Well, there we go! That is the end of 2007!!

Thanks for your visits to our site this year, and here's to a great 2008!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Dan & Dave
anythingbut.com

Year End: 2007 music news in review

Bouts of rehab and canceled tours riddled the headlines of 2007, most notably by one-time pop princess Britney Spears and British soul singer Amy Winehouse. But the last 12 months proved fruitful for many musicians, including the newly reunited. Both the Spice Girls and Van Halen extended their tours due to successful rounds of sold-out shows while others, like Blind Melon, replaced lost original members with talented newbies for another chance at stardom. A handful of artists--Audioslave's Chris Cornell, Staind frontman Aaron Lewis, Lonestar's Richie McDonald--took the plunge into solo status.

Here's a month-by-month look at the major news stories of 2007.

January

Texas folk singer Patty Griffin launched a mini-tour of North America preceding her February release, "Children Running Through," and a tackled a heartier spring tour schedule. The preliminary lineup for the eighth annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival revealed the reunion of Rage Against the Machine and Crowded House for the three-day event. British singer Lily Allen announced a short club outing sponsored by MTV, deemed the "Discover and Download" tour. The Who extended their first full-fledged concert tour since the 2002 death of founding bassist John Entwistle. Sparklehorse announced plans for a headlining tour in support of 2005's "Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain," the band's first full US tour in five years. Legendary reclusive rocker Roky Erickson announced his first San Francisco concert appearance in 25 years at the city's Noise Pop Festival.

February

Fall Out Boy teamed with MTV for the Infinity Flight 206 trek, a three-city, one-day tour supporting their new album, "Infinity on High." Singer/songwriter Marc Cohn played his first Colorado shows since a 2005 carjacking incident during which he was shot in the head. Apple Inc. and The Beatles-owned Apple Corps Ltd finally settled their lengthy trademark dispute. Former Beach Boy Brian Wilson premiered a commissioned song-cycle piece consisting of four rounds interspersed with spoken word at London's Southbank Centre. Veteran Australian rockers Hoodoo Gurus mapped out their first US tour since 1994 in honor of their reissued debut recording, 1984's "Stoneage Romeos." The Dixie Chicks took home several Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year for "Not Ready to Make Nice." Frontman Chris Cornell formally quit Audioslave, opting to take on future projects alone, while Ian Astbury announced his departure from Riders on the Storm, the band he helped create with former Doors members. Pop princess Britney Spears checked herself into Eric Clapton's Crossroads Centre in Antigua, and out the following day before returning to Malibu, shaving her head and entering Promises Malibu Treatment Center for a month of rehab. Tool postponed the start of their spring tour after drummer Danny Carey tore a bicep.

March

The Allman Brothers upheld their annual tradition established in 1989, playing a two-week, 13-show residency at New York's Beacon Theatre. Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin kicked off a nationwide tour backing his self-titled release, his first new album in 10 years. R.E.M. announced that the group would return to the recording studio following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame mid-month. Jam band Leftover Salmon revealed plans to take the stage at several summertime festivals, ending a two-year hiatus. Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald disclosed that he would split with the group at the end of 2007 to pursue a solo career. Paul McCartney and Starbucks Corp. teamed up, making the former Beatle the first performer to release an album on the coffee company's Hear Music label. Justin Timberlake expanded his "FutureSex/Love Show" tour with an additional 15-date North American leg.

April

EMI agreed to sell selections from the label's catalog DRM-free via Apple's iTunes Music Store. Prince's Las Vegas residency at the Rio Hotel & Casino's 3121 nightclub came to an end so the singer could focus on touring. Sheryl Crow and global-warming activist Laurie David paired up for the "Stop Global Warming" college tour, preaching social change at more than 10 universities. Two of the three original members of the Meat Puppets reunited behind the new release "Rose to Your Knees" and toured together for the first time in more than a decade. The String Cheese Incident unveiled dates for the 14-year-old jam band's final tour. The Drive-By Truckers maintained a busy tour schedule despite the departure of longtime guitarist/vocalist Jason Isbell. Carrie Underwood topped the list of CMT Music Award winners for the second straight year with two wins for the video to her hit song "Before He Cheats." Country sweethearts Faith Hill and Tim McGraw expanded their "Soul2Soul" tour to comprise 44 dates with several two-night runs.

May

Britney Spears took to the stage for the first time in nearly three years in a brief, surprise performance at San Diego's House of Blues. Alt-rockers My Chemical Romance called off a handful of dates when several band and crew members became violently ill from food poisoning. Las Vegas' Colosseum at Ceasars Palace announced that Bette Midler will replace Celine Dion as the club's resident performer. Classic rock outfit Ten Years After announced a 40th anniversary world tour scheduled to touch down in several North American cities. The reformed Smashing Pumpkins unveiled a portion of their world tour behind "Zeitgeist" which included two residencies comprising nine shows in Asheville, NC, and eight in San Francisco. Kenny Chesney took home his third consecutive Entertainer of the Year trophy at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Music legend Bo Diddley survived a stroke he suffered following a concert at Harrah's Casino in Council Bluffs, IA. The Police celebrated the launch of their reunion tour with the debut of their first double-disc "best of" set. The Black Crowes shelved plans for a new album and subsequent world tour, opting instead to continue on with their already-scheduled North American dates. Justin Timberlake joined forces with Interscope Records to chair his own label, Tennman Records.

June

Christian punk/metal outfit MewithoutYou announced headlining concert dates coupled with engaging potluck dinners preceding the each show. Bad Brains released a handful of dates in support of "Build a Nation," the band's first studio release since 2002. Wilco ruffled some fans' feathers by licensing the use of songs from "Sky Blue Sky" in various Volkswagen commercials. Liza Minnelli embarked on a world tour that kicked off in Brazil before hitting Europe and scattered cities throughout the US. Staind frontman Aaron Lewis packed intimate venues across the nation during his solo acoustic jaunt dubbed the "Have Guitar, Will Travel" tour. Arlo Gutherie revealed plans for a yearlong solo tour scheduled to hit more than 60 cities in the US and Canada. Several Internet radio broadcasters went dark for 24 hours in protest of an approved increase in the amount of royalties they would soon be required to pay artists and record labels. Alt-rockers The Used dropped off the Vans Warped Tour so that frontman Bert McCracken could undergo an operation on his vocal cords. After six years of separation, The Spice Girls announced a world tour to coincide with a greatest hits album.

July

A series of worldwide concerts, known as Live Earth, brought more than 150 artists together in one 24-hour period to call attention to climate change. They Might Be Giants released their 12th album and launched a subsequent national marathon tour. Punk-pop outfit Superdrag revealed plans for the reunion of the original lineup for a short run of fall shows. Slayer joined forces with Marilyn Manson for a summer tour. Dave Matthews used his celebrity status to petition Congress to ensure traumatized US troops get medical and psychiatric help. Icelandic singer Bjork added a North American leg to her trek in support of "Volta," including a set at the Austin City Limits Festival. The White Stripes completed their mission of playing every province and territory in Canada with a final, one-note show in Newfoundland. Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony announced a fall co-headlining tour that marked the duo's first professional appearance together since they wed in 2004. R&B crooner Etta James recovered from complications stemming from her mid-June abdominal surgery. KISS frontman/guitarist Paul Stanley missed the group's San Jacinto, CA performance due to a "cardiac event" from which he recovered. Ozzy Osbourne underwent minor surgery to remove a blood clot following an Ozzfest performance at Coors Amphitheater in Englewood, CO.

August

Stevie Wonder unveiled plans for his first major tour in a dozen years. Baltimore's two-day Virgin Festival attracted heavy-hitters like The Police, Panic! at the Disco, Beastie Boys, TV on the Radio, Smashing Pumpkins. Fats Domino, whose New Orleans' home was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, received 20 reproduced sales awards for his chart-topping hits in the '50s and '60s. Wilco postponed two gigs to allow guitarist Nels Cline to recuperate from a bout of chicken pox. Alt-rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain, in the midst of a comeback tour, confirmed reports of a new album on the horizon. Veteran rockers Genesis, fresh off a European jaunt, announced "Turn It On Again," the group's first North American tour in 15 years. The Cure pushed back a previously announced September/October tour to April and May of 2008 so the group could focus on finishing up their double album. Amy Winehouse, who had reportedly been in and out of rehab, postponed her North American tour alongside Paulo Nutini, who opted to continue on without her.

September

Kelly Clarkson, who canceled her summer arena tour due to poor ticket sales, announced a keyed-down fall trek, scheduled to hit more intimate venues. Blind Melon revealed a tour schedule behind an in-the-works album with singer Travis Warren filling the spot left by Shannon Hoon, who died of a drug overdose in 1995. Britney Spears attempted a career comeback when she opened the MTV Video Music Awards with a lackluster performance of her latest single, "Gimme More." The Pixies' Frank Black launched a brief tour as Black Francis, backing his 13th studio release, "Bluefinger." Singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat, who propelled to fame thanks to MySpace, launched a club and theater tour in support of her debut album, "CoCo." Austin City Limits Festival continued despite a slew of major cancellations including The White Stripes, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Amy Winehouse. Disney made the executive decision to take their popular TV show, "High School Musical," to the live stage. The album-sales rivalry between Kanye West's "Graduation" and 50 Cent's "Curtis" came to a head when West outsold 50 Cent by nearly a third during the albums' first week in stores. Veteran rockers Van Halen took the stage for the first time in 22 years with original frontman David Lee Roth.

October

The Wallflowers reemerged after a two-year hiatus to play a handful of intimate shows on the East Coast. Coheed and Cambria hit the road behind "No World for Tomorrow," the final chapter in a five-part CD saga. Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program launched a pair of campus concert tours, a hip-hop version featuring Ghostface Killah and a rock version headlined by ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Radiohead released their latest studio album, "In Rainbows," allowing fans to pick their own price when ordering the digital-download version. The Spice Girls sold out their London O2 arena show in 38 seconds, prompting the British quintet to schedule three more London shows. Isaac Hanson, the oldest brother of the pop group Hanson, checked into a Dallas hospital for chest pains, the result of a pulmonary embolism. Madonna signs a deal with concert promotions giant Live Nation encompassing recorded music, merchandise, ticketing, fan websites, broadcast/digital media rights, sponsorship and marketing. The American Music Awards opened voting up to the public for the first time in the show's 35-year history. Country crooner George Strait released another hits album, "22 More Hits," ahead of his massive US arena tour. Miley Cyrus announced that her hot-selling "Best of Both Worlds" tour, which also featured her Disney Channel character Hannah Montana, would be captured on film and screened at 3D movie theaters in early 2008. MySpace launched the first ever MySpace Music Tour, headlined by Say Anything and Hellogoodbye. A rash of wildfires forced several acts to cancel scheduled gigs in Southern California. Sum 41 canceled several tour dates due to frontman Deryck Whibley's issue with a herniated disc.

November

"Long Road Out of Eden"--the first album of new material from the Eagles in 28 years, debuts at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart--despite being sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. The Decemberists canceled their fall US tour after just two fulfilled dates due to a member's undisclosed illness. Rosanne Cash announced all remaining 2007 tour dates would be canceled so she could undergo brain surgery for a benign condition. Celine Dion revealed plans for a world tour once her five-year Las Vegas residency at Ceasars Palace ends. Soul singer Robin Thicke postponed his stateside tour because of a vocal ailment. John Mayer released information about Mayercraft Carrier, a three-day concert cruise planned for February. Van Halen mentioned extending their successful road trip well into next year. Quiet Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow was found dead in his Las Vegas home from an accidental drug overdose. Josh Groban's Christmas-themed "Noel" returned to No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart after his surprise appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Trent Reznor launched his own website to allow for fan-posted remixes after his former label turned down the idea.

December

Garth Brooks set a venue sales record with his five-show stand at LA's Staples Center. Journey named their third lead singer in less than two years, with Arnel Pineda replacing Jeff Scott Soto as the rock group's frontman. Led Zeppelin rocked London's O2 arena in their first full-length concert in nearly three decades. Paul Potts, the soft-spoken winner of "Britain's Got Talent," announced plans for his first trek across the US scheduled for spring 2008. Dolly Parton unveiled the first set of dates for her 2008 world tour behind her forthcoming album, "Backwoods Barbie," her first studio effort since 2005. Music icons Madonna, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, The Ventures and The Dave Clark Five led the new class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, to be honored in March. Art Garfunkel confirmed dates for a US tour that will mix solo and symphony dates in support of his 12th solo album, "Some Enchanted Evening." Josh Groban's "Noel" spent its 5th straight week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, a record for a holiday album. Radiohead announced it will perform its latest album, "In Rainbows," in its entirety during a one-hour New Year's Eve simulcast over cable television and the web.

2007 Deaths

Notable deaths in the music world throughout 2007 included Michael Brecker, Joe Hunter (The Funk Brothers,) Brad Delp (Boston,) Don Ho, Lee Hazlewood, Max Roach, Luciano Pavarotti, Casey Calvert (Hawthorne Heights,) Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot,) Ike Turner, Chad "Pimp C" Butler (UGK), Dan Fogelberg Joe Dolan and Oscar Peterson.

Robin Williams to open Letterman's show

NEW YORK - Robin Williams will be David Letterman's first guest upon the return of his "Late Show" on CBS Wednesday, while NBC's writer-less "Tonight" show welcomes GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

The appearance of a Hollywood A-lister who can talk a mile a minute may be Letterman's way of quickly trying to draw a distinction between his show and his late-night rivals, who are working without striking writers and may also have trouble booking major entertainers.

The most closely watched late-night duel will be between NBC's Jay Leno and Letterman.

Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, reached an agreement Friday to have his show return with writers despite the ongoing writers strike, which began Nov. 5.

Leno, along with Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien, return Wednesday under an air of mystery. They won't have writers and are restricted under union strike rules from performing many familiar comic bits, including traditional monologues.

Meanwhile, Letterman's signature "top 10" list arrives intact.

Hollywood's major actors' union has put out signals encouraging its members to visit Letterman and fellow CBS host Craig Ferguson. Ferguson's show is also owned by Worldwide Pants and is covered by the same special deal with writers.

"Screen Actors Guild members will be happy to appear on the `Late Show' with David Letterman and the `Late Late Show' with Craig Ferguson with union writers at work and without having to cross picket lines," said Alan Rosenberg, Screen Actors Guild president.

The Los Angeles-based union represents nearly 120,000 actors.

Until the Huckabee announcement, neither Leno nor late-night shows hosted by Kimmel and O'Brien had said anything about who they will book.

There's no word on whether Huckabee will bring along his electric guitar. Leno's return after two months of strike-related reruns couldn't come at a better time for the politician, the night before the Iowa caucuses and six days before the New Hampshire primary.

Donald Trump, previously booked for Letterman on Wednesday, has been bumped to Friday.

Comedy Central's topical nightly comedies, "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart and "The Colbert Report," are set to return on Jan. 7 without striking writers.

DVD gets Zapped!

Zapped!, the '80s paranormal sex romp starring Scott Baio will go digital with a new DVD release in February.

The disc carries an anamorphic widescreen transfer and the original stereo sound mix. No extras have been announced, but with a tagline like They're getting a little behind in their classwork, what more could you possibly ask for.

Arriving February 12th from MGM Home Entertainment, the disc retails for $14.98.

Digital album packaging should improve in 2008

DENVER (Billboard) - There is a reason people still buy CDs more than they do digital albums. Actually there are several, but viruses that come along with music via peer-to-peer sites (P2P) and a concern over digital rights management (DRM) aren't the only culprits.

Digital music files just don't provide the same amount of content that a CD package does. That includes liner notes, extended album art and lyrics. Buy a digital album today and all you get are a list of tracks and (maybe) a thumbnail image of the album cover that you can't even read.

It's one of the reasons music fans still turn to P2P networks for their music. In addition to providing music free of charge and free of DRM, P2P sites in many cases also include digital copies of such extras typically found in the CD. According to label sources and pirate network tracking firms, fans downloading full albums from BitTorrent sites almost universally choose files that include scans of the CD booklet over those that don't.

Of course, there is little that can be done with those scans other than view them on a computer. Imagine if the music industry and the digital music services got together and offered an official way to access the same content, but make it available on portable devices as well as make it interactive.

There are two ways to accomplish this. One is working directly with a digital music service and hardware developer to ensure all this new content has an outlet. The other is to go it alone.

For the former, iTunes is the most likely candidate.

Although hardly life-threatening, iTunes is facing new competition from Amazon and a variety of social networking sites. While it has made great advancements with the iPod, iTunes' innovation has been slow. The service looks and operates much like it always has. The only new features are in video.

In 2008, look for Apple to make nice with its label partners by offering a bit more with each download, such as lyrics and more interactive album art.

iTunes is the only music service that has a built-in video download feature. The others offer only streaming video. It's also one of the few services that feature a tightly integrated device -- the iPod. Apple is in a great position to roll out new features across its online store and its devices at the same time.

Microsoft's Zune is another place to watch for this, for the same reasons. It also has the integrated service and device, as well as ownership of the technical building blocks needed (such as Windows Media Player). And since it's still lagging far behind Apple in the digital music game, Microsoft could easily tap digital extras as a battleground for new market share.

The problem is that the four major music companies rarely work together on anything. So another angle would be for each to go it alone. If digital music services can't or won't incorporate better metadata into their downloaded files, look for third-party applications to emerge that will do so after the fact.

Early examples of this are two games developed for the iPod -- "Musicka," created by the developers of the original music rhythm game "PaRappa the Rapper," and "Phase," created by "Rock Band" and original "Guitar Hero" developer Harmonix. Both are rhythm-based games that let users "play" along to the songs on their device by pressing buttons at the right time.

The point is that if these game companies can do it, there is no reason why labels can't offer (or commission) their own iPod plug-in that will import better album art, liner notes and lyrics directly from the label or artist and ported into iTunes and the iPod.

In the year ahead, look for several efforts from both camps as digital music distribution becomes more important to the music industry as well as a point of increasing competition among service providers.

Here are a few areas to watch:

ALBUM ART

As music formats have changed through the years, album artwork has suffered. It has gone from sprawling center spreads adorning vinyl LPs to stamp-sized thumbnails accompanying MP3 files. But as digital becomes the predominant format, look for album art to evolve.

The early groundwork for this already has been laid. Last spring, Warner Music Group (WMG) added interactive booklets based on Apple's Quicktime software to about 75 albums sold on iTunes, providing photos and links to more multimedia content. The problem was it was also based on Flash technology, which the latest version of Quicktime disabled due to a security flaw.

There is additional activity on the mobile front. All labels are working with phone manufacturers on the "mobile album" concept -- a bundled digital package that includes the full song, ringtone, wallpaper image and other assets for one price.

LYRICS

While a lyrics page is quite commonplace in the pages of a CD booklet, they are nonexistent with digital music files. In fact, most digital music services only let users search for songs by artist, track or album name. None have an integrated lyrics search tool, and you certainly can't download lyrics to your iPod or other device.

Slowly, things are changing. Yahoo Music last year launched the first publisher-authorized online lyrics search page thanks to Gracenote, which has taken on the task of untangling the Gordian knot of music lyrics publishing rights for service providers.

That search page isn't integrated with the Yahoo Music Unlimited service, though. What's lacking is an affordable way to attach those lyrics to the digital file of the song they belong to. Digital music services would have to pay an extra fee per download to offer that capability, and devices would have to add a new "lyrics" tab or some other functionality for users to subsequently access the words while the song plays.

Look for Gracenote and its service provider partners to develop exactly that in the year ahead.

LINER NOTES

Perhaps the most fundamental changes coming to album extras are in the liner notes. In a CD booklet, it's all well and good to list a bunch of people to thank and leave it at that. In the digital age, liner notes become far more interesting.

Rather than thanking so-and-so producer for doing such a great mixing job or their family for support, digital albums can provide behind-the-scenes footage of the producer and band at work, or perhaps a "making of" featurette, interview Q&A, family photos/video, etc.

One area to look for such innovation is with the CDVU+ and MVI formats created by Walt Disney and WMG, respectively. Technically these are multimedia CD formats, not digital music formats. But both represent a step toward expanding the way all involved view a music product.

Both add what can best be called "digital magazines" to a CD that, when inserted into a computer, allow fans to access videos, link to online features, lyrics and more. These physical products represent the bridge between old-school CDs and the digital future. As labels focus on selling more digital albums instead of individual tracks in the new year, expect them to learn from these experiments and begin creating similar all-digital packages as well.

Mounties bust fake DVD scam in Montreal

The RCMP have seized thousands of counterfeit DVDs of popular American TV shows and arrested eight people suspected of masterminding a black-market scam to sell the videos.

Mountie investigators raided an undisclosed Montreal location Tuesday where they found thousands of illegal DVD copies of shows like The Six Million Dollar Man and Ally McBeal, as well as 200 DVD burners.

Eight people were arrested and face several fraud charges under the Canadian Criminal Code and Copyright Law.

The RCMP believe the DVDs were burned in Montreal and sold widely across North America through several internet sites.

The counterfeit DVDs were sold at market prices which led buyers to believe they were purchasing original copies.

Canada's national police force warned consumers to be vigilant when buying DVDs online. Counterfeit versions are typically of poorer quality, the RCMP said at a press conference Wednesday.

People who believe they've bought counterfeit versions can contact the RCMP at 1-514-939-8307, or the Canadian Association of Film Distributors at 1-800-363-9166.

Rowling says she's considered another Potter novel

Author J.K. Rowling says she has considered writing another Harry Potter novel, although fans may have to wait another 10 years.

The bestselling author of the teen wizard series has hinted in an interview with Time magazine that she has had "weak moments" in which she's thought of writing an eighth book.

"If — and it's a big if — I ever write an eighth book, I doubt that Harry would be the central character. I feel I've already told his story," she said.

"But these are big ifs. Let's give it 10 years."

The seventh instalment of the wizard-in-training books — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — came out in July. It instantly became the fastest-selling book of all time, with more than 15 million copies purchased within 24 hours.

Rowling's six previous Harry Potter books sold more than 325 million worldwide.

Rowling, who Time positioned at No. 3 in its Person of the Year list, is thought to be working on an adult novel.

The 41-year-old writer hit the headlines in October after revealing that one of Harry Potter's main characters, Albus Dumbledore, is gay.

She told an audience of fans in New York City that as a young man, Dumbledore had fallen in love with Gellert Grindelwald, who later became a rival.

Rowling said her novels are really a "prolonged argument for tolerance."

The film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, is due for release late next year.

Canseco plans sequel to tell-all doping book: reports

NEW YORK (AFP) - Retired slugger Jose Canseco, who unveiled steroid doping by Major League Baseball stars in a 2005 book, plans a sequel to his tell-all memoir "Juiced" that promises to add names to the sport's shame.

The New York Daily News and New York Post reported Sunday that Canseco's lawyer, Robert Saunooke, said the former Oakland A's star has signed a publishing deal.

Canseco hopes to have the new book available for sale when the season opens in March at Tokyo and promises to plug what he considers holes in the Mitchell Commission report that linked more than 80 men to performance-enhancing drugs.

"It will be an unjaundiced view, without the rose-colored glasses that (Mitchell's report) obviously put on," Saunooke said.

The book has a working title of "Vindicated" but actual vindication for the once-bulky slugger is unlikely even given the massive scope of the doping plague that has tainted the past decade's results in America's pastime.

"Juiced" was Canseco's confession of dope cheating and named Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi as steroid takers, helping to spark hearings before US lawmakers in which McGwire refused to deny doping while under oath.

More hearings before US lawmakers are planned in January but without players being involved, diminishing the importance and drama that can be expected given prior threats and inaction when applying pressure to baseball officials.

'Treasure' tops weekend at $35.6 million

LOS ANGELES - Fortune-seeker Nicolas Cage, lonely guy Will Smith and a pack of talking chipmunks ended Hollywood's year on a happy note. Cage's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" was the No. 1 movie for a second weekend with $35.6 million, followed by "Alvin and the Chipmunks" with $30 million and Smith's "I Am Legend" with $27.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Those hits along with a solid crop of other holdovers and new movies that opened Christmas Day capped a year-end hot streak for Hollywood, whose business soared the last few weeks after a sluggish fall.

"It's being spread among three or four key movies, then another six or seven or eight below that, which is great," said Mark Zoradi, president of the motion-picture group at Disney, which released "National Treasure."

The top 12 movies took in $169.2 million, up 18 percent from the final weekend of 2006, when "Night at the Museum" led the box office with $36.8 million.

Hollywood will finish the year with record revenues of about $9.7 billion, up from the previous best of $9.45 billion in 2004, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

Since prices are higher, the revenue represents actual admissions that were up only a fraction over 2006's and fell well short of modern Hollywood's record of 1.6 billion tickets sold in 2002.

With the holidays falling on Tuesday, many people have been taking five-day weekends, a boost for the movie business. Many students are off from school until next week, too.

"It's turned into like a two-week-long weekend for the movie industry," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

"National Treasure," a sequel with Cage chasing historical clues to find a legendary city of gold, raised its domestic total to $124 million.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks," from 20th Century Fox, lifted its haul to $142.4 million. The Warner Bros. hit "I Am Legend," with Smith as a plague survivor who may be the last man alive, has climbed to $194.6 million.

Opening with huge numbers in limited release was Paramount Vantage's "There Will Be Blood," starring Daniel Day-Lewis in a tale of greed and violence during California's oil boom in the early 20th century. Playing at just two theaters in New York City and Los Angeles, "There Will Be Blood" took in $185,525 over the weekend and $309,703 since opening Wednesday. It expands to the top 10 markets Friday.

"There Will Be Blood" joins other films of violence and misdeeds such as "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and "Michael Clayton" aiming for top honors at the Academy Awards. All scored well in this month's Golden Globe nominations.

Oscar campaigner Harvey Weinstein, who delivered such best-picture winners as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Chicago" while at Miramax, said he hoped his feel-good drama "The Great Debaters" would stand out for awards consideration among all the blood-soaked fare. The Weinstein Co. release, distributed by MGM, took in $6.3 million over the weekend and $13.5 million since opening on Christmas.

A Golden Globe nominee for best drama, "The Great Debaters" features director and star Denzel Washington alongside Forest Whitaker in a story of a black debate team in the 1930s South.

"We're late, but we're hoping we can get that last best-picture spot" for the Oscars, Weinstein said. "The other movies are pretty bloody, but this is an uplifting American story."

Oscar nominations come out Jan. 22.

Other films that debuted on Christmas had solid weekends. "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem," a sci-fi horror sequel from 20th Century Fox, took in $10.05 million, raising its total since opening day to $26.9 million. Sony's Loch Ness monster fantasy "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" grossed $9.2 million and lifted its sum to $16.8 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Wednesday.

1. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," $35.6 million.
2. "Alvin and the Chipmunks," $30 million.
3. "I Am Legend," $27.5 million.
4. "Charlie Wilson's War," $11.8 million.
5. "Juno," $10.3 million.
6. "Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem," $10.05 million.
7. "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," $9.2 million.
8. "P.S. I Love You," $9.1 million.
9. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," $8 million.
10. "Enchanted," $6.5 million.

Ghostbusters 3 Not Ruled Out Completely

Ghostbusters is one of those films that achieved perfection to the point that everyone would love to see the story continue on. Nevermind that Ghostbusters 2 didn’t quite live up to the first movie. People still want to see more of Venkman, Egon, Ray, and Winston’s antics.

Thankfully, we know the story is continuing. If nothing else, there’s the upcoming video game that features the voices of Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and even Bill Murray, who usually doesn’t want to be bothered with the franchise from the past. Hudson says the game may not be the only possibility for the future, however, and not to rule out the idea of a third movie.

Hudson told The Money Times that, "Danny Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, I know they want to do another film. It would be great if we could get back together again." We know Aykroyd wants to do another film as well. As Moviehole points out in their reporting, it’s pretty common knowledge that the writer has scripts penned out for two more chapters in the Ghostbusters saga.

In the meantime, Hudson is happy to be a part of the upcoming video game, appeasing one of his guilts of the past: "I'm really excited about that because when they came out with the cartoon (TV series,) none of us did the cartoon and I kind of regretted that because then I thought, 'It would have been fun to do it.' So, I'm glad that the game is happening.”

So are we Ernie, so are we.

Jessica Simpson Going Country On New Album

Believe it: Jessica Simpson has decamped to Nashville to begin work on her debut country album, due sometime in 2008 via Columbia Nashville.

Simpson declined to name songwriting collaborators, but tells Billboard.com she will most definitely be involved in the creative process. "Writing is a release for me," she says. "It's a way for me to tell my story. That's not to say I wouldn't record a song that I didn't write. It's just that it has been a while since I have opened the book."

But why country, and why now? "I am a country girl," she says. "I grew up in Texas, and country music was what I listened to. I always wanted to make a country album, but I wanted to wait until the time was right."

"I think there is a strength in female country artists," Simpson adds, citing Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Reba McEntire as some of her inspirations.

Asked what has surprised her most since starting the follow-up to 2006's "A Public Affair," Simpson says, "Nashville is a very warm city. The people are friendly and kind. There is a sense of community, which thrives on music. There is no animosity ... only respect for one another's talent."

It's unclear if Simpson will hit the road in support of the as-yet-untitled country project, but she says, "Since the record is in the beginning stages, there hasn't been much talk about a tour just yet."

Letterman's show returning with writers

NEW YORK - "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" will be back with their writers airing joke-filled new hours starting Wednesday, the shows' production company, Worldwide Pants, announced Friday.

An interim agreement between the Letterman-owned company and the Writers Guild of America will allow the full writing staffs for both shows to return to work, even as the Hollywood writers strike continues to shutter much TV and movie production. Both of those CBS late-night shows have been airing reruns since the strike began eight weeks ago.

"I am grateful to the WGA for granting us this agreement," Letterman said. "This is not a solution to the strike, which unfortunately continues to disrupt the lives of thousands. But I hope it will be seen as a step in the right direction."

The deal, which restores the two shows to business as usual, gives them an enormous advantage over their competition.

NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" as well as ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" had already announced they would resume Wednesday without benefit of their writing teams. Similarly, Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert" planned to return writer-less on Monday, Jan. 7.

Resisting such an arrangement, Rob Burnett, president and CEO of Worldwide Pants, had actively sought an interim deal. Talks between studios and networks and the guild broke down Dec. 7, but the guild has been pursuing agreements with several small independent producers that would allow at least some members to return to work.

"We are appreciative that the leaders of the guild dealt with us reasonably and in good faith," Burnett said.

Much speculation has been focused on how the other late-night shows will fill their time deprived of monologues, skits and other written material. All the hosts — with the exception of NBC's Carson Daly, who returned to the air Dec. 3 — are members of the guild, making those without an interim deal subject to union rules that would severely limit what they can do.

A related issue centers on whether their shows will face a problem booking A-list guests, who may not be willing to cross a picket line.

Central to the contract dispute has been compensation for work distributed via the Internet and other digital media. The guild also has called for unionization of writers working on reality shows and animation.

When writers went on strike in 1988, only two late-night shows were affected: Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show and Letterman's "Late Night," both on NBC. Carson made a deal with the guild shortly after returning to the air, but Letterman went weeks without his writers' services before the strike was settled.

Return of late night, or train-wreck TV?

NEW YORK - Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart all plan returns to late-night television the next two weeks, but aside from their familiar faces, viewers may not recognize much.

After two months away because of the still-unresolved writers strike, NBC's Leno and O'Brien, and ABC's Kimmel, resume their programs next Wednesday, Jan. 2. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert come back to Comedy Central the following Monday, Jan. 7.

Barring a New Year's miracle, none of their writers will be joining them.

David Letterman is also pushing to return Jan. 2, but his Worldwide Pants production company is still trying to reach its own deal to bring his show's writers back onboard.

The hosts — with the exception of NBC's Carson Daly — are also members of the striking Writer's Guild of America, making them subject to union rules that would severely limit what they can do.

The union's strike rules say members cannot write or perform any material that would normally be written for them. Under this interpretation, for example, Jay Leno couldn't perform a monologue, because his staff of writers normally crafts his jokes.

The comic skits that are a part of several late-night shows would also be off-limits without writers.

"I think that people will see some interesting television," said Chris Albers, former president of Writer's Guild of America East and a comedy writer for O'Brien. "Obviously, these are some of the funniest people in the country so they're probably going to do a very good job. It's just a different animal than what they're used to and what we're used to."

In a conference call with reporters last week, producers of NBC's "Tonight" and "Late Night" said they were still trying to figure out what their shows would look like. They weren't willing to talk further this week, a spokesman said.

Comic ad-libbing, musical performances and lengthier appearances by interview subjects willing to cross picket lines are the most likely recourse.

"I don't know what they're going to do," said Mike Sweeney, head writer for O'Brien's NBC show. "My obvious speculation would be more guests, and maybe talk to them more slowly."

Stewart and Stephen Colbert would appear to have the toughest time reconfiguring their programs, which have a large amount of scripted material. By a strict interpretation of the guild's rules, a member would be prohibited from performing as a character if union writers normally write material for the character.

Colbert performs his entire show in the character of a blowhard political commentator.

"We don't know how he's going to do it," said Sherry Goldman, spokeswoman for the Writers Guild of America East, "and I'm not so sure that he's figured it out yet."

Comedy Central would not let its executives talk about planning for the shows' returns.

Only two late-night shows were affected when writers went on strike in 1988: Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show and Letterman's program, both on NBC. Carson was not a writer's guild member, so he wrote his monologue himself for the few weeks that he worked without writers.

His monologue, part of the fabric of American life, was welcomed back but Carson's writer-less debut in May 1988 didn't draw raves: "The whole show seemed lame," wrote the Washington Post's Tom Shales at the time, "unfunny comic Joe Piscopo, Ed McMahon showing photos of his little girl, a hackneyed arrangement of Irving Berlin tunes by the band and film of mating condors."

Letterman's "Late Night" substituted comedy with freewheeling filler. One gag had the show's associate director playing "Lady of Spain" on the accordion, night after night.

"Fifty-five minutes, ladies and gentlemen, 55 minutes to go!" he said early in one show. "That's all we're really trying to accomplish, is to eat up valuable network time."

Letterman weighed in frequently on the strike, calling network management "money-grubbing scum."

While the strike raises the possibility of train-wreck television, some performers may thrive in without-a-net circumstances. A critic in The New York Times wrote that Letterman's strike programs were often "downright exciting," a throwback to the early years of late-night television when there was more improvisation.

It's uncertain whether Letterman will get the chance to repeat the experience. His representatives were still talking with the union on Thursday. Donald Trump and Shooter Jennings are booked as a guest for Letterman's Jan. 2 show — if there is one.

There's a difference of opinion among union members about whether cutting a separate deal with Letterman is wise, Albers said. Some believe it would put pressure on NBC to settle the strike because Leno would be at a competitive disadvantage; others think it would be wrong to effectively reward CBS with a show using the services of writers, he said.

Sweeney has his own secret wish for O'Brien if he returns without writers.

"I hope he tries to hold a telethon to raise money for us," he said.

Apple, Fox to offer iPod movie rentals

Apple Inc. is partnering with entertainment giant 20th Century Fox to offer movie rentals through its popular iTunes program, according to a news report.

Through the proposed online video-on-demand service, consumers will have the chance to download time-limited copies of Fox DVD releases, according to a source familiar with the deal cited in the Financial Times Thursday.

The deal is expected to be announced at the Macworld show in San Francisco on Jan. 14.

The news follows a similar move by Microsoft Corp. in 2006 in partnership with Xbox 360. Together, they launched a digital video download service that allows Xbox 360 owners to buy television shows and rent movies.

The service, which was made available to Canadians just this month, lets people with broadband internet connections purchase standard and high-definition content through the Marketplace store on its dedicated Xbox Live network.

However, analysts say the sheer strength of iTunes' popularity will make the partnership between Apple and Fox highly lucrative for the two companies, including a boost in sales of video iPods.

"Fox and potentially other studios are coming around to the idea that there is nobody out there to challenge iTunes," Jonathan Weitz, a principal with IBB consulting in the United States, told the Times.

"This deal is a sign that media mobility is coming to the mainstream."

Apple shares hit the $200 mark for the first time Wednesday — largely on the strength of the iPod brand. The company unveiled a new line of personal media devices this year, updating its flash-based Nano model to enable video playback as well as introducing the iPod Touch.

The touch-screen unit includes Wi-Fi wireless capability that allows users to connect to the internet, as well as Apple's online music store iTunes and purchase songs.

According to the Times, new Fox DVD releases will include Apple's FairPlay digital rights management system, allowing the films to be legally copied from the disc onto a computer or iPod.

Limited Disney, Paramount and other films are already for sale — although not for rent — through the iTunes platform.

Apple was also said to have been in negotiations with Sony, Paramount and Warner Brothers about similar deals to make their content available through the iTunes store.

'Back To The Future" And 'Wuthering Heights' among 25 top films

WASHINGTON - From "The Naked City" to "In a Lonely Place" and "Oklahoma!" the Library of Congress is adding 25 more classic American films to its national registry.

There are "12 Angry Men" to be heard, "The Strong Man" to be viewed and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" to be dealt with.

"Even as Americans fill the movie theaters to see the latest releases, few are aware that up to half the films produced in this country before 1950 — and as much as 90 percent of those made before 1920 — are lost forever," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington in announcing the selections.

"The National Film Registry seeks not only to honor these films, but to ensure that they are preserved for future generations to enjoy," he said in a statement.

The 25 chosen this year bring the registry total to 475.

Both recent and early films are eligible for inclusion, and hundreds are nominated by the public each year.

The films are chosen because they are "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant.

Among those selected this year:

• "The Naked City," 1948, filmed on actual locations in New York; this movie won Oscars for best photography and editing. It was a gritty crime film combining slices of several stories.

• "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," 1977, an intelligent sci-fi film in which the climactic scene is set at Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

• "In a Lonely Place," 1950, a scathing Hollywood satire with Humphrey Bogart playing a screenwriter, brilliant at his craft yet prone to living with his fists.

• "Oklahoma!" 1955, brought the fun and famous musical to the screen.

• "Back to the Future," 1985, explored the possibilities of special effects when a man stranded in 1955 by a time machine must not only find a way home, but also teach his father how to become a man, repair the space/time continuum and save his family from being erased from existence. All while fighting off the advances of his then-teenage mother.

• "12 Angry Men," 1957, a classic filmed in a spare, claustrophobic style — largely set in one jury room — relating a single juror's refusal to conform to peer pressure in a murder trial.

• "The Strong Man," 1926, features Harry Langdon, widely considered one of the great silent comedians, as a meek man in love with a blind woman.

• "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," 1962, director John Ford's last great Western. The film shows that the conquest of the West meant the triumph of civilization, embodied in Jimmy Stewart, over wild innocence — John Wayne — and evil — Lee Marvin.

Also being added to the registry:

• "Bullitt" (1968)

• "Dance, Girl, Dance" (1940)

• "Dances With Wolves" (1990)

• "Days of Heaven" (1978)

• "Glimpse of the Garden" (1957)

• "Grand Hotel" (1932)

• "The House I Live In" (1945)

• "Mighty Like a Moose" (1926)

• "Now, Voyager" (1942)

• "Our Day" (1938)

• "Peege" (1972)

• "The Sex Life of the Polyp" (1928)

• "Three Little Pigs" (1933)

• "Tol'able David" (1921)

• "Tom, Tom the Piper's Son" (1969-71)

• "The Women" (1939)

• "Wuthering Heights" (1939)

Patriots game to make U.S. broadcasting history

New England's quest at a historic 16-0 mark will be broadcast Saturday night on American networks CBS, NBC and the NFL Network, the league announced on Wednesday.

The road game for the Patriots against the New York Giants, was originally scheduled to be shown only on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 per cent of homes with televisions in the United States.

The league announced Wednesday that the NFL Network feed will be simulcast on NBC and CBS.

It's a major concession by league officials, who repeatedly said they would not show the game anywhere but the NFL Network. The NFL had faced mounting pressure from lawmakers in recent weeks to make the game available to more viewers.

The game will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas who were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it.

The NFL has feuded with major cable companies, which have declined to carry the NFL Network as part of basic packages.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," league commissioner Roger Goodell said. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

No team has gone unbeaten since the league moved to a 16-game schedule. The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 14-0 and then won all three post-season games.

Envelope, please: Oscar ballots mailed

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Thousands of Oscar nomination ballots were mailed out Wednesday, heralding the official start of Academy Awards season.

U.S. Postal Service bins overflowed with ballots shipped to 5,829 academy members from the film academy's headquarters in Beverly Hills.

Accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers counted, sorted and numbered the ballots before the massive mail-out. Voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have until Jan. 12, 2008, to return the forms.

Nominees for the 80th annual Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 22. The awards will be presented Feb. 24 at the Kodak Theatre.

Tributes pour in for 'giant in music' Peterson

Tributes are continuing to pour in for Canadian jazz musician Oscar Peterson.

The legendary pianist, considered one of the greatest of all time, died Sunday at the age of 82.

Peterson recorded more than 200 albums and won seven Grammy Awards in a career that made him internationally renowned.

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean called him a "national treasure" and "one of our greatest ambassadors of Canadian jazz."

"Through his work, he has left us a rich legacy that will inspire many generations to come," she said in a statement that also recalled the courage Peterson demonstrated in the face of health problems, including a stroke that impaired the use of one hand.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised Peterson's most famous composition, Canadiana Suite, which pays tribute to each region of Canada.

"Oscar Peterson rose from humble roots in Montreal's Little Burgundy to storm the very heights of the music world," Harper said in a statement.

"A technical and creative master, he toured the globe in the company of the finest jazz artists of his era. More than four decades later the Canadiana Suite is secure as a signature element of the country's cultural fabric.

"A Companion of the Order of Canada and recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Peterson was not simply a giant in Canadian music, but a giant in music period."

Tributes also came from overseas, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy saying Peterson had been a "bright light of jazz."

Within the jazz world, artists and musicians are recalling Peterson as a role model and friend.

"Oscar was an old man who lived a very big life, a wonderful life," said Canadian singer Molly Johnson, who opened for Peterson in his later years. "He was just amazing. Just amazing."

Johnson said Peterson was generous in helping her develop a new fan base.

"He was very real," she said. "I always felt that I really had to be on my best behaviour when I was around him."

"I just thought Oscar would be around for another 100 years," said fellow pianist Hank Jones, a jazz legend in his own right. "This is one of the saddest days of my life."

A tribute concert for Peterson planned for Jan. 11 in Toronto will go ahead as scheduled, despite the absence of the guest of honour, organizers said.

Peterson student and jazz composer Oliver Jones of Montreal will play Peterson's works with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra as part the concert, which will feature artists from Canada and the U.S.

It is being hosted by The Canada Council for the Arts and the U.S.-based National Endowment for the Arts during a conference of jazz lovers

Cuomo Keen On Archival Releases, New Weezer CD

Rivers Cuomo hopes that his new solo set, "Alone -- The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo," is not the last the world will hear of the prolific stash of material that hasn't made it onto Weezer albums.

"I would love to put out at least one more," Cuomo, who chose the albums 18 songs from seven CD's worth of potential tracks he's recorded over the years, tells Billboard.com. In fact, the possibility exists for a series not unlike Who leader Pete Townshend's "Scoop" albums, so Cuomo says that "I'm talking with the record company (now) to figure out what's the best way for me to get more of this stuff out, and if they're gonna be involved or not. But it's certainly my hope to put out as much of this stuff as I can."

For the moment, however, future vault-raiding will have to wait in line behind Weezer's sixth album, which Cuomo says is "almost done" and that he hopes to release in April or May. "I'm listening to the songs every day, trying to figure out which order they go in and understand what the spirit is behind this album," he explains. "It's still changing every day a little bit. It's still evolving."

Cuomo describes the new songs, which are being co-produced by Rick Rubin, as "dark and deep and beautiful," and "definitely more sophisticated and adventurous. You'll hear very long songs ... and non-traditional structures."

Cuomo says Weezer fans will also hear more from Weezer's other band members, who also wrote songs and even sing lead on some tracks. On one unnamed cut, drummer Pat Wilson sings and plays lead guitar while Cuomo takes over the drum stool.

"It was a blast," Cuomo says of the all-in approach. "It definitely feels like there's a lot more of our energy that over the years has been kind of pent-up and now has been released and is flowing freely between the four of us. It's really exciting."

Cuomo's other major project is a "deep and detailed" memoir tracing the period from Weezer's formation in 1992 to the release of its first album. He anticipates another year of writing before he's ready to turn it over to a publisher.

Film's big year could have been even bigger

Despite a fall movie season that had audiences and studios about ready to throw in the towel, ticket sales will top last year's pace, analysts predict.

With less than a week left on the calendar, ticket sales should eclipse $9.35 billion, up about 4.5% from last year, industry tracker Media By Numbers reports. It marks the second straight year of increased sales, though it probably will fall below 2004's $9.41 billion.

When adjusted for the rising cost of ticket prices (which averaged $6.58 a ticket this year), attendance is about even with last year, up just 0.5%.

Not bad, but 2007 hardly fulfilled the promise of summer, which raked in a record $4 billion.

"I thought we would do $10 billion for the first time," says Media By Numbers' Paul Dergarabedian. "And overall, I think studios have to be happy that revenues are up. But the fall, while providing some high-quality movies, didn't do much for the bottom line."

That could be because Hollywood got political and depressing. Despite boasting big-name actors, movies such as Rendition, Lions for Lambs and Reservation Road proved to be clunkers that nearly stopped Hollywood's box-office momentum. "Fall was flat," says Adam Fogelson, head of marketing and distribution for Universal Pictures. "It's hard to tell a year and a half in advance what audiences are going to want. There were a lot of serious movies this fall, when people wanted to be simply entertained."

The holidays came brimming with hits including Will Smith's I Am Legend and Nicolas Cage's National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Even Alvin and the Chipmunks will bring in more than $100 million.

"Heavy movies are fine, but, especially around this time of the year, people want to go out together as a family," says Chuck Viane, distribution chief for Disney, which released National Treasure. "They're getting that again, which is why I think we're finishing big."

Sales also got a boost from more product. According to Box Office Mojo, a record 619 films were released this year.

So what flourished and what flopped?

The hits:

•Threequels. They weren't much of a hit with critics, but the third installments of Spider-Man, Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean together hauled in $966 million domestically and another $1.6 billion overseas. That got the summer season off to its record start.

And one of the threequels, TheBourne Ultimatum, managed to please reviewers and audiences alike. It made $227 million.

•Cartoons. They didn't have the oomph they once had, but animated films remain a favorite of family moviegoers. Two cracked the top 10: Ratatouille and The Simpsons Movie, which combined for $389 million. Even Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie, which got mixed reviews, mustered $123 million.

•Judd Apatow. The champion of the slacker produced two hits in Knocked Up ($149 million) and Superbad ($121 million). The only misstep came last weekend, when his biopic send-up Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story opened to a dismal $4.1 million.

•Digital filmmaking.300, the music-video-style epic shot entirely in front of a green screen, was the surprise of the year with $211 million. The computer-generated robots from Transformers morphed into $319 million. And Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer raked in $132 million — thanks primarily to the hip, digitally rendered surfer, who is getting his own movie.

The misses:

•The indie hit: Where was this year's Little Miss Sunshine? Juno may yet claim that mantle, though it's still in limited release. Movies that were expected to be the year's sleeper must-sees —The Darjeeling Limited, Waitress, Eastern Promises — managed to turn profits but failed to crack the mainstream.

•Gore. Once a bulletproof genre, gory horror and torture films were no match for suspense this year. Hostel Part II, The Hitcher and Captivity each took in less than $17 million — poor even for the genre's low production costs.

•Political films. Look at the lowest-grossing movies of the year, and they are littered with stories with something political to say. Blame the films' quality, dark tones or Hollywood's liberal leanings, but In the Valley of Elah, Rendition and Lions for Lambs all had big names behind them — and little else.

"No one is going to complain when you can make more money than you did the year before," Dergarabedian says. "But when you start the way you did this summer, there's going to be a lot of thought about what might have been."

Best of 2007: Five New Games You Must Play

Yes, we loved Mario Galaxy, Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but we’ve compiled this list of the year's best with one rule in mind: all-new titles only. So, let’s take look at the new stories and characters that rocked our year.

---Bioshock (360, PC)

This got some of the year's best reviews, and the praise is all deserved. In this heady adventure set in an underwater city gone wrong, the only way to survive is to alter your genetic code. There are consequences to this, but hey, you do get powers, like lightning bolts and swarms of bees.

--- Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)

Games aren’t usually the place to find unforgettable characters, but we love Nathan Drake. Voiced by Nolan North, Drake’s a charming, sarcastic mix of Indiana Jones and Mal from Serenity. The gameplay is a mixture of Tomb Raider meets Gears of War, but that doesn't do it justice. Drake can jump, brawl and use a whole bunch of guns as he makes his way through a jungle rain forest and a lost city of gold. And did we mention this is also the prettiest game on the PS3?

---Rock Band (360, PS3, PS2)

Take what's cool about Guitar Hero—the guitar controller—and multiply by four: microphone, drums, guitar and bass. But just trying to get your pals to agree on a band name will make you realize why so many bands break up: too many egos!

---Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)

This Wii title uses intuitive control in a crazy all-new tale of pirates...and bunnies. You’re a little pirate out to solve puzzles in a quest to find a legendary treasure. Basically, this is a point-and-click PC game, but the puzzles are ingenious and the logic of those mind benders requires the player to think outside the box, which is just what the game designers did when they came up with this.

---Mass Effect (360)

The first great science fiction event of the 21st century is here—and why shouldn’t it be a videogame? Mass Effect features a fantastic character creator, hundreds of aliens and other folks to interact with and a vast universe to explore. The only downside is that when it's over, you’ll have nothing to do but play it again as a new character and relive all those unforgettable moments. Hmmm...come to think of it, there is no downside.

Record-breaking ratings for "Voyage"

Unofficial figures show that the 2007 Christmas special Voyage of the Damned was watched by 12.2 million viewers, a 50% share of the total television audience. This is the highest rating the show has achieved since its return in 2005.

The programme was the second most watched of the day, being beaten by the edition of EastEnders immediately following Doctor Who.

The audience peaked in the last fifteen minutes of the show with a massive 13.8 million watching, nearly 55% of the audience. The five minute breakdown shows that over 15 million watched the last five minutes of the programme.

The day was a triumph for the BBC, with BBC One taking nine of the top ten places. Against the Doctor, Emmerdale on ITV1 could only manage 5.8 million, with the Evening News only getting 3.8 million.

The previous highest rated episode of the new series was Rose, which got 10.8 million viewers. If confirmed these figures will make Voyage of the Damned the highest rated episode of Doctor Who in over 28 years. It has the largest audience since the 1979 Tom Baker story City of Death, which had the advantage of being broadcast when ITV was on strike and BBC1 was one of only two channels broadcasting.

In the Children's Charts, Doctor Who was top of the list with 2.2 million under 16's watching, an incredible 65.3% share of the audience.

Final figures, including data for those who recorded the programme and watched it later, will be released by BARB in two weeks time.

Several news sources are running stories on the BBC's Christmas Day dominance, including Doctor Who's large viewing figure. These include The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, BBC News, The Daily Mail, Digital Spy and Reuters.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Happy Holidays to one and all!!!

Dan Reynish
December 24, 2007

Jazz great Oscar Peterson dies at 82

TORONTO - Oscar Peterson, whose early talent, speedy fingers and musical genius made him one of the world's best known jazz pianists, has died. He was 82.

Peterson died at his home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga on Sunday, said Oliver Jones, a family friend and jazz musician. He said Peterson's wife and daughter were with him during his final moments. The cause of death was kidney failure, said Mississauga's mayor, Hazel McCallion.

"He's been going downhill in the last few months," McCallion said, calling Peterson a "very close friend."

During an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Peterson played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. He is also remembered for touring in a trio with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar in the 1950s.

Peterson's impressive collection of awards include all of Canada's highest honors, such as the Order of Canada, as well as a Lifetime Grammy (1997) and a spot in the International Jazz Hall of Fame.

His growing stature was reflected in the admiration of his peers. Duke Ellington referred to him as "Maharajah of the keyboard," while Count Basie once said "Oscar Peterson plays the best ivory box I've ever heard."

In a statement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said "one of the bright lights of jazz has gone out."

"He was a regular on the French stage, where the public adored his luminous style," Sarkozy said. "It is a great loss for us."

Jazz pianist Marian McPartland called Peterson "the finest technician that I have seen."

McPartland said she first met Peterson when she and her husband, jazz cornetist Jimmy McPartland, opened for him at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto in the 1940s.

"From that point on we became such goods friends, and he was always wonderful to me and I have always felt very close to him," she said. "I played at his tribute concert at Carnegie Hall earlier this year and performed `Tenderly,' which was always my favorite piece of his."

The American jazz pianist Billy Taylor called Peterson one of the finest jazz pianists of his time.

"He set the pace for just about everybody that followed him. He really was just a special player," Taylor said.

Born on Aug. 15, 1925, in a poor neighborhood southwest of Montreal, Peterson obtained a passion for music from his father. Daniel Peterson, a railway porter and self-taught musician, bestowed his love of music to his five children, offering them a means to escape from poverty.

Oscar Peterson learned to play trumpet and piano at a young age, but after a bout with tuberculosis had to concentrate on the latter.

He became a teen sensation in his native Canada, playing in dance bands and recording in the late 1930s and early 1940s. But he got his real break as a surprise guest at Carnegie Hall in 1949, after which he began touring the United States and Europe.

He quickly made a name for himself as a jazz virtuoso, often compared to piano great Art Tatum, his childhood idol, for his speed and technical skill.

He was also influenced by Nat King Cole, whose Nat King Cole Trio album he considered "a complete musical thesaurus for any aspiring Jazz pianist."

Peterson never stopped calling Canada home despite his growing international reputation. But at times he felt slighted here, where he was occasionally mistaken for a football player, standing at 6 foot 3 and more than 250 pounds.

In 2005 he became the first living person other than a reigning monarch to obtain a commemorative stamp in Canada, where he is jazz royalty, with streets, squares, concert halls and schools named after him.

Peterson suffered a stroke in 1993 that weakened his left hand, but not his passion or drive for music. Within a year he was back on tour, recording "Side By Side" with Itzhak Perlman.

As he grew older, Peterson kept playing and touring, despite worsening arthritis and difficulties walking.

"A jazz player is an instant composer," Peterson once said in a CBC interview, while conceding jazz did not have the mass appeal of other musical genres. "You have to think about it, it's an intellectual form," he said.

Peterson leaves behind his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Celine.

Dr. McDreamy Dempsey named Star of the Year by People magazine

It's a McDreamy year for actor Patrick Dempsey, anointed People magazine's "Star of the Year."

The 41-year-old actor, whose character of the TV hit drama Grey's Anatomy is known as "Dr. McDreamy," is featured on the cover of the celebrity magazine's year-end issue.

"I'm just enjoying life more than I ever have … I'm trying to enjoy the moment while it's here and to be able to provide for my family so that I can step away and enjoy raising them away from all this," Dempsey told the magazine.

The actor, who is also starring in the current box-office hit Enchanted, recently celebrated the birth of twin boys with his second wife.

The issues highlighted eight other celebrities who made a mark in 2007.

Dempsey's TV co-star Katherine Heigl was named "America's New Sweetheart" while his leading lady in Enchanted, Amy Adams, was simply called "The Breakout."

Matt Damon was named "The Sexiest Hero" for his turn in the Jason Bourne spy thrillers and Johnny Depp "Most Versatile Actor" after moving from a swaggering swashbuckler in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to portraying a serial killing barber in Sweeney Todd.

Country singer Carrie Underwood, winner of the fourth season of American Idol, was named "The Chart Topper" as Will Smith was handed "The Biggest Legend."

TV actress Christina Applegate was "Comeback of the Year." The 36-year-old, who played teenage dimwit Kelly Bundy in Married … with Children, bounced back with this year's acclaimed new TV sitcom Samantha Who?

Not surprisingly, a poll of readers decided that the most talked about star of the year was Britney Spears.

The pop princess's year included a stint in rehab, all-night partying, shaving her hair off, estrangement from her mother and a continuing custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two young sons.

Coming in on the reader's good side was actor and director Ben Affleck, voted as "Best Behaved Star" of 2007. Affleck kept a low profile, flexing his directorial chops with the movie Gone Baby Gone and had a baby with his wife, Jennifer Garner.

"Grey's Anatomy" actress Katherine Heigl marries

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Katherine Heigl, an Emmy-winning star of medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," married her musician boyfriend in Utah on Sunday, US Weekly magazine reported on its Web site.

Heigl, 29, and Josh Kelley, 27, tied the knot under a marquee at a resort in Park City, Utah. Among the guests at the black-tie ceremony were Heigl's co-stars Sandra Oh, Kate Walsh and T.R. Knight, the magazine said.

Heigl won an Emmy in September for her role as an adulterous medic in the ABC network's "Grey's Anatomy," which follows the lives and loves of physicians at a Seattle hospital. She met Kelley in 2005, when she was cast in a music video, and they were engaged the following year after Heigl forced the issue.

Kelley, a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, is due to release a new album in February.

Director Scott favours this 'Blade Runner'

This holiday season, director Ridley Scott and science-fiction-film fans both get to cross a long-hoped-for item off of their wish lists: an ultimate home video version of his 1982 hit Blade Runner.

In making the futuristic noir classic, which starred Harrison Ford, Scott was coerced to add a happier ending and Ford's voice-over to the complex film about "replicants," or androids, who wanted to become human.

Studio executives, Scott says, found the film "too oppressive or even non-specific, and wanted to see did (Ford's character Deckard and Sean Young's Rachael) have a life after the movie."

Scott, 70, who has already earned best-director and best-picture Golden Globe nominations for his latest film, American Gangster, concedes that at the time, "I was not as experienced as I am now and kind of went along with the process of readjustments." But after the fact, he realized that the ending with Deckard and Rachael headed into the beautiful mountain range "was always a problem for me. It was too sweet."

For this 25th anniversary Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Scott oversaw an exacting digital restoration. He left off the original voice-over and happy ending, digitally tweaked some effects and restored a few extra bits of violence. Scott also reshot the death of Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), which was originally done by a stuntwoman with a bad wig, a fact that over the years grated on Scott and viewers alike.

This version, which played in some theaters and at film festivals, is just out in multiple editions, including a five-DVD "limited ultimate collector's set" in a numbered plastic briefcase ($79). That set includes the final cut and four other versions of the film — the original theatrical and international versions, the 1992 director's cut and a "work print" — plus a piece of film from the original movie, unicorn figurine, miniature car and photos.

Also available: five-disc HD DVD and Blu-ray ultimate limited editions ($100), a two-DVD final cut special edition ($21) and a four-DVD collector's edition ($35).

All editions include a new documentary, Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner, and a movie-length audio commentary by Scott, who considers this final cut his favorite version. After its digital makeover, Scott says the film looks as if "it could have been made this week. This isn't some old walnut I'm dragging out of the sock drawer. It could have been released now."

Police Collar Top Tour of 2007

Los Angeles (E! Online) - In a classic case of role reversal, it was the Police who topped this year's most-wanted list.

The trio's reunion tour, which kicked off May 28 in Vancouver, finished 2007 as North America's number one top grossing tour, per year-end figures released Friday by the concert trade Pollstar. Sting & Co.'s 41-city, 54-show outing grossed $132 million in ticket sales, nearly double the amount of country star Kenny Chesney, who finished second with $71 million.

The Police had the highest average per-concert take, with $3.2 million per gig. The reunited rockers also sold the most tickets, just over 1.15 million, followed closely by Chesney's 1.14 million. But the Police only had the fifth highest average ticket price ($114.32), behind Barry Manilow ($141.72), Celine Dion ($141.26), Genesis ($130.39) and Elton John ($126.76).

The Police were also the top ticket seller internationally, bringing in a grand total of $212 million worldwide. The trio, who finished the tour's Latin American leg earlier this month, restarts the tour Jan. 17 in New Zealand.

The reunited Genesis proved it could still turn it on again. Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford kicked off their North American jaunt Sept. 7 in Toronto and finished the year as the eighth highest grossing tour at $47.6 million. Genesis cracked the top 10 with the fewest number of shows, 25, but the band's high seat prices made up the difference. Genesis also scored the second highest grossing international tour, selling $129 million in tickets worldwide.

Showing that reunion tours were the rage this year, Van Halen finished in the fifth spot. On the heels of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, the L.A. rockers launched their reunion tour last September, selling nearly $57 million in tickets to date.

The fourth highest grossing act wasn't really a tour at all. Celine Dion did 113 performances of A New Day at Caesar's Palace this year, with the Canadian chanteuse finishing her remarkable five-year run just last week. Her Las Vegas residency brought in $65.3 million in its final year.

Since opening her show in early 2003, Dion sold more than $400 million in tickets to nearly 3 million fans. The casino's 4,100-seat Colosseum, built specifically for her performances, limited her tickets-per-show average, but she led the pack in total number of shows.

While many singers would take a break after such a grueling schedule, Dion appears anxious to get on the road. Her yearlong Taking Chances tour kicks off Valentine's Day in South Africa.

Chesney's second-place finish kept Justin Timberlake at third, with about $500,000 separating them. The country star also exacted some revenge by topping Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul2Soul 2007 tour, which finished sixth with $52.3 million. Last year, the Soul2Soul tour grossed $88.6 million, topping Chesney's 2005 Somewhere in the Sun as the highest grossing country tour of all time.

Among the other top-10 finishers, Rod Stewart and current Christmas king Josh Groban finished at seventh ($49 million) and ninth ($43 million), respectively. With $41.5 million in sales, Rascal Flatts finished 10th, giving country music three of the year's top-10 tours.

Just outside the top 10 were a clutch of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, with Billy Joel finishing 12th ($39.1 million), Roger Waters 13th ($38.3 million) and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band coming in 14th ($38.2 million). Elton John finished at 16th with $35.7 million, thanks to his Red Piano show, which he performed in the Colosseum during Celine Dion's breaks.

Tween concertgoers were represented by Miley Cyrus. The Disney Channel star's Best of Both Worlds Tour, one of the year's hardest tickets to come by, finished 15th, with $36 million in gross ticket sales.

Finally, Mexican rockers Maná had the top Spanish-language tour, and the 20th highest grossing overall, moving nearly $34 million in tickets over 46 shows.

North American ticket sales hit $2.6 billion for the year, according to Billboard. That's a drop of 10 percent from last year's record-setting mark, while the actual number of concertgoers—51 million—was also down 19 percent.

Here's a recap of 2007's top 10 highest grossing North American tours, per Pollstar:

1. The Police ($131.9 millon)

2. Kenny Chesney ($71.1 million)

3. Justin Timberlake ($70.6 million)

4. Celine Dion ($65.3 million)

5. Van Halen ($56.7 million)

6. Tim McGraw/Faith Hill ($52.3 million)

7. Rod Stewart ($49 million)

8. Genesis ($47.6 million)

9. Josh Groban ($43 million)

10. Rascal Flatts ($41.5 million)

Holiday albums can become classics fast

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Toby Keith have a couple apiece. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton did one together. The ever-prolific Willie Nelson has at least four of them. Most country stars, and many of their pop counterparts, have a Christmas album or two in their catalogs, and for good reason: The records are relatively easy to make and have the potential for big payoff.

"If it's really good, it can go for 20 years," said Bill Kennedy, vice president of sales for Capitol Records Nashville.

Or longer.

Released in 1957, "Elvis' Christmas Album" is the top-selling holiday release of all time with 9 million in sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The single "Blue Christmas" is a Christmas classic, even parodied by Porky Pig.

Other Christmas blockbusters are Kenny G's "Miracles: The Holiday Album" (8 million) and Barbara Streisand's "A Christmas Album" (5 million), according to the RIAA.

But the Christmas kings, at least in terms of sales, have to be Mannheim Steamroller with two albums topping the 6 million mark: "A Fresh Aire Christmas" and "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas."

Holiday records are unique in the way they're promoted and marketed.

"It is a very short window that begins in late October, hits its peak the first two weeks of December, and then falls off the cliff right after the holiday," explained Ben Kline, executive vice president of sales, marketing and new media for Universal Music Group Nashville.

Though the window is tight, successful releases will do well for at least a few seasons before trailing off, said Peter Strickland, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Warner Brothers Nashville.

That's what happened with Warner Brothers' "A Very Larry Christmas" by Larry the Cable Guy. In 2004, the first year, the comedy album sold 150,000 copies. That shot to 250,000 the second year and to 315,000 the third.

This year, sales fell to about 70,000, though some of that likely is due to the October release of a second Christmas album by the comic, "Christmastime in Larryland."

Because most Christmas albums contain standards, they can be easier and faster to record than an album of new material, but not always. Choirs and string sections can add time and cost.

And with marketing and promotions time compressed, TV appearances become key, said Joe Galante, chairman of Sony BMG Nashville.

"We think of Christmas CDs as albums that will sell mainly for three to five years and won't be driven by hit singles on the radio," Galante said.

There are exceptions, but in general, sales expectations for holiday albums are lower than for standard releases. And for every breakout record, dozens of others get snowed under.

"If it can sell gold (500,000) or better, that's hugely successful," said Capitol Records' Kennedy. "And if you can do a minimum of 250,000 as a base, that would be all right."

George Strait, as big a star as there is in country music, has two Christmas albums, both of which sold over 500,000. By comparison, Strait's regular releases typically top the 1 million mark.

Still, Galante said most singers view the albums as fun and as an artistic break. "It helps fill out the artist's catalog," he said.

This year's hot holiday release is Josh Groban's "Noel," a traditional collection that has already scanned more than 2 million.

But for many, the star at the top of the tree remains "Elvis' Christmas Album." Released at the height of Presley's fame, it's a must-have for the serious Christmas music fan.

Ironically, the album's biggest hit, "Blue Christmas," was the one track Elvis didn't want to record.

As Gordon Stoker, a member of the Jordanaires, the vocal group that backed Presley on that song and many others, recalls, Elvis at first refused to do "Blue Christmas" out of respect for Ernest Tubb, who had had a No. 1 hit with it earlier.

When the producers said he had to cut it, he told folks at the session to come up with something so bad that it would never see the light of day as a single, Stoker told The Associated Press recently from his Nashville home.

"We thought that 'oo-ooo-oooo' was bad enough that they wouldn't release it," Stoker said of the signature backing vocals.

To this day, he said, "It still sounds bad to me when I hear it."

'Treasure' finds $45M in box office gold

LOS ANGELES - Nicolas Cage followed his secret treasure map to another fortune at movie theaters. Cage's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," the Disney sequel to its 2004 hit, opened as the weekend's No. 1 movie with $45.5 million as Hollywood continued a holiday spree at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With Cage reprising his role as a history buff on the hunt for a vanished fortune, the "National Treasure" sequel outdid the original, which debuted with $35.1 million on its way to a $173 million total.

The previous weekend's top flick, Will Smith's "I Am Legend," slipped to second place with $34.2 million, the Warner Bros. hit raising its 10-day total to $137.5 million.

The two action films led a crowded market filled with new releases, among them Universal's foreign-policy satire "Charlie Wilson's War," starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Directed by Mike Nichols, "Charlie Wilson's War" debuted at No. 4 with $9.6 million. The absurdist romp follows an unlikely trio — a congressman, a socialite and a scruffy CIA man — who shaped the United States' covert response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Playing in just 1,249 theaters, about half as many as "Charlie Wilson's War," the DreamWorks-Paramount musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" did almost as much business, coming in at No. 5 with $9.35 million.

Warner Bros. produced a dud in "P.S. I Love You," which had a so-so No. 6 opening with $6.5 million. The movie stars Hilary Swank as a widow whose husband arranged to send letters after his death to inspire her to go on living.

The latest from the Judd Apatow comedy machine, Sony's "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," was a surprise bomb, taking in just $4.1 million despite good reviews praising its no-holds-barred humor and John C. Reilly's giddy performance.

Produced and co-written by Apatow ("Knocked Up"), the spoof of music biopics stars Reilly as a country rocker who shoots to stardom and lives the ultimate artist's life of excess and self-indulgence.

With five new wide releases this weekend and two more opening Christmas Day — the action-horror sequel "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" and the family flick "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" — Hollywood is banking on the holiday week to provide a big finish for 2007.

After a sluggish fall, Hollywood business soared for the second-straight weekend. The top 12 movies took in $153.5 million, up 41 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"The variety of films is really bringing out the audience," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "People are looking for all different types of movies, and everything is represented here."

Along with its domestic haul, the "National Treasure" sequel pulled in $22.3 million overseas, mostly in Asia.

The movie does not open in Europe until February, but with London and Paris locations, it should take in more overseas than the $173 million the first installment did, said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group.

The movie follows Cage's character as he races to clear the name of an ancestor implicated in Abraham Lincoln's assassination, a trail that leads to a legendary city of gold.

Four-fifths of viewers for "Charlie Wilson's War" were 30 and older, an audience that does not necessarily rush out to catch films in the first few days. Universal is counting on the film's good reviews and word-of-mouth to gradually build the audience.

"Everyone knew going in this was a genre that doesn't pop big numbers on opening weekend," said Universal marketing and distribution executive Adam Fogelson. "We wanted to be the sophisticated commercial option for grown-ups."

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Wednesday.

1. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," $45.5 million.
2. "I Am Legend," $34.2 million.
3. "Alvin and the Chipmunks," $29 million.
4. "Charlie Wilson's War," $9.6 million.
5. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," $9.35 million.
6. "P.S. I Love You," $6.5 million.
7. "Enchanted," $4.15 million.
8. "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," $4.1 million.
9. "The Golden Compass," $4 million.
10. "Juno," $3.4 million.

The Couch Potato Report - December 22nd, 2007

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a 4-DVD set for train enthusiasts, and my favourite film of the year!

With their only a few shopping days left, here are some ideas for your gift giving, and viewing pleasure...starting with a great box set that allows us to travel parts fo CANADA BY RAIL.

The 4-DVD Box Set CANADA BY RAIL features a stunning and quite unique look at our nation's railways lines in Alberta, British Columbia and along the Yellowhead Highway.

In addition to the great visuals, there are also some very unique facts included on the DVDs.

Sure, many of those facts will only be appreciated by train enthusiasts, but since they are the primary audience for this set, it is a success!

CANADA BY RAIL doesn't offer very much history on these rail lines, and I would have liked to see some footage of the railway in Eastern Canada as well, but as someone who likes to watch trains, I thoroughly enjoyed this set.

So get in the booth with the locomotive engineer and take a ride!

A ride through CANADA BY RAIL!

Up next this week is my favourite movie of the year!

This is a small, Irish film that never even played in a theatre in Saskatchewan, as much as I may have wanted it to....ladies and gentlemen, may I presnt to you a musical called ONCE.

And with that, ONCE begins. A busking musician on the streets of Dublin meets a young woman when she stops to listen to his song.

They become friends, write some songs together, and who knows, maybe more, after all...how often do you meet that special person in your life?

Yes, the title of this film is called ONCE.

Now, I mentioned that this film is a musical, but it is a modern day musical. They are no huge production numbers, no Bob Fosse style choreography, there are just two people who communicate with each other through songs.

And they aren't singing alone in a room, stranded in fabulous sets while they pine away for one another...they are singing with and to each other.

I could point out that in a day of film budgets exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars, ONCE was made for only $160,000, and it was shot in 17 days.

But all of that is just secondary to the fact that this is a spectacular film! The characters are real, their story is involving and the songs are great!

Since it's release in May, I have seen this movie - no word of a lie - over 20 times now, including twice this week, and it never once failed to engage me and move me.

ONCE is my favourite film of 2007.

If you are looking for a film to watch or give as a gift to someone you love, then I highly recommend it.

I have four more new releases to tell you about this week, and I will start with Canadian Director David Cronenberg's latest - EASTERN PROMISES.

Naomi Watts stars as Anna, a midwife at a London hospital who delivers a baby girl from an unconscious and hemorrhaging fourteen-year-old.

The teenager dies during childbirth and has no identification other than a diary.

Anna wants to find the baby's relatives, so she sets out to uncover the mother's identity.

What she ends up uncovering, is a plot involving the Russian Mafia.

Viggo Mortensen from A HISTORY FO VIOLENCE co-stars in this absorbing and interesting film.

Personally, I would go see any movie that Cronenberg films, so I happily saw EASTERN PROMISES.

If you are also a fan of The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, eXistenZ, A History of Violence or any of his other films, then this one is also a must see.

Otherwise, EASTERN PROMISES is not a movie for everyone. There are some moments of great suspence, and interesting storytelling, but the violence might be a turn off to some.

EASTERN PROMISES isn't Cronenberg's best film, but even his worst is still better than the majority of movies made in Hollywood.

Even movies that are remakes of old 1960's television cartoons...like UNDERDOG - THE MOVIE.

The movie version of the classic series isn't awful...unless you love the series...then it is.

Jason Lee from MY NAME IS EARL voices the title-pooch, and he just seems to be reading, not performing, but reading the lines...and that bothered me.

No matter how inane the dialogue was during the TV series, Wally Cox, always gave it his all.

I think kids might like the live action UNDERDOG movie...but Jason Lee's performance, the less-than-stellar computer graffics, and the fact that I have loved the cartoon since I was a kid, prevented me from enjoying ths movie at all.

BUT, after that film was over, I did enjoy sitting through the 3-DVD box set from the original show called UNDERDOG: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION.

This set has eighteen COMPLETE EPISODES, as they originally aired, all digitally re-mastered, and yes, Tennessee Tuxedo, Klondike Kat, the Go Go Gophers, Commander McBragg, and all of the other characters you remember are all here too!!

I still love the cartoons! The movie...not so much!

Finally this week is another cartoon I loved as a kid, and one I am sure you did too!

Yes, the complete original series of PETER PUCK - HOW TO PLAY THE GAME is now available!

Peter Puck appeared on both NBC's Hockey Game of the Week and CBC's Hockey Night in Canada during the 1970s, explained hockey rules to the home viewing audience.

He also showed us things like pucks were made!

Peter Puck helped teach me all about hockey as a kid, and the nostalgia that I felt this week while watching this DVD made me feel young again!

I think this DVD would make a great stolking stuffer for hockey fans new, and old!

PETER PUCK, the 3-DVD set UNDERDOG: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, the live action movie of UNDERDOG, David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, the 4-DVD Box Set CANADA BY RAIL, and my favourite movie of the year, a small film called ONCE are all available now on DVD.


Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

72 COMPLETE is the ultimate collector's edition 8-DVD Box Set of the 1972 Summit Series, with over 26 hours of hockey action, and some great retrospective looks back.

Also next week, with this year's World Junior Hockey Tournament getting underway on Boxing Day, we will look back at past years with the new 4-DVD Set CANADA'S JUNIORS - THE GOLD STANDARD.

I also have two noteworthy, but non-exceptional films, RUSH HOUR 3 and INTERVIEW; plus I will tell you about the new 2, 4 and 5 disc editions of the classic 1982 film BLADE RUNNER.

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!

Tracking the awards leading up to Oscars

A list of honors the top movies are winning leading up to the Oscars:

AMERICAN GANGSTER

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination

Best actor, Denzel Washington: Golden Globe nomination

Best supporting actress, Ruby Dee: Screen Actors Guild nomination

Best director, Ridley Scott: Golden Globe nomination

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THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

Best supporting actor, Casey Affleck: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review

Best cinematography, Roger Deakins: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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ATONEMENT

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best actor, James McAvoy: Golden Globe nomination

Best actress, Keira Knightley: Golden Globe nomination

Best supporting actress, Vanessa Redgrave: Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actress, Saoirse Ronan: Golden Globe nomination

Best young actress, Saoirse Ronan: Critics' Choice nomination

Best director, Joe Wright: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best adapted screenplay, Christopher Hampton: Golden Globe nomination

Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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AWAY FROM HER

Best actress, Julie Christie: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Best directorial debut, Sarah Polley: New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online

New Generation Award, director Sarah Polley: Los Angeles Film Critics Association

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CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination

Best actor, Tom Hanks: Golden Globe nomination

Best supporting actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actress, Julia Roberts: Golden Globe nomination

Best screenplay, Aaron Sorkin: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Top 10 lists: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

Best picture: Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Online

Best foreign film: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Best director, Julian Schnabel: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Boston Society of Film Critics

Best screenplay, Ronald Harwood: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination

Best cinematography, Janusz Kaminski: Spirit Award nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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EASTERN PROMISES

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination

Best actor, Viggo Mortensen: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

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ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

Best actress, Cate Blanchett: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

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GONE BABY GONE

Best acting ensemble: Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actress, Amy Ryan: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

Best directorial debut, Ben Affleck: National Board of Review, Boston Society of Film Critics

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HAIRSPRAY

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination

Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best actress, Nikki Blonsky: Golden Globe nomination

Best young actress, Nikki Blonsky: Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actor, John Travolta: Golden Globe nomination

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I'M NOT THERE

Best picture: Spirit Award nomination

Best director, Todd Haynes: Spirit Award nomination

Best supporting actress, Cate Blanchett: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Spirit Award nomination, New York Film Critics Online

Best supporting actor, Marcus Carl Franklin: Spirit Award nomination

Top 10 lists: New York Film Critics Online

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INTO THE WILD

Best picture: Critics' Choice nomination

Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination

Best actor, Emile Hirsch: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Breakthrough performance, Emile Hirsch: National Board of Review

Best supporting actor, Hal Holbrook: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actress, Catherine Keener: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best director, Sean Penn: Critics' Choice nomination

Best screenplay, Sean Penn: Critics' Choice nomination

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, National Board of Review, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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JUNO

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best acting ensemble: Critics' Choice nomination

Best actress, Ellen Page: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Breakthrough performance, Ellen Page: National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

Best director, Jason Reitman: Spirit Award nomination

Best original screenplay, Diablo Cody: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

Best first screenplay, Diablo Cody: Spirit Award nomination

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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THE KITE RUNNER

Best picture: Critics' Choice nomination

Best foreign film: Golden Globe nomination

Best young actor, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada: Critics' Choice nomination

Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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LA VIE EN ROSE

Best foreign film: Critics' Choice nomination

Best actress, Marion Cotillard: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics

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LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

Best actor, Ryan Gosling: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best original screenplay, Nancy Oliver: Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review

Top 10 lists: National Board of Review

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LUST, CAUTION

Best foreign film: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best actor, Tony Leung: Spirit Award nomination

Best actress, Tang Wei: Spirit Award nomination

Best cinematography, Rodrigo Prieto: Spirit Award nomination

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MICHAEL CLAYTON

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best actor, George Clooney: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

Best supporting actor, Tom Wilkinson: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actress, Tilda Swinton: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Best screenplay: Critics' Choice nomination

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

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A MIGHTY HEART

Best picture: Spirit Award nomination

Best actress, Angelina Jolie: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best first screenplay, John Orloff: Spirit Award nomination

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NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, Associated Press critics Christy Lemire and David Germain

Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best supporting actor, Javier Bardem: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Best supporting actor, Tommy Lee Jones: Screen Actors Guild nomination

Best ensemble cast: National Board of Review, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

Best director, Joel and Ethan Coen: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Best adapted screenplay, Joel and Ethan Coen: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, New York Film Critics Online

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NO END IN SIGHT

Best documentary: Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association

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PERSEPOLIS

Best animated film: Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, Los Angeles Film Critics Association

Best foreign language film: Golden Globe nomination, New York Film Critics Online

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RATATOUILLE

Best animated film: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Best screenplay, Brad Bird: Boston Society of Film Critics

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute

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THE SAVAGES

Best actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination

Best director, Tamara Jenkins: Spirit Award nomination

Best screenplay, Tamara Jenkins: Spirit Award nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association

Best cinematography, Mott Hupfel: Spirit Award nomination

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute

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SICKO

Best documentary: Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Online, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

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SWEENEY TODD

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best acting ensemble: Critics' Choice nomination

Best actor, Johnny Depp: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination

Best actress, Helena Bonham Carter: Golden Globe nomination

Best young actor, Edward Sanders: Critics' Choice nomination

Best director, Tim Burton: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review

Best art direction: Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association

Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online

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THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Online

Best director, Paul Thomas Anderson: Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Online

Best actor, Daniel Day-Lewis: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Online

Best cinematography, Robert Elswit: New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online

Best production design, Jack Fisk: Los Angeles Film Critics Association

Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association

No deal for Letterman and TV writers

NEW YORK - David Letterman doesn't even need writers to have fun with this one.

The late-night comic's representatives met with striking writers on Friday in an attempt to reach a deal that will allow the "Late Show" to return to the air with its writing staff.

All the Writers Guild of America would say about the meeting: "A lively exchange of information took place." It was reminiscent of diplomat-speak for argumentative talks between hostile countries: "A frank exchange of views."

Absent a deal, the CBS show's goal of returning to the air with live episodes on Jan. 2 is still up in the air.

Late-night rivals Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel are all coming back that night without writers if the strike, as expected, is not resolved. Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert plan to bring their late-night shows back without writers on Jan. 7.

Letterman's hope to bring his writers back stemmed from the union's announcement last weekend that it was open to reaching contract agreements with separate production companies. Letterman's Worldwide Pants owns his show and CBS' talk show with Craig Ferguson.

Rob Burnett, president and CEO of Worldwide Pants, didn't say much more.

"We had a substantive discussion today with the WGA and look forward to continuing these talks next week," Burnett said.

"Into the Wild" leads surprising SAG nominees

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sean Penn's wilderness drama "Into the Wild" topped a surprising list of Screen Actors Guild nominees on Thursday with four nods overall, including best ensemble cast and best actor for its star Emile Hirsch.

Absent from the widely watched group of nominations for SAG's top honor, best film cast, were romance "Atonement" and musical "Sweeney Todd," leaving award watchers scratching their heads as they tried to handicap Hollywood's Oscar sweepstakes.

"SAG pulled some major surprises here. This really shakes up the race," said Pete Hammond, a columnist for awards Web site TheEnvelope.com.

Hirsch was nominated for his portrayal of a young man on a journey of self-discovery to Alaska, and Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener earned supporting actor and actress nominations for "Into the Wild," which Penn directed.

Crime thriller "No Country for Old Men" and legal drama "Michael Clayton" earned three nominations each. "No Country" was nominated for best film cast, while co-stars Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones garnered supporting actor nominations.

"Clayton" snagged a best actor nod for George Clooney, who played the troubled title character, and nominations for co-stars Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton in the supporting roles. But it, too, was snubbed from the list for best cast.

Joining "Into the Wild" and "No Country" in that category were three other films: musical "Hairspray" and crime drama "American Gangster" and western "3:10 to Yuma," which had been viewed as largely out of the awards race only to gallop back.

"Yuma" stars Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Ben Foster in a tale of old West bank robbers. The movie was a box office hit, yet none of the actors were nominated individually.

ACTORS BRING HEAT

"We're always hoping the synergy and heat between actors produces something greater than the sum of the parts, and that is something we are always looking to do in movies we make," said "Yuma" director James Mangold.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be handed out on January 27 in Los Angeles, often indicate who will be nominated for the film industry's top honors, the Oscars, because actors make up the largest group of Academy Award voters.

The Oscars are the world's top film award and are given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in February.

Joining Clooney and Hirsch among SAG's film actor nominees were Daniel Day-Lewis in oil prospecting drama "There Will Be Blood," Ryan Gosling for comedy "Lars and the Real Girl" and Viggo Mortensen for crime thriller "Eastern Promises."

Experts said they were surprised that Johnny Depp, who plays a barber on a killing spree in "Todd," was left off the best actor list, as he was widely seen as a shoo-in.

Best actress nominations went to Cate Blanchett in drama "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Julie Christie in Alzheimer's tale "Away from Her," French actress Marion Cotillard as singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," Angelina Jolie as the wife of slain journalist Daniel Pearl for "A Mighty Heart," and Ellen Page in teen pregnancy comedy "Juno."

Among supporting actor nominees, the fifth nod went to Casey Affleck playing Robert Ford in "The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford."

Cate Blanchett snared a second nomination as a supporting actress playing singer Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There." Joining her, Swinton and Keener were veteran Ruby Dee for "American Gangster" and newcomer Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone."

TV nominations for best cast in a drama featured "The Sopranos," "Boston Legal," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Closer" and "Mad Men." Nods for best comedy cast went to "Entourage," "30 Rock," "Desperate Housewives," "The Office" and "Ugly Betty."

Colbert chosen AP Celebrity of the Year

While most TV characters remain boxed inside the frames of our sets, Stephen Colbert has routinely injected his on-screen persona into everything from the presidential race to ice cream.

In 2007, the mock pundit on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" exceeded the influence of most real pundits, orchestrating an ill-fated (and Doritos-sponsored) run for president and topping the best-seller lists with his book "I Am America (And So Can You!)."

Colbert failed to get onto the primary ballot in his home state of South Carolina, dooming his hopes for the White House. And his show went 0-for-4 at the Emmy Awards, including an especially painful loss to Barry Manilow.

But Colbert did win one honor: He was voted AP Celebrity of the Year by newspaper editors and broadcast producers who said Colbert had the biggest impact on pop culture in 2007.

He finished just a nudge above J.K. Rowling, who authored the final book in her enormously popular "Harry Potter" series. Finishing third was Al Gore, whose year included an Oscar, an Emmy, a Nobel Peace Prize and the global concert Live Earth.

Voting was otherwise spread out across many entertainers, including pop star Britney Spears, "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus, rapper Kanye West, comedy director and producer Judd Apatow and country singer Kenny Chesney.

But it was the slight, bespectacled Colbert — his hair never ruffled, suits forever pressed — who dominated the year. Even from the relatively small stage of late-night cable TV, his satire spread into all corners of media and society — and for a few weeks made a mockery of the democratic system.

Colbert has declined interviews during the writers strike that has shuttered his show, but he told The Associated Press by e-mail:

"In receiving this award, I am pleased that I was chosen over two great spinners of fantasy — J.K. Rowling and Al Gore. It is truly an honor to be named the Associated Press' Celebrity of the Year. Best of all, this makes me the official front-runner for next year's Drug-Fueled Downward Spiral of the year. P.S. Look for my baby bump this spring!"

Julio Diaz, entertainment editor for the Pensacola News Journal, explained his vote for the faux newsman:

"Colbert is more than an entertainer, he's a force of nature," said Diaz. "He's influenced the way we look at the news and even the way we speak. Whenever a major news story breaks, one of my first thoughts is what Colbert's spin on the story will be."

Colbert began his year by facing off against his inspiration, Bill O'Reilly. In one afternoon, Colbert and the Fox News commentator traded guest appearances on each other's shows in an exchange Colbert called "a meeting of the guts."

The meeting had been anticipated since Colbert's 2005 debut of "The Report," a deadpan fun-house mirror held up to "The O'Reilly Factor" and other conservative news programs.

In early 2007, Colbert became the namesake of the new Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor "Americone Dream." This followed in a tradition of naming things after Colbert, like the mascot for the Saginaw Spirit, an Ontario Hockey League team, "Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle."

While taping an episode on June 27, Colbert fell and broke his wrist — a minor event for most, but weeks of fodder for Colbert. The following month, he unveiled a "wrist awareness" campaign in which he urged anyone famous to wear a "WristStrong" bracelet (similar to Lance Armstrong's "LiveStrong" bands).

Showcasing his extremely detail-centric sense of humor, Colbert said on a September show: "If (Alan) Greenspan can do for my bracelets what he did for secured short-term lending through federal repurchasing agreements — can you imagine how great that would be?"

But Colbert's main act would be the run-up to his White House campaign and his ensuing bid for the nation's highest office. While promoting his new book, Colbert appeared on news programs and wrote a guest column for The New York Times mocking the dance many candidates go through before officially declaring their candidacy.

Colbert eventually announced on his program on Oct. 16, where he made it clear he aimed to parody everything about image-sensitive political campaigns. He appeared beforehand on "The Daily Show" sitting on a bale of hay and drinking a beer to show that he was an Average Joe.

The 43-year-old comedian jokingly suggested his ticket could read "Colbert-Huckabee," referring to former Arkansas governor Republican Mike Huckabee. Huckabee had made several appearances on "The Report" (making him a "friend of the show"). Huckabee's candidacy was then something of a joke; now he has zoomed to the top of the polls.

Colbert's announcement set off dialogue across the political landscape about the legitimacy of his candidacy and how he might impact the primaries.

Wrote New York Times columnist David Carr: "It is Mr. Colbert's ability to both mimic and amplify the tics of political convention and play them back with just a little more topspin that makes his satire so discomfiting."

Colbert said he would run only in his native South Carolina, but after he applied to get his name on the state's Democratic primary ballot (the Republican fee was too high), party officials voted 13-3 to keep Colbert off, claiming he "serves to detract from the serious candidates."

Soon thereafter, Colbert announced that he was withdrawing: "Although I lost by the slimmest margin in presidential election history — only 10 votes — I have chosen not to put the country through another agonizing Supreme Court battle. It is time for this nation to heal."

Colbert's withdrawal may have been hastened by the Hollywood writers strike, which shut down production on "The Report" in early November. Comedy Central, which is owned by Viacom Inc., announced Thursday that both "The Report" and "The Daily Show" will return to the air on Jan. 7, with or without their writing staffs.

On his last episode of the year, Colbert said: "As you know, except for my 13 writers and production crew, I do this show single-handedly four nights a week. I'm also raising a family, promoting a book and, hey, two weeks ago I said, `Let's run for president.' I haven't gotten a wink since I blacked out talking to Tim Russert."

Stewart, Colbert returning to the air

NEW YORK - "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" will resume production on Jan. 7 without their striking writers, the Comedy Central network announced Thursday.

Both late-night shows were shuttered after the Hollywood writers strike began seven weeks ago. The comedy duo are the latest late-night hosts to announce their return to the air while the ongoing writers strike continues to devastate much television and film production. Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel have all recently said that they will resume their programs on Jan. 2 with or without their writing staffs.

On Friday, leaders of striking television writers plan to meet with David Letterman's production company in an attempt to reach a separate deal that could return the "Late Show" to the air with its writing staff.

But "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" rely far more on scripted material than those shows, which are more centered around interviews and musical guests.

In a joint statement, Stewart and Colbert said: "We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence."

A spokesman for Comedy Central said neither the network, Stewart nor Colbert would have any further comment. A call to the Writers Guild of America was not immediately returned late Thursday.

The Band to get lifetime Grammy

NEW YORK - The Band, the Canadian-American rock group that backed Ronnie Hawkins and then Bob Dylan before becoming musical stars themselves, will receive a 2008 Grammy award for lifetime achievement.

Also on the list this year are Burt Bacharach, Doris Day, Earl Scruggs, Cab Calloway, Itzhak Perlman and Max Roach, The Recording Academy announced Tuesday. The award honours "lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium."

Although membership changed a little over the years, the classic lineup of The Band included four Ontario natives, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko, plus Arkansas-born Levon Helm.

Their 1968 debut album "Music from Big Pink" featured the hit single "The Weight." They broke up in 1976, with their last concert in San Francisco the subject of the hit Martin Scorsese documentary "The Last Waltz."

They reformed in 1983 without Robertson but Manuel committed suicide in 1986 and Danko died in his sleep in 1999, their last year as a group.

They continue to be highly regarded and last January, a tribute album was released, "Endless Highway: The Music of The Band."

The awards will be presented Feb. 9, one day before the Grammy Awards show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which will air live on CBS.

"This year's recipients are a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history," Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy, said in a statement.

"These profoundly inspiring figures are being honoured as legendary performers, creative architects and technical visionaries," he said. "Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy."

Recipients of the lifetime achievement award are determined by a vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees.

Broadcaster Chevrier passes away at 69

The first television voice of the Toronto Blue Jays and Ottawa Senators has passed away.

Don Chevrier died suddenly at his home in Palm Harbor, Fla on Monday after being admitted to a local hospital recently for an undisclosed blood disorder. He was 69.

The Toronto native was known for his versatility during his broadcasting career, as he called football, curling, hockey, boxing and Olympic sports for the CTV, CBC and other networks.

He worked on CBC Radio for the Muhammad Ali-George Chuvalo fight at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1966, and also called CFL football games for CTV.

Chevrier, the television voice of the Toronto Blue Jays for 20 years, had an illustrious career that earned him two 'Nellies' as national sportscaster of the year in the United States. He also covered the Olympic Games for networks on both sides of the border since 1972, and worked closely with Howard Cosell for boxing matches in the 1970's and 1980's.

Chevrier was also the first television broadcast voice of the Ottawa Senators in 1992, along with current hockey analyst Greg Millen. He was in Toronto during Grey Cup week last month.

The Top 10 films of the year chosen by The Canadian Press

TORONTO - The Top 10 films of 2007 as chosen by the writers and editors of the entertainment department at The Canadian Press:

Away From Her: Dubbed a masterpiece by American film critic Roger Ebert, Sarah Polley's directorial debut is a visually stunning, heart-wrenching yet deftly reserved exploration of a long and occasionally troubled marriage and what happens to it when Alzheimer's disease intrudes. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent play Fiona and Grant, and while both are outstanding it's Pinsent who steals the film, masterfully conveying his internal devastation, but outward stoicism, as he watches his ailing wife of 45 years fall in love with another man. (Lee-Anne Goodman)

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead: A harrowing story of a self-destructive family in meltdown. Uncomfortable to watch from the opening frame, Sidney Lumet's film traces the mounting desperation of the Hanson brothers after a jewelry store heist goes terribly awry. The superb cast of Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei and especially Philip Seymour Hoffman, who displays an astonishing range of emotions, elevates this crime drama far above most in the genre. (Mike Fuhrmann)

Into the Wild: Newcomer Emile Hirsch arrived on the scene with a roar in this heart-stopping adaptation of the Jon Krakauer book about a young man's deadly attempt to live off the land in rural Alaska. Director Sean Penn (who did some of the camera work himself) captures breathtaking panoramas that will make even the most reluctant traveller feel like hitting the road. Hirsch's portrayal of Christopher McCandless, meanwhile, is devastating - striking an exquisite balance between charming idealism and the arrogant bravado of youth. Rounded out by some top-notch performances from Catherine Keener, William Hurt and Hal Holbrook, whose touching portrayal of a widower who befriends McCandless almost steals the movie. (Andrea Baillie)

Juno: Yes, the dialogue was impossibly quirky and clever. But it was hard to ignore the sheer overall charm of this teen pregnancy comedy, which featured a tour-de-force performance from Halifax actress Ellen Page, not to mention another sweet turn from baby-faced Michael Cera of Brampton, Ont. Montreal-born director Jason Reitman sets a nifty comedic tone with his followup to "Thank You for Smoking." And the film's script, by former stripper Diablo Cody, is sure to win kudos during awards season. (Andrea Baillie)

Knocked Up: It's been criticized for being unrealistic and borderline sexist, but never mind: Judd Apatow's followup to "Forty-Year-Old Virgin" was also laugh-out-loud funny, with only "Superbad," the filmmaker's other 2007 outing, coming close to beating it as the year's best comedy. Sure, Katherine Heigl is gorgeous and Seth Rogen's character is a loser and a slob, but he's also a sweetheart. And yes, the women in the film are often shrill, but Apatow makes it quite clear they're taking on a much larger load in terms of responsibilities than the men in the movie. The film's best moments? The antics of Rogen's ragtag band of stoner friends - some of them proudly Canadian - and his magic mushroom road trip with Paul Rudd to Vegas. (Lee-Anne Goodman)

Lars and the Real Girl: Any movie about a sex doll could so easily be a study in frat-boy creepiness, but this gentle and kind-hearted film about the social misfit of a small town who falls in love with the anatomically correct Bianca is delightful. Billed as a comedy, it does have some very funny moments, but mostly it's a sweet look at how a non-judgmental community rallies behind Lars and his chaste love for a Brazilian sex doll in order to help him grapple with his childhood demons. Canadian Ryan Gosling stars as Lars, and he's brilliant, particularly in a heartbreaking scene in his shrink's office as he describes the thing that most terrifies him - human touch. (Lee-Anne Goodman)

Michael Clayton: A coolly intelligent thriller with three fabulous performances - George Clooney as the depressed, down-on-his-luck fixer at a high-powered Manhattan law firm, Tom Wilkinson as the senior partner who's gone off his meds and needs to be brought to heel, and Tilda Swinton as an ambitious powerbroker at an evil corporation. Smart, slick, suspenseful and beautifully shot, the film boasts a deliciously satisfying ending but also has moments of quiet reflection that keep viewers thinking long after the final frame. (Lee-Anne Goodman)

No Country for Old Men: A riveting morality tale from the Coen brothers that has it all - mesmerizing performances, breathtaking scenery, taut suspense, dry wit and a surprising, unconventional, ending. There's also the gasp-inducing violence - often unforeseen and shockingly graphic - which could put off the squeamish. But those who bear through the blood will find a compelling meditation on brutality that stays true to the Cormac McCarthy novel that inspired the film. Spanish movie star Javier Bardem is a standout as the unsettling villain Anton Chigurh. (Cassandra Szklarski)

Once: Originality at the movies is a precious commodity these days, which is why this quiet film about a halting romance between an Irish busker and a young Czech immigrant was such a dazzler. Shot in a gritty, cinema-verite style, it stunningly reinvented the conventional movie musical, with songs evolving organically (and often ingeniously) from the storyline. The scene in which the two leads (singer Glen Hansard and his young co-star Marketa Irglova) tentatively play a duet in a music store was perhaps the most magical in any film this year. (Andrea Baillie)

The Savages: This quirky family drama manages to be both funny and touching while avoiding the sentimental sap that often plagues similar fare. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are brilliant as estranged siblings who reunite to put their faltering father in an old age home, their nuanced performances saturating each flawed character with hilarity and pathos. There are no easy answers in this smart story, a deft look at abuse, self-esteem and the complexity of relationships. (Cassandra Szklarski)

Joel Plaskett Emergency earns 7 ECMA nominations

With seven nominations, Halifax rockers Joel Plaskett Emergency lead the list of 2008 East Coast Music Awards nominees announced Tuesday.

Included among the seven nominations for Joel Plaskett Emergency is a nod for entertainer of the year. Multiple award winners at the 2007 ECMAs, singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett and the band were also Juno and Polaris awards nominees earlier this year.

The band's 2007 album Ashtray Rock has three nominations, including recording of the year and its single Fashionable People earned nods for best single and songwriter of the year for Plaskett.

Wintersleep, a Halifax indie rock band, earned five nominations including recording of the year, best group recording and best rock recording for their 2007 album Welcome to the Night Sky.

Wintersleep vocalist Paul Murphy, guitar and keyboard player Tim D'Eon, drummer Loel Campbell and bass player Jud Haynes have won a nomination for songwriter of the year for Weighty Ghost and the song has also been nominated as best single.

Singer-songwriters Nathan Wiley of P.E.I. and Jimmy Rankin of Cape Breton and Charlottetown folk rock band Chucky Danger each have four nominations.
The entertainer of the year honour is the only award that is voted on by the public.

This year's nominees are last year's winner, veteran country star George Canyon, Halifax singer Jill Barber, Joel Plaskett Emergency, St. John's singer-songwriter Ron Hynes and Antigonish, N.S., rock band The Trews.

Canyon, who has won entertainer of the year for the past three years, also has nominations for best country album for Classics, competing with Rankin's Edge of Day and New Brunswick country artist Kevin Chase's I Won't Fall.

Among the rising stars gaining notice at this year's ECMAs are alternative band Alert the Medic, Halifax songerwriter Don Brownrigg, Halifax pop singer Ian Sherwood, Halifax alternative artist Rebekah Higgs and Cape Breton singer-songwriter Stephanie Hardy.

They all have nominations for the rising star recording of the year award.

Hip hop artist Classified has earned three nominations, including rap recording of the year for Hard to be Hip Hop and Jamie Sparks of Cherry Brook, N.S., has three nods, including African-Canadian recording of the year for It's the Music.

Charlottetown power-pop quartet Two Hours Traffic have nominations for recording of the year and best pop recording for Little Jabs and best video for Jezebel.

The East Coast Music Awards are open to artists from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

The East Coast Music Association will hand out the awards on Feb. 10, 2008, in Fredericton.

ECMA 2008 selected nominees
Entertainer of the year
George Canyon
Jill Barber
Joel Plaskett Emergency
Ron Hynes
The Trews

Recording of the year
Chucky Danger, Chucky Danger
Edge of Day, Jimmy Rankin
Ashtray Rock, Joel Plaskett Emergency
The City Destroyed Me, Nathan Wiley
Little Jabs, Two Hours Traffic
Welcome to the Night Sky, Wintersleep

Alternative recording of the year
Battery Point, Battery Point
Rise, Down with the Butterfly
Woke Myself Up, Julie Doiron
The City Destroyed Me, Nathan Wiley
Future Radio, Slowcoaster

African-Canadian recording
New Beginnings, Chelsea Nisbett
Calvary's Cross, Dante Hiscock
It's the music, Jamie Sparks

Country recording of the year
Classics, George Canyon
Edge of Day, Jimmy Rankin
I Won't Fall, Kevin Chase

Female solo recording
Orchestra for the Moon, Jenn Grant
Short Stories, Jessica Rhaye
Woke Myself Up, Julie Doiron
Rebekah Higgs, Rebekah Higgs
If you were for me, Rose Cousins

Male solo recording
House for sale, Dave Gunning
Classics, George Canyon
It's the music, Jamie Sparks
Edge of Day, Jimmy Rankin
The City Destroyed Me, Nathan Wiley

Rap, hip-hop recording
Hard to be hip hop, Classified
Make 'Em Holla, Hotbox with Bonshah & Expedyte
Help! I've Been Robbed, J-Bru
One of the Best, MC Sean One
Got It Locked, Mick D

Rock recording of the year
Alert the Medic, Alert the Medic
Chucky Danger, Chucky Danger
Ashtray Rock, Joel Plaskett Emergency
Canvas Tears, The Contact
Welcome to the Night Sky, Wintersleep

BBC radio station censors Pogues Christmas hit

LONDON (Reuters) - British public broadcaster BBC's Radio 1 has cut out the word "faggot" from an old Christmas hit in a move the mother of the song's late performer branded "ridiculous."

In "Fairytale of New York," released 20 years ago by Irish band the Pogues and singer Kirsty MacColl, she sings "You scumbag, you maggot/You cheap lousy faggot" as her character in the song argues with one sung by Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.

MacColl died in 2000 when she was killed by a speedboat off the coast of Mexico.

The song is a perennial favorite in Britain around Christmas time, and is once again battling for the lucrative number one spot in the charts this year. It has also topped several Best Christmas Song polls.

"Radio 1 are playing an edited version of the Fairytale of New York that does not include the world 'faggot' as this is a word that members of our audience would find offensive," the BBC said in a statement.

A spokeswoman said the word was "faded down" on air, rather than bleeped out.

But MacColl's mother Jean, speaking on the BBC Radio 5 Live, called the ban "too ridiculous."

"These are a couple of characters," she said, referring to the characters in the song.

"Today we have a lot of a gratuitous vulgarity and ... whatever from people all over which I think is quite unnecessary. These are characters and they speak like that."

A spokeswoman for the band said they would be amused to hear about Radio 1's decision.

"This song now goes with Christmas like the Queen's speech and mince pies, and all of a sudden it's offensive," she said. "It strikes me as very odd and I'm sure the band will be very amused."

Peter Jackson to produce `The Hobbit'

NEW YORK - Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," a planned prequel to the blockbuster trilogy "The Lord of the Rings."

Jackson, who directed the "Rings" trilogy, will serve as executive producer for "The Hobbit." A director for the prequel films has yet to be named.

Relations between Jackson and New Line had soured after "Rings," despite a collective worldwide box office gross of nearly $3 billion — an enormous success. The two sides nevertheless were able to reconcile, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) splitting "The Hobbit" 50/50, spokemen for both studios said Tuesday.

"I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line," Jackson said in a statement. "We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth."

Two "Hobbit" films are scheduled to be shot simultaneously, similar to how the three "Lord of the Rings" films were made. Production is set to begin in 2009 with a released planned for 2010, with the sequel scheduled for a 2011 release.

New Line Cinema is owned by Time Warner. Sony and Comcast are among the owners of MGM.

New CD Releases, December 18: Mary J. Blige, Rivers Cuomo, Lupe Fiasco

Mary J. Blige "Growing Pains"

The acclaimed R&B vocalist returns with her ninth studio CD, "Growing Pains," which follows the multi-platinum smash "The Breakthrough." The first two singles from the album are "Just Fine" and "Worth That," the latter of which is being featured in an ad campaign for Apple's iPod.

The new set features guest spins and production work by such hip-hop/R&B stars as Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Ludacris and Usher.

Many expect that "Growing Pains" will not only debut at the top of the charts, but also continue on to be one of the big sellers of early 2008. Those expectations are consistent with Blige's track record.

The superstar is one of the most successful R&B performers in the business. To date, she's sold more than 40 million CDs and grabbed six Grammy Awards. She's also up for two more trophies at the upcoming Grammy Awards presentation.

* * *
Rivers Cuomo "Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo"

The mastermind behind the indie-rock band Weezer releases a compilation of demos recorded between 1992 and 2007. The 18-track disc includes some cover songs, tunes from the singer-songwriter's unfinished rock musical "Songs From the Black Hole," and the original demo for "Buddy Holly."

* * *
Lupe Fiasco "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool"

The Chicago rapper, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, returns with a follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut, last year's "Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor." That debut was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album. Fiasco is also known for appearing on the hit "Touch the Sky" from Kanye West's "Late Registration."

* * *
Original Soundtrack
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

The film adaptation of the hugely successful musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is scheduled to open in theaters on Dec. 21. The big-budget movie stars Johnny Depp ("Pirates of the Caribbean") in the title role and was directed by Tim Burton ("Batman," "The Nightmare Before Christmas"). The soundtrack features the popular songs from the musical, composed by the team of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, including "The Worst Pies in London."

* * *
Jaheim "The Makings of a Man"

The hip-hop star delivers his fourth album, which follows last year's chart-topper "Ghetto Classics." This album--his first not to use "Ghetto" in the title--features the single "Never."

* * *
Original Soundtrack "Blade Runner Trilogy--25th Anniversary"

Big fans of director Ridley Scott's highly influential sci-fi flick--and by big fans, we mean really, really huge fans--might want to think about buying the "Blade Runner" anniversary special edition. It's an epic, three-disc set, featuring the complete music from the film--which, reportedly, encompasses more than what was featured on the original soundtrack--and a whole lot of other things that should interest fans. Notably, there are spoken word segments from such luminaries as Scott, Roman Polanski and Oliver Stone.

* * *
Other new releases:
Miguel Bose, "Papitour" (Warner)
Chingy, "Hate It Or Love It" (Disturbing Tha Peace)
Kirk Franklin, "Fight of My Life" (Gospocentric)
Helalyn Flowers, "A Voluntary Coincidence" (Alfa Matrix)
Laura Pausini, "Live in San Siro" (Warner)
Emma Shapplin, "Carmine Meo" (EMI)
Various Artists, "WWE Raw's Greatest Hits" (Sony)
Cristian Vogel, "The Never Engine" (Tresor)
Keller Williams, "12" (Sci Fidelity)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Darfur Now" (Lakeshore)
"Resident Evil: Extinction" (Lakeshore)
"Sweeney Todd Soundtrack Highlights" (Nonesuch)
"There Will Be Blood" (Warner)

Morissette Experiments With New 'Flavors'

Alanis Morissette will burst back onto the scene next spring with the album "Flavors of Entanglement." The set balances world- and folk-influenced tracks against the experimental pop leanings of producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Madonna).

"When I heard the song 'Let Go' by [Sigsworth's band] Frou Frou, I listened over and over again. I was blown away by it. I called him on the phone myself and after a couple of conversations, I could tell we were going to be on the same page," Morissette tells Billboard.com.

The Canada native envisioned an album that pulled in her various musical interests, "a combination of everything" from organic instruments to hip-hop beats. Plus, "it's the first time since I was 16 I've had a boy back-up sing on one of my album. I'm finally giving them a chance," she laughs.

The effort, which she hopes to whittle down to 11 tracks in the following weeks, includes "Not As We," which features only piano and vocals, and "Moratorium," which is "essentially a song about my readiness to stop repeating bad patterns. I've kicked some of those in my life."

Thematically, the album explores Morissette's personal struggles over the last few years and the more political struggles in the world over. "Really, in the end, the personal struggles are political. Our emotions align themselves with larger symptomatic things in the world," Morissette explains. "We face a large war out there, but [the album] more closely reflects the war in peoples' living rooms... the icy silence at home, versus the big cold war."

As previously reported, Morissette signed on to the film adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1985 sci-fi novel "Radio Free Albemuth," which started shooting in October. Morissette, who has acted since she was a preteen, said her screen ambitions have been a welcome escape from the music industry at times.

Fans eager to hear new material can catch the aritst on the road with matchbox twenty starting in January.

Leno, O'Brien return without writers

NEW YORK - NBC's two late-night franchises are coming back. Will the laughs come with them?

Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien plan a Jan. 2 return with fresh episodes, ending two months of reruns brought on by the writers' strike, the network said Monday. But until the strike is settled, the hosts will be on their own.

While late night TV will forge ahead without joke writers, they won't be far from anyone's mind.

"I will make clear, on the program, my support for the writers and I'll do the best version of `Late Night' I can under the circumstances," O'Brien said in a written statement. "Of course, my show will not be as good. In fact, in moments it may very well be terrible."

Both NBC hosts indicated it was a tortuous decision for them to come back, torn by their support for the writers and knowledge that several dozen other staff members would be laid off if the shows remained dark. Some of the late-night stars covered employees' salaries during the holiday season.

Leno said that with talks breaking down and no further negotiations scheduled, he felt it was his responsibility to get his 100 non-writing staff members back to work.

Mike Sweeney, chief of the "Late Night" staff of 14 writers, said "we all know what a difficult position Conan is in. He's been incredibly supportive of us."

Sweeney said he didn't want to comment on his boss' decision to come back without the writers. The "Tonight" show's chief writer, walking the picket line in Burbank, Calif., was similary reluctant to criticize his boss' decision.

"I'm happy that he's been able to hold out this long," said Joe Madeiros. "He's not the only one. There's a lot of pressure on late-night hosts.

The union itself offered no reaction.

The strike has left the nation's public discourse without its laugh track as the baseball steroids scandal spread, pop stars Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears continued to spiral out of control and the presidential campaign heated up in anticipation of the first votes.

NBC's announcement could make it easier for other programs like Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" or "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC to return. Also, the WGA is talking about a separate deal with David Letterman's production company so his CBS show can return with its writers.

The development could cut both ways for the union. Suspended late-night programming has been the most visible sign of the strike for the viewing public, and bringing the shows back could remove a significant piece of leverage. At the same time, the hosts could come back and pepper their network bosses with ridicule in support of the writers' cause.

That's what Johnny Carson did in 1988, when he similarly returned to the air after two months off during a writers' strike then. Carson worked without writers for three weeks, then reached a separate deal with the union to bring his staff back.

"We've been taking shots at NBC for 15 years," noted Jeff Ross, "Late Night" executive producer.

The networks have been suffering in the ratings without the live programming, giving ABC's "Nightline" its biggest boost since the days of Ted Koppel.

Both Ross and Debbie Vickers, executive producer of "Tonight," said they are beginning to contemplate how their shows will be different. It's not even clear whether Leno will open the show with a traditional monologue, Vickers said, although she noted that Carson kept that element even without his joke writers by writing his own.

But Carson was not a guild member, whereas Leno and O'Brien are. For that and other practical reasons, they may be forced to return to an old-fashioned notion of a talk show by spending more time with guests. In recent years, the late-night programs have relied much more heavily on prepared comedy bits.

"There are a lot of ways we can go with this," Ross said. "Now we have to be serious and figure it out."

If Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company strikes a separate deal, it raises the prospect of a Letterman show with its writers competing for a prolonged period against Leno without writers. It could give Letterman a competitive edge in a time slot where Leno has dominated in the ratings for the past decade.

A similar imbalance is possible an hour later: Worldwide Pants owns Craig Ferguson's CBS talk show that airs directly opposite O'Brien.

"It certainly isn't our first choice to go against them with writers," Vickers said. "But this is beyond our control."

With Kimmel's show ultimately controlled by the Walt Disney Co. and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" by Viacom, it's far less likely they would strike separate deals with writers.

Both the NBC show executives said that many potential guests privately expressed a reluctance to cross picket lines to appear. But as the strike has continued, that opposition is melting, they said. Neither of the programs has announced any bookings for their returns.

On Monday, the writers guild said it would meet with the Directors Guild of America to discuss new media and DGA studies on the issue. The directors guild has said it could begin its own contract talks with the alliance as early as January, which could increase pressure on the writers to reach a deal.

"Walk Hard" soundtrack ups ante for parodies

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Creating a parody soundtrack for film is no easy task.

Just ask writer-director Jake Kasdan, who spent eight months with co-writer Judd Apatow and a gang of songwriters in the studio recording songs for the "biopic" comedy "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," which Columbia Pictures will release in theaters on December 21.

"It was daunting at the onset," Kasdan says. "We knew part of the appeal to this was the opportunity to go for it right away and we enlisted the help of a bunch of really talented people."

To add pressure to the process, there's the Holy Grail of parody soundtracks -- "This Is Spinal Tap" -- looming in the background. It looms over any movie creating a canon of funny songs for a fake rock star.

"'Spinal Tap' is perfect and the record is insanely great," Kasdan says. "That's the kind of gold standard you aspire to when you're entering this world."

When Kasdan and Apatow sat down to write songs for larger-than-life musician Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly), they cast a wide net to bring in songwriters and a few musical legends to help pen music that spans seven decades.

"We wanted the music to be good music, even though it's a parody, even though it's funny," says Lia Vollack, president of worldwide music for Columbia Pictures. "Bad music unfortunately in a movie isn't funny, it's just bad. It actually becomes its own joke."

By the first draft, Kasdan and Apatow, who unlike their "Spinal Tap" counterparts are not musicians, had created titles and lyric fragments suggesting the kinds of songs they wanted for each sequence of the film. From there, they collaborated with a core group of songwriters, including producer Michael Andrews, Dan Bern, Mike Viola -- who lent his vocals for 1996's "That Thing You Do!" -- and with Reilly. They also recruited several indie artists (and friends), including Antonio Ortiz, Gus Seyffert, Charlie Wadhams and Benji Hughes.

Veteran musician Marshall Crenshaw was brought in to tackle the title track, the Johnny Cash-inspired "Walk Hard."

"It was an important one," Kasdan says of the song. "He just nailed it and just found that basic thing, that riff."

To tap into Cox's political period, Bern, known for his Bob Dylan folk influences, came up with "Royal Jelly," a song Kasdan says is "marked by incomprehensible metaphors." Cox also sings a pair of politically incorrect protest songs that take up the causes of "midgets," "injuns" and others.

Composer and producer Van Dyke Parks, who collaborated with Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson for the ill-fated "Smile" album, was brought in to capture the essence of late 1960s experimental sounds. Parks penned a three-minute, 45-second acid trip titled "Black Sheep," which is highlighted in the film by Cox's in-studio drug-influenced eccentricities.

By the end of the process, hundreds of songs were in the can, and they were eventually boiled down to 15 for the soundtrack. An additional 15 songs are on iTunes.

The finished product is certainly creating a buzz in the film and music community. "Walk Hard" and "Let's Duet" made the shortlist of 59 songs in contention for an Oscar nomination.

"I think the way this particular soundtrack is structured, and based on who's writing for it, it takes the 'Spinal Tap' experience up to 12," says Downtown Records president Josh Deutsch, who worked on parody soundtracks for "Music & Lyrics" and "Borat."

But can "Walk Hard" go down the same legendary path as "Spinal Tap?"

From elaborate press kits complete with concert T-shirts and "Walk Hard" lyrics "scribbled" on a cocktail napkin to the monthlong "Cox Across America Tour," Dewey Cox seems to be walking hard in that direction.

Film Institute lists year's 10 best

LOS ANGELES - The crime tale "No Country for Old Men," the oil saga "There Will Be Blood" and the legal drama "Michael Clayton" were among critical favorites that landed on the American Film Institute's list of the year's 10 best movies.

Also on the AFI's list, released Sunday, were the jewel-heist story "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," the stroke-victim tale "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," the road drama "Into the Wild," the pregnancy comedies "Juno" and "Knocked Up," the animated rodent comedy "Ratatouille," and the sibling comic drama "The Savages."

Unlike other film honors, the institute does not rank films or pick one as the year's best. The filmmakers behind the top-10 choices will be honored at a luncheon Jan. 11.

Many of the films on the list picked up Golden Globe nominations last week and are expected to compete for Academy Awards. Nominations come out Jan. 22.

Among Globe best-drama nominees were "No Country for Old Men," Joel and Ethan Coen's Texas thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin; "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's California oil-boom epic with Daniel Day-Lewis; and "Michael Clayton," Tony Gilroy's corporate-lawsuit drama starring George Clooney.

The AFI also released a top 10 list of TV shows and movies for 2007, featuring "Dexter," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Friday Night Lights," "Longford," "Mad Men," "Pushing Daisies," "The Sopranos," "Tell Me You Love Me," "30 Rock" and "Ugly Betty."

The top 10 lists were chosen by two 13-member panels, one each for movies and television. Members included actress Melissa Gilbert, filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan and critics Leonard Maltin, David Ansen and Richard Schickel.

Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg dies

NEW YORK - Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne" helped define the soft-rock era, died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56.

His death was announced Sunday in a statement by Anna Loynes of the Solters & Digney public relations agency, and was also posted on the singer's Web site.

"Dan left us this morning at 6:00 a.m. He fought a brave battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife Jean at his side," it read. "His strength, dignity and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him."

Fogelberg discovered he had advanced prostate cancer in 2004. In a statement then, he thanked fans for their support: "It is truly overwhelming and humbling to realize how many lives my music has touched so deeply all these years. ... I thank you from the very depths of my heart."

Fogelberg's music was powerful in its simplicity. He didn't rely on the volume of his voice to convey his emotions; instead, they came through in the soft, tender delivery and his poignant lyrics. Songs like "Same Old Lang Syne" — in which a man reminisces after meeting an old girlfriend by chance during the holidays — became classics not only because of his performance, but for the engaging storyline, as well.

Fogelberg's heydey was in the 1970s and early 80s, when he scored several platinum and multiplatinum records fueled by such hits as "The Power of Gold" and "Leader of the Band," a touching tribute he wrote to his father, a bandleader. Fogelberg put out his first album in 1972.

Fogelberg's songs tended to have a weighty tone, reflecting on emotional issues in a serious way. But in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 1997, he said it did not represent his personality.

"That came from my singles in the early '80s," he reflects. "I think it probably really started on the radio. I'm not a dour person in the least. I'm actually kind of a happy person. Music doesn't really reflect the whole person.

"One of my dearest friends is Jimmy Buffett. From his music, people have this perception that he's up all the time, and, of course, he's not. Jimmy has a serious side, too."

Later in his career, he would write material that focused on the state of the environment, an issue close to his heart. Fogelberg's last album was 2003's "Full Circle," his first album of original material in a decade. A year later he would receive his cancer diagnosis, forcing him to forgo a planned fall tour.

THAT WAS AWESOME!

IN SIX SHORT YEARS AS A STAR, CHRIS FARLEY DEFINED ENERGY, EXCITEMENT AND EXCESS. A DECADE LATER, HIS STORY IS TOLD BY THOSE WHO KNEW HIM BEST.

December 16, 2007 -- Chris Farley came into this world on Feb. 15, 1964, weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces. By age 33, he was gone, 296 pounds and dead of a drug overdose on Dec. 18, 1997.

In between, he played some of comedy's funniest, most eager and energetic characters. On "Saturday Night Live," he was Matt Foley, the huffing, pants-adjusting motivational speaker who lived in a van down by the river. On his "talk show," his sole interviewing technique consisted of awkwardly asking guests to "remember when" they did whatever it was they were famous for. And, of course, he co-starred in "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep" with his good friend David Spade.

In all, his time in the public eye lasted just six years. On the 10th anniversary of his death, friends, family and colleagues tell The Post what he was like when the lights weren't on - and how brilliant he was when they were.

Nick Burrows, director of guidance, Edgewood HS of the Sacred Heart, Madison, Wis.: His family is very humble, loving, caring. They own Scotch Oil Co. here in Madison. If you ever met his family, you'd see where Chris got the gifts he did - particularly from his mother. She's a stitch.

Kevin Farley, brother: Chris was always a really great athlete, but where he really shined was the camp play. He was always the lead and always had the big singing number. He sang Elvis' "Teddy Bear." All the parents would come up for the play and they'd be buzzing about how well he did that.

Burrows: He was known around school as the funny guy, but ironically, he wasn't in any theater or drama here.

Kevin Farley: Growing up, sports were a big thing for us. You didn't really think of theater. Chris always wanted to be an NFL player. He played football and hockey and he wrestled. We were four boys and my mom had us in sports, partly to get us out of the house, because we'd have destroyed it.

Chris Farley to David Letterman: I got in a lot of trouble at school. One time the nuns were all around me and my mom was in the middle, and they said, "Mrs. Farley, the other students are laughing at Christopher, not with him."

Burrows: The dean of discipline would call me up and say, "Hey, you need to meet with me about Farley." So we'd have a meeting with him, me, Chris and Mrs. Farley. She would walk in and go, "What'd my boy do now?" She'd start laughing. The dean of discipline would start the meeting real serious, and by the end of the meeting he'd be cracking up laughing. That's part of the gift Chris had.

I remember on the senior retreat, we were out in the woods for two days. There was an activity called the Hot Seat, about sharing what you're good at and what you need to work on. So he says, "I sometimes have this weird feeling that I'm a frog." Everyone's laughing. He says, "All of sudden out of the clear blue, I start moving my shoulders and words like 'ribbit' start to come out." Then he's on his chair and ends up on the table jumping around the room going "ribbit!" like a frog. We were all on the floor just roaring. The priest is looking at me sternly like, "You let this thing get out of control."

Kevin Farley: After he graduated high school, he got involved with the theater program [at Marquette University] and started to take seriously the comedians he liked. He liked [John] Belushi and Bill Murray and the "Saturday Night Live" crowd.

Chris was always trying to lose weight. The reason I think he liked Belushi growing up was because Belushi was a big guy, too, and he was cool. And he could dance. Chris saw that and thought, hey, man, maybe there's a way out of this.

He wanted to drop out of college and go into Second City, because he didn't think college was doing anything for him. But my dad said, "Stick it out and get a degree."

Burrows: Once he was doing antics in the dormitory, people started saying he should be doing that in comedy clubs. One of his friends at Marquette would say that walking to class in the morning, Chris would jump into a snow bank headfirst and start kicking his legs up in the air.

John Pudner, Marquette classmate: I've joked with a few people that Chris got there a year before me and graduated two years after me. He was on the seven-year plan. "Tommy Boy" does tell a lot of his true life, I think.
After Marquette, Farley moved to Chicago and became a star in the improv scene, first at Improv Olympic then at Second City.

Charna Halpern, co-founder, Improv Olympic: Farley came to my workshop. He wanted to get onstage so badly that he was really overdoing it, trying too hard. He was doing the ass crack and all these things. I really didn't like him at first. One night, Chris came up to me and said, "Let me play tonight!" He was in his third week and driving me crazy in class. I said he wasn't ready. He was hitting the wall over my head going, "Come on!" Finally, I got so mad, I said, "You can go on my stage, but if you screw up, you'll never go onstage again." He got up on stage and he was hilarious.

Tim Meadows, Second City and "SNL" castmate: At Second City, he was supposed to go into a scene and change into this sport jacket. I told him to lay his jacket out so it's ready, but he'd just throw it in a ball on the floor. He put on the jacket, and both his arms got caught in the lining of the jacket and he couldn't push his arms out. I started laughing. He was going, "Timmy, help me!" Then with one thrust of energy, he punched both his fists through the jacket lining and walked out onstage and did the scene - classic Farley.

Amy Poehler, Second City alum and current "SNL" cast member: He was ahead of me in Chicago, but when he would come back, I would get to perform with him. The minute he stepped onstage, the audience fell madly in love with him. I've never seen anyone commit to
anything harder than he would.

Halpern: He started taking classes with [improv teacher] Del Close, and Del said, "That's the next Belushi." He had incredible commitment and would just attack the stage.

Kevin Farley: Lorne Michaels came in and sat in the audience and watched who shined. There was a summer where Chris was sitting on pins and needles. He had gotten the word that Lorne was interested in him, but he didn't know what was going to happen. Then Lorne called him and said, "Welcome to the show." Everything changed from there.

In 1990, Farley was one of two new cast members added to "Saturday Night Live."

Chris Farley to Leno: New York was scary, coming from the Midwest. At first I thought I'd come in all cocky like, "I'm gonna bring this town to its knees!" After about a month, I was like, "I wanna go home."

Halpern: When he got "SNL," Del and I took him out for dinner to teach him manners. He was such a slob, a child, an innocent. He'd drink, and beer would go down the side of his face. I'd say, "You don't have to drink so fast. No one is going to take it away. And don't pick up Lorne Michaels and hug him."

Kevin Farley: Once Chris got on "SNL," I honestly knew that once the public saw what he could do, he wasn't going to be one of those guys that left "SNL" and went into obscurity. I knew it was gonna get weird.

Meadows: The perfect example of his personality is "The Chris Farley Show." That's so much about how he was with famous people. That's why they wrote that sketch. That's what he was like with the host or when he first got to New York and met Phil Hartman and Dana [Carvey].

Halpern: He called me from "SNL," crying before the first show. They were going to make him dance with Patrick Swayze. "They were making fun of the fat boy," - that was his quote.

Meadows: I don't know how many shows into it was the Chippendale's audition sketch, but I'm sure that was early on in his run. He scored really quickly getting in there.

Ellen Cleghorne, "SNL" castmate: I'd never seen a performer like that before. I was very impressed with his ability to access the character and stay in the moment. I actually asked him, "How do you do that?" He didn't know what the f--- I was talking about.

Molly Shannon, "SNL" castmate: He was kind of shy. Sometimes I'd peek into his dressing room, and he'd always kneel down and pray before he performed.

Kevin Farley: He had Victoria's Secret models that were after him. He had a bigger-than-life personality that these models would flock to. He was a little bit dangerous, too, so they liked that.

Farley quickly won film work - cameos first, followed by starring roles.

Penelope Spheeris, director, "Black Sheep": I was doing "Wayne's World" and Lorne said, "I got this new guy on the show, and I got a really good feeling about him. We need to put him in 'Wayne's World.' " Then he said, "But he's really shy." And Chris was shy - shy to the point of putting his tail in the dust. He felt intimidated by the movie set.

Kevin Farley: I think the movies obviously affected him. The pressures of show business are very hard, and he's a very sensitive guy. He had trouble separating it all. He wanted to make every single scene funny. When things didn't go well, it took a piece of him.

Halpern: I felt like people were making him a caricature. I personally didn't like that he was with David Spade, and David was the smart guy and Chris was dumb. Chris could play smart.

Kevin Farley: He was happy with some [movies] more than others. He thought "Tommy Boy" was probably his best. I think "Black Sheep" was a bit of a disappointment.

Farley left "SNL" in 1995. A year later, his substance abuse was out of control. Filming on "Almost Heroes" had to be halted several times so he could go to rehab.

Shannon: From what I know, he really missed the show. I think it was hard for him after he left.

Spheeris: I've worked with so many comedians over the years, starting with Richard Pryor in 1969. I could see in Chris that he had all the goods that it takes to be that brilliant comedian. It's a hyper mix of genius and insanity. If the public never sees the dark side, good for them. But it's there.

Shannon: When I knew him, he was sober and very involved in AA. I remember one day he had a cold, and I said, "Here, take these Chinese herbs." And he said, "No, no, no! I can't take anything!" Just in case it wasn't part of the program. It was sweet.

When he did come back to host [on Oct. 25, 1997], he was not in as good of shape. It was really evident that he was actively partying. It was really sad.

Kevin Farley: Especially towards the end of his life, he was scared about everything. Obviously, the drugs - he was trying to control those, and trying to keep his life together.

Spheeris: One thing that Chris did say to me, and I scolded him for it very harshly, he was talking about Belushi and how much he loved and admired him as a comedian. He made the statement that he wanted live and die like John. I couldn't tell if he was being funny or prophetic or what. I said, "Chris, don't talk like that!"

Halpern: I was with him two weeks before he died. We had a big fight in his apartment. There were always these dregs of the earth following him around giving him drugs. I was hanging out at his apartment and some guys walked in and pulled out something I never saw before. I asked, "Is that crack?" They said, "Yeah."

On Dec. 18, 1997, Farley was found dead in his Chicago apartment by his brother John. The medical examiner determined he died accidentally from an overdose of cocaine and morphine, with atherosclerosis (a narrowing of the arteries) as a "significant contributing factor."

Burrows: The evils got him. I know he tried to get it under control, but it got the best of him in the end.

Spheeris: I was surprised Spade didn't go to Chris's funeral. [But] here's the thing. The way Lorne works is that he makes people compete with each other. David and Chris were good friends, especially on "Tommy Boy." But when they got to "Black Sheep," Chris had some sort of position in the comedy world that was elevated from David. David was bickering with me because Chris was getting more attention. He never took that out on Chris, but I could see after Chris died, there was a lot of unfinished business there for David. He had had certain competitive feelings toward him, and you feel bad when someone goes. You go, "Oh, man. I wish I wouldn't have thought that way."

Halpern: He was just the greatest person, and I can't tell you how pissed I am.

Poehler: They still tell stories about him at "SNL." They'll bring a chair into a scene and someone will say, "I think Farley broke this one."

Letterman may return as writers shift tactics

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Talk show host David Letterman has been pursuing a deal with Hollywood's striking writers that would allow his late-night television show to restart production, his company said on Saturday.

The company, WorldWide Pants, announced its intention one day after the Writers Guild of America, which represents film and TV writers, told its members it would negotiate separately with member companies of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to restart stalled contract talks.

Independent producer WorldWide Pants hopes to reach a deal as soon as next week, a spokesman said. He declined to say when production might restart or new shows return to airwaves.

"Since the beginning of the strike, we have expressed our willingness to sign an interim agreement with the Guild consistent with its positions in this dispute," WorldWide Pants chief executive Rob Burnett said in a statement.

For six weeks, WGA members who write many TV shows have been striking against the AMPTP, which represents film and TV studios. Talks have been stalled since last Friday, and a chief disagreement centers on fees writers want when their programs are put on the Internet.

The strike has ended production of many talk shows like the "Late Show with David Letterman," which airs on CBS, and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on NBC.

Production on scripted prime time and daytime shows has ground to a near halt, and starting in January many of those programs will be forced into re-runs or taken off air in favor of reality TV shows that are not subject to a WGA agreement.

But if Worldwide Pants can reach an interim agreement with the WGA, new versions of "Late Show with David Letterman" could return in January, according to The New York Times.

Generally speaking in labor talks, an interim agreement provides that both sides will abide by terms of a contract to which the contract's negotiating parties eventually agree.

WGA SHIFTS TACTICS

Worldwide Pants released Burnett's statement in response to a letter sent on Friday by the WGA's negotiating committee to union members saying they would "reach out to major AMPTP companies and begin to negotiate with them individually" instead of dealing with the AMPTP only.

"We will make this demand on Monday, December 17th and hope that each company responds promptly," said the WGA's letter.

Saturday, the AMPTP issued in its own statement saying the WGA is "grasping for straws" and the union has "never had a coherent strategy for engaging in serious negotiations."

WorldWide Pants is an independent producer and can sign an interim deal outside the WGA and AMPTP talks. The company also produces "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," on CBS.

In a separate statement, a CBS spokesman said the network respected the intent of WorldWide Pants to serve its own interests and those of its employees.

"However, this development should not confuse the fact that CBS remains unified with the AMPTP, and committed to working with the member companies to reach a fair and reasonable agreement," said CBS spokesman Chris Ender.

Earlier this week, show business newspaper Daily Variety reported that NBC's "Tonight Show" and "Leno's program and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" also may be back on air by January. An NBC spokeswoman could not be reached on Saturday.

Smith's 'Legend' grows with $76.5M debut

LOS ANGELES - For the last man on Earth, Will Smith sure has a lot of friends. The Warner Bros. tale "I Am Legend," starring Smith as a plague survivor who may be the last living human, debuted with $76.5 million, the biggest December opening ever and a personal best for one of Hollywood's top box-office champs, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"It's no wonder Will Smith feels so lonely. Everyone else on Earth is in the movie theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

The 20th Century Fox family flick "Alvin and the Chipmunks," starring Jason Lee in a big-screen take on the cartoon critters, opened a strong No. 2 with $45 million. The two films combined to give Hollywood a year-end surge after a drowsy fall season.

"Forty-five million acorns," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president for distribution at 20th Century Fox. "Chipmunks are diurnal animals and they do hibernate, but not right now."

Overall business soared, with the top 12 movies taking in $153.6 million, up 39 percent from the same weekend a year earlier, when Smith also was No. 1 with a $26.5 million debut for "The Pursuit of Happyness."

The previous No. 1 movie, New Line Cinema's fantasy "The Golden Compass," nose-dived in its second weekend, coming in third with $9 million, down a dismal 65 percent from its less-than-expected $25.8 million debut a week earlier.

"The Golden Compass," which cost $180 million to produce, has done $90 million so far overseas but has proven a dud domestically with just $41 million.

On the other hand, "I Am Legend" smashed Smith's personal debut record, easily exceeding the $52.1 million opening weekends of "I, Robot" and "Men in Black II," his previous bests. "I Am Legend" outdid the $72.6 million premiere of 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the previous best December opening.

"It's nice to be in the Will Smith business," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. "He is just the No. 1 box-office star in the world today."

Based on the Richard Matheson novel filmed twice before as Vincent Price's "The Last Man on Earth" and Charlton Heston's "The Omega Man," "I Am Legend" casts Smith as a scientist trying to find a cure and fighting off the vestiges of humanity, people transformed by the plague into vampire-like creatures.

Two Golden Globe nominees just hitting theaters did well in their second weekends.

Focus Features' "Atonement" — a tragic romance that led the Globes with seven nominations, including best drama and acting honors for Keira Knightley and James McAvoy — pulled in $1.85 million in 117 theaters. That gave "Atonement" a strong average of $15,835 a theater, compared to $21,224 in 3,606 cinemas for "I Am Legend."

Fox Searchlight's "Juno," a teen-pregnancy comedy whose three nominations included best comedy or musical and an acting honor for Ellen Page, grossed $1.44 million in 40 theaters for a $36,018 average.

"Atonement" and "Juno" expand into nationwide release over the next three weekends.

Another Golden Globe nominee, the Paramount Classics-DreamWorks foreign-language contender "The Kite Runner," debuted strongly with $450,970 in 35 theaters for a $12,885 average. Spanning the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to modern times, the film follows an emigrant to America who returns home to rescue the son of a childhood friend.

Francis Ford Coppola's first film in 10 years, "Youth Without Youth" from Sony Pictures Classics, had a so-so debut of $27,815 in six theaters, averaging $4,636. The film stars Tim Roth as an elderly language scholar whose youth is restored by a lightning strike.

Here is the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "I Am Legend," $76.5 million.
2. "Alvin and the Chipmunks," $45 million.
3. "The Golden Compass," $9 million.
4. "Enchanted," $6 million.
5. "No Country for Old Men," $3 million.
6. "The Perfect Holiday," $2.97 million.
7. "Fred Claus," $2.3 million.
8. "This Christmas," $2.3 million.
9. "Atonement," $1.85 million.
10. "August Rush," $1.8 million.

The Couch Potato Report - December 15th, 2007

This week The Couch Potato Report peels the DVD debut of a Canadian TV series, and the season two of an American, one created by a Canadian.

There are four new DVD Box Sets and a documentary about Darfur to cover this week, so here with go, with this week's Hot Potato - SEASON ONE of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES.

Now in it's 15th season, THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES can be seen in it's current incarnation on Tuesday nights at 8:30 pm, but it is the original quartet of Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey and Mary Walsh who are featured on this 3-DVD set.

Now, because the shows on this set first aired in 1993, some of the political humor is a little dated.

But others jokes will give you a laugh because of what happened in the interveneing years.

SEASON ONE of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES features many of the classic characters associated with the show, including Marg Delahunty, Gerry Boyle, Babe Bennett and Connie, plus there is the patented news parodies, sketchs and Rick Mercer's editorials.

I am not sure how often I will watch this DVD, but I did enjoy sitting through it again this week. If there is a fan of the show on your list...perhaps they would enjoy that opportunity as well!

Or, maybe Saturday Night Live is more up their alley!

If so, they are in luck too, because SEASON TWO of that show is also now available in a new 8-DVD Box Set!

SEASON ONE of SNL debuted a year ago on DVD, and even though I remain a fan of the show, that first year was a tough to watch as the Not Ready For Prime Time Players often took a back seat to the weekly Guest Host, and thus the actors and characters we know and have associated with the show for more than thirty years didn't get the chance to shine.

Happily, SEASON TWO of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE allows those characters, and the actors who created them - John Belushi, Canadian Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtain, and new cast member Bill Murray - to shine!!

Toronto's Lorne Michaels created the show, and as a result, he was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2004, becoming the first non-American to earn this honour.

As he still does to this day, he appears on the show in SEASON TWO, sometimes even with former Beatles.

As with the THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES Box Set, I am not sure how often I will watch THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE either,....but I like knowing that I can, and it is a worthy addition to my DVD library.

Another very worthy addition to my library is the 4-DVD set THE JASON BOURNE COLLECTION with THE BOURNE IDENTITY, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, and the new to DVD release THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.

In addition to the three films in this set about the former assasin who is trying to get his memory back, there is also a bonus DVD with several interesting features, including an interview with the man who started this whole series off back in 1980, author Robert Ludlum.

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM is one of my favourite films of the year, and the BOURNE series has given me a great deal of enjoyment over the past five years, so I highly recommend this box set, and all three films.

THE JASON BOURNE COLLECTION is a straight on Hollywood action film at it's best.

HOT FUZZ is a straight on British parody of those same action films.

As I mentioned back in August when the film first came out on DVD, HOT FUZZ - from the makers of SHAUN OF THE DEAD - is another of my favourite films of 2007!

HOT FUZZ is an action film...and a mystery...but it is primarily a satire on the genre of loud and explosive Hollywood action films about a highly decorated London police officer who is so good at his job that he is shunted off to an assignment in the country where he finds himself right in the middle of a killing spree.

Yes, HOT FUZZ debuted on DVD in August and now there is a new 3-DVD version of it available, and if you love this film as I do, it too is a must have due to the wealth of bonus features, behind the scenes documentaries and interviews.

HOT FUZZ is incredibly well-written, kinetically edited, and very funny too, and the new 3 DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION is just more of a good thing!

And yes, it is too bad they couldn't have released this 3-DVD set back in August to save people from having to buy it twice...but if you have been waiting to pick it up, the time is finally right!

Finally this week is a release that is not a box set. It is only a single DVD, but it too is worthy of you rtime.

It is the documentary THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK.

THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK is a first-person account of the genocide in Darfur as we witness the ongoing tragedy in Sudan through the eyes of one unsuspecting witness.

The situation in Darfur is too complex a situation for an 85 minute documentary to cover it all, but what THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK does accomplish is that it will open your eyes a little wider to what is going on in Sudan.

And should you decide to do so, you can also find out what you can do to help through this DVD.

The movie made me uncomfortable at times, but I was informed by it, and it is for that reason that I think you should see it.

THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, the 3 DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION of HOT FUZZ, THE 4-DVD JASON BOURNE COLLECTION, THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and Seasons One and Two of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES are all available now on DVD.


Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

I will let you know about the spectacular 4-DVD Box Set CANADA BY RAIL, the 3-DVD Set for the Classic UNDERDOG CARTOONS and my favourite movie of the year, a small film that never even played in most theatres across Canada, a musical called ONCE.

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!

Canadian actor voices KITT for new Knight Rider

The studio behind an upcoming TV movie revamp of 1980s cult TV series Knight Rider unveiled some details about the project this week, including a new car and the casting of Canadian comic actor Will Arnett.

Arnett, best known for his role on the critically acclaimed but short-lived series Arrested Development, has signed on as the voice of the smooth-talking, artificially intelligent sports car KITT (short for Knight Industries Two Thousand) — voiced in the original series by veteran actor William Daniels.

The Toronto-born actor, whose recent credits include stints on TV's 30 Rock and a supporting role in the comedy Blades of Glory, has also developed a sideline as a voice actor recording for animated shows, network promotions, movie trailers and advertisements.

Producers have also changed KITT from the slickly modified Pontiac Trans Am of the original series to a suped-up Ford Mustang Shelby.

Actor Justin Bruening, whose short list of credits includes appearing on the soap All My Children, has been enlisted to star in the upcoming two-hour TV movie as the son of Michael Knight, the main character portrayed by David Hasselhoff in the original series.

Bruening's casting echoes that of Hasselhoff's, who had few credits other than daytime soap The Young and the Restless under his belt when he was originally cast as the Knight Rider lead.

Also appearing in the film will be Sydney Tamiia Poitier, the daughter of acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier, while Hasselhoff is slated to make a cameo.

The film, set to air on NBC in mid-February, holds the possibility of a series spin-off if it proves successful. The U.S. network recently revived another of a former TV hit with its darker remake of its 1970s show The Bionic Woman.

TV's Knight Rider, which ran from 1982 to 1986, starred Hasselhoff as crime-fighter Knight, who was assisted by his heroic sports car/sidekick KITT in foiling evildoers.

The car's amazing abilities included the ability to jump across rivers, rocket to speeds of 300 mph and eject flares, tear gas, smoke bombs or oil slicks all in the name of catching criminals.

ABC Moves 'Lost' to Thursdays

ABC unveiled a midseason slate on Friday (Dec. 14) that includes scheduling moves both thrilling ("Lost" moving to Thursdays!) and not-so-thrilling ("According to Jim" returns!).

Entering its fourth season with a pre-ordained end in sight, "Lost" will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 31, taking over the competitive Thursday 9 p.m. time slot from "Grey's Anatomy." Eight episodes of the Emmy-winning series were reportedly finished before the writers strike hit, which ought to be enough to at least temporarily placate a rabid fanbase that's been scratching its collective head since the show's third season finale included a shocking flash-forward.

"Lost" will lead into the midseason drama "Eli Stone," from producer Greg Berlanti. "Eli Stone" will replace "Big Shots," which should burn off its remaining original episodes in January.

"Eli Stone" is one of four new shows to premiere for ABC this spring.

"Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann" will kick off on Monday, Jan. 7 and will air in the 8 p.m. time period until a new edition of "Dancing with the Stars" is ready to go on Monday, March 17 (the same night as the premiere of the latest installment of "The Bachelor").

The soapy drama "Cashmere Mafia" will have a special Thursday premiere on Jan. 3 and will move into its regular Wednesday 10 p.m. slot on Jan. 9.

Finally, "Oprah's Big Give" will air Sunday nights at 9 p.m. starting on March 2, when "Desperate Housewives" will go down to the 10 p.m. hour, giving "Brothers & Sisters" a breather.

On the returning front, new seasons of "Just for Laughs" and "According to Jim" will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 1, while "Wife Swap" and "Supernanny" will be back on on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

A somewhat confusing run-down of ABC's spring:

MONDAY (JAN)
8:00 p.m. "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann"
9:30 p.m. "Notes from the Underbelly"
10:00 p.m. "October Road"

MONDAY (FEB)
8:00 p.m. "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann"
9:00 p.m. "Samantha Who?"
9:30 p.m. "Notes from the Underbelly"
10:00 p.m. "October Road"

MONDAY (MAR)
8:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars"
9:30 p.m. "Samantha Who?"
10:00 p.m. "The Bachelor"

TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
8:30 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
9:00 p.m. "According to Jim"
9:30 p.m. "Carpoolers"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

TUESDAY (MAR)
8:00 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
8:30 p.m. "Just for Laughs"
9:00 p.m. "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show"
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal"

WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. "Wife Swap"
9:00 p.m. "Supernanny"
10:00 p.m. "Cashmere Mafia" ("Men in Trees" beginning Feb. 27)

THURSDAY (JAN)
8:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
9:00 p.m. "Grey's Anatomy"
10:00 p.m. "Big Shots" (after special premiere of "Cashmere Mafia" on Jan 3)

THURSDAY (FEB)
8:00 p.m. "Ugly Betty"
9:00 p.m. "Lost"
10:00 p.m. "Eli Stone"

FRIDAY
8:00 p.m. Drama encores
9:00 p.m. Drama encores
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SUNDAY (MAR)
7:00 p.m "America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 p.m. "Oprah's Big Give"
10:00 p.m."Desperate Housewives"

TV talk-show hosts eye January return: report

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Idled television talk-show hosts Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien are likely to return to work in early January, even if the Hollywood writers strike is not settled by then, Daily Variety reported in its Friday edition.

Most of the late-night shows have been airing reruns since the Writers Guild of America went out on strike for the first time in almost two decades on Nov 5.

NBC stars Leno and O'Brien, along with CBS's David Letterman and Craig Ferguson, and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel refused to cross the picket lines in deference to their writers. But their ratings have suffered.

The networks laid off the shows' production staff, although most of them are still receiving pay checks thanks to the personal largess of O'Brien, Letterman and Kimmel.

Letterman's production company also produces Ferguson's show.

With no end in sight to the strike, several hosts are nearing the conclusion that it's time to return, Daily Variety said, citing unidentified sources close to the situation.

The trade paper said Leno, O'Brien, Letterman and Ferguson may all return around the same time, but that the NBC duo was "most likely to return in early January" no matter what Letterman decides. Some late-night observers believe Kimmel may also be preparing to go back soon, Daily Variety said.

On the other hand, with none of the hosts eager to be the first to return to work and risk the union's ire, Daily Variety said the hosts may yet still decide to stay home.

When the guild last went on strike, for 22 weeks in 1988, Leno's predecessor Johnny Carson returned to work about two months into the stoppage, and Letterman followed him more than a month later.

Officials from the networks were not immediately available for comment.

As new episodes fade, TV facing a long winter

A writers' strike that has slowed the flow of new TV shows is threatening to linger well into next year — and force more lasting changes in Hollywood that determine what we watch and when, at home and in theaters.

The 5-week-old walkout by 10,500 members of the Writers Guild of America took a turn for the worse last week, when talks between writers and industry executives collapsed amid harsh words. Now both sides are bracing for a long standoff.

If the strike isn't settled by early in the new year, the absence of new scripts will narrow the pipeline of movies headed to theaters starting in late 2008. For the top broadcast networks, the impact would be more immediate: The rest of this TV season could be a virtual washout, cluttered with reality shows and repeats as the networks run out of fresh episodes of sitcoms and dramas.

The development of new shows for next season already has come to a standstill, jeopardizing the calendars for networks' lucrative ad-selling ritual in the spring and their traditional rollout of new shows in September. Meanwhile, a wide swath of the entertainment business in Hollywood and beyond is — or soon will be — unemployed, with tens of thousands of makeup artists, truck drivers and others caught in the strike's crossfire.

"It'll hurt us all," Oscar-winning writer/director Paul Haggis (Crash), who was on the picket line Monday at Sony Studios, says of the strike's impact. He says studios are repeating their playbook from the last writers' strike, which lasted 22 weeks in 1988 until they "broke us and we took a huge rollback" in pay for syndicated series.

With so much at stake, can cooler heads prevail soon? "I'm not real hopeful," says Denis Leary, who writes and stars in the FX firefighter drama Rescue Me. The show, with no completed scripts, has delayed plans to begin filming its fifth season next month.

With talks at an impasse, networks this week resorted to long-range plans for alternative — and cheap-to-produce — programming. There has been talk of running repeats of cable series, shows produced overseas and even mixed martial-arts competitions to fill what could be a lengthy void. NBC has picked up Quarterlife, a drama series about twentysomethings that has appeared on the Internet. The show initially was a failed pilot at ABC.

"This is the time to look past March," NBC scheduling chief Vince Manze says. "You have to come up with plans now, because the news coming out of negotiations was not good."

The dispute causing all the turmoil focuses largely on a demand by writers: They want a guaranteed cut of the revenue resulting from Internet streaming and downloads, a tiny but rapidly growing segment of show business.

Top writers on TV shows and movies can make $1 million a year or more. But for most TV and movie writers, job security is traditionally low; half of those on strike typically are unemployed at any given time. The guild says that overall, its members make an average of $62,000 a year.

As the strike wears on, here's what to look for:

1. A cold winter

The strike's effect on prime-time TV has been minimal so far, but viewers of most shows will see a falloff in new episodes after New Year's.

Top series such as ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS' CSI have one or two new episodes left to air, while most comedies — including NBC's The Office and CBS's Two and a Half Men— have run out.

Networks are hastily assembling replacement schedules heavy on reality programming, but they have a few scripted series that were held for midseason, including ABC's Lost, NBC's Law & Order and Medium, and CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine. However, such shows will have fewer episodes than initially planned.

Network programmers are preparing for the worst. Apart from the occasional megahit such as Fox's American Idol, reality shows and TV newsmagazines have proved less attractive to viewers recently than the more expensive sitcoms and dramas they'll replace.

A taste of what's to come: An ABC game show called Here Come the Newlyweds; a new NBC show, The Baby Borrowers, in which teen couples "adopt" tykes as a test of parenting skills; and NBC's revival of American Gladiators, the 1990s sports competition show that included spandex-clad contestants in jousting matches

So far, advertisers haven't bailed out of buying ad time from networks; they have few other options to reach large numbers of TV viewers. But declining ratings likely will force networks to cut ad rates and offer bonus spots or refunds when audiences dip below previously guaranteed levels. That scenario could cost the networks tens of millions of dollars.

Magna Global USA predicts total TV audience levels will decline by 5% in January compared with last year and by 13% in May, assuming the walkout eliminates the rest of the traditional TV season.

The decline will be more severe among some top broadcast networks, as the supply of original scripted series dwindles. But that could be good news for American Idol, which remains TV's top series going into its seventh year but saw its ratings dip last season.

The impact on cable will be milder: Most channels rely heavily on unscripted programming, repeats of network series or movies. Those that air original series will see seasons delayed or shortened.

Some observers wonder whether viewers, already distracted by the Internet, video games and other media and entertainment outlets, will be lost for good.

"There's been a lot of talk about how … this is the worst time for a strike, the YouTubes and MySpaces of the world will get a major boost, that viewers will develop other habits and many will not return," says Magna analyst Steve Sternberg. He calls the fears "nonsense" and says that "the impact on TV viewing, even during a lengthy strike, will be negligible."

John Rash, head ad buyer at Campbell-Mithun in Minneapolis, says TV "is a long-ingrained habit for many," so viewers simply will choose other programming to embrace. But they could further erode the dominance of the major networks.

2. The return of the late shows

The strike's first fallout was felt on late-night talk shows, which are produced daily and shut down when the strike began Nov. 5. The shows, or their hosts, have been paying most of the shows' non-writing staffs since then.

But that won't continue indefinitely, and hosts including Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien will have to decide whether to side with writers by staying on the sidelines or return to work to keep their non-writing staffers employed.

Late-night producers say they initially made no plans to return to the air while striking writers were negotiating, but now that talks are at a standstill, all bets are off. They soon will decide on a return date, and some top shows are eyeing Jan. 7 on their calendars.

Some will have an easier time than others: Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, favorites among coveted young viewers, rely heavily on scripted material and would be difficult to restart without their staff writers. On the other hand, O'Brien and Letterman lean more on improvisation and could simply dispense with monologues and expand celebrity interviews.

NBC's little-watched Last Call With Carson Daly resumed with new episodes last week, without the show's four writers. Daly's return was met with picketers.

3. A calendar in turmoil

Just as viewers start sampling new series each fall, the networks busily begin the process of developing newer shows that eventually will replace them. The pilot season kicks into high gear in winter, as sample episodes are written, ordered, cast, shot and delivered to the networks. The networks choose which shows to air and assemble a fall schedule to be touted to advertisers at lavish presentations each May.

Now that already chaotic process is threatened. Networks say a strike lasting past mid-February would upend their calendar and delay plans to pick a new schedule in May and then sell the bulk of ad time "upfront" in June.

It could create a year-round development cycle, which networks have talked about for years. If so, they'd ditch or scale back the lavish spring presentations for advertisers in New York.

"With each passing week, it looks more likely that the conventional way we've done business becomes more and more in jeopardy," says Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly.

"One of the few potentially positive outcomes of this is that the business can benefit from shaking up a process that could use shaking up."

"Advertisers in general would appreciate" such a move, says Tim Spengler, a top ad buyer at Initiative Media. "Moving the process to a calendar year would give marketers more time to get their budgets set."

4. Season starts … whenever

Strike or no, summer probably would look much like this winter, with a load of reality TV. But such shows could suffer after so much exposure in winter and spring. Starting in February, for example, CBS plans to air Big Brother — until now a summer-only staple — three nights a week.

Cable networks, which use summer to launch original series such as TNT's The Closer, USA's Monk and FX's Rescue Me, won't have them by then, either.

But unlike past years, a long strike means viewers won't see the usual mid-September flood of network newcomers.

Under one scenario, several holdover series with less-than-hit ratings — such as NBC's Chuck and Life or ABC's Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money —would get the go-ahead for more episodes after a strike settlement, for airing in late spring or early fall.

Then the "new" season would be pushed back several months as fewer episodes of new series are cycled in.

Fox has a version of this plan in place. For the past few years, its performance has been weak each fall, then rebounded with the arrival of Idol (and shows that ride its coattails) in January.

5. Movies to feel it in late '08

The long lead times required to produce, edit and market films means there'll be little disruption on that front until late next year.

Major studios are expected to snap up independent films from the festival circuit to plug holes in release schedules as development of new projects is delayed further.

Even so, as the strike drags on, "It's going to start affecting people very seriously after the beginning of the year," says Frank Marshall, producer of the Indiana Jones and Bourne franchises.

He predicts a feeding frenzy once the strike ends, as filmmakers compete for in-demand actors to refuel their pipeline.

"There will be a lot of movies starting up that have great parts," Marshall says, "and it will be an interesting race to see who will get who."

They might get none: Screen Actors Guild members' contracts expire in June, and they're fighting industry executives over the same issues.

Conchords comedy duo to release debut album

NEW YORK (Billboard) - They play marginally talented singer/songwriters on their HBO comedy series, but Flight of the Conchords members Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie put in extensive studio time to perfect their debut album.

All the tracks on their self-titled Sub Pop debut, due April 22, have appeared on the show, but a label official says they have been "massively reworked and totally re-arranged."

The synth-pop parody "Inner City Pressure" is likely to be the first single, and the label is now selecting 10 or 12 songs from a possible 15 to form the track list, says Tony Kiewel, the head of A&R at Sup Pop.

Last week, the New Zealand duo's debut EP, "The Distant Future," received a Grammy nomination for best comedy album.

Madonna, Mellencamp newest to Rock Hall

CLEVELAND - The Material Girl is about to become a Hall of Famer.

The ever-evolving Madonna was announced as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee on Thursday along with John Mellencamp, The Ventures, Leonard Cohen and The Dave Clark Five.

A panel of 600 industry figures selected the five acts to be inducted at the annual ceremony, to be held March 10 in New York.

"The 2008 inductees are trailblazers — all unique and influential in their genres," Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman said in a statement. "From poetry to pop, these five acts demonstrate the rich diversity of rock and roll itself."

To be eligible, artists must have issued a first single or album at least 25 years before nomination.

Madonna Louise Ciccone signed with Sire Records in 1982 and became one of MTV's first stars two years later with "Like A Virgin." She has constantly altered her image and appearance ever since, showing staying power that few '80s stars could muster.

From rosaries and bare midriffs to cone-shaped bras, Madonna's reinvention of herself has been as prolific as her chart dominance, which included seven No. 1 hits and three No. 1 albums in the '80s alone.

Mellencamp, the Indiana native with the ever-changing name, hit the scene as John Cougar in the early '80s with "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts So Good." He later became John Cougar Mellencamp — and the voice of America's heartland — with hits like "Pink Houses" and "Small Town" before finally settling into his given name, John Mellencamp.

"I'm very honored and pleased to be recognized this way, especially among people whom I greatly admire," he said in a statement.

Cohen went from acclaimed poet in Canada to a folk rock icon with "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag" in the late 1960s, making him a big part of the singer-songwriter movement.

The Ventures defined instrumental guitar rock in the '60s with surfer anthems like "Walk Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O," and The Dave Clark Five were one of the most successful British invasion bands with the iconic "Glad All Over."

The Rock Hall will also honor Little Walter in its sideman category for helping establish the modern blues harmonica on recordings with legends like Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley.

Producers Gamble & Huff will be honored in the non-performer category. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International label, which had artists that included the O'Jays, McFadden & Whitehead, and Lou Rawls, featured powerful rhythm sections with a disco beat.

They won a Grammy for best R&B song on Simply Red's cover of the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

Tejada named in Mitchell Report While Roberts, Knoblauch, Clemens, Justice Also Implicated

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte were named in the long-awaited Mitchell Report on Thursday, an All-Star roster linked to steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs that put a question mark -- if not an asterisk -- next to some of baseball's biggest moments.

Barry Bonds, already under indictment on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroids, also showed up in baseball's most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.

The report culminated a 20-month investigation by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the Steroids Era.

It was uncertain whether the report would result in any penalties or suspensions.

Several stars named in the report could pay the price in Cooperstown, much the way Mark McGwire was kept out of the Hall of Fame this year merely because of steroids suspicion.

Besides Clemens and Pettitte, other ex-Yankees named include Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch and Jason Grimsley. Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts also is in the report, as is Yankees and Braves postseason hero David Justice.

Other players include: Mo Vaughn, Paul Lo Duca, Eric Gagne, Glenallen Hill, Gregg Zaun, Rondell White, Hal Morris, Todd Hundley, Larry Bigbie, Lenny Dykstra, David Segui, Matt Herges, Kevin Brown, Mike Lansing, Wally Joyner, Nook Logan and Randy Velarde.

Tejada spent the past four seasons with the Orioles and was acquired in trade by the Astros this week for five players.

In 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Grimsley had accused six players, including Clemens and Pettitte, in a federal agent's affidavit as players who had used performance-enhancing drugs. Both Clemens and Pettitte denied the rumors at the time.

Pettitte, who in September reached the 200-win mark, recently agreed to return to the Yankees for one year and $16 million after mulling retirement for at least the second time in recent years. He has long credited Clemens, his longtime friend and teammate, with boosting his workout regimen and enabling him to stay in better shape. The two men have both worked with trainer Brian McNamee, who has also reportedly been linked to figures in the Mitchell Report.

Clemens, who has not made a decision yet whether to play in 2008, has maintained his famously rigorous workout routine and credits his long hours in the gym with helping him continue to perform at a high level. He initially retired after the 2003 season, but, thanks in large measure to Pettitte's persuasion, joined the Astros instead and won the 2004 NL Cy Young at age 42. He joined the Yankees in June of this season and finished 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA, then had to leave his start during Game 3 of the AL Division Series with a hamstring injury in the third inning.

Rafael Palmeiro, who was suspended by MLB for failing a drug test just weeks after reaching the 3,000-hit mark, had angrily denied using steroids during an appearance before Congress in March of 2005. After his suspension later that summer, he speculated he might have tested positive after receiving a B-12 shot from Tejada, who was his teammate with the Orioles in 2004 and 2005. B-12 isn't a steroid or illegal, and subsequent searches of Tejada's other vials of B-12 found no traces of steroids.

Stanton has pitched for eight different teams over a 19-year-career and was once one of the game's premiere left-handed set-up men. Roberts is a switch-hitting speedster and two-time All-Star who had hit just 12 home runs in 1,502 at-bats through 2004 -- with a career high of five -- before breaking out for 18 in 2005, including seven in April alone.

Tejada won the 2002 AL MVP award with Oakland and drove in no fewer than 98 runs between 2000 and 2006. After playing 1,152 straight games, Tejada landed on the disabled list with a broken wrist this season after being hit by a pitch. He finished the 2007 season batting .296 with 18 HRs and 81 RBI in 133 games.

List of Golden Globe Awards nominations

Here are the nominees for the 65th annual Golden Globe Awards announced Thursday in Beverly Hills, Calif.:

MOTION PICTURES:

Picture, Drama: "American Gangster," "Atonement," "Eastern Promises," "The Great Debaters," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood."

Actress, Drama: Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"; Julie Christie, "Away From Her"; Jodie Foster, "The Brave One"; Angelina Jolie, "A Mighty Heart"; Kiera Knightley, "Atonement."

Actor, Drama: George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"; James McAvoy, "Atonement"; Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises"; Denzel Washington, "American Gangster."

Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Across the Universe," "Charlie Wilson's War," "Hairspray," "Juno," "Sweeney Todd."

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Adams, "Enchanted"; Nikki Blonsky, "Hairspray"; Helena Bonham Carter, "Sweeney Todd"; Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose"; Ellen Page, "Juno."

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd"; Ryan Gosling, "Lars and the Real Girl"; Tom Hanks, "Charlie Wilson's War"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Savages"; John C. Reilly, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story."

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"; Julia Roberts, "Charlie Wilson's War"; Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement"; Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"; Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."

Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"; Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"; John Travolta, "Hairspray"; Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton."

Director: Tim Burton, "Sweeney Todd"; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, "No Country for Old Men"; Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; Ridley Scott, "American Gangster"; Joe Wright, "Atonement."

Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno"; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, "No Country for Old Men"; Christopher Hampton, "Atonement"; Ronald Harwood, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; Aaron Sorkin, "Charlie Wilson's War."

Foreign Language: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," Romania; "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," France and U.S.; "The Kite Runner," U.S.; "Lust, Caution," Taiwan; "Persepolis," France.

Animated Film: "Bee Movie," "Ratatouille," "The Simpsons Movie."

Original Score: Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Edder, "Into the Wild"; Clint Eastwood, "Grace Is Gone"; Alberto Iglesias, "The Kite Runner"; Dario Marianelli, "Atonement"; Howard Shore, "Eastern Promises."

Original Song: "Despedida" from "Love in the Time of Cholera"; "Grace Is Gone" from "Grace Is Gone"; "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild"; "That's How You Know" from "Enchanted"; "Walk Hard" from "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story."

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TELEVISION:

Series, Drama: "Big Love," HBO; "Damages," FX Networks; "Grey's Anatomy," ABC; "House," Fox; "Mad Men," AMC; "The Tudors," Showtime.

Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, "Medium"; Glenn Close, "Damages"; Minnie Driver, "The Riches"; Edie Falco, "The Sopranos"; Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"; Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"; Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer."

Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"; Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, "The Tudors"; Bill Paxton, "Big Love."

Series, Musical or Comedy: "30 Rock," NBC; "Californication," Showtime; "Entourage," HBO; "Extras," HBO; "Pushing Daisies," ABC.

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"; America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"; Tina Fey, "30 Rock"; Anna Friel, "Pushing Daisies"; Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds."

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"; Steve Carell, "The Office"; David Duchovny, "Californication"; Ricky Gervais, "Extras"; Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies."

Miniseries or Movie: "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," HBO; "The Company," TNT; "Five Days," HBO; "Longford," HBO; "The State Within," BBC America.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Bryce Dallas Howard, "As You Like It"; Debra Messing, "The Starter Wife"; Queen Latifah, "Life Support"; Sissy Spacek, "Pictures of Hollis Woods"; Ruth Wilson, "Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre)."

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Adam Beach, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"; Ernest Borgnine, "A Grandpa for Christmas"; Jim Broadbent, "Longford"; Jason Isaacs, "The State Within"; James Nesbitt, "Jekyll."

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Rose Byrne, "Damages"; Rachel Griffiths, "Brothers & Sisters"; Katherine Heigl, "Grey's Anatomy"; Samantha Morton, "Longford"; Anna Paquin, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"; Jaime Pressly, "My Name Is Earl."

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Ted Danson, "Damages"; Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"; Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"; Andy Serkis, "Longford"; William Shatner, "Boston Legal"; Donald Sutherland, "Dirty Sexy Money."

'Atonement' leads with 7 Globe nods

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - The British historical romance "Atonement" led the competition for the Golden Globes with seven nominations Thursday, including best drama and acting honors for Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.

Other best drama nominees for the 65th Golden Globes were the crime sagas "American Gangster," "Eastern Promises" and "No Country for Old Men," the inspirational college drama "The Great Debaters," the legal drama "Michael Clayton" and the California oil-boom epic "There Will Be Blood." Globe voters picked seven dramatic nominees, rather than the usual five.

Nominated for best comedy or musical were the Beatles musical "Across the Universe," the foreign-policy romp "Charlie Wilson's War," the Broadway adaptation "Hairspray," the teen-pregnancy comedy "Juno" and the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan, "Atonement" earned dramatic actress and actor nominations for Knightley and McAvoy, who play lovers whose newfound romance is shattered after Knightley's jealous younger sister (Saoirse Ronan) falsely accuses McAvoy of a crime.

"Atonement" also had nominations for Ronan as supporting actress, director for Joe Wright, screenplay for Christopher Hampton and musical score for Dario Marianelli.

"We're all jumping around at the moment. It's just fantastic. I'm working today, so I don't know whether I'll be able to celebrate, but we'll probably have a nice dinner when we get home from work," the 13-year-old Ronan said after learning she was a nominee.

"It's a brilliant way to start the holiday season," she said.

No clear front-runners have yet emerged in the long buildup to the Academy Awards race, so the big nominations haul could make an early favorite out of "Atonement," which just opened theatrically last week. Oscar nominations come out nine days after the Golden Globes ceremony Jan. 13.

Joining Knightley in the dramatic actress category was Cate Blanchett for her title role as the British monarch in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." Blanchett also had a supporting-actress nomination for her gender-bending role as an incarnation of Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There."

Also earning two nominations was Philip Seymour Hoffman, for lead actor in a comedy or musical in the sibling tale "The Savages" and supporting actor for "Charlie Wilson's War."

A comic look at a congressman (Tom Hanks), a Texas socialite (Julia Roberts) and a slovenly CIA man (Hoffman) who engineered the covert U.S. response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, "Charlie Wilson's War" ran second to "Atonement" with five nominations.

Hanks was cited for best actor in a comedy or musical, while Roberts was nominated as supporting actress.

Surprising omissions in the musical or comedy category were Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up" and "Superbad," both huge critical and box-office hits, as well as his upcoming parody "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story." "Walk Hard" star John C. Reilly was nominated in the best musical or comedy actor category, however.

Also overlooked: Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, who had acclaimed performances in "No Country for Old Men." Their co-star Javier Bardem, who has a chilling role as a relentless killer trailing a man who made off with a fortune in drug money, was nominated for supporting actor.

A critics favorite, "No Country for Old Men" also had nominations for Joel and Ethan Coen for both directing and their screenplay, adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel.

Eddie Vedder also received two nominations, for best score for the road drama "Into the Wild" and for an original song he wrote for the film, "Guaranteed." Besides his best-actor nomination, Reilly also is up for original song for the theme from "Walk Hard," which he co-wrote with Marshall Crenshaw, Apatow and director Jake Kasdan.

Perpetual awards favorite Clint Eastwood did not even have a movie of his own out this year but scored two Globe nominations, for his score and the title song for the Iraq War drama "Grace Is Gone." Sean Penn, the Oscar-winning star of Eastwood's "Mystic River," was shut out in the directing category for "Into the Wild," while Penn's lead actor Emile Hirsch also missed out on a nomination.

Denzel Washington, director of "The Great Debaters," had a best dramatic actor nomination for "American Gangster," in which he plays a 1970s Harlem heroin baron. Russell Crowe, who plays the cop who brings him down, was snubbed by Globe voters, though.

Along with Washington and McAvoy, dramatic-actor nominees were George Clooney as a conscious-torn lawyer in "Michael Clayton," Daniel Day-Lewis as an oil tycoon in early 20th century California in "There Will Be Blood" and Viggo Mortensen as a Russian mobster in "Eastern Promises."

Joining Knightley and Blanchett in the dramatic-actress category were Julie Christie as a woman succumbing to Alzheimer's in "Away From Her," Jodie Foster as a Manhattan vigilante in "The Brave One" and Angelina Jolie as journalist Mariane Pearl in "A Mighty Heart."

Actresses who became instant box-office stars in 2007 earned nominations for best actress in a musical or comedy: Nikki Blonsky as a vivacious Baltimore teen in "Hairspray," Amy Adams as an exiled fairy-tale princess in "Enchanted" and Ellen Page as a sardonic pregnant teen in "Juno."

Globes nominations to signal Oscar field

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Clear front-runners have yet to emerge in Hollywood's awards season, though Golden Globe voters have no shortage of fine films and performances to choose from with their nominations at hand.

Among big contenders for Thursday morning's nominations are the crime saga "No Country for Old Men" and the historical drama "There Will Be Blood," both films anointed by major critics groups as Hollywood's awards season starts to shape up.

The Golden Globes, the second-biggest film honors after the Academy Awards, has a category for best comedy or musical along with best drama, so Johnny Depp's bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" also could get an Oscar boost Thursday.

Days before the Globe nominations, Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country for Old Men" was picked by the New York Film Critics Circle as the year's best film, while Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" earned the same honor from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Both groups picked "There Will Be Blood" star Daniel Day-Lewis as best actor, while the New York critics gave their supporting-actor prize to Javier Bardem for "No Country for Old Men."

Other possible nominees for best drama at the Globes: Ridley Scott's crime tale "American Gangster"; Joe Wright's literary adaptation "Atonement"; Mike Nichols' foreign-policy romp "Charlie Wilson's War"; Sean Penn's road drama "Into the Wild"; and Julian Schnabel's French drama "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

Along with Day-Lewis, Depp and Bardem, acting nominees could include Brad Pitt for "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," Julie Christie for "Away From Her," Marion Cotillard for "La Vie En Rose," Keira Knightley and James McAvoy for "Atonement" and Ellen Page for "Juno."

Ike Turner dies in San Diego at age 76

SAN DIEGO - Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock's critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.

Turner died at his San Marcos home, Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner's career, told The Associated Press.

There was no immediate word on the cause of death, which was first reported by celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues album category for "Risin' With the Blues."

But his image is forever identified as the drug-addicted, wife-abusing husband of Tina Turner. He was hauntingly portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the movie "What's Love Got To Do With It," based on Tina Turner's autobiography.

In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Turner denied his ex-wife's claims of abuse and expressed frustration that he had been demonized in the media while his historic role in rock's beginnings had been ignored.

"You can go ask Snoop Dogg or Eminem, you can ask the Rolling Stones or (Eric) Clapton, or you can ask anybody — anybody, they all know my contribution to music, but it hasn't been in print about what I've done or what I've contributed until now," he said.

Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock 'n' roll record, "Rocket 88," in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.

But as would be the case for most of his career, Turner, a prolific session guitarist and piano player, was not the star on the record — it was recorded with Turner's band but credited to singer Jackie Brenston.

And it would be another singer — a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock — who would bring Turner his greatest fame, and infamy.

Turner met the 18-year-old Bullock, whom he would later marry, in 1959 and quickly made the husky-voiced woman the lead singer of his group, refashioning her into the sexy Tina Turner. Her stage persona was highlighted by short skirts and stiletto heels that made her legs her most visible asset. But despite the glamorous image, she still sang with the grit and fervor of a rock singer with a twist of soul.

The pair would have two sons. They also produced a string of hits. The first, "A Fool In Love," was a top R&B song in 1959, and others followed, including "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine."

But over the years their genre-defying sound would make them favorites on the rock 'n' roll scene, as they opened for acts like the Rolling Stones.

Their densely layered hit "River Deep, Mountain High" was one of producer Phil Spector's proudest creations. A rousing version of "Proud Mary," a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, became their signature song and won them a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a group.

Still, their hits were often sporadic, and while their public life depicted a powerful, dynamic duo, Tina Turner would later charge that her husband was an overbearing wife abuser and cocaine addict.

In her 1987 autobiography, "I, Tina," she narrated a harrowing tale of abuse, including suffering a broken nose. She said that cycle ended after a vicious fight between the pair in the back seat of a car in Las Vegas, where they were scheduled to perform.

It was the only time she ever fought back against her husband, Turner said.

After the two broke up, both fell into obscurity and endured money woes for years before Tina Turner made a dramatic comeback in 1982 with the release of the album "Private Dancer," a multiplatinum success with hits such as "Let's Stay Together" and "What's Love Got To Do With It."

The movie based on her life, "What's Love Got To Do With It," was also a hit, earning Angela Bassett an Oscar nomination.

But Fishburne's glowering depiction of Ike Turner also furthered Turner's reputation as a rock villain.

Meanwhile, Turner never again had the success he enjoyed with his former wife.

After years of drug abuse, he was jailed in 1989 and served 17 months.

Turner told the AP he originally began using drugs to stay awake and handle the rigors of nonstop touring during his glory years.

"My experience, man, with drugs — I can't say that I'm proud that I did drugs, but I'm glad I'm still alive to convey how I came through," he said. "I'm a good example that you can go to the bottom. ... I used to pray, `God, if you let me get three days clean, I will never look back.' But I never did get to three days. You know why? Because I would lie to myself. And then only when I went to jail, man, did I get those three days. And man, I haven't looked back since then."

But while he would readily admit to drug abuse, Turner always denied abusing his ex-wife.

After years out of the spotlight his career finally began to revive in 2001 when he released the album "Here and Now." The recording won rave reviews and a Grammy nomination and finally helped shift some of the public's attention away from his troubled past and onto his musical legacy.

"His last chapter in life shouldn't be drug abuse and the problems he had with Tina," said Rob Johnson, the producer of "Here and Now."

Turner spent his later years making more music and touring, even while he battled emphysema.

Robbie Montgomery — one of the "Ikettes," backup singers who worked with Ike and Tina Turner — said Turner's death was "devastating" to her.

"He gave me my start. He gave a million people their start," Montgomery said.

Accolades for Turner's early and later work continued to come in as he grew older, and the once-broke musician managed to garner a comfortable income as his songs were sampled by a variety of rap acts.

In interviews toward the end of his life, Turner would acknowledge having made many mistakes, but maintained he was still able to carry himself with pride.

"I know what I am in my heart. And I know regardless of what I've done, good and bad, it took it all to make me what I am today," he once told the AP.

Fox delays Cameron 3-D movie until end of 2009

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - James Cameron's 3-D feature "Avatar," which was scheduled for Memorial Day 2009, has been pushed back seven months to December 18 -- almost 12 years to the day since the director's "Titanic" set sail.

Fox announced the change Tuesday in a revamp of its 2009 tentpole lineup. The Ben Stiller sequel "Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian" will take over the May 22 spot that originally was reserved for "Avatar."

The studio also said that "Ice Age 3," opening July 1, will be released in 3-D. Rounding out the slate is the May 1 release of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," the fourth installment in the successful "X-Men" franchise.

The "Avatar" move comes about four months after DreamWorks Animation said that it was moving Paramount's 2009 release of the 3-D animated feature "Monsters vs. Aliens" from May 15 to March 27 to avoid a head-on-collision with "Avatar," which would have had the films fighting over the nation's 3-D screens.

By waiting until December, "Avatar" could take advantage of a steadily growing number of 3-D screens. Current estimates suggest that 4,000 3-D-ready screens will be in place in the U.S. by May 2009. Although deals are in the works for 3-D screens in Europe and Asia, there's no firm estimate on how many will be in place internationally by then.

The move also is reminiscent of Cameron's experience in 1997 when "Titanic," facing production delays, moved from July to December 19, though the studio said in this case it's not a sign of duress.

"This is a win-win for us," said Hutch Parker, vice chairman of Fox Film Group. "'Avatar' goes to the 'Titanic' date in December, which was obviously auspicious for Jim and us, and by the time of the release, there will be more worldwide 3-D screens available."

"Avatar" is about an ex-Marine who is sent to an exotic planet where he leads an uprising by its indigenous race. Cameron wrote the story.

Live-action principal photography for "Avatar" is almost completed in New Zealand, where Peter Jackson's visual effects house Weta Digital is incorporating new CGI techniques to transform environments and characters into photorealistic 3-D imagery. The new date is expected to allow Weta more time to convert its software to the new technology without rushing the postproduction process.

Alvin, Chipmunks stay in the family

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The house that the Chipmunks built sits atop a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Ross Bagdasarian Jr. lives here in the wealthy Montecito area with his wife Janice Karman. Both work in a separate office building off a downhill path, which houses four Apple iMacs, gold Chipmunks records, Grammys, branded bubble gum, toothbrush holders, caps, at least one eight-track tape, and dozens of CDs.

All wrought from a single kooky musical idea, "The Christmas Song," dreamed up by Bagdasarian's father, Ross Sr. — and the stubborn, hard-nosed business sense that's kept Alvin, Simon and Theodore in the family.

The Chipmunks enter theaters Friday for the first time, in the live action-CG holiday comedy "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Jason Lee of "My Name is Earl" stars as David Seville, a struggling Los Angeles songwriter who discovers the 'munks and later rescues them from an evil music executive.

In real life, Seville was the stage moniker for Bagdasarian, who became a Hollywood songwriter after previous jobs as an off-Broadway director and actor (he's the piano player in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window").

He wrote tunes for Rosemary Clooney and Dean Martin before hitting it big on his own with "Witch Doctor" in 1958. That song's catchy, sped-up "oh ee oh ah ah" chorus, combined with Christmas pleadings from Ross' youngest son Adam, inspired the Chipmunks' first song, an instant hit.

In several months, it sold over four million records and spawned a massive merchandise trade. So was born a one-hit wonder that would endure for nearly 50 years.

Evil music executives, take note: Bagdasarian says the key to his father's success was his insistence on owning his own master recordings and copyrighting the Chipmunks characters. Bagdasarian rejected Walt Disney's advances, the son says, and got busy doing Chipmunk versions of everything from the Twist to Beatles hits.

By the mid-60s, though, Bagdasarian was over the Chipmunks. He bought a winery, Sierra Wine Corp., that supplied product to Gallo and other brands. "He was a person certainly of short attention span," his son says, "but also incredibly focused, really really smart, and very funny."

Bagdasarian, a lifelong smoker, was found dead of a heart attack on Super Bowl Sunday in 1972. His will passed the winery and the Chipmunks franchise to his wife and three children.

Ross Bagdasarian Jr. helped to run the winery for several years, and decided with his future wife in 1978 to try to revive the 'munks. There were no takers until, as family lore goes, a bored radio DJ on the East Coast sped up a Blondie song and called it the Chipmunks version.

The furry creatures hit record stores again with "Chipmunk Punk," followed by country songs in "Urban Chipmunk," and then by a Saturday morning animated series.

(Take note, fans: No helium has ever been used to create the distinctive high-pitched voices. At first it was a sped-up tape player, and now computers do the work.)

Bagdasarian and Karman held tight creative and financial control, voicing nearly all the characters themselves, and using family money to pay for production. Bagdasarian, a law school graduate, pored over each contract.

"You don't protect what you've created unless you know the business side of it," he said. "We've all heard these horror stories of these really talented people having their work stolen out from under them. I wasn't willing to be one of those people."

Indeed, there has been no equivalent for Bagdasarian to Disney's 13-year legal dispute over Winnie the Pooh merchandising rights. The closest: a deal with Universal for a Chipmunks movie went sour, leading to a legal fight over the contract. Bagdasarian and Karman won out.

"For us, it was a custody battle," Karman said. "They finally realized 'OK, these two are really fighting for their kids.'"

In the mid-90s, Bagdasarian bought the Chipmunk rights from his brother, a writer, and sister, a stay-at-home mom, to take complete control.

Bagdasarian was surprised to find himself following in his father's footsteps. "I revered my dad, but I didn't want to do what he had done," he said. "That was his creation. Had he remained alive, I never would have done this. But when he passed away suddenly, it was a way of keeping my dad alive, and keeping what he created alive."

Which leads to the new movie, an origin story and features new hip-hop flavored Chipmunks tunes. Making a guest appearance is the actual piano Ross Sr. used when writing "Christmas Song." Bagdasarian and Karman say they voiced the animated Chipmunks throughout, before studio marketing executives made the decision to have younger actors play the voice roles for publicity reasons.

Next for the 'munks? Karman is developing a puppet show called "Little Alvin," aimed at preschoolers. "And we have lots of ideas," Bagdasarian said. They'll simply approach each potential partner with extreme caution.

"The business world is not getting kinder by the year," he said. "So you have to be mindful that if it doesn't work out, how do you make sure you still have your underwear at the end of the day?"

Trebek hospitalized with heart attack

LOS ANGELES - Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was hospitalized Tuesday after a minor heart attack, a spokesman for the game show said.

Trebek, 67, was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center late Monday night and was expected to remain there about two days for tests and observation, said show spokesman Jeff Ritter.

"Thankfully it was a minor heart attack," Ritter said. He did not give other details.

A post on the official "Jeopardy!" Web site said Trebek was "resting comfortably in a Los Angeles hospital, and he will be back in the studio for the next scheduled tapings in January." His heart attack was first reported by "Entertainment Tonight."

Trebek escaped a car crash unhurt in 2004 when he fell asleep at the wheel, sideswiped a string of mailboxes and wound up in a ditch, according to the California Highway Patrol. The Jan 30, 2004, accident happened in the town of Templeton, not far from Trebek's thoroughbred horse ranch.

"Jeopardy!" has been one of television's top-rated syndicated programs for more than 20 years. The Canadian-born Trebek has been its host since 1984.

He has been nominated numerous times for daytime Emmy Awards for game show host, winning twice.

Trebek, who holds a philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa, was a TV and radio reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Company before moving to the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1998.

He launched his U.S. game show career in 1983 as host of a show called "The Wizard of Odds." Other shows he's hosted include "Pitfall," "Battlestars," "The $128,000 Question," "Double Dare," "High Rollers," "Strategy" and "Reach for the Top." He also hosts the annual National Geography Bee in the U.S. and Canada.

New CD Releases, December 11: Pink Floyd, Wu-Tang Clan, Dave Matthews Band

Pink Floyd "Oh By the Way"

Looking to thrill the Floyd fan on your holiday shopping list? You simply can't do it in a more impressive fashion than by giving this 16-disc box set as a gift. But, mind you, it will cost you a little more than a pair of socks or a necktie--the list price for this set is $257.49.

For that sizable amount of dough, you get a sizable amount of Floyd. Indeed, this set contains the entire Pink Floyd studio collection, from "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" through "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall" to the group's last studio outing, "The Division Bell."

"Oh By the Way" also includes a poster of the band and two Pink Floyd coasters--perfect, we assume, for resting your eggnog this holiday season.

* * *
Wu-Tang Clan "The 8 Diagrams"

The groundbreaking rap group finally returns with a follow-up to 2001's "Iron Flag." "The 8 Diagrams" is the first offering since Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard died in 2004.

The record features work from Wu-Tang warriors Method Man, Ghostface Killa, GZA, RZA, Raekwon, U-God, Inspecta Deck and Masta Killa. R&B vocalist Erykah Badu also lends a hand on the tune "The Heart Gently Weeps."

* * *
Dave Matthews Band "Live at Piedmont Park"

Fans apparently just can't get enough of the Dave Matthews Band in concert. Not only is the group consistently among the top-grossing touring acts of each year, it's also managed to do big business with a steady succession of live recordings.

Having recently released the 10th volume of its Live Trax series, which was recorded in 2007 in Portugal, the band now delivers "Live at Piedmont Park." The set was recorded in front of 50,000-plus fans at the Meadow of Piedmont Park in Atlanta this past September. It's available both as a 3-CD set and as a 2-DVD release.

* * *
Radiohead "Radiohead"

This limited edition deluxe box set spans the band's first decade of recordings (1993-2003). It features all seven of Radiohead's full-length albums on EMI, including such highly acclaimed offerings as "OK Computer," "Kid A" and "Hail to the Thief."

* * *
Bow Wow and Omarion "Face Off"

The two young hip-hop stars "Face Off" on this collection of collaborations. Beyond the studio, Bow Wow is co-headlining a major tour with R&B sensation Chris Brown, which includes a two-night New Year's Eve stand (Dec. 30-31) at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA.

* * *
Other new releases:
Alizee, "Psychedelices" (RCA)
Chambao, "Con Otro Aire" (Sony)
The Dream, "Lovehate" (Def Jam)
Alejandro Fernandez, "15 Anos De Exitos" (Sony)
Gucci Mane, "Back to the Traphouse" (Atlantic)
Sun Ra, "Intergalactic Research" (Transparency)
Sun Ra Arkestra, "The Creator of the Universe" (Transparency)
Sevendust, "Retrospective, Vol. 2" (Asylum)
Beanie Sigel, "The Solution" (Def Jam)
Various Artists, "Pop Ambient 2008" (Kompakt)
Edgar and Johnny Winter, "Together--Live" (Beat Goes On)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Alien vs. Predator: Requiem" (Varese)
"The Great Debaters" (Atlantic)
"The Tudors: Music From the Showtime Original Series" (Varese)

"Into the Wild" leads Critics' Choice nominations

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sean Penn's adventure tale "Into the Wild" garnered the most Critics' Choice award nominations on Tuesday, including best picture, best actor for Emile Hirsch and best director for Penn.

With seven nominations, "Into the Wild," directed by Penn, edged out "Juno," the offbeat comedy about a pregnant teenager played by Ellen Page that received six nods, including best picture and best actress for Page.

Five films snagged five nominations apiece: "Atonement," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd" and "Hairspray."

Joining "Into the Wild" and "Juno" with best picture nods were: "American Gangster," "Atonement," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "The Kite Runner," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd," and "There Will Be Blood."

Besides Hirsch, best actor nominations went to George Clooney for "Michael Clayton," Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood," Johnny Depp for "Sweeney Todd," Ryan Gosling for "Lars and the Real Girl," and Viggo Mortensen for "Eastern Promises."

Along with Page, others getting best actress nods were Amy Adams for "Enchanted," Cate Blanchett for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Julie Christie for "Away From Her," Marion Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose," and Angelina Jolie for "A Mighty Heart."

"No Country for Old Men," the dark crime thriller from brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, has already won top film honors from New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. The Coens scored a best director nod from the Critics' Choice awards on Tuesday.

Such critical nods are helpful for the studios' marketing campaigns as they vie for Oscar attention for their films. Next on the awards season's agenda are the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday.

The Critics' Choice nominees were announced by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which has more than 200 members in the United States and Canada representing television, radio and online critics. The winners will be announced on January 7.

A full list of the nominations is available at http://criticschoice.vh1.com.

Gillian Anderson to host `Masterpiece'

NEW YORK - After 37 years, PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre" is getting spruced up.

The revered anthology series will be split into three mini-seasons, each with its own theme and host — one of whom is Gillian Anderson, already familiar to "Masterpiece" fans for her 2006 performance as Lady Dedlock in "Bleak House."

Anderson, even better known as Agent Dana Scully from the Fox series "The X-Files," will make her debut as host of the renamed "Masterpiece Classic" on Jan. 13. Through May, she will present 10 programs that include adaptations of all six of Jane Austen's novels plus a new biopic; "Cranford," a three-part miniseries starring Judi Dench; "My Boy Jack," starring Daniel Radcliffe and Kim Cattrall; and a new adaptation of E.M. Forster's "A Room with a View" by Andrew Davies.

In the summer, "Masterpiece Mystery!" will absorb the "Mystery!" anthology series, a PBS fixture since 1980. Then, in the fall, "Masterpiece Contemporary" will focus on dramas set in the present day. Hosts for these two "Masterpiece" cycles will be announced later.

"Masterpiece Theatre," which premiered in Jan. 1971, was closely identified with its drawing-room host, Alistair Cooke, until he retired in 1992. The series has not had a host since his successor, New York Times writer Russell Baker, stepped down in 2004.

"Our viewers told us that they miss having a host to lead them into the programs," said executive producer Rebecca Eaton.

The series, which has been without corporate underwriting since 2004, when ExxonMobil ended its decades-long support, has since been funded by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Quiet Riot singer died of overdose

LAS VEGAS - The death last month of Kevin Dubrow, lead singer for the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has been ruled an accidental cocaine overdose. Clark County coroner spokeswoman Samantha Charles confirmed the cause Monday after toxicology results were received Monday.

Dubrow was found dead Nov. 25 at his Las Vegas home. He was 52.

Quiet Riot was perhaps best known for its 1983 cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize." The song, featuring Dubrow's powerful, gravelly voice, appeared on the band's album "Metal Health" — which was the first by a metal band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

DuBrow recorded a solo album in 2004, "In for the Kill," and the band's last studio CD, "Rehab," came out in October 2006.

Rave reviews for Led Zeppelin concert

LONDON - On the morning after Led Zeppelin's long-awaited reunion concert, the music reviewers were already calling for more.

Playing a full set for the first time in nearly three decades, the authors of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Whole Lotta Love" rocked the O2 Arena on Monday for more than two hours, leaving fans from around the world gasping in delight.

"With a synergy like this going on, it would be an act of cosmic perversity to stop now," Pete Paphides of The Times of London wrote.

The band's three surviving members — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones — were joined at the sold-out benefit show by the late John Bonham's son Jason on drums.

The 16-song set mixed the classics with the thumping "Kashmir" and the hard-rocking "Dazed and Confused," which Plant introduced by saying, "There are certain songs that have to be there, and this is one of them."

Plant's high-pitched screeches and moans also filled the arena, while Page used a cello bow during the solo in "Dazed and Confused" and picked on his double-necked guitar to ring out the famous notes to "Stairway."

Although a full tour remains a mystery — Plant is reportedly due to tour with bluegrass star Alison Krauss — the band surely proved that it still had what it takes to keep an audience interested.

"Page dispensed power chords like an aged Thor lobbing down thunderbolts for kicks," Paphides wrote about "Black Dog," the band's third song of the night.

Other media also hailed the show as a success.

"They sound awesomely tight," Alexis Petridis wrote in Tuesday's The Guardian. David Cheal of The Daily Telegraph said the band's "familiar old sinew and swagger were still there."

The Independent was a little less effusive in its praise, but Andy Gill did write that the call-and-response routine between Plant and Page during "Black Dog" was "one of the night's more engaging moments."

Gill also singled out Bonham, who was sitting in for his father. John Bonham died in 1980 after choking on his own vomit, leading to the band's breakup a few months later.

"Jason Bonham makes a more than merely able replacement for his father on drums: indeed, there's a stronger funk element to his playing which kicks the songs along with more elan," Gill wrote.

In the Evening Standard, John Aizlewood gave the concert five stars.

"Two hours and 10 minutes after they began `Good Times Bad Times,' ... they had assuaged the doubts and delivered a show of breathtaking power and spine-tingling excitement," Aizlewood wrote.

The New York Times reviewer Ben Ratliff said Plant "was authoritative; he was dignified."

"As for Mr. Page, his guitar solos weren't as frenetic and articulated as they used to be, but that only drove home the point that they were always secondary to the riffs, which on Monday were enormous, nasty, glorious," Ratliff wrote.

Kim Murphy of the Los Angeles Times said the band "played the first sets with easygoing confidence. Their good humor built into triumphant intensity as the night wore on."

Daily Star writer James Cabooter may have written what all Zep fans have been thinking since the concert was announced months ago.

"Led Zep were pure class," he wrote. "Now bring on the full reunion tour."

NY critics name `No Country' best film

NEW YORK - The Coen brothers' "No Country for Old Men" was named best picture Monday by the New York Film Critics Circle, further adding to the crime drama's awards haul in the lead-up to the Oscars.

Joel and Ethan Coen also each won for their direction and screenplay adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name. Javier Bardem, who plays a menacing serial killer with the hairdo of Prince Valiant, also won best supporting actor.

This awards season has been viewed as wide open, but "No Country for Old Men" already has been honored for best picture by the National Board of Review, the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association.

Stephen Whitty, film critic for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., and New York Film Critics Circle president, said he considers "No Country for Old Men" the Coen brothers' best film since 1996's "Fargo."

"It's been a couple years of fairly light movies from them and I thought this was really dark and mature and controlled and really had something to say about changing times," said Whitty. "A lot of us are Coen brothers' fans but I think this film really struck a deeper chord with most people."

The critics circle, a group of 29 writers for New York-based newspapers and magazines, awarded Daniel-Day Lewis best actor for his performance as an obsessive California oil baron in "There Will Be Blood." Robert Elswit was honored as best cinematographer for shooting the film.

"There Will Be Blood" is also well positioned for the Academy Awards race, having been chosen on Sunday as the year's best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. It also shared best picture from the New York Film Critics Online with "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

The New York Film Critics Circle named Julie Christie best actress ("Away from Her") and Amy Ryan best supporting actress ("Gone Baby Gone"). Actress-turned-director Sarah Polley won best first film for helming "Away from Her."

"The Lives of Others," which won best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards earlier this year, won for best foreign film. Best animated film was "Persepolis," France's Oscar candidate this year for best foreign-language film.

The nominations for the Golden Globes will be announced Thursday. The Globes, which will be handed out Jan. 13, will be followed by Oscar nominations on Jan. 22, with the awards ceremony scheduled for Feb. 24.

The New York Film Critics Circle, which is also honoring director Sidney Lumet for lifetime achievement, last year made "United 93" their best film. In 2005, they chose "Brokeback Mountain."

LA critics honor 'There Will Be Blood'

LOS ANGELES - The oil-boom epic "There Will Be Blood" was chosen as 2007's best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, one of the first key groups to weigh in during the long buildup to the Academy Awards.

Based on the novel "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair, the film received three other honors: Best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis as a California petroleum baron who clashes with his son and a local preacher in the early 1900s; best director for Paul Thomas Anderson; and production design for Jack Fisk.

The best-actress prize went to Marion Cotillard as singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," while Anamaria Marinca was runner-up for "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days," a Romanian drama in which she plays a woman who helps to arrange a friend's illegal abortion.

Frank Longleaf was runner-up for best actor as an aging novelist who forges an unusual relationship with an admiring young woman in "Starting Out in the Evening."

The Los Angeles group's picks and Monday's upcoming choices from the New York Film Critics Circle precede Thursday's nominations for the Golden Globes, Hollywood's second-biggest film honors, after the Oscars.

Globe nominations and critics prizes can boost Oscar prospects, particularly for lesser-known films and performances. Oscar nominations come out Jan. 22, with the awards ceremony scheduled for Feb. 24.

"4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days," which won the top honor at last spring's Cannes Film Festival, was named best foreign-language film by the Los Angeles critics and earned the supporting-actor honor for Vald Ivanov as a menacing abortion provider.

The critics gave their supporting-actress honor to Amy Ryan for two films: "Gone Baby Gone," in which she plays a neglectful mother whose young daughter has been abducted, and "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," in which she co-stars as the sharp-tongued ex-wife of a man who sets out to rob his parents' jewelry business.

Runners-up for supporting honors were Cate Blanchett for her gender-crossing role as an incarnation of Bob Dylan in his mid-1960s electric transition in "I'm Not There" and Hal Holbrook as a lonely widower who befriends a wanderer in "Into the Wild."

Tamara Jenkins received the screenplay prize for "The Savages," about an estranged brother and sister forced to care for their ailing father. Anderson was runner-up for his "There Will Be Blood" screenplay.

The crime saga "No Country for Old Men," one of the year's most acclaimed films and considered an Oscar best-picture contender, was shut out for Los Angeles critics' honors, but it was the key winner Sunday for prizes from the Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association. That group honored "No Country for Old Men" for best picture, directors (Joel and Ethan Coen) and supporting actor (Javier Bardem).

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" — adapted from the memoir of French Elle editor Jean-Dominque Bauby, who suffered a paralyzing stroke — was runner-up for the Los Angeles group's best picture and foreign-language honors. Its filmmaker, Julian Schnabel, also was runner-up to Anderson for the directing prize.

The group chose Janusz Kaminski as best cinematographer for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," with Robert Elswit the runner-up for "There Will Be Blood."

There was a tie in the animated-feature category between the rodent tale "Ratatouille" and the coming-of-age saga "Persepolis."

Charles Ferguson's "No End in Sight," examining the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war, was selected as best documentary, with Michael Moore's health-care study "Sicko" the runner-up.

The independent hit "Once," a romance between an Irish street busker and an Eastern European immigrant to Dublin, earned the music prize for its two stars, musicians Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead was the runner-up for "There Will Be Blood."

The critics gave a special honor to actress Sarah Polley for "Away From Her," her acclaimed directing debut starring Julie Christie as a woman succumbing to Alzheimer's.

Idled Hollywood workers urge more talks

LOS ANGELES - The Hollywood strike is rewriting the holidays for idled workers.

With her income pinched, script supervisor Petra Jorgensen canceled an annual trip to Europe to see relatives. Set decorator Laura Richarz is bypassing pricey malls and fashioning gifts at home — framing photos, sewing a shirt for her niece.

With the holidays under way and the strike entering a sixth week, "It's going to be bleak for a lot of families," said Jorgensen, who's living off her savings.

The two were among hundreds of out-of-work employees and their supporters who marched down Hollywood Boulevard Sunday to call for a resumption of talks to settle the strike, which has sidelined many prime-time and late-night TV shows. Negotiations collapsed Friday between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, with the sides pointing fingers at each other.

The march Sunday was intended to draw attention to the financial plight of workaday Hollywood — those employees whose jobs depend on ongoing productions, from caterers to set builders to hair stylists. With shows silenced, they too are struggling.

Marchers expressed growing frustration with the on-again, off-again talks, and fingers were pointed at producers and union writers. A central issue has been compensation for new-media distribution of work by guild members.

Pam Elyea, whose Los Angeles company, History for Hire, provides props for TV and movies, was forced to lay off six employees as expected work evaporated. If the walkout continues, she said, more could follow.

"I'm disappointed in both sides," Elyea said.

The writers guild represents 12,000 members, but not all are on strike. About 2,000 news writers and others are covered under a separate contract.

Studios believe they can hold out for months — a stalemate that could impact the regional economy along with the entertainment industry. Hollywood contributes an estimated $30 billion annually to the Los Angeles County economy.

Diana Valentine, a script supervisor for the FX drama "Nip/Tuck," said she has been off the job since Nov. 21 and her husband is an out-of-work actor. She said both sides need to be talking.

"You cannot come up with a deal if people are walking away from the table," she said. Without a paycheck soon, "I'm going to have to start renting out parts of my house."

'Compass' opens to modest $26.1 million

LOS ANGELES - "The Golden Compass" proved a mild fantasy at the box office, pulling in $26.1 million, a modest opening weekend compared to such recent December heavyweights as "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" flicks.

New Line Cinema's "The Golden Compass," whose cast includes Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, also took in $55 million overseas since it began opening last Wednesday in 25 other countries.

Disney's "Enchanted," the No. 1 movie the previous two weekends, fell to second-place with $10.7 million, raising its total to $83.9 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

New Line, which had enormous success with its three "Lord of the Rings" films, had hoped for more out of "The Golden Compass," expecting it to reach at least $30 million domestically over its first weekend, said Rolf Mittweg, the studio's marketing chief. The film cost $180 million to make.

"The Golden Compass" follows the adventures of an orphan girl hurled into a parallel world of witches, strange flying machines and talking polar bears.

Parents with children accounted for half of the film's audience, so New Line is counting on family crowds that flock to theaters over the holidays to keep the movie afloat, Mittweg said.

The three "Lord of the Rings" films released from 2001 to 2003 had opening weekends ranging from $47.2 million to $72.6 million. Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" opened with $65.6 million in 2005.

Those were based on very familiar fantasy literature from J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, while "The Golden Compass" was adapted from the first book of Philip Pullman's lesser-known "His Dark Materials" trilogy.

Mittweg said he was uncertain about the effects of a backlash against "The Golden Compass" by some Christians, who said Pullman's books preach atheism.

"It's very hard to say. Historically, protests of these sorts tend to be ineffective on box-office results," Mittweg said.

After a summer of record revenue, Hollywood's business has dipped most of the fall. The modest start for "The Golden Compass" continued that trend, with the top-12 movies taking in $73.2 million, down 10 percent from the same weekend last year.

"This is pretty emblematic of what's been going on with the marketplace," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "You need a mega-blockbuster at this time of year to boost confidence and the box office, and we're waiting, and we're running out of time."

The next few weeks do bring potential hits with Will Smith's sci-fi tale "I Am Legend," Nicolas Cage's action sequel "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," Johnny Depp's bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and Jason Lee's family film "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

A handful of films opened in limited release to qualify for the Academy Awards.

Fox Searchlight's "Juno" had a huge debut, hauling in $420,113 in just seven theaters, averaging a whopping $60,016 a cinema. The film stars Ellen Page as a whipsmart pregnant teen who seeks out what she thinks is the perfect couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) to adopt her baby.

Focus Features' "Atonement," a drama starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, opened well with $816,883 in 32 theaters for a $25,528 average. The film centers on the consequences of a teen's false criminal accusations against her sister's lover.

By comparison, "The Golden Compass" averaged $7,405 in 3,528 theaters.

"Juno" and "Atonement" expand to more theaters over the next few weeks.

The Weinstein Co. drama "Grace Is Gone," starring John Cusack as an Iraq war widower struggling to tell his young daughters their mother has died in combat, had a so-so opening with $14,000 in four theaters.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Golden Compass," $26.1 million.
2. "Enchanted," $10.7 million.
3. "This Christmas," $5 million.
4. "Fred Claus," $4.7 million.
5. "Beowulf," $4.4 million.
6. "No Country for Old Men," $4.2 million.
7. "August Rush," $3.5 million.
8. "Hitman," $3.48 million.
9. "Awake," $3.3 million.
10. "Bee Movie," $2.6 million.

The Couch Potato Report - December 8th, 2007

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a Quebec made film, some pirates from the Caribbean, and a 40-DVD Superbowl Box Set.

It is another busy week with five new releases to tell you about, so let me get to this week's "Hot Potato", the made-in-Quebec film NITRO.

NITRO is a dramtic film, with action, about a former drag racer who is forced to return to his criminal past when his girlfriend needs a heart transplant, and a shady hospital employee tells him he will only get the organ if he pays.

The talented and very beautiful Canadian actress Lucie Laurier co-stars as a female drag racer who assists our hero in his quest, and her character's presence allows NITRO to have a few more twists and turns than you would expect, but as a whole the meshing of drama and action doesn't always work, and when this film does not work....it almost grinds to a halt.

But in the end, there is enough here for me to recommend, especially the car chase around Montreal's Olympic Stadium...that stuff was cool!!

NITRO isn't a great film, but it is very, very good.

Up next this week is the film version of the popular book THE NANNY DIARIES.

Scarlett Johansson from LOST IN TRANSLATION stars in this one as a college graduate who goes to work as a Nanny for an upper class family in New York City.

Scarlett plays "Annie The Nanny" and during the course of the film she has to juggle the dysfunctional elements of the new family she works for, with a new romance, and the spoiled rich kid that she is now responsible for.

I have never read the original source material for THE NANNY DIARIES, but since it came out before the book version of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, I can't profess that one book attempts to be like the other.

But the film version of THE NANNY DIARIES seems desperate to be like the film version of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and it suffers by comparison.

If you are a fan of that Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway film, and you've been waiting for a similar film that is half as good, then here you go.

THE NANNY DIARIES is not awful, I have seen worse films this year, but even the great cast of Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti can't save it. It suffers by comparison to better films, like the aforementioned THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.

Another film that suffers by comparison is the third film in the succesful and exceptionally lucrative PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN series.

The difference here is that AT WORLD'S END suffers by comparison to it's predecessors, and thus this third one is just awful.

I would never profess myself to be the world's biggest fan of 2003's THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, but I did like it. It was fun..., actually, let me be more specific...it was a rollocking good time!

I didn't think that was true about last year's DEAD MAN'S CHEST, it wasn't rollocking at all, but it was still a fun film to watch, and some of the action scenes in it were just superb!

There is nothing superb, rolocking OR fun about AT WORLD'S END...and at a running time of almost three hours...I even found it a tough film to sit through.

Yes, Depp is still great as Captain Jack Sparrow, and Keira Knightly, Orland Bloom and the rest of the cast and crew of the flick and it's ships are all believable in their roles...but where is the fun?!?

Without fun, this PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie gets a failing grade from me. If "A" is the best rating, I will give this one an "R", not because that is a pirates favourite letter of the alphabet, but because that is how far away from an "A" this movie is.

Arrrrr!!

I'll end this week on a more positive note with two new releases that aren't for everyone, but if they are for you, then you will love them as much as I did!!

And I do love and enjoy BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA and the series new release RAZOR.

If you don't watch the new made-in-Vancouver version of the late seventies series BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA, first off, you are missing out! Even if you don't like science-fiction, the acting and writing in the series is some of the best on television!!

Secondly, if you don't watch, then not much about RAZOR will interest, or make sense to you...even though it too, is very well written and acted.

HOWEVER, for us fans, this release is an Unrated Extended edition of the movie that aired three weeks ago on TV, and the special Features on the DVD include deleted scenes, a wide array of behind the scenes interviews, a Sneak Peak of the upcoming fourth and final season, a commentary and more.

BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA is a show that I would highly recommend to anyone, and RAZOR is as well. However, don't start with RAZOR...go back to the beginning and...enjoy!

It is great television!!

Finally this week is a spectacular 40-DVD Box Set that features a documentary about each team that has won the first forty Superbowls. From the 1966 Green Bay Packers, to the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers.

NFL AMERICA'S GAME - SUPERBOWL I to XL COLLECTOR'S EDITION features a look, on the field, and off, in the locker rooms, and on the bus, and everywhere that each team that won the Superbowl went.

And they do it with old interviews, new interviews, archival footage and even old television commercials.

NFL AMERICA'S GAME - SUPERBOWL I to XL COLLECTOR'S EDITION is one of the most impressive Box Sets I have ever seen, and if there is someone you love who enjoys four-down football, this is something they will love and watch for years to come!

NFL AMERICA'S GAME - SUPERBOWL I to XL COLLECTOR'S EDITION, BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA - RAZOR, PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN - AT WORLD'S END, THE NANNY DIARIES and NITRO are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Go back to the very beginning with SEASON ONE of THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES, and THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

Also next week is the 3-DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION of the action film parody HOT FUZZ and the 4DVD set THE JASON BOURNE COLLECTION with the new to DVD release THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.

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!

Springsteen Plots Summer Jersey Stadium Gigs

Bruce Springsteen will return this summer to a familiar stomping ground, Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., for three shows in support of his latest album, "Magic."

The Boss and his E Street Band will perform July 27-28 and 31; tickets go on sale Dec. 15. The artist has sold out 66 prior shows at Giants Stadium, 51 of which were with the E Street Band.

The late July gigs will cap a 2008 world tour that begins Feb. 28 in Hartford, Conn. Springsteen is presently on the road in Europe through Dec. 19 in London.

In other news, the Mark Pellington-directed video for "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" will hit iTunes later this month, bundled by a "Winter Mix" of the track and a recent live performance.

Springsteen was yesterday (Dec. 6) nominated for four Grammys, including best rock album for "Magic" and best rock song for "Radio Nowhere."

Led Zeppelin's time has come again

LONDON - Led Zeppelin's time is coming again.

When the diviners of rock 'n' roll classics "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Your Time is Gonna Come" reunite for their first full concert in almost three decades, the question on everyone's mind is sure to be: How many more times?

Monday's reunion in London has quickly become one of the most anticipated concerts of all time. Whether a larger tour will follow could depend on how well Zeppelin's members — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones and the late drummer John Bonham's son Jason — perform in front of a frenzied audience.

"I've got to go through it, see how I feel," Jones told Rolling Stone magazine in its December issue.

If the result of the band's early rehearsals is any indication, Zeppelin fans have reason to be hopeful. Bonham told Rolling Stone that the band clicked immediately, right from the opening notes of the first song they tried: the haunting dirge "No Quarter."

"When the riff came in, there was this look that went around. It was brilliant." After blasting through "Kashmir" next, Bonham told the magazine that the band stopped and Page said, "'Can you give me a hug?' And Robert (Plant) shouted, 'Yeah, sons of thunder!'"

The 63-year-old Page echoed those sentiments to Q music magazine, saying the initial get-together was "so exhilarating and fun that I did feel I would like to do more."

Despite rumors that the 59-year-old Plant can no longer hit the high notes, the singer's latest album, with bluegrass star Alison Krauss, seems to show that he's still in good voice. On "Raising Sand," one of this year's surprise hits, Plant still has that otherworldly feel.

Besides, he rarely was able to conjure the same piercing vocals from Zeppelin's studio albums when onstage in the band's heyday.

Led Zeppelin formed in 1968, but disbanded in late 1980 when Bonham choked to death on his own vomit after a drinking binge. In their 12 years, the group evolved from a rhythm and blues band first known as "The New Yardbirds" to become the standard for guitar-driven hard rock and the precursors of heavy metal.

Plant's caterwauling vocals and curly blond locks combined with Page's ragged riffs to give the band an identity that became instantly recognizable, but Bonham's death robbed the group of its heart-pounding pulse. Led Zeppelin disbanded on Dec. 4 of that year after a career of hard-living success that saw it fly around the world on a private jumbo jet to play sold-out concerts just about everywhere.

In the years since their breakup, Led Zeppelin's eight studio albums are still in heavy rotation on classic rock radio, with millions of fans still listening to classics like "Kashmir," "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll" and "Hey Hey What Can I Do." And the opening notes of "Stairway to Heaven" have commonly become the first thing just about any aspiring rock star learns to play when first picking up a guitar.

The sold-out crowd at the O2 Arena in east London will surely hear Page picking away at his double-necked guitar on the band's staple song — and maybe even get a glimpse of his cello bow for the solo in "Dazed and Confused."

Zep's surviving members have all stayed involved in music since they broke up, with Plant and Page even working together in the mid-1980s and '90s. With The Honeydrippers, they produced a hit with a cover of the '50s classic "Sea of Love."

Jones, however, was mostly left out, which he wryly noted at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995: "Thank you, my friends," he said, "for finally remembering my phone number."

Monday's concert won't be the first Led Zeppelin reunion, but it will be the biggest. The band played together in 1985 at Live Aid, and joined forces again three years later — with Jason Bonham on drums — to play at the 40th anniversary concert for Atlantic Records.

At their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, they teamed with other musicians for another short set. This time, they have promised to play a two-hour concert, and not even that will be enough for the thousands of fans making their way to London from countries around the world.

The latest show is dedicated to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died last year. Proceeds from the show are to go to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which provides scholarships to universities in the United States, Britain and Turkey.

The Who guitarist Pete Townsend, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and one-time Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers are also scheduled to perform.

Besides the concert, Led Zeppelin also released a greatest hits double-CD called "Mothership" and an updated version of "The Song Remains the Same" DVD in November. The DVD, which features scenes from three concerts in New York in 1973, includes 40 minutes of extra footage.

When the reunion show was announced Sept. 12, tickets were made available by ballot only "due to the anticipated overwhelming demand for this concert," according to the Web site.

Priced at about $250, tickets have been selling on the internet for $2,000 or more. The show was originally scheduled for Nov. 26, but was postponed until Monday because Page injured the little finger on his left hand.

Hey hey, what can you do?

Canadians nominated for Grammys

Several Canadians musicians got good news when the Grammy nominations were announced Thursday. Among them:

Leslie Feist (Toronto): Best new artist, best female pop vocal performance for the song, "1 2 3 4," best pop vocal album for "The Reminder," best short form music video.

Nelly Furtado (Victoria): Best female pop vocal performance for "Say It Right," best pop collaboration with vocals for "Give It To Me," with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.

Michael Buble (Vancouver): Best male pop vocal performance for "Everything," best traditional pop vocal album for "Call Me Irresponsible."

Joni Mitchell (raised in Saskatoon, lives Los Angeles): Best pop instrumental performance for "One Week Last Summer."

Nickelback (formed in Hanna, Alta.) : Best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals for "If Everyone Cared."

Rush (Toronto): Best rock instrumental performance for "Malignant Narcissism."

Arcade Fire (Montreal): Best alternative music album for "Neon Bible."

Emerson Drive (Grande Prairie, Alta.): Best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for "Moments."

Walter Ostanek (St. Catharines, Ont.) and his band, with Brian Sklar (Prince Albert, Sask.) and The Western Senators (Calgary): Best polka album for "Duelling Polkas."

John Gora (Burlington, Ont.) and Gorale: Best polka album for "Bulletproof Polka."

Kanye West, Amy Winehouse top Grammy nominations

It's been a tough year for both performers, but Kanye West and Amy Winehouse came out on top at Thursday's press conference announcing the nominees for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

West leads the pack with eight nominations and Winehouse is up for six. Following close behind are the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and T-Pain, who earned five nods apiece. Bruce Springsteen, Akon, Dierks Bentley, Chris Daughtry, Feist, Tim McGraw, John Newton, Ne-Yo and Riahana each scored four.

The nominations reflect one of the Grammys' most diverse years ever, with the Album of the Year category alone representing country, hip-hop, jazz, pop and rock genres. Those vying for the honor are Foo Fighters ("Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace"), Vince Gill ("These Days"), Herbie Hancock ("River: The Joni Letters"), Kanye West ("Graduation") and Amy Winehouse ("Back to Black").

Winehouse is also competing for Record of the Year, with her hit "Rehab" up against Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," Foo Fighters' "The Pretender," Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z.

The "Rehab" singer has her eye on the Best New Artist trophy, as well, with Feist, Ledisi, Paramore and Tylor Swift rounding out the competition.

A new category has been added for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album, and the nods go to Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, Lisa Haley, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys, Racines, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars, and Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience.

The Grammy Awards will be handed out Feb. 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the ceremony will air on CBS-TV.

Nominees in several popular categories are included below; the full list of nominees is available at the Grammy Awards' website.

GENERAL FIELD

Album of the Year
"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - Foo Fighters
"These Days" - Vince Gill
"River: The Joni Letters" - Herbie Hancock
"Graduation" - Kanye West
"Back To Black" - Amy Winehouse

Record of the Year
"Irreplaceable" - Beyonce
"The Pretender" - Foo Fighters
"Umbrella" - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
"What Goes Around … Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse

Best New Artist
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse

Song of the Year
"Before He Cheats" - John Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
"Hey There Delilah" - Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's)
"Like A Star" - Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae)
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
"Umbrella" - Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream" Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)

POP FIELD

Best Pop Vocal Album
"Lost Highway" - Bon Jovi
"The Reminder" - Feist
"It Won't Be Soon Before Long" - Maroon 5
"Memory Almost Full " - Paul McCartney
"Back To Black" - Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
"Steppin' Out" - Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera
"Beautiful Liar" - Beyonce & Shakira
"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"The Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stefani & Akon
"Give It To Me" - Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
"Off The Grid" - Beastie Boys
"Paris Sunrise #7" - Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
"Over The Rainbow" - Dave Koz
"One Week Last Summer" - Joni Mitchell
"Simple Pleasures" - Spyro Gyra

DANCE FIELD

Best Dance Recording
"Do It Again" - The Chemical Brothers
"D.A.N.C.E." - Justice
"Love Today" - Mika
"Don't Stop The Music" —Rihanna
"Love Stoned/I Think She Knows" - Justin Timberlake

ROCK FIELD

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
"Timebomb" - Beck
"Only Mama Knows" - Paul McCartney
"Our Country" - John Mellencamp
"Radio Nowhere" - Bruce Springsteen
"Come On" - Lucinda Williams

Best Rock Album
"Daughtry" - Daughtry
"Revival" - John Fogerty
"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - Foo Fighters
"Magic" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sky Blue Sky" - Wilco

Best Rock Song
"Come On" - Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams)
"Icky Thump" - Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)
"It's Not Over" - Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson & Brett Young, songwriters (Daughtry)
"The Pretender" - Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris Shiflett, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
"Radio Nowhere" - Bruce Springsteen, songwriters (Bruce Springsteen)

R&B FIELD

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
"Same Girl" - R. Kelly Featuring Usher
"Disrespectful" - Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige
"Hate That I Love You" - Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo
"Baby" - Angie Stone Featuring Betty Wright
"Bartender" - T-Pain Featuring Akon

Best Contemporary R&B album
"Konvicted" - Akon
"Just Like You "— Keyshia Cole
"Fantasia" - Fantasia
"East Side"" Story" - Emily King
"Because Of You" - Ne-Yo

Best Urban Alternative Performance
"Make A Baby" - Vikter Duplaix
"That's The Way of the World" - Dwele
"Daydreamin'" - Lupe Fiasco Featuring Jill Scott
"Fantasy" - Meshell Ndegeocello
"Dream" - Alice Smith

RAP FIELD

Best Rap"Sung Collaboration
"I Wanna Love You" - Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg
"Kiss, Kiss" - Chris Brown & T-Pain
"Let It Go" - Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim
"Umbrella" - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
"Good Life" - Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Best Rap Song
"Ayo Technology" - N. Hills, Curtis Jackson, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (50 Cent Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
"Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" - Clifford Harris & Byron Thomas, songwriters (T.I.)
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" - A. Davis & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West)
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" - Soulja Boy Tell'Em, songwriter (Soulja Boy Tell'Em)
"Good Life" - A. Davis, F. Najm & K. West, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain)

Best Rap Album
"Finding Forever" - Common
"Kingdom Come" - Jay-Z
"Hip Hop Is Dead" - Nas
"T.I. vs T.I.P." - T.I.
"Graduation" - Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
"Days Aren't Long Enough" - Steve Earle & Allison Moorer
"Because Of You" - Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson
"I Need You" - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
"Lost Highway" - Willie Nelson & Ray Price
"Oh Love" - Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood

Best Country Song
"Before He Cheats" - Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
"Give It Away" - Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon & Jamey Johnson, songwriters (George Strait)
"I Need You" - Tony Lane & David Lee, songwriters (Tim McGraw & Faith Hill)
"If You're Reading This" - Tim McGraw, Brad Warren & Brett Warren, songwriters (Tim McGraw)
"Long Trip Alone" - Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley & Steve Bogard, songwriters (Dierks Bentley)

Best Country Album
"Long Trip Alone" - Dierks Bentley
"These Days" - Vince Gill
"Let It Go" - Tim McGraw
"5th Gear" - Brad Paisley
"It Just Comes Natural" - George Strait

JAZZ FIELD

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
"Party Hats" - Will Bernard
"Downright Upright" - Brian Bromberg
"Re-Imagination" - Eldar
"River: The Joni Letters" - Herbie Hancock
"He Had A Hat" - Jeff Lorber

Best Jazz Vocal Album
"Avant Gershwin" - Patti Austin
"Red Earth - A Malian Journey" - Dee Dee Bridgewater
"Music Maestro Please" - Freddy Cole
"Nightmoves" - Kurt Elling
"On The Other Side" - Tierney Sutton

'X-Files' Cast Adds Unlikely Trio

The new "X-Files" movie won't just be a two-actor showcase for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Xzibit, Amanda Peet and Billy Connolly will add a dash of eclecticism to the cast.

Chris Carter will direct the film, which is expected to be a stand-alone follow-up to the 1998 feature based on the popular FOX drama, from a script he co-wrote with Frank Spotnitz.

Since nobody at 20th Century Fox would dare reveal the nature of the script, the trade paper is doing a bit of guess-work when it comes to the roles played by the cast additions. Xzibit and Peet may be playing FBI colleagues for Mulder and Scully, but maybe they won't.

One thing we do know is that production will begin in Vancouver later this month and a July release date has already been sent.

Xzibit was able to make room in his busy rapping-acting-ride-pimping schedule for "X-Files 2" after Oliver Stone's "Pinkville" was an early casualty of the writers strike. Other credits for Mr. Big Bad Insane, black John McClane include "8 Mile" and "Gridiron Gang."

Peet was most recently seen on NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and on the big screen in the drama "Martian Child."

Connolly earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for "Mrs. Brown." The Scottish comic and "Head of the Class" replacement star also features "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties" and "The Last Samurai" on his resume.

Ricky Gervais: It's a wrap for `Extras'

NEW YORK - It feels like an actual scene from HBO's "Extras."

Ricky Gervais, the writer-director-star of the critically acclaimed showbiz lampoon, is sitting on the set of "Ghost Town," a 2008 release and his first feature film as a leading man. A few feet away, a group of real-world extras are stationed on the other side of a flimsy retractable rope line.

"They're not allowed to mix with me. That's electrified," he boasts, not breaking from the signature deadpan that helped him win a best actor Emmy for "Extras" earlier this year. "If they get anywhere near me, 40,000 volts go through them. It's true."

He's kidding. Right?

Either way, Gervais' transition to the big screen is leaving no room for Andy Millman on the small one.

The movie-extra-turned-sitcom-star character will soon join embarrassing boss David Brent from the British triumph "The Office" in retirement. Gervais and comedy partner Stephen Merchant, who also plays Millman's hilariously amateurish agent, are ending "Extras" with an 80-minute Christmas special, just like they did with "The Office" four years ago.

"It probably won't capture the zeitgeist like `The Office' did, but I think this is the best work we've ever done," Gervais told The Associated Press during an interview on the "Ghost Town" set.

In the surprisingly emotional finale, airing Dec. 16 at 9 p.m. EST, Millman quits his silly sitcom "When the Whistle Blows" in hopes of working on more meaningful projects. Of course, in the forlorn fashion of "Extras," Millman instead fades further into obscurity, forced to accept such bit parts as an alien slug on an episode of "Doctor Who" and appear as a contestant on a particularly washed-up edition of "Celebrity Big Brother."

Don't expect a happy ending for Millman. Do expect to "be havin' a laff."

"We wanted it to be a standalone movie," Gervais says. "It was practice for my possible future career. I did want it to be more filmic, not just another episode. I wanted it to properly end the series. Most of all, if you've never seen `Extras,' I wanted you to be able to watch it and know what's going on. It has a beginning, middle and end."

It also has some shrewd cameos from George Michael, Gordon Ramsay and Clive Owen as themselves.

Since its debut on the BBC in 2005, "Extras" has attracted a cadre of A-list celebrities willing to unabashedly defame themselves in the name of comedy. Looking back, Gervais counts David Bowie, Samuel L. Jackson, Kate Winslet and Robert De Niro among the series' most memorable guest stars.

Gervais says a pivotal scene in the finale, in which Clive Owen petitions perennial background actress Maggie Jacobs (played by Ashley Jensen) to smear the nastiest of special effects cocktails on her face, is the series' funniest.

"I think the sketch with Clive Owen is the most perfect comedy sketch ever," Gervais says. "He's brilliant in it."

HBO is billing the "Extras" Christmas special as the series finale. However, unlike "The Office," Gervais could envision returning for more. He already knows what he wants Millman to do next: come to America.

"I can imagine it," Gervais reasons. "With `The Office,' I couldn't imagine it. I've never gone back to it, and I never will. If we ever did another `Extras,' which we almost certainly won't, I think it would be about Andy trying to make it in Hollywood and failing miserably. Obviously."

Perhaps, by then, Gervais will be A-list enough to cameo as himself.

Oscar race looks wide open this year

LOS ANGELES - There's no Helen Mirren this time around, no Forest Whitaker.

Unlike last year, when clear front-runners already had emerged in key categories, this awards season looks wide open.

About a dozen films could be considered viable nominees for best picture at the Academy Awards, and Wednesday's selection of "No Country for Old Men" as the year's best by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures doesn't make the outlook much clearer. The Coen brothers' beautifully brutal depiction of lawmen, guns and money along the Rio Grande has earned rave reviews and packed theaters in limited release, but it was expected to be a favorite even before it came out.

"I think that there are so many diverse genres, that there are so many strong performances, so many strong films," said Annie Schulhof, president of the National Board of Review, which consists of film historians, students and educators. "This was very challenging to our group this year. Sometimes a film speaks to you and that's what you stay with — that's what `No Country for Old Men' did.

"I think the race is wide open," she added. "I would not call this a mediocre year at all."

The competition for best actor is even more crowded. Hollywood typically offers stronger roles for men than women, but there were so many powerful, memorable ones this year that performances that might have seemed like obvious leads are spilling over into the supporting-actor category. That's certainly true with "No Country," in which Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones share nearly equal screen time and are all essential to the story's progression.

Miramax, which released the film, is pushing Brolin for best actor — his character is the one who finds the suitcase of cash left after a botched drug deal. Bardem, as the eccentric killer seeking the money, is the catalyst for much of the action, while Jones, as the Texas sheriff chasing both men, serves as the movie's moral center and is the inspiration for the title.

"I agree it's very difficult to separate them and decide who's in best actor, who's in best supporting actor, but we get guided by the academy on that and that's the way they vote," said Miramax President Daniel Battsek. "It's doubly complicated by the fact that in both Josh and Tommy Lee's case, they have other movies in which they will be, I think, quite possibly up for consideration in either supporting or base actor."

Brolin could be a supporting-actor candidate for playing a corrupt cop in "American Gangster," while Jones stars as a father investigating the death of his soldier son in "In the Valley of Elah."

Other actors with nomination potential in a couple of categories are Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" or "The Savages" (best actor) and "Charlie Wilson's War" (supporting); Russell Crowe for "3:10 to Yuma" (best actor) and "American Gangster" (supporting); and Casey Affleck for "Gone Baby Gone" (best actor) and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (supporting).

"Last year we had distinct front-runners in Helen Mirren (`The Queen'), Forest Whitaker (`The Last King of Scotland') and `The Departed' for best picture, simply because everyone in the industry was saying that Marty Scorsese was so overdue," said Tom O'Neil, columnist for the awards Web site TheEnvelope.com. "The only cliffhanger was the fact that `The Departed' wasn't the typical Oscar-profile picture, being a kind of action thriller. This year it's totally up for grabs."

But O'Neil added that one film could emerge as an Academy Awards favorite over the next few weeks: "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Tim Burton's screen version of the blood-soaked Stephen Sondheim musical starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Oscar nominations aren't scheduled to be announced until Jan. 22, but before that, on Thursday, the Golden Globe nominations should give the awards race a more defined shape.

"I think with the Johnny Depp cool factor and Tim Burton, it could have huge cult breakout status around Christmas. I could see a `Sweeney Todd' bandwagon taking off and giving us a `Silence of the Lambs'-type sweep," he said. "`The Departed' was evidence of the fact they're not as squeamish as they used to be. I think they are tougher and grittier and trying to be cool, and that means taking `No Country for Old Men' seriously as a best-picture nominee.

"`Atonement' is out front now," he said of the sweeping, historical romance starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, the kind of movie Oscar voters traditionally have loved. "But I think it's vulnerable."

A breakdown of possible nominees, both locks and longshots, in the top categories:

BEST PICTURE: "American Gangster," "Atonement," "Charlie Wilson's War," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Gone Baby Gone," "Into the Wild," "Juno," "The Kite Runner," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "Ratatouille," "Sweeney Todd," "There Will Be Blood."

BEST DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott ("American Gangster"), Joe Wright ("Atonement"), Sidney Lumet ("Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"), Julian Schnabel ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), Ben Affleck ("Gone Baby Gone"), Sean Penn ("Into the Wild"), Marc Forster ("The Kite Runner"), Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton"), Joel and Ethan Coen ("No Country for Old Men"), Tim Burton ("Sweeney Todd"), Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood").

BEST ACTOR: Russell Crowe ("3:10 to Yuma"), Denzel Washington ("American Gangster"), Brad Pitt ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"), James McAvoy ("Atonement"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" or "The Savages"), Tom Hanks ("Charlie Wilson's War"), Mathieu Amalric ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), Viggo Mortensen ("Eastern Promises"), Casey Affleck ("Gone Baby Gone"), John Cusack ("Grace is Gone"), Richard Gere ("The Hoax"), Tommy Lee Jones ("In the Valley of Elah"), Emile Hirsch ("Into the Wild"), Ryan Gosling ("Lars and the Real Girl"), George Clooney ("Michael Clayton"), Josh Brolin ("No Country for Old Men"), Johnny Depp ("Sweeney Todd"), Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood").

BEST ACTRESS: Keira Knightley ("Atonement"), Julie Christie ("Away From Her"), Amy Adams ("Enchanted"), Ellen Page ("Juno"), Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), Tang Wei ("Lust, Caution"), Angelina Jolie ("A Mighty Heart"), Laura Linney ("The Savages"), Helena Bonham Carter ("Sweeney Todd"), Halle Berry ("Things We Lost in the Fire").

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ben Foster ("3:10 to Yuma"), Josh Brolin ("American Gangster"), Russell Crowe ("American Gangster"), Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Charlie Wilson's War"), Max von Sydow ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), John Travolta ("Hairspray"), J.K. Simmons ("Juno"), Tom Wilkinson ("Michael Clayton"), Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men"), Tommy Lee Jones ("No Country for Old Men"), Paul Dano ("There Will Be Blood"), Robert Downey Jr. ("Zodiac").

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement"), Olympia Dukakis ("Away From Her"), Julia Roberts ("Charlie Wilson's War"), Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone"), Cate Blanchett ("I'm Not There"), Catherine Keener ("Into the Wild"), Allison Janney ("Juno"), Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton").

Kanye, Winehouse lead Grammy nominees

LOS ANGELES - Kanye West received a leading eight Grammy nominations Thursday, and the troubled singer Amy Winehouse received six.

Other top nominees included the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Rihannna, Paul McCartney, T-Pain and Timbaland.

Both West and Winehouse were nominated for album of the year for their CDs, "Graduation" and "Back to Back" respectively. Winehouse was also cited for best new artist, plus record and song of the year for her hit defiant hit "Rehab."

Other record of year candidates included Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," the Foo Fighter's "The Pretender," Rihanna's "Umbrella" and "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake.

The album of the year category also featured the Foo Fighters, for "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," as well as Winehouse's album. Vince Gill's four-disc set "These Days" was also cited, along with Herbie Hancock's tribute to Joni Mitchell, "River: The Joni Letters," and West's "Graduation."

Besides Winehouse's "Rehab," other song of the year candidates included Corrine Bailey Rae's sweet-sounding "Like A Star," Carrie Underwood's revenge anthem "Before He Cheats," The Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" and "Umbrella."

Winehouse was competing against Feist, Paramour, Taylor Swift and Ledesi in the best new artist category.

Kanye, Winehouse lead Grammy

LOS ANGELES - Kanye West, Amy Winehouse and the Foo Fighters were among the leading Grammy contenders announced Thursday.

West received a leading eight nominations. Winehouse received six, including for best new artist, record and song of the year for her hit "Rehab," and album of the year for "Back to Black."

Record of year candidates included Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," the Foo Fighters' "The Pretender," Rihanna's "Umbrella," "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake and Winehouse's "Rehab."

The album of the year category also featured the Foo Fighters, for "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," as well as Winehouse's album. Vince Gill's four-disc set "These Days" was also cited, along with Herbie Hancock's tribute to Joni Mitchell, "River: The Joni Letters," and West's "Graduation."

Besides Winehouse, other best new artist nominees were Feist, Paramour, Taylor Swift and Ledesi.

Kanye West leads Grammy nods

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kanye West, Amy Winehouse and the Foo Fighters were among the leading Grammy contenders announced Thursday.

West received a leading eight nominations. Winehouse received six, including for best new artist, record and song of the year for her hit "Rehab," and album of the year for "Back to Black."

Best album nominees included the Foo Fighters, West and Herbie Hancock.

Other best new artist nominees were Feist, Paramour, Taylor Swift and Ledesi.

"Superbad" star the "One" for biblical comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Christopher Mintz-Plasse, best known as McLovin in the summer hit "Superbad," will reunite with producer Judd Apatow for "Year One," a comedy set in biblical times.

British actor Vinnie Jones is also in final negotiations for the Columbia Pictures film. The studio is keeping mum on the story line, which is based on a story by the film's director, Harold Ramis. Apatow will produce.

Jack Black and Michael Cera head the cast. Filming is set to begin in January in Louisiana and New Mexico.

"Year One" marks Mintz-Plasse's second movie role. He would play a platform-shoe-wearing high priest, and Jones a head palace guard named Sargon. Jones, a former English footballer, is best known for such films as "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch."

Winehouse, Kanye likely Grammy leaders

NEW YORK - At first, Amy Winehouse was heralded as a gifted new artist with an amazing albums. Now she's known for erratic behavior and alleged substance abuse — but Thursday's Grammy nominations should put the focus back on her music.

Though the singer-songwriter has endured a slew of personal setbacks in recent months, industry insiders expect her to be among the top nominees when the Recording Academy announces its contenders in Los Angeles.

"Amy Winehouse is incredible. I think she should have got a little more positive recognition," said singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. Grammy-winning producer John Shanks called Winehouse's album "Back to Black," which included the telling hit "Rehab," "an important record."

"I don't think her troubles are really going to hurt her. I think the sound of that album made an impact," Shanks added.

Another likely multiple nominee is Kanye West, thanks to his third album, "Graduation." The critically acclaimed disc had the year's biggest debut, selling nearly 1 million copies in its first week, an amazing feat during the industry's current struggles. The CD has already generated three hits, including the anthems "Stronger" and "Good Life."

While West has won several Grammys in his relatively short career, they have all come in the rap categories, despite being nominated twice for album of the year. That may change if he is nominated for best album, record or song of the year.

But he may face tough competition from some legendary veterans. Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen each released acclaimed albums this year: McCartney's "Memory Almost Full" was full of cheerful nostalgia while Springsteen's "Magic" marked his return to full-fledged rock.

"I do think Bruce's album is excellent," said Shanks. "I think we live in a time of a collection of singles ... Someone like Springsteen is actually setting out to write an album and there's continuity."

As far as top singles, Beyonce's acoustic gem "Irreplaceable," one of the most ubiquitous songs of 2007, is a heavy favorite. It could earn her nominations for record and song of the year, as well as for best female pop vocal.

Ne-Yo, who co-wrote that song, could get a song of the year nomination, but says he's more excited to get mentions for his own hit album, "Because of You."

"'Irreplaceable' did really really great things, so it would be cool to win that," he said. "But if I were to be nominated for best male R&B and take it, for my peers to tell me that I was the best in male R&B this year, that would be really great."

Fergie, who is scheduled to help read the nominations on Thursday, could be another multiple nominee. She had two huge hits, including "Glamorous" and the more likely record of the year nominee, the tender ballad "Big Girls Don't Cry."

"Everyone loves her; I think she's going to get a lot of nods," said Shirley Halperin, senior music writer for Entertainment Weekly.

Rihanna could also find herself nominated for "Umbrella," another ubiquitous song of 2007. "To me 'Umbrella' is the song of the year," says Shanks. "It works as an R&B song, you can play that song on an acoustic guitar and it would still work ... It still works however way you dress that thing up."

In the best new artist category, 18-year-old country sensation Taylor Swift is a likely nominee. And a year after "American Idol" winner-turned-country superstar Carrie Underwood took home the trophy, Chris Daughtry's eponymous band, which had multiplatinum success with their self-titled album, could be nominated. Other contenders could include singer-songwriter Feist and Robin Thicke. And of course, Winehouse, who Halperin says has an "overwhelming presence in the music industry.

"She's on the tip of people's tongues," says Halperin. "My dad listens to Amy Winehouse, and he doesn't listen to anything current. She's crossed these age barriers, and she has universal appeal.

National Board: `No Country' is top film

NEW YORK - "No Country for Old Men," the Coen brothers' searing take on crime and carnage along the Rio Grande, is the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures' pick for the best film of 2007.

Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, with an indelibly villainous turn by Javier Bardem, "No Country" is a harshly beautiful, faithful adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel about the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad. It also earned honors for brothers Joel and Ethan Coen in the adapted-screenplay category and for best ensemble cast. Roger Deakins, the Coens' longtime cinematographer, will receive a career achievement award from the group.

"No Country for Old Men" was the top choice "because of the direction of the Coen brothers. I think it is one of the purest adaptations of a book, Cormac McCarthy's book," board President Annie Schulhof said Wednesday. "The ensemble performances were absolutely extraordinary and it really talks about what happens when evil overrides good."

The group spread the love around, giving Tim Burton the best-director award for his screen version of the bloody Stephen Sondheim musical "Sweeney Todd."

George Clooney was named best actor for "Michael Clayton," in which he plays a disillusioned "fixer" at an upscale New York law firm, with Julie Christie winning best actress for her portrayal of a woman succumbing to Alzheimer's disease in "Away From Her."

In the supporting-acting categories, Casey Affleck won for his role as the shifty shooter in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Meanwhile, Affleck's co-star in "Gone Baby Gone," Amy Ryan, won for playing a drug-addicted mother whose little girl is kidnapped.

"Gone Baby Gone" director Ben Affleck was honored for his filmmaking debut, and two young actors were singled out for giving breakthrough performances: Emile Hirsch as a doomed cross-country traveler in "Into the Wild" and Ellen Page as a quick-witted pregnant teen in "Juno."

Diablo Cody, the stripper-turned-screenwriter who wrote "Juno," tied in the original screenplay category with Nancy Oliver for "Lars and the Real Girl."

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" was the group's choice for best foreign-language film, with "Ratatouille" winning in the animation category. "Body of War" was named best documentary.

The board's other choices for the top films of the year, in alphabetical order: "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," "Atonement," "The Bourne Ultimatum," "The Bucket List," "Into the Wild," "Juno," "The Kite Runner" "Lars and the Real Girl," "Michael Clayton" and "Sweeney Todd."

The National Board of Review is the first group to announce its favorite movie each awards season, but lately it hasn't been a predictor of eventual Oscar success. Last year, they chose Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima" while the Academy Award for best picture went to Martin Scorsese's "The Departed." In 2005, they named "Good Night, and Good Luck" as their top film and "Crash" was the surprise winner at the Oscars. "Finding Neverland" was their choice in 2004 while the best-picture Oscar went to "Million Dollar Baby." The National Board and the Academy did align, however, for 1999's "American Beauty."

Formed 98 years ago, the board is composed of film historians, students and educators.

Leno Agrees To Pay Striking Staff

Talk show "host" Jay Leno has agreed to pay laid-off members of his Tonight Show staff - after he was heavily criticized for not offering to pick up their paychecks amid the ongoing writers' strikes.

Unlike peers David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, Leno - who makes an estimated $27 million a year - had refused to cover the salaries of his show staff out of his own pocket after they were made redundant on Friday. But after facing a severe backlash from striking workers, the star has relented and agreed to pay his staff a week's wages, according to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

The lay-offs at the Tonight Show are the latest casualties in the ongoing battle between the Writers Guild of America and producers over royalties. The strike immediately shut down the late-night comedy shows and has gradually affected the production of many network-produced prime-time series, including Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.

Another unwitting "Borat" cast member files lawsuit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The creators of the hit film "Borat" were sued again on Tuesday, this time by a driving instructor seen in the comedy admonishing the fake Kazakh reporter for yelling insults at other drivers.

Michael Psenicska was duped into participating in the film after it was described to him as a "documentary about the integration of foreign people into the American way of life," he said in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court.

The suit named British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays the title role, One America Productions and the film's distributor, 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp. It also named Todd Lewis, a representative of One America who is listed in other lawsuits as Todd Lewis Schulman.

Psenicska said he was paid $500 in cash to give Borat a driving lesson. He described the experience as "surreal," saying Cohen drove erratically down residential streets, drank alcohol and yelled to a female pedestrian he would pay her $10 for "sexy time."

The lawsuit seeks $400,000 in actual damages and additional punitive damages for misleading Psenicska and for emotional harm he continues to suffer. Psenicska said if he had known the true nature of the film, he never would have participated.

The comedy has grossed $270 million at the box office, plus more than $60 million in DVD sales, the lawsuit said.

Fox said the lawsuit was without merit, calling Psenicska a willing participant who was paid to be in the movie.

"The fact is that Mike Psenicska gave the producers his consent," the studio said in a statement. "He signed a release and we have an agreement. Now, 2 1/2 years after giving his consent, and more than one year after the movie was released, Mr. Psenicska has decided to file a lawsuit, citing the financial success of the film, in spite of our agreement."

"Borat" has been sued at least four times already.

In June, a man seen in the film running away from Borat down the streets of New York City sued Fox in federal court in Manhattan.

In February, a judge threw out a lawsuit brought in Los Angeles Superior Court by two college fraternity members shown guzzling alcohol and making racist remarks. They claimed the scenes tarnished their reputations.

Last year, two residents of a Romanian village sued Fox for $30 million, claiming the film wrongly depicted them as rapists, abortionists, prostitutes and thieves. Scenes depicting Borat in Kazakhstan were filmed in Romania.

A South Carolina man also sued over a deleted scene.

IT'S OSCAR SEASON

Oscar prognostication is not a sport for the faint of heart - at this point last year, it looked like "Dreamgirls" would win Best Picture, and it ended up not even getting nominated.

This year's race, if anything, is even crazier, with no single picture a lock for a nomination out of a very strong and crowded pack, and many more contenders opening late in the year than in 2006.

Still, I get the big bucks for predicting the Oscars, so I'm going to offer my fearless assessment of what I think will get nominated - not, it should be emphasized, what I think should get nominated.

Oscar predicting is largely about finding historical models for winners, and there's a very good model for my presumptive front-runner, "Atonement."

A sweeping World War II story of doomed love with a faultless literary pedigree and starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, it's this year's counterpart to the 1996 Best Picture winner "The English Patient" - though if you ask me, it's a much better movie.

Very often, the flick with the most nominations gets the prize, and I can see 10 or more for "Atonement." Not only the leads and stunning supporting performances by Vanessa Redgrave and newcomer Saoirse Ronan, but direction, the script and sterling contributions in the crafts like cinematography, set and costume design, and sound editing.

The only thing that worries me about "Atonement" is that it's been out in front since it debuted in Toronto in September. Focus Features has been trying to low-key the campaign, wary of repeating what happened two years ago, when the same studio watched its supposedly sure-thing "Brokeback Mountain" go down the tubes at the Kodak Theatre.

Nipping at the heels of "Atonement" is the thriller "No Country for Old Men," one of only two hits among the unprecedented number of prestige films that were rolled out this fall.

This one has a trio of powerhouse performances (Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones), stunning cinematography and the best script and direction from Joel and Ethan Coen since "Fargo" (which lost to "The English Patient" except in the Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay categories).

The main drawback of "No Country" seems to be its controversial - some say confusing - ending.

The other specialty hit also likely to be nominated is "Michael Clayton," the first directorial effort of Tony Gilroy, hugely respected for writing the "Bourne" flicks. This potent thriller is the most successful of the season's many '70s-style character dramas and provides a career-best role for George Clooney as a morally ambiguous lawyer.

Clooney gets points from the Academy for consistently embracing challenging material. But will it be too dark and challenging for nominators?

"American Gangster" is, in some ways, this year's "The Departed," a sprawling crime picture with impeccable performances by Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe as a Harlem drug lord and an honest cop, and an impressive re-creation of the 1970s.

But director Ridley Scott's reputation has suffered since "Gladiator" won Best Picture six years ago, and the picture will have to get past the Academy's weighted voting system, which can reward pictures with smaller passionate followings at the expense of those respected by many.

In my mind, this year's "Little Miss Sunshine" - only, again, better - is the serious comedy "Juno," opening Friday. This one has been flying under the radar, but early audiences have been stunned and seduced by 20-year-old Ellen Page's performance as a pregnant teenage wiseacre and the fresh, knowing script by stripper-turned-screenwriter Diablo Cody.

But as I said, the situation is extremely unsettled at this point.

There are five other pictures that are playing well to awards voters, and I wouldn't be shocked to see any one of them work their way into the five Best Picture nominees:

*"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." Entirely in French, but with an American director and Steven Spielberg's longtime producer. Ecstatic reviews and also a highly moving experience. Art with a capital A.

*"The Kite Runner," opening Dec. 14. This schmaltzy adaptation of another best seller about someone who spends a lifetime regretting a childhood mistake (as in "Atonement") is largely in foreign languages and has a cast of unknowns, but there has been a lot of sobbing at screenings.

*"Sweeney Todd," opening Dec. 21. This extremely bloody and emotionally remote adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical will likely divide critics, but its supporters are going to be quite vehement, and Johnny Depp certainly has his fans in the Academy.

*"There Will Be Blood," opening Dec. 26. Paul Thomas Anderson's flick, to my mind, jumps the shark in the third act. But it's hard not to be hugely impressed by its "Citizen Kane''-like ambition, a towering performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as an ambitious oilman, or the stunning, dialogue-free, 20-minute opening sequence.

*"Charlie Wilson's War," opening Dec. 21. The only one of this fall's many Mideast-related flicks with a prayer of making money, it's got two of the most popular Oscar winners of recent years (Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts), a respected veteran director (Mike Nichols) and lots of laughs. But is Aaron Sorkin's script too lightweight and politically timid to capture a nomination?

Stay tuned.

OKAY, AND THE NOMINEES WILL VERY LIKELY BE...

BEST ACTOR

Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood.'' There is his extraordinary, visceral turn as an early 20th-century oilman and there is everyone else. A winner for "My Left Foot,'' it's Day-Lewis' race to lose.

James McAvoy, "Atonement.'' Another British actor, best known as the faun in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,'' moves into the major leagues as a falsely accused sex criminal turned soldier on the beach at Dunkirk.

Denzel Washington, "American Gangster.'' As he showed with his previous winning performance in "Training Day,'' Washington's great when he's bad and he commands attention as a Harlem drug lord.

George Clooney, "Michael Clayton.'' As an ethically challenged former prosecutor, Clooney takes the sort of emotional journey beloved by Oscar voters.

Tommy Lee Jones, "In the Valley of Elah.'' The movie tanked, but Jones' portrait of a former MP investigating his soldier son's death is not easily dismissed.

Also possible: Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd''; Josh Brolin, "No Country for Old Men''; Mathieu Amalric, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly''; Emile Hirsch, "Into the Wild''; Tom Hanks, "Charlie Wilson's War''; Frank Langella, "Starting Out in the Evening''; John Cusack, "Grace Is Gone''; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.''

BEST ACTRESS

Keira Knightley, "Atonement.'' Previously nominated for "Pride and Prejudice,'' she burns up the screen both in her romantic and big dramatic scenes.

Julie Christie, "Away From Her.'' A 1966 Best Actress winner for "Darling,'' this British icon has a career-capping role as a woman slipping into Alzheimer's.

Ellen Page, "Juno.'' Diminutive 20-year-old Canadian actress explodes like a supernova as a pregnant teen in a category that historically embraces young newcomers.

Laura Linney, "The Savages.'' Previously nominated in lead and support, she's at the top of her game as a self-absorbed woman dealing with a demented dad.

Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose.'' She delivers the emotional goods as legendarily self-destructive French singer Edith Piaf.

Also possible: Angelina Jolie, "A Mighty Heart''; Amy Adams, "Enchanted''; Keri Russell, "Waitress''; Helena Bonham Carter, "Sweeney Todd.''

Hockey, Britney lead top Yahoo searches of 2007

The NHL has topped Yahoo Canada's list of the most searched terms for the second year in a row, the internet company reported Monday.

Other hot search items included Britney Spears, Environment Canada and two Hiltons — socialite Paris and blogger Perez.

"Canadian search results show that we are more than just a celebrity-obsessed culture," said Oliver Ho, Yahoo Canada's front page and buzz index editor, in a release. "This year's top searches also revealed a more practical and pragmatic side of our consciousness with searches for Revenue Canada, the weather and the Lottery Corporation."

The company, which compiles the top 10 based on searches on its Yahoo Canada search engine, also broke down the top searches by category.

Apple's new iPhone and redesigned iPod led the list of top searched gadgets in 2007, while Nintendo's Wii led the searches in the console wars, followed by Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's new handheld PSP and PlayStation 3 console. Rounding out the top electronics hits were accessories for Nintendo's DS handheld videogame system, digital cameras and plasma TVs.

Former MP Belinda Stronach, who withdrew from politics and battled breast cancer during 2007, led the news list, followed by the October provincial elections in Ontario, the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and Paris Hilton's short-lived summer jail term. Also making the list were searches for the Virginia Tech and Dawson College shootings, the Robert Pickton murder trial, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the New Democratic Party and the Ontario Liberal Party.

The general search term "funny pictures" led the most-searched images, while tattoos took spots five and nine, hairstyles No. 6, and High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens made the list "clothed" and "unclothed" at spots four and seven. Funny videos in turn led the video list, with the Manitoba Bigfoot sighting, Britney Spears and movie trailers all earning places in the top 10.

In entertainment searches, which the company said consistently top the lists in both Canada and the U.S., Spears and American Idol led the list, with Canadian musician Avril Lavigne in fifth place, soap opera Days of Our Lives hitting No. 8 and the late model Anna Nicole Smith rounding out the 10th spot.

The company found Canadians also have the urge to uncover the odd online, with UFOs, giant squids, vampires, sasquatch sightings and the devil's bible all making the list of oddities.

Here Were The Top 10 searches in 2007:
1 NHL
2 Britney Spears
3 American Idol
4 WWE
5 Perez Hilton
6 Revenue Canada
7 OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation)
8 Environment Canada
9 Paris Hilton
10 NASCAR

'Law & Order' Back in Old Home

NBC's old standby "Law & Order" will return to its familiar surroundings in January.

The network says the long-running show, which is about to begin its 18th season, will premiere at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 2 with a two-hour episode before settling back into its long-time 10 p.m. home the following week.

It will be joined on Jan. 9 by "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." It will move into the spot currently occupied by "Bionic Woman," which has already aired its last episode completed before the writers' strike. ("Life," which currently airs at 10 p.m. Wednesdays, finishes its string this week.) "Criminal Intent" moved to USA for original episodes this season, but NBC retained the right to rebroadcast the episodes on its airwaves.

The original "Law & Order" will welcome two new cast members, both of whom starred in "Kidnapped" last season. Jeremy Sisto will play Detective Cyrus Lupo, Ed Green's (Jesse L. Martin) new partner, and Linus Roache will play Michael Cutter, the new chief assistant district attorney paired with Alana De La Garza's Connie Rubirosa. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), meanwhile, has moved up to the post of Manhattan's district attorney.

Behind the scenes, long-time executive producer Rene Balcer is returning as showrunner.

"The last time Rene Balcer was showrunner of 'Law & Order' we won the Emmy for outstanding drama series. I am thrilled he is back," "L&O" creator Dick Wolf says. "Jeremy and Linus bring a new energy to the cast, and we hope the return to our long-time timeslot of Wednesday at 10 will bring renewed success to the show."

"Law & Order" was initially scheduled to air on Sundays following the end of NBC's NFL coverage. The network hasn't finalized its midseason Sunday-night plans yet.

New CD Releases, December 4: Rufus Wainwright, Blake Lewis, Daft Punk

Rufus Wainwright "Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall"

The acclaimed singer/songwriter pays tribute to the great Judy Garland on this live set, which was recorded during a stand in New York City. "Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall" is Wainwright's second release of 2007, following May's studio effort "Release the Stars."

For those who can't get enough Wainwright on Garland, the vocalist is also releasing a live DVD of his London Garland show, "Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium." The DVD is due in stores the same day as "Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall."

Wainwright will end the year, and kick off 2008, by performing a series of solo shows. The tour kicks off Dec. 20 in Stroudsburg, PA, and continues into early January.

* * *
Blake Lewis "Audio Day Dream"

The 26-year-old vocalist, who finished second to Jordin Sparks on the 2007 edition of "American Idol," releases his debut full-length CD. The first single from the album is "Break Anotha."

While appearing on "American Idol," the Washington state native distinguished himself from other competitors by including Justin Timberlake-style beat-boxing in some his songs. He further exhibited that skill, to a great extent, during this year's "American Idols Live" tour.

* * *
Daft Punk "Alive 2007"

The Parisian electronic-music duo, consisting of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, returns with a souvenir of its most recent tour. "Alive 2007" was recorded at the cavernous Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy back in June.

That Paris date was one of many high-profile gigs the duo performed in 2007. Daft Punk also played Southern California's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, marking its first stateside performance in 10 years, and the Vegoose festival in Las Vegas.

* * *
Godsmack "Good Times, Bad Times--10 Years of Godsmack"

The Grammy-winning metal combo provides fans with a proper holiday offering--a greatest hits package featuring 16 hard-rocking cuts. The disc includes such tracks as "Speak," "Awake" and "Straight Out of Line." The title track, a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times," is a new recording. The package also features a 75-minute DVD of an acoustic Godsmack performance in Las Vegas.

* * *
Trace Adkins "American Man: Greatest Hits Vol. II"

The country crooner releases his second best-of compilation. This one includes such hits as "You're Gonna Miss This," "Hot Mama," "Arlington" and, of course, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk."

* * *
More new releases:
James Brown, "The Singles, Vol. 4: 1966-1967" (Hip-O)
Nick Drake, "Fruit Tree" (Fontana)
Wyclef Jean, "Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant" (Sony)
Ghostface Killah, "The Big Doe Rehab" (Island)
Scarface, "M.A.D.E." (Asylum)
2Pac, "Best Of 2Pac--Part 1: Thug" (Interscope)
2Pac, "Best of 2Pac--Part 2: Life" (Interscope)
Ronan Tynan, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (MRI)
Armin van Buuren, "Universal Religion 2008" (Ultra)
The Wreckers, "Way Back Home: Live From New York City" (Warner Bros)
Yuridia, "Entre Mariposas" (Sony)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Atonement" (Decca)
"Golden Compass: Original Soundtrack" (New Line)
"P.S. I Love You" (Atlantic)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Soundtrack Treasures Collection" (Disney)
"Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" (Sony)

CBS sets return dates for 'Big Brother,' 'Christine'

Though the WGA is set to resume negotiations tomorrow with the AMPTP, CBS isn't taking any chances in case a deal isn't forged before Christmas. The network just announced a new lineup for January and February, which includes the return of The New Adventures of Old Christine on Jan. 28 and a first-ever winter edition of Big Brother on Feb. 12.

Other debuts: The Power of 10 with Drew Carey is back Jan. 2, the next Survivor bows on Feb. 7 and Jericho returns on Feb. 12.

The eye also plans to unveil The Captain, a new comedy starring Jeffrey Tambor and Raquel Welch about a group of people living in a prominent Hollywood apartment building, on Jan. 28.

Until those picketing scribes make a deal and get back in the writers' rooms, CBS will continue to air repeats of its sitcoms and dramas in their regular time periods, including How I Met Your Mother and Two and A Half Men on Mondays, NCIS on Tuesdays, CSI: NY on Wednesdays, CSI and Without a Trace on Thursdays, and Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight, and Numb3rs on Fridays.

Hewitt strikes back over bikini shots

NEW YORK - An angry Jennifer Love Hewitt is defending her curves after photos of her in a bikini were ridiculed on the Internet. "I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized," the 28-year-old actress writes on her Web site.

"To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all the girls out there that are struggling with their body image."

The photos show Hewitt, with a bit of cellulite, on a Hawaii beach with her new fiance, Scottish actor Ross McCall.

Several sites posted the shots, along with some less-than-complimentary comments. TMZ.com, for example, said, "We know what you ate this summer, Love — everything!"

"A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be," Hewitt responded in a post Thursday. "And being a size 0 doesn't make you beautiful."

"What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles," says the star of TV's "Ghost Whisperer" and the film "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

"To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist," she wrote, "put on a bikini — put it on and stay strong."

Spice Girls kick off world tour

VANCOUVER - "Girl Power" has aged surprisingly well judging from the Spice Girls' high-energy, fun and often racy kick-off of their reunion tour on Sunday night in front of nearly 16,000 screaming fans at GM Place.

The five Spices - Scary (Mel B), Ginger (Geri Halliwell), Posh (Victoria Beckham), Sporty (Mel C) and Baby (Emma Bunton) - haven't shared a stage together since 1998, when Halliwell shocked the pop world by leaving the highly successful group - worldwide sales totalled 55 million - to continue on as a foursome until 2001 when they finally began pursuing solo careers.

Now the formerly flaming-haired-singer is back in the Spice fold with new softer blond streaks and the group's famous and fabulous "girl power" appears to be fully intact.

The five singers wisely opened their hour-and-40-minute show with a lively trio of hits - Spice Up Your Life, Stop and Say You'll Be There - that was preceded by a video showing five young girls playing dress up together in the bedroom of a house surrounded by magical butterflies.

"Is it good to see us back on stage together again?" asked Bunton to a roar of screams.

But the innocence of that video would soon take a back seat to a much more grownup show that included sleek, sexy and sequined costumes (all designed by Roberto Cavalli), burlesque-inspired numbers, and sexual suggestion a la a whip-carrying Mel B jumping into the audience to pick out a male volunteer to be strapped into restraints and male dancers being put in diamond-trimmed dog collars to be walked on all fours by the Spice women.

Try explaining that to your five-year-old.

Truthfully, the bulk of the audience seemed to be wig-and- costume wearing teenage and twentysomething women who were happily reliving their childhood in the mid-to-late '90s of the Spice Girls heyday.

There was also the occasional drag queen like the guy in the orange fright wig and Union Jack dress doing his best Ginger Spice.

Otherwise, there were plenty of bells and whistles to keep even the most jaded audience member dragged along to accompany a younger fan interested.

Performing on a stage that boasted several video screens and platforms, a catwalk leading to a smaller stage on the floor and the best lighting money can buy, the group was backed by an eight-piece band and ten incredible male dancers.

And the hits-heavy set list was so cleverly choreographed and the Spice Girls energy was so infectious that their lack of vocal chops was hardly noticeable.

As we've known all along, the two Mels possess the best voices and everyone else has passable vocals but looks really good.

Beckham also appeared to be the most emotional Spice Girl on Sunday night choking back tears on at least two occasions, including during the new single Headlines (Friendship Never Ends) which saw her waving a hand in front of her face, and often embracing her fellow Spices on stage.

The show, however, was mainly about having fun and the Spice Girls did their best burlesque donning sexy versions of black tuxedos for Lady Is A Tramp before stripping down in front of the audience behind heart-shaped changing rooms for Too Much and later adding elegant white feathered fans and candy-cane stripped stripper poles for 2 Becomes 1.

The group also didn't completely turn their back their alter-egos donning new version of their old costumes for Who Do You Think You Are, including Halliwell in her famous sequined Union Jack dress, Mel B in her leopard-print outfit and Beckham performing a catwalk strut in black aviator glasses while holding a cellphone.

Still, the most surprising thing was the strength of such solo performances as Mel B's aforementioned whip-wielding number her cover of Lenny Kravitz's Are You Gonna Go My Way, Halliwell's solo hit, It's Raining Men, and Mel C's techno-inspired I Turn To You, which all matched such group standouts as Spice Up Your Life, Stop, 2 Becomes 1, Who Do You Think You Are, Viva Forever, Holler, Wannabe, and the emotional Mama and Goodbye.

The evening's two guiltiest pleasure were a disco medley towards the end of the show and the encore reprise of Spice Up Your Life which featured everyone decked out in colorful outfits while silver confetti shoot up out of three cannons.

It was a giddy end to a giddy night.

What the Spice Girls played on Sunday night at the world tour launch in Vancouver:

Spice Up Your Life
Stop
Say You'll Be There
Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)
Lady Is A Tramp
Too Much
2 Becomes 1
Who Do You Think You Are
Are You Gonna Go My Way
Maybe
Viva Forever
Holler
It's Raining Men
I Turn To You
Let Love Lead The Way
Mama
Celebration (disco medley)
Goodbye

ENCORE

If U Can't Dance
Wannabe
Spice Up Your Life Reprise

Who's headlining the Super Bowl XLII halftime show?

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. So it only makes sense to have the biggest names in music headline the halftime show. For the Feb. 3 event, Tom Petty and Heartbreakers will join the ranks of Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Prince and the legendary Janet Jackson.

Let's hope the band sticks to Free Fallin' and not 'malfunction.

Van Zandt unveils rock-and-roll course

WASHINGTON - Steven Van Zandt says that in developing a curriculum to teach a new generation the history of rock and roll, he tried to put himself in the place of the students who would be learning from it.

"Make it fun. Look at kids going to school ... and taking that energy from the music, you know, history, and taking that energy into their other classes," Van Zandt said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

Van Zandt, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and a former cast member of "The Sopranos," is the founder of the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. He said he's never really repaid what music has done for him, but the new course is a start.

"The history of rock and roll is a history of, certainly, 20th-century America, from there on, anyway. All the cultural impact that it had with civil rights and women's rights and all that other stuff. Well, this is what's going to last. This is what's going to, you know, be here long after we're gone," he said.

'Enchanted' still charms with $17M

LOS ANGELES - The fairy-tale romance "Enchanted" maintained its magic at the box office, pulling in $17 million to remain the top movie amid a sleepy weekend at theaters.

Disney's "Enchanted," starring Amy Adams as a cartoon princess banished by her fiancé's wicked stepmother (Susan Sarandon) to live-action Manhattan, raised its total to $70.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

After a solid Thanksgiving holiday in which revenues rose compared to the same period last year, Hollywood's business sank back into a box-office funk that has persisted most of the fall.

The top-12 movies took in $76.6 million, down 6 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Happy Feet" led the box office with $17.5 million and "Casino Royale" was No. 2 with $15.1 million.

Because of record summer revenue, business for the year is up, with Hollywood taking in $8.7 billion domestically so far, a 4.7 percent increase from 2006. Factoring in higher ticket prices, though, actual movie attendance is just a fraction ahead of last year's.

"After the strength of the summer, we expected the fall would follow suit, and it just hasn't done that," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "It's a good crop of films, but the marketplace just has not been able to rise above the levels we were hitting last year at this time."

The weekend's only new wide release, the Weinstein Co. and MGM thriller "Awake," opened in fourth-place with $6 million. "Awake" stars Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba and Terrence Howard in a tale about a man who is conscious during heart surgery and overhears his wife's plot to kill him.

In limited release, the acclaimed comic drama "The Savages" debuted strongly with $153,121 in four New York City and Los Angeles theaters, averaging $38,280 a cinema, compared to a $3,002 average in 2,002 theaters for "Awake."

Released by Fox Searchlight, "The Savages" stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as estranged siblings forced back together to care for their ailing father. The film expands to more cities Dec. 21.

Also opening solidly was Miramax's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," which took in $75,300 in three theaters for a $25,100 average. The film stars Mathieu Amalric in the real-life story of French Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who had a paralyzing stroke and wrote a memoir of his experiences by dictating the book with blinks of his eye.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Enchanted," $17 million.
2. "This Christmas," $8.4 million.
3. "Beowulf," $7.9 million.
4. "Awake," $6 million.
5. "Hitman," $5.8 million.
6. "Fred Claus," $5.6 million.
7. "August Rush," $5.2 million.
8. "No Country for Old Men," $4.5 million.
9. "Bee Movie," $4.47 million.
10. "American Gangster," $4.3 million.