"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.