Neil Young to release 14th CD of the year

The latest release in a blizzard of activity from Neil Young will be a solo acoustic album that takes a "closer look at" the 10 songs that became Young's bestselling Harvest Moon.

The album, announced on NeilYoung.com, will be released "on or about Nov. 2nd, 17 years after the original release of Harvest Moon. "A closer look at Harvest Moon songs, all performed solo acoustic before the release of Harvest Moon, Dreamin' Man contains intimate live performances recorded in concert halls during 1992."

Assuming this is Young's final release of 2009 (not an entirely safe bet), Dreamin' Man will be the 14th CD he's put out this year alone. That total includes the studio album Fork in the Road (April), the eight CDs that comprised the audio-only version of his massive Archives, Vol. 1 project (June), and reissues of Neil Young, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Goldrush and Harvest (July).

Dreamin' Man includes all of the songs that ended up on Harvest Moon, albeit in different order, plus "Old King Rap," which one presumes is an elaborate intro to "Old King."

The track listing for Dreamin' Man:

1. Dreamin' Man
2. Such a Woman
3. Old King Rap
4. Old King
5. One of These Days
6. Harvest Moon
7. You and Me
8. From Hank to Hendrix
9. Unknown Legend
10. Natural Beauty
11. War of Man

Shania Twain slowly stepping back into spotlight

WASHINGTON – Country music singer Shania Twain is slowly stepping back into the spotlight after the break up of her marriage to Robert "Mutt" Lange in May 2008.

Twain has been keeping a low profile, aside from a brief appearance at the Country Music Association awards last November. But this week she will be a guest judge on "American Idol" during the Chicago auditions, and she has reached out to fans by posting a personal letter and video travelogue on her Web site.

Reba McEntire hopes this will mark Twain's reemergence onto the scene.

"The country music industry is ready for Shania Twain to come back, definitely," said McEntire. "You could see that at the CMA Awards. They gave her a standing ovation when she walked out on stage."

Taylor Swift recently gave credit to Twain "for always making theatrical videos," during an acceptance speech at the Country Music Television awards. Swift said, "I take my cues from you."

Twain posted the letter and video on her Web site Friday, her 44th birthday, to show what she and her son have been up to in the past year.

"I hit a very big bump in the road," she wrote. "But Eja and I are doing well and with all the concern you, my fans, have shown over this difficult period, I want you to see for yourself that we are doing fine, by sharing these personal images with you."

Twain's marriage to Lange fell apart last May following his alleged affair with Marie-Anne Thiebaud, a longtime secretary and manager of the couple's chateau in Switzerland. Since then, Twain has relied on Thiebaud's ex-husband, Frederic Thiebaud to heal.

"A dear friend and true gentleman by the name of Fred, has been the most constant companion of support for both Eja and me," Twain wrote. "And having gone through the suffering of his family splitting apart at the same time under the same extreme circumstances, he understood me better than anyone."

Twain said she has made a point of surrounding herself with "loved ones I can trust."

"When I reflect on it all," Twain said. "It's clear how remarkably active my life has been since last December — a time in the life of someone working hard to "move on" and succeeding."

There's no word on when she might come out with new music. But she said her experiences are helping her find inspiration through seeing new and fascinating things. And she's putting that inspiration in to writing.

Rambo 5 gets the green light

The punch-drunk Rocky may have finally wobbled into the sunset, but it seems Sylvester Stallone isn't quite ready to send his second-most famous character out to pasture.

A fifth Rambo movie has officially been given the go-ahead, Variety reports. The storyline this time has John Rambo "fighting his way through human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.-Mexico border."

Though the self-titled fourth film in the series, released last year, grossed a relatively modest $42 million in the U.S. and Canada, its overseas take was considerably higher. Variety pegs it at $113 million, though BoxOffice.com says that figure represents the film's total worldwide gross, including $70 million overseas.

Stallone, who turned 63 in July, can at least be credited with keeping the movies' settings timely, if not downright prescient. Last year's entry was set in war-torn Burma. The preceding film in the series, released in 1988, took place in Afghanistan.

Regardless of the setting, Stallone will have a tough time ratcheting up the series' escalating kill count. In figures collated by the movie website FirstShowing.net, that statistic has risen from 1 in the first movie to 69, 132 and a 236 in last year's entry. That works out to 2.59 kills per minute (3.04 if you don't count the time taken up by the end credits).

The number of sex scenes in each film, meanwhile, has remained constant: 0.

Rambo No. 5 is scheduled to start shooting next spring. The Internet Movie Database reports that Mickey Rourke is rumoured as Stallone's co-star. It gives a projected release date of 2011.

Before that, Stallone will show up as star, writer and director of The Expendables, whose cast includes Rourke, Jason Statham and Jet Li, as well as a veritable who's who of '80s genre stars: Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts and Steve "Stone Cold" Austin. Those luminaries portray a band of mercenaries trying to overthrow a dictator in South America. It hits theatres April 23.

CBC-TV launches 90-minute supper hour news

CBC-TV's supper hour newscasts expand to 90 minutes on Monday, part of the public broadcaster's efforts to increase local coverage.

The extended newscasts will feature new hosts in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary and Toronto.

The news will run from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m., with stories updated throughout the 90 minutes.

"This is designed so that busy people at that time of day can join whenever they can and they'll still get a big dose of the top news stories of the day at 5 and 5:30 and 6," said Liz Hughes, CBC's director of news for the centres, said in an interview.

"It has been close to two decades since this much local news was offered by the CBC on television."

The 90-minute program is essentially three half-hour newscasts that include a mix of international, national and local stories, with an emphasis on breaking local news.

"For the brand overall, CBC News, part of what we're trying to push in our relationship with Canadians is that we're there for them locally, especially on television, to the same extent that we are on radio," said Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief of CBC News.

"It's a huge priority for people."

The new format, she said, is "consistent to how people are more and more using news — they graze. Most people don't start at the beginning and go to the end."

CBC is launching this critical part of its news renewal process in a year when resources are tight and $7 million has been cut from the English-language news service.

The new thrust to local news has meant changing the way resources are used, McGuire said.

The changes varied market to market, with some cities getting more resources for live local coverage and some extending the range of their coverage. It's also meant juggling existing resources.

"We're fully integrating news gathering resources. Instead of having a radio newsroom and a television newsroom and an online newsroom in terms of news gathering. It is an integrated assignment process that looks at … how to tell the story across platforms and that will extend our reach," McGuire said.

A restructured syndication service will have reporters who can do local versions of national stories — shorter than items they might create for The National, and with a focus on the local angle if there is one.

"What you'll see from the inside is an investment in a syndicated service supporting local news with much more tailored content, content more in line with the values of local news," she said.

"If I'm telling the big parliamentary story of the day and sending it to Vancouver, it's not the pan-Canada version, it's the Vancouver version."

An important part of the change is what CBC is calling integration — in which local radio reporters might do hits for TV and television reporters might contribute to radio.

This is a growing trend in the way reporting is done, Hughes said, and new technologies are making it easier.

"It doesn't take much for reporters who are already crafting a story for radio to sit in front of a camera and give Newsworld the benefit of their expertise on a story. The efficiencies of integration in that way are enormous," Hughes said.

While CBC has more changes coming in October, the launch of the 90-minute supper hour newscasts is a big step in its news renewal process.

New hosts include:

Toronto: Aaron Saltzman joining Diana Swain.
Montreal: Jennifer Hall and Andrew Chang.
Calgary: Nirmala Naidoo.
Halifax: Amy Smith joining Tom Murphy.
New Brunswick: Terry Seguin and Genevieve Tomney.
Saskatchewan: Kaveri Bittira joining Costa Maragos.

Bad Boys III Set To Explode

The original Bad Boys back in 1995 was a big, slick shoot-em-up… and lots of fun. Along with Independence Day it was the first in a wave of movies which would propel Will Smith from rapper and sitcom star to biggest box office draw in the world. The sequel, Bad Boys II, is less well regarded but made even more money since by then, Will had achieved his mega-star status. Now just imagine how much a third movie would make. Yeah, so of course they’re making one.

THR says Columbia Pictures is developing a third installment in the Bad Boys franchise. Their hope is to not only bring back Will Smith and Martin Lawrence (and let’s face it, they won’t have any trouble getting Martin Lawrence) but producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay as well. It’s a high-octane recipe, sure to result in car chases, bikini girls, and ridiculous explosions. None of them has a deal yet, but Columbia has a bag of money they're ready to throw at them.

The Bad Boys series is kind of like Lethal Weapon, if Mel Gibson were a vague, black stereotype. Will is the slick, badass ladies man and Martin Lawrence is the reluctant, I’m too old for this shit family man. They’re like oil and water, except when it comes to kicking criminal ass! Or something like that. Actually all kidding aside, the first one really is a good cops and criminals shoot-em-up. The second one not so much, but if they can recapture the pyrotechnic magic of the first one I’m on board. Love him or hate him, Michael Bay really is good at this mindless, guns blazing cop stuff. Maybe he crossed a line in Transformers 2, but with Will Smith there using his star power keep his feet on the ground, Bad Boys III could work out well enough. Sit back and enjoy the spectacle.

Disney to buy comic book powerhouse Marvel for $4B

LOS ANGELES – The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.

Analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak & Co. said the acquisition will help Disney appeal to young men who have flocked to theaters to see Marvel's superhero fare in recent years. That contrasts with Disney's recent successes among young women with such fare as "Hannah Montana" and the Jonas Brothers.

"It helps Disney add exposure to a young male demographic it had sort of lost some balance with," Joyce said, noting the $4 billion offer was at "full price."

Disney said Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash, plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. That values each Marvel share at $50 based on Friday's closing stock prices.

Marvel shares jumped $10.17, or 26 percent, to $48.82 shortly after the market opened. Disney shares fell 47 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $26.37.

Disney said the boards of both companies have approved the transaction, but it will require an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.

Disney last made a big purchase in 2006 when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the creator of the "Toy Story" franchise, for $7.4 billion in stock.

Disney CEO Robert Iger said the latest acquisition combines Marvel's "strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters" with Disney's "unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties" and ability to maximize value across multiple platforms and territories.

Marvel earned a net profit of $206 million last fiscal year, up 47 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of $676 million, as it took movie production in house instead of just cutting licensing deals.

Foo Fighters Ready Two New Songs For 'Greatest Hits'

Foo Fighters will commemorate the group's 15th anniversary with the Nov. 3 release of "Foo Fighters Greatest Hits" on Roswell/RCA. The group recorded two new songs for the set -- "Word Forward" and "Wheels," which the quartet debuted at a July 4 barbecue honoring military heroes at the White House -- with producer Butch Vig at the Foos' own 606 studio. They'll join Grammy Award-winning songs such as "The Pretender," "All My Life" and "Learn To Fly," along with "Best Of You," "Times Like These," "My Hero, "Everlong" and others.

The release of "Greatest Hits" will come at a time the individual Foos are dispersed to other projects. Founder and leader Dave Grohl is working with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Josh Home of Queens of the Stone Age in Them Crooked Vultures, whose debut album is due out in October. And bassist Nate Mendel is touring with the reunited Sunny Day Real Estate, which is also releasing remastered versions of 1994's "Diary" and 1995's "LP2," each with two bonus tracks.

Mendel tells Billboard.com that the Foos' hiatus is "kind of open-ended. We were pretty much planning to take this year off and start writing. This fall or winter we'll probably start writing new Foo Fighters stuff."

Mendel, meanwhile, is spending his time gearing up for the Sunny Day Real Estate tour, which kicks off Sept. 17 in Vancouver. "It's fun to do something different. You need some variety," Mendel says. "I've always loved those two Sunny Day records that I played on...and I like the other musicians in the band, so I wanted to just get together and re-live the whole experience."

But Mendel and his Sunny Day are "on egg shells" about whether the reunion will lead to new music from the group. "Any old wounds from the past, no one wants to bring them up," he explains. "We just want to focus on positive things, and you start writing new songs and that opens up a whole new can of worms. And those of us that are still playing in bands are pretty busy, too.

"One thing I didn't know before we start this and I know now is we [i]could[/i] make another record. We get along. We still have a connection that would allow us to make music. So if the will and time is there, it's a possibility at least."

As for Grohl's endeavor, Mendel says he started hearing about the group earlier this year and has had a chance to see Them Crooked Vultures in the studio. "They're great," Mendel says, adding with a laugh that "it's a different dynamic, though. It's interesting to see (Grohl) not being in charge."

'Final Destination' arrives at No. 1 with $28.3M

LOS ANGELES – Movie fans have made fear their top destination at the weekend box office.

The horror tale "The Final Destination" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $28.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. sequel is the latest installment in the franchise about people stalked by death after a premonition saves them from their destined demise.

"Final Destination" took over the top spot from Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds," which slipped to second place with $20 million. The Weinstein Co. release raised its total to $73.8 million after 10 days in theaters.

Weinstein also had the No. 3 slot with the horror flick "Halloween II," which opened with $17.4 million. The movie is Rob Zombie's sequel to his update of the slasher franchise about crazed killer Michael Myers.

It's unusual for two horror movies to open over the same weekend. While "Final Destination" and "Halloween II" competed for the same audience, both managed solid receipts.

"They got their $17 million, we got our $28 million. That's a lot of business all around," said Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for Warner Bros.

"Final Destination" continued Hollywood's streak of 3-D successes. The 3-D component accounted for 70 percent of the movie's revenues, even though only 54 percent of the 3,121 theaters where it played offered the movie in 3D.

The Weinstein Co. plans to release "Halloween 3" in 3-D next summer, said Bob Weinstein, who co-founded the company with brother Harvey. While Zombie will not be back to direct, the next sequel will pick up from his story and give a new twist on slasher Myers, Weinstein said.

"Halloween II" did far less business than Zombie's "Halloween," which opened at No. 1 with $30.6 million two years ago. But Weinstein noted that the sequel took in more than its $15 million production budget over opening weekend.

"It's like hitting a single or a double," Weinstein said. "There are going to be bigger ones like 'Inglourious Basterds,' but for the Weinstein Co., we don't mind having two or three of these a year."

The weekend's other new wide release, Focus Features' music romp "Taking Woodstock," opened a weak No. 9 with $3.7 million. Directed by Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Brokeback Mountain"), "Taking Woodstock" is a nostalgic look behind the scenes at the mammoth 1969 rock concert.

Though Hollywood's summer season historically does not end until Labor Day, the holiday comes late this year, adding an extra week to the movie schedule and skewing comparisons to past summers.

Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian is using this Monday to mark the end of the season, since this weekend corresponded to Labor Day weekend last year. Dergarabedian estimated that through Monday, Hollywood will have taken in $4.26 billion, 1.5 percent ahead of the revenue record the industry set in summer 2008.

While receipts ran at an all-time high, attendance was off 2.2 percent compared with last summer factoring in this year's higher ticket prices, he said.
Revenues had lagged compared to last year's because of a midsummer skid, but Hollywood finished with an unusually strong lineup in August, typically a quiet time at the box office.

"August gave us the record," Dergarabedian said. "Virtually every summer crosses the finish line with a whimper. This year, we crossed with a bang."

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Final Destination," $28.3 million.
2. "Inglourious Basterds," $20 million.
3. "Halloween II," $17.4 million.
4. "District 9," $10.7 million.
5. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $8 million.
6. "Julie & Julia," $7.4 million.
7. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $6.7 million.
8. "Shorts," $4.9 million.
9. "Taking Woodstock," $3.7 million.
10. "G-Force," $2.8 million.

Metallica snub angers Mustaine

Dave Mustaine has blasted his former Metallica bandmate Lars Ulrich for leaving him out of the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mustaine wasn't among the Metallica members, past and present, in April's Class of 2009, because he didn't feature on any of the band's albums - despite performing with them for two years.

The guitarist reveals drummer Ulrich invited him to the ceremony, but only to watch - infuriating the Megadeth frontman.

He tells Metal Hammer, "Lars said... 'If you were on the record you got inducted, if you weren't on the record, you didn't', and would I come along and hang out and watch them get inducted? It makes for the same kind of mentality as a guy watching some other guy f**k his girlfriend.

"To say that I'm not on the record, well, I'd say that there are 40 million fans with Megadeth and Metallica records in their collections that would say that Dave is on the Metallica records because my name's on there, but I guess Lars never really looked past the word 'Ulrich'."

The experience has made Mustaine even more determined to make it into the Hall of Fame on his own accord, adding, "Bottom line is, I'm going to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame one way or another and he can't keep me out! When I do, I'm going to ask him to induct us and I'm gonna give eggs to everyone in the front row!"

Madonna Reveals Track List for “Celebration” Hits Collection

After taking requests from fans and carefully examining her extensive Warner Bros. catalog, Madonna has revealed the track list for her Celebration greatest-hits collection and confirmed a fresh collaboration with Lil Wayne titled “Revolver” will be included on the set. Celebration, which will be released in both single and double-CD formats, and Celebration: The Video Collection, are due on September 29th.

The 47-video Celebration two-DVD set kicks off with “Burning Up” and features previously unseen footage from “Justify My Love” along with the brand-new video for “Celebration” and clips for “Give It 2 Me” (from Hard Candy) and “Into the Groove.”

The 36 songs on the Celebration CD include 16 of the 17 tracks from Madonna’s first extensive hits comp, 1990’s Immaculate Collection (all but “Rescue Me”) and pairs of songs from her more recent releases: “Ray of Light” and “Frozen” from Ray of Light, “Don’t Tell Me” and “Music” from Music, “Hollywood” and “Die Another Day” from American Life, “Hung Up” and “Sorry” from Confessions on a Dance Floor, and “4 Minutes” and “Miles Away” from Hard Candy.

Full track list for all discs is as follows.

CD 1:
01) Hung Up
02) Music
03) Vogue
04) 4 Minutes
05) Holiday
06) Everybody
07) Like A Virgin
08) Into The Groove
09) Like A Prayer
10) Ray Of Light
11) Sorry
12) Express Yourself
13) Open Your Heart
14) Borderline
15) Secret
16) Erotica
17) Justify My Love
18) Revolver

CD 2:
01) Dress You Up
02) Material Girl
03) La Isla Bonita
04) Papa Don’t Preach
05) Lucky Star
06) Burning Up
07) Crazy For You
08) Who’s That Girl
09) Frozen
10) Miles Away
11) Take A Bow
12) Live To Tell
13) Beautiful Stranger
14) Hollywood
15) Die Another Day
16) Don’t Tell Me
17) Cherish
18) Celebration

Madonna Celebration DVD Track Listing:

01) Burning Up
02) Lucky Star
03) Borderline
04) Like A Virgin
05) Material Girl
06) Crazy For You
07) Into The Groove
08) Live To Tell
09) Papa Don’t Preach
10) True Blue
11) Open Your Heart
12) La Isla Bonita
13) Who’s That Girl
14) Like A Prayer
15) Express Yourself
16) Cherish
17) Vogue
18) Justify My Love
19) Erotica
20) Deeper and Deeper
21) Rain
22) I’ll Remember
23) Secret
24) Take A Bow
25) Bedtime Story
26) Human Nature
27) I Want You
28) You’ll See
29) Frozen
30) Ray Of Light
31) The Power Of Good-Bye
32) Beautiful Stranger
33) American Pie
34) Music
35) Don’t Tell Me
36) What It Feels Like For A Girl
37) Die Another Day
38) Hollywood
39) Love Profusion
40) Hung Up
41) Sorry
42) Get Together
43) Jump
44) 4 Minutes
45) Give It 2 Me
46) Miles Away
47) Celebration

Sirius hooks up iPhone to premium satellite radio

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sirius XM Radio unveiled a dock on Wednesday that lets iPhone users listen to premium satellite radio programing, including shock jock Howard Stern, a feature missing from previous iPhone software.

The $120 XM SkyDock turns Apple Inc's iPhone or iPod Touch into a satellite radio receiver.

The dock, which will go on sale in the next few months, is powered through a car's cigarette adapter. It comes with technology that eases installation by tapping into the car's radio system. It also allows users to flag songs they hear and buy them via Apple's iTunes software.

Sirius XM hopes to boost its subscriber base of 19 million. It gets most of its new subscribers when people buy cars with satellite radio receivers built in.

The company debuted the dock at a product showcase in New York, its biggest since Sirius completed its acquisition of XM Satellite Radio last year.

Earlier this month. Sirius said it lost some 300,000 subscribers who buy their own radios in the second quarter. It gained about 120,000 users through car sales.

With auto sales slowing, Sirius would like to get some of the tens of millions of iPhone and iPod touch owners.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has granted preliminary approval to the dock.

Sirius' first bid for iPhone users came with a software application released in June that lets fee-paying users stream Sirius' Internet package of music and talk stations.

Satellite radio analysts and Internet enthusiasts balked when they discovered that premium content such as Major League Baseball, NFL Football and Howard Stern were not available.

Shares of the company, which earlier this year secured financing from John Malone's Liberty Media Corp to stave off looming debt problems, have risen sharply this month, after it raised its income outlook, citing cost cuts and a potential rebound in automobile sales.

The company on Wednesday also showed several new radios priced below $100, as well as a $150 tabletop model.

Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump arrested in LA

LOS ANGELES – Singer Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy has been arrested on a two-year-old warrant for driving without a valid license.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore says the 25-year-old was arrested late Tuesday during a traffic stop by Los Angeles police. He was booked on an outstanding warrant for driving without a license and released early Wednesday after posting $15,000 bail.

Court records show Stump failed to appear on a misdemeanor driving without a valid driver's license case in Beverly Hills in June 2007. A judge issued a warrant for his arrest at the time.

A phone message left for Stump's music publicist wasn't immediately returned Wednesday.

Fall Out Boy is scheduled to play at the Reading Festival in England on Friday.

Butt puzzled by Gemini nom snub

TORONTO - "Corner Gas" creator and star Brent Butt says it's "kinda goofy" that his celebrated show has been shut out of the Gemini nominations this year, adding that he's taking the snub "with a pound of salt."

Nominations for the awards, which celebrate the best in Canadian television, were announced Tuesday, but "Corner Gas" did not make the cut in a single category.

Butt said Wednesday from Vancouver that he's surprised but is not upset.

"I always say in show business you have to take everything with a pound of salt," Butt said.

"If you win an award, you can't go around thinking you're the bees' pyjamas.... And when you don't get an award, you can't think, 'Well, this is a travesty of justice and I am outraged.' You've got to put it in perspective."

Butt said he's received several emails from others connected to the show and notes that "everybody's just kind of confused."

"I understand not winning any awards. If we went to the Geminis and didn't win any awards, you'd kind of roll with it and go, 'Oh, alright, whatever.' But to not even have a nomination, that is kind of goofy. I'm not angry or outraged, I'm too busy trying to wrap my head around it, you know? To kind of go, 'Really? Not a nomination? In 99 categories, after 107 episodes? OK."'

"Corner Gas" is widely considered the most popular Canadian sitcom of all time. It ended a critically acclaimed six-season run in April with a final episode that drew nearly three million viewers to CTV and the "A" channel. CTV says that's the biggest audience that has watched a Canadian-made scripted television series since the network began keeping electronic records in 1994.

The quirky series has been a hit with critics as well as audiences, and has nabbed five Geminis over the years including the best comedy titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007. This is the first year the show has not been up for the best comedy trophy since debuting in 2004.

This year, Citytv's dark comedy "Less Than Kind" leads the nominations among sitcoms with nine nods. It will face off against CBC's "Rick Mercer Report," CBC's "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", CMT's "Three Chords from the Truth," and Showcase's "Testees" for the title of best comedy.

CTV's cop drama "Flashpoint" leads overall with a record 19 nominations.

Nominees for the annual bash are determined by secret ballot by members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Deliberations are confidential.

The Geminis have not been without controversy. A few years back, CTV announced it would no longer submit news coverage for consideration.

This year's ceremony will take place Nov. 14 in Calgary and will be broadcast on Global and Showcase.

A spokesperson for the academy was not immediately available to comment.

Former "Gas" writer Paul Mather, now working on a new sitcom with Fred Ewanuick - another alum from the show - said he, too, was bewildered by the snub.

"With all due respect to the Geminis, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me that you wouldn't nominate them," Mather, who did not work on "Gas"'s final season, said from Toronto.

"It does the Geminis themselves a disservice not to have Brent Butt and the gang there at the awards ceremony. Three million people watched that finale, that's just a big part of Canadian TV this year and I think that it's a missed opportunity for the Geminis not to recognize that. I don't think it's good for the industry and I don't think it's good for the Gemini Awards themselves. And I don't think it's fair."

While Mather said he was pleased to see the critically acclaimed but little-watched "Less than Kind" earn recognition, he argued that nominating smaller series alongside popular shows like "Gas" would go a long way towards promoting the industry as a whole.

"There's a lot of talk about trying to build a star system in Canada and if we're going to build a star system, let's put the TV stars on TV, you know," he said.

Butt said he's more preoccupied these days with work on his new sitcom, "Hiccups." He said shooting is expected to begin in the third week of September.

"All I can really do is sit back and scratch my head and go, OK, on to the next thing."

Ellie Greenwich, `Chapel of Love' co-writer, dies

NEW YORK – Ellie Greenwich, who co-wrote some of pop music's most enduring songs, including "Chapel of Love," "Be My Baby" and "Leader of the Pack," died Wednesday, according to her niece. She was 68.

Greenwich died of a heart attack at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, where she had been admitted a few days earlier for treatment of pneumonia, according to her niece, Jessica Weiner.

Greenwich, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, was considered one of pop's most successful songwriters. She had a rich musical partnership with the legendary Phil Spector, whose "wall of sound" technique changed rock music. With Spector, she wrote some of pop's most memorable songs, including "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "River Deep, Mountain High." But Spector wasn't her only collaborator.

She also had key hits with her ex-husband Jeff Barry, including the dynamic song "Leader of the Pack" (years later, Broadway would stage a Tony-nominated musical with the same name based on her life).

"He was the first male I could actually harmonize with," she once said.

Greenwich was a native of Brooklyn. While she garnered her greatest success as a songwriter, Greenwich started out as a performer. She performed in talent shows as a child, and by the time she was a teen, she had her own group, called The Jivettes.

She went to college, where she met Barry, and shortly after graduation, began working for songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, where she got her break. She had her first chart success with the Jay and the Americans song "This Is It," which she wrote with Doc Pomus and Tony Powers.

She also had success with Barry as the duo The Raindrops with the songs "What a Guy" and "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget."

Greenwich also worked as an arranger and singer, a role that saw her working with artists including Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

She is also credited with helping Neil Diamond get his start and was a co-producer of early Diamond hits "Cherry, Cherry" and "Kentucky Woman."

"Ellie Greenwich was one of the most important people in my career. She discovered me as a down-and-out songwriter and with her then-husband Jeff Barry co-produced all my early hits on Bang records," said Diamond in a statement. "She has remained a great friend and mentor over the years and will be missed greatly."

Among the more famous songs she wrote are "Baby I Love You," "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "Look of Love."

Greenwich is survived by a sister, brother-in-law, nephew and her niece.

Dominick Dunne, author of crime stories dies

NEW YORK – Author Dominick Dunne, who told stories of shocking crimes among the rich and famous through his magazine articles and best-selling novels such as "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles," died Wednesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 83.

Actor-director Griffin Dunne said in a statement released by Vanity Fair that his father had been battling bladder cancer for some time. But the cancer did not prevent Dunne from working and socializing, his twin passions.

In September 2008, against the orders of his doctor and the wishes of his family, he flew to Las Vegas to attend the kidnap-robbery trial of O.J. Simpson, a postscript to his coverage of Simpson's 1995 murder trial that spiked Dunne's considerable fame.

In the past year, Dunne had traveled to Germany and The Dominican Republic for experimental stem cell treatments to fight his cancer. At one point, he wrote that he and Farrah Fawcett were in the same cancer clinic in Bavaria but did not see each other.

He discontinued his column at Vanity Fair to concentrate on finishing another novel, "Too Much Money," which is to come out in December. He also made a number of appearances to promote a documentary film about his life, "After the Party," which was being released on DVD.

Dunne was beginning to write his memoirs and, until close to the end of his life, he posted online messages on his own Web site commenting on events in his life and thanking his fans for their constant support.

Earlier this summer, he was well enough to attend a Manhattan party hosted by Tina Brown. Chatting with an Associated Press reporter, Dunne recalled being treated for cancer at a hospital in Germany where Fawcett was also a patient. He also spoke of Michael Jackson, who had recently died, and remembered lunching with the singer and Elizabeth Taylor. Jackson was so excited to see her, Dunne said, he presented her with a diamond necklace just for the occasion.

Dunne was part of a famous family that also included his brother, novelist and screenwriter John Gregory Dunne; his brother's wife, author Joan Didion; and his son, Griffin.

A one-time movie producer, Dunne carved a new career starting in the 1980s as a chronicler of the problems of the wealthy and powerful.

Tragedy struck his own life in 1982 when his actress daughter, Dominique, was slain — and that experience informed his fiction and his journalistic efforts from then on.

"If you go through what I went through, losing my daughter, you have strong, strong feelings of revenge," Dunne said in 1990 in discussing his novel, "People Like Us," in which the protagonist shoots the man convicted of killing his daughter.

"As a novelist, I could create a situation in which I could do in the book what I couldn't do in real life. I intended for Gus (the character in the book) to kill the guy. But when I got to that part I couldn't write it. He wounds him and goes to prison himself for a couple of years."

He was as successful as a journalist as he was as a novelist and spent many of his later years in courtrooms covering high profile trials. Writing for Vanity Fair, he covered such cases as the William Kennedy Smith rape trial in 1991 and the trial of Erik and Lyle Menendez, accused of murdering their millionaire parents, in 1993.

"You're talking about kids who had everything — the cars, the tennis courts, swimming pools, credit cards. And yet this happened," he said at the time of the Menendez trial.

As much as those trials riveted the nation, they were far overshadowed in 1994 when football great O.J. Simpson was accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. With a trial that stretched out over a year and cable TV outlets providing endless coverage, the bespectacled Dunne became a familiar face to millions.

"I especially like to watch the jurors," Dunne explained to Fox TV during the trial. "I always pick out about four jurors who become my favorites. I sort of try to anticipate what they are thinking and how they are reacting."

He called his book on the Simpson trial, "Another City, Not My Own," "a novel in the form of a memoir." It, too, reached the best-seller lists.

"Every word is true, but it's written in the style of a novel," he said.

From the gritty world of the courtroom during the day, he would move into the glamorous realm of high society at night, dining with the rich and famous, charming them with his inside stories of the Simpson trial.

He was a colorful raconteur and his stories mesmerized listeners. He was a much sought after dinner guest on both coasts and in the glamour capitals of Europe where he frequently traveled. He was a regular at the Cannes Film Festival, interviewing members of royalty and movie stars.

His assignments took him to London to cover the inquest into Princess Diana's death and to Monaco to look into the mysterious death of billionaire Edmond Safra.

He continued appearing regularly on television, and in 2002 debuted a weekly program on Court TV, "Power, Privilege and Justice."

"I am openly pro-prosecution and make no bones about it," he told the San Francisco Chronicle that year. "I don't think there are enough people out there sticking up for victims."

The show gave him an added dose of celebrity when it was distributed in foreign countries.

He had already been working on "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles," a fictionalized retelling of a sensational 1950s society murder, when his 22-year-old daughter Dominique was strangled by her former boyfriend, John Sweeney, in 1982, shortly after she had completed her first movie, "Poltergeist."

Sweeney was convicted only of voluntary manslaughter, not murder, and was freed after serving less than four years of a six-year sentence. The verdict was seen as a major victory for the defense, and Dunne bitterly told the judge in court, "you withheld important information from this jury about this man's history of violent behavior." He later told the Los Angeles Times the sentence was "a tap on the wrist."

In a 1985 AP interview, Dunne said he nearly stopped writing when Dominique was slain.

"I was going to stop the book," Dunne said. "I didn't want to do a book that dealt with a murder. But my book editor wouldn't let me quit. She was incredibly sympathetic and lenient on time. I'm glad now that she didn't let me quit."

"People Like Us" and "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" were both turned into miniseries, and he stressed he had nothing to do with the changes the TV scriptwriters made.

"If I had wanted it that way, I would have written it that way," Dunne told TV Guide, referring to changes made in the key character in "People Like Us" to make him more sympathetic.

Among his other books were the 1993 "A Season in Purgatory," that helped revive interest in the 1975 slaying of teenager Martha Moxley in Greenwich, Conn. A Kennedy relative, Michael Skakel, was convicted in the killing in 2002.

He also wrote "An Inconvenient Woman" and "The Mansions of Limbo."

In 1999, Dunne published a memoir called, "The Way We Lived Then," a compliation of photographs of him and his family with famous people and his recollections of the glamour life he and his wife Lenny enjoyed for many years.

Dunne was born in 1925 in Hartford, Conn., to a wealthy Roman Catholic family and grew up in some of the same social circles as the Kennedys. In his memoir, he traced his fascination with Hollywood to a childhood trip he took "out West" with an aunt. They took one of those home of the stars bus tours and he vowed to come back and be part of the glamorous world he had glimpsed.

He served in the Army during World War II and graduated from Williams College in 1949.

While in the Army, he was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism in 1944 for carrying two wounded men to safety at the Battle of Merz in Feisberg, Germany.

He wrote that, "Winning a medal was the only thing I can ever remember doing that won any admiration from my father."

At Williams College in Massachusetts, he and a fellow student, Stephen Sondheim, appeared in plays together. After college, he went to New York where he landed a job in the fledgling TV industry as stage manager of the "Howdy Doody" children's show. NBC brought him to Hollywood to stage manage the famous TV version of "The Petrified Forest' with Humphrey Bogart.

Among his credits as a producer were the TV series "Adventures in Paradise" and "The Boys in the Band," a pioneering 1970 drama about gay life. Two of his films, "The Panic in Needle Park" and "Play It As It Lays," were written or co-written by his brother John and sister-in-law Didion.

He was invited to celebrity parties and said he decided then, "This is how I want to live."

But Dunne said his years living the high life in Hollywood left him divorced, broke and addicted, and he moved to a cabin in Oregon to dry out and to start over as a novelist. While his brother was the famous Dunne at that time, the Times said, "nowadays, (Dominick) Dunne is far better known."

John Gregory Dunne died in 2003.

Dunne and his wife, Ellen Griffin Dunne, known as Lenny, were married in 1954. They divorced in the 1960s but he wrote that afterward they remained close nonetheless. She died in 1997.

Beside Dominique, they had two sons, Alexander and Griffin. Griffin has acted in such films as "An American Werewolf in London" and "After Hours." He branched into directing and producing as well, with "Fierce People" and "Practical Magic" among his credits.

Mass. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy dies at age 77

BOSTON – Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the last surviving brother in a political dynasty and one of the most influential senators in history, died Tuesday night at his home on Cape Cod after a year-long struggle with brain cancer. He was 77.

In nearly 50 years in the Senate, Kennedy, a liberal Democrat, served alongside 10 presidents — his brother John Fitzgerald Kennedy among them — compiling an impressive list of legislative achievements on health care, civil rights, education, immigration and more.

His only run for the White House ended in defeat in 1980. More than a quarter-century later, he handed then-Sen. Barack Obama an endorsement at a critical point in the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, explicitly likening the young contender to President Kennedy.

To the American public, Kennedy was best known as the last surviving son of America's most glamorous political family, father figure and, memorably, eulogist of an Irish-American clan plagued again and again by tragedy.

Kennedy's death triggered an outpouring of superlatives, from Democrats and Republicans as well as foreign leaders.

"An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States senator of our time," Obama said in a written statement.

"For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts," said Obama, vacationing at Martha's Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast.

Kennedy's family announced his death in a brief statement released early Wednesday.

"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the statement said. "We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all."

A few hours later, two vans left the family compound at Hyannis Port in pre-dawn darkness. Both bore hearse license plates — with the word "hearse" blacked out.

There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements. Two of Kennedy's brothers, John and Robert, are buried at Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada issued a statement that said, "It was the thrill of my lifetime to work with Ted Kennedy.....The liberal lion's mighty roar may now fall silent, but his dream shall never die."

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan said that her husband and Kennedy "could always find common ground, and they had great respect for one another."

Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1962, taking the seat that his brother John had occupied before winning the White House, and served longer than all but two senators in history.

His own hopes of reaching the White House were damaged — perhaps doomed — in 1969 by the scandal that came to be known as Chappaquiddick, an auto accident that left a young woman dead. He sought the White House more than a decade later, lost the Democratic nomination to President Jimmy Carter, and bowed out with a stirring valedictory that echoed across the decades: "For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."

Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in May 2008 and underwent surgery and a grueling regimen of radiation and chemotherapy.

He made a surprise return to the Capitol last summer to cast the decisive vote for the Democrats on Medicare. He made sure he was there again last January to see his former Senate colleague Barack Obama sworn in as the nation's first black president, but suffered a seizure at a celebratory luncheon afterward.

He also made a surprise and forceful appearance at last summer's Democratic National Convention, where he spoke of his own illness and said health care was the cause of his life. His death occurred precisely one year later, almost to the hour.

He was away from the Senate for much of this year, leaving Republicans and Democrats to speculate about the impact what his absence meant for the fate of Obama's health care proposals.

Under state law, Kennedy's successor will be chosen by special election. In his last known public act, the senator urged state officials to give Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick the power to name an interim replacement. But that appears unlikely, leaving Democrats in Washington with one less vote for the next several months as they struggle to pass Obama's health care legislation.

His death came less than two weeks after that of his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver on Aug. 11. Kennedy was not present for the funeral, an indication of the precariousness of his own health.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Kennedy's son Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., said his father had defied the predictions of doctors by surviving more than a year with his fight against brain cancer.

The younger Kennedy said that gave family members a surprise blessing, as they were able to spend more time with the senator and to tell him how much he had meant to their lives.

"There are very few people who have touched the life of this nation in the same breadth and the same order of magnitude," Obama said in April as he signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law.

Kennedy arrived at his place in the Senate after a string of family tragedies. He was the only one of the four Kennedy brothers to die of natural causes.

Kennedy's eldest brother, Joseph, was killed in a plane crash in World War II. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down in Los Angeles as he campaigned for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination. Years later, in 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. was killed in a plane crash at age 38 along with his wife.

It fell to Ted Kennedy to deliver the eulogies, to comfort his brothers' widows, to mentor fatherless nieces and nephews. It was Ted Kennedy who walked JFK's daughter, Caroline, down the aisle at her wedding.

Tragedy had a way of bringing out his eloquence.

Kennedy sketched a dream of a better future as he laid to rest his brother Robert in 1968: "My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."

After John Jr.'s death, the senator said: "We dared to think, in that other Irish phrase, that this John Kennedy would live to comb gray hair, with his beloved Carolyn by his side. But like his father, he had every gift but length of years."

His own legacy was blighted on the night of July 18, 1969, when Kennedy drove his car off a bridge and into a pond on Chappaquiddick Island, on Martha's Vineyard. Mary Jo Kopechne, a 28-year-old worker with RFK's campaign, was found dead in the submerged car's back seat 10 hours later.

Kennedy, then 37, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a two-month suspended sentence and a year's probation. A judge eventually determined there was "probable cause to believe that Kennedy operated his motor vehicle negligently ... and that such operation appears to have contributed to the death of Mary Jo Kopechne."

At the height of the scandal, Kennedy went on national television to explain himself in an extraordinary 13-minute address in which he denied driving drunk and rejected rumors of "immoral conduct" with Ms. Kopechne. He said he was haunted by "irrational" thoughts immediately after the accident, and wondered "whether some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys." He said his failure to report the accident right away was "indefensible."

After Chappaquiddick especially, Kennedy gained a reputation as a heavy drinker and a womanizer, a tragically flawed figure haunted by the fear that he did not quite measure up to his brothers. As his weight ballooned, he was lampooned by comics and cartoonists in the 1980s and '90s as the very embodiment of government waste, bloat and decadence.

But in his later years, after he had remarried, he came to be regarded as a statesman on Capitol Hill, seen as one of the most effective, hardworking lawmakers Washington has ever seen.

A barrel-chested figure with a swath of white hair, a booming voice and a thick, widely imitated Boston accent, he coupled fist-pumping floor speeches with his well-honed Irish charm and formidable negotiating skills. He was both a passionate liberal and a clear-eyed pragmatist, willing to reach across the aisle to get things done.

Kennedy's speech in accepting defeat to Carter electrified the Democratic convention and turned out to be a defining moment. At 48, he seemed liberated from the towering expectations and high hopes invested in him after the death of his brothers, and he plunged into his work in the Senate.

First elected to the Senate in 1962 to his brother John's seat, easily re-elected in 2006, Kennedy served close to 47 years, longer than all but two senators in history: Robert Byrd of West Virginia (50 years and counting) and the late Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who died after a tenure of nearly 47 1/2 years. Kennedy's career spanned 10 presidencies.

His legislative achievements included bills to provide health insurance for children of the working poor, the landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Meals on Wheels for the elderly, abortion clinic access, family leave, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

He was also a key negotiator on legislation creating a Medicare prescription drug benefit for senior citizens and was a driving force for peace in Ireland and a persistent critic of the war in Iraq.

Kennedy did not always prevail. In late 2008, he unsuccessfully lobbied for niece Caroline's appointment to the Senate from New York. New York Gov. David Paterson chose then-Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand instead.

Wildly popular among Democrats, Kennedy routinely won re-election by large margins. He grew comfortable in his role as Republican foil and leader of his party's liberal wing.

President George W. Bush welcomed Kennedy to the Rose Garden on several occasions as he signed bills that the Democrat helped write.

"He's the kind of person who will state his case, sometimes quite eloquently and vociferously, and then on another issue will come along and you can work with him," Bush said shortly before his first term began in 2001.

But Bush was also the target of some of Kennedy's sharpest attacks. Kennedy assailed the Iraq war as Bush's Vietnam, a conflict "made up in Texas" and marketed by the Bush administration for political gain.

Kennedy and his niece Caroline shook up the Democratic establishment in January 2008 when they endorsed Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination for president.

After Obama won in November, Kennedy renewed words once spoken by his brother John, declaring: "The world is changing. The old ways will not do. ... It is time for a new generation of leadership."

Born in 1932, the youngest of Joseph and Rose Kennedy's nine children, Edward Moore Kennedy was part of a family bristling with political ambition, beginning with maternal grandfather John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, a congressman and mayor of Boston.

Round-cheeked Teddy was thrown out of Harvard in 1951 for cheating, after arranging for a classmate to take a freshman Spanish exam for him. He eventually returned, earning his degree in 1956.

He went on to the University of Virginia Law School, and in 1962, while his brother John was president, announced plans to run for the Senate seat JFK had vacated in 1960. A family friend had held the seat in the interim because Kennedy was not yet 30, the minimum age for a senator.

Kennedy was immediately involved in a bruising primary campaign against state Attorney General Edward J. McCormack, a nephew of U.S. House Speaker John W. McCormack.

"If your name was simply Edward Moore, your candidacy would be a joke," chided McCormack.

Kennedy won the primary by 300,000 votes and went on to overwhelmingly defeat Republican George Cabot Lodge, son of the late Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, in the general election.

Devastated by his brothers' assassinations and injured in a 1964 plane crash that left him with back pain that would plague him for decades, Kennedy temporarily withdrew from public life in 1968. But he re-emerged in 1969 to be elected majority whip of the Senate.

Then came Chappaquiddick.

Kennedy still handily won re-election in 1970, but he lost his leadership job. He remained outspoken in his opposition to the Vietnam War and support of social programs but ruled out a 1976 presidential bid.

In the summer of 1978, a Gallup Poll showed that Democrats preferred Kennedy over President Carter 54 percent to 32 percent. A year later, Kennedy decided to run for the White House with a campaign that accused Carter of turning his back on the Democratic agenda.

The difficult task of dislodging a sitting president was compounded by Kennedy's fumbling answer to a question posed by CBS' Roger Mudd: Why do you want to be president?

"Well, it's um, you know you have to come to grips with the different issues that, ah, we're facing," Kennedy said. "I mean, we can, we have to deal with each of the various questions of the economy, whether it's in the area of energy ..."

He bowed out of the race after getting roundly beaten by Carter in the primaries and losing a rules battle at the Democratic convention. Later, when asked to assess the campaign, he replied: "Well, I learned to lose, and for a Kennedy that's hard."

Kennedy married Virginia Joan Bennett, known as Joan, in 1958. They divorced in 1982. In 1992, he married Washington lawyer Victoria Reggie. His survivors include a daughter, Kara Kennedy Allen; two sons, Edward Jr. and Patrick, a congressman from Rhode Island; and two stepchildren, Caroline and Curran Raclin.

In 1991, Kennedy roused his nephew William Kennedy Smith and his son Patrick from bed to go out for drinks while staying at the family's Palm Beach, Fla., estate. Later that night, a woman Smith met at a bar accused him of raping her at the home.

Smith was acquitted, but the senator's carousing — and testimony about him wandering about the house in his shirttails and no pants — further damaged his reputation.

Kennedy offered a mea culpa in a speech at Harvard that October, recognizing "my own shortcomings, the faults in the conduct of my private life."

Later on, his second wife appeared to have a calming influence on him, helping him rehabilitate his image.

Kennedy's family life has been marked by illness.

Edward Jr. lost a leg to bone cancer in 1973 at age 12. Kara had a cancerous tumor removed from her lung in 2003. In 1988, Patrick had a noncancerous tumor pressing on his spine removed. He has also struggled with depression and addiction and announced in June that he was re-entering rehab.

Kennedy's memoir, "True Compass," is set to be published in the fall.

Aykroyd hopeful about 'Ghostbusters 3'

TORONTO - Dan Aykroyd says that seeing this year's "Star Trek" reboot has convinced him that a renewed "Ghostbusters" franchise could also live long and prosper.

But Aykroyd warns that until he has a script for "Ghostbusters 3" in his hands, nothing about the sequel is certain.

"I think this last 'Star Trek' was great, they did a really fine job of revivifying those characters," Aykroyd told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview from his farm in Kingston, Ont.

"I'd like to see the torch get passed in sort of a 'Star Trek' manner so that the franchise lives on."

Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky - scribes for NBC's "The Office" - have signed on to write "Ghostbusters 3." Aykroyd has said that he and other members of the original cast - including Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson - are on board to reprise their roles.

But Aykroyd still sounds cautious about the prospect of another film.

"As ('Ghostbusters' director) Ivan Reitman says - and I quote him now - 'It's all just talk,"' Aykroyd said.

"That's pretty much what we can say. Until we can see a script, until we have casting, until we've got a production number," he added before trailing off. "I'm the biggest cheerleader. I think it's going to happen, but really it's just theory until the production number is stamped."

If the film does get made, Aykroyd figures it's time to crown a new generation of Ghostbusters.

"The old generation of Ghostbusters, we're getting hip replacements now, we can't lift the equipment anymore, the eyesight's fading, we can't drive the car, there's so many things that are just physically breaking down," he said.

"We need a whole new cadre of cadets to get us through to a new generation."

Given Aykroyd's unwavering passion for the franchise, he's just as anxious about a sequel as the series' ardent fans.

The idea for the first film - which was released in 1984 and went on to fetch a North American gross of almost $240 million - grew from Aykroyd's own fascination with the paranormal, which he inherited from his family.

His great grandfather was a dentist and also an "Edwardian spiritualist." Aykroyd's father is preparing to release a book called "A History of Ghosts," which tracks the development of spiritualism from the mid-19th century.

Aykroyd wrote his own treatment of a third "Ghostbusters" movie in the 1990s - it centred on a "Ghostbusters in hell" motif, where there was an alternative version of Manhattan full of demons and ghouls - and Ramis has given him credit in interviews for keeping the flame for the franchise alive.

"I'm sitting right in the farmhouse right now hoping to get that first draft and I will sit down and go through it, but it all really came from my family so I originate it, and I will continue to be the chief cheerleader on it," Aykroyd said.

MuchMusic turns 25...quietly

As MuchMusic marks its 25th anniversary this month, there will be no stylishly produced retrospectives, no neon-splashed '80s videos from the vault, and no nostalgic appearances by former VJs.

In fact, representatives from the network – which has survived by keeping a finger firmly on the pulse of young people – say they will not mark the milestone at all, arguing that their audience just doesn't care about it.

"We will be doing absolutely nothing for the 25th anniversary," said Brad Schwartz, senior vice-president and general manager of Much MTV Group.

"It's actually really, really important to me. ... You will not see a press release from us, they will not do anything special on air, there will be nothing going on, you will never know that Much turned 25, because for us it's not a story.

"We are in the looking-forward business, we are in the looking-at-today business, we are in the young-person business. We are not in the looking-back business."

And, apparently, business is good.

Schwartz says MuchMusic was the No. 2 network for 12- to 34-year-olds last year, behind TSN. Overall ratings steadily increased until 1997 and have held steady since, despite an increasingly competitive landscape and the fact that music videos – once Much's lifeblood – are now available at the click of a mouse.

Schwartz remembers when viewers had to stay glued to their sets to watch the latest offering from their favourite artist – and even sit through videos they didn't like to get to videos they did.

"Remember, when MuchMusic was playing music videos, it was the only place to get music videos," Schwartz said.

"You couldn't get them anywhere else, so you had to tune into MuchMusic and watch the countdown. If you wanted to watch the Michael Jackson `Thriller' video, you had to watch videos six, five, four, three, two and then finally get to it.

"Today, you don't need to do that. If you want to watch the `Thriller' video, you go online and you watch it, you watch it 10 times in a row. ... Today's music is so on-demand that you don't need to watch a Beyonce video to get to a Britney video, you can just go straight to a Britney video."

As a result, videos have largely been pushed to the margins of the network's programming. Meanwhile, Much has found higher ratings with in-house fare such as Video on Trial, in which comics poke fun at popular videos; reality shows including So You Think You Can Dance and Pimp My Ride; and with teen dramas including One Tree Hill and Degrassi.

Much still devotes 50 per cent of its programming to music videos, as per the requirements of its CRTC licence. But once-beloved Much mainstays such as The Wedge and Rap City have been relegated to late-night airings – where the network tends to tuck much of its video-centric programming – while The NewMusic was cancelled outright in 2008.

Unsurprisingly, many Canadian artists lament Much's change in direction.

"Definitely, they've been playing a lot more reality TV programming, and I'm not really a fan of that," Billy Talent guitarist Ian D'Sa said in a recent interview.

"Or even pop culture TV programming," added the band's bassist, Jon Gallant. "They're a smash success, I guess they're just following the money, but it's kind of a drag."

Said Alexisonfire vocalist George Pettit: "Sometimes you just feel like you're missing out on what's the best of our culture, and we're trading that for `Hogan Knows Best."'

Rheostatics singer Dave Bidini was more blunt.

"I don't think MuchMusic contributes to youth culture anymore," he said. "I think it's let Canada down in a lot of ways. It's becoming this teenage lifestyle channel as opposed to an outlet for great, wild, strange, interesting, beautiful music."

Even John Roberts – one of the network's first VJs, when he went by J.D. – says he misses long-cancelled music-centric shows such as City Limits and The Power Hour.

"I lament the loss of the shows, because when we first were on the air it was all about the music, it was all about exposing new talent to the audience," said Roberts, now the anchor of CNN's American Morning, on the line from his New York office.

"I guess I am somewhat saddened by the fact that a lot of what was supposed to be quote `music television' has gone into reality TV mode. And I know that people probably just got bored of the videos, but I'll tell you ... I just like listening to and watching music, and you can keep the reality shows, I'm not really interested in those at all."

Videos, of course, have not disappeared from MuchMusic's repertoire. The station's website has more than 14,000 music videos, interviews and clips available for free. And Much also owns cable networks MuchVibe, MuchMoreRetro, MuchLoud and PunchMuch, which will be going commercial-free in the fall.

But as far as the main network is concerned, has the Internet killed the music-video station?

"It's almost like, why would you want to watch a channel of videos and wait and hope something you like comes on, when you have control now?" said Edmonton hip-hop artist Roland Pemberton, a.k.a. Cadence Weapon.

"It's kind of disappointing that there's not more of a music focus on a music channel, but they've gotta go with what people are watching."

Added Dallas Green, guitarist/vocalist for Alexisonfire: "I can appreciate what (MuchMusic) was before the Internet and before reality TV, because I remember it and it meant a lot to me ... but things change, and it's all about how I think you change with it."

So, what changes are next, and where is the station headed? The altered music landscape – and overall direction of MuchMusic over the past decade – might indicate that the station will continue to move away from music, or, at least, music videos.

But executives at the station insist that's not the case.

"I think music is always going to be a part of MuchMusic, yes," said Craig Halket, senior music programmer for Much MTV Group. "I don't see that changing. I think the evolution is going to continue, but music isn't going away."

Schwartz has lots of ideas for the future of the network, saying the network needs to get smarter at presenting music videos.

He suggests showing music videos in commercial breaks between programs, or showing 30-second clips of music videos and directing viewers online to watch the rest.

He also says that campaigning the CRTC to have Much's licence changed is not out of the question.

"We constantly need to evolve the channel along with the desires of young people," he said. "If our licence doesn't allow us to be everything that our audience wants us to be, then obviously we have to look at that.

"But I can't tell you that we have any firm plans or anything on paper that anything's coming, but we will always have to evolve with our audience."

Schwartz considers the mandate for the modern MuchMusic to be an ``excitement channel," dedicated to connecting with youth and connecting youth to music.

One need only look to Much's headquarters on Toronto's Queen Street West on a typical afternoon to get an idea of whether they're succeeding.

For a recent appearance by dimpled teen-popper Justin Bieber, screaming throngs of preteen girls crowded the corner, digital cameras fastened to their wrists.

"It's crazy," Bieber muttered, over and over.

Heck, the mostly preteen "MuchOnDemand" crowd was so amped to be in the Much building, they even mustered appreciative cheers when recent guest Quentin Tarantino cited long-dead Italian director Sergio Leone as a primary influence (``whoo!").

These are Schwartz's people. He's not too concerned with whether the Much of today stacks up to nostalgic memories of the Much of yesterday – which is why the network doesn't feel the need to promote its past.

"My friends come to me and they say: `Oh, MuchMusic isn't what it used to be,"' he said. "I'm like: `You're 36 years old, you're not supposed to be watching MuchMusic anymore.'

"If we're doing our job properly, then we're staying focused on our audience, which is the ripping, burning, young, early adopter young Canadians.

"So to people who don't think that we are what we used to be, I'd say we're even more and greater – we're just not for you anymore. And if we're doing our jobs right, we shouldn't be."

Tudors, Flashpoint vie for Gemini Awards

CBC programs Being Erica, The Border and The Tudors are among the nominees for best dramatic series at the 2009 Gemini Awards, Canada's honours for the best in television production.

CTV crime drama Flashpoint led the pack with 19 nominations, including best drama, as nominations for the Geminis were announced Tuesday in Toronto.

ZOS: Zone of Separation, the eight-part drama about Canadian peacekeepers working in a fictional town in the Balkans, also received a nomination for best drama. It was shown on The Movie Network and Movie Central.

The best comedy category includes novice programs Less Than Kind, on Citytv; Testees, on Showcase; and Three Chords from the Truth, on Country Music Television; as well as CBC favourites Rick Mercer Report and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

The Tudors, the CBC multinational co-production about the life of Henry VIII, has 11 nominations, including a best performance nod for Natalie Dormer as the doomed Anne Boleyn.

Other multiple nominees include Being Erica, Global TV's Diamonds, Less than Kind and The Border, each with nine Gemini nominations.

Flashpoint dominates actor categories

Flashpoint, the drama about a police tactical unit created for CTV and CBS, dominated nominations for performance.

The show's stars, Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon and Amy Jo Johnson, were among the nominees for best actor and actress in a dramatic series.

Guests stars on the series, which was in its second season by May 2009, also earned nominations for their performances, among them Nicholas Campbell, Henry Czerny, Mpho Koaho, Sarah Gadon and Kristin Booth.

Koaho played a wrongfully convicted man who spent 11 years in Kingston Penitentiary and after he is released is determined to find out what went wrong with his prosecution.

"I really like the positive ending … and as a black man, the way the story wasn't catering to negative stereotypes," Koaho said of the role.

"I don't play a gangster — the kinds of parts I usually get. He's just a guy whose life goes wrong, and he's trying to figure it out."

The young Toronto actor is a double nominee, also receiving a nod for best supporting role in a drama for his part in Soul.

Less Than Kind, the Winnipeg-shot drama about a dysfunctional family that runs a driving school, earned acting nominations for Benjamin Arthur and Brooke Palsson.

They are competing in the comedy performance category with Debra DiGiovanni at the Halifax Comedy Fest, Jon Dore of The Jon Dore Television Show and Terry McGurrin of Comedy Now!

TV reporting also honoured

Dormer, who won the best leading actress in a drama Gemini in 2008, is competing for the honour this year with Andrea Menard, playing the police investigator in the Aboriginal People's Network series Rabbit Fall, Amanda Tapping in SyFy series Sanctuary and Being Erica star Erin Karpluk.

Karpluk told CBC News she was thrilled with her nomination, and credited the cast and crew of Being Erica with turning it into a winning series.

The Erica character, who is transported to the past to confront her own mistakes in each episode, is "very relatable," she said.

"The theme of regrets is very universal regardless of your age, or class or background," Karpluk said.

The time travel aspect of the show never seems out of place because it's not meant to be realistic, she said. "It's just a catalyst for my character to delve into her past," she said.

CBC earned several nominations for best reporting, with nods for Adrienne Arsenault for coverage of the Beijing Olympics; Neil MacDonald for his work on the U.S. economic crisis; and Frédéric Zalac for reports for The National. Also nominated in this category are Kevin Newman, Geoff Fontes and Bryan Mullan of Global National.

Heather Hiscox, Janet Stewart, Diana Swain and Peter Mansbridge of CBC are all nominated for best news anchor, along with Kevin Newman of Global.

Les Stroud, who in 2009 completed his last season of Survivorman, in which he tests himself against the elements, has three nominations, including best host, best direction and best documentary series.

CBC's The Lens, TVO's The View from Here, History TV's Ancestors in the Attic and The Adventurers also have nominations for best documentary.

There are 99 Gemini categories. Most of the awards will be given out in Toronto on Oct. 19 and 20.

The main Gemini gala will be held Nov. 14 in Calgary and broadcast on Global TV and Showcase.

Gemini Awards selected nominees
Best drama
Flashpoint
Being Erica
The Border
The Tudors
ZOS: Zone of Separation

Best comedy
Less Than Kind
Rick Mercer Report
Testees
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Three Chords from the Truth

Best reality TV show
disBAND - The Homecoming
Dragons' Den
GoldMind
Project Runway Canada
The Week the Women Went

Best ensemble comedy performance
Rent-a-Goalie
Three Chords from the Truth
Billable Hours
This Hour has 22 Minutes
Black Cake, White Cake

Best dramatic mini-series
Burn Up
Diamonds
The Last Templar
XIII

Best preschool series
Are We There Yet: World Adventure
Get Ready for School
Kids' Canada
The Mighty Jungle

Best children's or youth series
Instant Star 4
The Latest Buzz
Life with Derek

Lyle Lovett maps fall headlining shows

After tackling his upcoming fall outing with John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett will head out for a slate of headlining shows with his Large Band in tow.

The veteran performer and multiple-Grammy-winner will kick off the headlining stretch Oct. 26 in Orange, TX, following his latest run with Hiatt, which kicks off Oct. 6 in Albuquerque, NM, and closes with an Oct. 18 show in Tacoma, WA.

The headlining trek will take Lovett through late November, winding up with a Nov. 24-25 engagement in Fort Worth, TX. Details are included below.

Lovett, who has been on the tour trail sporadically since January, released his most recent album, "It's Not Big It's Large," in 2007. The 12-track set--which features the performer's Large Band on a variety of country, blues, folk, jazz and gospel songs--peaked at No. 18 on The Billboard 200.

"We've always done arrangements that border on blues music, that border on jazz arrangements, that border on what folks might think of as 'big band,' but we don't really play big band music," Lovett said of the album's title in a promotional video clip posted at Amazon.com. "But we've always had a lot of people in the band, so that's why I call the band the 'Large Band' and not the 'Big Band.' But invariably people refer to the band as the 'Big Band' and ... it's not big ... you get the idea."

"Its Not Big It's Large" follows Lovett's Lost Highway Records debut, "My Baby Don't Tolerate," which surfaced in 2003. That set marked his first collection of original material since 1996's "Road to Ensenada."

October 2009
3 - San Francisco, CA - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
6 - Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium (w/ John Hiatt)
7 - Colorado Springs, CO - Pikes Peak Center (w/ John Hiatt)
8 - Boulder, CO - Macky Auditorium Concert Hall (w/ John Hiatt)
9 - Greeley, CO - Union Colony Civic Center (w/ John Hiatt)
10 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall (w/ John Hiatt)
12 - Modesto, CA - Rogers Theater (w/ John Hiatt)
13 - Davis, CA - Mondavi Performing Arts Center Jackson Hall (w/ John Hiatt)
14 - Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (w/ John Hiatt)
15 - Eugene, OR - Silva Concert Hall (w/ John Hiatt)
16 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (w/ John Hiatt)
18 - Tacoma, WA - Pantages Theater (w/ John Hiatt)
26 - Orange, TX - Lucher Theater
27 - Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre
28 - Tallahassee, FL - Leon County Civic Center
29 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
30 - Danville, KY - Norton Center
31 - Roanoke, CA - Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre

November 2009
2 - Bethesda, MD - Strathmore Performance Hall
5 - Red Bank, NK - Count Basie Theatre
7 - Bridgeport, CT - Klein Memorial Auditorium
9 - Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House
10 - Portsmouth, NH - Portsmouth Music Hall
11 - Ithaca, NY - State Theatre
13 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
14 - Ottawa, Ontario - National Arts Centre
15 - Kingston, NY - Ulster Performing Arts Center
17 - Charlotte, NC - Belk Theatre
18 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
20 - Meridian, MS - Riley Center for Performing Arts
21 - Thackerville, OK - Winstar World Casino
22 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
23 - Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
24, 25 - Fort Worth, TX - Bass Performance Hall

Letterman calls 'Harry and Horsie' an 'amazing' read

The cover of Harry and Horsie, a children's picture book published today, offers no indication that the real-life Harry is a celebrity, or at least the son of one.
That's mentioned inside the book, in a short note from "Harry's Dad," signed "Dave Letterman," better known as David.

He writes: "Hello, kids, and get ready for an amazing bedtime adventure."

The author, Katie Van Camp, 27, is Harry's former nanny.

She began Harry and Horsie (HarperCollins, $16.99, for ages 3 to 6) as a homemade gift four years ago for Harry, who's now 5.

It's a gentle fantasy about a boy, armed with a Super Duper Bubble Blooper, who goes into space to rescue his stuffed horse.

Harry has a real-life stuffed Horsie. Van Camp made up the Bubble Blooper, but says, "Harry, like all kids, loves bubbles."

The story's origins go back to a night on Manhattan's West Side Highway. Van Camp was in a car with Harry, Horsie and Harry's mother, Regina Lasko (Letterman's longtime girlfriend who married him in March).

Van Camp, who's Canadian, recalls that Harry looked at the lights across the Hudson River and asked, "Are those lights or stars?"

That got her thinking. She wrote a short poem about Harry and Horsie that she turned into a "makeshift book" she gave to Harry as a Christmas gift.

His parents encouraged Van Camp to do more with it. She added the bubbles and more of a story. An illustrator, Lincoln Agnew, added "a retro-comic feel."

The Harry in the book "isn't the spitting image of the real Harry, but shares his blond hair and dimples." She says he's a "quiet little boy who loves to read, but has a sense of humor."

Van Camp found her job by accident. She was a budding ballerina until a knee injury at 15 "spun me out to other things." She taught kindergarten in Shanghai for three years. Then a friend "who knew I always wanted to live in New York" forwarded an online ad for a nanny.

Not until after she interviewed with Harry's mother, "who I loved from the start," did she realize who Harry's dad was.

She worked for four years until her visa expired. In 2005, a worker on Letterman's Montana ranch was charged with planning to kidnap Harry and Van Camp.

She says only, "No one should have to go through that." The man, Kelly Frank, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

As for Van Camp, she's in Montreal, writing a second Harry and Horsie adventure.

Jessica Biel named `most dangerous celebrity'

NEW YORK – Jessica Biel is the most dangerous celebrity on the Web.

Security technology company McAfee Inc. on Tuesday reported that searches for the 27-year-old actress are more likely to lead to online threats such as spyware and viruses than searches for any other celebrity.

McAfee said fans searching for the actress have a one-in-five chance of ending up at a Web site designed to damage one's computer. Its the third annual report on the subject from McAfee, which last year found that Brad Pitt was the "most dangerous" celeb online.

"Cybercriminals are star watchers, too," said Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee's product development. "They latch onto popular celebrities to encourage the download of malicious software in disguise."

Following Biel in the report, in order, were Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady and Jessica Simpson. McAfee noted President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are curiously safe searches, ranking no. 34 and no. 39, respectively.

KISS unleashes fall 'Alive 35' tour dates

KISS has revealed tour dates for the band's fall US tour in support of "Sonic Boom," the venerable rockers' first new studio album in 11 years.

The North American portion of the group's "KISS Alive 35" tour (the number refers to the band's 35th anniversary) kicks off Sept. 25 and 26 in Detroit, and continues through early December, with highlights including stops in New York City (10/10), Atlanta (10/26) and Los Angeles (11/25) before the tour concludes Dec. 6 in Dallas. Dates for the 39-city outing are included below.

Tickets for the opening pair of Detroit shows are currently on sale, while an initial batch of pre-sales have gone up at the band's website. KISS Army members are also eligible to purchase VIP Meet & Greet packages through the group's site.

Last week, the band announced that "Sonic Boom," the first new KISS studio album since 1998's "Psycho Circus," will be sold in the US and Canada exclusively at Walmart, Walmart.com and Sam's Club stores.

The new album will be part of a three-disc set scheduled for release Oct. 6. Filling out the package, which will sell for $12, will be a re-recorded greatest hits CD and a live DVD shot in Argentina during the band's recent "KISS Alive 35" South American tour.

"Sonic Boom" was produced by KISS co-founder Paul Stanley in Los Angeles. Filling out the band's lineup are fellow co-founding member Gene Simmons, along with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, who replace departed original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, respectively.

"'Sonic Boom' may be the best new record we've done since 'Destroyer'!" Simmons said in a press release. "It is 'Rock And Roll Over' meets 'Love Gun.'"
The first single from the set, "Modern Day Delilah," reached radio airwaves earlier this month. The track is the band's first single since 1999's "You Wanted the Best."

September 2009
25, 26 - Detroit, MI - Cobo Arena
28 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
29 - London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre

October 2009
1 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
2 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
3 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
5 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
9 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
10 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
13 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
16 - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum
17 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
19 - Pensacola, FL - Pensacola Civic Center
21 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
22 - Sunrise, FL - Bank Atlantic Centre
24 - Birmingham, AL - Birmingham Jefferson Arena
26 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
28 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center
29 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
31 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Experience

November 2009
6 - Chicago, IL - United Center
7 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
9 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
10 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
12 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
14 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
15 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
17 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden
20 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
21 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
24 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
25 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
27 - San Diego, CA - Sports Arena

December 2009
1 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
2 - El Paso, TX - UTEP Special Events Center
4 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
5 - Houston, TX - Toyota Centre
6 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Centre

Melanie Laurent: All the hoopla hardly fazes French star

NEW YORK — Most folks would get starstruck around Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Not Mélanie Laurent, Pitt's French co-star in the war flick Inglourious Basterds.

Being on the red carpet at the film's premiere with the couple was "completely crazy," concedes the slightly standoffish actress. "But you don't feel like, 'Oh my God.' Everybody is crazy, hysterical, but it's not real. You just have fun. They are so cool. They always say to me, 'Hi, you look great.' "

She's also doing pretty great. In Basterds, Laurent, 26, plays one of the film's pivotal roles. She's the young Jewish girl Shosanna, who witnesses the massacre of her family by Nazis and flees to Paris, where she runs a cinema and develops her own revenge plan.

"I'm very close to her," Laurent says of her character. "You need to be strong to do that job, to have an actor's life. And you need to be fragile. I'm a little bit French and rebel sometimes, a little bit like Shosanna, and I'm Jewish."

Basterds might be the first time domestic viewers see Laurent, but she's an established actress and director in her native France. She directed 2008's De moins en moins, which was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, and in 2006, Laurent won the most promising actress César, France's version of the Oscar, for her film Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas (Don't Worry, I'm Fine). And she's been acting since 1999's Un pont entre deux rives (The Bridge), where she starred opposite Gérard Depardieu.

So the hoopla surrounding a starring turn in a splashy war drama, directed by Quentin Tarantino and co-starring Pitt, leaves her a little flummoxed. She says she has no intention of making Hollywood movies just to be famous, or generate quick cash.

"It's not that I do not care. I have amazing parts in France. The dream was just to make a movie with Tarantino," she says.

The experience, Laurent says, was "so beautiful. Shosanna was a great part and very important. I was stressed out for the first meeting, and Quentin told me he was more stressed out than me. He's been looking for his Shosanna for eight years. She's so typically Tarantino's heroine. She's strong and fragile at the same time. She wants to kill Hitler. She's my favorite woman in the world."

Back home in Paris, Laurent is a workaholic. "Holiday? Is like, what? I'm a hyperactive girl, so it may be boring for me to be on the beach doing nothing. I just need to find a place for three weeks and work but sleep in the morning, maybe write a little bit, have a glass of red wine," the single actress says. "That's my perfect holiday. But it's not in my plan right now."

She's recording and producing a rock music CD. Plus, she plans to complete another screenplay in September but doesn't reveal the title. In the future, "I want to direct again. The perfect life would to be have an amazing part every year and to spend all my free time to just write," she says.

Surely, she has down time for something fun? "I'm dreaming of a day off, with my friend, shopping for my apartment. I just need to have time to buy little details. Oh, and my cat is here. Do you remember me, baby? He doesn't want to talk to me again."

AP Source: Coroner rules Jackson's death homicide

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, a finding that makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died.

The coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson hours before he died June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released. Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson's death, the official said.

Dr. Conrad Murray, a Las Vegas cardiologist who became Jackson's personal physician weeks before his death, is the target of a manslaughter investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. According to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston, Murray told investigators he administered a 25 mg dose of propofol around 10:40 a.m. after spending the night injecting Jackson with two sedatives in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to sleep.

The warrant, dated July 23, states that lethal levels of propofol were found in Jackson's system. Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner's toxicology report found other substances in Jackson's system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer's death, the official said.

Murray has spoken to police and last week released a video saying he "told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail." His attorney, Edward Chernoff, had no immediate comment but has previously said Murray never administered anything that "should have" killed Jackson.

A call to the coroner's office was not returned Monday.

Murray did not say anything about the drugs he gave to Jackson.

Pitt calls Cruise film 'ridiculous'

Brad Pitt has declared battle against Tom Cruise for the title of best World War II movie - branding the Hollywood actor's recent film Valkyrie "ridiculous".

Pitt teamed up with director Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds, which was released this month - less than a year after Cruise's 2008 drama about a plot to kill Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

However, the actor insists his portrayal of Nazi hunter Aldo Raine in Tarantino's violent film is no comparison to his rival Cruise's character.

He tells German magazine Stern, "The second World War could still deliver more stories and films, but I believe that Quentin put a cover on that pot. With Basterds, everything than can be said to this genre has been said. The film destroys every symbol. The work is done, end of story... (Valkyrie) was a ridiculous movie."

Fall music preview

This fall, there are hundreds of new CDs being released by names you know, names you’re about to know and names you need to know.

Here are several dozen releases we’re looking forward to over the next three months — and a few we aren’t. See if you can spot the difference.

And remember: Everything here is subject to change.

SEPTEMBER

Black Crowes

Before the Frost ... and ...Until the Freeze

The jam-rockers drop two albums — one on CD and the other a free download. Two heads really are better than one.

Sept. 1

John Fogerty

Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again

His grammar sucks, but the CCR leader’s guest list does not: It includes Bruce Springsteen and Don Henley.

Sept. 1

The Used

Artwork

Album no. 4 from the Utah screamers deals with mortality and self-loathing. The kids will love it!

Sept. 1

Jay-Z

Blueprint 3

Hova bucks the Tuesday release trend by dropping this Kanye-produced disc on a Friday.

Sept. 11

Os Mutantes

Haih ... or Barauna ...

The Brazilian tropicalia psychedelicists make their first CD in 35 years. Beck and David Byrne rejoice.

Sept. 8

Phish

Joy

It’s comeback time for jam gods Trey Anastasio and co. after a five-year hiatus. HIppies everywhere rejoice.

Sept. 8

Yo La Tengo

Popular Songs

Good songs, I can believe. But popular? That would be a first for these New Jersey indie-rock vets.

Sept. 8

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson

Break Up

Frankly, Scarlett ...

Sept. 8

Ace Frehley

Anomaly

KISS’s spaceman lands with his first album in 20 years. Ack!

Sept. 15

Megadeth

Endgame

A return to thrashing ’80s form from guitarist Dave Mustaine and co.

Sept. 15

Anvil

This Is Thirteen

Canada’s Spinal Tap try to strike while their rockumentary iron is still hot. Sept. 15

Pearl Jam

Backspacer

Eddie Vedder and co. say they’ve made a “positive” record. Thanks, Barack!

Sept. 20

Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band

Between My Head and the Sky

Son Sean Lennon helped mom produce her first album of new originals in over a decade.

Sept. 22

Shakira

TBA

The Colombian popster’s hips don’t lie — so ask them for the title of this album. Sept. 25

Alice in Chains

Black Gives Way to Blue

After 14 years and the death of singer Layne Staley, AiC return with a new singer and ... an Elton John cameo?

Sept. 29

Mariah Carey

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Can’t wait to hear what Eminem is going to have to say about this.

Sept. 29

50 Cent

Before I Self-Destruct

Too late.

Sept. 29.

Nelly Furtado

Mi Plan

After two Spanish cuts on her 2006 Loose CD, Furtado goes todo cerdo aqui.

Sept. 29

Miranda Lambert

Revolution

Country-rock’s crazy ex-girlfriend is back.

Sept. 29

Lynyrd Skynyrd

God & Guns

They’re down to one original member — and no original ideas.

Sept. 29

Paramore

Brand New Eyes

Album no. 3 should make these female-fronted pop-punks into bona fide stars. Sept. 29

Barbra Streisand

Love Is the Answer

What was the question? On second thought, never mind.

Sept. 29

OCTOBER

Backstreet Boys

This is Us

T-Pain guests. Which only proves that T-Pain will play on anybody’s CD.

Oct. 6

Rosanne Cash

The List

Johnny’s daughter plays some of his list of the 100 Most Important Songs. Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello help.

Oct. 6

KISS

Sonic Boom

Gene and Paul get back to basics on their first new studio disc in 12 years. Cross your fingers.

Oct. 6

The Raveonettes

In and Out of Control

More noise-pop from the Danish duo.

Oct. 6

Slayer

World Painted Blood

The death-metal demon gods rise again, just in time for Halloween. Oct. 6

Flaming Lips

Embryonic

Wayne Coyne and his psychedelic warriors birth a double-album. Double your dose. Oct. 13

Toby Keith

American Ride

If he stays away from religion and politics, country king Keith might do OK.

Oct. 13

R. Kelly

TBA

Kelly’s long-delayed (and still untitled) latest has song called Falling From the Sky and #1 Fan. Just saying.

Oct. 13

The Roots

How I Got Over

Well, I guess Jimmy Fallon doesn’t have to look for a musical guest that night. Oct. 13

Creed

Full Circle

It’s their first album since 2001. What’s the rush, fellas?

Oct. 20

Flight of the Conchords

I Told You I Was Freaky

Put on your business socks, boys and girls.

Oct. 20

Lyle Lovett

TBA

The quirky country gentleman’s latest blends covers and originals.

Oct. 20

Tim McGraw

Southern Voice

The single is called It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You. That about sums it up.

Oct. 20

Sting

If On a Winter’s Night ...

More traditional fare from the former Police man. As long as he doesn’t play the lute.

Oct. 27

Weezer

Raditude

Given their last stinker of a CD, that title could be optimistic.

Oct. 27

NOVEMBER

Carrie Underwood

TBA

More inescapable country-pop from the former AmIdol winner.

Nov. 3

Bon Jovi

TBA

Rumour is it’s called The Circle and comes out Nov. 10. Tell your wife.

TBA

Robbie Williams

Reality Killed the Video Star

But nothing can kill Robo’s popularity with the Brits, it seems.

Nov. 10

Avril Lavigne

TBA

Lavigne says she’s “not trying to write a perfect pop song” this time. That should make her label very happy.

Nov. 17

John Mayer

Battle Studies

Mayer has nearly 2 million Twitter followers. Now if he can only convince every one to buy a CD.

Nov. 17

Mary J. Blige

Stronger

Seriously, how much stronger does she need to be?

Nov. 24

Diddy

Last Train to Paris

Didd welcomes The-Dream, Tricky, Neptunes and T-Pain

(see, I was right).

Nov. 24

BOX SETS

The Beatles

Mono Box Set & Stereo Box Set

The Fabs entire catalog gets remastered in two different mega-sets. The mono box has 13 CDs. The Stereo has 17. All you need is cash.

Sept. 9

Big Star

Keep an Eye on the Sky

A four-disc set honouring cult hero Alex Chilton’s legendary Memphis power-pop outfit. About time.

Sept. 15

Rod Stewart

The Rod Stewart Sessions

1971-1998

It’s CDs of unreleased recordings. This could be truly great — or utterly awful. Sept. 29

Daryl Hall & John Oates

Do What You Want, Be Who You Are

All the duo’s hits, 16 unreleased cuts and live fare are included in this four-disc box. I can go for that.

Oct. 6

Dolly Parton

Dolly

The buxom country queen’s career is stuffed into a three-CD set.

Oct. 27

Various artists

Atlantic Records:

The Time Capsule

This eight-CD, 130-track label retrospective includes a vinyl single and a 128-page hardcover book.

Nov. 3

Bee Gees

Mythology

This four-disc anthology has 81 tracks by the Gibb brothers, including Andy.

Nov. 3

Miles Davis

The Complete Columbia Album Collection

And they do mean complete: This sucker has 70 CDs by the iconic jazz trumpeter! Nov. 10

John Mellencamp

On the Rural Route 7609

Early demo recordings and other rarities from the artist formerly known as Cougar.

Nov. 14

Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks

The 2000 Year Old Man:

The Complete History

Your grandparents’ favourite comedy duo’s five albums are collected on three CDs and one DVD.

Nov. 24

Frank Sinatra

Sinatra: New York

The 2006 live Sinatra: Vegas set was a keeper. Here’s hoping this one follows suit.

Nov. 3

Blue Rodeo readying new double-disc

TORONTO - Blue Rodeo frontman Jim Cuddy feels the wind of change sweeping through a record industry that is increasingly moving away from traditional album releases.

He just doesn't care.

"It was funny 'cause just recently, (Radiohead lead singer) Thom Yorke said he couldn't be bothered making albums anymore - that the album was dead, and he was going to make singles from now on," Cuddy told The Canadian Press in a recent telephone interview.

"Well we're making a double record. In an effort to swim completely cross-current - we're very excited about this - we're making a double record, so we'll have a double vinyl and a double CD."

Cuddy says Blue Rodeo is just finishing the new album at their Toronto studio now, and it'll be released at the end of October. The title, he thinks, will be "All The Things We Left Behind."

"It's just sort of a massive work," Cuddy said. "It's 16 songs, and it's very enjoyable for us to be thinking about splitting it into two sections, and then splitting each one into a different side."

Cuddy said the record would feature vocals from Cuff the Duke's Wayne Petti. Unsurprisingly, the album sounds like it'll be a throwback of sorts.

"It's pretty organic, acoustic-y," Cuddy said. "It's got a lot of vocals on it. We're kind of harkening back to Neil Young, CSNY, that kind of vocal sound - much more falsetto, bigger choirs. "

"There's a couple songs that are very different for us, instrumentation-wise too. It's got a pretty wide range, as I think you'd expect from a double record."

And Cuddy says he's particularly excited about the prospect of laying the record out on double vinyl.

"I'm becoming more of a vinyl-phile, all the time, as more become available, which is great," he said. "How to split it up - an A-side is different than a B-side, is a B-side heavier, or more sleepy, or whatever? - it's been a very enjoyable little conundrum for us to try to figure out how to arrange this."

Pitt, Tarantino's 'Basterds' earns glorious $37.6M

LOS ANGELES – The war effort by Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt has paid off as their history lesson "Inglourious Basterds" claimed victory at the box office with a $37.6 million debut.

It was Tarantino's best opening ever, exceeding the $25.1 million haul for 2004's "Kill Bill — Vol. 2." Overseas, "Inglourious Basterds" added $27.5 million in 22 countries, giving it a worldwide total of $65.1 million.

Released domestically by the Weinstein Co. and overseas by Universal, "Inglourious Basterds" features Pitt and an international ensemble in a sprawling tale of Jewish commandos and a plot to take out Nazi leaders at a movie premiere during World War II.

The film provided a much-needed hit for Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who have managed only lackluster receipts at their new outfit since departing Disney-owned Miramax four years ago.

At Miramax, the Weinsteins balanced prestige and profit with a string of Academy Awards triumphs such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "Chicago" and hits such as Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and the "Scary Movie" and "Scream" franchises.

"Tarantino helped build the house of Miramax. He's proving right now that he's helping to build the house of Weinstein," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

So far, the Weinstein Co. has been unable to reproduce that Miramax success, its lineup burdened by box-office underachievers such as last year's "Soul Men" and 2007's "Grindhouse," Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's B-movie double-feature.

Harvey Weinstein said critics continually write off him and his brother, including a magazine piece in 2002 "saying we were the flavor of the '90s but we were kind of over in the new millennium."

Weeks later, he noted, Miramax scored 40 Oscar nominations, among them three of the five best-picture nominees, including eventual winner "Chicago."
Weinstein said his new company has a strong lineup ahead, including next weekend's horror sequel "Halloween II" along with "Chicago" director Rob Marshall's musical "Nine" and the post-apocalypse saga "The Road" late in the year.

Rodriguez, Tarantino's "Grindhouse" partner, did not fare so well with "Shorts," his Warner Bros. family comedy that debuted at No. 6 with just $6.6 million. The movie features William H. Macy, James Spader, Leslie Mann and a cast of kids in a series of loosely linked adventures centered on a magic rock that grants wishes.

Fox Atomic's comedy "Post Grad," with Alexis Bledel as a college graduate who moves back home with her eccentric family after she's unable to land her dream job, tanked with $2.8 million, coming in at No. 10.

The previous weekend's top movie, Sony's sci-fi thriller "District 9," slipped to second-place with $18.9 million. With a domestic total of $73.5 million, the movie is on its way to becoming a $100 million sleeper hit.

Hollywood's revenues were up for the third-straight weekend, a late-season surge that has helped the industry recover from a monthlong slide in receipts. Overall ticket sales were $134 million, up 27 percent compared to the same weekend last year.

The weekend put Hollywood back on track to break last summer's revenue record of $4.2 billion, though receipts this season are up only a fraction.

Factoring in higher ticket prices this year, movie attendance is running 3 percent below last summer's, according to Hollywood.com.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Inglourious Basterds," $37.6 million.
2. "District 9," $18.9 million.
3. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $12.5 million.
4. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $10 million.
5. "Julie & Julia," $9 million.
6. "Shorts," $6.6 million.
7. "G-Force," $4.2 million.
8. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $3.5 million.
9. "The Ugly Truth," $2.9 million.
10. "Post Grad," $2.8 million.

The Couch Potato Report - August 22nd, 2009

This week The Couch Potato Report peels rock, paper, scissors, Mike Tyson, there is some truth about Lying and Hannah Montana.

Hey lets have some fun this week and play a few games of rock, paper, scissors. And remember, Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beats Paper, and Paper beats Rock.

We're playing that because our first release this week is a made-in-Toronto film that is part "comedy" and part documentary.

The film is ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER.

THE WAY OF THE TOSSER is about a guy who has been less than sucessful in his life - okay he is a loser - who is desperate to win the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship.

And yes, there really is such a thing.

His girlfriend and best friend Trevor support him completely and they also help him "train".

The film is part comedy, part documentary.

Sadly, if you are looking for a comedy, this one won't make you laugh that much as it isn't as funny as the filmmakers think it is...and if you are looking for a documentary, this one doesn't offer that much insight into Rock, Paper, Scissors or their World Championships.

But...if you are looking for a small movie, that was made in only seven days by people who aren't filmmakers, is very well done for something made this fast and cheap, and features a great soundtrack...then I suggest you give ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER a try.

And if you're still not sure...play a game of rock paper scissors with a friend to decide.

From the fun sort-of-sport rock, paper, scissors, lets move now to the sweet science of boxing and the documentary TYSON.

Filmmaker James Toback's documentary about boxer Mike Tyson doesn't feature other people talking about the former undisputed heavy weight champion of the world, it just features clips from some of his more notable fights and Tyson himself just talking to the camera.

He talks about his career, his family, his friends, his ups, his downs and his convictions - both his religious ones and his 1992 legal one for sexual assault.

This documentary pulls no punches...you see Mike Tyson warts and all...and the result is fascinating and interesting.

Even if you don't like Mike Tyson or boxing, this is one of the most entertaining films of the year, and I consider it a must see!!

Okay, before I get to three new TV on DVD sets, I'd like to do you a favour.

You might find yourself in a movie rental store this weekend, and when you get near the end of the letter "L" you'll see the film LYING.

The packaging features the young and talented actresses who star in it - Chloë Sevigny from the TV show BIG LOVE and the film ZODIAC, Jena Malone from DONNIE DARKO, and JOAN OF ARC's Leelee Sobieski - who also atarred in this summer's PUBLIC ENEMIES.

That packaging also includes a synposis of the film that sounds interesting. It reads:

When a long weekend brings four women together in the countryside, their relationships are challenged as each of them experiences the complexities of social interaction. How well do we really know the friends we make in adulthood? What can be made of a person who tells lies so small they serve no obvious purpose?

This film is populated by some great actresses, but their characters are all underveloped and uninteresting....and most of all, the script gives you no reason to care about any of them.

Why is she lying, will they find out, what are the reprecussions...you will not care!!

This is the film LYING, and as I said, let me do you a favour...stay away from this thing, it is awful, a complete waste of your time, and that is the truth!!

Moving on, lets get back to having fun...hey, THE SIMPSONS - THE TWELFTH SEASON came out this week in a 4-DVD set!! Here's creator Matt Groening listing off all the guest stars.

These episodes aired in 2000 and 2001 and even though I have seen them all at least a dozen times since then, I still laughed out loud watching them again this week!!

If you have the other 11 sets, go ahead and have some laughs while making it a full dozen as the packaging for THE SIMPSONS - THE TWELFTH SEASON has a comic-book theme and my favourite character on the show - Comic Book Guy - on the cover!!

There is even a featurette of the best Comic Book Guy moments and more.

Next up is another television show on DVD...a night time soap opera about a family of exceptionally wealthy socialites in New York City.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY had a great cast - including Peter Krause from SIX FEET UNDER, Academy Award nominated actress Jill Clayburgh and the great Canadian actor Donald Sutherland - and it started off strong when it's first season debuted in 2007, but it lost steam by the end of SEASON ONE, and then the Hollywood writer's strike hurt the show even more not long after SEASON TWO began and the show was eventually cancelled.

But if you need to see how season number two played out, then you must see DIRTY SEXY MONEY - THE COMPLETE AND FINAL SECOND SEASON

DIRTY SEXY MONEY was a guilty pleasure for me when it debuted, but I lost interest in it early into year two. This 3-disc set is for completists only.

There is a larger group I can recommend this next release to...people who love motorcycles, motorcycle gangs, profane filled action shows, well-written dramas...and above all else, those who enjoy TV violence.

If you love those things in a television show, then you must see SONS OF ANARCHY.

I new very little to nothing about this show when I first started watching it...but after the first episode I was hooked!

SONS OF ANARCHY is about a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town somewhere in Northern California.

And now you know what I knew...and I won't say anything else as I don't want to spoil it for you.

If the show sounds interesting to you...AND you were a fan of either THE SHIELD or THE SOPRANOS...than I think you should pick this one up because you will enjoy SONS OF ANARCHY - SEASON ONE as well!!

Back in 1984 a new comic book came out about some turtles who had been exposed to some radioactive ooze and thus - in their teens - became mutant ninja turtles.

And now, a new box set is celebrating that 25th Anniversary...but not in a way that is a gift to the creators and fans of that comic, or the films that were made about it.

The TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION on DVD features the live action films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time and 2007’s computer animated film TMNT.

The DVD set comes in a manhole cover collectible tin, and includes four turtle masks and tattoos, however the studio never remastered the films...in fact they are just the old DVDs that they used to sell individually.

That means if you have them already, there is no need to pick up this set...and I for one am disappointed!! I was a fan of the comic from the get-go, and I enjoyed all of the movies - especially the first one - and I wanted the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION to be radical, dude.

Sadly, the Turtles' Box Set isn't spectacular, but if you or your kids don't own them at all, at least the price is also cheap!

Finally this week is a film that is not aimed at my demographic, based on a television show that is also, not meant for the likes of me.

But those who the show are meant for love it, and will probably love the film as well.

As for me...I admit that I liked HANNAH MONTANA - THE MOVIE too.

If you have never heard of it, or her, Hannah Montana is television series about a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer by night

Her real identity is hidden from the public, only her close friends and family know the truth.

In HANNAH MONTANA - THE MOVIE her father takes Miley on a trip from Los Angeles back to her hometown in Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters in life the most.

I know it isn't meant for me, and I also admit that I'll never watch it again, but the star - Miley Cyrus - has talent, she can act and sing - there are some laughs in the picture, and the movie is fun!

It is a perfect film for teenagers who enjoy the show...and an enjoyable film for some of us older folks too!

The fun HANNAH MONTANA - THE MOVIE, the money-grabbing 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES films, SEASON ONE of the very interesting series SONS OF ANARCHY and the great documentary TYSON are all available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY - THE COMPLETE AND FINAL SECOND SEASON, THE SIMPSONS very funny SEASON 12, the awful film LYING and the worthy of your time because it tries hard ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER are all available now on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

POLYTECHNIQUE is a film - not a documentary, a film - that looks at the events of December 6, 1989 at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique.

Also next week, the Academy Award nominated documentary TROUBLE THE WATER, the dramedy SUNSHINE CLEANING, and SEASON 8 of the very funny television series SCRUBS.

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

Optimus Prime will reign supreme in October

Paramount Home Entertainment and Dreamworks Home Entertainment have just announced the upcoming release of Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc in October.

The battle for Earth continues in this action-packed blockbuster from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. When college-bound Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers robots, he must accept his destiny and join Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their epic battle against the Decepticons, who have returned stronger than ever with a plan to destroy our world.

Arriving as a 2-disc DVD Edition, the film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. Filled to the brim with extras you will find a Commentary Track by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman on the release, as well as Extended Scenes and the Linkin Park Music video.

Further, the release will include a Multi-part Documentary consisting of seven featurettes covering various production aspects of the movie, suchas the design, production challenges in different locations, the film’s editing, visual effects and more. Also included is A Day With Bay, a video diary as the director travels to Tokyo, Japan for the world premiere of the film.

25 Years of Transformers is a look at the lifecycle of the Hasbro franchise, Deconstructing Visual Bayhem is a Commentary by Pre-Vis Supervisor Steve Yamamoto, presented as a series of multi-angle pre-visualization sequences that allow viewers to learn how some of the film’s most spectacular scenes were created. NEST: Transformers Data-Hub will round out the release, a gallery of the Transformer robots.

The Blu-Ray version will present the movie in 1080p high definition and supplement it with a DTS 5.1 HD Master Audio track. You will find all the extras from the DVD version here, but in addition, this version of the release will also include The ALLSPARK Experiment, in which viewers get their chance to unleash the power of the recently recovered ALLSPARK shard on Earth vehicles.

Begin by selecting and customizing a vehicle with a selection of parts and accessories. Then apply the ALLSPARK to this creation and watch what happens. Applying the ALLSPARK to certain custom combinations enables four new robot characters with special powers. If viewers discover all four, they unlock a fifth vehicle, which reveals a top secret message about the future of the Transformers movie franchise. The NEST: Transformers Data-Hub will arrive here in an improved version giving you a better look at the Transformers. Giant Effing Movie is a very personal look at the making of the movie, while The Matrix of Marketing will give you an archive of the film’s promotional media including trailers, posters and television spots.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will make it to stores on October 20 for $19.99 on single-disc DVD without extras, $24.99 on 2-disc DVD and $29.99 for the 2-disc Blu-Ray Disc version.

Weezer Filled With 'Raditude' This Fall

Although a final track listing is still being fleshed out, Weezer is set to release "Raditude," the group's seventh studio album, on October 27 on DGC Records. Rivers Cuomo says that the band is currently choosing from fifteen different songs for possible inclusion, but songs such as "The Girl Got Hot" and "I'm Your Daddy" that the group recently debuted live, will be on "Raditude," alongside the first single, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To."

"The sound of "Raditude" is fun, high energy pop rock," Cuomo tells Billboard.com. "Which is exemplified in a song like '(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To.' 'I'm Your Daddy,' has an up vibe with the same, heavy Weezer guitar riff but with a little electro influence. And 'The Girl Got Hot' - that's kind of a witty, party jam."

Other confirmed tracks include "Can't Stop Partying," which was co-written with Jermaine Dupri and first appeared on Cuomo's solo release, 2008's "Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo," and a song called "Trippin' Down the Freeway," which was written weeks after the completion of 2008's "Weezer" (a.k.a. "The Red Album").

Weezer remains beloved by its legions of fans. According to Nielsen SoundScan, 2008's "Weezer" has sold 443,000; the group's debut, 1994's "Weezer" (a.k.a. "The Blue Album") has sold 3.3 million copies, followed by 2001's "Weezer" (a.k.a. "The Green Album") at 1.6 million copies. Even what was once considered a commercial flop, 1996's "Pinkerton" has sold an impressive 852,000. Over the years , Weezer has excelled at writing hook filled rock songs that sound anthemic, while retaining a distinct humor and wit within the lyrics. Songs like "Buddy Holly," "Undone- The Sweater Song," and "Say It Ain't So," became 1990's alt-rock staples and this decade, they've continued that tradition with "Hash Pipe" from 2001's "Weezer" and "Beverly Hills," from 2005's "Make Believe." An early leak of "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is receiving a warm online reception, indicating Cuomo and crew could be well on their way to another hit.

Still, Cuomo says "Raditude" follows in the footsteps of the band's prior work in terms of the recording process. Although he described it as "going at a relaxed pace," it still came with its set of challenges. "I think making a rock record is rarely easy or smooth," he says. "It requires a lot of work and sometimes you have to write more songs that end up on the record; sometimes you have to go back and re-record a song more than once. Sometimes you have to switch studios or producers, you have to go on a bit of an exploration about what it is you're trying to make. And in those regards, I think 'Raditude' is pretty much normal. It wasn't necessarily easier or harder."

In related news, Cuomo was in the studio just this week, laying down the final vocal tracks for the "Let's Write A Sawng" project, where he enlisted the help of fans via Youtube for the material. "I think it's called "Turn It Up." It's not going to be on 'Raditude,' but Weezer will release it, sometime in the near future."

Also in the works is a double-disc expanded version of "Pinkerton," but Cuomo hasn't started working on it quite yet. "We'll include a lot of outtakes, demos and songs from that era that people haven't heard yet. There's a lot of material, but I enjoy the process of going through it all and remembering what that time was like."

As for the album's title, "Raditude," Cuomo got the idea from a new friend, Rainn Wilson from the television series "The Office." "He has a super-rock persona," Cuomo explains. "When it came time to find a title for the Weezer album, I asked him what he thought the ultimate album title would be and he said 'Raditude.'"

Weezer joins blink-182 this Sunday (Aug 23) for a three week tour of North American amphitheatres.

Kids in the Hall reunite for series

MONTREAL -- Quirky Canuck comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall are back together shooting a comic murder-mystery series in Ontario.

Five members of the gender-bending comedy outfit, whose eponymous sketch comedy show ran on CBS and HBO in the first half of the 1990s, star in "Death Comes to Town."

The eight-part series was conceived by Bruce McCulloch and co-written by McCulloch and fellow Kids Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson.

McCulloch is exec producer; Susan Cavan produces for Accent Entertainment.

Directed by Kelly Makin, who helmed the original "Kids in the Hall" series and movie, "Brain Candy," the series is about what happens in a small town when all its most distinguished citizens are murdered. A suspect is arrested, there's a trial and many dark secrets are revealed along the way.

It is filming in the small northern city of North Bay and is set to air on Canuck pubcaster CBC in January.

"We have thought about reuniting on television for years but we've all had a lot of personal projects and weren't sure about how we wanted to come back together," said McCulloch.

Paramount bumps `Shutter Island' to February

LOS ANGELES – Paramount Pictures has moved Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" from an October release date to February, which takes it out of awards consideration for this year.

Studio chairman Brad Grey said Friday that the scheduling change was a financial decision.

The thriller marks the latest pairing of Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio, following "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator" and Scorsese's Oscar-winning "The Departed." It also stars Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley and Michelle Williams.

Based on a novel by "Mystic River" author Dennis Lehane, "Shutter Island" follows the investigation into the disappearance of murderess from a mental institution.

New Norah Jones album due in November

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Singer-songwriter Norah Jones will move away from jazz roots on her fourth studio album.

The Blue Note Records release is due in November, the label announced Thursday.

Producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse) is working with Jones on the as-yet-untitled project, which will feature songwriting contributions from Ryan Adams, Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Jones' longtime collaborator Jesse Harris, who penned the singer's breakthrough hit, "Don't Know Why."

"I got in touch with Jacquire initially because he engineered one of my favorite records of all time, Tom Waits' 'Mule Variations,'" Jones said in a statement.

Jones is said to be branching out from her jazz-influenced pop roots on the new material and playing guitar more than piano. The changes suggest that her new material may resemble her work as a member of the alt-country outfit The Little Willies, whose self-titled 2006 album featured covers of songs by Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Fred Rose.

In addition to working with a new producer and songwriters, Jones has made some changes in her band. Among the musicians playing on her new recordings are drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green) and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer).

"I'd been playing with the same musicians for a long time," Jones said. "We're all still friendly and I hope we play together again, but it felt like a good time to work with new people and experiment with different sounds."

Jones' new album will be her first since 2007's "Not Too Late," which sold 1.58 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Monty Python to reunite in NYC

The five surviving members of Britain's Monty Python comedy troupe reunite for a 40th anniversary gala in New York, where they will accept a British award and help launch a documentary.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced Wednesday it's presenting its Special Award to the comedy group whose sketch show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, was first broadcast on Oct. 5, 1969.

John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin are to attend the event on Oct. 15. The sixth Python, Graham Chapman, died in 1989.

"I believe these trinkets are more important than people think," Cleese said in a statement.

The gala is co-hosted by the Independent Film Channel (IFC), which is airing the new six-part documentary, Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) in October.

"It promises to be a rare and memorable occasion bringing the hugely talented Monty Python team together again, and we feel that the Special Award is a fitting tribute to this much-loved and singularly British institution," said BAFTA chair David Parfitt.

The Python team, who all have since gone on to successful solo careers, also made several movies including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Idle is the brains behind the Broadway smash Spamalot, which he adapted from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Bon Jovi unleashes new single

For the first time in two years, Bon Jovi has unveiled a new single, "We Weren't Born to Follow," the lead track from the band's forthcoming album.

The new song, which premiered on radio stations nationwide Tuesday (8/18), currently is streaming at the band's website.

The New Jersey rockers will release their 11th studio set, "The Circle," Nov. 10. The new album follows 2007's "Lost Highway," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and was certified platinum last fall.

Earlier this year, Jon Bon Jovi and his long-time collaborator/guitarist Richie Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The pair has been working together for nearly three decades.

Black Eyed Peas set record for most weeks at No. 1

NEW YORK – Will.i.am would love to say "I told you so" to all the people who have bashed the Black Eyed Peas in the past, but he won't — even though the group just made history on the Billboard charts.

"There's a part of me that wants to be cocky, but then I can't be cocky," the 34-year-old Peas leader said in a phone interview from Los Angeles on Tuesday. "There's a part of me that wants to call out all of my other peers and competitors. I don't want to say no names because I'm not like that, but part of me wants to do that. And would it be wrong if I did that? Yes it would. I'm not like that."

This week the foursome, who have had their share of critics, will have topped Billboard's Hot 100 singles charts for 20 consecutive weeks, the most ever by an act. "Boom Boom Pow" and the song that dislodged it, "I Gotta Feeling," have been at the top of the charts for 12 and eight weeks, respectively.

Though the band has had big hits over the years, "Boom Boom Pow" was their first No. 1 single. Will.i.am says he's surprised how successful the song became.

"I knew that `Boom Boom Pow' would be big in the clubs, but I didn't know it would be that potent with the world, outside of the club. So that my accountant's aunt would be like: Black Eyed Peas, I love `Boom Boom Pow!'" he laughed. "I didn't know it was going to be that. I didn't know that teachers would say I like `Boom Boom Pow.'"

But the success is not pure luck, will.i.am explains. Though he says the band didn't listen to the radio when creating their latest disc, "The E.N.D.," he says they did heavy research by partying at underground nightclubs and events.

They chose "Boom Boom Pow" as the first single after the response it got when they debuted it at a Grammy party this year. After its success, they used the same idea for their current hit.

"When I picked up `I Gotta Feeling' we tested in the clubs, looked at people, how they responded to a song they didn't know. We're looking at what's the best summer song out of all the songs, let's go out there and have a party," he explained.

So they had a party. And the response was great.

He says the group will use the same strategy for the third single, the groovy "Meet Me Halfway."

"We kept in mind when it would be coming out: It'll be out for the holidays. Do we want to be jam-pack smacking people high octane in the club during Christmas? No. So let's know that the emotion we want to get out there is still melodic, a love subject would be cool around Christmas and we still want to be in the club," he said.

Will.i.am says he's not sure how to take it all in.

"Like how am I supposed to take this and soak this in? If these people like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson have these No.1s, but yet we just broke a record, how am I supposed to take that because we came from the under, under, underground," he said.

CBS News pioneer Don Hewitt dies at 86

NEW YORK – Don Hewitt, the CBS Newsman who invented "60 Minutes" and produced the popular newsmagazine for 36 years, died Wednesday. He was 86.

He died of pancreatic cancer at his Bridgehampton home, CBS said. His death came month after that of fellow CBS legend Walter Cronkite.

Hewitt joined CBS News in television's infancy in 1948, and produced the first televised presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.

He made his mark in the late 1960s when CBS agreed to try his idea of a one-hour broadcast that mixed hard news and feature stories. The television newsmagazine was born on Sept. 24, 1968, when the "60 Minutes" stopwatch began ticking.

He dreamed of a television version of Life, the dominant magazine of the mid-20th century, where interviews with entertainers could coexist with investigations that exposed corporate malfeasance.

"The formula is simple," he wrote in a memoir in 2001, "and it's reduced to four words every kid in the world knows: Tell me a story. It's that easy."

Hard-driven reporter Mike Wallace, Hewitt's first hire, became the journalist those in power did not want on their doorsteps. Harry Reasoner, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley and Diane Sawyer also reported for the show.

"60 Minutes" won 73 Emmy Awards, 13 DuPont/Columbia University Awards and nine Peabody Awards during Hewitt's stewardship, which ended in 2004.

After Cronkite's death at age 92 on July 17, Hewitt said, "How many news organizations get the chance to bask in the sunshine of a half-century of Edward R. Murrow followed by a half-century of Walter Cronkite?"

Hewitt often said the accepted wisdom for television news writers before "60 Minutes" was to put words to pictures. He believed that was backward.

A Sunday evening fixture, "60 Minutes" was television's top-rated show four times, most recently in 1992-93. While no longer a regular in the top 10 in Hewitt's later years, it was still TV's most popular newsmagazine.

Upon the launch of "60 Minutes," Hewitt recalled that news executive Bill Leonard told him to "make us proud."

"Which may well be the last time anyone ever said `make us proud' to anyone else in television," he wrote in his memoir. "Because Leonard said `make us proud' and not `make us money,' we were able to do both, which I think makes us unique in the annals of television."

As executive producer, Hewitt was responsible for deciding each week which stories would make it on the air. Correspondents and producers alike would wait nervously in screening rooms for his verdict on their work.

Among his other jobs, Hewitt directed the first network television newscast on May 3, 1948. He originated the use of cue cards for news readers, now done by electronic machines. He was the first to "superimpose" words on the TV screen for a news show.

Before the 1960 presidential debate, Hewitt asked Kennedy if he wanted makeup. Tanned and fit, Kennedy said no. Nixon followed his lead. Big mistake.

"As every student of politics knows, that debate — like a Miss America contest — turned on who made the better appearance, not with what he said but with how he looked," Hewitt recalled later. "Kennedy won hands down."

Hewitt did not retire completely. In 2007, he produced a televised version of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular," bringing the venerable show to a national TV audience for the first time — on NBC.

Donald Shepard Hewitt was born in New York City on Dec. 14, 1922, and grew up in the suburb of New Rochelle. He dropped out of New York University to become a copy boy at the New York Herald Tribune. He joined the Merchant Marines during World War II and worked as a correspondent posted to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's London headquarters.

After the war and a few brief journalism jobs, he took a job as an associate director at CBS News in 1948.

During his tenure, "60 Minutes" was often a place where people came to make news. Presidential candidate Bill Clinton addressed questions of infidelity in 1992, and Al Gore used the show to announce he wouldn't run for president in 2004.

Hewitt often said he was proud of his show's ability to exonerate innocent people through investigations, such as when a Texas man sent to jail for life for robbery was freed after Safer discredited the evidence against him.

When "60 Minutes" showed a tape of Dr. Jack Kevorkian lethally injecting a patient in 1998, it ignited a debate on euthanasia and the proper role of a TV news show.

Hewitt was the subject of an unflattering portrait in the 1999 movie "The Insider," which depicted him caving to pressure from CBS lawyers and not airing a whistleblowing report from an ex-tobacco executive. The full report eventually aired.

Although bitter at the former "60 Minutes" producer who became a hero of "The Insider" for fighting to air the story, Hewitt later said he wasn't proud of his actions.

Hewitt had said he wanted to "die at my desk," creating a delicate situation for CBS. The show's ratings were declining and it had the oldest audience in television, as well as some of the oldest correspondents.

Hewitt, then 80, was persuaded to announce in January 2003 that he would step down at the conclusion of the 2003-2004 season, which he did. In return, CBS gave him a contract that would pay him through age 90.

Hewitt and his wife, Marilyn, had four children.

Favre back yet again

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Brett Favre's latest retirement lasted all of three weeks.

The three-time NFL MVP has done about-face for the second time in as many years and will play for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

If the wait for Favre's decision seemed never-ending, it was resolved Tuesday in a few short hours: the 39-year-old jumped on a team plane in Mississippi and was picked up at the St. Paul airport by coach Brad Childress himself. The two drove to the team's practice facility, where Favre waved to hundreds of cheering fans.

No less than 90 minutes later, Favre was on the field in his familiar No. 4 jersey with purple shorts and a purple helmet, a vision that has had Packers fans cringing about for months. He shook hands with a few of his new teammates and quickly began throwing as fans peeked through the security fence to catch a glimpse of the superstar.

Shortly after practice began, the Vikings confirmed the agreement that seemed so inevitable all summer, only to be held up July 28 when the man who holds every major NFL career passing record told Childress he wasn't ready to play, citing a lack of confidence in his beat-up body to hold up over an entire season.

Childress and Favre were expected to discuss the change of heart at a news conference later Tuesday.

Childress a few weeks ago said he had not planned to pursue Favre after he said he was staying retired. And yet here comes Favre, once reviled by a Vikings fan base that hustled to welcome him to town.

"I don't have any problem rooting for one of the greatest quarterbacks ever," said Phil Setala, a 23-year-old from Minneapolis who was at practice proudly wearing a purple No. 4 jersey.

Even the governor chimed in.

"It's going to be good for the team. It's going to be good for the state. It's going to be exciting," a giddy Gov. Tim Pawlenty said after a speech.

Last month, Favre explained his decision by saying he had to be "careful not to commit for the wrong reasons."

"I'm 39 with a lot of sacks to my name," he said.

He has a lot of interceptions to his name, too, more than any other quarterback in NFL history. The last time Favre appeared in the playoffs - a bitter loss at Lambeau Field by the Packers to the Giants in the NFC championship game following the 2007 season - he put up one of his worst performances in recent memory.

Now the question becomes how Favre will fit in with a team that's already done with the grind of training camp, not to mention how his health will hold up so soon after he questioned it. Favre had arthroscopic surgery to fix his throwing shoulder in May.

The Vikings got an encouraging performance in their preseason opener last week from quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who has been competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job, but neither of them have been consistently sharp in practice this month.

And neither is anywhere in Favre's league. His zinger of an arm and toughness in the pocket are a combination few possess. With an offence he claimed this summer he could operate in his sleep, Favre seems to fit well with Minnesota - especially given the Vikings' problems finding a reliable quarterback since Childress took over in 2006.

The Vikings have Pro Bowl players all over their roster, with reigning NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson in the backfield and a dominant defensive line. No matter who's behind centre, they ought to be in position to defend their NFC North title.

To win the conference, and perhaps that elusive Super Bowl, they'll need stability at the sport's most critical position.

Favre has wrestled with retirement for most of this decade and the will-he-or-won't-he saga became an annual off-season drama for the Packers, his longtime home. In Green Bay, the latest news elicited a few shrugs, little more.

A few months after Favre's tearful goodbye news conference in March 2008, Green Bay traded him to the Jets when he tried to come back, only to learn the Packers were committed to Aaron Rodgers. Favre started strong in New York, but faded down the stretch amid problems with his throwing arm and, with another "I'm done" announcement, headed for his second retirement.

The Jets released him from his contract right after the draft and soon after, the Vikings were openly expressing interest. Favre spent the summer working out in Mississippi and led everyone to believe he was on his way back to the NFL until last month.

"It was the hardest decision I've ever made," Favre told ESPN then. "I didn't feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable."

Film airs Beatles outtakes from Abbey Road recording

Never-before-heard outtakes and conversations from the Beatles' final recording sessions at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London will be broadcast for the first time by BBC television.

They are part of a new documentary, The Beatles on Record, which features archive recordings and narration from the Fab Four as well as commentary from the group's producer George Martin.

The BBC film, to be aired in September, has studio banter from the band's recordings for their final album, Abbey Road.

"This is a chance for viewers to enjoy some rare footage and fascinating insights into the career of the greatest pop group of all time," the BBC's George Entwistle said in a statement on Monday.

The documentary, directed by Bob Smeaton, chronicles the group's musical path from 1963's Please Please Me to Abbey Road, examining how John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney developed as songwriters and musicians.

Although Let it Be was the last Beatles album to be released, it was recorded before Abbey Road.

The Beatles on Record is part of the BBC's Beatles Week, starting Sept. 5.

The U.K. public broadcaster will also be airing Storyville: How The Beatles Rocked the Kremlin, a documentary on how the group's music may have influenced the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Other highlights include The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit, Albert and David Maysles' film that follows the Fab Four's 1964 visit to the U.S.

Beatles Week on BBC is a precursor to the release of The Beatles re-mastered back catalogue and Rock Band computer game.

New “Beatles: Rock Band” Trailer Arrives, Alleged Track List Leaks

Another sneak peek at the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band has been released, which again shows the amazing attention to detail that went into producing a game worthy of the Fab Four’s esteemed catalog. The newest trailer, via IGN, shows clips of “Twist and Shout” being performed in Liverpool, “Can’t Buy Me Love” on the Ed Sullivan Show stage, a “Yellow Submarine” dreamscape and a “Revolution” filled with wartime imagery. Additionally, we also see how the actual gameplay will look on-screen, including the three-part harmony feature that will make its debut with TB:RB.

In addition to the new trailer, the full video for “Ticket to Ride” as performed by the in-game Beatles at the digital Shea Stadium has also been posted on the game’s official Website. As Rock Daily reported last week, The Beatles: Rock Band will also unearth previously unreleased audio and studio banter from the Beatles, as well as a “story mode” that gives the back-story of the band’s songs. The Beatles: Rock Band will be released September 9th, the same day the Fab Four’s entire remastered catalog is reissued.

Video game blog Worth Playing has an alleged complete The Beatles: Rock Band 45-song track list that comes from an upcoming issue of Game Informer. If it’s accurate, as advertised, it spans the Beatles’ entire catalog, from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” to the “Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows” mash-up from 2006’s Love compilation. “All You Need Is Love” will also be released as downloadable content, with proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders, while the entire Abbey Road will be available for download soon after 09/09/09. UPDATE: Harmonix and MTV Games have confirmed 44 out of the 45 songs on Rock Band’s Beatles playlist, meaning the list below is accurate. The last song, however, remains a mystery.

The Beatles: Rock Band track list:

Singles:
“I Want To Hold Your Hand”
“I Feel Fine”
“Day Tripper”
“Paperback Writer”
“Revolution”
“Don’t Let Me Down”

Please Please Me:
“I Saw Her Standing There”
“Boys”
“Do You Want To Know A Secret”
“Twist and Shout”

With the Beatles:
“I Wanna Be Your Man”

A Hard Day’s Night:
“A Hard Day’s Night”
“Can’t Buy Me Love”

Beatles For Sale:
“Eight Days a Week”

Help!:
“Ticket To Ride”

Rubber Soul:
“Drive My Car”
“I’m Looking Through You”
“If I Needed Someone”

Revolver:
“Taxman”
“Yellow Submarine”
“And Your Bird Can Sing”

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help From My Friends”
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”
“Getting Better”
“Good Morning Good Morning”

Magical Mystery Tour:
“I Am The Walrus”
“Hello Goodbye”

The Beatles (White Album):
“Dear Prudence”
“Back In the U.S.S.R.”
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
“Birthday”
“Helter Skelter”

Yellow Submarine:
“Hey Bulldog”

Abbey Road:
“Come Together”
“Something”
“Octopus’s Garden”
“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”
“Here Comes the Sun”

Let It Be:
“Dig a Pony”
“I Me Mine”
“I Got a Feeling”
“Get Back”

Love:
“Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows”

Shania Twain set as `American Idol' guest judge

LOS ANGELES – Shania Twain is joining the ranks of "American Idol" guest judges.

A spokesman for the show said Tuesday that the country singer will take part in the Chicago auditions set for the end of August.

Kelly Clarkson, the original "American Idol," and one of the Jonas Brothers also may end up as guest judges. But they had yet to be confirmed Tuesday.

"American Idol" began enlisting visiting celebrities after a contract dispute led Paula Abdul to announce she was quitting the show. There's been speculation that Abdul still could reach a deal and return for the ninth season, starting in January.

'Big Brother 11' to address Chima's expulsion

LOS ANGELES – Why exactly was Chima Simone kicked out?

Tuesday's "Big Brother 11" episode promised to address why producers removed the 33-year-old freelance journalist from the CBS reality series, which isolates 13 contestants inside a makeshift two-story house and monitors their every move with dozens of cameras.

"You will see why, basically, our back was up against the wall and we had to expel her from the game," show host Julie Chen said Monday on CBS' "The Early Show," which she co-hosts. "You will see her behavior that led up to the expulsion. Then, you can decide."

CBS released a statement Saturday that said Simone, from West Hollywood, Calif., was evicted by the producers for violating the rules. The network also said Simone will not be part of the show's seven-person jury, which selects the $500,000 grand prize winner.

Sunday's episode showed how Simone was aggravated because her ally, bodybuilder Jessie Godderz, was spontaneously nominated for eviction Thursday because of the "coup d'etat," a power secretly voted on by viewers that was used to overthrow Simone's nominations.

Fans have questioned whether Simone was booted or quit. Chatter from the remaining seven houseguests suggest she wanted out of the house. On Friday, Simone was seen on the show's live Internet video feeds throwing her microphone into the backyard whirlpool spa.

"She still didn't have to leave after that. She just didn't want to be here," contestant Natalie Martinez said on Monday's "Big Brother After Dark," an uncensored and unedited live Showtime 2 broadcast of what's happening inside the house each night.

Since entering the house last month, Simone has been one of the season's most outspoken houseguests. When she was nominated for eviction during the first week, CBS censored her live last-plea speech, which referred to derogatory terms used by her competitor.

Producers have evicted two contestants on previous "Big Brother" editions. Justin Sebik was kicked off the second season when he placed a knife to the throat of a fellow houseguest. Scott Weintraub was removed from the fourth season after throwing furniture.

Kiss to release new album at Wal-Mart, Sam's Club

NEW YORK – Wal-Mart is being embraced with a Kiss.

The veteran heavy metal group, Kiss, is joining a growing list of classic acts putting out new music through the world's largest retailer.

"Sonic Boom" is due to be released only at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club on Oct. 6. It will include a CD of the band's first new music in 11 years, re-recorded versions of famous Kiss hits and a live DVD.

Other classic acts that have chosen to release albums through Wal-Mart include the Eagles, AC/DC and Foreigner.

The Couch Potato Report - August 15th, 2009

This week The Couch Potato Report goes back to school, back to the eighties, and we'll take an animated waltz…with Bashir.

Back in February, at this year's Academy Awards, just about everyone expected to hear one - and only one film's title when the announcment was made in the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year category.

Yes, everyone - and I mean EVERYONE was expecting to hear Liam Neeson say WALTZ WITH BASHIR.

When BASHIR didn't win, just about everyone backstage in the conference room I was in gasped, and stopped what they were doing...it came as that much of a shock.

At the time, very few people - including many in that room - had even heard of either film...but luckily they have now!

DEPARTURES is slated to come out on DVD and Blu-ray in December, but WALTZ WITH BASHIR is available right now!!

WALTZ WITH BASHIR is an Israeli animated documentary film written and directed by Ari Folman. It shows him asking friends, family and fellow soldiers stories about the 1982 Lebanon War.

A war he fought in, but doesn't remember.

Every scene in WALTZ WITH BASHIR is interesting, the section where the title of the film is explained is beautiful, and the ending will haunt you.

Yes, it is an animated film, but it features some very graphic, violent images, so it is not for children or the feint of heart.

It may not have won the Oscar, but this is still a spectacular film!

As it turns out, one of the other nominees in the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year category from this year's Oscars has also come out this week.

Due to the strength of the other films in the category, THE CLASS was a long shot to win, but that was also true at the Cannes Film Festival...and it won the top prize there - The Palme d'Or.

THE CLASS uses actors who are not professionals and a script that is partially improvised to show us what happens in a real classroom over the course of a school year.

The teacher, is not one of those Hollywood teachers who inspires his students to greatness, like in DEAD POET'S SOCIETY or DANGEROUS MINDS, instead he's a hard-working guy who talks to the multicultural kids in his class, but who often feels frustrated when his lessons are met with sarcasm, laziness, and a lack of respect.

THE CLASS constantly made me question who was wrong in several different situations. Was it the teacher, the students or the system? I think you'll wonder the same things, and want to talk about them afterward. This is an exceptional film that I highly recommend, even to teachers, although the subject matter may hit waaaay to close to home.

Let's stay is school now, shall we?

I have two other school oriented films for you this week, but neither of them can hold a candle to THE CLASS. These films don't seem to strive to be anything other than mildly entertaining.

It's ladies first, so here's a clip from the latest film in the ST. TRINIAN'S series.

ST. TRINIAN'S is the sixth in a long-running series of films based on the works of cartoonist Ronald Searle. The first four films form a series, starting with The Belles of St Trinian's in 1954, with sequels in 1957, 1960, 1966. The Wildcats of St Trinian's came out in 1980, and now there is this newest one.

It is about a school for "young ladies" who are anything but. They must all come together to save the school from bankruptcy.

Plain and smply, ST. TRINIAN'S is nothing special. Some teenage girls and anyone who enjoyed Gemma Arterton as Strawberry Fields in last year's James Bond film QUANTUM OF SOLACE might enjoy parts of this film...but to me it is trying to hard to be hip, cool and funny, but ultimately it fails on all three counts.

Sorry ladies.

17 AGAIN doesn't quite fail...but it almost does.

This movie stars Zac Efron from the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL films and Canadian "Friend" Matthew Perry, and it is the latest cinematic version of the body reversal story that was done, and done better, in films like FREAKY FRIDAY, BIG and 13 GOING ON 30.

Perry is a guy who wishes he could go back to high school and change his life. He wakes up one day and is seventeen again - and Zac Efron - and he gets the chance to rewrite his life.

17 AGAIN is not awful, I'll admit that it is better than I thought it would be and Efron and Perry are both very good in their roles, but the film never tries hard enough to rise above this story we have seen done so many times.

I'll give it a passing grade, but only because I am grading on the curve, and THE CLASS and WALTZ WITH BASHIR's marks are so high.

From school we now take flight.

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS is the great television series that stars Jemaine Clement and Jemaine and Bret McKenzie as Bret.

They play two musicians from New Zealand trying to make it in New York City.

The show uses humour, and music to tell their story.

I still recommend SEASON ONE of FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS to people as it is superb viewing!

THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON has now come out in a 2-DVD Set, but - sadly, very sadly, it starts off very slowly, and at times isn't very good at all.

But, luckily, it rebounds and by the last few episodes it is once again one of the funniest. laugh out loud shows I have ever seen.

Over the course of his life, Richard Pryor made me, and millions of others, laugh out loud many times through his stand up routines, movies and television appearances.

He is one of the greatest comedians of all time, and if you have ever wanted to see some of his stand up from when he was first starting out, then you must see RICHARD PRYOR - LIVE AND SMOKIN'.

RICHARD PRYOR - LIVE AND SMOKIN' was filmed in 1971 but not released until 1985 and it was the first stand-up act that Pryor did before he hit the mainstream.

The program is only is only 46 minutes long, and if you are a fan, it is a must see!!

Finally this week, THE BLU-RAY BEACON shines on four films from the 1980s that are all considered classics of the decade.

The first one remains one of my favourite films of all time! This is ST. ELMO'S FIRE!

ST. ELMO'S looks great in High Definition, and it features director Joel Schumacher looking back on the film about a group of friends who have just graduated from university and are struggling with becomming adults.

The cast includes Brat Packers Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, along with Andie MacDowell and that classic song!!

A year after ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Rob Lowe and Demi Moore were together on screen again in the comedy ABOUT LAST NIGHT.

This film is about a man and a woman who meet and try to make their relationship work, it's about friends, it's about dreams...it's about last night, and the Blu-ray features director Edward Zwick and Rob Lowe in a unique conversation as they look back, twenty-three years later.

Both ST. ELMO'S FIRE and ABOUT LAST NIGHT feature some great Special Features, some that are exclusive to Blu-ray, but unfortunately that is not true with this next film.

John Carpenter's 1984, Academy Award nominated film STARMAN doesn't have any bonus materials.

No commentary, no retrospective with stars Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen, not even a trailer.

Luckily the film is strong enough to stand on it's own...but still.

I have always thought of STARMAN as E.T. - THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL for adults, as Bridges plays an alien who takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona.

And just as in E.T., the government tries to stop them.

I do still love STARMAN, but I would have liked to have some extras, even the Blu-Ray for the 1983 film BLUE THUNDER has some extras, most notably a documentary about the building of the helicopter in this film.

There is also a 44 minute documentary and the theatrical trailer. Sadly, none of it is in High Definition, but was still nice to see at least something.

BLUE THUNDER stars the late Roy Scheider as a test pilot for an experimental police helicopter who learns that their are other reasons for it's creation, and it is available no won Blu-ray, along with the other eighties films STARMAN, ABOUT LAST NIGHT and ST. ELMO'S FIRE. They are all brand new on Blu ray, and are available on DVD as well.

The mediocre, but okay role reversal comedy 17 AGAIN, the superb Palme d'Or winning THE CLASS, and the spectacular animated film WALTZ WITH BASHIR are both brand new on Blu-ray and DVD.

The less than entertaining ST. TRINIAN'S, the early stand-up work of RICHARD PRYOR in LIVE AND SMOKIN', and the very entertaining COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of the HBO series FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS are only available on DVD.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS: THE WAY OF THE TOSSER is a Canadian made documentary about a coupld why try and prevail at the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championships.

Also next week, a new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES collection and the insightful Mike Tyson documentary TYSON.

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!

“The Beatles: Rock Band” Boasts Unheard Lennon, McCartney Audio

“Hello, this is John speaking with his voice. We’re all very happy to be able to talk to you like this …” The voice is John Lennon’s, cheerfully greeting fans from a 1963 Beatles Christmas disc recorded for members of their fan club, and it’s just one of many gems hidden within the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band game.

New details of the title were released today from MTV Games/Harmonix, which is releasing The Beatles: Rock Band on September 9th (or 9/9/09, a playful nod to the early Beatles tune “One After 909,” among other references). Beyond the 45 songs included in the game, fans will hear things never before released, from Paul McCartney tuning up in the moments before recording “Yellow Submarine” and “Twist and Shout” to studio chatter between the band and producer George Martin.

The Beatles’ first Christmas greeting is just one of the many unlockable rewards of rare video, photographs and audio inside, while “story mode” will provide the vivid back-story to the classic songs being made. There is behind the scenes performance footage, animation and clips of the band in the studio, at home and more that fans can discover between performances. All of it is accessible to players of any difficulty level.

As previously reported, players will be able to download additional Beatles content, including the entire Abbey Road album, and the single version of “All You Need is Love,” an Xbox exclusive with proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders.

Drum lessons will guide fans in recreating the distinctive “Beatle Beats” of Ringo Star, who never played the same fills twice — playable on any Rock Band drum kit (or the new Ludwig set that includes a kick-drum head with the classic Beatles logo). As reported earlier, the game also includes vocal training in the band’s three-part harmonies. “You have to train to be a Beatle,” said John Drake, a Harmonix spokesman. “It turns out it’s not that easy.”

Nirvana's 'Bleach' Turns 20, New Live Recording Coming

Nirvana's first full-length album, "Bleach," is getting a deluxe reissue treatment on the 20th anniversary of its release, the band's original label home, Sub Pop, announced today. The special edition will include a previously unreleased live performance, along with a newly remastered version of the original album and a collection of previously unseen photos of the band. The deluxe package is set for release on Nov. 3.

"Bleach," the band's first album and its only full-length on Sub Pop, was recorded in December, 1988 and January, 1989 and was released in June of 1989. After initially selling more than 40,000 copies and starting the group's ascension to worldwide renown, the album went on to sell more than 1.7 million copies in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The reissue will include a complete live recording of the band's Feb. 9, 1990 show at the Pine Street Theatre in Portland, Ore. The 11-song show includes a cover of the Vaseline's "Molly's Lips," and has been remixed from the original tapes by "Bleach" producer Jack Endino (who also oversaw the remastering of the original album for the new edition).

The remastered "Bleach" will be released as a single CD and a double LP, pressed on 180 gram white vinyl. More details about the release and and pre-order information can be found on subpop.com.

'District 9' lifts off with No. 1 weekend at $37M

LOS ANGELES – The first-time director and cast of unknowns of the acclaimed sci-fi thriller "District 9" have given Hollywood a late-summer box-office boost.

The Sony release produced by "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson led the weekend with a $37 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"District 9" is the debut feature from commercial and music-video director Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the tale about extraterrestrials forced by humans to live in squalor in a ghetto in South Africa.

The movie built audience interest with a clever marketing campaign playing up the theme of prejudice against aliens, including posters instructing citizens to report non-humans and ads on bus benches stating that the seats are for humans only.

"Everybody was like, 'What is this?' There was a big question mark in people's minds," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "It did really pique their interest and drove them to the Internet and elsewhere to discover what's going on."

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," slipped to second place with $22.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $98.8 million.

Another sci-fi tale, the Warner Bros. romance "The Time Traveler's Wife" starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, opened a solid No. 3 with $19.2 million. The film joined the previous weekend's "Julie & Julia" as a choice for women, with females accounting for 76 percent of its audience.

"District 9" and "Time Traveler's Wife" led a wave of five new wide releases for mid-August, when Hollywood's summer output normally is petering out. The rush continues next weekend with another surge of new releases, led by Quentin Tarantino's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds."

"It's getting very crowded, and it's these films that want to compete in the summer time frame but can't compete in the sweet spot of summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Opening 'District 9' against 'Star Trek,' that would not be a good strategy. But to release it now makes sense. August is the month of opportunity for films that in other months of summer would get slaughtered."

The weekend's other debuts: Paramount Vantage's used-car comedy "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," opening at No. 6 with $5.4 million; Disney's animated adventure "Ponyo" from animation master Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"), coming in at No. 9 with $3.5 million; and Summit Entertainment's teen rock 'n' roll tale "Bandslam," which tanked at No. 13 with just $2.3 million despite a cast that includes Vanessa Hudgens of "High School Musical."

It was Hollywood's second weekend in a row of rising revenues after a monthlong slide compared with summer 2008, when the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" was smashing box-office records.

Overall receipts came in at $142 million, up 14 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "Tropic Thunder" debuted at No. 1 with $25.8 million.

Revenues since the summer season opened the first weekend of May are at $3.77 billion, just a fraction below where Hollywood was last summer, according to Hollywood.com.

Factoring in higher ticket prices, admissions are off 4 percent compared to summer 2008, though movie attendance remains strong given how "The Dark Knight" dominated a year ago. The biggest blockbuster since "Titanic," "The Dark Knight" topped out with a domestic haul of $531 million.

"Considering we had a movie of that magnitude in the mix, I think this summer has held up very well for itself," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released "The Dark Knight."

Here are the estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "District 9," $37 million.
2. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $22.5 million.
3. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $19.2 million.
4. "Julie & Julia," $12.4 million.
5. "G-Force," $6.9 million.
6. "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard," $5.4 million.
7. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $5.2 million.
8. "The Ugly Truth," $4.5 million.
9. "Ponyo," $3.5 million.
10. "500 Days of Summer," $3 million.

Goldeneye, birthplace of 007, eyes $50M expansion

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The luxurious Goldeneye retreat, where British author Ian Fleming created the literary and cinematic super spy James Bond, will undergo a $50 million expansion, the estate's owner said Sunday.

Music and hotel mogul Chris Blackwell said in a statement that 11 beachfront cottages and a restaurant will be built at the sprawling property, which overlooks a harbor in St. Mary parish in eastern Jamaica.

Blackwell — who founded the Island Records label that launched Bob Marley to international stardom and who also owns luxury hotelier Island Outpost — said the work should be completed by 2013.

Fleming bought Goldeneye in the mid-1940s and wrote several books there, including "Casino Royale," the first Bond novel. Fleming died in 1964, and some of his memorabilia are kept at the expanded site.

Several 007 movies including "Live and Let Die" and "Dr. No" were filmed near the estate, and it shares a name with the 1995 Bond film "GoldenEye."

The property was also briefly owned by the late reggae great Marley, who bought Goldeneye in 1976 and sold it the following year to Blackwell.

Producers evict Chima Simone from 'Big Brother 11'

LOS ANGELES – Chima Simone is no longer in the "Big Brother" house.

CBS said producers removed the 33-year-old freelance journalist from the voyeuristic reality series for breaking the show's rules. The network also said Simone will not be part of the jury that selects the $500,000 grand prize winner.

"Chima has been evicted by the producers from the 'Big Brother' house for violating the rules," CBS said in a statement released Saturday. "She will not be part of the show's jury. Her eviction will be addressed on an upcoming broadcast of the show."

A CBS spokeswoman did not immediately return messages seeking further comment.

Simone, from West Hollywood, Calif., was last seen on the show conjuring conspiracy theories after her ally, bodybuilder Jessie Godderz, was spontaneously nominated for eviction Thursday because of the "coup d'etat," a power secretly voted on by viewers that was used to overthrow Simone's nominations.

"Looks like me and the producers need to have a little bit of a talk," she said.
Since entering the "Big Brother 11" house last month, Simone has been one of the season's most outspoken houseguests. When she was nominated for eviction during the first week, CBS censored her live last-plea speech, which referenced derogatory terms used by her competitor.

Seven contestants remain on "Big Brother 11."

Seinfeld to be Leno show's first guest

NEW YORK - NBC says Jerry Seinfeld will be the first guest on the premiere of "The Jay Leno Show."

Seinfeld will join previously announced musical guests Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. The new weeknight prime-time series debuts Sept. 14.

Leno stepped down in May as host of the "Tonight Show" after 17 years.

Seinfeld, who starred in his own hit NBC comedy, will be returning to the network early next year with "The Marriage Ref," a reality series that he'll produce.

Weezer Announce October 27th Release Date For New Album

Weezer announced on their official Website that their seventh album will be released on October 27th, just 15 months after the band’s third eponymous LP, or The Red Album, hit stores. Weezer promise that details regarding their new disc — like album title (or color) and track list — will be revealed soon, but the band recently performed three new songs (”The Girl Got Hot,” “I’m Your Daddy” and “Can’t Stop Partying”) at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival in Seoul on July 24th. Just last week on the Weezer official site, the band posted that they were in the final stages of mixing the new album.

As Rock Daily reported last month, Weezer were planning a “to-be-announced special non-physical release” of their seventh album. Fans will likely get to hear a couple of the new tracks when Weezer embark on tour with Blink-182 starting on August 25th at Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre. In addition to Album Seven, the band is reportedly also on work on a deluxe reissue of their classic Pinkerton album, but no definitive plans for that release have been announced yet.

Steven Tyler: I Zigged When I Should Have Zagged

Steven Tyler says that in thousands of concerts he's only fallen off the stage four times – but this last one was worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I landed upside down, and after twenty stitches on the back of my head, and a broken left shoulder, I just want to say that I'm plain grateful that I didn't break my neck!" the 61-year-old Aerosmith lead singer said Thursday in his first comments since last week's accident that left him with a broken left shoulder and 20 stitches on the back of his head.

Tyler said everything seemed to be going perfectly at the Aug. 5 show in Sturgis, S.D., where after a storm caused a one-hour delay, "Tens of thousands of my biker buddies were ready to rock!" He called it "one of the best shows we've played in a long time! The band was slammin' and I was lovin' every minute of it!"

The first trouble came when the fuses on the equipment blew and the sound went down in the middle of the song "Love In an Elevator." "Well, I wasn't gonna go hide under the big top and play 'ROCK STAR' and wait for everything to be fixed," he said in his statement. "I wanted to go out to the crowd to continue the show ... so, the Train Kept A-Rollin' and I ran out on the cat walk and grabbed my mic to finish the song."

That's when things got out of hand. "I was doing the Tyler shuffle and then I zigged when I should have zagged ... AND I slipped, and as I live on the edge ... I fell off the edge!" he said, expressing relief that he survived the ordeal.

Tyler thanked fans "for your love and support" and paid tribute to the band's crew and the venue's staff "for taking care of me in a time of need," as well as the police department and the helicopter crew "for getting me outta there before I bled to death."

He also thanked "all the doctors and nurses at the Rapid City Hospital for putting my Humpty Dumpty ass back together again."

"And most of all ... I want to thank the angel on my shoulder," he said. "Looking forward to seeing all of you very soon."

Myers plays it straight in 'Basterds'

TORONTO - It's not the role you might expect Canadian actor Mike Myers to play.

Myers, perhaps best-known for his work in comedies like "Austin Powers" and "Wayne's World," plays a general in the new war movie, "Inglourious Basterds."

Director Quentin Tarantino was in Toronto Wednesday night for the Canadian premiere of the film and said Myers was a great fit for the part.

"He's a big fan of mine and he just let it be known that he's a fan and if there was something in the movie that would be proper for him, he would love to do it," Tarantino said, adding that Myers is a huge Second World War buff and has always wanted to play an older British general.

"It was a perfect storm for getting Mike Myers, a perfect storm for a yes."

"Inglourious Basterds" also stars Brad Pitt and Eli Roth and is scheduled for wide release on Aug. 21st.

Guitar legend-inventor Les Paul dies at age 94

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Les Paul, who invented the solid-body electric guitar later wielded by a legion of rock 'n' roll greats, died Thursday of complications from pneumonia. He was 94.

According to Gibson Guitar, Paul died at White Plains Hospital. His family and friends were by his side.

As an inventor, Paul also helped bring about the rise of rock 'n' roll with multitrack recording, which enables artists to record different instruments at different times, sing harmony with themselves, and then carefully balance the tracks in the finished recording.

The use of electric guitar gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1940s, and then exploded with the advent of rock in the mid-'50s.

"Suddenly, it was recognized that power was a very important part of music," Paul once said. "To have the dynamics, to have the way of expressing yourself beyond the normal limits of an unamplified instrument, was incredible. Today a guy wouldn't think of singing a song on a stage without a microphone and a sound system."

A tinkerer and musician since childhood, he experimented with guitar amplification for years before coming up in 1941 with what he called "The Log," a four-by-four piece of wood strung with steel strings.

"I went into a nightclub and played it. Of course, everybody had me labeled as a nut." He later put the wooden wings onto the body to give it a tradition guitar shape.

In 1952, Gibson Guitars began production on the Les Paul guitar.

Pete Townsend of the Who, Steve Howe of Yes, jazz great Al DiMeola and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page all made the Gibson Les Paul their trademark six-string.

Over the years, the Les Paul series has become one of the most widely used guitars in the music industry. In 2005, Christie's auction house sold a 1955 Gibson Les Paul for $45,600.

In the late 1960s, Paul retired from music to concentrate on his inventions. His interest in country music was rekindled in the mid-'70s and he teamed up with Chet Atkins for two albums. The duo were awarded a Grammy for best country instrumental performance of 1976 for their "Chester and Lester" album.

With Mary Ford, his wife from 1949 to 1962, he earned 36 gold records for hits including "Vaya Con Dios" and "How High the Moon," which both hit No. 1. Many of their songs used overdubbing techniques that Paul had helped develop.

"I could take my Mary and make her three, six, nine, 12, as many voices as I wished," he recalled. "This is quite an asset." The overdubbing technique was highly influential on later recording artists such as the Carpenters.

Released in 2005, "Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played" was his first album of new material since those 1970s recordings. Among those playing with him: Peter Frampton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Richie Sambora.

"They're not only my friends, but they're great players," Paul told The Associated Press. "I never stop being amazed by all the different ways of playing the guitar and making it deliver a message."

Two cuts from the album won Grammys, "Caravan" for best pop instrumental performance and "69 Freedom Special" for best rock instrumental performance. (He had also been awarded a technical Grammy in 2001.)

Paul was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005.

Paul was born Lester William Polfus, in Waukseha, Wis., on June 9, 1915. He began his career as a musician, billing himself as Red Hot Red or Rhubarb Red. He toured with the popular Chicago band Rube Tronson and His Texas Cowboys and led the house band on WJJD radio in Chicago.

In the mid-1930s he joined Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians and soon moved to New York to form the Les Paul Trio, with Jim Atkins and bassist Ernie Newton.

Meanwhile, he had made his first attempt at audio amplification at age 13. Unhappy with the amount of volume produced by his acoustic guitar, Paul tried placing a telephone receiver under the strings. Although this worked to some extent, only two strings were amplified and the volume level was still too low.

By placing a phonograph needle in the guitar, all six strings were amplified, which proved to be much louder. Paul was playing a working prototype of the electric guitar in 1929.

His work on taping techniques began in the years after World War II, when Bing Crosby gave him a tape recorder. Drawing on his earlier experimentation with his homemade record-cutting machines, Paul added an additional playback head to the recorder. The result was a delayed effect that became known as tape echo.

Tape echo gave the recording a more "live" feel and enabled the user to simulate different playing environments.

Paul's next "crazy idea" was to stack together eight mono tape machines and send their outputs to one piece of tape, stacking the recording heads on top of each other. The resulting machine served as the forerunner to today's multitrack recorders.

In 1954, Paul commissioned Ampex to build the first eight-track tape recorder, later known as "Sel-Sync," in which a recording head could simultaneously record a new track and play back previous ones.

He had met Ford, then known as Colleen Summers, in the 1940s while working as a studio musician in Los Angeles. For seven years in the 1950s, Paul and Ford broadcast a TV show from their home in Mahwah, N.J. Ford died in 1977, 15 years after they divorced.

In recent years, even after his illness in early 2006, Paul played Monday nights at New York night spots. Such stars as Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Van Halen came to pay tribute and sit in with him.

"It's where we were the happiest, in a `joint,'" he said in a 2000 interview with the AP. "It was not being on top. The fun was getting there, not staying there — that's hard work."

Aguilera called 'a diva from hell'

Celebrated British photographer Rankin has blasted Christina Aguilera as the "diva from hell", vowing never to work with the "self-obsessed" singer again.

The snapper, whose numerous celebrity subjects have included Britney Spears, Kate Moss and Leonardo DiCaprio, worked with Aguilera on a photo shoot in 2007.

But Rankin is adamant he will never photograph the star again because of her bad behaviour.

He tells Britain's Closer magazine, "Christina was a diva from hell and pure torture to be around. She's so self-obsessed.

"She insisted that her chauffeur drive her indoors into the studio so she wasn't papped (snapped by the paparazzi) - even though there was nobody outside. Then, she crashed my after party and her bodyguard stood outside the bathroom shouting, 'Nobody but Christina uses this toilet.' She's a joke."

Yorke: No more Radiohead albums

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has ruled out releasing any more Radiohead albums - because to do so would "kill" the band.

The Creep hitmakers are contemplating selling individual songs one at a time rather than full-length efforts, which Yorke insists requires a concerted effort to complete.

The rocker explains that their 2007 album In Rainbows was only made because the group had a clear vision to keep them on track in the recording studio.

He says, "None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha (commotion) of a long-play record again. Not straight off. I mean, it's just become a real drag. It worked with In Rainbows because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we've all said that we can't possibly dive into that again. It'll kill us."

The star went on to clarify the band isn't necessarily against the concept of an album, adding, "Obviously, there's still something great about the album. It's just, for us, right now, we need to get away from it a bit. In Rainbows was a particular aesthetic and I can't bear the idea of doing that again."

Radiohead's latest song, written in honour of the late World War I veteran Harry Patch, is only available via internet download.

Morrissey tells fans to boycott new box set reissues

Morrissey has requested that fans don't buy any of the forthcoming box set reissues from his back catalogue.

The former Smiths singer claimed in a statement issued to fan site True-to-you.net, which he often communicates through, that he wouldn't receive any money from the reissues, released on November 2, and that he was not asked for approval for their release.

The Morrissey reissues will see singles and B-sides re-packaged as new seven-inch vinyl releases.

"Morrissey would like it to be known that he has not been consulted by EMI/HMV/Parlophone [record labels, and not the retailer] with regards to two forthcoming boxed sets of Morrissey singles," the message read.

It continued: "Morrissey does not approve such releases and would ask people not to bother buying them. Morrissey receives no royalty payments from EMI for any back catalogue, and has not received a royalty from EMI since 1992.

"Morrissey also does not approve of, and was not consulted on, the [past release] Rhino box of Smiths CDs, or the Warner releases of Smiths LPs on 180 gramme vinyl.

"Morrissey last received a royalty payment from Warners ten years ago and, once again, he would ask people not to bother buying the reissued LPs or CDs."

The singer made a similar move in August 2008, asking fans not to buy a DVD of one of his live shows, 'Live At The Hollywood Bowl', describing the sleeve art as "appalling".

John Hughes doc finds distributor

Until a few days ago, "Don't You Forget About Me" was just another Canuck feature documentary with no distributor and an uncertain future.
But that changed Thursday, with the death of its subject -- John Hughes.

When Toronto helmer Matt Austin-Sadowski woke up Friday morning, the first email in his inbox was from CNN requesting an interview. By noon, world rights to the low-budget doc had been snapped up by Alliance Films of Montreal with a U.S. deal in the offing.

The doc looks at the life and work of the filmmaker behind teen hits "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles."
But "Don't You Forget About Me" -- a nod to the Simple Minds pop song featured in "The Breakfast Club" -- is hardly a standard biopic.

Rather it's a 75-minute, "Roger and Me"-like road trip in which Austin-Sadowski and his producers Kari Hollend, Mike Facciolo and Lenny Panzer head to suburban Illinois in their van to try to find the reclusive Hughes.

It was made without public funding, something extremely rare in Canadian cinema.

Austin-Sadowski, an actor best known for his role in the "Power Rangers: S.P.D." TV series, is thrilled his film is getting so much attention, but it's a bittersweet feeling given it took Hughes' death to spark the interest.

Austin-Sadowski, 31, said Hughes' films had a huge impact on him when he was in high school.

"He inspired me as a person, going through an awkward adolescence, as many people do," Austin-Sadowski said. "He took affairs of the heart very seriously, and no other director gave teenagers that sort of treatment at that time."

Thesps interviewed in the doc include Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Mia Sara, Kelly LeBrock and Andrew McCarthy. Molly Ringwald, perhaps the actress most associated with Hughes' hits, refused to take part in the project.

Austin-Sadowski said he hopes the buzz translates into renewed interest in Hughes' films. "That's what's important to us. It's not the deal. It's not more exposure for us."

Alice in Chains gets Elton John for tribute song

NEW YORK – Alice in Chains thought it would take a miracle to get Elton John to play on the band's tribute record to their late lead singer, Layne Staley. But it only took a listen to the song to get the rock legend on board.

"He's a really warm person," said Alice in Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell of John. "He got up and gave us a couple of hugs, and said, `Well Jerry, I just wanted to tell you that I think it's a beautiful song. ... I really dig the sentiment of what it's about and who it's for and I just want to tell you that I'm going to play on the song.'"

John plays piano on "Black Gives Way to Blue," a short but poignant ode to Staley, who died of a drug overdose in 2002. The song is the title track for their upcoming CD, the grunge rock band's first studio album in 14 years.

Cantrell, who wrote the tune, had already made a demo of the song when someone heard it and suggested John as the perfect person to play the piano part. Although the band knew people connected to the 62-year-old singer, they thought it was a long shot that he would even consider it.

"I didn't think that would happen. He's a pretty busy guy doing his own thing," Cantrell said.

But they sent the song to him, and as fate would have it, both acts were slated to record at a studio complex at the same time.

It wasn't until Alice in Chains left the studio for a break that they got word that John wanted to meet with them.

"We got a call from our studio manager saying that Elton wanted to talk to us," said Cantrell, laughing. "We jumped in the car, left our lunches on the table, and cruised back to the studio and walked into the studio where he was recording."

After John confirmed he would play on the song, the band flew to Las Vegas, where John was performing, to finish the recording.

"One of the most nerve-racking moments I had was actually making a suggestion to him. What do you say to Elton John?" he joked. "But he was really open to the process. ... He fit into the song, and he really brought something that was really necessary and took the song to another level."

The CD, set for release Sept. 29, is Alice in Chains' first with singer-guitarist William DuVall, who joined the band — which also includes drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez — a few years ago. While DuVall has a different sound than Staley, Cantrell says the music is still Alice in Chains.

"It never gets too far out that you can't figure out who it is after a couple of notes, and that's always one of my main goals," he said. "To find that musical fingerprint I think is the goal of every band and musician, and we're very grateful that we found ours pretty early, and it's still intact, although evolved."

Brooks & Dunn to 'call it a day' after 20 years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Brooks & Dunn are done.

Best-selling country duo Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn posted a message on their Web site Monday saying they agreed to "call it a day" after 20 years of making music together.

"This ride has been everything and more than we could ever have dreamed ... We owe it all to you, the fans," they said in the message. "If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time."

Brooks & Dunn will release a greatest-hits album on Sept. 8 and tour one last time in 2010.

The duo's many hits include "Boot Scootin' Boogie," "My Maria," "Red Dirt Road" and "Cowgirls Don't Cry" with Reba McEntire.

The men's label, Arista Nashville, said the group has sold more than 30 million albums.

Brooks, 54, and Dunn, 56, were struggling solo artists when Arista's Tim DuBois urged them to join forces in 1990. Together they've scored 23 No. 1 hits.

They've recorded 10 studio albums, the latest 2007's "Cowboy Town."

"They've been to the mountaintop and they've accomplished everything that two human beings joined together musically can do in a career," said Brian Philips, president of Country Music Television. "They've had every kind of hit. Literally, they've explored every musical texture and tempo and style and flavor."

CMT is scheduled to tape Brooks & Dunn performing and discussing their music Wednesday for an episode of the show "Invitation Only" to air in October.

Philips called the announcement of the split a complete surprise. He said he has no idea what they might do in the future, but he's certain it will involve music.

"The guys that I know, I can't imagine either of those two individuals walking away from music. That's unthinkable," Philip said.

The pair steeped itself in the mythical West (the duo's emblem is a sun-bleached steer's skull) and rode the charts with a driving honky-tonk sound. Brooks & Dunn took a turn with 2003's "Red Dirt Road" and often pay homage to their classic rock influences, including playing shows with the Rolling Stones and ZZ Top.

Brooks & Dunn won the Country Music Association's vocal duo of the year award every year between 1992 and 2006, except for 2000.

The CMA named the duo entertainer of the year in 1996.

Other country groups have called it quits only to reunite. The mother-daughter duo The Judds split in 1991 but regrouped to tour and record years later.

Aerosmith postpones further concerts

Western Canadian Aerosmith fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the veteran rockers, with the band's remaining three concerts this week postponed following lead singer's Steven Tyler's recent fall.

Keystone Entertainment and Ticketmaster have announced that this week's concerts in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver have been postponed. Weekend concerts in Winnipeg and Regina were also nixed.

Ticketmaster cited Tyler's injuries for the decision.

"A rescheduled tour announcement is forthcoming," the company said in a statement. "Ticket holders are being asked to keep their tickets as they will be honoured on the rescheduled date. Upon announcement of new concert dates, information for ticket buyers that are unable to attend will be also be released."

Tyler, 61, fell during a concert near Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5. While concert crew were repairing a blown fuse, he was entertaining the crowd by dancing, when he tumbled off the stage.

According to Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, Tyler suffered a broken shoulder and received stitches to his head. Perry said his injured bandmate flew to Boston to meet with his own doctor.

The band's tour is scheduled to continue in the U.S. next week, swinging back into Canada in early September.

Rapid change in late-night viewing

NEW YORK – David Letterman is king of late-night television again.

You just won't hear him or CBS crowing about it anytime soon — not after NBC gave the crown to Conan O'Brien based on one week's ratings, much to their regret now. Letterman started his vacation last week with a four-week winning streak, the first since 1995.

It just all goes to show that late-night TV is experiencing remarkable changes in viewing habits, with more than Letterman and O'Brien in the mix. They're even competing with machines; DVR playbacks of prime-time shows is a growing habit.

The headline, though, is what is happening at the "Tonight" show.

With O'Brien, it has become a home for young viewers, and preciously few others. He's a particular hit among men up to age 34, and is winning among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic that NBC uses as the basis for its ad sales. Yet the show has lost 2 million viewers in a year: Jay Leno's "Tonight" averaged 4.6 million viewers each night during the last week of July 2008; a year later, O'Brien had 2.6 million.

"We're exactly where we thought we'd be with Conan," NBC Universal chief executive Jeff Zucker said. "He's doing incredibly well demographically. We always thought that Conan would skew much younger. That's really where his strength lies."

One of NBC's most important and profitable franchises, "Tonight" has always been the broadest of broadcast shows. Leno last week talked about emulating comics such as Jack Benny and Bill Cosby to reach all of America. The transition of Andy Richter from a couch buddy to an Ed McMahon-like announcer indicates O'Brien has similar ambitions.

Experience shows the folly of counting O'Brien out too early. Still, can NBC truly be happy with a show that appears to turn off such a large segment of viewers?
The true test will come this fall, when Leno begins his prime-time NBC comedy show, and researchers watch what it means for the late-night lineup, said Angela Bromstad, NBC entertainment chief.

Many of Leno's older viewers have migrated to Letterman, although the CBS host's audience gain doesn't match what O'Brien has lost. Some have turned to ABC News' "Nightline," which has also seen its ratings go up.

The Michael Jackson story helped "Nightline," whose audience over the past two months is 14 percent larger than it was over the same period last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. But the show has gradually built in popularity since debuting a new format five years ago, said James Goldston, executive producer. It has more than a million followers on Twitter, which "Nightline" uses to alert viewers to stories and sometimes solicit questions for interviews, he said.

"People are looking around and there are a lot of people who haven't seen the new `Nightline,'" Goldston said. "It's up to us to make the show compelling enough that they stick with us."

Two shows featuring President Barack Obama, including Terry Moran's "day in the life" story, got big audiences.

"Nightline" often beats the comedy shows in the ratings, but has an advantage: It's a half-hour program, and ratings for the second half hour of the comedy shows drop off as people go to bed.

Over at CBS, Letterman's show has felt more like an event. He's had some memorable planned moments, such as Paul McCartney's return to the theater where the Beatles first performed in the United States, and some unplanned ones, including his apology to Sarah Palin for a crude joke involving her family. Letterrman has mined the Palin incident repeatedly for self-deprecatory humor.

As he gets older, he seems more comfortable in the role of traditional talk show host. The 1980s Letterman show would have shot people from a cannon — as "Tonight" did last week. Not now.

"I think there's been a big difference in Dave," said Regis Philbin, a frequent "Late Show" guest who appeared on Letterman's last show before his vacation.

"He feels better now. He feels strong. He's bolstered by the ratings. It's an upper for him."

The downside for Letterman is that most of his new viewers are older, considered less valuable to advertisers. There's more of a market there than in the past, with pharmaceutical companies more eager to advertise, said David Poltrack, CBS' chief researcher.

When Leno returns, will those viewers gravitate toward him again and go to bed early, before Letterman?

To a large extent, Letterman's career has been defined by the "Tonight" show. He got one of his first breaks with Johnny Carson on "Tonight," and had his biggest career disappointment when Leno was picked over him to succeed Carson on the NBC show.

Now the "Tonight" show that people long remembered is gone and Letterman's "Late Show" is the closest thing to it.

'G.I. Joe' commands box office with $56.2M debut

LOS ANGELES – G.I. Joe is the latest toy to invade Hollywood and plant its blockbuster flag.

Inspired by the Hasbro action figure, Paramount's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" took command of the weekend box office with a $56.2 million debut domestically, according to studio estimates Sunday. "G.I. Joe" also took in $44.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $100.5 million.

Meryl Streep's Julia Child tale "Julie & Julia" opened a solid No. 2 as an alternative for adult crowds with $20.1 million. While "G.I. Joe" was the first choice for young males, women 35 and older were the main audience for "Julie & Julia."

"G.I. Joe" follows Paramount's "Transformers" franchise as the latest toy story to find success on the big screen.

Harsh reviews for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" earlier this summer prompted Paramount to skip critic screenings for "G.I. Joe" and put the movie in theaters sight-unseen by most reviewers.

Critics generally trashed the "Transformers" sequel, yet it had a colossal opening and is on its way to joining the handful of movies to top $400 million domestically. Based on that disparity between critical and commercial reaction, the studio decided it could do without reviews for "G.I. Joe."

"The thing we saw from 'Transformers' is that with these kind of movies, at times critics have a hard time getting their arms around them," said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. "But the audience got exactly what it was. A fun summer movie, a great way to end your summer. You just relax and have a good time. You don't have to worry about global politics or global warming."

Critics who went to see "G.I. Joe" after it opened gave it mixed reviews at best, with many branding it mindless action but some finding it fun and entertaining.

The weekend's other new wide release, Universal's slasher thriller "A Perfect Getaway" with Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich, opened weakly at No. 7 with $5.8 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen's "Funny People," tumbled to No. 5 with $7.9 million, down a whopping 65 percent from its opening weekend. The Universal release has taken in $40.4 million so far.

"G.I. Joe" pulled Hollywood out of a monthlong box-office swoon compared with last summer. The overall box office came in at $147 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" still was the No. 1 flick after four weeks in release.

"'Joe' kind of saved the day," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "We needed a box-office hero to turn things around, and we certainly got it."

But summer revenues continue to lag behind last year's, with receipts this season down about 1 percent.

"G.I. Joe" features Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a globe-trotting adventure about an elite military unit taking on a corrupt arms dealer.

While the G.I. Joe action figures started out as all-American heroes, the movie expands their story to include an international team of good guys to capitalize on overseas box office, which nowadays can equal or exceed domestic receipts for Hollywood movies.

"One of the best markets on the movie was Russia," Moore said. "How far G.I. Joe has come. He was incredibly popular in Russia."

"Julie & Julia" casts Streep as celebrated chef Child and Amy Adams as a woman trying to revitalize her own life by cooking every recipe in Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Sony opened it opposite "G.I. Joe" to give adults a fresh option after a summer of action adventures, family flicks and comedies.

"We felt the audience we were going to start with was going to be very hungry by this point," said Rory Bruer, Sony's head of distribution. "It's a really fun movie with heart and humor and good food."

Child was also a hit on Amazon.com this weekend. "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" was the Web site's top seller Sunday, while Child's memoir "My Life in France" was No. 9.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $56.2 million.
2. "Julie & Julia," $20.1 million.
3. "G-Force," $9.8 million.
4. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $8.9 million.
5. "Funny People," $7.9 million.
6. "The Ugly Truth," $7 million.
7. "A Perfect Getaway," $5.8 million.
8. "Aliens in the Attic," $4 million.
9. "Orphan," $3.73 million.
10. "500 Days of Summer," $3.7 million.

The Couch Potato Report - August 8th, 2009

This week The Couch Potato Report peels a dollhouse, we’ll kill Bill - twice - and enjoy some high quality H2O.

Usually the films I review are done in the following order: 1) Canadian films, 2) High Profile Releases, 3) Everything else, and then 4) The Blu-Ray Beacon, featuring some new High Definition releases.

This week, I’m going to switch things up a bit and not tell you about the nine releases I have for you in that order.

Instead, I’ll talk about them in descending order based on how much I liked them.

And number one on the list, the release I enjoyed the most this week was SEASON ONE of the great television show DOLLHOUSE!!

DOLLHOUSE is the latest show from Joss Whedon, the man who gave us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly.

The very beautiful and talented Eliza Dushku from Buffy and the film BRING IT ON plays a woman maned Echo. She is a woman who volunteers to be an operative in an underground organization.

These operatives, or "Actives" are given brain implants and new personas and personalities to fit the requirements of the millionaires who require one service, or another.

The services can be anything from crimes to fantasies to the occasional good deed.

The early episodes of DOLLHOUSE are self-contained, but after the first four everything that happens becomes part of the ongoing story about the house, the operatives, and the mystery corporation behind it all.

Not every episode is great, but there is always enough going on to make each episode interesting, and so I recommend DOLLHOUSE - SEASON ONE wholeheartedly!!

But, I must qualify that by admitting that this isn't a show for everyone. If you don't like science fiction/action shows than, you should stay away from it.

However, if you enjoy science-fiction action shows, that also add a little bit of police procedural dramas thrown in, then book your appointment with the DOLLHOUSE.

And get ready, SEASON TWO debuts on Friday, September 18th!!

My second favourite release this week is actually a re-release. We are now less than two weeks away from a brand new film from director Quentin Tarantino, and so some of his other films are being issued in new formats, including his spectacular 2003/2004 releases KILL BILL, VOLUMES 1 & 2.

The DVD KILL BILL - DOUBLE FEATURE has both films on one disc, for one low price, and I enjoyed watching them again this week as I remain a huge fan of Tarantino's work...BUT...the disc has only the films themselves, with no special features at all...not even a trailer for Tarantino's new film!!

THAT fact is disappointing...the films, never will be!

Films that star Uma Thurman as a Bride who wakes up after a long coma and the only thing on her mind is to get revenge on the team of assassins who betrayed her, including her once lover and mentor...Bill.

I truly love the Kill Bill films, and I also truly love Adam Sandler's comedy THE WATERBOY.

Yes, even though it is lowest common denominator, sophmoric, juvenile humour, the darn film still makes me laugh out loud!!

Sandler is a waterboy who uses his pent up anger to become a star football player and this comedy is new on Blu-ray this week, and even though being in High Definition doesn't benefit a comedy liek this, I enjoyed it...and I will watch it again!

No, High Definition doesn't always benefit the older films that are now being released in the format, but it does give me an excuse to talk about them as new releases.

I'll offer up the Academy Award winning film MY COUSIN VINNY as another example of that.

This fish-out-of-water story about a big city lawyer who has to travel to small town Alabama to defend a case remains a very entertaining comedy, but it doesn't necessarily benefit from being on Blu-ray as the clever writing and funny jokes can be made clearer through technology.

You either get them and find them funny, or you don't.

But, technology aside, I dare say that I do get them and I always enjoy this film!!

I too always enjoy director John Carpenter's 1986 otherworldly action adventure comedy BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, and it is Number Five on my list this week, due to it's debut on Blu-ray.

If you have never seen it, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA stars Kurt Russell as an atypical hero who finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world populated by an empire of spirits.

Canadian actress Kim Cattrall, from SEX AND THE CITY, co-stars.

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA is fun. Sure, it has all of those other great qualities I mentioned, but I have always liked it because it was fun.

I wouldn't use the word "fun" in conjunction with this next film, instead I will use "violent", "action packed" and "award winning."

It won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and Five European Film Awards in 2008, including Best Picture.

This is the Italian gangster movie GOMORRAH.

GOMORRAH is based on the book by Roberto Saviano and it offers an inside look at Italy's modern-day crime families.

Due to it's slow moving pace, it isn't a mob movie that will grab and never let you go - like THE GODFATHER or GOODFELLAS - but there are some very interesting things that take place...and, it is all true!!

GOMORRAH is a very good movie.

A few weeks ago, on July 18th, I told you about Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh's CHE - a four hour, subtitled bio-pic about Marxist revolutionary leader, and counter-culture t-shirt icon Che Guevara - starring Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro from TRAFFIC and THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

CHE is being released on DVD in two parts and PART 2: GUERRILLA is available now.

If you have ever wanted to know more about the man whose face adorns thousands of t-shirts, these films are a great place to start.

I personally enjoyed PART ONE more than PART TWO, but ultimately I enjoyed them both.

But, make sure you have enough time set aside to fully enjoy them as, I said, combined they are over four hours long.

We have arrived at the botoom two films this week, my least two favourite of the week, and coming in second last is the remake/re-imagining of the WITCH MOUNTAIN films from the 1970s.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars in RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN.

Now, let me be clear, RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN isn't necesarrily second last on my list this week because of it's quality, or because it takes a film from my childhood that remains one of my all-time favourites and remakes/reimagines it...it is second last because of the quality of releases this week.

That said, this new version of the 1975 film ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN features The Rock as a Las Vegas cabbie who decides to help two alien kids - Seth and Sara in this version, Tia and Tony in the original movie.

The kids on on earth by accident, and they are trying to get back home...however, some government agents would like to prevent that from happening.

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is a very good movie, for the whole family, and it contains some great nods to the original for those of us who love the original.

It stands on it's own, and I think some of today's generation will love it!

Finally this week...yes, last and least...is OBSESSED.

It is awful!!!

OBSESSED is about a businessman who is being stalked by the new office temp.

Eventually the stalking leaves the office and his wife and family become targets too.

Variations on thi spremise have worked before in films like FATAL ATTRACTION and THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, but it doesn't work here.

OBSESSED is cliche, predictable, and it commits the cardinal sin of these types of films...it features people who aren't good actors!!

FATAL ATTRACTION stars Michael Douglas and Glenn Close and HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE's cast includes Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay and Julianne Moore...all people who can act!

OBSESSED features Ali Later from TV's HEROES and pop singer Beyonce Knowles...who does not know how to act!

Look, if you watch this movie, and you like, then I say put a ring on it...because if you like it then you should put a ring on it.

But I didn't like it...and that is why it is last on my list, and my least favourite release this week.

Skip it!!

The awful OBSESSED, the pretty good RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, the mob movie GOMORRAH, the still fun BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, the still funny MY COUSIN VINNY and THE WATERBOY and SEASON ONE of the great television series DOLLHOUSE are all available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

CHE - PART 2, CHE - PART 1 and the new KILL BILL - DOUBLE FEATURE are only available on DVD...although the KILL BILL films are available separately on Blu-ray too.

Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report

It will be my pleasure to tell you about the superb, Academy Award nominated film WALTZ WITH BASHIR.

We will also go back to school with the films 17 AGAIN, THE CLASS, ST. TRINIAN’S and ST. ELMO’S FIRE.

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

For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next time on The Couch!

New Shania album 'nowhere in sight'

TORONTO - For the seventh year in a row, Shania Twain fans are gathering at a conference in the country superstar's hometown of Timmins, Ont.

But it's also been seven years since they've had a new Twain album to listen to, and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime in the near future.

A spokesman for Twain's label says a new record from the singer is still "nowhere in sight," despite Internet rumours to the contrary.

The 43-year-old hasn't released an album of new material since 2002's "Up!" And yet in an oft-fickle music industry where artists are forgotten in the time it takes to download a new ringtone, Twain's fans and peers are proving extraordinarily patient in waiting for new material from the singer.

"One of the things that's very unique about Shania, is that she writes her lyrics and she writes her music - and subsequently, she doesn't turn out an album every six weeks or every other year, it takes her a while," said Richard Sessions, a 51-year-old from Goshen, Ind., who has made the trip for all of Twain's fan conferences.

"We understand that she's also had some other things in her life that have distracted her from her music, so we're patient."

And Twain, apparently, appreciates it.

In a June 12 blog posting, Twain apologized to her fans for her delay in creating new music, writing: "I realize I'm not holding up very well on my end of the relationship!"

But Twain, who has always shunned the spotlight when it comes to her personal life, has kept an even lower profile since splitting from her husband and producer Mutt Lange.

In June, she wrote about the difficult time she's endured, and discussed trying to keep her emotions in check for the benefit of her young son.

And she also described a creatively fruitful period that followed the "personal crisis."

"Since then, I've been inspired by my pain to write and use writing as a therapy through the suffering," Twain wrote. "I truly wouldn't wish this on anybody as a means to get inspired, but it's been a productive period with so much emotion trying to find its way out. "

"However, there is no telling how long it will take me to actually finish these songs and record them so they can get out to you."

Rumours swirled on the Internet earlier this year that Twain would, in fact, have a new album out in the spring, and then the fall. But her label rep says there definitely won't be a new studio album from Twain out this year.

Meantime, many people anxiously waiting that new material, including the staff at the Shania Twain Centre in Timmins, a $6-million facility that opened its doors in 2001.

Tracy Hautanen, the centre's manager, says that roughly 30 people registered for this year's Twain conference, which started Thursday and runs through Sunday. That's down from 100 a few years ago.

"We were hoping for more people, but of course, the numbers are low for a few reasons - the economy is not helping, and then this is a quieter time in (Twain's) career as well," she said in a telephone interview. "So we know when things pick up with her, our numbers will pick up again."

Hautanen said just 500 fans have toured the centre this year. That's quite a comedown from 55,000 annual visitors projected when the centre opened to much fanfare eight years ago.

Twain's peers are also eagerly awaiting the singer's return. A surprise appearance at last year's CMA Awards in Nashville earned Twain a standing ovation, and a chorus of country stars - including Taylor Swift - have been vocal about wanting to see Twain come back.

"I was so proud of our country music family in Nashville when (Twain) came out on stage at the last CMAs," country legend Reba McEntire told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview.

"They were so glad to see her again. They showed their love and support by giving her a standing ovation."

As far as Twain's staying power, it's no mystery to McEntire.

"She's beautiful, she's very talented, great material, lord - what's not to love?"

Aerosmith Canadian tour in turmoil

The Canadian leg of a concert tour by legendary rockers Aerosmith has been thrown into turmoil, with promoters on Friday scrambling to determine how an injury to lead singer Steven Tyler would affect the schedule.

A Friday night concert in Winnipeg and a Sunday night gig in Regina have been officially cut, with promises for makeup dates in the future.

An Aug. 11 concert in Edmonton is still a go for now, promoters said. The Canadian tour has other dates, including Calgary on Aug. 13 and Vancouver Aug. 15.

"It is unfortunate that we do have to announce that the Regina concert that was scheduled for this Sunday is postponed," Brad Walker, a spokesman for Keystone Entertainment, told CBC News on Friday. "We are working really closely with the venue right now to come up with a re-scheduled date, which we are hoping to have announced early to mid next week."

Information about the Aerosmith tour has been changing almost hourly as fans try to keep up with the status of Tyler's health. The charismatic singer fell from the band's stage during a performance Wednesday in South Dakota.

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry told an Illinois radio station on Friday that the future of the tour was up in the air.

"We still don't know if we're going to keep the tour up or what. It's breaking my heart," Perry said.

Tyler, 61, fell several feet while entertaining the crowd by dancing around as the sound crew replaced a fuse that blew during the song Love in an Elevator.

An amateur video showed him spinning around before falling off the stage.

A concertgoer said Tyler's head was bleeding and he was holding his shoulder after the fall, but it wasn't immediately clear how seriously he was hurt.

The music entertainment magazine Billboard reported Friday that a band insider told them Tyler had broken his shoulder.

Perry said the band had to cancel only a couple of concerts during its first 25 years, but has had a run of bad luck the last three years.

On June 28, Tyler hurt his leg at a concert in Uncasville, Conn., and the band had to postpone seven shows in July. Tyler also battled pneumonia before the tour began in June, while Perry fought a knee infection.

After Tyler's fall, Perry said he decided to ride the tour bus home and stop at radio stations along the way to play some of his solo work.

"As soon as I knew that the tour was going to get postponed, or cancelled or whatever, it was, 'All right, where's the first radio station I can hit?"' he said.

According to the band's website, the 2009 tour schedule was to make stops in five western Canadian cities and then, after Vancouver, continue with more U.S. performances.

The band makes another swing through Canada in September, with dates in Toronto (Sept. 3) and the Ottawa suburb of Kanata (Sep. 5).

Forty years on, Beatles fans flock to Abbey Road crosswalk

LONDON (AFP) – Fans of the Fab Four are flocking to the most famous pedestrian crossing in Britain for the 40th anniversary on Saturday of the taking of one of the greatest images in rock 'n' roll history.

It was outside the Abbey Road recording studios at 11.35 am on August 8, 1969 that the Beatles strutted purposefully from one side of the street to another, for the cover of what would be their final album as a group.

Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan, standing on a stepladder in the middle of the road, had just 10 minutes to knock off six frames of John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison traversing the zebra crossing.

McCartney alone walked in bare feet, out of step with his bandmates, a cigarette in his right hand -- unusual for a leftie, perhaps, but enough to feed a generation's worth of "Paul is dead" rumours.

Re-enacting the walk across Abbey Road is what hundreds of tourists -- walking single file, eyes firmly looking straight ahead -- come to the well-heeled Saint John's Wood neighbourhood do every day.

"It's one of the rare unchanged places in Beatles history, somewhere that we can get an idea of what it was like at the time," a Beatles fan from California said the other day.

"The challenge is to exactly re-create the picture," said Christopher, who was visiting from France with his friend Thierry and spent an hour on Abbey Road with their four teenaged children.

"Except that you need a step ladder and to set yourself up in the middle of the street," Thierry explained.

It might be hard to match the fashions of the day.

Lennon, who would be shot and killed in New York in December 1980, was in head-to-toe white. Behind him was Ringo in black, then barefoot Paul. George brought up the rear in blue denim shirt and bell-bottoms.

"It's crazy to say that we've walked at the exact same place as they did," said Lucille, 15.

"And so near to the anniversary," added her brother Paul. "But we told ourselves it would be better to come a few days early, because there are going to be too many people on Saturday."

Because it is a zebra crossing, with orange beacons atop striped poles flashing at either end, motorists must stop for all pedestrians -- Beatles pilgrims or otherwise.

But there are drivers who "honk their horns and shout not very nice things in English" when tourists dawdle too long in the middle of the two-lane street that is, in fact, part of a busy intersection, said Paul.

The nearby Abbey Road studios -- the world's first purpose-built recording facility when it was opened in the early 1930s -- merits a visit as well.

The Beatles made nearly all their records there, and in its history it has hosted a raft of other artists -- names as diverse as Fred Astaire and Fats Waller to U2, Oasis and Manic Street Preachers.

Propped atop its roof is a webcam (www.abbeyroad.co.uk/visit) that peers down on the crosswalk -- making virtual visits to Abbey Road possible from anywhere on Earth.

“Guitar Hero: Van Halen” Due December 22nd: Full Track List

For those Van Halen fans who still had a glimmer of hope that despite Rock Daily’s news that Guitar Hero: Van Halen was a David Lee Roth-only affair, somehow Sammy Hagar songs would make the game, we’re sorry to report that the game’s final track list has been revealed — and it’s all Diamond Dave.

However, the 28 Van Halen songs on GH:VH represent the best of the band’s first era, with hits like “Jamie’s Cryin,” “Panama” and “Ain’t Talkin About Love” alongside more obscure tracks like Women and Children First’s “Loss of Control and Fair Warning’s “Hear About It Later,” MTV reveals. Other artists on the game’s on-disc track list include cuts from Blink-182, Weezer, Foo Fighters and the Clash.

As Rock Daily previously reported from the E3 Expo, both Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are excluded from the game, replaced by Roth and new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen. At the game’s onset, players will take the guise of Van Halen’s current incarnation, but can unlock the spandex era of VH with the big hair and tight pants throughout the gameplay, even though Wolfgang wasn’t even alive at the time when the band recorded half the songs here. When performing the non-VH songs, players will assume Guitar Hero’s more traditional characters and not Van Halen, so performing Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” as David Lee Roth is sadly not an option.

Guitar Hero: Van Halen is due out December 22nd, giving consumers a pretty awesome last minute gift-buying option for Christmas. Here’s the full track list:

Van Halen Songs

“Ain’t Talkin Bout Love”
“And The Cradle Will Rock”
“Atomic Punk”
“Beautiful Girls”
“Cathedral” (solo)
“Dance The Night Away”
“Eruption” (solo)
“Everybody Wants Some”
“Feel Your Love Tonight”
“Hang ‘Em High”
“Hear About It Later”
“Hot For Teacher”
“Ice Cream Man”
“I’m The One”
“Jamie’s Cryin”
“Jump”
“Little Guitars”
“Loss Of Control”
“Mean Street”
“Panama”
“Pretty Woman”
“Romeo Delight”
“Running With The Devil”
“So This Is Love”
“Somebody Get Me A Doctor”
“Spanish Fly” (solo)
“Unchained”
“You Really Got Me”

Other In-Game Tracks
Alter Bridge - “Come To Life”
Billy Idol - “White Wedding”
blink-182 - “First Date”
Deep Purple - “Space Truckin”
Foo Fighters - “Best Of You”
Foreigner - “Double Vision”
Fountains of Wayne - “Stacy’s Mom”
Jimmy Eat World - “Pain”
Judas Priest - “Painkiller”
Killswitch Engage - “The End Of Heartache”
Lenny Kravitz - “Rock And Roll Is Dead”
Queen - “I Want It All”
Queens of the Stone Age - “Sick, Sick, Sick”
Tenacious D - “Master Exploder”
The Clash - “Safe European Home”
The Offspring - “Pretty Fly For A White Guy”
Third Eye Blind - “Semi-Charmed Life”
Weezer - “Dope Nose”
Yellowcard - “The Takedown”

"G.I. Joe" set to storm weekend box office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Get ready for a slew of military metaphors in box office reports this weekend.

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," the first pure action release in several weeks, will open at No. 1, unencumbered by a single mainstream review.

In an unusual gambit generally reserved for obvious stinkers, Paramount decided that critics likely would bash the film and perhaps dent moviegoers' must-see interest. Yet prerelease tracking is strong, and "Joe" seems headed for an opening of $45 million-$50 million.

Its core support will come from male youngsters, although its unclear if the coveted demo will be able to help Hollywood end four weeks of year-over-year box office declines.

"'G.I. Joe' is tracking well, so maybe it will get people interested in going back to the movies. But right now, the interest is pretty low," said an industry observer.

Two other films are opening in theaters on Friday. Sony's Nora Ephron-directed "Julie & Julia" -- about famed TV chef Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and a woman (Amy Adams) who blogs about preparing her recipes -- is also tracking well with a narrow swath of prospective patrons; older females should make a $20 million debut reachable.

But the weekend's third wide opener is tracking much more softly. The R-rated horror thriller "A Perfect Getaway," which Universal will distribute on behalf of indie producer Relativity's Rogue Pictures unit, might get away with $5 million-$7 million through Sunday.

The most-scrutinized holdover performance will be Universal's "Funny People," which opened at No. 1 last weekend with a sub-par $22.6 million. A (modest) 50% drop would see "People" potentially nab the weekend's bronze medal.

Meanwhile, the industry's year-to-date box office performance has taken a battering from the recent weekend downticks -- the result of comparisons with year-ago frames stuffed fat with "Dark Knight" sales.

Just three weeks ago, 2009 was pacing ahead of the same portion of last year by a healthy 6%, putting admissions (the number of tickets sold) on course for an annual uptick as box office sales exceeded the roughly 4% increase in average ticket prices. After the latest year-over-year decline -- which saw the last session off a hefty 25% from the year-earlier tally -- domestic box office now is up only 4% at $6.13 billion, according to Nielsen EDI.

Hark! Bob Dylan Christmas album coming

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Bob Dylan is set to release an album of Christmas songs this holiday season, according to the Web site BullyPulpit.com.

It said at least four songs have already been recorded for the album including, "Must Be Santa," "Here Comes Santa Claus," "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The sessions have taken place at Jackson Browne's studio in Santa Monica, Calif., it added.

A source close to Dylan told Reuters that the project is "a possibility," and more information will be revealed in two or three weeks.

Dylan joins a music business tradition of Jewish artists who release Christmas-themed albums, including Neil Diamond and Phil Spector. Irving Berlin, who wrote the yuletide classic "White Christmas," was also Jewish. Dylan did go through a "born again" Christian phase from 1979-1981, releasing three gospel-style albums including the Grammy-winning "Slow Train Coming."

His most recent album, "Together Through Life," was released in April, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and has sold more the 300,000 copies to date according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Aerosmith postpones concert after Tyler's fall

STURGIS, S.D. – Aerosmith's Steven Tyler suffered head, neck and shoulder injuries in a tumble from the stage at a South Dakota show, a concert spokesman said Thursday, and the audience thought it was part of his hip-shaking act until he didn't get up.

Tyler, 61, fell several feet while entertaining the crowd by dancing around as the sound crew replaced a fuse that blew during the song "Love in an Elevator," said Mike Sanborn, spokesman for the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the Wednesday night concert. An amateur video showed him spinning around before falling off the stage.

A concertgoer said Tyler's head was bleeding and he was holding his shoulder after the fall, but it wasn't immediately clear how seriously he was hurt. The frontman was airlifted to Rapid City Regional Hospital, Sanborn said, the only major hospital in western South Dakota. A hospital spokeswoman would not confirm whether Tyler was there, and a representative for Aerosmith's publicity firm said the company was gathering information about the accident.

The band's next concert, which was scheduled for Friday in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was postponed. On June 28, Tyler hurt his leg at a concert in Uncasville, Conn., and the band had to postpone seven shows in July. Tyler also battled pneumonia before the tour began in June, while guitarist Joe Perry fought a knee infection.

Tyler, whose performances often include swaying and grinding on microphone stands adorned with scarves, was dancing on a catwalk Wednesday night that was connected to the main stage.

"He does a lot of dancing on the stage and he does a lot of stuff with his mike stand. He put his stand down and twirled around and stepped backwards off the stage," Sanborn said.

Many in the crowd were surprised and thought it was part of the act, said Jessica Kokesh, a University of South Dakota journalism student who covered the concert for the Rapid City Journal.

"We thought maybe he stage-dived into the crowd, but he didn't get back up," Kokesh said. "I thought he was falling back to crowd surf."

Tyler landed on a couple of fans, Sanborn said, and security rushed to help him. Sanborn did not immediately return a call Thursday evening about exactly how high the catwalk was. The crowd cheered when Tyler got up.

"There was like a big sigh, a collective 'Whoa' from everybody," said Chuck Baker, 53, of Denver, who was about 20 rows from the stage when Tyler fell.

The rocker was taken backstage, where a physician attended to him. Later, Perry told the audience the show would not go on.

"It was an unfortunate end to an extraordinary evening," Sanborn said.

Backstage, Jake Cohen was in the VIP area and didn't see the fall, but said he saw Tyler afterward.

"When they took him out, he was bleeding from his head and holding his shoulder," said Cohen, a salesman for Tyler's Dirico Motorcycles line.

Tyler, known for hits such as "Walk This Way" and "Dream On," attended Sturgis last year to promote his motorcycle line and was back this year to do that again and play at Buffalo Chip.

He was known for heavy drug and alcohol abuse in the 1970s and early 1980s. Every member of the blues-rock five-piece went to rehab in the mid-1980s, and the group staged an improbable comeback with the MTV generation. They were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Grammy-winning group was scheduled to play its next five shows in Canada. According to a Ticketmaster Web site and the band's Twitter page, the first of those shows was postponed and there were no further details. An official with Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, where the band is supposed to play Tuesday, said she hadn't heard anything about a possible cancellation there.

John Hughes defined a genre and a generation

LOS ANGELES – "Saturday, March 24, 1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062.

"Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. And what we did was wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us."

Those are the opening lines from "The Breakfast Club," voiced by Anthony Michael Hall, accompanied by Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)." And even though it's been nearly a quarter-century since John Hughes' seminal high-school drama came out, I still know them by heart. I probably still know the entire movie by heart. Any self-respecting child of the 1980s does.

"The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles" may not qualify as the greatest movies ever, but we're talking favorites, the ones that still engage you no matter how many times you've seen them.

And so the news that Hughes died of a heart attack at 59 Thursday will, for many, strike the same sort of cultural chord that Michael Jackson's did: It prompts more than just a passing feeling of nostalgia but an active longing for a happier, more prosperous time. As both a writer and director, Hughes defined not just a genre but a generation.

His movies didn't exactly represent high school as it was (seriously, who ever went to a blowout bash at a mansion like Jake Ryan's in "Sixteen Candles" or got away with as much as Ferris Bueller?) but rather, high school as we wished it could have been — funnier, weirder, sweeter, full of kids who have just the right zinger or poignant thing to say:

"Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?"

"How about a nice, greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?"

"Blane? His name is Blane? That's a major appliance, that's not a name."

"I can't believe I gave my panties to a geek."

After watching "The Breakfast Club" with me on cable for the millionth time when I was a chubby 13-year-old, my mom suggested that we go to the video store and rent the teen-angst movie of her generation: "Rebel Without a Cause." I would like it, she said — they were similar. And she was right in that they both captured the frustrating feeling that nobody understands you when you're young, that your problems are unique and insurmountable. Hughes took that raw energy and made it ironic and idiotic, self-referential and self-deprecating.

Every teen movie that's come out since the mid-1980s owes a debt to John Hughes. He was that influential. Some acknowledge this willingly, as director Nanette Burstein did with last year's "American Teen," which was essentially a documentary version of "The Breakfast Club." Bill Paxton has said that of the dozens of character roles he's played over his lengthy career, he's still best known as Chet, the bullying older brother from 1985's "Weird Science." And "Some Kind of Wonderful" (which Hughes wrote) plays a pivotal part in the recent romantic comedy "He's Just Not That Into You."

Others have parodied him endlessly in such varied settings as raunchy Kevin Smith comedies, the spoof "Not Another Teen Movie" and the animated TV series "Family Guy." (In the episode where Peter goes undercover at Meg's high school as Lando Griffin, he walks across the football field and defiantly thrusts his fist in the air at the end, just as Judd Nelson did in the last image of "The Breakfast Club.")

Granted, Hughes' work dwindled once the 1990s arrived and he lost his insight, his edge. His scripts for "Dennis the Menace," "Beethoven" and "Flubber" can't exactly compare with the ones he wrote for "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Home Alone" and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."

But if it weren't for Hughes, there would never have been a Brat Pack, that clique of sizzling young Hollywood actors who dominated the 1980s after "St. Elmo's Fire" (a Joel Schumacher film, but one with clear links to Hughes).

Imagine the career trajectories of Hall, Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Jon Cryer without him. Or just try to think of Macaulay Culkin without conjuring the image of him slapping his hands to his wholesome face in horror.

And so there's nothing wrong with wallowing in some unabashed '80s nostalgia upon the passing of John Hughes. As Ferris Bueller himself might have said at a time like this, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

'80s teen flick director John Hughes dies in NYC

NEW YORK – Writer-director John Hughes, Hollywood's youth impresario of the 1980s and '90s, who captured the teen and preteen market with such favorites as "The Breakfast Club," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Home Alone," died Thursday, a spokeswoman said. He was 59.

Hughes died of a heart attack during a morning walk in Manhattan, Michelle Bega said. He was in New York to visit family.

Jake Bloom, Hughes' longtime attorney, said he was "deeply saddened and in shock" to learn of the director's death.

A native of Lansing, Michigan, who later moved to suburban Chicago and set much of his work there, Hughes rose from ad writer to comedy writer to silver screen champ with his affectionate and idealized portraits of teens, whether the romantic and sexual insecurity of "Sixteen Candles," or the J.D. Salinger-esque rebellion against conformity in "The Breakfast Club."

Hughes' ensemble comedies helped make stars out of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and many other young performers. He also scripted the phenomenally popular "Home Alone," which made little-known Macaulay Culkin a sensation as the 8-year-old accidentally abandoned by his vacationing family, and wrote or directed such hits as "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Pretty in Pink," "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck."

"I was a fan of both his work and a fan of him as a person," Culkin said. "The world has lost not only a quintessential filmmaker whose influence will be felt for generations, but a great and decent man."

Devin Ratray, best known for playing Culkin's older brother Buzz McCallister in the "Home Alone" films, said he remained close to Hughes over the years.

"He changed my life forever," Ratray said. "Nineteen years later, people from all over the world contact me telling me how much 'Home Alone' meant to them, their families, and their children."

Steve Martin played lead character Neal Page in the 1987 hit "Planes, Trains & Automobiles."

"John Hughes was a great director, but his gift was in screenwriting," Martin said. "He created deep and complex characters, rich in humanity and humor."

Other actors who got early breaks from Hughes included John Cusack ("Sixteen Candles"), Judd Nelson ("The Breakfast Club"), Steve Carell ("Curly Sue") and Lili Taylor ("She's Having a Baby").

Actor Matthew Broderick worked with Hughes in 1986 when he played the title character in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

"I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family," Broderick said.

Ben Stein, who played the monotone economics teacher calling the roll and repeatedly saying "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?", said Hughes was a towering talent.

"He made a better connection with young people than anyone in Hollywood had ever made before or since," Stein said on Fox Business Network. "It's incredibly sad. He was a wonderful man, a genius, a poet. I don't think anyone has come close to him as being the poet of the youth of America in the postwar period. He was to them what Shakespeare was to the Elizabethan Age.

"You had a regular guy — just an ordinary guy. If you met him, you would never guess he was a big Hollywood power."

As Hughes advanced into middle age, his commercial touch faded and, in Salinger style, he increasingly withdrew from public life. His last directing credit was in 1991, for "Curly Sue," and he wrote just a handful of scripts over the past decade. He was rarely interviewed or photographed.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler falls from stage in SD

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was airlifted to a hospital after falling from stage during a concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in western South Dakota.

Tyler, 61, fell while entertaining the crowd by dancing around after the sound system failed during the song "Love In an Elevator," said Mike Sanborn, spokesman for the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the outdoor concert.
Tyler was on the stage's catwalk when he fell backward onto a couple of fans in the middle of what was a record crowd, Sanborn said. Security rushed to help him and the crowd cheered when Tyler got back up.

"He was good natured about it," Sanborn said. "He was in good spirits when he got in the helicopter. He was talking and joking with the physician."

"It was an unfortunate end to an extraordinary evening."

Tyler suffered minor head and neck injuries and a shoulder injury, but it wasn't immediately clear how serious that was, he said.

Tyler was taken backstage and around 12:15 a.m., Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry came out to tell the audience Tyler was being taken to the hospital and that the show would not go on.

It happened about halfway through the performance, Sanborn said.

"He does a lot of dancing on the stage and he does a lot of stuff with his mike stand. He put his stand down and twirled around and stepped backwards off the stage," he said.

Sanborn said Tyler was attended to on site by a physician and flown to Rapid City Regional Hospital, the only major hospital in the region.

Jennifer Horton, the hospital's vice president of public relations and marketing, said early Thursday that Tyler wasn't in the hospital directory. Under the privacy laws, that means the person is either not there or chose not to be included in the directory, according to the hospital's Web site.

Tyler attended Sturgis last year to promote his Dirico Motorcycles line and was back this year to do that again and play at the Buffalo Chip.

Fans were disappointed the concert was cut short but hoped Tyler was OK.

Lance Yellow Robe, who said he was 8 eight feet from the stage when Tyler fell off, told the Rapid City Journal "you could kind of see it coming because he was dancing all over the stage.

"I hope he's OK," Yellow Robe said. "I could care less about the concert being canceled."

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Sends Cancer Treatment Update To Fans

The Beastie Boys' ailing Adam "MCA" Yauch has sent an email to fans on the group's mailing list updating them on his condition and assuring them that "things are moving along."

Yauch announced on July 20 that doctors had found a cancerous tumor in his left salivary gland, as well as a lymph node in the same area. The Beasties subsequently postponed the planned Sept. 15 release of their new album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," and canceled all scheduled live performances, including festival dates at All Points West in New York, Chicago's Lollapalooza, Outside Lands in San Francisco, Osheaga in Montreal and Austin City Limits in Texas.

In the new note Yauch wrote that he's "rapidly recovering" from surgery to remove the cancer that took place about a week and a half ago and returned home after just one night in the hospital "to relax, have home cooked food and hang out with the family." Yauch said he's also been avoiding pain medications which would slow his healing. He's now preparing for "the next line of treatment," which will be a seven-week course of radiation that should start "in a few weeks."

Yauch said he heard about or watched on YouTube the various tributes paid to him during last weekend's All Points West, including Coldplay's Chris Martin playing a solo piano version of "(You've Got to) Fight For Your Right (to Party)" and Jay-Z busting a bit of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." "Good shit," Yauch wrote, "and I heard Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) wore a "get well MCA" armband, and that Q-Tip gave a shout out too...Very kind of them."

Yauch concluded that he "just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way. I do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well. Much love back at all of you!"

Yauch's initial message revealing the cancer said that doctors had caught it early, but there's been no official word on how advanced the disease is. Yauch did not say when he planned to update fans again.

The full text of Yaunch's note reads:

hey all,

hope you are doing well.

so i'm about a week and a half out of surgery now and rapidly recovering from it. i haven't taken any of the pain meds, which supposedly speeds along the healing process, or should i say, taking them slows it down. anyway, i spent 1 night at the hospital after the surgery. the hospital was too crazy to get any rest so i headed home to relax, have home cooked food and hang out with the family.

i'm pretty well detoxed from the anesthesia that they pumped me up with to keep me under for all that time. that took several days to get out of my system. my neck and jaw are still pretty stiff from the surgery, but it gets better everyday. had the stitches out this past monday... so things are moving along.

but no sooner am i on the mend from this first torture than are they lining up the next one. the next line of treatment will be radiation. that involves blasting you with some kind of beam for a few minutes a day, 5 days a week, for about 7 weeks. that will start in a few weeks...

saw the jay-z cover of no sleep, and the coldplay one of fight for your right from APW on youtube. good shit. and i heard karen o wore a "get well MCA" armband, and that q-tip gave a shout out too..... very kind of them.

just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way. i do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well.

much love back at all of you!

adam

Spinal Tap 'Unwigged' Tour Coming To DVD

he trio behind Spinal Tap and the Folksmen has set a Sept. 1 release date for a DVD of their recent concert tour.

"Unwigged & Unplugged: An Evening with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer" features an entire 35-track performance filmed at their May 31 show at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee. The show features Spinal Tap material from the film "This is Spinal Tap" and the albums "Break Like the Wind" and this year's "Back From the Dead," as well as some of the Folksmen tracks from the Guest-written and -directed "A Mighty Wind." Guest, McKean and Shearer were joined on the tour by "Back From the Dead" producer CJ Vanston as well as McKean's wife Annette O'Toole, who co-wrote "A Mighty Wind's" Academy Award-nominated duet "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow."

The DVD contains the concert only, with no extra material.

"It's a great way to present these songs," Shearer, who wrote liner notes for the DVD, told Billboard.com during the tour. "We had done this a couple of times in just very casual and almost accidental situations...and people seemed to enjoy it. So it was in the back of our minds, 'Well, one of these days we'll do more of that.' "

The trio wanted to do something to commemorate this year's 25th anniversary of "This is Spinal Tap" as well, Shearer said, and not necessarily go out with "a full-on Spinal Tap tour."

"We're not big fans of repeating ourselves," he explained. "And in terms of the state of the economy, it wasn't the time to be going around with three semis worth of stage stuff and charging people 75 bucks to see us be Spinal Tap. So we thought, 'Let's do that other thing now. That'll be fun.' "

Shearer said the nature of the tour also allowed the trio to showcase the Spinal Tap and Folksmen material as songs rather than the character vehicles they are in the films.

"When we're up there up there doing it as ourselves, our heads are in the place of being musicians," he explained. "When we're up there as characters, when we do performances as Tap or as the Folksmen, then there's that other layer of, 'Yes, we're doing this as musicians but we're doing this as the other musicians, not as ourselves. So we might make different choices or play differently based on how we think they would do it.

"But when we're doing it as ourselves, there's no place to hide. This is us playing these songs that we've written, and this is our best effort at playing them."

'At the Movies' co-host turnover is announced

NEW YORK – After a year of getting slammed for their performance as film critics, "At the Movies" co-hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz are getting their tickets punched.

Replacing them next month on the long-running syndicated series will be film critics A.O. (Tony) Scott of The New York Times and Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune, ABC Media Productions announced Wednesday.

The abrupt change reflects a move back to the show's quarter-century-old roots after a year its detractors dismissed as lightweight and too fast-paced.

Lyons, a Hollywood reporter and film critic for the E! network and ABC's "Good Morning America," took particular heat for hobnobbing with Hollywood insiders and allegedly seeking blurb glory in movie ads.

"We tried something new last season," said Brian Frons, who heads up the Disney unit that oversees ABC Media Productions. The departing co-hosts "did everything we asked of them, and they have been complete professionals.

"However, we've decided to return the show to its original essence — two traditional film critics discussing current motion picture and DVD releases."

Scott and Phillips seem to follow in a tradition of critic co-hosts that reaches all the way back to the show's first incarnation in 1975, a local effort called "Sneak Previews," which paired rival Chicago newspaper film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.

The incoming Scott has spent nearly a decade as a film critic at The New York Times. He was the Sunday book critic at Newsday and a freelance contributor to publications including The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Review of Books.

Phillips is the film critic of The Chicago Tribune. He has written about entertainment and the arts as a staff writer and critic for the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune, among other publications.

The pair, who in the past have both appeared on the Chicago-based "At the Movies" as guest critics, will take over when the new season begins the weekend of Sept. 5 (check local listings for day and time).

In an interview Wednesday, the departing Lyons said he looks back on his year with the show with satisfaction and no regrets.

"I'm extremely proud of the work Mank (Mankiewicz) and I did on the show," Lyons said. He has been able to put complaints about him into perspective, though he did take exception to "malicious" attacks leveled by those who "hide behind a computer screen."

In a separate interview, Mankiewicz said his soon-to-be-former co-host "took most of the heat" directed at the show, "and I think it was unfair and mean-spirited.

"But we're film critics — and we can't really go ballistic when people criticize us," he reasoned. "I loved working on the show, all of it. It will sound hokey, but it really was an honor to continue that broadcast legacy that Roger and Gene created.

"I have worked on TV a long time," he added, "and I know nothing is permanent in television."

CBC denies The National is moving

CBC's senior programming brass has a secret plan to move the public broadcaster's flagship nightly news program The National from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. to make room for more prime-time entertainment programming, an industry watchdog group says. The plan was strenuously denied yesterday by Kirstine Layfield, the executive director of English network programming.

Ian Morrison, a spokesperson for the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting lobby group, told the Star the new prime-time shows may not be Canadian and that The National may be reduced by 30 minutes.

The shorter news program would save the cash-strapped broadcaster several million dollars in costs traditionally attached to the nightly newscast, usually hosted by Peter Mansbridge.

Layfield, through a spokesman, called the Friends alert "absolutely false" and "a baseless rumour." She demanded it be removed from the watchdog's website, friends.ca. She added that CBC's fall schedule, yet to be made public, will contain more Canadian content, not less.

Morrison remains unconvinced. "Very reliable, trustworthy sources at the highest levels in the CBC tell us The National move will definitely be happening sometime in the fall, maybe as early as September," he said. "The CBC board of directors hasn't been told of the plan."

What might happen to The Hour with George Stroumbolopoulos, which at present follows The National at 11 p.m., is open to conjecture, Morrison added.

"It doesn't make economic sense to swap the two shows, since The Hour, even in an earlier slot, is unlikely to draw an audience larger than 175,000, while The National currently has 800,000 viewers."

Second City taps celebrity alums for 50th anniversary bash

As part of its upcoming fiftieth anniversary, Chicago's Second City comedy theater will host a one-night-only Chicago reunion of the cast of the iconic SCTV comedy series, featuring personal appearances by Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and Dave Thomas, Second City is to announce later today.

There will also be special guests at both live SCTV shows, which are slated for Friday Dec. 11 on Second City's mainstage at 1616 N. Wells St.

Also expected to perform on stage and/or sit on panels during the anniversary weekend: Jim Belushi, Jeff Garlin, Alan Arkin, Dan Castellaneta, Tim Meadows, Jack McBrayer, Tim Kazurinsky, Richard Kind, Fred Willard, Dick Schaal, Scott Adsit, David Rasche, David Steinberg, Robert Klein and many others. Invitations have also been sent to other powerful Second City alumni, including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Rachel Dratch, Steve Carell, Mike Myers, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

Many of those high-wattage stars are expected to show up for special alumni shows slated for Sat. Dec. 12 on both the mainstage and the attached e.t.c. stage. Panels on various aspects of Second City and the history of the theater and its art will take place all weekend.

All of the shows are billed as benefits for the Second City Alumni Fund (a fund that supports former Second City employees who have hit hard times) and thus will command a hefty but yet-to-be-announced ticket price. Tickets are not yet on sale, but they will be available to the public.

SCTV Canadian sketch-comedy show, originally an offshoot of Second City's Toronto company, was created by Bernie Sahlins and Andrew Alexander and aired in syndication throughout Canada and the U.S. Alexander is the current proprietor and executive producer of the Second City.

The December event will feature the entire original SCTV cast (along with Short, who joined the show in its fourth season), with the exception of the late John Candy. Short, who joined the show in its fourth season, will take Candy's place.

"This is like a high school reunion with all the good and bad friendships, the love of your life - ex-girl- and boyfriends and the teachers you loved and hated," Alexander said, in an e-mailed message. "The extra pounds and grey hair. It will be a blast."

For more information, visit www.secondcity.com/50.

Paul McCartney ‘not retiring’

Sir Paul McCartney has slammed reports his next tour in 2010 will be his last.

The Beatles legend was reportedly in negotiations to set up a series of concerts across the globe to mark his retirement from the road.

He was scheduling stops at China's famous Tiananmen Square and Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, Germany - the famous crossing point of the Berlin Wall when the country was divided during the Cold War - on the route next year, according to the tabloid rumours.

But McCartney has hit back at the claims, insisting he plans to play live for as long as he can.

He says, "All I can say is that I'm not retiring. It's like 'Paul is dead'. 'No, I'm not,' is all I could say. I did talk about retirement in one sentence in one story and only to say 'No way, Jose.' But someone must have only read part of that one sentence.

"As long as people want to come and hear me, I’ll probably be doing this. It's just so easy to start rumours."

Passchendaele leads directors guild award nominations

Paul Gross's Canadian war epic Passchendaele has received five nominations for the Directors Guild of Canada Awards, including best feature and best direction.

Gross wrote, directed and starred in the movie about the Canadian experience during the First World War.

Deepa Mehta's Heaven on Earth, Gary Yates's marijuana comedy High Life and Michael McGowan's road movie One Week also are nominated for best feature, the DGA said Tuesday.

Heaven on Earth, about an abused Indian bride living in Canada, also earned a nod for sound editing.

Gross is vying for the best director's honour with Kari Skogland for Fifty Dead Men Walking, Patricia Rozema for Kit Kittredge: An American Girl and McGowan for One Week.

Fifty Dead Men Walking, which just had its commercial release, is about a man recruited by the British to spy on the Irish Republican Army during the so-called Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Documentaries to be recognized include The Most Interesting Group of People You'll Ever Meet by John Houston, Air India 182 by Sturla Gunnarsson, Malls R Us by Helene Klodawsky and Prom Night in Mississippi by Paul Saltzman.

CBC's The Border has a total of four nominations in the television drama categories, including best drama.

Other CBC productions to get nominations include Little Mosque on the Prairie for best comedy, Booky's Crush for best family TV film and Heartland for best family series.

Murdoch Mysteries, Flashpoint and Capture of the Green River Killer also have multiple nominations.

The awards will be handed out Oct. 24 at a gala hosted by comedian Shaun Majumder in Toronto.

Fox confirms Paula Abdul is leaving 'American Idol'

Paula Abdul has announced on her Twitter feed, and Fox has confirmed to Entertainment Weekly, that she will not return to American Idol for another season.

Here is the full statement from Abdul:

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

Here is the full statement from Fox:

“Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”

Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Britney Dominate MTV VMA Noms

Pop stars Beyonce and Lady Gaga on Tuesday each earned nine nominations for next month's MTV Video Music Awards, more than any other artist, while Britney Spears continued her musical comeback with seven nods.

All three will compete for the honor of video of the year, with Beyonce earning a bid for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Lady Gaga for "Poker Face" and Britney Spears for "Womanizer."

They square off against rappers Kanye West with "Love Lockdown" and Eminem for "We Made You" in the video of the year race. Honors will be given out at New York's Radio City Music Hall on September 13 in a show hosted by British prankster Russell Brand.

Beyonce has enjoyed a hugely successful solo career since leaving the all-female group "Destiny's Child." Her third solo album, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce," had the No. 1 hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."

"I've been blessed this year to have 'Single Ladies' become a video people really connected with and responded to," Beyonce said in a statement released by MTV.

The annual awards are one of the cable TV channel's most-watched programs, as much for the celebrity antics and performances as the awards themselves.

At the height of Spears' early career in 2003, she and Madonna famously kissed on the show. Later her personal life veered out of control and her father took control of her business affairs. But recently she has rebounded.

Spears is currently on tour and her video for the song "Circus" was nominated for best choreography.

New Yorker Lady Gaga's 2008 debut album, "The Fame," included the hit single "Just Dance" and was among the top five CDs in countries including the United States, Britain and Germany.

"Poker Face" earned Lady Gaga not only a video of the year nomination but also a nod for best female video, a category that pits her against Katy Perry with "Hot N Cold," Beyonce with "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," Kelly Clarkson with "My Life Would Suck Without You," Taylor Swift with "You Belong With Me" and Pink with "So What."

Lady Gaga thanked MTV "for being our video flagship, and for supporting this bunch of inspired kids, who love to get wasted and make art, together."

Eminem ("We Made You") and Kanye West ("Love Lockdown") will square off in the best male video category against hip hop star Jay-Z with "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," rapper T.I. (featuring Rihanna) with his "Live Your Life" and Ne-Yo with "Miss Independent."

First-time nominees include U.S. rockers Kings of Leon as well as rappers Drake and Asher Roth. Both rappers were nominated in the best new artist category.

Other categories include best hip hop video, best pop video and best rock video.

'G.I. Joe' not screening for most critics

LOS ANGELES - It's the biggest movie of the summer that practically no one has seen.

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" opens Friday, but Paramount Pictures isn't screening the blockbuster for critics beforehand. Only a select few writers from blogs and movie Web sites have seen it for review - such as Harry Knowles, the self-professed "Head Geek" from Ain't It Cool News - and their opinions have been mostly positive.

Instead, the studio says it's intentionally aiming the movie at the heartland, at cities and audiences outside the entertainment vortexes of New York and Los Angeles. Paramount held a screening Friday for 1,000 military service members and their families at Andrews Air Force Base; it's also focusing marketing efforts in places like Kansas City, Charlotte, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

While appealing to a sense of patriotism nationwide, the plan also is inspired by the disparity that existed between the critical trashing "Transformers: Rise of the Fallen" received and the massive crowds it drew at the box office.

"'G.I. Joe' is a big, fun, summer event movie - one that we've seen audiences enjoy everywhere from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to Phoenix, Ariz.," said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures. "After the chasm we experienced with 'Transformers 2' between the response of audiences and critics, we chose to forgo opening-day print and broadcast reviews as a strategy to promote 'G.I. Joe.' We want audiences to define this film."

With a reported production budget of $175 million and a cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "G.I. Joe" follows the adventures of an elite team using high-tech spy and military equipment to take down a corrupt arms dealer. It comes from director Stephen Sommers, whose previous films include "The Mummy" and "Van Helsing."

Long before anyone saw the completed product, though, "G.I. Joe" drew mixed buzz at best for its trailer, which premiered during the Super Bowl. Now it's the final action picture of the summer - and it has a lot in common with the highest-grossing film so far this year, the "Transformers" sequel. Both are effects-laden spectacles based on Hasbro toys and both are Paramount releases from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

"Transformers" has gone on to gross more than $388 million in the United States alone since its opening six weeks ago, despite receiving just 20 per cent positive reviews on the Web site Rotten Tomatoes, a critical aggregator. The withholding of "G.I. Joe" from mainstream critics suggests that the studios believe they can succeed at the box office without them.

It's a tactic normally reserved for horror movies or other genre pictures with built-in fans who don't necessarily care about reviews - ones based on video games, for example - not summer blockbusters. Still, "G.I. Joe" has been tracking well because it represents the last big bang of the season, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

"They don't need (to screen) it and there's no upside to negative reviews. The film is going to open well no matter what," Dergarabedian said. "They're being very strategic in who they show the movie to. If they can win over their core audience from these reviews, that's good for the movie."

Devin Faraci from the film Web site CHUD.com is one of the few writers who have seen it for review purposes, and not just for junket interviews. He's among the critics who've contributed to the movie's 88-per cent positive rating as tabulated by Rotten Tomatoes, saying: "If I was 10 years old, 'G.I. Joe' would be one of the best movies I had ever seen."

Faraci said he was in Toronto recently when he received a phone call at 8:30 a.m. Los Angeles time, asking if he could come to the Paramount lot that day for a "G.I. Joe" screening. He flew back, got off the plane and headed right over.

"It's silly. It's a film that plays on its own terms," he said. "I don't think reviews will kill it but I think it'll get a more positive response than they expect. It's a big, silly, pulpy, cartoony action film and it makes no apologies for being that way."

Granite quote in WA park sparks Cobain controversy

ABERDEEN, Wash. – The late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is igniting a new controversy in his hometown of Aberdeen, Wash. This one involves one of the quotes attributed to him on a new granite marker at an unofficial neighborhood park honoring him.

Aberdeen city officials are upset about the quote that says, "Drugs are bad for you. They will f--- you up." The marker contains the full F-word.

The Daily World reports the property is considered a right of way for both Tori Kovach, who lives adjacent to the land and had the idea for the park, and the city, which also owns the nearby Young Street Bridge, where Cobain is said to have spent some time in his youth.

Cobain struggled with drugs and committed suicide in 1994.

Aberdeen Mayor Bill Simpson says the city Parks Board will consider the fate of the F-word on the stone marker.

Grays Harbor Monument donated the granite stone, which bears eight quotes; Kovach submitted the ones he wanted used.

Monument company Manager Jerry Myers said it would be easy to sandblast the offending letters. "In the granite industry, it'd be a bleep," he said.

The Who's Roger Daltrey lines up solo tour

Roger Daltrey, frontman for legendary British rockers The Who, will set out this fall on his first headlining solo tour in nearly a quarter century.

The run is set to kick off in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is scheduled to hit nearly 30 cities in the US and Canada by the end of November. Details are included below.

Daltrey is billing the run as the "Use It or Lose It Tour," referencing his need to keep his pipes in shape while logistics for The Who's next tour are hammered out.

"I thought it'd be nice to play smaller, more intimate venues," Daltrey said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to getting back to that. I want to give people a good night out. The economic situation being what it is these days, I think that’s what they want: to go out and feel they've had a good jolly-up."

Fans can expect to hear a mix of Who songs ("but they'll be my versions of them," Daltrey said in the aforementioned statement), solo material--including some songs he's never played live--and covers that "pay tribute to his influenes and admired contemporaries," according to a press release.

"I think I have one of those unique, recognizable rock voices," Daltry said. "Even in a Who show, there's enormous range, but this show will give me an even greater opportunity to explore."

Backing Daltrey on stage during the upcoming tour will be guitarist/back-up singer Simon Townshend, guitarist/musical director Frank Simes, keyboardist Loren Gold, bassist Jon Button and drummer Scott Devours.

Additional information about the tour--including details about pre-sale tickets and VIP packages--are available at The Who's website.

October 2009
10 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
12 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDO
15 - Highland, CA - San Manuel Indian Casino
17 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum Theatre
18 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey's
20 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
22 - Thackerville, OK - Winstar Casino
24 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Café
25 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
28 - Durham, NC - Durham PAC
30 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
31 - Elizabeth, IN - Horseshoe Southern Indiana Casino

November 2009
2 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
3 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues Cleveland
5 - Orillia, Ontario - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
7 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
8 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
10 - Baltimore, MD - Lyric Opera House
11 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre
13, 14 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata - Music Box
17 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
18 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall Theatre
20 - New York, NY - Nokia Theatre Times Square
24 - N Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum, PAC
25 - Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
27 - Ft. Myers, FL - Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
29 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock
30 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall

John Barrowman: 'I'm going to be a Desperate Housewife'

Torchwood star John Barrowman revealed today that he is to swap the BBC Wales sci-fi production for Hollywood with a part on Desperate Housewives. Barrowman revealed his career move in a phone chat on Chris Moyles's Radio 1 breakfast show this morning. "I'm off to Los Angeles on Sunday again," Barrowman announced. "I probably shouldn't say this but I've got a meeting with the execs of Desperate Housewives; can you believe it, I'm going to be a Desperate Housewife!" When Moyles's producer Aled Haydn Jones asked if he could come and hang out with him in LA, Barrowman replied: "You can come and be my lover, Aled!" Moyles wasn't having any of it, and instead asked if he could come and be his "roly-poly gardener". Barrowman replied: "You can be the roly-poly gardener or the handyman with the big butt crack." Monkey is guessing Moyles might somehow not fit in with the body beautiful edict on the ABC show.