Off The Record...

5IVE

FIVE

Five is just pure pop, no deep and meaningful stuff to be pondered here. The five lads who make up Five were hand chosen by the same guy who put together the Spice Girls. There are 16 disposable dance songs like fast food, with a tried and true formula that certainly works for a mass

market. They at times play around with vintage riffs, Everybody Get Up is based on the old Joan Jett I Love Rock and Roll riff. The rest of the album is self promoting. It's amazing how often the number five pops up in the lyrics, but then again pop music was never meant to be debated over, five will make you feel alright".

IN COMICS...

The Supernaturals

Marvel comics is presenting not one, but two complete horror mini-series from the Haunted House of Ideas, just in time for Halloween. Marvel teams with Chaos! Comics to unleash a horrifically hip four-issue Halloween epic: The Supernaturals . Thirteen years ago, an unexplained "Chaos Event" swept over the Earth, taking with it all non-magic powered superhumans. Today, as Halloween approaches, the remaining heroes are disappearing once again! To combat this terrifying threat, Brother Voodoo gathers a team of young heroes: the transmorph known as the Black Cat, the extreme athlete and ladies' man who becomes the Ghost Rider, the devoutly Catholic high school senior who happens to be Satana, the pop-culture freak who changes into a Werewolf By Night, and the jock/honor student who is also the monolithic

Gargoyle. The series hits comic shop shelves in September.

At The Movies...

The Negotiator

This drama tells the story of hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson), who is liked and respected by his fellow officers for his

renowned ability to talk down psychos and sociopaths. His life is shattered when he is framed for murder. He discoverss that it has something to do with his precinct's police pension fund and that the corruption reaches all the way up, forcing him to adopt a desperate strategy. He takes a roomful of hostages and demands a negotiator from another precinct, Chris Sabian

(Kevin Spacey). A movie full of tension crackling with dialogue, not mindless, teeth-rattling action, as well as being dark and unpredictable. This is a

welcomed change from all that same formula "I know how it's gona end" movies of this summer.

On Video...

Released Aug 11th

The Big Lebowski

The Coen Brothers' comedy about zonked-out bowler dude Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who's mistaken for another, decidedly richer Jeff Lebowski. When two thugs enter the dude's house and deface his rug, he goes after the second Lebowski in search of restitution. Instead, he's enlisted to help rescue the rich man's kidnapped wife. Along the way there's mishaps, weirdos, sickos and bizarreness galore. John Goodman and Steve Buscemi are the dude's bowling buddies-in-crime. A screwy, foot loose comedy with a great turn by Bridges.

Released Aug 11th

The Man In The Iron Mask

The Man In The Iron Mask Buckle your swashes for this one. Though budding heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio got the brunt of attention for playing two roles in this period piece -- yet another version of the Dumas classic about the Four Musketeers and their attempt to rescue the King of France's twin from prison and put him on the throne -- the real heroes are Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu and Gabriel Byrne who had to play second fiddle to the youngster. Still, the adventure is an enjoyable night's viewing.

Released Aug 4th

The Wedding Singer

Winning and sweet romantic comedy about the trials and tribulations of a struggling singer/songwriter in 1985 who performs at weddings and bar mitzvahs, making everyone happy but himself. When he's stood-up on his own wedding day, his life spirals into comedic twists and turns and he eventually falls for a waitress who in turn falls for him. But there's one

hitch: she's engaged to a philandering junk bond dealer. Will the lovers "find" each other? A delightful affirmation of love and romance. Stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

Released Aug 11th

Mr. Nice Guy

A return to form for Jackie Chan and his signature stunts, action and comedy as he plays a TV chef who helps a newswoman escape from the thugs of a local druglord. When the newscaster gets hold of a video incriminating the criminal, she's the target of a bevy of gun-toting bad guys. When she inadvertently passes the tape to Jackie, he becomes the brunt of the attacks, leading everyone on a merry non-stop chase featuring plenty of Chan-orchestrated fights, ambushes, showdowns, pratfalls and chases. Great action comedy for Chan fans.

The Buzz...

Hank Azaria will be the voice of the title character on the new animated sitcom, Stressed Eric, which premieres on NBC next week.  Azaria has a long list of voicing credits, giving sound to Moe, Apu, Chief Wiggum and Dr. Nick Riviera on the Simpsons, as well as a regular role on Mad About You.

Howie Long has a new five year contract with Fox Sports to continue on as part of the NFL Sunday crew.  A good move, since Long's attempt a film stardom (remember Firestorm) bombed.

And The Beat Goes On, an original made for TV movie has been give the go ahead by ABC.  It will be based on the turbulent relationship between former network stars Sonny and Cher.  Look for it next year.  

In addition to a line of Ozzy Osbourne action figures, Todd McFarlane is also working on a deal to produce action figures based on the heavy metal band Black Sabbath.

Actor Rod Steiger  has written a sequel to The Wizard of Oz.  Steiger reportedly wants Elizabeth Taylor to play a sixtysomething Dorothy who returns to Oz.

Adam Sandler will reteam with director Dennis Dugan, who directed Sandler in the 1996 film Happy Gilmore, in Guy Gets Kid, a comedy about a slacker who adopts a 6-year-old boy to impress his girlfriend.

Michael Douglas has been named as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. The award is given to individuals in the arts or sports who have agreed to focus attention on the U.N.'s work.

Sabrina Goes to Rome, based on the Sabrina, The Teenage Witch series, will be a movie presented as part of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney in the upcoming season. The movie was shot entirely on location in Italy.

Best Buy will give away a 17-song live Pearl Jam CD with each purchase of the band's video, Single Video Theory.

Director Wes Craven will make a small cameo in the third film of the Scream trilogy, but he won't be on the screen for long.  Craven will be killed off quickly.

Three jail guards who disconnected a surveillance monitor and linked it to a TV cable to watch the last episode of Seinfeld have lost their jobs. One of the guards was fired, another suspended and the third resigned after the incident.

And while on the subject, Jerry Seinfeld has reimbursed the $60 ticket charge to fans who payed to see his shows in the Midwest.  The shows went on as planned, but it seems that the multi-million dollar star isn't interested in the money.  Nice gesture...

A themed restaurant/club with the name Voodoo Lounge, the flagship of what is intended to be a worldwide chain, opened in London this week.  The Rolling Stones granted the use of the name of their 1994 album for a percentage of profits.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas will be leaving Home Improvement after the first two episodes of the new season to prepare for college. He will return during the Christmas season for his final last episode. 

Download Tear Sheet