THE ANTHOLOGIES, BOX
SETS, COMPILATIONS, AND OTHER HODGEPODGE
THE BEST OF 2001
by George Krausser
Alex's Entertainment Report
Alex
Complete List Of Grammy Award Nominations
44th Annual Grammy Awards
Complete list of nominees in 101 categories announced Friday for the 44th annual Grammy Awards, to be presented Feb. 27 in Los Angeles:
1. Record of the Year: "Video," India.Arie; "Fallin'," Alicia Keys; "Ms. Jackson," Outkast; "Drops of Jupiter," Train; "Walk On," U2.
2. Album of the Year: "Love and Theft," Bob Dylan; "Acoustic Soul," India.Arie; "Stankonia," OutKast; "All That You Can't Leave Behind," U2; "O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Soundtrack," Various Artists.
3. Song of the Year: "Drops of Jupiter," Charlie Colin, Rob Hotchkiss, Pat Monahan, Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood (Train); "Fallin'," Alicia Keys (Alicia Keys); "I'm Like a Bird," Nelly Furtado (Nelly Furtado); "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2 (U2); "Video," India.Arie, Carlos "Six July" Broady and Shannon Sanders (India.Arie).
4. New Artist: Nelly Furtado, David Gray, India.Arie, Alicia Keys, Linkin Park.
5. Female Pop Vocal Performance: "I'm Like a Bird," Nelly Furtado; "There You'll Be," Faith Hill; "Someone To Call My Lover," Janet Jackson; "By Your Side," Sade; "Essence," Lucinda Williams.
6. Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Fill Me In," Craig David; "You Rock My World," Michael Jackson; "I Want Love," Elton John; "Still," Brian McKnight; "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," James Taylor.
7. Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Shape of My Heart," Backstreet Boys; "Superman (It's Not Easy)," Five For Fighting; "Gone," 'N Sync; "Imitation of Life," R.E.M.; "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2.
8. Pop Collaboration With Vocals: "Lady Marmalade," Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink; "New York State of Mind," Tony Bennett and Billy Joel; "Nobody Wants to be Lonely," Ricky Martin with Christina Aguilera; "My Kind of Girl," Brian McKnight and Justin Timberlake; "It Wasn't Me," Shaggy featuring Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent.
9. Pop Instrumental Performance: "Room 335," Larry Carlton and Steve Lukather; "Reptile," Eric Clapton; "Short Circuit," Daft Punk; "Rain," Eric Johnson; "There You'll Be," Kirk Whalum.
10. Dance Recording: "One More Time," Daft Punk and Romanthony; "I Feel Loved," Depeche Mode; "Out of Nowhere," Gloria Estefan; "All For You," Janet Jackson; "Angel," Lionel Richie.
11. Pop Instrumental Album: "AArt," Acoustic Alchemy; "No Substitutions - Live in Osaka," Larry Carlton and Steve Lukather; "A Smooth Jazz Christmas," Dave Koz and Friends; "Voice," Neal Schon; "Unconditional," Kirk Whalum.
12. Pop Vocal Album: "Whoa, Nelly!," Nelly Furtado; "All For You," Janet Jackson; "Songs From the West Coast," Elton John; "Celebrity," 'N Sync; "Lovers Rock," Sade.
13. Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Stars and the Moon: Live at the Donmar," Betty Buckley; "Sentimental Journey - The Girl Singer and Her New Big Band," Rosemary Clooney; "Songs I Heard," Harry Connick Jr.; "Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway," Michael Feinstein; "Keely Sings Sinatra," Keely Smith.
14. Female Rock Vocal Performance: "Strange Little Girls," Tori Amos; "I Want To Be in Love," Melissa Etheridge; "This Is Love," PJ Harvey; "Planets of the Universe," Stevie Nicks; "Get Right With God," Lucinda Williams.
15. Male Rock Vocal Performance: "New York, New York," Ryan Adams; "Superman Inside," Eric Clapton; "Honest With Me," Bob Dylan; "Dig In," Lenny Kravitz, "Peaceful World," John Mellencamp.
16. Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Jaded," Aerosmith; "Yellow," Coldplay; "The Space Between," Dave Matthews Band; "Drops of Jupiter," Train; "Elevation," U2.
17. Hard Rock Performance: "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm; "Crawling," Linkin Park, "Alive," P.O.D.; "Renegades of Funk," Rage Against the Machine; "Your Disease," Saliva.
18. Metal Performance: "The Wizard," Black Sabbath; "Disciple," Slayer; "Left Behind," Slipknot; "Chop Suey!," System of a Down; "Schism," Tool.
19. Rock Instrumental Performance: "High Falls," The Allman Brothers Band; "Dirty Mind," Jeff Beck; "Vampires," Godsmack; "Always With Me, Always With You," Joe Satriani; "Whispering a Prayer," Steve Vai.
20. Rock Song: "Drops of Jupiter," Charlie Colin, Rob Hotchkiss, Pat Monahan, Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood (Train); "Elevation," U2 (U2), "Jaded," Marti Frederiksen and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith); "Walk On," U2 (U2); "Yellow," Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin (Coldplay).
21. Rock Album: "Gold," Ryan Adams; "Just Push Play," Aerosmith; "Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea," PJ Harvey; "Hybrid Theory," Linkin Park; "All That You Can't Leave Behind," U2.
22. Alternative Music Album: "Strange Little Girls," Tori Amos; "Vespertine," Bjork; "Parachutes," Coldplay; "Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars," Fatboy Slim; "Amnesiac," Radiohead.
23. Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Rock the Boat," Aaliyah; "Family Affair," Mary J. Blige; "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)," Blu Cantrell; "Video," India.Arie; "Fallin'," Alicia Keys; "A Long Walk," Jill Scott.
24. Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Missing You," Case; "Lifetime," Maxwell; "Love of My Life," Brian McKnight; "Love Musiq," Soulchild; "U Remind Me," Usher.
25. R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "What Would You Do," City High; "Survivor," Destiny's Child; "Can't Believe," Faith Evans Featuring Carl Thomas; "Contagious," The Isley Brothers; "Peaches & Cream," 112.
Complete List Of Grammy Award Nominations
Great Reader Observation
bin-Hamilton?
Who Watches The Watchers?
Are the Rolling Stones Evil?
This is a partial transcript from The O'Reilly Factor, January 2, 2002.
BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the Back of the Book segment tonight, they are
perhaps the most successful rock band in history, the Rolling Stones. But
after reading the book Old Gods Almost Dead, I came to the conclusion that
these blokes, most of them, anyway, have embraced evil to an astounding degree.
Joining us now from Boston is the author of the book, Stephen Davis. Page
after page after page, Mr. Davis, children out of wedlock, hard drug use,
intoxication, using other people, betrayal, adultery, violence against
women, on and on and on and on. Yet, these people are lionized. They come
to America. We buy concert tickets, $50, $60, $70, dancing around. These
are evil guys, are they not?
STEPHEN DAVIS, AUTHOR, OLD GODS ALMOST DEAD: Well, I don't think so, Bill.
But I understand where you're coming from. You know, over -it a 40-year
saga of a bunch of young guy who started out as teenagers on an improbable
quest and ended up as this plutonium offshore corporation. And they had to
step on a lot of bodies in order to get where they are.
O'REILLY: You don't think that they're evil guys? I mean, Brian Jones, for
example, six children out of wedlock, doesn't support them, beats up his
girlfriends. I mean, physically punches them in the face. Keith Richards,
heroin addict for decades, sharing needles with other people. His own son,
Marlin, watching him take heroin. You don't think this is evil conduct, Mr.
Gains?
DAVIS: No, it's Davis. I think that, you know, the Rolling Stones are
great artists, in my opinion. And I'm a Rolling Stones fan. And this book
Old Gods Almost Dead is really sort of my love letter to the Rolling Stones.
O'REILLY: I know, Mr. Davis. And I'm sorry I got your name, I was thinking
about the Beatles author for a minute. And that was my next question. The
Beatles are so much different. But look, look, this is what I want to zoom
in on.
You don't see them as evil people, even though you chronicle in your book,
page after page of the terrible things they've done. And I don't know how
you separate that out, see? I'm a big fan. That's why I read your book. I
was brought up with the Rolling Stones. I like some of their music.
I don't sit there with my eyes going, I hate these guys. I hate them."
What's the difference between you and me?
DAVIS: Well, the difference is that I don't see them as being evil. I see
them as being great artists, whose relationships with other people are worth
noting and are important. And as much as the evil stuff that you see in
it, I see also a lot of love and a lot of great art.
So in any biography, you have to kind of balance out the good and the bad.
So it's important to remember that, Bill, this is only rock and roll and...
O'REILLY: It isn't only rock and roll. It's about the corruption of
children. It's about beating up women. It's about lying. It's about all
kinds of -every immoral action that I could ever think anybody, short of
murder, OK, is in your book. And maybe Jones got murdered. I mean, that's
possible.
For the rest of this tenuous example of beating an interview into submission to serve one's own nefarious
purpose, 'Are The 'Rolling Stones' Evil?
Many thanks to Ole Kristian
Fun Link
'Who Said It?'
Who Said It? Ashcroft or McCarthy?
Got Someone's Attention?
Stern On Penn
Howard Stern has challenged actor Sean Penn to come on the air to explain his comment that Stern is worse for the world than Osama bin Laden.
Stern told listeners yesterday that Penn is "a spoiled brat" and "about as big a slug as you can get" for comparing him
to the terrorist leader in the next issue of Talk magazine.
Stern said Penn isn't in a position to be criticizing others. "I've heard terrible things about what he did to [ex-wife]
Madonna, being abusive and tying her up," Stern claimed. "This is a horrible human being who should keep a low profile.
Stern predicted Penn's new movie, "I Am Sam," will bomb at the box office.
"He plays a retard [and] it isn't going to do any business," Stern said. "He's at the point where he's almost irrelevant."
Howard On Sean
Updated!
BartCop TV!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot' never seems to rest - and doesn't let little things like laundry or
housekeeping get in the way!
Damn near every show on TV must is listed - days & days worth of great reading.
If you have any questions about nearly any tv program, check out
BC TV!
To Be Honored By The City Of Los Angeles
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali will get at least one of his presents early when the county Board of Supervisors issues him a
proclamation Tuesday noting his 60th birthday.
"It's a perfect time for the county to honor him, not only for what he has accomplished but for the person he is,"
Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, announcing the planned proclamation, said Thursday.
The former boxing champion, who turns 60 on Jan. 17, is riding a new wave of public attention with the Christmas
Day release of the hit film "Ali."
Muhammad Ali & LA
Flynt v. Rumsfeld
Larry Flynt
A lawyer for Hustler publisher Larry Flynt asked a federal judge Friday to order the Pentagon to let the magazine's
reporters accompany American troops on combat missions in Afghanistan.
``The press has always been able to accompany troops into battle,'' Flynt said after the hearing before U.S.
District Judge Paul Friedman. ``If I win, everyone wins.''
Flynt first asked Oct. 30 for access to U.S. military ground operations in Afghanistan, and repeated his request
Nov. 12. He filed his lawsuit Nov. 16, after Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, citing the ``highly dangerous
and unique nature'' of the operations, offered Flynt access only to such operations as humanitarian food drops and airstrikes.
The lawsuit asks the court to establish that the Constitution's guarantee of a free press means reporters have
a right to document front line hostilities firsthand, albeit subject to rules that might limit the number of
reporters allowed or censor some of what they write. While acknowledging that not all missions could reasonably
accommodate reporters without compromising their safety or success, the suit also asks that the Pentagon be required
to clearly outline how those decisions will be made.
The case is Flynt v. Rumsfeld.
Flynt v. Rumsfeld
From The BBC
U2
U2 have been nominated for eight prestigious Grammy awards, and BBC News Online's Alex Webb charts the
successes of the Irish rock band.
U2's Grammy nominations have capped a year in which the band has cemented its position as a music institution.
The omens were good, as Beautiful Day - which won last year's Grammys for record and song of the year - also
appeared on the band's latest album All That You Can't Leave Behind.
Now the group have picked up a fresh stack of nominations, including record of the year, album of the year,
song of the year, and the rock album nod.
U2 began their musical career at school in Dublin back in 1977, playing Rolling Stones and Beach Boys
cover versions in an outfit named Feedback.
The quartet then changed their name to the Hype before finally settling on U2 in 1978.
For the rest, U2 On The Beeb
``Reds and Blacklists: Political Struggles in the Movie Industry''
``The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930-1960''
The blacklist era will be the subject of an exhibition, ``Reds and Blacklists: Political Struggles in the Movie
Industry,'' to be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Feb. 1-April 21.
Curated by Larry Ceplair, co-author of ``The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community,
1930-1960,'' the exhibition will follow the blacklist from its foundation in conflicts between trade unionists
and studio executives as early as 1933, through the Cold War examinations by the House Committee on Un-American
Activities (HUAC) and their repercussions, to the controversies that continue to this day, as seen in the reactions
to the Academy's 1999 decision to present an honorary Oscar to director Elia Kazan, who was among the first to cooperate with HUAC.
Contributing memorabilia and materials to the exhibition are the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library, UCLA, USC,
Princeton University, the University of Wisconsin, the Writers Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and
friends and family members of blacklisted individuals.
``Reds and Blacklists'' will be free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
and weekends noon to 6 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. An audio tour
narrated by actor Peter Coyote will be available.
``The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930-1960''
Hosting ``Out There,'' On Sci Fi Channel
Dan Aykroyd
Cable's Sci Fi Channel has signed Dan Aykroyd to host ``Out There,'' a late night talk show devoted to the paranormal.
``Dan is passionate about these subjects, and he's incredibly well connected with everyone from the fanatic
who works out of his garage to the MIT science-based expert,'' Sci Fi Channel president Bonnie Hammer said.
Aykroyd will start taping the half-hour series in New York for an air date in the second quarter of 2002.
If ``Out There'' takes off in the ratings, Hammer said she doesn't rule out a transfer of the series to TV
stations in firstrun syndication. Sci Fi plans to set up a Web site to encourage viewer interaction with the series.
For a number of years, Aykroyd hosted ``PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal,'' a weekly show that dramatized
the unexplained through a fictional organization called the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research.
Dan Aykroyd
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
No Bonus 2001
Michael Eisner
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner received no bonus for fiscal 2001 because the entertainment giant
failed to meet its financial targets, the company said Friday.
For fiscal 2000, Eisner, the 50-year-old executive who has also been chairman since 1984, was awarded a bonus
of $11.5 million for 2000, with $3 million deferred until 2004. He earned no annual bonus for 1999.
His salary was $1 million in fiscal 2001, which ended Sept. 30, up from $813,462 in 2000, it said. Unlike the
previous year, Eisner was granted no long-term compensation in the form of stock options.
It also showed that he received about $4,000 in other forms of compensation such as life and health benefits.
No Bonus For Michael Eisner In 2001
News Conference In NYC Announcing The Grammy Award Nominations
Tony Bennett & Quincy Jones
Liberal Radio !
Erin Hart
Liberal radio - what a concept!
Join Erin Hart at nearly regulation times (10 pm to 1 am [pst] Sat & Sun ) on www.710kiro.com or www.kiro710.com (It's
a browser thing).
And don't forget about the chatroom!
For more details, visit Erin's homepage, http://www.erinistas.com/.
Say 'Hi' to Brian, the Webmaster, and, while you're there, check out his computer tips!
More 'Bridges Of Madison County'
Robert James Waller
The fictional characters whose forbidden love inspired romantic readers to check their atlases for Madison
County, Iowa, will return in a second book about their life-altering affair.
Robert James Waller has written a sequel to ``The Bridges of Madison County,'' his runaway best seller about an Iowa farm
wife's affair with a wandering National Geographic photographer.
``A Thousand County Roads - An Epilogue to The Bridges of Madison County'' is set for publication in March.
More 'Bridges Of Madison County'
American Society of Cinematographers To Honor
Stanley Donen
"Singin' in the Rain" director Stanley Donen will be honored by the American Society of Cinematographers at the
group's annual awards ceremony Feb. 17.
Donen will receive the Board of Gov.s award, which is the only honor the group makes to someone who is not a cinematographer.
"Stanley Donen created a memorable body of work, including many classic films that have become an integral part
of our culture," said ASC President Victor J. Kemper. "He has an incomparable gift for translating music and dance into cinematic art."
Other Donen films include "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Damn Yankees!" and "Funny Face."
Stanley Donen
Pulling A 'Prince' Or A 'P Diddy'?
Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Now N.I.N.A.
Following in the footsteps of Prince and P. Diddy, the wackiest member of TLC has decided on a new nickname to go with her new record label.
She now prefers to be known as N.I.N.A.
The acronym is short for "New Identity Not Applicable."
The moniker change comes as the crazy, sexy and downright kookiest TLC-er has made a deal with rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight
to join his own newly renamed Tha Row Records (né Death Row Records).
Lopes' long-coming solo album, originally titled Supernova, was supposed to come out on Arista Records last August, then
was pushed back to October before being permanently shelved. According to Lopes' spacy Website, Eyenetics.com (on which
the singer refers to herself as "Left-Eye," "N.I.N.A" and Supernova), she split from Arista as a result of a "contractual
breech on Arista's behalf," allowing her to be wooed by Knight, whose Death Row helped put gangsta rap on the map back in the day.
Lopes and Knight were spotted in November at an L.A. Lakers game--the burly, outspoken rap executive used the same tactic
to woo the late Tupac Shakur to Death Row.
The basketball courting apparently paid off again, because Suge convinced Left Eye to sign with Tha Row, which he launched
last August after finishing a five-year prison sentence for violating his probation. According to her Website, Lopes even got
a tattoo of a knight to mark her label switch.
A rep for Arista declined to comment.
Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes Now N.I.N.A.
Vincent Price, Jackson Pollack &
Dennis Hopper
Former wild guy actor Dennis Hopper is thrilled over being chosen as a participant in this year's Whitney
Biennial. The old easy rider will have 12 large color photographs on display at the prestigious exhibition.
Hopper tells Webster Hall curator Baird Jones that he has Vincent Price to thank for turning him on to art.
Days after he married Brooke Hayward, their home burned down and they were taken in by Price and his wife,
Mary. Price has a big collection of then-unheralded Jackson Pollocks and gave one to Hopper. Brooke got
everything in their eventual messy divorce and sold the Pollock for a song. Dennis reckons it's worth millions today.
Dennis Hopper
Grammy Award Multiple Nominees
Leading The Pack - U2
Veteran rockers U2 grabbed a leading eight Grammys nominations Friday, including record, album and song of the year. But the
day's biggest surprise was neosoul newcomer India.Arie, who nabbed seven nominations.
Her debut ``Acoustic Soul'' was nominated for album of the year, while her breakout song ``Video'' received bids for record
and song of the year. She was also nominated for best new artist.
The numerous nominations were surprising because India.Arie's disc was only a moderate success in sales, in comparison to
the year's biggest sensation, Alicia Keys. India.Arie's biggest song, ``Video,'' a celebration of self-beauty and worth,
never even cracked the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles and tracks chart.
Other multiple nominees included classical conductor Pierre Boulez with six, and country singer Alison Krauss, R&B vocalist
Brian McKnight and rap-rockers OutKast with five each.
T-Bone Burnett, Nelly Furtado, Train, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and Lucinda Williams each had four nominations.
Diversity reigned in the album of the year category, where nominees included Bob Dylan for ``Love and Theft,'' India.Arie's
rhythmic ``Acoustic Soul,'' and the potent rap of OutKast's ``Stankonia'' in addition to U2's ``All That You Can't Leave Behind''
and the bluegrass compilation soundtrack to the film ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?''
Keys' ``Fallin','' U2's ``Walk On'' and India.Arie's ``Video'' compete in the record of the year against OutKast's ``Ms.
Jackson'' and Train's ``Drops of Jupiter.''
U2's ``Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of,'' ``Video,'' ``Fallin','' Train's ``Drops of Jupiter'' and Furtado's ``I'm
Like a Bird'' face off in the song of the year field, which honors the writers.
Besides Keys and India.Arie, Furtado, singer David Gray and alternative rockers Linkin Park were nominated for best new artist.
Among U2's eight nominations, the band competes against itself in the best rock song category with ``Elevation'' and ``Walk On.''
The 44th annual Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 27 in Los Angeles.
Grammy Award Multiple Nominees
Portraying ``Mr. Goldwyn''
Alan King
``Gentleman, include me out'' - off-Broadway.
Comedian Alan King will portray Samuel Goldwyn, the legendary Hollywood producer known for mangling the
English language, in ``Mr. Goldwyn,'' a new play opening March 13 at off-Broadway's Promenade Theatre.
Preview performances start Feb. 26.
The play by Marsha Lebby and John Lollos is set in 1952 when Goldwyn's studio is threatened by the rise of
television, and the producer needs a big hit to pull through.
The 74-year-old King, best known as a standup comic, has written several books including his autobiography,
``Name-Dropping - The Life and Lies of Alan King,'' and starred in and produced the Broadway hit ``The Impossible Years'' in the 1960s.
``Mr. Goldwyn'' will be directed by Gene Saks, who directed several Neil Simon successes including ``Brighton
Beach Memoirs,'' ``Biloxi Blues'' and ``Broadway Bound,'' as well as the musicals ``Mame,'' ``Half a Sixpence'' and ``I Love My Wife.''
Alan King
An Honorable Woman
Vanessa Leggett
A novice crime writer spent her last night behind bars as her jail stint for refusing to hand over notes about a murder case approached its end.
Vanessa Leggett was scheduled to be released Friday because the federal grand jury that demanded she turn over her research
on a society murder is ending its term that day, her attorney, Mike DeGeurin said.
Leggett, 33, was jailed on contempt charges July 20 after refusing to hand over all her research, including original
notes and copies of all notes.
Federal agents were investigating Robert Angleton, a millionaire Houston bookmaker whose wife, Doris, was shot to
death in April 1997. Leggett, a part-time college instructor, interviewed many people involved in the
investigation for a book she was writing.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had upheld her incarceration, noting that neither she nor any other journalist
has a qualified privilege protecting confidential sources. The high court received the appeal this week and will
announce later if it will review the case.
Leggett's incarceration exceeded the previous longest U.S. jail stint for a journalist. A Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
reporter, William Farr, spent 46 days behind bars for refusing to disclose source material related to the Charles Manson trial in 1972.
Vanessa Leggett
New! Updated!
(10 Dec., 2001)
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, has done good, again!
Very interesting reading!
``The NBA All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration''
Britney Spears
Britney Spears will perform during a televised one-hour literacy special next month organized by the
National Basketball Association.
Six networks will carry a simultaneous run of ``The NBA All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration'' at 11 a.m. on Feb.
9, the weekend of the NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Originating from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the ''Read to Achieve'' hour will run across the board on NBC,
TNT, Nickelodeon, BET, NBA.comTV and Canada's Much Music.
Ahmad Rashad and Summer Sanders, who co-host the weekly NBC series ``NBA Inside Stuff,'' will co-host the special.
Other performers, as yet unannounced, will appear with Spears.
Britney Spears & The NBA
Host Of 'The Mole' To Show Up At ``American Mornings With Paula Zahn.''
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper, host of short-lived ABC reality show ``The Mole,'' is returning to the news biz as a contributor
to Paula Zahn's new morning show on CNN.
Cooper, who previously co-anchored ABC News' overnight newscast ``World News Now,'' will report next week to his
new gig at the tentatively titled ``American Mornings With Paula Zahn.''
Anderson Cooper
TV Alert - AMC Special
``Hello, He Lied''
A primer on moviemaking for the Hollywood outsider, AMC special ``Hello, He Lied'' adapts Lynda Obst's intelligent memoir into
a stylish hour that attempts to find the elusive answer to the question, what exactly does a producer do? Documentary essay provides
a whirlwind tour of the producing process, from finding material to the opening weekend, which means it's inevitably vague and not
especially insightful. But this is an energetic, slick and solid special, combining pop-up video wisecracks with plenty of interviews with top producers.
The piece doesn't provide the same sophisticated view of Hollywood culture that the book offered (the title, for example,
is never discussed), but in just an hour, how could it? There's no time for the personal stories that make the pithy advice
come off as more than obvious and superficial. But ``Hello, He Lied'' remains entertaining throughout and packs in
plenty of info for the uninitiated.
Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini enliven some dull moments with the pop-up comments (``Is he irritated?,''
reads one, superimposed on a writer getting notes from a gaggle of young execs at a boring development meeting); the entire
documentary has a sassiness that's appealing.
''Hello, He Lied''
''Hello, He Lied'' is one of the best books I've read on recent Hollywood. In the same vein is 'Easy Rider,
Raging Bulls' by Peter Biskind.
Thanks, But No Thanks, Playboy
Emme
Plus-size model Emme is saying thanks, but no thanks, to a letter she received in the mail, asking her to pose for Playboy magazine.
``I was pretty slack-jawed,'' the 38-year-old told People magazine for its Jan. 14 issue. ``I thought to myself,
`I want to frame this letter and put it in my office.'''
Emme has modeled her full-figured frame for more than a decade, and said she considers the Playboy offer ``a lovely
compliment,'' but turned it down because of her feminist principles.
Emme
BC Entertainment Favorite Link
Moose & Squirrel Information One-Stop
http://geocities.com/mooseandsquirrel1
What a great site! Information and reference materials of the first order!
Between 'Moose & Squirrel'
and 'Google', who needs daddy drudge!
More Fire For ''Survivor'' Survivor
Michael Skupin
Michael Skupin's days as a ``Survivor'' contestant may be over, but the challenges keep coming.
Fire broke out Thursday in a building where Skupin was setting up an office for his motivational speaking
business in Oakland County's Waterford Township, a suburb northwest of Detroit. He grabbed an extinguisher
and tried to battle the flames, but gave up because of heavy smoke.
The fire caused minor damage and was put out quickly, Capt. Steve Booth said. It apparently started in a
bathroom exhaust fan. No one was injured.
Skupin, 39, was forced to leave the CBS reality television series ``Survivor: The Australian Outback'' after
his hands were badly burned when he passed out over a fire.
Last September, he and his family escaped serious injury when a twin-engine plane in which they were riding
crash-landed along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Petoskey.
``People are beginning to wonder,'' Skupin said in a phone interview Thursday.
Michael Skupin
Copyright Infringement & Breach Of Confidence
``The Chamber'' vs. ``The Chair''
New Zealand-based independent producer Julie Christie and her Touchdown Prods. banner -- with the full backing of
ABC -- is suing Fox Broadcasting and Dick Clark Prods. for copyright infringement and breach of confidence. Christie
claims ``The Chamber,'' a new quizzer from Dick Clark just given a six-episode green light by Fox, is a blatant rip-off
of a series she's producing for ABC called ``The Chair.'' While Christy is currently seeking unspecified financial
damages, industry insiders believe ABC or Christie may eventually seek a temporary restraining order against Fox to
block the premiere of ``The Chamber,'' though such a move would be a long shot. For now, Fox and ABC are scrambling
to get their respective shows on air as soon as possible.
``The Chair'' puts players in a pod-like environment, hooks them up to a heart monitor and requires them to maintain
a certain heart rate while answering questions -- or else risk losing money. Various ``surprises'' are thrown in to
make it more difficult to stay steady.
Fox is keeping details of ``The Chamber'' more vague, though the network's reality programming chief, Mike Darnell,
said it will ``take people and throw them into this chamber where they will then be put under enormous environmental,
physiological and physical challenges (as they) answer questions. It could get really intense.''
As for ``The Chair'' and ``The Chamber,'' the projects are high priorities for their respective networks. ABC
began airing teaser promos for ``The Chair'' this week during its coverage of the college football bowl games.
It's possible the series could premiere this month, though ABC execs are trying not to rush the series on before it's ready.
Fox aired its first promo for ``The Chamber'' Thursday night, and industry insiders believe the series will
almost certainly bow within the next two to three weeks. Christie's lawsuit, in fact, states the network
wants to bow the show on Wednesday.
This is hardly the first time networks have clashed over reality concepts. Fox and Dick Clark quickly teamed to
pull together ``Greed,'' a short-lived knockoff of ABC's ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.'' And CBS last year
sued Fox and LMNO Prods. over ``Boot Camp,'' which CBS said was a rip-off of ``Survivor.'' The suit was settled out of court.
``The Chamber'' vs. ``The Chair'' - Copyright Infringement & Breach Of Confidence -OR- Not THAT Julie Christie
Too Outlandish For Any Novel
Tom Clancy
Writer Tom Clancy pretty well invented the techno-terrorist genre, but he says the events of Sept. 11 were
too outlandish for any novel. "If any writer had turned in a story like this, the publisher would have just handed it back and said, 'No way. Not believable,' " says the man whose 1994 book "Debt of Honor" featured terrorists hijacking a fuel-laden jet and crashing it into the Capitol building.
Clancy agreed to visit Ground Zero for Book magazine and describes the experience in the upcoming January-February
issue. "Four planes? That many people willing to die for the same cause at the same time? You can't keep up with
reality right now. Nobody has a big enough imagination," he believes.
But someone will try and capitalize on the disaster, he thinks. "Oliver Stone's supposedly already working on
a movie," he notes. "We'll see a lot of Rambo-type stories, with people like Chuck Norris, about us getting even."
Clancy is unbounded in his admiration for the courage of New York's Finest and Bravest. "They knew they were
running into the dragon's mouth . . . you gotta have big brass ones to do that, pal," he says.
And he even has kind words for New Yorkers in the aftermath of the attacks. "I didn't think New Yorkers had this
in them, and I was wrong about that," the tough-talking best seller admits. Then Clancy, who lives in boring
Baltimore, jokes: "I'm sure they'll be back to their normal a - - hole selves in a few weeks."
Tom Clancy
Maximus Has A Biological Clock
Russell Crowe
"I've been thinking about this for a long time," Russell Crowe says. "I'd like to be a father. But it's not something I can do by myself."
Amazingly, Maximus has a biological clock. "I'm a lot more patient now than before," the skirt-chasing, cattle-ranching
rogue tells USA Weekend. "But I'm counting the years: 'Even if I get married and have a baby tomorrow, I'm going to be
57 when the kid is 20. Frankly, this is starting to drive me nuts."
The star of "A Beautiful Mind" still gets misty about his "gigantic" romance with "magnificent" Meg Ryan. He
tells Entertainment Weekly he owes her an apology "for not being as flexible as I might have been. I don't think
I'll ever make that mistake again."
He's also wised up about Courtney Love.
"I always had a lot of time for her until earlier this year, when she kind of verbally attacked a really good
friend of mine," Crowe says, referring to an Oscar-time spat with his ex-girlfriend Danielle Spencer.
He was also "bothered" that Love "got pregnant and had a miscarriage or something, so it was printed that it
must be my child, right? She didn't come out and say it wasn't possible since there was no sexual relationship.
I don't believe it's the gentleman's prerogative to ring up the media to deny a sexual liaison. It's ungallant."
Russell Crowe
To Replace Greta Van Susteren?
Alan Keyes?
The folks at MSNBC are talking to former Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations Alan Keyes about hosting a 10 p.m. show up against Fox News' new hire, Greta Van Susteren.
Meanwhile, Van Susteren, a lawyer before her O.J. Simpson commentary turned her into a CNN star, reportedly
has penned an eight-page memo detailing CNN's demerits. She plans to keep the document secret as long as CNN
doesn't try to paint her as an ungrateful traitor.
Alan Keyes & Greta Van Susteren
In Memory
David Swift
David Swift, a veteran filmmaker who began his career as an animator and later directed such movies as ``How
to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,'' died Dec. 31 of a heart attack at Saint John's Health
Center in Santa Monica. He was 82.
A Minnesota native, Swift joined Walt Disney Studios in the early 1930s and served as an assistant to animator
Ward Kimball, one of Disney's fabled ``nine old men.'' He later segued to comedy writing in both radio and television.
During the early 1950s, Swift created the TV series ``Mr. Peepers'' and ``Jamie.'' He wrote teleplays for
``Playhouse 90,'' ``Philco Television Playhouse,'' ``The Rifleman'' and ``Wagon Train.'' He also wrote most
of the shows for Imogene Coca's short-lived TV series ``Grindl'' (1963) and directed segments of ``Barney Miller.''
Swift made his feature directorial debut in 1960 with ``Polyanna'' and followed that with ``The Parent Trap''
(1961), which helped make a star of Hayley Mills. Additional film credits included ``Under the Yum Yum Tree,''
the Jack Lemmon starrer ``Good Neighbor Sam'' and 1967's ``How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.''
Several years ago he bequeathed the rights as well as his Kinescope library of ``Mr. Peepers'' to the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
Late last year, Swift flew to London to participate in the ``making of'' documentary for the DVD release of
``Polyanna.'' He helped record the commentary and also interviewed Maureen O'Hara and Mills.
He is survived by his wife, Micheline, two daughters and two grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family
suggests donations to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
David Swift
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
