Pick Hits

Off The Record

Snapcase - End Transmission

Over the last decade, Snapcase have proven themselves to be one of the most influential and innovative bands in the hardcore scene. With a musical backbone that challenges as it inspires and lyrics that scream out to the listener the value of self-awareness and self-determination, Snapcase make music for a generation that refuses to stay silent. They're an acknowledged influence of many commercially successful alt-rock acts such as P.O.D. and Papa Roach. And while the pupils may have surpassed the teachers in terms of sales, Snapcase has outlasted many of their peers. And with End Transmission, the mission statement is louder and clearer than ever.

At The Movies

The Ring

A female journalist, Rachel (Naomi Watts), discovers a disturbing videotape with a bizarre history, everyone who's seen its contents has died within seven days. Believing this to be a strange urban legend worthy of an article and allowing her investigative curiosity to get the better of her, Rachel tracks down the video and watches it. Now, she must enlist the aid of her friend Noah (Martin Henderson) to save her life and the life of her son (David Dorfman). Together, they have just seven days to unravel the mystery of The Ring. Wonderfully thrilling and creep, The Ring is a remake of one of Japan's highest-grossing box-office hits ever.

On Video

Insomnia

Sent from the city to investigate the murder of a teenage girl in a small Alaska town, a veteran LAPD detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) accidentally shoots his partner while trying to apprehend a suspect, whom Dormer believes is mystery writer Walter Finch (Robin Williams). Instead of admitting his guilt, the detective is given an unexpected alibi, but his investigation begins to falter and he enters a cat and mouse game with Finch. Meanwhile, a local detective (Hilary Swank) conducts her own personal investigation of Dormer's partner's death. Director Christopher Nolan (Memento) takes us deep into his characters' feelings and confusions, all the while exerting a strong grip on the pacing and story line. Based on the fabulous 1997 Swedish film of the same name. 

The Buzz...

Survivor mastermind Mark Burnett is signing a deal this week with Russia's space agency to train 20 contestants for a reality show that will send the winner on a trip to the International Space Station. The program will launch in November 2003.

Britney Spears, Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Chuck D and Bono are among the artists celebrating Elvis Presley's legacy on an hour long NBC special to air in late November or December.

Work is clearly going well on the story for the fourth and final Indiana Jones film. Harrison Ford has began talking about reprising the role.

Al Jean, Executive Producer of The Simpsons apparently scooped inside sources at the Vancouver Film Festival that the principal cast of the show had all signed on for no less than three motion pictures.

Led Zeppelin are set to re-group after 22 years for a stadium tour of America, according to Britain's Sun newspaper. Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones plan to hit the road next summer and hope to pocket $10 million for the shows.

Korn singer Jonathan Davis photographed his fiancee/porn Star Deven Davis for Playboy. Davis joined Tommy Lee, Nelly and Disturbed singer David Draiman as the magazine's celebrity shooters.

Ozzy Osbourne and his wife/manager, Sharon, check in at No. 37 on Entertainment Weekly's Power List 2002, a gauge of Hollywood's biggest players.

Former Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan says the debut album by his new outfit, Zwan, should be finished before the end of the year.

Opera singer Placido Domingo received an honorary knighthood for his contributions to music and his charity work in England and around the world.

Three appeal court judges ruled that a British newspaper was justified in publishing a photo of Naomi Campbell leaving a drug addiction center, as the model had lied to the news media about her drug problems.

Canadian punk band Simple Plan has re-recorded the Scooby Doo theme for the new series of the cartoon series.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are expecting. The child is due next spring,

Nearly seven months after movie scoopster Harry Knowles posted an early-bird review of Star Wars--Episode II: Attack of the Clones on his Website, a former Lucasfilm employee has been arrested on suspicion of stealing Episode II images, storyboards and video files.

Bruce Willis is reportedly being wooed big-time by 20th Century Fox to take on the terrorists one more time in a fourth installment of the lucrative Die Hard franchise.

Actor Ben Curtis, famous for informing computer buyers "Dude, you're getting a Dell", is taking a rest after two years.

With a sequel to Warner Bros. Pictures' Scooby-Doo on the fast track, the studio is already moving forward on a third installment, hiring scribes Dan Forman and Paul Foley to write a script, tentatively titled Scooby-Doo 3.

Penelope Ann Miller has been tapped to play Rudolph Giuliani's ex-wife, Donna Hanover, in Rudy! USA Network's upcoming biopic of the former New York mayor.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer has spent 20 years teaching the world how to put the romance back into their love-making. She has now turned her hand to poetry with Communicating Love which she is publicizing at the Frankfurt Book Fair with her customary zest.

Pop beauty Christina Aguilera said she was on the look-out for a boyfriend, squashing rumors she is romantically linked with Justin Timberlake of pop group 'N Sync.

Former Metallica and current Voivod bassist Jason Newsted has confirmed plans to tour with the latter outfit following the release of the band's next album, The Multiverse, tentatively due in early March.

Creed have reworked their tour schedule after postponing several dates because of singer Scott Stapp's severe throat problems.

Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland is searching for a singer to front his new band, Eat the Day.

Whitney Houston's father is suing the pop diva for $100 million in a breach-of-contract dispute.