The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration

On Paramount Home Entertainment’s release of 'The Godfather: The CoppolaRestoration' DVDset, the studio has included some hidden features, ready for you to discover.

Insert the fourth disc of the DVD set, which contains all of the new 2008 bonus materials. On the Main Menu highlight the 'Set Up' menu option and then press the 'Up' arrow key on your remote control. This will highlight a Godfather icon on the right. If you press 'enter' now you will have the chance to see a clip of Francis Ford Coppola discussing his initial research into the mafia.

Now insert the fifth disc of the DVD set in your player, which ich chock full of hidden features. On the Main Menu, select 'Set Up' and once you are in that submenu, press the 'Right' arrow key on your remote control. This will highlight a globe in the background, giving you access to a collage of clips from various language version of the film, including Italian, German and English.

Another hilarious hidden feature can be found on the same disc. From the main menu, go to 'Galleries' and there select 'DVD Credits.' In this section, keep following the next arrow at the bottom of the screen all the way to the end and you will be treated to a great clip of the Sopranos trying to watch an 'advance bootleg' version of the Godfather DVD.

Another hidden feature can be found on this disc. Go to the 'Family Tree' section and select 'Sonny,' which takes you to the family tree of Santino Corleone. Here, select 'Sonny' again and you will be taken to his biography. Press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control to highlight the image of James Caan and then press 'Enter.' This brings up Caan’s own biography. Now, press the 'Left' arrow key once again to highlight the portrait of him on the left side and if you press 'Enter' now, you will be treated to a screen test by James Caan for his part as Sonny Corleone.

And there's another one, which can be found in the 'Filmmakers' section on this fifth disc. Go there and select 'Mario Puzo's' biography. Once you get there, press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control twice and a large dollar sign will appear. It gives you access to a short clip, in Coppola asks the writer, why he actually wrote 'The Godfather.' Puzo's answer to it is quite revealing...

Stars flocking to Newman tribute

Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks will be among the A-list stars who will pay tribute to movie legend Paul Newman at a benefit gala for the late actor's California kids camp The Painted Turtle.

Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Danny Devito, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Billy Crystal will also take the stage at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, California on October 27.

The stars will perform a stage reading of The World of Nick Adams, an adaptation of a number of Ernest Hemingway's autobiographical stories, written by Newman's longtime pal A.E. Hotchner.

Metallica dismisses fan complaints

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has slammed fans for complaining about the sound quality of the group's latest album Death Magnetic - insisting the unpolished finish was intentional.

Hoardes of rock fans have hit online music forums to discuss their disappointment in the LP's production, with many feeling the record is "too loud".

As a further blow, fans have labelled the version available through the Guitar Hero video game as superior to the actual official release.

But Ulrich disagrees with the comments that have surfaced since the record hit stores earlier this month, and is proud of the album's live feel.

He tells Blender magazine, "(Producer) Rick Rubin's whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it (to) sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I've heard that there are a few people complaining. But I've been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds f**kin' smokin."

And the drummer blames the Internet for fan's unrest - because it fuels people's urge to complain.

He adds, "The difference between back then and now is the internet. The internet gives everybody a voice, and the Internet has a tendency to give the complainers a louder voice."

Paul Gross war epic to screen for Canadian troops in Kandahar

Canadian troops in Afghanistan are getting a special advance screening of Paul Gross's epic First World War film, Passchendaele.

Gross — who wrote, starred in, and directed the tale of love and valour — said Monday that soldiers stationed in Kandahar will be among the first Canadians to see his film on Friday.

"It has taken an uncommonly long time to bring this movie to the big screen, but we are finally able to present it to the Canadian public and in some small way pay homage to the sacrifice of our forefathers in the Great War of 1914-1918," Gross said in a statement.

"It seems fitting that the troops who today so valiantly serve our country are among the first to see it," Gross added on Monday night, as he and co-stars Caroline Dhavernas, Joe Dinicol and Meredith Bailey hosted a special screening in Ottawa for dignitaries including Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean, army commander Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie and various military brass.

He noted that several soldiers from the Canadian Forces added a dose of realism to the film — largely shot at an aboriginal reserve not far from Calgary — by helping out as background actors and choreographing battle scenes.

And instead of staying in hotels provided by the production during filming, soldiers camped out on set at a site they dubbed Camp Hornberg in honour of Cpl. Nathan Hornberg. The 24-year-old mechanic from the King's Own Calgary Regiment was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Gross is in the midst of an eight-city national tour to promote Passchendaele, a $21-million project that he began envisioning about a dozen years ago after being inspired by war stories told by his grandfather. The movie opened the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.

The film starts with a harrowing battle that leaves Sgt. Michael Dunne, played by Gross, wounded. The Canadian soldier later falls in love with a nurse, Sarah (portrayed by Dhavernas), at a Calgary hospital. When Sarah's asthmatic brother David (Dinicol) decides to join the fight, Dunne feels compelled to protect him from the horrors of war and they both find themselves at the epic battle of Passchendaele.

Gross takes his special screenings to:

Winnipeg on Thursday.

Halifax on Oct. 6.

Montreal on Oct. 7.

Quebec City on Oct. 8.

Edmonton on Oct. 9.

Calgary on Oct. 15.

Vancouver on Oct. 16.

Passchendaele will be released across Canada on Oct. 17.

AC/DC Extends Tour, Heads To 'Rock Band'

AC/DC has extended its Black Ice tour of North America into early 2009. New dates begin Dec. 20 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and run through Jan. 31 in Nashville.

Tickets begin going on sale Saturday (Oct. 4). Eighteen previously announced shows have already sold out, according to the band's label, Columbia.

The tour comes in support of a new album of the same name, due Oct. 21 exclusively via Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores and AC/DC's Web site. First single "Rock'n'Roll Train" is No. 3 this week on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

"Black Ice" won't be the only AC/DC title available exclusively at Wal-Mart. In November, the retailer will be the only U.S. source for "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack," a special edition of the popular video game devoted to the veteran Australian band. In December, the game will be available through multiple retailers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

"AC/DC Live" includes 18 songs from the band's DVD "Live at Donnington." This will be the first "Rock Band" version focused on one group. "Guitar Hero" already has an Aerosmith game and is planning another based around Metallica.

Here are AC/DC's new tour dates:

Dec. 20: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Bank Atlantic Center)
Dec. 21: Tampa, Fla. (St. Pete Times Forum)
Jan. 5: Cleveland (Quicken Loans Arena)
Jan. 7: Pittsburgh (Mellon Arena)
Jan. 9: Toronto (Rogers Centre)
Jan. 11: Cincinnati (U.S. Bank Arena)
Jan. 13: St. Louis (Scottrade Center)
Jan. 15: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center)
Jan. 17: Fargo, N.D. (Fargodome)
Jan. 19: Minneapolis (Xcel Energy Center)
Jan. 21: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Jan. 23: Dallas (American Airlines Center)
Jan. 26: Tulsa, Okla. (BOK Center)
Jan. 28: Little Rock, Ark. (Alltel Arena)
Jan. 30: Memphis (FedEx Forum)
Jan. 31: Nashville (Sommet Center)

Here is the track list for "AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack":

"Thunderstruck"
"Shoot To Thrill"
"Back in Black"
"Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be"
"Heatseeker"
"Fire Your Guns"
"Jailbreak"
"The Jack"
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
"Moneytalks"
"Hells Bells"
"High Voltage"
"Whole Lotta Rosie"
"You Shook Me All Night Long"
"T.N.T."
"Let There Be Rock"
"Highway To Hell"
"For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)"

Paul McCartney Reignites 'Fireman' Project

Sir Paul McCartney is returning to his Fireman alias after a decade away from the collaborative project with producer Youth.

McCartney releases "Electric Arguments" by the Fireman on Nov. 17 via MPL, an imprint of his own London-based publishing company. The 13-track album will be manufactured and distributed by U.K. indie One Little Indian worldwide except the U.S., where ATO will issue it.

"Electric Arguments" is the third set from the Fireman, although it is the first to feature vocals and is described as "entirely different" from the dance and electronic music of previous releases.

McCartney and Martin "Youth" Glover, a former member of Killing Joke, released an ambient dance album, "Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest" (Parlophone), in 1993; McCartney's involvement was initially a secret but later leaked. They followed that with another electronica project, "Rushes" (Hydra/EMI) in 1998.

The new album features more traditional songwriting, including classic rock and acoustic tracks, "yet is in keeping with the genre-hopping spirit of the first two the Fireman albums," according to a statement. One track, "Lifelong Passion," was donated to the charity Adopt-A-Minefield as download for those making donations.

"Electric Arguments" was recorded in just 13 days, although the sessions were spread out over nearly a year. Each track was written and recorded in one day and the duo also produced the album.

The statement adds that it was "made with no record company restraints or a set release date to work to" and "with complete artistic and creative freedom." The radio edit of "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" debuted in the U.K. on national top 40 station Radio 1 on Zane Lowe's show and it is the DJ's "Hottest Record in the World Right Now."

McCartney released his last solo album, "Memory Almost Full," via Hear Music in June 2007. It was his first release since leaving EMI.

The "Electric Arguments" track listing is:

"Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight"
"Two Magpies"
"Sing the Changes"
"Travelling Light"
"Highway"
"Light From Your Lighthouse"
"Sun Is Shining"
"Dance 'Til We're High"
"Lifelong Passion"
"Is This Love?"
"Lovers in a Dream"
"Universal Here, Everlasting Now"
"Don't Stop Running"

To Be Thor Director, or Not To Be

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Flowing locks. Tights. Well, yeah, Thor kinda could pass for a Renaissance man…

If comic-book fans squinted real hard, today's news that actor-filmmaker Kenneth Branagh was in talks to direct Marvel's upcoming Thor movie looked not so bad. And pretty good even.

"I think it's kinda cool," said Rob M. Worley, editor of Comics2Film. "[But] he's not anybody I would have thought of."

Branagh, 47, is better known for interpreting William Shakespeare, on stage and in the movies (Henry V, Hamlet, etc.), than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the two comics giants who made a Marvel star of the ancient Norse god in the 1960s.

"It's definitely a stretch for Branagh, and for Marvel—more in the vein of getting Ang Lee to direct Hulk," Heidi MacDonald, who writes about the comics world on the Publishers Weekly blog The Beat, said in an email.

In what might give Marvel a good fright, Worley also made the Lee analogy, as in: "This could be like Jon Favreau, or it could be Ang Lee in a total mismatch."

To recap, Favreau was the unlikely directorial choice who succeeded with this summer's Iron Man; Lee was the unlikely directorial choice who, um, didn't with 2003's Hulk.

So, if Branagh becomes the unlikely choice to helm Thor—Marvel said it couldn't confirm the Variety report—then what? Is he the next Favreau? Or the next Lee?

Worley thinks the Thor script—a "more Lord of the Rings than Spider-Man" adventure by I Am Legend's Mark Protosevich—could be a good fit for Branagh's classical background.

"It's meant to be a big epic, and kind of Old World," Worley said.

MacDonald seemed to agree.

"Frankly, it seems kind of wacky," she said, "but if Thor is going to talk in 'thees' and 'thous,' who better than a Shakespearean vet to get it right?"

To be fair, Branagh is versed in verse other than iambic pentameter. As a movie star, he's done J.K. Rowling (in 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and blockbuster-ese (in 1998's Wild Wild West). As a filmmaker, he's made Robert De Niro go Boris Karloff (in 1994's Frankenstein, his last major Hollywood movie as director).

Thor is penciled in for a July 16, 2010, release. Under a new deal (or rather an extension of an old deal) announced today, Paramount Pictures will distribute the Marvel-made adventure along with four other planned films: The First Avenger: Captain America; The Avengers; and Iron Man 2—and 3.

Given the Branagh story, MacDonald has another project for Marvel to ponder.

"Maybe Emma Thompson will direct Spider-Woman," she said.

Springsteen, Joel team up for Obama

WASHINGTON - Rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are teaming up for their first joint concert to benefit Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Obama plans to attend the concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Oct. 16, the day after Obama's final debate with Republican John McCain at Hofstra University, located several miles outside the city in Hempstead, N.Y.

Seeing the two superstars together won't come cheap. Tickets start at $500 and range up to $10,000.

The event was first reported by the Huffington Post Web site and confirmed by an Obama aide.

The Couch Potato Report - September 27th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels an awful summer movie, one pretty good one, and we flashback to movie High School.

We all have those actors and acrtresses that we admire and love more than others.

Some of the folks I love and admire include Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Anne Hathaway, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Connelly, Bill Murray, Jodie Foster and Mike Myers.

I adore Mike Myers, and I love his work!!

From his years on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, through the WAYNE'S WORLD films, SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER, AUSTIN POWERS, the SHREK...I loved it all and - with few exceptions - THE CAT IN THE HAT - he could do no wrong!

Or so I thought...man, what a stinker his new film is!! THE LOVE GURU may not go down as the worst movie of the year, but I certainly think it is the greatest disappointment.

It is awful!!!

Normally when I sit through a movie this bad, I feel sorry for myself because of the waste of time, the ruing of my expectations, and sometimes even the shattering of a carrer - or two - that I enjoyed watching.

When THE LOVE GURU concluded, I just felt bad for Scarborough, Ontario's own Mike Myers...I still feel bad for him...how could someone so talented, someone who is usually so cinematically reliable, how could he write and star in garbage like this?!?

I hope he is okay!!

Now, many of us saw this disater coming from the moment we saw the trailer, or read the synopsis, which I have for you now, and bear in mind the majority of the film takes place in Toronto, Canada, yet here is the synopsis:

Pitka - an American raised outside of his country by gurus - returns to the States in order to break into the self-help business.

His first challenge: To settle the romantic troubles and subsequent professional skid of a star hockey player whose wife left him for a rival athlete.

It takes place in Canada, but even the synopsis, and the movie's trailer says that it takes place in America!

I have watched THE LOVE GURU twice now, out of allegience to Mike Myers, and both times I thought the same things - Justin Timberlake is very entertaining as a Frech Canadian - Celine Dion loving goaltender who plays for the Los Angeles Kings, some of Stephen Colbert's work as a Hockey Night In Canada commentator is smile enducing, Jessica Alba looks fantastic, and how could Mike Myers give us a movie this bad?!

And THE LOVE GURU is bad, even if you love Mike Myers, as I continue to, skip it, ignore it, just walk away!!

Just walk away!!

Now as surprisingly bad as THE LOVE GURU was, our next release was the polar opposite.

SEX AND THE CITY - THE MOVIE was surprisingly good!

I still can't believe how much I enjoyed this movie.

If you are unfamilar with the television series that this film is based on, SEX AND THE CITY is about four female friends - Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda - living, loving and shopping in New York City.

The series often portrayed frank discussions about romance and sexuality.

THE MOVIE is set four years after the events of the series finale, the film begins with Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie and her long-time onagain-off again lover Big viewing apartments with the intention of moving in together.

Yes, SEX AND THE CITY - THE MOVIE is about Carrie & Big's attempts to be happy, but it - like the series - is primarily about Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda living, loving and shopping in New York City....even though Samantha - played by Canadian actress Kim Cattrall - now lives in Los Angeles...yet she - for plot reasons - always seems to be back in New York.

Yes, I am on record as having enjoyed this film, but that is one thing about it that I still take exception to...when anything happens - little or huge - Samantha flies right back, and never looks tired or wrinkled.

But hey, if you love the characters, you want them together, so I can forgive that plot device.

What still prevents me from loving the film is that fact that it is too long, and the DVD release has 12 extra minutes that weren't in the theatrical version, making it almost two and a half hours long!

Plus, and this is the final issue I have with the SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE...Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson from DREAMGIRLS - who play's Carrie's new assistant - cannot act! She was great in he Academy Award winning role, but she is not great here.

Still, with all that said, I will always love movies about old friends spending time together, an dthat is what I liked about the movie. The clothes, the fashions, the loves, the passions, that stuff was okay...but I loved, yes loved, almost every scene that just featured Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda.

And yes, I am still surprised that I enjoyed THE SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE as much as I did.

Oh, and by the way for you fans of the series or film, writer and director Michael Patrick King says that he is hoping to have another film in theatres the summer after next!

Okay, let me give you capsule reviews of this week's other four releases, as there are actually 8 movies here, and I will start with George Clooney's LEATHERHEADS.

This is a wannabe romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, where the fast-talking Clooney recurits a strait-laced college sensation to join his team.

The college boy is being followed by a reporter - played by Oscar winner Renee Zelweger - and both men fall for her.

LEATHERHEADS wants to be a comedy, it wants to be slapstick, it wants to be the type of film they don't make anymore, but all it really is is over in 114 minutes, and that is too long!

Even though I liked the cast and characters, their film is not very good, and I say skip it.

RUN FATBOY RUN is up next, and it stars Simon Pegg from SHAUN OF THE DEAD and Thandie Newton from CRASH, two actors I always enjoy seeing in a film.

In this one he is an out-of shape guy who - five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day - decides to run a marathon to win her back.

RUN FATBOY RUN is not perfect, but it also isn't a complete waste of time. The characters are likeable, and there are more than a few laughs, so although it is utterly predictable, I liked it.

I also liked the films THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE when they first came out in the mid-1980s, and now, all these years later, I have no problems admitting I love them!

And now these three John Hughes films are available in the HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK COLLECTION!

They have all been digitally remastered, and there are several retrospective features on each DVD.

If part of your cinematic childhood was defined by THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES or WEIRD SCIENCE, I hope you still enjoy them as much today as I do!

Finally this week is the 5-DVD Box Set for THE GODFATHER TRILOGY - THE COPPPOLA RESTORATION.

Director Francis Ford Coppola and a team or restoration experts have taken the time to restore the first two GODFATHER films, and the new transfers for Parts I and II are exceptional!

At times it is like seeing them for the very first time!!

In addition to the three films, there is also two discs of bonus features, and many of them are all new!!

So even if you have the original DVD box set for these movies, it is completely worth it to buy them again, something I rarely say, because the restoration job on the first two films is just that good!

Enjoy!!

The spectacular FRANCIS FORD COPPPOLA RESTORATION of his GODFATHER TRILOGY, the memory-inducing HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK COLLECTION featuring John Hughes' films THE BREAKFAST CLUB, SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE, the mildly entertaining comedy RUN FATBOY RUN, the failed and flawed film LEATHERHEADS, the super successful SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE and the awful on almost every level "comedy" THE LOVE GURU are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Yes, next week it is a special Sunday edition of the report, and at that time I will tell you about four new TV ON DVD Sets, including SEASON FOUR of the Canadian series KENNY VS. SPENNY and SPORTS NIGHT, one of my favourite shows of all time!

Plus, the summer blockbuster IRON MAN is new on DVD, and so is the underrated comedy FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL.

I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, 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!

The Dark Knight falls in December

At the end of the year, Warner will release the undisputed box office champ of the last few years when The Dark Knight arrives on DVD and Blu-ray.

The film will arrive in Dolbt TrueHD and 1080p VC-1 on Blu-ray and anamorphic widescreen on DVD. As mentioned many months ago, the film will change aspect ratios slightly during playback to accommodate the scenes filmed for IMAX.

Extras include Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a scene, Batman Tech - The Incredible Gadgets and Tools, Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight, six episodes of Gotham Tonight, art galleries, trailers and TV Spots. This will also be Warner's first BD-Live title.

The discs will be available individually, or as part of a gift set which includes a replica of the Batpod.

All will arrive during the night on December 9th.

New CD Releases, September 30th: James Taylor, Ben Folds, T.I.

James Taylor "Covers" (Hear Music)

The acclaimed singer/songwriter pays respect to other songwriters with the release of "Covers." The album includes versions of songs made famous by such artists as Leonard Cohen, Eddie Cochran, The Dixie Chicks, George Jones, The Temptations, Buddy Holly and John Anderson.

"Covers" was created in a Massachusetts barn-turned-studio with Taylor's regular band. The selections are all songs that the vocalist has performed in concert over the years, but previously had not recorded.

Taylor is no stranger to the cover tune. Many of his best-known recordings have been cover songs, including "You've Got a Friend" and "How Sweet It Is."

* * *
Ben Folds "Way to Normal" (Sony)

The singer/songwriter/pianist is back with an eagerly awaited new studio album, which follows 2005's "Songs for Silverman."

"Way to Normal" was produced by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse) and it features bassist Jared Reynolds and drummer Sam Smith. Guest vocalist Regina Spektor appears on the album's first single, "You Don't Know Me."

Folds is currently showcasing his "Normal" sides on tour. The road show is scheduled to last through mid-November.

* * *
T.I. "Paper Trail" (Grand Hustle)

The Grammy-winning hip-hop star returns with his sixth album, which follows last year's "T.I. vs. T.I.P." The lead single from "Paper Trail" is the tune "No Matter What."

The album features tons of guest performers and top-name producers, including Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Usher, The Dream, Fall Out Boy, Kanye West, B.O.B, John Legend, DJ Toomp, Swizz Beatz, Drumma Boy and Danja.

Along with releasing several hit albums over the years, T.I. has also experienced his share of legal problems. Notably, earlier this year he was sentenced to a year in prison on weapons charges.

* * *
Jennifer Hudson "Jennifer Hudson" (Arista)

Having already established herself as a superstar vocalist in the film version of "Dreamgirls," Hudson finally gets around to releasing her eponymous debut CD.
Hudson, who first came to fame competing on "American Idol," is joined on this 13-track disc by some big-name guest stars. Included in the mix are fellow "Idol" vet Fantasia and rap star Ludacris.

* * *
Faith Hill "Joy to the World" (Warner Bros.)

Although Halloween is still a month away, the Christmas-time CD blitz has already started. Getting a jump on the competition is Hill, who delivers "Joy to the World."

The collection features the country star performing such holiday standards as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Silent Night."

* * *
More new releases:
Anberlin, "New Surrender" (Universal)
Ani DiFranco, "Red Letter Year" (Righteous Babe)
Dream Theater, "Chaos in Motion 2007-2008" (Roadrunner)
Linda Eder, "The Other Side of Me" (Verve)
Enigma, "Seven Lives Many Faces" (EMI)
Jack's Mannequin, "The Glass Passenger" (Warner Bros.)
Kellie Pickler, "Kellie Pickler" (BNI)
Joshua Radin, "Simple Times" (Mom & Pop)
Andre Rieu, "Live in Vienna" (Denon)
Todd Rundgren, "Arena" (Hi Fi)
Robin Thicke, "Something Else" (Interscope)
Trivium, "Shogun" (Roadrunner)
U2, "Under a Blood Red Sky (Deluxe Edition)" (Island)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Nightmare Revisited" (Disney)

Plant: No Tour Or Recording With Zeppelin

Robert Plant has put the hammer down on rumors he will join Led Zeppelin for a 2009 tour and recording sessions. In a statement on his Web site, Plant says he "has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years."

Following Zeppelin's one-off reunion last December in London, rumors of further activity have been constant. Most recently, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were said to have been rehearsing together and mulling vocalists to replace Plant on tour if he opted not to participate.

"It's both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward," he said.

"I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects," he added.

Plant has reaped critical acclaim for his 2007 album with Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand," and will wrap an extensive tour with her Oct. 5 in Saratoga, Calif. The artists performed over the weekend at the Austin City Limits festival in Austin, Texas.

There is one piece of Zeppelin news to report. On Nov. 4, Rhino will release a 10-disc boxed set featuring the band's nine studio albums plus the rarities album "Coda" in mini-LP replica sleeves with artwork from the original U.K. vinyl releases.

The attention to detail is eye-popping: "Led Zeppelin III" has its gatefold sleeve with a rotatable laminated card disc, while six different versions of the cover for "In Through the Out Door" are featured. Even the complex "Physical Graffiti" inner/outer cover is faithfully reproduced.

Newman on DVD: A dozen picks from a superb career

In his five-decade evolution from hunk-ish Actors Studio rebel to the voice of Doc Hudson in Pixar's 2006 Cars, Paul Newman was initially admired for a forceful presence (one not exactly diminished by his looks). And, eventually, he came to be both admired and beloved on an extraordinary number of levels. He carried himself with classy reserve, becoming a celebrity role model for how to keep your private life private and for being that low-key face on the salad dressing bottle and at the track.

None of this discounts his trove of treasured movies. On his way to winning a best-actor Oscar, life achievement Oscar, a Jean Hersholt humanitarian Oscar and eight more acting nominations, Newman amassed a filmography with uncommon consistency, though like every superstar, he had to survive such clunkers as Lady L or When Time Ran Out.

Early on, he specialized in playing hustlers and heels and floundered when attempting comedy; his touch just wasn't light. Only later did Newman become one of the movies' best relaxed actors.

Though Newman's career did benefit from high-profile stage work in the early 1950s (Picnic, The Desperate Hours) and memorable contributions to TV's Golden Age (The Battler, the original Bang the Drum Slowly and several more), it was a sometimes sticky apprenticeship, as evidenced by his earliest appearance available on DVD. It's on Vol. 1 of ABC-TV's cheesy Tales of Tomorrow (Image, $25), a live sci-fi anthology series that anticipated The Twilight Zone. Cast as an Army sergeant on an Aug. 8, 1952, episode, Newman hysterically describes the fatality of one colleague after a woebegone rocket blast somehow leads to the freeze-over of a U.S. desert. At least the teleplay's title is nothing if not precise: "Ice From Space."

But in the end, the best of Newman's film career is an embarrassment of riches. Among his movies with robust fan bases are The Left-Handed Gun, The Long Hot Summer, Harper, The Towering Inferno, Blaze, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, Empire Falls and Road to Perdition. But for a combination of must-viewing and full career perspective, start with the following dozen DVDs:

- Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956, Warner)

Newman became a star in his second feature with this slick adaptation of middleweight boxer Rocky Graziano's autobiography. Essentially, it's a story of rehabilitation: Despite years in reform schools and a dishonorable Army discharge, the Rock became a valued member of society.

- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Warner)

After the julep-heavy The Long Hot Summer, Newman solidified his career by going South again in this adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play. He stole enough attention from Elizabeth Taylor for them both to earn Oscar nominations. When they reunited as Oscar presenters in 1991, Newman responded to a Cat clip by saying, "I thought we were lookin' pretty good back then." Taylor replied, "Hey, I think we're still looking pretty good."

- The Hustler (1961, Fox)

The definitive movie about pool hustling pit Newman's callow "Fast Eddie" Felson against Jackie Gleason's wizened pro, Minnesota Fats. Newman, who had never held a cue, was coached by pool legend Willie Mosconi. The two swapped Newman's dining-room table for a pool table and practiced every night.

- Hud (1963, Paramount)

In a morality play about generational clashing on a Texas cattle ranch, Oscar-nominated Newman wrestled a greased pig and too many other men's wives. And even though James Wong Howe's spectacular cinematography is in black-and-white, you all but feel the pinkness of Newman's Cadillac.

- Cool Hand Luke (1967, Warner; also on Blu-ray)

After drunkenly vandalizing parking meters, Newman's Luke ends up on a Southern chain gang where the only things to do are watch a buxom blonde suds up a car or brazenly ingest 50 hard-boiled eggs on a bet. He also finds himself on the wrong side of Southern chain gang warden Strother Martin's "What we have here … is a failure to communicate" catchphrase.

- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, Fox; also on Blu-ray)

Newman ended the decade as half of a casting coup for the ages. Playing off Robert Redford's breakout performance in William Goldman's jokey script, he gave a performance that at the time was his most loosened-up. An actor whose attempts at comedy once seemed overbearing suddenly seemed easygoing, beguilingly so.

- The Sting (1973, Universal)

A reunion with Redford and Butch director George Roy Hill, this critical/commercial bonanza so captivated the public that Scott Joplin's theme ended up sharing concurrent Billboard pop chart placement with Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder.

- Slap Shot (1977, Universal)

A key contender for Newman's best movie of the decade is this hockey comedy from director Hill, whose Nancy Dowd script may have set new standards for screen profanity at the time. It's probably Newman's funniest performance -- especially in scenes with the Hanson Brothers, a trio of violence-prone Neanderthals who bash opposing players and soft-drink machines with equal zeal.

- The Verdict (1982, Fox)

Newman's best outing of the '80s, besting 1981's Absence of Malice. As an alcoholic has-been attorney seeking redemption, Newman headlined one of the best courtroom nail-biters ever, with assists from screenwriter David Mamet and director Sidney Lumet.

- The Color of Money (1986, Touchstone)

A quarter-century later, The Hustler's Eddie Felson wasn't so "fast," yet it was an inspired idea to bring him back to the screen with some hard-earned middle-age maturity. It was also a good commercial move for Martin Scorsese, who needed a box-office hit. This time, Tom Cruise is the callow one, and Newman finally won his acting Oscar, just a year after he'd won a special one that paid tribute to his entire career.

- Nobody's Fool (1994, Paramount)

In the movie of Richard Russo's novel, Newman is a family-estranged laborer battling a scoundrel contractor (Bruce Willis). Though nominated Newman missed the Oscar, he found a productive partner in Russo. He would win a 2005 Emmy for HBO's movie of the Pulitzer-winning Empire Falls.

- Cars (2006, Pixar/Disney)

Newman's one live-action movie about auto racing (1969's Winning) was a stiff. But computer animation offered restitution, with the actor's final theatrical feature keenly casting him as a judge with substantial racing-car history. It was a smooth project to go out on and a no-lose chance to widen his fan base. You could almost hear someone saying to some oblivious tyke: "You know that old geezer who was the voice of Doc Hudson? The guy's been a superstar for 50 years."

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND TO PERFORM DURING BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIII HALFTIME SHOW ON NBC

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND will perform in the BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIII HALFTIME SHOW on NBC Sports at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday, February 1, the NFL announced today.

The Super Bowl halftime show is annually the most-watched musical performance. More than 148 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's show. The Super Bowl and halftime show will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band join an esteemed list of recent halftime acts that includes the Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

The BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIII HALFTIME SHOW is an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of WHITE CHERRY ENTERTAINMENT and by DON MISCHER PRODUCTIONS. Don Mischer also will serve as director.

Blue Jays end season with big win

BALTIMORE -- It's not difficult to decipher what went wrong for the Blue Jays this season. In the early stages of the 2008 campaign, Toronto labored in the batter's box, and that made for an intimidating game of catchup down the stretch.

On Sunday afternoon, the Blue Jays showed that they've made some positive strides in that department, enjoying a 10-1 romp over the Orioles in their season finale at Camden Yards. That early hole proved too deep, though, and Toronto is now peering toward 2009 rather than moving on to the postseason.

"Hopefully, next year, if we're going back to Toronto [after the season finale], we're going back for a playoff game," said manager Cito Gaston, while his players packed their suitcases and prepared to welcome the coming winter.

The finale in Baltimore served as another reminder of the Blue Jays' potential. There was stellar pitching -- the one constant of Toronto's season -- in the form of a strong seven-inning performance from Jesse Litsch. There was also plenty of offense, led by a pair of home runs by Vernon Wells.

It was that combination that made for an easy victory. Throughout much of this season, the Blue Jays struggled to have both elements working in unison. Often, Toronto's dominant pitching went wasted in light of low run support. And on the days the bats did show up, it wasn't always enough.

It wasn't until the Jays' season was on life support in late August that the offense, pitching and defense all clicked, producing a 10-game winning streak, the longest such run for Toronto since 1999. That push temporarily put the Jays in the American League Wild Card discussion, but a fourth-place finish in the East was the end result.

"We just didn't get on the same page early on," first baseman Lyle Overbay said. "I think when we started winning all those games -- 10 in a row -- we did get on the same page. All three cylinders were clicking."

The pitching staff rarely was the issue.

Toronto finished with an 86-76 record, marking only the third time in the past 10 years that the team achieved at least that many wins, and the club led baseball with a 3.49 staff ERA. That represented the second-lowest team ERA in franchise history and the group's 1,184 strikeouts established a new club record.

Against the Orioles (68-93), Litsch yielded just one run over his seven innings, scattering three hits and ending with five strikeouts and one walk in the win. The victory gave the 23-year-old right-hander a 13-9 record this year and lowered his season ERA to 3.58. Litsch was one of three Jays starters to win at least 13 games this year.

"That's definitely good going into next year," Litsch said of Sunday's win. "Not just for me, but for all of us."

The offense will prove integral in 2009, considering the pitching staff includes more than its share of question marks heading into next year.

Toronto is at risk of losing starter A.J. Burnett to free agency, if he opts out of his contract, and the club will likely be without Shaun Marcum (right elbow) until 2010. Right-hander Dustin McGowan, who had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder in July, is expected to be out until at least May.

Needless to say, depending on what the Blue Jays do to acquire pitching help this winter, the offense may have to bail out its staff more often in '09 than was required this year.

"I think our pitching has, obviously, led this team the last couple years," Wells said. "Offensively, that's where we need to turn things around and support those guys a little better."

Wells did just that for Litsch, slamming two home runs to give the center fielder a team-high 20 on the season. The Blue Jays also received a solo shot from Overbay, giving Toronto 126 long balls this year. That total represents the lowest power output by the club since the Jays belted just 106 homers in 1982.

The 10 runs scored by the Blue Jays on Sunday gave the team 714 this season, marking the fewest in a campaign since Toronto plated 654 in 1997. The Jays also ended with a .264 team average, a .331 on-base percentage and a .399 slugging percentage -- the last figure being the lowest by Toronto since '97 as well.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, though.

The offense did gather steam after Gaston replaced former manager John Gibbons on June 20. Toronto held a 35-39 record upon Gaston's arrival and had hit just .231 with runners in scoring position with 49 homers in the first 74 games. With Gaston at the helm, the Jays went 51-37, launched 77 homers and hit .285 with runners in scoring position.

"Any time you make a change like that, something's going to change," said Wells. "You realize that you weren't doing enough, and you consequently ended up getting a good man fired.

"A new philosophy came in. It was more, just go up there and get your pitch and get to swinging. Guys responded and, unfortunately, it took a firing to do that."

The offense under Gaston produced the type of numbers Toronto hoped it'd put up when the season began.

"I think everybody knew that that was there, the offense," third baseman Scott Rolen said. "There's a lot of talented offensive players on the team, and everybody talked about, 'It's a matter of time.'

"I guess everybody was right, but maybe the timing was a little too late."

That's why Gaston and the players stressed that opening 2009 the way the club ended this season is important.

"I think we have to get off to a good start," Gaston said. "Early in the year, the problem we had was no hitting. I think it's getting better. We'd like to get it to a point where we're more consistent with scoring runs. That's what I think we really have to do."

Next year's Opening Day is more than six months away for the Blue Jays. That gives Toronto plenty of time to sort out what went awry in 2008 and to enjoy the few bright spots within this trying season.

That includes Sunday's win.

"It was nice to finish up with a win today," Gaston said. "The guys played hard, and they finished up good. I'm very proud of them."

Actor Bill Murray Excited For ‘Ghostbusters III,’ Thanks To ‘Ghostbusters’ Game

Fans have clamored for a third “Ghostbusters” film for years, but it’s never happened. One reasons is because actor Bill Murray (aka Peter Venkman) was against it.

But in recent weeks, that’s started to change. Writers behind “The Office” are working on a script for a brand-new “Ghostbusters.”

The question has been whether Murray will show up for it. It looks like he very well might, actually, and the reason comes from an unlikely source: the video game.

Movie site Ain’t It Cool News attended Fantastic Fest this week, where Murray made a surprise appearance to promote his new movie, “City of Ember.” During a Q&A, someone asked him about his thoughts on the proposed “Ghostbusters III.” And that’s where the game comes in!!

“[Murray] also went on to say that his enthusiasm for Ghostbusters was heightened after recording the voice of Peter Venkman for the video game over the summer. In fact, he said he found himself walking down the street singing the Ghostbusters theme song and then thought people walking around him were going to start yelling at him to “get over yourself, Bill,” so he stopped… But the enthusiasm was there. “

As a fellow “Ghostbusters” fanboy, this has me extremely excited. Now, we just need news on who’s picking up the publishing rights to the “Ghostbusters” game so it can come out.

Best Buy Snags Guns N' Roses Album Exclusive

Best Buy is set to be the exclusive retailer for Guns N' Roses decade-plus-in-the-making new album "Chinese Democracy" before year's end, sources close to the situation tell Billboard. Some details of the deal are still being worked out, including the release date.

The news brings a semblance of closure to the bizarre history of "Democracy," which Guns N' Roses has been working on since the mid-1990s. Since then, every original member of the once mighty group has left besides vocalist Axl Rose, and millions of dollars have been spent working on the new material.

"Democracy" was most recently on the Interscope release schedule in March 2007. The endless delays encountered by the project reached comic levels this spring, when soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the beverage to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008.

In June, nine purported "mastered, finished" tracks from the album were leaked online, prompting an FBI investigation into their source. A sign "Chinese Democracy" was perhaps finally nearing release came in July, when the band agreed to debut new track "Shackler's Revenge" in the video game "Rock Band 2," which hit stores earlier this month.

Guns N' Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" through Wal-Mart in 2007, much to the chagrin of other merchants, but the album was a runaway hit, having sold 3.1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds marry in Canada

LOS ANGELES - Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds did a little rushing into it after all. The couple married this weekend, according to publicist Meredith O'Sullivan. She did not provide details.

Us Weekly reported on its Web site Sunday that the small wedding took place at a resort outside Vancouver, British Columbia. Guests included Scarlett's mother, Melanie Sloan, and her brother, Adrian Johansson, the magazine said.

The couple announced their engagement in May.

"We're just enjoying our time," the actress said last month. "We're just recently — very recently — engaged. So, you know, we're just taking it easy. And no big plan yet. But it's a good time and we're just ... enjoying our time to be young and engaged.

"I mean, I'm 23. There's no reason to rush into it. Everything feels very natural and relaxed."

Johansson most recently starred in the Woody Allen film "V CB." Reynolds starred on the TV show "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" and the romantic comedy "Definitely, Maybe."

'Eagle Eye' soars to No. 1 at box office with $29M

LOS ANGELES - Shia LaBeouf's conspiracy thriller "Eagle Eye" debuted at the top of the weekend box office with $29.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Paramount-DreamWorks release was the second No. 1 premiere for LaBeouf and director D.J. Caruso, who also teamed on 2007's hit "Disturbia."

Opening in second place with $13.6 million was another reunion, the Warner Bros. romantic drama "Nights in Rodanthe" featuring "The Cotton Club" and "Unfaithful" co-stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane.

The previous weekend's top flick, Sony's thriller "Lakeview Terrace," slipped to No. 3 with $7 million, raising its 10-day total to $25.7 million.

The Samuel Goldwyn release "Fireproof," a Christian drama starring Kirk Cameron as a firefighter who turns to God to help save his marriage, premiered in fourth-place with $6.5 million.

"Eagle Eye" helped pull Hollywood out of the box-office doldrums that have lingered the last two months. The top 12 movies took in $87.8 million, up 15 percent from the same weekend last year.

"You put a summer-style movie in the heart of the fall, and you can take advantage of the marketplace," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

Spike Lee's World War II drama "Miracle at St. Anna" opened weakly with $3.5 million, coming in at No. 9. The Disney release features Derek Luke in a saga of four soldiers from an all-black unit stuck behind enemy lines in Italy.

Two other movies — Fox Searchlight's "Choke" and Lionsgate's "The Lucky Ones" — opened in narrower release of about 400 theaters each, compared to 3,510 cinemas for "Eagle Eye."

"Choke," starring Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston in a quirky tale of a sex addict who feigns choking in restaurants to get money for his mom's psychiatric care, opened outside the top 10 with $1.3 million.

"The Lucky Ones," a road trip tale among three Iraq War veterans (Tim Robbins, Michael Pena and Rachel McAdams), bombed with just $208,000.

"Eagle Eye" stars LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan as strangers hurled together in an escalating series of politically motivated adventures, their lives controlled by a mysterious female voice directing their actions through technology.

"The conceit of the film is intriguing to all," said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan. "Between GPS, employee codes, bank PIN numbers, this could conceivably be within the realm of possibility within a few years."

The movie secures LaBeouf's position as a steady box-office draw. His other credits include "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Transformers," along with the latter's upcoming sequel.

"Nights in Rodanthe" features Gere and Lane as strangers who fall for each other over a weekend at a secluded inn as a hurricane approaches.

The romance made for good counterprogramming to the action-oriented "Eagle Eye," said Warner Bros. general sales manager Jeff Goldstein. Female movie-goers made up three-fourths of the audience for "Nights in Rodanthe," he said.

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. "Eagle Eye," $29.2 million.
2. "Nights in Rodanthe," $13.6 million.
3. "Lakeview Terrace," $7 million.
4. "Fireproof," $6.5 million.
5. "Burn After Reading," $6.2 million.
6. "Igor," $5.5 million.
7. "Righteous Kill," $3.803 million.
8. "My Best Friend's Girl," $3.8 million.
9. "Miracle at St. Anna," $3.5 million.
10. "Tyler Perry's the Family That Preys," $3.2 million.

Appreciation: Newman was among rare breed of star

Paul Newman couldn't have existed today — at least, not the way we came to know him.

Sure, the talent would have been there, the classic good looks, the magnetism, the easy charm. But the privacy he demanded (and won), which helped establish and solidify his mystique as a bona fide movie star, never would have been afforded him in our tabloid-driven, celebrity-obsessed culture.

Sad but true. Part of why we were fascinated with Newman, who died Friday at 83 of cancer, was because we didn't know every gory detail of his life, even though he'd reached the zenith of fame and popularity. He left us craving more — and that he lived and died far from Hollywood's glare in the small town of Westport, Conn., in the converted farmhouse he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, speaks volumes not only about who he was but who he didn't want to be.

It's hard to think of an actor today who compares in that regard: someone who's blazingly confident on-screen but maintains some mystery about who he really is off of it, someone who would make even hardened, cynical journalists go weak in the knees upon meeting face-to-face. Newman's longtime friend and co-star, Robert Redford, certainly qualifies. But of the current generation of stars? We know too much about Tom Cruise. Will Smith? Leonardo DiCaprio? Johnny Depp, maybe — though he's carved out a path of quirky character roles, despite his leading-man looks.

George Clooney springs to mind, but even he has fought public battles with the paparazzi over the need to respect celebrities' privacy. Clooney himself seemed to recognize the legacy Newman left in reacting to his death Saturday morning: "He set the bar too high for the rest of us ... not just actors, but all of us. He will be greatly missed," he said — through his publicist.

Larger than life? Sure. But looking back at Newman's career, which encompassed nearly 60 feature films over the past half-century, it's the range that leaves an impression. You never forgot you were watching Paul Newman. He was a superstar, after all. He was the draw. But he could fit into a wide variety of parts — unlike some other actors with longevity and stature, who shall remain nameless for these purposes, who have devolved into caricatures of themselves as they've aged.

In just a sampling, Newman played:

• A washed-up football player in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958).

• Pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson in "The Hustler" (1961), the role he would reprise in "The Color of Money" (1986), which, surprisingly, earned him his only Academy Award in 10 nominations.

• A bad-boy cowboy in "Hud" (1963).

• A rebellious prisoner in "Cool Hand Luke" (1967).

• A train robber alongside Redford, iconically, in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969).

• The player-coach of a small-town hockey team in the comedy cult favorite "Slap Shot" (1977).

• A wrongly accused suspect in a rare film that gets journalism right, "Absence of Malice" (1981).

• A cantankerous grandfather in "Nobody's Fool" (1994).

• A formidable mob boss in "Road to Perdition" (2002).

Newman came up in the Method-acting tradition, a la Brando, but there was never anything obviously studied about him; he made the swagger look natural. And his evolution over the years — from young and dangerous to middle-aged and struggling to older and wiser — constantly carried with it the aura of dignity.

"His powerful eloquence, his consummate sense of craft, so consummate that you didn't see any sense of effort up there on the screen, set a new standard," said Martin Scorsese, who directed him in "The Color of Money."

Newman himself didn't enjoy talking about acting, and could come off as a bit distant in interviews when asked about it. He did offer some insight to his motivation, however, in 2002:

"I used to make three pictures a year, and now I make a picture every three years. Things change. There have been a lot of good things out there, but they weren't the kind of pictures that I wanted to make. I didn't want to do pictures about explosions. I don't want to do pictures about shattered glass and broken bodies and blood. That just doesn't interest me."

Of course, we came to understand what interested him through his off-camera pursuits later in life. His passion came shining through in his love of, and talent for, auto racing. But it's through his philanthropy — the Newman's Own Foundation, which has raised more than $250 million for charities worldwide, and the Hole in the Wall Camps for children with life-threatening diseases — that he showed his true heart.

Maybe Paul Newman wasn't so hard to figure out after all.

Legendary actor Paul Newman dies at age 83

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money" — and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario — has died. He was 83.

Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.

In May, Newman had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues.

He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."

Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting."

He sometimes teamed with his wife and fellow Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward, with whom he had one of Hollywood's rare long-term marriages. "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray. They wed in 1958, around the same time they both appeared in "The Long Hot Summer," and Newman directed her in several films, including "Rachel, Rachel" and "The Glass Menagerie."

With his strong, classically handsome face and piercing blue eyes, Newman was a heartthrob just as likely to play against his looks, becoming a favorite with critics for his convincing portrayals of rebels, tough guys and losers. "I was always a character actor," he once said. "I just looked like Little Red Riding Hood."

Newman had a soft spot for underdogs in real life, giving tens of millions to charities through his food company and setting up camps for severely ill children. Passionately opposed to the Vietnam War, and in favor of civil rights, he was so famously liberal that he ended up on President Nixon's "enemies list," one of the actor's proudest achievements, he liked to say.

A screen legend by his mid-40s, he waited a long time for his first competitive Oscar, winning in 1987 for "The Color of Money," a reprise of the role of pool shark "Fast" Eddie Felson, whom Newman portrayed in the 1961 film "The Hustler."

Newman delivered a magnetic performance in "The Hustler," playing a smooth-talking, whiskey-chugging pool shark who takes on Minnesota Fats — played by Jackie Gleason — and becomes entangled with a gambler played by George C. Scott. In the sequel — directed by Scorsese — "Fast Eddie" is no longer the high-stakes hustler he once was, but rather an aging liquor salesman who takes a young pool player (Cruise) under his wing before making a comeback.

He won an honorary Oscar in 1986 "in recognition of his many and memorable compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft." In 1994, he won a third Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his charitable work.

His most recent academy nod was a supporting actor nomination for the 2002 film "Road to Perdition." One of Newman's nominations was as a producer; the other nine were in acting categories. (Jack Nicholson holds the record among actors for Oscar nominations, with 12; actress Meryl Streep has had 14.)

As he passed his 80th birthday, he remained in demand, winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the 2005 HBO drama "Empire Falls" and providing the voice of a crusty 1951 car in the 2006 Disney-Pixar hit, "Cars."

But in May 2007, he told ABC's "Good Morning America" he had given up acting, though he intended to remain active in charity projects. "I'm not able to work anymore as an actor at the level I would want to," he said. "You start to lose your memory, your confidence, your invention. So that's pretty much a closed book for me."

He received his first Oscar nomination for playing a bitter, alcoholic former star athlete in the 1958 film "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Elizabeth Taylor played his unhappy wife and Burl Ives his wealthy, domineering father in Tennessee Williams' harrowing drama, which was given an upbeat ending for the screen.

In "Cool Hand Luke," he was nominated for his gritty role as a rebellious inmate in a brutal Southern prison. The movie was one of the biggest hits of 1967 and included a tagline, delivered one time by Newman and one time by prison warden Strother Martin, that helped define the generation gap, "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate."

Newman's hair was graying, but he was as gourgeous as ever and on the verge of his greatest popular success. In 1969, Newman teamed with Redford for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," a comic Western about two outlaws running out of time. Newman paired with Redford again in 1973 in "The Sting," a comedy about two Depression-era con men. Both were multiple Oscar winners and huge hits, irreverent, unforgettable pairings of two of the best-looking actors of their time.

Newman also turned to producing and directing. In 1968, he directed "Rachel, Rachel," a film about a lonely spinster's rebirth. The movie received four Oscar nominations, including Newman, for producer of a best motion picture, and Woodward, for best actress. The film earned Newman the best director award from the New York Film Critics.

In the 1970s, Newman, admittedly bored with acting, became fascinated with auto racing, a sport he studied when he starred in the 1972 film, "Winning." After turning professional in 1977, Newman and his driving team made strong showings in several major races, including fifth place in Daytona in 1977 and second place in the Le Mans in 1979.

"Racing is the best way I know to get away from all the rubbish of Hollywood," he told People magazine in 1979.

Despite his love of race cars, Newman continued to make movies and continued to pile up Oscar nominations, his looks remarkably intact, his acting becoming more subtle, nothing like the mannered method performances of his early years, when he was sometimes dismissed as a Brando imitator. "It takes a long time for an actor to develop the assurance that the trim, silver-haired Paul Newman has acquired," Pauline Kael wrote of him in the early 1980s.

In 1982, he got his Oscar fifth nomination for his portrayal of an honest businessman persecuted by an irresponsible reporter in "Absence of Malice." The following year, he got his sixth for playing a down-and-out alcoholic attorney in "The Verdict."

In 1995, he was nominated for his slyest, most understated work yet, the town curmudgeon and deadbeat in "Nobody's Fool." New York Times critic Caryn James found his acting "without cheap sentiment and self-pity," and observed, "It says everything about Mr. Newman's performance, the single best of this year and among the finest he has ever given, that you never stop to wonder how a guy as good-looking as Paul Newman ended up this way."

Newman, who shunned Hollywood life, was reluctant to give interviews and usually refused to sign autographs because he found the majesty of the act offensive, according to one friend.

He also claimed that he never read reviews of his movies.

"If they're good you get a fat head and if they're bad you're depressed for three weeks," he said.

Off the screen, Newman had a taste for beer and was known for his practical jokes. He once had a Porsche installed in Redford's hallway — crushed and covered with ribbons.

"I think that my sense of humor is the only thing that keeps me sane," he told Newsweek magazine in a 1994 interview.

In 1982, Newman and his Westport neighbor, writer A.E. Hotchner, started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $175 million, according to its Web site.

"We will miss our friend Paul Newman, but are lucky ourselves to have known such a remarkable person," Robert Forrester, vice chairman of Newman's Own Foundation, said in a statement.

Hotchner said Newman should have "everybody's admiration."

"For me it's the loss of an adventurous freindship over the past 50 years and it's the loss of a great American citizen," Hotchner told The Associated Press.

In 1988, Newman founded a camp in northeastern Connecticut for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. He went on to establish similar camps in several other states and in Europe.

He and Woodward bought an 18th century farmhouse in Westport, where they raised their three daughters, Elinor "Nell," Melissa and Clea.

Newman had two daughters, Susan and Stephanie, and a son, Scott, from a previous marriage to Jacqueline Witte.

Scott died in 1978 of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. After his only son's death, Newman established the Scott Newman Foundation to finance the production of anti-drug films for children.

Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the second of two boys of Arthur S. Newman, a partner in a sporting goods store, and Theresa Fetzer Newman.

He was raised in the affluent suburb of Shaker Heights, where he was encouraged him to pursue his interest in the arts by his mother and his uncle Joseph Newman, a well-known Ohio poet and journalist.

Following World War II service in the Navy, he enrolled at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he got a degree in English and was active in student productions.

He later studied at Yale University's School of Drama, then headed to New York to work in theater and television, his classmates at the famed Actor's Studio including Brando, James Dean and Karl Malden. His breakthrough was enabled by tragedy: Dean, scheduled to star as the disfigured boxer in a television adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "The Battler," died in a car crash in 1955. His role was taken by Newman, then a little-known performer.

Newman started in movies the year before, in "The Silver Chalice," a costume film he so despised that he took out an ad in Variety to apologize. By 1958, he had won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for the shiftless Ben Quick in "The Long Hot Summer."

In December 1994, about a month before his 70th birthday, he told Newsweek magazine he had changed little with age.

"I'm not mellower, I'm not less angry, I'm not less self-critical, I'm not less tenacious," he said. "Maybe the best part is that your liver can't handle those beers at noon anymore," he said.

Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

And the Oscar-Hosting Job Goes to...Ricky Gervais?

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Ricky Gervais as the next host of the Oscars?

Not so fast.

No doubt the Extras funnyman knows how to crack us up, but reports of him already being a leading contender for hosting duties have been greatly—well, hugely—exaggerated.

"We haven't made one single phone call," Larry Mark, who was announced yesterday as a coproducer of the 81st Annual Academy Awards show with writer-director Bill Condon, said earlier today. "There has been no reaching out."

"We haven't gotten that far yet," said Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. "We're just not there yet."

Ganis knows they'll never please everyone no matter who they pick for the top job. "If you toss up all the opinions on last year's shows and they all came down, 50 percent of them will say, 'It was a sensational show' and fifty percent of them say, 'Uck, it's the worst thing I have ever seen on television,' " he said. "It's hard. Everyone has an opinion."

Unfortunately, last year's Oscar telecast with Jon Stewart as host hit an all-time ratings low with just 32 million U.S. viewers, down about 8 million from 2007.

This will be Mark and Condon's first time producing the Oscars. The show telecasts live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on ABC Feb. 22.

"We were taken aback for a moment," Mark said about being offered the gig. "And then we took a moment to figure our schedules and whatever else, and then we were like, This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance." (Condon wasn't available for an interview today because he is finishing a script for a movie he's going to direct about comedian Richard Pryor.)

Mark comes to the job with a lengthy producing résumé that includes Jerry Maguire, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion and Dreamgirls. Condon wrote and directed Dreamgirls, Gods and Monsters and Kinsey.

As for pumping up the ratings, Ganis said a lot depends on what movies are nominated. "Hopefully, there will be films in contention this year that are of a more populist nature," he said.

Not that he wasn't a fan of last year's big winners like No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, but "I also know that all of them were kind of on the low side in terms of eyeballs."

Letterman keeps up verbal assault on John McCain

NEW YORK - David Letterman kept up his verbal assault on John McCain, commiserating with Paris Hilton and saying he felt like an "ugly date" because the GOP presidential candidate backed out of an appearance on the "Late Show."

The late-night CBS comedian was upset Wednesday when McCain canceled an appearance to deal with the economic crisis. After backing out of the Letterman show, McCain sat for an interview with Katie Couric, then didn't leave New York until Thursday, further angering Letterman.

At first, Letterman said, he felt like a "patriot" to let McCain off.

"Now I'm feeling like an ugly date," Letterman said. "I feel used. I feel cheap. I feel sullied."

McCain spokeswoman Nicolle Wallace said the campaign "felt this wasn't a night for comedy."

"We deeply regret offending Mr. Letterman, but our candidate's priority at this moment is to focus on this crisis," Wallace said Thursday on NBC's "Today."

Later Thursday, Letterman banged away at McCain in his opening monologue.

"You're here on a good night," he told the audience. "So far none of our guests have canceled."

He talked about daredevil David Blaine's feat of hanging upside-down in New York's Central Park for 60 hours.

"They just left the guy hanging there," he said. "It's the same thing McCain did to me last night."

He described Hilton — Thursday's guest whose celebrity was once used in a McCain campaign ad to mock Democrat Barack Obama — as McCain's first choice for a running mate.

"Here's how it works: You don't come to see me? You don't come to see me? Well, we might not see you on Inauguration Day," Letterman said.

Noting that McCain wanted to postpone Friday's first debate with Obama, Letterman said running mate Sarah Palin wanted to put off her debate with Democrat Joe Biden until after Election Day. Letterman said Palin's meeting with world leaders at the United Nations was like "take-your-daughter-to-work day."

Letterman's Top 10 list was "surprising facts about Sarah Palin," read by citizens of Wasilla, Alaska, where she was once mayor.

No. 10: Palin "sometimes calls John McCain grandpa."

Later in the show, Letterman couldn't resist another mention of "that John McCain" while chatting with Hilton, who replied, "I heard he dissed you. He dissed me."

Milking the moment, Letterman consoled her: "You had a little run-in with him, too, didn't you?"

Halladay wins 20th in Jays home finale

TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays began Thursday night with an address from team president Paul Godfrey affirming the futures of GM J.P. Ricciardi and manager Cito Gaston, and capped it by celebrating ace Roy Halladay's 20th win.

Thus ended the home portion of their disappointing 2008 season, an 8-2 victory over the New York Yankees allowing their franchise pitcher to post the seventh 20-win season in team history after bigger things had played out behind the scenes.

The Blue Jays (84-75) officially settled the key pillars of their management structure before hitting the road for three games in Baltimore to close out the campaign, with Godfrey confirming Ricciardi's return after Gaston's two-year contract extension was announced.

"To me, it says we're going to continue to try and win and that's important for me," said Halladay. "I like what Cito has done in the time he's been here. I think we've gone in some good directions and I've always trusted J.P. ...

"I like that they're coming back. I feel confident the organization will continue to go the right way."

As for his own future, Godfrey refused to tip his hand, although all signs point to his departure. He said a decision would come "probably next week sometime" and if he does indeed step down, bringing Ricciardi and Gaston back and his talk with the team would be his final acts after eight years in his role.

"I thanked all the players," Godfrey said, "basically told them that I'm sure they're as disappointed as everyone else about not making the playoffs, but that we honestly believe that we have the nucleus of a great team here.

"And I said that those who can come back, should come back next year."

He denied looking in the direction of A.J. Burnett, who can opt out of his contract after the World Series, when making that last comment. The expected departure of the enigmatic right-hander is one of the main issues the team faces this winter.

With Thursday's victory Halladay (20-11) and Burnett (18-10) surpassed Jack Morris (21) and Juan Guzman (16) as the winningest duo in team history, a 1-2 punch they'd be hard-pressed to match without Burnett.

"He's been huge for me," said Halladay. "To have somebody that's right there with you, I really felt like we kind of pushed each other at times."

It will take big money to keep Burnett, and with about US$70 million already committed next season, the Blue Jays are only likely to have in the neighbourhood of $20-$25 million to spend barring a payroll hike.

Godfrey also recently submitted cost projections for 2009 with player salaries at the top of the list.

"I think it will be an appropriate payroll," said Godfrey, "but I can't say it will be significantly higher."

A payroll around $95 million this season earned them a 47-34 home record and helped them draw a total of 2,399,786 fans, up for the sixth straight season. There was a crowd of 44,346 on hand to watch Halladay complete his second 20-win season.

The big right-hander, the club's foundation, mowed through the Yankees (87-72), allowing just two runs on six hits and a walk in his career-high matching ninth complete game. He struck out five, giving him a career-high 206 for the season.

And in a rare gesture of emotion, he traded hugs with his teammates and tipped his cap to the crowd before heading into the clubhouse.

"I want everybody to know how much I appreciate them and how important they were in this," said Halladay. "Really it was more that than being excited about the number, I just felt like there were a lot of guys who helped me do it."

The Blue Jays are expected to start talks on a contract extension with Halladay, who is signed through 2010, in the off-season and he's open to it.

"As long as we continue to make that effort to be that post-season team," he said, "then you can sign me up."

Win No. 20 was a highlight for fans in an event-filled season in which the Blue Jays locked up young cornerstones Alex Rios and Aaron Hill shortly before the home opener, cut ties with DH Frank Thomas two weeks later, fired manager John Gibbons on June 20, brought back Gaston to replace him, won 10 straight games in late August in early September in a too-little, too-late run at the post-season, and ultimately settled for what is likely to be fourth in the AL East.

The Blue Jays were 35-39 when Gibbons was fired following a three-game sweep in Milwaukee and have been 49-36 since.

"We felt very strongly that what we saw during the Milwaukee series was a problem symptomatic of the leadership and coaching of the club that if left, would lead to a very unsatisfactory conclusion this year," said Godfrey.

Not that the inevitable conclusion looming this weekend is particularly palatable either, but it's better than the fiasco they were headed for. More offensive nights like this one early in the season would have made the difference.

"It was a good night," said Gaston.

Vernon Wells erased an early 1-0 deficit with a two-run shot off Carl Pavano (4-2) in the third and after Joe Inglett's RBI single, added a two-run single in the fourth.

"The thing with (Halladay), if you can give him a few, he doesn't need too many," said Wells.

Travis Snider, the top prospect who's made quite a September impression, and Gregg Zaun, in his final days with the team, ripped RBI doubles in the fifth and Marco Scutaro's RBI single in the seventh made it 8-2.

The Yankees scratched out a run on Robinson Cano's RBI single in the third and picked up another when Cody Ransom scored on Francisco Cervelli's double play ball in the fifth.

Notes: A day after serenading Burnett with a standing ovation and chanting his name to prompt a curtain call, a sign in the outfield read "A.J. Stay." ... Snider batted eighth for the second straight game. ... Wells' first two RBIs of the night gave moved him past Lloyd Moseby's 651 for fourth on the club's all-time list.

Canadian actress McAdams to play Sherlock Holmes's love interest

St. Thomas, Ont., actress Rachel McAdams, who starred in The Notebook, will be directed by Guy Ritchie in the film Sherlock Holmes.

Robert Downey Jr. is her co-star in the reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth.

The movie features a less stuffy Holmes, who has a more adventurous approach to sleuthing, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Ritchie is Madonna's husband and the British director behind films such as Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Jude Law plays Dr. Watson and Mark Strong, who starred in Ritchie's RocknRolla, is the villain, Blackwood.

McAdams, who studied drama at York University in Toronto before going on to a career in Hollywood, is Holmes's love interest Irene Adler.

Conan Doyle created her character, an opera singer reputed to have had an affair with the King of Bohemia, in the 1891 story A Scandal in Bohemia.

McAdams's upcoming roles also include State of Play with Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe, which is due in theatres in April, and The Time Traveler's Wife, based on the best-selling book, which will be released in fall 2009.

The Lucky Ones, a story about returning Iraqi War vets, in which McAdams stars with Tim Robbins, screened at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.

AC/DC’s Angus Young on Snubbing iTunes: “We Don’t Make Singles, We Make Albums”

When AC/DC release their new album Black Ice on October 20th exclusively through Wal-Mart, the album will join the Beatles catalog and Kid Rock’s Rock N Roll Jesus in the small “Not Available on iTunes” club. While the stance has done wonders for Jesus‘ renaissance, it nearly ruined Estelle’s chart momentum.

Despite the Wal-Mart exclusivity, AC/DC’s Angus Young said Black Ice wouldn’t show up on Apple’s digital store anyway because “We don’t make singles, we make albums.”

iTunes allows customers to choose between single song or full album purchases. “Way back in the Seventies, we drew these figures on the back of an envelope for our record company. We showed them how much they earned from us if we sold 1 million singles and how much they earned if we sold 1 million albums,” Young said. “The difference was staggering. That was to get them off our back because we only very grudgingly release singles. Our real reason is that we honestly believe the songs on any of our albums belong together.”

Young also says that he recently met some bands that discussed withdrawing from iTunes as well because “I told them that since iTunes came into existence, we’ve actually increased our back catalog sales without being on the site.” Young makes an interesting point: The Beatles and AC/DC rank one and two on the list of highest-selling back catalogs, and neither appear on iTunes. The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, ranked sixth on the list and are available on iTunes.

'The Simpsons' hits a landmark

Homer Simpson is gunning for you, Matt Dillon.

With Sunday's premiere (Fox, 8 ET/PT), The Simpsons will tie Gunsmoke's record of 20 seasons on the air.

The writing staff keeps track of the longevity milestones, executive producer Al Jean says, but creator Matt Groening only cops to one record for the iconic Springfield family, its friends and neighbors. "I think we've used more yellow paint than any other TV show," he says.

Both believe the show is still performing strongly despite recording 445 episodes, including a season premiere that has Homer and neighbor Ned Flanders teaming as bounty hunters and Marge Simpson unwittingly going to work at an erotic bakery. "The writers and animators continue to amaze me," Groening says.

He has proof of the show's staying power, too: its 10th Emmy for outstanding animated series, bestowed this month.

"Every time we get an Emmy, it buys us a couple more years" on the air, Groening says. "That gives us one year to wreck the show and one year to run it into the ground."

Actually, they probably have more time for demolition, if they so choose, with the voice actors signed for four years, including the one that starts this weekend. That would put the show over the 500-episode mark, leaving it trailing only Dillon's Gunsmoke (633) and Lassie (588) for the most episodes of an entertainment series.

Other evidence of The Simpsons' continued vitality includes The Simpsons Movie, which took in $526 million worldwide, and The Simpsons Ride, which opened this year at Universal theme parks in California and Florida.

Jean says there will be a movie sequel, but there are no plans yet and it probably wouldn't happen until the TV show ends production.

Asked for a favorite Simpsons moment, Groening chooses slapstick over satiric, each a show specialty.

"There's an episode from a few years ago in which Homer tries to kill a spider in his garage and ends up getting his neck smashed repeatedly by the automatic garage-door opener. It's just an exquisite little piece of mayhem," he says.

His rare disappointment comes when he feels a gag or concept contradicts the history of the show, "such as when we found out that Principal Skinner was really an imposter."

If the show seems to be more political these days, Jean says that it's just reflecting a more politicized "us vs. them" society of recent years.

Even though production begins nearly a year before broadcast, some upcoming shows are timely. When the Simpson house is foreclosed, neighbor Ned Flanders buys it back and rents it to Homer, Marge and company.

"Things turn nasty," Groening says.

In another, when Bart befriends a Muslim boy, Homer suspects the boy's family of organizing a terrorist plot. In a segment of "Treehouse of Horror XIX" (Nov. 2), the annual Halloween trilogy, Homer tries to vote for Barack Obama, but the machine keeps casting ballots for John McCain before attacking him. That episode also features "It's a Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse."

After such a long time, Groening says a major show challenge is to avoid repeating itself, as sometimes happens. He disagrees with critics who question the quality of the show as it ages.

"We've had our ups and downs, but it seems like most people who say the show has gone downhill don't watch it," he says. "The latest episodes are as clever, complicated, sophisticated and wild as any we have ever done."

The Simpsons' 20th season will add to its honor roll of guest voices as Jodie Foster plays an adult Maggie and says the character's first words since Elizabeth Taylor voiced "Daddy" as baby Maggie years ago.

Guest episodes include:

Homer needs a bail bondsman (Robert Forster) in Sunday's premiere.

Bart tries to be a good Samaritan to impress a girl (Anne Hathaway).

When Homer is cast as a new movie superhero, Everyman, he needs a trainer (Seth Rogen) to get in shape.

Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos and Marv Albert are featured in an episode in which Lisa protests Mr. Burns' new sports arena.

Bart gets Denis Leary's cellphone and makes prank calls pretending to be Leary.

Lisa meets pop teen singer Alaska Nebraska (Ellen Page).

Kenneth Branagh guests in an episode when Homer and Grampa buy an Irish pub.

Kelsey Grammer will be back as Bart's perennial would-be killer, Sideshow Bob, and Joe Mantegna returns as Mob boss Fat Tony.

Who has eluded the show? "U.S. presidents," executive producer Al Jean says. "Going back to Richard Nixon. They've all said no."

Cash recording to be released with new documentary

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An unreleased recitation by Johnny Cash will be available as part of a new documentary examining Cash's views on America. In "I Am The Nation," the deep-voiced singer personifies the country with references to important events and people in American history.

The recording was discovered in Cash's personal belongings after his death. It will be released as part of "Johnny Cash's America," a documentary airing Oct. 23 on the Biography Channel. The companion DVD/CD package on Legacy Recordings will be available Oct. 28.

The documentary features interviews with Bob Dylan; Al Gore; Snoop Dogg; Sheryl Crow; Steve Earle; Kris Kristofferson; Loretta Lynn; Merle Haggard; U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander; Tim Robbins; Vince Gill; Cash; his sister, Joanne; and his children, John Carter Cash and Cindy Cash.

In the film, Cash, who was outspoken on social issues, discusses the political process and the two parties.

"The whole film and soundtrack are poignant for what's going on in the political climate right now," said Charlie Dougiello, a spokesman for the project.

'Ghost Town' vanishes at box office

HOLLYWOOD -- It looked like a can't-miss proposition.

There was that proven Topper-meets-Heaven Can Wait premise, an enviable 86% favourable rate on the Rotten Tomatoes review site, and Ricky Gervais, in his first lead feature role, was being hailed as a bona fide big screen comedy star.

But when it hit the megaplex over the weekend, Ghost Town was all but dead on arrival, scaring up an eighth place-ranking $5 million take.

So why the vanishing act?

Good question.

Paramount, the studio distributing the DreamWorks picture, began smelling trouble a few weeks ago when audience tracking figures revealed there was little anticipation for the film and scaled back the number of theatres lined-up to show it.

Could it have been that the movie's "He sees dead people ...and they annoy him" tag-line sounded more like a Sixth Sense spoof than a romantic comedy?

And if it was supposed to be a romantic comedy, shouldn't they have shown co-star Tea Leoni in the ads, instead of just Gervais and a see-through Greg Kinnear sitting on a park bench?

Or maybe, despite the accolades, the general public considers Gervais more of a television commodity and chose, accordingly, to wait for Ghost Town's DVD arrival?

All of the above could have played a role in the movie's box office no-show, but a more likely reason had to do with a crowded marketplace that was targeting the same, adult, female-skewing audiences.

You had the Coen Bros.' Burn After Reading with Pitt and Clooney, Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, and even the critically savaged The Women all drawing bigger crowds than Ghost Town.

Of course, good word of mouth could still provide some life support for the next few weeks, but the initially disappointing results just go to show that in the ever-shifting world of movie release scheduling, timing is everything.

Crystal Shawanda, Eagle & Hawk top nominees for Aboriginal Music Awards

Country singer Crystal Shawanda and Winnipeg rockers Eagle & Hawk each have a leading five nominations for this year's Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

Eagle & Hawk, an alternative rock group, are nominated for best group, best album for Sirensong and best single and best songwriter for the title song Sirensong.

The group, which won a Juno in 2002, is scheduled to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra next year.

Shawanda, of Wikwemikong, Ont., has made a splash in Nashville and on the Canadian country scene with her chart-topping debut album Dawn of a New Day.

She's nominated for best album, best country album, best female singer, best video and best single. The Ojibwa singer's surname, Shawanda, translates to "dawn of a new day."

She is competing against Vancouver's Christa Couture and Savona, B.C.'s Farah Palmer for best female artist.

Shawanda and Eagle & Hawk will vie for the best album honours along with Tanya Tagaq, the Inuit throat singer nominated for her album Auk-Blood.

Tagaq, a native of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, who has been filling concert halls for her unusual performance with strings group Kronos Quartet, has nominations for best traditional female singer and best album cover.

Red Power Squad of Morinville, Alta., and Lester of White Rock, B.C., have been nominated for best group.

The nominees for best male artist are:

Mitch Daigneault of Battleford, Sask.
Main Event of Barrie, Ont.
Jace Martin of Ohsweken, Ont.

Nominees for best rap artist:

7th Generation, from Penticton, B.C.
Feenix, from Edmonton.
Wabs Whitebird of Toronto.

This year's ceremony adds several new awards, including categories for best original score and best hip-hop music video.

The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, in their 10th year, will be given out Nov. 28 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Michael Moore political movie released free on Web

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Filmmaker Michael Moore released his latest documentary for free on the Internet on Tuesday, marking a first for the maverick director who aims to encourage young people to vote -- preferably for Democrats -- in November's U.S. presidential election.

"Slacker Uprising," a feature-length film documenting Moore's tour of swing states during the 2004 presidential election year, was made available for a free download instead of being released in movie theaters.

The maker of the award-winning anti-Iraq war blockbuster "Fahrenheit 9/11," said in a statement the gesture was "entirely as a gift to my fans."

"The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters at the polls in November," Moore said.

Moore has long been known as a firebrand filmmaker. He took on large corporations in 1989's "Roger & Me" and the U.S. gun industry in 2002's "Bowling for Columbine," which earned him an Oscar. "Slacker Uprising," made for about $2 million, comes on the heels of Moore's blistering expose of the U.S. health care system, "SiCKO," in 2007.

Although "Slacker Uprising" chronicles the director's efforts to get young people on either side of the political spectrum to vote, he said the documentary was also a "tribute to the young voters who are going to save this country from four more years of Republican rule."

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are in a neck-and-neck race for the White House in the November 4 election, according to opinion polls.

Moore encouraged fans to download, e-mail or share the movie with everyone and anyone, or to show it in schools, colleges, church halls and community centers, adding, "I don't want to see a dime from this."

He said several websites, including iTunes and Amazon.com, were providing streaming or downloading services for free.

Moore marked the release with a one-hour online chat with fans. Hundreds of Obama supporters responded on the www.slackeruprising.com message boards, thanking Moore.

"Wow .. I really enjoyed the film ... sent it to all my friends on yahoo, myspace, facebook ... we cannot have another republican in the White House ... Vote Obama 08," wrote a contributor called Don.

The documentary is also available as a low-cost DVD for those not in the download community.

WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE AT THE EMMYS

The stars of TV stumbled back to work yesterday - after a three-hour Emmy telecast and a night of partying.

Sure, it was the biggest night of Tina Fey's life - three Emmys for her sitcom, "30 Rock."

But here's a glimpse of what went on away from the cameras:

A LEGEND WIPING OUT

Mary Tyler Moore, on hand to pay tribute to former co-star Betty White, took a nasty spill while climbing a red carpet platform to be interviewed by "The Insider."

The actress, 72, was helped back to her feet and was able to walk away, telling reporters: "I feel fine, thanks."

ARI GOLD TEARING UP

Jeremy Piven got all choked up when a reporter asked what his late father would think of the "Entourage" star's third Emmy.

"I was talking to my mother before I came here and she was sayin' 'Just raise it up to him,'" he said, holding back tears.

ONE MAD WRITER

Kirk Ellis (Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, "John Adams") was mad as hell at his acceptance speech being cut short.

"When I got up there, as soon as I got up there, they were already flashing the 'Wrap It Up' light," he complained backstage.

"I find it very interesting that we can have 30 minutes of the ceremony devoted to reality show hosts, but the people who actually create the work, don't get time to talk!"

CASE OF THE MISSING PURSE

"If anyone has seen a small purple purse with an iPhone in it with a picture of a naked toddler, please let me know," Tina Fey pleaded backstage.

"I left it under my chair when we went up to accept the award (for Outstanding Comedy Series for '30 Rock')".

NEXT YEAR, CABLE

Add up the ratings for the Emmys - the lowest in 18 years - and the number of awards going to cable TV shows like "Mad Men" and "Damages" and what do you get?

The four broadcast TV networks - which rotate the Emmys each year - may be ready to let the Emmy show go to cable.

The current Emmy contract ends in 2010, Variety reports, and the old-line networks may want to see the the back of the awards show.

BALD & THE BEAUTIFUL

"I was late getting here because I really won't leave the house until my hair is perfect," "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston joked after picking up his first-ever Emmy (Lead Actor in a Drama). "It feels like Velcro to me. And it works like Velcro. There are all kind of things sticking to my head, fuzz and Jujubes."

WARDROBE MALFUNCTION

It took some extra time for portly "Lost" star Jorge Garcia to get his Woody Wilson tux red-carpet ready. "I had to call housekeeping for some safety pins," he admits. "I discovered one of my suspenders broke."

ISN'T IT TIME

...that Heidi Klum got some speech lessons?

All she says on "Project Runway" is "You're either in or you're out" and "Auf Wiedersehn."

Using her as a comedienne at the Emmys was a mistake. Her lines, delivered in a thick accent, were incomprehensible.

TALK ABOUT MISSING A CUE

How jaded do you have to be to not give cancer-comeback kid Christina Applegate a standing ovation?

The only standing O all night was when Kathy Griffin ordered the crowd to its feet for Don Rickles.

'Godfather' films finally restored to glory

The Godfather is remembered as a dark picture. But over the years it has become less dark than intended.

The opening scene of the best-picture Oscar winner is the ultimate example. Emerging from shadow is the face of Bonasera (Salvatore Corsitto), the father who asks Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) for a favor on the day of the Don's daughter's wedding.

But when director Francis Ford Coppola saw the 1972 film on a screen for its 25th anniversary, he thought, "Gee, the picture doesn't look like I remember it looking. This very, very beautiful photography of (cinematographer) Gordon Willis over the years had faded."

The movie is back to its inky finest — thanks to an assist from Steven Spielberg — on The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration, available today on a new five-disc DVD collection with all three Godfather films and two discs of bonus features, as well as a four-disc Blu-ray set ($73 and $120, respectively; each film on individual DVDs, $20).

The Godfather was a victim of its own success. It earned $135 million in the USA, which in modern terms would make the film the No. 21 box-office earner of all time, according to boxofficemojo.com.

To meet demand, Paramount quickly made large numbers of copies to ship to theaters. As a result, "the negative was ultimately destroyed through the practice of printing it so much," Coppola says from Buenos Aires while editing the film Tetro.

A decade ago, Paramount stored all its Godfather film elements in a cold vault to help preserve them until a full digital makeover was possible. "No matter how seriously the studio wished to solve the problems at that time, it would not be possible until digital technology provided the tools," says Robert Harris of The Film Preserve, which eventually handled the restoration of both The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II (1974).

Fast-forward to 2005: Coppola, looking to renew the preservation effort, wrote to Spielberg when DreamWorks was acquired by Paramount. Could Spielberg, who had been involved in restoring Lawrence of Arabia, spur on the project? It was an offer Spielberg could not refuse. He took the request to studio chairman Brad Grey, who set into motion the two-year process, overseen by Paramount post-production executive Marty Cohen and done at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging in Burbank, Calif.

No single usable Godfather negative remained that was suitable as a source. In the end, Harris and the preservation team gathered a bunch of backup film elements and an Italian-subtitled print used as a color reference.

Over months, the restoration technicians carefully scanned the material and then began cleaning up the footage in its digital form, 4K files (meaning the video is made up of 4,000 lines of horizontal resolution, more than four times the quality of HDTV).

In addition to digitally removing scratches and repairing damage — more than 1,000 man-hours of dirt removal was performed on The Godfather— the technicians were able to fix errors that were more than three decades old. The restaurant scene in which Michael (Al Pacino) shoots Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and Capt. McCluskey (Sterling Hayden) had been filmed over two nights. But one night's footage had been incorrectly processed, resulting in less detail and a washed-out look — an error that has been corrected digitally.

"Without those innovations, we would not have been able to move forward with the same results," Cohen says. "This is about rebuilding to some degree and putting new paint on the house."

Coppola and Willis consulted on every step of the restoration, which is detailed in a documentary on the new collections. Thanks to the restoration, Willis has regained his title "Prince of Darkness," Coppola says.

"So much of his art was to have the blackness of the black be so vividly black that everything else stood out from it," he says. "The restoration achieved that again."

Blu-Ray is getting cheaper this Christmas

As we expected, in time for the holiday season, prices for technology and gadgets are plummeting. For all those who held out to see prices for Blu-Ray players to drop, the time is now. Memorex has just announced the MVBD-2510 Blu-Ray Disc player to hit retail shelves for only $269.50. The player is available immediately and should be available at various retail outlets.

The MVBD-2510 is a full-featured player that offers 1080p resolution at 24 and 60 frames per second as well as compatibility with pretty much all recorded optical media, such as DVD, DVD-R, DVD+R, CD, CD-R, video discs, etc.

The player also offers Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD decoding and bit stream output, as well as Master audio bit stream output. It supports both 5.1 and 7.1 audio signals through HDMI.

When Blu-Ray players were first introduced into the market they hovered around $1000. It is great to see prices for the hardware to come down so dramatically in such a short period of time, making this high definition format more affordable for everyone. After all, always keep in mind that Blu-Ray does not devalue your DVD collection. You can play back DVD on any Blu-Ray player and will get tremendous looking results. But in addition you can now add high definition titles as you go forward that will simply blow your mind.

New channel offers Canadians more HBO shows

A new pay channel with a slate of HBO programs never before seen on this side of the border is to be launched in Canada in October.

Astral Media and Corus Entertainment are jointly launching a channel that will be known as HBO Canada, they announced Monday.

It will be available at no extra charge to those who already subscribe to the Movie Network and Movie Central.

HBO is the U.S. network Canadians most often say they would like to see offered in Canada.

But the federal broadcast regulator has blocked attempts to launch U.S. pay channels, such as HBO and USA Network, in Canada saying Canadian players are not well enough developed to withstand the competition.

The Movie Network and Movie Central already carry a large slate of HBO programs such as Entourage, True Blood and Flight of the Conchords.

But Corus and Astral said this will be the first chance for Canadians to get programs such as Real Time with Bill Maher, Def Comedy Jam and Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger.

The network will also carry older HBO series such as OZ and Da Ali G Show, movies Gia, The Late Shift and If These Walls Could Talk and older miniseries including From the Earth to the Moon and Angels in America.

"For years, HBO's dramatic programming has been available on The Movie Network and Movie Central. But even with all of the HBO titles we offered, Canadians still wanted more," John Riley, president of Astral Television Networks, said in a release Monday.

HBO, backed by Time Warner, will have no business interest in the new channel, but Astral Media and Corus Entertainment have expanded their long-term programming deal with the U.S. network.

HBO Canada, like all other Canadian stations, will be required to carry Canadian content, and that will include the series Durham County and Terminal City.

TMN, owned by Astral, is available only in eastern Canada while Movie Central, owned by Corus, is available in western Canada.

New CD Releases, September 23rd: Kings of Leon, Jackson Browne, David Gilmour

Kings of Leon "Only by the Night" (RCA)

The Southern alt-rock troupe returns to the fray with its fourth album, "Only by the Night," which is a follow-up to last year's "Because of the Times."

"Only by the Night" was recorded on the band's home turf in Nashville, TN, and features the leadoff single "Sex on Fire." Fans can hear the new tracks in concert during Kings of Leon's fall tour, which launches Oct. 11 in Las Vegas.

* * *
Jackson Browne "Time the Conqueror" (Inside Recordings)

The acclaimed singer-songwriter returns with his first new studio release in six years. "Time the Conqueror" follows 2002's "The Naked Ride Home," which also marked the end of a six-year hiatus between studio recordings.

The new 10-song set was recorded with the performer's longtime band--Kevin McCormick, Mark Goldenberg, Mauricio "Fritz" Lewak and Jeff Young--along with additional members Chavonne Morris and Alethea Mills.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer kicked off his "Time the Conqueror World Tour" last week in Washington, DC. The trek will continue to stop at North American venues through early November.

In other news, Browne recently sued Senator John McCain and the Republican National Committee. The move was in response to a recent TV commercial supporting McCain's presidential bid that incorporates the Browne signature song "Running on Empty."

* * *
David Gilmour "Live in Gdansk" (Sony)

The legendary vocalist/guitarist from Pink Floyd gives fans a full-fledged document of his most recent solo tour. The two-CD, two-DVD set captures a full gig that Gilmour performed at the shipyards in Gdansk, Poland.

"Live in Gdansk" includes performances of such Pink Floyd favorites as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, "Breathe" and "Echoes." It also features tracks from Gilmour's most recent studio outing, "On an Island."

* * *
TV on the Radio "Dear Science" (Interscope)

The avant-garde New York rock band is set to release its third studio album, which follows 2006's highly acclaimed "Return to Cookie Mountain."

TV on the Radio is already out supporting "Dear Science." The road show began early this month in Portland, OR, and is scheduled to hit approximately 26 cities. Detroit garage rockers The Dirtbombs will open the October and November dates, while folksinger Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson will provide support for most of the September shows.

* * *
Jenny Lewis "Acid Tongue" (Reprise)

The Rilo Kiley vocalist adds to her solo resume with the release of "Acid Tongue." It's Lewis' second solo offering, following 2006's "Rabbit Fur Coat." She's currently in the midst of a 14-date tour in support of "Acid Tongue." The trek will include a stop at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Sept. 26.

* * *
More new releases:
Cold War Kids, "Loyalty to Loyalty" (Downtown)
Fourplay, "Energy" (Heads Up)
Demi Lovato, "Don't Forget" (Hollywood)
Bette Midler, "Jackpot: The Best Bette" (Warner Bros.)
Mogwai, "The Hawk is Howling" (Matador)
Old Crow Medicine Show, "Tennessee Pusher" (Nettwerk)
Pussycat Dolls, "Doll Domination" (Interscope)
The Replacements, "Pleased to Meet Me" (Rhino)
The Replacements, "Tim" (Rhino)
Jazmine Sullivan, "Fearless" (J-Records)
Thievery Corporation, "Radio Retaliation" (Eighteenth Street)
Hank Williams III, "Hank III Collector's Edition" (Curb)
Within Temptation, "Black Symphony" (Roadrunner)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Sex and the City, Vol. 2" (Steady)

Ghostbusters game delayed to 2009!!

The new "Ghostbusters" game, which was scheduled to come out this fall, may have been delayed.

But beyond a vague statement from a PR rep that the game is "not canceled," there's been no indication yet of what will happen to the "Ghostbusters" game. Since it's so close to completion, surely it won't just be thrown to oblivion and never published, right?

Sony Pictures, which of course owns the rights to "Ghostbusters" and licensed the IP to Vivendi last year, has said that they are working with Activision Blizzard "to evaluate various options surrounding the release of the 'Ghostbusters' video game." That's obviously vague, but it does contain an important nugget: it wants the game to be released, one way or another.

Sony goes on to state that "this has presented [Sony Pictures Consumer Products] with an opportunity to reevaluate the game release marketing strategy to potentially coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original film in '09."

So the studio's plan now is to get the game released in 2009. But who will publish it? There's no official word yet, but my understanding from further reporting is that Activision Blizzard and Sony are talking to other publishers about picking up the game right now. Given the strength of the brand and the marketing that has already gone into the game, I can't imagine the studio will have any trouble finding multiple interested partners. The only question may be whether that new publisher can reach a deal with Activision Blizzard to pay for the millions already spent on development.

Of course regardless of who releases it, developers Terminal Reality and Red Fly now have an extra year to work on the game. So there's no reason it shouldn't be really good.

Some Facebook users aren't fond of website's new face

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook's new face is drawing frowns from some of its users.

They're grousing about a spanking new redesign intended to unclutter their profiles on the social network. Several groups requesting a return to the old design have surfaced, including one with 1 million members.

Facebook has shifted millions of users to its new design in a bid to draw more members and advertisers to a cleaner interface. Facebook's torrid growth — it has added 90 million members the past two years — has put it in a prime position to vie for an estimated $2 billion market for social-networking ads this year.

But the new look has rankled some. "It's really difficult to read, and I don't like the tabs that you have to go through to see the whole profile. I hate it," says Jenny Smelyanets, 22, a public relations specialist in Palo Alto, Calif.

The facelift includes partitioning members' personal profiles into different areas of the site and offering more tools to make it easier to share information and photos. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said the changes, although for the better, might alienate some of the more than 100 million active users.

Facebook made the changes over several months and has left it up to individuals to decide when they want to switch over. So far, more than 80 million people have the new Facebook.

The process started in February, when Facebook launched a preview page to solicit user feedback. By late July, users had the ability to opt into the new design, says Mark Slee, a product manager at Facebook. The company began migrating everyone on Sept. 10 and will finish the task by the end of the month.

Despite some dissatisfaction, few users are expected to defect.

"Change is good, and change makes us angry," says Ben Parr, a blogger who started a protest group about the site's "news feed" feature two years ago but is fine with the new Facebook look.

Redesigns of tech hangouts typically elicit hand-wringing from loyal users. When Facebook introduced news feeds, critics called them an invasion of privacy. The feature — which outlines profile changes, upcoming events and birthdays, for instance — is now one of the most popular.

"There is backlash to change, simple as that," says Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst at Forrester Research. "There was to news feeds and Beacon (Facebook's advertising system that sparked privacy concerns). This time, Facebook gave users an opt-out option. They handled it as well as they could have."

A redesign at social network MySpace met with minimal criticism when it was unveiled in June. It enhanced functions of its home page, a video player and Profile Editor, which lets users customize their profiles. Since then, its number of unique users and the amount of time spent on the site are up. The site has 122 million members, up 2.7 million.

"Everything we did was shown to users six months to a year before they were finalized, and we were very sensitive to their input," says Steve Pearman, MySpace's senior vice president of product strategy.

No more 'Bond, James Bond'!

Don't you love to hear the words "Bond, James Bond" in a James Bond movie? Well, you won't be hearing them in the new Quantum of Solace film, out in November. For the first time in his 22 screen outings, Britain's super cool secret agent will not utter the words of introduction that have been a tradition for 46 years. He also won't say another classic one-liner – "shaken not stirred" – when ordering his martini, according to director Marc Forster in The Independent.

"There was a 'Bond, James Bond' in the script," he said. "There are several places where we shot it as well, but it never worked as we hoped. I just felt we should cut it out," he says, and the producers as well as star Daniel Craig "agreed."

Graham Rye, who edits an online 007 Magazine says that Craig is much closer to author Ian Fleming's original vision for the character. "The Bond films had become tired and needed reinvigorating," he said. "Rather than going away from Fleming I think the producers have gone back to him." Rye added, "His announcing of himself had become a bit corny."

Emmy telecast bombs in ratings and reviews

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 60th annual Primetime Emmys show, roundly panned by critics as perhaps the worst ever, laid a big, fat ratings egg as well, with early figures pointing to the smallest audience in the awards' history.

According to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research, ABC's three-hour Sunday telecast, featuring major wins for "Mad Men" and "30 Rock," averaged 12.2 million viewers, falling just below the historic low of 12.3 million posted by the 1990 ceremony aired on Fox.

Final national ratings for Sunday's broadcasts are due Tuesday.

By comparison, 13 million viewers tuned in for last year's ceremony and its farewell send-off of "The Sopranos," which ranked as the second-lowest Emmys audience on the books.

Sunday's telecast no doubt suffered from the fact that the shows and stars getting most of the attention, including best drama "Mad Men," comedy champion "30 Rock" and winning actors from shows like "Damages" and "Breaking Bad," represent programs that draw relatively few viewers themselves.

The Emmy telecast on ABC also collided in the eastern half of the country with NBC's highly rated Sunday Night Football broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys' 27-16 defeat of the Green Bay Packers.

And many New York viewers were likely siphoned off by an ESPN telecast of the last baseball game by the New York Yankees at historic Yankee Stadium.

Still, ABC's cause was not helped by an Emmy presentation that critics largely derided as a flop, especially an oddly ad-libbed opening monologue shared by five reality-show hosts who served as the evening's collective emcees.

In an apparent homage to their unscripted TV genre, Howie Mandell ("Deal or No Deal"), Ryan Seacrest ("American Idol") Jeff Probst ("Survivor"), Tom Bergeron ("Dancing with the Stars") and Heidi Klum ("Project Runway") took to the stage for about five minutes to joke about how they literally had nothing prepared to say.

Probst, Seacrest and Mandell then left the stage to Bergeron and Klum, who were joined by William Shatner for a gag that involved ripping off Klum's clothes.

The whole bit was panned by reviewers and other performers. Emmy winner Jeremy Piven, co-star of HBO's "Entourage," called the opening confusing and a "celebration of nothingness."

The ceremony then lurched into overdrive by mid-show with many presenters and winners forced to rush through their appearances to make up for lost time.

"It was hideously awful from start to harried finish, dragged down by five amateurish reality anchors who would have been unwelcome as guests, let alone hosts," USA Today wrote.

ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co. and fellow networks doubt hoped for a more auspicious official kickoff to prime-time TV's premiere week, seen by industry executives as a kind of reboot for television after last season was cut short by the Hollywood writers strike.

Clooney and 'ER' return? Thanks, but no thanks

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The producers of hospital drama "ER" are hoping to entice George Clooney back for the show's upcoming final season, even though Clooney has said he's not interested in putting his scrubs on one more time.

"ER" executive producer David Zabel told TV Guide that story lines had been dreamed up for the show's 15th and last season for all major past characters, including Clooney's Dr. Ross and his old flame, nurse Carol Hathaway, played by Julianna Margulies.

In an interview with TV Guide released on Monday, Zabel told the magazine he was "optimistic that we might be able to get them all. We have a really good story line for every (major) character from the past to show (the actors) what we want to do."

Anthony Edwards, whose character, Dr. Mark Greene, died of brain cancer in May 2002, has already agreed to return in flashback scenes this season, along with Laura Innes (Dr. Weaver), Paul McCrane (Dr. Romano, who also died) and Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter).

But Clooney hasn't been tempted yet.

"He is on record as saying he is not coming back," said Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, on Monday. "It is something he has already done. He is busy making movies."

"ER" launched the career of Clooney as a matinee idol after he left the regular cast in 1999 to pursue his movie career full time. He returned for a surprise cameo in May 2000 marking the departure of Margulies from the show after six seasons.

The groundbreaking series, set in the emergency room of the fictional Chicago-based County General Hospital, was the top-rated drama on U.S. television for several years but ratings have slipped in recent years.

The series will end with a two-hour finale in May 2009, preceded by a one-hour retrospective.

Run-D.M.C., Metallica nominated for Rock Hall

CLEVELAND - Run-D.M.C. could "Walk This Way" into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 1980s rap act, along with Metallica and the Stooges are among the nine nominees for next year's hall of fame class, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced Monday.

The other nominees are guitarist Jeff Beck, singer Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, War, Bobby Womack, and disco and R&B group Chic, the only nominee back from last year's ballot.

The five leading vote-getters will be announced in January and inducted April 4, 2009, in Cleveland.

The ceremony typically has been held in New York but is returning to Cleveland after more than a decade-long absence. Tickets will be made available to the public for the first time.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five opened the door for rap at the Rock Hall as the first hip-hop act to be inducted in 2007. Now, Run-D.M.C., nominated in the first year of its eligibility, has the chance to follow on the strength of rock and rap blends such as the 1986 cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and classics like "It's Tricky" and "My Adidas."

Metallica jumped on the heavy metal wave of the '80s and 25 years later is still selling out arenas. This month the group released "Death Magnetic," which marks a return to its early speed metal days.

The Stooges, recently given props in the film "Juno," get another shot after last appearing on the ballot two years ago.

Left off the ballot were Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bon Jovi. Both had been eligible for the first time. To be nominated an act must have released its first single or album 25 years prior.

More than 500 musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the inductions

Crime pays for Samuel L. Jackson at box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Samuel L. Jackson ruled the North American box office for the second time this year, while moviegoers largely ignored three other new releases as overall weekend sales resumed their downward spiral.

According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, Jackson's cop thriller "Lakeview Terrace" sold a modest $15.6 million worth of tickets during its first three days of release. It barely surpassed the $14 million opening for Jackson's 2006 bomb "Snakes on a Plane."

But Screen Gems, the distributor of the $20 million film, said the three-day tally was at the upper end of its expectations. Screen Gems is a low-budget division of Sony Corp.

Jackson plays a vindictive cop who makes life hell for his new neighbors. Reviews were mixed, even though it was directed by Neil LaBute, the filmmaker behind such edgy dramas as "In the Company Of Men."

The 59-year-old actor was last at No. 1 with the sci-fi action movie "Jumper," which opened with $27 million in February and finished with $80 million.

As for the other three rookies, the Lionsgate romantic comedy "My Best Friend's Girl," starring Kate Hudson and Dane Cook, opened at No. 3 with $8.3 million; the MGM cartoon "Igor" was No. 4 with $8 million; and Paramount/DreamWorks' Ricky Gervais comedy "Ghost Town" was No. 8 with $5.2 million.

Last weekend's champ, the Coen brothers' comedy "Burn After Reading" slipped to No. 2 with $11.3 million. The Focus Features release, which stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt, has earned $36.4 million after 10 days, and should end up in the $50 million range, the studio said.

SALES FALLING

Overall sales fell 4 percent from the year-ago period to $93 million, said tracking firm Media By Numbers, and have now dropped for eight of the last nine weekends. Year-to-date sales are flat, and the number of tickets sold is down by about five percent, the company said.

A week ago, Lionsgate had predicted that "My Best Friend's Girl" would be No. 1, and the $8.3 million opening was at the lower end of expectations, the studio said. Observers speculated the film might have been too raunchy for Hudson's core female fan base.

Hudson went to No. 1 in February with "Fool's Gold," which opened to $21.6 million. Cook was No. 2 last September with a $13.7 million opening for "Good Luck Chuck."

"Igor" revolves around a hunchbacked servant who dreams of scientific stardom. John Cusack leads the voice cast. The $25 million film was produced by independent animator Exodus Film Group, which said it was pleased with the $8 million opening. In addition to the usual family audience, the film also drew teens and young adults, Exodus founder/CEO John Eraklis said.

"Ghost Town" marks the feature headlining debut of Gervais, the wry co-creator of the BBC comedy "The Office." He plays a misanthropic dentist who sees dead people. The film played mostly to women and old people, not exactly Hollywood's preferred audience. A DreamWorks spokesman predicted the $20 million film would do better internationally. It opens on October 24 in the United Kingdom.

TV Review: Emmycast tries to get real, and flops

NEW YORK - Are the TV writers still on strike?

There have been boring, listless and otherwise ham-handed Emmy broadcasts among the past 59. Sunday's Emmycast was all of those things. But "The 60th Primetime Emmys" also seemed an inadvertent homage to the 100 days of the Hollywood writers strike last season, when the shows that were able to continue demonstrated what TV without writers is like.

ABC's Emmycast seemed to recapture that dreary world, despite the strike having been settled seven months ago, and the credits for the Emmycast listing writers and script supervisors.

The writing was on the wall (sorry) at the top of the show, when its five co-emcees — Heidi Klum ("Project Runway"), Tom Bergeron ("Dancing With the Stars"), Howie Mandel ("Deal or No Deal"), Jeff Probst ("Survivor") and Ryan Seacrest ("American Idol") — arrived on stage, all dressed in tuxedoes.

They, of course, were also the five nominees in the brand-new reality host category. Each is skilled, charming and/or gorgeous doing whatever series got each of them nominated. But on the Emmy broadcast they shared no chemistry, and seemed at a loss for anything clever to say from the outset.

After their initial strained banter, Probst confessed to the audience, "We have absolutely nothing for you. This is not a joke."

"This is not a bit," Mandel chimed in. "This is reality, and who better to offer that to you?"

Seacrest broke it to viewers that "there is absolutely nothing" on the TelePrompTers.

"We are like on Sarah Palin's bridge to nowhere," Mandel said.

A few more tedious moments and William Shatner burst from his seat in the Nokia Theatre, strode on stage, and gave a tug to Klum's tux, which ripped away to reveal a scanty black sequined number.

Well, at least someone presumably wrote that gag, however lame.

The remainder of the three-hour broadcast was occasionally jolted back to life by the appearance of people who knew to BYOM (bring your own material).

An early presenter, Ricky Gervais, displayed how he's one of the drollest performers on the planet as he recalled his absence last year, when he won a comedy Emmy for his series "Extras."

"I couldn't come last year. Which is a shame. But I STILL won. Do you remember?"

Another presenter, Steve Martin, introduced himself by saying "I'm Steve Martin and I'll be out here in just a minute" — a 40-year-old quip from his standup days that was still fresher than most of the broadcast's material.

Politics, and the presidential race, was in evidence in the exchange between Jon Stewart and his co-presenter, Stephen Colbert. While Stewart tried to list the best miniseries nominees, Colbert began munching from a bagful of prunes.

It was necessary, said Colbert, slipping into character as right-wing buffoon, then added, "Right now, America needs a prune ... This dried-up old fruit has the experience we need."

Stewart looked doubtful. "You know, after eight years of prunes, you would think _"

"Never enough!" Colbert snapped, then ate another. "What could possibly go wrong?"

While the Emmycast seemed to want to validate reality shows, it also crammed in a few pleasant, but extraneous, tributes to favorite scripted entertainment. These clips, accompanied by reproductions of familiar settings from those bygone shows (the WJM newsroom from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Monk's Diner from "Seinfeld"), seemed little more than filler.

Not nearly soon enough, the program was nearing its conclusion. Jimmy Kimmel handled the chore of presenting the best reality host Emmy.

With his customary wryness, Kimmel offered all five nominees a bit of backhanded praise for their shared Emmycast performance.

"Haven't they been sufficient, everybody?" he said.

He was being too kind.

'Mad Men,' '30 Rock' take top Emmy awards

LOS ANGELES - The sleek '60s drama "Mad Men" made Emmy history Sunday as the first basic-cable show to win a top series award, while the sitcom "30 Rock" and its stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin also emerged as big winners.

"We're all so very grateful to have jobs in this turkey-burger economy," Fey said after accepting the best comedy series trophy for her satire about a late-night TV show.

"This is the greatest job I've ever had in my life," Baldwin said of his role an a network executive.

He paid tribute to Fey, the NBC show's star and creator, as "the Elaine May of her generation."

"I thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities. Well done. That is what all parents should do," said Fey, who also won for best actress and writing in a comedy series.

Emmy voters rewarded quality, not ratings: Many of the winners draw relatively small audiences. AMC's "Mad Men," which looks at America through the prism of Madison Avenue, is lucky to get 2 million viewers.

Glenn Close of FX's "Damages" and Bryan Cranston of AMC's "Breaking Bad" captured drama acting trophies.

Close, honored for her portrayal of a ruthless attorney, complimented her fellow nominees, including Holly Hunter and Sally Field.

"We're proving that complicated, powerful, mature women are sexy in high entertainment and can carry a show," she said. "I call us the sisterhood of the TV drama divas."

Cranston won the trophy for his role of a desperate man who turns to making drugs.

Dianne Wiest of "In Treatment" and Zeljko Ivanek of "Damages" won supporting acting honors for the drama series. Jean Smart of ABC's "Samantha Who?" was honored as best supporting actress in a comedy series, with Jeremy Piven her actor counterpart for "Entourage."

Piven took aim at the five reality hosts who helped open the ceremony in what could charitably called a rambling way, saying, "What if I just kept talking for 12 minutes — what would happen? That was the opening."

The crowd at the 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards laughed heartily, not a good sign for the hosts, who included Ryan Seacreast of "American Idol."

Don Rickles was honored for best individual performance in a variety or music program for "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project."

"It's a mistake," Rickles said. "I've been in the business 55 years and the biggest award I got was an ashtray from the Friar's in New York."

Best reality-competition program went to "The Amazing Race," the show's sixth award. It and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" are now tied for most consecutive awards in a best-series category.

Jeff Probst of "Survivor," one of the ceremony's masters of ceremonies, claimed the first award for best reality series host. "We feel honored to be part of this family. Thank you for letting reality in," he said.

As the evening progressed, politics went from having a cameo to a co-starring role.

"I really look forward to the next administration, whoever it is," Jon Stewart said as he accepted the best variety, music or comedy series award for "The Daily Show." "I have nothing to follow that. I just really look forward to the next administration."

Later, Stewart and Stephen Colbert, whose "The Colbert Report" won a writing trophy, teamed to present an award — and exchange banter in which they used a package of prunes as a metaphor for the upcoming presidential election.

"America needs prunes. It may not be a young, sexy plum. Granted, it's shriveled and at times hard to swallow. But this dried-up old prune has the experience we need," Colbert said.

Tommy Smothers received a commemorative writing achievement for his work on the cutting-edge and controversial "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" from the late '60s — and turned serious.

"It's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war. And there's nothing more scary than watching ignorance in action," he said, dedicating his award to "all people who feel compelled to speak out, and are not afraid to speak to power, and won't shut up and refuse to be silenced."

Martin Sheen, who played a president on "The West Wing," lauded television for giving America a front-row seat to real presidential campaigns. Then he urged viewers to vote for "the candidate of your choice, at least once."

The award for best TV movie went to "Recount," about the contested 2000 Bush-Gore contest.

HBO's "John Adams," about the founding father, was named best miniseries and won other awards including acting trophies for Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson.

The historical drama set a record for most awards, 13, including five trophies Sunday and eight previously announced. The record of 11 was held by HBO's "Angels in America," the TV academy said.

HBO was the most-honored network, with 26 awards earned Sunday and at the creative arts ceremony held earlier this month. ABC was second with 12 awards, followed by CBS, NBC and PBS with 10 each; AMC with eight, Showtime with five and Fox with four.

Throughout the evening, the ceremony kept its landmark 60th birthday in the spotlight with salutes to television's past.

Pop star Josh Groban offered a marathon medley of TV theme songs, ranging from "The Simpsons" to "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" to "South Park" to "Gilligan's Island." At one point, Ed McMahon kicked in a "Heeeere's Johnny!" to salute Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show.

A tribute to memorable TV dialogue of the past was delivered by the stars of today in an opening clip package.

"One of these days, Alice, pow, right in the kisser!" Helen Mirren said, quoting Jackie Gleason's line from "The Honeymooners."

As the show opened at the Nokia Theatre, Howie Mandel and his fellow hosts riffed about a lack of material for the ceremony.

They then turned to slapstick: "Boston Legal" star William Shatner came on stage to help Tom Bergeron rip off co-host Heidi Klum's modest suit to reveal hot pants and more skin.

The Couch Potato Report - September 20th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a Manitoba made movie and the Dude continues to abide.

I have six new titles to tell you about this week, including the debut of two televisions shows on DVD, and some classic comedies.

The most important release I have this week - this week's HOT POTATO - is a movie that was filmed in communities across Manitoba including Winnipeg, Hartney, Balmoral, Otterbourne, Landmark, and they also filmed some around Lake Winnipeg.

Academy Award winning actress Ellen Burstyn stars in THE STONE ANGEL.

The source material for THE STONE ANGEL was a book that was first published in 1964. It is possibly the best-known of Margaret Laurence's series of novels set in the fictitious town of Manawaka, Manitoba.

Using parallel narratives of past and present day, the book - and now film - tells the story of Hagar Currie Shipley.

In the present-day, 94-year-old Hagar is struggling against being put in a nursing home, which she sees as a symbol of death.

The past narrative feature Hagar as a strong willed young woman who is full of life.

Ellen Burstyn won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1974 for her performance in the movie ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, and she has also appeared in THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, THE EXORCIST, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and many other classic films.

My point listing her resume is that she can act. In lesser hands the cinematic version of Hagar Currie Shipley may have come across as just a crotchety old woman, in Burstyn's hands you feel empathy toward her. You want her to be okay.

Unfortunately, while I have enjoyed the book, and I think that Burstyn and the rest of the cast of THE STONE ANGEL do a great job, and Mantitoba looks great on films, I just can't completely recommend the film.

It isn't bad in any way, but it isn't necessarily good either. It just is what it is.

If you like films that are slow and dramatic, then you should see this as I don't think you will be disappointed. Otherwise, I am sure there is something else out there more worthy of your time.

Maybe even a television show - a night time soap opera about a family of exceptionally wealthy socialites in New York City.

If that premise interests you, well then let me tell you about DIRTY SEXY MONEY.

The stories in DIRTY SEXY MONEY are nothing new to night time soap operas...people sleeping with people they shouldn't, money being used to buy happiness and to get rich folks out of trouble, too much alcohol and drugs...but what allows the show to be as good as it is boils down to the cast.

Peter Krause from SIX FEET UNDER stars as the lawyer who is forced to take care of one of New York City's wealthiest families, and the heads of that family are played by Academy Award nominated actress Jill Clayburgh and the great Canadian actor Donald Sutherland.

Not every episode in SEASON ONE of DIRTY SEXY MONEY is as good as the others, and some of the characters - namely the two youngest kids in the family - are usless to the show, but New York City has never looked better on film, the acting is just so good, and simply put, the show is a completely enjoyable guilty pleasure.

It is definitely a soap opera, make no mistake about that, but the acting is spectacular, it is very, very entertaining, and at times the show is funny too.

I love these guilty pleasures!!

I was really hoping that this week's other new TV show on DVD would be very entertaining too...or maybe just a guilty pleasure...especially since I am a huge fan of the character BATMAN and his universe, but sadly BIRDS OF PREY just isn't very good.

And that is a tremendous diappointment!

If you are a huge fan of Batman as well, or just loved this summer's THE DARK KNIGHT juggernaut and are looking to delve further into the characters, I would recommend that you avoid the 4-DVD set for BIRDS OF PREY - THE COMPLETE SERIES.

In the show Batman has disappeared and his daughter is a mysterious superhero known as "The Huntress" who has picked up where he left off, defending the city.

She has teamed up with the paralyzed hero "Batgirl" together they meet up with their next teammate Dinah Lance.

Dinah is a telepath and psychic and the three must learn how to work together and become not only a team of superheroes but also a family.

The main reason why BIRDS OF PREY is a failure is primarily due to the fact that the main three actresses aren't interesting enough to keep you interested in what they are doing.

And what they are doing is mainly melodrama...teenage angst filled melodrama.

The faults added together don't result in a show that is worthy of your time.

As a Batman fan, I wanted to see it, and I am glad I did, but let me suggest that you skip it, and instead check out the BIRDS OF PREY comic books.

They are much better!

Or just go and see THE DARK KNIGHT again! That film will always be worthy of your time!!

Three comedies now, well four actually, four comedies now to conclude The Report this week...so if you have been looking for a laugh, I have some for you!!

Well, actually, these films have the laughs...I didn't help creat them...so, the films have the laughs for you...but I have the clips!

This first one is from the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler movie BABY MAMA.

Fey - from the television show 30 ROCK - plays a successful, single businesswoman who dreams of having a baby, but discovers that she can have kids, so she looks to find a surrogate.

Amy Poehler of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE is the working class woman that Fey hires to be her surrogate mother.

The best thing about BABY MAMA - in addition to Fey and Poehler - is the fact that it isn't completely predictable. Some of it is, but most of it isn't, and that is great!!

So is the film, I laughed out loud more than a few times while watching BABY MAMA.

Yes, I laughed out loud at the new comedy BABY MAMA, and in the years since the very first FLETCH film starring Chevy Chase came out, I have laughed out loud dozens of times.

That original FLETCH movie - about a wise-cracking undercover newspaper reporter who just can't seem to stay away from trouble - came out in 1985 and the follow-up FLETCH LIVES came out in 1989.

And now both movies are available in the new, inexpensive 2-DVD set THE FLETCH COLLECTION.

These movies have already been issued a couple of times each on DVD, but if you don't own them, and have always found them funny, this is a set that I highly recommend.

I love these movies!!

I also love the Coen Brothers' 1998 classic THE BIG LEBOWSKI, and it too has already been released several times on DVD, but the new 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION is the best one yet!!

In addition to the film - about Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, a man mistaken for a millionaire who shares his name - who seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it - this new 2 DVD set also has some great retrospective features on the film, from all of the main stars, including Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI is one of my all-time favourite comedies, and this 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION is for fans of the films, and for people who are just seeing it for the first time.

It is a classic!!

The two-disc FLETCH COLLECTION with the great original FLETCH and FLETCH LIVES, the very funny comedy BABY MAMA, THE COMPLETE SERIES of the failed BIRDS OF PREY, SEASON ONE of the guilty pleasure DIRTY SEXY MONEY, the made-in-Manitoba film THE STONE ANGEL, and the 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION of the Coen Brothers' classic film THE BIG LEBOWSKI are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

Carrie and her friends very succesful summer big screen outing debuts on DVD...get ready for SEX AND THE CITY - THE MOVIE....and a less succesful summer film also debuts for home viewing...Mike Myers absolutely awful "comedy" THE LOVE GURU

I will also talk about the television show SAMANTHA WHO?, George Clooney and Renee Zellweger's LEATHERHEADS, the comedy RUN FATBOY RUN and the HIGH SCHOOL FLASHBACK COLLECTION features the John Hughes films SIXTEEN CANDLES, WEIRD SCIENCE and THE BREAKFAST CLUB.

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!

Natalie Cole hospitalized due to hepatitis C

NEW YORK - Natalie Cole, who recently revealed she had hepatitis C, has been hospitalized as a result of side effects from her medication and a heavy promotional schedule, her representative said Friday.

The Grammy-winning singer has been in a New York City hospital since Sept. 12, and is expected to remain there for at least a few days, according to publicist Maureen O'Connor of the firm Rogers & Cowan.

Cole announced in July that she was suffering from hepatitis C, a liver disease spread through contact with infected blood. She said at the time that the disease was revealed during a routine examination and was likely caused by her drug use years ago.

O'Connor said Cole had been responding well to treatment, but blamed the medicine she has been taking and a busy publicity schedule to promote her new album, "Still Unforgettable," with causing her problems. Cole had taped several TV appearances and had appeared live on NBC's "Today" show on Sept. 11, a day before her hospitalization.

Cole is expected to be in the hospital for a few more days and then will return to her home in Los Angeles, where she will be on bedrest, O'Connor said.

"We canceling her activities in October, but we do expect her to have a complete recovery," she said. "She just needs some rest."

O'Connor said Cole has been well enough to talk on the phone everyday, but didn't have much information on her condition.

Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, has sold millions of albums in her own long career. Her best-selling work was her 1991 multiple-Grammy winning CD, "Unforgettable ... With Love," on which she remade some of her father's classics.

Four faces — and outfits — to watch at the Emmys

NEW YORK - The red carpet at the 60th Emmy Awards on Sunday will surely be a parade of beautiful people wearing beautiful things — the faux pas of years past are out.

These days, designers use the carpet as a second runway and stylists keep their clients picture perfect. Still, armchair fashion critics want to have their say, even if it's only to say how great everyone looks.

Here are some buzz-worthy candidates to keep an eye on:

_Tina Fey

She was already the toast of the town with 17 nominations for "30 Rock," including her own nomination as best actress in a comedy — a prize she won last year.

Her return to "Saturday Night Live" was the watercooler talk of the week. What brought her back to "SNL" is her uncanny resemblance to GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Will she play that up or down?

"I think she'll try to look as far away from Sarah Palin as she can — that is, if she doesn't want to be asked to do the same imitation for every camera," says "Access Hollywood" supervising producer Ryan Patterson.

Fey often wears black to events and leaves her glasses at home, but the updo she wore last year might invite Palin comparisons.

"I think she might be forced to go in another direction," Ryan says. "I'm hoping to see her in something sleek and sexy with her hair sleek, too."

However, anything too trendy or fashion-forward wouldn't match her personality, notes Gretta Monahan, the new co-host on "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style." "My advice would be to see her play up her classic, pretty beauty. ... I'd say don't be the geek, be the beauty."

_Heidi Klum

Klum, one of the ceremony's co-hosts, won't have one stunning look on Sunday, she'll have eight, starting with an all-over sparkler by Armani Prive.

Each of the supermodel's outfits were carefully thought out, says Klum's stylist Maryam Malakpour. "The whole concept is more than just a celebrity changing clothes, we wanted every time you see her to say, `Wow!'"

Klum is working with Michael Kors, John Galliano for Dior, Valentino, Roland Mouret and "Project Runway" alum Christian Siriano have all provided looks, as well as one vintage choice. "An off-the-runway look might overwhelm someone else but she can pull that off because she's a model," Malakpour says.

It doesn't hurt that there's very few things that don't look good on her and that Klum treats the red carpet like just another catwalk, which she struts with confidence.

The one thing Klum doesn't wear is anything too trendy, Monahan says. "Whatever is trendy right now, you can assume Heidi is a step ahead."

_Christina Applegate

This is Applegate's first splashy fashion event since undergoing a double mastectomy, and while it's unlikely that anyone would criticize whatever she wears, "Access Hollywood's" Patterson has high expectations.

"She's young, flirty, fresh — I'm really excited to see what she does," Patterson says. "She always looks good."

Applegate has grown up in front of the cameras and so has her style. She doesn't dress too maturely for a 36-year-old but she also knows not to dress like a teenager.

"This is the Emmys, it's not the VMAs (MTV's Video Music Awards). She's not going to show up in thigh-high boots, a miniskirt or show a lot of cleavage. She will be classic and glamorous."

Applegate has taken to wearing her hair up to black-tie events and choosing retro gowns, including a beaded Art Deco-inspired look to the Screen Actors Guild Awards and a slinky siren number to last year's Tonys.

_The women of "Mad Men"

The old-school style that January Jones, Christina Hendricks and Elisabeth Moss, among others, bring to the 1960s-era drama hasn't been lost on the fashion world. Several designers and tastemakers have said they've been influenced by the show's costumes that marry a buttoned-up style with straight-up sex appeal.

You'd never catch these women in yoga pants or even jeans.

Monahan says she hopes the stars stick to that overall aesthetic.

"They shouldn't be in costumes but I'd like to see them in a modern take on their characters," she says. "I want to see that glamour — it's refreshing. ... Maybe next year they could wear something crazy, but this year I want to see them do what they do best."

Patterson, though, thinks this could be the time for the actresses to give the audience a glimpse of who they really are.

"They might go the opposite way and get out of the clothes they seem to wear 24/7. It's a chance for them not to be typecast and to offer some personal expression."

Legendary CFL coach and player Ron Lancaster dies of lung cancer at age 69

Hamilton (CP) - The CFL has lost one of its legends.

Canadian Football Hall of Famer Ron Lancaster has died. He was 69. A Hamilton Tiger-Cats spokesman says he died Wednesday night.

The former star quarterback and coach was diagnosed with lung cancer in early August and had been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy to treat the disease.

He had been working as a colour analyst on Hamilton Tiger-Cats radio broadcasts this season before receiving the diagnosis.

Lancaster began his illustrious CFL career in 1960 with the Ottawa Rough Riders.

He was dealt to Saskatchewan in 1963, spending 16 years there and leading the Roughriders to their first-ever Grey Cup title in 1966. He was the CFL's outstanding player in 1970 and '76.

He also had a lengthy coaching career with Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Hamilton, winning two Grey Cups while on the sidelines.

He is survived by his wife Bev, three children Lana, Ron and Bob and his four grandchildren.

Bryan Adams rocks for peace

Bryan Adams will start his European tour a day early by flying to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, for a free concert on Friday evening.

The Canadian rocker's website calls the concert a "symbolic gesture of peace." It will take place at 8 p.m. local time in Tbilisi's Rikhe district.

The Sept. 19 date is symbolic because it comes 40 days after the first loss of life in the current conflict in Georgia. Russia launched a heavily criticized military operation after an Aug. 7 Georgian crackdown in South Ossetia, which is pushing for independence from Georgia.

The Orthodox Christian faith, the predominant religion in the area, believes that the souls of the departed continue their journey 40 days after death.

It is not the first time Adams has visited a country after civil unrest. He's also visited Vietnam, Pakistan, Jordan and Sri Lanka.

On Aug. 21, Valery Gergiev, conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre orchestra and the London Symphony, and an ethnic Ossetian, held a requiem concert in South Ossetia's shattered capital, Tskhinvali.

Adams' whirlwind tour continues Sept. 20 in Buchares, then takes him to England, France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Italy, and finishes Oct. 4 in Alicante, Spain.

Motown songwriter, producer Norman Whitfield dies

LOS ANGELES - Norman Whitfield, songwriter and producer who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has died. He was 67.

A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said Whitfield died there Tuesday. He suffered from complications of diabetes and had recently emerged from a coma, The Detroit Free Press reported.

The New York-born Whitfield was a longtime Motown producer who during the 1960s and '70s injected rock and psychedelic touches into the label's soul music.

Many of his biggest hits were co-written with Barrett Strong, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. He and Strong won the Grammy in 1972 for best R&B song for the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone."

Many of Whitfield's songs from late '60s and early '70s have a strong political tone, including the Temptations' 1970 "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)," and Edwin Starr's 1970 "War."

In his only No. 1 hit, Starr sings in an anguished voice that war is "a heartbreaker, friend only to the undertaker. ... What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!" Whitfield produced as well as co-wrote the song.

Among Whitfield's other songs were "Cloud Nine," "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," all hits for the Temptations; and "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," a 1969 hit for Marvin Gaye.

The group Undisputed Truth had a top five hit in 1971 with Whitfield and Strong's "Smiling Faces Sometimes."

Whitfield "was able to go beyond R&B cliches with punchy melodies and arrangements and topical lyrics," Joe McEwen and Jim Miller wrote in "The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll."

Whitfield won another Grammy in 1976 for best original TV or motion picture score for "Car Wash." The movie's theme song was a No. 1 hit for Rose Royce and a Golden Globe nominee for best original song.

In a statement, Motown great Smokey Robinson hailed Whitfield as "one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers of our time. He will live forever through his great music."

Just last week, Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," from 1968, was ranked at No. 65 in Billboard magazine's compilation of the top singles of the past 50 years. It was also a hit for Gladys Knight and the Pips, in 1967.

Canadiens movie stars NHL legends

MONTREAL - The celebrations surrounding the Montreal Canadiens' centennial anniversary will include a movie slated for release on the storied hockey club's 100th birthday next year.

"Pour toujours, les Canadiens" (The Canadiens Forever) has begun filming in earnest and will include members of the Canadiens past and present.

The fictional movie features a 17-year-old college player and a 10-year-old boy who is waiting for a kidney transplant at a children's hospital where his mother works.

The history of the Canadiens will be evoked in a number of different ways, including through the teenager's father, a filmmaker who is preparing a documentary on the Canadiens' 100th anniversary to the detriment of his neglected family.

"I've never been so afraid to tackle a project," director Sylvain Archambault told a news conference at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.

The film has a $6-million budget and will continue shooting until mid-December.

"Between fear of failure and the pleasure I've felt making this movie and meeting all these people ... it is the chance of a lifetime."

Archambault and Jacques Savoie, who will write the screenplay, are well established in Quebec's entertainment scene.

The pair walked away Sunday with a rash of awards at the Gemeaux, handed out for French television achievement, for "Les Lavigueur," a miniseries based on the true story of a working-class family from Montreal that won a $7.5-million lottery jackpot in 1986.

The film, slated for release on Dec. 4, 2009, will include a number of well-known Quebec actors, including Dhanae Audet-Beaulieu as the teenager and Antoine L'Ecuyer as the hospitalized boy.

The movie will also include various current Canadiens such as team captain Saku Koivu and star sophomore goaltender Carey Price as well as Habs legend Jean Beliveau.

The players, both active and retired, will play themselves.

"I had five players yesterday (Monday) at Sainte-Justine Hospital," Archambault said. "I had Carey Price, (Christopher) Higgins, (Mike) Komisarek, Francis Bouillon and Saku Koivu ... everyone played themselves, but if there was one who will be more featured than the others, it's Saku Koivu."

Koivu battled back from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2001.

"In a context where he interacts with a sick child, and we know Saku's story, who overcame enormous odds ... it's easy for him to connect with other people. I was amazed by the quality of Saku Koivu."

As for Beliveau, Archambault says he isn't sure what sort of role the 77-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer will play.

"I know at the end of November, I have three days of filming at Colisee Jean Beliveau in Longueuil," Beliveau said.

Beliveau, known as "Le Gros Bill," won 10 Stanley Cups as a player with the Canadiens and said he's honoured to be part of the project.

"It warms my heart ... to play a role in a film that has such a big importance for the organization, for the City of Montreal and fans," Beliveau said.

Hagar Inks With New Roadrunner Imprint

Sammy Hagar is the first signing to new Roadrunner imprint Loud & Proud, which will focus on established artists. His label debut, "Cosmic Universal Fashion," will arrive Nov. 18.

The album's title track was written online by Hagar with an Iraqi rock fan named Steven Lost. The cut and its accompanying video, an homage to Van Halen's text-heavy 1992 clip for "Right Now," can be sampled on Hagar's Web site.

"'Cosmic Universal Fashion' is not about supporting left or right, blue or red, but rather an attempt to appeal to people on a personal level to get involved," says Hagar.

The album also includes the song "Loud," featuring the Cult's Billy Duffy and Matt Sorum along with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, and a cover of the Beastie Boys' "Fight for Your Right To Party."

Hagar was most recently signed to Rhino, which issued his 2006 album "Livin' It Up." The set has sold 52,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Here is the track list for "Cosmic Universal Fashion":

"Cosmic Universal Fashion"
"Psycho Vertigo"
"Peephole"
"LOUD"
"Fight for Your Right To Party"
"Switch on the Light"
"When the Sun Don't Shine"
"24365"
"I'm on a Roll"
"Dreams/Cabo"

Movie buffs can win bleacher seats for 2009 Oscars

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Stargazers seeking an up-close glimpse of Hollywood's royalty can win seats on Oscar night along the red carpet.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that 300 bleacher seats will be up for grabs in an online lottery.

Beginning at 9 a.m. PDT Monday, movie buffs can enter for a chance to win a seat in front of the Kodak Theater for the Oscars scheduled for Feb. 22. The lottery runs through 9 p.m. Sept. 28.

Applicants can register for up to four seats at http://www.oscars.org/bleachers.

In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have applied online for the bleacher seats.

Tom Cruise Wrecks Shrek Rumors

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Sorry to disappoint you Shrek fans, but Tom Cruise won't be heading to the swamp for the next go-round in the green-guy franchise.

Despite a flurry of stories on the Web over the past two weeks, Cruise is not—repeat, not—a candidate to voice the villain in Shrek Goes Fourth for DreamWorks Animation.

"As of today, there is no truth to the Tom Cruise-Shrek 4 rumor," rep Jeff Raymond tells E! News without further explanation.

The ogre rumors went into overdrive after first surfacing Sept. 4 on the movie blog cinemablend.com, which claimed to have received an email from an unnamed studio insider stating Cruise was being considered for the role.

That report took off in the blogosphere, eventually getting picked up in mainstream publications, including one of the Los Angeles Times blogs, which gave it even more traction.

And voilà, Cruise's camp stepped up to debunk the Shrek story.

DreamWorks declined to comment.

What exactly is the Top Gunner doing next? He certainly has plenty of options.

After wrapping the World War II thriller Valkyrie, due out in December, Cruise could join Ben Stiller in The Hardy Men, a comedy envisioning the sibling sleuths all grown up.

Cruise and his United Artists also just snapped up the rights to the true-crime thriller The Monster of Florence as a possible starring vehicle. That film chronicles a three-decade serial-murder spree in the Italian city.

One film he won't be doing is Edwin Salt. Cruise had been considering the film but ultimately passed on the role of a CIA officer mistaken for a president-assassinating Russian spy. The part is now reportedly being refashioned for Angelina Jolie.

As for Shrek Goes Fourth, the film will feature the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy. It's currently in the early production stages and expected to hit theaters in 2010.

Lincoln Center to honor Tom Hanks in annual gala

NEW YORK - The Film Society of Lincoln Center will honor Tom Hanks in its annual gala tribute, citing the actor's talent of making "a good man compelling."

The two-time Academy Award winner will be feted April 27 at Alice Tully Hall, which is being renovated but scheduled to reopen Feb. 22. It will be the society's 36th annual gala, following last year's celebration of Meryl Streep.

"There are so few actors who have been able to make the struggle and drama of being a good man compelling," Kent Jones, the society's associate director of programming, said Monday. "With his talent, his presence, his versatility, his sense of humor, he has set a very high standard for his fellow actors."

The 52-year-old Hanks won best-actor Oscars for 1993's "Philadelphia" and 1994's "Forrest Gump."

Pink Floyd member Richard Wright dies age 65

LONDON - Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.

Pink Floyd's spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He says the band member's family did not want to give more details about his death.

Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college and joined their early band, Sigma 6. Along with the late Syd Barrett, the four formed Pink Floyd in 1965.

The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was a hit.

In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.

The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" for that album, and later worked on the group's epic compositions such as "Atom Heart Mother," "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."

But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of "The Wall" when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour of "The Wall," and did not perform on Pink Floyd's 1983 album "The Final Cut."

Wright formed a new band Zee with Dave Harris, from the band Fashion, and released one album, "Identity," with Atlantic Records.

Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985 and Wright began recording with Mason and Gilmour again, releasing the albums "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" as Pink Floyd. Wright also released the solo albums "Wet Dream" (1978) and "Broken China" (1996).

In July 2005, Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour reunited to perform at the "Live 8" charity concert in London — the first time in 25 years they had been onstage together.

Wright also worked on Gilmour's solo projects, most recently playing on the 2006 album "On An Island" and the accompanying world tour.

New CD Releases, September 16th: Ne-Yo, Darius Rucker, Nelly, Lindsey Buckingham, Buckcherry, and more!

Ne-Yo "Year of the Gentleman"

The R&B star returns with his third album, which follows 2007's "Because of You." The first single from "Year of the Gentleman" is the Stargate-produced track "Closer."

The 28-year-old vocalist has a lot to live up to with "Year of the Gentleman." His prior releases, "Because of You" and 2006's "In My Own Words," both debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. In addition, "Because of You" won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

* * *
Darius Rucker "Learn to Live"

The Hootie & the Blowfish frontman is the latest pop star to try his hand in the country game, following in the recent footsteps of such celebs as Jewel and Jessica Simpson. The first single from "Learn to Live" is "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."

As the leader of Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker has helped sell more than 25 million records, the majority of which came with the band's blockbuster 1994 debut, "Cracked Rear View." That was then, and Rucker's solo country music career is now. The singer reportedly announced during an AOL Sessions interview that Hootie is splitting up so he can focus on his own musical endeavors.

* * *
Nelly "Brass Knuckles"

The hip-hop hero is looking for another hit with "Brass Knuckles," a work that will finally make it to record stores after being delayed several times. His last solo works came in 2004, with the simultaneously released albums "Sweat" and "Suit," although he's made several guest appearances for the other artists in the interim.

Repaying the favor, many musicians make guest spots on "Brass Knuckles." The album's star-studded cast includes T.I., R. Kelly, Usher, Fergie and Chuck D.

* * *
Lindsey Buckingham "Gift of Screws"

The Fleetwood Mac singer/songwriter/guitarist returns with a follow-up to 2006's "Under the Skin." "Gift of Screws" was recorded with members of Buckingham's touring band as well as with longtime Fleetwood Mac bandmates Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.

Buckingham is currently supporting "Gift of Screws" on the road. His 29-city headlining trek will stretch through an Oct. 19 date at New York's Nokia Theatre.

* * *
Buckcherry "Black Butterfly"

The hard rockers get back to business with "Black Butterfly," the band's fourth studio effort. The release follows 2006's "15," a work that spent 98 weeks on The Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum.

Buckcherry is joining with fellow rockers Avenged Sevenfold for a co-headlining tour, which kicks off tomorrow (9/16) in Moline, IL. That outing follows the band's participation in this summer's Motley Crue-led Crue Fest.

* * *
More new releases:
All That Remains, "Overcome" (Razor & Tie)
Avenged Sevenfold, "Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough" (Reprise)
Patricia Barber, "The Cole Porter Mix" (Blue Note)
Camp Rock, "Disney Karaoke Series: Camp Rock" (Disney)
Celtic Thunder, "Act Two" (Celtic Thunder)
Kasey Chambers, Shane Nicholson, "Rattlin' Bones" (Sugarhill)
Renee Fleming, "Four Last Songs" (Decca)
James, "Hey Ma" (Decca)
Jem, "Down to Earth" (ATO)
Raphael Saadiq, "The Way I See It" (Sony)
Al Stewart, "Sparks of Ancient Light" (Appleseed)
Ben Taylor, "The Legend of Kung Folk Part 1 (The Killing Bite)" (Iris)
Various Artists, "The Imus Ranch Record" (New West)
Various Artists, "Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins" (Take 6)

Britney Spears due to release album in December

NEW YORK - Britney Spears' second comeback is in full swing: She's due to release a new album in December, on her 27th birthday.

"Circus" is set for release Dec. 2, a little over a year after she released last November's "Blackout," which was perhaps her most critically acclaimed CD, but came during her infamous year of erratic behavior, rehab, custody battles and at least one hospitalization. She barely promoted it, and the album — though it was certified platinum — was one of her least successful.

But these days, Spears has been in the spotlight for all the right reasons. She won three MTV Video Music Awards for her clip "Piece of Me" and appeared on the Sept. 7 awards show looking fit and stunning, a reversal of her disheveled, widely panned appearance in 2007. She also drew praise for her guest appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother."

Spears' life seems to have rebounded after her father, James Spears, went to court and took control of her personal and professional life as her conservator. She also resolved her custody battle with former husband Kevin Federline, with Federline retaining custody of their two young sons and Spears receiving visitation rights.

Among the producers on Spears' new CD are Nate "Danja" Hills and Max Martin, who produced some of her biggest hits, including her first, "Baby One More Time." The first single, "Womanizer," will be released to radio Sept. 22, her record label, Jive/Zomba, announced Monday.

Tennant Set For "Doctor Who" Movie?

David Tennant is in negotiations for a new film version of "Doctor Who" says The Telegraph.

The actor, currently only contracted for five more episodes, has reportedly agreed to reprise his role as the tenth Doctor in a full fifth season in 2010 if the big screen role can be added to a new deal.

"For ages, BBC Worldwide held the rights and were planning to make a movie, but it got held up and former BBC1 boss Lorraine Heggessey decided to bring back the TV series in 2005. But everyone is keen now and the fans are clamouring. Part of David's conundrum is that he wants to do films, so this looks like it would solve both issues" says a source.

BBC managers are seeking funding for the film and outgoing producer Russell T. Davies revealed he would like Catherine Zeta Jones to play the Doctor's companion in a film version.

Incoming producer Steven Moffat is also keen on the idea, saying last month that "It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it's fantastic."

Two previous film versions of the series have been made. Peter Cushing took the lead role in 1965, and Paul McGann starred as the Time Lord in 1996.

'Burn After Reading' is No.1 at the box office

LOS ANGELES - Joel and Ethan Coen scored their biggest opener to date by raking in $19.4 million in ticket sales for "Burn After Reading" and helping end a seven-week attendance slide at theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The madcap comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich raked in $7 million more than the writing-directing duo's last box-office hit, the 2004 comedy "The Ladykillers," according to box office tracker Media by Numbers.

"Burn After Reading's" success comes just a year after the brothers gained widespread acclaim for the drama "No Country for Old Men," which won four Academy Awards and grossed $73.3 million.

Their Oscar credentials and the star-studded cast combined to make "Burn After Reading" a hit, said Jack Foley, president of distribution for Focus Features.

"The Coens have broken into more commercial territory with this film," Foley said. "They've become more of a household name."

The weekend's three other new releases also turned in solid performances.

Writer-director Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys," starring Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in a drama about two families from different social classes, debuted at No. 2 with $18 million. Five out of six of Perry's films have opened at No. 1 or No. 2 on their opening weekends, said Steve Rothenberg, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate.

Rothenberg said he expected "The Family that Preys" to continue to play well over upcoming weekends as Perry's movies typically do.

"It should have good legs," he said.

Overture Film's "Righteous Kill" opened at No. 3 with $16.5 million, proving that A-list stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino still draw fans. The movie played to a wide range of ages and both genders, said Kyle Davies, Overture's executive vice president of theatrical distribution.

"The primary appeal is to see these two legends together," he said.

Picturehouse's "The Women" — starring Meg Ryan and Annette Bening in a remake of George Cukor's 1939 comedy-drama — was No. 4 with $10.1 million.

The weekend's total box-office draw should surpass $100 million, breaking a seven-week slide in ticket revenue, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media by Numbers. Last weekend was the slowest moviegoing weekend in five years, with just $67.6 million.

He attributed the uptick to the variety in genres that studios offered this weekend.

"Audiences want a lot of choice," he said. "Each of these movies had a particular demographic. This was the cinematic equivalent of a magazine rack."

The next seven films in the top dozen were holdovers, grossing $4.3 million or less.

The Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" continued to rack up its gross with another $4 million, for total box office revenue of $517.7 million to date.

Last weekend's top-ranked "Bangkok Dangerous" starring Nicolas Cage dropped to eighth place with $2.4 million.

These are the Top 12 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, as estimated by Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Burn After Reading," $19.4 million.
2. "Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys," $18.0 million.
3. "Righteous Kill," $16.5 million.
4. "The Women," $10.1 million.
5. "The House Bunny," $4.3 million.
6. "Tropic Thunder," $4.2 million.
7. "The Dark Knight," $4.0 million.
8. "Bangkok Dangerous," $2.4 million.
9. "Traitor," $2.1 million.
10. "Death Race," $2.0 million.
11. "Babylon A.D.," $1.7 million.
12. "Mamma Mia!," $1.7 million.

The Couch Potato Report - September 13th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels some films that may change your appetites.

Some films are meant to simply entertain.

They make us laugh or cry, and once they are done, you feel entertained....even emotionally nurished.

Other movies want to do more than that...they want to engage you, feed your brain, stir up feelings or emotions, and possibly even incite change.

This week's HOT POTATO is the latter type of film.

It is the documentary THE FUTURE OF FOOD.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD takes an in-depth investigation into unlabelled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have been making their way on to our grocery store shelves for the past decade or so.

The movie features many farmers who are in disagreement with the food industry, and it shows the impacts that new technology has had on their lives and livlihood.

Some of the farmers in the film are even from Saskatchewan...including Vonda ortganic Farmer Marc Loiselle.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD also shows the costs of a globalised food industry - in dollars, livlihoods and human lives - and it features some of the legal issues that some farmers have faced at the hands of the huge companies who are trying to control the seeds that are out there, and as a result, food itself.

Bruno's Percy and Louise Schmeiser's case against Monsanto is prominantly featured....and their story remains very compelling

Working against THE FUTURE OF FOOD is the fact that the movie doesn't have a strong enough narrator, but that is only a tiny flaw.

It is ultimately a movie I would recommed - to everyone - as it does feature some shocking facts about the food that we eat, and it does a pretty good job showing multiple sides of the issues it raises - especially when talking about Organic farming versus traditional methods - and it did make me think and engage me.

And as I have said before, on several occasions, that is what a documentary is supposed to do.

What a documentary is NOT supposed to do is only give you one side of a story...sadly, that is exactly what THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO does.

Even though there is a short scene explaining why they don't offer MONSANTO's side of their story, the fact that this is a one sided documentary really hurts it...unless you have a grudge against the company, then you will love it!!

If you are unfamiliar with the company, some of Monsanto's "accomplishments" are the production of Agent Orange, PCBs, and genetically modified crops such as Roundup Ready soybeans that, far from being a boon to farmers around the world, threaten their livelihood and undermine biodiversity.

Simply put, they are one of the biggest chemical companies in the world and the provider of the seed technology for 90 percent of the world's genetically engineered crops.

But whether you support the company, or despise them, any documentary has to offer both sides, and THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO just paints a grim picture of a company with a long track record of environmental crimes and health scandals.

Is there a bright side, something - anything positive about what the company is doing?

If there is, this film doesn't show it.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO has a lot about it that I would recommend, but due to the one sided slant it offers, the fact that the filmmaker is repeatedly seen doing Google searches on a computer to find out the information that she needs, and the fact that she actually does some interviews on the phone instead of traveling to the city where her subject is in - even though she does travel to other cities for other interviews - all of that just added up to a movie that had some interesting stories and facts, but ultimately doesn't make me feel the need to tell you to see it.

If THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO sounds appealing to you, then you should see it. If it doesn't...just skip it.

There are three other titkles for me to tell you about this week, and I will begin with the best of the three, THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the quirky, fun and entertaining television show ELI STONE, starring the exceptionally beautiful, lovely and talented Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge.

The show also stars the great Ontario born actor Victor Garber from ALIAS and Jonny Lee Miller from TRAINSPOTTING as Eli Stone, a lawyer who begins to see things - and hear George Michael's music everywhere he goes.

It turns out that he has a brain aneurysm, which are causing his visions, and unless he follows the path that they lay out - a path that offers little monetary gain but a lot of moral goodness - the visions don't stop.

Yes, you gotta have faith.

Ultimately, putting it's gimmick aside, ELI STONE is just another procedural lawyer show where there are cases to be won and lost.

This one is perhaps a bit too preachy and idealistic at times, but I like idealistic, and even though some of the cast outside of Miller, Garber and the exceptionally beautiful, lovely and talented Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge aren't as appealing as the three main stars, I like the show.

If you have been looking for a show about lawyers with a twist, ELI STONE might be the show you have been looking for.

Okay....usually when a film is as bad as the next new release I have for you, I would just ignore it. I wouldn't give it a seconds worth of airtime as it doesn't deserve it.

That is certainly true of THE PROMOTION, an absolutely awful film...but due to the fact that it stars some people who you and I usually like to see in films and on our televisions - including Seann William Scott from the AMERICAN PIE films, John C. Reilly of TALLEDEGA NIGHTS and CHICAGO, Fred Armisen from SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, Jenna Fischer from BLADES OF GLORY, and she plays Pam on THE OFFICE and Lili Taylor from the classic 80s film SAY ANYTHING - due to that cast, this film must be mentioned here...just so I can tell you to stay away from it.

This is one of the worst movies ever made...it isn't funny, it has nothing entertaining to offer you, the cast is completely wasted, and it is a complete waste of time.

Again, the movie is called THE PROMOTION...it is about two assistant managers of a corporate grocery store vie for a coveted promotion....and it is garbage...even if you have liked the cast in their past roles...skip it! Ignore it...just walk on past!!

Whatever their intentions, they made a piece of garbage!

Moving on, well my friend, it is time for our annual alternative to the action filled, very loud, check-your-brain-at-the-door summer movie season.

Again this year, I spent some time telling you about at least one current release on DVD that you would need your brain to enjoy.

And now, it is time for the FOREIGN FILM FESTIVAL ON DVD to conclude, and our final entry this year is the Russian film POISONED BY POLONIUM: THE LITVINENKO FILE.

Alexander Litvinenko was a former officer of the Russian State security service, and later a Russian dissident and writer.

On November 1st, 2006, Litvinenko suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized. He died three weeks later from lethal poisoning by radioactive Polonium, which was slipped into his tea during a meeting with two visitors from Moscow.

CLIP - POISONED - Asylum
TIME - 15 seconds

POISONED BY POLONIUM allows Litvinenko to tell his own story in this film, in his own words, using never seen before footage and interviews with his widow, his friends and his alleged killers.

The film attempts to recreate a world of intrigue, high-stake politics, love, loyalty and betrayal, and at times it succeeds. At other times, quite unfortunately, this film is just boring.

I liked POISONED BY POLONIUM: THE LITVINENKO FILE, and if espionage or spies intrigue you, then I think you will enjoy it too.

It isn't a must see, but it is an effective way to end this year's FOREIGN FILM FESTIVAL ON DVD!!

But fret not...whenever there are Foreign Films that are worthy of a mention, I will have them for you...no matter what time of year it is!

The Russian film POISONED BY POLONIUM: THE LITVINENKO FILE, the useless film that you should avoid at all costs called THE PROMOTION, THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the entertaining show ELI STONE, and the engaging documentary THE FUTURE OF FOOD are all available now on DVD.

The one-sided documentary THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO comes out on Tuesday.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

I will talk about the made-in-Manitoba film THE STONE ANGEL, SEASON ONE of the television series DIRTY SEXY MONEY starring the great Donald Sutherland, and the comedies BABY MAMA, FLETCH and the 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION of THE BIG LEBOWSKI...starring Mr. Lebowski.

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!

CANADA POINTS TO OSCARS

TORONTO - If the films unveiled here are any indication, this year's fight for the Best Actress Oscar will pit American Anne Hathaway against Britain's Keira Knightley.

Hathaway, who was passed over at nomination time for both "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Devil Wears Prada," should have more luck with her tour de force as a troubled woman who takes leave from a lengthy stint in rehab to attend her sister's nuptials in "Rachel Getting Married."

Jonathan Demme's darkly funny movie, his best in years, has a knowing script by Jenny Lumet, daughter of director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne. It's out next month.

Knightley, previously nominated for "Pride and Prejudice" - which also had its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival - seems a lock for "The Duchess," set for release on Sept. 26.

She shines as the 17th century bride of a powerful British duke (Ralph Fiennes) who became an international style icon - and had other unhappy parallels with her distant relative Lady Diana, including his and her lovers.

There is also Best Actress buzz around two other Brit actresses: Sally Hawkins as the optimistic heroine of Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" and veteran Kristin Scott-Thomas in the French movie "I've Loved You So Long," as a woman who returns from prison after serving 15 years for murdering her son.

Four contenders also emerged for Best Actor honors. The hottest at the moment is the most unlikely - '80s star Mickey Rourke, who makes a spectacular comeback as a washed-up New Jersey grappler who is forced to re-examine his life after a near-fatal heart attack in Darren Aronofsky's crowd-pleasing "The Wrestler."

Another strong contender is Puerto Rican actor Benecio Del Toro, who previously won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic." His charismatic performance as the Argentine doctor-turned-guerilla who became Fidel Castro's right-hand man is the main virtue of Soderbergh's 41/2-hour epic "Che," which turned up in Toronto in a version that was 17 minutes shorter than the one unveiled in May in Cannes.

"Syndedoche, New York," the directing debut of writer Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation"), is brilliant but challenging. A nomination is quite possible for Philip Seymour Hoffman as the main character, an obsessed playwright who spends two decades writing and rehearsing a play on a scale-model version of New York City he has constructed in a vast warehouse. Hoffman is extremely popular with his fellow actors and he won the Best Actor award for "Capote" over Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain."

More of a long-shot possibility is Greg Kinnear, previously nominated as Best Supporting Actor for "As Good As It Gets" a decade ago. He's warmly excellent as an electrical engineer who invented the intermittent windshield wiper - and spent decades suing Ford and other auto companies who stole his idea - in the fact-based "A Flash of Genius."

Unlike some previous years, there weren't many Best Picture candidates unveiled in Toronto, where "Brokeback Mountain" and "Atonement" both took on front-runner status only to stumble on Oscar night.

The only Best Picture candidate here this year was the hugely popular "Slumdog Millionaire," Danny Boyle's exuberant, fact-based tale of a Mumbai street urchin who won 2 million rupees as a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" - and then was tortured by authorities who suspected he cheated.

Checker's "Twist" tops all-time singles chart

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The 50th-anniversary Hot 100 Song chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 since the singles chart's inception in August 1958 through July of this year.

Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least.

To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from all 50 years, earlier time frames were each weighted to compensate for the differences in the faster turnover rates from those earlier decades, compared with the slower churn the Hot 100 has experienced since the advent of Nielsen Music data.

Here are the top 10 singles on Billboard's 50th-anniversary Hot 100.

1: THE TWIST (CHUBBY CHECKER)

Label: Parkway / Peak Date: 9/19/60 and 1/13/62 / Peak Position: 1 (1 week) and 1 (2 weeks)

"I resurrected a corpse" is how Chubby Checker feels about recording "The Twist" in the early summer of 1960. And Frankenstein's monster had nothing on his achievement.

"The Twist" is the only song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to enjoy two separate chart runs to No. 1: September 19, 1960 (one week), and, after an October 1961 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," January 13, 1962 (two weeks). It also set a record for the most weeks (39) on the Hot 100 by a No. 1 song -- which held until UB40's "Red Red Wine" lasted 40 weeks in 1988. Others since have surpassed the mark.

"'The Twist' brought the world dancing apart (to) the beat," says Checker, now 66, who was born Ernest Evans in South Carolina before moving to Philadelphia. "Then came all our dances -- the Pony, the Mashed Potato, the Fly, the Hucklebuck -- all dancing apart to the beat. Chubby gave us that. How did he do it? With 'The Twist."'

Forty-eight years later, however, Checker fesses up to being a reluctant savior for the song. "The Twist" first came out as the B-side of Hank Ballard & the Midnighters' 1959 single "Teardrops on Your Letter." DJs largely ignored "The Twist," but inner-city youth who had flipped the disc began doing a hip-wiggling dance to the track, which did not go unnoticed by "American Bandstand" host Dick Clark. When he couldn't get Danny & the Juniors to record a version of the song, Clark went to Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway label and suggested that Checker take it on. Checker had recorded "The Class" for him in 1958 as a holiday single to send to friends.

"I said I didn't want to sing that song," Checker remembers. "It had been out already. Nobody was playing it. But I wanted to make records, and so when they said, 'Come up here and sing "The Twist,"' I said, 'OK."'

"The Twist" was the gift that kept on giving: Five more of Checker's 32 Hot 100 entries mined the dance. He even joined the Fat Boys for "The Twist (Yo, Twist)," which hit No. 16 in 1988.

2: SMOOTH (SANTANA FEATURING ROB THOMAS)

Label: Arista / Peak Date: 10/23/99 / Peak Position: 1

(12)

Exactly 30 years before Santana reached No. 1 with "Smooth," his eponymous band made its first appearance on the Hot 100 with "Jingo." It wasn't an auspicious debut, peaking at No. 56. But if you had told Carlos Santana back then that he would have the biggest hit of his career 30 years later to the week, do you think he would have believed you? Probably not. Co-written by Itaal Shur and Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, "Smooth" introduced Santana's smash album "Supernatural" and became one of the biggest radio monsters of the decade, spending 12 weeks at No. 1.

3: MACK THE KNIFE (BOBBY DARIN)

Label: Atco / Peak Date: 10/5/59 / Peak Position: 1 (9)

In 1958, "Splish Splash" put 22-year-old Bobby Darin on the map, and three more hits in quick succession cemented his teen appeal. But the furiously ambitious Darin wanted the longevity promised by singing in supper clubs, appealing to Frank Sinatra's audience. "In night clubs I lean to other things. I even do 'Mack the Knife' from 'The Threepenny Opera,"' Darin told Billboard at the time. He recorded "Mack" for his standards album "That's All," produced by Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler for Atlantic's Atco imprint. It won the Grammy for record of the year as well as a slightly belated nod for Darin as best new artist.

4: HOW DO I LIVE (LEANN RIMES)

Label: Curb / Peak Date: 12/13/97 / Peak Position: 2

LeAnn Rimes' second Hot 100 entry, after the 1996 No. 26-peaking "Blue," stands as the longest-running Hot 100 title of all time, charting for 69 weeks total between June 1997 and October 1998. The song, recorded when Rimes was only 14, even outlasted two of her follow-up releases on the chart. It also led the Adult Contemporary chart for 11 weeks and has gone on to sell 3.5 million physical singles. On the digital front, it routinely shifts more than 1,000 units per week, for a total to date in excess of 203,000. "It's just one of those songs that lives on in everyone's life," Rimes says today.

5: MACARENA (BAYSIDE BOYS MIX) (LOS DEL RIO)

Label: RCA / Peak Date: 8/3/96 / Peak Position: 1 (14)

This flamenco-flavored party song and accompanying silly dance by two middle-age men named Antonio Romero and Rey Ruiz was a hit in Spain in 1993, and "Macarena" was a favorite on cruise ships before docking in Miami's South Beach clubs by mid-decade, first appearing on the charts in 1995. But the bilingual Bayside Boys Mix of the song exploded on radio, spending 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1996 and reaching the top several weeks before it was used to introduce -- and provide a punch line for -- Al Gore's speech at that year's Democratic National Convention. Los Del Rio's early version eventually returned to the chart, peaking at No. 23 and spending 21 weeks on the tally.

6: PHYSICAL (OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN)

Label: MCA / Peak Date: 11/21/81 / Peak Position: 1 (10)

Olivia Newton-John was weary of the sweet love songs that had defined her career for more than a decade. With longtime producer John Farrar, she decided to up the tempo for the title track of 1981's "Physical." The song also stirred up controversy for its lyrical nod to sexual intimacy, ultimately fueling a 10-week stay atop the Hot 100 to become Newton-John's biggest career hit. It had immense crossover appeal, scoring on the pop, adult contemporary, club play and black charts. After all was said and done, "Physical" was the No. 1 song of 1982.

7: YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE (DEBBY BOONE)

Label: Warner Bros./Curb / Peak Date: 10/15/77 / Peak Position: 1 (10)

Pat Boone's four daughters tried for years to forge a music career as the Boone Sisters, with no luck. Label honcho Mike Curb was determined to launch lead Debby as a solo artist and found the ideal song at a screening of the movie "You Light Up My Life." Curb borrowed the instrumental track and had Boone's vocal recorded over it. His instincts were right on: "Light" remained at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for 10 weeks beginning in October 1977, a record at the time for a female artist, and won an Academy Award for best original song and a Grammy Award for Boone as best new artist.

8: HEY JUDE (THE BEATLES)

Label: Apple / Peak Date: 9/28/68 / Peak Position: 1 (9)

The first single the Beatles released on their Apple Records label, "Hey Jude," was written in 1968 by Paul McCartney to comfort John Lennon's son Julian during the divorce of his parents. "I started with the idea, 'Hey Jules,' which was, 'Julian, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better,"' McCartney told biographer Barry Miles. "Hey Jude" entered the Hot 100 for the week ending September 14, 1968, at No. 10 and rose to No. 1 two weeks later. It held the top spot for nine weeks, making it the most successful hit of the band's career. It remains a staple of McCartney's live shows to this day.

9: WE BELONG TOGETHER (MARIAH CAREY)

Label: Island/IDJMG / Peak Date: 6/4/05 / Peak Position: 1

(14)

Early in the decade, Mariah Carey experienced a prolonged dry spell of hits that coincided with some bizarre public appearances, a film flop and a disastrous $80 million deal with Virgin. But she regrouped spectacularly on Island Def Jam with "The Emancipation of Mimi." "We Belong Together," the album's monster second single, was produced by Jermaine Dupri. It spent 14 weeks at No. 1 and helped the album shift 5.9 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "I prayed to get through everything I got through, and I prayed for this record to be really good and really strong and for me to be proud of it," she told Billboard in 2005. "God always answers my prayers." Carey now has 18 No. 1 Hot 100 hits, second only to the Beatles' all-time record of 20.

10: UN-BREAK MY HEART (TONI BRAXTON)

Label: LaFace/Arista / Peak Date: 12/7/96 / Peak Position: 1 (11)

Three years after winning the 1993 best new artist Grammy Award, Toni Braxton released her second consecutive multiplatinum album, "Secrets." The follow-up to her self-titled LaFace Records debut spun off the preacher's daughter's first Hot 100 No. 1 ("You're Makin' Me High") and this, the biggest hit of her career. The song -- written by Diane Warren, produced by David Foster and rendered in Braxton's distinctive, husky alto -- spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. A "Diva Mix" of the track, inspired by her show-opening performance at the 1996 Billboard Music Awards, spread "Heart" to overseas success as well.

Ricky Gervais eyes the Riddler

Until now, Ricky Gervais has made a career out of playing socially awkward misfits.

First, there was David Brent, the foot-in-mouth paper company chief on the British “Office.” Then he played Andy Millman, a hopelessly misguided thespian who dreams of stardom on “Extras.”

Bit parts in “For Your Consideration,” “Night at the Museum” and “Stardust” followed.

So with his television characters reaching cult-like status, Gervais was methodical when it came time to selecting his first leading role.

“I’ve been in this business for seven years and I still pinch myself,” he told a roomful of journalists at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this week.

But when he read the script for “Ghost Town,” he fell in love.

“It has a nice underlying message,” director and co-writer David Koepp said, “which is: ‘Don’t be a dick.’”

In the film, which opens September 19, Gervais plays misanthropic dentist Bertram Pincus who, after a minor mishap on the operating table, can see dead people.

The problem is, they annoy him.

When they see him on the street, ghosts with unfinished human business beg him to help them tie up loose ends.

One particularly pushy spirit, Frank (played by Greg Kinnear), agrees to keep them away from Pincus if he’ll help break up the impending nuptials between his former wife (played by Tea Leoni) and her straight-arrow fiancée.

Pincus takes him up on his offer, but gets more than he bargained for when he starts to feel the pangs of love.

“What are you saying?” Gervais said to a reporter who questioned the funnyman’s authenticity as a romantic lead. “I’ve got the bone structure,” he added with a slight tug of his jowls. “It’s just well hidden.”

Before taking the role, Gervais had some rules.

“I don’t kiss anybody; I won’t talk to myself alone and I will probably ruin at least 30 percent of the scene takes I do,” he said.

Why no kissing?

"No one wants to see that,” he shot back. “And no one would believe it.”

Even though the film deals with death, Gervais, an avowed atheist, said the story didn’t shake his view of the afterlife.

"I don't believe in ghosts or fairies or ESP or any of those things." Gervais knows his big-screen body of work is just getting started. Still, he’s looking forward to playing the villain.

"I'd like to play a bad guy, like the worst person ever," he deadpanned. "Hannibal Lecter, but with less moral conscience.”

The Riddler?

“Is that one open?” he replied. “What are the hours?”

"Ghost Town" opens in theaters on September 19th.

New CD Releases, September. 9: Metallica, Natalie Cole, Jessica Simpson

Metallica "Death Magnetic"

The metal masters are set to release their first new studio set in five years.

Metallica will support "Death Magnetic" with a major North American tour, which begins with an Oct. 21 date in Glendale, AZ. The trek is currently scheduled to stretch through January and stop in more than 30 cities. Show-openers The Sword will appear on all dates, while Down, Lamb of God and Machine Head will rotate through the tour's second support slot.

* * *
Natalie Cole "Still Unforgettable"

After a 17-year wait, the Grammy-winning R&B/jazz singer will release the sequel to 1991's "Unforgettable ... With Love." That earlier effort has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide and earned Cole several Grammy Awards.

"Still Unforgettable" is Cole's 21st studio effort and marks her first time in the producer's chair. The set comprises 14 standards, including "Come Rain or Come Shine," "The Best is Yet to Come" and "Nice 'N' Easy." It also includes a posthumous duet with Cole's dad, Nat King Cole, on the single "Walkin' My Baby Back Home."

Cole will showcase "Still Unforgettable" for her fans in October, as she embarks on a nearly month-long trek through venues on the East Coast and in Canada.

* * *
Jessica Simpson "Do You Know"

The former pop-princess will further attempt to carve out a place in the country music world by delivering "Do You Know."

Simpson co-wrote all but three of the album's tracks, including the crossover single "Come on Over." Guests on the record include Dolly Parton, who wrote and sings background vocals on the title track.

Thus far, Simpson's attempt to "go country" has reportedly met with mixed reactions from fans that have seen her perform her country numbers at shows this summer. She still has some gigs left on the book this month, including dates in Arizona, Nebraska and Nevada.

* * *
Joan Baez "Day After Tomorrow"

The legendary folk singer will mark her 50th anniversary as a recording artist by releasing "Day After Tomorrow." The Steve Earle-produced effort is the singer's 24th studio album and her first since 2003's "Dark Chords on a Big Guitar."

Baez will further celebrate her milestone anniversary, as well as support the new album, during a late-fall trek. She'll play 14 shows in 10 cities during the outing, which kicks off Oct. 26 in Philadelphia.

* * *
Calexico "Carried to Dust"

The rootsy alt-rock band returns with a follow-up to 2006's "Garden Ruin."

"Carried to Dust" features founders Joey Burns (guitar/vocals) and John Convertino (drums/percussion) performing with steel guitarist Paul Niehaus, keyboardist/trumpeter Jacob Valenzuela, multi-instrumentalist Martin Wenk and standup bass player Volker Zander. Iron & Wine's Sam Beam, Tortoise bassist Doug McCombs and Pieta Brown make guest appearances on the set.

* * *
More new releases:
Eric Benet, "Love & Life" (Warner Bros.)
Kimya Dawson, "Alphabutt" (K Records)
Michael Franti & Spearhead, "All Rebel Rockers" (Anti)
Mitch Hedberg, "Do You Believe in Gosh?" (Comedy Central)
Iced Earth, "The Crucible of Man" (Steamhammer)
Hal Ketchum, "Father Time" (Curb)
LL Cool J, "Exit 13" (Def Jam)
Patty Loveless, "Sleepless Nights" (Saguaro Road)
Okkervil River, "The Stand Ins" (Jagjaguwar)
Joan Osborne, "Little Wild One" (Saguaro Road)
Sasha, "Involver 2" (Global Underground)
Dar Williams, "Promised Land" (Razor & Tie)
ZZ Top, "Eliminator (Collector's Edition)" (Rhino)

Soundtracks and scores:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Score (Rounder)

AC/DC Reveals Fall Tour Plans

In support of its forthcoming studio album, AC/DC will launch its Black Ice World Tour on Oct. 28 at the Wachovia Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The 24-date North American leg of the arena jaunt is scheduled to wrap Dec. 18 at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.

The worldwide trek follows closely behind the Oct. 20 release of "Black Ice," which will be sold exclusively in Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores as well as ACDC.com. AC/DC's first new single in eight years, "Rock'n'Roll Train," rockets 15-5 this week on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

Tickets for the North American dates will go on sale during the weekend of Sept. 20 via Ticketmaster and ACDC.com. Specific on-sale dates and ticket prices have not yet been announced.

Following the North American run, AC/DC will visit South American, Europe and Asia, with dates to be announced. The Black Ice World Tour will be AC/DC's first outing since 2001.

Here are AC/DC's North American tour dates:

Oct. 28: Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Wachovia Arena)
Oct. 30: Chicago (Allstate Arena)
Nov. 3: Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)
Nov. 5: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Nov. 7: Toronto (Rogers Centre)
Nov. 9: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
Nov. 12-13: New York (Madison Square Garden)
Nov. 15: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
Nov. 17: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Nov. 19: East Rutherford, N.J. (IZOD Center)
Nov. 21: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center)
Nov. 23: Minneapolis (Xcel Energy Center)
Nov. 25: Denver (Pepsi Center)
Nov. 28: Vancouver (General Motors Place)
Nov. 29: Seattle (KeyArena)
Nov. 30: Tacoma, Wash. (Tacoma Dome)
Dec. 2: Oakland, Calif. (Oracle Arena)
Dec. 6: Los Angeles (The Forum)
Dec. 10: Phoenix (US Airways Center)
Dec. 12: San Antonio (AT&T Center)
Dec. 14: Houston (Toyota Center)
Dec. 16: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
Dec. 18: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)

De Niro and Pacino eye killing at box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A week after the box office sank to its lowest level in five years, sales should rebound significantly this weekend with five wide openers, including a thriller starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.

"Righteous Kill," a rare pairing of the longtime A-listers, is a consensus favorite -- though no sure shot -- to top the weekend with an opening in the mid- to high-teen millions. The cop thriller, directed by Jon Avnet, comes from Overture Films, the indie studio behind the arthouse hit "The Visitor."

"We targeted the older male audience, and it looks like they're going to come," Overture marketing chief Peter Adee said. "From the tracking, it looks like the younger males are going to come as well."

Women could be another matter, given the presence of more female-friendly openers among the competition. Overture executives hope the usual appeal of Pacino and De Niro with older women will prompt a late surge in date-night support for "Kill."

The most obvious first choice for women -- Picturehouse's remake of the comedy "The Women" -- looks unlikely to vie for an upper rung in the weekend rankings. "Women" is a swan-song release for Picturehouse, which Warner Bros. is shuttering as the studio largely abandons the specialty-film business.

The likeliest competitor "Kill" will have to fend off for the session's crown appears to be the Coen brothers' comedy "Burn After Reading" from Focus Features and Working Title. Prerelease tracking indicates an opening in the mid-teen millions or higher, which would give Focus its biggest opening.

The first-weekend tally for "Burn" will depend on critical praise more than any of the other new releases. Early reviews have been mostly positive but hardly raves for the filmmakers' first release since their best picture Oscar winner "No Country for Old Men."

Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys" from Lionsgate is a notable wild card in this weekend's mix of wide openers. Tracking indicates that a robust moviegoing weekend could see "Family" opening near the $21.4 million bow by Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?" in October.

Yet on the low end of prerelease projections, "Family" would ring up just $15 million or so. So far the casting of Kathy Bates -- the first major-role white actor in a Perry pic -- doesn't seem to be broadening interest in the release beyond the filmmaker's usual base of support with urban demos.

Elsewhere this weekend, Slowhand Releasing unspools the patriotic documentary "Proud American" in a barely wide bow of about 750 playdates.

Just added to the release calendar two weeks ago, prospects appear limited to the low-single-digit millions for the maiden theatrical voyage of writer-director Fred Ashman.

Nicolas Cage movie "Bangkok" bombs at box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Less than a year after starring in the biggest movie of his volatile career, Nicolas Cage returned to the top of the North American box office on Sunday with one of his weakest.

"Bangkok Dangerous," a thriller in which the 44-year-old actor plays a jaded assassin, led the lackluster field with weekend earnings of just $7.8 million, distributor Lionsgate said. Industry observers had expected an opening of more than $10 million.

Cage has actually done a lot worse: his terrorism thriller "Next" opened to $7.1 million in April 2007 and the family drama "The Weather Man" to $4.2 million in 2005. But he was last in theaters with the adventure sequel "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," which opened to $45 million last December on its way to $220 million.

The last No. 1 movie to open lower at the North American box office was the David Spade comedy "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," which kicked off with $6.7 million in 2003, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

Overall ticket sales usually tumble in September now that the summer blockbuster season is out of the way and school is back in session. The studios spend the early fall quietly dumping their underperforming movies on the market. "Bangkok Dangerous" was the only new wide release this weekend.

After three weeks at No. 1, DreamWorks/Paramount's Hollywood satire "Tropic Thunder" slipped to No. 2 with $7.5 million, while Columbia Pictures' comedy "The House Bunny" rose one to No. 3 with $5.9 million in its third week. Their respective tallies stand at $97 million and $37 million.

The Couch Potato Report - September 6th, 2008

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a moving Canadian documentary, and an interesting Brazilian film.

I am a huge fan of documentaries! Sure, I enjoy films that come from the unique creativity of screenwriters, and I love comedies, but if given a preference, I will usually choose to spend an evening watching a documentary, because these films inform us about situations we might not hear about - good AND bad - and introduce us to folks we might never get to meet.

So even with all of the huge other releases that I have for you, this week's HOT POTATO is the Canadian documentary THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN.

THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN is a film that may haunt you. journey through the ashrams and streets of Vrindavan, India, the final resting place for many widows, who, essentially, go there to die.

Filmmaker Dilip Mehta's film is sort of follow-up to his older sister Deepa Mehta's WATER - which looked at the plight of widows in India circa 1938.

THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN put real faces on widows similar to those depicted in that Oscar-nominated Canadian film.

And instead of heavy-handed narration, he simply focusses his camera on the women and lets them tell their stories.

Sometimes, they aren't easy to watch, or hear - as the stories are mostly about widows who are abandoned by their families and relatives once their husbands die - but THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN is a great documentary as it will make you feel empathy for the people in it, without being political.

It is not an easy film to watch, but it is one that I think should be seen.

Switching gears completely, up next this week is one of my favourite films of all time! It is not a documentary, and it is not serious in any way...although it is serious fun!!

I am talking about Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

Originally released in 1992 this stop motion animated film is primarily about Jack, the bored and unhappy "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town.

He sets out to find something exciting and discovers "Christmas Town", eventually deciding to take over the duties of Santa to deliver toys to children around the world!

Canadian actress Catherine O'Hara - from SCTV and the HOME ALONE films - provides the voice of the movie's female lead, and potential love interest, Sally.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is now available in a new 2 DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION, and even though several o fthe Special features are recyled from previous DVD releses of the film, there are also some all-new features, and the picture has never looked or sounded better.

If you love this film as I do, this new version is a must have.

And if you have never seen it, well as you might guess, I highly recommed this Academy Award nominated film!

It is beautiful to look at and listen to, the story and characters are all unique, and it is just plain fun.

Pick it up, and enjoy!!

If you are a fan of THE LITTLE MERMAID there is a chance that you could enjoy the next release I have for you this week, but I suspect that it is better suited to the child you now live with or know, as opposed to the child who still lives inside of you.

THE LITTLE MERMAID - ARIEL'S BEGINNING is not bad in any way, I actually enjoyed it, but it just doesn't have the magic of the original...a film I enjoy, maybe even more than THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!

THE LITTLE MERMAID - ARIEL'S BEGINNING is actually a prequel to the 1989 film that put Disney's Animation studios back on the map after years of less than stellar films.

In this movie, after the King outlaws music, Ariel and her six sisters live a humdrum existence, while governess Marina Del Ray scemes to take over the Chielf Of Staff position from Sebastian The Crab.

A chance meeting with a fish named Flounder changes everything.

THE LITTLE MERMAID - ARIEL'S BEGINNING is a direct-to-DVD film, and even though it is not as good as the original film, I still enjoyed it as I like the characters.

And I am sure kids, and many of the children inside adults will enjoy it too.

Next up is the 7-DVD Box Set THE WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION

THE WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION features the documentary WILD MAN BLUES about his Jazz Band's European tour, and six of his films, including MIGHTY APHRODITE.

The other movies in the set are DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, CELEBRITY, EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU, SCOOP, and one of my favourite Woody Allen films ever made BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, starring B.C. raised Oscar nominee Jennifer Tilly.

If you don't already own these films, THE WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION is a great way to get them all at once. Great stuff here!!

This week's entry in THE FOREIGN FILM FESTIVAL ON DVD is also great stuff, it is the Brazilian film THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION.

This film takes place in 1970 as two parents are scared and in a hurry to leave their son with his grandfather, but the father promises to return before the Brazilian National Soccer Team's first game in the World Cup.

The parents drop the boy off, and his Grandfather's neighbour tells him that he had a heart attack and died.

The neighbour looks after the kid, and together they exist. They don't necessarily grow or learn from each other...but their lives go on.

THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION has intrigue, politics, sports, friends, love...it almost has it all. Sadly, it is just a few emotional scenes away from perfect, but I still really enjoyed it.

THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION is this year's second-to-last entry in the FOREIGN FILM FESTIVAL ON DVD and it is available now on DVD, along with the 7-DVD set THE WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION, the enjoyable THE LITTLE MERMAID - ARIEL'S BEGINNING, the superb 2-DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION of Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and the moving Canadian made documentary THE FORGOTTEN (START CLIP HERE) WOMAN.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation of some of the genetically engineered foods that are now on our grocery store shelves, and how they are made.

This film features some Saskatchewan farmers - Marc Loiselle from Vonda, and Bruno's Percy and Louise Schmeiser.

Also next week, the documentary THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO; and the FOREIGN FILM FESTIVAL ON DVD concludes with the Russian film POISONED BY POLONIUM: THE LITVINENKO FILE, about ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko.

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!

Prolific studio sessions cause U2 album delay

After predicting earlier this summer that its new album could potentially hit stores next month, Irish rock icons U2 have pushed the release back until 2009.

"We've hit a rich songwriting vein," frontman Bono said in a message posted at the group's website. "It gets a bit dark down here but looks like we've found diamonds not coal. I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there's more priceless stuff to be found? ... We said to each other that if we got to the great place then we wouldn't stop.

"I'm always the one who underestimates how easy it is to simply 'put out the songs now', if it was just up to me they'd be out already!" he added. "But early next year people will be able to start hearing what we've been doing. We want 2009 to be our year, so we're going to start making an impression very early on."

Fall Out Boy Speaks Its Mind On New Album

"On some level, yes, this is a political record," Fall Out Boy singer/guitarist Patrick Stump tells Billboard of "Folie A Deux," due Nov. 4 via Island. "But it's a political record only insofar as anyone making music and paying attention to what's happening will make a record tinged with politics. You can't ignore it."

The band played at last month's Democratic National Convention in Denver, and is teaming with Rock the Vote until the election in November. At the Convention, Stump says the band kept its official comments nonpartisan, only encouraging people to register and vote. But, he adds, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama "is the most excited I've been about a candidate."

Fall Out Boys members are less forthcoming about the content of "Folie A Deux" -- bassist Pete Wentz says the record contains more "outside perspectives" and "fictionalized accounts" than previous efforts, but he declined to reveal any specifics.

"I'd rather let the listener interpret them," he says. "Every time you think we're talking about a girl, we're not, and every time you think we're not talking about a girl, we are."

Stump says an emphasis on the music was what Fall Out Boy was going for. "I felt frustrated with the last record because my voice was the focal point for many of the songs," he says. "When we were writing this one, we wanted it to be about all the parts coming together to form a whole."

Fall Out Boy will appear in this fall's teen comedy "Sex Drive"; the single "I Don't Care" will be featured in TV and radio ads for the film starting in September and will be used in the film's end credits. After the album is released, the band will team with the creators of the Got Milk? campaign to star in a series of ads called "Milk's Got Noise?"

An extensive tour will have to wait until the second quarter of 2009, as Wentz is expecting his first child with wife Ashlee Simpson.

Sting Can Be Your Hero, Baby

Every note you fake, it will look like Sting is watching you.

The British soft-rocker is the latest hitmaker to lend his image—and a strings-happy tune—to the megahot Guitar Hero franchise, which in recent years has welcomed Metallica and Aerosmith and noted strummers like Slash and Tom Morello into the pixelated fold.

Sting's upcoming contribution will be to the new Guitar Hero World Tour, which also boasts the stylings of Tool. Players will either be able to "take the stage" and play to wild crowds as Sting or "jam" alongside him on the song "Demolition Man."

This version of Activision's carpal tunnel-inducing funfest will also feature microphone and drumkit attachments for full-on battle of the bands—as well as composing and editing software, for those quieter moments when the keg is empty and your "drummer" is passed out on the floor.

New Seinfeld ad draws negative reviews online

NEW YORK - No soup for Microsoft?

The software giant's new ad starring Jerry Seinfeld has drawn largely negative reviews online after premiering Thursday night during NBC's broadcast of the National Football League's season kickoff game.

The ad was the start of a highly anticipated $300 million advertising campaign that Microsoft is launching in attempt to rebuff Apple's popular TV commercials, which have portrayed Microsoft and PCs as uncool.

In the commercial — which can be found at Microsoft.com and on video sharing sites — Seinfeld is walking through a mall when he spots Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at a "Shoe Circus" store. The comedian then helps Gates pick out a new pair of shoes while the jokes come quick: showering with clothes on, Gates being a "10," platinum credit cards for a fictional shoe store.

It's a zany ad that packs a lot of quirkiness into 90 seconds. With no direct mention of Microsoft or its operating system, Vista, the commercial concludes with the slogan: "The future, delicious."

The ad was created by Crispin Porter & Bogusky — a firm with a reputation for oddness. Many technology and advertising blogs have turned to Seinfeld's trademark comedy description — "nothing" — to describe the ad.

"Huh?" wrote Abbey Klaassen for Ad Age. "You could be forgiven for not knowing what the heck Microsoft's new TV ad ... was about."

Dan Frommer, writing for the Silicon Alley Insider, pronounced the ad "not funny" and added that the mall shoe store setting "is not going to help Microsoft look any cooler."

For the blog Techcrunch.com, Michael Arrington noted that the "tech and geek crowd is a little underwhelmed" by the ad, which he said is "a far cry from the brilliant Microsoft v. Mac ads."

Brad Brooks, vice president of Windows consumer product marketing, said in a video posted on the Windows press Web site, that the ad is a "teaser" meant to "engage customers in a conversation ... to get the conversation going again about what Windows means in people's everyday lives."

Even if the reaction was mostly negative, Microsoft's ad has clearly succeeded in getting people talking.

Spider-Man 4: Tobey Not a Lock???Yet?

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Call it the battle of the contractual web weavers. Tobey Maguire's very interested in doing the next Spider-Man sequel, sure, and now there's word today that the deal is done. Not true at all, blab several top sources on the project, who say the news about Spidey 4—and maybe 5—is jumping the gun.

These film insiders insist that the Tobey sealed-up talk is "premature," though it does look like Maguire is headed toward putting on that sexy suit again. Tobe-doll made roughly $17 mil on the last flick alone, minimum, right? What idiot wouldn't for that kind of loot?

Here's how it's going down:

Maguire's very much into the gig and has done three flicks so far in the franchise that's made, what, 2 or 3 billion bucks worldwide? Yep. But as happened before, negotiations for Maguire's participation in the Sam Raimi series have been, uh, challenging. "He is not the pleasant person to deal with," insisted a knowledgeable contractual-type most familiar with Maguire's past Spidey goings-down.

Word, whether accurate or not, is being put out that Sony just might not be interested in retaining Mr. M's involvement, should he take too long in deciding if his poker-playing butt wants to stay with the Spidey family or not.

Then, wham! This silken-spun spittle today that Maguire's all scared and a "lock" on the pic. Not so, gab my blabbers. Also, sources at Sony confirmed Maguire is by no means a lock yet. Additionally, a rep for Sony screamed bloody spidey bites that the studio has never looked at another actor besides Maguire for the lead.

Too bad. Always wanted to see how Tobey bud Jake Gyllenhaal's ass would look in that getup, but then, that's another item, isn't it?

Michael Moore to offer free film download aimed at 'slacker' voters

U.S. documentary maker Michael Moore plans to make his next film available online for free later this month.

Slacker Uprising, a 97-minute documentary about the 2004 U.S. elections, is an unabashed attempt to rally young voters for the coming presidential vote.

Moore said he plans to offer it as a free download for three weeks beginning Sept. 23.

He also is considering a theatrical release, positioning Slacker Uprising as an election year movie, just as his Fahrenheit 9/11 was an anti-Bush force during the 2004 campaign.

"I've been thinking about what I want to do to help with the election this year," Moore said on Thursday.

Slacker Uprising follows Moore on a 62-city tour to rally young voters during the 2004 campaign, and like most of Moore's work, it is pro-Democrat.

"This film really isn't for anybody other than the choir," Moore said. "But that's because I believe the choir needs a song to sing every now and then."

The 2004 rallying of the youth vote resulted in more than 20 million 18-to-29-year-olds casting ballots, an 11 per cent increase from 2000.

Moore wants these "slackers," whose voter turnout is traditionally disproportionately low, back in the ballot booth in 2008. He released a paperback book, Mike's Election Guide 2008, last week and is aiming squarely at the internet generation with his free download.

Moore said he took notice when the band Radiohead last year released an album, In Rainbows, online with pay-what-you-like pricing. He also took note of Neil Young's experiment with streaming his anti-war album Living with War online before its standard release.

Moore promises a high-resolution download through Blip.tv. His 2007 film Sicko was leaked online through YouTube in a low-quality version before its release.

People can sign up for the download at SlackerUprising.com.

Moore is also encouraging neighbourhood screenings of the film on what his website calls "a night of a thousand house parties," planned for Oct. 4.

Aaron Eckhart Spills Dark Secret of Two-Face's Fate

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Aaron Eckhart has had a good summer. He can take credit for some of The Dark Knight's awesomeness, with his Harvey Dent/Two-Face baddie getting almost as freaky as Heath Ledger's Joker. But $500 million later, we have to ask him: Two-Face could survive that deadly fall at the construction site, right?

"No," Eckhart told E! News at the junket for Towelhead yesterday. "He is dead as a doornail. He ain't comin' back, baby. No."

The fans want him back, and the actor wants to come back, but ultimately director Christopher Nolan is the bad parent.

"I asked Chris that question. He goes, 'You're dead.' Before I could even get the question out of my mouth, 'Hey Chris, am I...' 'You're dead.' "

But death has never been a problem for comic book characters! "I'm not coming back," he said. "Unfortunately, Heath was supposed to go along."

Eckhart knows, too, that there are plenty of Batvillains waiting for spots in the sequels. He's even jealous about one rumor. "I heard Angelina Jolie was going to be Catwoman," he said. "I thought that was a great idea. I'd like to be in that one."

Oh, but sorry. Didn't you hear? You're dead.

Columbia Scaring Up Ghostbusters Revival

Los Angeles (E! Online) - No need to believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis.

Just believe that the allure of nostalgia and a monster paycheck is strong enough to get Bill Murray to strap on that positron collider again.

Variety reports that Columbia Pictures is gearing up to bring another Ghostbusters film to the big screen, ideally featuring all four main characters from the 1984 blockbuster and its 1989 sequel—Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson.

Both '80s-era films were cowritten by Aykroyd and Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman.

Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, both executive producers on The Office, have been tapped to pen the new installment—after which, Columbia will approach its would-be leading men.

Eisenberg and Stupnitsky recently collaborated on the Ramis-directed comedy Year One. Despite a handful of small parts over the years in comedies such as Knocked Up and As Good as It Gets, Ramis—who also helmed three episodes of The Office last year—has had more of a career behind the camera since his Egon Spengler days.

While the project remains officially unconfirmed, the general consensus is that getting Murray to suit up after all these years will be the hard part—although the Oscar-nominated thesp deigned to contribute his Dr. Peter Venkman voice for the new Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

After helping to keep the dream alive for the past two decades, Aykroyd told a radio station last year that the idea of another Ghostbusters sequel was still alive and kicking. But...

"It will not happen as a live-action [movie], 'cause Billy [Murray] will not come on, in the live-action stage anymore for it," the veteran character actor said. "But he will voice his part, and we are looking to do it as a CGI animated project."

But who knows what will happen if the script stacks up?

Ghostbusters II didn't exactly recapture the magic of the original, which grossed $229.2 million (at '80s prices) at the box office, but it still brought in $112.5 million and millions more from home video sales.

Besides, even the lamest sequels are usually good for lines like, "Only a Carpathian would come back to life now and choose New York!"

"Peanuts" animator Bill Melendez dies

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Bill Melendez, best known for bringing the Peanuts characters to life with such classics as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," died Tuesday at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica. He was 91.

Melendez, the only animator permitted by Charles M. Schulz to work with the Peanuts characters, earned eight Emmy Awards, 17 Emmy nominations, one Oscar nomination and two Peabody Awards. He began his career at Disney and Warner Bros., working on classic characters at those studios, and spent more than 70 years in the entertainment industry.

In 1948, the Mexican native left Warner Bros. and for more than a decade served as a director and producer on more than 1,000 commercials and films for United Productions of America, Playhouse Pictures and John Sutherland Prods.

It was at UPA that Melendez started doing work for the New York-based J. Walter Thompson ad agency, whose clients included Ford. The carmaker expressed interest in using the Peanuts characters to sell its cars on TV, and in 1959 Melendez prepared his animation work and showed it to Peanuts creator Schulz.

Melendez went on to bring Charlie Brown and his pals to the screen in more than 63 half-hour specials, five one-hour specials, four feature films and more than 372 commercials. In addition to perennial favorites "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965) and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966), Melendez produced the Oscar-nominated "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" (1971), "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" (1973), "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown" (1980) and "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" (1975). He also provided the voices for Snoopy and Woodstock through the years.

Melendez also animated TV specials "Garfield on the Town," "Cathy," "Babar Comes to America" and "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe," among others. He shared an Emmy in 1987 for outstanding animated program with three others for "Cathy."

His last credit was as a producer for the 2006 TV special "He's A Bully, Charlie Brown."

Melendez, who sported a handle bar mustache for decades, began his career at Walt Disney Studios and worked on "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Bambi," "Dumbo" and classic Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons. He then moved to Warners to animate Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and others. He worked under the monikers C. Melendez and J.C. Melendez.

Bill Melendez Prods., its sister studio Melendez Films in London and Sopwith Prods. (Melendez's art distribution unit) will continue to animate, direct and produce features and commercials.

Melendez is survived by his wife of 68 years, Helen; two sons, Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Admiral Rodrigo Melendez; six grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren. A memorial service will take place for family only.

Donations can be made in Melendez's name to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Big Knight, Downsized Summer

Los Angeles (E! Online) - The second-biggest movie in Hollywood history. Sky-high ticket prices. Put them together, and what do you get? Surprisingly, not a record.

From the first weekend in May through Labor Day, the Dark Knight-led summer movie season raked in $4.13 billion, Exhibitor Relations said today, down a tick from last year's all-time figure of $4.16 billion.

The problem, if that's the word, since 2008 goes down as the second-biggest summer on record, was twofold: dwindling attendance; and, lack of a late-summer blockbuster.

Per Exhibitor Relations, Hollywood movies combined to sell about 580 million tickets, the least since 2000, and 25 million fewer admissions than last summer, when gas was cheaper, and, oh, yes, so were tickets, which, on nationwide average, topped $7 for the first time ever.

Despite economic realities, the summer might have been able to pull off another record take if only it had another Jason Bourne.

"After The Dark Knight, it was pretty limp," said Exhibitor Relations' Jeff Bock.

Where 2007 had a bona-fide August blockbuster in The Bourne Ultimatum, which grossed $228 million, this summer's August could do no better than the solid, but unspectacular The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which has wrapped up about $99 million so far.

The Batman evidently casts a long shadow.

Here are more box-office highlights—and lowlights—of the summer, per Box Office Mojo stats:

• Twelve summer-launched films made at least $100 million. Another five have a good shot at passing the milestone.

• Six films made at least $200 million. The group included: Kung Fu Panda ($214 million); WALL-E ($218 million); and, Hancock ($227 million).

• Three films made more than $300 million. That group included: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($316 million); and, Iron Man ($318 million).

• One film—The Dark Knight—made more than $500 million, and took second place behind Titanic among the all-time domestic box-office champs.

• As it turned out, what Hollywood needed more than one $500 million hit was one more $300 million hit. Last summer's top four movies (Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End) actually outgrossed this summer's top four movies, despite no 2007 summer movie making more than $336 million.

• As it turned out, woman-fronted movies can make money. Both Sex and the City ($153 million) and Angelina Jolie's Wanted ($134 million) made the summer Top 10. Another movie, the Meryl Streep-led Mamma Mia! ($133 million), just missed the cut, and should pass Wanted shortly.

• When does a Top 10 finish mean diddley? When you're The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($142 million), and you made half as much worldwide as your predecessor, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

• The Incredible Hulk won the battle of the Hulk movies…or did it? The new movie made $135 million from a reputed $150 million budget. The 2003 movie made $132 million from a reputed $137 million budget. Also, old Hulk grossed slightly more worldwide ($245 million) than new Hulk ($244 million).

• Last summer as this summer, Steve Carell starred in a $100 million-plus-grossing comedy. The difference is last summer's vehicle was the upside-down Evan Almighty ($101 million gross; $175 budget); this summer's was Get Smart ($128 million gross; $80 million budget).

• Assuming You Don't Mess with the Zohan ($99.9 million) can eke out another $110,000 or so, Adam Sandler will be spared his first sub-$100 million-performing mainstream comedy since Little Nicky.

• In the department of small victories and possible turning points, M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening ($64 million) wasn't Lady in the Water.

• Mike Myers dropped a digit, going from $323 million for last summer's Shrek the Third to $32 million for The Love Guru.

• Nominees for the bust of the summer include: Speed Racer ($44 million gross; $120 million budget); and, well…

• No film ran a bigger deficit—$76 million, reported budget versus domestic gross—than Speed Racer. Prince Caspian—$58 million in the hole on the domestic ledger—rates an honorable mention.

• Rainn Wilson's The Rocker was something of the Speed Racer of low-budget comedies. No film opening very wide on more than 2,700 screens made less money in its opening weekend ($2.6 million).

• In the age of the record ticket price, how do you not make money (at least not yet) on a movie that only cost $35 million to produce? You gross $21 million, a la The X-Files: I Want to Believe.

• Based on the performance of Fly Me to the Moon ($7 million gross; $25 million budget), the future of Belgian-produced CGI movies about insects doesn't look bright.

• Tween girls giveth, and tween girls taketh away, which is one way to explain why The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ($42 million) clicked, and Kit Kittredge: An All American Girl ($17 million) didn't.

• If you didn't release a movie this summer, then the dumped Clive Barker horror film, Midnight Meat Train, only made $83,361 more than you.

Here's a rundown of the summer's Top 10 movies, per grosses through Labour Day Monday:

• The Dark Knight, $505 million
• Iron Man, $318 million
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $316 million
• Hancock, $227 million
• WALL-E, $218 million
• Kung Fu Panda, $214 million
• Sex and the City, $153 million
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, $142 million
• The Incredible Hulk, $135 million
• Wanted, $134 million

Letterman wants to call sunset for late-night gig

LOS ANGELES - David Letterman wants to stick with CBS' "Late Show" through his contract — and maybe longer — as rival Jay Leno prepares to surrender the "Tonight" reins next year.

"The way I feel now, I would like to go beyond 2010, not much beyond, but you know, enough to go beyond. You always like to be able to excuse yourself on your own terms," Letterman said in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine.

"If the network is happy with that, great. If they wanna make a change in 2010, you know, I'm fine with that, too," Letterman said.

Letterman, along with Chris Rock and Tina Fey, is featured on the comedy-focused cover of the Rolling Stone issue out Friday.

Letterman, 61, questioned why NBC is proceeding with its plan to remove Leno, who consistently tops the late-night ratings. Conan O'Brien will take over "Tonight" in June 2009, with Jimmy Fallon moving into O'Brien's "Late Night" chair.

"Unless I'm misunderstanding something, I don't know why, after the job Jay has done for them, why they would relinquish that," Letterman said, adding, "I have to believe he was not happy about it."

Letterman speculated whether "that's actually what's going to happen," while acknowledging NBC might be too far down the road to retreat.

NBC is angling to keep Leno, 58, with NBC Universal but the late-night king has indicated he's ready to jump ship. Eager NBC competitors, including other networks and syndicators, are prepared to help him make the leap.

Letterman, who called O'Brien "a very funny guy," was asked about facing him as the new "Tonight" host. A cautious Letterman said he couldn't predict the outcome.

"It will be weird to see Conan at 11:30, don't you think? Which is not to say he can't succeed, but, no, I don't know what the competition will be like. I hope we're able to do OK."

In the Rolling Stone article, Letterman discusses guests including Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and Howard Stern, with the most moving remarks about musician Warren Zevon, who appeared on "Late Show" shortly before his 2003 death from cancer.

Letterman recalled his "heartbreaking" meeting with Zevon in a dressing room after the show.

"Here's a guy who had months to live and we're making small talk. And as we're talking, he's taking his guitar strap and hooking it, wrapping it around, then he puts the guitar into the case and he flips the snaps on the case and says, `Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it.' And I just started sobbing.

"He was giving me the guitar that he always used on the show. I felt like, `I can't be in this movie, I didn't get my lines.' That was very tough," Letterman said.

'Dean of Canadian film composers' dies at 92

A New Brunswick-born composer who wrote music for hundreds of films while working for the National Film Board in Ottawa died over the weekend at age 92.

Eldon Rathburn became unofficially known as the "dean of Canadian film composers" during his three decades at the NFB and was himself the subject of a 1995 NFB documentary called Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot… He Scores.

Rathburn was born in Queenstown, N.B., and later moved to Saint John, where he played in Don Messer's band before the legendary fiddler became a television folk icon.

Rathburn started working for the National Film Board in 1947 and went on to score 250 short and feature films. He composed the soundtrack for the 1977 film adaptation of W.O. Mitchell's novel Who Has Seen the Wind.

He continued to compose after retiring 30 years later.

Rathburn became a member of the Order of Canada in 1998.

New CD Releases, September 2: New Kids on the Block, Brian Wilson, Young Jeezy

New Kids on the Block "The Block"

The legendary boy band, whose members are now in their 30s, returns with its first batch of new material in 14 years. The first single from "The Block" is the smash hit "Summertime."

The New Kids will support "The Block" with a major North American reunion tour, which kicks off with a two-night stand, Sept. 18-19, in Toronto. Prior to appearing earlier this year on TV, the band hadn't performed together publicly in 15 years.

As teenagers, the New Kids--Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood--sold more than 70 million records and racked up back-to-back No. 1 albums with 1988's "Hangin' Tough" and 1990's "Step by Step." Following a slew of R&B/pop crossover hits and several world tours, the group quietly disbanded in 1994.

* * *
Brian Wilson "That Lucky Old Sun"

The Beach Boys mastermind, the man responsible for some of the most beloved rock songs of all time, is back with a new solo album. "That Lucky Old Sun," the singer/songwriter's first studio effort since his 2004 re-recording of the Beach Boys' "Smile," marks Wilson's return to Capitol/EMI, the label that launched the Beach Boys' career with the 1962 hit "Surfin' Safari/409."

"I'm thrilled to be back home with Capitol, and I'm looking forward to sharing 'That Lucky Old Sun' with everyone," Wilson said in a press release. "This music is really special to me."

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will back "That Lucky Old Sun" on the road. His trek begins with a Sept. 5 date in Oakland, CA.

* * *
Young Jeezy "The Recession"

The hip-hop star is set to drop his third major-label studio release, which follows 2006's platinum-plus-selling "The Inspiration." Two singles from the album are making their rounds at radio: "Put On," featuring production work from Kanye West, and "Crazy World."

The rapper has already made news this year, but not for musical reasons. Back in June, Young Jeezy was arrested in Atlanta and charged with speeding, no proof of insurance, open container, reckless driving and driving while impaired by alcohol/drugs, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

* * *
Terrence Howard "Shine Through It"

The acclaimed actor takes a break from the big screen and focuses his attention on his musical career. "Shine Through It," which reportedly can be categorized as a neo-soul offering, features 11 original tracks, all written, produced and arranged by Howard.

* * *
Rodney Crowell "Sex and Gasoline"

The acclaimed singer/songwriter, who became a country superstar with 1988's "Diamonds and Dirt," returns with a new studio offering, produced by Joe Henry. Crowell's studio band on "Sex and Gasoline" is loaded with studs, including guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Greg Leisz.

* * *
More new releases:
Joshua Bell, "Vivaldi: The Four Seasons" (Sony)
Elvin Bishop, "The Blues Rolls On" (Delta Groove)
Lila Downs, "Shake Away" (Manhattan)
Michael Feinstein, "The Sinatra Project" (Concord)
Deitrick Haddon, "Revealed" (Verity)
Hollywood Undead, "Swan Songs" (A&M)
Jefferson Airplane, "At the Family Dog Ballroom" (Snapper)
Jefferson Starship, "Jefferson's Tree of Liberty" (The Lab)
Sonya Kitchell, "This Storm" (Decca)
Southside Johnny with La Bamba's Big Band, "Grapefruit Moon: The Songs Of Tom Waits" (Redeye)
The Smithereens, "B-Sides the Beatles" (Koch)
Chris Tomlin, "Hello Love" (Sixstepsrecords)
Underoath, "Lost in the Sound of Separation" (Tooth and Nail)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Bones" (Nettwerk)

'Flight of the Conchords' may ground itself after season two

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, the New Zealand duo whose HBO comedy became a cult favorite last year, say the show's second season will likely be its last. The duo are still working on songs for season two and say they've had some struggles in putting the music and the narratives that build from them together.

"We've got a lot of half-songs. We've got an album's worth of beginnings of songs," Clement tells the British music magazine Q. McKenzie adds that the second season "seems to me like it would be a good end to the show."

Flight of the Conchords was not a huge hit for HBO last summer -- it hovered around the million-viewer mark for most of its run. It did, however, attract a devoted cult of fans and a good chunk of critical praise. It's also up for four Emmys, one each for writing and directing for a comedy series and two in the original music category for the songs "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)" and "Inner City Pressure."

The show also helped raise Clement and McKenzie's profile as they toured and propelled their first full-length album to a top-five debut on the Billboard charts earlier this year.

There's no word yet on when the show's second season will premiere.

Bruce Springsteen's Song in Darren Aronofsky's Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky has confirmed via his blog that Bruce Springsteen has written a song specifically for his upcoming film The Wrestler.

I first saw this news in Anne Thompson's update today, where she mentions that the film is debuting concurrently in both Venice and Toronto because they're waiting for Springsteen to finish up the song.

Although it's odd to say this, I think this news definitely kicks The Wrestler up another notch. Awards Daily is even claiming that this "will be one of the surefire Best Song nominees" in next year's Oscar.

Aronofsky says on his blog that the song is titled "The Wrestler" and is a wonderful acoustic piece. It makes him "choke up every time" because "he really captured the spirit of the film and Mickey's character."

I've been excited to see The Wrestler already, but now I can safely say I'm even more excited because of Bruce Springsteen's song!

Vampire novels adapted for HBO's 'True Blood'

CALABASAS, Calif. - As fictional lovers go, bubbly blond Sookie Stackhouse and tall, pale Bill Compton are as massively mismatched as they come. After all, Sookie (Anna Paquin) is exuberantly human and Bill (Stephen Moyer) is, well, totally undead in HBO's flamboyant new vampire saga, "True Blood."

"Bill is really genteel but that doesn't stop him from being blood-hungry," Moyer says of his menacing 173-year-old character in "True Blood," adapted for television by Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") from the popular series of Southern vampire novels by Charlaine Harris.

"The tension between Bill and Sookie is quite palpable," Moyer says in between scenes in which the courtly vampire, who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, escorts his lady friend Sookie, a telepathic roadhouse waitress, home on a dark and eerie night.

That sexually suggestive tension is key to "True Blood," premiering 9 p.m. EDT Sunday. Set in a small Louisiana town (actually the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of Los Angeles), the edgy series chronicles a time when synthetic blood supplies enable Bill and other vampires to live openly among humans, without necessarily feeding on them.

Like Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) in the classic vampire soap opera "Dark Shadows" (1966-1971), Bill has returned to his ancestral home, where he woos Sookie and tries to fit into human society. Like Frid's Barnabas, Moyer's Bill is an unresolved paradox — part seductive protagonist, part menacing monster.

"He's not typically vampiric," says Moyer, who played a vampire in the Brit miniseries "Ultraviolet." No long black cape and ghoulish grin for Bill, who dresses yuppie-casual. "But we do get to see him sort of sex-starved at one point," Moyer says. "And there are moments when he is quite confrontational with other vampires, when other people are predatory with Sookie."

"True Blood" also pushes the content boundaries of premium cable, with plenty of extravagantly gushing arteries and over-the-top bedroom antics to rival Showtime's "Californication" — all mixed with a good dose of Southern gothic goofiness.

Ball was looking to produce "lighter" fare after the life-and-death introspection of critically acclaimed "Six Feet Under."

"Charlaine has just created this amazing world that's funny and vibrant and scary and also a sort of social treatise, you know what I mean?" Ball says.

"The books are violent and that's part of the appeal," he says. "It's visceral and predatory and unapologetically sexual. And it's unapologetically romantic in the sense of an old-fashioned romance novel."

The centuries-old vampire metaphor is "also about the terrors of intimacy, and about any kind of misunderstood, hated, feared minority — homosexuals, other cultures," Ball says. "When I first pitched 'True Blood' to HBO, I called it 'popcorn TV for smart people.' "

Still, vampire series are not always surefire. Last season, CBS spiked "Moonlight," despite its loyal following for undead hero Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin).

Like "Moonlight," "True Blood" plays on the thrill of a vampire-human hookup. But the mechanics of Bill and Sookie's romance proved tricky for Moyer and Paquin during filming.

"You do get fangs caught in places," Paquin says, remembering her first lip lock with Bill's lethal teeth, which pop down when he's lost in bloodlust. "Perhaps it's like people with braces trying to make it work. Puncture wounds aside, one gets used to it," she teases.

Although Ball says his series "is true to the spirit of the novels," there are differences. "True Blood" takes the powerful and ruthless nature of vampire clans a little further than the novels do, he says. Sookie narrates the Harris books but not "True Blood." Instead, Ball has given Sookie a female best friend and confidante named Tara (Rutina Wesley).

The events in the 12 episodes play out over a fast and furious two-week period, like they do in Harris' first vampire novel, "Dead Until Dark." As in the novels, Sookie's mysterious boss Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) is very much in evidence, keeping close to Sookie.

But Ball has greatly expanded the characters of the roadhouse's gay short-order cook, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), and Sookie's bumbling and sexually indefatigable brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten).

"They've given me some really outrageous story lines," Kwanten says. "Jason just jumps into things before he thinks about them. He thinks he's Louisiana's answer to Casanova. Any reservations or inhibitions I had before starting the show have well and truly gone now in a good way," he says of his sex scenes. Then he laughs. "One of the grips jokes that he sees me naked more than he does his girlfriend."

What the `frak'? Faux curse seeping into language

NEW YORK - Lee Goldberg thinks Glen A. Larson is a genius, and not because the prolific television writer and producer gave us "Knight Rider" and "B.J. and the Bear."

It was Larson who first used the faux curse word "frak" in the original "Battlestar Galactica." The word was mostly overlooked back in the '70s series but is working its way into popular vocabulary as SciFi's modern update winds down production.

"All joking aside, say what you will about what you might call the lowbrow nature of many of his shows, he did something truly amazing and subversive, up there with what Steven Bochco gets credit for, with 'frak,'" Goldberg said.

There's no question what the word stands for and it's used gleefully, as many as 20 times in some episodes.

"And he was saying it 30 years ago in the original goofy, god-awful 'Battlestar Galactica,'" said Goldberg, a television writer and novelist whose credits include "Monk" and "Diagnosis Murder."

The word is showing up everywhere — on T-shirts, in sit-coms, best-selling novels and regular conversation.

"I have to start by saying that I'm drinking coffee out of a mug that says 'frak off' on the side of it, so much has it seeped into my life," "Galactica" star Jamie Bamber said.

The word is insinuating its way into popular vocabulary for a simple reason.

You can't get in trouble. It's a made-up word.

"It may have been the great George Carlin who talked about these things so cleverly," Larson said. "He'd say, 'Mother would say shoot, but she meant ... when she reached in and burned her fingers on the crocker.' And the child says, 'I know what you meant mom.'"

The word has slipped the bonds that tethered other pretenders like Mork's "shazbot" in "Mork & Mindy" or Col. Sherman T. Potter's "horse hockey" in "M.A.S.H." Its usage has moved from the small but fervent group of "Galactica" fans into everyday language. It's shown up in very mainstream shows like "The Office," "Gossip Girl" and "Scrubs." One YouTube posting has 2 minutes of sound bites that cover the gamut.

"I'm in my own little cocoon of science fictiondom, but it is certainly used around here and amongst the people I know," said Irene Gallo, art director at the sci-fi imprint Tor Books where employees held a "frak party" to watch the season premiere. "It's sort of a way to be able to use a four-letter word without really getting into any kind of HR trouble or with people you're really not quite comfortable being yourself with."

The word has even appeared in the funny pages where Dilbert muttered a disconsolate "frack" — the original spelling before producers of the current show changed it to a four-letter word — after a particularly dumb order from his evil twit of a boss.

"Dilbert" creator Scott Adams calls the word "pure genius."

"At first I thought 'frak' was too contrived and it bothered me to hear it," Adams said. "Over time it merged in my mind with its coarser cousin and totally worked. The creators ingeniously found a way to make viewers curse in their own heads — you tend to translate the word — and yet the show is not profane."

Best-selling novelist Robert Crais slips the word into the prologue of his latest Elvis Cole mystery, "Chasing Darkness." He did it because "Galactica" is his favorite show, like calling out in the wilderness to his fellow fans. But he sees the word popping up everywhere, even among those who have never watched the show.

"It's viral, it spreads like a virus," Crais said. "That first wave of people who use it are all fans. They use it because they're tickled by it and like me they're paying an homage to the show. When they're using it, they're probably doing it with a sly wink. But as it gets heard and people use it, it spreads."

The re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" tells the story of the human survivors of a war with a robotic race known as the Cylons. Fewer than 40,000 humans remain in a ragtag fleet being pursued across space by the Cylons, who wiped out the 12 colonies in a surprise nuclear holocaust.

Their destination is the mythical planet Earth, a legend passed down in religious texts. Shooting wrapped in July and the final 10 episodes will appear beginning in January.

Larson, one of television's most prolific and successful writers, doesn't much care for the new series. He used "frack" and its cousin "feldergarb" as alternates for curse words because the original "Battlestar" was family friendly and appeared on Sunday nights. The words fit in with his philosophy that while the show was about humans, it shouldn't have an Earthly feel.

In what he said was his first interview about the series, Larson says there were no red fire extinguishers on his Battlestar Galactica and characters wore original costumes, not suits and ties.

"Our point was to whenever possible make it a departure like you're visiting somewhere else," Larson said. "And we did coin certain phrases for use in expletive situations, but we tried to carry that over into a lot of other stuff, even push brooms and the coin of the realm."

When new series producer Ron Moore first introduced "frak" in early scripts, Bamber said the actors were dubious. But as writers expanded its use, they caught on to the possibilities.

"I mean why are we not offended by `frak' because it means exactly the same thing as the other thing?" said Bamber, who plays fighter pilot-turned-president Lee "Apollo" Adama. "So it raises questions about language and why certain words are offensive. Is it their meaning? ... Clearly it's not their meaning. Clearly it's literally their sound."

Co-executive producer and writer Michael Angeli, an Emmy nominee for the episode "Six of One," said using the word in scripts is satisfying for anyone who's been censored over the years.

"It's a great way to do something naughty and get away with it," Angeli said. "One of the things that television shows do constantly is they battle with Standards and Practices over what can be seen and what can't be seen, what can be said and what can't be said.

"A lot of our characters are soldiers. That whole sort of view and that subculture, that's how they speak. They're rough and tumble, and they're bawdy and they swear."

He said producers have gotten no complaints from SciFi owner NBC Universal or the Federal Communications Commission.

Goldberg believes Larson should get more credit for "frak" and has posted an appreciation on his Web site. He even sought out Larson to let him know how he feels: "I told him, 'Frak is fraking brilliant, Glen.'"

Rock Hall will honor music innovator Les Paul

CLEVELAND - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will pay tribute to the "father of the electric guitar" this fall.

Les Paul will be honored at the annual American Music Masters series, a weeklong event that begins Nov. 10, Rock Hall officials said Tuesday. A tribute concert — artists will be named later — is scheduled Nov. 15 at Cleveland's State Theater.

Paul, 93, is hoping to attend, said Rock Hall President and CEO Terry Stewart.

"You have an inductee who in some ways maybe has had one of the biggest influences of all our inductees with the creation of his solid-body guitar, overdubbing ... not to mention his musical styling and his ability to play," Stewart said. "He's become an idol and an icon to people in the rock world, as well as people in jazz and popular music."

Paul began playing guitar as a child and by 13 was performing semiprofessionally as a country-music guitarist. He later made his mark as a jazz-pop musician, recording hits like "How High the Moon" with his wife, singer Colleen Summers, better known as Mary Ford. They divorced in 1964.

He built a solid-body electric guitar in 1941 — an invention born from his frustration that audiences were unable to hear him play.

In 1952, Gibson introduced the Les Paul model, which became the instrument of choice for musicians such as Duane Allman, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

"It's not just his innovation and his musical playing, but sort of the residual effects of that guitar," Stewart said. "It's become the beginning point for so many people in music, particularly rock music."

Paul still performs weekly at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. He was inducted into the early influence category of the Rock Hall in 1988.

Paul is only the second living recipient of the annual American Music Masters award, which began in 1996 to pay tribute to artists who helped change American culture. Jerry Lee Lewis was the first living recipient in 2007. Past recipients include Woody Guthrie, Muddy Waters and Sam Cooke.

Toronto film festival set to kick off Oscar season

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto film festival will provide the unofficial kick start to Oscar season this week, with distributors keen to give an early look at possible awards contenders and perhaps uncover this year's sleeper hit.

The 33rd version of the festival opens on Thursday with the gala presentation of "Passchendaele," Canadian director Paul Gross's take on the catastrophic World War I battle.

While many of the 249 features to be screened were also shown earlier this year at festivals such as Cannes and Venice, Toronto is seen as the key launching point for North American premieres and for films vying for Oscars.

"This is the one film festival that's a grab-bag of movies that the studios consider award-season contenders," said film critic Pete Hammond.

"The mind-set of the industry is that if it plays well in Toronto, that can launch it pretty favorably into the awards season."

This year, the festival will screen 312 features and short films from 64 countries over 10 days, a slightly smaller schedule than last year, but with a more international flavor, particularly from South America.

Often called the "people's festival" because of the relative ease for the public to get tickets, Toronto has no formal competition but awards the "People's Choice" prize, voted on by the film-going public.

Among the 116 world premieres will be Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna" about a group of African-American U.S. soldiers in Italy in World War II, and "The Lucky Ones," about returning Iraq War veterans on a road trip home starring Tim Robbins.

But distributors will also be looking to sign deals with unknown movies that have the potential to be sleeper hits, such as last year's "Juno," a TIFF film that came out of nowhere to win an Oscar for best original screenplay and gain three other nominations.

FEWER OSCAR CONTENDERS?

While it's too early to get a strong sense of the overall quality of this year's slate, Hammond said there are some notable potential Oscar contenders due for late-season release that won't be at this year's festival.

"Overall, I don't think Toronto, in terms of this year's awards season, is going to be as big a player when we look at what finally winds up with nominations," he said.

"I think this is the early part of the (Oscar) season, and I think it's a little weaker than normal and a little smaller than normal."

Other notable premieres include the documentary "Religulous," a tongue-in-cheek look at organized religion by humorist Ball Maher and "Seinfeld" producer Larry Charles, and "The Secret Life of Bees," which stars Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah in an adaptation of the Sue Monk Kidd best seller.

Eagerly-anticipated films that have already been screened at other festivals include Steven Soderbergh's "Che," a 4-1/2 hour biopic on revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and the Coen brothers' "Burn after Reading," a spy satire starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

Pitt headlines the list of hundreds of film stars and celebrities descending on Canada's largest city before the festival wraps up on September 13.

Singer-actor Jerry Reed dies at the age of 71

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Jerry Reed, a singer who became a good ol' boy actor in car chase movies like "Smokey and the Bandit," has died of complications from emphysema at 71.

His longtime booking agent, Carrie Moore-Reed, no relation to the star, said Reed died early Monday.

"He's one of the greatest entertainers in the world. That's the way I feel about him," Moore-Reed said.

Reed was a gifted guitarist who later became a songwriter, singer and actor.

As a singer in the 1970s and early 1980s, he had a string of hits that included "Amos Moses," "When You're Hot, You're Hot," "East Bound and Down" and "The Bird."

In the mid-1970s, he began acting in movies such as "Smokey and the Bandit" with Burt Reynolds, usually as a good ol' boy. But he was an ornery heavy in "Gator," directed by Reynolds, and a hateful coach in 1998's "The Waterboy," starring Adam Sandler.

Reynolds gave him a shiny black 1980 Trans Am like the one they used in "Smokey and the Bandit."

Reed and Kris Kristofferson paved the way for Nashville music personalities to make inroads into films. Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers (TV movies) followed their lead.

"I went around the corner to motion pictures," he said in a 1992 AP interview.

Reed had quadruple bypass surgery in June 1999.

Born in Atlanta, Reed learned to play guitar at age 8 when his mother bought him a $2 guitar and showed him how to play a G-chord.

He dropped out of high school to tour with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young.

At 17, he signed his first recording contract, with Capitol Records.

He moved to Nashville in the mid-1960s where he caught the eye of Chet Atkins.

He first established himself as a songwriter. Elvis Presley recorded two of his songs, "U.S. Male" and "Guitar Man" (both in 1968). He also wrote the hit "A Thing Called Love," which was recorded in 1972 by Johnny Cash. He also wrote songs for Brenda Lee, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and the Oak Ridge Boys.

Reed was voted instrumentalist of the year in 1970 by the Country Music Association.

He won a Grammy Award for "When You're Hot, You're Hot" in 1971. A year earlier, he shared a Grammy with Chet Atkins for their collaboration, "Me and Jerry." In 1992, Atkins and Reed won a Grammy for "Sneakin' Around."

Reed continued performing on the road into the late 1990s, doing about 80 shows a year.

"I'm proud of the songs, I'm proud of things that I did with Chet (Atkins), I'm proud that I played guitar and was accepted by musicians and guitar players," he told the AP in 1992.

In a 1998 interview with The Tennessean, he admitted that his acting ability was questionable.

"I used to watch people like Richard Burton and Mel Gibson and think, `I could never do that.'

"When people ask me what my motivation is, I have a simple answer: Money."

Don LaFontaine, voice of movie trailers, dies

LOS ANGELES - Don LaFontaine, the man who popularized the now loved-catch phrase, "in a world where..." and lent his voice to thousands of movie trailers, has died. He was 68.

LaFontaine died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from complications in the treatment of an ongoing illness, said Vanessa Gilbert, his agent.

LaFontaine made more than 5,000 trailers in his 33-year career while working for the top studios and television networks.

In a rare on-screen appearance in 2006, he parodied himself on a series of national television commercials for a car insurance company where he played himself telling a customer, "In a world where both of our cars were totally under water..."

In an interview last year, LaFontaine explained the strategy behind the phrase.

"We have to very rapidly establish the world we are transporting them to," he said of his viewers. "That's very easily done by saying, `In a world where ... violence rules.' `In a world where ... men are slaves and women are the conquerors.' You very rapidly set the scene."

LaFontaine insisted he never cared that no one knew his name or his face, though everyone knew his voice.

LaFontaine went on to work in the promo industry in the early 1960s. As an audio engineer, he produced radio spots for movies with producer Floyd Peterson.

When an announcer didn't show up for a recording session in 1965, LaFontaine voiced his first narration, a promo for the film, "Gunfighters of Casa Grande." The client, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, liked his performance.

LaFontaine remained active until recently, averaging seven to 10 voiceover sessions a day. He worked from a home studio his wife nicknamed "The Hole," where his fax machine delivered scripts.

LaFontaine is survived by his wife, the singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three daughters.

His funeral arrangements were pending.

Hollywood endures summertime blues

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The lucrative summer moviegoing season in North America ended on a lackluster note on Monday as ticket sales limped to a new record while attendance slumped to a three-year low.

The Labour Day holiday weekend, which marks the traditional end of summer, was led for a third round by "Tropic Thunder." Ben Stiller's Hollywood satire earned an estimated $14.3 million during the four-day period. It marks the lowest tally for a Labor Day holiday chart-topper since 2004, when the martial-arts film "Hero" opened to $11.5 million.

The DreamWorks/Paramount comedy, which Stiller directed and stars in alongside Robert Downey, Jr., has earned about $86.6 million to date. Four new entries were largely ignored, with 20th Century Fox's Vin Diesel sci-fi picture "Babylon A.D." coming in at No. 2 with just $12 million.

The overall picture for summer was not particularly shiny, with a 4 percent rise in the average U.S. ticket price to $7.16 saving the day for the movie industry.

Estimated sales inched up 0.43 percent from last year's record to $4.2 billion, while the number of tickets sold slid 3.5 percent to 586.9 million, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers. The previous low for attendance was in 2005, when 563 million tickets were sold.

BATMAN TO THE RESCUE

All this despite the massive success of "The Dark Knight," which has grossed almost $505 million to date across the United States and Canada. Warner Bros. Pictures' Batman sequel ranks as the second-biggest movie in history behind "Titanic" (before adjusting for inflation).

The 18-week summer span generally accounts for about 40 percent of annual ticket sales, and studios take advantage of school holidays to churn out big-budget sequels and superhero sagas aimed at Hollywood's sweet spot of male youngsters.

While the summer got off to a good start with the Paramount Pictures-distributed pair of "Iron Man" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which both earned more than $300 million, overall sales have now fallen for six weekends in a row.

The Olympics and recessionary fears, not to mention such distractions as Hurricane Gustav and the political conventions, have hurt business, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

"People are becoming a bit more selective," he said. No one would dare miss the big-buzz movies, but they may be inclined to wait for lesser releases to come out on DVD, he added.

Year-to-date data present a bleaker picture. Ticket sales are off almost 1 percent to $6.6 billion, and attendance is down 4.7 percent, said Media By Numbers.

Among the summer duds were Warner Bros.' $120 million family adventure "Speed Racer" and virtually everything released by Fox, including "Space Chimps," "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" and the Eddie Murphy comedy "Meet Dave."

An official at the News Corp unit said its summer was "very disappointing," but added that all studios go through rough patches.

The Labor Day holiday also presages a relatively quiet few months during which the studios dump unpromising product so that they can then shift their focus to prestige pictures they hope will generate awards-season buzz.

They got an early start on the first part of the strategy with "Babylon A.D.," Overture Films' Don Cheadle thriller "Traitor" (No. 5, $10 million), and a pair of comedies: Lionsgate's "Disaster Movie" (No. 7, $6.9 million) and MGM/Weinstein Co's "College" (No. 15, $2.6 million).

Additionally, Focus Features' costly Sundance Film Festival acquisition "Hamlet 2" opened nationally, a weekend after debuting in two theaters. The Steve Coogan comedy earned $2.1 million, taking its total to $3.1 million. The General Electric Co unit reportedly paid $10 million for rights to the film, just shy of the Sundance record of $10.5 million paid in 2006 for "Little Miss Sunshine" by News Corp's Fox Searchlight.

New Orleans celeb faction quiet as Gustav sputters

When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans three years ago, celebrities reacted with a mix of grief, outrage and generosity. All-star telethons raised millions for storm victims, Kanye West and others derided the government's response — even Sean Penn went to the region to personally assist in rescue efforts.

Many celebrities who live in or hail from the area, from John Goodman to Brett Favre, took a deep and personal interest in helping relief efforts. Ellen DeGeneres, a New Orleans native whose elderly aunt, cousins and friends had their Gulf Coast homes destroyed, taped an episode of her show dedicated to the devastation.

With Hurricane Gustav only delivering a glancing blow to the region at Category 2 strength instead of the wallop that was predicated, it was still unclear Monday what the celebrity response would be in its wake. Though Gustav was still battering the area with rain and high winds on Monday night, there was no damage or deaths on the scale of Katrina.

Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day telethon raised a record $65 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association — but also made a pitch for those inconvenienced by Hurricane Gustav. This year's 22-hour telethon added a special plea for MDA-registered families forced to leave their homes because of the hurricane.

Efforts to reach stars from the area, such as rapper Lil Wayne, jazz star and actor Harry Connick Jr. and jazz great Wynton Marsalis — were unsuccessful on Monday, when most offices were closed due to the Labor Day holiday.

Representatives for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who lived in New Orleans for about a year after Katrina struck, also did not return messages. The couple and their famously expanding brood stayed in the city while Pitt was filming "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" last and were active in raising funds and other projects to rebuild the city.

West famously chastised President Bush during a national telethon to raise funds after Katrina struck by saying, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." But on his blog today, his postings centered around new music from Lupe Fiasco and a new style of watch rather than Gustav.

Michael J. Fox always a Canadian at heart as he returns home for Walk of Fame

TORONTO - Michael J. Fox may have become a U.S. citizen a few years back, but when it came to the recent Beijing Olympics, the Edmonton-born actor was cheering for the Canucks all the way.

"In my heart, I'm a Canadian, I'll always be a Canadian," he said in a recent telephone interview from Long Island, New York.

"That was really evident the last couple of weeks watching the Olympics. Someone diving off a platform, if they had a Maple Leaf on them, I was all for them."

Fox's Canadian ties will be on full display this weekend when he is officially inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. The honour was initially announced in 2000 but Fox was not on hand for the ceremony.

"I'm most blown away by the company I'm in. It's really cool. Steve Nash, kd lang, Bryan Adams," he said, referring to fellow honorees.

"It's just really exciting to kind of know that even though I don't live in Canada anymore that it's still my home and people still think of me as one of them."

People also still think of him, of course, as young Republican Alex P. Keaton from the '80s TV smash "Family Ties" and as Marty McFly, the time-travelling teen from the "Back to the Future" movies.

Although Fox also appeared on the popular TV comedy "Spin City" and in films including "Doc Hollywood," "The Secret of My Success" and "Casualties of War," he says people most remember him for his iconic teen roles.

"I am amazed when people with teenaged kids come up and tell you that they grew up watching you, you kind of check your watch and go, 'oh yeah, I'm old,"' said Fox, 47.

"(Family Ties) was so 'of its time,' that when people think of it, they don't just think of the show or the actors, they think of the time, they think of where they were, they think of what that period of their lives was. There's a lot of emotion and memory mixed together with it."

"Family Ties" also became the place where Fox met his wife of 20 years, Tracy Pollan, who played Alex's girlfriend Ellen. The characters' theme song was "At This Moment," which became a hit for Billy Vera and the Beaters, a band Fox knew from the L.A. club scene.

The actor was glad the tune found an audience, but says it followed he and Pollan around for years.

"People would always play it, whenever we came into a room or something," he said. "When you'd go to a wedding or something, people would throw it on and we'd kind of go 'Oh, god, here's the song again."

In recent years, Fox has taken on a very different role. He's become a high-profile advocate for stem cell research and a spokesman for Parkinson's disease.

He was diagnosed with the condition in 1991, but did not make his illness public until seven years later. In 2000, he set up the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has funded $126 million in research.

Despite the tremors that accompany Parkinson's, the actor says he's feeling "great" and has been playing tennis and golf this summer.

In October, he's set to guest star on "Rescue Me," the dark firehouse drama that stars his hockey buddy Denis Leary.

"Denis is a good friend of mine," said Fox. "I love the show, I love Denis and I love his edge and he had a great idea or a character and ran it by me and I thought: 'Cool, that would be a fun thing to do'."

Fox will play the boyfriend of the ex-wife of Leary's character, Tommy Gavin.

For now, however, the actor is focused on the Walk of Fame - and on back-to-school activities.

He and Pollan have four children - Fox proudly mentions that his son is entering college, while his daughter is going into first grade and his twin girls are headed to junior high.

He says they get up to Canada at least once a year and cherish the visits to their father's homeland.

"My kids love Canada," said Fox. "They always talk about the Canadian relatives as the funny relatives, the laughing relatives."

Other stars to be honoured at the Walk of Fame ceremonies this Saturday include comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, model Daria Werbowy, filmmaker James Cameron and actress Frances Bay.

Carla Bruni scheduled to jam with McCartney, Metallica on BBC show

France's first lady, is expected to jam on British television with Paul McCartney and Metallica.

Former supermodel Carla Bruni, who married French President Nicolas Sarkozy in February, is slated to appear on BBC's Later … With Jools Holland on September 16th.

In July, Bruni released her latest album, Comme si de Rien N'était (As If Nothing Happened), which raised a few eyebrows with its risqué lyrics concerning her paramour, Sarkozy.

As she sings in Ta Tienne (Yours): "You are my lord, you're my darling, you're my orgy … my charming Prince I am yours … I who always sought fire, am burning for you like a pagan woman."

And in My Drug, she croons that her lover is her drug, "more deadly than Afghan heroin, more dangerous than Colombian white [powder]."

A BBC statement says Bruni, 40, will perform "a song or two from her recently released third album."

Sharing the spotlight will be heavy rockers Metallica, making their first appearance on the show in 12 years, who will play new songs from their ninth album, Death Magnetic.

Ex-Beatle McCartney will team up with record producer and bassist Martin Glover under the name The Fireman.

Tradition usually has Holland's guests jamming together after the opening credits.

Gustav slams La. coastline west of New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - A weakened Hurricane Gustav crashed Monday into the flood-prone but nearly deserted coast of Louisiana, making landfall west of New Orleans as a Category 2 storm. Water was splashing over some floodwalls, but city officials were optimistic the levees protecting the city would hold.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Gustav hit just before 10 a.m. Monday near the community of Cocodrie, the heart of the state's fishing and oil industry. Forecasters once feared the storm would arrive as a devastating Category 4 with much more powerful winds.

The city's levee system has been only partially rebuilt since Hurricane Katrina struck three years ago. Wind-driven water was topping the Industrial Canal floodwall, but it had not breached.

"We are seeing some overtopping waves," said Col. Jeff Bedey, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers' hurricane protection office. "We are cautiously optimistic and confident that we won't see catastrophic wall failure."

As a nervous nation watched to see if Gustav would deliver another Katrina-style hit on the partially rebuilt city, officials steadfastly insisted three years of planning and infrastructure upgrades had prepared them for whatever was to come.

For all their seeming similarities, Hurricanes Gustav and Katrina were different in one critical respect: Katrina smashed the Gulf Coast with an epic storm surge that topped 27 feet, a far higher wall of water than Gustav hauled ashore.

"We don't expect the loss of life, certainly, that we saw in Katrina," Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson told The Associated Press. "But we are expecting a lot of homes to be damaged, a lot of infrastructure to be flooded, and damaged severely."

Gusts snapped large branches from the majestic oak trees that form a canopy over St. Charles Avenue. Tens of thousands were without power in New Orleans and other low-lying parishes, but officials said backup generators were keeping city drainage pumps in service. Nearly 2 million had evacuated the coast, and only a few holdouts and those that refused to abandon Bourbon Street remained.

Katrina was a bigger storm when it made landfall in August 2005, and it made a direct hit on the Mississippi coast. Gustav skirted along Louisiana's shoreline at "a more gentle angle," said National Weather Service storm surge specialist Will Shaffer.

Initial reports indicated storm surge from Gust of about 8 feet above normal tides, but forecasts indicated up to 14 feet in surge was possible.