red Carpet, Green Cars" event sponsored by Toyota Motor Corp. and the environmental organization Global Green USA. McDormand, Phoenix, Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Aniston and George Clooney are all expected to arrive at the Oscars in Toyota or Lexus hybrids, including the Toyota Prius, Lexus RX crossover and a hybrid version of the Toyota Camry, which goes on sale in May.

Event spokeswoman Kathy Kniss said the program began with just four participants in 2002, but interest in fuel-efficient vehicles has grown exponentially since then.

"There's a huge, huge following. People are flocking to the hybrids," Kniss said.

Other automakers are also getting into the act. Ford Motor Co. said Cathy Schulman, the producer of best-picture nominee "Crash," plans to arrive in a hybrid Mercury Mariner, while best-supporting-actor nominee Gyllenhaal's entourage is scheduled to show up in a Ford Excursion powered by clean-burning biodiesel.

General Motors Corp. also will be bringing VIPs to the ceremony, but its focus will be on luxury rather than fuel efficiency. GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said a fleet of 50 Cadillacs — mostly 2007 Escalade SUVs — will be used to pick up and drop off celebrities. Carney said the automaker also will run ads during the broadcast featuring GM's two other luxury brands, Hummer and Saab.

Johansson Not Holding Grudge Over Groping

LOS ANGELES - Scarlett Johansson wasn't amused when fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi groped her on the red carpet at January's Golden Globe Awards, but she's willing to forgive him.

"It was definitely in poor taste," Johansson said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times. "I'd been prepping for two hours with hair and makeup and getting dressed. And the first interview I do, someone who I have never met before fondles me for his own satisfaction."

Mizrahi, who was doing pre-show interviews for the E! cable channel, created a flap when he groped Johansson's breast, asked Eva Longoria about her pubic hair and peeked down Teri Hatcher's dress.

"Mostly, I was thinking, 'Oh, my God. This is happening on live TV,'" Johansson recalled, adding she didn't buy the openly gay designer's explanation that he was trying to determine how her dress was put together.

"Like he doesn't know how a dress works," the 21-year-old actress said.

But the star of such films as "Match Point" and "Lost in Translation" said she isn't holding a grudge.

"I'm not mad at him," Johansson said. "I think he's a guy that's starting his TV career and he's making a bit of an exciting moment for himself. I can't be angry at him."

Mizrahi, who is scheduled to be on the red carpet at Sunday's Academy Awards, told The Associated Press last month he has no plans to tone down his act.

Johansson, who doesn't plan to attend the Oscar show, said she won't go out of her way to avoid him at future red carpet events.

"I can take care of myself," she said. "I'm from New York."

Will Small Films Draw Big Oscars Audience?

NEW YORK - Teresa Lady, a secretary in Indianapolis, has seen only one of this year's five best-picture Academy Award nominees — "Brokeback Mountain." Luckily, she has other reasons for tuning in to Sunday night's Oscarcast.

"I like looking at their clothes," said Lady, 54. "And the actors can get kind of crazy on there. I think it's interesting to see how they behave."

If trends hold, this year's Oscars could be one of the lowest-rated telecasts yet. Ratings are always highest when a blockbuster is in contention, such as "Titanic," the highest-grossing film of all time. But this year's slate contains no blockbusters, and they mainly deal with dark, difficult themes.

Last year, just over 42 million people watched "Million Dollar Baby" win, about 1.4 million fewer than the year before, when the more popular "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" swept the awards. By contrast, more than 55 million people watched "Titanic" win in 1998.

"I think there's a lot of anxiety on the part of the academy," said Kim Masters, an author and entertainment reporter for National Public Radio. "They fear that these movies are small, and people won't care."

And yet, it seems there will always be reasons that people tune into the Oscars. It is, after all, the country's second-largest televised attraction, after the Super Bowl. And it IS the Super Bowl of show business.

"People mostly see it as a sporting event," said Tom O'Neil, who writes about the Oscars for the Web site theenvelope.com. "In a way, it doesn't matter if they've seen the movies. They watch it so they can win their office betting pools. They watch it to see stars make fool of themselves, or show their insecurities by gushing: `You LIKE me!'"

That was Sally Field in 1983.

Then there was the streaker who rushed past David Niven in 1974. A year earlier, Marlon Brando sent a woman who identified herself as Sasheen Littlefeather to refuse his Oscar for "The Godfather."

And then, there is the deliciously perverse pleasure that comes from watching big stars on the edge of their seats, waiting to see whether they win or lose, and catching that flash of disappointment across a loser's face before he or she recovers for the cameras. (Remember Bill Murray's face in 2004 when he lost to Sean Penn.)

"It's the ultimate reality TV," O'Neil said.

And there's the speechifying.

"Sometimes you get to see some politics in the speeches, and that can be interesting," said John Leyva, 55, visiting Louisville, Ky., from Las Vegas. "It's very entertaining." For fans like him, a memorable moment was Michael Moore's "Shame on you, Mr. Bush" speech in 2004.

This year, "Brokeback Mountain," Ang Lee's saga of gay cowboys, has had such a cultural impact — the endless articles, the jokes, the spoofs — that even people who haven't seen the film probably will want to see what happens.

Laura Cheshire, an advertising director in New York City, said the film has spawned "a cultural phenomenon that's more important than the movie itself."

Another point of interest this year is the new host: Jon Stewart, star of the Emmy and Peabody award-winning "The Daily Show."

"If for no other reason, I'd watch it just for that," said Jennifer Bowman, 35, a lawyer from Portland, Ore.

And part of the fun always is finding a fashion faux pas. Everyone's looking for that crazy, over-the-top outfit that will provoke watercooler conversation on Monday. Who, for example, could forget the swan dress that Bjork wore to the 2001 Oscars? Or the Bob Mackie Mohawk headdress that Cher wore in 1986?

"People try to be hideous, and it's fun," said Michael Gaubatz, 50, of Jeffersonville, Ind.

Though he's seen three of the nominated pictures — "Capote," "Brokeback" and "Crash" — he said the clothes are his favorite part of the Oscars.

Then again, outfits are a lot less hideous these days now that the stars have all hired stylists. Now, an actress will likely be dressed carefully in a pastel-colored goddess gown — and a viewer can only hope that someone will lose their senses.

Of course, some people simply aren't interested in the Oscars.

Robert Shannon of Louisville, Ky., said he hadn't seen any of the nominated films, and that his moviegoing habits aren't affected by awards anyway. So Shannon, 54, will be doing something different on Oscar night.

"I've been cutting back on TV lately," he said.

Alba Demands Playboy Pull Magazines

LOS ANGELES - Jessica Alba is demanding that Playboy pull its March issue, saying she didn't agree to be on the cover and that the image may mislead readers into thinking she appears nude or partially nude in the magazine.

The cover shows the 24-year-old actress in a bikini, next to the headline "25 Sexiest Celebrities." Besides demanding that Playboy stop distributing the March issue, Alba is asking for "monetary settlement" for damages to her reputation and career.

In a Feb. 23 letter obtained by The Smoking Gun Web site, Alba's lawyers told Playboy the magazine used a photo of Alba meant to promote the movie "Into the Blue" without her consent. Sony Pictures, which owns the image, sent a separate letter alleging that Playboy initially offered to pay Alba to pose for the cover of the issue. When her publicist refused, Playboy resorted to using "false pretenses" to obtain the promotional shot, according to the letter.

"Playboy has violated my personal rights and blatantly misled the public who might think I had given them permission to put me on the cover when I didn't," Alba said in a statement.

A Playboy spokeswoman said Alba was placed on the cover after being chosen "sexiest star of the year" by its readers.

"Our editors assembled photographs of the top 25 vote getters for our annual '25 Sexiest Celebrity' feature, and we put her on the cover based on the poll results," spokeswoman Lauren Malone said.

Academy Award nominations list

Here is the complete list of the 78th annual Oscar nominations announced Tuesday in Beverly Hills, Calif., by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:

1. Best Picture: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Munich."

2. Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"; Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"; Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"; Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"; David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck."

3. Actress: Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"; Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"; Keira Knightley, "Pride & Prejudice"; Charlize Theron, "North Country"; Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line."

4. Supporting Actor: George Clooney, "Syriana"; Matt Dillon, "Crash"; Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"; Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"; William Hurt, "A History of Violence."

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "Junebug"; Catherine Keener, "Capote"; Frances McDormand, "North Country"; Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"; Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain."

6. Director: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"; Bennett Miller, "Capote"; Paul Haggis, "Crash"; George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Steven Spielberg, "Munich."

7. Foreign Film: "Don't Tell," Italy; "Joyeux Noel," France; "Paradise Now," Palestine; "Sophie Scholl -- The Final Days," Germany; "Tsotsi," South Africa.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, "Brokeback Mountain"; Dan Futterman, "Capote"; Jeffrey Caine, "The Constant Gardener"; Josh Olson, "A History of Violence"; Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, "Munich."

9. Original Screenplay: Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco, "Crash"; George Clooney & Grant Heslov, "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Woody Allen, "Match Point"; Noah Baumbach, "The Squid and the Whale"; Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Howl's Moving Castle"; "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride"; "Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

11. Art Direction: "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "King Kong," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Pride & Prejudice."

12. Cinematography: "Batman Begins," "Brokeback Mountain," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "The New World."

13. Sound Mixing: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "King Kong," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Walk the Line," "War of the Worlds."

14. Sound Editing: "King Kong," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "War of the Worlds."

15. Original Score: "Brokeback Mountain," Gustavo Santaolalla; "The Constant Gardener," Alberto Iglesias; "Memoirs of a Geisha," John Williams; "Munich," John Williams; "Pride & Prejudice," Dario Marianelli.

16. Original Song: "In the Deep" from "Crash," Kathleen "Bird" York and Michael Becker; "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from "Hustle & Flow," Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard; "Travelin' Thru" from "Transamerica," Dolly Parton.

17. Costume: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Mrs. Henderson Presents," "Pride & Prejudice," "Walk the Line."

18. Documentary Feature: "Darwin's Nightmare," "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," "March of the Penguins," "Murderball," "Street Fight."

19. Documentary (short subject): "The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club," "God Sleeps in Rwanda," "The Mushroom Club," "A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin."

20. Film Editing: "Cinderella Man," "The Constant Gardener," "Crash," "Munich," "Walk the Line."

21. Makeup: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Cinderella Man," "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

22. Animated Short Film: "Badgered," "The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation," "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello," "9," "One Man Band."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Ausreisser (The Runaway)," "Cashback," "The Last Farm," "Our Time Is Up," "Six Shooter."

24. Visual Effects: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "King Kong," "War of the Worlds." More to come....

Academy Award winners previously announced this year:

Honorary Award (Oscar statuette): Robert Altman.

The Gordon E. Sawyer award (Oscar statuette): Gary Demos.

Dan's Predicts

Below are the predictions I made when the nominations for the 78th Annual Academy Awards were announced on January 31st.

As I have closely followed the races over the last few weeks one thing became clear: these predictions are still who I think The Academy will give the Oscars to.

Yes, there is the chance that there will be a sweep by BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN in every category, and that means Michelle Williams wins for Best Supporting Actress, and Heath Ledger for Best Actor, but I am just not convinced that homophobic Hollywood will let this film sweep the Awards the same way THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS did.

There is also the chance that Amy Adams performance in JUNEBUG and Terrence Howard in HUSTLE & FLOW are just too unforgettable for the Academy to ignore.

And, there is also the chance that the votes for Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman cancel each other out and thus Joaquin Phoenix takes the Oscar for Best Actor.

There are all those chances - and others - of upsets, and Hollywood does love to give it's actors the Directing Oscar (meaning Clooney wins over Ang Lee), but as I look back on the way the votes should go using the past few decades as examples, and the reasons I have indicated below, I think the people I predicted would win on January 31st will still win.

So, I stand by them.

And if they lose, well then, I hope someone deserving wins!

Enjoy the Oscars!

-------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Predicts

The Oscar won't actually be given out until March 5th, but if they were given out today, here are the people that I (Dan Reynish) think would win in the Six Major categories.

These predictions are based on industry buzz, the way the nominees have been acting during Hollywood's annual awards season, who has won either a SAG or Golden Globe award, and finally, on the performance in or of the film.

Best Picture
Brokeback Mountain - All the buzz remains behind this film. CRASH has some headlines, but the buzz is all about BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote - WALK THE LINE is selling lots of DVDs and Terrence Howard has a nice groundswell of support, but Hoffman's performance is just head and shoulders above everyone else's that - barring a BROKEBACK sweep he is a lock to win.

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line - Remember the year Julia Roberts won, well now it is Reese's turn.

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man - Had he only been nominated for SIDEWAYS last year...but he wasn't, so this Oscar is his.

Best Supporting Actress
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener - She was the only thing worth watching in an unwatchable movie, and with all of the previous acting awards to her credit, she wins and thanks Ralph FInes for being "Every actor's dream to work with."

Best Director
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain - I believe in all of my predictions, but this is the evening's one sure bet!

'Entourage' Gang Dishes on Fame and Family

The team behind the Hollywood hit reflects on the HBO comedy's true message at the Paley Festival

"Entourage," the HBO comedy about a group of friends flying by the seat of their pants in the face of Hollywood fame, is, apparently, flying by the seat of its pants creatively as well.

Facing questions about the show's upcoming 20-episode third season, "Entourage" creator Doug Ellin repeatedly told the crowd at the Museum of Television and Radio's annual Paley Festival that he's usually too busy trying to get each individual episode right to know where the series is going long-term. Even when the crowd at the Wednesday (March 1) event tried to compliment Ellin on the show's richer second season, he would barely take credit.

"There was definitely no design to make it more full in the second season, but the first season I had really no idea what I was doing," Ellin says.

Among the things that Ellin admitted happened by chance include last season's extended "Aquaman" arc, in which rising star Vinnie Chase (Adrian Grenier) scored the lead in James Cameron's film version of the comic franchise. What could have been a toss-off joke, took up a season's worth of negotiations, training and screen tests, a plausible production instead of a joke.

"When you think of the movie 'Aquaman,' it sounds kind of bad," Ellin notes, "But when you go 'James Cameron's Aquaman' ..."

While the show concentrates mostly on wheeling and dealing, on the perks and pains of success, the show's team swears that's not really what it's about.

"I think it's about friendship and loyalty," insists director/producer Julian Farino.

Ellin adds, "The show from the get-go was really supposed to be closer to 'Diner' or 'Swingers' than 'The Player.'"

That hasn't stopped the show from accumulating industry support. Ellin can't say much about what's coming up in Season Three, but he mentions cameos from Martin Landau and James Woods (as himself). And, through the Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold character, "Entourage" will continue to pay the strangest sort of homage to one of its biggest fans, power agent Ari Emanuel.

"Shockingly, I think he's flattered. He loves it," says 2005 Emmy nominee Piven. "Apparently he's using our quotes in his daily life, which is frightening."

Piven, veteran of a number of television shows on both networks and cable, is just very grateful for the patience and enthusiasm that HBO has shown for "Entourage," which is able to draw huge crowds in Tinseltown, but may be slower to find an audience away from the entertainment hubs.

"The networks don't do that," Piven says. "They all operating from fear that people will lose their jobs if they don't get certain ratings."

The show's extra irony (or coincidence) is that when "Entourage" premiered, most of the actors were relative unknowns playing breaking stars and that their own lives have started to catch up.

"It's almost like I've relived Season One," says Grenier, who had initial reservations about coming on as Vinnie, only a minor character in the early drafts of the pilot. "Reality informs our everyday work and later on, visa versa."

Springsteen Honors Spirit of Pete Seeger

LOS ANGELES - Pete Seeger will have an extra gift when he celebrates his birthday this spring, a new album by rock superstar Bruce Springsteen that was inspired by and named for the folk music legend.

"We Shall Overcome The Seeger Sessions" is scheduled for release April 25, Columbia Records announced Thursday. Seeger, the dean of American folk singers, turns 87 on May 3.

The album will feature Springsteen's interpretations of 13 traditional folk songs that have been associated for decades with Seeger. Among them are "Jessie James," "John Henry," "Jacob's Ladder," "Shenandoah" and the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome."

The "Born to Run" rocker said it shouldn't come as a surprise that he chose folk music for his first album of cover songs. Much of his own writing, he said, "comes straight out of the folk tradition."

"Making this album was creatively liberating because I have a love of all those different roots sounds," Springsteen said. "They can conjure up a world with just a few notes and a few words."

Columbia said Springsteen plans a short U.S. and European tour to accompany the album's release. Dates will be announced later.

Mischa Barton Eyed For "Supergirl"

Mischa Barton is getting lots of attention these days, and now Warner Bros. wants to feature the fast-rising star as "Supergirl." Cinemablend.com reports the 20-year-old beauty might soon be flying onto the big-screen with some of that kryptonian kismet, when "Superman Returns" has primed moviegoers. With the anticipation building for the superhero summer blockbuster, producers will watch "Returns" closely at the box-office. If audiences approve of director Bryan Singer's new film starring Brandon Routh, expect history to repeat itself with a re-make of the 1984 Superman spin-off, which starred Helen Slater. In the meantime Barton will be staying busy having just wrapped the romantic adventure "Decameron: Angels & Virgins" and will star in the supernatural/thriller "Hexx" after "Closing the Ring" with Shirley McClaine.

Alba Plays Hardball with "Playboy"

Jessica Alba is not feeling particularly playful about her unwitting role as a Playboy cover girl.

The Sin City star, whose bikini-clad bod graces the cover of the nudie mag's March issue, is threatening to sue the publication for using her image for commercial purposes without her consent and causing "immeasurable harm" to her reputation and career.

Earlier this week, Alba's legal team at celeb-friendly firm Lavely & Singer fired off a strongly worded legal missive to Playboy Enterprises, accusing Hugh Hefner et al of making it seem like she appears in a "nude or semi-nude pictorial" within the pages of the magazine.

In the letter, available for viewing at the Smoking Gun Website, Alba's attorney, Brian Wolf, claims that the actress was approached by the magazine about posing for photos in connection with an article on Hollywood's 25 sexiest celebrities, but that she refused the offer and denied Playboy permission to use her picture.

Despite Alba's flat-out rejection, her lawyer alleges that Playboy went ahead and obtained a publicity photo of the Into the Blue star under false pretenses by telling Columbia Pictures that the actress had approved the use of the photo, which then wound up on the cover of the bunny-eared publication.

According to Wolf's letter, Alba's outrage stems in part from the potential injustice visited upon Playboy readers who might be duped into purchasing the plastic-sealed magazine because of the misleading insinuation that she trades her bathing suit for her birthday suit within its pages.

"In featuring Ms. Alba's photograph on the cover of Playboy's March issue, it is clear that Playboy's intent was to create a false belief and/or expectation among the public that Ms. Alba voluntarily appeared in the nude, or semi-nude and that a revealing pictorial of her in contained in Playboy's March issue," Wolf fumes.

On behalf of his wronged client, Wolf demands that Playboy "cease and desist" from distributing the offending issue of the magazine and shell out an as-yet undetermined monetary settlement to Alba to compensate her for the damage wrought upon her "good name, reputation and career."

He also requests that Playboy turn over any profits from the sale of its Alba issue to the reluctant cover girl.

The magazine's allegedly unauthorized use of Alba's photo also earned a stern rebuke from Sony Pictures' legal department, which expressed "dismay and anger over the outrageous, unethical behavior utilized by Playboy personnel" to obtain the cover shot.

While Sony has reserved the right to take legal action against the magazine, for now, the studio simply wants an apology and the assurance that Playboy won't resort to similar shenanigans in the future.

When she's not busy defending her modesty, Alba has a busy production slate ahead of her, as she prepares to return for sequels to both The Fantastic Four and Sin City.

She recently wrapped filming on the upcoming thrilled Awake, in which she stars opposite Hayden Christensen. The film is slated for a fall release.

Pearl Jam Releasing New Studio Album

SEATTLE - Seattle rock band Pearl Jam announced Wednesday that it will release its eighth studio album — and first since 2002 — in early May.

The self-titled CD is also its first release on its new label, J Records.

The album's first single, "World Wide Suicide," will be made available to radio stations March 8, and the same day the song will be available as a free download from the band's Web site, http://www.pearljam.com.

Tour dates in support of "Pearl Jam" will be announced later this month, the band said in a news release.

Pearl Jam was formed in 1991 and rose to prominence during the Northwest's early 1990s grunge movement. The band has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide.

'West Wing' Alums to Return for Show's End

NEW YORK - A flock of alumni of NBC's "The West Wing" will return to reprise their roles one last time for the White House drama's final episodes, the network announced Tuesday.

Rob Lowe will come back as Sam Seaborn, the senior political official he played from 1999-2003. Lowe was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in 2001.

Mary-Louise Parker, who now stars on Showtime's "Weeds," will return as women's-rights advocate Amy Gardner, who in years past has had an on-again-off-again romance with presidential adviser Josh Lyman ( Bradley Whitford).

Also bringing back their characters: Anna Deavere Smith, Emily Proctor, Marlee Matlin, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson, Timothy Busfield and Annabeth Gish.

"West Wing," starring Martin Sheen as President Jeb Bartlet, has five episodes remaining before going off the air for good after seven seasons. The program airs Sundays (8 p.m. EST).

This year's story line has featured a presidential race between candidates played by Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits. NBC promises that the election will be decided before the series disappears.

The show's alumni will appear on one or more of the final episodes, but not necessarily the finale, which will air May 14. Aaron Sorkin, who created the show in 1999 and served as executive producer until 2003, will not be returning to aid in the finale, NBC said.

Oscars viewers to hear word "bitches" in song

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - There will be no F-word but the word "bitches" will be heard during the first-ever rap performance at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

At the request of the Academy and ABC, which is broadcasting the Oscars show, the authors of best song nominee "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the film "Hustle & Flow" have substituted less offensive words for the song's profanity-laced lyrics.

"As long as the Academy approves it, it's cool," said rapper Jordan "Juicy J" Houston, a member of Three 6 Mafia, which wrote the song for the film and will be performing it.

But he said he was told by actress Taraji P. Henson, who performed the song in the film, and will sing onstage with Three 6 Mafia, that the show's producers were letting her keep the word "bitches," in the chorus. "Taraji said the Academy told her she can say 'bitches,"' said Houston.

A spokesman for Gil Cates, the producer of the Oscars telecast, confirmed that the word "bitches" was not one of the words changed by the nominated artists.

In another flap over lyrics a few years ago, actor-comedian Robin Williams performed a cleaned-up version of "Blame Canada" the off-color, Oscar-nominated song from the animated "South Park" movie during the Oscars telecast, replacing the f-word with a lesser f-word that means an expulsion of intestinal gas.

After being asked to perform the pimp song at the 78th Academy Awards, Houston, along with fellow songwriters, Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard and Cedric "Frayser Boy" Coleman, combed through the tune, line by line, substituting various words to make the lyrics meet ABC's broadcast standards.

The song portrays the life of a hustler in the inner city of Three 6 Mafia's home town, Memphis, Tennessee,

"We know there will be children watching and we want it to be family-friendly," Houston told Reuters.

While rapper Eminem won the best song Oscar in 2003 for "Lose Yourself" from the film "8 Mile," he skipped the ceremony and the song was not performed.

Some industry analysts have suggested the Academy is hoping to reach a younger demographic by putting rap on the show.

Aaron Rosenberg, lawyer for Three 6 Mafia, said it was a milestone for the Academy to recognize hip-hop's influence on American culture and the group is extremely sensitive to decency concerns after the baring of Janet Jackson's breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

"They worked hard to clean it up as much as possible without compromising their artistic integrity," he said.

Just in case, ABC is also expected to use a five-second delay to aid network censors.

Chappelle Said Unhappy With Network Plans

DAYTON, Ohio - Comedian Dave Chappelle says he may never return to his hit Comedy Central show if the cable network goes through with plans to air new episodes culled from material he filmed before leaving the series.

"I feel like it's kind of a bully move," Chappelle told the Dayton Daily News in a telephone interview for a story Wednesday. "That's just how I feel about it. I don't know if that's the case. But if people don't watch it, then I'd be more than happy."

Last May, Chappelle stunned his fans and the entertainment industry by skipping out on a $50 million contract and leaving "Chappelle's Show" in mid-production. He spent two weeks in South Africa before returning home to his farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio. He has since resumed performing live standup.

Chappelle said his possible return to "Chappelle's Show" is still up in the air.

"But I think if they air that stuff, I can't see how I'm going to be able to," he told the Daily News. "That will damage our relationship."

Comedy Central has said in the past it plans to air the material, but wouldn't comment on any current specific plans.

"We are still waiting patiently for Dave to return to work, but we know that our viewers are looking forward to seeing the material he produced for the third season," Comedy Central said in a written statement.

Chappelle was scheduled to do a standup show and attend the premiere of his new movie "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" in the Dayton area Wednesday.