Reader Review
''Collateral Damage''
by Matt E.
First off, I'd like to say I'm a huge fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. An action movie fan who has grown up on Arnold. From the hulking 'Terminator', to the super spy of 'True Lies', to the out of place kindergarten teacher in 'Kindergarten Cop'. Arnold is an action and comedy staple, with only Jackie Chan to rival his star power.
That being said, Collateral Damage is fucking awful. Avoid this movie like the clap, or George W. Bush.
Collateral Damage follows the story of Gordon Brewer (Schwarzenegger), an L.A. firefighter who witnesses his wife and child killed in a terrorist act perpetrated by Columbian terrorist Claudio 'The Wolf' Perrini (Cliff Curtis). Schwarzenegger vows revenge. His journey sees him fighting government bureaucrats, crooked Columbian cops and Columbian Guerillas.
Brewer takes off for Columbia when the CIA is tied up by the government. He is then promptly captured and taken to jail when he loses his passport and can provide no proof he is in Columbia legally. There he meets Sean Armstrong (John Turturro), a Canadian mechanic who fixes the cocaine machines for the guerillas. Turturro provides some comic relief and a way for Arnie to get closer to the terrorist. After a not so exciting escape, he meets up with always enjoyable John Leguizamo and saves The Wolf's wife and son. The movie makes some more predictable turns that puts Arnie back in the states, now trying to thwart The Wolf in Washington DC.
Collateral Damage tries to be smart and suspenseful with a surprise (to no one) ending, but it fails miserably. Arnie looks bored throughout the movie and his comedic timing is limited to one good line. The Wolf asks Arnie what the difference between the two of them is and Arnie replies, "I'm only going to kill you." Classic Arnold, but not enough.
The movie tries to satisfy the viewers with a string of action sequences. Unfortunately for the movie, none of these action scenes are very interesting. They aren't comedic nor are they intense, they are just sort of there. One scene sees Arnold running through trees while avoiding gunfire, then jumping into a waterfall. Another sees him fighting a bad guy while sidestepping land mines. Yawn. The final scene of the movie is so improbable and goofy, you'll catch yourself looking around to see if anyone is enjoying it. Also note, Arnie doesn't fire a gun in the whole movie, that's just fucking weird.
At least the movie looks good, shot in the lush jungles of Mexico, and the streets of L.A. The scenery provides a nice backdrop for the movie. But wooden acting and cookie cutter action sequences keep this movie from ever shining in any way. Collateral Damage can only be recommended to the most hardcore Schwarzenegger fans, and even then most will spend their time counting down to Terminator 3.
Email me your take on this movie at Matt E.
Thanks, Matt. The last Arnold movie that I really liked was 'Stay Hungry'.
Oh, and shouldn't 'The Wolf' be 'El Lobo'?
Weekly Review
from Harper's Magazine
HARPER'S WEEKLY REVIEW - 5 February, 2002
More than 100 soldiers in the Israeli army reserve signed a petition
declaring their refusal to serve in the Occupied Territories. "The
price of occupation is the army's loss of its human image and the
corruption of all Israeli society." The soldiers said they had in the
past received orders to commit crimes such as firing automatic weapons
into neighborhoods and shooting at boys throwing stones.
Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon said he wished he had "liquidated" Yasir Arafat
in the 1980s when he had the chance. A state department official said
"remarks like these can be unhelpful."
President Bush, in his first
State of the Union address, identified Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as
an "axis of evil."
CNN aired a video of Osama bin Laden in which he
gloated that "freedom and human rights in America are doomed. The U.S.
government will lead the American people and the West in general into
an unbearable hell and a choking life."
A federal judge in New York
opened hearings into whether the F.B.I. in its September 11
investigation had coerced and intimidated a Jordanian student into
committing perjury.
Doctors removed lesions from the left ear of John
Ashcroft, the attorney general.
Security workers at San Francisco
International Airport employed by Argenbright Security lost a
passenger whose shoes tested positive for explosives after the
screener simply walked off to find a supervisor; the passenger
apparently just got on his plane and flew away; the terminal was
evacuated, though four airplanes took off anyway. Security cameras
filmed the incident but the footage was of such poor quality that the
passenger's face was illegible.
President Bush said he would
reconsider his decision to deny Afghan war prisoners the protection of
the Geneva Conventions but said that the men were "killers" and as
such did not deserve to be classified as prisoners of war. "I will
listen to all the legalisms," he declared, "and announce my decision
when I make it."
( continued at Weekly Review )
--Roger D. Hodge
Reader Response
Diagnosis Provided
Mark
Bill O'Reilly Is Ill !
Bill O'Reilly is a sick f_ck - his mental problem is identified by mental-health professionals as ''Reactive Attachment Disorder''.
He demonstates it for all to see everynight on his show.
See brief overview below. Use your fave search-bot to find additional info on RAD...there are a ship-load out there.
My point is: we should just spread the meme that some of these folks ''just are NOT well.''
My strategy for dealing w/ O'REilly is: I program my TV to block reception of FUX-NEWS.
---------------------------------------------------
What do these 'gentlemen' have in common?:
- William Bennett
- Bill O'Reilly
- Rush Limbaugh
- John Ashcroft
- Adolf Hitler
- Dick Cheney
- Karl Rove
Reactive Attachment Disorder .......... a.k.a. "Rage Disorder"
What is Attachment Disorder/Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)?
Attachment Disorder is defined as the condition in which individuals have
difficulty forming lasting relationships. They often show nearly a complete
lack of ability to be genuinely affectionate with others. They typically fail
to develop a conscience and do not learn to trust. They do not
allow people to be in control of them due to this trust issue. This damage is done
by being abused or physically or emotionally separated from one primary
caregiver during the first 3 years of life. "If a child is not
attached-does not form a loving bond with the mother-he does not develop an attachment
to the rest of mankind. The unattached child literally does not have a
stake in humanity" (Magid & McKelvey 1988)
They do not think and feel like a normal person. "At the core of the unattached is a
deep-seated rage, far beyond normal anger. This rage is suppressed in their psyche. Now we all have
some degree of rage, but the rage of psychopaths is that born of unfulfilled
needs as infants. Incomprehensible pain is forever locked In their souls,
because of the abandonment they felt as infants." (Magid & McKelvey,1988)
"There is an inability to love or feel guilty. There is no conscience. Their
inability to enter into any relationship makes treatment or even education
impossible." (Bowlby 1955) Some infamous people with Attachment Disorder
that did not get help in time: Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Edgar Allen
Poe, Jeffery Dahmer, and Ted Bundy. One famous person with Attachment
Disorder who did get help in time (in 1887!) and became one of greatest
humanitarians is Helen Keller.
Attachment Disorder Symptoms
1.Superficially engaging & charming
2.Lack of eye contact on parents terms
3.Indiscriminately affectionate with strangers
4.Not affectionate on ParentsŐ terms (not cuddly)
5.Destructive to self, others and material things
(accident prone)
6.Cruelty to animals
7.Lying about the obvious (crazy lying)
8.Stealing
9.No impulse controls (frequently acts hyperactive)
10.Learning Lags
11.Lack of cause and effect thinking
12.Lack of conscience
13.Abnormal eating patterns
14.Poor peer relationships
15.Preoccupation with fire
16.Preoccupation with blood & Gore
17.Persistent nonsense questions & chatter
18.Inappropriately demanding & clingy
19.Abnormal speech patterns
20.Triangulation of adults
21.False allegations of abuse
22.Presumptive entitlement issues
23.Parents appear hostile and angry
Causes
Any of the following conditions occurring to a child
during the first 36 months of life puts them at risk:
Unwanted pregnancy
Pre-birth exposure to trauma, drugs or alcohol
Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)
Neglect (not answering the baby's cries for help)
Moms with chronic depression
Several moves or placements (foster care, failed
adoptions)
~ Mark
Thanks, Mark.
Reader (?) Critique
Phil & Allyson Ulm
wow, what losers you are.
Thanks for stopping by.
(How sad the Florida public school system ignores so many pesky lessons - capitalization and punctuation for one, and then there's
that one on signing one's name to missives, too...)
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Started out watching 'That 70's Show' because there was supposed to be take-off on 'The Wizard Of Oz'.
Koresh, I keep forgetting it's Rupert's channel, and I guess they were going for the 'Wizard Of Aus',
which seemingly denotes cheesiness, cheapness, and contempt for the common man.
Also watched 'Frasier', and it was one of their better shows of the season. How sad that the episode allowed to
run-over was 'Scrubs', but, it also was one of their better efforts.
Tonight, Wednesday, CBS is fresh, starting the evening with '60 Minutes II', and followed by a
TV-movie, 'Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity'.
NBC has a fresh night with 'Ed', 'The West Wing', and 'Law & Order'.
ABC starts a fresh night with an hour-long episode of 'My Wife & Kids', then 'Drew Carey',
'The Job' and '20/20 Downtown'.
The WB has a fresh night with 'Dawson's Creek' & 'Glory Days'.
Faux checks in with fresh episodes of 'That 80's Show', 'Grounded For Life', 'Bernie Mac',
and 'Titus'.
UPN has a fresh 'Enterprise' and 'Special Unit 2'.
AMC has 'Day Of The Dolphin', which is a good movie to get your paranoia up...it was made in 1973.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Nearly Quit 'Star Trek'
Nichelle Nichols
Kissing William Shatner on television was no big deal to Nichelle Nichols - even though the year was 1968, the show was ``Star
Trek,'' and the kiss was the first on TV between a white character and a black character.
``It seems so silly now, doesn't it? I mean, that that was such a big deal. Not the kiss - I really enjoyed the kiss,'' Nichols
told reporters, bursting into laughter. ``But when I saw it, I went, 'Oh, good, a great scene,' you know. I wasn't thinking,
'The first interracial kiss.'''
She said she almost quit ``Star Trek,'' where she played communications officer Lt. Uhura, but the Rev. Martin Luther King
Jr. talked her out of it.
``He said, 'For the first time, people who don't look like us will see us as we should be seen - not only as beautiful
beings but intelligent and qualified,''' Nichols said. ``And I went back and told (show creator Gene Roddenberry), I told
him what Dr. King said, and he cried. He said, 'God bless him. Somebody knows what I'm trying to achieve'''
Nichelle Nichols
Freshly Updated!
Watergate v$ Enron!
Called To Testify
Niki Taylor
Just as Niki Taylor is getting her life back together after a devastating car wreck, a new book reveals how the
supermodel was called to testify before a grand jury about a pile of money she once delivered to her ex-boyfriend,
Miami nightclub king Chris Paciello.
Taylor, who made her catwalk comeback at the Super Bowl, brought the parcel of cash from Miami to New York in 1996,
three years before Paciello would be arrested as a member of Brooklyn's brutal Bath Street Crew.
According to "Mob Over Miami" by crime reporter Michelle McPhee, "Taylor told the grand jury Paciello had called her
cell phone and asked her to pick up a package from his secretary, Janet Navarro, Mickey Rourke's sister-in-law. The
supermodel was going to Manhattan the following morning for a photo shoot, so she agreed."
The book, due out in April from Onyx, reports: "She picked up the envelope at the China Grill [in Miami] and dropped it
off to Paciello in his room at the posh Royalton Hotel."
"He asked me to bring it because he needed cash," Taylor testified. "He was staying in New York longer than he thought,
and he didn't pack clothes. He spent the money on four Prada suits." McPhee reports that prosecutors wondered "if the
cash was some sort of Mafia payoff."
One story about Paciello you won't find in the book is how Madonna once serenaded the handsome thug on his telephone
answering machine.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" sang Madonna, according to a friend of Paciello who heard the tape.
"Happy birthday, my little gangster, happy birthday to you!"
Niki Taylor
60th Birthday Party At The Madonna Inn
Graham Nash
Singer-songwriter Graham Nash celebrated his 60th birthday in the pink with friends and relatives.
More than 150 guests attended Saturday's offbeat party at the Madonna Inn, including Stephen Stills and David
Crosby, who wore a pink bunny costume.
``I asked everyone to dress in pink and just act silly,'' said Nash's wife, Susan. ``It's not very often that we
all get to see each other. It's usually at concerts or benefit fund-raisers, so it was really important that we
just have fun, hang out and talk to each other.''
Bette Midler and a dozen other women presented a musical tribute to Nash with ``As Time Goes By.''
Graham Nash
Official Graham Nash Web site
Official Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Web site
The Madonna Inn is an interesting place. All of the rooms have a theme, and it is the work
of one couple, the Madonna's. They wanted to bring individuality to each room. They have more
than succeeded.
Yes, some of it is tacky, but, it is tacky-with-love. Their color is pink. And the men's restroom
is so arfing-cool....(yes, there's a link )...If you're ever in the San Luis Obispo/Solvang/Santa
Barbara/San Simeon/Monterey area, it's a great place to kick back & get retro.
Madonna Inn - San Luis Obispo, California
Madonna Inn - Room Tour - The Big List
From The Room Tour: The Caveman Room (For Example)
The Urinals Of The Madonna Inn
Valentine's Day Special On MTV?
Colin Powell
MTV viewers and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will have an unusual heart-to-heart on Valentine's Day, when the music
network will host a global town forum packing tough questions for the top diplomat.
MTV channels in the U.S., India, the Middle East, Italy, U.K./Ireland, Brazil, Russia and elsewhere are hosting the 60-minute
special ``Be Heard: An MTV Global Discussion With Colin Powell.''
The show will be taped the morning of Feb. 14 before a studio audience in Washington, airing at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) that evening
in the U.S. and at various times elsewhere around the world, MTV said Monday. Powell's hosts in Washington will be MTV News'
John Norris and Gideon Yago.
MTV is hardly a natural venue for members of the Bush administration, but in Washington's new campaign to win the hearts
and minds of the world, it's hard to resist the allure of the music cable network's impressive reach.
MTV's forum was arranged independently of Hollywood's special wartime committee. But it nevertheless jibes nicely with
a pledge by the entertainment/media biz to do what it can to open up a dialogue between the U.S. and other countries,
particularly in the Middle East.
Valentine's Day Special On MTV?
Tried To Save Children Killed In Fire
Crew Of ''The Guardian''
A television crew working on "The Guardian" used garden hoses and a bucket brigade, but were unable to save
three young children trapped in a burning home Tuesday.
Despite the efforts of the crew from the CBS series and neighbors, a 4-year-old girl and two boys, 3 and 5, were
killed in the blaze as it swept through the converted two-story home, firefighters said.
"Flames were coming out of the front window. Our security people, drivers and second assistant director had garden
hoses and a bucket brigade and were throwing water inside the house through the window," said Vahan Moosekian,
co-executive producer of "The Guardian."
Less than an hour after the fire was doused, the show's prop manager had collected blankets, wardrobe had rounded up
clothing and the food services crew had gathered up food for the families, Moosekian said. A driver took some relatives
to a nearby church in the show's van and "the whole crew started passing around a bucket. Everybody was throwing money in."
Although the scenes being shot Tuesday did not involve children, "a lot of people were watching. Everybody was in a very
morbid and sad mood knowing that three children had been killed," Moosekian said.
"You see tragedy like that happen so fast. It sobers you up real quick. Fire happens, people lose their lives so quickly,
it gives you pause. The helicopters overhead, the ground reporters. It was surreal. It's just the way it looks like on
TV," the producer said.
Crew Of ''The Guardian''
89th Birthday
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks, whose act of defiance made her a heroine of the civil rights movement, was honored Monday at an event
celebrating her 89th birthday and the premiere of a movie about her life.
The stars of the made-for-TV movie, ``Ride to Freedom: The Rosa Parks Story,'' spoke briefly before the event, then
surrounded Parks as she was presented with a birthday cake. Motown legend Stevie Wonder sang ``Happy Birthday.''
Angela Bassett, who plays Parks in the movie, said she was awe-struck the first time she saw her.
``The Rosa Parks Story,'' which will air on CBS Feb. 24 during Black History Month, also stars Cicely Tyson as Parks' mother.
Parks, then a seamstress in Montgomery, was headed home more than 46 years ago when she was arrested for refusing
to give up her bus seat to a white person. Her arrest led to the Montgomery bus boycott. Parks now lives in Detroit.
Rosa Parks
www.rosaparksinstitute.org
Poor Example Of Home-Schooling?
Britney Spears
Britney Spears yearns for higher education.
That's what the 20-year-old stunner said yesterday when asked if she might follow in the path of Natalie Portman,
Christy Turlington and other beauties who achieved success early and returned to school.
"It's funny you should ask that, because I've really, really been thinking about doing that," said Spears, who started
home-schooling at age 9. "I thought, maybe when I finished this movie ["Crossroads"], I could explore it."
She said she'd like to do even more movies.
"I would love to squeeze into that," Spears said at the Four Seasons, where she was honored as Cosmopolitan's "Fun
Fearless Female" of the year.
Spears, accompanied by mother Lynn and three bodyguards, beamed during a videotaped salute from boyfriend Justin Timberlake,
who said, "You're fun and fearless — and sexy as hell! I love you, baby."
But she grew serious when asked about Sept. 11.
"My love for New Yorkers right now is indefinite," said Spears, who donated $1 from every ticket sold during
her 31-city tour to families of 9/11 victims. "And I'll be praying for them."
Britney Spears
Her love for New Yorkers is 'indefinite'?
Oh, wait....isn't 'higher education' from a home-schooler by way of
Louisiana either beauty 'college' or offered on an infomercial with Sally Struthers?
Brief "ER" Retirement
Eriq LaSalle
Despite making a "dignified, low-key" departure from ER in December (as an NBC press release put it), Eriq LaSalle is now expected
to return this season for more episodes of NBC's top-rated drama.
But unlike the return of Sherry Stringfield, this decision wasn't made by the actor, but by producers. Warner Bros. Television
apparently wanted to get a little more work out of the original cast member, seeing how his contract was supposed to run
through the rest of the season.
"There's a terrific line from Godfather III--'Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,'" LaSalle tells Daily Variety.
According to Variety, LaSalle was written out of the show after 10 episodes so they could clear the way for costar Anthony
Edwards to say goodbye over several episodes at the end of the season.
No word yet from Warner Bros. on how many more episodes La Salle will shoot, or when he's expected to return to the set.
Brief "ER" Retirement
BC Entertainment Favorite Link
Big Dog Watch
Bill Clinton
Go west, young former president! Bill Clinton went to a posh but intimate housewarming recently in L.A. His host was the
Hon. Sim Farar, who served under his administration as the U.S. representative to the 54th general assembly for the United Nations.
Clinton and several pals - Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Kathy Ireland and Greg Olsen - were among 20 guests at the
Remington, an elegant new high rise and today's most prestigious address on Wilshire Boulevard. Mr. Bill was impressed
with the view overlooking the City of Angels, as the chef, Gerry Garvin, served him one of his favorites - Atlantic Salmon Tartare.
Clinton seems quite relaxed in his new civilian status and has the polish of an elder statesman, though it's obvious he
misses the action. He informed and entertained the group with extemporaneous informal chat.
He placed the failure of the Middle East peace talks at the feet of Rabin's assassin. He discussed the coming November
elections and stressed the need for us to be "more political but less partisan. It is important to stay involved and do
what we can to make this country a better place."
He praised his wife's work in the Senate, and noted that daughter Chelsea gets better press than either Hillary or he.
He praised New Yorkers, speaking of their courage since 9/11. He loves his Harlem office and laughs at rumors that he
might go into the movie business. His own bigger role is obviously "being a stellar American with the conviction that
the U.S. will survive these perilous times and prevail!"
Bill Clinton
Fresh From Rehab
Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli wants everything to be perfect for her March 16 wedding to manager David Gest. She's been enduring dress
fittings, double-checking the invitations and picking out canapés.
Oh, one other thing: She checked herself in for a little drug rehab.
At first, Liza wasn't too keen on sharing that detail with the world. She told Vanity Fair writer Jonathan Van
Meter that she was taking a three-week trip to Paris following her Madison Square Garden performance on Dec. 18.
But Minnelli later 'fessed up that she'd been kicking pain-killers at the Caron Foundation in Pennsylvania.
Van Meter writes in the mag's March issue that he was relieved to hear about the rehab. A few weeks before, he'd
seen a "dazed" Liza at a party at her home.
After her attempt to sing for guests including Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan and Ben Vereen fell flat, they
realized "something was terribly wrong."
That party featured more embarrassment when Minnelli hoisted 10-year-old singer Nicolas King onto her lap. Shrugging
off Gest's reminder that the boy is asthmatic, Minnelli turned to Van Meter and roared, "LIGHT ME UP, BABY!'"
Some still wonder about the nature of Minnelli and Gest's relationship. Van Meter notes that one of her previous
husbands, Peter Allen, was gay.
Gest, 48, says he lived with a girlfriend for 12 years until he was 29, and that he was "married to my career" for
years before meeting Liza.
Liza Minnelli
Pleading 'Innocent'
Winona Ryder
Actress Winona Ryder pleaded innocent Tuesday to four felony counts of theft, burglary, vandalism and possession of a
controlled substance, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said.
Ryder was arrested Dec. 12 for allegedly stealing about $4,800 in clothing from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Police
said she also possessed the painkiller Oxycodone, a morphine derivative, without a prescription.
Beverly Hills police said store security officers saw Ryder remove security tags from several items, place them
in her bag and leave the store.
Her attorney, Mark Geragos, said Ryder was only carrying items between store departments and had a valid prescription
for the drugs. Ryder earned Oscar nominations for playing the heroines in the period films "Little Women" and "The Age of Innocence."
Winona Ryder
$38 Million Donation Withdrawn
Smithsonian Institution
A promised $38 million donation to the Smithsonian Institution was withdrawn Monday, forcing the cancellation of a planned new
exhibit that critics alleged damaged the institution's integrity.
The announcement came less than three weeks after 170 activists and scholars complained that Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small,
the institution's chief executive, has commercialized the museums.
The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation pledged the money in May, earmarked for a "Spirit of America" exhibition to honor as many as
100 prominent Americans. It had been scheduled to open in 2004.
The now-scrapped 10,000-square-foot exhibit was to highlight Americans that included ice skater Dorothy Hamill, basketball legend
Michael Jordan and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. When the donation was announced, Small called it "an extraordinary gift."
The Washington Post quoted Reynolds' letter as saying criticism of the exhibit's focus on individuals rather than groups by
Smithsonian staff was the main reason she changed her mind
Smithsonian Institution
Forgot Words, Became Verklempt
Elton & Sparky
Elton John pulled a Sinatra at the Lehman Bros. party for the World Economic Conference at The Four Seasons on
Saturday. John sang all his old hits before announcing, "I'm going to sing the song that won me an Oscar, the one
that brought me closer to Jeffrey Katzenberg and his great family." He started playing the intro to "Can You Feel
the Love Tonight," and then stopped, stammering: "I'm so embarrassed. I can't remember the words."
Elton & Sparky
Is The Party Over?
Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley
It could be over between Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley.
Cage, a confessed Elvis obsessive, started stepping out with the King's princess shortly after she split with fiancé
John Oszajca in April. Recently, there'd been talk of an engagement.
But based on his Super Bowl party moves over the weekend in New Orleans, it looks like Presley has left his stadium.
The actor was spreading around his charm at a babe-stocked party that Maxim magazine threw on Friday at The Ruins.
Moving on to another club, "he had people bringing over girls to him," says a spy.
Reps for Cage and Presley maintained that the two are still together.
Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley
No 'Carryover' For ''Malcolm''
Super Bowl Ratings
The Super Bowl didn't have a super carryover for Fox.
The network was hoping to give its comedy, ``Malcolm in the Middle,'' a big boost by starting it after football's premier event on Sunday.
Although ``Malcolm'' drew 21.4 million viewers - its biggest audience ever - the show couldn't even make it onto Nielsen Media
Research's list of the 10 highest-rated shows for the week.
The comedy's viewership was less than half the 45.3 million people who stuck around last year to watch ``Survivor'' after the
Super Bowl. In fairness to Fox, ``Malcolm'' didn't get on the air until 10:52 p.m. on the East Coast.
NBC's halftime ``Fear Factor'' special with Playboy Playmates drew 11.4 million viewers. While not great, the audience was
bigger than anything else competing against the Super Bowl.
No 'Carryover' For ''Malcolm''
Updated (Nearly) Daily!
BartCop TV!
Being Stalked
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan won some peace of mind yesterday when a Santa Monica Superior Court judge ordered John Michael Hughes to stay at
least 150 yards away from the "Kate and Leopold" star and her family for the next three years.
Also included on the restraining order was the Ryan family in Malibu — no relation to the actress — whose home he allegedly
broke into last month.
Hughes spent time behind bars for his armed attempt to visit President Bush's Texas ranch last year. He was pronounced
"delusional" by a psychiatrist hired by Ryan's camp. All the same, he still believes he's married to Dennis Quaid's ex.
Asked why he was in court, Hughes answered, "My wife is a little upset with an incident we had a few months ago."
Meg Ryan
High-Profile TV Documentary
CBS 'Special'
CBS will air a two-hour special next month featuring exclusive video shot inside the World Trade Center on Sept. 11
as rescue workers charged in and occupants escaped.
The material, caught on tape by French filmmakers Gedeon and Jules Naudet, is believed to be the only such video
available from inside the complex after the planes slammed into it.
It will air on Sunday, March 10, at 9 p.m, the night before the six-month anniversary of the terrorist attack.
The Naudets were in lower Manhattan on the morning of Sept. 11, shooting a documentary on New York City firefighters.
Hearing a roar above him, Jules turned his camera toward the sky and caught pictures of the first plane striking the
trade center. He later sold the images to a video service and they were widely broadcast.
Both filmmakers rushed to the scene and kept filming, Jules inside the building complex and Gedeon outside. For awhile,
neither brother knew whether the other was still alive.
The video is dramatic but not gruesome, said Susan Zirinsky, the executive producer of the CBS broadcast. ``It is remarkable
to be in the belly of the beast but it is not difficult to watch,'' she said.
It's the second high-profile TV documentary about Sept. 11 to be announced in recent weeks, but will be the first to air. HBO
has a deal with former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to air a documentary about the attacks and their aftermath seen from his perspective.
It is scheduled for telecast on May 26.
High-Profile TV Documentary
London Exhibit
Andy Warhol
A balloon from the 'Silver Cloud' installation floats into the 'Cow Wallpaper' room during the opening of a major
retrospective of artist Andy Warhol's work at London's Tate Modern art gallery February 5, 2002. The retrospective
brings together over 150 works and will be open to the public from February 7-April 1, 2002.
Photo by Ian Waldie
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
Oscar Stolen, Returned
Whoopi Goldberg
Oscar host Whoopi Goldberg's Academy Award was stolen after it was sent out for cleaning, but was recovered Tuesday, the academy said.
Goldberg, who won the supporting-actress Oscar for ``Ghost'' in 1990, had returned it to the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences, which sent it to the manufacturer for cleaning and replating.
The academy packed up the Oscar and shipped it Friday by United Parcel Service, but the box was empty when it arrived
Tuesday at R.S. Owens Co. of Chicago, the company that makes the statues. The academy said in a statement that it was
stolen from a UPS shipping container.
Someone apparently opened the package, removed the Oscar, then resealed the box, said Brad Cafarelli, Goldberg's spokesman.
UPS spokeswoman Robin Roberts confirmed the recovery, but didn't know if the Oscar was found in the trash. She declined
to provide further details, saying the case remained under investigation.
Whoopi Goldberg
More Big Dog Watch
Bill Clinton
It was reported that Bill Clinton had a Super Bowl party at his Harlem office and that he's planning to drop in on
the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City at week's end. It's nice to see a retiree keep active.
Bill Clinton
Divorce Petition Withdrawn
Michael & Juanita Jordan
Michael Jordan and his wife of 12 years, Juanita, released a joint statement yesterday saying she had withdrawn
her divorce petition.
"We have decided to attempt a reconciliation, and our efforts to do so would be greatly enhanced if the privacy of
our personal lives is respected," said the one-sentence statement released by Jordan's lawyer.
In her divorce petition, which was dismissed by a court in Lake County in Illinois yesterday, Juanita Jordan sought
custody of their three children, possession of their 25,000-square-foot house in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park,
an "equitable" share of their marital property and unspecified alimony payments.
Michael & Juanita Jordan
A Very Special Bonus
From BartCop
Special Bonus From BartCop
``The Adventures of Sinbad the Insurance Salesman''
Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider is ready to morph from male gigolo to insurance salesman.
He is attached to star in ``The Adventures of Sinbad the Insurance Salesman,'' a comedy about a claims officer who
is unlucky in love until he meets a girl who transforms his life.
The script was written by ``Simpsons'' scribe Mike Reiss, who sold it to Paramount Pictures for a $500,000 advance
against an $850,000 payout if the film is produced.
Schneider, the star of ``The Animal'' and ``Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo,'' also intends to topline DreamWorks' ``Harv
the Barbarian,'' about a barbarian on a voyage of self-discovery.
Rob Schneider
Still More Big Dog Watch
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton still loves to stay up late. Post-Super Bowl, the former President dropped by the Waldorf, where he took part
in a Q&A at the World Economic Forum until close to 12:30 a.m. He was joined by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
An audience member says Clinton supported President Bush's contention that Tehran, Baghdad and Pyongyang were an "axis of
evil," but added: "We shouldn't give up on the people of Iran."
Bill Clinton
NAACP Hall of Fame Inductee
Little Richard
Rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard will be inducted into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People Hall of Fame on Feb. 23, the civil rights group announced on Tuesday.
Richard, known for his screaming vocals and pounding keyboard style, will join a list of past inductees that includes
actor Sidney Poitier, rhythm-and-blues artist Smokey Robinson and blues legend B.B. King.
The NAACP, the oldest and largest U.S. civil rights organization, said its Hall of Fame Award is given to artists
who have excelled throughout their careers and have been creative and innovative forces in their respective fields.
Born Richard Wayne Penniman, Little Richard has claimed to be the ``architect of rock 'n' roll.'' His first big hit
was ''Tutti Frutti'' in 1956, followed by a string of popular recordings including ``Long Tall Sally'' and ``Good
Golly Miss Molly.' He was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Little Richard
From BartCop & Scrodd
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
The Bush Rap (Sheet)
Even More Big Dog Watch
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton had a busy weekend. He was at Le Cirque Saturday for the 50th birthday party of former Small Business Adminstration
chief Fred Hochberg, the son of catalog queen Lillian Vernon. Also on hand: Sen. John Kerry and Teresa Heinz, Bob Kerrey, and
Andrew and Kerry Kennedy Cuomo. Sunday, Clinton hosted a Super Bowl party in his Harlem offices for Chris Tucker, Israel's Shimon
Peres, nightclub queen Amy Sacco and Alec Baldwin. Later he trolled for donations among the well-heeled wonks at the World Economic
Forum with a 10:30 p.m. cocktail at the Waldorf for his William Jefferson Clinton Foundation.
Bill Clinton
Joining AARP
'Mr. Potato Head'
American Association of Retired Persons president-elect Jim Parkel (L) holds young Makayla Alleyene as she blows out
the last candle on a birthday cake for "Mr. Potato Head", celebrating the 50th birthday of the perennial toy favorite
at the Hasbro showroom February 5, 2002 in New York. Parkel was on hand to present a honorary lifetime membership card
(rear) in the AARP to the sprightly spud.
Photo by Ray Stubblebine
Replacing Nathan Lane In 'The Producers'
Henry Goodman
Veteran British actor Henry Goodman is pretty much unknown in the United States, but he'll be making his Broadway
debut in the showiest of roles - replacing Nathan Lane as Max Bialystock in ``The Producers.''
Lane and his co-star Matthew Broderick will leave the smash Mel Brooks musical on March 17 after nearly a year's run,
said John Barlow, a spokesman for the show. It's unknown who will replace Broderick, although Steven Weber, best
known for co-starring in the sitcom ``Wings,'' is rumored to be in the running.
The 51-year-old Goodman starred as Shylock in an acclaimed National Theatre of Great Britain production of ``The
Merchant of Venice'' and played lawyer Billy Flynn in the London revival of ``Chicago.'' He also appeared in other
musicals there including Stephen Sondheim's ``Assassins,'' ``City of Angels'' and the National Theatre production
of ``Guys and Dolls,'' in which he portrayed another role Lane did on Broadway - gambler Nathan Detroit.
Henry Goodman
New Spokeswoman For Elizabeth Arden
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Get ready to start seeing Catherine Zeta-Jones' face everywhere you go - the sultry Welsh beauty has been tapped
as the new spokeswoman for beauty-product company Elizabeth Arden.
She'll appear in the company's new ad campaign, "Open for Beauty," which is set to be launched in June.
The price tag for Zeta-Jones' services was not disclosed, although sources said it was in the $5 million-plus range.
Her ads will include TV spots, magazine ads and personal appearances.
Other stunners who've represented beauty-product companies in the past include Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine Deneuve
and Isabella Rossellini.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Wedding News
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty just tied the knot again. The Hollywood hellcat got hitched last week to modelizing movie producer
Rick Solomon, whose credits include "I Am Sam" and "Traffic." Doherty, best known for her bitchy stints on "Beverly
Hills 90210" and "Charmed," married Solomon in Las Vegas in front of about a dozen friends and family. She was briefly
wed to actor Ashley Hamilton in 1993 and engaged to director Rob Weiss in 1995. Solomon, who has dated Devon Aoki and
Paris Hilton, has nearly as wild a past as his bad-girl bride. In September 2000, Solomon, 32, caused a scene at Lucky
Strike in SoHo when he nodded off while dining with Aoki, the catwalking Benihana heiress and current Lenny Kravitz
squeeze. When Solomon finally came to, he leaped up and crashed into other tables. The maitre 'd quickly escorted him
out. But Solomon, who manages an online gambling concern when he's not wheeling and dealing in Hollywood, managed to
win Doherty's heart. "Shannon is very happy," her mouthpiece assures.
Shannen Doherty
'Secret' Wedding News
Brandy
Brandy has hit upon a unique way to hype her new album: The R&B singer-actress announced Tuesday that she's pulled a
Janet Jackson and was married on the sly last year.
She and her groom, producer and songwriter Robert Smith (no, not the guy from the Cure), married so quietly that nobody
knew anything about it.
The timing of Brandy's bombshell just happens (wink, wink) to coincide with the release of her forthcoming album, Full
Moon. She just happens to be currently making the rounds promoting the disc, which is due out March 5, and the album's
lead single and video, "What About Us?" (The track ranked at number 13 on last week's Billboard charts and is in
heavy rotation on MTV and BET.)
Since UPN canceled Moesha last year, Brandy has been keeping a relatively low profile, which included taking classes
at Malibu's Pepperdine University. She had cut back on her hectic schedule of singing, acting, producing and modeling
after she collapsed from exhaustion in 1999 while shooting her UPN sitcom.
In addition to Moesha, Brandy (full name: Brandy Rayana Norwood) appeared in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
and Arachnophobia, voiced the role of Leah in Osmosis Jones and headlined the TV movies Cinderella and Double Platinum.
Her self-titled 1994 debut album has sold more than 3 million copies and her 1998 followup, Never Say Never, has in
excess of 5 million. She won a Grammy in 1999 for "The Boy Is Mine," her chart-topping duet with fellow R&B star Monica.
Brandy
``A Church-Going Man''
James Brown
Singer James Brown testified on Tuesday that he ``never touched'' a former employee who is suing him for alleged
sexual harassment and wrongful termination, telling jurors, ``I'm a church-going man.''
The plaintiff, Lisa Agbalaya, 36, who worked for several years in the West Coast office of the entertainer's company,
has accused Brown of making unwanted sexual advances and later firing her when she filed a complaint about his behavior.
``I never touched Ms. Agbalaya-Ross, and she knows it,'' Brown testified in the sixth day of his trial in Los Angeles
Superior Court, referring to the plaintiff by her maiden and married names. ``I didn't touch nobody, and I would
never touch a married woman.''
``I'm a church-going man,'' said Brown. ``I ain't got time for that.''
The veteran entertainer, who dressed in a blue suit, electric blue shirt and tie on his first day of testimony, has
cast himself as a celebrity targeted by a disgruntled former employee seeking to ``make a quick buck.''
James Brown
Howard Berman Asks For Investigation
Clear Channel
U.S. lawmaker asks for Clear Channel investigation
A U.S. lawmaker has asked federal regulators to investigate complaints that Clear Channel Communications Inc abused its
dominant market position as the No. 1 radio broadcaster and concert promoter to shut out competitors.
In a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael
Powell, U.S. Rep. Howard Berman called for an investigation into allegations that Clear Channel limited airplay of
artists such as Britney Spears for not using its concert promotion services.
Clear Channel has led the U.S. concert promotion market since its $4 billion acquisition of SFX Entertainment in 2000,
producing about 26,000 live events annually.
Through additional acquisitions, Clear Channel has also become the dominant force in radio, with 1,200 stations.
In his letter, Berman, a Democrat from California, said the clout of a single entity controlling radio stations,
TV stations, concert promotion services and other distribution channels for copyright content raised potential problems.
Clear Channel
In April's Playboy
Tiffany
Former teen pop idol Tiffany is back in the spotlight, this time entertaining the readers of
Playboy rather than screaming teenyboppers.
The 1980s singer, now a suburban mom, will appear in the magazine's April issue, which is scheduled to hit newsstands
March 4, a Playboy spokesman said Tuesday. The current issue offers a sneak peak of the redhead, who underwent
breast augmentation surgery, her publicist said.
``I have grown significantly, both personally and professionally, after nearly a decade of raising a family and exploring
my craft,'' Tiffany said. ``I view my appearance in Playboy as the first step in presenting myself to the world as I am.''
Tiffany, whose full name is Tiffany Renee Darwisch, struck it big in 1987 after playing to excited youngsters during a
tour of America's shopping malls. Her self-titled debut album reached No. 1 on the charts that year as did its first
two singles, ``I Think We're Alone Now'' and ``Could've Been.'' A third single, ``I Saw Him Standing There,'' peaked at No. 7.
Tiffany lives in southern California with her husband, makeup artist Bulmaro ``Junior'' Garcia and their son, Elijah.
Tiffany
In Memory
George Nader
The Standard Version
George Nader, a beefcake actor who appeared in a string of campy films including the 1953 bad-movie 3D classic "Robot
Monster," died Monday of pneumonia. He was 80.
Tony Curtis, who appeared with Nader in the 1955 crime drama "Six Bridges to Cross," called him "one of the kindest and
most generous men I've ever known."
Nader also was an author, turning to writing in the mid-1970s after an eye ailment made it difficult to act. His 1978 science
fiction novel, "Chrome," is considered groundbreaking for its depiction of a homosexual romance.
Nader was among the beneficiaries of Rock Hudson's estate after the actor died in 1985. His longtime partner, Mark Miller,
was Hudson's secretary.
Nader became an actor after serving in World War II. His big break came with the starring role battling a space alien in "Robot
Monster." The cheaply shot film became a classic among connoisseurs of amusingly bad movies, its villain a man in a gorilla
suit and a diving helmet. But it made money.
Nader won a Golden Globe Award as best male newcomer of 1954.
His sonorous voice and muscular 6-foot-1 frame made him the choice for beefcake roles in movies such as "Sins of Jezebel" with
Paulette Goddard and "The Female Animal" with Hedy Lamarr.
In 1958-59, he starred in the long-running television series "The Adventures of Ellery Queen," and the following season he
starred in the short-lived "Man and the Challenge."
In the 1960s his career moved to Europe, where he played a tough FBI agent, Jerry Cotton, in a string of German-made movies
such as "Dynamite in Green Silk."
George Nader
The 'Variety' Version
by Army Archerd
George Nader, who died Monday at age 80, was the sole heir of (the interest from) Rock Hudson's estate. Nader's ashes will
be taken out to sea in the same yacht that transported Hudson's remains and the service will be conducted by the same minister
as at Hudson's, Susan Stafford.
(Army Archerd) talked to Stafford and to Nader's lifetime partner Mark Miller at the Nader-Miller home in Palm Springs Monday. Services will
be private. Nader's other survivors are cousin Sally Kubley and nephew, actor Michael Nader.
Nader, who died at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital, had been stricken ill in June during a flight to Hawaii. Miller
said Nader ``slowly disintegrated.'' He was hospitalized in Palm Springs and in November transferred to the MPTVH. The cause
of death was given as: cardiac pulmonary failure, pneumonia and multiple cerebral infarctions.
Miller, who was Nader's partner of 55 years, was Hudson's secretary for 13 years. He says he supported both Hudson and Nader
before they got Universal contracts. Miller says he was a carhop at Jack's on the Sunset Strip.
He was called in the highly publicized legal suit by Mark Christian vs. Hudson's estate. Christian claimed Hudson kept
his AIDS diagnosis a secret from him, and Miller claims Christian said he (Miller) ``should have told me'' (about Hudson's AIDS).
Miller's response: ``I told him it was up to Rock to tell him (about the AIDS), not me.'' The settlement to Christian
dropped to $5 million from $22 million.
Miller says when doctors informed Hudson he had AIDS, ``He told me five days later. He said you can tell George, but tell
absolutely no one else. You were the first to announce he had it.'' (Arny Archerd's column in Daily Variety, July 23, 1985).
Meanwhile neither Nader nor Miller worried about contracting AIDS from Hudson, he says, ``because we never had sex with
him -- we were friends.'' Nader came out of the closet in 1986. The dashing thesp had co-starred with Hollywood's glamour
ladies -- including Esther Williams in ``Unguarded Moment,'' and Maureen O'Hara in ``Lady Godiva.''
Among the male co-stars were Tony Curtis who says, ``He was a fine man and we had a great time on 'Six Bridges to
Cross.' I will miss him.''
Nader had written a book, ``Chrome,'' described by Miller as ``a gay sci-fi.'' And just wound writing another, ``The
Perils of Paul,'' which he didn't want published until after his death. It's about the gay community in Hollywood with
names camouflaged. Nader's final public appearance was at Palm Springs' Film Noir Fest in May 2001 with the screening
of ``Nowhere to Go,'' which co-starred Maggie Smith.
George Nader
