'Office' Star to Haunt 'Ghost Town'
Ricky Gervais, the creator and star of the original British version of "The Office," will be taking his comedic talents to a supernatural romantic comedy.
The Brit and Greg Kinnear have signed on to star in the David Koepp-directed DreamWorks comedy "Ghost Town," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The story revolves around a dentist who is performing routine surgery when he suddenly dies ... but only temporarily. When he comes back, he discovers that he has the ability to see dead people, all of whom demand that he help them contact the living for various reasons.
There's no indication which roles the actors will take.
The production is looking to begin production in October.
Kinnear, 43, was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in "As Good As It Gets." His recent credits include "The Matador," "Fast Food Nation," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Invincible."
Gervais, 45, has also brought the BBC/HBO series "Extras" to television. His film appearances include "For Your Consideration" and "Night at the Museum." Next up for him is a part in the upcoming fantasy film "Stardust."
Disney could unlock `Song of the South'
ORLANDO, Fla. - Walt Disney Co.'s 1946 film "Song of the South" was historic. It was Disney's first big live-action picture and produced one of the company's most famous songs — the Oscar-winning "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." It also provided the inspiration for the Splash Mountain rides at Disney's theme parks.
But the movie remains hidden in the Disney archives — never released on video in the United States and criticized as racist for its depiction of Southern plantation blacks. The film's 60th anniversary passed last year without a whisper of official rerelease, which is unusual for Disney, but President and CEO Bob Iger recently said the company was reconsidering.
The film's reissue would surely spark debate, but it could also sell big. Nearly 115,000 people have signed an online petition urging Disney to make the movie available, and out-of-print international copies routinely sell online for $50 to $90, some even more than $100.
Iger was answering a shareholder's inquiry about the movie for the second straight year at Disney's annual meeting in New Orleans. This month the Disney chief made a rerelease sound more possible.
"The question of `Song of the South' comes up periodically, in fact it was raised at last year's annual meeting," Iger said. "And since that time, we've decided to take a look at it again because we've had numerous requests about bringing it out. Our concern was that a film that was made so many decades ago being brought out today perhaps could be either misinterpreted or that it would be somewhat challenging in terms of providing the appropriate context."
"Song of the South" was re-shown in theaters in 1956, 1972, 1980 and 1986. Both animated and live-action, it tells the story of a young white boy, Johnny, who goes to live on his grandparents' Georgia plantation when his parents split up. Johnny is charmed by Uncle Remus — a popular black servant — and his fables of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox, which are actual black folk tales. (An honorary Oscar to James Baskett for his portrayal of Uncle Remus.)
Remus' stories include "The Tar Baby," a phrase Republican presidential hopefuls John McCain (news, bio, voting record) and Mitt Romney have been criticized for using to describe difficult situations. In "Song of the South," it was a trick Brer Fox and Brer Bear used to catch the rabbit — dressing a lump of hot tar as a person to ensnare their prey. To some, it's now a derogatory term for blacks, regardless of context.
The movie doesn't reveal whether it takes place before or after the Civil War, and never refers to blacks on the plantation as slaves. It makes clear they work for the family, living down dirt roads in wood shacks while the white characters stay in a mansion. Remus and other black characters' dialogue is full of "ain't nevers," "ain't nobodys," "you tells," and "dem dayses."
"In today's environment, `Song of the South' probably doesn't have a lot of meaning, especially to the younger audiences," said James Pappas, associate professor of African-American Studies at the University of New York at Buffalo. "Older audiences probably would have more of a connection with the stereotypes, which were considered harmless at the time."
Pappas said it's not clear that the movie is intentionally racist, but it inappropriately projects Remus as a happy, laughing storyteller even though he's a plantation worker.
However, Pappas said he thinks the movie should be rereleased because of its historical significance. He said it should be prefaced, and closed, with present-day statements.
"I think it's important that these images are shown today so that especially young people can understand this historical context for some of the blatant stereotyping that's done today," Pappas said.
From a financial standpoint, Iger acknowledged last year that Disney stood to gain from rereleasing "Song." The company's movies are popular with collectors, and Disney has kept sales strong by tightly controlling when they're available.
Christian Willis, a 26-year-old IT administrator in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., started a "Song of the South" fan site in 1999 to showcase memorabilia. He soon expanded it into a clearinghouse for information on the movie that now averages more than 800 hits a day and manages the online petition.
Willis said he doesn't think the movie is racist, just from a different time.
"Stereotypes did exist on the screen," he said. "But if you look at other films of that time period, I think `Song of the South' was really quite tame in that regard. I think Disney did make an effort to show African-Americans in a more positive light."
Though Willis is hopeful, there's still no telling when — or if — the movie could come out (beyond its copyright lapsing decades from now).
In a statement to The Associated Press, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney's distribution arm, said: "`Song of the South' is one of a handful of titles that has not seen a home distribution window. To this point, we have not discounted nor committed to any distribution window concerning this title."
Juno broadcast to air pre-taped
TORONTO (CP) -- When Canadian music fans tune in to CTV on Sunday to see if their favourite artist takes home a Juno Award, many will be doing so after the show has taken place.
In most parts of the country, viewers will see a pre-taped version of Canada's premier music awards gala, to be hosted this year by pop superstar Nelly Furtado in Saskatoon.
The unusual situation is all because of a two-hour episode of the hugely popular reality show "The Amazing Race."
CTV wants to simulcast CBS's broadcast of "The Amazing Race," which airs at different times across the country.
As a result, the Junos will be bumped to 10 p.m. in Ontario and Quebec and as late as 11 p.m. in the Maritimes on the main network.
However, the show will be broadcast live in Atlantic Canada on the CTV-owned channel ASN, airing at 10 p.m. in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and 10:30 p.m. in Newfoundland.
Out west, the show will be broadcast much earlier, hitting airwaves live at 7 p.m. in Alberta and taped at 9 p.m. in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Confused?
CTV admits that the Juno schedule is a head-scratcher, but says that pitting the music awards show against "The Amazing Race" on CBS was not an option.
"Our priority has always been to showcase the Junos to the biggest possible audience and we're confident that this Sunday's game plan ensures that this will happen once again," said CTV spokesman Mike Cosentino.
Two years ago it was the campy soap opera "Desperate Housewives" that caused scheduling headaches for CTV.
It ended up bumping the Junos show by a half hour in all time zones.
CTV spokesman Scott Henderson said the network's varied schedule has meant a constantly changing airtime for the Junos from year to year.
"We try to do the best we can to protect the show and we don't want to compete against ourselves," Henderson said.
Music fans with satellite television can sneak a peak at the awards show a bit earlier through broadcast "time shifting." For instance, viewers in Ontario and Quebec can catch the show at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. by tuning into the Maritime's ASN feed or Alberta's CTV feed, which both air one hour earlier than the local feed.
This year's Junos will feature performances by rockers Three Days Grace, punk band Alexisonfire, hip-hop sensation k-os and veterans the Tragically Hip.
Furtado, rock band Billy Talent and k-os lead the nominees with five nods each.
An encore broadcast will air on CTV on Easter Sunday, April 8, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. across the country.
Comedian Eddie Griffin wrecks $1.5M car
IRWINDALE, Calif. - Eddie Griffin crashed a rare Ferrari Enzo worth $1.5 million into a concrete barrier while practicing at a racetrack, destroying the car but escaping uninjured.
The 38-year-old actor-comedian was practicing Monday for a charity race to promote his upcoming film, "Redline," when he drove too fast around a curve at the Irwindale Speedway. Video footage shows the red sports car screeching before it ricocheted off the barrier with heavy damage to its front.
"Undercover Brother's good at karate and all the rest of that, but the Brother can't drive," said Griffin, referring to his 2002 movie, after the accident.
The film's publicist, Wendy Zocks, said Griffin was "doing OK."
"He walked away completely unscratched, but probably a little shaken," Zocks said.
The Enzo is owned by "Redline" executive producer Daniel Sadek, whose exotic car collection is featured in the movie.
Sadek said the Enzo was damaged beyond repair.
"I'm glad Eddie came out of the crash OK, but my dream car got destroyed," Sadek said. "I went to my trailer for about 15 minutes and I thought,`There's people dying every day. A lot of worse things are happening in the world.'"
Only 400 Ferrari Enzos were produced, all between 2002 and 2004.
Griffin's film credits also include "Norbit," "Undercover Brother," "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" and its sequel, and "Date Movie."