"Cleveland" on map as "Family Guy" spin-off

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Family Guy's" henpecked husband Cleveland Brown might be getting his own show.

The Fox network and the show's producer, 20th Century Fox TV, are developing a spin-off from their hit animated series centered on Peter Griffin's bathtub-accident-prone neighbor, sources said.

The project, tentatively titled "Cleveland," is being written by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry -- a writer/producer who voices Cleveland -- and Rich Appel, an executive producer on MacFarlane's other Fox cartoon, "American Dad."

Cleveland, who plays off black stereotypes, is the most levelheaded among Griffin's trio of friends. He's also pushed around by his wife.

Once canceled by Fox, "Family Guy" triumphantly returned on the network in 2005. It is Fox's top-rated comedy and has grown into a $1 billion franchise with red-hot DVD and merchandise sales.

Fox executives have made it a priority to find another hit animated comedy to complement their Sunday comedy lineup. They have several cartoons in the works, including an animated version of the 2003 short-lived live-action comedy "The Pitts." In addition to "Cleveland," Fox is also developing a spin-off of the drama series "Prison Break," set at a female prison.

Weinsteins start upscale DVD label

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Bob and Harvey Weinstein have already made their mark on Hollywood.

Now, the former Miramax Films chiefs are bent on leaving their imprint on the DVD business as well, with a premium label they hope will rival the prestigious Criterion Collection or Warner Home Video's extravagant collector's editions of such marquee films as "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz."

The Miriam Collection, named after the brothers' mother, launched in late January with the release of one of the last great epics not previously available on DVD, Anthony Mann's "El Cid."

The second release is another Mann film, "The Fall of the Roman Empire," a lavish 1961 production starring Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif. The film earned its place in the record books for the largest outdoor set in Hollywood history: more than 55 acres, with a reconstructed Roman Forum.

The film comes to DVD on April 29 from Genius Products, the independent DVD distribution company majority owned by the Weinsteins.

"The Miriam Collection is a very personal selection of films," Harvey Weinstein said. "The brand is not only about remastering films for the best picture and sound but also to showcase the backstory of each film and develop compelling features that complement the title."

Weinstein said he and his brother plan to pick 12-15 films for branded release each year, ranging from such big productions as "El Cid," "Roman Empire," "Circus World" and "55 Days at Peking" to niche titles like "The Deal," a British TV movie from "The Queen" director Stephen Frears.

Weinstein clearly relishes being able to play kingmaker and give deserving films the true DVD VIP treatment a la the fabled Criterion Collection.

"'The Fall of the Roman Empire,' for example, is fully loaded," Weinstein said. "It looks and sounds astonishing, and the bonus materials fully explore the sheer magnitude and grandeur of making a film of this scale in a time long before the advent of CGI."

Indeed, the Weinsteins' DVD version of "Roman Empire" will come in an elegantly packaged three-disc edition. Extras include a commentary by Bill Bronston, son of producer Samuel Bronston, and film expert Mel Martin; a reproduction of the original 1964 souvenir program; a behind-the-scenes look at the fall of the real Roman Empire; a detailed "making of" documentary; five Encyclopedia Britannica featurettes on the Roman Empire; and a set of six color production stills.

Genie awards show ignores "Juno"

TORONTO (Hollywood Reporter) - Any film awards show overlooks good movies. But among the glaring omissions at next Monday's Genies, Canada's version of the Oscars, is "Juno." The box office smash was shot in Vancouver by a Canadian director, Jason Reitman.

The comedy about a 16-year-old girl's pregnant path to enlightenment stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera, both also Canadian.

Don't blame Genie voters for the snub. The rule book requires that some of a film's production budget must come from Canada for it to be deemed a Canadian film.

Because L.A.-based Mandate Pictures developed and financed "Juno" and Fox Searchlight released the comedy, the Genies considers the film American and thus ineligible for competition.

Canada's film awards really falls down the rabbit hole into Wonderland when you consider that "Eastern Promises," a British film about a Russian mob family in London, and directed by hired-gun Canadian David Cronenberg, will contend for best Canadian film at the Genies.

Reitman, attending a pre-Oscars luncheon at the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles last week, told reporters he was puzzled by the selection process.

"It's a Canadian director, Canadian stars, Canadian cast, Canadian crew, shot in Canada -- how are we not eligible for a Genie when David Cronenberg's film about Russians living in London shot in England with a British crew and British cast is eligible? I'm sorry, but somebody is going to have to explain that to me; I don't get it," he said, with proud father Ivan Reitman at his side.

Well, "Eastern Promises" is a British film. But because the film's co-producer, Toronto-based Serendipity Point Films, steered enough Canadian subsidies to make up about 20% of Cronenberg's production budget, the Genies dipped "Eastern Promises" in maple syrup and gave it 12 nominations.

The message: Leave it to other awards shows to honor filmmaking excellence, whatever its origins. The Genies celebrate government support.

New Eminem book to detail his thoughts

NEW YORK - Eminem is working on a book that's "every bit as raw and uncensored as the man himself," according to his publisher.

Dutton Books, an imprint of The Penguin Group, announced Wednesday that it would be publishing the best-selling rapper's "The Way I Am" this fall.

"It will be illustrated with never-before-seen photographs of Eminem's home and life along with original drawings," Dutton said in a statement.

The rapper's spokesman, Dennis Dennehy, said the memoir "is still in the process of being written and edited."

The book was described as an intimate look inside the life of Eminem, who has sold tens of millions of records since he made his provocative debut in 1999.

"Offering a window on the star's private thoughts on everything from his music and the trials of fame to his love for his daughter, Hailie, this title is every bit as raw and uncensored as the man himself," Dutton said.

The Grammy and Academy Award-winning rapper has published one other book, "Angry Blonde." The 2002 work detailed his lyrics.

Eminem has not released a new album since 2004's "Encore," and his representative said there's no CD scheduled to be released from the rapper at this time.

Rock Band knock-off announced for Wii, DS

Disney on Wednesday announced Ultimate Band for Wii and DS, no peripherals required (but isn't that part of the fun?).

"Disney is working with some of the very biggest names in rock, alternative, popular, emo and indie rock music, allowing band mates to play sets from a broad selection of current hits and all-time rock favorites," says a presser. "Friends and families can rock out on guitar, bass, drums or as the front man."

Ultimate Band will exclusively use either the Wii remote or DS stylus when hitting on screen notes. Without the use of a microphone, however, we wonder if the "front man" will merely play the tambourine, or better still, the cowbell.

Sadly, a list of licensed tracks were missing from today's announcement, but Disney says the included songs are "instantly-recognizable.. from every decade since the 60s." The game is slated for a 2008 holiday release on Wii and DS.

More rhythm games can only be a good thing, but we'll keep our expectations low until we learn more about Ultimate Band.

'70s is the go-to decade for comedy

NEW YORK - Platform shoes, leisure suits, fondue, fro picks. What used to be cool is now the stuff of comedy.

When it comes to period comedies, the `70s are the equivalent of Victorian era costume drama. While serious-minded filmmakers are forever reaching back to the time of royalty clad in waistcoats and dressing gowns, comedians are more likely to cull from the less halcyon days of disco and sideburns.

Will Ferrell is again mining the decade with "Semi-Pro," a movie in theaters Friday about a fictional ABA basketball team, otherwise realistically set in the `70s. Ferrell earlier traveled back to the "Me Decade" for 2004's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."

"Whenever I look back at old photos and this and that, it just seems like such an alien time," Ferrell said. "The `80s are funny too, and I guess we'll look back and the `90s will be funny too, but the `70s are holding strong."

Ferrell is far from alone. In 2004's "Starsky & Hutch," Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson returned to when a Ford Gran Torino could be an object of obsessive pride. Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" (2000) captured the `70s — like many films set in the decade — through music.

"I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988) parodied `70s blaxploitation movies, ground eventually covered in the `60s-oriented "Austin Powers" films, specifically the third installment: "Austin Powers in Goldmember" (2002).

On the tube, the eight seasons of "That `70s Show" proved far more successful than its spinoff, "That `80s Show," which lasted for just a season. Though it takes place in 1980 and 1981, the cult classic series "Freak and Geeks" was largely imbued with `70s culture, like laser light shows and proms with Styx blaring.

"The danger with any period piece, especially of a more recent history, is that it can become cartoony really fast," said "Freaks and Geeks" creator Paul Feig, 45. "The biggest thing on `Freaks and Geeks' was monitoring up front the costumes and all that. A show like `That `70s Show' is clearly making fun of those archetypes — and that's fine, that works for that show — but it was a big thing for me to go like, `No, everyone did not wear leisure suits.'"

Even without the period cliches, the particular vibe of the `70s is especially suited to comedy. If the decades are characterized stereotypically, the `50s were uptight and fearful, the `60s were turbulent and optimistic, and the `80s were crass and commercial. The mood of the `70s is often viewed as a period of cynicism and languor: both innate qualities of comedy.

"Anchorman" director Adam McKay recalls the `70s as a "very bipolar decade" of grim reality and rich fantasy. Vietnam ended in failure, recession and gas shortages spread across the country — all while disco ruled the airwaves and drug-fueled parties raged.

"The reality of the change of the `60s was coming into place, and a lot of the time, it was pretty funny," said McKay. "The `60s were what legitimately brought in a lot of social change, but the `70s is when some of it seeped into the actual day-to-day living patterns of most Americans."

In Richard Linklater's 1993 classic, "Dazed and Confused," the red-haired character Cynthia Dunn (Marissa Ribisi) explores the "every-other-decade theory" on the last day of school in 1976:

"The fifties were boring. The sixties rocked. And the seventies, oh my God, they obviously suck. Come on! Maybe the eighties will be radical."

In an essay, film critic Kent Jones praised "Dazed and Confused" for achieving an accurate "balance between the aggressive and the dreamy" particular to "this odd, floating moment in history, when all decisive gestures seemed strange and suspect."

"There was a melancholy feel to the `70s," said the 40-year-old Ferrell, who nevertheless remembers them fondly. "I was so into the bicentennial. No joke. I bought a Liberty Bell necklace that was pewter. It was like a prized possession."

Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" (1997) was ultimately a drama, but took much of its comedy from depicting outlandish aspects in the `70s pornography industry. You have Rollergirl (Heather Graham), a kung-fu fanatic (Mark Wahlberg) and a director (Burt Reynolds) worried by a new medium: videotape.

The period details in "Semi-Pro" are considerable: Evel Knievel-style stunts, medallions slung over turtlenecks, tri-colored basketballs and, of course, the expression "jive turkey."

"If it feels like there's a fun way to comment, you find those little moments, otherwise it should fit in the texture of the film," said Ferrell.

In "Anchorman," Ferrell's newsman character, Ron Burgundy, memorably discovers a "new fad": "I believe it's jogging or yogging. It might be a soft `J.' I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild."

McKay, 39, believes `70s-set comedies remain relevant because of a universal theme of old meeting new — albeit a "new" often ridiculously dressed and grooving to Rush.

"What's the common thread in all of them? In `Dazed and Confused' the quarterback has the conflict with the old-school football coach," said McKay. "In (`Semi-Pro') it's the ABA verse the uptight NBA. And in `Anchorman,' you have the new sharp woman journalist against the old guard."

That films set in the `70s continue to proliferate isn't just a coincidence; that's when many of the comedians now currently dominating the scene came of age. It's only natural they would return to what all comedians perpetually contemplate: adolescence.

"I was just starting to have my opinion about what I thought was funny, and trying to be funny," recalled Ferrell. "All those things were happening around that period of time."

McKay, who was reluctant to make "Anchorman" in the `70s because it had been done before, is amazed the `70s — skipped over by everyone else — continue to be such fertile ground for comedians.

"I was shocked to see that it's still continuing," he said. "It's turned out to be a really deep well."

Quebec comedy takes top-grossing Canadian film award

Les trois p'tit cochons, a Quebec comedy about three brothers who reunite during their mother's illness, has won the Golden Reel Award as the highest-grossing Canadian film of 2007.

The film earned more than $4.6 million in Canada from Jan. 1, 2007, to Dec. 31, more than any other qualifying film.

The Golden Reel Award is given at the Genie Awards, Canada's film awards, scheduled for March 3 in Toronto.

The film is the debut directorial effort of Patrick Huard, the veteran Quebec actor who starred in Les Boys and Bon Cop, Bad Cop.

It stars Paul Doucet, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge and Claude Legault as brothers who tell the stories of their lives and loves while their mother lies in a coma.

Legault has been nominated for a best actor Genie, Lemay-Thivierge for best supporting actor and the film is nominated for best original screenplay and best editor.

Producers Pierre Gendron and Christian Larouche have previously received Golden Reel awards — Gendron in 1990 for Jesus of Montreal and Larouche in 2002 for Les Boys III.

Rush goes live with 'Snakes & Arrows'

As promised, prog-rock heroes Rush will release a new live album just ahead of their extended Snakes & Arrows World Tour.

The double-CD, "Snakes & Arrows Live," is scheduled to arrive in stores April 8--three days before the band returns to the road. The set was recorded last October at the Netherlands' Ahoy Rotterdam arena during Rush's five-month world tour. The album's live rendition of "Workin' Them Angels" is expected to be delivered to rock radio outlets nationwide on March 10, according to a press release.

The original version of the single comes from the Canadian trio's latest studio release, "Snakes & Arrows," which debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 last May and became Rush's 11th Top 10 album in the US. The set marked the band's first collection of new material since 2002's "Vapor Trails."

Rush's 2007 tour behind "Snakes & Arrows" was its highest-grossing outing to date, and the members--Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart--are getting ready to hit the road hard again this spring.

The 2008 trek is scheduled to launch April 11 with the band's first-ever concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From there, Rush will jump over to North America, where it will conquer nearly 50 dates across the US and Canada through July. Since last check, a second night has been added in Los Angeles. Details are listed below.

The upcoming tour will bring the trio to a host of cities it hasn't played in more than a decade, including Winnipeg, MB; Regina, SK; New Orleans; Oklahoma City, OK; Reno, NV; Moline, IL; Boise, ID; Austin, TX; and Orlando and Jacksonville, FL.

Since releasing its self-titled debut in 1974, Rush has achieved worldwide sales topping 35 million units, according to a press release.

'Beat It' Cover Bolsters Fall Out Boy CD/DVD

A cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" is among the many treats to be found on "****," Fall Out Boy's first live release. Due April 8 via Island, the project will be available as a CD/DVD or DVD only; the Jackson cover is a studio version featuring a "special guest guitarist" yet to be named.

"****" was taped in June 22, 2007, at Phoenix's Cricket Pavilion. Beyond the band's own hits ("Sugar, We're Going Down," "Thanks Fr The Mmrs," "This Ain't a Scene, It's An Arms Race"), a wide array of covers are included, such as Akon's "Don't Matter," Timbaland's "One and Only" and Panic At The Disco's "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies."

The DVD sports all eight Fall Out Boy music videos, a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and a making-of segment for the "Me & You" video, which was filmed in Uganda.

"Before watching ourselves on film we never really realized how much we swear," bassist Pete Wentz wrote on the band's blog, by way of explaining the strange title for the upcoming release. "It's pretty gross ... though it's edited as to not hurt your little munchkin ears. And as for how to say the name, well any little four letter word will work."

Here is the DVD track list for "****":

"Thriller"
"Grand Theft Autumn/ Where Is Your Boy"
"Don't Matter"
"Sugar, We're Goin Down"
"Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued"
"Of All The Gin Joints In All The World"
"Hum Hallelujah"
"I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"
"Tell That Mick He Just Made My List Of Things To Do Today"
"I'm Like A Lawyer, The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)"
"Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me""
"Beat It"
"Carpal Tunnel Of Love"
"Golden"
"I Write Sins, Not Tragedies"
"This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race"
"Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
"The Take Over, The Breaks Over"
"One and Only"
"Dance, Dance"
Drum Solo
"Saturday"

Maxim apologizes for Black Crowes review

NEW YORK - Maxim magazine has apologized for publishing a negative review of the Black Crowes' new album by a writer who hadn't listened to the whole CD.

The review in Maxim's March issue gives the Crowes' "Warpaint" a rating of two-and-a-half stars out of five. The band posted an exasperated statement on its Web site last week saying the Maxim writer hadn't heard the entire album because advance copies weren't available. The Crowes' manager, Pete Angelus, said the magazine explained that its review was an "educated guess."

Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky responded Tuesday with this statement: "It is Maxim's editorial policy to assign star ratings only to those albums that have been heard in their entirety. Unfortunately, that policy was not followed in the March 2008 issue of our magazine and we apologize to our readers."

A spokeswoman for the magazine contacted by The Associated Press declined to say whether the writer would face disciplinary action.

"Warpaint," the Black Crowes' first album in seven years, is set for release March 4. The blues-rock group, fronted by Chris Robinson, has released only one song from the disc, "Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution."

The band's hits include "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels."

Madonna to release new album "Hard Candy" in April

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Madonna has dubbed her final album of new material for her longtime Warner Bros. label "Hard Candy," and will release it on April 29, her publicist confirmed on Tuesday.

The album, which features such songs as "Candy Store" and the first single "Four Minutes," is the follow-up to "Confessions on a Dance Floor," which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart in November 2005.

The title and release date were first reported by Entertainment Weekly's Web site, and the details were confirmed by Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg. Entertainment Weekly quoted Rosenberg as saying the 49-year-old singer "loves candy."

"Hard Candy" will be Madonna's last studio release for Warner Bros. before she begins a wide-ranging 10-year recording, touring and merchandising deal with Artist Nation, a new initiative launched by concert promoter Live Nation. Warner Bros., a unit of Warner Music Group Corp will also release a hits collection.

New "Terminator" film set for May 2009 release

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The fourth movie in the "Terminator" franchise will reach North American theaters on May 22, 2009, coinciding with the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, distributor Warner Bros. said.

Christian Bale will star as rebel leader John Connor in "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," which is scheduled to begin production in the spring in New Mexico.

"Charlie's Angels" filmmaker McG will direct the movie, which is expected to be the first in a new "Terminator" trilogy.

The series, which originated in 1984 and made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star, centered on a robot from the future where machines wage war against humanity, whose goal was to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of the future leader of the human resistance. As the movies progressed, the son, played by Edward Furlong in 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and Nick Stahl in 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," took a more prominent role.

Sony Pictures will handle international distribution. Warner Bros. and Sony had a similar arrangement for "Terminator 3," which grossed $433 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

Diablo Cody pays the price of fame, too

NEW YORK — Being the most famous stripper-turned-screenwriter in the world isn't always as pleasant as it may sound.

Diablo Cody, whose blog-to-riches fairy tale culminated in an Academy Award win for "Juno," has spent the past few months dominating a tiny little niche of Hollywood stardom: the celebrity writer. Not even wordsmith heavies Paul Haggis, Wes Anderson or Charlie Kaufman have stood in a spotlight so bright — but then, none of them had the allure of a pole-dancing past, punkish attitude or surprising smash-hit, Oscar-worthy pregnancy comedy.

And in Cody's case, there's a downside: The very things that make her star unique are suddenly being panned and scrutinized. From tabloid newspapers to well-trafficked celeb- and media-sniping blogs, Cody's meteoric rise has made her something of a target.

The first-time scriptwriter from Lemont, Ill., demonstrated her no-nonsense, rebellious personality last week when she took to her MySpace blog to vent about the $1 million diamond-laced shoes designed for her by Stuart Weitzman to wear on Oscar's red carpet.

"They're using me to publicize their stupid shoes and NOBODY ASKED ME," wrote Cody, who ultimately wore gold flats. "I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide."

Cody, who has been unapologetic and candid about her colorful life, drew praise in the blogosphere for her remarks at the time. But in the days that followed, Weitzman told the celebrity Web site TMZ that Cody actually selected the shoes herself, and bloggers (and subsequent commenters) had their fun calling her out for what they saw as diva behavior.

The New York Post chose a picture of Cody for its after-Oscars cover that prominently featured her bikini-clad stripper tattoo. The headline: Who's Tat Girl! And on Tuesday, Photos of a scantily clad Cody surfaced on the Web site Egotastic — nothing new, considering she's posted scantily clad photos of herself before.

With her Oscar firmly in hand, Diablo is laying low for now. She is "out of town," spending her time writing — and won't be available for media interviews "for the foreseeable future," her representative, Craig Bankey, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the Web site Something Awful posted three pages of a fake Cody screenplay called "Quotey" that mocked the hipster wordplay she showcased in "Juno," which had the oft-mocked line: "Honest to blog?"

And right before the Oscars, New York comedian Jackie Clarke released a video impersonation of Cody, complete with the writer's trademark black bob. In it, Clarke-as-Cody quipped: "Hey, did I ever tell you I used to be a stripper?"

"Everybody was ... rallying behind her before `Juno' hit $125 million at the box office, and now comes the inevitable backlash where they see her selling out to Hollywood," observed Tom O'Neil, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site.

"She always seemed like a rebel, a social rebel who now seems to have cashed in and joined the club. And I think what we're witnessing is resentment to that," said O'Neil, who noted that Cody's raunchy backstory likely proved irresistible to Hollywood types who don't get a chance to show their bohemian, darker sides in public.

O'Neil called Cody's rise a "naughty Cinderella" story. Cody, whose real name is Brook Busey, caught the eye of manager Mason Novick after he found her sexy blog while surfing for porn online several years ago. She wrote a memoir about her year as a stripper in Minneapolis — and whipped up "Juno" on a laptop at a Starbucks in a Target store.

Cody's new projects include the Steven Spielberg-produced "The United States of Tara" for Showtime, featuring Toni Collette as a mom with split personalities, and the horror film "Jennifer's Body," which counts "Juno" director Jason Reitman among the producers. She's also taking a turn as a backpage pop-culture columnist for the magazine Entertainment Weekly.

"She was wooed by Hollywood from the start to join them," O'Neil said. "And once she did, then they exalted her. She became the ultimate epitome of Hollywood's free spirit."

Movie critic Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer thinks potshots against Cody are rooted in jealousy.

"She deserves what she has coming to her," Wilonsky said. "This is not accidental and it's not undeserved. Anyone who says otherwise is just a would-be screenwriter with a movie script sitting in their desk that nobody has any interest in."

New York magazine recently published a chart showing "Juno" as experiencing "backlash to the backlash": "Almost everyone we know hates it," the magazine said. "So much so that others are now hating on the haters."

One of those haters is the mag's film critic, David Edelstein, who has professed to be "almost alone" — among critics, anyway — "in disliking" the dramedy.

"A lot of people I know have problems with the film because they think it's not the way a 16-year-old girl talks," Wilonsky said. "That's probably right to some extent. It's not meant to be a documentary."

O'Neil said the trick for Cody now is to deal with the pressure to match the success of "Juno."

"She's got to deliver," he said. "She's got to prove that all of this adulation is not just about her, but was really about her work."

The self-deprecating, yet self-promoting It Screenwriter seems as awed by her good fortune as her fans and detractors.

"I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting," Cody said after her Oscar victory. "I grew up in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility."

And until now, neither did the fame — and all of its pitfalls — that came along with it.

Anderson seeks to annul 2-month marriage

LOS ANGELES - Court documents show that Pamela Anderson is seeking an annulment, rather than a divorce, from husband Rick Salomon. The actress is seeking to annul the two-month marriage based on fraud. No other details were available, and Anderson's publicist did not immediately return an e-mail request for comment Tuesday.

In court papers filed in Los Angeles on Friday, Anderson asked the court not to award spousal support and to keep her and Salomon's income and property separate. On Monday, Anderson filed a request to have a retired judge handle the annulment proceedings — a common practice in celebrity split-ups as it keeps matters private and out of the court.

Anderson and Salomon, both 40, were married Oct. 6 in Las Vegas and separated Dec. 13. He's best known for making a sex videotape with then-girlfriend Paris Hilton and was previously married to actress Shannen Doherty.

Anderson was previously married to singer Kid Rock and Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

Sandra Oh to host Genie Awards gala

Actress Sandra Oh is coming back to Canada next weekend to host the Genie Awards, the annual celebration of the year's top Canadian films, organizers announced Monday evening.

Though perhaps most well-known for her Golden Globe-winning turn as an ambitious young surgeon on hit TV medical drama Grey's Anatomy, Oh has also maintained strong links to the independent and Canadian film communities.

Earlier this year, the Nepean, Ont.-born, Ottawa-raised Oh served as a juror for the dramatic competition grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Oh is also a former best actress Genie-winner for her roles in Don McKellar's Last Night and Mina Shum's Double Happiness. Her credits range from the Oscar contender Sideways to the HBO comedy Arliss to early work in Canadian productions like CBC's The Diary of Evelyn Lau.

In December, the Toronto branch of the group Women in Film and Television presented Oh with the international achivement honour at its 2007 Crystal Awards. She recently returned to filming Grey's Anatomy after the end of the recent U.S. screenwriters strike — during which she was a prominent face on the picket lines supporting her writer colleagues.

With 12 nominations each, David Cronenberg's Russian mafia thriller Eastern Promises and the Rwandan genocide drama Shake Hands with the Devil are the lead nominees going into the 28th annual Genie Awards.

The ceremony will be held in Toronto on March 3.

New CD Releases, February 26: Dolly Parton, Janet Jackson, Tift Merritt

Dolly Parton "Backwoods Barbie"

The country music legend releases her first new studio set since 2005's "Those Were the Days." According to a press release, "Backwoods Barbie" is Parton's "first album of mainstream country music in 17 years."

The 12-track "Backwoods Barbie" features nine originals, including the Parton-penned title track, which will be used in the score for a Broadway-musical adaptation of "9 to 5" (based on the 1980 movie of the same name that co-starred the singer with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) currently planned for 2009. The first single from the album is "Better Get to Livin'."

Parton will support "Backwoods Barbie" on the road. The singer postponed the tour's initial start date after she was instructed by doctors to rest her back for six to eight weeks in order to recover properly, but the trek is now scheduled to kick off April 22 in Pittsburgh, PA.

* * *
Janet Jackson "Discipline"

Janet--still "Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty"--is dropping her 10th studio album, her first under a new recording contract with Island Records. The first single from "Discipline" is "Feedback," a track that was leaked to radio stations back in December.

"Discipline" follows 2006's "20 Y.O.," which sold more than 296,000 copies in its first week on shelves and debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 album chart. Besides recording, Jackson has remained busy with film work. She appeared in the 2007 Tyler Perry film "Why Did I Get Married?," which opened at No. 1 at the box office back in October.

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Tift Merritt "Another Country"

The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter is ready to release her first studio album in four years. Merritt's previous studio set was 2004's Grammy-nominated "Tambourine," although she did release a live album and a concert DVD more recently.

The alt-country songstress will support "Another Country" on tour. The trek launches March 1 in Albany, NY, and is currently set to wrap at the April 26 Merlefest gathering in Wilkesboro, NC.

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Erykah Badu "New AmErykah, Pt. One: 4th World War"

Having taken a lengthy hiatus from the studio, the neo-soul singer finally returns with her fourth album. Badu's last studio effort was 2003's gold-certified "Worldwide Underground."

The lead single from "New AmErykah, Pt. One: 4th World War" is "Honey." The new album comes out on the same day that Badu will celebrate her 37th birthday.

* * *
Goldfrapp "Seventh Tree"

The British electronic music group, fronted by vocalist/synthesizer queen Alison Goldfrapp, hits with its fourth studio album. "Seventh Tree" follows 2005's "Supernature," a work that was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.

* * *
More new releases:
The Afters, "Never Going Back to OK" (Sony)
Beach House, "Devotion" (Carpark)
Death Angel, "Killing Season" (Nuclear Blast)
Michael English, "The Prodigal Comes Home" (Curb)
China Forbes, "'78" (Heinz)
Ghostland Observatory, "Robotique Majestique" (Trashy Moped)
Hapa, "Hapa Live" (Finn)
Missy Higgins, "On a Clear Night" (Reprise)
The High Kings, "The High Kings" (Manhattan)
Leeland, "Opposite Way" (Provident)
Pillar, "For the Love of the Game" (Flicker)
Punch Brothers, "Punch" (Nonesuch)
Lizz Wright, "The Orchard" (Verve)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Disney's The Little Mermaid (2008 Original Broadway Cast)" (Disney)
"Ring of Fire: The Musical" (Time Life)

Oscars are a TV ratings dud

NEW YORK - The Oscars are a ratings dud. Nielsen Media Research says preliminary ratings for the 80th annual Academy Awards telecast are 14 percent lower than the least-watched ceremony ever.

Nielsen said Monday that overnight ratings are also 21 percent lower than last year, when "The Departed" was named best picture.

The least-watched Oscars ceremony ever was in 2003, when there were 33 million viewers.

Nielsen has no estimate yet on how many people watched Sunday night, but based on ratings from the nation's biggest markets, the Oscars will be hard-pressed to avoid an ignominious record.

The show had a 21.9 rating and 33 share.

Dan's Oscar Picks!

Well, I expected to go 5 for 6 with the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS giving me the headache once again this year, in what was another fairly easily predictable year.

But I went 4 for 6 again this year...but remember, I made my predictions the day of the nominations.

Now, I do give myself some credit in the BEST ACTRESS category.

So lets recap....The 80th Annual Academy Awards...here is what I got right:

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner: No Country For Old Men
Dan's Prediction - No Country For Old Men

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Dan's Prediction - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
Dan's Prediction - Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men

And this is what I missed:

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."
Dan's Prediction - Julie Christie, Away From Her

I had been saying all along that this was a two horse race between Julie Christie, "Away From Her" and Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose". I thought that Julie Christie would win as Hollywood loved their own...I was wrong, but I do give myself some credit here.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton"
Dan's Prediction - Ruby Dee, American Gangster

Well, I was wrong...but backstage, Swinton said she was completely shocked.

"I thought Ruby Dee would win and then, frankly, anybody but me," Swinton told reporters.

Oh well, an Academy Award winner agreed with me, so I don't feel so bad.

As for the night's other notable category for me:

Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova; "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "Raise It Up" from "August Rush," Nominees to be determined; "So Close" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "That's How You Know" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

I was so happy that "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won!!!

This was the highlight of the night for me!!

Oscar noms awaiting DVD release

Only one of this year's best-picture nominees has debuted on DVD.

Michael Clayton, with seven nominations in total, arrived this week in a single-disc edition with modest-yet-effective bonus materials. The highlight is a revealing commentary by writer-director Tony Gilroy, who explains how star George Clooney empowered his project after years of "walking in the wilderness."

Up next is No Country for Old Men, the violent masterpiece from Joel and Ethan Coen and the nominations co-leader with eight. It debuts March 11 in a single-disc edition.

Predictably, the Coen Brothers won't say much. They often give mumbling answers in interviews. But the DVD extras may illuminate the challenges of the project, anyway. Hopefully, they will focus on the stellar work of Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson, all overlooked in the Oscar noms as Javier Bardem burst into prominence.

Further out is P.T. Anderson's There Will be Blood, the other nominations co-leader with eight. It is due April 8 in a two-disc collector's edition, which obviously will include generous bonus materials on the second disc.

Following that is Juno, set for an April 15 release in single-disc format. Juno is doing very well in theatres, despite minor backlash over its pregnant-teen theme. The worldwide box office is up to $143 million, most of it in North America. It is the clear box-office winner among the best-picture noms.

As for the final best-picture nominee, Atonement (tied with Michael Clayton with seven noms), no DVD dates have been announced yet.

Other Oscar nominees are currently available on DVD.

Among them is Ratatouille (five noms); La Vie en Rose (three noms); The Bourne Ultimatum (three noms); Transformers (three noms); Away From Her (two noms); 3:10 to Yuma (two noms); Elizabeth: The Golden Age (two noms); American Gangster (two noms); Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (two noms); In The Valley of Elah (one nom); The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (one nom); Eastern Promises (one nom); Gone Baby Gone (one nom); Surf's Up (one nom); Once (one nom); Across the Universe (one nom); and the idiotic Norbit (one nom).

Nominees due soon include Into the Wild (two noms), which is due March 4, and Enchanted (three noms), due March 18.

If you want to delve into Oscar's past, however, Fox, MGM and United Artists have teamed on five new box sets, all keyed to historic Oscar winners.

Three boxes contain best- picture winners, organized by studio. MGM's four-disc Best Picture Collection has Rocky, Platoon, Dances With Wolves and The Silence of the Lambs. The five-disc Fox box has How Green Was My Valley, Gentleman's Agreement, All About Eve and The Sound of Music. The four-disc United Artists set has Marty, The Apartment, West Side Story and Tom Jones.

There are two other boxes, each devoted to the acting craft. The five-disc Best Actor Collection has In Old Arizona, The King and I, Patton, Harry and Tonto and Wall Street, featuring winners from Warner Baxter to Michael Douglas. The five-disc Best Actress Collection has Anastasia, The Three Faces of Eve, Norma Rae, Boy's Don't Cry and Walk the Line, featuring winners from Ingrid Bergman to Reese Witherspoon.

'No Country' wins top Oscars

HOLLYWOOD -- No Country for Old Men had a great, if not a killer, night at the 80th annual Academy Awards.

The dark tale of a serial killer on the trail of a looted fortune won three of the "big six" Oscars and four overall, including best picture. But No Country lost in four technical categories, a sign that there is no longer any evidence of the across-the-board voting that helped set most-Oscar records for films such as Titanic.

The brother team of Joel and Ethan Coen won three of No Country's Oscars -- for best picture, director and adapted screenplay.

Javier Bardem picked up the movie's fourth Oscar, in the supporting-actor category, for portraying a particularly brutal serial killer.

During his acceptance speech, the Spaniard -- directing his comments toward his mother in the audience -- told her in Spanish that this Oscar will help "to recover the dignity of actors... and it's for our pride."

The Coens went into the evening hoping to make Academy Awards history by winning all four categories in which they were nominated. But when The Bourne Ultimatum won for film editing, that dream died. Only legendary animator Walt

Disney has ever won four Oscars in the same year, albeit not for the same movie.

No Country lost in three other technical categories, one to There Will Be Blood in cinematography, and two more to The Bourne Ultimatum, in sound editing and sound mixing. The latter meant that Kevin O'Connell's incredible Oscar losing streak was extended to 0-for-20. The 50-year-old sound mixer extended his record for the most Academy Award nominations without a win; he was up for Transformers.

In winning for adapted screenplay, the Coens defeated Canadian Sarah Polley, 29, who was nominated for her celebrated feature-film directorial debut, Away From Her. Polley adapted her screenplay from Alice Munro's short story.

No Country for Old Men won the best-picture Oscar over the oil epic There Will Be Blood, the Second World War drama Atonement, the corporate drama Michael Clayton and the popular made-in-Canada comedy Juno, starring Canadian Ellen Page.

The Bourne Ultimatum won three Oscars, albeit in technical categories. There Will Be Blood and La Vie en Rose were the only other multiple winners, with two apiece.

As expected, Daniel Day-Lewis won as best actor for There Will Be Blood. There were huge upsets in the actress categories, though.

French actress Marion Cotillard beat huge favourite Away From Her's Julie Christie for the best-actress Oscar. In her broken Engish, a clearly rattled Cotillard on stage thanked "life" and "love" for her victory. Page of Halifax, who just turned 21, was up for best actress for her turn as the pregnant teen in Juno.

Cotillard was beguilling backstage, entertaining the press with an a capella excerpt from one of Edith Piaf's songs, and she charmed everyone with her unbridled joy.

"I'm totally overwhelmed with joy and sparkles and fireworks, and everything that goes boom, boom, boom," she said. "It's all going off in here."

In another big surprise, Tilda Swinton won the supporting-actress Oscar for Michael Clayton. Cate Blanchett's turn as folk-era Bob Dylan in I'm Not There and 83-year-old Ruby Dee, for American Gangster, were seen to be the favourites in that category. Blanchett also lost in the best-actress category for her work in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Backstage, Swinton said she was completely shocked.

"I thought Ruby Dee would win and then, frankly, anybody but me," Swinton told reporters.

She did not react to her name being announced as winner, she admitted.

"I had a reverse Zoolander moment when I thought I heard someone else's name. Then I slowwwwly heard my own."

Other Canadians were up for Oscars at the Kodak Theater.

Two Canadian filmmakers lost in the animated-shorts category. Josh Rankin's I Met the Walrus and Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerbowski's Madame Tutli-Putli failed to gain more academy votes than Peter & the Wolf.

Also for Juno, Montreal-born Jason Reitman, himself only 30, was up for best director but lost to the Coens.

Outside the Kodak Theater, it had been raining sporadically all day -- with breaks of sunshine only to be dashed by the next shower. The rain did not wash out the red carpet festivities, however.

The telecast was only three hours, 18 minutes -- the second shortest this decade.

Complete list of Oscar winners

Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."

Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."

Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."

Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."

Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."

Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.

Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."

Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."

Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."

Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.

Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."

Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."

Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."

Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."

Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."

Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (`The Mozart of Pickpockets')."

Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."
_

Academy Award winners previously announced this year:

Honorary and technical Oscars: Robert Boyle; Eastman Kodak Co.; David A. Grafton.

The Oscar moments you didn't see on TV

LOS ANGELES - Most of the action on the Oscar stage is choreographed and rehearsed. Backstage is another story.

In the wings of the Kodak Theatre, stars grapple with nerves, have impromptu meetings with colleagues and make last-minute adjustments to their hair and makeup. Presenters and performers mingle with brand-new Oscar winners while dodging props and cameramen.

What you see on TV is Hollywood magic. Backstage is like a home movie, where everybody knows each other and they're all excited about putting on a show.
___

OSCAR SHOCK: As Marion Cotillard stepped offstage with the best-actress Oscar for "La Vie En Rose," Forest Whitaker enveloped her in a hug that lasted at least a minute.

Then they looked at each other and laughed.

"I'm shaking, like wow," Cotillard trembled.

Stopping by the backstage "thank you" cam, she expressed her gratitude in French and studied her Oscar.

"I'm shaking so much I think I can't talk," she said.

Whitaker led her arm-in-arm behind the stage on the winner's walk.

"This is huge, this is huge," she gushed as backstage workers applauded.

At a stop for a makeup touch up she tried to breathe deeply.

"This is crazy, this is totally crazy. Ooh la la la la! It's totally surreal," she said.

Tilda Swinton was so stunned by her win for supporting actress in "Michael Clayton" that she could only keep repeating "wow, wow" as she walked offstage.

Presenter Alan Arkin chased her with the winner's envelope.

"Oh yes, this is the proof," Swinton said, leaving arm-in-arm with Arkin.

___

JITTERS: Katherine Heigl wasn't kidding when she told the Oscar audience she was nervous.

Behind the scenes, a stagehand asked if she was OK.

"I just need a cigarette," she said, bumming one from a security guard and heading out to a loading dock.

___

NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOE BUSINESS: Adjusting her dress as she stepped into the theater wings and prepared to take the stage, Jennifer Garner confessed to the stage manager: "I'd like to take my shoes off."

"We could do it," he replied.

Instead, she looked skyward and said, "I didn't mean it, karmic dressing gods," and walked in a small circle.

"I'm just going to make sure I'm not going to fall," she explained.

Rene Zellweger had slung her silver Christian Louboutins over her shoulder when Johnny Depp ran into her.

"I like your shoes," Depp said.

"Thanks man," Zellweger replied. "I used to like the shoes."

___

STAR CLUSTER: At times it seemed there were as many stars in the green room as in the audience.

Penelope Cruz sat by her sister, Monica, and fanned herself. They were joined by Miley Cyrus, Johnny Depp and companion Vanessa Paradis, and Forest Whitaker.

Marion Cotillard was about to join them when she learned she would have to smoke outside.

___

CELEBRITY PLUMBING: The restroom just offstage was another Kodak Theatre hotspot.

Jessica Alba and Forrest Whitaker waited in line, and Javier Bardem brought his Oscar inside with him.

First-time presenters Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill passed the crowd on the way to the stage, but Hill paused and thought better of it. They joined lineup.

___

LADIES MAN: This backstage reporter was just trying to get out of Jack Nicholson's way, but ended up in his crosshairs.

As he passed in a narrow corridor he brushed against her synthetic white fur coat.

"Nice jacket," he said half under his breath.

As the reporter thanked him, photographers in the hallway aimed their cameras.

"Let's have a picture," said Nicholson.

Dan's Oscar Picks!

2008 - I expect to go 5 for 6 with the BEST ACTRESS giving me the headache in what is another easily predictable year.

1. Best Picture: "Atonement," "Juno," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood."

This is the Coen Brothers' year, so No Country for Old Men wins this.

2. Actor: George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"; Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"; Tommy Lee Jones, "In the Valley of Elah"; Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises."

Daniel Day-Lewis wins here. Although Tommy Lee was great, and Clooney seems to have all the buzz right now.

3. Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"; Julie Christie, "Away From Her"; Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"; Laura Linney, "The Savages"; Ellen Page, "Juno."

This is a two horse race between Julie Christie, "Away From Her" and Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose", with Julie Christie winning as Hollywood loves their own!

4. Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"; Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"; Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"; Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton."

INTO THE WILD was one of the two worst pictures of last year, but Hal Holbrook was spectacular in it! However this seems to be Javier Bardem's as part of the Coen's year.

5. Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"; Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"; Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement"; Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"; Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."

I have heard good things about Amy Ryan, and everyone else in this category, but it seems that Ruby Dee - who has never been nominated before - takes home the Award.

6. Director: Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; Jason Reitman, "Juno"; Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"; Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood."

Coen Brothers! Period, end of story!

SOME EXTRAS AS WELL...BUT THESE ARE JUST HOPES, NOT PREDICTIONS

8. Adapted Screenplay: Christopher Hampton, "Atonement"; Sarah Polley, "Away from Her"; Ronald Harwood, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"; Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"; Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood."

Would love to see Sarah Polley win here!

9. Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno"; Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl"; Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"; Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco, "Ratatouille"; Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages."

Diablo Cody wins here...but all the rest are more interesting films.

16. Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova; "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "Raise It Up" from "August Rush," Nominees to be determined; "So Close" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "That's How You Know" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

This is the category that means the most to me as ONCE was my favourite film of 2007, so I truly hope it wins!!

So, to recap:

The 80th Annual Academy Awards

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner:
Dan's Prediction - No Country For Old Men

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner:
Dan's Prediction - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner:
Dan's Prediction - Julie Christie, Away From Her

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner:
Dan's Prediction - Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner:
Dan's Prediction - Ruby Dee, American Gangster

Best Achievement in Directing
Winner:
Dan's Prediction - Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 - DAN CORRECTLY PREDICTED FOUR OF THE SIX MAJOR CATEGORIES AGAIN THIS YEAR - AND HE ALSO SAID THAT IF EDDIE MURPHY DIDN'T WIN, ALAN ARKIN WOULD.

The 79th Annual Academy Awards

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner: The Departed (2006) - Graham King
Dan's Prediction - Little Miss Sunshine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Dan's Prediction - Forest Whitaker

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006)
Dan's Prediction - Helen Mirren

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Dan's Prediction - Eddie Murphy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006)
Dan's Prediction - Jennifer Hudson

Best Achievement in Directing
Winner: Martin Scorsese for The Departed (2006)
Dan's Prediction - Martin Scorsese

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 - The 78th Annual Academy Awards were - Dan went 4 out of 6

Best Picture
WINNER - Crash
Dan's Prediction - Brokeback Mountain - All the buzz remains behind this film. CRASH has some headlines, but the buzz is all about BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

Best Actor
WINNER - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Dan's Prediction - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote - WALK THE LINE is selling lots of DVDs and Terrence Howard has a nice groundswell of support, but Hoffman's performance is just head and shoulders above everyone else's that - barring a BROKEBACK sweep he is a lock to win.

Best Actress
WINNER - Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Dan's Prediction - Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line - Remember the year Julia Roberts won, well now it is Reese's turn.

Best Supporting Actor
WINNER - Best Supporting Actor - George Clooney.
Dan's Prediction - Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man - Had he only been nominated for SIDEWAYS last year...but he wasn't, so this Oscar is his.

Best Supporting Actress
WINNER - Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Dan's Prediction - Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener - She was the only thing worth watching in an unwatchable movie, and with all of the previous acting awards to her credit, she wins and thanks Ralph Finnes for being "Every actor's dream to work with."

Best Director
WINNER - Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Dan's Prediction - Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain - I believe in all of my predictions, but this is the evening's one sure bet!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005 - The 77th Annual Academy Awards were - Dan went 5 out of 6

This is what I predicted in the six major categories:

BEST ACTOR - Jamie Foxx - RAY
BEST ACTRESS - Hilary Swank, MILLION DOLLAR BABY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Morgan Freeman, MILLION DOLLAR BABY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Virginia Madsen, SIDEWAYS
BEST PICTURE - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
And
BEST DIRECTOR - Clint Eastwood, MILLION DOLLAR BABY

The category I got wrong was BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Cate Blanchett for The Aviator

...here are the best Oscar alternatives on TV

When someone says "Juno," do you say, "Awards"?

When someone says "3:10 to Yuma," do you say, "Air Canada totally has screwed up my itinerary?"

When someone says "No Country For Old Men," do you say, "Are the Rolling Stones touring again?"

When someone says "There Will Be Blood," do you say, "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the next federal election"?

And when someone says "Ratatouille," do you say, "There's no way I'm eating that goulash"?

If any of those examples rings a bell, then maybe the Academy Awards, which will be televised tonight on CTV and ABC, aren't for you.

Luckily, there always are TV alternatives. Among them:

Intruders: Aliens Speak Out (Space)

In some previous years, you could categorize the Oscar acceptance speeches this way, couldn't you? Anyway, this Canadian-produced documentary digs into the phenomenon of so-called alien abductions by featuring the stories of five alleged abductees. If this all sounds quite reasonable to you, then hey, tear yourself away from your $11,000 worth of video games and enjoy!

On Screen (Bravo)

The presentation tonight looks at the movie Kissed, which is Lynne Stopkewich's 1996 film about necrophilia. Hey, we said there were alternatives. We didn't say they'd all be suitable for the whole family.

The Godfather Part II (AMC)

OK, this movie officially has replaced The Blues Brothers as the most frequently seen movie on TV. Rarely while clicking around does one come across the original version of The Godfather, nor do we encounter the largely dreadful Godfather III. It's always Part II. Sheesh, if we knew anyone named Fredo, we'd take him fishing, if you know what we mean.

Big Brother: 'Til Death Do You Part (Global, CBS)

The nomination ceremony and food competition take place. Hmmm, hopefully no one is serving ratatouille.

Cheerleader Nation (CMT)

America's bizarre and borderline creepy fascination with cheerleading continues as tryouts start for the Dunbar High School Varsity and Junior Varsity squads. "Gimme a C. Gimme an R. Gimme an A. Gimme a P. What's that spell?"

Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (CBC)

The third and final instalment of this documentary series sees the Queen's children discussing the lifetime jobs into which they were born. Wait a minute, the Queen's kids have jobs? We've never seen any of those positions posted on Workopolis.

Hannah Montana (Family)

Okay, this whole Miley Cyrus craze caught us totally off guard. Of course, when we look in the mirror, we don't see a 9-year-old girl, either. Anyway, with an episode called "She's a Super Sneak" (Rick James is rolling in his grave), here's a chance to investigate what all the fuss is about. By the way, Miley Cyrus will be one of Barbara Walters' victims tonight on her annual Oscar "Let's see who I can make cry" interrogation special on CTV and ABC, along with Vanessa Williams, Harrison Ford and Canuck Ellen Page.

Trailer Park Boys (Showcase)

Two words: Bubbles wrestles.

80 YEARS OF OSCAR MEMORIES

1929: First Academy Awards held at Hollywood's Hotel Roosevelt. WWI drama "Wings" wins Best Picture.

1930: Best Actor George Arliss ("Disraeli") and Best Actress Norma Shearer ("The Divorcée") pose with their statuettes two days before the banquet.

1931: Ten-year-old Jackie Cooper, nominated for Best Actor in "Skippy," falls asleep during the ceremony.

1932: Academy members pay $10 to attend the banquet. It sells out, anyway.

1933: The Academy skips a year in order to honor films made during the previous calendar year.

1934: Walt Disney calls his statuette "Oscar" while accepting Best Short Subject for "The Three Little Pigs." Insiders used the nickname after Academy librarian Margaret Herrick, on first seeing the trophy, said, "It's looks like Uncle Oscar." The Academy adopts the name in 1939.

1935: Bette Davis snubbed for "Of Human Bondage." Ensuing outrage inspires the Academy to allow write-in candidates.

1936: In an Oscar first, Best Writer winner Dudley Nichols ("The Informer") refuses his award in solidarity with striking unions.

1937: Best Supporting Actor and Actress are recognized for the first time. But winners get plaques instead of statuettes.

1938: Spencer Tracy's Best Actor Oscar for "Captains Courageous" is incorrectly engraved "Dick Tracy."

1939: Shirley Temple stands on a chair to present Walt Disney with an honorary award for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

1940: Hattie McDaniel breaks the color barrier. She's the first African American to attend the Oscars and the first to win, as Best Supporting Actress in "Gone With the Wind."

1941: Orson Welles becomes the first simultaneous nominee for Best Picture, Actor, Director and Screenplay for "Citizen Kane." He wins as a writer.

1942: As a symbolic gesture to the war effort, Oscar statuettes are made of plaster.

1943: The show is held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Awards' first public venue.

1944: Best Supporting Actor and Actress receive full-sized Oscars instead of a miniature on a plaque.

1945: The Best Picture category is limited to just five nominees instead of as many as 10. Other categories soon follow.

1946: For the first time, nominated songs, including winner "It Might As Well Be Spring" from "State Fair," are performed at the ceremony.

1947: For the first time, only Academy members can cast ballots.

1948: Foreign films finally get their due, as Italy's "Shoe-Shine" picks up an honorary award.

1949: Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" becomes the first foreign film to win Best Picture. Olivier wins Best Actor.

1950: The Academy begins numbering statuettes, beginning with 501. "Mighty Joe Young" wins that one, for Best Special Effects.

1951: Marlene Dietrich steals the show when, ascending stairs to present an award, she flashes her fabulous gams.

1952: Marlon Brando's breakout role in "A Streetcar Named Desire" is usurped for Best Actor by Humphrey Bogart in "The African Queen."

1953: An estimated 43 million viewers tune in for the two-hour broadcast.

1954: Brando finally wins Best Actor for "On the Waterfront," beating out, among others, Bogart in "The Caine Mutiny."

1955: Best Actress nominee for "A Star Is Born," Judy Garland is unable to attend because she's in the hospital - as the mother of day-old Joey Luft.

1956: "Marty" becomes the first TV-to-motion-picture transfer to win Best Picture.

1957: For the first time, every Best Picture nominee is in color. "Around the World in 80 Days" wins.

1958: Miyoshi Umeki becomes the first Asian actress to win an Oscar, as Supporting Actress in "Sayonara."

1959: "Gigi" breaks the record for most Oscars for a single film: nine.

1960: "Ben-Hur" shatters the record from the previous year, claiming 11 Oscars.

1961: The Oscar broadcast moves from NBC to ABC.

1962: Sophia Loren delivers the first foreign-language performance to win Best Actress in "Two Women."

1963: At 16, Best Supporting Actress Patty Duke is the youngest Oscar winner for "The Miracle Worker."

1964: Sidney Poitier is the first black man to win an Oscar, as Best Actor in "Lilies of the Field."

1965: All four acting awards are won by non-Americans: Rex Harrison ("My Fair Lady"), Julie Andrews ("Mary Poppins"), Peter Ustinov ("Topkapi") and Lila Kedrova ("Zorba the Greek").

1966: "The Sound of Music" wins Best Picture, but star Julie Andrews loses her bid for a second Best Actress award to Julie Christie in "Darling."

1967: Sisters Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave are both up for Best Actress (for "Morgan!" and "Georgy Girl," respectively). But Elizabeth Taylor beats them both for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

1968: Bob Hope emcees the awards for the 14th straight year.

1969: First worldwide telecast goes out to 37 nations.

1970: Cary Grant receives an honorary Oscar. He'd been nominated twice, but never won.

1971: Best Picture winner "Midnight Cowboy" is the first and only X-rated film to be honored.

1972: The awards' golden sheen wears thin. The LA Times claims host Bob Hope is "excruciatingly unfunny" and Variety says, "At 43, Oscar looked tired."

1973: Marlon Brando sends Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse his Best Actor award for "The Godfather" to protest film portrayals of Native Americans.

1974: As David Niven introduces Elizabeth Taylor, a streaker runs across the stage, flashing a peace sign.

1975: "The Godfather: Part II" is the first sequel to win Best Picture.

1976: Best Actress for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Louise Fletcher is the first Oscar recipient to use sign language at the podium.

1977: "Network" star Peter Finch receives the first posthumous Best Actor award. He died of a heart attack two months before the awards.

1978: "Annie Hall" is the first comedy to win Best Picture since "Tom Jones" in 1964.

1979: Johnny Carson makes his first appearance as host of the Oscars.

1980: Sally Field wins Best Actress for "Norma Rae," but later jokes that "the Academy is slacking off in the class quotient - after all, I won."

1981: The awards are postponed for 24 hours after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan.

1982: Katharine Hepburn's fourth win, as Best Actress for "On Golden Pond" makes her the all-time Academy Award champ.

1983: German sub flick "Das Boot" gets six nominations, the most ever for a foreign film. It wins nothing.

1984: Oscar's longest show, at three hours and 42 minutes. Says Shirley MacLaine: "This show has been as long as my career."

1985: Steven Spielberg rages when the Awards producers consider barring his unwed and pregnant lover, Amy Irving, from appearing on the show.

1986: With 11 nominations and no wins, "The Color Purple" joins
1977's "The Turning Point" as the two most nominated nonwinning films in the Academy's history.

1987: Nominated for Best Actress in "Aliens," Sigourney Weaver is the first female action star to be recognized by the Academy.

1988: The ceremony moves to LA's Shrine Auditorium. Drivers get lost on the way and many stars, including pregnant Glenn Close, dash through traffic to get inside on time.

1989: The phrase "and the winner is" is replaced with "and the Oscar goes to."

1990: "Driving Miss Daisy" is the first film to win Best Picture without a Best Director nod since "Grand Hotel" in 1932.

1991: "Dances With Wolves" is the first Western to win Best Picture since "Cimmaron" in 1931.

1992: Upon winning Best Supporting Actor for "City Slickers," Jack Palance does one-arm push-ups.

1993: Al Pacino is the first actor to be nominated for leading ("Scent of a Woman") and supporting ("Glengarry Glen Ross") roles. He wins Best Actor.

1994: "Schindler's List" is the first (mostly) black-and-white film to win Best Picture since "The Apartment" in 1961.

1995: Elton John and Tim Rice's three "Lion King" songs are the most ever nominated in a single year. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" wins.

1996: In "Dead Man Walking," Susan Sarandon is the first Best Actress winner to portray a nun.

1997: With nine Oscars, "The English Patient" dominates, but stars Ralph Fiennes and Kristen Scott Thomas go home empty-handed.

1998: "Titanic" ties "Ben-Hur" as the most-honored film in history with 11 awards. None of its actors wins.

1999: For the first time, the ceremony is held on Sunday.

2000: Angelina Jolie wins Best Supporting Actress for "Girl, Interrupted," making her and Jon Voight the only father-daughter Oscar winners other than Henry and Jane Fonda.

2001: For the first time in 51 years, the Best Picture winner ("Gladiator") doesn't pick up an additional award for either Best Director or Best Screenplay.

2002: Halle Berry becomes the first African-American woman to win Best Actress for "Monster's Ball."

2003: All five of the Best Picture nominees were released in the last two weeks of 2002 (December 18 or after). "Chicago" wins.

2004: Billy Crystal hosts the awards for the eighth time.

2005: Clint Eastwood and Albert Ruddy share the Best Picture Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby." Eastwood had been the presenter for Best Picture when Ruddy won his first Oscar as producer of "The Godfather" in 1973.

2006: With "Good Night, and Good Luck," and "Syriana," George Clooney is the first nominee for Best Director and Supportng Actor for different films. He wins Best Supporting Actor.

2007: With 71 letters and 12 words, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" has the longest title of any film ever nominated.

Sources: "65 Years of Oscar," by Robert Osborne, "Inside Oscar" by Damien Bona and Mason Wiley, "The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History," by Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza.

Maxim fabricated CD review, Black Crowes say

The Black Crowes say an album review by Maxim magazine was fabricated because advance CDs were not available.

The critique, published in Maxim's March issue, gives the Crowes' Warpaint a rating of 2½ stars out of five.

"The writer — who has not heard the album, since advance CDs were not made available — wrote what appears to be a disparaging assessment anyway, citing, 'it hasn't left Chris Robinson and the gang much room for growth,' " said a statement on the band's official website.

The band's manager, Pete Angelus, said the band raised the issue with Maxim, which, he said, responded in an e-mail with the following: "Of course, we always prefer to [sic] hearing music, but sometimes there are big albums that we don't want to ignore that aren't available to hear, which is what happened with the Crowes. It's either an educated guess preview or no coverage at all, so in this case we chose the former."

Maxim, which has not confirmed the authenticity of the e-mail message to Angelus, released this statement in response: "Maxim will continue to provide our readers with information that is important to them, whether it is about fashion, lifestyle, technology, music, movies and more."

"It's a disgrace to the arts, journalism, critics, the publication itself and the public," Angelus said.

"What's next — Maxim's concert reviews of shows they never attended, book reviews of books never read and film reviews of films never seen?"

Warpaint marks the band's first album in seven years and is set for release March 4. The blues-rock group has released only one song from the disc, Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution.

Lohan's I Know Who Killed Me reaps most Razzies ever

Eddie Murphy and Lindsay Lohan shared some nasty honours by each capturing three 2007 Razzies, awards given to the worst performances and films.

The 28th annual Golden Raspberry Awards, always handed out the day before the Oscars, bestowed Lohan with two worst-actress awards for playing twins in I Know Who Killed Me, which was named worst movie of the year.

Adding to the dishonour, she also won worst onscreen couple for a scene in which she appears opposite herself in a story about siblings stalked by a serial killer.

I Know Who Killed Me was a box office flop with a take of $9 million US worldwide, and won eight of nine Raspberries for which it was nominated.

"Part of why the Razzies exist is to make fun of the academy, which takes itself too seriously," Razzies founder John Wilson said at the ceremony on Saturday at a magic shop in Santa Monica, Calif.

"If you had tried to make something certain to offend the average 90-year-old academy voter, I don't think you could have done a better job than the foul-mouthed, physically ugly, emotionally ugly movie [Lohan] unleashed on the world."

The film also garnered Raspberries for Chris Siverston in the director category as well as Jeffrey Hammond for worst screenplay, and in the new category of Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie.

I Know Who Killed Me broke a record of seven wins previously held by Showgirls and Battlefield Earth.

Murphy's roles in Norbit rack up Razzies

Norbit, a hit worldwide with $158 million US in box office receipts, captured three of the four worst-acting categories.

Murphy had several parts in Norbit so, besides worst actor, he also nabbed worst supporting actor and supporting actress Raspberries for roles as a Chinese man and Norbit's screaming overweight wife.

It's been quite a journey for the comedian, who is now the first person ever to win three acting Razzies in one year. That's only a year after he was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor in Dreamgirls.

The only award left over was given to Daddy Day Camp for Worst Prequel or Sequel.

The winners almost never are in attendance to get their gaudy gold trophies. An exception was Halle Berry, who showed up to accept her 2005 prize for Catwoman.

In the history of the award, Sylvester Stallone is the overall Razzies champ with 30 nominations and 10 wins.

The winners are decided by Razzie members, who must buy a membership to take part in the vote.

Juno soars at Independent Spirit Awards

Teen-pregnancy comedy Juno dominated the Independent Spirit Awards by taking three trophies, including best picture and the lead actress prize for Canadian Ellen Page.

The film, directed by Montreal-born Jason Reitman, also garnered a first-time screenplay honour for Diablo Cody at the awards, which honour the best in independent filmmaking.

Halifax actress Page landed on top of a heap of Hollywood heavyweights — including Angelina Jolie and Parker Posey — for her portrayal as a spirited 16-year-old who becomes pregnant through her best friend and decides to give her baby away.

Page, who has said she feels "numb" by all the attention she's getting for the role, honoured Cody in her acceptance speech.

"This is all Diablo Cody's fault. She wrote one of the best screenplays I have ever read," said the 21-year-old at the low-key ceremony Saturday afternoon on the beach in Santa Monica, Calif.

"I got to work with some amazing actors who all poured their hearts into this film because we all believed in it so much."

Reitman, who lost in the best director category to Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, was visibly moved as Page went on to praise him.

All three — Page, Reitman and Cody — are up for Oscars in their respective fields on Sunday night. Cody said she's just grateful.

"Having your film get made is your reward," said the 29-year-old writer, whose script for Juno was her first screenplay. "That alone is the miracle, so to get an award is beyond imaginable. It's so cool."

Other winners included a pregnant Cate Blanchett, who won the best supporting actress award for her role in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There.

She dedicated her award to co-star Heath Ledger, who died following an accidental drug overdose last month. To "one of the most beautiful independent spirits of all, Heath Ledger," Blanchett said. "This is for him."

First Altman award

Blanchett beat out the likes of Canadian Tamara Podemski, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her work on the film Four Sheets to the Wind. She won a special jury prize for acting at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival for the role.

I'm Not There also took the first ever Robert Altman Award — named after director Robert Altman, who died in 2006 — for a filmmaker, casting director and acting ensemble.

"I have no doubt [Heath Ledger] would have made an astounding director," director Todd Haynes said in his acceptance speech.

Philip Seymour Hoffman walked away with the best actor trophy for The Savages, which also garnered a best screenplay prize for Tamara Jenkins. Hoffman is nominated in the same category at the Oscars, but for another role, in Charlie Wilson's War.

Chiwetel Ejiofor won for best supporting male for Talk to Me while The Lookout, directed by Scott Frank, captured best first feature film.

The best foreign film award went to low-budget Irish film Once, starring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglov.

Toronto' s Jennifer Baichwal lost out in the documentary category to Crazy Love. Her film, Manufactured Landscapes, had won a Genie.

Springsteen, Young join anti-war soundtrack

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Peal Jam have contributed tunes to the anti-war soundtrack for a documentary about a U.S. soldier paralyzed in Iraq.

The 30-song, two-disc album "Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran" will be released March 18 via Warner Music's Sire Records label. All proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit Iraq Veterans Against the War.

"Body of War" focuses on Tomas Young, an Army soldier paralyzed upon arriving in Iraq. It will open on March 13 in Austin, Texas, and expand nationally in subsequent months. Talk show veteran Phil Donahue directed the film with Ellen Spiro.

The album was put together by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, who composed the first single, "No War," specifically for the film. Pearl Jam's live version of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" also graces the soundtrack.

Springsteen contributed "Devils & Dust," and Neil Young "The Restless Consumer." Other tracks include "Yo George" from Tori Amos, "Son of a Bush" from Public Enemy, and "Bushonomics" from Talib Kweli & Cornel West.

'Vantage Point' gets top box office vote

LOS ANGELES - The political thriller "Vantage Point" secured the top spot at the weekend box office, earning an estimated $24 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The previous No. 1 movie, 20th Century Fox's "Jumper," dropped to second with $12.7 million, raising its domestic total to $56.2 million in two weeks. Paramount's family fantasy "The Spiderwick Chronicles" was a close third with $12.6 million. Disney's dance saga "Step Up 2 The Streets" and Warner Bros.' romantic comedy "Fool's Gold" rounded out the top five.

"Vantage Point," a Sony Pictures action-drama about a presidential assassination seen from the viewpoints of different characters, included a star-studded ensemble cast that featured Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox as Secret Service agents.

"Audiences really love it when they get a summer-style popcorn movie at a time of the year when they don't expect it," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.

The studio said "Vantage Point" appealed to a broad audience — 52 percent of moviegoers were male and half were under age 30.

"It's fresh with lots of twists and turns. Audiences become very invested in it," said Rory Bruer, Sony president of distribution.

The only other new release to crack the top 10 was the Jack Black comedy "Be Kind Rewind," which took in $4.1 million and was tied at No. 7 with "Juno." The Fox Searchlight pregnancy comedy has rung up $130 million since opening 12 weeks ago.

Paramount Vantage's oil saga "There Will Be Blood" moved up two slots to No. 10 with $2.6 million for a total of $35 million in nine weeks.

The weekend's other two debuts, Lionsgate's "Witless Protection" and MGM's "Charlie Bartlett," came in at Nos. 13 and 14, respectively.

Box office revenues were down for the second straight week. The top 12 movies grossed $90 million, down 23 percent from last weekend and 10 percent from the same weekend in 2007.

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. "Vantage Point," $24 million.
2. "Jumper," $12.7 million.
3. "Spiderwick Chronicles," $12.6 million.
4. "Step Up 2 the Streets," $9.8 million.
5. "Fool's Gold," $6.3 million.
6. "Definitely, Maybe," $5.2 million.
7. "Juno," $4.1 million.
7. "Be Kind Rewind," $4.1 million.
9. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," $4 million.
10. "There Will Be Blood," $2.6 million.

The Couch Potato Report - February 23rd, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels three high profile Oscar nominees, and four other films.

Yes, I have seven releases to tell you about on this very busy week, so let me get right to it, starting with this week's HOT POTATO, the latest release from Canadian filmmaker Paul Haggis, the crime drama mystery thriller IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH.

In this film Tommy Lee Jones is a war veteran, searching for his son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has mysteriously gone missing.

Charlize Theron plays a sympathetic police detective who helps him in the search.

For his work, Tommy Lee Jones was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actor Category, and he deserves it as this is one of those roles where you can't imagine anyone else playing it.

Inspired by actual events, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH is very slow and very dramatic, but it is also very effective.

If you enjoyed Paul Haggis' writing on MILLION DOLLAR BABY, or his direction on CRASH...both films winner of the Best Picture Oscar...then I think you will find merit in this film as well.

Now, if you are a fan of THE GODFATHER and SCARFACE I think you will find more than merit in our next release this week - Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe star in AMERICAN GANGSTER...a film that is nominated twice for tomorrow night's Academy Awards - in the Best Achievement in Art Direction and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role categories.

The legendary Ruby Dee will probably win the SupportinG Actress Oscar, but her role in this film is so small, that I am going to focus on Washington and Crowe instead.

Oscar winner Denzel portrays Frank Lucas, a real-life heroin kingpin from Harlem who smuggled heroin into the US on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War.

Oscar winner Crowe is Richie Roberts, a detective attempting to bring down Lucas' drug empire.

The DVD for AMERICAN GANGSTER features the original theatrical version of the film, and an unrated extended version of it that runs almost three hours.

Both versions are exceptionally well written, acted and directed, and while I did like the film a lot, due to the fact that there are too many extra characters and side stories in it that take away from Washington and Crowe's time on screen, AMERICAN GANGSTER falls more than a bit short of being the best mobster or crime film I have ever seen.

Still, it is very good...and very worthy of your time.

MICHAEL CLAYTON is also a film worthy of your time.

It is also very worthy of it's Seven Academy Award Nominations, including: Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, Best Supporting Actor: Tom Wilkinson, and Best Actor: George Clooney.

Clooney plays an attorney and former gambling addict employed by a prestigious law firm in New York City as a "fixer", someone who rectifies difficult situations, often through unconventional or expedient methods.

This film shows us how Clayton tries to deal with a colleague's apparent mental breakdown and the corruption that exists with a major client of his law firm.

MICHAEL CLAYTON is an exceptional Oscar film, and a tremendous movie. In a year where there weren't films like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THERE WILL BE BLOOD and JUNO, it would actually have a shot at winning Best Picture.

This year, it might not win an Oscar...but if you are looking for a great crime thriller to watch, you will be the winner if you pick up this DVD.

So pick it up...and don't worry...you won't have to stand up in front of millions of people and say thank you.

Up next this week are four more films...films that aren't all bad, but they won't appeal to everyone, so I am just going to make sure you know that they are out there, in case they might appeal to you.

Up first is KURT COBAIN: ABOUT A SON.

Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of the band Nirvana and considered by many to be the musical voice of his generation after the release of his band's album NEVERMIND in 1991.

He committed suicide in April of 1994.

ABOUT A SON is a documentary about Cobain that debuted at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.

It features insightful audio of interviews between Cobain and journalist Michael Azerrad done for the book Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana.

Those interviews are seen over footage of the actual locations in Seattle and Washington state that Cobain is talking about, and we never see him.

Now, I remain a huge fan of Kurt Cobain, his music, words, and his band, so for me the fact that we don't see Cobain, or hear his music, allowed ABOUT A SON to avoid being eerie.

Instead, it is an insightful look into a man who I, and many of my generation, wish was still around...communicating with us using new words and not just through ones that were recorded over 17 years ago.

All fans of the man must see KURT COBAIN: ABOUT A SON...but only fans of Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhall, Meryl Streep or Peter Saarsgaard should see RENDITION.

There has been a lot of talk over the past year about the fact that moviegoers are rejection films featuring stories about the war due to the fact that we see it on TV every night.

I say that is simply not true...people are avoiding these films because most of them just aren't very good...and RENDITION is a prime example!!

RENDITION is a very bad movie about a suspected terrorist who is taken away by the authorities.

His pregnant wife then travels to Washington to try and learn the reason for his disappearance.

And there are also several secondary and tertiary stories, but none of them are very engaging.

RENDITION wants to be a dramatic film with a powerful emotional core...but it just isn't.

Skip it, ignore it, do not waste your time on it!!

That also needs to be said for Ang Lee's latest LUST, CAUTION.

Now, I am a huge fan of Ang Lee's films...from THE WEDDING BANQUET and EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN to SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, THE ICE STORM, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN...Lee is a filmmaker who always provides us with something new and engaging to watch.

Well, usually he always does....I admit that LUST, CAUTION help my interest for over two-and-a-half hours due to the fact that I am an Ang Lee fan...but what a boring movie!!

LUST, CAUTION is set in 1942 in the city Shanghai, which is under Japanese occupation.

A group of young, patriotic Chinese students are plotting to kill a member of the Japanese government using a young woman as a lure.

Unfortunately, even though it is a beautiful film, LUST CAUTION is ultimately just too long and too slow to be worthy of your time.

Yes, as an Ang Lee fan, I am glad I saw it....but I wouldn't recommend it, even to other fans of Ang Lee!!

However, I will recommend the Canadian film SURVIVING MY MOTHER, to both fans of the actress Caroline Dhavernas, and to those who don't even know who she is.

If you don't, she is the actress who starred in the short lived, but much loved, series WONDERFALLS.

SURVIVING MY MOTHER is about a woman who is taking care of her dying mother.

While on her death bed she tells her daughter how much she regrets the fact that they weren't closer.

Subsequently, the woman decides to pursue a closer relationship with her own daughter.

Caroline Dhavernas is the youngest daughter, a woman who has secrets of her own.

Even though it did receive a Genie nomination, SURVIVING MY MOTHER is one of those small Canadian films that you would probably never hear about, unless someone told you about it.

Well, please allow me to be that someone!

SURVIVING MY MOTHER isn't a spectacular film, but it is a unique and interesting film that has some great scenes and actors.

I really enjoyed it, and if you see it on the shelf as you are looking for something to rent...give it a chance!

The quirky and interesting Canadian film SURVIVING MY MOTHER, the very boring LUST, CAUTION and RENDITION, the insightful documentary KURT COBAIN: ABOUT A SON, and the entertaining MICHAEL CLAYTON, AMERICAN GANGSTER and IN THE VALLEY OF ELLAH are all available now on DVD.


Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

KENNY VS. SPENNY - SEASON THREE allows the guys to battle each other once again.

THE ARISTOCATS - SPECIAL EDITION and 101 DALMATIONS - 2 DISC PLATINUM EDITION and the three DVD SPECIAL EDITION Box Set for EL CID allow us to see these classic films restored and look great!

And then there is the hilarious comedy DEATH AT A FUNERAL and SEASON ONE of the unforgettable cartoon series THE SMURFS

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!

Davies Still Hopeful For Kinks Reunion

A few weeks back, a supposed reunion by the Kinks was trumpeted by several outlets. But frontman Ray Davies tells Billboard.com not to get its hopes up just yet.

Davies acknowledges he's had reunion discussions with the members of the Kinks' original lineup -- his brother, guitarist Dave Davies, bassist Pete Quaife and drummer Mick Avory. But "it depends on if Dave and I get together," he says, acknowledging that the younger Davies is still recovering from a stroke he suffered in 2004. "He's gradually getting his strength back, but he's playing again, so that's a good sign."

New material would also have to be part of the equation. "I can't get a band together just to play the old hits," Davies says. "They'd have to be able to do, like, 10% new material. I think that will be the determining factor in the long run."

The problem: Dave Davies seems to want no part of a reunion, having posted on his Web site that "it would be like a poor remake of 'Night of the Livin (sic) Dead' " and declaring that Ray has been doing "Karaoke Kinks shows since 1996," when the band last worked together. Ray's response: "He's getting well enough to shout at me. That's a good sign."

Oddly enough, a second full-length solo album hasn't made Davies any more comfortable with the idea of being on his own. "I still have a problem with being a solo artist. I don't know why," says the artist, who released "Working Man's Cafe" earlier this week via New West/Ammal.

Davies plans to tour to promote "Working Man's Cafe," though only two mid-March shows in Australia are announced so far. He says the new album came "a lot quicker" than 2006's "Other People's Lives," and is also "unwittingly" a more personal album than its predecessor.

"It's about getting back in touch with yourself as a person," Davies explains. "It is more about me, 'cause 'Other People's Lives' tends to be, 'Oh, this is about other people;' It really is me, but I'm trying to sing about other people. But ('Working Man's Cafe') is more personal than I thought it was. It's mentality rather than a geographical or tangible thing. It's a philosophy, really."

Clooney: "I'm the Hillary Clinton of the Oscars"

George Clooney has compared his battle for the Best Actor Oscar at the forthcoming Academy Awards to the U.S. presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clooney is convinced he would be a sure winner if fellow actor Daniel Day-Lewis wasn't in the running for the prize.

And he likened their situation to that of Democrat candidates Clinton and Obama - insisting the former first lady would be on a definite course to win the 2008 election if her opponent wasn't Obama.

He tells U.S. magazine Time, "For me, it's like being Hillary Clinton. If it weren't for Barack Obama, it would have been a very good year. I thought Daniel Day-Lewis had the best performance of the year."

Clooney is nominated for the coveted prize at Sunday's awards for his role in Michael Clayton, while Day-Lewis has been tipped to take the prize after his acclaimed performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood.

Cast changes in store for 'Law & Order'

LOS ANGELES - Jesse L. Martin is putting down his "Law & Order" detective's shield, and Anthony Anderson is in negotiations to pick it up.

Martin, who has been with the NBC drama since fall 1999, will film an episode to air this spring explaining the departure of his character, New York police Detective Ed Green, a person familiar with the show said Wednesday.

Anderson is concluding negotiations to join the cast as a new partner for Detective Cyrus Lupo, played by Jeremy Sisto, said the person, who wasn't authorized to announce the change and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Martin is set to play Marvin Gaye in "Sexual Healing," a movie biography of the ill-fated singer, with James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") costarring. Filming on the project from Gandolfini's production company is to begin this spring, according to trade paper reports.

Anderson recently starred in the Fox TV series "K-Ville." His other credits include FX's "The Shield" and the films "The Departed" and "Transformers."

Martin once took a break from "Law & Order" to star in the 2005 film version of "Rent," the Broadway version of which he appeared in.

Arctic Monkeys win top Brit Awards

LONDON - Amy Winehouse and Paul McCartney set their recent troubles aside to steal the show Wednesday at the Brit Awards, the British music industry's most prestigious prizes.

Rockers Foo Fighters and British bands Take That and Arctic Monkeys were all double winners at Britain's equivalent of the Grammys.

Although she wasn't up for any awards, troubled jazz-pop diva Winehouse received a rapturous reception when she appeared to perform "Valerie" with Brit-nominated collaborator Mark Ronson. She followed that up with the sultry ballad "Love is a Losing Game" from her breakthrough album "Back to Black."

Winehouse, who appeared composed and confident, urged the crowd at London's Earl's Court arena to "make some noise for my Blake." Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is in prison awaiting trial for assault and lying to police.

Winehouse, 24, has had a tumultuous 12 months since she was named best female British act at last year's Brits. She won five Grammys earlier this month - a rare high point in a year of erratic behaviour, cancelled concerts, tabloid headlines and a spell in drug rehab.

McCartney, who has spent the last week in court trying to settle his acrimonious divorce from Heather Mills, closed the show with a crowd-pleasing medley of hits, including "Hey Jude" and "Live and Let Die" - a song he co-wrote with his late first wife Linda.

Accepting a lifetime achievement award, the former Beatle said: "I just think British music is the best."

Grown-up boy band Take That took the British single of the year prize for its song "Shine" and also was named best live act. The band - which split in 1996 but reformed a decade later minus original member Robbie Williams - joked about its advancing years.

"I'm 37 years old, I've got an arthritic knee," band member Jason Orange said. "We stand before you bruised and battered, but dead chuffed (pleased)."

The spiky pop quartet Arctic Monkeys was named British group of the year and also took the British album of the year prize for "Favourite Worst Nightmare."

Performer-producer Ronson, who has worked with Winehouse, Christina Aguilera and Jay-Z, was named British male solo act.

"I've never felt so British or male in my entire life," said Ronson, who divides his time between New York and London.

The British female solo artist trophy went to singer-songwriter Kate Nash - like Winehouse, a former student at the London arts academy the Brit School.

Beirut-born, London-raised Mika, whose flamboyant vocal style has been likened to Queen's Freddie Mercury, was named British breakthrough act.

Kanye West and Kylie Minogue were named international solo acts of the year, a category which featured two Canadian nominees, Calgary-raised Leslie Feist and Vancouver's Michael Buble.

Foo Fighters took prizes for international group and international album of the year for "Echoes Silence Patience & Grace," beating out Montreal's Arcade Fire and their CD, "Neon Bible."

The show, hosted by rock elder statesman Ozzy Osbourne and his family, was largely full of surprises or expletive-laden slips of the tongue.

The Osbournes took the stage accompanied by jets of flame and sat on thrones between two stages intended to reflect the two faces of British music - punk and glam.

Performers at the show included Kaiser Chiefs, Minogue and R & B star Rihanna, who sang her song "Umbrella" with British band Klaxons.

The awards are run by the British Phonographic Industry Ltd., an industry association. Most winners are selected by a vote of more than 1,000 industry members, including representatives from record companies, the media, retailers, record producers, disk jockeys and promoters.

The British single, British breakthrough act and British live act prizes are decided by public phone or online voting.

6 million music singles selling on eBay for minimum $3M bid

An astounding music collection of 3.3 million record albums and CDs representing every genre of American music is up for sale on eBay until Thursday evening.

Paul Mawhinney, owner of the Record Rama Sound Archives in Pittsburgh, Penn., is selling off what he calls "The World's Greatest Music Collection" — as a whole — with a starting bid price of $3 million US.

"This is my life's work," the 69-year-old music enthusiast told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"I've had a lot of people that wanted it, but they didn't have the right kind of capital."

Mawhinney wants to sell his collection due to his failing health — he has diabetes — as well as a desire to spend more time with his five grandchildren.

The collection contains musical treasures such as an unreleased, untitled Rolling Stones album of early singles — only 300 copies were made — as well as 15 copies of the first edition of Elvis' Christmas Album from 1957.

The majority of the collection is vinyl, with about 300,000 CDs, and includes acetates, eight tracks and LPs in every speed.

$28.5 million offer fell through

Mawhinney almost sold the collection nine years ago, getting an offer of $28.5 million US in 1999 but the deal collapsed when the internet company went bankrupt.

He's tried to sell it to American institutions, such as the Library of Congress, but to no avail, as funding always seems to fall through.

Mawhinney says he'd like the collection to be available to the public, which is a proviso of the sale. "I want the history of American popular music to be available for future generations," he told The Toronto Star.

The buyer is required to either donate the collection or create a public space for people to access it. His eBay posting also mentions that there are "many thousands of duplicate copies, which could be sold individually on the collectibles market to recoup a substantial part of the purchase price."

Mawhinney says more than 80,000 people have visited his eBay page. The auction will be stopped on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. PST. Mawhinney has vowed to re-list should there be no bids.

The seller does have a couple of bonuses for whomever buys the collection.

He's offering his services for six months to the buyer to help organize the thousands of albums and CDs. In addition, the buyer also inherits more than $100,000 worth of antique recording and listening devices.

Saturn Award Nominees Announced, 300 Scores Big

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has announced it’s 34th annual nominations for the Saturn Award.

Leading the nominations this year is 300, with a stunning 10 nominations in various categories. Close behind is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with 9, and Sweeney Todd with 8.

They’re more than just movies though. They also hand out awards to television and even DVD. Lost and Dexter lead the television nominations with 7 and 5 nominations each. Check out all of this year’s nominees in the massive, complete Saturn Award nomination list below:

FILM NOMINATIONS

Best Science Fiction Film
Cloverfield (Paramount)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (20th Century Fox)
I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)
The Last Mimzy (New Line Cinema)
Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Transformers (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Fantasy Film
Enchanted (Buena Vista)
The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Buena Vista)
Spider-Man 3 (Sony)
Stardust (Paramount)

Best Horror Film
30 Days of Night (Sony)
1408 (The Weinstein Co.)
Ghost Rider (Sony)
Grindhouse (The Weinstein Co.)
The Mist (The Weinstein Co.)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Action / Adventure / Thriller Film
3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate)
300 (Warner Bros.)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Live Free or Die Hard (20th Century Fox)
No Country for Old Men (Miramax)
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage)
Zodiac (Paramount)

Best Actor
Gerard Butler (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Cusack (“1408”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Viggo Mortensen (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Will Smith (“I Am Legend”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Actress
Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
Ashley Judd (“Bug”) (Lionsgate)
Helena Bonham Carter (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Naomi Watts (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Belen Rueda (“The Orphanage”) (Picturehouse)
Carice van Houten (“Black Book”) (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Ben Foster (“3:10 to Yuma”) (Lionsgate)
James Franco (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard”) (20th Century Fox)
Alan Rickman (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
David Wenham (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actress
Lizzy Caplan (“Cloverfield”) (Paramount)
Marcia Gay Harden (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Lena Headey (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Rose McGowan (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Imelda Staunton (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Alex Etel (“The Water Horse”) (Sony)
Freddie Highmore (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Josh Hutcherson (“Bridge to Terabithia”) (Buena Vista)
Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Dakota Blue Richards (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (“The Last Mimzy”) (New Line Cinema)

Best Direction
Tim Burton (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Frank Darabont (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)
Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Zack Snyder (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Writing
Roger Avary, Neil Gaiman (“Beowulf”) (Paramount)
Brad Bird (“Ratatouille”) (Buena Vista)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Michael Goldenberg (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Gordon, Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Logan (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Music
Tyler Bates (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Jonny Greenwood (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Nicholas Hooper (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Mark Mancina (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Alan Menken (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
John Powell (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)

Best Costume
Colleen Atwood (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Ruth Myers (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Penny Rose (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Sammy Sheldon (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Jany Temime (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Wilkinson (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Make-Up
Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, Jake Garber - (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight - (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Davina Lamont - (“30 Days of Night”) (Sony)
Ve Neill, Martin Samuel - (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Peter Owen, Ivana Primorac - (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Shaun Smith, Mark Rappaport - (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Special Effects
Tim Burke, John Richardson, Paul Franklin, Greg Butler - (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier - (“Transformers”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris, Trevor Wood - (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, John Frazier - (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Scott Stokdyk, Peter Nofz, Spencer Cook, John R. Frazier - (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Chris Watts, Grant Freckelton, Derek Wentworth, Daniel Leduc - (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best International Film
Black Book (Sony Pictures Classics)
Day Watch (Fox Searchlight)
Eastern Promises (Focus Features)
Goya’s Ghosts (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
The Orphanage (Picturehouse)
Sleuth (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Animated Film
Beowulf (Paramount)
Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista)
Ratatouille (Buena Vista)
Shrek the Third (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
The Simpsons Movie (20th Century Fox)
Surf’s Up (Sony)

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

Best Network Television Series
Heroes (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)
Journeyman (NBC)
Supernatural (CW)

Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series
Dexter (Showtime)
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel)
Stargate SG-1 (Sci Fi Channel / MGM)
The Closer (TNT)
Kyle XY (ABC Family)
Saving Grace (TNT)

Best Presentation on Television
Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Sci Fi Channel)
The Company (TNT)
Fallen (ABC Family)
The Family Guy: “Blue Harvest” (Fox)
Masters of Science Fiction (ABC)
Shrek the Halls (ABC)
Tin Man (Sci Fi Channel)

Best International Series
Doctor Who (Sci Fi Channel)
Torchwood (BBC America)
Meadowlands (aka Cape Wrath) (Showtime)
Jekyll (BBC America)
Life On Mars (BBC America)
Robin Hood (BBC America)

Best Actor on Television
Matt Dallas (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Matthew Fox (Lost) (ABC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter) (Showtime)
Kevin McKidd (Journeyman) (NBC)
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) (Sci Fi Channel)
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)

Best Actress on Television
Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer) (CBS)
Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) (TNT)
Evangeline Lily (Lost) (ABC)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) (TNT)

Best Supporting Actor on Television
Michael Emerson (Lost) (ABC)
Greg Grunberg (Heroes) (NBC)
Josh Holloway (Lost) (ABC)
Erik King (Dexter) (Showtime)
Terry O’Quinn (Lost) (ABC)
Masi Oka (Heroes) (NBC)

Best Supporting Actress on Television
Jaime Alexander (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) (Showtime)
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) (ABC)
Jaime Murray (Dexter) (Showtime)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) (NBC)

DVD NOMINATIONS

Best DVD Release
Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Starz / Anchor Bay)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix) (Image)
Driftwood (Image)
The Man From Earth (Anchor Bay)
The Nines (Sony)
White Noise 2 (Universal)

Best Special Edition DVD Release
Big (Extended Edition) (Fox)
Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Warner)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary – Blu Ray) (Sony)
Death Proof (Grindhouse Presentation: Extended & Unrated) (Genius)
Pan’s Labyrinth (Platinum Series) (New Line)
Troy: Director’s Cut (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Warner)

Best Classic Film DVD Release
Alligator (Lionsgate)
The Dark Crystal (Sony)
Face/Off (Paramount)
Flash Gordon (Universal)
The Monster Squad (Lionsgate)
Witchfinder General (MGM)

Best Collection on DVD
The Godzilla Collection (Classic Media)
The Mario Bava Collection (Vol. 1 & 2) (Anchor Bay)
The Sergio Leone Anthology (MGM)
The Sonny Chiba Collection (BCI / Eclipse)
Stanley Kubrick (Warner Home Video Directors Series) (Warner)
Vincent Price (MGM Scream Legends Collection) (MGM)

Best Television Series on DVD
Eureka (Season 1) (Universal)
Heroes (Season 1) (Universal)
Hustle (Complete Seasons 2 and 3) (BBC Warner)
Lost (The Complete Third Season) (Buena Vista)
MI:5 (Volumes 4 & 5) (BBC Warner)
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (BBC Warner)

Best Retro Television Series on DVD
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (Volume 1: The Early Years) (Paramount)
Count Dracula (BBC Mini-series 1977) (BBC Warner)
Land of the Giants (The Full Series) (Fox)
Mission Impossible (The Second and Third Seasons) (Paramount)
Twin Peaks (The Definitive Gold Box Edition) (Paramount)
The Wild Wild West (The Second and Third Seasons) (Paramount)

Report: Strike Cost $2.5 Billion

Lesson learned from the recent writers' strike: The pen is costlier than the sword.

A report released Wednesday by Jack Kyser, the chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., has revealed that the three-month walkout by film and TV writers took a heavier toll on Tinseltown's bottom line than predicted—$2.5 billion in lost show business.

The 71-page study, dubbed the Economic Forecast Report, concluded that the writers' strike, which started Nov. 5 and ended last week, resulted in millions of dollars in lost wages for the cast and crews of shuttered film and television productions.

The strike's impact alone on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's annual Golden Globes Award ceremony cost the Industry upwards of $60 million, including lost advertising dollars and missed promotional opportunities by studios looking to boost their prestige pictures ahead of this Sunday's Oscars.

Despite solid gains at the domestic and global box office in 2007, as well as last week's deal in which scribes won concessions for royalties from content streamed over the Internet, Kyser and his analysts expressed concern that the devastating economic effect of the protracted strike could lead the Screen Actors Guild to dig in its heels when its own contract is up on June 30.

It's widely expected that the actors will follow the template forged by the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America in their new accords with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

However, Kyser's report said another strike wasn't out of the question, as SAG leaders are still "talking tough" about their negotiations.

Given how the work stoppage has thrown the scripted TV season for next fall into chaos, leaving many of its members scrounging for work, the union may hold out for a better revenue-sharing deal than the ones obtained separately by writers and directors.

The guild may seek to make up the shortfall in DVD sales, per the report. Sales remain flat this year, after suffering a steep 3.4 percent drop last year to $16 billion.

But with stars like Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro leading the charge, several key members of the Screen Actors Guild have urged the union to initiate early talks with the alliance to head off the possibility of another walkout.

While another strike would be grim news, the economic forecast for Los Angeles County for 2008 already predicts continued job losses in the manufacturing, information service and construction sectors due to the fallout from the strike.

Hasbro, Universal pact may produce Monopoly movie

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hasbro Inc on Wednesday said it signed a six-year deal with Universal Pictures for the film company to make at least four movies based on well-known games like Monopoly, Battleship, Candy Land and Ouija.

The first movie from the deal is to be released in either 2010 or 2011, with Universal releasing at least one film per year thereafter, the companies said.

Universal pictures is part of NBC Universal, which is 80 percent owned by General Electric Co and 20 percent by France's Vivendi.

Amy Winehouse to perform at Brit Awards

LONDON - Mika, Leona Lewis and Take That were the front-runners for Wednesday's Brit Awards, the British music industry's most prestigious prizes.

But much of the anticipation focused on an artist who isn't nominated for any awards — Amy Winehouse. The troubled soul diva, who scooped up five Grammys last week, was due to perform alongside superproducer Mark Ronson on his reworking of The Zutons' "Valerie." The song, from Ronson's album "Version," is nominated for best British single.

Organizers would not confirm reports Winehouse also planned to sing one of the hits from her breakthrough album "Back to Black."

Winehouse, 24, has had a tumultuous 12 months since she was named best female British act at last year's Brits. Her five Grammys — which include record of the year for her autobiographical single "Rehab" — was a rare high point in a year of erratic behavior, canceled concerts, tabloid headlines and drug allegations.

Winehouse spent two weeks in a rehab facility before her Feb. 10 appearance at the Grammys. She performed by video link from London because of a holdup in obtaining a U.S. work visa.

The Brits usually attract a sprinkling of international stars as well as top British acts. Scheduled performers at Wednesday's ceremony, hosted by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, include Kaiser Chiefs, Kylie Minogue and Rihanna.

The nominated acts are a mix of the new and the nostalgic. Take That — who split in 1996 but reformed a decade later minus original member Robbie Williams — were nominated in four categories: British group, British live act, British album for "Beautiful World" and British single for "Shine."

Mika also had four nominations, including British male solo artist, British breakthrough act, British album for "Life in Cartoon Motion" and British single for "Grace Kelly."

Lewis, winner of the TV talent contest "X Factor," was in the running for British female solo artist, British breakthrough act, British album for her debut "Spirit" and British single for "Bleeding Love."

Ronson, the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Kate Nash each have three nominations.

Paul McCartney, who has spent the past week in court trying to settle his acrimonious divorce from Heather Mills, was due to perform and receive a lifetime achievement award.

The awards are run by the British Phonographic Industry Ltd., an industry association. Most winners are selected by a vote of more than 1,000 industry members, including representatives from record companies, the media, retailers, record producers, disk jockeys and promoters.

The British single, British breakthrough act and British live act prizes are decided by public voting by phone or online.

Canadians look to Oscar haul

Canada is making one of its strongest showings ever at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, with stars like Sarah Polley and Ellen Page up for major Oscar hardware along with a handful of Canadian animators and sound engineers who will square off against each other on Hollywood's biggest and glitziest night.

Halifax's Page is up for best actress for her role as a pregnant teenager in Juno, itself a best picture nominee. Montreal-born director Jason Reitman is nominated for best director for his sophomore film, an independent picture shot in Vancouver that's pulled in an impressive US$143 million at the box office.

The Toronto-based Polley is up for best adapted screenplay for Away From Her, the moving Alzheimer's drama based on an Alice Munro short story. The British star of that film, Julie Christie, is competing against Page in the best actress category.

Despite all the big names, it's relatively obscure Canadians in the sound-mixing and animated short categories who could have a strong shot of walking away with Oscar gold.

B.C.-born soundman Craig Berkey, who worked on best picture frontrunner No Country for Old Men, is staring down countrymen Paul Massey and David Giammarco, a native of St. Catharines, Ont., for their sound mixing in 3:10 to Yuma. It's Massey's sixth Oscar nomination.

"It sounds like sour grapes when you say it's an honour just to be nominated, but it's actually not at all sour grapes," said Massey, 50, a Canadian citizen who was born in the U.K. but lived in Toronto for 13 years before moving to L.A.

"The nomination is from your peers and they truly understand what it is that you do, but the final vote is the entire membership and sometimes that just comes down to the most popular film. So I am always really excited to get the nomination."

In the animated short category, rookie Canadian directors are going head-to-head.

Madame Tutli-Putli, a stop-motion animated short about an existential train ride from Montrealers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, is up against I Met the Walrus, a film from 27-year-old Josh Raskin that details Toronto lawyer Jerry Levitan's encounter, as a 14-year-old Beatles fan, with John Lennon.

Levitan, who produced the short and will share the Oscar with Raskin if it wins, is delighted by the nomination because he spent so many years trying to figure out how best to recount the day in 1969 when he barged his way into Lennon's room at the downtown Toronto King Edward Hotel and interviewed the amused Beatle.

"I'd been talking about it for so long, and it was a major part of my adolescence and a major part of my life," Levitan said in a recent interview at the hotel. "People approached me to do all kinds of things, to buy my material, to do a documentary – all kinds of stuff, and I was just never happy with what they were proposing."

Instead, Levitan said, he decided to seek out some young Toronto filmmakers to come up with something different and artistic, and found Raskin, a Ryerson University film grad.

"I liked him, I thought he was bright, he loved John Lennon and the esthetic of John Lennon and he loved the story. We started talking about how to do it and he had an idea to take my 30-minute audio tape and turn it into 5-1/2 minutes and animate it," Levitan recalled.

"He was afraid to even tell me this, but before he finished his sentence I said: `Great."'

However, the National Film Board's Tutli-Putli could have the edge over I Met the Walrus on Oscar night. Tutli-Putli has already won two awards at last year's Cannes film festival, and the academy has long had a fondness for NFB productions.

Oasis beats the Beatles in new best British album poll

Rock band Oasis, which some have criticized as a Beatles wannabe group, has surpassed the Fab Four in a new poll of the U.K.'s top albums of the past 50 years.

Oasis's 1994 Definitely Maybe and its 1996 followup (What's the Story) Morning Glory? nabbed the first and second spots, respectively, in a poll to find the 50 best British albums ever.

Another two Oasis albums — Don't Believe the Truth and Be Here Now — also placed in the top 25 (14th and 22nd, respectively).

"It's clear that, having polled three times more votes than any other act, Oasis are undoubtedly the nation's most loved band," according to Paul Rees, editor of music magazine Q, which spearheaded the poll along with music retailer HMV.

"Similarly, it's evident just who music fans believe the classic and most enduring British acts of each era to be," he added.

Radiohead placed third with their acclaimed 1997 album OK Computer, with the Beatles' Revolver achieving fourth place and the Stone Roses' self-titled album landing fifth on the rock-dominated list.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles.

London Calling, the Clash.

Under the Iron Sea, Keane.

Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd.

Urban Hymns, the Verve.

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse, who was recently celebrated at the Grammy Awards, was the only female singer to make the cut (for her album Back to Black, which placed 35th).

Other artists on the list range from classic acts like the Clash, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Rolling Stones and Queen, to newer bands such as Keane, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, the Libertines and Muse.

Though most album polls have tended to put classic acts like the Beatles and the Stone Roses at the top, the new poll reflects the changing perspective of music fans and a growing appreciation for more contemporary acts, like Oasis, according to Rudy Osorio, HMV's head of music.

The Q-HMV poll surveyed 11,000 people.

A 2006 survey by the annual publication British Hit Singles & Albums also named Oasis's Definitely Maybe the greatest album of all time, leaving the Beatles in second (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) and third place ( Revolver).

Later that year, another British poll named Sgt. Pepper's the No. 1 chart topper of all time.

New CD Releases, February 19th: Ray Davies, Mike Doughty, Allison Moorer

Ray Davies "Working Man's Cafe"

The legendary singer/songsmith, who earned his place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with The Kinks, returns with his second solo record.

The 12-song "Working Man's Cafe" was co-produced by Davies and Grammy-winning studio wizard Ray Kennedy. The work follows Davies' 2006 solo debut, "Other People's Lives."

"Working Man's Cafe" reportedly is a very topical record, one that addresses the plight of the working man.

* * *
Mike Doughty "Golden Delicious"

The acclaimed singer/songwriter is hoping that fans will bite on "Golden Delicious," his new release on Dave Matthews' ATO label. Doughty's previous release was 2005's "Haughty Melodic," which spawned the Top 5 AAA single "Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well."

Doughty will tour in support of "Golden Delicious." The artist, who is best known for fronting the '90s avant-garde rock group Soul Coughing, will kick off nearly a month and a half of touring March 12 in Northampton, MA.

* * *
Allison Moorer "Mockingbird"

The contemporary country songbird is set to fly with "Mockingbird," which was produced by Americana champ Buddy Miller.

The album features a variety of songs that were originally made famous by other female artists, such as Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot," Nina Simone's "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now." Moorer also turns to her sister Shelby Lynne's songbook for a rendition of "She Knows Where She Goes."

* * *
Gary Louris "Vagabonds"

The former Jayhawks singer/songwriter sails it alone on "Vagabonds," which marks his debut studio album as a solo performer.

Louris, who also frequently appears with loose-knit Midwest supergroup Golden Smog, will back "Vagabonds" on the road. The 13-date spring run begins March 16 in Seattle.

* * *
The Mountain Goats "Heretic Pride"

The indie-rock troupe, led by vocalist/guitarist John Darnielle, delivers its 16th full-length release, which follows 2007's "Get Lonely."

The Mountain Goats will show off their "Heretic Pride" during a tour that kicks off Feb. 19 in Anchorage, AK, and includes a three-night stand at San Francisco's Noise Pop festival.

* * *
More new releases:
American Music Club, "The Golden Age" (Merge)
Bell X1, "Flock" (Yep Roc)
Chuck Berry, "Johnny B. Goode: His Complete '50s Chess Recordings" (Hip-O)
Chris Cagle, "My Life's Been a Country Song" (Capitol Nashville)
DJ Clay, "Let 'Em Bleed: The Mixxtape" (Psychopathic)
Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar)
Kidz Bop Kids, "Kidz Bop, Vol. 13" (Razor & Tie)
Nick Lowe, "Jesus of Cool" (Yep Roc)
Morcheeba, "Dive Deep" (Ultra)
Tom Paxton, "Comedians & Angels" (Appleseed)
The Raveonettes, "Lust Lust Lust" (Vice)
Arlen Roth, "Toolin' Around Woodstock" (Aquinnah)
Secondhand Serenade, "A Twist in My Story" (Glass Note)
Various Artists, "Hard to Find Jukebox Classics 1957: Pop Gold" (Hit Parade)
James Calvin Wilsey, "El Dorado" (Lakeshore)

Coen brothers could make Oscar history

LOS ANGELES - You know it's a weird year at the Academy Awards when the Coen brothers are not only front-runners, but potential history-makers.

After 23 years as oddballs whose films occasionally click with broader audiences, on Sunday night Joel and Ethan Coen could become the first filmmakers to win four Oscars for one movie, with their crime thriller "No Country for Old Men."

They would be the first siblings to win the directing honor and only the second duo to share Hollywood's top filmmaking honor, following Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins for 1961's "West Side Story."

And they would tie the record of four Oscars won in a single year held by one of Hollywood's most mainstream figures, Walt Disney, a quadruple winner for 1953 as producer of three short-subject winners and the documentary recipient.

The Coens share a best-picture nomination as producers of "No Country for Old Men," a zigzagging tale that captures the bleak beauty of the west Texas landscape and seamlessly blends vicious violence with absurd humor. They also have nominations for directing, adapted screenplay and editing under the pseudonym Roderick Jaynes.

Since their 1984 debut "Blood Simple," another crime story set in Texas, the Coens have established themselves as curious cousins to big Hollywood, delivering some films with solid yet modest box-office returns and others, such as "The Hudsucker Proxy," that are mainly for the Coen faithful.

"What they manifest is a full-blown roller coaster instead of some linear idea of escapism," said "No Country" co-star Josh Brolin. "When you go see a Coens movie, it's not that at all. You're totally involved and yet you're doing things and reacting to things that are constantly surprising you."

Adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel, "No Country" centers on three men: A resourceful Texan (Brolin) who makes off with a satchel of cash from a drug deal gone bad; his pursuer, a relentless killer (Javier Bardem) with an inhuman detachment and a bizarre hairdo vaguely reminiscent of Moe Howard's from the Three Stooges; and the sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) tracking both men, who finds himself on a case so inexplicable in its savagery that it shatters his flintlike mettle.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Coen brothers movie if there weren't some wicked laughs. And while the story begins as a straightforward chase thriller, it veers wildly into unexpected places and moments of puzzling ambiguity.

The Coens, who often finish each other's sentences, describe the story's appeal this way:

Ethan Coen: "Not that in and of itself it kind of goes off the track you think it's on, but the way it goes off the track is not..."

Joel Coen: "... arbitrary..."

Ethan Coen: "...arbitrary. It's pointed. There is a point to it, so it's satisfying in a way that it wouldn't be if it were arbitrary."

With eight nominations, "No Country for Old Men" tied for the Oscar lead with fellow best-picture nominee "There Will Be Blood," an oil-boom saga that rivals the Coens' flick for weirdness, barbarity and black humor.

Two more conventional Oscar contenders, the historical drama "Atonement" and the legal tale "Michael Clayton," are right behind with seven nominations. The teen-pregnancy comedy "Juno" earned four nominations, including the fifth best-picture slot.

Past Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis of "There Will Be Blood" and Julie Christie of the Alzheimer's drama "Away From Her" are solid bets to win again in the lead-acting categories, though Christie faces strong competition from Marion Cotillard, who stars as singer Edith Piaf in the film biography "La Vie En Rose."

It's a strong and varied Oscar lineup, but expectations are that the Coens will rule the show. Along with the Coens' four personal nominations, Bardem is favored to win the supporting-actor honor for "No Country."

The Coens have been embraced by Hollywood's most-exclusive club before, winning the Oscar for original screenplay with 1996's "Fargo." Yet coming into the biggest night in show business as favored sons is a strange position for two filmmakers who always have followed their own eerie muse.

The Coens' eccentric stories include tales of a barber who dreams of becoming a dry cleaner ("The Man Who Wasn't There"), a playwright with writer's block who may or may not be the keeper of a severed head in a box ("Barton Fink"), and a childless couple that kidnaps one of five quintuplets figuring the parents had babies to spare ("Raising Arizona").

At $60 million and counting, "No Country" is the Coens' biggest box-office draw, topping the $45.5 million gross of "O Brother Where Art Thou." Their films have another life, though, striking cultural chords beyond the theater.

With its earthy soundtrack, "O Brother" won the Grammy for best album of the year and helped usher in a rediscovery of American roots music.

Their 1998 comedy "The Big Lebowski," about an overgrown slacker named the Dude who lives for bowling and gets more than he bargained for when seeking compensation for his urine-damaged rug, has spawned its own counterculture that includes fan festivals and T-shirts proclaiming the lead character's laid-back approach to life: "The Dude abides."

The harmless existentialism of the Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, could be the mirror to the cold-blooded variety of Bardem's "No Country" killer Anton Chigurh. He seems to come from nowhere, existing to kill without mercy, occasionally letting victims determine if they will live or die by a coin toss.

Anton is something of a Martian, a presence from elsewhere inexplicably bearing terror and death.

"The whole idea of the man who fell to Earth is sort of what we tried to get across in his introduction to the movie. He's just coming out of the landscape," Joel Coen said. "You make him both the implacable killer, but you imbue him with sort of recognizable humanity at a certain level that makes him even scarier."

Bardem views Anton as "a man who has an earplug, and he's talking to you, but at the same time, he's hearing a soccer game, so when you're talking to him, you don't know where he is. `Are you here or are you there?'

"Instead of a soccer game, it could be God or fate that he's talking to, so that would be the insane part. That along with the haircut will create a kind of insanity and uncomfortableness for the person he's looking at."

There's one big question should the Coens sweep all four of their categories come Oscar night: Will the real Roderick Jaynes be there to collect his editing prize? The Coens describe their alias as a cranky geezer in his late 80s who lives in England and doesn't like to travel.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences acknowledges the Coens as quadruple nominees even though their names are not on the ballot for editing.

So who gets the trophy if Roderick Jaynes wins?

"We're going to read the name on the card," said academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger. "Who comes up remains to be seen."

Jenna Fischer back at the 'Office'

LOS ANGELES -- Cue the water-cooler chatter.

It turns out fans of The Office may have doubly good reason to rejoice when the Emmy-winning comedy returns in April, says Jenna Fischer.

The actress, better known as girl-next-door and office receptionist Pam, tells Sun Media the drones of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company were working on a series-best installment when the work stoppage by Hollywood's scribes mothballed production.

"The episode we were shooting when we got shut down is maybe the funniest episode I've ever read. It's a plotline the writers have been talking about for two years and it planted all the seeds that would pay off for the rest of the season ... It's a great, great episode where (Steve Carell's Michael Scott) throws a dinner party."

Fischer made the remarks during a recent mid-strike interview.

The Office had completed 12 of 28 episodes before film and TV scribes swapped their pens for pickets last November. The first post-strike The Office will air April 10, along with fellow NBC Thursday-night series 30 Rock, Scrubs and ER. My Name is Earl returns to the peacock network a week earlier with its first post-strike episode set for April 3.

Yet even as Hollywood continues to deal with the fallout from the work stoppage, attention has turned to the potential walkout by the Screen Actors Guild this summer.

Last week, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro took out an ad in Variety urging union bosses to begin contract negotiations immediately and avoid another industry-crippling labour action in June.

Still, Fischer says the issue the writers battled over -- namely residual payments from new media revenue streams -- is just as critical to actors.

"Most people in SAG, they live mainly on their residuals. I think of myself and I'm doing very well right now and you can feel very financially secure because I have work and I have a job and I try not to get too doomsday about it, but I think about shows that were really popular 15 years ago -- and what are those actors doing these days? You can be hot one minute and not the next and in 15 or 20 years I might really need those residual cheques to get by."

In the meantime, the U.S. broadcast networks continue to set post-strike return dates.

On March 17, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men will be back. Also announced by CBS: Cold Case (March 30); CSI and Without a Trace (April 3); Ghost Whisperer (April 4).

ABC and the producers of Lost have announced their current run of new episodes will end March 13 with the seventh episode of the fourth season.

The show will then go off the air for six weeks and return April 24 with the eighth episode that was shot pre-strike to be followed by five post-strike episodes.

As well on May 1, Lost moves back one hour on Thursdays to make room for the return of Grey's Anatomy (for five post-strike episodes).

Over at The CW, executives have also finalized their post-strike schedule. Everybody Loves Chris returns March 2 with new episodes that were filmed before the strike. Other notable dates on the fledging youth-centric network: Gossip Girl (April 21, for nine new episodes); One Tree Hill (April 22, for six new episodes); Reaper (April 22, for five more episodes), Smallville (April 17, for five more episodes) and Supernatural (April 24, for four more episodes).

Also, it has been confirmed by NBC that Heroes and Chuck won't re-appear until the fall, while 24 isn't back on the clock for the Fox network until January.

Matlin on `Dancing With the Stars'

LOS ANGELES - Priscilla Presley, Kristi Yamaguchi and Marlee Matlin are catching dance fever.

They are among the dozen celebrities who will compete on the next season of "Dancing With the Stars," ABC announced Monday night.

The other contestants are Adam Carolla, Shannon Elizabeth, Steve Guttenberg, Monica Seles, Penn Jillette, Mario, Jason Taylor, Cristian De La Fuente and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

"Dancing" returns March 17.

Three Oscar films set DVD dates

•Juno arrives on DVD ($29.98) and Blu-ray ($39.98) on April 15 from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Juno is nominated for four Academy Awards: picture, director, original screenplay and actress for up-and-coming star Ellen Page.

•The Savages, nominated for two Oscars (actress for Laura Linney and original screenplay for writer/director Tamara Jenkins), arrives on DVD ($27.98) April 22 from Fox Home Entertainment.

•Lars and the Real Girl arrives on DVD ($27.98) April 15 from MGM Home Entertainment. Starring Ryan Gosling, it's up for original screenplay.

Johnny, Jude, Colin Sub for Heath

Hollywood's version of the three musketeers is riding to the rescue of fallen pal Heath Ledger's final film.

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Judge Law are literally embracing the all-for-one ethos, tag-teaming as Heath Ledger's character in unfinished The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

The BBC quoted a spokesperson for Law confirming the actors' participation, "subject to negotiations."

No further details were immediately available. There was no further comment Monday from the actors or filmmakers.

The fate of the Terry Gilliam-helmed fantasy film had been in peril since Ledger's shocking death Jan. 22 due to an accidental drug overdose.
Because the film focuses on a magical acting troupe and alternate dimensions, it is believed Depp, Farrell and Law will each play a different incarnation of Ledger's character, known only as "Tony."

According to Variety, Ledger's name helped the independent production secure its $30 million budget. Without its biggest star, the movie has three options, the paper said: recast, shoot around Ledger's absence or call "cut."

Filming on Doctor Parnassus began in December. The 28-year-old Ledger, who died in New York, had been shooting in London the week before his death.
Following Ledger's demise, Gilliam and the producers said they "will be assessing how best to proceed."

Heath was a great actor, a great friend and a great spirit," the statement said. "We are still in a state of deep shock, saddened and numb with grief."

Depp, for one, probably felt an obligation to help out Gilliam.

The actor had been one of the stars of the director's ambitious The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, which was scrapped midway through production in 2000 after the elderly actor playing the title role suffered a back injury and was unable to continue.

Ledger did complete work on The Dark Knight before he died. The Batman Begins sequel, featuring Ledger as the Joker, is due out July 18.

Oscar countdown begins in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It is Oscar week in Hollywood, and after three months in the dark winter of a bitter labor strike, the movie industry finally has something to celebrate -- itself.

This Sunday, the world's top film awards get under way with a full array of stars such as George Clooney and Cate Blanchett parading up the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre where Academy Award nominees hope to be named best actor or actress.

Some 5,800 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will anoint one film as their favorite among nominees that include crime drama "No Country for Old Men" and teen pregnancy comedy "Juno."

With a fresh crew of writers, Oscar host Jon Stewart hopes to keep audiences laughing through the three-hour live telecast.

"Here we are. After a long winter, comes the spring and now the summer," said Oscar producer Gil Cates. "It's been a terrible three months."

Some 10,500 members of the Writers Guild of America walked off the job on November 5, throwing into disarray the awards season that runs from December through the February 24 Oscars.

Gala dinners and ceremonies honoring films and their makers were canceled or changed drastically. January's glitzy Golden Globe Awards turned into a news conference watched by about a quarter of the typical audience of 20 million viewers.

But the strike ended one week ago, and Oscar organizers are promising a traditional ceremony for a global TV audience with big stars, dazzling fashion and, hopefully, memorable winners.

VYING FOR OSCAR GLORY

Oscar watchers expect some drama in key races, despite the fact many categories have clear front-runners. Academy Award voters, the experts said, enjoy defying the oddsmakers.

"Sometimes the Hollywood honchos vote with their heart just to remind us they have one," said Tom O'Neil, veteran Oscar watcher with awards Web site, TheEnvelope.com.

"No Country" heads into Sunday leading the race for best film because it earned top honors from the guilds of producers, directors, actors and writers -- four key indicators of Academy Award success.

But the pundits sense taut legal thriller "Michael Clayton" is surging due to the popularity of its star Clooney, and note the emergence of "Juno," which is the only nominated film to surpass the pivotal $100 million mark at U.S. box offices.

The other two nominees are oil drama "There Will Be Blood," a meditation on the corrupting power of money, and romance "Atonement," another drama with a dark ending.

Briton Daniel Day-Lewis playing a hard-charging oil man in "Blood" has earned front-runner status in the best actor race by virtue of several critics' and other awards this season, but the experts said Clooney is giving him a run for his money.

Among best actress nominees another Briton, Julie Christie, has been the darling of award season as an Alzheimer's sufferer in "Away From Her." But don't count out French actress Marion Cotillard as singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose" or Ellen Page as the defiantly pregnant teen in "Juno."

In other races, Spain's Javier Bardem is tipped to win supporting actor playing a killer in "No Country." Tilda Swinton leads supporting actresses in her role as a manipulative corporate lawyer in "Clayton."

Finally, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen look to be the team to beat in the race for best director with "No Country." And regardless of who wins or loses, Academy Award organizers are happy about one thing: this year, the Oscar goes on.

Canadian folksinger Willie P. Bennett dies

Canadian folksinger Willie P. Bennett has died at his home in Peterborough, Ont.

Bennett's official website confirmed on Sunday that the Juno Award-winning singer passed away peacefully at age 56 on Friday.

No cause of death has been given, but Bennett suffered a heart attack last year.

Bennett nabbed a Juno for Best Solo Roots and Traditional Album for 1998's Heartstrings, his first solo recording in nine years.

Many well-known musicians collaborated on the album. They included Bruce Cockburn, Melanie Doane, Stephen Fearing and members of Prairie Oyster.

Born in Toronto on Oct. 26, 1951, Bennett emerged on the folk scene as a songwriter and performer in the late 1960s at Rochdale College.

He played at universities, clubs and coffee houses throughout southern Ontario in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bennett's song, White Line, was recorded in 1973 by singer David Wiffen and in later years was covered by other artists, such as Jonathan Edwards and Pure Prairie League.

Bennett also co-wrote the song Goodbye, So Long, Hello with Russell deCarle of Prairie Oyster. It was named the 1990 Canadian Country Music Association's Song of the Year.

His contributions to Canada's folk scene were highlighted in 1996 when Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson formed Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, a group named after Bennett's 1978 album.

They recorded a tribute album to Bennett, using 14 of his songs.

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war: source

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp is planning to give up on its HD DVD format for high definition DVDs, conceding defeat to the competing Blu-Ray technology backed by Sony Corp, a company source said on Saturday.

The move will likely put an end to a battle that has gone on for several years between consortiums led by Toshiba and Sony vying to set the standard for the next-generation DVD and compatible video equipment.

The format war, often compared to the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, has confused consumers unsure of which DVD or player to buy, slowing the development what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high definition DVD industry.

Toshiba's cause has suffered several setbacks in recent weeks including Friday's announcement by U.S. retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc that it would abandon the HD DVD format and only stock its shelves with Blu-ray movies.

A source at Toshiba confirmed an earlier report by public broadcaster NHK that it was getting ready to pull the plug.

"We have entered the final stage of planning to make our exit from the next generation DVD business," said the source, who asked not to be identified. He added that an official announcement could come as early as next week.

No one answered the phone at Toshiba's public relations office in Tokyo.

NHK said Toshiba would suffer losses running to tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars) to scrap production of HD DVD players and recorders and other steps to withdraw from the business.

Hollywood studios had initially split their alliances between the two camps, meaning only certain films would play on any one DVD machine.

The balance of power tipped decisively toward the Sony camp in January after Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros studio said it would only release high-definition DVDs in Blu-ray format. With that, studios behind some three-quarters of DVDs are backing Blu-ray, although some release in both formats.

Toshiba responded by slashing prices of HD DVD players, but the loss of retail support has hurt.

In addition to Wal-Mart, consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co Inc and online video rental company Netflix Inc also recently signed up to the Blu-ray camp.

The exclusive backing of Microsoft Corp was also put in doubt when the software giant said in January that it could consider supporting Blu-ray technology for its Xbox 360 video game machine, which currently works only with HD DVD.

Sony has spent large sums of money to promote Blu-ray in tandem with its flat screen TVs and its PlayStation 3 game console, which can play Blu-ray movies.

The Toshiba source said the experience would not be a total loss for the sprawling conglomerate, whose products range from refrigerators to power plants, which would learn valuable lessons.

"Marketing was a weak point for Toshiba. We learned a lot from HD DVD. Strengthening marketing will continue to be an issue for us going forward," the source said.

THE GROHL STORY

WITH FOO FIGHTERS, 'NICEST MAN IN ROCK’ DAVE GROHL SHOWS THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE GENIUS IN NIRVANA

February 17, 2008 -- The other day on a MySpace group dedicated to the Foo Fighters, a fan posted a complaint about the band's Grammy defeat to Amy Winehouse for Album of the Year. Several other fans quickly replied that yes, they would have preferred that their beloved band took the prize, but that Amy is a deserving talent and, anyway, the fact that the Foo Fighters won a couple of other awards indicated that good music was not yet dead.

The original poster then apologized for using vulgar language.

This is the Internet? That contentious realm of partisan ranting, misspelled testimonials to the perfection of one's favorite and F-bomb-laden declarations of the utter rankness of all others? Such unusual amiability says something about the good-guy vibe conveyed by Foo frontman Dave Grohl, often described by writers as "chirpy" and "the nicest man in rock."

A 39-year-old Ohio native, Grohl indeed comes off like a regular guy who enjoys a Parliament and a sip of Crown Royal whiskey as he marvels over his grand success. It's unlikely that he resents Winehouse's Grammy win, as the Foo Fighters have nabbed six of them by now (including last week's yield of Best Hard Rock Performance for the chart-topping song "The Pretender" and Best Rock Album, for the recent "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace").

In fact, as he told MTV's Kurt Loder, "My bedroom door won't stay open for some reason, so I keep it open with my Grammy. I think it's kind of kick-ass that I have a Grammy holding up my bedroom door."

With a baffled record industry sputtering toward the junkyard, Grammy awards seem about as relevant as "Best Soviet Blacksmith" honors. But if Grohl's irreverent household use of the coveted Victrola statuette indicates his own modest perspective on the achievement, it also reveals a cockiness earned by remaining one of music's most consistent and impressive success stories since the Foo Fighters' 1995 debut album hit big right out of the box.

Grohl can afford to flip a bird to an industry grateful for the kind of unit-shifting band it seldom encounters anymore. All six Foo Fighters albums have been massive sellers, propelled by often goofball videos like a 1996 promo clip for the single "Big Me," which brilliantly parodied the Euro-kitsch ad campaign for Mentos candies.

This clip was so popular it inspired Foo fans to pelt the band with Mentos, forcing them to drop the song from their set. "We did stop playing that song for a while because, honestly, it's like being stoned," Grohl says. "Those little things are like pebbles - they hurt."

Familiar as the public may be with Grohl and company clowning in stewardess drag on MTV, besotted as it's been with their brand of powerful, punk-based pop, it's still a fair amazement that the Foo Fighters have sold out tomorrow night's Madison Square Garden performance. It was a feat common in the days of Grohl's beloved Led Zeppelin but lately rare for rockers outside of the Springsteen/ U2/ "interviewed-by-60-Minutes" league of icons.

This would have been hard to predict back in '94, when Grohl and Krist Novoselic found themselves odd men out upon the suicide of their Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain. Cobain's songwriting and dark charisma so dominated the public perception of Nirvana that his death seemed to leave the other two in a position like that of the surviving Doors after the death of Jim Morrison: up the proverbial career creek without the p.r. paddle.

But Grohl had other plans, and in his short - less than four years - stint as Nirvana's drummer, he'd already begun recording his own very different work.

As he later recalled in a Rolling Stone interview, his feelings at the time were mixed. "The band had a life of its own before I joined them. When I think of Nirvana, I think of 'Bleach.' I think of how much I listened to the record before I was asked to join the band. I thought they were great before I joined them. Being in the band ruined it."

Grohl's first tentative sortie out of the Nirvana fold was issued as a low-profile cassette titled "Pocketwatch," and as Cobain's personal problems left Krist and Dave more and more idle, they began recording some of the tunes that eventually wound up as Foo fodder. After Cobain's death, Grohl took up this path in earnest.

Certainly, it was post-Nirvana curiosity that perked up people's ears to Grohl's largely one-man debut as Foo Fighters, but it was the music that kept them listening. For all the incessant attention and questions he still receives regarding his "42 months or so" stint in the legendary band that finally dragged punk into the mainstream, it's his 13-years-and-counting with Foo Fighters that constitute his real career as a rock star.

Understandably, he remains wary of any inquiries dwelling on Cobain, whether his interrogators aim to nose around into the intimacies of their friendship or try to interpret his own music through a silly Nirvana-centric point of view.

"That's what I don't like," he told Q magazine, "I write a song and it's 'Is this about Courtney or Kurt?' You know, there have been a few other people in my life. They're not all about Kurt and Courtney."

Grohl has referred to his late bandmate in song and indulged the occasional journalist who wants further chapter and verse on the Nirvana mythos, but he has long moved on, to the chagrin of those who still search Foo Fighters songs for hints, clues and deep dish. It's unfortunate; if Grohl's works with the Foos inevitably lacks the almost mystic aura of Nirvana's music, it retains its force and accessibility and adds a far broader emotional purview, with a seriousness of intent slightly at odds with Grohl's happy-go-lucky image.

For "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace," Grohl drew inspiration from the birth of his daughter, Violet Maye. "I can't be scared of writing things that I really feel -there are a lot of things that I kept myself from saying over the years," he says. Violet Maye's arrival prompted him to brave a more introspective lyrical take and, even in utero, influenced the music itself, somehow responding pro and con to music Dave played her.

"She likes The Beatles!" he insists.

Sure enough, Grohl introduced a few Beatle touches on the album, right off the bat on the lyrical intro to the instant hit "The Pretender," an otherwise typically aggressive tune, and particularly on the piano ballad "Statues," a lovely dose of rueful wisdom. "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" reveals another side of Grohl's maturity, a finger-picked acoustic instrumental in tribute to several Tasmanian gold mine workers who requested that Foo Fighters songs be played for them during their two-week ordeal, trapped after a cave-in.

These and other mellow touches on the album recall Grohl's unexpected acoustic tour of 2006, which had a deep impact on future Foo Fighters music. "There is something so powerful about the quiet dynamic" Grohl told London's New Music Express. "To me, it is much more powerful than a f - - - ing wall of amplifiers sometimes. It's funny how much that has changed our band."

The acoustic Foo foray also saw him reunited with Pat Smear, the former Germs guitarist who added sorely needed fun to Nirvana's later period, and who also appears on the latest Foo Fighters album. Recalling Smear's Nirvana stint, Grohl told Rolling Stone, "When Pat Smear joined the band, it changed everything. We went from being sulking dirtbags to kids again. He's the sweetest person in the world."

And right there is a hint to the secret of nice-guy Grohl's longevity. Motivated and self-sufficient as he has proven to be, he thrives on the mojo of collaboration. His brief turn as drummer in Queens of the Stone Age immeasurably boosted that band's profile, just as his sting as replacement drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers provided the veteran act with a welcome shot of musical Geritol.

Grohl's unaccountable devotion to assisting Jack Black's Tenacious D drumming on their debut album and appearing as the devil in the 2006 film "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny" surely hasn't done that tedious comedy duo any harm.

More interestingly, Grohl has worked with hard-rock icons ranging from Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Motorhead's Lemmy to weirdo hellion King Diamond. He's also played with punk stalwarts like Mike Watt of the Minutemen and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, contemporary geniuses like Cat Power and onetime geniuses like Nine Inch Nails. It all confirms his status as a kind of rock-'n'-roll Zelig - constantly turning up in all the right places with all the right people, regardless of how unlikely the partnership might appear.

"A lot of musicians do want to work with Dave because they all know that he gives his best," Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel told NY Rock. "There must be a reason why people like Tom Petty, Mike Watt, David Bowie and Tony Iommi wanted to record with him. I think what he does is great. It inspires him, and in turn he inspires us. So it is quite fruitful for everybody."

Apart from musical considerations, Grohl's popularity with other artists may also owe something to the same upbeat appeal that makes his fans behave so politely on their online discussion boards.

Grohl spells it out like this: "It's a lot more fun to look at the bright side of things and to laugh about yourself and the s - - t that happens. Honestly, do you really believe anybody would believe it if we tried to pose as the bad guys of rock now? Looking miserable and dangerous and holding some ridiculous poses? That's not our thing."

And if Grohl has any ax to grind with Amy Winehouse, it probably has less to do with her Grammy win and more to do with little Violet Maye Grohl's affection for her music. As Dave told the BBC: "It's a little unnerving when your 2-year-old sings 'Rehab' all day long. "

'Jumper' hurtles competition, earns $27M

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The globe-trotting thriller "Jumper" leaped to a box office win with $27.2 million on a weekend when Hollywood offered something for everyone, with new films for action fans, teens, family audiences and the date-movie crowd.

Starring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson in the tale of a man who can teleport himself instantly to any spot on the planet, 20th Century Fox's "Jumper" has rung up $33.9 million since opening Thursday, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The new wide releases opened a day early, Valentine's Day on Thursday, to get a head start at what studio executives viewed as a long holiday weekend, with President's Day on Monday.

"Valentine's Day has become a great movie-going day," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "Even though kids are not out of school and people are working, it's still a holiday in the sense that in the evening, men take their wives, or girlfriends and boyfriends go out. Everybody goes to the movies."

Debuting in second place was Disney's teen dance sequel "Step Up 2 the Streets," which pulled in $19.7 million for the weekend and $26.3 million since Thursday.

Paramount's family fantasy "The Spiderwick Chronicles," featuring Freddie Highmore and Mary-Louise Parker in the story of a mom and her kids who move into a house menaced by evil creatures, opened at No. 3 with a $19.1 million weekend. Since Thursday, it has taken in $26.8 million.

Universal's romance "Definitely, Maybe," with Ryan Reynolds as a dad looking back on his romantic life after he's served with divorce papers, premiered at No. 5 with a weekend haul of $9.7 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, the Warner Bros. romantic comedy "Fool's Gold," fell to fourth place with $13.1 million, raising its 10-day total to $42 million.

Despite the rush of solid openings, Hollywood was unable to match the weekend business of a year ago. The top 12 movies took in $119 million, down 16 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when "Ghost Rider" opened with $45.4 million, the best debut ever over President's Day weekend.

"A record-breaking debut for `Ghost Rider' led to a record-breaking President's Day weekend last year. Inevitably, that was going to be very tough to beat," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.

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 Tuesday.

1. "Jumper," $27.2 million.
2. "Step Up 2 the Streets," $19.7 million.
3. "The Spiderwick Chronicles," $19.1 million.
4. "Fool's Gold," $13.1 million.
5. "Definitely, Maybe," $9.7 million.
6. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," $8.9 million.
7. "Juno," $4.6 million.
8. "The Bucket List," $4.1 million.
9. "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," $3.3 million.
10. 27 Dresses," $3.2 million.

The Couch Potato Report - February 16th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a one-of-a-kind documentary about the men who have walked on the moon and five other films.

I have six releases to tell you about on this very busy week, so let me get right to it, starting with this week's HOT POTATO, the spectacular documentary IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON.

This hour and forty minute film features interviews with all of the surviving astronauts who went to the moon - with the exception of the reclusive Neil Armstrong - and lets them tell their story in their own words.

In addition to the interviews with the astronauts, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON also includes footage that we have seen dozens of times over the years, and some NASA films and materials that had not even been opened in over 30 years.

Including a different look at Armstrong's descent down the ladder that lead to this unforgettable moment.

In what I think was a wise choice, the former astronauts have the only speaking roles in the film, although occasional supplementary information is presented on screen with text.

There is also some archival television footage and news reports, and it all adds up to a superb film!!

Although it - SOMEHOW - did not get an Academy Award nomination as Best Documentary feature IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON is by far the best film form the genre that I saw last year.

It is a tremendous film!!

No, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON did not get an Oscar Nomination, but Ben Affleck's directorial debut did. Amy Ryan is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work as a mother whose four-year-old daughter Amanda gets abducted in the crime drama GONE BABY GONE.

Set in Boston, Ben's brother Casey Affleck stars along with Michelle Monaghan from MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III as two private investigators hunting for the missing girl.

Along the way, they work alongside a police detective - played by the brilliant Ed Harris - and butt heads with a police captain, who is brought to life by Mr. Morgan Freeman.

GONE BABY GONE is full of tension and it is very dramatic. It is the kind of film where you never quite know what will happen next.

Unfortunately it doesn't finish as strong as it starts, but it is still a film that is worthy of your time...if the subject matter doesn't bother you.

Up next is BECOMING JANE, a film inspired by the early life of author Jane Austen - who is portrayed by the very beautiful and talented Anne Hathaway from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.

In this film, the character of Jane Austen wishes to be a writer - much to the dismay of her parents - and she also wants to be in love with her future husband, not just marry for money and because society demands it.

Eventually she meets a man and falls in love...but if they get married, they will lose their standing in society and be penniless...ah, the heartbreak of love!

BECOMING JANE is NOT a biography...it is simply BASED ON some facts about Austen's life, and as such it plays like a watered down version of a Jane Austen story...specifically PRIDE & PREDJUDICE.

But, even though it is not historically accurate, and even though we have seen this story on film many times before...I still liked BECOMING JANE.

I am not sure of that is solely due to my admiration for Anne Hathaway or not, but I did like it.

No, BECOMING JANE does not re-invent the wheel...but sometimes you don't have to be unique to be good.

And sometimes, unique just isn't really all that good...which is certainly the case with the film MARTIAN CHILD.

John Cusack toplines MARTIAN CHILD and he used to be a reliable actor who only made quality films.

Films like SAY ANYTHING, SERENDIPITY, HIGH FIDELITY, GROSS POINT BLANK, and many others.

With MARTIAN CHILD he seems to have lost his way, playing a widower who decides to adopt a child.

A child who thinks he is from Mars.

MARTIAN CHILD is an awful film that is utterly predictable an dfeatures a child actor who brings nothing to the film. He isn't cute, he isn't a good actor...this kid doesn't even have a good speaking voice.

MARTAIN CHILD is a waste of time and you should just skip it! Forget that John Cusack has made some classic films, and that you could once trust his choices.

Forget that and just keep walking down the video aisle to the "N" section, where you will find the film NO RESERVATIONS, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhardt.

Zeta-Jones is a chef at a New York restaurant who is spectacular at her job, but her life is a mess.

When her sister dies in an accident, her life gets even further complicated as she becomes the guardian of her niece, played by Abigail Breslin from LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.

Then, a love interest gets added to the mix as hunky sous-chef Aaron Eckhart starts working at the restaurant....and as you would expect, the two adults don't get along... at first.

NO RESERVATIONS is neither good, nor bad. It is quite an innocuous little film that I didn't mind. Admittedly, I thought it would be better...but ultimately I was satisfied with what it put on my plate.

I will also admit that I thought our final release this week would also be better...but as much as it did make me think, the people in debt documentary MAXED OUT just isn't anything special.

YES, MAXED OUT will make you think about how much money you owe on your own credit cards...but it won't make you tell anyone that they "...must see this film!"

MAXED OUT chronicles abusive practices in the credit card industry and features interviews with creditors, debtors, academics, and others to illustrate its story.

The real life people who have found themselves in debt tell some heartbreaking stories, and there are some great archival film footage, but not one of the "experts" they interview offer any truly unique insights...and they don't really tell us anything we don't already know.

Yes, banks give almost anyone a credit card, even university students who have no income.

We also know that banks and lending agencies make their millions each year off of the interest we pay...we know that.

BUT I will say this...after seeing MAXED OUT, I personally started looking into ways that I could lower my own personal debt and interest rates. So, if you are starting to worry about how much interest you are paying each month...maybe it will inspire you as well.

MAXED OUT isn't spectacular, but it is engaging...and if it helps you refinance your debts and lower your interest rates from 21% to 8% as it did with me...now how many films can boast that?!?

The people in debt documentary MAXED OUT, the innocuous romance NO RESERVATIONS, John Cusack's awful MARTIAN CHILD, GONE BABY GONE, featuring Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Amy Ryan, and the spectacular documentary about the men who stood IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

If you thought this week was busy, wait until next week when I will have seven new releases, including the Academy Award nominated films IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, AMERICAN GANGSTER and MICHAEL CLAYTON.

Plus, I will recommend a small Canadian film called SURVIVING MY MOTHER

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next time on The Couch!

New Juno nominations for Anne Murray, Jill Barber

Songbird Anne Murray and Halifax singer-songwriter Jill Barber have earned additional nominations for Juno Awards.

The Canada Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences erred in its calculations when it issued its list of Juno nominees on Feb. 5.

The academy issued a release Friday saying it's checked the figures again and consulted with an "independent third party" and realized it will have to make adjustments in three categories.

As a result, Murray has a nomination for album of the year for her Duets: Friends & Legends.

The category now has six nominees — rather than the usual five. The others are:

The Best Damn Thing, Avril Lavigne.
D'elles, Céline Dion.
Taking Chances, Céline Dion.
The Reminder, Feist.
Call Me Irresponsible, Michael Bublé.
Murray, who will perform at the Junos, also has a nomination for pop album of the year for Duets.

Barber gets a nomination for best new artist to add to her nomination for best roots and traditional solo album for For All Time.

The other nominees in the new artist category are:

Belly.
Jeremy Fisher.
Justin Nozuka.
Serena Ryder.
Suzie McNeil.

In the rap recording category, Fall from Paradise by Classified has been eliminated because it had a Juno nomination in 2007.

The new nominee is JDiggz for Memoirs of a Playbwoy, competing against:

The Revolution, Belly.
The FEWturistic, Brassmunk.
Port Authority, Marco Polo.
The Old Prince, Shad.

It is not the first time the recording academy has miscalculated in its nomination formulas, which are partly based on albums sold. In 2004, it also made changes in three categories.

The winners are determined by member voting.

The Juno Awards will take place in Calgary on April 6.

New Guitar Hero gives sweet emotion to Aerosmith fans

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Activision Inc on Friday unveiled a new "Guitar Hero" video game focusing on the rock band Aerosmith, taking the billion-dollar franchise in a new direction.

Called "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith," the new game will arrive in stores this summer, a surprise to many analysts and fans who had expected the next title to come out closer to the year-end holiday shopping season.

Aerosmith, known for hits such as "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion," is the top-selling American rock band of all time, with sales of 66.5 million albums in the United States alone.

The game will feature about 30 Aerosmith songs as well as others from various acts that have opened for the band. The price has not yet been set.

"The premise is that it's going to cover the 30-plus years of the band, from high school all the way through the rock superstardom of today," Kai Huang, head of Activision's RedOctane unit, which guides development of the franchise, told Reuters in an interview.

In the "Guitar Hero" games, players try to press colored buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes cascading down the screen. If the notes are hit, the song plays properly, and the player earns points.

Since the original "Guitar Hero" was released in late 2005, the series has gone on to sell more than $1 billion. Depending on the version, a bundle including the game and a controller costs from $80-$100, while the stand-alone game costs $40-$60.

When Activision reported quarterly earnings last week, analysts grilled the company on its plans for the franchise, expressing concern that sales would slow this year because many players who bought earlier versions with guitars would opt to buy the lower-price stand-alone game disks.

Huang said Activision had not yet decided whether it would offer a special controller with the Aerosmith game.

NEW DIRECTION

The focus on a single band marks a new twist for the franchise, whose three main titles featured dozens of artists spanning classic rock, grunge, metal, punk and other rock subgenres. Last year, Activision also released "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s" with songs from that decade.

"It's just a completely new way to interact with this music and with Aerosmith, and we think there's more opportunity to do that in the future," Huang said.

By spotlighting a single band, the company has also come up with a way to counter rival music game "Rock Band" from Viacom Inc unit MTV and Electronic Arts Inc, Activision's top competitor.

"Rock Band," which includes drums and a microphone as well as a guitar, each week has offered new songs that can be downloaded to consoles like Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 and Sony Corp's PlayStation 3.

The music industry is eyeing "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" as a way to revive flagging sales. "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero 3," both launched last fall, have together sold millions of songs at about $2 each via download.

Speaking of Aerosmith's willingness to work on the project, Huang said: "They recognize that it can deliver their music in an innovative and new way. It's a new distribution platform for them."

To recreate the sense of attending an Aerosmith concert, developers held motion-capture sessions with band members, including energetic frontman Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry.

"As you play," Huang said, "you're going to be seeing Joe and Steven doing their moves onstage."

'Star Trek' pushed back to 2009

Paramount is pushing back the release of J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" from Dec. 25 to May 8, 2009, saying the pic's gross potential is greater as a summer tentpole.

The move was part of a major reshuffling to the studio's release calendar, as well as to DreamWorks' release sked. A second key change: DreamWorks' 2008 Ben Stiller summer comedy "Tropic Thunder" is moving from July 11 to Aug. 15.

That's likely to mean that another film will take "Tropic's" old spot on July 11, particularly since there is such a dearth of broad comedies in the May-July stretch.

Like Par, many of the majors are likely to revisit their release skeds in the wake of the writers' strike as they try to balance out their 2008 and 2009 calendars.

"Star Trek" has no competition in its new slot -- at least not so far, although it opens one week after 20th Century Fox bows "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and one week before Sony is slated to bow sequel "Angels and Demons."

Paramount also dated two titles. Martin Scorsese's Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer "Shutter Island" will be released Oct. 2, 2009.

An untitled comedy produced by Marlon and Shawn Wayans will be released on Feb. 9, 2009. Their brother Damon Wayans is directing from a script the three co-wrote with two other family members. Par is keeping the logline under wraps.

Here are the other release changes to Par's sked:

- Eddie Murphy family pic "Nowhereland" is moving from Sept. 26, 2008, to June 12, 2009.

- Renee Zellweger horror-thriller "Case 39" is moving from Aug. 22, 2008, to April 10, 2009.

- David Fincher's Brad Pitt starrer "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is moving from Nov. 26, 2008, to Dec. 19, 2008.

In addition to the new date for "Tropic Thunder," DreamWorks and Par announced that Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet "Revolutionary Road" will be distributed by Par Vantage, and not the studio proper.

'24' fans must wait until Jan. 2009

NEW YORK - Fans of the Fox drama "24" will have to wait until next January to see Jack Bauer again, this television season's most prominent casualty of the Hollywood writers strike. The network has committed to air a full season on consecutive weeks, and had been planning to start last month.

But if it had started airing new episodes soon, the season finale would not have taken place until the summer, when TV networks rarely show their high-profile programs.

Even though eight episodes for this season had already been filmed before the beginning of the writers strike, producers would have had to ramp up production soon to complete the season.

A January 2009 start seemed the best way to comply with viewers' wishes that a season's episodes run without interruption to conclusion, Fox said on Thursday.

The company that produces the series, 20th Century Fox Television, also confirmed that creator Joel Surnow was leaving as one of the executive producers. Fox is owned by News Corp.

Surnow told Daily Variety that he had "decided it was time to see if there were other opportunities I wanted to pursue."

Nintendo's Miyamoto: Quitting smoking and gambling led me to Wii Fit

In a candid interview with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto talked about how his chain-smoking, pachinko-playing past led to the creation of Wii Fit.

Many Nintendo fans like to put Shigeru Miyamoto on a pedestal of perfection for the monumental contributions he's made to video games over the past 20 years, but it wasn't always Easy Street for the quirky developer.

In fact, during an interview with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata this week, the esteemed Miyamoto revealed he was plagued with poor eating habits, weight issues and a borderline pachinko addiction during his early years as a developer. What was bad for Miyamoto was good for gaming, however, as his subsequent desire to improve his health so many years ago led to one of the most popular peripherals in Japan: Wii Fit (one million sold in seven weeks).

"I used to play pachinko many years ago, but that stopped when I started swimming. Simply swimming without thinking about anything except how demanding it was had a similar effect to the stress relief I got from pachinko, which enabled me to escape the cycle of worries I had. Another thing I managed after quitting pachinko was to stop smoking, which also lead to better fitness," Miyamoto said.

Miyamoto also talked about the challenges of working with a development team and outside hardware manufacturers that were wary of creating such a complicated, risky piece of technology.

"We subsequently decided that we'd just have to go ahead and make it ourselves, fully aware that if we just made it like an ordinary scale you could buy anywhere, it'd be just plain boring. That's when, after a process of trial and error, we settled on the idea of making it so that you could balance on four points: front, back, left and right. This in turn lead us to the idea that we could also use it as an interface for a game," he said.

Even the size of the Wii Fit balance board was meticulously vetted by the infamously fickle Miyamoto, who's been known to make drastic changes to software and hardware at the last possible minute. A fan favorite from the US was brought in to test how the board responded to American feet.

"Since Reggie at [Nintendo of America] was scheduled to come to Japan to attend meetings of overseas executives, we had him get on the Wii Balance Board and even measured his shoulder width!" Miyamoto said. Suffice to say, the board passed the Regginator test.

In their four-page interview Iwata and Miyamoto also tackled one of the long standing criticisms of any accessory: you'd be hard pressed to find a 3rd party developer that would specifically design a game around one because of the risks involved. With WiiWare, Iwata thought Nintendo might have a solution.

"I think it'd be nice if some new, simpler software that used the Wii Balance Board came out through WiiWare," Iwata said. "I think if you suddenly released new software for the Wii Balance Board at full price, the publishers would find it a bit difficult to market as packaged software to be sold in shops. That's why I think it'd be good if you could download less expensive software onto your Wii instead of just relying on boxed games."

Bon Jovi Snags Kopple For Documentary

Bon Jovi has commissioned Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple to make a documentary about the band, which she's started working on as the New Jersey rockers prepare for a U.S. tour to promote their latest album, "Lost Highway."

"We just realized that (over) all the years, we really didn't document enough stuff," guitarist Ritchie Sambora explained today (Feb. 13) in a conference call with reporters. "Musically we documented things pretty well; we put out a box set (2004's "100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong") a few years ago, but we look at other bands, contemporaries like U2, even Tom Petty and Aerosmith, and they had cameras rolling all the time. We didn't have a lot of footage like that going on."

Sambora says Bon Jovi has charged Kopple -- whose work includes the Oscar-winning "Harlan County, USA" and the Dixie Chicks' "Shut Up & Sing" -- to "capture the story about our success and the anomaly of our success, and then some of the trials and tribulations and stories and back stories."

The documentary will include both new and some archival material, including interviews and performance footage, but there's no title or tentative release date yet. "We're conceptualizing it at this point," Sambora said. "It's a work in progress ... I don't think it's gonna rear it's head for awhile."

Bon Jovi will certainly give Kopple plenty of material to work with. After rehearsals in DeKalb, Ill., the group hits the road Feb. 18 in Omaha, Neb., and promises a mix of hits and "Lost Highway" material, as well as "a lot of media, a lot of visuals," according to keyboardist David Bryan. "There's some pretty amazing screens, and the stage is just awesome."

After wrapping on May 1 in Atlanta, Bon Jovi begins a European tour on May 22 in Gelsinkirchen, Germany. There will be another leg of the tour after that, but keyboardist David Bryan said, "we don't have July figured out yet."

Summer Run To Be The Police's Final Tour

The Police will take one more victory lap through North America on their massively successful reunion tour before calling it quits for good, sources close to the tour tell Billboard.com.

The Police -- Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland -- will play another 30-odd dates in May and July in North America, with 15 previously announced European concerts sandwiched between in June. Elvis Costello & the Imposters will open the entire run of North American dates, which wraps the first week in August.

This final leg will play primarily amphitheaters with a few arenas, beginning May 1 in Ottawa. These will be the first-ever shed dates for the Police, as the amphitheater network present today was largely non-existent during the band's first go-round in the early 1980s. No festivals or stadiums will be part of the route.

Close to half the dates will be in markets not played last year in North America, where the tour began last May. The current leg finishes in Hawaii over the weekend.

These dates will be the last time the band performs together as the Police -- ever. But it has been a lucrative reunion, as the tour will likely end up in the $340 million gross range, with attendance north of three million. That would make it one of the top five highest-grossing tours of all time.

The Police reunion tour is promoted by Arthur Fogel, chairman of TNA International, the global touring arm of Live Nation. It is produced by RZO Productions.

STEVE GERBER PASSES AWAY

After a battle with pulmonary fibrosis, acclaimed and beloved writer Steve Gerber died on Sunday from complications due to his condition. The news was confirmed by a close acquaintance. He was 60 years old.

Gerber was a comics fan all his life, having started the fanzine Headline in his early teens, and eventually finding work as a writer at Marvel in the early ‘70s, working under Roy Thomas. Amid the work that was coming out of Marvel at the time, Gerber found his own, unique voice which often mixed the usual superhero tropes with satire, commentary and an absurdist sense of humor. During his early days at Marvel, Gerber is best remembered for writing The Defenders and Man-Thing, and of course, creating Howard the Duck and Omega the Unknown and having notable runs with many Marvel characters, from Shanna the She-Devil to the Guardians of the Galaxy, Son of Satan, and Tales of the Zombie. In many ways, Gerber was 1970s Marvel. It was his unpredictable, groundbreaking work and strong desire to stray from the beaten path throughout the ‘70s that made Gerber a role model for the next two-plus generations of comic book and other writers, including Michael Chabon and Glen David Gold.

After leaving Marvel in 1979, Gerber became something of a journeyman in comics, putting in time with some of DC Comics heroes, but most notably, being present at the forefront of the “independent revolution” of the 1980s. When it came to “mainstream” superhero comics of the time, Gerber was as loud a voice (or louder) advocating change and modernization as the legends of the day such as his friend and colleague, Frank Miller.

Many of Gerber’s larger plans did not come to fruition and, like many creators at the time who found that comics had seemingly passed them by, Gerber turned his attention to animation and television in the ‘80s, writing for Dungeons and Dragons, Transformers, Star Trek: The Next Generation (“Contagion”), G.I. Joe and Thundarr the Barbarian, which he created.

Following up on his independent work from the ‘80s, Gerber was one of the founders of Malibu’s Ultraverse, and for a period, found a home writing a handful of Image Comics titles. Gerber’s work throughout the ‘90s was an eclectic mix, always quirky and always very personal.

More recently, Gerber returned to Marvel to write a Howard the Duck miniseries for its MAX imprint. He had also recently returned to DC, where he had created the acclaimed series Hard Time for the publisher’s failed DC Focus line. Since that time, Gerber had largely taken up residence in the DC Universe’s more “mystical” side, writing the Dr. Fate story which was contained in the Countdown to Mystery miniseries.

Recently on his blog Gerber had been keeping his friends and fans appraised of his condition. In an interview about Dr. Fate here at Newsarama in September, Gerber discussed his health with characteristic frankness and humor, saying:

“It’s just a fact of life, it’s something I have to deal with. Naturally, I’d be very happy if there were, you know, a ‘cure’ for this, but there isn’t. I’ve got fibrosis of the lungs, and it’s a…so far slow-but-progressive disease that, if not treated, will ultimately off me.

“I’m moving toward getting on the lung transplant list at UCLA. And, hopefully, I will have a newly-refurbished pair of lungs (laughs) to breathe with in a little while. We’ll see what happens.

“It’s almost funny…I really do have a sick sense of humor about some of this stuff. (laughs) Part of me wants to go for the sympathy ploy. Put a picture of me on the cover of Countdown to Mystery with a gun to my head, or a plastic bag over it, and the caption, ‘Buy this magazine or this writer will never breathe again!’ The old National Lampoon gag.”

Gerber’s last post on his blog was from a week ago, noting that he was working through the night on a Dr. Fate script.

Newsarama extends its deepest condolences to Gerber’s friends and family. He will be missed.

Surnow leaves '24'

"24" co-creator/executive producer Joel Surnow is leaving the Emmy-winning Fox drama.

Surnow's departure is effective immediately. He served as an executive producer on the first eight episodes of the real-time thriller's seventh season that were produced before and into the strike but will not be creatively involved in the remaining 16 episodes, slated to begin filming shortly.

Surnow's overall deal with "24" producer 20th Century Fox TV was up April 30. This week, the writer-producer asked the studio to release him early, and it agreed.

Instead of signing a show deal to continue providing services on "24," Surnow decided to go for "a clean break" and leave altogether to focus on new projects. ("24" co-creator/executive producer Robert Cochran's overall pact with 20th TV also expired last year, but he continues to work on the series.)

Surnow began contemplating an exit from "24" in the summer, when the show was starting production on Season 7, but made the final decision during the strike.

"I did some soul-searching," Surnow said. "I took it as an opportunity to write on my own and do other things."

Surnow said he is not sure what exactly he will do next, but one thing is certain: "24" will be a tough act to follow.

"After doing '24,' I don't know if I want to do a mainstream show again," he said. "I like what's going on in cable; there is an opportunity to stretch dramatically there, which is something I'm trying to do."

As for his departure, Surnow said it was hard to leave the show that had been "a life- and career-changing experience" but knowing that "24" was in "the capable hands of Howard Gordon" made it easier. Gordon has run "24" since Season 6.

'Saturday Night Live' to return Feb. 23

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC's Saturday Night Live, the only late-night show completely shelved by the writers' strike, is planning a Feb. 23 return if the writers ratify a contract agreement and head back to work.

No host guests or guests have been announced for the return.

How long has Saturday Night Live been gone? So long that it opened its second-to-last show before the strike with a skit about a Halloween party at presumed president-in-waiting Hillary Clinton's house. The real Barack Obama made a cameo.

"It's been a long dry spell without Saturday Night Live on the air," Rick Ludwin, head of late-night entertainment at NBC, said Tuesday. "They've been sitting on the sidelines watching all this happening in politics and the primaries. SNL thrives during an election year, and they can't wait to get back on."

While the Tonight show and Conan O'Brien's Late Night returned in January without writers and did shows with skeleton crews, SNL is so dependent on its writers that it couldn't return without them.

New 'Star Wars' Animated Film Is Coming To Theatres

NEW YORK - The "Star Wars" universe, already substantially rendered by computer generated imagery, is giving in all the way to animation.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars," an animated film, will open in theaters Aug. 15 and be followed by a TV series of the same name, to air on the Cartoon Network and TNT this fall.

"I felt there were a lot more `Star Wars' stories left to tell," said "Star Wars" creator George Lucas in a statement. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the animation forward."

Produced by Lucasfilm Animation, both the film and TV show will be distributed through Time Warner Inc., which owns TNT, the Cartoon Network and the film's distributor, Warner Bros.

Lucas, who serves as executive producer, is also planning a live-action television series spinoff of the franchise, which he began working on last fall. The animated series has long been in the works, though the theatrical release was only announced late Tuesday.

The movie and subsequent series takes place between the ground covered in episodes II and III of the "Star Wars" films: "Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "Revenge of the Sith" (2005). It will include cartoon versions of many familiar characters, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala and General Grievous.

A new character named Ahsoka, Anakin's padawan, will be the first female Jedi to be a character of focus.

"It turned out to be an idea that George wanted to explore," said Dave Filoni, director of the "Clone Wars" movie and supervising director of the series. "Henry Gillroy (a writer on the series) and I very much wanted to have a female Jedi in more of a lead role because you've had all the boys."

More than 30 episodes are planned, though Filoni declined to say exactly how long the show will run. He acknowledged it's a finite timeline before encroaching on "Revenge of the Sith" story lines.

Though the "Star Wars" films have been extraordinarily lucrative, the force won't be expected to be as strong in cartoon form. The film and series are clearly aimed at younger viewers, though Filoni hopes to also entice the many "Star Wars" die-hard fans.

"An animated series always appeals more to a younger audience," said Filoni. "But at the same time, we've tried to do some sophisticated things and ensure that we are going to satisfy the broad spectrum of `Star Wars' fans."

Though Lucas farms out various "Star Wars" projects in what's known as the "`Star Wars' expanded universe," Filoni says that Lucas ensured "The Clone Wars" has "that `Star Wars' feeling."

Fans will also remember other animated series following the first time Lucas completed a "Star Wars" trilogy. After "Return of the Jedi," the series "Ewoks" and "Droids" ran in the late `80s.

The Cartoon Network also ran an earlier version of a "Clone Wars" animated series for three seasons beginning in 2003.

Writers end strike; now they must write

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood writers' brief moment to savor the end of their 100-day strike gave way Wednesday to the cold reality of a blank page and networks and studios eager for new TV episodes.

"What we're all finding is there's a certain amount of, `OK, what are we going to do now?' said Shane Brennan, writer and executive producer for the CBS drama "NCIS."

"You go back to your desk, open your computer, look at the last thing you planned, the last thing you wrote," Brennan said, "and figure out how to go from there."

Cheryl Heuton, executive producer for CBS' "Numb3rs," has been making a flurry of calls to muster crew members, writers and others connected with the drama.

"We're just gathering everybody. The offices are pretty dark and lonely and will be for a couple more days," said Heuton.

Members of the Writers Guild of America members voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to lift the union's strike order, allowing the industry to jump-start stalled production of numerous TV sitcoms and dramas.

"It will be all hands on deck for the writing staff," said Chris Mundy, co-executive producer of the CBS drama "Criminal Minds." Actual production won't begin, however, until scripts have been completed, which could take days or even weeks.

For the Feb. 24 Academy Awards, the vote by East and West Coast guild members ended the threat of a boycott by writers and actors that would have robbed the ceremony of its celebrity luster.

Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which stages the Oscars, responded effusively.

"I am ecstatic that the 80th Academy Awards presentation can now proceed full steam ahead," he said, and without "hesitation or discomfort" for the nominees.

The writers' decided overwhelmingly in favor of ending the strike: 3,492 said yes, with only 283 voting to stay off the job. The number of guild members involved in the strike was 10,500, with countless other industry workers forced into unemployment because of the walkout.

Writers did not vote on the tentative contract agreement that already has won approval from the union's board of directors. The contract ratification vote will be conducted by mail and at meetings and will conclude Feb. 25.

Approval is expected, given Tuesday's lopsided decision and the enthusiasm for the proposed contract expressed at guild meetings held last weekend in New York and Los Angeles.

"At the end of the day, everybody won. It was a fair deal and one that the companies can live with, and it recognizes the large contribution that writers have made to the industry," Leslie Moonves, chief executive officer of CBS Corp., told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Moonves was among the media executives who helped broker a deal after negotiations between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, collapsed in December.

Under the tentative agreement, writers would get a maximum flat fee of about $1,200 for programs streamed on the Internet in the deal's first two years and then get 2 percent of a distributor's gross in year three — a key union demand.

Other provisions include increased residual payments for movies and TV programs downloaded from the Internet.

"These advances now give us a foothold in the digital age," said Patric Verrone, president of the West Coast guild. "Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as television migrates to the Internet."

Michael R. Perry, a writer for "Persons Unknown" and other TV dramas, said the deal made him hopeful the guild and studios could be "partners in a growing pie" of Internet revenue.

"I want them to be fabulously, filthy rich. I just want my piece," Perry said.

The strike that began Nov. 5 dealt a financial blow to a wide range of businesses dependent on work from studios.

It took a $3.2 billion toll in direct and indirect costs on the economy of Los Angeles County, the home of most of the nation's TV and film production, according to a new estimate from Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

The last writers strike, a 153-day walkout in 1988, resulted in an estimated $500 million in lost wages.

Hollywood's labor pains may not be over: The contract between studios and the Screen Actors Guild is set to expire in June, said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney with the Los Angeles firm of TroyGould and a former associate counsel for the writers guild.

"The signs are mixed whether this is going to be another difficult negotiation," Handel said. "The actors face all of the new-media issues that the writers and directors faced."

Natalie Cole slams Amy Winehouse

Singer Natalie Cole had a few unforgettable words for Amy Winehouse after the troubled British singer took home five Grammy Awards Sunday night.

The New York Daily News reports that although Cole has also fought addictions to drugs and alcohol in the past, she told journalists at a Grammys after-party that she thought Winehouse was gifted but crazy.

"I don't think she deserved it," Cole said. "I think she needs to get her life together first and then get the awards later."

She also told People.com that "it's not right for her to be able to have her cake and eat it too ... She needs to get herself together." You don't get to just do your drugs and go onstage and get rewarded."

Former Beatle Ringo Starr, who was nearby and overheard Cole's remarks, quipped, "Man, those are some grapes," the News said.

Winehouse checked into rehab in London last month to deal with her addictions to drugs and alcohol. She didn't get her visa in time to travel to Los Angeles for the Grammys gala but performed via satellite from a studio in London.

'09 Junos to be held in Vancouver

VANCOUVER -- The Junos will be held in Vancouver next year.

CTV is reporting that Canada's biggest music award ceremonies will be held in the city in 2009, one year before the Olympics.

The show has travelled to a different city in recent years, with Calgary playing host this year.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan recently went to Toronto to convince organizers to let his city host the popular event.

He says it promises to be a big party.

Rock stars courted for curling reality show

Move over American Idol and make room for Rockstar Curling, a reality television show that may indeed have a rock-star connection.

NBC confirmed yesterday it has an exclusive option to air a 10-episode sports reality show that will give the winners a shot at competing in the U.S. championships and even going to the 2010 Olympics.

And one aspect that would make this a draw to the button for NBC is a plan to land closet curlers Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi as part of the show, assuming the rockers aren't worried what being connected to a sport with brooms might do to their images.

According to sources, the two rock stars are among a group of entertainment types who rent arena time on occasion to pick up brooms instead of guitars.

Organizers are trying to negotiate a deal to get one of them involved, possibly as a host.

The series is the brainchild of New York-based sports marketing agency mktpartners and Carr-Hughes Productions of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Mktgpartners has an office in Toronto and has an advertising commitment from the likes of Tourism Canada, sources say.

"This show is all about the opportunity to expose American viewers to curling," said Colin Campbell, Canadian president of mktgpartners and one of the creators of the show. "We feel there might be some great athletes out there who might develop into good curlers given the chance."

While a curling reality show wouldn't be considered that unusual in Canada, where top events draw more than 1 million viewers, it's hardly a mainstream sport south of the border.

Generally, the only time it gets mentioned on U.S. television is when comedians make fun of the sport.

The jokes usually revolve around the use of brooms and the belief curlers are the least athletic of all Olympians.

But curling was one of the surprise hits of the last two Olympics for NBC, enough so that NBC aired 24 matches live from Turin on one of its cable channels.

Although curling seldom gets more than 800,000 viewers on NBC, it once drew higher ratings than an NHL playoff game that aired at the same time the next day.

Needless to say, the U.S. Curling Association is thrilled with the prospect of 10 weeks of exposure on a national network.

"We feel that the Rockstar concept is innovative, creative and will help U.S. Curling develop new awareness, interest and participation in our sport across America," said association chief operating office Rick Patzke.

The show would work a lot like the Idol series, though it would most likely air on weekend afternoons.

The show would involve U.S.-wide tryouts starting this year, open to anyone 18 or older. A panel of coaches will select two teams – five men and five women – to train for six months, all expenses paid, at Lake Placid, N.Y.

They would train eight hours a day under professional coaches before going to regional playdowns for the 2010 U.S. Olympic trials in February 2009.

If they win, they're off to the Vancouver Olympics, unlikely as that may seem.

The tryouts, training and national competition will all be part of the series.

"If the winners get anywhere, it will be because they've earned it," said Campbell.

Patzke said the television teams would be given no advantage.

"They would have to enter the U.S. Olympic team trials playdowns like any other U.S. Olympic-eligible team," he said.

"There are no special concessions."

Mktgpartners Canadian president Colin Campbell said in a statement that curling has a unique appeal to advertisers.

"The sport of curling is clutter-free compared to mainstream American sports sponsorship," he said, "and Rockstar Curling is an excellent opportunity for brands to capture the attention of consumers, leading up to the Olympics."

Indiana Jones and the Valentine’s Day Teaser Trailer

Valentine’s Day is coming a little earlier for Indy fans. Paramount Pictures and LucasFilm have announced that the much anticipated teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be previewed exclusively on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on February 14th between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m.

The footage will then be immediately available online through the film’s official site IndianaJones.com and Yahoo! Movies.

The trailer will still play on the big screen in front of prints of The Spiderwick Chronicles. This is great news for Indy fanatics, because it means we won’t have to sit through a weekend of YouTube bootlegs. You have to give Paramount credit for not trying to force fans into seeing Spiderwick to catch the teaser, a shady practice adopted by many of the major Hollywood movie studios.

Strike wraps too late for Oscar promo plans

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The return of writers -- and celebrities -- to the full palette of late-night shows comes too late for studios hoping to swell support for their Oscar-nominated films and stars.

"A week or two ago this would have made a difference," one veteran awards consultant said of the tentative deal to end the three-month writers strike. "But most people already know who they're voting for, and most of the nominees are already done promoting their films."

While Oscar balloting doesn't officially close until February 19, five days before the ceremony takes place, the prime campaigning season is essentially over, with the nominees lunch and assorted guild ceremonies already in the books.

Few nominees are expected to fly to a city for just one taping, though guests might do a one-off in their own city. On Wednesday, for instance, supporting actress nominee Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone") will appear on "The Late Show With David Letterman."

One of the highest-profile late-night shows signaled its return Monday as sources said that "Juno" star and best actress nominee Ellen Page would host "Saturday Night Live" on March 1, the series' first program after the Academy Awards.

But the ability to use late-night for the Oscars itself, given the tight turnaround, is tricky. Miramax said it had no plans to book stars from "No Country for Old Men" on "The Tonight Show" or other late-night programs. Other Oscar nominees, such as Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood") and Julie Christie ("Away From Her"), are not big on the late-night circuit anyway.

George Clooney, who might have had a second round of interviews for "Michael Clayton," which Warner Bros. put back into release after its Oscar nominations, might hold back now that he has a new movie to launch in five weeks, "Leatherheads," which he directed, produced and stars in.

Most nominees this season appeared at the usual round of more intimate events like guild screenings, film festival appearances in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara as well as New York dinners thrown by the likes of Peggy Siegal.

But in the past, late-night shows, particularly "The Tonight Show," have proved a viable launching pad; Oscar historians point to events like Juliette Binoche's late-night tour that helped catapult her to a nomination for "Chocolat" in 2000. The absence of those appearances could impact the race in subtle ways.

Already the weekend's BAFTA win in London for Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose") over Christie, seen as something of an upset, had observers speculating over how the Oscar race would look if Cotillard could have worked the late-night circuit during her recent trip to Hollywood.

Supporting actor nominee Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"), though considered a longshot in the category, could have used the late-night couches to raise his profile and establish himself as a future contender.

Still, it's expected that stars will make appearances on late-night shows for Oscar movies still in theaters -- like "Juno" -- to boost box office.

On Monday, many late-night show were cautious about telegraphing plans for upcoming guests, though the booking action behind the scenes was thought to be frantic as both shows and stars tried to make up for three months of lost time.

NBC declined comment on any guests for "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show With Conan O'Brien," though both were expected to line up Oscar nominees.

ABC's "Late Show With Jimmy Kimmel" also is expected to be a player as it tries to land Academy Awards nominees to promote the network's Oscar telecast; a rep said it was working to line up Oscar guests.

But one late-night ABC telecast is staying out of the race: a "Nightline" rep said that with the intense political season under way, there were no plans to bring on any Oscar nominees.

New CD Releases, February 12: Michael Jackson, Widespread Panic, Simple Plan

Michael Jackson "Thriller--25th Anniversary Edition"

The landmark album, by most accounts the world's best-selling record of all time, gets its proper due with this expansive anniversary re-release.

The dual CD/DVD "Thriller--25th Anniversary Edition" includes the full-length original album as well as seven bonus tracks, consisting of six remixes and one unreleased cut ("For All Time"). The remixes come courtesy of such stars as Kanye West, Fergie, will.i.am and Akon.

The DVD portion features all of the original music videos from the album, including the groundbreaking "Thriller'' short film. Perhaps best of all is the inclusion of Jackson's acclaimed performance of "Billie Jean" on the 1983 "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" TV special.

"Thriller" was originally released on Nov. 30, 1982--which actually makes 2008 the 26th anniversary of the album--but the celebration is still quite timely, given that the record would dominate the charts for much of 1983.

* * *
Widespread Panic "Free Somehow"

The Southern-rock jam band, which made its name on heavily improvised live performances, releases its 10th studio album. "Free Somehow" is the group's first release with new guitarist Jimmy Herring, who replaced George McConnell last fall. McConnell had joined Panic following the 2002 cancer death of founding member Michael Hauser.

These road warriors will, of course, support "Free Somehow" on tour (how often Panic actually plays this new material during the tour is another matter). The month-long trek of Eastern cities begins April 1 with a two-night stand in Washington, DC.

* * *
Simple Plan "Simple Plan"

The Canadian rock group delivers its fourth CD, which follows 2002's double-platinum debut, "No Pads, No Helmets ... Just Balls," 2004's platinum-certified "Still Not Getting Any" and 2005's "MTV Hard Rock Live." Simple Plan is currently scheduled to support the self-titled disc with a pair of East Coast shows, Feb. 26 in New York City and Feb. 27 in Philadelphia.

* * *
British Sea Power "Do You Like Rock Music?"

The UK indie-rock troupe poses a musical question on its third full-length release: "Do You Like Rock Music?" The answer, if the new disc is anything like 2003's "The Decline of British Sea Power" and 2005's "Open Season," will most likely be a ringing affirmative from the group's fans.

* * *
Type O Negative "Dead Again--Deluxe Edition"

Originally released in March 2007, Type O Negative's seventh studio album is now getting a fancy re-release. "Dead Again--Deluxe Edition," which still features Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin on its cover, includes a DVD with live performances, interviews and music videos.

* * *
More new releases:
Blue Highway, "Through the Window of a Train" (Rounder)
Flo & Eddie, "The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie/Flo & Eddie" (Manifesto)
Natalie Grant, "Relentless" (Curb)
The Kingston Trio, "Once Upon a Time" (Collector's Choice)
The Kingston Trio, "Twice Upon a Time" (Collector's Choice)
Nancy LaMott, "Ask Me Again" (Midder)
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, "Spirit of the Glen" (Fontana)
Sanctus Real, "We Need Each Other" (Sparrow)
Supreme Beings of Leisure, "11i" (Rykodisc)
UFO, "Force It" (Caroline)
UFO, "No Heavy Petting" (Caroline)
UFO, "Phenomenon" (Caroline)
Various Artists, "The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 9: 1969" (Hip-O)
Various Artists, "WOW Gospel 2008" (Verity)

Tolkien estate sues New Line Cinema

LOS ANGELES - The estate of "Lord of the Rings" creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing the film studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company failed to pay a cut of gross profits for the blockbuster films.

The writer's estate, a British charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and original "Lord of the Rings" publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The lawsuit claims New Line was required to pay 7.5 percent of gross receipts from the films to Tolkien's estate and the other plaintiffs. A call to a spokesman for New Line, a unit of Time Warner Inc., was not immediately returned.

The films — 2001's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," 2002's "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," and 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" — have reaped nearly $6 billion combined worldwide, according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs seek more than $150 million in compensatory damages, unspecified punitive damages and a court order giving the Tolkien estate the right to terminate any rights New Line may have to make films based on other works by the author, including "The Hobbit."

Such an order would scuttle plans New Line has in the works to make a two-film prequel based on "The Hobbit."

"Rings" trilogy director Peter Jackson has already signed on to serve as executive producer on the project, which is tentatively slated to begin production next year, with releases planned for 2010 and 2011.

"The Tolkien trustees do not file lawsuits lightly, and have tried unsuccessfully to resolve their claims out of court," Steven Maier, an attorney for the Tolkien estate based in Britain, said in a statement. "New Line has not paid the plaintiffs even one penny of its contractual share of gross receipts despite the billions of dollars of gross revenue generated by these wildly successful motion pictures."

Maier also claims the film studio has blocked the Tolkien estate and the other plaintiffs from auditing the receipts of the last two films.

LARRY DAVID TO STAR IN WOODY ALLEN'S NEXT FEATURE

Have you ever exited a Woody Allen movie thinking, "Sure, that was neurotic, but was it really neurotic enough?" Apparently Allen has, as the director has cast Larry David as the lead in his next feature film. David is best known as writer/creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfield, in the former of which he portrays a comic persona that bears more than a little resemblance to Allen's.

David actually worked with Allen previously on Radio Days and Oedipus Wrecks (Allen's third installment of New York Stories), but both roles were extremely minor. One fortunate effect of this casting is that while previously actors have tried to channel the Allen character's neurotic behavior, in this case it may just come naturally.

Cast alongside David is Evan Rachel Wood (Across the Universe). Other than these two pieces of information, details about the film are still sparse, which is normal for Allen. It is known, though, that after his four years spent filming in England and Spain, this next project will reunite the director with his beloved New York City and will be a comedy. The picture is set to begin shooting in April.

While all of this info has been released about Allen's feature for next year, a great deal of information has also leaked about his current project, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, according to The New York Post, the film contains a "steamy lesbian sex scene" between its leading ladies. The film's stars are also said to later have a threesome in the movie, which, despite his many films based around love triangles, would also be a first for Allen. While it sounds a little bit like a fanboy's wishful thinking, this does correspond perfectly with what Bardem told MTV about the film.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona will be released sometime later this year, with a high likelihood of premiering at Cannes in a few months.

When Your Favorites Will Return!

At long last, a strike chart you can get excited about!

With an end to the three-month-old WGA strike imminent (yay!), the networks have quietly begun outlining plans to salvage what's left of the current TV season. At the same time, I've been quietly picking at my moles to get a preview of those plans — the results of which appear in chart form below.

Keep in mind that the following information remains extremely tentative and is subject to change (and probably will). In other words, I strongly suggest you refresh your browser at least once an hour to ensure that you're getting the most up-to-date scoop possible.

24
Expected to return this fall or January '09.

30 Rock
Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

Back to You
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Future TBD*.

The Big Bang Theory
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Big Love
Expected to go into production on Season 3 in March. Airdate info is TBD.

Big Shots
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Bionic Woman
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Bones
Four pre-strike episodes left. Unclear whether additional episodes will be produced for this season.

Boston Legal
Expected to shoot 4 or 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Brothers & Sisters
One pre-strike episode remains. Expected to shoot 4 or 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Burn Notice
Production on Season 2 expected to get underway in late April. New episodes could start airing as early as July.

Chuck
No new episodes until fall.

The Closer
Expected to kick off its fourth season this summer.

Cold Case
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Criminal Minds
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI: Miami
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI: NY
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Desperate Housewives
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Dirty Sexy Money
No new episodes planned until fall; three remaining pre-strike episodes will undergo some tweaking and kick off fall run.

ER
TBD.

Everybody Hates Chris
Twelve pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

Friday Night Lights
No new episodes expected for this season. Future TBD.

Ghost Whisperer
TBD.

Gossip Girl
Expected to shoot up to 9 new episodes to air in April/May/June.

Greek
Kicks off second half of Season 1 on March 24. Still awaiting Season 2 pickup.

Grey's Anatomy
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May

Heroes
TBD.

House
Expected to shoot 4 to 6 new episodes to air in April/May.

How I Met Your Mother
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Jericho
Seven episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

Journeyman
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Las Vegas
Two pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

Law & Order
TBD.

Law & Order: CI
TBD.

Law & Order: SVU
Production resumes in early March. Remains unclear whether episodes produced will be for this season or next.

Life
No new episodes expected until fall.

Life Is Wild
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Lost
Six pre-strike episodes remain. Six additional episodes could air this season.

Medium
Six pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected this season.

Men in Trees
Eleven pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected this season.

Moonlight
No new episodes expected until fall.

My Name Is Earl
Expected to shoot 8 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

NCIS
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes, only three of which may air this season.

The New Adventures of Old Christine
Seven pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected this season.

Nip/Tuck
Season 5 concludes Feb. 19. Production on the show's eight-episode sixth season expected to start up this summer. Airdate TBD.

Numbers
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes, only three of which may air this season.

October Road
Five pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

The Office
Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

One Tree Hill
Six pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Prison Break
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Private Practice
Slim chance it could return with 4 or 5 new episodes this season. Either way, it'll be back in the fall.

Pushing Daisies
No new episodes until fall.

Reaper
Three pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Samantha Who?
Three remaining pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot an additional 4 to 8 episodes to air after the new season of Dancing with the Stars.

Saturday Night Live
Could be back on the air as early as Feb. 16.

Scrubs
Four pre-strike episodes remain. Four additional episodes will likely be shot; unclear whether they'll air on NBC or go straight to DVD.

Smallville
Four pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 3 to 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Supernatural
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 3 to 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Five pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Two and a Half Men
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Ugly Betty
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Without a Trace
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Women's Murder Club
Shocking development: A deal to bring the show back this season is being hammered out as I write this. Stay tuned...

* TBD = To be determined

Hollywood writers to vote on contract

LOS ANGELES - TV producers say they expect writers to return to work as early as Wednesday now that the Writers Guild of America has moved to end its three-month-old strike.

On Sunday, guild leaders recommended a tentative three-year contract to members and asked them to vote separately on a quick end to the walkout.

Membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles, said Patric Verrone, president of the guild's West Coast branch.

"This is the best deal this guild has bargained for in 30 years," Verrone said.

The tentative contract secures writers a share of the burgeoning digital-media market, he said, including compensation for Internet-delivered TV shows and movies.

"If they (producers) get paid, we get paid. This contract makes that a reality," Verrone said. But, he added, "it is not all we hoped for and it is not all we deserved."

Still, the union's negotiating committee recommended Saturday that the contract be accepted, and the West guild's board of directors and the East Coast guild's council agreed. They called for a membership ratification vote, which will be conducted by mail over about two weeks.

Member approval of the contract and the strike's end appeared likely. At heavily attended membership meetings Saturday in New York and Los Angeles, there was resounding support for the proposed deal that could put TV and movie production back on track, salvage the rest of the TV season and remove a boycott threat from this month's Oscars.

Verrone thanked television viewers who "tolerated three months of reruns and reality TV."

The guild's major bargaining concession to studios was agreeing to take unionization of animation and reality TV shows off the table, Verrone said. The guild has said it still intends to pursue those goals.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, said it had no comment Sunday on the guild's actions.

The strike's end would allow many hit series to return this spring for what's left of the current season, airing anywhere from four to seven new episodes. Shows with marginal audience numbers may not return until fall, or could be canceled.

A minimum of four weeks would be needed for producers to start from scratch with their first post-strike episodes of comedies and get them on the air, industry members said. A drama would require six to eight weeks from concept to broadcast.

"It will be all hands on deck for the writing staff," said Chris Mundy, co-executive producer of CBS' drama "Criminal Minds." He hopes to get a couple of scripts in the pipeline right away, and for about seven episodes to air by the end of May.

"It's a real balancing act," he said, "to get up and running as fast as possible, but not let the quality slip."

The strike, the first in 20 years for the writers guild, began Nov. 5 and included bitter exchanges between the guild and the producers alliance. Talks collapsed in December.

In January, the studios reached an agreement in separate negotiations with the Directors Guild of America. Top media company executives, including Peter Chernin of News Corp. and Robert Iger of The Walt Disney Co., asked the writers to resume bargaining.

What were termed informal talks between the executives and guild leaders led to the tentative contract that writers will be voting on.

Together, the East and West Coast guilds represent 12,000 writers, with about 10,000 of those involved in the strike. It has cost the Los Angeles area economy alone an estimated $1 billion or more.

Based on the guild's summary of the deal, it is similar to the agreement reached with directors.

It provides union jurisdiction over projects created for the Internet based on certain guidelines, sets compensation for streamed, ad-supported programs, and increases residual payments for downloaded movies and TV programs.

Writers would get a maximum flat fee of about $1,200 for streamed programs in the deal's first two years and then get a percentage of a distributor's gross in year three — the last point an improvement on the directors deal, which remains at the flat payment rate.

The writers and directors guild deals both include a provision that compensation for ad-supported streaming wouldn't kick in until after a window of 17 to 24 days deemed "promotional" by the studios.

Some writers have balked at that, saying Internet traffic is heaviest in the first few days.

Hancock steals Grammy album of year

LOS ANGELES - Herbie Hancock shocked Kanye West, best-album presenters Usher and Quincy Jones, and just about anyone who was watching the Grammys when the jazz veteran won the night's big prize for "River: The Joni Letters."

But perhaps no one was more shocked than Herbie Hancock.

"It's immeasurable how surprised I am," Hancock said Sunday night after the show.

"I didn't even hear my name at first," he continued. "Then I heard the word 'River' and I said, 'Is this true? Is this happening?'"

It was the 11th Grammy for the 67-year-old, who doesn't expect any flak from his chief competitor.

"Kanye and I are cool," Hancock said.

The album, a collection of Joni Mitchell's music, features various singers. At least two of them were at Staples Center for Sunday's Grammy ceremony: Corinne Bailey Rae and Tina Turner. Norah Jones and Leonard Cohen also appear on the album.

Hancock and Mitchell, longtime friends and musical collaborators, have appeared on each other's records since 1979.

"Joni is a great friend of mine," Hancock said backstage. "I've cherished my friendship with her since we first met ... She responds to jazz like a fish in water."

But his win was a surprise for most industry watchers, who saw the best-album category as a duel between West and Winehouse.

West came into the contest with a leading eight nominations. He won four. Winehouse had six nods and won five awards. Hancock was up for three Grammys and won two, including contemporary jazz album.

Recording academy president Neil Portnow was asked backstage whether Hancock's win was appropriate given the runaway commercial success of West's "Graduation" and Winehouse's "Back to Black."

"I don't think sales has anything to do with what the academy decides in awarding albums or records. It's about excellence in music," he said. "I think it was a very respectable choice."

Vince Gill, a 19-time winner and fellow nominee for album of the year, said Hancock deserved the award.

"I think Herbie Hancock, hands down," he said, "is a better musician than all of us here put together."

'Jaws' actor Scheider dies at 75

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Roy Scheider, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for his role as a police chief in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," died Sunday. He was 75.

Scheider died at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock, hospital spokesman David Robinson said. The hospital did not release a cause of death.

However, hospital spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital's Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy for the past two years.

He was nominated for a best-supporting actor Oscar in 1971's "The French Connection" in which he played the police partner of Oscar winner Gene Hackman and for best-actor for 1979's "All That Jazz," the autobiographical Bob Fosse film.

However, he was best known for his role in Steven Spielberg's 1975 film, "Jaws," the enduring classic about a killer shark terrorizing beachgoers and well as millions of moviegoers.

Widely hailed as the film that launched the era of the Hollywood blockbuster, it was also the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office. Scheider starred with Richard Dreyfuss, who played an oceanographer.

"He was a wonderful guy. He was what I call 'a knockaround actor,'" Dreyfuss told The Associated Press on Sunday.

"A 'knockaround actor' to me is a compliment that means a professional that lives the life of a professional actor and doesn't' yell and scream at the fates and does his job and does it as well as he can," he said.

In 2005, one of Scheider's most famous lines in the movie — "You're gonna need a bigger boat" — was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies.

That year, some 30 years after "Jaws" premiered, hundreds of movie buffs flocked to Martha's Vineyard, off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, to celebrate the great white shark.

The island's JawsFest '05 also brought back some of the cast and crew, including screenwriter Carl Gottlieb and Peter Benchley, who wrote the novel that inspired Spielberg's classic. Spielberg, Scheider and Dreyfuss were absent.

Dreyfuss recalled Sunday a time during the filming of 'Jaws' when Scheider disappeared from the set. As the filming was on hold because of the weather, Scheider "called me up and said, 'You don't know where I am if they call.'

"He'd gone to get a tan. He was really very tan-addicted. That was due to a childhood affliction where he was in bed for a long time. For him being tan was being healthy," Dreyfuss said.

He added that Scheider "was a pretty civilized human being — you can't ask for much more than that."

Scheider was also politically active. He participated in rallies protesting U.S. military action in Iraq, including a massive New York demonstration in March 2003 that police said drew 125,000 chanting activists.

Scheider had a home built for him and his family in 1994 in Sagaponack in the Hamptons, where he was active in community issues. The oceanfront house featured five bedrooms, four fireplaces and various decks and porches.

Last summer, Scheider announced that he was selling the home for about $18.75 million to singer-songwriter Billy Joel and was moving to the nearby village of Sag Harbor.

Day-Lewis And Cotillard take UK Film Honours

LONDON, England (AP) -- Daniel Day-Lewis won the best actor award at the British Academy Film Awards Sunday, cementing his place as an Oscar favorite for his role as a larger-than-life oilman in "There Will be Blood."

Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard pose with their acting awards Sunday in London.

Marion Cotillard of France won the best actress prize for her portrayal of songstress Edith Piaf, while the literary tearjerker "Atonement" was named best picture.

Day-Lewis, a previous Oscar winner for "My Left Foot" and a favorite to win best actor at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles in two weeks, paid tribute to this year's strong field of nominees.

"It has been a mighty year and I am very proud to be included," he said.

The night's biggest surprise was the success of French-language Piaf biopic "La Vie En Rose," which took four prizes -- music, costume design, makeup and the acting award for Cotillard's searing performance as the tragic songstress.

"Wow, wow, wow!" said a trembling, overwhelmed Cotillard. "It has been the most incredible adventure. I loved every single second of the shooting."

Joel and Ethan Coen took the directing award for their bleak modern-day western "No Country for Old Men," while Spanish actor Javier Bardem was named best supporting actor for his portrayal of a remorseless killer in the same film. Roger Deakins won the cinematography prize for capturing a stark Texan landscape in the film.

Tilda Swinton was named best supporting actress for legal drama "Michael Clayton."

Swinton, who wore the evening's most outrageous outfit -- an elaborate gold-and-black John Galliano creation -- said she was surprised to win.

"Proof that I'm astonished -- I would never have worn this skirt," she said.

Neophyte screenwriter Diablo Cody took the original screenplay prize for quirky teen-pregnancy comedy "Juno," while the original screenplay award went to Ronald Harwood for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

The British awards -- officially the Orange British Academy Film Awards but popularly known as BAFTAs -- are considered an important indicator of success at the Oscars.

This year's show was given extra prominence by the Hollywood writers' strike that torpedoed last month's Golden Globes gala and imperiled the Feb. 24 Academy Awards. The Oscars ceremony now looks likely to go ahead thanks to a draft agreement between the Writers Guild of America and studios that could end the strike this week.

Hundreds of fans gathered under an unseasonably warm February sun to watch stars including Anthony Hopkins, Sylvester Stallone, Keira Knightley and "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe arrive at London's Royal Opera House for the black-tie ceremony.

"Atonement," which had been nominated for 14 awards, won just one other prize -- production design.

"Transformers" star Shia LaBoeuf won the rising star award, decided by public vote, while Hopkins received the Academy Fellowship for outstanding contribution to the film industry.

Shane Meadows' hard-hitting skinhead drama "This is England" took the prize for best British film.

Joel Plaskett Emergency cleans up at ECMA

FREDERICTON - A rocking song about fashionable people doing questionable things led a parade of awards for Halifax band Joel Plaskett Emergency, which cleaned up at the East Coast Music Awards on Sunday night.

Plaskett and his band won six awards related to their album "Ashtray Rock," a semi-biographical look at the world of Clayton Park, a sprawling Halifax suburb that overlooks Bedford Basin.

Plaskett, along with drummer David Marsh and bass player Chris Pennell, creates a narrative on the album about three friends growing up, falling in and out of love and playing music.

The hit song from the album "Fashionable People" was named group single of the year and also won for best video.

"I want to thank all of the people who turned out for the video shoot - both the fashionable and the unfashionable," Plaskett said as he accepted the best video award.

As well, Plaskett won the prestigious songwriter of the year award for the bouncy tune filled with beat changes and background vocals.

"Ashtray Rock" also took group recording of the year, rock recording and recording of the year.

Nova Scotian performers took the lion's share of awards at the gala in Fredericton.

New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island also had several winners, while performers from Newfoundland and Labrador were shut out.

Plaskett has been nominated for a Juno Award, and "Fashionable People" recently received first-place honours in the pop song category of the 2007 Billboard Magazine World Song contest.

Although the lanky Plaskett just completed a whirlwind tour of Australia, he said nothing would keep him from the East Coast Music Awards - the annual, dead-of-winter tribute to Atlantic Canadian music and culture.

"The awards have always been a big part of my year," he said shortly after he arrived in Fredericton.

"The ECMAs mark a kind of beginning of a new year, but it's also an acknowledgment of what you did in the past year."

Plaskett had seven nominations heading into the gala. The only one he missed out on was the coveted entertainer of the year award, which once again went to Nova Scotia country singer George Canyon.

It was the fourth-consecutive win as entertainer of the year for Canyon, the square-jawed singer from Pictou County who came out of obscurity by finishing second on 2004's "Nashville Star" TV talent search.

Canyon was unable to attend the awards ceremony.

The gala awards show in Fredericton on Sunday capped four hectic days of showcases and stage events held at various venues around the snowy New Brunswick capital.

A snowstorm that moved in Sunday wasn't enough to discourage more than 3,000 people from attending the ceremony, held in a large hockey arena.

For the first time in more than a decade, the awards show wasn't broadcast live nationally by CBC-TV.

Citing award-show fatigue and facing stiff competition from the Grammy Awards, which also were held Sunday, CBC decided on a different format this year for the East Coast extravaganza.

The CBC will air an hour-long, condensed version of the awards' performances on March 2, with host Steven Page of the Canadian band the Barenaked Ladies.

Dave Gunning, The Rankin Family and Jamie Sparks each picked up two awards. Other Nova Scotian winners included rising star winner Stephanie Hardy.

"I'll just keep doing it as long as I'm able to do it," said Gunning after he received the award for male solo recording of the year.

"This is an incredible pat on the back from the industry and all of the people who voted."

New Brunswick winners included Thom Swift, who won for blues recording, and the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, which won classical recording of the year.

The Divorcees from Moncton, N.B., won country recording of the year.

The top bluegrass recording went to the lively Saddle River String Band from Prince Edward Island.

Also from Prince Edward Island, Nathan Wiley won alternative recording of the year for "The City Destroyed Me."

"Every little bit helps," Wiley said. "It's recognition. It feels good to know people are listening."

A list of winners at East Coast Music Awards

FREDERICTON - Winners at Sunday night's East Coast Music Awards:

Entertainer of the Year: George Canyon

Recording of the Year: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)

Female Solo Recording of the Year: If You Were For Me (Rose Cousins)

Group Recording of the Year: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)

Male Solo Recording of the Year: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)

Rising Star Recording of the Year: Brand New Skin (Stephanie Hardy).

Group Single of the Year: "Fashionable People" (Joel Plaskett Emergency)

SOCAN Songwriter of the Year: Joel Plaskett for "Fashionable People" (performed by Joel Plaskett Emergency)

Video of the Year: "Fashionable People" directed by Randall Thorne (Joel Plaskett Emergency)

DVD of the Year: Back Stage Pass (The Rankin Family)

African-Canadian Recording of the Year: It's The Music (Jamie Sparks)

Alternative Recording of the Year: The City Destroyed Me (Nathan Wiley)

Bluegrass Recording of the Year: Saddle River String Band (Saddle River String Band)

Blues Recording of the Year: Into The Dirt (Thom Swift)

Classical Recording of the Year: Forbidden City Tour (New Brunswick Youth Orchestra)

Country Recording of the Year: You Ain't Gettin' My Country (The Divorcees)

Francophone Recording of the Year: 11 :11 (Vishten)

Folk Recording of the Year: Looking Back - Volume 2: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)

Gospel Recording of the Year: New Beginnings (Chelsea Nisbett)

Instrumental Recording of the Year: Live From the Music Room (Troy MacGillvray)

Jazz Recording of the Year: For The Record (Bill Stevenson & Tom Easley)

Pop Recording of the Year: Little Jabs (Two Hours Traffic)

Rap/Hip-Hop Single Track Recording of the Year: Hard To Be Hip Hop (Classified)

Rock Recording of the Year: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)

Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year: Reunion (The Rankin Family)

Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year: Falling On New Ground (Kimberly Fraser)

Urban Single Track Recording of the Year: If You Were (Jamie Sparks)

Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award: the Acadian New Brunswick group, 1755.

Hancock wins album of the year

(CNN) -- Amy Winehouse had a great night at the Grammys, winning five awards, but in a shocking finish, the big award -- album of the year -- went to Herbie Hancock for "River: The Joni Letters."

Hancock paid tribute to a number of his predecessors, most notably mentor Miles Davis, after the award was announced by Grammy-winning producer Quincy Jones.

Winehouse won the record and song of the year awards for "Rehab."

Winehouse, who had just performed a medley of "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab" live via satellite from London, England, seemed unaware the cameras were on her as she and her band whooped it up after winning record of the year. But she recovered, giving a rousing thank-you speech.

Winehouse, who was let out of rehab to perform at the Grammys, could use some good news; she's been in the news in recent months more for her public misbehavior than her music. The singer and songwriter received six nominations going into the evening.

Kanye West, who received eight nominations total, won best rap album for his "Graduation," giving him four for the evening as well. He won three Grammys before the broadcast, including best rap solo performance for "Stronger." Most of the 100-plus honors are given out before the show.

West gave a powerful performance of "Stronger" and "Hey Mama." The latter song, in particular, was written for his mother and appeared on West's 2005 album "Late Registration." Donda West died November 10 of a heart attack after surgery.

"I appreciate all the support, I appreciate all the prayers," he said regarding his mother while accepting the best rap album award. Then, addressing his mother, he said, "I know you want me to be the number one artist in the world. And, Mama, all I'm gonna do is keep making you proud." Gallery: Check out the stars in their finery »

Vince Gill's "These Days" won best country album, an award presented to him by Ringo Starr.

"I just had an award given to me by a Beatle," Gill said with wonder, and then looked at West -- who's often been vocal at a perceived lack of mainstream industry acceptance -- in the audience. "Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?"

West smiled as the audience burst into laughter.

The Foo Fighters' "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" won best rock album.

"This doesn't get old," frontman Dave Grohl said, dedicating the Grammy to his daughter Violet, who "inspired me to write this record."

The first award of the night, female R&B performance, went to Alicia Keys, who also opened the show with a "duet" with a virtual Frank Sinatra, captured on video in an old performance. The pair sang "Learnin' the Blues."

"I hope to one day be as classic as he [is]," she told CNN on the red carpet.

Keys won two Grammys going into Sunday night's broadcast to go along with eight wins in previous years.

"To win a Grammy is the highest honor for a musician," she said. "It's a big honor and an exciting night forever."

The night was full of unusual performances, including a Beatles tribute including pieces from Cirque du Soleil and the film "Across the Universe," and a lighthearted duet of "That Old Black Magic" between Keely Smith and Kid Rock.

Aside from Winehouse and West, album of the year nominations went to Herbie Hancock for his "River: The Joni Letters," the Foo Fighters for "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" and Vince Gill for his four-disc set "These Days."

Other winners of the evening included Bruce Springsteen, who received three Grammys, including best rock song for "Radio Nowhere," as well as the White Stripes, Timberlake and Mary J. Blige.

Also earning a Grammy was Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who defeated two presidents -- Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter -- to take home the award for best spoken-word album. Obama won for his book, "The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream."

List of Grammy winners

Winners at Sunday's 50th Annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "River: The Joni Letters," Herbie Hancock.

Record of the Year: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse.

Song of the Year: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse (Amy Winehouse).

New Artist: Amy Winehouse.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Mark Ronson.

Pop Vocal Album: "Back to Black," Amy Winehouse.

Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "What Goes Around...Comes Around," Justin Timberlake.

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Makes Me Wonder," Maroon 5.

Pop Collaboration With Vocals: "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Pop Instrumental Album: "The Mix-Up," Beastie Boys.

Pop Instrumental Performance: "One Week Last Summer," Joni Mitchell.

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Call Me Irresponsible," Michael Buble.

Alternative Music Album: "Icky Thump," The White Stripes.

Rock Album: "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," Foo Fighters.

Rock Song: "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen).

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen.

Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Icky Thump," The White Stripes.

Hard Rock Performance: "The Pretender," Foo Fighters.

Metal Performance: "Final Six," Slayer.

Rock Instrumental Performance: "Once Upon a Time in The West," Bruce Springsteen.

Rap Album: "Graduation," Kanye West.

Rap Solo Performance: "Stronger," Kanye West.

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Southside," Common, featuring Kanye West.

Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Umbrella," Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z.

Rap Song: "Good Life," Aldrin Davis, Mike Dean, Faheem Najm & Kanye West, songwriters (J. Ingram & Q. Jones, songwriters) (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain).

Country Album: "These Days," Vince Gill.

Country Song: "Before He Cheats," Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood).

Female Country Vocal Performance: "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood.

Male Country Vocal Performance: "Stupid Boy," Keith Urban.

Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "How Long," Eagles.

Country Collaboration With Vocals: "Lost Highway," Willie Nelson & Ray Price.

Country Instrumental Performance: "Throttleneck," Brad Paisley.

R&B Album: "Funk This," Chaka Khan.

R&B Song: "No One," Dirty Harry, Kerry Brothers & Alicia Keys, songwriters (Alicia Keys).

Contemporary R&B Album: "Because of You," Ne-Yo.

Female R&B Vocal Performance: Alicia Keys.

Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Future Baby Mama," Prince.

R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Disrespectful," Chaka Khan, featuring Mary J. Blige.

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "In My Songs," Gerald Levert.

Urban/Alternative Performance: "Daydreamin'," Lupe Fiasco, featuring Jill Scott.

Dance Recording: "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows," Justin Timberlake, Nate (Danja) Hills, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland, mixers.

Electronic/Dance Album: "We Are the Night," The Chemical Brothers.

Bluegrass Album: "The Bluegrass Diaries," Jim Lauderdale.

Traditional Blues Album: "Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas," Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood Jr. & David "Honeyboy" Edwards.

Contemporary Blues Album: "The Road to Escondido," JJ Cale & Eric Clapton.

New Age Album: "Crestone," Paul Winter Consort.

Contemporary Jazz Album: "River: The Joni Letters," Herbie Hancock.

Jazz Vocal Album: "Avant Gershwin," Patti Austin.

Jazz Instrumental Solo: "Anagram," Michael Brecker, soloist.

Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: "Pilgrimage," Michael Brecker.

Large Jazz Ensemble Album: "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," Terence Blanchard.

Latin Jazz Album: "Funk Tango," Paquito D'Rivera Quintet.

Latin Pop Album: "El Tren De Los Momentos," Alejandro Sanz.

Latin Rock or Alternative Album: "No Hay Espacio," Black:Guayaba.

Latin Urban Album: "Residente O Visitante," Calle 13.

Tropical Latin Album: "La Llave De Mi Corazon," Juan Luis Guerra.

Mexican/Mexican-American Album: "100 (Percent) Mexicano," Pepe Aguilar.

Tejano Album: "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Little Joe & La Familia.

Norteno Album: "Detalles Y Emociones," Los Tigres Del Norte.

Banda Album: "Te Va A Gustar," El Chapo.

Traditional Folk Album: "Dirt Farmer," Levon Helm.

Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: "Washington Square Serenade," Steve Earle.

Native American Music Album: "Totemic Flute Chants," Johnny Whitehorse.

Hawaiian Music Album: "Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar," Various Artists, Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr., Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong, producers.

Zydeco or Cajun Music Album: "Live! Worldwide," Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience.

Reggae: "Mind Control," Stephen Marley.

Traditional World Music Album: "African Spirit," Soweto Gospel Choir.

Contemporary World Music Album: "Djin Djin," Angelique Kidjo.

Polka Album: "Come Share the Wine," Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra.

Gospel Performance: "Blessed & Highly Favored," The Clark Sisters; "Never Gonna Break My Faith," Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir). (Tie.)

Gospel Song: "Blessed & Highly Favored," Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters).

Rock or Rap Gospel Album: "Before the Daylight's Shot," Ashley Cleveland.

Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: "A Deeper Level," Israel and New Breed.

Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album: "Salt of the Earth," Ricky Skaggs & The Whites.

Traditional Gospel Album: "Live — One Last Time," The Clark Sisters.

Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: "Free to Worship," Fred Hammond.

Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Love (The Beatles) George Martin & Giles Martin, producers (Apple Records/Capitol Records).

Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Ratatouille," Michael Giacchino, composer.

Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Love You I Do (From Dreamgirls)," Siedah Garrett & Henry Krieger, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson).

Musical Show Album: "Spring Awakening," Duncan Sheik, producer; Duncan Sheik, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast With Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele & Others).

Musical Album for Children: "A Green and Red Christmas," The Muppets.

Spoken Word: "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream," Barack Obama.

Spoken Word Album for Children: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Jim Dale.

Comedy Album: "The Distant Future," Flight of the Conchords.

Instrumental Composition: "Cerulean Skies," Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider Orchestra).

Instrumental Arrangement: "In a Silent Way," Vince Mendoza, arranger (Joe Zawinul).

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die," John Clayton, arranger (Queen Latifah).

Engineered Album, Non-Classical: "Beauty & Crime," Tchad Blake, Cameron Craig, Emery Dobyns & Jimmy Hogarth, engineers (Suzanne Vega).

Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: "Bring the Noise (Benny Benassi Sfaction Remix)," Benny Benassi, remixer (Public Enemy).

Surround Sound: "Love," Paul Hicks, surround mix engineer; Tim Young, surround mastering engineer; George Martin & Giles Martin, surround producers (The Beatles).

Classical Album: "Tower: Made in America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer; Tim Handley, engineer/mixer (Nashville Symphony).

Orchestral Performance: "Tower: Made in America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Nashville Symphony).

Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman.

Engineered Album, Classical: "Grechaninov: Passion Week," John Newton, engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Bach Choir & Kansas City Chorale).

Opera Recording: "Humperdinck: Hansel & Gretel," Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor; Rebecca Evans, Jane Henschel & Jennifer Larmore; Brian Couzens, producer (Sarah Coppen, Diana Montague & Sarah Tynan; New London Children's Choir; Philharmonia Orchestra).

Choral Performance: "Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem," Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Thomas Quasthoff & Dorothea Roschmann; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Berliner Philharmoniker).

Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra): "Barber/Korngold/Walton: Violin Concertos," Bramwell Tovey, conductor; James Ehnes (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra).

Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra): "Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3," Garrick Ohlsson.

Chamber Music Performance: "Strange Imaginary Animals," Eighth Blackbird.

Small Ensemble Performance: "Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto in D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives," Yuri Bashmet, conductor; Moscow Soloists.

Classical Vocal Performance: "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs," Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra).

Classical Contemporary Composition: "Made in America," Joan Tower (Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Nashville Symphony Orchestra).

Classical Crossover Album: "A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane," Turtle Island Quartet.

Short Form Music Video: "God's Gonna Cut You Down," Johnny Cash.

Long Form Music Video: "The Confessions Tour," Madonna.

Recording Package: "Cassadaga," Zachary Nipper, art director (Bright Eyes).

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: "What It Is!: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977)," Masaki Koike, art director.

Album Notes: "John Work, III: Recording Black Culture," Bruce Nemerov, album notes writer.

Historical Album: "The Live Wire — Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949," Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arevalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie).

The Couch Potato Report - February 10th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels some slings and arrows, throws some slings and arrows, and there is no end in sight.

Our Hot Potato this week is the 7-disc DVD Box Set for the show that won the Gemini Award as Best Dramatic Series at the 2007 Gemini Awards held last October in Regina.

SLINGS & ARROWS is set at the fictional New Burbage Festival, a troubled Shakespearean festival similar to the real-world Stratford Festival. The program stars Paul Gross from DUE SOUTH, Kids In The Hall member Marck McKinney, Rachel McAdams from THE NOTEBOOK, TWITCH CITY's Don McKellar, 2008 Academy Award nominee Sarah Polley and Canadian Theatre Legend William Hutt.

SLINGS & ARROWS does focus on Shakespeare, and at times it is very dramatic, but it isn't all highbrow and overly literary, it is often very, very funny.

Three seasons of six episodes each were filmed in total and each season was devoted to a different Shakespearean tragedy - Hamlet in the first, Macbeth in the second and King Lear in the third.

Each and every episode of SLINGS & ARROWS is equally represented with two DVDs in this new box set, and there is a bonus disc of extras as well, but the seasons are far from equal on the screen.

SEASON ONE of the show is by far the series' best...I loved SEASON ONE.

SEASON TWO is a bit less entertaining as their are too many characters and storylines and that hurts the show immensely, but by the end of SEASON THREE the show is back on track, and the series finale is exceptionally well acted and written.

Out of all the shows nominated as Best Dramatic Series at the Regina Geminis, SLINGS & ARROWS was a worthy victor.

And now that the series has finished, and gone into that long goodnight, you can always have this DVD set in case you decide to go once more unto the breach, dear friends.

Up next this week are three major film releases from the past year, and all of them have moments of brilliance...but ultimately none of them are worthy of your time.

And I'll start with Jodie Foster's latest THE BRAVE ONE....and it actually pains me to tell you that a Jodie Foster film isn't worthy of your time, as I love Jodie! I have been a fan of hers for over 30 years, but THE BRAVE ONE just isn't very good...yes, JODIE is good, as always, but the film turns into just another revenge thriller.

Jodie plays a radio host who loses her fiance during an attack in New York's Central Park.

Unhappy with the police response to her tragedy, she takes matters into her own hands...repeatedly.

I mentioned that these three films all have moments of brilliance...well, in THE BRAVE ONE that moment comes from a scene between Jodie and Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard set in a diner. The acting here is spectacular!

THE BRAVE ONE is not a total waste of time, as any film with Jodie Foster in it will always be worth your time...says a big fan of hers...but with the exception of that one scene in a diner, you have seen all of this before.

Sadly, we have also seen all of the contents of THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD before, and that is too bad because I had high hopes for this western that was filmed right here in Western Canada - in Alberta and Manitoba.

Casey Affleck received a well-deserved Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his work is this picture as Robert Ford, a ninteen year old who has idolized Jesse James since childhood.

Ford tries hard to join the reforming gang of the world renowned outlaw, but over time he starts to be resentful of him.

Brad Pitt stars as Jesse James, and although he didn't get an OScar nod, he is very good in the film as well.

Plus, the scenery looks great...but at two-and-a-half hours the film is way too long, and since the film is called THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD you know what is going to happen, so get me there already!!

I wanted to see this film, and I am glad I did, but I will never sit through it again. If you also have been waiting for this one to come out, I suspect you will feel the same way I do.

No, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD is nothing special...and neither is ELIZABETH - THE GOLDEN AGE starring Cate Blanchett.

With her Academy Award nomination as Best Actress in ELIZABETH - THE GOLDEN AGE Cate Blanchett is the first woman to be nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films.

She was also nominated for Best Actress for ELIZABETH in 1998, and while she did deserve those nominations both times, this second time to the well comes up dry.

There is some silver, but there isn't very much gold in THE GOLDEN AGE, my friend.

This time around we get a look at the relationship between Elizabeth and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh. Clive Owen from INSIDE MAN and KING ARTHUR does a great job as Raleigh, and he is matches Blanchett's brilliant performance step for step.

Plus, the sets are very opulent and lush, there are great special effects, and in addition to Blanchett and Owen, the rest o fthe cast is great too.

But the script lets all of that down and ELIZABETH - THE GOLDEN AGE just doesn't work. I wasn't bored when I watched it, but I almost was.

What saved it for me was Cate Blanchett. She won't win another Oscar for her work here...but she completely deserved the nomination.

Finally this week is another Academy Award nominee, this one in the Best Documentary Feature category, this is a film called NO END IN SIGHT.

NO END IN SIGHT focuses on alleged serious mistakes made by the Bush administration in the two-to-three-month period following the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003.

The film portrays these errors as the cause of ensuing problems in Iraq, such as the rise of the insurgency, a lack of security and basic utilities for many Iraqis, sectarian violence and, at one point, the risk of complete civil war.

NO END IN SIGHT doesn't feature any new information, facts or figures, but it is the first time that I have seen it all collected and shown together in one film.

That makes it informative, but it just isn't a compelling movie in any way.

So, if you are like me, and you have seen a dozen documentaries on Iraq over the past year, then this will probably come across as just another one.

That is how I saw it...but I am glad I saw it...there might be NO END IN SIGHT, but we can hope...can't we?

The Oscar nominated documentary NO END IN SIGHT, the not as good as the first film ELIZABETH - THE GOLDEN AGE, the I-wish-they-were-a-better-movies THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD starring Brad Pitt and Jodie Foster's THE BRAVE ONE, and the Shakespearean based Canadian television series SLINGS & ARROWS are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

I have six releases to tell you about, starting with the spectacular documentary IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON that features interviews with all of the surviving astronauts who went to the moon - with the exception of the reclusive Neil Armstrong - and lets them tell their story in their own, awe-inspiring words.

Also next week are GONE BABY GONE, featuring Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee Amy Ryan; BECOMING JANE, starring the lovely and talented Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen; the romance drama NO RESERVATIONS; John Cusack toplines MARTIAN CHILD; and the sixth and final film next week is the people in debt documentary MAXED OUT.

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!

Ratatouille cleans up at Annie Awards

The story of an upwardly mobile Parisian rat with a gourmet appetite ate up 10 Annie Awards, which honour the year's top achievements in film and television animation.

The Disney and Pixar rodent tale Ratatouille, about a French rat who ends up running a gourmet restaurant, captured trophies for top animated feature, writing and directing for Brad Bird, voice acting for Ian Holm, character design and animation, music, storyboarding, production design and animated video game.

The film headed into the competition with the most nominations, 13 in all, at the gala in Los Angeles on Friday night.

It beat out main competitors Bee Movie, Surf's Up, Persepolis and The Simpsons Movie.

The Annie Awards are presented by the International Animated Film Society. The winner of the best-picture prize has gone on to win the Academy Award for animated feature every year since it was added as an Oscar category in 2001, with one exception. Last year's Annie winner, the auto-racing comedy Cars, lost at the Oscars to the penguin musical Happy Feet.

Ratatouille will be battling it out on Oscar night with Persepolis and Surf's Up.

Persepolis is based on Marjane Satrapi's bestselling graphic novels about her life as a rebellious little girl growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Surf's Up chronicles a teenaged rock-hopper penguin competing in a surfing competition.

Other winners at Friday night's Annies included:

Animated effects: Deborah Carlson, Surf's Up.

Animated television production: Creature Comforts America, Aardman Animation.

Animated television production for children: El Tigre, Nickelodeon.

Directing in an animated TV production: Seth Green, Robot Chicken Star Wars.

McConaughey, Hudson find $22M in 'Gold'

LOS ANGELES - "Fool's Gold" found real treasure as the romantic adventure starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson led the weekend box office with a $22 million debut.

Martin Lawrence's family reunion comedy "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" opened at No. 2 with $17.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Disney's "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," the 3-D concert film that was the previous weekend's top movie, fell to third place with $10.5 million, a sharp drop from its $31.1 million opening. The movie has grossed $53.4 million after 10 days.

Released by Warner Bros., "Fool's Gold" came in a bit under the $23.8 million opening of McConaughey and Hudson's hit romance "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," which debuted over the same pre-Valentine's Day weekend in 2003.

With Valentine's Day on Thursday, the studio is counting on "Fool's Gold" to hold up well, said Jeff Goldstein, Warner vice president of distribution.

Critics hated "Fool's Gold" but audiences were eager to catch McConaughey and Hudson, who play a divorced couple reunited in a quest for 18th-century treasure lost at sea.

"A great marketing campaign, two appealing stars, and reviews be damned," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "Heading into Valentine's week, it's sort of a natural."

Universal's "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" features Lawrence as a talk show host who reluctantly heads back to the family homestead for his parents' 50th anniversary.

This weekend's other new wide release, Picturehouse's "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights — Hollywood to the Heartland," tanked with just $507,000. Playing in 962 theaters, the documentary of Vaughn and other comics' standup tour averaged just $527 a cinema, compared to $7,043 in 3,125 locations for "Fool's Gold" and $7,175 in 2,387 theaters for "Roscoe Jenkins."

In narrower release, Paris Hilton's comedy "The Hottie and the Nottie" did even worse, bombing with around $25,000 in 111 theaters for an average of about $225, according to an estimate from Media By Numbers. Distributed by Regent Releasing, the movie stars Hilton as a bombshell who refuses to date until her ugly best friend finds love.

Focus Features' action comedy "In Bruges," with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hit men laying low in Belgium, opened solidly in limited release, pulling in $471,200 in 28 theaters to average $16,829.

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. "Fool's Gold," $22 million.
2. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," $17.1 million.
3. "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," $10.5 million.
4. "The Eye," $6.6 million.
5. "Juno," $5.73 million.
6. "27 Dresses," $5.7 million.
7. "The Bucket List," $5.3 million.
8. "Rambo," $4.1 million.
9. "Meet the Spartans," $4.075 million.
10. "There Will Be Blood," $4.073 million.

Amy Winehouse may be key Grammy moment

NEW YORK - Kanye West is nominated for a leading eight Grammy awards and has a history, good or bad, of creating memorable awards show moments. But the superstar rapper and producer may be upstaged on Grammy night by another nominee who's not even able to attend Sunday's ceremony.

Troubled British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, up for six awards including album of the year for her "Back to Black" album, is due to perform via satellite from her home country, where she is currently being treated in a rehabilitation center for substance abuse.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, suspense was building whether the 24-year-old, whose personal life has fallen apart over the past year as her career blossomed, would be at the ceremony in any form. It was unclear whether she'd be well enough to take a break from rehab to attend; then, it was unclear whether the United States would grant her a work visa to appear.

After she was initially rejected for the visa this week, Grammy producers arranged for her to perform via telecast. Soon afterward, the U.S. government reversed itself and approved Winehouse, but it was too late in the week at that point to make the cross-continental trek.

Winehouse is only behind West for the most nominations on the night. The retro-soul singer's top-selling American debut is not only up for album of the year, but song and record of the year for her autobiographical, sassy hit "Rehab," about her refusal to undergo treatment. Though the album was a critical and commercial breakthrough for her, her personal troubles, which made regular tabloid headlines, threatened to overshadow her music.

In any other year, it would likely be West who would be the main story line going into Grammy week. He too is up for album of the year for "Graduation," which had the best-selling debut of last year with almost one million copies sold in the first week alone. This is West's third album and the third time he has been nominated for album of the year.

While he has won a handful of Grammys, they have been in the rap categories, where the bulk of his nominations are this year as well. West has provided stirring awards show performances, but has also been known to go on a tirade when he has not won what he thought he deserved, perhaps most notably at last year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Late last year, he suffered a traumatic loss when his mother and manager Donda West died after complications of plastic surgery. West, whose mother was often with him at awards ceremonies, is due to perform on Sunday's broadcast.

Besides West and Winehouse, the other album of the year contenders were the Foo Fighters' "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace," Vince Gill's "These Days," and Herbie Hancock's "The River."

For record of the year, Winehouse's "Rehab" is competing against Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," Rihanna's "Umbrella," "The Pretender" by the Foo Fighters and Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ... Comes Around."

Among the broadcast's scheduled performances were Beyonce with rock goddess Tina Turner; Rihanna with The Time; Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys with John Mayer and Carrie Underwood.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Grammys. But the Hollywood writer's strike had threatened disrupt the telecast when the Writers Guild of America indicated they might not grant the show a waiver to use writers, leaving the potential of a boycott. But an interim agreement was reached.

The show will be broadcast live on CBS. The bulk of the 100-plus trophies will be given out in a pre-telecast ceremony.

Ledger Apartment Back Up For Rent

The New York rental apartment Heath Ledger died in has been put back on the market, the New York Post reports.

Three weeks after the actor was found dead in his bed after accidentally overdosing on prescription drugs, the Broome Street, Soho pad he had rented since September for approximately $22,000 per month is being offered up.

The vast apartment is 10 times the size of many Manhattan homes, with 4,400 square feet of floor space, and features three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, an office, laundry room, wood-burning fireplace, kitchen and balcony.

Sources said that it is now being offered for around 25,000 a month.

A real estate agent told the New York Post: "You don't wait around in a hot rental market like this. As ghoulish as it sounds, people will rent that place in a heartbeat, especially when the vacancy rate is below one per cent."

Toronto rockers The Band won't reunite for special Grammy

Canadian-American rock group The Band is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award on Saturday, but the occasion won't include a reunion among the surviving members.

Keyboardist Garth Hudson says he'll be there in Los Angeles with songwriter Robbie Robertson, but said that Arkansas-born drummer and singer Levon Helm won't be coming.

Helm hosts a regular musical jamboree, the Midnight Ramble, in Woodstock, N.Y., and is referring to Sunday's show as the "Gramble Ramble," in honour of the Grammys.

Hudson and his wife, Maude, were among past and present Canadian nominees who mingled poolside at the official residence of the Canadian consul general earlier this week in a celebration of Canadians at the Grammys.

This year, 15 Canadians stand to win trophies when the 50th annual Grammy Awards celebration gets underway Sunday.

Leading the pack is indie darling Feist, who snagged four nominations, including for the coveted best new artist title and best pop vocal album.

Jazz crooner Michael Bublé and pop star Nelly Furtado each have two nominations, while Arcade Fire, Rush, Nickelback and Emerson Drive each have one. Veterans Joni Mitchell, Howard Shore, Loreena McKennitt and John Gora are also up for one trophy each.

St. Catharines, Ont., polka king Walter Ostanek got his 20th Grammy nomination this year and has won three times.

Ostanek approached singer-poet Leonard Cohen for an autograph during the celebration, which also featured guests such as Carole Pope and actor Alan Thicke.

Canada's role in the music industry's most prestigious bash has been far from slight, with the very first live Grammy telecast masterminded by Quebec-born television producer Pierre Cossette.

The acclaimed TV guru ran the show for 35 years starting in 1971, ushering the industry gala from a series of taped specials called The Best on Record in the '60s to the star-packed extravaganza it eventually became.

Now 84, Cossette said it was a struggle to convince people to air that first show, which saw Simon and Garfunkel take record, album and song of the year for Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Carpenters crowned best new artist.

"I had a hard time selling the show after I got it because the networks didn't want a show that had to do with Haight-Ashbury and guys with hair down to their ankles and lipstick and all of that whole scene," recalled Cossette, who was born in Valleyfield, Que.

"Rock 'n' roll hadn't even entered the picture then. Rock 'n' roll in those days was Jackson 5, so that slowly evolved. We kept adding new things and the next thing you know, it's where it is today."

The early shows largely focused on U.S. acts, but gradually grew more diverse, said Grammy publicist Richard Mann, whose company Alfred Haber, Inc., helps distribute the show globally.

'Great shining lights'

"Musically, Canada is recognized a lot more for Grammy Awards nowadays and certainly over the last decade than it used to be," said Mann

Over the past nine years, Canadians have received an average of 18 Grammy nominations a year, with an average of one in four taking home trophies, according to Grammy statistics.

Leonard Cohen, who appears on this year's Grammy-nominated disc by Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters, said he's watched with pride as Canadian artists have grown in stature internationally over the years.

"Canadians have always had a very significant place in popular music," said Cohen, who stopped by the party with partner Anjani Thomas on his arm.

"There's always been very great shining lights and it continues from generation to generation. There's good wine in every generation."

Here Comes Mike Judge to ABC

ABC has picked up an animated series from "King of the Hill" co-creator Mike Judge, even though not a word has been written yet.

The network has ordered 13 episodes of an animated comedy called "The Goode Family" from Judge ("Office Space," "Idiocracy") and fellow "Hill" veterans John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky. The show is being produced by Media Rights Capital, which recently signed an interim deal with the Writers Guild that will allow scripting on the show to begin.

It hasn't yet, however -- ABC bought the show based on a pitch, the showbiz trade papers report. In a normal year, that would be a pretty rare occurrence, but the writers' strike is causing networks to shake up the way they order new product.

"The Goode Family" will tell the story of a family that's obsessed with doing the right thing, politically, socially and otherwise. It being a comedy, their good intentions tend to have unforeseen consequences.

As he does on "King of the Hill," Judge will also provide voices for some of the characters on "The Goode Family."

ABC's recent history with prime-time animation has been spotty, to say the least. The network last tried its hand at the genre with "Clerks," which lasted only a few weeks in the summer of 2000; prior to that, it aired the first season of "The Critic" in 1994-95.

Oscar-spurned "Atonement" stars bid for BAFTAS

LONDON (Reuters) - Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, stars of the romantic drama "Atonement" who were overlooked in the race for Oscar glory, are hoping the British Academy Film Awards will offer rich compensation on Sunday.

The wartime epic about lovers torn apart by a family betrayal is hot favorite to land the Best Film prize -- but its two stars could be in for yet another disappointment after being passed over in the Hollywood nominations.

For Daniel Day-Lewis, playing an oil prospector in "There Will Be Blood," and veteran Julie Christie, acclaimed for her portrayal of an Alzheimer's sufferer in "Away From Her," are strongly fancied to scoop top BAFTA acting honors.

Both are also leading contenders when the Oscars, whose build-up has been overshadowed by a bitter writers' strike, are handed out in Hollywood on February 24.

Day-Lewis won a Best Actor Oscar in 1989 for his moving performance as a cerebral palsy victim in "My Left Foot." He famously stayed in character on set even when the cameras were not rolling.

Christie, one of the famous faces of the "Swinging Sixties," won an Oscar in 1965 for playing a model who slept her way to success in the London fashion scene. She also appeared in the classic films "Doctor Zhivago" and "Don't Look Now."

"Atonement," a homegrown favorite with BAFTA's 6,500 voting members, is up for Best Film against Ridley Scott's "American Gangster," the Coen Brothers' acclaimed "No Country for Old Men" as well as "The Lives of Others" and "There Will be Blood."

Organizers say the red carpet BAFTA show at London's Royal Opera House has attracted an impressive array of American TV networks, eager to generate some much needed show business hype in the run-up to the Oscars.

When the BAFTA nominations were announced in January, it looked as if it might end up as the movie industry's one and only big night of the year -- but Oscar night prospects now look much more positive amid signs the writers' strike could be resolved.

The British box office, often dominated by a heavy diet of Hollywood blockbusters, is in rude health.

Cinema-goers in Britain and Ireland spent 904 million pounds ($1.78 billion) in 2007, up eight percent on the previous year.

Seven of the top 20 films, led by "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," were British productions. That was up from just three home-grown hits in 2006.

Kids Choice Awards announces nominees

LOS ANGELES - A big green ogre elbowed aside Miley Cyrus — but just barely — in the race to secure the most nominations for the Nickelodeon cable network's 21st annual Kids Choice Awards.

The film "Shrek The Third" received a leading four nominations, including one for favorite animated movie. The other three were for favorite voice from an animated movie. They went to Mike Meyers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Shrek's wife, Fiona, and Eddie Murphy as Shrek's loyal sidekick, Donkey.

Pop superstar Cyrus was a force all her own, being nominated for favorite female singer and favorite female actress while her television show "Hannah Montana" received a favorite TV show nomination. The 15-year-old star won the favorite TV actress award last year.

Jack Black, who hosted the Kids Choice Awards two years ago, is returning for this year's March 29 broadcast.

The show, at which awards presentations are almost secondary to raucous appearances by celebrities and the wait to see who among them gets doused in gooey green slime, will be broadcast live on the Nickelodeon cable channel. Viewers can go online beginning March 3 to cast their votes for nominees.

The following is a complete list of nominees:

Movie: "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Are We Done Yet?," "The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "The Transformers."

Male Movie Star: Ice Cube, Johnny Depp, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Eddie Murphy.

Animated Movie: "Shrek The Third," "Bee Movie," "Ratatouille," "The Simpsons Movie."

Female Movie Star: Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Kirsten Dunst, Keira Knightley.

Voice From an Animated Movie: Cameron Diaz, Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld.

Song: "Beautiful Girls" (Sean Kingston), "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Fergie), "Don't Matter," (Akon), "Girlfriend" (Avril Lavigne.)

Male Singer: Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Soulja Boy, Justin Timberlake.

Music Group: Boys Like Girls, Fall Out Boy, Jonas Brothers, Linkin Park.

Female Singer: Beyonce, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys.

TV Show: "Drake & Josh," "Hannah Montana," "iCarly," "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."

Reality Show: "America's Next Top Model," "American Idol," "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?," "Deal or no Deal."

Television Actress: Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana"), Emma Roberts ("Unfabulous"), Jamie Lynn Spears ("Zoey 101"), Raven-Symone ("That's So Raven").

Television Actor: Drake Bell ("Drake & Josh"), Josh Peck ("Drake & Josh"), Dylan Sprouse ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"), Cole Sprouse ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody").

Cartoon: "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Ed, Edd and Eddy," "The Simpsons," "SpongeBob SquarePants."

Male Athlete: Tony Hawk, Shaquille O'Neal, Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods.

Female Athlete: Cheryl Ford, Danica Patrick, Serena Williams, Venus Williams.

Video Game: "Dance Dance Revolution," "Guitar Hero," "High School Musical: Sing It!", "Madden NFL '08."

Book: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume One: The Long Way Home," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "Harry Potter series," "How to Eat Fried Worms."

Writers strike could see last chapter

LOS ANGELES - The now 3-month-old Hollywood writers strike could enter its final chapter Saturday when guild members gather in Los Angeles and New York to consider a proposed contract.

If writers respond favorably, the walkout that has devastated the entertainment industry could end as soon as Monday. Writers were wavering between hope and skepticism as they prepared to learn details of the deal for the first time.

"The feeling is relief and optimism and excitement," said Hilary Winston, a writer for the NBC sitcom "My Name Is Earl."

Still, she couldn't shake her lingering anxiety.

"I hope this deal made this three months worth it," she said.

Writer Erik Oleson, who watched a deal for a TV pilot fall apart during the strike, was reserving judgment.

"I'm not going to drink the Kool-Aid and accept a bad deal. I'd rather continue the strike," Oleson said. "We saw a press release but what matters is the fine print."

If members show strong support for the deal, the union could quickly lift its strike order, allowing dozens of TV shows to return to production and putting thousands of actors, crew members and others back to work.

An end to the strike might also salvage the Feb. 24 Academy Awards show, which is now facing a possible boycott by writers and sympathetic actors. The writers union has given a picket-free pass to Sunday's Grammy Awards.

The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, have not publicly commented on the proposed contract because of a joint media blackout.

Michael Eisner, a former Walt Disney Co. chief executive, told CNBC the proposed deal was good enough to end the strike.

"It's impossible the writers will turn it down," said Eisner, whose successor at Disney, Robert Iger, was among the studio chiefs who helped shape the proposal with leaders of the writers guild.

The most contentious issue in the talks was residual payments for TV programs and movies distributed on the Internet.

"Within the next five years, most American televisions will be connected to the Internet. The shows and movies you watch on your TV will be downloaded or streamed," the union said in its strike fact sheet.

Some accounts suggest the proposed deal involving the 12,000-member union and the world's largest media companies improves on a contract agreement reached last month by studios and the Directors Guild of America.

Directors won several key concessions on new media, including payments for downloaded TV programs and movies based on a percentage of the distributor's gross.

The writers guild, however, has been seeking 2.5 percent of distributor grosses from Internet-delivered projects — about three times what the directors guild got in its deal.

Writers also balked at the maximum $1,200 flat fee that studios agreed to pay directors for streamed, ad-supported programs.

Writers won't vote Saturday on the proposed contract but will have a chance to voice their support or opposition at the closed meetings.

An e-mail circulated by a strike captain urged pro-deal members to attend so union leaders wouldn't hear only from opponents.

Other e-mails to guild members said a favorable response by writers would be followed by a Sunday meeting of the guild negotiating committee to consider lifting the strike order and scheduling a formal membership vote by mail.

"I hope Monday is when this town gets going again," Winston said. "If it's not Monday, I'll take Wednesday."

Warren Leight, an executive producer in New York for NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," doesn't think writers will be swayed by high-profile colleagues who have trumpeted the directors deal as a solid template for writers.

"If the deal works, everyone is ready to go back to work. But it has to be discussed by 10,000 people, not by 30 show runners and wannabe A-listers," Leight said.

Among the show runners — industry slang for executive producers in charge of a series — who lauded the directors deal was John Wells, whose credits include "ER" and "The West Wing." He termed it, "Very good. For writers, for directors, for the future."

A quick end to the walkout might result in TV viewers seeing a more new episodes of their favorite shows this season. A script takes about three weeks to write and about 40 working days to produce, so it could take as long as two months for the first new shows to air, Leight said.

But once a production has scripts and is up and running, episodes are worked on concurrently and an hour-long show can be produced within eight days, he said. That could allow an hourlong drama to return with perhaps a half-dozen new episodes, and a half-hour comedy to squeeze in as many as seven new shows for the rest of the season.

Networks, however, are likely to pick and choose among shows, with low-rated newcomers less likely to get deals for more episodes than a series like "Grey's Anatomy," which has a big, faithful audience.

KITT Gets a New Voice: Val Kilmer

NBC is making some last-minute changes under the hood of its "Knight Rider" update, bringing in Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT.

The "Top Gun" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" star is taking over voice-over duties from Will Arnett ("Arrested Development"). Instead of the usual "creative differences," though, Arnett's departure was caused by the fact that he's already the voice of a different kind of vehicle.

In the new "Knight Rider," which NBC is calling a sequel to the 1980s series, KITT is a Ford Mustang. Arnett, however, has done commercial voice-overs for GMC Trucks for several years, and General Motors asked him to withdraw from the project, in which Ford is a marketing partner.

"I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of KITT in the new 'Knight Rider' movie," Arnett tells Variety. "However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project."

Kilmer has done a fair amount of voice-over work in his career. He starred in the 1998 animated movie "The Prince of Egypt" and has lent his pipes to several commercials. His recent on-screen credits include "Comanche Moon," "Alexander" and "Wonderland."

"Knight Rider" is scheduled to air Sunday, Feb. 17 on NBC, and if the movie does well it could become a weekly series.

Billy Joel To Be Shea's 'Last Play'

Billy Joel will be the last artist to play at New York's Shea Stadium with a July 16 concert billed as "The Last Play at Shea, From the Beatles to Billy." The show comes in the midst of the New York Mets' final season at Shea; the team moves into its new home at Citi Field in 2009.

The Joel show, promoted by Live Nation in association with Mitch Slater, goes on sale Feb. 16. Joel joins a long list of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will have played the Queens, N.Y. baseball stadium, beginning with the Beatles in August 1965 and including including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Police, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.

"The Last Play at Shea," which comes the day after the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, makes Joel the only artist to ever have played both Yankee Stadium (two nights in 1991) and Shea Stadium. It is also the first in-season concert at Shea since Clapton and John played there during the 1992 baseball season.

On of the world's top concert draws, Joel took in $40 million in 2007 from only 29 shows according to Billboard Boxscore. This year, Joel is "not touring, just working," his longtime agent Dennis Arfa tells Billboard.com. "We put weeks together instead of months."

Joel is out for a brief run beginning Feb. 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim and including stops in Sacramento (26), Denver (28), Milwaukee (March 2). He then plays Des Moines on April 15 and Pittsburgh April 18, prior to headlining the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival April 26.

Winehouse to sing via satellite at show

LONDON - Amy Winehouse will not attend this year's Grammy Awards because her request for a visa was denied, but she will perform by satellite at Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles.

Winehouse and her acclaimed "Back to Black" album are nominated for Grammys in six categories. She will perform material from the album, an executive close to the Grammys told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Thursday.

The Outside Organization, which counts the troubled retro-soul sensation among its clients, said in an e-mail that Winehouse — who shot to fame with the autobiographical single "Rehab" — was disappointed that her request for a visa had been turned down by the U.S. Embassy.

"Amy has been progressing well since entering a rehabilitation clinic two weeks ago and although disappointed with the decision has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery," the Outside Organization said.

The statement didn't say why her application was rejected. The U.S. Embassy in London and the State Department in Washington declined to comment late Thursday. Shane O'Neill, Winehouse's spokesman, said he had nothing to add.

Los Angeles immigration lawyer Bernie Wolfsdorf called it surprising that Winehouse wasn't able to obtain a visa. Although she has a marijuana arrest on her record that could be used for exclusion from the United States, Wolfsdorf said it is commonplace for entertainers to be granted a waiver for such an offense, particularly if they are just making a quick visit to appear at an awards show.

"I am going to say it appears to be an aberration at this time compared to the situation of many others. The list of British rock stars with pot convictions is longer than my arm," said Wolfsdorf, vice president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

He said it is possible, however, that Winehouse's drug transgressions were so recent that authorities are reluctant to grant her a visa until she demonstrates more fully that "she has moved toward the path of rehabilitation."

Winehouse's potent blend of blues, jazz, pop and soul has won praise from critics and fans, but her chaotic personal life has increasingly upstaged her music. Concerned family members regularly beg Winehouse to seek help in letters splashed across the pages of British tabloid newspapers and magazines.

Since the album's U.S. release last year, she has canceled a slew of appearances amid reports of drug use. Her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is accused of attacking a pub landlord and later conspiring with the landlord to have him withdraw as a witness at the trial.

Last month, The Sun newspaper ran still images from a video that it claimed showed Winehouse inhaling fumes from a small pipe. The images were said to have been filmed during a party at her London home.

Shortly thereafter, Winehouse entered a London rehabilitation center, and has been questioned by police.

In October, Winehouse and Fielder-Civil, were arrested in Norway on charges of marijuana possession, for which they were fined. In November, Winehouse's Norwegian attorney, Ole Kvelstad, said her payment of the fine amounted to a guilty plea, which he said could have serious consequences if she sought to enter the U.S.

Winehouse canceled an appearance at the 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards in November "due to visa issues."

Other British music acts have had difficulty securing visas. Lily Allen was scheduled to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards in September, but the pop star's immigration visa was revoked. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hasn't commented, but her manager has said he suspected it was because Allen was arrested in London in June after an altercation with photographers.

Meet Your 'Big Brother 9' Cast

For the first-ever winter edition of "Big Brother," CBS has assembled the show's biggest cast ever -- and they're all looking to hook up.

In fact, they'll have no choice but to do so. All 16 players are single, but the wrinkle in the game this season is that when they enter the house, each will be paired with a "soul mate." Whether they end up liking one another or not, their fate in the house will be tied to their partner.

Each pair will also live together as a couple -- which means, per CBS, that they will "sleep in the same bed, hold Head of Household as a couple, be nominated for eviction as a pair, and if the time comes, say their goodbyes together upon eviction."

"Big Brother" has eschewed its more typical mix of ages for this season; all but one of the houseguests is under 30. The only exception is Sheila, a former model and self-professed cougar who's 45.

The crew includes a couple of students, a paparazzo (26-year-old Parker), an electrician and a "bikini barista." What's that? Pretty much what it sounds like -- someone (in this case, 28-year-old Natalie) who serves coffee while wearing a bikini. Finally, there's 21-year-old James, a Floridian who says he's riding his bicycle around the world.

Julie Chen will be back as host of the show, which premieres Tuesday, Feb. 12 and will air Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday nights, with Wednesdays being eviction episodes starting Feb. 20.

Your contestants are:

Name: Adam
Age: 29
Hometown: Delray Beach, Fla. via Cherry Hill, N.J.
Occupation: Public relations manager

Name: Amanda
Age: 23
Hometown: Fridley, Minn.
Occupation: Paralegal

Name: Alex
Age: 24
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
Occupation: DJ company owner

Name: Allison
Age: 28
Hometown: Boston
Occupation: Pharmaceutical sales rep

Name: Chelsia
Age: 21
Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Occupation: College student

Name: Jacob
Age: 23
Hometown: Dallas, Ga.
Occupation: Electrician

Name: James
Age: 21
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
Occupation: Riding bicycle around the world

Name: Jen
Age: 26
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Occupation: Bartender

Name: Joshuah
Age: 25
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Occupation: Advertising media buyer

Name: Matt
Age: 23
Hometown: Charleston, Mass.
Occupation: Roofing foreman

Name: Natalie
Age: 28
Hometown: Salem, Ore.
Occupation: Bikini barista

Name: Neil
Age: 29
Hometown: Los Angeles
Occupation: Realtor

Name: Parker
Age: 26
Hometown: Northridge, Calif.
Occupation: Paparazzo

Name: Ryan
Age: 27
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Occupation: College student

Name: Sharon
Age: 23
Hometown: Realtor
Occupation: Olathe, Kan.

Name: Sheila
Age: 45
Hometown: Reseda, Calif., via Memphis, Tenn.
Occupation: Former model

CONCHORDS' CLEMENT, SAM ROCKWELL TO STAR IN BRONCOS

From the same husband and wife duo that brought us the ultra-quotable Napoleon Dynamite in 2004 comes a new adventure in the slightly absurd. Jared and Jerusha Hess will soon unleash Gentlemen Broncos, a film that follows the misadventure of a high school student attempting to reclaim a fantasy novel idea from Ronald Chevalier, the renowned writer that stole it from him.

The movie follows the storyline of the book, seen from both the perspective of the student, played by Michael Angarano (Lords of Dogtown), and Chevalier, played by Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords). Sam Rockwell (Matchstick Men) plays the protagonist that comes to life as both authors’ versions of the book.

Mike White and Ben LeClair of Nacho Libre fame will produce the film, which is set to begin filming in March.

Television gearing up for post-strike return

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With a deal taking shape to end a three-month walkout by Hollywood writers, the strike-hobbled television industry is scrambling to get back on its feet and salvage what remains of the broadcast season.

Churning out fresh episodes of hit dramas and comedies after a lengthy production shutdown is more complicated than simply hitting the "power-on" button of a remote control.

Industry executives say it will likely take eight weeks to restore favorite shows like "House," "CSI," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Desperate Housewives" to prime time once the strike ends.

Even if the labor dispute were settled by next week, as some have anticipated, viewers would be unlikely to see original episodes of returning hourlong dramas before early April. The same is true for single-camera comedies such as "The Office" or "Scrubs," which like dramas, are shot more like a film and without live audiences.

Multi-camera sitcoms like "Two and a Half Men" and "Back to You" take less time to make -- three to four weeks from start to finish -- and could be on the air before mid-March.

The film industry, which operates on a production cycle of months or years, has seen a handful of projects put on hold by the strike but otherwise has so far been relatively unscathed.

The television industry has been harder hit since 10,500 members of the Writers Guild of America walked off the job on November 5. Studio executives and WGA leaders are said to have agreed on the outlines of a settlement, raising hopes the strike could be lifted as early as next week.

The immediacy of TV makes it more vulnerable to a work stoppage, and with most dramas and comedies halted since mid-December, productions must be ramped up from a standstill.

"The writing process itself tends to take a couple of weeks for a script to be ready to shoot, and that's just the beginning. Then you have to get it out to directors, scout locations, cast it and build sets," said one studio executive.

Filming a drama generally takes about eight days, with another week and a half needed for editing and other post-production work, he said.

ONLY HITS WILL RETURN

Not all of the roughly 65 scripted series bumped off prime time by the writers' strike will come back this year.

With dramas and single-camera comedies unlikely to get more than six weeks on the air from the time they return until the end of the broadcast season in late May, network programmers have some tough choices to make.

Hits like "CSI," "House" and "Grey's Anatomy," are "no-brainers" to bring back this spring, one network executive told Reuters.

Lower-rated shows whose futures already were in doubt will either be placed on hold for possible relaunch in the future or be canceled altogether, in part because networks lack the time to build up marketing campaigns for them, he said.

Scripted series that come back will share the airwaves with many of the reality TV and game shows that have flooded the networks in recent weeks as strike-proof programming.

There is little for networks and studios to do until the strike actually ends, but planning which shows should return and how to schedule them is well under way.

"Those conversations are happening," one insider said.

The strike also has cut into networks' winter-spring development cycle for new shows, when dozens of "pilot" episodes of potential prime-time offerings for the fall are traditionally put into production.

Top executives from the corporate parents of NBC, ABC and Fox have already said they plan to order far fewer pilots this year. Instead, networks will choose more new shows from scripts or video presentations, and that is one change that may carry into future years as networks search for ways to curb costs.

Accidental pill overdose killed Ledger

NEW YORK - Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication and other prescription drugs, the New York City medical examiner said Wednesday.

The cause of death was "acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said in a statement.

The drugs are the generic names for the painkiller OxyContin, the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, and the sleep aids Restoril and Unisom. Hydrocodone is another name for ibuprofen.

Borakove wouldn't say what concentrations of each drug were found in Ledger's blood, or whether one drug played a greater part than another in causing his death.

"What you're looking at here is the cumulative effects of these medications together," she said.

The ruling comes two weeks after the 28-year-old Australian-born actor was found dead in the bed of his rented SoHo apartment. Police found bottles of six types of prescription drugs, including sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication, in his bedroom and bathroom.

Ledger was discovered by his masseuse on Jan. 22 after she arrived for an appointment that afternoon. She entered his bedroom to set up for the massage and found him unresponsive, and proceeded to call Mary-Kate Olsen three times over the next 9 minutes before dialing 911. Ledger had been dead for some time, and police say no foul play occurred.

Ledger, nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Brokeback Mountain," had returned to New York from London days before his death, where he had been filming a $30 million Terry Gilliam film. He said in a November interview that his most recent completed roles in the Batman movie "The Dark Night" and Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" had taken a toll, saying he couldn't sleep.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told The New York Times. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." He said he had taken two Ambien pills, which only gave him an hour of sleep.

Ledger's family returned to the actor's hometown of Perth, Australia on Tuesday to prepare for his funeral. Arrangements were private.

In a statement released through Ledger's publicist, Ledger's father, Kim, said Wednesday: "While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage."

Late-night hosts feud over Huckabee

NEW YORK - With teleprompters emptied by the writers strike, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have been transformed into a bloodthirsty, if well-dressed mob.

The trio appeared on each other's late-night TV shows Monday in a mock feud over who "made" Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

The fight began weeks ago, when O'Brien claimed responsibility for any success of Huckabee's campaign after the former Arkansas governor appeared on his "Late Night" show. Colbert took offence, having frequently touted the effect of the "Colbert bump" in the polls.

Debating - as Colbert called it - the "transitive property of Huckabee," Stewart was eventually roped in, having hosted O'Brien on his MTV program "The Jon Stewart Show" in 1994.

And after too many slights (O'Brien called Colbert the "temporary host" of "The Colbert Report"), the trio congregated Monday, roaming across three shows and two networks.

Eventually, blowtorches, bricks, stunt doubles and even a little dancing were employed.

"My favourite comedy is comedy where nothing is achieved and there is no point," O'Brien said in a phone interview Tuesday. "That this whole Huckabee fight turned into an insane Marx brothers dance was fitting somehow."

Pooling the hosts' combined talents had the intended upshot of filling time. NBC's "Late Night" and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are working without writers because of the strike.

"Nonsense! That was never, ever the point!" contradicted O'Brien before relenting. "Certainly it was a source of inspiration. The fight itself is three people with a box full of props playing for about an hour."

First, they got together on "The Daily Show," which airs earliest at 11 p.m. (EST), followed by "Colbert" 30 minutes later and "Late Night" at 12:35 a.m.

"You want to tangle, Red?" Colbert snarled at O'Brien.

Arranging it so they could make guest appearances and still host their own shows took some slight fiddling, O'Brien said. All the shows tape around the same time in various locations in Manhattan - though on Monday night's shows, the studios were shown as being down a single hallway.

The trio put off the tussle until Stewart finished his show, only to reunite on "Colbert." Again, the fight needed to be postponed while interviews were attended to by the TV hosts.

Later, across town at "Late Night," the feud culminated in an elaborate fight that ended only when the trio appeared to simultaneously knock each other out - the image frozen in a LeRoy Neiman-like painting.

"Conan's claims on Mike Huckabee could not go unanswered," Stewart and Colbert said in a joint statement Tuesday. "We just hope the kids out there learned that sometimes the best way to resolve a conflict is with violence."

For anyone watching, it was clear the three hosts share a certain comedic sensibility. Such playfulness would seem impossible with other late-night talk-show hosts; CBS' David Letterman and NBC's Jay Leno, for instance, have long had icy relations.

"The three of us have come along in the same comedic environment," said O'Brien. "Our shows all probably have their distinct flavour, but this happened because the three of us knew we would like doing this with each other."

While the rubble settled, Huckabee appeared by satellite to have the last word.

"Let's be clear: None of these guys made me. This great nation made me," declared Huckabee. "So vote for me. God bless America and forget these three idiots."

Vanity Fair Cancels Annual Oscar Party

LOS ANGELES - It's typically the hottest party in town on Oscar night — but not this year.

Vanity Fair has canceled its annual Academy Awards party, the magazine announced Tuesday.

"After much consideration, and in support of the writers and everyone else affected by this strike, we have decided that this is not the appropriate year to hold our annual Oscar party," said a statement posted on VanityFair.com.

"We want to congratulate all of this year's nominees and we look forward to hosting our 15th Oscar party next year," the magazine said.

The annual post-Oscar soiree often lures more luminaries than the ceremony itself. The night's big winners and nominees typically turn out, along with A-listers including Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Cher, Sean Penn, Joni Mitchell and Al Gore.

The Feb. 24 party was scrapped even though the writers guild is said to be on track for a possible deal with studios, possibly as soon as this week.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter decided to cancel the party after talking with West Coast friends and colleagues, said magazine spokeswoman Beth Kseniak.

He decided that even if the three-month writers strike was resolved before the Academy Awards, its affect on Tinseltown was likely to linger.

"Inasmuch as Vanity Fair is a collection of writers, photographers and artists, we do feel ourselves in aligned solidarity with the writers, directors and actors in the film business," Carter said in a statement.

Held annually at Morton's restaurant, the event has been a fixture for post-Oscar partygoers since its inception in 1994.

This year's party was to be the first at Craft, a new restaurant in tony Century City.

A message left with Craft management was not immediately returned.

A year after holding its first Oscar party, Vanity Fair introduced its annual Hollywood issue. This year's issue, featuring 10 young actresses on its tri-fold cover, hits newsstands next week.

Feist takes Shortlist Prize, works in new dates

Newly crowned Shortlist Prize winner Leslie Feist has mapped out another US headlining tour behind her latest effort, last year's "The Reminder."

Feist beat out nine other finalists for the 7th annual Prize, including Arcade Fire, Spoon and Wilco. The singer, who records and performs simply under her last name, kicks off her US tour April 10 in Detroit, with 15 cities lined up through the end of the month. All dates are below.

Feist continues to back last year's "The Reminder," which she pieced together while on a 33-month tour behind her previous album, 2004's "Let It Die," according to her online biography.

The new album enjoyed a spike in popularity last summer after the song "1234" was used in a television commercial for Apple's iPod Nano. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the single went from moving around 2,000 downloads per week in early September to more than 73,000 per week later in the month, after the ad began airing, with the song hitting No. 28 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The single climbed all the way to No. 8 on the UK charts.

Videos of "1234," "My Moon, My Man" and "I Feel It All," all singles from "The Reminder," can be found at the singer's website.

Feist is nominated in four categories at next week's 50th annual Grammy Awards, including Best Female Pop Vocal (for "1234") and Best New Artist. She is also scheduled to perform during the Feb. 10 ceremony, which will air live on CBS.

Feist is the first Canadian Shortlist Prize winner. She joins Irish singer Damien Rice and Iceland's Sigur Ros as non-US winners of the award, which has previously been given to Sufjan Stevens, N*E*R*D, and TV On the Radio. Other finalists this year selected from an initial list of 54 nominees included Burial, Justice, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., Stars and Working for a Nuclear Free City.

February 2008

12 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum Theater (2010 Olympic Launch Event)

April 2008
10 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore Detroit
11 - Bloomington, IN - Indiana University
12 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
14 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
15 - Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
16 - Dallas, TX - The Palladium Ballroom
18 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
19 - Nashville, TN - Vanderbilt University Alumni Lawn
20 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
22 - Athens, OH - Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
23 - Cleveland, OH - Palace Theatre
25 - Northampton, MA - Smith College
26 - Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion
27 - Philadelphia, PA - Academy of Music
29, 30 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom

May 2008
13 - Toronto, Ontario - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

Unique Duets Slated For Grammys

A number of unique collaboratons, including Fergie performing with John Legend and Josh Groban duetting with Andrea Bocelli, will be featured at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 10), the Recording Academy has announced.

John Fogerty, who is nominated for best rock album for "Revival," will be performing with rock legends Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis in a "Cornerstones of Rock" segment during the 50th annual event, which will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A classical/jazz moment with nominees Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang is also slated.

Fergie, who will take the stage with R&B singer John Legend, is nominated for best female pop vocal performance for "Big Girls Don't Cry. Josh Groban's scheduled performance with opera star Andrea Bocelli will mark the first time the pair has performed together.

Newly announced presenters include Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Solange Knowles, George Lopez, Lyle Lovett, and Ludacris. Previously announced performers for the 50th annual event feature Beyonce, Feist, Foo Fighters with John Paul Jones, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige.

A Jim Henson Biopic Planned

Empire Film Group, Inc. has acquired the motion picture production and distribution rights to "Henson", an original screenplay by Robert D. Slane that chronicles the life and achievements of Muppets creator, Jim Henson.

According to Marketwire, "Henson" covers the life of puppeteer, filmmaker and entertainment mogul Jim Henson, from his early fascination with television as a teenager, through his spectacular career and life achievements.

Empire anticipates hiring a major director, such as Penny Marshall, and hopes to attract notable star cast in key roles. Shooting is slated to begin late this Summer with a $30 million budget.

Vladimir Putin stars in tale of Kremlin romance

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A young KGB spy falls in love with an air hostess called Lyudmila and then conquers the Kremlin.

Sounds familiar? The plot of Russia's latest film bears a remarkable resemblance to the life of President Vladimir Putin.

The film, "Kiss Me Off The Record," breaks a taboo which has kept Putin's love life firmly under wraps.

The official release is set for Valentine's Day, two weeks before Russians vote for a successor to Putin, who is stepping down after eight years in office. Backers hope to outdo recent Hollywood hit "Pirates of the Caribbean" in Russian DVD sales.

Producer Anatoly Voropayev, a former deputy regional governor, told a news conference no one consulted the Kremlin about the film, which was shot from 2001 to 2003. He denied reports that Putin's wife helped write the film's plot.

"We live and work under a certain first person so when we speak about politics we cannot just ignore that," he said.

Putin has always tried to keep his family out of the limelight and Lyudmila, 50, has sometimes seemed nervous in public. They have two daughters Maria and Katerina but Russian media have never reported on the children.

"Kiss Me Off The Record" features key scenes from Putin's life, including his first meeting with Lyudmila, their 1983 marriage and subsequent move to Dresden, Germany where Putin worked as a KGB spy.

Lyudmila is shown badly injured after a car accident, the future First Family is shown escaping a fire at the family dacha outside St Petersburg and Lyudmila is even shown questioning a touchy Putin about the real nature of his job in Dresden.

Putin, 55, is played by Andrei Panin, a respected actor known for his role as a corrupt policeman in Brigada, a mini-series about crime groups in the early 1990s.

When asked about the likeness with Putin, Panin said with an ironic smile: "Am I the same, perhaps from the back ?"

Pressed about the negative qualities of the president, Panin seemed lost for words until saying: "Yes, he is late a lot." Putin is known for running late.

TABOOS

Few film directors have dared to delve into the family life of Russian presidents in a country where intrusive reporting about current and former Kremlin leaders is still unthinkable.

Prominent political journalist Sergei Dorenko said taboos about delving into the political life of Putin would have made such a film hard to release when it was first finished in 2003.

"Russia is a country with a Byzantine tradition in which the family is much more of a closed affair than in Western Europe -- it would have been scary to even think about this type of film two years ago," he said.

"But now that everyone believes Putin will leave there is an attempt to exploit, to sell his story. It is an interesting mixture of Byzantine culture and capitalist marketing."

And while Putin may bring in the crowds, the real heroine is Lyudmila, said the film's artistic director Oleg Fomin.

"It is a family love story above all, it is a story about a woman whose husband is very busy at work, a woman who wants a family and children and wants to see her beloved person close to her," he said.

Putin is known for springing surprises so it was not entirely unexpected that the film's makers refused to say how it ended.

Oscar nominees hopeful show will go on

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Optimism was in the air among Academy Awards nominees — both on their films' prospects and the chances that Hollywood's crippling writers strike will end in time for the Oscars show to go on as planned.

"I'm a positive individual. I think the sun will come up tomorrow," said Viggo Mortensen, a best-actor contender for the crime tale "Eastern Promises," who was among about 120 nominees attending an annual Oscar luncheon Monday. "I think that there will be a proper Oscars, and I think that 'Eastern Promises' has a good chance to win an award."

The fate of the Oscars on Feb. 24 remains uncertain but looks brighter as the Writers Guild of America makes progress on a new contract with producers that would end the union's three-month-old strike.

Insiders say writers and producers made a breakthrough on negotiations late last week that has left everyone in Hollywood hopeful that the labor quarrel would be settled. That would allow the Oscars to avoid the fate that has been looming since the Golden Globes, whose glitzy telecast was scrapped after stars made it clear they would stay away in honor of writers' picket lines.

"I don't think it's looming anymore," said Brad Bird, an Oscar winner for best animated film with "The Incredibles" who is nominated in the same category for "Ratatouille." "I think it's more like hiding in the bushes."

George Clooney, a supporting-actor winner for "Syriana" who is nominated as best actor this time for the legal drama "Michael Clayton," repeated his vow that he would not attend the Oscars if it meant crossing picket lines. But he said the deal in the works between writers and producers has a good shot at success.

Nominees said they would be thrilled if the Oscars could go on, though it was more important that hardships be resolved for writers and others in Hollywood unemployed by the strike, which has shut down TV productions and delayed some movies.

"It's my absolute hope we get to go and get dressed up, but I think in the framework of all the people who have been out of work and all the economics that has wreaked such havoc in so many people's lives, I think that whether I want to get dressed up and go to a party is a little bit less important," said Tony Gilroy, a best-director nominee for "Michael Clayton."

The lunch menu included salad with goat cheese and walnuts, a main course of salmon fillet and chocolate mousse for dessert.

Oscar organizers, insisting that the show will go on with or without writers and stars, have made contingency plans for a ceremony that would include extensive film clips and history.

Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told nominees at the luncheon that Oscar planners hope "all of us can be gathered in a room together that night."

"The Oscar exists to shine the brightest possible light on you and your work," Ganis said. "It would be such a terrible shame through no fault of yours and no fault of ours if the current conditions prevented us from shining that brightest possible light."

Strike talk took a back seat to backslapping at the luncheon, a loose gathering where nominees come together to congratulate one another, celebrate the year's film achievements and poke some fun.

Of his "Michael Clayton" star Clooney, writer-director Gilroy said: "He's better at the job of being a movie star than I think anybody who's ever done it. ... He really is the Michael Jordan of movie stars."

When he heard about the remark, Clooney joked that Gilroy "plays a drunken writer better than anybody."

Asked about her outfit, a black-and-white striped dress, best-actress nominee Ellen Page of the pregnancy comedy "Juno" wisecracked that "I took my old prison uniform and then just learned how to sew, and I made it into a dress."

Page, a first-time nominee for what has proved to be her breakout role, said the Oscar experience has been surreal.

"It doesn't always feel right when you're being associated with four women and just a group of people who I have so much respect for and so much admiration for," Page said. "It feels like, are you sure? Do you want to double-check that?"

Amy Ryan, a first-time nominee as supporting actress for the missing-child drama "Gone Baby Gone," said she had not yet chosen what to wear at the Oscars but had a notion to keep it simple.

"Less is more. I'm thinking more Princess Grace, Grace Kelly," Ryan said. "I want to look back on photos 20 years from now, and I want it to be timeless."

Old songs echo at this year's Grammys

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Even if you only occasionally listen to radio, you've probably heard Carrie Underwood's revenge anthem "Before He Cheats" ... and heard it, and heard it, and heard it.

The tune is on Underwood's 2005 debut album, "Some Hearts," and it first hit the charts back in February 2006. So why now, two years later, is "Before He Cheats" up for song of the year at the Grammy Awards on Sunday?

Because the Grammy rules allow it.

Indeed, Underwood's megahit isn't the only song of the year nominee that could, at least to fans, feel stale. "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's was on the group's 2005 album, "All That We Needed," though it didn't become a hit until two years later. "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae was released as a single in 2005 then rereleased the following year.

For most nominees, the music must be released in the eligibility year, which in this case is Oct. 1, 2006, through Sept. 30, 2007. But there are exceptions, and two of them are song of the year (awarded to the songwriter) and record of the year (awarded to the performer and production team).

In those categories, a single is still eligible if it was released in the preceding eligibility year but "achieved prominence" in the current one.

"A record is not like a movie," explained Greg Bechtloff, a project manager for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which presents the awards. "A movie comes out and it's out. It either sinks or swims. But a record can grow."

Even so, the rules have made for some interesting Grammy moments, like in 2006 when Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, while accepting record of the year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," mused that it had come out "something like two years ago."

The win also seemed a case of deja vu because only the year before Green Day had won best rock album for "American Idiot," which included "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

"It confused a lot of people and made us look weird," Bechtloff said.

Ditto for U2. The band cleaned up with their album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," including best rock song for "City of Blinding Lights" and best rock performance for "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own," in 2006. But they won the same two categories in 2005 for "Vertigo" from the same album.

This year, Beyonce Knowles could have her own Green Day moment. While her album "B'Day" won best contemporary R&B album last year, she's nominated for record of the year for the single "Irreplaceable," which, coincidentally, peaked back in December 2006.

All of this is bound to puzzle some Grammy viewers.

Garth Fundis, a member of the academy's board and a former chairman, said the board has discussed trying to "shorten the window" to freshen things up, perhaps by moving the show closer to the end of the eligibility period, in October instead of February.

"But there's no way to do it. There's always going to be that lag time," Fundis said. "Getting the information out to the members and letting them vote and get the final nominees and then vote again — it takes time to do all of that."

The process also is hindered by the slow movement of singles into radio rotation, particularly on the country side.

"For fans of the artist, it may seem that a song as part of the album has been around forever" even though as a single it meets Grammy eligibility, said Silvio Pietroluongo, director of Billboard magazine's genre-spanning Hot 100.

Underwood's "Before He Cheats" debuted on the country charts in early 2006 before Arista Records even began promoting it. After the label pushed it as a single, it climbed to No. 1 in November of that year and stayed five weeks.

The song crossed over to pop stations in 2007 and reached No. 9 on Billboard's Top 40 chart in May. It had yet another run on adult contemporary, peaking at No. 6 in September.

In all, the dark tale about a jilted lover vandalizing her boyfriend's truck spent a remarkable 64 straight weeks on the Hot 100.

And thanks to the Grammys, it's not going away quietly.

Celine tops Juno nominations

TORONTO -- Celine Dion, who marked a change in musical direction with her latest disc "Taking Chances," received a leading six Juno Award nominations Tuesday.

The Quebec diva, who is known for belting out power ballads but has recently experimented with a harder-edged sound, will compete against herself in the album of the year category.

"Taking Chances" is up for the coveted prize, as is the singer's French-language album, "D'elles."

Following closely behind Dion with five Juno nods apiece are: Toronto-based artist Feist, Vancouver crooner Michael Buble, and Napanee, Ont.,-raised singer Avril Lavigne.

All three are up for album of the year: Lavigne for "The Best Damn Thing," Feist for "The Reminder," and Michael Buble for "Call me Irresponsible."

The Juno Awards, which honour the best in Canadian music, will be handed out April 6 at Calgary's Saddledome.

Montreal's Arcade Fire, Burlington, Ont., band Finger Eleven and perennial favourite Blue Rodeo received three Juno nods each.

The Juno Awards have enjoyed renewed popularity ever since organizers decided to move the show from city to city each year.

Performers at this year's bash will include Lavigne, opera star Measha Brueggergosman, Anne Murray and Feist.

Feist is also up for several honours at this weekend's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Hosting the Juno festivities will be comedian Russell Peters. At the awards, Canadian rockers Triumph will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Here is a partial list of Juno nominees

Juno Fan Choice Award:

Avril Lavigne

Celine Dion

Claude Dubois

Michael Buble

Nelly Furtado

Single Of The Year:

"Girlfriend," Avril Lavigne

"1234," Feist

"Paralyzer," Finger Eleven

"Seven Day Fool," Jully Black

"Everything," Michael Buble

International Album Of The Year

"Lost Highway," Bon Jovi

"The Dutchess," Fergie

"Noel," Josh Groban

"Good Girl Gone Bad," Rihanna

"Timbaland Presents Shock Value," Timbaland

Album Of The Year (Sponsored By Cria)

"The Best Damn Thing," Avril Lavigne

"D'elles," Celine Dion

"Taking Chances," Celine Dion

"The Reminder," Feist

"Call Me Irresponsible," Michael Buble

Artist Of The Year

Avril Lavigne

Celine Dion

Feist

Michael Buble

Pascale Picard

Group Of The Year

Arcade Fire

Blue Rodeo

Finger Eleven

Hedley

Kain Disques

New Artist Of The Year (Sponsored By Factor And Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters)

Belly

Jeremy Fisher

Justin Nozuka

Serena Ryder

Suzie McNeil

New Group Of The Year (Sponsored By Factor And Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters)

Dragonette

Faber Drive

illScarlett

State of Shock

Wintersleep

Adult Alternative Album Of The Year

"Small Miracles," Blue Rodeo

"Goodbye Blue Monday," Jeremy Fisher

"Chrome Dreams II," Neil Young

"Release The Stars," Rufus Wainwright

"No Stranger," Tom Cochrane

Pop Album Of The Year

"Duets: Friends & Legends," Anne Murray

"Street Gospels," Bedouin Soundclash

"Taking Chances," Celine Dion

"The Reminder," Feist

"Call Me Irresponsible," Michael Buble

Rock Album Of The Year

"Them Vs. You Vs. Me," Finger Eleven

"Hospital Music," Matthew Good

"The Lucky Ones," Pride

"Underclass Hero," Sum 41 Aquarius

"The Saint Alvia Cartel," The Saint Alvia Cartel

Having fun with Feist

NEW YORK - Feist's musical palette contains many emotional colours, but there's something to be said for joy.

More than anything, a playful spirit explains why this was the Canadian singer-songwriter's breakout year - that, and a well-timed iPod commercial. She's up for four Grammy Awards at the Feb. 10 ceremony, including best new artist.

One of Feist's videos shows her flying through the air and literally being pulled back to Earth by someone suspicious of her fun. Another depicts her dancing through fireworks in what one onlooker at the production told her "looks like what falling in love feels like."

Her clip for the hit "1234" became so well-known that it sparked a "MadTV" parody. She joins dozens of extras in a goofy, colourful dance production in a warehouse.

"The videos are there to make the songs visible, to manifest something audible in a visible way," she said. "For me, what better way to do that for a song that's really child-like and joyful than to dance around in a blue-sparkled pantsuit?"

Feist's disc "The Reminder" was nominated for a Grammy for best pop album and she's looking forward to bringing the friends who helped her make it together at the Grammys for a night of dressing up and having fun.

Hitching onto the express train called success is a surreal experience, which she describes as feeling like she's crawled into the television and magazines - the places she used to hear about other people.

"It's the kind of thing I'll have perspective on in about 20 years: 2007, that was the year it shifted," she said. "Of course, it's exciting, if only because I constantly have to answer the question 'isn't this exciting?' - even to my family and friends."

Leslie Feist, who uses only her last name professionally, is one of those musicians for whom a best "new" artist nod is a chuckle. She's approaching her 32nd birthday and has been singing on stages for half her life. Feist grew up in Calgary and spent her teen-age years as the lead howler for a hardcore punk band.

One memory that sticks in her mind about those voice-grinding days is what a sound man for her band told her one day:

"He said, 'What you're doing is great - I mix it every night so I know - but a song is something you can sing in the shower when there's nothing else there, and you should think about that.'

"I was 17, going 'Whatever!' " she recalled. "But it's true. As the years pass, I think about that."

Two years later, her voice was shredded. She bused across country to see a doctor in Toronto who specialized in treating music-related injuries and a friend gave her tapes of melodic indie artists like P.J. Harvey, Portishead and Luna. She saw her musical future.

Feist settled in Toronto, her belongings scattered among friends in Calgary and left for good. After some "dark, dark times" selling jeans in the basement of a mall, Feist began writing songs and became a part of the city's music scene.

"The Reminder" was recorded nearly two years ago in a house outside of Paris. Although there was a recording studio in the basement, the musicians wired things to work upstairs, opening windows to let spring breezes drift in.

That airiness is almost audible; the music is notable for a sense of space that allows the stray banjo or glockenspiel to slip in and delight.

There were a few battles with her strong-willed musicians, but everyone understood it was Feist's album and she was the ultimate arbiter.

At the end, it was her first record that she felt totally content with.

"I felt like a golden peace," she said. "I was free of any responsibility for whether it was a success or not, because it was already a success in my mind. I had attained freedom before I even tossed the dice to see what the world would think."

As is often the case in those circumstances, the world loved it.

The iPod commercial played an important role in exposing her music to casual fans. There is so much music on commercials these days, and fewer opportunities to reach large audiences, that advertisements are almost the modern-day "American Bandstand."

Feist said Apple "did it right," making an artful commercial that was respectful to the song.

With success comes graduation into playing larger venues. Before she was booked to play in some, Feist said she had never seen a concert in a theatre.

After a few shows, she said she was overwhelmed by the visual space available. She's always been fascinated by puppetry, and hired Clea Minaker to make a shadow puppet show that unfolds on screens behind Feist as she sings.

She'll spend much of the next year touring. Booking an upcoming European tour, she told management to go some places she hadn't gone before.

"I said, you know what, why don't you book Italy?" she said. "And as long as we're going to be in Italy, can you book two days off in Rome?"

Now THAT sounds like fun!

New CD Releases, February 5: Jack Johnson, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow

Jack Johnson "Sleep Through the Static"

The Hawaii-born singer/songwriter surfs back into action with the release of his fourth solo disc, "Sleep Through the Static." Johnson's last solo disc was 2005's "In Between Dreams," though he was also a major contributing force behind 2006's chart-topping "Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George."

"Sleep Through the Static" was produced by JP Plunier, who also helmed Johnson's 2001 debut, "Brushfire Fairytales." The album features the singer's longtime collaborators: drummer Adam Topol, bassist Merlo Podlewski and keyboardist Zach Gill.

As far as the concert front goes, the 32-year-old Johnson is currently scheduled to support "Sleep Through the Static" with a headlining set on the opening night (4/25) of Southern California's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

* * *
Lenny Kravitz "It is Time for a Love Revolution"

If, indeed, "It is Tme for a Love Revolution," then we can think of no one better suited to lead the charge than Lenny "Let Love Rule" Kravitz.

Kravitz, a man seemingly born to be a rock star, is back with his eighth album, "It is Time for a Love Revolution," which follows 2004's "Baptism." The 14-track set was produced by the artist himself and features the singles "Bring It On" and "I'll Be Waiting."

Having already performed some Stateside dates this year, Kravitz will next take to Canadian soil for shows in March, beginning with a March 10 gig in Vancouver, British Columbia.

* * *
Sheryl Crow "Detours"

The multi-platinum vocalist returns with her sixth studio album. "Detours" was produced by Bill Bottrell, who previously worked with Crow on her Grammy-winning 1993 debut, "Tuesday Night Music Club."

The 45-year-old Missouri native, known for such singles as "If It Makes You Happy" and "All I Wanna Do," has a few dates lined up in support of "Detours." The current itinerary includes a two-night stand (Feb. 6-7) at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, as well a late-April appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

* * *
k.d. lang "Watershed"

The supremely talented vocalist, born Kathryn Dawn Lang, delivers 11 new original songs on "Watershed." The 46-year-old Canadian also makes her debut as a producer on this set. "Watershed" follows 2004's "Hymns of the 49th Parallel."

* * *
Hot Chip "Made in the Dark"

The British electro-pop heroes are ready to unveil "Made in the Dark," the band's third studio release and the follow-up to 2006's "The Warning." "Made in the Dark" is being released as a CD/DVD set, which features the studio album plus video footage taken from the band's live performances.

* * *
More new releases:
Adele, "19" (XL)
Avantasia, "The Scarecrow" (Nuclear Blast)
Betty Buckley, "Quintessence" (Sony)
Taylor Dayne, "Satisfied" (Adrenaline)
Hanzel und Gretyl, "2012: Zwanzig Zwolf" (Metropolis)
Paul Hardcastle, "Hardcastle 5" (Trippin and Rhythm)
Josh Kelley, "Special Company" (DNK)
Fernando Lima, "Pasion"
Bob Mould, "District Line" (Anti)
Nada Surf, "Lucky" (Barsuk)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, "Calibration (is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far)" (N2o)
Jill Scott, "Live in Paris" (Hidden Beach)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Love in the Time of Cholera" (New Line)
"Rambo" (Lions Gate)

'General Hospital' actress Kepler dies

PORTLAND, Ore. - Actress Shell Kepler, who for years played the gossipy nurse Amy Vining on the TV soap opera "General Hospital," has died. She was 49.

Kepler died Friday at Oregon Health & Science University hospital, which did not give the cause of death.

Kepler's busybody character on "General Hospital" was a fan favorite and enjoyed a long run, 1979-2002.

In addition to her run on "General Hospital," she was also in a 1982 Joan Collins film, "Homework," and a couple of episodes of the situation comedy "Three's Company."

On the side, she was a businesswoman, marketing clothing on the former Home Shopping Club. She said in a 1994 Associated Press interview that her "Lacy Afternoon" collection had sales topping $20 million that year alone.

Kepler was born in Ohio and the family moved to California when she was 10. She recalled in 1994 that she didn't yet have a driver's license when she began trying out for film roles.

"I managed to get my girlfriends to drive me to auditions because I wasn't old enough to drive. I was a rather ambitious kid," she said.

She moved to Portland after her TV career and became involved in charity fundraising.

Giants-Patriots most-watched Super Bowl

NEW YORK - The New York Giants' thrilling win over New England was the most-watched Super Bowl ever with 97.5 million viewers, a total that is second only to the "M-A-S-H" finale audience, Nielsen Media Research said Monday.

The game eclipsed the previous Super Bowl record of 94.08 million, set when Dallas defeated Pittsburgh in 1996. The final "M-A-S-H" episode, which drew 106 million viewers in 1983, is the only other show in American broadcast history watched by more people.

Sunday's game had almost all the ingredients Fox could have hoped for: a tight contest with an exciting finish involving a team that was attempting to make history as the NFL's first unbeaten team since 1972.

But the Giants ended New England's bid for perfection, 17-14. Throughout the game, the teams were never separated by more than a touchdown.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was to appear on David Letterman's "Late Show" on Monday, also won bragging rights over his brother: Last year's win by Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts was seen by 93.2 million people, now the third most popular Super Bowl.

Fox, a division of News Corp., charged $2.7 million for 30 seconds of advertising time on the game.

An eye-popping 81 percent of all TV sets on in the Boston area Sunday were tuned in to the game. In New York, the audience share was 67 percent.

The audience peaked between 9:30 and 10 p.m. ET — the fourth quarter — with 105.7 million people watching, Nielsen said.

There were signs even before gametime that Fox could be headed for a record. The opportunity for a team to make history with football's first 19-0 record was a powerful draw. The Giants and Patriots also had a tight contest in late December that drew strong ratings.

The Giants' underdog run had also captivated the nation's largest media market, making up for the only potential weakness in the event as a drawing card: the lack of geographical diversity in the competing teams.

There were past Super Bowl games with higher ratings, topped by the 1982 game between San Francisco and Cincinnati (49.1 rating, 73 share). That indicates that a larger percentage of homes with televisions were watching the game. But since the American population has increased, along with the number of people with TVs, the actual number of people watching this year was higher.

The Giants-Patriots game's actual rating (43.3 rating, 65 share) was the highest for any Super Bowl since 1997. That means 43 percent of the nation's TV sets were tuned in to the game, and 65 percent of the TV sets that were turned on were watching football.

Stallone back in action with 2-film deal

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Boxoffice comeback champ Sylvester Stallone has inked a lucrative deal to direct and star in two action films with "Rambo" producers Danny Dimbort,

Several scripts are being considered for follow-ups to his surprise hit sequels to "First Blood" and "Rocky." With Nu Image/Millennium's new Writers Guild of America interim deal speeding up the process, the first script is expected to be ready by the fall, with production set to begin shortly thereafter.

"The past year and a half of working with Avi, his partners Danny and Trevor and his film family has been nothing but a high point for me and my career and an extremely rewarding experience," Stallone said. "Avi is a real gentleman and a man of his word."

Stallone will produce the films with Kevin King-Templeton and Lerner. Dimbort, Short and Boaz Davidson will serve as executive producers.

It's a deal few would have expected just a few years ago, when Stallone followed up his role in "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over" with a failed network boxing reality TV series, "The Contender." But in 2006, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in "Rocky Balboa," the sixth "Rocky" film, 16 years after the previous sequel in the franchise. The MGM release grossed $70 million on an estimated $24 million budget.

The second part of Stallone's one-two punch came with the current release "Rambo," which he also stars in, wrote and directed. The film, distributed by Lionsgate, made $18.2 million in its opening weekend and earned an estimated $25 million in its first 10 days of release.

Petty, Heartbreakers sound a bit too perfect at Super Bowl

Tom Petty bills himself as an old-fashioned rock 'n' roller who takes a stand against all the jive and corny aspects of show biz.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers bring pristine showmanship - a little too pristine, perhaps - to the halftime show at Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz.
But Sunday, he backed down in his Super Bowl halftime show. It seems the rocker was lip-syncing.The 57-year-old singer wouldn't be the first – or the last – musician to lip-sync at the Super Bowl. Playing a noisy football stadium on live TV is such an acoustical nightmare that most acts decide to tape their 12-minute set the week before and "sing" into a dead microphone during the show. The only thing live is the between-song "Thank you!"

Janet Jackson was obviously lip-syncing in 2004, and Paul McCartney appeared to be doing the same in 2005. But Prince and the Rolling Stones reversed the trend at the last two Super Bowls, with live sets that were raw but still spectacular.

Mr. Petty and the Heartbreakers lacked that element of danger in their by-the-book rendition of "American Girl," "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin' " and "Runnin' Down a Dream."

All the tell-tale signs of lip-syncing were there: The vocals sounded too pristine, Mr. Petty's lungs didn't seem to be expanding far enough, and every time he sang, his mouth was strategically hidden behind a big spongy microphone.

Perhaps the real giveaway came during his "ad-libbed" aside in "Free Fallin' ": He backed away from the mike a split-second before his voice trailed off.

The apparent lip-syncing wasn't the only brand of cheese on the buffet. Like most half-time shows, this one began with shots of manic fans sprinting toward the stage à la A Hard Day's Night. During "I Won't Back Down," the camera zoomed in on a bunch of teen girls excitedly jumping up and down.

The last time those things happened to Mr. Petty when cameras weren't on was in 1979.

Still, you can't fault him for taking the gig. In an age when bands like his are banished to the classic-rock ghetto, it's hard to pass up 100 million viewers – especially when you've got a new tour to promote.

Not so coincidentally, tickets for Mr. Petty's North American tour go on sale Monday: The same guy who sang "I was born a rebel" was also born a pretty smart businessman.

Furry critters abound in Super Bowl Ads

NEW YORK - It was an epic battle of the creatures in the Super Bowl ads, ranging from the cute to the menacing to the inexplicably rhythmic. A band of lizard-like reptiles cutting the rug to Michael Jackson's "Thriller"? Hey, it's the Super Bowl.

Much is riding on the ads, which are the most closely scrutinized of the whole year, as well as the most watched and the most expensive. This year's 30-second spots on News Corp.'s Fox network broadcast were fetching as much as $2.7 million. The price edges higher nearly every year.

Last year the game drew 93 million viewers, a level that many believe could be surpassed this year given the strong matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, as well as the Patriots' chance to go for a record unbeaten season.

Using critters is hardly a new trick in the ads for the big game, but this year saw some novel and clever uses of animals durinmg Sunday night's broadcast.

FedEx Corp.'s ad took a decidedly Hitchcockian turn when a corporate underling entrusts shipping operations to a huge squadron of carrier pigeons — eerily reminiscent of "The Birds."

When a tribe of giant pigeons winds up wreaking havoc by accidentally dropping huge boxes into traffic and picking up parked cars and hurling them through windows, a cool-headed supervisor decides that calling FedEx would be a good idea.

Toyota Motor Corp. took a stab at the critter theme with a clever spot for its Corolla model, boasting of the noise-blocking ability of the car by putting a young guy in the drivers seat next to a sleeping family of badgers that will gnaw his face off if awakened. The cannons firing around him aren't the problem, but he would have been better off putting his cell phone on vibrate.

PepsiCo Inc.'s Sobe Life Water brand brought out some dancing lizards to bop along with Naomi Campbell to Michael Jackson's '80s classic "Thriller," whose 25th anniversary edition is coming out later this month.

Elsewhere, job-search site CareerBuilder.com was back in the game — not with the cast of monkeys it used for several years — but with a jarring yet effective ad featuring a bored female office worker whose heart literally jumps out of her chest, struts down to the boss's office and jumps up on the desk with a little sign saying, "I quit." The lesson: Follow your heart, literally.

Anheuser-Busch Inc. was once again the largest advertiser in the game, with a series of humorous spots for its Bud Light brand and a heartfelt "Rocky"-inspired story of a Clydesdale horse that doesn't make the first cut for the carriage team, but succeeds after a year of training with an unlikely coach, a Dalmation dog.

Tom Petty plays it cool at Super Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' surprisingly subdued Super Bowl halftime show was as uncomplicated in person as it looked on television. There were no wardrobe — or any other kind — of malfunctions.

Moments before the performance, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers calmly waited on the Patriots' side of the field. Once given the go signal, the musicians quickly took the stage, picked up their instruments and started performing. They made playing a concert for about 100 million people look almost effortless.

On the field, it was impossible to tell that the illuminated stage was heart shaped or that a large arrow was headed straight for it at the beginning of Petty's by-the-book rendition of "American Girl." The visual effect wasn't broadcast on the jumbotron. There were other illusions at play, too.

That cross-sectioned crowd of moms, dads and teenagers didn't descend from the stands to spontaneously rock out at Petty's feet. No, they had been assembled just outside of the University of Phoenix Stadium, waiting for their moment on the field since the start of the game in a long line reminiscent of an "American Idol" audition.

However, the audience did actually sing-along when Petty launched into "I Won't Back Down." That wasn't fake, although the screens featuring the words behind Petty seemed slightly unnecessary. Everyone sang like they already knew them.

When the stadium lights dimmed for "Free Fallin,'" those weren't lighters the audience just happened to have in their pockets, ready to whip out in unison for some groovy ambiance. They were actually tiny flashlights that had been previously distributed among the crowd. Hey, free souvenir!

The most spontaneous moment during the halftime performance didn't even make it on TV — and it probably happens every year. After Petty closed the halftime show with "Runnin' Down A Dream," the mob assembled around the stage confusingly ran off in all directions as stagehands frantically disassembled the stage at the same time.

It was the craziest part of the whole evening — except for the part when the Giants won.

Giants stun 'perfect' Pats in Super Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning.

In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season 17-14 Sunday night as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants' 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents' defensive signals in the season-opener against the New York Jets.

But its defense couldn't stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who had scored New York's first touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter.

"It's the greatest feeling in professional sports," Burress said before bursting into tears.

The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league's Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowl, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws.

Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory.

Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York's stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants (14-6) gained something of a swagger and Manning cast off older brother Peyton's shadow and found his footing.

Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all.

Not that the Patriots were very mighty this day. They even conceded with 1 second on the clock as coach Bill Belichick ran across the field to shake the hand of jubilant Giants coach Tom Coughlin, then headed to the locker room, ignoring the final kneeldown.

That it was Manning taking that knee was stunning. Peyton's kid brother not only matched his sibling's achievement of last year with the Indianapolis Colts, but he showed the brilliant precision late in the game usually associated with, well, Brady.

Peyton Manning was seen in a luxury box jumping up and pumping both fists when Burress, who didn't practice all week because of injuries, caught the winning score.

The upset also could be viewed as a source of revenge not only for the Giants, but for the other NFL teams over Spygate back in September. That cheating scandal made headlines again late in Super Bowl week, and could have placed an infinite cloud over New England's perfection.

The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl; four AFC teams have done it. They also are the second team in three years to play nothing but away games and come away with the big prize; Pittsburgh did after the 2005 season.

'Blood' fans drink up milkshake catchphrase

LOS ANGELES — If you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, then you have Hollywood's hottest catchphrase.

Every year, we seem to get at least one. "I see dead people." "I wish I knew how to quit you." Anything from Napoleon Dynamite.

This year's latest cinematic must-say comes from There Will Be Blood, the oil drama in which Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a crushing insult to a nemesis with the punch line "I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!"

Relatively few people have seen the movie — this past weekend, it expanded to about 1,500 theaters and its gross so far is $21.1 million — but the dialogue has taken off nonetheless.

A "There Will Be Milkshakes" video, with scenes from the film playing to Kelis' song Milkshake, has more than 60,000 views on YouTube.

IDrinkYourMilkshake.com has become a popular forum to discuss the films of There Will Be Blood director P.T. Anderson.

New York magazine even offers a user's guide to the phrase. It suggests using it as sports metaphor ("The Celtics drank the Knicks' milkshake last night"), a sexual double entendre or a taunt, as in "You'd best back down before I drink your milkshake."

Anderson concedes that he's puzzled by the phenomenon — particularly because the lines came straight from a transcript he found of the 1924 congressional hearings over the Teapot Dome scandal, in which Sen. Albert Fall was convicted of accepting bribes for oil-drilling rights to public lands in Wyoming and California.

In explaining oil drainage, Fall's "way of describing it was to say 'Sir, if you have a milkshake and I have a milkshake and my straw reaches across the room, I'll end up drinking your milkshake,' " Anderson says. "I just took this insane concept and used it."

So have the movie's fans.

Kevin Kunze, 18, a student at the University of San Francisco, says he created the YouTube video "just to get people to see the movie. I loved it. I had no idea it would take off like this."

Nor did Jurgen Fauth, the website creator.

He says he wanted simply to have an audio clip of the line, delivered in Day-Lewis' booming baritone.

"But (Anderson's) fans started using it to talk about his movies, so I made it a forum," he says. "Although I think some people turn up the volume and hit refresh to drive their co-workers crazy."

Not that Anderson minds — or worries that it will undermine the gravitas of the movie, which is up for eight Oscars, including best picture, director and actor.

"I love the YouTube video," he says. "It's completely insane and hilarious. It's crazy what people latch on to."

'Hannah' holds box-office sway with $29M

LOS ANGELES - First, she sells out a nationwide concert tour. Now Miley Cyrus and pop-star alter-ego Hannah Montana are selling out movie theaters in such record-breaking style that the film's run has been extended.

"Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," the 3-D film chronicling her recent tour, was the biggest debut ever over Super Bowl weekend, pulling in $29 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Distributor Disney planned to have the movie out for only a week but now has decided to keep it in theaters until it runs its course.

The concert film — featuring 15-year-old Cyrus both as herself backstage and as her Disney Channel character, pop sensation Hannah — filled the void for fans unable to catch one of the live shows on the Hannah Montana 54-date tour.

The digital 3-D technology also gave fans the illusion of practically being at a live show, said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group, who visited several packed theaters where the movie played over the weekend.

"The screaming level was unbelievable. It almost plays like a concert. At the end of a song, you have audiences clapping like you do at a concert," Zoradi said. "Parents who weren't able to get concert tickets, now they were able to take their kids and satisfy that demand, and kids were in a way able to be up close and personal, with the best seats in the house."

The film surpassed the previous Super Bowl record of $21.6 million set by "When a Stranger Calls," which opened over the same weekend two years ago.

Lionsgate's "The Eye," a remake of the Japanese horror hit, opened at No. 2 with $13 million. "The Eye" stars Jessica Alba as a blind concert violinist whose vision is restored by a corneal transplant that also results in terrifying visions.

"Desperate Housewives" co-star Eva Longoria Parker delivered a dud with her first top-billed movie, "Over Her Dead Body," which opened with a weak $4.6 million to finish at No. 11. Distributed by New Line, the movie stars Longoria Parker as a dead woman whose ghost tries to break up a romance between her fiance (Paul Rudd) and his new girlfriend.

Playing in just 683 theaters, "Hannah Montana" broke another record: never before has a movie in so few cinemas premiered at the top of the box office chart.

The movie averaged a whopping $42,460 a theater, compared to an average of $5,337 in each of 2,436 cinemas for "The Eye" and about $2,327 in each of 1,977 theaters for "Over Her Dead Body."

The grosses for "Hannah Montana" were boosted by higher admission prices many theaters charged because of the 3-D format. Tickets for "Hannah Montana" ran as high as $15, roughly 50 percent more than the top price for other movies.

The success of "Hannah Montana" showcased the commercial prospects for an upcoming wave of 3-D releases, both new movies such as this summer's adaptation of Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and rereleases such as the first two "Toy Story" films in 3-D versions.

Digital projection allows sharper and more realistic images than old-fashioned film 3-D, a 1950s fad revived only occasionally over the decades. Now, many big studio films come out in 3-D versions.

Those releases typically do three times more business than 2-D versions, said Michael Lewis, chairman and co-founder of Real D, whose digital-projection 3-D technology was used in most theaters showing "Hannah Montana" and will be used in an upcoming wide release of another concert film, "U2 3D," now playing in limited release.

The 3-D technology eventually could expand turn theaters into venues showing live concerts and sporting events, Lewis said.

"There are a lot of places, a lot of small towns where we have Real D in place where U2's not going to go, Hannah Montana's not going to play there," Lewis said. "They'll be able to see it in theaters, and in my view maybe with a better seat and better experience than if they were actually there live."

Hollywood's box-office roll continued, with the top-12 movies taking in $101.5 million, up 43 percent from Super Bowl weekend a year ago. Movie attendance so far this year is up nearly 11 percent, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

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. "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," $29 million.
2. "The Eye," $13 million.
3. "27 Dresses," $8.4 million.
4. "Juno," $7.5 million.
5. "Meet the Spartans," $7.1 million.
6. "Rambo," $7 million.
7. "The Bucket List," $6.9 million.
8. "Untraceable," $5.4 million.
9. "Cloverfield," $4.9 million.
10. "There Will Be Blood," $4.8 million.

Alanis Morissette heals heartache

TORONTO - Some 13 years after Alanis Morissette exploded onto the charts with her angst-ridden kiss-off anthem "You Oughta Know," the candid singer-songwriter is writing about break-ups again.

This time the pain is drawn from the collapse of her well-publicized four-year relationship with actor Ryan Reynolds, now romantically linked to Hollywood beauty Scarlett Johansson.

Morissette says she turned to writing as a way to cope as the union unravelled, a painful experience that forced her to examine her own destructive patterns as she searched for wholeness again.

"It was the perfect time for me to write the (new) record, basically," Morissette says of the period that led to the split, which she refers to as "the shift in our form."

"And the songs are in order, so it chronologizes the rock bottom and then the phoenix rising and everything after it."

"Flavors of Entanglement," is due in the spring, although a firm release date has yet to be set, she says.

The 11 tracks were co-written by U.K. songwriter/producer Guy Sigsworth (Madonna, Bjork, Seal), featuring new sonic paths for Morissette that include electronic hues and Eastern percussion and strings.

"I just wanted to surprise myself a little bit and stretch," Morissette says recently by phone from Chicago as she tours the U.S. with Matchbox 20 and MuteMath.

Lyrically, much of the disc focuses on the 33-year-old's relationship with herself, and less so on her romantic partners, she insists.

"I notice that the stronger my relationship is with myself, the healthier my relationships are, especially over the last year," she says.

Still, Morissette is known for writing one of the most aggressively frank break-up songs in recent years, so one can't help but ask: Is there a song on the disc about Ryan?

"Well, you guys can tell me. I never confirm anything about who I write about so I think it'll become self-evident when people hear the songs and people can make as many guesses as they would like," she says.

"I'm not writing to seek revenge," Morissette later adds.

"I think there would be an element of it being a violent thing if I were to write songs and publicly berate someone. I just think that's horrifying, but the act of writing a song or writing in your journal, I think is really healthy."

The Ottawa-native says she and Reynolds don't hang out, but she is supportive of his new relationship and wishes him well.

In the meantime, she's keeping busy with performances and an unusual book project set to collect selections of her free verse, anecdotes and photos.

Morissette says she plans to structure the eclectic publication in such a way that it can be read in a random fashion or from cover-to-cover.

"I've always wanted to write a book, I've wanted to do it for a long time but I don't want to write a memoir," she says.

"It's scary, though. I'm terrified of putting everything in one spot. It's one thing to write a three-minute song but it's another thing to write a 200 or 250-page book, or however long it will be."

Morissette, an occasional actress, is also set to star in the sci-fi film "Radio Free Albemuth," based on a Philip K. Dick book and set for release in June.

She's also toying with the idea of releasing independent music videos for songs that didn't make it on the album. Morissette says these projects would likely be sent straight to YouTube, the same video-sharing site that helped make her "My Humps" video spoof an Internet sensation last year.

The Black Eyed Peas cover featured a tarted up Morissette crooning the club hit as a sombre torch song. Morissette says she did the spoof on a whim, after complaining in the studio about how difficult it was for her to write simple lyrics. She says it was not intended to slam the Peas or their sexy singer, Fergie.

As for her ailing heart, she says she's focusing on tackling harmful patterns that lead to bad choices.

"You know, I always thought that my orientation - and some of this I think is because I'm a woman, and some of it is because I'm Canadian, and some of it is because I'm sensitive, or whatever - but my orientation was always to kind of look outside myself. And over the last year, especially, it's just so much been about an inward-looking journey and really applying the wisdoms that I'm learning, not just singing about them, not just talking about them intellectually, but really applying them."

"There is a little bit of an irony in that me, having been known for being so authentic and so direct and so intimate through my songs, I wasn't always applying it to my relationships, so my challenge now is certainly to keep doing it in my songs, there's no reason why I need to stop, but to start to really apply that courage in my day-to-day relationships, too."

Morissette stops in Toronto on Feb. 22, and Vancouver on March 9.

'No Country' wins another top award

LOS ANGELES - "No Country for Old Men" grabbed another award before the Oscars later this month, winning the best feature film award presented by the Producers Guild of America on Saturday.

The film, which stars Javier Bardem as a determined hit man pursuing Josh Brolin, beat out other nominees "There Will Be Blood," "Juno," "Michael Clayton" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

Scott Rudin and Ethan and Joel Coen were given the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award. The film was released by Miramax/Paramount Vantage.

"No Country for Old Men" has already garnered the top prizes from the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild. The film is nominated for eight Academy Awards.

"Ratatouille" from Disney-Pixar was chosen as best animated film by the producers guild.

The award for episodic TV comedy went to NBC's "30 Rock," while HBO's "The Sopranos" won in the drama category.

Other PGA awards included HBO's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" in the long-form television category; Michael Moore's "Sicko" in the documentary division; and Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" won for best nonfiction television program.

Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" won a PGA award for live entertainment/competition.

Source: Breakthrough in writers talks

LOS ANGELES - A breakthrough in contract talks has been reached between Hollywood studios and striking writers and could lead to a tentative deal as early as next week, a person close to the ongoing negotiations said Saturday.

The two sides breached the gap Friday on the thorniest issues, those concerning compensation for projects distributed via the Internet, said the person, who requested anonymity because he were not authorized to speak publicly.

A second person familiar with the talks, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to comment publicly, said that significant progress had been made and a deal might be announced within a week.

The people did not provide specific details on the possible agreement. Major points of contention include how much and when writers are paid for projects delivered online after they've been broadcast on TV.

The studios have been insisting that programs be streamed online for a certain period, deemed promotional, during which writers would forgo residuals. When payment kicked in, the companies sought to limit it to a flat $1,200 fee, while the guild wanted a percentage of a distributor's revenue.

The Writers Guild of America did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the trade group representing the studios, declined comment, citing a news blackout agreed to by both sides during the talks.

Guild leaders have said they are fighting for a piece of the future, reflecting the widespread belief that Internet-delivered entertainment fare would inevitably claim an increasing and perhaps even dominant market share.

Although work remains to be done on elements of the agreement, prospects for a deal appeared solid, said those close to the situation. The tentative agreement would have to be approved by a majority of guild members.

The guild, whose 3-month-old strike has brought the entertainment industry to a standstill, began informal talks with top media company executives Jan. 23 in an attempt to reach a new deal covering governing work for film, TV and digital media.

Negotiations between the guild and alliance negotiators collapsed Dec. 7 after the alliance demanded that proposals for unionization of animation and reality shows be taken off the table. The guild refused.

During the negotiations impasse, the Directors Guild of America began its own talks with studio chiefs and swiftly reached a tentative deal that was announced Jan. 17 and covered some of the digital media issues key to the writers guild.

Major studio executives called on the writers guild to begin informal talks, which essentially are standing in for formal negotiations, according to those familiar with the situation.

The guild extended its own olive branch before the informal talks started by withdrawing the reality-animation unionization proposal and by deciding to keep pickets away from the Grammy Awards. It has since decided to allow the music ceremony to proceed with full union support.

However, the fate of the Feb. 24 Academy Awards has remained in question, with the guild so far declining to grant its blessing to the show. A union refusal to cooperate with the Golden Globes decimated the ceremony, which was boycotted by supportive actors.

Oscar organizers and producers have vowed they will stage some type of show, with or without union support — but a writers guild deal would allow this ceremony to proceed in its full, star-studded glory, providing an invaluable promotional showcase for movie studios and their films.

The Couch Potato Report - February 2nd, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a pair of Canadian made films, a pair of TV shows on DVD and The King Of Kong.

This week, the Hot Potato, the main release I would like you to know about is a a film that received 12 Genie Award nomination last Monday, including one for the Best Canadian Motion Picture of 2007 Award.

That film is a dramatic adaptation of retired general Roméo Dallaire's experiences in Rwanda, and like the book it is based on, the film is called SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL.

By now I am sure you are aware of who Roméo Dallaire is, and I am just as sure that you know of his fateful months as Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, during which he witnessed the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

So this morning, I will focus on the film that was made of Dallaire book, a film that stars the great Roy Dupuis as Roméo Dallaire.

The story of Dallaire's time in Rwanda is so compelling, tragic, and ultimately hard-to-fathom, that seeing it dramatised in a film is a bit unusual...and because it is a film, and not a documentary, when some of the atrocities are taking place, they didn't actually seem real to me.

I don't know if that is because I am so familiar with this story, and what took place in Rwanda, that in a movie I was more distanced from them that I would be in a documentary, but I was well aware at all times that I was watching a movie.

Was this really how it happened, I kept wondering...or was this scene or that scene done just for dramatic affect?

Yes, I was skeptical about the film version of SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL...until I listened to Romeo Dallaire's commentary on the DVD, and heard him comment on it's realism.

For me, a film should stand on it's own, and not need a commentary to save it...so ultimately, while Roy Dupuis does just as spectacular job playing Dallaire as he did portraying Maurice Richard in THE ROCKET a few years ago, and he might just win the Genie Award as Best Actor, just as he did portraying Maurice Richard.

SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL is not a bad film, it is exceptionally well made and acted, and deserves all of it's Genie Award nominations, and if you are not aware of who Roméo Dallaire is, and don't know about the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, then you should definately see it.

But you should also see the documentary SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL: THE JOURNEY OF ROMEO DALLAIRE, and read the book "Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda", because not once during either of those will you question if what you are being exposed to really happened.

SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL is a Canadian film that was released last year.

THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ is a Canadian film that came out in 1974.

THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ is a comedy-drama film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler, and the DIRECTOR'S CUT is now available, a version that is 15 minutes longer than any other previous DVD release.

Duddy Kravitz is a confident kid from Montreal who is determined to "make it", no matter what it takes. Lie, cheat, steal...whatever it takes.

So he plans and schemes and dreams and he finally finds what he thinks is his meal ticket: a lakeshore property in the Laurentian mountains.

However, he never seems to realize what he is sacrificing, and by the time he does, it may be too late.

THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ has been designated and preserved as a "masterwork" by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the preservation of Canada's audio-visual heritage, and if you have never seen this film on video, in it's previous incarnation on DVD, or late at night on CBC television, then I think you shoudl check out this new DIRECTOR'S CUT DVD.

Sadly, there are absolutely no Special Features....not one...but it is still a great Canadian picture.

PLUS, it stars a young Richard Dreyfus who made the small Canadian film THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ in 1974, in between two Hollywood films, themselves reveared as classics, AMERICAN GRAFFITI and JAWS.

Up next is a 2-disc TV on DVD set that might help you, if you are still missing your favourite American Television shows due to the ongoing Hollywood writer's strike, now in it's 12th week.

This set is for THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON of Larry David's classic show CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM.

After he finished working as the executive producer and main writer on SEINFELD, a show he co-created, Larry David debuted a new show, one about a man named Larry David, who is a semi-retired multi-millionaire living in the world after he worked on SEINFELD.

Now, the character of George Costanza in SEINFELD was based on Larry David, and if you have ever wanted to see a show that was just about GEORGE then this is it.

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM is pure George Costanza.

It is also a show that doesn't use scripts, instead the cast get detailed scene outlines and then they improvise their dialogue.

Dialogue that is usually very, very funny. While admittedly not for everyone, if you need some TV comedy these days, then CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM is a show for you.

Finally this week is another one of my favourite films of 2007, a documentary called A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS - THE KING OF KONG, a film about the world's two best arcade players - of Donkey Kong!

Even if you have never played a video game, either at home or in an arcade, and think that a film about two people who do play them wouldn't interest you at all...I advise you to think again.

THE KING OF KONG is incredibly fascinating as it follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to take the world's high score for Donkey Kong away from reigning champion Billy Mitchell.

Steve Wiebe is our hero, reigning champion Billy Mitchell is the villain, and he is pure evil. If someone created him in a screenplay, you would not beleive this was a real person, but he is real, and he does not like to come in second.

THE KING OF KONG is entertaining, it is funny, and it provides a great insight into the world of people who love videos games, maybe a little bit too much.

DONKEY KONG remains my favourite arcade video game of all time, but the entertaining THE KING OF KONG is a movie that can easily stand on it's own,...just like the DONKEY KONG JR. arcade game.

A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS - THE KING OF KONG, THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON ofthe superb CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, and the Canadian made films THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ and SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL, based on the memoirs of Romeo Dallaire's time in Rwanda, are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Paul Gross stars in SLINGS & ARROWS a Canadian TV series that takes place at a troubled Shakespearean festival. It won the Best Dramatic Series Gemini Award last year.

Previous Oscar winner Jodie Foster stars in THE BRAVE ONE, and with the Oscars taking place in three weeks, I will tell you about three of this year's nominated films: THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD - which was made right here in Western-Canada; ELIZABETH - THE GOLDEN AGE starring Cate Blanchett and the documentary NO END IN SIGHT, which features a comprehensive look at the the Iraq war and the United States occupation of the country.

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!

EA confirms Rock Band for Wii

In a third quarter conference call on Thursday, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello confirmed the "coming launch" of Rock Band for Nintendo Wii.

Unfortunately, details on pricing, a ship date, and downloadable content were not disclosed, though it should be expected sometime this year.

Speculation of Rock Band on Wii began last April, when Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos said, "We will, at some time, bring Rock Band to every [important] platform," adding that "the Wiimote is something that holds enormous promise."

Rock Band has been heavily lauded by critics and gamers alike for taking the formula of what Guitar Hero does so well (rocking out) and adding to it with drums, vocals, and digital band chemistry.

Denise Richards Voted Worst Bond Girl Ever

Denise Richards has a curious distinction in the world of 007, but it's one she'd rather live without.

The 36-year-old actress was named the Worst Bond Girl Ever by fans, reports the UK's Daily Mail from an unscientific poll.

Richards played nuclear physicist Christmas Jones (you call her Dr. Jones!), a scientist with a penchant for midriff-baring tanktops and short shorts, in 1999's "The World is Not Enough" opposite Pierce Brosnan playing the British super spy.

One fan commented, "Even Q didn't have a gadget to escape from that disaster."

The second most-hated Bond girl was former "Charlie's Angels"/"That '70s Show" actress Tanya Roberts who played geologist Stacey Sutton in 1985's "A View to a Kill."

The original Bond girl Ursula Andress was named the best for playing Honey Ryder in "Dr. No." Her emergence from the water is an iconic scene. Second in line for praise is ex-"Avengers" star Honor Blackman, who played the colorfully named Pussy Galore in "Goldfinger."

Blackman was noted for "introducing fans to the series' first real woman -- a gorgeous dame who can fly and plane and kick butt as well as coo and woo."

The full lists of Worst and Best Bond Girls:

WORST BOND GIRLS

1. Denise Richards as Dr Christmas Jones in "The World Is Not Enough"
2. Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton in "A View To A Kill"
3. Corrine Clery as Corinne Dufour in "Moonraker"
4. Maryam D'Abo as Kara Milovy in "The Living Daylights"
5. Karin Dor as Helga Brandt in "You Only Live Twice"
6. Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in "The Man With the Golden Gun"
7. Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier in "License to Kill"
8. Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead in "Moonraker"
9. Lynn-Holly Johnson as Lili Bahl in "For Your Eyes Only"
10. Maud Adams as Octopussy in, you guessed it, "Octopussy"

BEST BOND GIRLS

1. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in "Dr. No"
2. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in "Goldfinger"
3. Diana Rigg as Tracey Divicenzo in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
4. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd in "Casino Royale"
5. Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova in "The Spy Who Loved Me"
6. Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp in "Goldeneye"
7. Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin in "Tommorrow Never Dies"
8. Lotte Enya as Rosa Klebb in "From Russia With Love"
9. Jill St. John as Tiffany Case in "Diamonds Are Forever"
10. Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock in "For Your Eyes Only"

Microsoft bids $44.6 billion to buy Yahoo

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp offered to buy Yahoo Inc for $44.6 billion, in a bold bid to transform two ailing Internet businesses into a worthy competitor for market leader Google Inc.

In what would be the biggest Internet deal since the ill-fated Time Warner-AOL merger, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer sent a letter to Yahoo's board on Thursday night to offer $31 per share in cash and stock.

The price is a 62 percent premium over Yahoo's Thursday close, but only about a quarter of what the Internet company was worth at the height of the dotcom bubble in 2000.

Yahoo would give Microsoft dominance in Web banner ads used by corporate brand advertisers. It also attracts more than 500 million people monthly to sites devoted to news, finance and sports, and Yahoo Mail is the No. 1 consumer e-mail service.

The shares of Microsoft, which has a market capitalization of about $300 billion, fell 6.6 percent as some investors worried the world's top software maker may be overpaying for Yahoo and could have a hard time getting a return on its investment.

Critics say the two companies have too many overlapping businesses -- from instant messaging to email and advertising, as well as news, travel and finance sites -- and both are weak in the Web search market, where Google dominates.

"They have to do it because they've tried everything they can do to fix MSN. Yahoo is the most visited site in the world, so it goes without saying that, given the current valuation, this is the perfect time for them to buy it," said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.

But he added: "Google is running away with the search market and that's obviously the best part of the market. The likelihood that Google gets caught is slim to none."

Yahoo said on Friday its board will evaluate the unsolicited offer. Its shares shot up about 48 percent to $28.33. The shares of Google, which has a market value of about $160 billion, fell 8.58 percent to close at $515.90.

TRANSFORMATIVE OR CULTURE CLASH?

Speculation about a Microsoft-Yahoo deal has swirled through the markets for more than a year, as investors looked for a joint stand against the ever more powerful Google.

Google's share of the U.S. Web search market rose to 58.4 percent by December from 52.6 percent in January last year, while Yahoo's fell to 22.9 percent from 26.9 percent, and Microsoft's fell to 9.8 percent from 10.4 percent, according to comScore data.

Skeptics say Microsoft and Yahoo have very different corporate cultures and worry about a clash such as the one that marred AOL's $182 billion purchase of Time Warner in 2001, which is seen as the worst merger in recent history. Time Warner Inc is now valued at only $57 billion.

The perception is that Yahoo, an iconic Silicon Valley company with a free-flowing, fun-loving attitude, may not fit in with the button-up, competitive Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker.

"Culture is the big thing where people have some concerns," said Jupiter Research analyst Bobby Tulsiani. "If they have anything in common, they're both tired of losing to Google, so they can agree on that probably."

CEO Ballmer, in his most aggressive move to shape the future Microsoft, said the deal would transform its money-losing Internet division, which it sees as critical to growth, into a profitable pillar of its business.

"We have been losing money. Our plan here would be to not lose money in the future," he said on a conference call.

Ballmer said Microsoft has had on-and-off talks with Yahoo for 18 months, but was told by management a year ago that the timing was not right -- in an apparent reference to Yahoo's then Chairman and Chief Executive Terry Semel.

Semel was replaced by Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang as CEO in June and resigned as chairman on Thursday.

"With the Semel roadblock now gone, there is reason to think this (merger) is now likely to happen," said RBC Capital Internet analyst Jordan Rohan, noting Yahoo is running out of options in the face of a weakening business climate.

RICH VALUATION

Under the proposal, Yahoo shareholders can choose to get $31 cash, or 0.9509 of a share of Microsoft common stock. The deal in aggregate must consist of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock, the software maker said.

Microsoft's current stock price of $30.45 values Yahoo at around $30, or a rich 57 times forecast 2009 earnings, according to Reuters Estimates. In comparison, Google is trading at around 20 times forecast 2009 profit.

Some analysts said Microsoft was overpaying for a company that warned earlier this week it faced "head winds" in 2008, forecasting revenue below Wall Street expectations.

"To me, the premium seems exorbitant, for what is a dwindling business. I personally don't see how the synergies of Microsoft-Yahoo is going to take on Google," said Tim Smalls, head of U.S. stock trading at brokerage firm Execution LLC.

Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry said Yahoo is not worth more than $20 per share as its only worthwhile properties are Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Answers and Yahoo Finance.

But others said the price is low enough for rival bidders to emerge, noting Yahoo traded at $34.08 in late October.

"There could be a little more money on the table," said Laura Martin, an analyst at Soleil-Media Metrics. "The company is in play. Yahoo will not be able to stay independent. Other bidders will emerge before this is over."

Analysts cited Comcast Corp, Viacom Inc and General Electric Co among possible bidders, although they also said few companies had the balance sheet to compete with Microsoft or were as natural a fit for Yahoo.

As Yahoo shares are trading close to Microsoft's valuation, it indicates few investors expect a sweeter offer.

ANTITRUST CONCERNS

Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith acknowledged other bidders could emerge, but said any attempt by arch-rival Google to acquire Yahoo would face insurmountable antitrust hurdles.

Antitrust experts said regulators would likely take a close look at a Microsoft-Yahoo deal, but as the two are dwarfed by Google, the deal will ultimately likely be approved.

Microsoft said the online advertising market is expected to reach nearly $80 billion by 2010 from over $40 billion in 2007. It paid $6 billion last year to buy online advertising services firm aQuantive as a bulwark against Google's growing position.

The software company forecast at least $1 billion in annual cost savings for the merged entity, from synergies in areas such as combining engineering talent.

Bernstein Research said the deal appeared to be less about expanded business potential and more about cost-savings that can be wrung out of shrinking redundant operations.

"We are relatively comfortable with (Microsoft's) estimate of $1 billion in annual synergies. It appears to us that the majority of the synergies are on the cost side," said the note from Bernstein analysts Charles Di Bona and Jeffrey Lindsay.

Morgan Stanley and Blackstone LP scooped the prize banking job of advising Microsoft on the deal, according to sources familiar with the matter, while Yahoo is being advised by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Michelle Williams: 'My heart is broken'

NEW YORK - Michelle Williams ended her silence Friday, saying her "heart is broken" over the death of "Brokeback Mountain" actor Heath Ledger. The 27-year-old actress and Ledger became a couple during filming of 2005's "Brokeback," in which they costarred as husband and wife. They later moved to New York, and had a daughter, Matilda, born October 2005.

"Please respect our need to grieve privately," Williams said in a statement. "My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day."

Before they split last year, Ledger and Williams lived together in Brooklyn's quiet, tree-lined Boerum Hill neighborhood. Last week, well-wishers left bouquets of flowers outside the four-story, sage-green brownstone with a black wrought-iron fence.

"His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still," Williams said. "She will be brought up in the best memories of him."

Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment Jan. 22. Authorities suspect a possible drug overdose, but the cause of his death is still pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Police said several prescription drugs were found in the Manhattan apartment where the actor's body was found.

Williams, who also played Jen Lindley on TV's "Dawson's Creek," was nominated for a supporting-actress Oscar for her "Brokeback" role. When Ledger died, Williams and Matilda were in Trollhattan, Sweden, where she had been shooting scenes for the upcoming film "Mammoth."

Though she was soon spotted returning to the Brooklyn home where the couple once lived together, she managed to dodge reporters and steer mostly clear of camera crews, and chose to stay silent until Friday's statement.