'Batwoman' revived as a lesbian

NEW YORK (AP) - Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closet.

DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year. The five-foot-10 superhero comes with flowing red hair, knee-high red boots with spiked heels, and a form-fitting black outfit.

"We decided to give her a different point of view," explained Dan DiDio, vice-president and executive editor at DC. "We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family. That's one of the reasons we went in this direction."

The original Batwoman was started in 1956, and killed off in 1979. The new character will share the same name as her original alter ego, Kathy Kane. And the new Batwoman arrives with ties to others in the Gotham City world.

"She's a socialite from Gotham high society," DiDio said. "She has some past connection with Bruce Wayne. And she's also had a past love affair with one of our lead characters, Renee Montoya."

Montoya, in the 52 comic book series, is a former police detective. Wayne, of course, is Batman's true identity - but he has disappeared, along with Superman and Wonder Woman, leaving Gotham a more dangerous place.

The 52 series is a collaboration of four acclaimed writers, with one episode per week for one year. The comics will introduce other diverse characters as the story plays out.

"This is not just about having a gay character," DiDio said. "We're trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We're trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world."

The outing of Batwoman created a furor of opinions on websites devoted to DC Comics. Opinions ranged from outrage to approval. Others took a more tongue-in-cheeck approach to the announcement.

"Wouldn't ugly people as heroes be more groundbreaking?" asked one poster. "You know, 200-pound woman, man with horseshoe hair loss pattern, people with cold sores, etc.?"

DiDio asked that people wait until the new Batwoman's appearance in the series before they pass judgment.

"You know what? Judge us by the story and character we create," he said. "We are confident that we are telling a great story with a strong, complex character."

DiDio spent most of the morning fielding phone calls from media intrigued by the Batwoman reinvention.

"It's kind of weird," he said. "We had a feeling it would attract some attention, but we're a little surprised it did this much."

Dixie Chicks dominate album charts

The Dixie Chicks' latest disc took a short cut to No. 1 on the Canadian album charts this week.

The trio's seventh album, "Taking the Long Way," debuted in the top spot with sales of just under 40,000 copies, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.

"Long Way," the Dixie Chicks' first No. 1 album in Canada, topped the first-week sales of the previous studio disc "Home," which checked in at No. 2 with 21,000 in sales back in September of 2002.

The Dixie Chicks also grabbed the No. 1 spot south of the border, selling 525,000 copies of "Long Way" in the U.S. They are now the first female group to have their first three albums premiere at the top of the charts stateside.

Back in Canada, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stadium Arcadium" (15,000) was relegated to the No. 2 position, while former Blink-182 singer Tom DeLonge's new band Angels & Airwaves came in at No. 2 with their debut effort, "We Don't Need To Whisper" (14,000).

Shakira's "Oral Fixation Vol. 2." remained at No. 4, James Blunt's "Back to Bedlam" slipped two notches to No. 5, Tool's "10,000 Days" sank four to No. 6, and Rihanna's "Girl Like Me" dropped from 5-7.

Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere," buoyed by the mad success of their single "Crazy," made their first top 10 appearance at No. 8, Michael Buble's "It's Time" occupied the No. 9 position, and Crazy Frog's "Crazy Hits" moved from No. 11 to No. 10.

Other notable debuts included the WWE compilation "Wreckless Intent" at No. 11, Def Leppard's covers disc "Yeah!" at No. 13, and the American Idol collection "Season 5" at No. 14.

In the U.S., Disney's "High School Musical" placed second (175,000), followed by the American Idol collection in third, Angels & Airwaves in fourth, and the Chili Peppers in fifth.

'Superman' Will Fly Into Theaters Early

Superhero flick opts for Wednesday premiere

This news many not necessarily change your end-of-June plans, but Warner Brothers has bumped up the release of "Superman Returns" by two days.

Instead of taking flight on movie screens everywhere on Friday, June 30, Bryan Singer's reboot of the superhero franchise will now open on Wednesday, June 28, extending the potential franchise pic's release through the protracted July 4th weekend.

"We were always considering this an option," Dan Fellman, WB's president of domestic distribution tells Variety. "I'm glad that we are in position to do it and take advantage of the summer holiday playtime."

The trade paper reports that the studio had long hoped to have "Superman Returns," which stars Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey and newcomer Brandon Routh, in theaters by the Wednesday, but there had been some internal questions regarding the completion of prints, particularly those for the movie's IMAX run.

Now, though, "Superman Returns" is set up for an open playing field from the end of June through the July 4th holiday, which falls on a Tuesday. For that period, "Superman" will face only counterprogramming from Fox's "The Devil Wears Prada."

More competition is expected on July 7th with the release of Sony's "Little Man," as well as "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" from Disney.

FEY'S DAYS AT 'SNL' UNCERTAIN

Tine Fey may not have a future on "Saturday Night Live."

An "SNL" spokesman said yesterday that Fey "has not yet made a decision" on whether she'll stay with the show as head writer and co-anchor of "Weekend Update" - or leave to focus on her new sitcom, "30 Rock," premiering this fall on NBC.

Fey created "30 Rock" and will co-star with Alec Baldwin, "SNL" alum Tracy Morgan and current "SNL"-er Rachel Dratch.

She'll also executive-produce and write the show, leaving her precious little time to devote to her weekly gig anchoring "Weekend Update."

Us Weekly reports in this week's issue that Fey will leave "SNL" to focus on "30 Rock" - and quotes a source confirming her departure from NBC's late-night comedy franchise.

"That's why she wore the T-shirt that said 'Thank You' during the closing credits of the [May 20] season finale of 'SNL,' " the source tells Us Weekly.

"She wore it. That's about it," the show's spokesman said regarding Fey's T-shirt.

NBC has high hopes for "30 Rock," one of its two fall shows - along with Aaron Sorkin's drama, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" - that will examine life behind-the-scenes on a network TV show.

On "30 Rock," airing Wednesdays, Fey will play Liz Lemon, the head writer of a New York-based TV variety show ("The Girly Show"), who's dealing with unpredictable co-stars and a "demanding" network boss (played by frequent "SNL" host Baldwin).

"In this bold, star-studded comedy, anything can happen!" trumpets NBC on its Web site.

Fey, 36, joined "SNL" in 1997 and was made head writer in 1999 - the first woman in the show's history to hold that title.

She's been anchoring "Weekend Update" with Amy Poehler, who re placed Jimmy Fallon in 2004.

Fey, who's married to musician Jeff Richmond, took some time off from "SNL" last season after giving birth to the cou ple's first child, Alice.

Wiseman Says "Die Hard 4?"

Yippee-ki-yay, Len Wiseman?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the director of the fantasy-horror thriller Underworld and its sequel, Underworld: Evolution, is in talks to take the helm of Die Hard: 4 for 20th Century Fox.

Bruce Willis is once again set to reprise his role as wise-cracking New York cop John McClane, stuck in yet another impossible situation. This time around, the plot will find our aging tough-as-nails action hero coming out of retirement to battle terrorist baddies looking to wreak havoc on the Internet.

The script, written by Mark Bomback and Doug Richardson, was originally called Die Hard 4.0, but is expected to receive a new title in the vein of the third installment, 1995's Die Hard With A Vengeance.

Per the trade, producer Arnold Rifkin was looking for up-and-coming talent to revive the franchise and Wiseman fit the bill, having made his directing debut with 2003's stylish Underworld, which told the nightmarish tale of a war between vampires and werewolves. Both the film and its follow-up starred Kate Beckinsale, whom Wiseman married.

A rep for Fox was unavailable to comment on the report and there's no word on additional casting yet. The studio has remained tightlipped about development on Die Hard 4 since the project was first revealed back in 2002.

For his part, the 51-year-old Willis previously vowed never to do another sequel, jokingly asking during media interviews for the last chapter how much misery McClane can take as he gets himself mixed up with one diabolical criminal conspiracy after another.

1988's Die Hard, directed by John McTiernan and considered one of the defining action movies of the '80s, saw the character take on terrorist mastermind, Hans Gruber ( Alan Rickman), and stop him from robbing the vaults of a Japanese corporation in a Los Angeles skyscraper.

1990's sequel, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, helmed by Renny Harlin, saw McClane foiling a plot by mercenaries to take over an airport to free a drug dealer.

And finally, Die Hard With a Vengeance, with McTiernan at the reigns again, put McClane in a cat-and-mouse game with Gruber's bomber brother, Simon, around New York as he attempts to rob the federal bank.

All told, the combined worldwide gross of all three films have topped $1 billion, not including millions more raked in from video and DVD sales.

If all goes well, Die Hard 4 could hit the big screen by summer 2007.

Dixie Chicks return to No. 1 on charts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Despite a cool reception from country radio, the Dixie Chicks returned to No. 1 on the pop and country charts with their first album since publicly criticizing the president three years ago.

The album "Taking the Long Way" took the top spot on country albums chart and the Billboard 200 overall chart — which are based on sales rather than radio airplay — with 526,000 units sold in its first full week.

For the year, the Chicks' first-week showing is behind only Rascal Flatts' "Me and My Gang" (722,000 units), according to Wade Jessen, director of Billboard's country charts.

The new album hit stores May 23, and its first-week sales are the trio's best since "Home" sold 780,000 units in its first week of release in September 2000.

First-week sales on "Taking the Long Way" were better than Toby Keith's "White Trash With Money" (330,000) and Tim McGraw's "Greatest Hits Vol. 2: Reflected" (242,000).

Country radio programmers have been slow to embrace the group since lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003 on the eve of the war in Iraq that the group was ashamed President Bush was from their home state of Texas.

Back in the U.S., their music was boycotted and the Chicks said they received death threats, leading them to install metal detectors at their shows.

CBC program boss optimistic about future

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's private TV broadcasters may be enjoying a cash cow right now by importing top-rated U.S. series like Desperate Housewives and Lost and substituting their own commercials.

But all that could end within five years as technology allows consumers to download episodes directly through the Internet or via podcasts, says CBC Television's new top programming executive.

And that's when a public broadcaster, with a prime-time grid packed with attractive domestic content, will become much more important, says Kirstine Layfield.

"This has happened overseas," she says. "Those technologies are so much more advanced there, there's much more globalization of programming (and) the public broadcasters got stronger."

Layfield concedes CTV has done very well for itself while the CBC has suffered ratings and budgetary shortfalls. But the former executive in charge of content for the Alliance Atlantis suite of specialty channels seems determined to put the most optimistic face on her decision to move from the private to the public sector.

She insists that, despite being told by some that she must be crazy, to be the executive director of English programming at the CBC is a "dream come true" because there are no shareholders to take money out of the company.

"Every dollar of revenue that comes in here will be put to a purpose that will show up on the screen," she says. "This is not a margin business here."

And with evidence that U.S sources may some day soon be selling a lot more of their content directly to the public through new technology platforms, Layfield heads up a whole new team of programming executives at the CBC who plan to ramp up production on homegrown fare starting this fall. With some 150 hours of prime-time domestic entertainment on the air this past season, the plan calls for 175 hours in the 2006-2007 season and 250 hours by 2008.

"In the end, people want to hear about themselves, and they want to hear indigenous stories and they want to see themselves. So it can be an opportunity to turn it around."

And Layfield, ever the optimist, dismisses the reality that the CBC's ratings are in the dumpster after such disasters as a lost hockey season and last fall's morale-destroying employee lockout, to say nothing of the continued absence of a strong, long-term financial commitment from a minority federal government.

To that end, Layfield and her team have already dumped the keystone strategy of her predecessor Slawko Klymkiw, who believed in a strong emphasis on so-called "high impact" programming, that is, movies of the week and miniseries, not regular series. But with the dismal ratings performance of Trudeau 2, and with the cancellation of highly respected but little-watched series like Da Vinci's City Hall and This Is Wonderland, it's natural to wonder about the source of Layfield's optimism and just what kind of programming is coming down the pipe that will work for a change.

But she seems to agree with the unions that represent TV actors and crews that it's series, not one-shot dramas, that will draw in and hold the viewers.

"I think that kind of tentpole strategy of big events is a great strategy to have. It worked at the time when it was being implemented. But eventually when you have such tight resources as we have here you have to populate the rest of the schedule."

The CBC will unveil its new season at a media event June 15 and, apart from a new series from Da Vinci creator Chris Haddock called Intelligence, and Marc Starowicz' much-talked-about epic history of hockey, Layfield is revealing little of her programming plans till then.

She won't indicate whether three potential series, Cheap Draft, Rabbittown and This Space For Rent, will make the cut, but she is clear that a previous practice of airing pilot episodes of such shows to test the public's pulse is out the window. The trio of pilots aired in January.

Layfield also believes the CBC has been getting a bum rap in the media for the way it handled recent cancellations.

"West Wing in the States is sent off with a fond farewell," she notes. "Here it's "CBC AXES Da Vinci!"

Meanwhile, how will the CBC produce and finance so many promised hours of Cancon?

Part of the strategy involved Layfield and company embarking on a recent 2 1/2-week, 10-city tour of the country during which they talked not only to regional staff but private sector producers. Although one prominent producer dismissed the endeavour as a 'dog and pony show', Layfield says meeting with 1,600 potential production partners was a great reaching-out experience.

"We're saying we're a new team, we have a different attitude. It's a different time," she explains.

"I think producers, although skeptical because I think they always will be, in the end have told us 'We'll give it a shot'."

Joining Layfield on the new program executive team are Fred Fuchs in charge of A&E content, Sally Cato as creative head of drama and Starowicz as head of documentary programming.

XM says suspending some radio sales

NEW YORK (Reuters) - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said on Tuesday that it is suspending the sale of two products and reviewing others after a U.S. regulator said the devices exceeded limits for wireless signal strength.

XM said the suspensions applied to Audiovox Corp. and Delphi Corp. radios that let consumers play XM's satellite radio service on regular radios but declined to say if it stopped the sale of other products.

The satellite radio service said it was keeping its latest subscriber growth target for 2006 but said in a filing at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it could provide no assurances that the issue would "not have a material impact" on its operating results or financial position.

"We're working to expedite this issue and minimize the extent of any interruption at retail. We're continuing to target 8.5 million year-end subscribers," spokesman Chance Patterson said.

XM, which cut its forecast from 9 million on Friday, said that the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the signal strength of wireless transmissions from the Delphi and Audiovox products exceeded FCC limits, potentially interfering with nearby FM radios using similar frequencies.

XM leads the U.S. satellite radio service with more than 6.5 million subscribers, compared with 4.1 million at its rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.. The sector is one of the world's fasting growing new technologies, and analysts have forecast total users may top 40 million in a few years.

But XM has been battered this year with bad news, including probes by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission, concerns about its relationship with beleaguered auto maker General Motors Corp, and charges that it is spending too much in its quest to gain new users.

The company said in its filing that the FCC sent it a letter stating that Delphi's XM SKYFi2 radios, which it started selling more than a year ago, was not in compliance with emission limits.

Audiovox also received a similar letter about its Audiovox Express radio, which started selling in late 2005, XM said.

XM said it was also taking a series of actions involving various radios it did not name to bring them into compliance with guidelines.

Its actions include requests to manufacturers to stop shipping radios or accessories that might need hardware or software changes or changes to operating or installation instructions, XM said.

For example changes could include the addition of small attachments that reduce emissions, it said. Patterson declined to say if XM was stopping the sale of other products besides the ones named in the filing.

He said that factory installed satellite radios for cars were not affected and that it did not suspend sales of its digital music players from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Pioneer Corp.

XM said in the filing that it would look for new equipment authorizations where appropriate and that it expects to give the FCC new information shortly, including the results of modified radios that comply with in-car test criteria.

The company said that the sale suspensions do not involve any health and safety issues. Patterson said that no product recalls were planned.

MGM revamps DVD, TV distribution

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. on Tuesday unveiled new plans to revitalize the movie studio by ending video and DVD distribution pacts with Sony Pictures Entertainment and reestablishing a TV sales division.

MGM said it signed a new worldwide video and DVD distribution pact with 20th Century Fox to consolidate sales efforts under one company. Previously MGM split video and DVD distribution between Fox overseas and Sony in domestic arenas.

For Sony, MGM's decision cuts both ways. Sony's home video business will lose lucrative distribution fees it would have earned for releasing titles from MGM's library of 4,000 movies and 10,000 TV episodes. However, Sony will benefit if MGM makes more money because Sony owns 20 percent of the company.

Sony also secured a deal to extend a film co-production and distribution pact with MGM for one more James Bond film beyond November's release of "Casino Royale." Sony and MGM further agreed to co-produce and distribute a new "Pink Panther" comedy and other yet-to-be determined films.

Finally, MGM will continue supporting Sony's blu-ray DVD technology by releasing DVDs in the new video format.

"We have identified another important opportunity to build out our business by returning our worldwide television sales operations in-house and by consolidating our home entertainment releases with a single distributor," MGM chairman and CEO Harry Sloan said.

Sony has a seat on MGM's board, meaning it had a say in the decision.

The moves follow MGM's March announcement to again begin distributing movies to theaters on its own, and it comes about seven months after Sloan took the reins of the company.

Venerable MGM, known for producing movies like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" during Hollywood's Golden Age, was acquired last year by the Sony-led consortium for roughly $3 billion in cash, plus assumed debt.

Private equity investors Texas Pacific Group and Providence Equity Partners together own roughly 50 percent of MGM, Sony and cable TV company Comcast Corp. each own about 20 percent. Other major investors include DLJ Merchant Banking, Quadrangle Group and Sloan.

Sony Pictures is part of Japanese electronics company Sony Corp, and Fox is part of News Corp.

Farina turns in badge at "Law & Order"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Dennis Farina is leaving "Law & Order" after two years, and will be replaced by Milena Govich, who played one of the assistant district attorneys on series creator Dick Wolf's short-lived drama "Conviction."

The moves are part of a major talent overhaul on NBC's 16-year-old crime drama. Also exiting, after a similarly short stint, is Annie Parisse, who played Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia.

The show, which lost 1.8 million viewers last season, is being moved from its longtime Wednesday berth to Fridays in the fall, to Wolf's chagrin.

Farina played the snappy dresser Detective Joe Fontana, who investigated crimes and apprehended suspects with partner Edward Green ( Jesse L. Martin).

"Dennis is the consummate professional, and I respect his decision to pursue other opportunities, and he will be sorely missed," Wolf said. "I genuinely hope we work together again."

Farina had succeeded longtime "L&O" star Jerry Orbach, whose character on the show, Detective Lennie Briscoe, transitioned to Wolf's short-lived "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" until Orbach's death in late 2004.

Govich, a 29-year-old Oklahoma native who guest-starred on "L&O" in 2005, also had a recurring role on FX's "Rescue Me."

Myers touting self-help with comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Mike Myers is in final negotiations to write, produce and star in an untitled self-help comedy.

The Paramount Pictures centers on a self-help guru named Pitka who is called upon to solve a couple's romantic problems. Like Myers' groovy Austin Powers incarnation, Pitka was created and workshopped by Myers at several theaters in Manhattan. Myers will co-write with longtime associate Graham Gordy.

In April, Myers signed on to star in Paramount's "How to Survive a Robot Uprising."

Myers, whose credits include the "Austin Powers" trilogy and "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat," will again voice the title character in the third installment of DreamWorks' animated "Shrek" franchise.

Beyonce Knowles celebrating "B'Day" in September

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Destiny's Child principal Beyonce Knowles will release her second solo album, "B'Day," on September 5 in the United States, and a day earlier internationally, which will be her 25th birthday.

Knowles co-produced, wrote and arranged all the tracks on the Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia set. Co-producers include Rich Harrison, the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz. The first single is "Deja vu" featuring Jay-Z and co-produced by Rodney Jerkins.

She completed the album after wrapping her role in the film "Dreamgirls," which recently premiered to much Oscar buzz at the Cannes Film Festival and is set for a December 22 release. Loosely based on Motown's Supremes, the movie co-stars Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover.

"B'Day" will be the follow-up to Knowles' 2003 solo debut "Dangerously In Love," which topped the Billboard 200 and has sold 4.3 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The disc won five Grammy Awards.

Destiny's Child issued its final album "Destiny Fulfilled" last year. It sold 3 million copies and spawned the hit single "Check On It," which held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for five straight weeks.

Group member Kelly Rowland's own sophomore project, "My Story: Kelly Rowland," was recently bumped from July to the first quarter of 2007, reportedly to allow more time to work out a marketing strategy. Both are managed by Mathew Knowles, Beyonce's father.

Warner to Proceed Straight to Video

The studio is launching a direct-to-DVD business with plans to release 10 to 15 movies a year.

Looking for new, less risky ways to boost profit, Warner Bros. is launching a direct-to-DVD business that will release 10 to 15 low-budget movies a year.

First up will be a sequel to the studio's 2005 hit "The Dukes of Hazzard," scheduled to go on sale at the end of this year or in early 2007.

Movies made exclusively for DVD typically are done on the cheap without the costly stars and lavish production expenses associated with theatrical films.

Adhering to that model, Warner aims to keep each direct-to-DVD movie's production budget to $5 million or less, although some films may cost slightly more. The "Dukes" sequel, for example, won't reunite cast members Jessica Simpson, Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott.

The new venture, a partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, aims to cash in on what has been a lucrative, relatively inexpensive business for such rivals as Walt Disney Studios and Universal Pictures.

"We recognize that the made-for-video business is a place we need to put emphasis and devote considerable resources," Warner President Alan Horn said. "Discipline is the key to the ultimate success of the new venture for us."

Still, the direct-to-DVD business is no sure bet. It faces increased competition from boxed sets of popular television shows such as "Lost," "24" and "Desperate Housewives," one of the hottest areas in home video.

"The made-for-home entertainment business can be very profitable if you select the right projects, control your development and production costs and time your releases to minimize your marketing expenditures and maximize your exposure," said Louis Feola, Universal Pictures' former home video president who oversaw such popular direct-to-video franchises as "The Land Before Time."

Jeff Robinov, Warner's production president, and Kevin Tsujihara, president of the studio's home entertainment group, will oversee the new division, which is expected to be operating within three months. The two are looking to hire an executive to run the day-to-day operations of the unit, which is expected to have 10 staff members, including its own creative, business and marketing personnel.

Robinov said the division would produce live-action DVD prequels and sequels to existing Warner Bros. movies such as "Dukes," which grossed $80.3 million domestically but was not the kind of hit that would justify spending the large sums required to make and market a theatrical release.

Still, Robinov said, "That doesn't mean they don't have audience interest and built-in awareness."

Robinov added that although profit margins in the direct-to-video business could be thinner than in theatrical releases, such built-in awareness along with creative marketing could mitigate the financial risks.

Tsujihara said a "Dukes" sequel allowed Warner to repackage on DVD the original film and episodes of the popular 1980s TV series it was based on.

Warner's new division also will produce and acquire original made-for-DVD movies running the gamut of genres including horror, comedy and action films. Last month, Warner, a unit of media giant Time Warner Inc., announced it would finance three, under-$5-million DVD-only horror films to be directed by Daniel Myrick ("The Blair Witch Project"), producer Tony Krantz ("24") and TV writer John Shiban ("The X-Files").

Until now, Warner has released direct-to-video titles on a scattershot basis, mostly animated family fare from the studio's "Scooby-Doo," "Tom & Jerry" and "Looney Toons" franchises. The studio plans to continue releasing family-oriented DVDs, including films culled from its DC Comics library of characters, among them Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

"We've had an existing slate of four to five of these evergreen titles a year, and they are fairly profitable," Tsujihara said. "We'd like to put together slates that have a mixture of genres."

The Couch Potato Report - May 30th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on a small new Canadian film and a 29-year-old American one.

Have you ever found a film interesting that you couldn't recommend?

The Canadian film WHOLE NEW THING fits that bill for me.

This made-in-Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia movie is about a thirteen year old boy who is enrolled in high school after years of being home schooled by his pseudo-hippie parents.

The boy is clever, intelligent and since he was raised in a household of casual nudity and openness about sex he is also androgynous.

We all know that kids can be cruel and the boy’s transition from home to school doesn’t go smoothly.

He does manage to get along well with the teachers, especially his English teacher.

However, this man has his own problems, including an ailing Mother.

The teacher's problems increase once he realizes that the boy has developed a crush on him.

As I mentioned, I found WHOLE NEW THING interesting, and the Canadian cast featuring Rebecca Jenkins, Robert Joy, Daniel MacIvor, Callum Keith Rennie, and Aaron Webber as the boy are all superb, but I just didn’t think the film was very good.

If you like small, interesting Canadian films, then I think you should see it. Otherwise don't bother as the film isn't very good.

The pace is slow, some of the secondary stories - especially the affair the boy's Mother has - just seem added on because the filmmakers wanted to make the movie longer.

However, for some reason, maybe because it is a Canadian film, I found it interesting enough to watch right until the end.

I am glad I saw WHOLE NEW THING, as I really like small, interesting Canadian films, but I won’t ever need to see it again. Once was enough.

Yes, I like small, interesting Canadian films. I also like big huge American box office hits from the 1970s.

Films like SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.

Burt Reynolds stars in this film as “The Bandit”, a man who is hired to deliver a tractor trailer full of beer.

Along the way he is pursued by a relentless sheriff. Jackie Gleason plays Sheriff Buford T. Justice.

Sally Field is Reynold’s love interest and Jerry Reed is The Bandit’s truck driving buddy.

I have seen this film almost every year since it originally came out and one of the reasons that I am continually entertained by it is the fact that it doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is.

It is just ninety minutes of pure cinematic fun.

And now the new SPECIAL EDITION DVD for SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT features a remastered version of the film, a new “Making `Smokey And The Bandit'” feature and a CB Radio Tutorial.

I always wondered if they thought they were making Shakespeare when they were filming, or if they were having as much fun as the audience did watching it, and this new DVD gave me the answer.

SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT was fun 29 years ago when it first came out, and it is fun now.

Wow, has it really been 29 years?!?!

Oh well, either way the SPECIAL EDITION of SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and the interesting Canadian film WHOLE NEW THING are both available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

In the 4 disc set for ALF - SEASON THREE the former Gordon Shumway, refugee of the long-gone planet Melmac, continues to wreak hilarious havoc upon his adoptive Earth family the Tanners.

And the JOHN WAYNE - AN AMERICAN ICON COLLECTION is a two-disc set that features five of The Duke’s films.

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!

Nostalgic Sesame Street DVD set coming in October

For the first time ever, Sesame Workshop is planning to release Classic Sesame Street on DVD. Sesame Workshop has not yet announced if the set will contain complete episodes or skit compilations.

In September, Sesame Workshop stated that they were considering the possibility of releasing "classic" Sesame Street material on DVD, but not to expect anything anytime soon. This is due to the necessary development time, many legalities and several other organizational issues that would need to be addressed first.

There is now light at the end of the tunnel. Recently we received the following response from Sesame Workshop on the issue:

We are planning to release a "Sesame Street Nostalgia Box Set", however this is something that will not happen until October '06.

In the meantime, we released a boxed set of The Electric Company in February '06, and there are plans for a second volume of The Electric Company as well.

So, now it is official. The first DVD box set of "classic" Sesame Street material should be released (if all goes as planned) in October 2006.

There are no further details on the set available at this time, but we'll be sure to keep you all updated as more information is revealed on this exciting upcoming release.

Police Squad! - Frank Drebin's Almost Ready To Roll, And We've Got The Street Date!

The day after Christmas this past year we broke the news that Paramount Home Entertainment had officially revealed to us that Police Squad! was on its way to DVD in 2006. The short-run series starring Leslie Nielsen only lasted 6 episodes, but was important in that it led up to the release of all three Naked Gun films, which were a big-screen extension of the show's premise. Now, on Memorial Day, we've got the street date for this long-awaited, highly anticipated release!

How long before Police Squad! - The Complete Series DVDs hit store shelves?

Well, the studio hasn't made a formal announcement yet, but word among our industry sources is that this is planned to hit the streets on November 7th!

Remember to count this as a "rumor" until the formal date is announced by the studio, because until then it's always subject to change. We don't know about costs or extras or anything else yet, though. Just that date, and to expect all 6 episodes that include guest stars such as Lorne Greene, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Tommy Lasorda, K. Callan, Robert Goulet, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Spencer Milligan, William Shatner, John Ashton, Florence Henderson, Dick Miller, William Conrad, and Dick Clark.

Stay tuned, and we'll have more for you about this just as soon as we can!

'X-Men' scores record holiday opening

LOS ANGELES - The superhero epic "X-Men: The Last Stand" proved magnetic over the Memorial Day weekend, taking in $120.1 million, the biggest opening ever for the holiday weekend.

Preliminary estimates also gave the latest installment of the comic book franchise the fourth best three-day opening ever and the best single Friday in movie history with a gross of $45.5 million.

The film's box office was the second-biggest one-day gross ever after last year's "Star Wars: Episode III."

The movie exceeded expectations, including those of 20th Century Fox, which released it.

"Wow," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox. "It blew my expectations away. It's rarefied air."

The film was embraced by audiences despite mixed reviews and fears about what would happen to the franchise when director Brett Ratner, best known for the buddy-comedy "Rush Hour" movies, took over the from Bryan Singer, who is directing this year's "Superman Returns."

The movie's climactic tale of a drug company developing a "cure" the mutants appealed across the board.

"There was something for everybody to relate to," Snyder said. "That's what makes 'X-Men' crackle as it does. Everyone has these feelings of being a little bit different."

While moviegoers flocked to see the exploits of mutants such as Storm ( Halle Berry), Wolverine ( Hugh Jackman) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), they also came out to support the two other big summer films, the religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" and the animated family film "Over the Hedge."

"Da Vinci," starring Tom Hanks, was the second-highest grossing film of the four-day weekend with $43 million, down 56 percent from last week's impressive opening weekend.

The DreamWorks Animation film "Over the Hedge" took in $35.3 million, down 30 percent from last weekend.

This year's box office revenue for the top 12 films is running about 6 percent of last year and with potential blockbusters on the horizon, such as the Pixar Animation film "Cars" and "Superman Returns," the industry is poised for a spectacular summer.

"I think this puts to bed the notion that people don't want to go to movies anymore," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"The combination of 'Da Vinci Code' and 'X-Men' proves that people really love to go to the movies, especially in the summer."

Last year saw a slump in box office revenue and fears were kindled this year when the first two big films of the summer, "Mission:Impossible III" and "Poseidon" opened lower than expected.

The Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" also made an impressive debut over the weekend.

Playing on only four screens in New York and Los Angeles, the film from Paramount Vantage, about the dangers of global warming, took in an estimated $365,787 from Friday to Monday — a per screen average of $91,447.

"Not only are superheros big right now, but global warming as a topic is really hot as well," Dergarabedian said.

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

1. "X-Men: The Last Stand," $120.1 million.
2. "The Da Vinci Code," 43 million.
3. "Over the Hedge," $35.3 million
4. "Mission: Impossible III," $8.6 million.
5. "Poseidon," $7 million.
6. "RV," $5.3 million
7. "See No Evil," $3.2 million
8. "Just My Luck," $2.3 million.
9. "United 93," $1.1 million.
10. "An American Haunting," $936,680.

Fraggle Rock - 2nd Season Date Confirmed! Plus Price, Specs, & More!

Way back in January we had news that Fraggle Rock - The Complete 2nd Season would make it to DVD on September 5th. In the past few days we've received confirmation from industry sources that this is indeed the date that HIT Entertainment will be shipping this product, and this time it will get to the retailer channels via their new distributor, Fox Home Entertainment.

Cost will be $49.98 SRP, for 175 minutes of Fraggle fun in 1.33:1 full screen video and English Dolby Stereo 2.0 audio. While extras weren't mentioned by our contacts, we've already seen reports that we can expect new interviews and home videos shot by "Wembly" and "Sprocket" puppeteer Steve Whitmire.

This will be great fun, and we can't wait! Expect more Fraggle Rock to continue to come to DVD in the lead-up to the new 2007 big-screen Fraggle film that Brian Henson is pulling together, taking the gang into outer space! It's not a stretch, actually, since the very first episode showed Gobo's Uncle Matt heading through the opening to outer space...so don't forget that "outer space" to them is the world of humans (like us). Stay tuned and we'll bring you more about the upcoming releases that are sure to tie in with this new movie that's in the works.

Marathon 'Runner'

WB preps 'final cut' of sci-fi classic

Warner's homevid will release a remastered 'Blade Runner,' to be followed by a theatrical version, which studio says will be director Ridley Scott's final cut.

Warner homevid has disentangled "Blade Runner's" famously thorny rights issues to pave the way for a September reissue of the remastered "Director's Cut" version, followed by a theatrical release of a version promised to be truly Ridley Scott's final cut.

Warner's rights to "Blade Runner" lapsed a year ago, but the studio has since negotiated a long-term license. The pic, now considered a sci-fi classic, has had a troubled history from the start: When Scott ran overbudget, completion bond guarantors took control of it and made substantial changes before its 1982 theatrical release, adding a voiceover and happy ending. That version was replaced by the much better-received director's cut in 1992, but Scott has long been unhappy with it, complaining that he was rushed and unable to give it proper attention.

The helmer started working on the final cut version in 2000, but that project was shelved by Warner soon after, apparently because the studio couldn't come to terms with Jerry Perenchio over rights issues.

The restored "Director's Cut" will debut on homevid in September, and remain on sale for four months only, after which time it will be placed on moratorium.

"Blade Runner: Final Cut" will arrive in 2007 for a limited 25th anniversary theatrical run, followed by a special edition DVD with the three previous versions offered as alternate viewing: Besides the original theatrical version and director's cut, the expanded international theatrical cut will be included. The set will also contain additional bonus materials.

The massive "Blade Runner" project comes on the heels of Scott's four-disc treatment for "Kingdom of Heaven," released this week by Fox homevid, less than a year after the pic's initial homevid release.

'Breakfast Club' principal Gleason dies

BURBANK, Calif. - Paul Gleason, who played the go-to bad guy in "Trading Places" and the angry high school principal in "The Breakfast Club," has died. He was 67.

Gleason died at a local hospital Saturday of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos, said his wife, Susan Gleason.

"Whenever you were with Paul, there was never a dull moment," his wife said. "He was awesome."

A native of Miami, Gleason was an avid athlete. Before becoming an actor, he played Triple-A minor league baseball for a handful of clubs in the late 1950s.

Gleason honed his acting skills with his mentor Lee Strasberg, whom he studied with at the Actors Studio beginning in the mid-1960s, family members said.

Through his career, Gleason appeared in over 60 movies that included "Die Hard," "Johnny Be Good," and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Most recently, Gleason made a handful of television appearances in hit shows such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld."

Gleason's passions went beyond acting. He had recently published a book of poetry.

"He was an athlete, an actor and a poet," said his daughter, Shannon Gleason-Grossman. "He gave me and my sister a love that is beyond description that will be with us and keep us strong for the rest of our lives."

Actor Jimmy Hawkins, a friend of Gleason's since the 1960s, said he remembered Gleason for a sharp sense of humor.

"He just always had great stories to tell," Hawkins said.

Gleason was survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter. Funeral plans were pending.

Wind That Shakes the Barley earns top prize at Cannes Film Festival

CANNES, France (AP) - British director Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a saga set amid Ireland's struggle for independence in the early 1920s, won top honours Sunday in an unanimous vote at the Cannes Film Festival.

It was the first time veteran filmmaker Loach won the main prize after seven earlier entries in the main competition at the world's most prestigious film festival.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley stars Cillian Murphy as an Irish medical student who takes up arms against a reign of terror by the Black and Tans, British troops sent in to quell calls for independence.

Loach, who previously won the third-place prize at Cannes with 1990's Hidden Agenda and 1993's Raining Stones, said he hoped the film would be a small step encouraging the British to "confront their imperial history. And maybe, if we tell the truth about the past, maybe we tell the truth about the present."

Prizes for best actor and actress went to ensemble casts. Penelope Cruz and her five key cast mates in Pedro Almodovar's Volver, including Carmen Maura, Yohana Cobo and Lola Duenas, shared the actress prize. The film, a comic drama about women making do without men, also won the screenplay honour for director Almodovar.

"It's such an honour to be able to share this award with all these amazing women," Cruz said. "I think this award really belongs to Pedro, the master. . . . Thank you so much, Pedro, for what you do for women."

The men of Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb's Second World War saga Days of Glory, about North African Muslims who volunteered in the fight to free France from the Nazis, received the best-actor honour. The cast includes French stars Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri and Sami Bouajila.

In accepting the award, the Days of Glory cast joined in on an anthem sung by French colonial soldiers during the war.

Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won the directing prize for Babel, which features Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a multicultural drama about loosely linked families around the globe.

Inarritu said more than 1,000 people contributed to the production of the film and that "I'm receiving this award on behalf of all of them."

The grand prize for second-place film was given to French director Bruno Dumont's Flanders, a stark drama following soldiers from dreary farm country through a grisly tour of duty in the Middle East.

The third-place jury prize went to British filmmaker Andrea Arnold's Red Road, a sombre tale about a Scottish woman carrying out surveillance on a man responsible for tragedy in her past.

The award for best film from a first-time director went to Romanian filmmaker Corneliu Porumboiu for his Christmas drama A Fost Sau N-A Fost?

The main competition's three high-profile American films - including Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst as the 18th-century French queen - were shut out for prizes. Marie Antoinette earned praise for its style and visual panache but was criticized as a superficial treatment of the Austrian aristocrat who became a symbol of extravagance preceding the French Revolution.

The other U.S. entries were Richard Linklater's consumer satire Fast Food Nation, which had a lukewarm reaction, and Richard Kelly's darkly comic tale of apocalypse, Southland Tales, which received a scathing response from critics who scorned it as self-indulgent nonsense.

The nine-member jury that chose Cannes winners was headed by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai and included actors Samuel L. Jackson, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Monica Bellucci and Ziyi Zhang. Wong said the decision for the top prize was unanimous.

The 59th edition of the world's most prestigious film festival opened May 17 with Tom Hanks and Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code, which received a harsh reception from Cannes critics but went on to become an instant blockbuster the following weekend. The film did not compete for prizes at Cannes.

Other high-profile films that screened out of competition included the superhero adventure X-Men: The Last Stand, the animated comedy Over the Hedge and the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, chronicling former U.S. vice-president Al Gore's efforts to educate the public about global warming.

After 15 years, Couric makes 'Today' exit

NEW YORK - Millions of Americans can scarcely remember a weekday where Katie Couric wasn't a part of their morning routine. Maybe the "Today" show was on in the background when they gathered their homework for school. Later, she was there when they gulped a quick cup of coffee before work. In a few years, they'd watch TV while feeding the baby and Couric was still there — a few hairstyles later.

That comes to an end on Wednesday, Couric's last day as "Today" co-host. She'll be feted in a three-hour special edition stuffed with film clips and performances by Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and the cast of the Broadway show "Jersey Boys."

How will she be able to hold it all together?

"I haven't really thought about it and worried about it," Couric told The Associated Press. "I'll do what I've always done for 15 years and be myself. I'll react the way I react."

Couric, 49, will take June off and then report to work at CBS News. She'll start anchoring the "CBS Evening News" in September.

Her tenure as "Today" host began on April 5, 1991. She looked impossibly young then next to Bryant Gumbel, her playfulness a perfect counterpoint when he lapsed into self-seriousness. She was pregnant with Elinor at the time, and gave birth to her second daughter Caroline in 1996.

Viewers felt an immediate connection. She was family, and fans grieved when Couric's husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998 and made her a young widow. Couric evolved from the girl-next-door into someone more glamorous — a diva at times, some critics thought. For more than a decade, however, she has remained viewers' first choice in the morning.

Jeff Zucker, then the "Today" executive producer, said he knew she was a natural from that first day.

"She emerged as one of the seminal hosts in morning television history," said Zucker, now CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group. "She grew up on the air and changed both professionally and personally. She earned her stripes as one of the great news broadcasters in history. I think she'll be remembered for her ability to do both the silly and the important."

Morning shows morph every day from news to a program primarily for stay-at-home women who want entertainment and advice. A host must be able to convincingly interview a head of state and a rock star within minutes of each other.

Couric was tested early. She was being given a tour of the White House in 1992 by first lady Barbara Bush, and had studied up on things like Dolly Madison's tea set.

Then President Bush unexpectedly walked in ready to talk, and Couric had to wing it for a 19-minute interview that touched on the presidential campaign and international affairs.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes that morning, at least my career," she remembered.

Interviews with politicians are some of her fondest memories, like call-in shows conducted with Vice President Gore and Ross Perot. Couric's on-air colonoscopy — a spectacularly successful attempt to raise awareness about the disease that killed her husband — is an indelible memory of her time on "Today."

"Because I had to learn so much when Jay was sick and distill a lot of complicated medical ideas for my own edification, I've become good at that for other people," she said. "I've really enjoyed doing that because hopefully I'm doing a service."

Couric is most proud of giving her all to make each segment a positive experience, whether it's a newsy interview or a cooking segment. She won't miss "having to go from zero to Mach 10 in 10 minutes every morning."

She makes a startling admission: "I'm not a morning person."

That said, Couric doesn't feel the urge to take a sledgehammer to her alarm clock for all the years it went off at 5 a.m.

"People are always so disappointed — they're so sadistic," she said. "When I tell them that I don't get up at 3, they're really disappointed. The hours are really very manageable. But you really have to jump-start your brain in a fast way. That's a tough experience. To ease into the day a little bit more might be a nice change of pace for me."

Despite jumping to the competition, Couric said NBC has been "incredibly gracious" during the transition.

"I think I've had a long time to come to grips with this one," Zucker said. "Obviously, it's bittersweet for all of us. We're sorry to see her go but completely understand why she wants a new challenge in her life. We all feel great about the way it's happened and we all feel great about the future.'

Business is business, though: NBC kept Couric on the job until the very last day of her contract, and painstakingly negotiated an agreement that restricted what CBS executives could say about her until the contract expired.

In September, when Couric shows up in the evening at CBS, Meredith Vieira will move into her chair next to Matt Lauer on "Today."

Does Couric have any advice for her successor?

"Have fun!" she said.

"X-Men" annihilates "Da Vinci" at box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The final film in the "X-Men" superhero trilogy blew past last weekend's box office champ, "The Da Vinci Code," to post the fourth-highest all-time opening in North America, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

"X-Men: The Last Stand" sold about $107 million worth of tickets in the three-day period from Friday to Sunday, dwarfing "Da Vinci's" $77 million opening a week ago, said tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co.

The Vatican conspiracy thriller slipped to No. 2, but sales data were not immediately available as most studios were planning to report sales estimates for the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend on Monday.

The three-day record for a film opening on a Friday is held by 2002's "Spider-Man" ($115 million), followed by 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith ($108.4 million) and 2004's "Shrek 2" ($108 million).

"X-Men: The Last Stand," which reportedly cost at least $165 million to make, was released by News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, which licensed the comic book franchise from Marvel Entertainment Inc. The first film in the series, "X-Men" opened to $54 million in 2000. Three years later, "X2: X-Men United" launched with $86 million. Fox executives were not available for comment.

The new film, whose returning cast of mutants includes Hugh Jackman as the heroic Wolverine and Ian McKellen as the evil Magneto, was directed by Brett Ratner, best known for the "Rush Hour" films. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last week, and earned rave reviews -- unlike Sony Corp.'s "Da Vinci Code."

In addition to taking over from "Da Vinci" as the highest opening so far this year, the new "X-Men" beats the nine-year-old Memorial Day weekend record held by "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," which opened to $72 million during its first three days. Steven Spielberg's dinosaur picture earned an additional $18 million during the Monday holiday.

Projections for the four-day period will be released on Monday, and final data on Tuesday.

Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures said it took the No. 3 and No. 4 places with "Over the Hedge" ($27.3 million) and "Mission: Impossible III" ($6.6 million), respectively. Their totals rose to $85.3 million after two weeks and $115.5 million after four weeks, respectively.

A new special edition version of Apocalypse Now! is coming to DVD

Paramount Home Entertainment is preparing a new version of Apocalypse Now! for release this August, entitled “The Complete Dossier”.

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, this classic and compelling Vietnam War epic stars Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, who is sent on a dangerous and mesmerizing odyssey into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade American Colonel named Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has succumbed to the horrors of war and barricaded himself in a remote outpost. Also stars Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford.

“Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier” will come in a cool custom packaging and feature a number of great bonus materials. The release contains both the Original 1979 Version of the movie as well as the 2001 Redux Cut. It is complemented by Commentary Tracks on both versions of the film, featuring Francis Ford Coppola. as well as a selection of Rare, Unseen Footage.

Also included on the release are Lost Scenes a number of Brand New Featurettes as well as 12 never-before-seen Segments From The Cutting Room Floor and various Then & Now Retrospectives. Also look for Marlon Brando’s complete “The Hollow Men” Reading on the release and a Cast Member Reunion.

All in all this release will contain more than 2 hours of new bonus materials!
“Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier” will be in stores on August 15!

Feeling McPhortunate

Katharine McPhee: ''I came in second for a reason.'' The ''American Idol'' runner-up chats with Entertainment Weekly magazine about her tricky song choices, meeting Meat Loaf, and why she wasn't dying to win

Did Katharine McPhee look like she was having more fun on the final American Idol results show than ever before in the competition? Backstage on Wednesday night, she was still getting flower shipments (to add to the thousand roses that are still sitting in her dressing room). She took a few minutes to sit back, kick up her feet, and talk about why her destiny was not to win American Idol.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You didn't look too shocked when Ryan announced Taylor won. Did you have a feeling that's how the show would end?

KATHARINE McPHEE: Did I know? I guess I had a feeling that he could probably take it home. Especially because Taylor has been high up in the voting thing for the last couple of weeks. He'd never been in the bottom three. I think he's the only one who's never been in the bottom three. He did it. I wasn't in a panic. It wasn't like, ''I was staying up for four hours last night voting,'' like, ''Oh, I have to win American Idol!'' At the point I made top two, I felt like there were so many doors opening for me.

Plus you got the car.

Yeah, I got the car and the record deal.

And you don't have the label of ''American Idol winner'' permanently attached to your name. Losing to Taylor might end up being the best thing that ever happened to you.

Yeah, thank you. I'm starting to think that now too. Some years the runner-up hasn't done that well. But Clay has obviously shown that being the runner-up is just as great as being the American Idol.

Except, I have issues with his hair — but that's another story entirely. Your song choices were somewhat controversial. How did you choose them?

''Black Horse and Cherry Tree,'' I chose that because I think I knew everyone was going to want me to sing that. Everyone was like, ''Oh, good, we wanted you to sing that.'' It's just a song that I think I could've put on an album or something like that. And also it's a fun song for me to let go. And then ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow'' was a hard decision for me. I had everybody who thinks they're everybody telling me what they think I should do. ''Don't sing it.'' ''Oh, it's too soon to sing that song.'' Blah blah blah. And then it ended up being the one thing Simon thought might save me, so I don't have any regrets. I'm glad I did it. I didn't win American Idol for a reason. I think I came in second place for a reason. It's not second-best; it's just as good.

It's what you do with it now that will shape your career. But when Simon predicted on Tuesday night that Taylor would win, weren't you bummed?

No, I didn't get mad at all. I wasn't really hurt. It was just one of those things when it's like, Okay, someone's gotta win. And then you think, Well, maybe I can still win. I don't think I was in this... I don't think I was really desperate to win American Idol. I was just grateful to be in the top two, to be honest.

Your single, ''My Destiny,'' was pretty widely panned by the judges and fans. Did you like it?

I liked it when I heard it, but it's a lot different when you hear it produced. I think people will like it when they hear it produced, with the echo behind it, just a lot of things they put with the song that you don't get to hear live. And also, my voice was not doing good. I sang it as best I could.

In the theater you sounded great, but I watched the show back on TV and you could hear your voice was strained.

Yeah, I was losing my voice by the dress rehearsal. I had to have a shot of cortisone from my doctor. He came in and definitely saved my day.

Losing your voice and then your ear piece not working Tuesday night before ''Somewhere Over the Rainbow'' — so much drama! And then tonight you seemed like you were so relaxed and so ready to finally have fun.

I slept pretty well last night. I wasn't in this ''Oh my gosh, I have to win American Idol'' mode. Tonight I had so much fun.

Did you ask producers to hook you up with a Meat Loaf duet?

They just came to me. It wasn't like it was my choice. They just said, Okay, you'll be singing with so-and-so.

I haven't heard the guy in a while.

I didn't even know who he was. But now I do. He was like really big in the '70s, right?

Well, and more recently than that. You must know ''Paradise by the Dashboard Light,'' right?

I don't.

Okay, let's go to a musical era you'll remember. When you and Taylor sang ''(I've Had) The Time of My Life,'' did you sort of want to pay homage to the Dirty Dancing theme song and do ''the lift''?

Yes! We wanted to! We thought there was going to be a commercial break before the finale for the results. I was supposed to be wearing a different dress, and we wanted to do a spin and a dip at the end, but not with that dress.

So what's next for you? Free time? Spa days?

No, we're going to New York and then we have the tour. It's going to be busy, busy, busy from now on.

New wave music impresario Ian Copeland dead at 57

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ian Copeland, a pioneering booking agent and music promoter credited with helping launch the "new wave" alternative rock movement of the 1970s and '80s with such bands as the Police, the B-52's and R.E.M, has died at age 57, relatives said on Wednesday.

Copeland succumbed to melanoma on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles where he was surrounded by family members, including younger brother Stewart Copeland, a founder and drummer of the Police, his publicist said.

With the help of older brother Miles, Copeland began his career in show business as a booking agent in London, where he discovered the Scottish funk outfit Average White Band, who made their debut in 1973 opening for Eric Clapton.

Copeland moved in the mid-1970s to Macon, Georgia, to work for the Paragon Agency, which booked tours for popular southern rock acts like Charlie Daniels, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band.

But it was Copeland's role in helping brother Miles, founder of the International Records Syndicate (I.R.S.) label, introduce the British band Squeeze to the United States that transformed his career.

The brothers adopted a strategy of building fan support for Squeeze by booking the group on a tour of smaller nightclubs, and successfully repeated that formula to launch other bands, including the Police and the B-52's.

Their work was pivotal in establishing the "club circuit" that helped usher in the punk rock and new wave scenes to the United States.

After the demise of Paragon, Copeland moved to New York and started his own booking agency, Frontier Booking International (F.B.I.), which represented such acts as Adam Ant, the Bangles, R.E.M., nine inch nails, the Go-Go's, UB40, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Oingo Boingo, the Dead Kennedys and the Cure.

The son of a jazz musician turned U.S. intelligence officer, Copeland was born in Damascus, Syria, in the midst of a military coup. As a young man he enlisted in the U.S. Army at the height of the Vietnam War and served in the infantry, earning numerous decorations.

He is survived by his two daughters, brothers Stewart and Miles and a sister, Lorraine, a writer and producer. Memorial plans were pending.

Roth predicts Van Halen comeback

DETROIT (Billboard) - Now that he's lost his radio job, David Lee Roth is seeking gainful employment in another capacity -- as lead singer of Van Halen. Again.

"I see it absolutely as an inevitability," says Roth, who was deposed by CBS Radio in late April as one of Howard Stern's replacements. "There's contact between the two camps, and they have legitimate management; Irv Azoff is part of their loop now.

"To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie 'Chicago' -- 'So what? It's showbiz!' So I definitely see it happening."

Despite that claim, Roth -- who was Van Halen's singer from 1974-1985 -- acknowledges that he hasn't seen Edward Van Halen "in a couple of years." The last time Roth recorded with Van Halen was for the group's "Best Of Van Halen Volume 1" album in 1996, though there have been periodic rumors ever since.

Roth isn't sitting around while he waits for the call, however. He joins the John Jorgensen bluegrass band for two songs -- "Jump" and "Jamie's Cryin' " -- on "Strummin' With the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen," a bluegrass-styled tribute to Van Halen. Roth calls it "a detour" as well as "an interesting return ... Before there was rock 'n' roll, there was me and a single guitar, flat pickin' Doc Watson (songs)." Roth plans to make a number of TV appearances on behalf of the album, which comes out June 6.

Roth is also planning to tour later this summer to play Van Halen hits -- "I'm so proud of that music," he says -- favorites from his solo album and covers. He'll leave the banjos and fiddles at home, though.

"I like to bring out the brass section now and the keyboard players and the singers and so forth," Roth explains. "It's probably a little closer to the Rolling Stones' revue than to the early three-piece power trio. But the demand is amazing; I guess I'm lucky enough to be one of those guys now who can point at the map and say 'Let's go here' -- or, rather, my favorite expression, which is 'Let's follow the sun."'

Cheech says no reunion with Tommy Chong

CONCORD, N.C. - Those rumors about an on-screen reunion of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong? Reefer madness, according to Marin.

The actor — one half of the stoned comedy duo that embodied 1970s and 1980s marijuana humor — said there will be no future joint efforts with Chong.

"DOA," Marin replied when asked about the prospects during a press junket this week for "Cars," the new animated summer offering from Disney and Pixar. In the film, Marin voices Ramon, a vintage low-rider who befriends lead character Lightning McQueen ( Owen Wilson).

"We've tried to do it a bunch of times and we always end up at the same place," Marin said. "All the old animosities resurface."

"You know what?" he added. "I'm real comfortable leaving Cheech & Chong right where it is. I was a big Laurel & Hardy fan when I was a kid. I used to watch them on TV all the time and then one time I saw a Laurel & Hardy film they made when they were a lot older and it creeped me out. I just never wanted to do that."

Marin said breaking into animated films with 1988's "Oliver and Company" helped give his career a second act. He went on to do voices in "FernGully" and "The Lion King," acted in the "Spy Kids" series of children's movies and co-starred on the TV series "Nash Bridges."

"That was always a point of conflict with Tommy and I," Marin said. "I wanted to kind of keep moving and do other stuff and he wanted to stay at that same thing. My natural inclination was to keep moving."

"X-Men" set to "Stand" tall at holiday box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "X-Men: The Last Stand," the third and last film in the superhero trilogy, is expected to take the box office crown from "The Da Vinci Code" during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but will be hard-pressed to match the $85.6 million three-day bow of its 2003 predecessor.

Fox's PG-13 film is debuting in 3,689 theaters, slightly less than the 3,741 in which "X2" debuted during the first weekend in May. Unlike this year, there was precious little competition in the marketplace then. "X2" went on to gross $214.9 million domestically.

Amid mostly positive reviews, the Marvel sci-fi actioner has been tracking strongly for quite some time, attracting a broad age range but skewing slightly younger and more male.

Sony's "Da Vinci Code" debuted a week ago with a sterling $77.1 million, and Paramount's "Over the Hedge," from DreamWorks Animation, parlayed $38.5 million in its opening session. Conventional box office wisdom says they should gross almost as much in the four-day holiday period.

With Brett Ratner taking over as director from Matthew Vaughn, who himself had replaced Bryan Singer, "X3" features returning stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, and Famke Janssen. The story follows the battle among mutants when a cure is discovered that would strip them of their powers and make them human.

"X3" will also roll out in most countries overseas, with the notable exceptions of Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan. Last weekend, "Da Vinci" pulled in an international gross of a record $154.7 million.

'Lost' Finale Leaves Viewers Less Lost

NEW YORK (AP) -- As promised, "Lost" viewers were left with plenty to ponder but juicy answers to savor as well, thanks to Wednesday's season finale of the ABC mystical adventure series.

Go no further if you don't want to know what happened (or may have happened).

Roughly two months - or, more accurately, two TV seasons in real time - after Oceanic flight 815 crash-landed by this lost tropical island, viewers learned:

- The sailboat seen at the end of last week's episode belonged to Desmond, who had been found at the start of this season in the hatch when the castaways first made their entrance. Grateful to hand to someone else the weird computer-entry task, Desmond ran away - and set sail in the boat he had arrived in years earlier. But after 2 1/2 weeks on the water, he had gotten nowhere.

"There's no outside world, there's no escape," he wailed, drunk and despondent, when the castaways retrieved him from the sailboat just offshore.

- What may have caused the jetliner's crash: an excessive buildup of electromagnetic energy that Desmond, as the hatch's occupant at the time, failed to properly diffuse.

- Why that numbered sequence (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) needed to be entered on the keyboard every 108 minutes: To diffuse the powerful buildup safely.

So the audience learned that the button really did need to be pushed, and wasn't a meaningless exercise after all, which became a season-long issue that on the finale fueled a raging argument between Locke (the disillusioned former believer) and Mr. Eko (the fiercely loyal convert to the button-pushing cause). After an explosion in the hatch, they were both unaccounted for.

- Finally, Michael seemed to prove without a doubt that he would sell out his friends to save himself and his son, Walt, who was kidnapped at the end of last season by the Others.

After having been brainwashed by the Others, Michael had gunned down fellow castaways Ana Lucia and Libby a few episodes ago to facilitate the escape of Henry, an "Other" from across the island whom the castaways had been holding captive.

Then - despite the best efforts of Jack and Sayid to outmaneuver him - Michael made good on his plan to deliver Jack, Hurley, Sawyer and Kate to the Others in exchange for getting Walt back.

Hurley was released by the Others with an order to return to camp and warn the rest of the castaways against retaliating.

"But what about my friends?" Hurley protested.

"Your friends are coming home with us," said Henry, the Other who had been held in the hatch.

While Jack, Sawyer and Kate looked on, bound and gagged, Michael and Walt were given a motor boat to make their safe escape.

"My hunch is, you won't say a word to anybody," Henry told Michael as he sent him on his way, "because if you do, people will find out what you did to get your son back."

"Who ARE you people?" asked Michael, voicing the question that has plagued "Lost" viewers all season.

"We're the good guys, Michael," Henry said simply.

Disinclined to argue and at last reunited with Walt, Michael piloted his boat to apparent freedom.

Hoods were pulled over the heads of Jack, Sawyer and Kate. Their safety while in the Others' custody was assured by Henry. But viewers will have to wait until fall to see.

FIRST "24" SPOILER

Just because Jack Bauer is on a slow boat to China, that doesn't mean he'll wind up there.

That's the word from Howard Gordon, executive producer of "24," who acknowledged this week that the challenge of bringing Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) all the way back from China next season would wreak havoc with the suspense series' "real-time" format.

Following the surprise cliff-hanger which had Bauer being shanghaied by Chinese government agents at the conclusion of the season finale of "24" Monday, fans have wondered how Bauer would ever get back to the United States in time to participate in next season's 24-hour adventure, given the great distance between the two countries.

In an interview with the TV trade publication TV Week, Gordon revealed that Bauer won't be trapped in China when the new season begins next January.

"It's just an impractical thing given the real-time constraints because, even by the time we concluded that story, it would take Jack 16 hours - you know, three-quarters of the series - to get back to L.A.," Gordon said, inadvertently revealing that, somehow, Bauer escapes from the Shanghai-bound cargo ship in which he was last seen long before it gets to China.

"Unfortunately, I don't think much of the story will take place in China," Gordon said.

He revealed nothing else about how the next season of "24" will play out. "I just started writing the first [episode] this morning," he said.

CHAT FIGHT

'THE VIEW' LADIES LITERALLY RIP INTO UNGRATEFUL CHICKS

The ladies from "The View" shredded a copy of Time magazine yesterday after getting dissed by the issue's cover girls - controversial country music group, The Dixie Chicks.

"We are furious!" roared "View" moderator Meredith Vieira in the opening moments of the show, "Furious!"

In Time's cover story this week, Dixie Chick Emily Robison says that the group takes its political views very seriously and will try to limit appearances to high-caliber, meaningful gigs.

Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines' "new motto is, 'What would Bruce Springsteen do?' " says Robison. "Not that we're of that caliber, but would Bruce Springsteen do 'The View'?"

Even with a new CD to promote, the group has no plans to appear on "The View," the article says. "They're . . . not doing . . . 'The View,' " sneered co-host Joy Behar as she tore the article into confetti and tossed the shreds over her head.

When the singing group was starting out, however, it had no problem appearing on the show and was even interviewed by former co-host Debbie Matenopolous.

"This is obnoxious, obnoxious," said Vieira. "We started these girls - back in 1998, they couldn't get arrested. We were one of the first national shows to give them a platform, because they deserve a platform - they are incredibly talented performers."

The Dixie Chicks alienated their Country Western fan base in 2003, when during a performance in London, they said that the group was ashamed to be from Texas because President Bush was from Texas.

The Chicks apologized soon afterward, but have since taken the apology back.

"It's one thing to diss the Bush administration, it's treason to diss 'The View'!" said Behar. For the next hour, the four hosts of the women's coffee klatch show repeatedly slammed the Dixie Chicks until the show was over - when Vieira made it clear they were joking around and invited The Dixie Chicks to appear anytime.

Critics Revolt at 'Marie Antoinette' Screening

Many Cannes attendees had been forecasting that Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst, would turn out to be the sleeper at the festival. After an early screening for the press today (Wednesday), many agreed that it was a sleeper all right -- but in the wrong sense of the word. A thunder of boos erupted when the closing credits appeared, followed by a smattering of applause. At a news conference, Coppola insisted that she had intended to make a film that reflected life at the court of Versailles prior to the French Revolution and the life of the young queen in particular. She insisted that the film had no political intent (even though it argues that the French revolution was caused in large part by the costly decision of the king to send troops to America to support the colonists' revolt against the British). One reporter observed that it seemed ironic that $40 million had been lavished on a movie that depicts royal decadence. Co-star Steve Coogan responded that $40 million does not represent a decadent film budget.

Mop-topped Hicks crowned 'American Idol'

LOS ANGELES - Taylor Hicks, the mop-topped manic dancer who wooed TV audiences with his raw singing style and boisterous personality, was named the new "American Idol" Wednesday in a pop star-filled finale that included Prince and Mary J. Blige.

Hicks, 29, of Birmingham, Ala., became the latest in a string of Southern and Midwestern contestants to win the Fox talent contest after collecting more viewer votes than runner-up Katharine McPhee, 22, of Los Angeles.

Hicks leaned over, overcome by host Ryan Seacrest's announcement.

"Soul Patrol!" he shouted, acknowledging his avid fans by their nickname. "I'm living the American dream," he added as he closed out the show with a performance of "Do I Make You Proud."

It was Katharine vs. Taylor, McPheever vs. the Soul Patrol, with a recording contract and the fifth "Idol" title up for grabs.

More than 63 million votes were cast, "more than any president in the history of our country has received," Seacrest said.

Fans picked the raw sound and footloose moves of Hicks, who made his mark on Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" on Tuesday's show. The sultry McPhee's well-trained voice was shown to perfection on the standard "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Last season's victor, Carrie Underwood of Checotah, Okla., opened the finale, joining Hicks and McPhee on "I Made it Through the Rain" and later soloing on "Don't Forget to Remember Me."

On Tuesday, Underwood won two trophies at the Academy of Country Music Awards, underscoring how much an "Idol" victory can mean. She was named top new female artist and won best single for "Jesus Take the Wheel."

Other pairings of contestants and stars included Paris Bennett and Al Jarreau; McPhee and Meat Loaf; Chris Daughtry and Live; Elliott Yamin and Blige; Hicks and Toni Braxton, and the dozen finalists with Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick.

Prince was a surprise final performer, taking the stage for two songs, including "Satisfied" — and without an "Idol" contestant alongside.

Asked backstage if he had any advice for contestants, Meat Loaf replied: "If you want to do this, you're gonna go up and down, and up and down, and people are going to love you and hate you ... Just stick with it," he said.

With two hours to fill the show also tossed in some comedy. Contestant Kellie Pickler was seen trying gourmet dining and dumping her escargot — snail — under her chair, while "Golden Idols" were awarded to also-rans who flopped in their auditions.

Second-season runner-up Clay Aiken, with a slick new look, performed a "duet" on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with his alter ego, a wannabe "American Idol" contestant who evoked the originally geeky Aiken.

Hicks and McPhee weren't as odd a finals pairing as second-second finalists Ruben Studdard and Aiken, but close.

McPhee was the first Los Angeles native to make it big on "American Idol." With a singer-vocal coach mom behind her and a starlet's beauty, McPhee looked and sounded groomed for success.

Hicks, whose thatch of prematurely gray hair helped him stand out from the pack, had barely survived the first audition at which judge Simon Cowell warned he didn't have a chance of advancing in the contest.

McPhee attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for a semester; Hicks has been a fixture on honky-tonk stages. McPhee skillfully played to the cameras, all calculated seduction; Hicks stomped across the set, with Cowell once comparing him to a drunken dad at a wedding.

The finale closed out a relatively tame contest compared to seasons past, when jammed phone lines, technical glitches and annoyingly untalented singers drew complaints from fans. Last year, judge Paula Abdul denied an ex-competitor's claims of an affair in 2003.

This season's biggest jolt came when rocker Chris Daughtry of McLeansville, N.C., was voted out before the finale. Many observers had predicted he would win the contest after routinely drawing praise from the judges and online support.

Despite the lack of offstage drama, or because of it, this edition of "American Idol" was the most-watched yet. Compared to last year, the show was up 14 percent in total viewers with an average weekly audience of 30.3 million — impressive growth for an established program.

The Tuesday and Wednesday episodes routinely ranked as the top-rated TV shows, drawing 28 million or more viewers. The series also is seen via delayed broadcast or satellite delivery in more than 150 other countries.

Debaroti Dasgupta, 26, accompanied by her mother, flew in from Malaysia for the show after winning a radio competition in which she impersonated finalist Elliott Yamin.

"So my heart broke when he was out in the semifinals," she said before the show Wednesday at the Kodak Theatre. "But I"m here supporting Taylor and I hope he wins tonight."

Tom stompin' mad CBC won't air show

Stompin' Tom Connors is Stompin' mad, but the CBC says he has no reason to be.

The legendary Canadian singer claims he spent more than $200,000 of his own money to film a concert special in high-definition that he was led to believe would air on CBC-TV.

But the network subsequently passed on the show and Connors feels he has been left holding the bag.

"It kind of riles a fella up," Connors, 70, said yesterday after he and his representative, Brian Edwards, sent an open letter to media outlets, detailing their side of the argument.

"I haven't looked into (legal alternatives) yet, but we're trying to get Beverley Oda, the new minister of Canadian Heritage, involved in this," Connors added.

CBC spokesperson Ruth Ellen Soles said the network merely agreed to look at the special when it was completed, but no deal ever was struck.

"First of all, CBC acknowledges Stompin' Tom is a Canadian icon," Soles said. "But CBC did not commission the production of a Stompin' Tom show. We agreed to look at it when it was completed. I want to underline that no commitment was made and no contracts were signed.

"We then reviewed it and made the decision not to purchase the show for broadcast. It was a programming decision. We make those every day. It's the nature of the business. And it's interesting to note that at the time, we encouraged the producers of the show to approach other broadcasters."

Connors indicated that pitching the show to CTV, or Global, or one of the specialty music channels is an option, but he feels it fits best at the CBC.

"This (CBC) is our national network and Stompin' Tom is a national character," Connors said.

Connors and Edwards believe that at the very least, the CBC acted immorally by strongly encouraging them to move ahead. And in a wider sense, they feel Connors has been unfairly ignored by the CBC through the years.

"Every Canadian artist who ever was a Canadian artist has had a CBC special," Edwards said. "Many of those shows received in excess of a million-dollar budget (from the CBC), and they didn't even have a hit record yet.

"With Stompin' Tom, we're talking about someone who ranked No. 13 overall when the CBC counted down the 100 greatest Canadians."

The Couch Potato Report - May 24th, 2006

This week The Couch Potato Report shines the spotlight on a performance that should have won an Oscar, and one of the greatest filmmakers ever.

Several moths ago I correctly predicted that Reese Witherspoon would win the Best Actress Academy Award.

My reasoning at the time was that her work in WALK THE LINE was so good, and that she was so likable as a performer and person that the category would play out more like a coronation than a contest.

However, if the Academy Awards were actually given out each year to the actors and filmmakers who produce the best work, Witherspoon wouldn’t have an Oscar now.

Instead, Felicity Huffman - normally seen on television’s DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - would have one for her work in TRANSAMERICA.

Huffman doesn’t just play Bree, a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual awaiting gender-reassignment surgery, she is Bree.

Huffman transformed herself for the role. The way she moves, the way she speaks, the way she acts, and all of it is new and interesting.

She gave a superb performance and she deserved to win the Academy Award for her work.

In the film, as Bree is waiting for the surgery, she finds out she fathered a son, seventeen years ago, and she heads to New York, to bail her son out of jail.

The pair end up going on a cross-country journey and together they find the answers to some of life’s questions that have been plaguing them.

TRANSAMERICA is heartfelt, honest, funny, painful, and Felicity Huffman is incredible in it, but the rest of the film just isn't as good as she is.

That is primarily due to the pacing. While some might enjoy the length of time the film takes to get where it’s going, I found it too drawn out.

Plus, while it has superb acting at it’s core, TRANSAMERICA never seems to aspire to be brilliant.

The filmmaker’s are content to tell their main story, with a few side stories along the way, but in the end, one person finds out another one’s secret and they aren’t happy about the fact that that person has a secret.

That sense of familiarity hurts TRANSAMERICA, but otherwise, I highly recommend the film, primarily due to Felicity Huffman’s Oscar worthy performance.

No, TRANSAMERICA isn’t perfect, but if you accept it - and it’s subject matter - for what it is, you will witness a very good film.

And if you pick up THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION you will witness 5 very good films!

Cecil B. DeMille was one of the world's most successful filmmakers during the first half of the 20th century.

DeMille directed hundreds of silent films, before coming into huge popularity during the late 1910s and early 1920s, when he reached the apex of his popularity with such films as Don't Change Your Husband (1919), The Ten Commandments (1923), and The King of Kings (1927).

DeMille was one of the first directors in Hollywood to become a celebrity in his own right, and he is regarded as a man who knew what the movie-going public wanted, and gave it to them over and over.

Gloria Swanson immortalized DeMille with the oft-repeated line, “All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up” in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, wherein DeMille played himself.

DeMille is probably best known for his 1956 film The Ten Commandments, which is very different from his 1923 film by the same title.

Cecil B. DeMille is one of the innovators who made moviemaking what it is today.

Inside THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION you get his 1934 film CLEOPATRA, with Claudette Colbert as the man-hungry Queen of Egypt who leads Julius Caesar and Marc Antony astray.

This is the definitive CLEOPATRA, far superior to the Elizabeth Taylor version.

The set also includes 1935’s THE CRUSADES with Loretta Young; 1932’s THE SIGN OF THE CROSS with Fredric March; 1939’s UNION PACIFIC with Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea and some great train wrecks; and the 1934 release FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE about four passengers who escape their bubonic plague-infested ship and land on the coast of a wild jungle.

THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION is a superb set of films, unfortunately all you get are the films.

There are no vintage short subjects, making of features, audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes documentaries.

The films are superb, yes, but had they been supplemented with some special features, if could have given us a unique look inside the films of one of Hollywood’s true legends.

As it is though, THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION is still worth watching because we might not have some of the films we love today had Mr. DeMille not lead the way.

“All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.”

THE CECIL B. DEMILLE COLLECTION featuring CLEOPATRA, THE CRUSADES, THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, UNION PACIFIC and FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE is available now at a store near you along with the very good modern day film TRANSAMERICA.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

The Canadian film WHOLE NEW THING is about a boy who is enrolled in high school after years of being home schooled by hippie parents. The intelligent and androgynous youth confounds his classmates and captures the attention of his English teacher, which leads to problems for everyone involved.

The SPECIAL EDITION of the 1977 classic SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT features a remastered version of the film, a new “Making `Smokey And The Bandit'” feature and a CB Radio Tutorial.

And the JOHN WAYNE - AN AMERICAN ICON COLLECTION is a two-disc set that features five of The Duke’s films.

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.

Nike and Apple tell runners: "It's worth it"

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Is all this exercise really helping me?

Nike Inc. said on Tuesday it is making running shoes that will tell the wearer how far and how fast he or she has run and how many calories they have burned.

The instant information will come from a miniature Apple Computer Inc. iPod and a new wireless system called Nike+iPod.

Nike shares rose over 2 percent following the announcement of its plan to capitalize on the popularity of iPod portable digital music players with runners, 75 percent of whom already listen to music while they exercise.

Using a Nike+iPod Sports Kit, expected to sell for about $29, miniature versions of the iPod will be able to give audio data on time, distance, pace and calories burned on-demand through an attachable receiver that gets data from a sensor in the insole of special Nike shoes.

The new Air Zoom Moire line of running shoes -- priced at $100 -- are the first to have space for the sensor, but others will follow, Nike said. The removable sensor, about the size of a piece of bubble gum, can be used with any compatible shoe.

In 2004 archrival Adidas-Salomon AG launched a so-called "smart shoe," embedded with a computer chip and a motor that constantly adjusts the shoe's cushioning to suit the runner's needs.

But Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker said such a "smart shoe," would not, by itself, be able to access relevant data until after the run was done and the shoes had been removed.

"We realized making a smart shoe wasn't really smart enough," Parker said at a New York launch event attended by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe.

Nike, the world's biggest maker of sports shoes and apparel, also launched a line of performance clothing, including jackets, shirts and shorts, that holds iPods and keeps wires untangled and out of sight.

"We share the same types of consumers (with Apple)," said Trevor Edwards, Nike's vice president of global brand management. "We know that these two brands work really well together."

A 2002 deal between Nike and the Netherlands' Philips Electronics NV that resulted in a portable digital music player that tracked time and distance fizzled, Edwards said, because of differences in the two companies' target consumers.

Apple came to Nike after it separated from Philips, CEO Parker said after the event.

"We both had a mutual interest in pursuing (an) opportunity in this area," Parker told Reuters. "Not for Nike to get into the mp3 market per se, but for Nike to establish an opportunity with somebody who is really leading in that area."

Apple, which has shipped over 50 million iPods, controls 77 percent of the U.S. market for portable digital music players, according to market research firm NPD Group.

SELLING MORE FOOTWEAR?

Analyst John Shanley of Susquehanna Financial Group said the Nike+iPod launch was innovative but would not appeal to the company's core base of teenage boys.

"Is it going to move the needle in terms of them selling more footwear?" he asked. "Probably not."

But investors and sporting goods retailers were encouraged by Nike adding to its performance apparel business, since sales of that line have been outpaced by growing brand Under Armor Inc..

The connector kit will be available in both Nike and Apple stores within two months, the companies said, adding that Nike will also sell nano iPods, but Apple will not sell Nike shoes.

Apple will also include a Nike Sport Music section on its iTunes music store, which will feature playlists of well-known athletes such as Armstrong, the companies said.

The Nike+iPod system will let runners call up a favorite song instantly and then instantly upload their workout information to a Nike Web site, www.nikeplus.com, where they can share the information with their friends.

Nike shares closed up $1.01, or 1.3 percent, at $78.99 on the New York Stock Exchange. Apple shares fell 23 cents or less than 1 percent to $63.15 on Nasdaq.

Brooks & Dunn win at country music awards

LAS VEGAS - Brooks & Dunn, the most honored artists in the history of the Academy of Country Music's awards show, picked up a record 20th and 21st trophies Tuesday night as country music's elite gathered to perform and compete for honors.

Newcomer Carrie Underwood, last year's "American Idol" winner, was also a double winner, taking top new female vocalist and single of the year awards. The latter was for "Jesus Take the Wheel," a song she performed on the show.

"I wouldn't be here if God hadn't opened all the doors for me," she told the audience.

Kenny Chesney captured the entertainer of the year award.

Brooks & Dunn claimed the first award handed out Tuesday, song of the year for "Believe," a gospel-tinged tune written by Craig Wiseman, co-writer of the 2005 song of the year, "Live Like You Were Dying."

"It's always fun to be a part of something so strong and so spiritual," said Kix Brooks, who also shared the top vocal duo award with Dunn.

Brad Paisley, who had a leading six nominations going into the show, got the award he said he wanted, album of the year for "Time Well Wasted." He also shared vocal event of the year honors with Dolly Parton for "When I Get Where I'm Going."

Keith Urban was top male vocalist for a second year and Sara Evans, up against Underwood, Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson and Lee Ann Womack, captured her first ACM award, for top female vocalist.

"I've waited for this my whole life," she said.

Jason Aldean, whose song "Why" is No. 1 this week, was named top new male vocalist and Sugarland was honored as top new duo or vocal group.

The three-hour show was as much about music as awards, however, and Trace Adkins provided one of the evening's musical highlights. Dressed all in black — from his cowboy hat to his leather suit — Adkins added a Las Vegas touch to the program as he performed his song "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" while surrounded by shimmying showgirls.

Reba McEntire, hosting the show for an eighth time, also took a shot at country music's newest outlaws, the Dixie Chicks.

"I don't know why I was so nervous about hosting this show this year," she said. "If the Dixie Chicks can sing with their foot in their mouths, surely I can host this sucker."

The Chicks, criticized in country circles when Natalie Maines told an audience in 2003, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas," are striking back at their critics in their new single, "Not Ready to Make Nice."

Earlier in the show, Wilson paid tribute to more traditional country themes, including the nation's soldiers, working men and the Bible, in the song "Politically Incorrect."

This year's 41st annual ceremony, at the MGM Grand, was the third to be held in Las Vegas after it moved from Los Angeles. Airing on CBS, it went up against part one of the two-part "American Idol" finale on Fox.

The (Nashville) Tennessean reported Tuesday that the academy wants to move the awards show to April to escape the conflict with "Idol," TV's top-rated show. The size of the "Idol" audience has dwarfed that for the awards show the past three years.

Performers Tuesday included Paisley, Underwood, Urban, Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert, Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Big & Rich and McBride.

There was also a medley of songs honoring the late Buck Owens. The creator of country music's Bakersfield Sound died in March.

Vince Gill received the Home Depot Humanitarian Award for his community service and charitable giving of his time and talent — a trophy and a playground built in a city of his choice. He said that probably would be New Orleans. Previous winners include McEntire, McBride, Lonestar and Neal McCoy.

Awards announced before the broadcast included: producer, Buddy Cannon; on-air personality — national, Blair Garner; on-air personality — major market, Gerry House; on-air personality, medium market — Scott Innes; on-air personality, small market — Becky Austin and Brad Austin; radio station, major market — WFMS-FM; radio station, medium market — WUSY-FM; radio station, small market (tie) — WGSQ-FM, WYCT-FM; bass player, Michael Rhodes; fiddle player, Jonathan Yudkin; guitar player, Pat Buchanan; percussionist-drum, Shannon Forrest; piano-keyboard, Mike Rojas; specialty instrument, Bryan Sutton; steel guitar, Paul Franklin.

The 3,000 members of the academy select the nominees and winners of the awards.

It's McPheever versus Hicks' on 'Idol'

LOS ANGELES - In Tuesday night's final showdown between ashen-haired soulster Taylor Hicks and sultry Katharine McPhee, the "American Idol" winner was clear to one person: Simon Cowell.

"Assuming that I was right — the show was tied — then you have just won `American Idol,'" the tart-tongued "Idol" judge told Hicks following his last performance.

After the show, Hicks told The Associated Press in response to Cowell's comment: "I just hope that people don't get complacent."

McPhee and Hicks each performed three songs in Tuesday's sing-off, staged in front of more than 3,000 fans at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The winner will be crowned Wednesday.

At the show's start, Cowell offered the singers typically sugar-free advice: "I would suggest that the contestants pray that the other one forget the words."

In the first round, McPhee, 22, opened with a rendition of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." Cowell called it "good with a small `g'."

Hicks wore a purple velvet jacket — "arguably the worst jacket I've ever seen in my life," Cowell sniped — for his first number, a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City." Cowell handed his vote to Hicks: "It was a great way to start ... Round one to you."

Round two was a reverse of the first.

McPhee's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," drew praise from judges — and tears from her father, Daniel.

"You worked it out again — that was hot!" judge Randy Jackson gushed.

Hicks sang Elton John's "Levon" to mixed reviews.

"I think Kat has taken the second round," Cowell commented.

The final round had McPhee and Hicks debuting new singles.

McPhee, wearing a silky blue dress, performed a pop ballad, "My Destiny." Jackson praised her but derided the song choice as "average."

"I would say to everyone who wants to vote for Kat, vote and remember the second song," Cowell reminded viewers.

Then Hicks performed "Do I Make You Proud?" and Cowell declared the 29-year-old Alabama native the winner.

"My vision as an artist is to inject as much soul as I can into popular music," Hicks told the AP later.

McPhee, looking calm and pretty in a flowered top and bare feet, told the AP backstage after the show that she was "totally at peace with whatever the outcome."

"But onstage I also thought, `Never underestimate the power of my fans,'" she continued.

Even though Cowell chose Hicks as the winner, the audience was split. Fans held signs saying "Hicks, Hometown Hero" and "We Got the McPheever."

Scarlet Swall traveled from Kansas City to attend her third "Idol" finale and considers Hicks "brilliant."

"It's kind of my birthday gift being here at the Kodak," the 65-year-old Swall said. "It's so exciting. Back in Kansas City, we have neighborhood parties up to the finals."

McPhee fan Tess Kleinhammes was upset at Cowell's statement.

"I didn't think that was fair at all," said the 13-year-old, who had flashed a sparkly sign in support of McPhee. "I think Katharine is better than Taylor. She's one of my role models."

When told about Tess' support of her, McPhee said, "I love being a role model. It's still a man's world in society." Her advice: "Girls should keep working on themselves."

Which, she said, she's done herself.

"I've been through many therapy sessions ... It's an ongoing struggle to work on myself."

It was a party atmosphere at the Kodak Theater from the moment the fans started arriving.

Los Angeles resident Steven Ahn, 47, came out with his daughter, 8-year-old Kirsten and her best friend Maggie. Asked who they wanted to win, they chimed in: "Katharine! Because she's a good singer!"

"Yeah," they continued. "We want to grow up to be like her."

Bush Gets No Respect From Chicks' Maines

NEW YORK - The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's taking it back. "I don't feel that way anymore," she told Time magazine for its issue hitting newsstands Monday. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."

As war in Iraq loomed, Maines told the London audience: "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

The remarks led to death threats and a backlash from other country stars, including a high-profile spat with Toby Keith. It also stalled what until then had been the group's smashingly successful career.

Bandmate Emily Robinson said she knew right away the remark wouldn't be taken lightly and got "hot from my head to my toes."

"It wasn't that I didn't agree with her 100 percent; it was just, 'Oh, this is going to stir something up,'" she told Time.

For band member Martie Maguire, the controversy was a blessing in disguise.

"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."

The Chicks' hits include "Landslide," "Goodbye Earl" and "Wide Open Spaces." Their new album, "Taking the Long Way," is due out May 23. The first single is "Not Ready to Make Nice."

'Da Vinci Code' Opening Beats Expectation

LOS ANGELES - "The Da Vinci Code" banked an estimated $29 million at the box office on its first day in theaters, an industry official said Saturday, positioning the film to turn in the strongest opening weekend for any movie this year.

Preliminary results showed that the movie, based on a runaway best-seller and starring multiple-Oscar winner Tom Hanks, appealed to moviegoers despite lackluster reviews.

The Columbia Pictures movie opened in 3,735 theaters in the U.S. and grossed a respectable average of $7,764 per screen.

"This is the first big film of the summer to exceed box office expectations," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc., which tracks box office receipts.

Dergarabedian said the movie could gross $60 million to $80 million in its opening weekend. That would easily eclipse Tom Cruise's latest offering, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III," which fell well below expectation with $48 million on its opening weekend earlier this month.

For "Da Vinci Code," controversy around a script that suggests Jesus married and fathered a child "only served to pump up the marketplace and get moviegoers get really interested in seeing what the fuss was about," Dergarabedian said.

"Whether you are a fan of the book or just a lover of great mystery thrillers, this film is a true entertainment event," said Steve Elzer, a spokesman for Columbia Pictures. "We had an exceptionally strong Friday with sell out business reported in territories virtually all over the world."

The film's box office take was notable in a shaky Hollywood market but far from record-setting. Twenty-nine films have had single-day receipts that exceeded $30 million.

The record for the biggest opening day, $50 million, is held by last year's "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith."

Preliminary three-day box-office estimates were to be released Sunday, with final figures expected Monday.

Dixie Chicks don't stick at country radio

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars.

"Taking the Long Way," due out May 23, is the band's first album since singer Natalie Maines sparked a major controversy in 2003 by declaring that she was ashamed to hail from the same state as fellow Texan President George W. Bush. Radio boycotts ensued, and many fans abandoned the band.

The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beginning its descent after just seven weeks. The second single, "Everybody Knows," is now at No. 50, down two places in its fourth week.

"Not Ready to Make Nice" performed only slightly better at adult contemporary radio, peaking at No. 32 on the AC chart and falling off after six weeks.

From the beginning of the album rollout, the Dixie Chicks were eager that their songs be worked to radio formats beyond country. The album was produced by rock veteran Rick Rubin, whose credits include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and Johnny Cash.

By picking the defiant "Not Ready" as the first single, they've reopened a wound that was particularly deep for country radio fans, and left many country programmers with the burning question: Why on earth would the band choose to do this?

After hearing the album, WKIS Miami program director Bob Barnett says he was "excited about the opportunity to introduce some great Chicks music to the listeners." But the group's decision to come with "Not Ready" as the lead single left him "stunned, especially in light of the fact that, when asked, programmers and consultants that listened to the project were virtually unanimous in saying we should put the politics behind us and concentrate on all this other great music we were hearing."

KUBL/KKAT Salt Lake City PD Ed Hill criticizes the song's "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."

Barnett played the song for a week, but pulled it after listeners called to say it sounded like the Chicks were "gloating" or "rubbing our noses in it," he reports. "We didn't need to pick at the scab any longer."

He and other country programmers were upset that the group chose to launch its new album with a single that rehashed all the angst of three years ago.

The two singles have had a striking lack of impact at radio, considering the band's history. Between 1997 and 2003, it notched 14 top 10 country singles, including six No. 1 hits. In addition to eight Grammy Awards, the group has won 10 Country Music Assn. Awards and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. The trio has sold 23.4 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The Dixie Chicks and reps from their label, Columbia Records, declined to participate in this story. But -- at least as far as Maines is concerned -- the drop-off at country radio was part of its plan.

Maines was quoted in late January on entertainmentweekly.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."

Maines also said, "I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life."

At KNCI Sacramento, Calif., the Chicks' music weathered the 2003 controversy only to be pulled as a result of Maines' new Entertainment Weekly comments, coupled with poor scores in local music tests.

"When an artist says that they don't want to be a part of that industry, it made our decision a no-brainer," program director Mark Evans says. "There are too many talented new artists dying to have a song played on country radio, so I'd rather give one of them a shot."

Crowds, protests expected as "Da Vinci Code" opens

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Moviegoers, shrugging off a burst of negative reviews, were expected to flock to Friday's opening of the religious thriller "The Da Vinci Code" as some Catholics vowed coast-to-coast protests against the film.

The upbeat commercial outlook for the movie, adapted from Dan Brown's best-selling novel, hinged on advance ticket sales and an assumption that many of the more than 40 million people who bought the book are eager to see the film, regardless of what critics think.

Moreover, the film, directed by Ron Howard, has generated a level of publicity and media hype unseen since Mel Gibson's blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" arrived in theaters two years ago.

Industry experts predicted that, like the controversy Gibson stirred with his graphic depiction of Christ's crucifixion in "The Passion," the debate over "The Da Vinci Code" has only heightened interest in Howard's film.

Opening in more than 3,700 U.S. theaters and about 8,700 overseas, "The Da Vinci Code" is expected to tower over its box-office competition, grossing $50 million to $80 million during its first weekend in the United States alone, according to industry analysts.

"The early matinees are very strong and extremely encouraging," said Steve Elzer, a spokesman for distributor Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp.

The two biggest U.S. theater chains, Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc., both reported brisk advance ticket sales, as did the movie ticketing service Fandango.

And Daily Variety reported "The Da Vinci Code" generated respectable business in a handful of overseas markets where it debuted earlier this week, including France and Australia.

"There's just so much awareness and interest in this film," Regal spokesman Dick Westerling told Reuters. "I think people want to go see it and make up their own minds what they think of the movie."

PANNED IN CANNES

The film was generally panned by critics at the Cannes film festival this week who said the picture was somewhat miscast and lacked the suspense and thrill of the book.

The movie stars Tom Hanks as a Harvard scholar who teams up with a French cryptologist (played by Audrey Tautou) to solve a murder mystery entwined in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and a supposed alternate history of Christianity.

A central premise of the story is that Jesus fathered a child by Mary Magdalene, and that a clandestine