"Star Wars" fans picket in support of delayed film

LOS ANGELES (Hollywoood Reporter) - Angry "Star Wars" fans, aggrieved about editing changes to an upcoming Weinstein Co. comedy inspired by the sci-fi franchise, picketed theaters playing the studio's latest film, with both sides claiming some sort of victory.

Protesters, organized by a fan group calling itself the 501st, showed up in "Star Wars" gear on Friday at AMC Theatres in New York and Los Angeles that were playing "Superhero Movie."

They want to draw attention to the fate of "Fanboys," about four diehard "Star Wars" fans who break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in order to see "The Phantom Menace" on the eve of its release. The film was originally set for the release last August, but a cancer storyline worried Weinstein, which shot a second version of the film. Fans were outraged.

Weinstein said last week that it will release the two versions on DVD, and a studio source later said that is exploring two theatrical versions. The announcement did nothing to satisfy the fans, who vowed to proceed with their picket of "Superhero Movie."

But the exact number of fans who donned "Star Wars" gear differs depending on which side is talking.

The 501st claims 14 members showed up in New York, but an AMC spokesperson said there was no protest, and a Weinstein source cited a YouTube video posted Friday night showing one protester saying no one else was there. The video has since been removed by the user.

The group also claimed more than 20 showed up at AMC's theaters in L.A.'s Century City district, but an AMC rep said this was limited to one person in a Darth Vader costume on the street outside the theater. A Weinstein source said eight protesters did appear, and were taken out for pizza by one of the filmmakers.

"We've been working on this movie for many years and if someone is going to take time out of their personal life and support our film, whatever that support may be, at the very least what we can do is say thank you and buy them a couple of slices of pizza for caring about this project as much as we do," "Fanboys" producer Matthew Perniciaro said.

"They seemed to take the term 'phantom menace' to a whole different level. I guess they weren't that organized. Apparently getting Star Wars fans to give up their Friday night isn't as easy as it looks," one source said.

Organizers learned quickly that it's all about location, location, location. For Los Angeles, the group chose a mall in Century City rather than a public area. Malls are private property and AMC and Weinstein Co. personnel were able to shut down protesters, visibly identifiable in "Star Wars" costumes or geekwear such as a Green Lantern T-shirt, almost as soon as they stepped foot into the outdoor mall.

"Guards were everywhere," said one protester, who declined to be identified. "At one point, I counted nine, no joke. They hired a whole force and whenever someone showed up looking around for the protest, they were surrounded by guards and told to leave instantly or be arrested. I guess you can't really hold a protest on private property."

The 501st claimed victory by pointing to "Superhero Movie's" dismal performance at the boxoffice.

"We're really not too concerned with how many people did or didn't show up at the protests," said the group. "'Star Wars' fans showed their support for 'Fanboys' by not showing up at theaters all over the country. Our primary goal was to make sure that that 'Superhero Movie' tanked on its opening weekend."

The movie mustered up a gross of only $9.5 million despite several predictions of a $14-milion-$19 million bow.

Jays ready for rumble in East

PHILADELPHIA–One last day of make-believe baseball behind them, the Blue Jays headed to New York yesterday primed for their most serious challenge in the AL East since the glory days of the early '90s.

Manager John Gibbons, who has the most to lose if this club does not contend, has been stark about his options this spring. His team must succeed.

"I don't want to be a manager just to be a manager. I want to be on a winner," Gibbons said yesterday. "I mean, this job's fun, but it's not that fun to get your brains kicked in."

Battered by injury, the Jays managed an 83-79 record in 2007, nowhere near good enough to catch the Yankees and Red Sox. In the off-season, Toronto added bench depth through utility infielder Marco Scutaro and catcher Rod Barajas. They shored up the left side of the infield by adding Scott Rolen and David Eckstein from St. Louis. That longer bench is paying dividends already, as Scutaro will step in for the injured Rolen for most or all of April.

The infusion of talent means expectations are sky-high. Gibbons, GM J.P. Ricciardi and the players seemed anxious to begin fulfilling them.

"Everybody says spring training's a week or two too long. Now we're ready to go, anxious to get to New York and especially to get back to Toronto," said second baseman Aaron Hill.

Hill has been the standout offensively this spring, going 21-for-47 through yesterday. Last year, he brought that same momentum into the first month of the season, hitting a scorching .313 with 20 RBIs in April.

"I got in the cage, stayed consistent with my workouts and the results have been great. I'll take those any time," Hill said.

On the opposite end of the spring spectrum stands slugger Frank Thomas, who's batted .173 through March. Miserable springs are de rigueur for the future hall of famer. Thomas shrugged off any doubts yesterday.

"That switch turns on when you get those 50,000 people in the stands," the 18-year veteran said off-handedly. "Same as always."

After being called out on strikes in the fourth inning, Thomas brooded in the batter's box for 10 long seconds. Then Hill stepped in and hit a two-run homer. That's the Jays pre-season in a nutshell.

Gibbons singled out first baseman Lyle Overbay, who's coming off an injury plagued season, and centre fielder Vernon Wells, who had shoulder surgery last fall, for praise yesterday.

Pitching? Not so much.

"We didn't dominate during the spring," Gibbons said. In particular, he has subtly called out young starters Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum in recent days. Both have battled with control while they try to refine their repertoires. The days of experimentation are over. Coming off breakout seasons, McGowan and Marcum will be counted on to shoulder a heavy load.

Yesterday, the visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park had a regular-season feel. Thomas marched back and forth between his locker and the batting cages, basking in the "big-league atmosphere." Roy Halladay panted through his daily three-hour workout.

"He prepares himself so differently than the rest of the guys," Gibbons said of his ace.

Hill and new infield battery-mate Eckstein volunteered to go out before the game and work on turning the double play.

The bullpen committee sent out to pitch both these final exhibitions in Philadelphia threw with urgency, aware that someone has to go once B.J. Ryan returns.

Brandon League, in particular, showed flashes of brilliance.

Beginning tomorrow, they get to do it for real.

The End: Canada's oldest bookstore shut down

Canada's oldest bookstore, located in Halifax, has come to the end of its final chapter and closed its doors on Saturday.

The 169-year-old Book Room survived wars and the Great Depression, but couldn't outlast the vagaries of today's retail and economic realities.

"The market reality is really changing," said owner Charles Burchell, who described how a book was delivered to his store by mistake around Christmas time. The Book Room sits on the bottom of an apartment building; an online order was made by a tenant upstairs.

"The book was on our shelf, so they could have come down in two minutes and picked the book up, but they chose to order by computer and wait five [to] seven days for it to come in," Burchell told CBC Radio.

Burchell said the Christmas of 2007 was his worst on record in the 42 years he's run the bookstore.

He added that the straw that broke his store's back was the dual pricing of books, with higher prices in Canada than in the U.S.

He accused publishers of not reacting quickly enough to the rising Canadian dollar. Books take about three years before they reach the market, with the selling price already set. Burchell said that model is archaic in today's world.

Special ordering

The store has served the Halifax community since 1839, and customers said the closing will be like a family member gone missing or dying.

"Book people are quite close," noted Dawn Underwood, one of the shop's final clients.

"It's one of those … unique little, you know, sort of businesses where you know a lot of people and you're close with your customers, you're close with writers and … you become a family."

Burchell said the store's first owners fostered a strong bond with its customers. He said newspaper ads from the old days show how considerate the first owner was.

"It said that anybody wanting special books that he didn't have, to let him know before Christmas because the last ship leaving before the winter would take the request and it would come back in the spring when the ice was all gone with their special order books."

Carol Nielson, who has been a customer for 18 years, said she will miss the unique qualities that go with a local, independent bookstore.

"Because it's rather small and personal compared with some of the larger ones, and you get to know the staff and they have provided good service."

It's not just bibliophiles bidding a sad goodbye. The store was also a special place to the area's authors, one of whom posted a farewell message on the Book Room's website.

"After months — sometimes years — of solitude working on our manuscripts, the Book Room would welcome us and make us feel special. It was a rite of passage," Allan Lynch wrote.

John Hiatt Releasing New CD in May

John Hiatt will release a new album, Same Old Man, on May 27 on New West Records. He also produced the album which features Kenneth Blevins on drums, Patrick O'Hearn on bass and Luther Dickinson on guitar, mandolin and National resonator guitar. Hiatt's daughter, Lilly Hiatt, sings harmony on two songs. Same Old Man will also be available as a limited edition 180-gram vinyl record.

Nelly wants to collaborate with Springsteen

LOS ANGELES — Nelly is bummed he wasn't able to collaborate with Bruce Springsteen on his new album.

"I was really trying to get The Boss, but The Boss is all over the world," Nelly told The Associated Press on the orange carpet at Saturday's Kids Choice Awards. "It didn't really work out. I know he's interested in doing it. And I'm interested in doing it."

Nelly was mum on what a duet with Springsteen would've sounded like, but the Hot In Herre rapper is hopeful he'll be able to work with the Born to Run rock and roller later this year.

"We still might get a chance to get it off," Nelly said. "We're saving it. We might repackage it for the holidays."

The 33-year-old rapper from St. Louis last formed an unlikely union in 2004 when he teamed up with country star Tim McGraw for the song Over and Over from Nelly's album Suit.

Brass Knuckles, Nelly's fifth album set for release in June, won't be lacking in names. Akon, Ashanti, Chuck D, Ciara, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Pimp C, Snoop Dogg and T.I. are all set to appear. Party People, the first single off the album, features Fergie.

TV, film actors' unions sever ties

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Unions representing film and television actors will negotiate separately with producers in upcoming contract talks after board members of the TV actors union voted Saturday to sever a long-standing agreement between the two guilds.

The vote by the board of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists came hours before a meeting with the Screen Actors Guild and just three months before the expiration of the contract covering movies and prime-time shows.

Despite a sometimes rocky 27-year relationship the unions had shown recent signs of peace as they prepared for the upcoming talks.

The two groups had hoped at Saturday's meeting to set a start date for negotiations. Instead of discussing strategies the sides swapped accusations.

"For the past year SAG leadership in Hollywood has engaged in a relentless campaign of disinformation and disparagement," AFTRA president Roberta Reardon said in a written statement.

SAG President Alan Rosenberg's written response: "AFTRA's refusal now to bargain together with us and their last-second abandonment of the joint process is calculated, cynical and may serve the interests of their institution, but not its members."

The AFTRA board said the vote to terminate the agreement, known as "Phase One," was "overwhelming."

Wary of repeating the damage wrought by the recently ended 100-day Hollywood writers strike, producers and several A-list actors including Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro had been pressing for negotiations to start as early as this week.

The 120,000-member Screen Actors Guild represents actors in movies, TV and other media. The 70,000-member TV and radio federation represents, among others, actors, singers, announcers and journalists.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, said in a statement that it looks forward to bargaining with AFTRA. It did not mention SAG.

Cyrus is Kids Choice winner - twice

LOS ANGELES - It was the best of both worlds at Saturday's Kids Choice Awards for Miley Cyrus, who took home trophies for favorite female singer and TV actress and rocked the show with a spirited performance of her hit song, "GNO — Girls Night Out."

It was also a slime spectacle for the Nickelodeon children's television network, which broadcast the 21st annual show live from UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in front of 10,000 screaming fans, almost all of them teens and preteens.

Akon crashed a dune buggy into giant containers of Nickelodeon's trademark green slime, Usher blasted a sumo wrestler several yards with slime fired from a cannon and supermodel Heidi Klum, attached to a bungee cord and wearing a specially equipped "butt spike belt," flung herself into a wall covered with slime-filled balloons.

"Don't try this at home," boxer Laila Ali said as Usher turned the cannon on the sumo wrestler.

The slime stunts and other assorted foolishness — which included a soundtrack of celebrities burping as an instrumental version of the Village People song "YMCA" played in the background — took up so much time that presenters never got around to announcing three awards.

In the categories that were announced, teen heartthrob Drake Bell was another double winner, collecting his third consecutive orange blimp-shaped trophy for favorite TV actor and another for favorite TV show for "Drake and Josh."

"Drake and Josh" upset Cyrus' hit program "Hannah Montana" in the TV show category.

Other winners were Eddie Murphy for favorite voice from an animated movie for "Shrek the Third," "American Idol" for favorite reality show and, one of the biggest crowd favorites of the night, the Jonas Brothers for favorite music group. The ever-polite Jonas Brothers each offered brief thank-yous. Chris Brown won for favorite male singer.

Ryan Seacrest accepted the reality show award saying he looked forward to presenting it to "two of the three" of the show's judges.

Cyrus, in a black dress with silver spangles, thanked several people, including her mother, father, agent, manager "and my lord and savior Jesus Christ."

She returned a few minutes later to perform her song, and had a camera crew scampering to get out of the way when she charged into the audience, microphone in hand.

The Naked Brothers Band also performed a song from their forthcoming album "I Don't Want To Go To School."

Cameron Diaz injected one serious moment into the 90 minute show when she accepted a silver blimp as this year's Wannabe Award winner, for the person kids most want to be like. After a montage of clips from both her movies and her efforts on behalf of environmentalism was shown, she encouraged the crowd to do their part to protect the planet.

"You're going to change the world. Every one of you kids is the future," she told the audience. "Everybody go out and make the world a better place."

Diaz, who was the first ever Kids Choice Awards burping contest winner, has long said that was the favorite of all her awards. She said this one trumped it.

Jason Lee accepted the favorite movie award for "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and said it was one of his biggest thrills.

"I'm going to hang this from the ceiling because it's the greatest award anyone could receive because it was voted on by the kids," he said as he held his blimp.

Awards are voted on by people who cast their ballots at Nickelodeon's Web site, with voting continuing until the day of the show.

The show's host, Jack Black, announced that 88 million votes were cast this year, more than twice last year's record number of 40 million.

The show concluded with Black and Orlando Bloom sitting in chairs high above the audience being drenched with what Black claimed was 27 million gallons of green slime.

'21' rakes in $23M box-office jackpot

LOS ANGELES - Movie-goers laid their money down on "21," a gambling romp that was the weekend's box-office high roller with a $23.7 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess as math geniuses who make a killing at Vegas' blackjack tables, Sony's "21" bumped off "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", which had been No. 1 the previous two weekends.

"Horton Hears a Who," distributed by 20th Century Fox, slipped to second place with $17.4 million, raising its total to $117.3 million. It is the first movie this year to pass the $100 million mark.

Despite solid holdover crowds for "Horton," overall business continued to dip. The top 12 movies took in $90 million, down 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Blades of Glory" was No. 1 with $33 million.

Hollywood started 2008 with a strong uptick in January, but revenues have trailed off steadily since. Movie admissions had been up as much as 10 percent in early February but now are 2.6 percent behind 2007's, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

By this time last year, Hollywood already had churned out a blockbuster with "300," which eventually topped $200 million, and other hits that included "Wild Hogs" and "Meet the Robinsons."

"Last year was very, very strong at this point. It's made comparisons very tough," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "We're not that far into the year, so every down weekend has a huge impact on the bottom line."

This weekend's other new movies had so-so openings. Debuting at No. 3 with $9.5 million was the MGM-Weinstein Co. release "Superhero Movie," a spoof of one of Hollywood's favorite action genres.

Paramount's "Stop-Loss," starring Ryan Phillippe as an Iraq War veteran sent back against his wishes for another tour of duty, opened at No. 8 with $4.5 million.

Former "Friends" co-star David Schwimmer's directing debut, the comedy "Run, Fat Boy, Run," was a dud, taking in $2.4 million to finish out of the top 10. Released by Picturehouse, the movie stars Simon Pegg as an out-of-shape slacker running a marathon to impress his former fiance, played by Thandie Newton.

The audience for "21" was split almost evenly between men and women and those older and younger than 25, according to Sony.

"One of the coolest things is it really did play to everyone. It got male, female, young, old," said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution.

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. "21," $23.7 million.
2. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", $17.4 million.
3. "Superhero Movie," $9.5 million.
4. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," $7.8 million.
5. "Drillbit Taylor," $5.8 million.
6. "Shutter," $5.3 million.
7. "10,000 B.C.", $4.9 million.
8. "Stop-Loss," $4.5 million.
9. "College Road Trip," $3.5 million.
10. "The Bank Job," $2.8 million.

The Couch Potato Report - March 29th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels films about hockey, a princess, and love…in the time of cholera.

With spring now upon us, and summer not far away, the release slate for DVDs is starting to thin out a bit after some jam packed weeks, but there are still a wide array of new ones that have come out over the past two weeks while I was away, including this week's Hot Potato.

The Canadian Hockey film-with-more-that-a-few-twists - BREAKFAST WITH SCOT.

In BREAKFAST WITH SCOT Sam and Ed are in love with each other, and in love with live.

But when eleven-year-old Scot's mother suddenly dies, the couple decides to make good on a wine-soaked promise made years before and become his guardians.

Eventually the men start to have problems with Scot, due to his featherboa wearing, Christmas carol singing, very flamboyant personality.

BREAKFAST WITH SCOT is based on the 2001 book of the same name from By Michael Downing, and in the film, as in the book, if Sam, Ed and Scot can just learn to accept each other for who they are, they all have the chance at happiness.

This is one of those small Canadian films that I was really hoping to love...but due to the fact that most of it is so predictable that you can see almost every twist and turn coming at least ten minutes before they happen..., I didn't love it.

But I did like it. BREAKFAST WITH SCOT has it's heart in the right place, the actors all give great performances, and as such, I can easily recommend it to you.

I can also easily recommedn the spectacular Disney movie ENCHANTED to you, especially since it was one of my favourite movies of 2007.

ENCHANTED is both a tribute to, and a parody of the classic Disney animated features as it makes numerous references to the studio's past while blending live action, traditional animation and computer-generated images.

The plot focuses on the very positive and upbeat Giselle, a Disney "Princess" - not unlike Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel from The Little Mermaid or Belle from Beauty and the Beast - who is forced from her animated world into real-life New York City, as she waits for her Prince to come and rescue her.

The film stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey and Susan Sarandon, and since it is both a tribute to, and a parody of Disney's well-known animated features, there are also a few musical numbers.

Simply put, ENCHANTED is infectious, and it is fun! Even if you don't usually like Disney animated films, even if you don't usually like musicals, even if you have no use for Dr. McDreamy from GREY'S ANATOMY...ENCHANTED is a great film that has something for everyone!!

It is fun for the whole family, and I loved it!!

Alright, after two films that I recommend, let me get to three I don't, starting with the latest from Oscar winner Javier Bardem of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

Bardem stars in the first Hollywood filmed version of the beloved Spanish novel LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA.

And it is so bad that you should just skip it!!

Based on the beloved novel of the same name by Gabriel Garcia Márquez, LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA tells the story of a love triangle that spans 50 years, from 1880 to 1930.

It is a great novel, but it is an awful movie!

Sure, it is lush and dramatic and exotic, but it is also very long, not engaging at all, and the film gives the female at it's core no personality, so you will find it hard to believe that men are willing to wait five decades for her!

The movie version of LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA isn't worth your time, so - as I said - I think that you should just skip it.

Yes, skip it..., AND the the TWO Keira Knightley costume dramas that are also new on DVD - ATONEMENT and SILK.

Now ATONEMENT does have some merit, but SILK, a film partially financed by Canadian dollars, is just awful as well.

SILK is based on the real life of a married silkworm smuggler in 19th century France.

While traveling to Japan for supplies he becomes obsessed with the concubine of a local baron.

Keira Knightley - from the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films - has a small role in this one as the smuggler's wife.

While SILK does have an interesting premise, and some great locations and direction from Quebec director François Girard, it is slow, and the actor who play's the smuggler - Michael Pitt - is horribly mis-cast.

SILK....not very smooth...skip it!!

As for Keira Knightley's other costume drama that is new on DVD, well, as I mentioned, ATONEMENT does have some merit, but this beautiful looking, well-acted film offers nothing new to the viewer, and it would have worked better as a linear story, instead of having a timeline that isn't constant.

Yes, the fact that we do get to see what happens from a coupls of different angles does work at times, but for the most part ATONEMENT isn't very good either.

ATONEMENT is based on the novel by English writer Ian McEwan.

A 13-year-old fledgling writer changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's Keira Knightley lover James McAvoy of a crime he did not commit.

Keira Knightley is the sister and James McAvoy from THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND is the lover.

ATONEMENT was nominated for seven Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.

It won the Oscar for Best Original Score and if you are a huge fan of sweeping epics...or films that aspire to be...maybe you will enjoy this film more than I did.

And if you are a fan of television shows that are poorly cast, feature useless secondary characters, and just don't work at all, maybe you will enjoy the series reboot of BIONIC WOMAN.

Or, if you are a HUGE fan of the original seventies series about Jamie Sommers, maybe the 8 episodes will satisfy your curiosity factor...but other wise...they can rebuild the series, they have the technology...but they can't make it good!

This made-in-Vancouver show had so much promise, but it fizzled out very quickly. It has now been cancelled, and it is best forgotten.

The main reason that the new BIONIC WOMAN series had so much early promise is the fact that it was being redone by the same people who remade another seventies television series, and did a spectacular job on that one.

That one, was BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA!

Also shot in Vancouver, the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series is a drama about the fight to save humanity, that just happens to take place in science-fiction setting.

This is one of the best shows that is currently on television, science fiction, or otherwise, and the superb SEASON THREE has come out in a great 6 disc box set!

SEASON THREE of the great BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA, the best-forgotten remake of BIONIC WOMAN - THE COMPLETE SERIES, the failed Keira Knightley costume drama SILK, the OScar nominated film with some merit ATONEMENT, the awful LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA and the Canadian Hockey film-with-a-twist BREAKFAST WITH SCOT are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

LA FLORIDA is about a Quebec family who buys a motel in south Florida.

ALMOST HEAVEN is a romantic comedy set around a fishing show that is made for Canadian television.

THE MIST brings Stephen King's horror novella to life.

OPERATION: FILMMAKER is a documentary about an Iraqui filmmaker who was given the opportunity of a lifetime.

And THE TOMORROW SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER - JOHN, PAUL, TOM & RINGO features the late-great television host's interviews with three of the fab four.

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!

Asia rises with 'Phoenix'

The original members of British prog-rock supergroup Asia have put the finishing touches on their first new studio album in 25 years and will support the set with a world tour that kicks off in the US.

The stateside trek is set to launch April 4 in Wilkes Barre, PA, and make its way through clubs and theaters across the country, wrapping May 5 in San Francisco, after which Asia will spend the rest of May in Japan and Europe. American dates are included below and overseas shows can be found at the band's website.

Though Asia has been around in various incarnations throughout the years, the original members--guitarist Steve Howe, bassist/lead vocalist John Wetton, keyboardist Geoff Downs and drummer Carl Palmer--hadn't played together in more than two decades when they reunited in 2006. They celebrated the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut with a world tour that spanned more than 70 dates, according to a press release. Last summer, the guys turned their attention toward their forthcoming studio album, "Phoenix," which is due April 15.

"It's great finally to give some new music to those Asia fans who have remained with us patiently all these years," Downs said in a statement. "After many years apart, I think we all have a new and very fresh attitude to the music. I am looking forward to playing the new songs on stage."

Concert-goers can expect Asia to perform new material, classic hits, and music from the members' previous bands: Yes, King Crimson, The Buggles and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Since its 1982 debut, Asia has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, according to a press release. The band's first and most successful album scored several Top 10 radio hits--including "Heat of the Moment," "Only Time Will Tell" and "Sole Survivor"--and claimed the No. 1 slot on The Billboard Top 100 album chart for nine weeks.

April 2008
4 - Wilkes Barre, PA - Kirby PAC
5 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino/Wolf Den
7 - Harrisburg, PA - Sunoco Performance Theater
8 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
10 - Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium
12 - Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre
13 - Peekskill, NY - Paramount Center for the Arts
15 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino
16 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
17 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
19 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
20 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
21 - Indianapolis, IN - Music Mill
23 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
26 - Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino
27 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
29 – Espanola, NM - Big Rock Casino
30 - Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre

May 2008
2 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
3 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
4 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
5 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom at The Regency Center

CBS Pilot Lures Elisha Cuthbert Back to TV

Elisha Cuthbert has booked a new TV gig, one that ought to keep her safe from mountain lions, terrorists and nuclear attacks. Whew.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cuthbert has landed the female lead in CBS' one-hour romantic-comedy pilot "Ny-Lon," marking the actress' first potential regular television gig since "24."

Based on a 2004 Channel 4 series, "Ny-Lon" focuses on a New York based record store clerk (Cuthbert) and a London stock broker who meet in London and begin a cross-continental romance (hence the show's title).

Rashida Jones and Stephen Moyer played the leads in the original.

The trade reports that Caterina Scorsone ("1-800-Missing") and Johnny Whitworth ("CSI: Miami") have also landed roles in the CBS pilot as the roommate and ex-boyfriend of Cuthbert's character.

Best known as Kim Bauer from "24," Cuthbert has transitioned into roles in films including "The Girl Next Door" and "Captivity."

In other CBS pilot casting news, Rachel Boston will appear in the network's "Mythological X," about a young woman who learns from a psychic that she's already met and dated the man she's supposed to marry.

Boston ("American Dreams") will play the main character's younger sister, a sassy dancer.

"X-Files" creator spills film details

LOS ANGELES - The truth about "The X-Files" sequel — some of it, anyway — is now out there.

"X-Files" creator Chris Carter, writer Frank Spotnitz and other crew members gathered Wednesday to discuss the TV series — and declassify some information about the upcoming film.

The popular Fox paranormal drama, which aired from 1993 to 2002, starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully

"While this is not a mythology movie, it's true to everything that's come before," Spotnitz said at the William S. Paley Television Festival. "It's true to Mulder and Scully, who they are and where they would be this point in their lives and all of the experiences that they've had."

The series first made the leap to the big screen with 1998's "The X-Files: Fight the Future." Plans for another film were grounded in 2005 when Carter sued Fox over syndication profits for the show. The lawsuit was later settled.

Carter, who also directs the new movie, said it takes place in the present and uses a story envisioned when the series ended. While the show's sprawling alien mythology isn't part of the plot, Carter said there is a reference to Scully's seemingly supernatural son, William, who was born in season eight and later given up for adoption.

The film is due out July 25.

Carter was tightlipped about the title.

"I can't tell you," he said. "I know what I want it to be, but Fox has some ideas of their own."

Bob Dylan to blow out birthday candles with St. John's gig

Music legend Bob Dylan will celebrate his next birthday with a little salt water nearby.

Dylan, who turns 67 on May 24, will perform that evening at Mile One Centre in St. John's.

Tickets for the concert go on sale Saturday morning.

Dylan, who has sold nearly 100 million albums throughout his career, continues to tour around the world.

His recording career is as strong as ever. His latest release — 2006's Modern Times — was one of the best-reviewed albums of the year and topped some musical sales charts.

Dylan will also perform in Saint John, N.B., Moncton and Halifax in a Canadian tour beginning May 19.

Dylan is not the only music icon playing St. John's that week. Leonard Cohen, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month, will play three dates May 26-28.

Dr Pepper Sweetens Pot For 'Chinese Democracy'

Many have tried, but so far nobody has been able to pry the decade-in-the-works Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" from the hands of lone remaining original member Axl Rose.

Now, Dr Pepper thinks it's up to the challenge. The soft drink company says it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

"It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love," Dr Pepper director of marketing Jaxie Alt says. "So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection -- for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as 'Dr Pepper for the ears' because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds - an instant classic."

Dr Pepper has also launched a blog in conjunction with its offer. GNR's label, Interscope, was unavailable for comment at deadline.

"Chinese Democracy" was most recently scheduled for release on March 6, 2007, but promptly vanished from the schedule without a new date being set. It will be the first Guns N' Roses album since the 1993 covers collection "The Spaghetti Incident"; in the ensuing decade, the group has burned through a reported $13 million in recording expenses.

"Bucket List" lived life to fullest at box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Multiplication matters, especially when it comes to how movies perform at the box office. Week in and week out, the media spotlight shines on those movies that crack the top 10. And as soon as movies slip out of the top spots, they are quickly forgotten.

But those opening-weekend numbers tell only part of the story. Consider December's slate of releases, which are winding down their runs.

The crude rule of thumb is that a movie will go on to gross a multiple of 2.5 times its opening weekend. That, for example, was the case with New Line's "The Golden Compass." Although it opened in the top spot for the weekend of December 7, it captured a disappointing $25.8 million and so went on to a domestic take of just $70.1 million -- a multiple of 2.7.

Hit movies usually do better than that, of course. Warner Bros.' "I Am Legend," the dominant player during the past holiday season, opened to a commanding $77.2 million on its way to $256.1 million. In its case, it achieved a solid 3.3 multiple.

But the real stories prove to be those movies that command even higher multiples, hanging in there week after week. These days, movies with family appeal often show the longest staying power. Although Fox's live-action/animated "Alvin and the Chipmunks" opened in second place -- overshadowed by the debut of "Legend" -- it proved to be one of the Christmas season's powerhouses. With an opening of $44.3 million, it eventually grossed $215.3 million, achieving an enviable multiple of 4.86. Disney's sequel "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" followed a remarkably similar trajectory. After a $44.8 million opening, it climbed to a domestic gross of $217.2 million. That translated to a 4.85 multiple.

But viewed in terms of multiples, the biggest surprise among the year-end releases proved to be Warners' "The Bucket List," starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two old codgers who refuse to gently go into that good night.

Initially released on just 16 screens on Christmas Day, it was the movie that could get no respect. Critics were dismissive, it scored a below-average 40% rating on RottenTomatoes.com, and it struck out in a quixotic bid for awards attention.

The film then went wide during its third weekend, fanning out to 2,911 theaters when it suddenly shot up to No. 1 with a $19.4 million gross. The rule of the multiple suggested that it was heading for a gross of about $50 million.

But "Bucket List" defied expectations. During the first half of its wide release, it rarely dropped by more than 25% each weekend, displaying tenacious holding power. As it now winds down, "Bucket List" has taken in $91 million domestically after 13 weeks in wide release. And that computes to a multiple of 4.69, which puts it right up there with "Alvin" and the "Treasure" sequel in terms of drawing power. Produced for about $45 million, it is well on its way to profitability. (As a rough rule of thumb, movie theaters usually keep about half the gross.)

What makes its success all the more impressive is that "Bucket List" is just the sort of midrange movie that finds it tough going in the overcrowded market. And though Warners often has been criticized for failing to support such titles, in this case it beat the odds by using a limited opening to platform the film before its wide release and then by nurturing it through an extended run.

In the end, by appealing to older audiences -- who don't rush the box office on opening weekend but do manage to get in there in their own sweet time -- "Bucket List" maximized its multiple.

Richard Widmark dies at 93

HARTFORD, Conn. - Richard Widmark, who made a sensational film debut as the giggling killer in "Kiss of Death" and became a leading man in "Broken Lance," "Two Rode Together" and 40 other films, died at his home in Roxbury after a long illness. He was 93.

Widmark's wife, Susan Blanchard, said he died Monday. She would not provide details of his illness and said funeral arrangements are private.

"It was a big shock, but he was 93," Blanchard said.

Widmark earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for his role in the 1947 thriller "Kiss of Death." He played Tommy Udo, who delighted in pushing an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs to her death. It was his only Oscar nomination.

"That damned laugh of mine!" he told a reporter in 1961. "For two years after that picture, you couldn't get me to smile. I played the part the way I did because the script struck me as funny and the part I played made me laugh. The guy was such a ridiculous beast."

Actress Shirley Jones, who appeared with Widmark and James Stewart in "Two Rode Together" and became a good friend, said she was devastated about Widmark's death.

"He was a down-to-earth guy, and I respected him for that," Jones said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "He was a real guy, but he was such a wonderful actor."

A.C. Lyles, a producer with Paramount Pictures, worked with Widmark on the 1975 western "The Last Day."

"Dick was just one of the nicest guys I ever worked with: very, very professional, very, very prepared and he couldn't have been more cooperative," Lyles said.

"He would have little comments to make during rehearsal about a scene and it was never a suggestion that would enhance him," he said. "It was always to enhance someone else in the scene and I thought that was very courageous of him."

A quiet, inordinately shy man, Widmark often portrayed killers, cops and Western gunslingers. But he said he hated guns.

"I know I've made kind of a half-assed career out of violence, but I abhor violence," he remarked in a 1976 Associated Press interview. "I am an ardent supporter of gun control. It seems incredible to me that we are the only civilized nation that does not put some effective control on guns."

Widmark was born Dec. 26, 1914, in Sunrise, Minn., where his father ran a general store, then became a traveling salesman. The family moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., Henry, Ill., and Chillicothe, Mo., before settling in Princeton, Ill.

"Like most small-town boys, I had the urge to get to the big city and make a name for myself," he recalled in a 1954 interview.

"I was a movie nut from the age of 3, but I don't recall having any interest in acting," he said.

But at Lake Forest College, he became a protege of the drama teacher and met his first wife, drama student Ora Jean Hazelwood. Their daughter, Ann, became the wife of baseball immortal Sandy Koufax.

Two years out of college, Widmark reached New York in 1938 during the heyday of radio drama. His mellow Midwest voice made him a favorite in soap operas, and he found himself racing from one studio to another.

Rejected by the Army because of a punctured eardrum, Widmark began appearing in Broadway plays in 1943. His first was a comedy hit "Kiss and Tell." He was appearing in the Chicago company of "Dream Girl" with June Havoc when 20th Century Fox signed him to a seven-year contract. He almost missed out on the "Kiss of Death" role.

"The director, Henry Hathaway, didn't want me," the actor recalled. "I have a high forehead; he thought I looked too intellectual." The director was overruled by studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck, and Hathaway "gave me kind of a bad time."

An immediate star, Widmark appeared in 20 Fox films from 1957 to 1964. Among them: "The Street with No Name," "Road House," "Yellow Sky," "Down to the Sea in Ships," "Slattery's Hurricane," "Panic in the Streets," "No Way Out," "The Halls of Montezuma," "The Frogmen," "Red Skies of Montana," "My Pal Gus" and the Samuel Fuller film noir "Pickup on South Street."

In 1952, Widmark starred in "Don't Bother to Knock" with Marilyn Monroe. He told an interviewer in later years:

"She wanted to be this great star but acting just scared the hell out of her. That's why she was always late — couldn't get her on the set. She had trouble remembering lines."

"But none of it mattered. With a very few special people, something happens between the lens and the film that is pure magic. ... And she really had it."

After leaving Fox, Widmark's career continued to flourish. He starred (as Jim Bowie) with John Wayne in "The Alamo," with James Stewart in John Ford's "Two Rode Together," as the U.S. prosecutor in "Judgment at Nuremberg," and with Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas in "The Way West." Also: "St. Joan" (as the Dauphin), "How the West Was Won," "Death of a Gunfighter," "Murder on the Orient Express," "Midas Run" and "Coma."

"Madigan," a 1968 film with Widmark as a loner detective, was converted to television and lasted one season in 1972-73. It was Widmark's only TV series.

He also was in some TV films, including "Cold Sassy Tree" and "Once Upon a Texas Train."

In later years, Widmark appeared sparingly in films and TV. He explained to Parade magazine in 1987: "I've discovered in my dotage that I now find the whole moviemaking process irritating. I don't have the patience anymore. I've got a few more years to live, and I don't want to spend them sitting around a movie set for 12 hours to do two minutes of film."

Hazelwood died in 1997 and Widmark married Blanchard in 1999.

Eick: Bionic Is Dead

David Eick, co-executive producer of NBC's SF series Bionic Woman, confirmed to SCI FI Wire that the network has indeed canceled the show, though the network has not yet officially said as much.

"I just felt that the process was so frustrating, and the conditions under which we were making that show never really came to fruition in such a way that I felt like we could make the show well," Eick said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on March 18. "The actress [Michelle Ryan] we found was wonderful. Some of the writing was good."

But, he added: "We just didn't ever bring it all together like we did with Battlestar. At a certain point, when it becomes that frustrating, I think you're better off to say, 'Let's try again another time,' and let it go."

Bionic Woman, a reboot of the 1970s series of the same name, debuted to strong ratings last fall, but its numbers dropped precipitously after that, and behind-the-scenes problems persisted. Cancellation was expected after the network failed to order additional episodes once the writers' strike ended.

George Lucas says his new 'Indiana Jones' is 'just a movie'

To hear him talk, you'd think George Lucas would have preferred to call his movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Don't Get Your Hopes Up.

Lucas, who co-wrote and produced the May 22 film, can sound downright sullen when it comes to his expectations of fan reaction to the year's most highly anticipated movie.

"When you do a movie like this, a sequel that's very, very anticipated, people anticipate ultimately that it's going to be the Second Coming," Lucas told USA Today.

"And it's not. It's just a movie. Just like the other movies. You probably have fond memories of the other movies. But if you went back and looked at them, they might not hold up the same way your memory holds up."

The remarks appear to be part of a larger strategy to build interest yet temper expectations for the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise. Only one trailer is playing, and when director Steven Spielberg shows up for talk shows, he doesn't bring footage.

Lucas says he learned his lesson about unrealistic expectations when he revived the Star Wars franchise in 1999. "When people approach the new (Indiana Jones), much like they did with Phantom Menace, they have a tendency to be a little harder on it," he says. "You're not going to get a lot of accolades doing a movie like this. All you can do is lose."

Except when it comes to money. Analysts expect it to rake in well more than double its reported budget of $125 million. But Lucas says that doesn't hold much sway for him, Spielberg and Harrison Ford.

"We came back to do (Indy) because we wanted to have fun," he says. "It's not going to make much money for us in the end. We all have some money. … It would make a lot of money if you weren't rich. But we're not doing it for the money."

It's fan and critic reaction for which the team is bracing, but Lucas says he has quit trying to appeal to everyone. "It was really a blast" to make. "And it turned out fantastic. … I like to watch it."

Lucas concedes that it will be impossible to water down expectations, even among fellow filmmakers.

The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan met Lucas at the ShoWest convention this month and says he's impatient to see the competition. "Come on, he's George Lucas," Nolan says. "I felt like I should have kissed the ring."

Smashing Pumpkins sue Virgin Records

LOS ANGELES - The Smashing Pumpkins are suing Virgin Records, saying the record label has illegally used their name and music in promotional deals that hurt the band's credibility with fans.

In a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, the rockers said they have "worked hard for over two decades to accumulate a considerable amount of goodwill in the eyes of the public," and that Virgin's use of the band in a "Pepsi Stuff" promotion with Amazon.com and Pepsi Co. threatens their reputation for "artistic integrity."

Virgin released the Smashing Pumpkins' music for more than 17 years, but the only active agreement between the two parties, the lawsuit claims, is a deal granting Virgin permission to sell digital downloads of the band's songs. The agreement does not give Virgin the right to use the band in promotional campaigns to sell outside products, the lawsuit said.

The band members said they would "never grant such authority to Virgin, or any other entity."

An after-hours call to Virgin Records wasn't immediately returned.

The lawsuit demands that Virgin pay with the profits earned in the promotion and asks for an injunction against using the Pumpkins' name or music in the future.

Rogers Centre to host '09 Classic

The first-round venues are set for the second running of the World Baseball Classic, which will begin on March 5, 2009, in Japan.

In 2009, Rogers Centre and Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City will host games for the first time, joining 2006 venues Tokyo Dome and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as first-round sites.

Rogers Centre is the home ballpark of the Blue Jays, and Major League Spring Training exhibition games have been played at the 27,940-seat facility in Mexico City.

"The 2009 World Baseball Classic will further demonstrate the remarkable global growth of our game," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "There has been incredible demand to host the games of the second World Baseball Classic, and we are pleased to have four international destinations as our first-round venues. We are excited about the 2009 World Baseball Classic and look forward to next March."

The 16-team field is the same as '06, though an expansion of the field to 24 countries and territories with qualifying rounds as a preface to reach the main competition is under consideration for 2013.

Next year's brackets are as follows:

Pool A -- China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea will begin play on March 5 in Tokyo Dome, where the A's are opening the regular season against the Red Sox this week.

Pool B -- Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa, from March 8-12 in Mexico City.

Pool C -- Canada, Italy, the U.S. and Venezuela, from March 8-12 in Toronto.

Pool D -- Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico, from March 7-11 in Puerto Rico.

Venues for the second round, plus the combined semifinals and finals are still to be determined, although San Diego's PETCO Park seems to be set for the second round and Dodger Stadium has the inside track for the semifinals and finals.

The semifinals and finals were sold out at San Diego's 45,000-seat home of the Padres in 2006. Japan vanquished Cuba, 10-6, to win the tournament and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who now toils for the Red Sox, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Attendance for the '06 tournament at its seven venues was 737,112 tickets sold, a major coup considering that the Asian bracket didn't reach the 80 percent capacity in Tokyo Dome that was originally projected.

It was the first time that all Major League players were allowed to represent their native lands in an international baseball tournament. The baseball competition in the Summer Olympics, which is slated for Beijing in August, includes non-25-man roster MLB players only.

In another new wrinkle for '09, a rules change has been made in the qualifying portion of the tournament, which will now be a double-elimination format in the first two rounds.

In '06, there was round-robin play as teams with the top two records in each bracket ascended to the second round and the semifinals with a complicated formula based on runs scored used as the first tie breaker.

The semifinals remain as single-elimination games.

Also, unlike '06, there will be a crossover of brackets in the semifinals. In '06, Cuba defeated the Dominican and Japan ousted Korea in the semifinals.

"The best baseball players in the world are looking forward with great anticipation to playing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic," said Don Fehr, the executive director of the Players' Association, who is a partner with Major League Baseball in the venture. "Implementation of double-elimination and crossover games to the World Baseball Classic next year will make the games even more intense and the tournament even more exciting for both players and fans. It will be an unforgettable experience."

Another trip to Casino Royale

With an autumn release for the next Bond film Quantum of Solace, MGM is sure to celebrate the way they celebrate all recent Bond releases; a slew of video releases. The first announcement out of the gate is a new three disc release for Casino Royale.

The original 2.40:1 ratio is preserved with an anamorphic widescreen release.

An audio commentary will accompany the film as well. Extras include the featurettes Bond Girls are Forever, Becoming Bond, James Bond for Real, The Road to Casino Royale, Paying Taxes, Rescue and Recovery, Old Boyfriend?, James Bond in the Bahamas, The Art of the Freerun, Death in Venice, Catching a Plane: From Storyboard to screen and Ian Flemming: The Secret Road to Paradise, a music video, filmmaker profiles, storyboards and deleted scenes.

No word on whether the set will also be available in Blu-ray or which of the several slightly different versions of the film will be included when the DVD arrives on June 3rd.

But don't worry, James Bond will return in More Information Soon!

New CD Releases, March 25: Gnarls Barkley, Counting Crows, Panic at the Disco

Gnarls Barkley "The Odd Couple"

"The Odd Couple" in question is multi-instrumentalist/producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and rapper/vocalist Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway), who notched what many considered to be the most memorable song of 2006 with the single "Crazy" and sold millions of copies of their 2006 debut full-length, "St. Elsewhere."

Now, Gnarls Barkley is looking to build upon their early success--which included two Grammy Awards in 2007--with the release of the sophomore outing, "The Odd Couple." The first single from the new 13-track disc is titled "Run."

* * *
Counting Crows "Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings"

The Crows fly back into action with their first new studio release since 2002's "Hard Candy." The disc was produced by Gil Norton and Brian Deck.

The San Francisco Bay Area band, led by vocalist Adam Duritz, is looking to add to its already impressive career-sales total. The Crows have sold more than 20 million records to date, thanks in large part to their mega-platinum debut, 1993's "August and Everything After."

* * *
Panic at the Disco "Pretty. Odd"

The alt-pop band boogies back into the spotlight with the release of its sophomore record, which follows the group's 2005 debut, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out." The new set was recorded at Las Vegas' Studio at the Palms with producer Rob Mathes, and features the leadoff single "Nine in the Afternoon."

Panic at the Disco will promote "Pretty. Odd" by headlining this year's Honda Civic Tour, which kicks off April 10 in San Francisco. The tour will also feature Motion City Soundtrack, The Hush Sound and Phantom Planet.

* * *
The B-52's "Funplex"

R.E.M. isn't the only legendary Athens, GA, alt-rock band looking to make a comeback in 2008; the B-52's are also hoping for a big year with the release of "Funplex." It's the group's first new album in 16 years.

The 11-track set features song credits from all of the band's original members: Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson (who sat out the group's last record, 1992's "Good Stuff"). The B-52's recorded "Funplex" in their native Athens with producer Steve Osborne (New Order, KT Tunstall).

The B-52's will support "Funplex" with a 12-city headlining tour, which begins April 23 in Boston, and will then join the 24-city True Colors Tour with Cyndi Lauper and Rosie O'Donnell, which kicks off May 31, also in Boston.

* * *
Day 26 "Day 26"

The boy band hopes to follow in the footprints of Danity Kane as it tries to translate small-screen fame into Billboard chart success with the release of its eponymous debut. Like Danity Kane, Day 26 was put together and mentored by Diddy on the MTV hit reality series "Making the Band."

* * *
More new releases:
Karrin Allyson, "Imagina: Songs of Brasil" (Decca)
Lindsey Buckingham, "Live at the Bass Performance Hall" (Reprise)
Cavalera Conspiracy, "Inflikted" (Roadrunner)
Enrique Iglesias, "95/08" (Universal)
Lionel Loueke, "Karibu" (Blue Note)
Brad Mehldau Trio, "Live" (Nonesuch)
Morrissey, "Greatest Hits" (Decca)
Mike Oldfield, "Music of the Spheres" (Decca)
RPWL, "The RPWL Experience" (Inside Out)
Silver Mount Zion, "13 Blues for Thirteen Moons" (Constellation)
Ricky Skaggs (Artist), Kentucky Thunder, "Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 & 1947" (Skaggs Family)
Various Artists, "WWE: The Music, Vol. 8" (Sony)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Planet Earth" (EMI)
"Polish Night Music" (Absurda)

No frills Rock Band (finally) arrives on Wii June 22

A Wii version of Rock Band was all but certain given the success of the console and now it's official: the popular band emulator from Harmonix arrives on Nintendo's console June 22 for $169 -- DLC and online still in doubt, however.

Better late than never, eh Rock Band Wii?

Harmonix confirmed today that Rock Band is coming to the Wii on June 22 for $169.

The announcement was seen by many as a formality given the success of Nintendo's console among non-traditional gamers, but it wasn't until today that EA and Harmonix apparently decided the Wii's audience had reached sufficient mass to warrant a port to that system.

And this version of Rock Band is indeed a port, with no Wii-specific extras of any kind promised in Harmonix's short press release.

Also missing was any information about downloadable content or a music store like the one recently announced for PS3 and Xbox 360 -- but such omissions have undeniably been par for the course with any third party online effort on the Wii thus far.

"The Wii's success among casual and core gamers of all ages makes it an ideal match for the cross-generational appeal of the music featured in Rock Band," says Bob Picunko, Vice President of Electronic Games and Interactive Products, MTV Games.

The Harmonix release said Rock Band for Wii will be released as a Special Edition bundle including the software, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Stand alone instruments will also be available at launch on June 22nd for people who want to build their band one instrument at a time or want to play the drum versus drum game mode. The game will feature 63 songs including five exclusive bonus songs.

UPDATE: Harmonix has responded with the following statement: "The feature-set is a lot closer to the PS2 version of Rock Band which was also developed by Pi Studios... Because the Wii's online capabilities and potential have yet to be fully realized, we wanted to wait before we explored online functionality for Rock Band to ensure that players get the high-quality of online performance they've come to expect."

'Scrubs' Goes Back to Work

The cast and crew of "Scrubs" are going back to work this week, even as the show remains caught between two networks.

The NBC comedy will put the finishing touches on an episode that began production before the writers' strike, and it may also film a couple more installments, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This despite the fact that the network hasn't asked for any new episodes beyond the five that were completed before the strike but haven't yet aired.

The additional episodes could end up as a bonus on the seventh-season DVD collection for "Scrubs," with producer ABC Studios footing the bill. Another increasingly strong possibility is that the new episodes will end up on ABC, which is interested in grabbing the show for another season.

Speculation about ABC picking up the show has become an annual rite of spring the past couple of years, since the series is produced by Disney and ABC Entertainment chief helped develop "Scrubs" when he was head of the studio (then known as Touchstone TV). The negotiations have been more serious this year, and despite objections from NBC, the network shift is looking more likely.

NBC was initially upset that ABC began negotiations to pick up "Scrubs" before NBC's license agreement expired, but the HR says the two networks have mostly resolved those issues. Current talks are focused on new contracts for cast members; star Zach Braff is reportedly on board.

"Scrubs" is not a ratings powerhouse; it's averaging only 6.2 million viewers a week this season. It does, however, bring in decent demographic numbers and a loyal audience, something few other ABC comedies can say at the moment.

Sara Evans Primed for Hitchin'

After taking a tumble the first time, Sara Evans is ready to get right back on that marital horse.

The country singer is engaged to radio host Jay Barker, Evans' rep, Lori Genes, told People on Monday.

"The couple are enjoying their engagement and look forward to their upcoming nuptials," Genes said.

The betrothed duo, who started seeing each other sometime before Thanksgiving, have not yet set a date. This will be the second trip down the aisle for both.

Evans, 37, has three children from her first marriage, and Barker, who went through a divorce last summer, has four.

Barker, a former star quarterback at the University of Alabama who helped lead his team to a national championship in 1992, presides over the morning show The Opening Drive on WJOX-AM in Birmingham.

Evans' 13-year marriage to erstwhile politico Craig Schelske officially ended in September after one of the uglier he-said, she-said battles in recent memory. Their union came to a grinding halt in October 2006 while Evans was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

And at least in part because the "Suds in the Bucket" songstress opted to quit the show midseason, her pending divorce became home-page news.

The miscellaneous mudslinging included allegations of infidelity from both sides, including a since-retracted accusation from Evans that Schelske had an affair with their nanny. Meanwhile, Schelske at one point filed court documents demanding his spouse cop to at least 11 extramarital affairs, claiming she messed around with, among others, her Dancing partner Tony Dovolani.

When a judge signed off on their divorce on Sept. 28, the warring pair agreed to drop their respective accusations and wipe the slate clean. Evans, who got to keep the family's abode in Nashville, was ordered to pay $600,000 in alimony. Schelske was given the deeds to their two residences in Oregon.

U.S. satellite radio merger gets antitrust OK

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio's $4.59 billion purchase of rival XM Satellite Radio was given antitrust clearance on Monday as the Justice Department concluded consumers have many alternatives, including mobile phones and personal audio players.

Investors sent shares of both companies sharply higher even though the Federal Communications Commission must still approve the combination of the only two U.S. providers of satellite radio, a deal first announced in February 2007.

In a victory for Sirius Chief Executive Mel Karmazin, who lobbied hard for the deal, the Justice Department agreed the satellite radio companies face stiff competition from traditional AM/FM radio, high-definition radio, MP3 players and programming delivered by mobile phones.

"Competition in the marketplace generally protects consumers and I have no reason to believe that this won't happen here," Justice Department antitrust chief, Thomas Barnett, told a conference call with reporters.

The traditional radio industry, consumer groups and some U.S. lawmakers had criticized the deal, which would bring entertainers such as talk show host Oprah Winfrey and shock-jock Howard Stern under one roof.

The National Association of Broadcasters, which fought against the deal, said the Justice Department had granted XM and Sirius a "monopoly" and called the decision "breathtaking."

Sirius and XM, which are losing money, each currently charge subscribers about $13 a month for more than 100 channels of news, music, talk and sports.

New York-based Sirius' programming includes lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and NFL Football while Washington, D.C.-based XM is home to Bob Dylan's radio show and Major League Baseball.

The Justice Department said the combination would lead to "substantial" cost saving steps such as consolidating the line of radios they offer. It said those savings would "most likely to be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices."

XM stock ended Monday up 15.5 percent to $13.79, while Sirius closed up 8.6 percent to $3.15, both on Nasdaq. At that price for Sirius' stock, the deal, in which 4.6 shares of Sirius are to be exchanged for each XM share outstanding, is worth $4.59 billion.

AWAITING FCC DECISION

The antitrust decision shifts the spotlight to the FCC, which must determine whether the XM-Sirius is in the public interest, and whether to enforce its 1997 order barring either satellite radio company from acquiring the other.

A source at the FCC said Chairman Kevin Martin has yet to make a proposal either approving or opposing the XM-Sirius combination, but has asked the agency's staff to draft documents for different possible outcomes.

This source said the FCC could be strongly influenced by the Justice Department decision. "I think it would be hard to go in the complete opposite direction," said the source.

Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus said the FCC could impose conditions, such as requiring the companies to adhere to promises Karmazin made to Congress last year.

Karmazin promised lawmakers that a combined company would offer packages of channels that customers could pick on an "a la carte" basis, and that customers would be able to block adult channels and get a refund for those channels.

In addition, Stifel Nicolaus said, the FCC also may require Sirius and XM to promise that all existing satellite radios will continue to work after the companies are combined.

David Bank, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, was optimistic about FCC approval. "Now it's past DOJ, and we feel pretty optimistic it will get through the FCC," he said.

The Justice Department's decision provoked immediate criticism from a key lawmaker in Congress, Senate antitrust subcommittee chairman Sen. Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat.

Kohl took the department to task for "failing to oppose numerous mergers which reduced competition in key industries, resulting in the Justice Department not bringing a single contested merger case in nearly four years."

"We urge that the FCC find the merger contrary to the public interest and exercise its authority to block it," Kohl said in a statement.

Sirius and XM said in a brief statement that they had received antitrust clearance and that their deal was still subject to FCC approval.

25 Live reasons for George Michael to tour

A swarming paparazzi presence coupled with a nasty legal spat with Sony Music nearly scared him away for good, but George Michael hasn't completely lost his faith in America. This summer, the British bad boy returns for his first U.S. tour in 17 years.

After performing more than 80 shows in Europe, Michael kicks off the U.S. leg of his 25 Live tour in San Diego on June 17 before heading to 19 other cities. The arena tour will showcase songs from his album Twenty-Five, out April 1 and featuring duets with Mary J. Blige and Paul McCartney.

Why return now? Michael, 44, calls it a "rounding off" of his career's first phase. "I don't want to do anything on this scale again," he says. "No more stadiums. I'd like to be the Tony Bennett for my generation."

Disturbed by the increasing trend of downloadable music rendering CDs obsolete and talent shows such as American Idol taking the passion out of pop music, Michael says, "it's the end of a certain era, and I'm not sure how much I really want to be a part of what's next. So, it's a kind of a way of saying thank you to everybody before I move on."

But this is not a farewell tour for the Grammy winner who shot to stardom in the '80s with the band Wham! and crashed when he was arrested for lewd conduct in a Beverly Hills public bathroom in 1998.

Hoping to release more music in the future, Michael suspects he will offer it up to fans gratis to allow for artistic freedom. "There are other ways I can express the things I want to. And pop music stopped being a place to express much lyrically awhile back."

On Thursday, he plays himself in his first major U.S. acting role in ABC's Eli Stone (10 p.m. ET/PT), a series in which he has appeared in brief cameos.

He also is developing British TV programs and has received an advance from HarperCollins to write an autobiography, in which he would discuss the depression he suffered in the '90s.

Critical of his own work, Michael believes his U.K. tour was "too much of a party to represent what I've done."

That means hits Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go) and I Want Your Sex are out. "I'm too old," he says. "But they'll get Careless Whisper, which I don't particularly enjoy singing."

As he prepares to head stateside, "there are some improvements I can really make to the show. If I have anything to do with it, they're going to see the best show of their lives."

Tickets will go on sale Tuesday exclusively via an iTunes package. Tour tickets will be available elsewhere beginning the weekend of April 5.

Here are the tour's dates and stops:

June 17: San Diego/San Diego Sports Arena
June 19: San Jose, Calif./HP Pavilion
June 21: Las Vegas/MGM Grand
June 22: Phoenix/US Airways Center
June 25: Los Angeles/Great Western Forum
July 2: Seattle/Key Arena
July 4: Vancouver/General Motors Place
July 7: St. Paul/Xcel Energy Center
July 9: Chicago/United Center
July 13: Dallas/American Airlines Center
July 14: Houston/Toyota Center
July 17: Toronto/Air Canada Centre
July 18: Montreal/Bell Centre
July 21 and 23: New York/Madison Square Garden
July 26: Philadelphia/Wachovia Center
July 27: Boston/TD Banknorth Garden
July 29: Washington, D.C./Verizon Center
July 31: Atlanta/Philips Arena
Aug. 2: Tampa/St. Pete Times Forum
Aug. 3: Sunrise, Fla./Bank Atlantic Center

Beatles' friend Neil Aspinall dies at 66

NEW YORK - Neil Aspinall, a longtime friend of the Beatles who managed their business enterprises and helped make the group a moneymaking phenomenon decades after they split up, has died. He was 66.

Aspinall's death was announced Monday in a statement from surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, and the band's Apple Corps Ltd. company.

Aspinall died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where he had been receiving treatment. The exact date of his death was unclear.

He was a childhood friend of McCartney and Harrison in Liverpool, England. While he didn't contribute musically, he played several key roles in support of the Beatles, most notably as the head of their Apple Corps business, which oversaw the commercial concerns of the group, including licensing.

"I've known Neil many years and he was a good friend. We were blessed to have him in our lives and he will be missed," Starr said in a statement Monday.

Aspinall was the Beatles' first road manager and would drive them to gigs in his van. He later became their personal assistant, and in 1968, he took over the management of Apple Corps.

As head of Apple Corps, Aspinall was executive producer of the hugely successful "Beatles Anthology" album and was behind other successes, including the "Beatles One" album and the recent Cirque du Soleil production "Love," which has been a hit in Las Vegas.

"As a loyal friend, confidant and chief executive, Neil's trusting stewardship and guidance has left a far-reaching legacy for generations to come," the band's statement said.

Aspinall stepped down from Apple Corps last year.

He is survived by his wife, Suzy, and five children, who were with him when he died.

The spring CD preview

Some of us have turned the clocks ahead. We're not eating dinner in the dark anymore. And we don't have to plug the car in every night.

It can only mean one thing; spring has almost sprung. And along with the bears, the rock stars are coming out of hibernation.

After a lean March, the next few months should bring us a couple of dozen albums from big names.

Here are 15 titles that should be warming up your iPod soon.

APRIL 1

R.E.M. -- Accelerate

The Athens, Ga., legends' 14th album is faster and louder than 2004's Around the Sun. It is a superb disc!!

Van Morrison -- Keep It Simple

True to its title, Van the Man's 35th disc eschews big horns and arrangements for a leaner approach. Which is a fancy way of saying he cut his payroll.

Moby -- Last Night

The Mobester gets into a groove with an electronic dance set inspired by New York's vibrant late-night club scene.

APRIL 8

The Breeders -- Mountain Battles

Apparently, even Kim Deal is tired of waiting for that Pixies reunion album. So she and sis Kelley are back with their first CD in six years.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -- Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

The grim singer-songwriter says his 14th disc maintains the aggression and edge of last year's Grinderman side project. No complaints here.

Gnarls Barkley -- The Odd Couple

Are Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse still Crazy after all these years? If their energetic new single Run is anything to go by, signs point to yes.

Billy Bragg -- Mr. Love & Justice

Everybody's favourite British folk-punk finally returns with his first studio disc since 2002's England, Half-English.

APRIL 15

Mariah Carey -- E=MC2

It's only got three letters and one number -- but you just know Mariah has no clue what the hell her CD title means.

The Gossip -- Live in Liverpool

If you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing full-figured soul-punk goddess Beth Ditto live in action, this CD / DVD set will set you straight.

APRIL 22

Jeff Healey -- Mess of Blues

The Toronto blues guitarist's first electric album in eight years was completed shortly before his untimely death earlier this month.

APRIL 29

Madonna -- Hard Candy

Her Madgesty's final album for a major label will supposedly be a hip-hop disc. So get ready to hear ebonics spoken with a British accent.

MAY 13

Death Cab for Cutie -- Narrow Stairs

The former indie heroes say their latest delivers some of their most upbeat material -- and some of their saddest.

Jakob Dylan -- Seeing Things

Wallflowers frontman Jakob -- aka son of Bob -- goes acoustic on his first solo album, which was produced by Rick Rubin at home.

MAY 20

Scarlett Johansson -- Anywhere I Lay My Head

The latest actress who wants to be a singer issues an album of Tom Waits covers. Yeah, that seems like a great idea.

Alanis Morissette -- Flavors of Entanglement

You oughta know that Alanis' latest blends world and folk music with the electronic squiggles of Madonna and Bjork collaborator Guy Sigsworth.

Music fans prefer Wikipedia to MySpace

DENVER (Billboard) - Search for an artist on any of the popular search engines, and the top three results are practically guaranteed: the artist's official Web site, Wikipedia entry and MySpace page -- often in that order.

But while artists and their handlers devote massive attention to the Web site and MySpace, the Wikipedia page is often overlooked. Recent data suggests they may want to reconsider their priorities.

According to data provided to Billboard from Yahoo -- the second-most popular search engine on the Web after Google -- those searching for artist information are selecting the Wikipedia entry link over artists' MySpace pages by a factor of more than 2-to-1. The Wikipedia entries are also more popular than artists' Web sites.

"The interest that people had to go to MySpace to find out more about their favorite band is waning in favor of going to Wikipedia," Yahoo head of programming and label relations John Lenac says. "In the last six months, it's surpassed it."

Yet when compared with the number of artist profiles on MySpace, Wikipedia entries are noticeably fewer. MySpace claims 3 million artist profiles. Wikipedia does not have an exact count of artist entries, but estimates that it's in the "tens of thousands," according to Wikipedia Foundation head of communications Jay Walsh.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

What's more, because of Wikipedia's low profile relative to the MySpace hype machine, many artists and their managers remain ignorant of the resources available to them.

"There's been many people I've talked to that didn't even know they could upload a Wikipedia page," Lenac says. "There's been some managers that didn't even know what it was."

For those in the latter category, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that relies on everyday users to submit the information listed about a given topic, using a collaborative software system known as "wiki." It contains more than 7 million articles in 200 languages and receives some 300 million page views per day. Anyone can contribute to a given article, BUT they must first past muster from a team of volunteer editors with a particular passion about the subject before the text appears live.

The result is a rather tight, focused and vetted overview of the subject, which some online marketing experts feel is why fans are selecting Wikipedia over other options.

"Wikipedia is a fantastic landing page," says Jason Feinberg, owner/president of On Target Media Group, a Web promotions consultancy. "It's so clear, so concise, and it's standardized. That's something I think is a draw over MySpace, where you never quite know the experience you're going to get. Is it going to be a horrible jumble of images and video and text that's difficult to read? Also, (Wikipedia is) rooted in fact. It's not promotional. Especially these days when the Internet is full of artists trying to essentially ram their message down your throat, I think a fan is a lot more receptive to a simple, no-hype approach."

But don't expect to see Wikipedia offering full-song streams or links to buy digital songs anytime soon.

"That's not what we're about," Walsh says. "We're about knowledge. We're about bringing the reader to other free content ... content they can use and enjoy without worrying about violating any copyrights.

Gibson sues over "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gibson Guitar said on Friday that it filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Viacom Inc's MTV networks, Harmonix and Electronic Arts relating to the wildly popular "Rock Band" video game and Harmonix's previously developed game, "Guitar Hero."

The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Tennessee, relates to the same patent involved in another suit Gibson filed earlier against various retailers of "Guitar Hero," a competitor to "Rock Band," the Tennessee-based guitar maker said in a statement.

The "Guitar Hero" series, published by Activision), has sold more than 14 million units in North America and raked in more than $1 billion since its 2005 debut, while "Rock Band" is a newer rival.

Gibson said the games, in which players use a guitar-shaped controller in time with notes on a television screen, violate a 1999 patent for technology to simulate a musical performance.

Harmonix developed the first "Guitar Hero" game and was later bought by MTV. Electronic Arts publishes "Rock Band" and another company, Activision Inc, as well as several retailers, either develop, distribute or sell one or several of the games in the "Guitar Hero" series.

"This lawsuit is completely without merit and we intend to defend it vigorously," Harmonix said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Electronic Arts could not be reached for comment.

Earlier this month, Activision filed a preemptive suit against Gibson, which had complained that the games infringe upon one of its patents.

Activision filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. District Court for Central California to declare Gibson's patent invalid and to bar it from seeking damages.

Gibson, whose electric guitars are used by legendary blues and rock artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Slash, has been a high-profile partner in the "Guitar Hero" games.

Activision licensed the rights to model its video controllers on Gibson guitar models and to use their likenesses in the game.

Activision has said that by waiting three years to raise its claim, Gibson had granted an implied license for any technology.

Israeli singer embraces Britney, Apple for success

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Folksy French-Israeli singer Yael Naim found commercial success after her song "New Soul" played in Apple's MacBook Air laptop ads, pushing the song to No. 7 on U.S. music chart Billboard's Hot 100.

She already had gained fame for what some saw as a comic choice to cover pop singer Britney Spear's "Toxic," singing a soulful, poignant version of the commercial hit while playing piano.

But Naim, 29, whose self-titled new album was just released in the United States two months earlier than originally planned following the success of the Apple ad, says she's not worried about being seen as too commercial.

"It opened a great window for us, for a lot of people to have a chance to hear about our music," she told Reuters in New York. "We had a lot of propositions ... but we thought Apple and Macintosh have some connection because today we work with computers to do our music."

The singer-songwriter, who was born in Paris but spent a large part of her childhood in Israel, recorded her new album in her Paris apartment with her music partner, percussionist David Donatien.

"We did not have a label," she said. "We did not have a lot of money so we did it just with a computer."

NAME HALVED

She became disillusioned with the "big studio" experience after her first album "In a Man's Womb" was released in 2001 through EMI, which insisted she keep her name to just Yael.

"It was like they took half of my energy," she said.

Both "Toxic" and "New Soul" appear on her new, second album, which was recorded in English, Hebrew and French and has received warm reviews. Rolling Stone magazine noted: "The way Naim purrs any word with a hard 'ch' will make your loins tingle."

Naim, who spent two years in the Israel Air Force Orchestra, said she was surprised audiences in France had embraced the mixed-language album.

"I did not think anyone would want to listen to ballads in Hebrew," she said. "It is not considered a very sexy language."

She also didn't expect the success of her version of "Toxic," which Rolling Stone described as "a stripped-down, slow-motion, kinda-brilliant cover."

"I don't particularly like her (Spears) as a musician, the voice, but this song is a good song," she said. "I wanted to take something that is completely opposite of the music we do."

Audiences at live shows, such as one last week in Manhattan, react excitedly to "Toxic," as well as to her current hit.

She confided to the crowd of several hundred that she once believed she was an old soul.

"Then my real life began and I figured that maybe I'm not an old soul," she said before launching into "New Soul."

'Whos' on first at box office again

LOS ANGELES - Audiences are still listening to Horton and his Who pals. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who," 20th Century Fox's animated adaptation of the beloved children's book, remained the top movie for a second straight weekend with $25.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, the movie raised its 10-day total to $85.5 million.

"Horton" fended off a rush of new movies opening over Easter weekend.

Lionsgate's "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," about a single mom who connects with previously unknown kin at her late father's funeral, opened in second place with $20 million.

It was the latest success for writer-director and co-star Perry, whose past hits for Lionsgate include "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Why Did I Get Married?" Shot on modest budgets, Perry's movies play to a built-in fan base.

"You kind of know what you're going to get with Tyler Perry, and that's a good thing," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "You want to be in business with this guy because he's going to make you money every time."

"Shutter," 20th Century Fox's fright flick about a newlywed couple tormented by a spirit whose image appears in their photos, opened at No. 3 with $10.7 million.

Just behind it at No. 4 was Owen Wilson's comedy "Drillbit Taylor," which pulled in $10.2 million. The Paramount release stars Wilson as a laid-back homeless guy who signs on as bodyguard for three bullied teenage nerds.

The acclaimed "Under the Same Moon," a border tale about a Mexican boy trying to reunite with his mother in the United States, was No. 10 with $2.6 million, a record opening weekend for a Spanish-language film. Released by Fox Searchlight and the Weinstein Co., the movie has taken in $3.3 million since opening Wednesday and also took in $1.7 million in Mexico, where it debuted this weekend.

"Under the Same Moon" surpassed the previous Spanish-language record set by "Ladron Que Roba a Ladron," which opened with $1.6 million last Labor Day weekend.

Both movies opened in far more theaters — "Under the Same Moon" at 266, "Ladron" at 340 — than typical Spanish-language films, which generally debut in a handful of cinemas before gradually expanding to wider release if they click with movie-goers.

"We thought this was a movie that could play as a commercial movie, not as an arthouse movie, to Spanish-language audiences," said Peter Rice, Fox Searchlight president.

The movie started mainly in theaters catering to Spanish speakers. But it also enjoyed strong word-of-mouth publicity in cinemas dominated by English-language crowds, where business picked up strongly over the course of the weekend, said Weinstein Co. co-founder Harvey Weinstein, whose had found success with foreign-language films such as "Cinema Paradiso" and "Amelie" when he ran Miramax.

Fox Searchlight and the Weinstein Co. plan to gradually roll "Under the Same Moon" out to more theaters in the coming weeks.

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. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who," $25.1 million.
2. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," $20 million.
3. "Shutter," $10.7 million.
4. "Drillbit Taylor," $10.2 million.
5. "10,000 B.C.," $8.7 million.
6. "Never Back Down," $4.9 million.
7. "College Road Trip," $4.6 million.
8. "The Bank Job," $4.1 million.
9. "Vantage Point," $3.8 million.
10. "Under the Same Moon," $2.6 million.

Wii shortages will continue for six more months!

GameStop reports that Wii shortages will continue for at least the next six months. Is this 2007, or 2008?

Still looking for a Wii? Well keep looking, because video game retail giant GameStop revealed this week that it expects shortages of the console to persist until at least September.

You read that right. While GameStop executives said in a conference call this week that the company was seeing an end to the post-holiday shortages that affected the Xbox 360 and DS in January, the Wii was having no such luck.

GameStop COO Dan DeMatteo confirmed, saying that with the Wii, the company anticipated the console's supply "won't meet demand for the next 2 quarters," at the very least. The estimate would put the duration of the Wii shortage at almost the two-year mark since its launch in November 2006.

Additionally, the GameStop call did not address what could happen to the Nintendo supply chain in the wake of the Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit US launches on April 27 and May 19, respectively. If they are successful, and early indications from Japan and US media circles say that they will be, the two quarter estimate could very well become much longer.

On a final note, GameStop CFO David Carlson said the company was still anticipating shortages with the PSP; was "not seeing any problems with PS3"; and expects "good [PS3] stock when GTA IV launches."

Sarah Jessica Parker Hurt by 'Unsexiest Woman' Label

The life of a celebrity isn't always fun, especially when the media takes pot shots at your sex appeal.

Sarah Jessica Parker was extremely upset that Maxim magazine had named her the "unsexiest woman alive" last fall.

In an interview with Grazia magazine, the "Sex and the City" star commented, "Am I really the unsexiest woman in the world? Wow! It's kind of shocking."

The popular lad mag had compared her features to a horse's: "How the hell did this Barbaro-faced broad manage to be the least sexy woman in a group of very unsexy women and still star on a show with 'sex' in the title? Pull your skirt down, Secretariat, we´d rather ride Chris Noth."

Not only was Parker "filled with rage and anger" after hearing these comments, but her husband Matthew Broderick was upset "because it has to do with his judgment too."

Despite her outrage, Parker isn't going to let the comments change her own opinion of herself.

"I really like the choices I've made. I am who I am," she says. "Do I have big fake boobs, Botox and big lips? No. Do I fit some ideals and standards of some men writing in a men's magazine? Maybe not."

Amy Winehouse, "Grey's Anatomy" star Sandra Oh, Madonna and Britney Spears also landed on the Unsexiest List.

The "Sex and the City" movie will be released on May 30.

Series Four begins 5th April

The BBC has confirmed that Series Four of Doctor Who will launch on BBC One in the week beginning 5th April 2008.

The day and time slot for the programme are still to be confirmed but it will almost certainly be shown around 7pm on Saturday 5th April.

Episode One, Partners In Crime, reunites the Doctor with Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate. It also stars Sarah Lancashire as Miss Foster.

Marley Biopic: No Music No Cry?

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Is this love? From the looks of it, maybe not.

The late Bob Marley's heirs are jamming the Weinstein Company from licensing the music of the reggae icon for an upcoming movie about his life and career that his widow, Rita Marley, is executive producing.

The reason for the snub, per the Hollywood Reporter: The clan's Tuff Gong Pictures is backing another project—a documentary by Martin Scorsese about Marley.

The family had already agreed to license the musician's hit-laden catalog for the Scorcese film—the first time the estate has granted such blanket rights—and is concerned that the Weinstein's biopic, set to unspool in late 2009, would conflict with the documentary's release in February 2010 around Marley's birthday.

"Martin Scorsese doesn't want to go out with a competing project, and [producer] Steven Bing has made deals with companies [that are now compromised]," Blue Mountain Music head Chris Blackwell told the Reporter. "The Weinstein project has put the documentary into jeopardy."

Blackwell founded Island Records, the label responsible for bringing Bob Marley and the Wailers as well as reggae in general to the masses, and now runs Blue Mountain Music, the "Stir It Up" singer's music publisher.

Marley's son, Ziggy, an executive producer on the untitled Scorsese expose, added that he and other family members' main priority is protecting his father's legacy.

"All our efforts and support are currently directed toward the documentary," Ziggy, a reggae star in his own right, told the trade. "We believe that this project is the best way to represent our father's life from his perspective, and any other film project pertaining to our father will be empty without his music to support it."

The problem for moguls Harvey and Bob Weinstein is that they apparently were willing to get up, stand up for the story, but failed to get music rights.

"When I sold the film rights to my book [to the Weinsteins], the contract did not include any rights to use my husband's music," said Rita Marley.

Neither a rep for Tuff Gong Pictures nor the London-based Blackwell was available for comment.

Marley family attorney Terri Dipalo told the Reporter the clan categorically rejects any suggestions that they were holding back the tunes to get a better deal out of the Weinsteins. At the same time, she didn't rule out his songs from eventually being licensed for the drama, noting "anything's possible."

Weinstein Company spokesman Matthew Frankel indicated that the brothers believe everything will work out in the end.

"We have great respect for the Marley family and Chris Blackwell and are in discussions to look at ways to mutually benefit both projects," he said.

Blackwell, who's reportedly pushing for the company to postpone the biopic until at least 2015, had a phone conversation with Harvey Weinstein earlier this month in which the two discussed the potential conflict, but so far had not settled the issue. One idea the former is bandying about is possibly having the Weinsteins receive a stake in the Scorsese doc in exchange for delaying the Rita Marley-produced flick.

A source close to that project however insisted to E! Online that the 2009 date for the biopic was never set in stone in the first place because the film does not even have a script yet and remains in development so all the talk regarding a possible collision is premature.

Or good PR.

Lawsuit settled over Beach Boys name

LOS ANGELES - Two former members of the Beach Boys settled a five-year legal dispute over use of the band's name, a lawyer said.

Al Jardine and Mike Love reached an agreement after a two-day conference in Superior Court, attorney Lawrence Noble, who represents Jardine, said Thursday. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

"Mr. Jardine feels very happy and feels that this is a friendly settlement that allows them to focus on the talent and future of this American iconic band," Noble said.

Love sued Jardine in 2003, claiming he fronted a group that used various versions of the Beach Boys name. The lawsuit said Love was the sole licensee to perform under the name, and that Jardine was denied use because he did not agree to abide by terms of a proposed license.

Love was seeking $2 million in court costs and $1 million he said Jardine collected from using the name.

A judge ruled in January that the case could go to trial. It was set to begin April 14.

The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 by brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Love and Brian Wilson's friend Jardine.

Dennis Wilson died in 1983 and Carl Wilson died in 1998.

New Costello Album: Vinyl, Digital, No CD

Elvis Costello's next solo studio album, curiously dubbed "Momofuku," will arrive April 22 via Lost Highway. For the time being, the set will be released only on vinyl, with a digital download code included in the package.

No other details have been released about the follow-up to 2004's "The Delivery Man," Costello's Lost Highway debut with his band the Imposters.

Since then, Costello recorded "The River in Reverse" with pianist Allen Toussaint and supervised the first wave of his back catalog reissues through Universal. The most recent of those, "This Year's Model," arrived March 4.

As previously reported, Costello will open the Police's summer North American tour, beginning May 10 in Chicago. He also has headlining dates on tap beforehand, starting April 22 in Memphis.

Oscar-winning actor Paul Scofield dies

LONDON - Paul Scofield, a commanding stage and screen actor indelibly stamped on filmgoers' minds as the doomed philosopher-statesman Sir Thomas More in "A Man For All Seasons," has died at age 86.

Agent Rosalind Chatto said Thursday that Scofield died in a hospital near his home in southern England. He had been suffering from leukemia and died Wednesday.

Scofield won an Academy Award and international fame for the 1966 film "A Man For All Seasons," in which he played the Tudor statesman and author of "Utopia" executed for treason in 1535 after clashing with King Henry VIII.

But he followed that breakthrough with relatively few film roles. Scofield was a stage actor by inclination and by his gifts — a dramatic, craggy face and an unforgettable voice likened to a Rolls-Royce starting up or the sound rumbling out of low organ pipes in an ancient crypt.

"He had a charisma, a hypnotism, a kind of spell that he cast on an audience, which was an extraordinary thing to negotiate as a young actor," said Simon Callow, who performed alongside Scofield in the play "Amadeus" in 1979. "He was an absolutely towering actor."

Judi Dench, who appeared with Scofield in Kenneth Branagh's film of "Henry V" in 1989, remembered him as "a great friend and a great man."

Even Scofield's greatest screen role was a follow-up to a play — the London stage production of Robert Bolt's "A Man for All Seasons," in which he starred for nine months. Scofield then turned in a performance in the 1961 New York production that won him extraordinary reviews and a Tony Award.

"With a kind of weary magnificence, Scofield sinks himself into the part, studiously underplays it, and somehow displays the inner mind of a man destined for sainthood," Time magazine said.

Actor Richard Burton, once regarded as the natural heir to Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud at the summit of British theater, said it was Scofield who deserved that place. "Of the 10 greatest moments in the theater, eight are Scofield's," he said.

Scofield's infrequent films included Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance"; "Henry V," in which he played the king of France; "Quiz Show," Robert Redford's film about a 1950s TV scandal; and the 1996 adaptation of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible."

"Quiz Show" brought Scofield a second Oscar nomination, this time as best supporting actor. He played Mark Van Doren, the famed author and poet whose son, Charles, was the key figure in the scandal.

Scofield was an unusual star — a family man who lived almost his whole life within a few miles of his birthplace in southern England and hurried home after work to his wife and children. He didn't seek the spotlight, gave interviews sparingly and, at times, seemed to need coaxing to venture out even onto the stage he loved.

But, he insisted in The Sunday Times in 1992: "My reclusiveness is a myth. ... I suppose I'm not wildly gregarious. Yes, I've turned down quite a lot of parts. At my age you need to weed things out, but the idea that I can't be bothered anymore with acting — that's quite absurd. Acting is all I can do. An actor: That's what I am."

Scofield reportedly had been offered a knighthood, but declined.

"It is just not an aspect of life that I would want," he once said. "If you want a title, what's wrong with Mr.?"

In 2001, however, he was named a Companion of Honor, one of the country's top honors and limited to 65 living people.

His temperament, too, was unexpected in an actor who remained at the very top of his profession.

"It is hard not to be Polyanna-ish about Paul because he is such a manifestly good man, so humane and decent, and curiously void of ego," said director Richard Eyre, former artistic director of Britain's National Theatre. "All the pride he has is channeled through the thing that he does brilliantly."

David Paul Scofield was born Jan. 21, 1922, son of the village schoolmaster in Hurstpierpoint, eight miles from the southern coast of England. When he married actress Joy Parker in 1943, they settled only 10 miles to the north, in the village of Balcombe.

Scofield trained at the Croydon Repertory Theater School and London's Mask Theater School before World War II. Barred from military service during the war for medical reasons, he toured in plays to entertain troops and acted in repertory in factory towns around the country.

All through the 1940s, he worked repertory and in London and Stratford in plays ranging from Shakespeare and Shaw to Steinbeck and Chekhov.

In his 20s and 30s, he worked with director Peter Brook, touring as Hamlet in 1955. The collaboration included the stage adaptation of Graham Greene's "The Power and the Glory" in 1956, which Gielgud regarded as Scofield's greatest performance.

Scofield's huge success with "A Man for All Seasons" was followed in 1979 by another great historical stage role, as the thwarted composer Salieri opposite Callow's Mozart in Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus."

His later stage appearances included "Heartbreak House" in 1992 and the 1996 National Theatre production of Ibsen's "John Gabriel Borkman."

He is survived by his wife and children.

New 'Indiana Jones' trailer gets a widget

NEW YORK -- When a second trailer for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" premieres online, it should spread as fast as the first thanks to a widget.

While Paramount plans to launch the widget this week, the studio declined to state when the new trailer will debut.

Paramount is counting on the small, portable applications that can be posted on blogs and social networks to maximize the exposure for its trailers. The first "Skull" trailer, released in March, has racked up millions of views.

Paramount turned to widget provider Clearspring for "Skull," which will include a contest with the release of the second trailer. The two fans who manage to distribute their "Skull" widgets most will win trips to the world premiere of the movie and the chance to be red-carpet correspondents in footage that will be streamed onto the "Skull" widgets following the premiere.

"I think the reason that studios are excited about widgets is that word-of-mouth and buzz is what Hollywood is after all the time," said Peggy Fry, senior vp sales and client services at Clearspring. "If you think about it, what a widget is, it's a digital version of word-of-mouth."

Clearspring also is creating widgets for Paramount's Mike Myers comedy "The Love Guru," which will include exclusive viral videos of Myers in character. The widgets, which launched Tuesday, will live on Myers' Guru Pitka MySpace page, where his character will blog about love advice, as well as on Facebook, YouTube and other social networking sites.

Amy Powell, senior vp interactive marketing at Paramount, credited Clearspring with sophisticated backend technology that allows the studio to track its widgets wherever they lived so it wouldn't have to limit its promotions to a single platform such as MySpace or Facebook.

"We pushed Clearspring to create new technological advances for us to fit our long list of requests for our out-of-the-box thinking," Powell said.

Every week Paramount will add a new viral video to the widget, for a total of about eight to 10 videos. The widgets also will include other exclusive content including a "Love Guru" trailer, clips and behind-the-scenes footage.

Paramount's first foray into the widget space with Clearspring was with J.J. Abrams' "Cloverfield," which benefited at the boxoffice from a successful online and widget campaign. The studio also has worked with Clearspring on a daily fortune cookie widget for DreamWorks Animation's upcoming "Kung Fu Panda" and a "Bee Movie" widget.

Other studios that have worked with Clearspring to promote their movies are Warner Bros. for "10,000 BC" and "Fred Claus," Sony for "Superbad," Universal for its upcoming "Leatherheads" and Fox for "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!"

Coldplay Reveals Album Title, Release Date

Coldplay's fourth album, "Viva la Vida," will arrive June 17 in North America via Capitol and a day earlier internationally, according to the band's spokesperson.

"Viva la Vida" was produced by the band with Brian Eno and Markus Dravs. Coldplay manager Dave Holmes previously told Billboard.com the album "definitely takes them in some different directions. I'm not a music critic, but it's certainly a progression, with some really great songwriting."

The band is finalizing the track list today (March 19), according to its Web site. "Viva la Vida" is the follow-up to 2005's "X&Y," which topped The Billboard 200.

So far, Coldplay's lone confirmed live dates are at the first Pemberton Festival in British Columbia on July 27 and Japan's Summer Sonic Festival on Aug. 9-10.

Led Zeppelin tour details revealed?

Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan has claimed that his band have bagged tour support slots on a supposed future tour with Led Zeppelin.

Although McKagan was not forthcoming with any specific dates or plans for such a tour, he said that his band "have it" in terms of the support slot.

Speaking to BBC 6Music, he said: "I understand that we have it, although I imagine there will be plenty of bands prepared to kick and punch us out of the way for the privilege."

James Bond film to land in Britain one week early

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The movie studio behind the upcoming James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace," has moved the British release date forward by one week to October 31, a spokesman for Columbia Pictures said on Wednesday.

The movie, which stars Daniel Craig as British agent 007, remains scheduled to open in North America and much of the rest of the world on November 7.

"Quantum of Solace" is the 22nd film in the long-running movie franchise based on the books by author Ian Fleming about a secret agent who saves the world from villains and almost always gets the girl in the end.

The most recent Bond flick, 2006's "Casino Royale," marked the first time British actor Craig took on the role of Bond. It sold $594 million in tickets worldwide.

Apple mulling 'unlimited' iTunes plan: report

Apple Inc. is reportedly in talks with major music companies to offer customers free access to its entire iTunes music library in exchange for paying a premium for its iPod and iPhone handheld devices.

According to a report in the Financial Times, the "all you can eat" model would be similar to the "Comes with Music" deal Nokia made with Universal Music last December, which allows users to buy a pre-programmed Nokia device with a year's unlimited access to a subscription service featuring music from Universal's catalogue.

The Financial Times said the discussions between the Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple and the major music companies hinges on how much Apple would offer its partners in exchange for access to their music libraries.

The report states that while Nokia is said to be offering $80 per handset to industry partners, Apple has so far only offered $20 per device.

For consumers, the cost of the music could either be bundled with the cost of the player or as part of a monthly subscription, although only the iPhone device already comes with a subscription.

The reported discussions, currently in the preliminary stages, would mark a major change in philosophy for Apple, which has previously maintained tight control over the prices and format of individual music or video downloads.

Apple has more than 80 per cent of the global digital music market. Its online iTunes stores are the second-largest retailer of music in the United States, trailing only Wal-Mart, according to a February study from consumer tracking firm NPD Group.

But major music companies have chafed at Apple's success, becoming more vocal about wanting their share of profits from the sale of devices they say are built on their music catalogues.

While music downloads have increased, the same NPD Group study found the increase could not offset the continuing decline in physical CD sales, leading to an overall 10 per cent decrease in music spending — to $40 US per capita from $44 US per capita among internet users.

As a result, record labels have been exploring other means of selling their music libraries.

Last fall, online retailer Amazon.com Inc. launched its own music store, reaching agreements with Universal Music Group, EMI Music Group PLC and later Warner Music to offer millions of songs without copy-protection technology.

Hey Jude, how about Guitar Hero: The Beatles?

A Guitar Hero: The Beatles title is music to the ears of the owner of the John Lennon- Paul McCartney song book copyrights.

It would appear as though this Guitar Hero thing is the real deal, because even the notoriously fickle folks behind The Beatles song catalogue have warmed to the idea of a themed GH game that features the mop topped musical machinations of one of the world's most popular bands.

In an article over at the Los Angeles Times today, Martin N. "Marty" Bandier, the top executive at the music publishing company that owns the John Lennon- Paul McCartney copyrights, said he "liked the idea" of a dedicated Beatles edition of Guitar Hero.

"It's something we have talked about and something I'd like to pursue," Bandier said.

This is the second themed Guitar Hero spin off that has been announced in as many months. As was reported in GamePro last month, Activision revealed that Aerosmith would be the first act with a dedicated version of Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will launch in June for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

Sci Fi keeps fight going with 'Battlestar' prequel

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will live on with "Caprica." At its "upfront" presentation to advertisers Tuesday in New York, the cable channel said that it has green-lighted a two-hour pilot for the prequel, which had been in development for two years.

Sci Fi also has given the go-ahead to "True Believer," a two-hour back-door pilot created by Rosario Dawson and David Atchinson -- who co-wrote the comic book series "Occult Crimes Task Force" -- about a comic book enthusiast who hires a former superhero to teach him about crime-fighting. It joins "The Stranded," a two-hour pilot of a Sci Fi/Virgin Comics joint venture.

The network also plans an "Alice in Wonderland"-based six-hour miniseries titled "Alice." A two-hour comedy-drama pilot, "Deputized," follows a man who fights crime around the galaxy after getting super powers.

"Caprica," which is set 50 years before the events in the departing "Battlestar," will begin production in the spring. It hails from the "Battlestar" masterminds Ronald D. Moore and David Eick.

As for "Battlestar," the series' final-season premiere will debut online nine hours before it airs on TV.

Sci Fi's reality slate includes "Estate of Panic," a series about seven people who compete to find millions of dollars at an estate, and "Brain Trust," in which geniuses bands together to solve problems. The channel also announced new seasons of "Scare Tactics," now hosted by "30 Rock's" Tracy Morgan; "Mind Control With Derren Brown"; and "Ghost Hunters International." And a May 18 special by NBC News correspondent Lester Holt will feature "Mystery of the Crystal Skulls," about the real-life search for what the objects at the center of the latest "Indiana Jones" movie.

The channel also will expand its digital offerings with a game site launching in mid-April as well as "Battlestar" webisodes and a social game based on the show. An original Web series, "Starcrossed," is planned to debut in the fourth quarter.

Aimee Mann's 7th album scheduled for June release

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Aimee Mann's seventh album, "@#%&! Smilers," will arrive June 3 via her own SuperEgo Records.

"The sound is a little bit different for me," Mann told Billboard.com. "It's got a lot of Moog (synthesizer) on it (and) sometimes almost sounds like the Cars a little bit. From song to song, everything gets a different treatment."

Mann also noted, "There's no electric guitar at all, which you weirdly don't miss. It's kind of this all-keyboard situation, which is great. It's an interesting amalgamation of sounds."

Mann's upcoming tour will include an appearance at the Bonnaroo festival in June.

Robin Williams set for `Law & Order'

LOS ANGELES - Robin Williams will guest star on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," but don't expect him to bring laughs to the NBC crime drama.

Williams is playing an "engineer whose life has gone terribly wrong" and who faces serious repercussions, series spokeswoman Pam Golum said Tuesday. The episode, which films later this month, is scheduled to air April 29.

After his breakthrough role on the 1980s sitcom "Mork & Mindy," Williams' career has mostly centered on a mix of movies, including "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society" and "Patch Adams." He won an Academy Award for 1997's "Good Will Hunting."

The "Special Victims Unit" episode with Williams, titled "Authority," is the show's 200th, Golum said.

Writer Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who wrote "2001: A Space Odyssey" and won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday, an aide said. He was 90.

Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome for years, died at 1:30 a.m. in his adopted home of Sri Lanka after suffering breathing problems, aide Rohan De Silva said.

The 1968 story "2001: A Space Odyssey" — written simultaneously as a novel and screenplay with director Stanley Kubrick — was a frightening prophesy of artificial intelligence run amok.

One year after it made Clarke a household name in fiction, the scientist entered the homes of millions of Americans alongside Walter Cronkite anchoring television coverage of the Apollo mission to the moon.

Clarke also was credited with the concept of communications satellites in 1945, decades before they became a reality. Geosynchronous orbits, which keep satellites in a fixed position relative to the ground, are called Clarke orbits.

His non-fiction volumes on space travel and his explorations of the Great Barrier Reef and Indian Ocean earned him respect in the world of science, and in 1976 he became an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

But it was his writing that shot him to his greatest fame and that gave him the greatest fulfillment.

"Sometimes I am asked how I would like to be remembered," Clarke said recently. "I have had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer and space promoter. Of all these I would like to be remembered as a writer."

From 1950, he began a prolific output of both fiction and non-fiction, sometimes publishing three books in a year. He published his best-selling "3001: The Final Odyssey" when he was 79.

A statement from Clarke's office said that Clarke had recently reviewed the final manuscript of his latest novel. "The Last Theorem," co-written with Frederik Pohl, will be published later this year, the statement said.

Some of his best-known books are "Childhood's End," 1953; "The City and The Stars," 1956, "The Nine Billion Names of God," 1967; "Rendezvous with Rama," 1973; "Imperial Earth," 1975; and "The Songs of Distant Earth," 1986.

When Clarke and Kubrick got together to develop a movie about space, they used as basic ideas several of Clarke's shorter pieces, including "The Sentinel," written in 1948, and "Encounter in the Dawn." As work progressed on the screenplay, Clarke also wrote a novel of the story. He followed it up with "2010," "2061," and "3001: The Final Odyssey."

In 1989, two decades after the Apollo 11 moon landings, Clarke wrote: "2001 was written in an age which now lies beyond one of the great divides in human history; we are sundered from it forever by the moment when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out on to the Sea of Tranquility. Now history and fiction have become inexorably intertwined."

Clarke won the Nebula Award of the Science Fiction Writers of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979; the Hugo Award of the World Science Fiction Convention in 1974 and 1980, and in 1986 became Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He was awarded the CBE in 1989.

Born in Minehead, western England, on Dec. 16, 1917, the son of a farmer, Arthur Charles Clark became addicted to science fiction after buying his first copies of the pulp magazine "Amazing Stories" at Woolworth's. He read English writers H.G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon and began writing for his school magazine in his teens.

Clarke went to work as a clerk in Her Majesty's Exchequer and Audit Department in London, where he joined the British Interplanetary Society and wrote his first short stories and scientific articles on space travel.

It was not until after the World War II that Clarke received a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics from King's College in London.

In the wartime Royal Air Force, he was put in charge of a new radar blind-landing system.

But it was an RAF memo he wrote in 1945 about the future of communications that led him to fame. It was about the possibility of using satellites to revolutionize communications — an idea whose time had decidedly not come.

Clarke later sent it to a publication called Wireless World, which almost rejected it as too far-fetched.

Clarke married in 1953, and was divorced in 1964. He had no children.

He moved to the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka in 1956 after embarking on a study of the Great Barrier Reef.

Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, discovered that scuba-diving approximated the feeling of weightlessness that astronauts experience in space. He remained a diving enthusiast, running his own scuba venture into old age.

"I'm perfectly operational underwater," he once said.

Clarke was linked by his computer with friends and fans around the world, spending each morning answering e-mails and browsing the Internet.

At a 90th birthday party thrown for Clarke in December, the author said he had three wishes: for Sri Lanka's raging civil war to end, for the world to embrace cleaner sources of energy and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings to be discovered.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Clarke once said he did not regret having never followed his novels into space, adding that he had arranged to have DNA from strands of his hair sent into orbit.

"One day, some super civilization may encounter this relic from the vanished species and I may exist in another time," he said. "Move over, Stephen King."

Oscar winner Minghella dies at 54

LONDON - Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, who turned such literary works as "The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain" into acclaimed movies, has died. He was 54.

Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died Tuesday morning at London's Charing Cross Hospital of a hemorrhage. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, "and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage."

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who became friends with Minghella after the filmmaker directed a Labour Party election ad in 2005, said he was "really shocked and very sad."

"Anthony Minghella was a wonderful human being, creative and brilliant, but still humble, gentle and a joy to be with," Blair said. "Whatever I did with him, personally or professionally, left me with complete admiration for him, as a character and as an artist of the highest caliber."

"The English Patient," the 1996 World War II drama, won nine Academy Awards, including best director for Minghella, best picture and best supporting actress for Juliette Binoche. Based on the celebrated novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje, the movie tells of a burn victim's tortured recollections of his misdeeds in time of war.

In a 1996 interview with The Associated Press, Minghella said the film was the pinnacle of his career at the time: "I feel more naked and more exposed by this piece of work than anything I've ever been involved with."

He said too many modern films let the audience be passive, as if they were saying, "We're going to rock you and thrill you. We'll do everything for you."

"This film goes absolutely against that grain," he said. "It says, `I'm sorry, but you're going to have to make some connections. There are some puzzles here. The story will constantly rethread itself and it will be elliptical, but there are enormous rewards in that.'"

Minghella (pronounced min-GELL'-ah) also was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay for the movie and for his screenplay for "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

His 2003 "Cold Mountain," based on Charles Frazier's novel of the U.S. Civil War, brought a best supporting actress Oscar for Renee Zellweger.

The 1999 "The Talented Mr. Ripley," starring Matt Damon as a murderous social climber, was based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. It earned five Oscar nominations.

Among his other films were "Truly, Madly, Deeply" (1990), and last year's Oscar-nominated "Michael Clayton," on which he was executive producer.

Minghella also turned his talents to opera. In 2005, he directed a highly successful staging of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" at the English National Opera in London — choreographed by Minghella's wife, Carolyn Choa. The following year, he staged it for the season opener of New York's Metropolitan Opera. It was the first performance of the Met's new era under general manager Peter Gelb.

Minghella was recently in Botswana filming an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." It is due to air on British television this week.

The book is the first in a series about the adventures of Botswanan private eye Precious Ramotswe; a 13-part television series was recently commission by U.S. network HBO.

Jeff Ramsay, press secretary to Botswanan President Festus Mogae, called Minghella's death a "shock and an utter loss."

He said the director had been coming to the country ahead of the detective film and learning about Botswana.

Ramsay said Minghella had told him how he had been forced to shoot "Cold Mountain" in Romania and that it had "seemed wrong." He said this made the director "more sure that the film could only be shot in Botswana."

Born the second of five children to southern Italian emigrants, Minghella came to moviemaking from a flourishing playwriting career on the London "fringe" and, in 1986, on the West End with the play, "Made in Bangkok," a hard-hitting look at the sexual mores of a British tour group in Thailand.

He worked as a television script editor before making his directing debut with "Truly, Madly, Deeply," a comedy about love and grief starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman.

Producer David Puttnam told the BBC that Minghella was "a very special person."

"He wasn't just a writer, or a writer-director, he was someone who was very well-known and very well-loved within the film community," Puttnam said. "Frankly he was far too young to have gone."

Minghella is survived by his wife; his actor son, Max Minghella; and his daughter, Hannah.

Raconteurs Album Being Rushed To Market Next Week

The Raconteurs are eschewing the standard months-long wait between finishing an album and releasing it with "Consolers of the Lonely," which will hit retail March 25 via Third Man/Warner Bros. The set wasn't even completed until the first week of March, according to a statement from the band.

"The purpose: to get the album to the fans as soon as possible and as we promised," the Jack White-featuring band says. "We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it's availability, reception or perception."

"Consolers" will be available on CD, vinyl and digital through leading retailers. "Some places couldn't move this fast, so they will join in as soon as they can," reads the statement, without elaboration.

The Raconteurs' Web site will offer the album as a complete download in 320kb fidelity. Individual tracks will be available at iTunes and Amazon.com. A video for the first single, "Salute Your Solution," will hit the Web on March 25.

The Raconteurs, which finds White surrounded by Brendan Benson, Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence, released their debut album, "Broken Boy Soldiers," in May 2006. Their move here extends the experimentation of acts like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails in delivering music outside the parameters of the traditional label system

"We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and THEN marketing and promoting it thereafter," the band says. "The Raconteurs would rather this release not be defined by its first week sales, pre-release promotion or by someone defining it FOR YOU before you get to hear it."

Mariah: I know I'm called 'ditzy moron'

NEW YORK - Mariah Carey knows her indisputable talent clashes with her sexed-up image as a "ditz." "It's a dichotomy, I understand," the 37-year-old Grammy winner tells Allure magazine. "I understand that people think I am a ditzy moron."

The singer — who was treated for exhaustion in 2001 after a public meltdown — says she still struggles with her confidence.

"I've always had really low self-esteem, and I still do," she says. "What's weird about that is being onstage, and the love that you get, and the adoration that you feel from your real fans. It's hard for a partner to compete — just imagine."

Carey and ex-husband Tommy Mottola, the former chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, divorced in 1997. She has described that relationship as controlling and says: "I had to make a decision: either lose myself completely or learn to stand up for myself. You have to be very courageous to do that."

She says she'd marry again — preferably, to someone who knows where she's coming from.

"That's a big deal for me: feeling like somebody else can't fully understand me because they're not in show business. It shouldn't matter, but it does, because the energy it takes to be `on' is a lot," she says.

Carey's latest album, EMC2, arrives April 15. Her previous album, "The Emancipation of Mimi," has sold 10 million copies.

The April issue of Allure hits newsstands nationwide on March 25.

Jeff Healey tributes confirmed

TORONTO - The family and friends of late guitarist Jeff Healey are holding two memorial concerts to celebrate his life and music.

The shows are set for May 3 and 4 in Toronto. A spokesman says the concerts will feature Healey's two bands - the Jazz Wizards and Healey's House Band.

A final lineup will be announced in two weeks, along with ticket prices and availability.

Healey, whose guitar prowess was characterized by an unusual playing-style that had him lay the instrument across his lap, died earlier this month from cancer at the age of 41.

The death of the jazz and blues aficionado drew tributes from famous fans including Bryan Adams, Colin James, Randy Bachman.

New CD Releases, March 18: Danity Kane, Daniel Lanois, She & Him

Danity Kane "Welcome to the Dollhouse"

Diddy's darlings return with their second studio album, which follows the ladies' eponymous debut of 2006.

The Danity Kane story began when Sean "Diddy" Combs set out to create an all-female super group during the third installment of the MTV reality TV series "Making the Band." The result was the creation of Danity Kane in 2005.

Thanks in large part to all of the exposure on MTV, the group was a hit and its debut CD, "Danity Kane," would produce two big singles--"Show Stopper" and "Ride for You"--and go on to sell more than a million copies.

The five ladies in Danity Kane are Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgette, Aundrea Fimbres, Shannon Bex, Aubrey O'Day and Dawn Richard.

* * *
Daniel Lanois "Here Is What Is"

The master musician/producer, who has worked with everyone from Bob Dylan and U2 to Emmylou Harris and Peter Gabriel, hits with his fifth studio album. Lanois released the album in a "download-only" format back in December--a la Radiohead--and is just now getting around to putting it out on CD.

"Here Is What Is" is the soundtrack to the 2007 documentary of the same name, which chronicles Lanois' creative process for recording an album. That doc premiered at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. Brian Eno is featured both in the film and on the album.

* * *
She & Him "Volume 1"

The "She" in question is Zooey Deschanel, an actor-turned-musician known for such films as "Elf." The "Him" is the acclaimed singer-songwriter M. Ward.

The two were first paired, musically speaking, by director Martin Hayens for the film "The Go-Getter." The result, apparently, was fetching enough to inspire the duo to record a full album, "Volume 1."

Besides recording this debut, She & Him have also been playing some concerts, including a date at San Francisco's influential Noise Pop festival.

* * *
Flo Rida "Mail on Sundays"

The rapper, who--you guessed it--hails from Florida, releases his debut album. Flo Rida is perhaps best known for his work on the touching love song "Bitch, I'm From Dade County," which was featured on DJ Khaled's "We the Best" CD. The rapper's latest single is called "Elevator."

* * *
The Kills "Midnight Boom"

The minimalist art-rock duo, consisting of Florida-bred Alison "VV" Mosshart (vocals/guitars) and UK native Jamie "Hotel" Hince (drums/vocals/guitar), returns with its third full-length studio album. The band's two previous outings, 2003's "Keep on Your Mean Side" and 2005's "No Wow," have combined to sell more than 70,000 copies.

* * *
More new releases:
Be Your Own Pet, "Get Awkward" (Ecstatic Peace)
Big Dipper, "Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology" (Merge)
Black Tide, "Light from Above" (Black Tide)
Destroyer, "Trouble in Dreams" (Merge)
DeVotchKa, "A Mad and Faithful Telling" (Anti)
The Hush Sound, "Goodbye Blues" (Atlantic)
Johnny and the Sprites, "Johnny and the Sprites" (Disney)
Ottmar Liebert, "La Semana" (Spiral Subwave)
Mindless Self Indulgence, "Never Wanted to Dance" (The End)
The Teenagers, "Reality Check" (Beggars Xl)
Yael Naim, "Yael Naim" (Atlantic)
Various Artists, "BuzzCuts" (Razor & Tie)
Various artists, "Tom Waits Jukebox: The Songs that Inspired the Man" (United States of Distribution)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran" (Sire)

Abba drummer found dead in his garden

MADRID, Spain - A former drummer for the Swedish pop band ABBA was found dead with cuts to his neck in the garden of his house on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Police said Monday an autopsy showed it was an accident.

A neighbor found the body of 62-year-old Ola Brunkert on Sunday evening at his house in a coastal area outside the eastern town of Arta, a Civil Guard spokesman told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

He said an autopsy was carried out and confirmed initial investigations. "It was an accident," he said.

The spokesman said Brunkert hit his head against a glass door in his dining room, shattering the glass and cutting himself in the neck. He managed to wrap a towel around his neck and left the house to seek help, but collapsed in the garden.

Brunkert lived in the coastal apartment complex of Betlem in the municipality of Arta, in the eastern part of Mallorca.

Brunkert had lived in Arta for around 20 years. His wife, Inger. died less than a year ago, an Arta municipal official told the AP. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss the case.

ABBA band member Benny Anderson told Swedish daily Expressen he was sad to hear of the drummer's death. "It is tragic," he said.

Band member Bjorn Ulvaeus added that Brunkert had been "one of the best."

"I remember him as a good friend when we worked together in the mid-1970s. He was a very creative musician who contributed a lot when we toured together and worked in the studio," Ulvaeus told Expressen.

According to ABBA's official Web site, Brunkert and bass player Rutger Gunnarsson were the only musicians to appear on all ABBA albums.

Brunkert first played with ABBA on the group's first single, "People Need Love," and toured with the band in 1977, 1979 and 1980.

He had been a jazz drummer and a member of the blues band Slim's Blues Gang, before joining pop group Science Poption in the mid-1960s.

ABBA, with the four regular members Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Ulvaeus and Andersson, was one of the world's most successful bands, with album sales of more than 370 million. The group has not performed together since 1982, but continues to sell nearly 3 million records a year.

Halle Berry has baby girl

NEW YORK - Halle Berry doesn't just play a mom in movies anymore.

The 41-year-old actress had a baby girl Sunday, and "is doing great," her publicist Meredith O'Sullivan told People.com, the Web site of People magazine. It is her first child.

The father is 32-year-old model Gabriel Aubry. The two met while shooting a Versace ad in Los Angeles two years ago.

Berry told Oprah Winfrey on her show last year that playing a mother in her latest movie, "Things We Lost in the Fire," helped convince her that motherhood was for her.

"I think it validated that I was meant to be a mother because every day I dealt with the character as a mother and thinking as a mother," Berry said. "It let me know that I must be a mother."

Berry won the best-actress Oscar for 2001's "Monster's Ball." She also won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for 1999's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge."

Berry had said she and Aubry don't plan to marry, but feel fully committed to each other.

"Big Brother" feels summer love

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Big Brother" is going back-to-back.

CBS is gearing up for a summer edition of its voyeuristic reality series to follow the winter run that's still on the air.

The network has aired "Brother" the past three summers. Once the Hollywood writers strike kicked in last November, CBS opted for the show's first in-season edition, which premiered in February.

Although a summer season of "Brother" always has been likely, the prospect of the series' first back-to-back run has been tempered by the current edition's modest ratings.

Season-to-date, the winter run has averaged just 6.6 million viewers, according to a Nielsen Media Research, despite some video outtakes of lurid bedroom (and bathroom) coupling that have made entertainment blog headlines.

Given the numbers, it was unclear whether CBS might opt to give the show a breather before bringing it back. But some "Brother" episodes have gone up against Fox's "American Idol," which offsets the larger audience benefits of airing in-season. And fans contend that the sun-drenched summer atmosphere is ideal for the show.

CBS has not announced a premiere date for the summer edition.

Reality fans also could face another unprecedented back-to-back series run because of the strike: With Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" to premiere in-season for the first time next month, the show also might have its regular summer version. The network has a second run on tap, having ordered two editions shot during the show's recent production cycle.

Bryan Adams returns with '11'

If Bryan Adams could have aligned the stars his new album 11, featuring 11 songs and the eleventh studio effort of his career, would've come out last year.

And it's a safe bet, given the numerical theme, it probably would've hit stores in November, say Nov. 11.

But even a megastar such as the 48-year-old Adams, with his millions of record sales and global recognition, still has to play the label-waiting game. It's something he wasn't exactly happy with.

"It was ready in August and it was basically done in September," Adams says while nursing a tea inside a Toronto hotel room in late February with a Toronto writer. "The record company in Europe didn't want it to come out until March so we had to sit on it. You can imagine my frustration."

The album, out Tuesday, was originally going to be an acoustic record. But Adams hadn't committed to the idea entirely even while writing 11. The idea became less of a reality when touring through Europe.

"I was on tour and I think there was an acoustic artist opening up this festival that we were doing," Adams says. "I was watching them play and I thought to myself, 'I can't imagine myself doing that.' "

What fans can imagine Adams doing is part and parcel of the new record, namely offering a batch of radio-friendly ballads such as the U2-ish We Found What We Were Looking For, Mysterious Ways and Broken Wings. The album, featuring Kathleen Edwards' hubby/guitarist Colin Cripps, is also notable for the rootsy I Ain't Losing The Fight, which Adams wrote in Bulgaria.

Adams also revisited the topic of celebrity with Flower Grown Wild, a song based on Shannon Wilsey a.k.a. Savannah, a former stripper and girlfriend of Slash who killed herself. Earlier in his career, Adams and writing cohort Jim Vallance penned The Best Was Yet to Come. The song was inspired by the 1980 murder of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten.

"To me, it's sort of an ode to the fallen star and a little bit of a nod to the way we devour our celebrities and then spit them out," he says of Flower Grown Wild.

"We devour them because we love them, but then we spit them out. It was that idea of one woman's journey to stardom and then the way she can't deal with it."

In terms of his songwriting, Adams had about 30 songs for 11 with the best rising to the top. He also says he's not one to start with a completely clean slate heading into each album.

"What usually happens is I'll take the 15 unreleased songs and when it comes time for the next album, I'll take one of those and rewrite it or take a piece of one and combine it with another," he says. "That's what started happening on (1991's) Waking Up the Neighbours and I've worked that way ever since. You take one section, the section that seems to write the best and then rewrite or work to that. It's about not being precious."

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Adams signing to A&M Records in Toronto that launched his solo career. He feels it was tougher to break into the music business then as opposed to new bands trying to get noticed now.

"When I started it was ultra-hard," he says. "In some ways it's kind of easier today because there are more avenues to create some sort of image for yourself. Back in 1979, you were stuck with an 8x10 photograph and a demo tape on a cassette and prayed that the cassette didn't sound like sh--t. Otherwise, that was the end of your hope.

"And there's a lot of knocking on doors. It's very difficult to get to know the guy who knows the guy who knows the guy. So if you're no one, like when I started out, no one, how do you get through these systems?"

In keeping with the album title, Adams spent March doing an 11-day, 11-city European tour of 11 acoustic shows. He's hoping to do the same thing in North America but the lone Canadian date is a "secret show" in Vancouver on March 20. He's already thinking about album 12 and threatening it might be "the acoustic record."

Just don't expect him to spend five or six straight months on the road anymore.

"I'm not going to change my lifestyle just because an album comes out," Adams says. "I'm going to work (just) as hard, like I always do which is I spend this amount of time (10 days) a month allocated to touring and the rest I spend doing other things."

The Couch Potato Report - March 15th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a small Canadian "comedy", 2007's Oscar winning best picture, and Dan…in real life.

Well, even though I was away last week, I only have five releases to talk about this week, beginning with our Hot Potato...the made-in-Vancouver-starring-half-the-cast-of-CORNER GAS-film LOVE AND OTHER DILEMMAS.

LOVE AND OTHER DILEMMAS stars Gabrielle Miller, Lacey from CORNER GAS as a woman who insists her wedding day will be perfect, even though she's eight-months pregnant, been robbed, kidnapped and thinks her fiancé Henry is dead.

Now, if this was a big Hollywood film, with say Jennifer Anniston or Katherine Heigl as the bride and George Clooney or Patrick Demspsey as the kidnapper, I would tell you that it was the sort of film you have seen a million times, made a million times better, and that it was a complete waste of your time!

But...for some reason...because it is a small Canadian film, that features Lacey, Hank and Emma from CORNER GAS...I sort of enjoyed it.

Yes, LOVE AND OTHER DILEMMAS is utterly predictable and not really all that funny for a comedy...but something about it made me not hate it.

I guess you could call this one a good rental.

I also didn't hate AUGUST RUSH...and I really, really thought I would!

The trailers for this film made it look awful...but somehow, somehow I didn't hate it.

In fact...I liked it!!

Yes, I liked AUGUST RUSH!

AUGUST RUSH is about a young orphaned boy who is searching the streets of New York for his parents.

He is also a musical prodigy, the result of a chance meeting and night of passion between a guitarist and a cellist.

The main reason the trailers for this film made it look bad was due to Robin Williams presense in them.

In the trailer, and the film itself, he is a mysterious stranger who gives the boy his name.

This looked to be another one of those roles where Williams was just yelling the whole time...but luckily he isn't in the film that much, and his presence never actually hurts it.

As I said, I didn't expect to like AUGUST RUSH...but I did. Yes it is predictible melodrama, and the music that is supposed to be some of the best ever written really isn't anything special...but the film...somehow...is.

I don't expect it to become your favourite film of all time...but it is worthy of your time.

At last Month's Academy Awards AUGUST RUSH was nominated in the Best Song Category.

The Coen Brothers' NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was the winner of several of those Awards, including Best Director AND Best Picture.

From Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink through The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, I am a huge fan of Joel and Ethan Coen's work, and like many film lovers, I think NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is a masterpiece of filmmaking.

And as you heard on this show, the fact that it won Best Picture, and they Best Director, came as no surprise to me...but what might come as a surprise to you is the violence in this film.

In fact, violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash.

So if you don't care for violence...stay away from NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

But if it doesn't bother you...this is a film you must see! The acting from Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Oscar winner Javier Bardem is tremendous, the writing is superb, the filmmaking unmatched, and...I will stop there as I made my point...I loved this film!

Yes, I highly recommend NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

Two other films to quicky tell you about this week, starting with a film that I really like...and not just because of the title.

Steve Carrell from television's THE OFFICE stars as DAN IN REAL LIFE.

Carrell plays Dan Burns, a widowed father of three young girls who is a newspaper columnist living in New Jersey.

While spending the weekend at a family reunion, he happens to meets a woman named Marie at a bookstore. They have a chemistry that goes beyond a chance meeting.

But then Dan finds out that Marie is actually dating his brother, Mitch.

I thought I might like it, but I honestly didn't expect to enjoy DAN IN REAL LIFE as much as I did. It is a small and fairly quiet film that is surprisingly entertaining.

What's more, it is a mature film, for grown-ups. I really enjoyed DAN IN REAL LIFE, even regardless of the fact that I share the same name, and I highly recommend it to you.

I thought I would also be recommending this week's final release...but while there is some great animation, and voice work in JUSTICE LEAGUE - THE NEW FRONTIER - an origin story of how Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League first got together - the film itself is not that great.

If you are already a fan of Toronto comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator Darwyn Cooke, and you love his work in the Shuster Award-winning six-issue comic book limited series DC: The New Frontier, then you probably won't find any value in this abridged version of his work.

If you have never heard of Darwyn Cooke, then maybe...maybe you will find some enjoyment in JUSTICE LEAGUE - THE NEW FRONTIER.

Personally, I was aware of the comics...but I have yet to read them, so the story here was fresh. It was the film itself that just didn't work for me.

It isn't awful...and I do have to admit that there is some pretty cool stuff here...but when they eventually get around to making a live action Justice League feature film...and they will...somedy....I hope it is better than this!

JUSTICE LEAGUE - THE NEW FRONTIER , the surprisingly effective films AUGUST RUSH and DAN IN REAL LIFE, the Academy Award winning Best Picture of 2007 - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and the Canadian "comedy" LOVE AND OTHER DILEMMAS are all available now on DVD.

Coming up in the next Couch Potato Report

I will tell you about the Canadian Hockey film-with-a-twist BREAKFAST WITH SCOT; the spectacular Disney movie ENCHANTED - which was one of my favourite movies of 2007; and Oscar winner Javier Bardem from NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN stars in the first Hollywood filmed version of the beloved Spanish novel LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA.

Plus, there will be not one, but TWO Keira Knightley costume dramas - ATONEMENT and SILK - and two television series reboots: BIONIC WOMAN - THE COMPLETE SERIES and SEASON FOUR of BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA.


I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in fourteen 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!

Crowds hear 'Horton' hauling in $45M

LOS ANGELES - Horton hears a hit. Family audiences boosted 20th Century Fox's animated tale "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" to a $45.1 million debut, the best opening so far this year, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell in an adaptation of the beloved storybook about an elephant defending a microscopic community from destruction, "Horton Hears a Who" is the latest computer-animated film from Blue Sky Studios, the outfit behind the "Ice Age" flicks.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. action yarn "10,000 B.C.," slipped to second place with $16.4 million, raising its 10-day total to $61.2 million.

Summit Entertainment's "Never Back Down," about a troubled youth who finds purpose in the sport of mixed martial arts fighting, opened in third place with $8.6 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, Rogue Pictures' horror thriller "Doomsday," premiered at No. 7 with $4.7 million. The movie follows a team of specialists trying to find a cure for a ravaging epidemic that has forced the quarantine of Scotland.

"Horton Hears a Who" topped the $40.1 million opening in January for "Cloverfield," which previously was the year's No. 1 debut.

"It's a 'who-mongous' opening, and it's playing to all Whos two to 92," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson. "If you can't do an ode to Dr. Seuss with an opening like this, come on."

The new movie was the fourth-best opening ever in March. With the two "Ice Age" movies, "Horton" and "Robots," Blue Sky Studios now has four of the top six March debuts of all time.

"They should rename March 'Blue Sky month,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"Horton" landed in between the debut weekends of two other big-screen Seuss adaptations, 2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with $55.1 million and 2003's "The Cat in the Hat" with $38.3 million.

With solid reviews for "Horton," Fox is counting on strong business through Easter next Sunday and beyond, as many students are out of school, Aronson said.

Hollywood's revenues rose for the first time after four straight weekends of declining business. Overall receipts came in at $127 million, up 8.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to 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. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", $45.1 million.
2. "10,000 B.C.," $16.4 million.
3. "Never Back Down," $8.6 million.
4. "College Road Trip," $7.9 million.
5. "Vantage Point," $5.4 million.
6. "The Bank Job," $4.9 million.
7. "Doomsday," $4.7 million.
8. "Semi-Pro," $3 million.
9. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $2.9 million.
10. "The Spiderwick Chronicles," $2.4 million

Coldplay, Jay-Z to headline massive summer music fest in small B.C. town

The U.K. has Glastonbury, the U.S. has Coachella and, this summer, Canadians will get a similar type of music festival in the village of Pemberton, B.C.

Organizers announced on Friday plans for the first-ever Pemberton Festival, with the fledgling event set to take over the town of about 2,200 — noted for being a picturesque hub for outdoor adventurers and located just 25 kilometres from famed ski resort community Whistler — from July 25-27.

Spearheaded by concert promoters Live Nation and Good Boy Productions, the inaugural festival will feature a host of headliners that include Coldplay, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jay-Z and Nine Inch Nails.

Canadians slated to take part include The Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts Band, Metric, Buck 65, MSTRKRFT and Wintersleep.

The bill will also feature many newer and emerging acts, including Death Cab for Cutie, Interpol, The Flaming Lips, Vampire Weekend, MGMT and The Airborne Toxic Event.

The concert site will feature two stages, a dance tent and a "festival village" — all located at the foot of Mount Currie, with concert-goers able to camp or set up recreational vehicles on-site. Officials will also run a shuttle service to and from Whistler.

As with other massive outdoor music festivals, Pemberton organizers have also vowed to keep the festival as green as possible, with incentives planned for concert-goers arriving via car pool and concessions to feature bounty from local Pemberton Valley farms.

Tickets will go on sale March 28.

New York Yankees release Billy Crystal

TAMPA, Fla. - Billy Crystal's "mahvelous" time with the New York Yankees is over.

The team released the actor on his 60th birthday, one day after he struck out in his only at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The announcement came at the bottom of the second page in Friday's game notes. Under transactions, it said "March 14 Released INF Billy Crystal."

The team gave Crystal, a longtime Yankees' fan, the opportunity to be the designated hitter and lead off in the first inning Thursday because of his ambassador-like role for baseball.

CBC's Sounds Like Canada to be silenced after summer

CBC Radio says its weekday morning show, Sounds Like Canada, will end its six-year run at the end of the summer.

The Radio One show's cancellation follows the decision by host Shelagh Rogers to leave her position on May 30.

Shelagh Rogers, host of Sounds Like Canada, announced over the weekend she was leaving the show at the end of May.

The show will be replaced by a new program, yet to be developed.

"This change provides us with the opportunity to continue evolving the Radio One daytime schedule to meet the needs of current and new listeners," said Chris Boyce, CBC Radio's interim program director, in a release on Thursday.

"We don't know what the new show will look like, but we do know we need a strong host, with a strong personality, that the audience will connect with and want to spend time with."

CBC Radio will be hatching ideas with small groups of programmers, according to the release.

Rogers made her announcement over the weekend.

Sounds Like Canada is one of the network's two flagship radio morning shows that replaced the three-hour program This Morning. Anna Maria Tremonti's The Current is the other show.

Rogers hosted This Morning for two years until 2002 before the slot was split into two programs. Rogers moved to Vancouver in 2003 with the new program.

The broadcaster has been with CBC Radio since 1980.

Moviegoers can't ignore elephant in theaters

LAS VEGAS (Hollywood Reporter) - "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" will be big. The only question is how big.

Most industry officials expect Fox's computer-animated family film, featuring a voice cast led by Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, to ring up ticket sales of at least $40 million, possibly more than $50 million during its first three days in theaters across the United States and Canada.

Serving as points of comparison, Universal debuted "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" in November 2000 to $55.1 million, and "Dr. Seuss' the Cat in the Hat" three years later to $38.3 million. Whether a March bow can muster the box office muscle of a holiday release remains to be seen.

Carrey voices Horton, a rubbery elephant who stumbles upon a speck that happens to be a tiny planet, home to a city called Who-ville. Carell voices the excitable mayor.

Last weekend's champ, the Warner Bros. prehistoric adventure "10,000 BC," will slip to No. 2 with sales in the $18 million range -- assuming a conservative 50% drop from its opening round.

Two other films will open on Friday. The action thriller "Doomsday" would do well to reach double-digit millions. And the mixed martial arts release "Never Back Down" likely will fall just short of that range.

"Doomsday," produced by Universal Pictures' Rogue Films genre unit for an estimated $19 million, stars Bob Hoskins and Rhona Mitra in the story of a country torn apart by a brutal government quarantine over a killer virus. As a bonus for moviegoers, the film will be preceded by the new trailer for Universal's June 13 film "The Incredible Hulk."

"Never Back Down," a $20 million-plus film from production firm Summit Entertainment, targets the high school and college crowd. Sean Faris plays a misfit maturing under the guidance of a wise martial arts instructor, played by Djimon Hounsou.

Among several limited releases, Warner Independent unspools the horror movie "Funny Games" in 289 locations, while Overture has the domestic drama "Sleepwalking" in 25 venues.

Ed McMahon recovering from neck injury

LOS ANGELES - Former "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon broke his neck in a fall last year and was recovering after two surgeries, his publicist said Thursday.

Susan DuBow said the fall happened last March. She said she did not believe McMahon was at his Beverly Hills home when it happened.

"It's been a tough year, but I'm working hard in rehab and doing the best I can to get through it," the 85-year-old McMahon said in a statement.

DuBow said she was not allowed to release any further information for legal reasons. McMahon was recently seen walking around at a public event in a neck brace.

McMahon is perhaps best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick for decades on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson." He worked with Carson on the game show "Who Do You Trust?" in 1957 and was known for never failing to laugh at Carson's quips.

McMahon's trademark opener for each "Tonight" show was: "And now h-e-e-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!" followed by a small bow toward the star.

In March 2005, McMahon fell at his home in a gated community in Beverly Hills. He suffered mild concussion and received several stitches for a gash in his forehead.

McMahon also was co-host with Dick Clark of the "Bloopers" shows and he has made regular appearances on The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.

'Once' stars going on tour

Oscar winners and real-life couple Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova can add one more modifier to their union: tour mates.

The Once co-stars will embark on a 27-stop tour with their band The Swell Season starting April 23 in Phoenix. Among the tour highlights: stops at music festivals Coachella and Bonnaroo and a date at Radio City Music Hall.

Mariah fills in for sick Janet on `SNL'

NEW YORK - "Saturday Night Live" has replaced a flu-ridden Janet Jackson with another diva: Mariah Carey.

Carey, 37, will fill in for Jackson on the March 15 "SNL" telecast, NBC announced Wednesday.

Jackson, 41, was scheduled to perform live Saturday night in support of her latest album, "Discipline," which was released last month. The singer's publicist, Patti Webster, said Tuesday she dropped out because she has the flu and "needs some time to get better."

Carey's latest album, EMC2, arrives April 15.

Last `Harry Potter' book becomes 2 films

LOS ANGELES - Harry Potter was the center of seven novels, but he'll star in eight films.

The final book in the wildly successful series will be made into two films, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Producers are expected to announce Thursday that J.K. Rowling's last "Potter" installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two parts on the big screen. The first film is slated for release in November, 2010, with part two following in May 2011.

"It was born out of purely creative reasons," producer David Heyman told the Times. "Unlike every other book, you cannot remove elements of this book."

Filming began in September on the sixth "Potter" flick, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

"It's been brilliant," said star Daniel Radcliffe. "It's also, I think, the funniest of the films so far."

The "Potter" film franchise has pulled in $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office.

SCTV reuniting for a good cause

Citizens of Melonville, SCTV is back!

Or at least, most of the players who made the late 1970s, early '80s TV comedy series so memorable, with characters like Guy Caballero, Bobby Bittman, Edith Prickley, Lola Hetherington, Ed Grimley, and Bob and Doug McKenzie.

The Star has learned that Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short and Dave Thomas will reunite as performers for the first time in 24 years on May 5 at The Second City's Toronto home on Mercer St.

Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis are trying to extricate themselves from previous engagements so they can join their colleagues.

"I only know one thing: it's going to be fun," said Short, in an interview from his home in Los Angeles.

He recalls his time on SCTV as "a miracle. It was the first time that I was tapping into the kind of work I would do for the rest of my career."

SCTV first went on the air as a half-hour show on Global TV in 1976 and wound up as a 90-minute program on CBC and NBC. Its final original year was on pay TV service Superchannel in 1984.

Short joined the series in 1982, near the end of its run, and says he found it "a daunting experience. I was being asked to join a show that was an Emmy-winning hit, the hippest thing in comedy.

"I really developed Ed Grimley there," he laughed, referring to the twitchy, cowlicked character that also appeared on Saturday Night Live and in his own animated series. "Up until then, Grimley had only been a character who would appear naked coming out of the shower to my wife."

The appearance in May is a fundraiser for The Alumni Fund, which raises money to help veteran artistic and support personnel from SCTV and The Second City comedy troupe who are facing health or financial hardship.

Also appearing that night are Colin Mochrie and the comedy group Women Fully Clothed (Kathryn Greenwood, Robin Duke, Debra McGrath, Jayne Eastwood and Teresa Pavlinek).

"I am thrilled to have this wonderful collection of Second City alums come home and support their colleagues and friends who may be experiencing some difficulties in their lives," said executive producer Andrew Alexander.

'Gilligan's Island' star busted for pot

DRIGGS, Idaho - A surprise birthday party for Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," ended with a nearly three-hour tour of the Teton County sheriff's office and jail when the 69-year-old was caught with marijuana in her vehicle while driving home.

Wells is now serving six months' unsupervised probation. She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Prosecutors dropped misdemeanour counts of driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

According to a sheriff's, Wells was pulled over after she swerved across the fog lines and centre lines of State Highway 33 and repeatedly speeded up and slowed down.

The officer who stopped her said he smelled burning marijuana.

Wells reportedly told him that she'd just given a ride to three hitchhikers and had dropped them off when they began smoking something.

Police found three half-smoked joints in the ashtray, a fourth half-smoked joint and two small cases used to store marijuana.

Wells' lawyer Ron Swafford said a friend admitted he'd left a small amount of marijuana in the car after having used it that day and that Wells was unaware of it.

Wells is the founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute in Driggs and the organizer of the region's annual family movie festival called the Spud Fest.

New CD Releases, March 11: Randy Jackson, Presidents of the United States of America, Snoop Dogg

Randy Jackson "Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume 1"

America (as well as the rest of the world) will finally get a chance to vote on an "American Idol" judge, as Jackson--part of the TV show's three-headed popular-music tribunal, which also includes Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell--releases his first solo album.

Besides starring on "Idol," Jackson is also a Grammy-winning producer, professional songwriter, multi-talented musician and respected A&R man. He's got a ton of pull in the industry and he uses his connections to their fullest on this album.

"Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1" features such guest stars as fellow "Idol" judge Abdul, "Idol" vets Katherine McPhee and Elliot Yamin, blues-belter Joss Stone, country singer Travis Tritt, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and, most impressively, R&B/pop queen Mariah Carey.

* * *
Presidents of the United States of America "These are the Good Times People"

The Seattle modern-rockers return with "These are the Good Times People," their first studio effort in nearly four years. This follow-up to 2004's "Love Everybody" features the single "Mixed Up SOB," which was produced by Kurt Bloch (Robyn Hitchcock, Mudhoney), former frontman of defunct Seattle garage-rock legends The Fastbacks.

The Presidents of the United States of America will back "These are the Good Times People" with a brief headlining tour, which kicks off March 14 in Portland and will hit 11 cities in March, with the bulk of the trek located on the West Coast.

The band's current lineup consists of "basitarist"/vocalist Chris Ballew, drummer Jason Finn and "guitbass" player Andrew McKeag, who has taken over for founding member Dave Dederer.

* * *
Snoop Dogg "Ego Trippin'"

The rap legend returns with his ninth CD, "Ego Trippin'," which features the single "Sexual Eruption." Featured guest stars/producers include Nelly, Raphael Saadiq and--get this--The Gap Band.

* * *
Shawn Mullins "Honeydew"

The Atlanta folk-rocker, best known for the late-'90s hit "Lullaby," is back with a follow-up to 2006's "9th Ward Pickin Parlor." The lead track from the 12-song "Honeydew" CD, "All In My Head," was originally written as a prospective theme song for "Scrubs" and is featured on that TV show's soundtrack.

* * *
Mike Patton "A Perfect Place"

The San Francisco Bay Area-based singer, who became a star as the lead vocalist for Faith No More, releases a soundtrack on his own Ipecac label. It's the score to a 20-minute film noir project, which is also titled "A Perfect Place." The effort follows the voice-over work that Patton did for the recent big-screen blockbuster "I Am Legend," where the singer gave "voice" to the zombie-like creatures that star Will Smith battled.

* * *
More new releases:
Jil Aigrot, "Words of Love: The Voice of Edith Piaf in the Award-winning Film 'La Vie En Rose'" (LML)
DJ BC, Big D & the Kids Table, "Strictly Mixed and Mashed" (For in Hand)
Ill Nino, "Enigma" (Cement Shoes)
Jaymay, "Autumn Fallin'" (Blue Note0
Jonas Kaufmann, "Romantic Arias" (Decca)
Kaki King, "Dreaming of Revenge" (Velour)
Greg Laswell, "How the Day Sounds" (Vanguard)
Charle Lloyd, "Rabo de Nube" (ECM)
Shawn McDonald, "Roots" (Sparrow)
Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark and Chris Hillman, "Capitol Collection" (Capitol)
Meshuggah, "Obzen" (Nuclear Blast)
Rick Ross, "Trilla" (Def Jam)
Various Artists, "Now That's What I Call the '80s" (Sony)
Why?, "Alopecia" (Anticon)

Madonna, Mellencamp head to rock hall

NEW YORK - Madonna, pop music's quick-change artist, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday and paid tribute to people who encouraged her and even critics who panned her for helping drive her career.

Heartland hitmaker John Mellencamp, with his son Speck playing guitar and his parents watching from a balcony above the Waldorf Astoria Hotel ballroom, joined the rock-kicking with a rumbling version of "Authority Song."

"I wrote this song, and I still feel the same way today as I did when I wrote it 25 years ago," Mellencamp said.

Philly soul producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, literate songwriter Leonard Cohen, British rockers the Dave Clark Five, and surf instrumentalists the Ventures were among the other inductees.

Madonna recalled key moments of her career, from playing her demo tape for record company president Seymour Stein when he was in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV, to her shock at looking out from the stage at thousands of girls dressed like her. "It freaked me out," she said.

She fondly remembered a teacher who encouraged her to follow her dreams when she was only 14, and said she's lucky to have people around her that are still doing that.

Even the people who "said I was talentless, that I was chubby, that I couldn't sing, that I was a one-hit wonder, they helped me, too," she said. "They inspired me because they made me question myself repeatedly and pushed me to be better."

Singer Justin Timberlake, who helped produce Madonna's upcoming album, inducted her with an innuendo-laden speech.

"The world is full of Madonna wannabes. I might have even dated a couple," said Britney Spears' ex. "But there is truly only one Madonna."

Timberlake told of how he felt ill one day while working on Madonna's new album and she asked whether he wanted a B-12 shot. He said sure, expecting a doctor to show up, but Madonna pulled out a syringe and said, "drop 'em."

After he pulled his pants back up, "she looked at me and said, 'That's top shelf,' and that was one of the greatest days of my life," he said.

"Everything he said is basically true," Madonna confirmed, "but I didn't say 'drop 'em,' I said, 'pull your pants down."

Madonna didn't perform but asked punk rockers Iggy Pop and the Stooges to sing "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light." At the end, a shirtless Pop said, "you make me feel shiny and new, like a virgin touched for the very first time," and tossed his microphone to the floor.

Mellencamp talked of having surgery for spina bifida when he was 6 weeks old, saying doctors were worried he would be paralyzed below the neck. The 56-year-old rocker said he never knew of the surgery until his teen years, when a classmate asked him about the scar behind his neck.

His grandmother always whispered in his ear, "Buddy, you're the luckiest boy alive."

"I'm lucky to be standing here for any number of reasons," said Mellencamp, a heart patient who snuffed out a cigarette as he took the stage.

Fellow Hall of Fame member Billy Joel, who inducted Mellencamp, said, "You scared us a couple of times when we thought we might have lost you a couple of times, even though it might have been a good career move."

The world needed Mellencamp's voice, he said.

"They need to hear somebody out there feels like they do, in the small towns or the big cities," Joel said. "And it doesn't matter if they hear it on a jukebox in a gin mill or on a ... truck commercial."

Gamble, taking the stage with his longtime partner, invited the audience to answer back his wish for "peace."

"Thank you so much, because that's exactly what our music represented," Gamble told the people gathered at the famed hotel for the annual ceremony, televised on VH1 Classic.

Patti LaBelle performed a chandelier-shaking rendition of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" to introduce Gamble and Huff. The songwriters and producers created a lush, melodic brand of soul known for their hometown and performed by a variety of artists.

Gamble cited one: Billy Paul's tale of the adulterous affair in "Me and Mrs. Jones."

"There's a little 'Me and Mrs. Jones' going on here in New York," he said to laughter, hours after New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was accused of hiring a prostitute.

He dispelled one rumor. The song "MFSB" stood for mother, father, sister, brother, he insisted. For years, others let their imaginations run wild with the initials.

One odd sign of the times: among the favors distributed to guests at Monday's dinner was a box of 30 blank CDs, presumably so people wouldn't have to worry about buying CDs anymore.

The Ventures excelled at what is almost a forgotten art in rock music — the instrumental. Nokie Edwards' twangy guitar gave the band its distinctive sound. They performed their first hit, "Walk, Don't Run," and "Hawaii Five-O."

John Fogerty recalled how he and fellow members of Creedence Clearwater Revival used to hang out in a garage learning the Ventures' songs.

"When the Ventures first hit the radio, I would say I was gone," Fogerty said. "The Ventures went on to record 250 albums. Think about that. These days, some of us would be happy to sell 250 albums."

Cohen, a Canadian, is one of music's most highly regarded, if not best-known, songwriters, through pieces like "Suzanne" and the much-covered "Hallelujah." Damien Rice sang the latter song in tribute.

Lou Reed, who was inducting Cohen, carried a sheaf of papers to the stage and read several examples of Cohen's lyrics.

"We're so lucky to be alive at the same time Leonard Cohen is," Reed said.

Cohen, dressed in a black tux, recited the lyrics to his song "Tower of Song" in a hushed voice.

"This is a very unlikely occasion for me," he said. "It is not a distinction that I coveted or even dared dream about."

The Dave Clark Five followed the Beatles in the original British Invasion, with catchy hits including "Glad All Over." Led by drummer and songwriter Clark, the band enters the hall at a tragic time: singer Mike Smith died at age 64 of pneumonia less than two weeks ago.

"Mike tried desperately to be here with us tonight," Clark said. "At least he knows he's a hall of famer. Mike, you're with us in spirit, my friend, and always will be."

Little Walter, who died in 1968, joins the hall in its sidemen category. He recorded frequently with Muddy Waters in the 1950s.

Plant reportedly nixes Zeppelin tour

It appears Robert Plant has scuttled any plans for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour.

According to the U.K. Daily Mirror newspaper, the singer has turned down a $200-million offer to tour with his legendary bandmates. Plant, the report says, wants to concentrate on his new partnership and summer tour with American country singer Alison Krauss.

Three months ago in London, Led Zeppelin wowed fans and critics alike at their first legit reunion concert since disbanding in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham.

Plant and fellow surviving Zep members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were each offered $200 million to tour as Zeppelin, the Mirror said, but after "extensive talks" the tour was turned down.

"The decision did not come down to money," the Mirror quoted a band source as saying. "They always said they would do the one-off show and then see how they felt."

Both Page and Jones wanted to tour, the paper said, but "Robert wanted to leave last year's concert as their legacy. They had proved they could still do it and that was enough."

Private funeral planned for Healey

TORONTO - Plans are underway to organize a public memorial for late Canadian guitarist Jeff Healey.

Healey's widow, Cristie, says details have yet to be finalized and that she appreciates the condolences and kind thoughts that have been sent her way. The renowned guitarist and bandleader died Sunday at age 41 following a battle with cancer.

Cristie Healey says a private funeral service will be held but that details are not being released.

She praised the guitar hero as "a loving husband and a committed family man."

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to Daisy's Eye Cancer Fund, an international children's charity.

"We would like to thank our family, friends and Jeff's fans for their condolences and kind thoughts at this most difficult time," Healey said Tuesday in a release.

"Jeff's music touched many people on many different levels. More importantly, in his personal life, Jeff was a loving husband and a committed family man, generous and kind, extremely down to earth, and a loyal friend. Jeff had a determination that he brought to all aspects of his life, and this was an inspiration to all that knew him. Now we need to say our goodbyes in private; however, we respect the public need to participate in celebrating Jeff's life and music and we are planning a public memorial, with details to follow."

Healey was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, retinoblastoma, as a child, resulting in his loss of sight and predisposing him to other cancers later in life.

Bryan Adams plots short fall tour

Bryan Adams returns to the road this fall for a short spin on the tour circuit, with a couple of October dates alongside fellow veteran rocker George Thorogood on the schedule.

The Canadian singer/songwriter kicks off an eight-city run Sept. 28 in Seattle. The two Thorogood shows come at the end of the outing, a pair of Northern California shows. All dates are included below.

Adams, who is consistently voted one of the most popular entertainers in his home country, was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame last year, and celebrated his 25th year as a recording artist in 2005 with the release of "Anthology," his first double-CD retrospective. The singer also put out "Live in Lisbon," a concert DVD, which was filmed earlier that year.

"Room Service," Adams' most recent studio album, was released in the US in the spring of 2005. It marked his first set of new music in almost seven years, with the exception of the 2002 film soundtrack for "Spirit," which Adams composed and performed in English and French. A single from the "Spirit" album, "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," scored a Grammy award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture.

Adams, who is also an accomplished photographer in addition to his music career, contributed an original song, "Never Let Go," to the soundtrack of the 2006 Ashton Kutcher/Kevin Costner vehicle "The Guardian."

In July, Billboard.com reported that Adams had been working on a new studio album, which would be the 11th of his career, "for a couple of years now," but no release date has been finalized as of yet.

September 2007
28 - Seattle, WA - WAMU Theater
29 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden
30 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center

October 2007
2 - Pala, CA - Palomar Starlight Theater at Pala Casino
3 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater
4 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
5 - Murphys, CA - Ironside Vineyard (w/ George Thorogood)
6 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre (w/ George Thorogood)

Dungeons & Dragons co-creator dies at 69

MILWAUKEE - Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and is widely seen as the father of the role-playing games, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69. He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gail Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Born Ernest Gary Gygax, he grew up in Chicago and moved to Lake Geneva at the age of 8. Gygax's father, a Swiss immigrant who played violin in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, read fantasy books to his only son and hooked him on the genre, Gail Gygax said.

Gygax dropped out of high school but took anthropology classes at the University of Chicago for a while, she said. He was working as an insurance underwriter in the 1960s, when he began playing war-themed board games.

But Gygax wanted to create a game that involved more fantasy. To free up time to work on that, he left the insurance business and became a shoe repairman, she said.

Gygax also was a prolific writer and wrote dozens of fantasy books, including the Greyhawk series of adventure novels.

Gary Sandelin, 32, a Manhattan attorney, said his weekly Dungeons & Dragons game will be a bit sadder on Wednesday night because of Gygax's passing. The beauty of the game is that it's never quite the same, he said.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.

Chesney leads Academy of Country Music award bids

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Kenny Chesney easily snagged 12 nominations on Tuesday to lead contenders for the annual Academy of Country Music awards, and Rodney Atkins, who has had four straight number one singles, was second with six.

Atkins, 39, whose "If You're Going Through Hell" was the most played country single of 2006, was Top Male Vocalist in last year's academy competition.

Chesney led in total nominations, including one for Entertainer of the Year, which he had already won three times. If he wins that again he would tie Garth Brooks for academy honors in that category.

The nominations were announced in Nashville along with the announcement that, for the first time, fans will choose the winner of the "Entertainer of the Year" award. Voting will start on May 5 and the awards will be presented on May 18 in Las Vegas in a program aired on CBS Television.

Coming in third on the nominations list was Brad Paisley with four individual nominations, while the duos Big & Rich and Sugarland each won four nominations.

Miranda Lambert and 18-year-old Taylor Swift both received three nominations.

In addition to the top entertainer award, Chesney's nominations included Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Don't Blink."

Atkins was nominated for Top Male Vocalist, Song of the Year and Video of the Year for "Watching You" and Album of the Year for "If You're Going Through Hell."

Brad Paisley was nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Top Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for "5th Gear" and Video of the Year for "Online."

Big & Rich snared nominations for Top Vocal Duo and, for the song "Lost in this Moment," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year. John Rich was nominated for a producer and writer award, and Big Kenny for two producing awards.

Sugarland's four nominations were for Top Vocal Duo, and for the song "Stay," Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year. Jennifer Nettles also received two nominations for writing and producing, and Kristian Bush received one for producing.

Besides Chesney and Paisley, other nominees for Entertainer of the Year were the duo Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Keith Urban. The nominees for female Vocalist were Lambert, Swift, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood. Top Male Vocalist nominations went to Atkins, Chesney, Paisley, Strait and Urban.

Coen brothers' next film to "Burn"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Moviegoers won't to have wait long to see the next film from Joel and Ethan Coen, the Oscar-winning brothers behind "No Country For Old Men."

Their next project, the dark espionage comedy "Burn After Reading," will be released September 12 via Focus Features, the studio said Monday. The cast includes George Clooney, John Malkovich, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand, Joel Coen's wife.

The Coens last month won the best picture, directing and adapted screenplay Oscars for "No Country For Old Men." The Miramax Films/Paramount Vantage co-production is the most commercially successful of their career, with domestic ticket sales of $69.7 million to date.

Genies golden for Polley

Shut out at the Oscars, Sarah Polley's Away From Here wins seven awards

This was one awards show that Sarah Polley wasn't going to let get away from her.

First-time director Polley -- whose heart-wrenching feature directing debut Away From Her came up empty at the Oscars last week (even in the best actress category it was favoured to win) -- was the big winner at last night's Genie Awards for Canadian movies.

The Alzheimer's-themed love story, taken from Alice Munro's short story The Bear Came Over The Mountain, received seven trophies from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The awards were held last night at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Among them: Best Motion Picture, Direction (Polley), Actor (Gordon Pinsent), Actress (the also Oscar-nominated Julie Christie), Supporting Actress (Kristen Thomson) and Best Adapted Screenplay (a category for which Polley had earlier received an Oscar nom).

As well, Polley was the pre-announced recipient of the Claude Jutra Award for best feature film by a first-time director.

The seven wins was matched by Away From Her's main competition, David Cronenberg's Russian-mob crime thriller Eastern Promises. However, those wins were mainly in technical categories, including cinematography (Peter Suschitzky), editing (Ronald Sanders), original score (Howard Shore), overall sound (shared by five people) sound editing (shared by five people). It also garnered a supporting actor nod for Armin Mueller-Stahl and best original screenplay for Steve Knight.

Up and down at the podium all night, Polley acknowledged Atom Egoyan (who directed her in The Sweet Hereafter, and has produced her work) as her mentor. "The ridiculousness of me winning in this category is not lost on me," she said as she accepted best director. "I would like to thank my fellow nominees for teaching me so much. And I would like to thank the first filmmaker who ever inspired me. Thank you Atom for everything. Without you, I wouldn't be here." She also joined in the Bill C-10 bashing, enthusing over living in a country that had allowed her "to find my own vision without pandering to committees."

Producer Daniel Iron, who accepted the best picture award with Simone Urdl and Jennifer Weiss, joined in the love in. "We want to express our gratitude and awe to Sarah. The whole experience was a joy," he said.

For his part, Cronenberg was gracious in surrendering the moment. "It's fantastic for Sarah," he said. "I cast her in one of my movies (eXistenZ) and she's a fantastic actress and I'm not surprised that she turns out to be a wonderful director and writer also. We all knew that she was a star from the age of four. It's not so horrible if whoever wins is someone you respect and admire."

Another Oscar make-good was the animated short Madame Tutli-Putli, which won the Genie in its category for Maciek Szczerbowski, Chris Lavis and Marcy Page. Apres Tout won Best Live Action Short for Alexis Fortier Gauthier and Elaine Hebert, while Gary Burns and Jim Brown's "urban sprawl documentary Radiant City won in its category.

Only three feature films managed to break into the Away From Her/Eastern Promises tug-of-war. Andrew Currie's zombie comedy Fido won for art direction, Shake Hands With The Devil's Valanga Khoza and David Hirschfelder won for Original Song with Kaya and Silk won a costume design award for Carlo Poggioli and Kazuko Kurosawa.

The Winners

TORONTO -- The winners at the 28th annual Genie Awards handed out Monday in Toronto:

Best picture: "Away From Her."

Actor: Gordon Pinsent, "Away From Her."

Actress: Julie Christie, "Away From Her."

Supporting actor: Armin Mueller-Stahl, "Eastern Promises."

Supporting actress: Kristen Thomson, "Away From Her."

Director: Sarah Polley, "Away From Her."

Original screenplay: Steven Knight, "Eastern Promises."

Adapted screenplay: Sarah Polley, "Away From Her."

Editing: Ronald Sanders, "Eastern Promises."

Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky, "Eastern Promises."

Art direction/production design: Rob Gray, James Willcock, "Fido."

Costume design: Carlo Poggioli, Kazuko Kurosawa, "Silk."

Original score: Howard Shore, "Eastern Promises."

Original song: Valanga Khoza, David Hirschfelder, "Kaya" from "Shake Hands With the Devil."

Overall sound: Stuart Wilson, Christian Cooke, Orest Sushko, Mark Zsifkovits, "Eastern Promises."

Sound editing: Wayne Griffin, Robert Bertola, Tony Currie, Andy Malcolm, Michael O'Farrell, "Eastern Promises."

Best documentary: "Radiant City."

Live action short drama: "Apres Tout."

Animated short: "Madame Tutli-Putli."

Claude Jutra Award for outstanding achievement by a first-time film director: Sarah Polley, "Away From Her"

Milk That Cash Cow Lucas!!

Lucasfilm has just made the official announcement - all three existing Indiana Jones titles are due on DVD once again on 5/13.

This is the first time these three films have been made available on DVD individually (SRP $26.98 each), and they will have new bonus content.

You'll also be able to buy an Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection box set of all three (SRP $59.98). No word yet on a Blu-ray Disc release (we suspect only the new film will arrive on Blu-ray this year, but you never know - we'll try to confirm).

Here are the details...

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: Special Edition will feature anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) and 2.0 (French, Spanish) audio, An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas, 2 featurettes (Indiana Jones: An Appreciation and The Melting Face), a storyboard sequence for The Well of Souls scene, 4 image galleries (Illustrations & Props, Production Photographs & Portraits, Effects/ILM and Marketing) and the game trailer and demo for LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Special Edition will also feature anamorphic widescreen video, along with Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) and 2.0 (French, Spanish) audio, An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas, 2 featurettes (Creepy Crawlies and Locations), a storyboard sequence for The Mine Cart Chase, 4 image galleries (Illustrations & Props, Production Photographs & Portraits, Effects/ILM and Marketing) and the game trailer and demo for LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

Finally, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Special Edition will also feature anamorphic widescreen video, as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) and 2.0 (French, Spanish) audio, An Introduction by Steven Spielberg & George Lucas, 2 featurettes (The Women: The American Film Institute Tribute and Friends and Enemies), a storyboard sequence for The Opening Sequence, 4 image galleries (Illustrations & Props, Production Photographs & Portraits, Effects/ILM and Marketing) and the game trailer and demo for LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

That AFI thing was pretty cool. It featured a reunion and discussion with Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw and Alison Doody, and Harrison Ford himself showed up at the end IN COSTUME as Indy. This was done to promote the original box set DVD release of the films. It should be very cool to see again on disc.

Oscar winner: U.S. faked 9/11

Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard has sparked outrage in the U.S. after she hinted that the country intentionally plotted the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The 32-year-old has questioned the government's role in the attacks during a interview on a website.

She indicated that people had been led to believe lies and suggested the World Trade Centre was in desperate need of an upgrade, which would cost more than demolishing the towers.

"It was a money-sucker. To re-cable all that, to bring it up-to-date with all the technology and everything, it was a lot more expensive than destroying them," she said.

The accusations come just one week after Cotillard won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose."

She also reheated an old conspiracy theory about the 1969 moon landing never having happened.

New CD Releases, March 4: Alan Jackson, Black Crowes, Bauhaus

Alan Jackson "Good Time"

The cowboy crooner is back to offer fans a "Good Time." This new disc, Jackson's 17th album, already has delivered one big single, the Top 40 country hit "Small Town Southern Man."

The set was penned entirely by Jackson, marking the first such occasion in the star's lengthy career, and it follows a pair of 2006 albums: the award-winning inspirational collection "Precious Memories" and the Grammy-nominated "Like Red on a Rose."

Jackson will tour in support of "Good Time." His itinerary includes a run of April concerts in Canada with country duo Brooks & Dunn.

* * *
The Black Crowes "Warpaint"

The veteran rockers are ready to battle for chart supremacy with "Warpaint," the band's first new album in seven years.

Although they've had their share of success with past studio efforts, The Black Crowes have become known mostly for their blistering live shows in recent years. The group will tour in support of "Warpaint," performing the album in its entirety during a series of "One Night Only" shows in the US this month, and are also scheduled to play March 15 at Stubb's BBQ in Austin, TX, during the South by Southwest music festival.

* * *
Bauhaus "Go Away White"

Dust off those vampire capes and break out the mascara, dear goth fiends, because the legendary Bauhaus has finally returned with a new album. "Go Away White" is Bauhaus' first new studio offering since 1983's "Burning From the Inside."

The group, which features Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins, is arguably the most influential goth-rock band in history. Although they've been M.I.A. from the studio for 25 years, Bauhaus remains one of the subgenre's true listening staples. Fans will be delighted--in a decidedly goth way--to finally get the chance to hear some new tunes. Selections on the album include such appropriately dreary titles as "Endless Summer of the Damned."

* * *
The Doors "Live in Pittsburgh"

Fans will want to check out this live set, which was recorded in Steel City back on May 2, 1970. The concert featured the legendary classic rock band performing such fan favorites as "Back Door Man," "When the Music's Over" and "Light My Fire."

* * *
Jackson Browne "Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2"

The singer-/songwriter returns with a follow-up to his 2005 Grammy-nominated "Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1." This sequel, "Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2," was recorded during Browne's live shows over the past few years and features such songs as "Somebody's Baby" and "In the Shape of a Heart."

* * *
More new releases:
Autechre, "Quaristice" (Warp)
BoDeans, "Still" (He and He)
Kathleen Edwards, "Asking for Flowers" (Zoe)
Flogging Molly, "Float" (Side One Dummy)
Judy Garland, "Garland at the Grove" (DRG)
The Gutter Twins, "Saturnalia" (Sub Pop)
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, "Real Emotional Trash" (Matador)
Michael McDonald, "Soul Speak" (Motown)
Sesame Street, "Platinum All Time Favorites" (Koch)
Ashton Shepherd, "Sounds So Good" (MCA Nashville)
The Waifs, "Sundirtwater" (Compass)
Whiskeytown, "Strangers Almanac" (Geffen)
Johnny Winter, "Live Bootleg Series, Volume Two" (Friday Night)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Annie Get Your Gun--Studio Cast album" (DRG)
"Say, Darling (1958 Original Broadway Cast)" (DRG)

Turning to fans to finance CD

NEW YORK - In making six CDs, singer Jill Sobule has worked for two major record companies that dumped her and two indie labels that went bankrupt beneath her.

Now she's turning to people she can really trust — her fans.

Sobule, whose witty and poignant writing first attracted attention with the song "I Kissed a Girl," has set up a Web site asking fans to donate money so she can make a new CD. She set a goal of $75,000 and, in a month, she's made about $54,000.

She's another example of a musician taking control of her career as the business crumbles around her, and doing it with a unique sense of humor.

Contributors can choose a level of pledges ranging from the $10 "unpolished rock," which earns them a free digital download of her disc when it's made, to the $10,000 "weapons-grade plutonium level," where she promises "you get to come and sing on my CD. Don't worry if you can't sing — we can fix that on our end."

For the $500 "gold level," Sobule will mention your name in a song, maybe even rhyme with it. The $750 "gold doubloons level" is "exactly like the gold level, but you give me more money."

Sobule is surprised at how empowering the whole experience has been.

"The old kind of paradigm, where you've always waited for other people to do things, you'd have your manager and your agent," she said. "You'd wait for the big record company to give you money to do things and they tell you what to do. This is so great. I want to do everything like this."

She set the $75,000 goal because she wanted to do things right. Well-known producer Don Was has agreed to work with her, and she expects friends like Cyndi Lauper and John Doe to sing with her. She also needs to pay for making and distributing the CDs, and promotion to publicize it.

Sobule even wrote to explain all this to some snarky Web sites that pointed out that someone can easily record music for $500 in their basement these days.

"I wrote, `Don't you understand, it's not just the recording budget, it's also my gambling debts,'" she joked, "and they became my best friends."

For a $5,000 contribution, Sobule said she'll perform a concert in the donor's house. The lower levels are more popular, where donors can earn things like an advanced copy of the CD, a mention in the liner notes and a T-shirt identifying them as a "junior executive producer" of the CD.

Besides the studio album (recording starts next month), Sobule also wants to record a live CD and a collection of new tracks with just her voice and guitar, asking amateurs to take a stab at making their own arrangements around her.

One positive, unexpected result from her campaign is getting to know her fans a little, beyond just the faces that stare at her onstage. Many have written messages that are posted on Sobule's Web site and offer suggestions.

Sobule always let the business people do their thing while she concentrated on being the artist.

"I lived like that forever and this time, this is fun," she said. "This is creative."

Van Halen tour scrapped: report

The remaining dates of Van Halen's North American concert tour have been cancelled, TMZ.com reports.

The tour began in September with popular singer David Lee Roth performing with the band for the first time in 22 years, and Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, playing bass.

Although performances were lined up through April 19, TMZ.com cited unnamed sources as saying the band's hotel reservations are being canceled now that the rest of the tour has been scrapped.

The band's last three shows were cancelled as Eddie Van Halen is said to be having "issues," the report said.

The rock icon, who spent time in rehab last year, has been in media headlines the last few weeks because his ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, is making the rounds to promote her new tell-all memoir.

The book discusses her and Van Halen's mutual infidelity and drug use during their more than 20 years of marriage.

Representatives for the band could not be reached for comment, TMZ.com said.

Jeff Healey's death shocking: bandmate

TORONTO - Acclaimed jazz and rock guitarist Jeff Healey was remembered Sunday as a musician of rare ability who had a wicked sense of humour and a generous nature as fans and bandmates mourned his death at age 41, following a battle with cancer.

Bandmates of Canadian rock and jazz legend Jeff Healey were among those shocked by the news of his death Sunday.

Healey died Sunday evening in a Toronto hospital surrounded by family and a bandmate, Colin Bray.

Bray, the bass player with Jeff Healey's jazz Wizards and the frontman's long-time friend, said he and many others expected the guitarist to rally from this latest illness.

"I don't think any of us thought this was going to happen," Bray said in a telephone interview. "We just thought he was going to bounce back as he always does."

Healey had battled with cancer since the age of one when a rare form of retinal cancer known as Retinoblastoma claimed his eyesight.

Bray said Healey had been hospitalized for a week and that his advanced lung cancer made his final hours difficult.

Healey had undergone numerous operations in recent years to remove tumours from his lungs and leg.

Bray and fellow bandmate Gary Scriven remembered their frontman as not only a world-class musician but an incredibly strong person with the capacity to motivate those he worked with.

Scriven called Healey inspirational and praised the boundless enthusiasm that allowed him to continue performing live only four weeks before his death.

"He drew his strength from somewhere, I don't know where, but it spread among the band and flowed into the audience," Scriven said.

Healey rose to stardom as the leader of the Jeff Healey Band, a rock-oriented trio that garnered a Juno award, international acclaim and platinum record sales with the 1988 album "See the Light."

But Bray and Scriven said Healey's true love was jazz, the genre that dominated his last three albums with the Jazz Wizards.

Healey's guitar prowess was characterized by a unique playing-style that saw him lay the instrument across his lap.

It led him to share stages with such rock luminaries as George Harrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King, but Bray said jazz allowed him to exercise his other instrumental talents such as trumpet and drums.

Healey's love of jazz also led him to host radio shows on the CBC and a local Toronto station where he spun long-forgotten numbers from his personal collection of over 30,000 vinyl records.

But Bray said his "best friend" saw himself first and foremost as an entertainer and said Healey seemed to derive therapeutic benefits from playing live shows.

Recalling Healey's weakened condition at his final performance on Feb. 2 in Sarnia, Ont., Bray said Healey seemed to draw strength as the set progressed.

"At the end of it, I can't believe how much better he looked. It was like blood to him."

Healey's death came weeks before the release of his first rock album in eight years.

"Mess of Blues" is slated for a North American release on April 22.

Healey is backed on the album by the resident band at Jeff Healey's Roadhouse, the blues club he founded and named after a 1989 Patrick Swayze movie in which he appeared.

The album features two live tracks recorded in the last few months of his life.

The Grammy-nominated musician is survived by his wife Christie and two children; daughter Rachel, 13 and son Derek, 3.

Funeral and memorial arrangements have not yet been announced.

The Couch Potato Report - March 1st, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels some battles, a death AT a funeral, some animation and The Cid.

After a few very busy weeks, things have slowed down a bit, but I still have 6 releases to tell you about, beginning with this week's Hot Potato...Season Three of the Canadian comedy faux-reality television series KENNY VS. SPENNY.

KENNY VS. SPENNY is a series that originally aired on CBC and in each episode the two best friends and roommates - Kenny and Spenny - face each in different competitions.

There are 13 episodes in SEASON THREE and some of the competitions are funny, others are interesting, and there are also several that are so childish or stupid that you will just want to ignore.

Plus, Kenny is a bully who wins almost all of the competitions, and at times you will actually wonder why Spenny puts up with the things he does, including the weekly humiliations as he loses.

But there is something about those shows that makes you keep watching, long after you want to, but...if you are like me...you will be constantly asking yourself "Why am I watching this?!?!"

But I couldn't stop watching, and laughing, and I must admit, I was entertained!

Due to it's language, anything goes attitude, and content, KENNY VS. SPENNY isn't a show for everyone, but if you are looking for something uniquly stupid, immature, childish and addictively fun..., check out SEASON THREE and have some fun.

Or, if you prefer well written black comedies with a wry wit and a well placed sense of humour over gross out gags and immature friends, then you can skip Kenny and Spenny and check out DEATH AT A FUNERAL.

On the morning of their father's funeral, the family and friends of the deceased each arrive with his or her own set of problems issues and anxieties.

Plus...they are at a funeral!

Then comes the real shocker: a mysterious guest who threatens to unveil an earth-shattering family secret.

Black comedy is defined at that where topics and events that are usually treated seriously - like death - are treated in a humorous or satirical manner and DEATH AT A FUNERAL is a prime example of that.

If you like classic British Farce, then this is a film for you.

I found it hilarious with one great moment following another.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL is a great film!!

Both DEATH AT A FUNERAL and KENNY VS. SPENNY feature people who get quite animated at times.

Our next three releases this week feature characters who are animated all the time.

Like The Smurfs!

Created on October 23rd, 1958, in Belgium The Smurfs are a group of small blue creatures who live in mushroom houses somewhere in the woods.

Their popularity as toys continues around the glode to this day, but it was the 1981 debut of their Saturday-morning cartoon that first made them famous in North America.

This two disc boxset THE SMURFS - SEASON ONE, VOLUME ONE includes the first 19 episodes from Season 1, along with The Smurfs Springtime Special and some other bonus features.

This show was fun then, and it is fun now!

If you loved The Smurfs when you are a kid...this is a perfect way to feel young again.

If you don't like animated Smurfs, how about cartoon cats? Or dynamically drawn dogs?

Well then, I have good news! The Walt Disney classics THE ARISTOCATS and 101 DALMATIONS are now available in new Special Edition DVDs!

As a kid, I could never understand why the voice of Baloo the Bear from THE JUNGLE BOOK was coming out of Thomas O'Malley the Orange Cat in THE ARITOCATS, or how THE RESUCERS' Miss Bianca was Duchess the white Cat...but as an adult, I now understand...and I have started to appreciate THE ARISTOCATS even more.

While not Disney's best animated film of all time....the jazzy fun of THE ARISTOCATS is great for us kids...of all ages....and it has never looked or sounded better than it does in this new SPECIAL EDITION DVD.

The TWO DISC PLATINUM EDITION of 101 DALMATIONS allows that film to look and sound incredible as well!

In addition to the still superb 1961 film, this PLATINUM EDITION features a wide array of features, including Virtual Dalmatians, 101 Pop-Up Trivia Facts, The Making Of 101 Dalmatians, Deleted Songs originally written for the film, and much more!

Beware, it also features even more Cruella De Vil too!!

Finally this week is another classic...and unlike THE ARISTOCATS and 101 DALMATIONS, this one is making it's debut on DVD.

This classic is the 1961 Charleton Heston/Sophia Loren film EL CID.

Heston plays The Cid, an 11th-century hero who drove the Moors from Spain.

While not as sweeping an epic as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, EL CID does still have compelling and real characters, spectacular sets and costumes, sword fights and plenty of romance.

This is the type of film people are talking about when they say "They don't make 'em like that anymore!"


The new Three-Disc Limited Collector's Edition of EL CID looks fantastic, and it is NOW available on DVD along with the SPECIAL EDITION of THE ARISTOCATS, SEASON ONE, VOLUME ONE of the always fun SMURFS, the black comedy DEATH AT A FUNERAL and KENNY VS. SPENNY - SEASON THREE.

The 2 DISC PLATINUM EDITION of 101 DALMATIONS will be in stores on Tuesday.

Coming up in TWO WEEKS on the next Couch Potato Report

LOVE AND OTHER DILEMMAS is a Canadian comedy starring Gabrielle Miller, Lacey from CORNER GAS as a woman who insists her wedding day will be perfect, even though she's eight-months pregnant, been robbed, kidnapped and thinks her fiancé Henry is dead.

I will also talk about the Academy Award winning Best Picture of 2007 NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN; Steve Carrel is DAN IN REAL LIFE; Robin Williams headlines AUGUST RUSH; and JUSTICE LEAGUE - THE NEW FRONTIER is a great new animated movie featuring Superman, Batman AND Wonder Woman. in an origin story of how the Justice League first got together.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in fourteen 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!

Wal-Mart stirs CD pricing pot with multi-tiered plan

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The major music companies have been resistant to lowering their price on CDs, but now they may be dragged to that point: Wal-Mart, the largest retailer of music with an estimated 22 percent market share, has proposed a five-tiered pricing scheme that would allow the discounter to sell albums at even lower prices and require the labels to bear more of the costs.

According to sources, the Wal-Mart proposal would allow for a promotional program that could comprise the top 15 to 20 hottest titles, each at $10. The rest of the pricing structure, according to several music executives who spoke with Billboard, would have hits and current titles retailing for $12, top catalog at $9, midline catalog at $7 and budget product at $5. The move would also shift the store's pricing from its $9.88 and $13.88 model to rounder sales prices.

Executives at the Bentonville, Arkansas-based discounting giant wouldn't comment on the specifics of their promotion, but Wal-Mart divisional merchandise manager for home entertainment Jeff Maas acknowledged the proposal. "When you look at sales declines with physical product, and you have a category declining like it is, you have to make decisions about what the future looks like," he said. "If you have a business that is declining and you want to turn it around, it really takes looking at it from all angles."

Maas referenced the DVD business as a model for tiered pricing. "(It) has been around for years and has worked very well," he said.

While Wal-Mart's negotiations with the labels have yet to take place, the proposal is already causing agita at the majors. Some consider the proposal a non-starter, others say further negotiations might eventually yield a workable solution, and a few see it as appropriate, given the big picture.

"I don't think this is a Wal-Mart discussion," one top executive at a major label said. "I think this is a future-of-the-business discussion. Right now everyone is paralyzed."

Some executives raised the question of whether the Federal Trade Commission would take issue with such a program were it rolled out only to Wal-Mart. But one executive said, "Making it legal is not the difficult part. The difficult part is coming to terms with it."

Another top executive said, "The decision might come down to: Do we give up 20 percent of our business (i.e., Wal-Mart) in order to not lose the entire business?"

That question assumes that Wal-Mart would either penalize or stop doing business with a major that decides not to participate in the pricing program. Moreover, if all majors take a pass, some speculate that Wal-Mart could pull music entirely from the store.

This type of speculation abounds, although the Wal-Mart proposal was presented only as a starting point. One label executive said, "This sounds like the Hail Mary pass, and if it doesn't work, they could be out of the music business; or maybe they reduce music down to a couple of racks" from the 4,000 titles carried by Wal-Marts with larger selections.

Maas declined to rule out those possibilities, but said he'd rather look at how Wal-Mart can help a declining category. "The customer votes every single day in our stores, and based on what they want is how we merchandise our stores."

'Semi-Pro' scores $15M, tops box office

LOS ANGELES - Will Ferrell's basketball comedy "Semi-Pro" dribbled to the top of the weekend box office, but it fell short of his previous blockbuster openings in the sports spoof genre, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The New Line Cinema film, starring Ferrell as the owner of a fictional basketball franchise, grossed $15.3 million in its weekend debut. That was lackluster compared to Ferrell's 2006 NASCAR parody "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which opened at $47 million, and last year's figure skating comedy "Blades of Glory," which earned $33 million in its first weekend.

Box office analysts said "Semi-Pro" likely suffered because it was released during a normally slow season and was rated R, while "Talledega Nights" and "Blades of Glory" were rated PG-13.

"Will Ferrell is always a draw and audiences love him. But this particular weekend is not quite as strong as his earlier efforts," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracker Media By Numbers LLC.

New Line representatives declined to comment. Last week, media conglomerate Time Warner Inc. announced that New Line would be merged with its Warner Bros. Entertainment studio to cut costs and improve profitability.

Last weekend's top film, the Sony Pictures terrorism thriller "Vantage Point," dropped to second place with $13 million in ticket sales, bringing its two-week domestic total to $41 million.

Sony's new release "The Other Boleyn Girl" performed better than expected, opening at No. 4 with $8.3 million at 1,166 theaters. Its $7,118 per theater average outdistanced other movies in the marketplace.

The weekend's other opening, the Summit Entertainment fantasy romantic comedy "Penelope," debuted in eighth place with $4 million.

Box office revenues overall were down for the third straight week. The top 12 movies grossed $81 million, down 10 percent from last weekend and 25 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. "Semi-Pro," $15.3 million.
2. "Vantage Point," $13 million.
3. "Spiderwick Chronicles," $8.8 million.
4. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $8.3 million
5. "Jumper," $7.6 million.
6. "Step Up 2 The Streets," $5.7 million.
7. "Fool's Gold," $4.7 million.
8. "Penelope," $4 million.
9. "No Country For Old Men," $4 million.
10. "Juno," $3.4 million.

BBC: Hell's Angels sought to kill Jagger

LONDON - Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger escaped an assassination plot hatched in 1969 by the Hells Angels, a new British Broadcasting Corp. documentary has claimed.

A program to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday says the rock star was the target of the plot following a purported dispute with the motorcycle gang over concert security.

Jagger had vowed not to use Hells Angel members as bouncers following the death in December 1969 of an 18-year-old fan at a notorious free performance at Altamont Speedway in Northern California.

In return, gang members hatched a plan to kill Jagger at his holiday home in Long Island, New York, the BBC claimed.

"The Hells Angels were so angered by Jagger's treatment of them that they decided to kill him," Tom Mangold, the presenter of the program, was quoted as telling Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

He said the plan was disclosed during an interview with Mark Young, a former FBI officer, for the BBC's "The FBI at 100" documentary.

Mangold said the men tried to reach Jagger by sea. "The boat was hit by a storm and all of the men were thrown overboard," he was quoted as saying. They all survived but made no other attempt on his life, Mangold said.

It was not clear whether Jagger was ever informed of the alleged plot against him.

LD Communications, Jagger's publicists in Britain, did not immediately return calls requesting comment.

The Hells Angels have always denied any connection with the Altamont Speedway killing.