Off The Record...

Marc Almond

Open All Night

Most American fans know Marc Almond's name for one song only, if they recognize it at all.  As frontman of Soft Cell in the early 1980s, Almond scored a major hit with the British duo's brilliant electronic cover of Tainted Love.  Those who like their dance-pop dark but served with the pinky extended may get a real charge out of Open All Night, perhaps his best effort since 1988's The Stars We Are.  The album glides from one oddly sexy track to another, and with the title track's surprisingly straightforward plea for openness, he's bound to seduce you, somehow or other.

At The Movies...

The Story of Us

After fifteen years of marriage, Katie and Ben Jordan (Michelle Pfeiffer, Bruce Willis) have reached an impasse.  With two children, and a plush house in the 'burbs, they go out to dinner to celebrate their anniversary,  and the loud silence between them reflects a bond in disarray.  After dropping off their kids for summer camp, they try living separately from one another, choosing that time to protect the children.  For anyone going through a tough time in their relationship, The Story of Us will provide the comfort of knowing they're not alone.

On The Air...

Action

Enter the wonderful world of foul-mouthed film producer Peter Dragon (Jay Mohr).  When not making over-budget trash like Slow Torture, he's making writers and commissary workers feel 2 inches high, sucking up to his boss, and hanging out with a former child star turned call girl.  One of the most daring network sitcoms to come along in a while, the sure-to-offend Action counteracts its nastiness with unbelievable hilarity.  You'll tune in just to see what Fox lets Action get away with.  Thursdays at 9:30 on Fox.

The Buzz...

Want to be a star?  Looking to be in a rock video?  Brave new World is getting set to release their second CD tentatively entitled Our Dystopian Lives and has a video being shot in Thunder Bay next month.  The band is seeking highly individualistic individuals "freaks welcome" for their first single and video I'll be Myself.  Contact Jon at 475-3504 for more info.

Korn will not only appear on the season opener of South Park, but will debut a new song on the show.  The special Halloween episode of South Park will air Oct. 27 on Comedy Central, while the album is scheduled to debut on Nov. 16.

Although Fox announced that it is dropping Family Guy from its schedule after this week, the animated series may still come back as a midseason replacement.  Fox executives are said to be committed to the show, which premiered last spring to strong initial ratings.

Pop sensation Britney Spears will appear as herself in an upcoming episode of The Simpsons.  She’ll appear as the host of an awards show.

Todd Moyer and Glen Larsen are mulling over many scenerios for the return of Battlestar Galactica, including a new TV series and a full-length film.  One of the most attractive prospects is a 50-minute feature created for the large-screen, IMAX format.

Wizards of the Coast introduced the second expansion to its mega-popular Pokémon trading card game.  Fossil adds 47 new cards to the Pokémon mix, including new characers like Dragonite, Hitmonlee, and Aerodactyl.  The set also contains 15 holographic cards.

The Smashing Pumpkins are set to release a still-untitled album on Feb. 15.  This comes on the heels of news that Ozzy Ozbourne's wife, Sharon Osbourne, has taken on the role of managing the Pumpkins.

Phish has announced the ambitious release Hampton Comes Alive, a six-CD boxed set recording of the band's two-night stand at the Hampton Coliseum.

Writer/artist John Byrne has announced that he will be stepping down from his role as the penciler for Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man, with issue #18 (April, 2000) being his last.

The Mummy posted the largest sales figures for the opening weekend of any non-animated VHS released this year.  The Brendon Fraiser thriller also earned big numbers in rentals, posting the highest opening weekend revenues since Saving Private Ryan was released last May. 

Filmmaker Renny Harlin has signed to develop T.r.a.x, a weekly supernatural television series for Fox.  The half-hour show is being billed as a cross between The Blair Witch Project and the network's own real-life crime series COPS.  The title is an anagram for trace, research, analyze, exterminate.

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