Vol. 8 No. 46
Pick Hits
Off The Record
Tom Petty
- The Last DJ
Keeping to his image and
formula since the beginning has provided a safe place to survive. Tom Petty's
one of the lucky ones whose music has never required major overhauls in order to
fit in. Overall his band sounds every bit as energized as they did 25 years ago.
Every one of the 12 songs presented here could've come from an album made years
ago and, for the most part, been a worthy addition. Jon Brion (Aimee
Mann) adds tasteful orchestration, but the rest is straight raw-boned
Heartbreakers. When it comes to writing, Petty's the classic underachiever,
the smart-ass in the back of the classroom who does just enough to get by. Songs
never sound labored, more like casual notebook jottings from a guy with a strong
sense of justice and melody.
At The Movies
Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Not only has Harry had to put
up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley and their dread of
his magical abilities, but it seems as if Harry's best friends have forgotten
him, as they haven't replied to a single one of his letters. Then, suddenly and
mysteriously, house-elf Dobby appears in Harry's bedroom and warns of great
danger if the aspiring wizard should attempt to return to Hogwarts. Scriptwriter
Steve Kloves and director Chris Columbus once again are faithful
to the book, although Columbus, more confident this time, deftly takes advantage
of J.K. Rowling's wildly imaginative story to add some visual touches and
twists of his own. All the ingredients are in place to provide Warner Bros with
another huge hit.
On Video
Star Wars
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Anakin Skywalker has grown up
and is now an apprentice Jedi, under the tutelage of master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Padme, a Senator for the Republic, is on her way to cast a key vote in the
contentious issue of how to handle the separatist movement that threatens the
universe. Two assassination attempts on her life forces the Senate to send her
back home to Naboo, under the protection of Skywalker. In the meantime, Kenobi
is sent to the outer edges of the galaxy to find out who has masterminded the
foul plot. Your eyeballs just want to pop out of your head and merge with the
screen-candy George Lucas and his CG friends have created here. Lucas
certainly hasn't lost his Star Wars action touch with this outing, he has the
formula down pat and Lucas cranks out the action.
The Buzz...
Stan Lee, the creative force behind Spider-Man, the
Incredible Hulk and Daredevil filed a $10 million lawsuit Tuesday, charging his
old comic book company is cheating him out of millions of dollars in movie
profits.
Eminem hip-hopped over the movie competition as his
film debut 8 Mile collected $51.2 million in its opening weekend.
Al Gore has a guest role on the season premiere of the
animated science-fiction comedy Futurama, supplying the voice of his own
preserved head.
A DVD box set of first season of The Osbournes,
originally planned for a holiday release, will finally hit stores on March 4.
Included in the package will be four bonus episodes and a drinking game.
AC/DC are planning on issuing a new studio album in
March 2003, with a North American tour scheduled to kick off in late
spring/early summer. The as-yet-untitled effort is reportedly being recorded at
Bryan Adams' studio in
Vancouver.
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HALLE'S A JINX? |
Halle
Berry made such a big splash playing Jinx in the upcoming 007 adventure, Die
Another Day, that the filmmakers have offered her a shot at her own movie
franchise. Berry revealed that she's in talks about reprising the Jinx role in
what would become the first Bond-based spin-off series in the franchise's
40-year history.
Its official: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck
are to be married, on a date yet to be determined.
Universal Pictures is once again teaming with Steven
Spielberg to excavate a new installment in the billion-dollar
Jurassic Park franchise.
Kevin Spacey is moving his Trigger Street Prods. into
the digital age with the launch of a Web site devoted to encouraging new
filmmakers.
Kim Delaney is leaving CSI:
Miami. The final episode
featuring Delaney's Megan Donner, the DNA expert on the Florida criminal
investigation team, has already been shot and will air November 24.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about to open its doors to
another class. The Clash, Elvis Costello, the Police and
AC/DC all got the call from the Hall. The lone American act going in is the
Righteous Brothers.
Nearly 20 years after Laverne & Shirley, Penny Marshall
is returning to the small screen. The actor-director has inked a one-year deal
with Universal Network Television to develop, produce and star in a comedy
series and possibly direct other series projects for the studio.
Clint Eastwood will receive the Life Achievement Award
from the Screen Actors Guild for more than four decades of acting, directing and
producing.
HBO is in negotiations for the Emmy Awards. HBO's offer is
for a lucrative, five-year deal beginning in 2003. Such a deal would move the
54-year-old primetime awards away from the big four networks for the first time
ever.
Cheech Marin has been tapped to play the patriarch of
The Ortegas in NBC's hot half-hour project.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, whose crime drama series
include such hits as CSI and its spin-off, CSI:
Miami is staying in the genre
with S.T.I.N.G., a drama project from writer Jeremy Littman that has
received a put pilot commitment from ABC.
8 Mile screenwriter Scott Silver has been tapped to
pen a biopic about Playboy creator Hugh Hefner and Universal
Pictures/Imagine Entertainment signed him to a blind script deal.
Jessica Lange is in negotiations to star in Columbia
Pictures' adventure feature Big Fish for director Tim Burton.
ABC's The Bachelor finally upended NBC's The West Wing in the
TV week ended Sunday.
Actor Danny Glover was given the Marian Anderson
Award, which honors artists whose leadership benefits humanity.
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