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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."