Reader Film Review
Harry Potter
I saw it with kids from first grade through fifth. They all loved it. Under the age of a
mature seven though, I wouldn't recommend it. I think they could have nightmares from the
scary scenes. It was very faithful to the book.
Of course, whole scenes had to be left out, and details omitted in order make it run under ten
hours. I will tell you that it is about two and a half hours long.
The show that we saw went blank after two hours. The ushers came in a gave us all vouchers for
another free movie through July. That wasn't satisfactory for us, so they tried to get the movie
going again. They were partially successful, but then the screen went blank on us again.
The good news was that we went to the Noon show. It was about half full. There was a 12:30 showing,
and we all went there. We ended filling up the theater. We saw a repeat about ten minutes of our
original show and then saw the film to it's completion. It didn't really disturb the children too much
but the adults were really put out.
We went out to eat afterwards and we did a compare/contrast between the book and the movie (the
teacher in me is always present!) The children were so accurate in their analysis and the parents
were really very pleased. I absolutely would recommend this movie for kids eight and older, but
only if they have read the book (again, the teacher in me!)
~~ Marian, the Teacher
Thanks, Marian!
The Return Of Edina & Patsy
''Absolutely Fabulous''
After a five-year absence, pill-popping, champagne-swilling duo of Edina and Patsy - stars of British
comedy "Absolutely Fabulous" - are back in a big way.
There was considerable doubt about how well a batch of new episodes of "Ab Fab" - a smash on
both sides of the Atlantic in the early 1990s - would do this time around. But fears that the
show would seem dated - or too superficial - have been laid to rest.
Since its debut here on Comedy Central two weeks ago, the new show has been drawing about
1.1 million viewers a week, nearly double what Comedy Central usually does in that time-slot.
Part of its success is that - like its fans - the series has aged too.
The BBC sitcom- which airs Mondays at 9 p.m. - ended its three-year run in 1995, seemingly for good.
But last year when Saunders began to write a new sitcom, she decided Eddy and Patsy had more to say.
"Ab Fab" first aired in the UK in 1992 and became Comedy Central's first hit, long before
"Politically Correct * " or "South Park."
The Return Of ''Absolutely Fabulous'
* Shouldn't that be ''Politically INcorrect?
''West Wing'' Taking Potshots At News Media?
We Can Only Hope?
Excerpts
'' Between anthrax-laced letters, Gary Condit and Chandra Levy, premature presidential election calls
and questions regarding patriotism--or a lack thereof--since the events of Sept. 11, the news media
have taken a bit of a beating image-wise over the last year.
Some of the latest broadsides, however, have emanated from an unexpected source--a television series
that has basked in critical adulation and shed positive light on the press in the past. Moreover, said
show has worn liberal viewpoints on its sleeve, at a time when most media-bashing tends to originate
on the right side of the political aisle.
The series, of course, is NBC's "The West Wing," where the relationship between the fictional Bartlet
administration and the White House press corps has grown more contentious and adversarial this season,
with series creator Aaron Sorkin using his characters in recent episodes to engage in speechifying--as
is his habit--about the press' shortcomings. An amateur psychologist, however, might see the inspiration
as extending beyond the press' well-documented excesses. Both Sorkin and the show received plenty of
unwelcome headlines during the off-season, beginning with the writer's arrest on a charge of drug
possession at Burbank Airport last spring. A public spat followed with the writing staff, who complained
about being denied promised raises despite the riches showered on the Emmy-winning program's producers
and stars, four of whom publicly held out for sizable salary increases despite being under contract. ''
and....
'' If all this sounds like much ado about nothing, it bears notice for several reasons. While many have discussed
"The West Wing's" status as a weekly civics lesson on government, the program has also done more than any
previous series to illustrate the relationship between politics and the press. Bartlet aides, in fact, are
chronically preoccupied with how stories will be perceived in the media and controlling the news cycle. ''
and....
'' A recovering cocaine addict, Sorkin has been apologetic since his arrest, saying he had done something
"stupid" and regretted any embarrassment he might have caused. He also went out of his way to acknowledge
the current writing staff when accepting "The West Wing's" second Emmy as outstanding drama series a few
weeks ago, a seeming reaction to accusations he was unwilling to share credit for the show.
Still, several articles published this summer nevertheless painted a less-than-flattering portrait of the
40-year-old writer as an enormous talent victimized, to a certain extent, by his own ego and excesses. And
at the Emmys, when "The Sopranos'" James Gandolfini was announced as best actor in a drama--an honor most
pundits felt Sheen would claim after his showy Latin-spouting monologue to God during the second-season
finale--reporters watching on monitors across from the Shubert Theatre erupted in cheers. ''
Read all of Brian Lowry on ''Aaron Sorkin's Spin Cycle'' In The LA Times
In The Chaos Household
Last Night's TV
Caught part of 'Enterprise' which seemed to be stuck in some kind of muy-macho postering.
Where the hell are the kick-ass Amazons of space?
On ABC, 'Drew Carey' got to boff his boss, and keep his job! 'Who's Line Is It
Anyway?' had Sid Caesar as a guest (check out his site at www.sidcaesar.com).
Wrapped up prime time with '20/20', where they got into urban legends, and the wonderful folk at
www.snopes.com.
Today, the daytime hours are full of parades and football!
So far as prime time, 'let the reruns begin!', sort of.
CBS has a fresh episode of 'Survivor: Africa'. Then a fresh episode of 'CSI',
followed by a repeat 'CSI' (the one about the missing college freshman).
NBC has a fresh episode of 'Friends', with guest star Brad Pitt (in a
'fat-suit', no less), followed by a repeat 'Friends' (an old one, where Ross introduces Ben
to Hanukkah), then a fresh hour episode of 'Will & Grace', and a fresh 'ER'.
Those fine Disney-folks at ABC have 2 reruns of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway', then
'Regis' (Supermodel edition - no, the questions aren't any easier...LOL), and then
a real 'special'....'Being Mick' about Mick Jagger.
The WB repeats the 2 hour season-opener of 'Smallville'. Faux bails completely, and
repeats 'The Wedding Singer'
38 years ago today, the 22nd wasn't a Thanksgiving day. I vividly remember that day in the 5th grade.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Bad News For ''Pasadena''
Good News For ''24''
Fox will continue double-pumping ``24'' through the end of December in a bid to boost viewership of
the critically acclaimed, but so far low-rated rookie drama.
Same-week repeats of the Kiefer Sutherland thriller will run Fridays at 9 p.m. through Dec. 21. This
week's encore is slated for Saturday night due to a Fox Thanksgiving movie special.
The decision to give ``24'' the added exposure means another low-rated new Fox drama, ``Pasadena,''
won't return to the network's lineup until January.
Fox sister cable channel FX also is serving up same-week repeats of ``24,'' which, despite some of
the best reviews for any new network drama in years, has yet to spark with viewers. It had the almost
impossible challenge of bowing Nov. 6 opposite the season premiere of ``NYPD Blue'' and established
competition on NBC and CBS.
Good News For ''24'', Bad News For ''Pasadena''
New! Updated!
(20 Nov, 2001)
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, has provided another eye-opening set of charts!
A brief excerpt: " In January 2002, New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani will intimately know an experience and feeling that more and more of us are reluctantly facing: He'll join the ranks of the unemployed. Due to term limits Giuliani has not been able to seek re-election, after 8 years as one of New York's more popular mayors.
The question on most New Yorker's minds and lips is "What is Rudy going to do NOW?" Well, maybe The Stars can give us some clues.
"
Very interesting reading!
The Money Machine Known As...
''U2''
They started out as post-punk pub rockers playing for spare change in dingy Dublin clubs
and became one of the mightiest money machines in pop history.
U2, fronted by the flamboyant Bono, are estimated to have pocketed upwards of $575 million
in the quarter century since their first release, with 2001 on target to be one of their
highest earning periods to date.
Their 10th album, ``All That You Can't Leave Behind,'' has shifted nearly 10 million units
since shooting to number one in 32 countries after its release late last year, and the
accompanying ``Elevation'' tour has smashed box-office records.
Overall earnings for the year could top $283.7 million.
Another boost to U2's wealth has been the band's tax-free status in the Irish republic under
a scheme introduced in the 1960s to exempt the earnings of artists whose work is generally
recognized as having ``cultural or artistic merit.''
In terms of U2's cultural export value, and the extent to which it has raised Ireland's profile
around the globe, the government must consider this money well spent.
Unlike most acts, they also own the copyright to all their songs, a perk which brings in another
$9.9 million a year from play on radio stations, for example, and will yield royalties for 75 years
after the last band member's death.
For Bono, 41, real name Paul Hewson, fame and fortune have also provided an opportunity to give something back.
A veteran of fellow-Irishman Bob Geldof's 1985 Live Aid concert and a committed Christian, he has devoted
considerable time recently to Jubilee 2000, a campaign aimed at persuading Western governments to write off Third World debt.
By the end of the year, some analysts predict, each U2 member could gross nearly $71 million, out-earning
the $53.9 million apiece trousered by aging rockers The Rolling Stones last year, and smashing the $56.7
million record set in 1996 by pop colossus Elton John.
That should be enough to elevate anyone's spirits.
The U2 Money Machine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Award Show Cancels
'Blockbuster Entertainment Awards'
Video-rental giant Blockbuster Inc. has canceled its annual awards show because it was uncertain
how many viewers would watch in the post-Sept. 11 climate.
The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards had been scheduled for next spring in Los Angeles.
The Dallas-based company would have had to make significant financial commitments soon to book
the auditorium and gear up for in-store voting on the awards by millions of customers,
spokeswoman Liz Greene said.
Greene said Blockbuster's decision to cancel was based partly on the experience of television's
Emmy Awards, which were postponed twice after Sept. 11 before taking place this month in Los Angeles.
``We wouldn't want to have to cancel the show, and the issue of celebrities in attendance is also
an issue,'' Greene said.
Greene said no decision has been made whether to bring the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards back in 2003.
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Cancelled
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
To check out 'Train Station Chicken', and more (like 'Cranberry Autumn Tea'),
In The Kitchen With BartCop
Rumor From New York
Art Bell & WABC
Art Bell's days on WABC (770 AM) could be numbered.
Post radio reporter John Mainelli says Bell, who has been absent many times the last few months,
has irritated WABC suits so much that they're considering throwing him off the air for good.
Bell's latest malady, a bad back, marks the fifth time in the past few months that he's taken
major time off from his syndicated show, which airs from 1 to 5 a.m. on WABC. This week, WABC
is pre-empting Bell's show with a show hosted by San Francisco-based conservative commentator Michael Savage.
Mainelli says that the buzz is that Savage will replace Bell permanently (via tape delay). WABC had no comment.
Art Bell On WABC
Liberal Radio !
Erin Hart
Liberal radio online - what a concept! Listen Thursday from noon to 3 pm (pst)
at www.710kiro.com
There's even a chatroom!
We generally have a pretty good time...
Underage Drinking Reported
Britney Spears
A top Las Vegas nightclub boss has been rapped for serving booze to underage pop queen
Britney Spears at a private party.
The C2K club was slammed by the Las Vegas Liquor Commission after the party, thrown
by Britney boyfriend Justin Timberlake's band *NSYNC last month.
C2K owner Richard Haftel denied Spears, 19, was drinking at the bash.
But Post spies said she was spotted drinking at the bash that raised cash for *NSYNC's
Challenge for the Children charity.
Haftel, whose $28 million club is next to the Venetian Hotel, said: "We did a private
charity party for *NSYNC's charity for children. They were in a separate area. No alcohol
was being served. Britney Spears was there.
"We got a letter from the liquor commission saying don't do that.
He said minors were allowed into private parties. But he added: "We have to revise our security plan."
Since the party, an insider at the Venetian said things had been tightened up for Spears'
recent visit to Las Vegas last week for a live televised concert.
One claimed Spears was banned from the bar area at a birthday party for one of her stage
producers in the hotel's Stage 16 restaurant on Friday night.
Spears sparked outrage when she was pictured apparently drunk after a party in Germany last year.
Must Be 'Verge' Drinking
Audio Files From BC
Bonus Page Link
Looking for some 'Garbage'?
Here are some MP3 files from BC
Aw, come on....isn't anyone curious?
More PR For ''Ocean's Eleven''
Turkey Time
It's Turkey time for Julia, George, Brad and Matt--but we aren't talking Thanksgiving.
The stars of the upcoming Ocean's Eleven will be flying overseas to meet and greet U.S
and British troops stationed in Turkey.
The idea to spread some holiday cheer (and wave the flag for the Hollywood community in
general and his movie in particular) is the brainchild of Jerry Weintraub, producer of
the updated version of the 1960s Las Vegas casino crime caper.
Weintraub tells the Associated Press that his idea was spawned when he was sitting around
gabbing with the stars about plans for premieres in Paris and Rome. "We've got troops over
there in harm's way. Why don't we go over there and show it to them?' " Weintraub suggested.
"George jumped up and said 'great' and everyone came on board."
"I called President Bush, the 41st, and he said he thought it was fantastic. He made a call
and two minutes later I got a phone call from the Pentagon and we got the ball rolling."
Weintraub and the movie's director, Steven Soderbergh, will accompany the stars to an
undisclosed military base in Turkey immediately after the film's December 5 Los Angeles
premiere. Warner Bros. will pay for the trip. After checking in with the troops, the cast
will then fly to several European capitals for more conventional promotional duties.
The troops at the base will also received DVDs of the movie, which opens in the U.S. on
December 7. DVDs will also be sent to 11 warships anchored in the region.
''Ocean's Eleven'' Cast To Visit Turkey
The Big Dog Watch Continues
Bill Clinton At Harvard
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton talks about the war on terrorism during an address to
the faculty and students of Harvard University November 19, 2001 in Boston. Clinton was
invited to address Harvard by his friend former U.S. Senator David Pryor (D-Arkansas) who
is now the Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard.
Photo by Jim Bourg
Another Website Hacked
Playboy.com
Law enforcement officials are investigating a security breach at the Playboy.com Web site
that allowed a computer hacker to steal customers' credit card numbers, a Playboy.com
spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
The company was alerted to the problem this weekend after network administrators noticed
a lot of unusual activity on their servers, Playboy.com spokeswoman Laura Sigman said.
Playboy.com is trying to determine how many customers have been affected and has hired a
computer security firm to audit the systems, she said.
In a letter to customers, Playboy.com President Larry Lux urged people to contact their
credit card companies to determine if their cards have been used for any unauthorized purchases.
Someone belonging to a group called ``ingreslock 1524'' and using the alias ``martyn luther ping''
e-mailed a letter to customers claiming responsibility for the crime and provided the customer's name
and credit card number as proof.
The letter said the ``shady hacker group'' has had full access to the Playboy.com network since 1998.
Playboy.com, which is based in New York, is part of Playboy Enterprises.
Playboy.com Hacked
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!
2 Films In 2002
Jennifer Lopez
American actress-singer Jennifer Lopez said on Wednesday she would make two new films next year and
that she hoped to go on tour with her new album ``J.Lo.''
``I'm doing a couple of movies next year -- one romantic comedy and a drama with Ben Affleck,'' the
Latino star told a news conference.
In the film ``Gigli,'' Lopez will play a female gunslinger who teams up with a hitman, played by
Affleck, to kidnap a policeman's brother, according to Variety magazine.
Lopez did not give any details about the second film.
The 31-year-old New York-born star was in Stockholm to kick off a European tour to promote her album.
Her album has sold over seven million, but her agents say the superstar status she enjoys in the
United States has so far eluded her in Europe.
Jennifer Lopez To Make 2 Films In 2002
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More Tax Dollar$ At Work
''Behind Enemy Lines''
Weeks after Washington enlisted Hollywood's help with the war effort, Fox has organized the international
premiere of ``Behind Enemy Lines'' Thanksgiving weekend on a U.S. aircraft carrier currently on active
duty in the Arabian Sea.
Five thousand men and women stationed on the USS Carl Vinson will watch the film, which centers on a
naval aviator (Owen Wilson) shot down over enemy territory. The injured flyboy's commanding officer
(Gene Hackman) decides to launch a renegade rescue mission to save the pilot's life.
Fox filmed part of the $60 million picture aboard the carrier, and many of those who will be watching the
film over the holiday weekend served as extras.
This isn't the studio's first screening for seamen. Fox hosted a special showing of ``Behind Enemy Lines''
at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego last Saturday with a reception aboard the aircraft carrier
USS Nimitz, which recently returned from active duty.
``Behind Enemy Lines'' hits theaters Nov. 30. The actioner had been slated for a Jan. 18 release, but was
moved up because of enthusiastic test screenings.
''Behind Enemy Lines''
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 'refdesk'!
The King Is Dead
''Harry Potter'' Delayed
Malaysian nightclubs and cinemas closed on Wednesday and the opening of ``Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone'' was delayed as Malaysians began mourning the death of their king.
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah died at a Kuala Lumpur hospital shortly before noon after
failing to recover from a heart operation two months ago. He was 75.
Local cinema operators said they would cancel all shows from Wednesday afternoon to Friday
morning, delaying the premiere of the Harry Potter movie originally due on Thursday.
``It is a mark of respect for the King,'' said a manager at Golden Screen Cinemas, the nation's
largest operator with 82 screens.
The king's funeral will take place on Thursday, when a holiday will be observed to start a
week of national mourning.
''Harry Potter'' Delayed In Malaysia
Playing With TNT?
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis will serve as an executive producer of a family drama being developed by cable's TNT.
``Change of Course'' concerns two brothers, estranged from each other for two decades, who renew
their ties during a boating trip after one of them learns that he has a terminal illness. It is
based on a novel by Joseph T. Klempner.
Willis and production partner Arnold Rifkin pitched the project as a serious work reminiscent of
the 1980 movie ''Ordinary People,'' about an alienated family. TNT, which pushes as its corporate
motto ``We know drama,'' commissions between six and eight original movies a year aimed at getting
good reviews and harvesting Emmy nominations.
Bruce Willis & TNT
In Memory
Mary Roberts Wilson
Mary Roberts Wilson, the first woman to be awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry following
her heroics as a nurse during World War II, died Monday of a heart attack. She was 87.
Wilson, about whom Tom Brokaw wrote an entire chapter in his best-selling book "The Greatest
Generation," received the medal Feb. 18, 1944, for her supervision of more than 50 nurses in a
U.S. Army evacuation hospital in Anzio, Italy, while bombs and artillery shells exploded overhead.
The Silver Star is the third-highest recognition given for valor in battle.
After the war, Wilson worked at the Dallas VA Medical Center, where she was an operating room
supervisor for more than 25 years. Earlier this month, the hospital named a conference room in her honor.
Mary Roberts Wilson
"Boondocks" (22 Nov 01)
"Boondocks" (15 Nov 01)
"Boondocks" (9 Oct 01)
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
