Weekly Entertainment News

[FH]

Kevin Smith Talks Clerks Sequel
Source: ComingSoon!


Writer/director Kevin Smith is answering questions about his upcoming The Passion of The Clerks, the recently announced sequel to 1994's Clerks, on his official website. The sequel picks up 10 years later and is set to begin shooting in January at Miramax. Here's a rundown of the highlights:

-This isn't gonna be a cameo-heavy affair, a'la "Strike Back." The only returning characters are Dante and Randal, and Jay and Silent Bob.

- This isn't gonna be a star-studded affair. The biggest names in the cast are gonna be Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Jason Mewes.

- This isn't an "I'm not even supposed to be here today... AGAIN!"-heavy, wink-wink affair. We barely refer to the first flick (though I do love Lynch's proposed tagline of "They Still Don't Like You"; considering the tone of the script, an even more appropriate tagline would be "They Like You Even Less").

- Jay and Silent Bob have about as much screen time as they had in "Clerks." This is Dante and Randal's flick all the way.

- The title makes sense. Sure, there's a bit of cheekiness in there, but it's pretty appropriate, based on the material.

- We'll still be making a "Clerks" cartoon movie, separate of this.

- We almost did this flick three years ago, instead of "Strike Back." I'm glad we didn't, because I was able to say much more now than I would've then.

- That storyline about Dante and Randal shooting a movie about working at the Quick Stop is the plot of the "Clerks" CARTOON movie. It's secure. The plot of "PotC" is something completely different.

- The flick does NOT employ the tone of the "Clerks" cartoon. It's OG "Clerks" all the way.

- The flick's in both black & white and color.

- Having not seen "South Park" since season two (unless you count the movie), I was unaware they did an episode called "The Passion of the Jew." I don't know how (or if) this info will affect our title.

Visit this link above for the full list of answers!

[FH]

Scott & Darabont Aboard Sci Fi Remakes
Source: ComingSoon!
The Sci Fi Channel has signed Ridley Scott to executive produce and supervise a four-hour remake of the 1971 thriller The Andromeda Strain and Frank Darabont to take charge of a four-hour remake of The Thing, reports Variety.

Scott and Darabont join an already bulging roster of Hollywood players working on projects for Sci Fi, including Steven Spielberg (Nine Lives), Martin Scorsese (The Twelve), Gale Anne Hurd (Red Mars), Nicolas Cage (Dresden Files) and Bryan Singer and Dean Devlin (The Triangle).

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan is writing the adaptation of "Andromeda," based on Michael Crichton's novel, and David Johnson is working on the script of The Thing, based on the short story "Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell Jr.

Darabont said Johnson should complete his adaptation by Christmas and shooting could get under way next year for an airdate on Sci Fi of either December 2005 or early spring 2006.

The Thing deals with an alien parasite, which can take over the mind and body of a human being, causing havoc on a military compound isolated at the tip of the South Pole.

The Andromeda Strain centers on a group of scientists who gather at an underground facility to destroy a virus from outer space that that has killed the inhabitants of a small town in New Mexico.

[FH]

Max Howard is Animating Igor
Source: ComingSoon!
Exodus Film has hired veteran animation executive Max Howard to executive produce its CGI-animated film Igor, reports Variety. The $20 million-$25 million film is expected to be ready for theatrical release in 2007.

Igor is intended as a franchise property for the company, which expects to develop merchandising, videogame and TV spinoffs from the feature.

Written by Chris McKenna, the comedy tells the story of a hunchbacked lab assistant who has big dreams of becoming a mad scientist and winning the first place prize at the annual Evil Science Fair.

The CGI animation will be produced via Exodus' inhouse ElectroAge team. Some 50-75 animators are expected to work on the pic, which is in the character development stage; basic animation is expected to start at the end of this year.

Howard was formerly president of Warner Bros. Feature Animation and senior VP of Disney Feature Animation. He worked on such Disney pics as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. At WB he oversaw The Iron Giant and Space Jam

He most recently was an executive producer on Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron for DreamWorks and is producing the animated film The Spirit Bear, a tale about Canada's rare white kermode bear.

[FH]

Toy Story 3 in the Works?
Source: ComingSoon!
Moviehole visited Disneyland and talked to the folks behind the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command animated series who revealed that a third "Toy Story" movie is indeed in the works.

There's movement on a "Toy Story 3". The troops behind the 'Buzz Lightyear' show know a bit about it, pointing out that it'll be happening at a different camp and that it is in the planning stages (pre-production?) and definitely theatrical.

The first two films were created by Pixar which has not renewed its distribution deal with Disney. The last two films in the deal include The Incredibles and Cars.

[FH]

Lee & Hefner Team on Hef's Superbunnies
Source: SuperheroHype!
The Hollywood Reporter says that Stan Lee and Hugh Hefner are teaming on an animated pilot called Hef's Superbunnies for MTV...

A silk pajama-clad superhero fights crime with the aid of a superbuxom team of specially trained Playboy bunnies. If that logline sounds like it must be a cross between the oeuvres of Stan Lee and Hugh Hefner, that's because it is. MTV has ordered an animated pilot for "Hef's Superbunnies," a collaboration between Lee's newly launched Pow! Entertainment and Playboy's Alta Loma Entertainment division.

[FH]

Nirvana Box Primed For Holiday Success
Source: Billboard

Although a label spokesperson declined to confirm specifics, Universal Music Enterprises will release a three-CD boxed set from Nirvana in November. Limited editions of the project will include a DVD, which boasts footage of the Kurt Cobain-led band playing at a 1987 house party.

The box is expected to be one of the most in-demand items at music retail this holiday season. High hopes were fueled when portions of the DVD were screened at the recent National Association of Recording Merchandisers conference.

"From what I saw at [NARM] -- which was amazing -- I think it's going to blow everyone away," Newbury Comics music buyer Carl Mello tells Billboard. "It really will out-perform any expectations that customers may have -- even if their expectations are huge."

The boxed set was originally intended for release in Christmas 2001, to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Nirvana's breakthrough album, "Nevermind." But surviving members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic were thwarted by lawsuits from Cobain's widow Courtney Love, who objected to their planned use of the previously unreleased track "You Know You're Right" in the set.

The artists traded vicious barbs in the press, with Grohl and Novoselic claiming Love "couldn't care less about Nirvana fans. She is using Nirvana's music as a bargaining chip to increase leverage for her personal gain, without any regard for the Nirvana legacy." For her part, Love maintained Cobain was by far the driving force in Nirvana's success, and that Grohl and Novoselic were little more than hired hands.

The dispute was eventually settled in September 2002, with the parties agreeing to earmark "You Know You're Right" for a self-titled Nirvana compilation released on Oct. 29, 2002. The album has gone on to sell 1.45 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while the song rocketed to No. 1 on both Billboard's Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

"We were looking forward to releasing unheard Nirvana material for our personal sense of closure," Grohl and Novoselic said before the suit was settled. "As the cycle of life moves forward, we are each living our own lives and moving on to new things. We only wanted to go on with the assurance of knowing that all of Nirvana's music is where it really belongs; in the hearts and minds of millions of people in the world.
As previously reported, Novoselic will revisit his Nirvana past in the upcoming book "Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix this Broken Democracy!" Due later this month via RDV Books, the volume will also address Novoselic's longstanding work in political activism.


Nirvana Box Primed For Holiday Success

Margo Whitmire, L.A.; Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Although a label spokesperson declined to confirm specifics, Universal Music Enterprises will release a three-CD boxed set from Nirvana in November. Limited editions of the project will include a DVD, which boasts footage of the Kurt Cobain-led band playing at a 1987 house party.

The box is expected to be one of the most in-demand items at music retail this holiday season. High hopes were fueled when portions of the DVD were screened at the recent National Association of Recording Merchandisers conference.

"From what I saw at [NARM] -- which was amazing -- I think it's going to blow everyone away," Newbury Comics music buyer Carl Mello tells Billboard. "It really will out-perform any expectations that customers may have -- even if their expectations are huge."

The boxed set was originally intended for release in Christmas 2001, to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Nirvana's breakthrough album, "Nevermind." But surviving members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic were thwarted by lawsuits from Cobain's widow Courtney Love, who objected to their planned use of the previously unreleased track "You Know You're Right" in the set.

The artists traded vicious barbs in the press, with Grohl and Novoselic claiming Love "couldn't care less about Nirvana fans. She is using Nirvana's music as a bargaining chip to increase leverage for her personal gain, without any regard for the Nirvana legacy." For her part, Love maintained Cobain was by far the driving force in Nirvana's success, and that Grohl and Novoselic were little more than hired hands.

The dispute was eventually settled in September 2002, with the parties agreeing to earmark "You Know You're Right" for a self-titled Nirvana compilation released on Oct. 29, 2002. The album has gone on to sell 1.45 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while the song rocketed to No. 1 on both Billboard's Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

"We were looking forward to releasing unheard Nirvana material for our personal sense of closure," Grohl and Novoselic said before the suit was settled. "As the cycle of life moves forward, we are each living our own lives and moving on to new things. We only wanted to go on with the assurance of knowing that all of Nirvana's music is where it really belongs; in the hearts and minds of millions of people in the world.

As previously reported, Novoselic will revisit his Nirvana past in the upcoming book "Of Grunge & Government: Let's Fix this Broken Democracy!" Due later this month via RDV Books, the volume will also address Novoselic's longstanding work in political activism.


-- Margo Whitmire, L.A.; Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

[FH]

NEW CD RELEASES FOR SEPTEMBER 7, 2004
Source: The Movie Poop Shoot


Action Action Don't Cut Your Fabric to This Year's Fashion (Victory)

Alchemist 1st Infantry (ICE #208) (Koch)

Amon Amath Fate of Norms (Metal Bird)

Amps II Eleven Amps II Eleven (Smog Veil)

Antony & the Johnsons I Am a Bird Now (Featuring performances by Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwrithgt and Boy George.) (Secretly Canadian)

Atom I Have Returned (Nebulous)

Autolux Future Perfect (DMZ/Columbia)

Anita Baker My Everything (ICE #210) (Blue Note)

Patricia Barber Live: A Fortnight in France (ICE #210) (Blue Note/Metro Blue)

The Black Keys Rubber Factory (Fat Possum/Epitaph)

Ray Bonneville Roll It Down (ICE #210) (Red House)

The Break Handbook for the Hopeless (Ferret)

Greg Brown In the Hills of California (Red House)

John Cale HoboSapiens (Or Music)

Bob Carpenter The Sun, The Moon & The Stars (Favored Nations)

Armen Chakmakian (formerly of Shadowfax) Caravans (TruArt)

Roger Creager Live Across Texas (DualTone)

D.O.A. Live Free or Die (Sudden Death)

Dälek Absence (Ipecac)

Krishna Das Greatest Hits of Thr Kali Yuga (Karuna)

Ram Dass Meditations on the Gita (Karuna)

Guy Davis Legacy (ICE #210) (Red House)

Daz I Got Love in These Streets (Gangsta Advisory)

Dead to Fall Villainy and Virtue (produced by Eric Rachel of Hatebreed) (Victory)

Alfred Deller/The Deller Consort The Great Voice (Artemis)

Manitas Deplata The Heart of Flamenco (Artemis)

DJ Krush Jaku (Red Ink)

Julie Doiron Goodnight Nobody (Jagjaguwar)

Big Joe Duskin Big Joe Jumps Again! (ICE #210) (Yellow Dog)

The Exit Home for an Island (Some)

Ustad Faiyaz Kahn Sahib Golden Shadows (Dunya)

Fear Before the March of Flames Art Damage (Equal Vision)

Gabriel & Dresden Bloom (Nettwerk)

Gang Gang Dance Revival of the Shittiest (The Social Registry)

Bade Ghulan Ali Khan Regal Resonance (Dunya)

Girlyman Remember Who I Am (Daemon)

Hanalei We're All Natural Disasters (Thick)

Steve Hancoff Single Petal of a Rose: Duke Ellington for Solo Guitar Vol. II (Out of Time)

Darren Hayes The Tension and the Spark (Columbia)

Michael Hersch/Daniel Gaisford Piano Works (Artemis)

Seth Horan Conduit (Benchmark)

The Horror First Blood Part II (Coalition)

Jack Irons (former drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pear Jam; Eddie Vedder, Flea, Les Claypool guest) Attention Dimension (Breaching Whale)

Alan Jackson What I Do (ICE #210) (Arista Nashville)

David Jacobs-Strain Ocean or a Teardrop (NorthernBlues)

Bill Janovitz and Crown Victoria Fireworks on TV (Bill Janovitz from Buffalo Tom) (Q Division)

Michael Johnson Nonsense Goes Mudslide (Must Delicious)

Will Johnson Vultures Await (Misra)

The Juliet Dagger Turn Up the Death (Good Charamel)

Junior Jack Stupidisco (Nettwerk)

Vic Juris Blue Horizon (Zoho)

Mike Keneally and Metropole Orkest The Universe Will Provide (Favored Nations)

Kill Radio Raised on Whipped Cream (Columbia)

Klear Makin' Noise (Good Charamel)

Landing Sphere (K Records)

Last Conservative On to the Next One (Good Charamel)

Lateef & the Chief Are Maroons Ambush (EP) (Quannum)

Tim Lee No Discretion (Paisley Pop)

Jens Lekman When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog (Secretly Canadian)

Janiva Magness Bury Him at the Crossroads (ICE #208) (NorthernBlues)

MBR & MCS MBR & MCS (Epitaph)

Christine McVie In the Meantime (Koch)

Medeski Martin and Wood End of the World Party (Just in Case) (ICE #209) (Blue Note)

Jane Monheit Taking a Chance on Love (ICE #210) (Sony Classical)

Lisa O’Kane Peace of Mind (Raisin' Kane)

James Pellerite Awakenings (Azika)

Jean-Michel Pilc Follow Me (Dreyfus)

Chuck Prophet The Age of Miracles (New West)

Radio 4 Stealing of a Nation (Astralwerks)

Fiona Renshaw Love in a Bubble (Laws in Motion)

Jason Ringenberg Empire Builders (Yep Roc)

Riptyde (with Allen Holdsworth) Sonic Undertow (Alternity)

Rob K The End of the Earth (w/Jon Spencer, Kid Congo Powers, Matt Verta-Ray and Marcellus Hall) (Orange)

Sam Roberts We Were Born in a Flame (Lost Highway)

Mando Saenz Watertown (Carnival)

Senses Fail Let It Enfold You (Vagrant)

Gil Shaham/Orli Shaham The Prokofiev Album (Artemis)

Sikk the Shocker Based on a True Story (Koch)

Smoosh (sister duo from Seattle) She Like Electric (Pattern 25)

Jill Sobule Underdog Victorious (Artemis)

Bill Staines Journey Home (Red House)

Scott Stapleton A Storm Over Springtime (Undecided)

This Day & Age Always Leave the Ground (formerly titled This Day & Age) (One Eleven)

Daby Toure Last Tango In Rio (Narada)

Artie Traum Acoustic Jazz Guitar (Bela Fleck guests, plus Levon Helm and Rock Danko of the Band) (Roaring Stream)

Trio Mundo Rides Again (Zoho)

Truth Enola 6 O'Clock Straight (Solid Records)

Underminded Hail Unamerican! (Kung Fu)

Dr. Allean Verando I'm a Whosoever (Gar)

Claudia Villela and Kenny Werner Dreamtales (Adventure)

Vollmar 13 or so people who need chances (BlueSanct)

Watermelon Slim Up Close & Personal (Southern)

Ben Weaver Stories Under Nails (Fugawee Bird/Burnside)

Chyna Whyte Bad Blood (TVT)

Jesse Colin Young Living in Paradise (ICE #210) (Artemis)

VA Code of the Streets: Vol 1 (Koch)

VA Grit City Vol. 1 (Grit)

VA Judgement Day: Songs of Robert Johnson (Warlock)

VA Peace on Earth: Favorite Holiday Classics (Denon)

VA Table of the Elements Yttrium Festival, Vol. 1 (Table of the Elements)

VA Vancouver Complication (Sudden Death)

VA Who’s America (System)

OCR The Gay Life (Koch)

DVD Leif Inge 9 Beet Stretch (Table of the Elements)

DVD Kylie Minogue Body Language Live (Capitol)

DVD VA Peepshow III (w/Anti-Flag, Nerf Herder, Sick of It All and more) (Fat Wreck)

[FH]

NEW DVD RELEASES ON SEPTEMBER 7TH
Source: Videoeta

24 Hours In London

411VM Skateboarding: Bam Magera Issue

7 Days in September

Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi Volume 1 (Limited Edition)

Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi Volume 2 - Bond

Alexander's Ragtime Band (Studio Classics)

Alfred Hitchcock: The Signature Collection (Set)

Alias: The Complete Third Season

The Alligator People

AMC Hollywood Heroes

AMC Western Classics

American Dreams: Season One

American Dreams: Season One (Rental)

American Drive-In

Anastasia / Pocahantas (Spanish)

Angel: Season Four

Another Country (20th Anniversary Edition)

Apollo 13: To The Edge

The Apprentice: The Complete First Season (Rental)

The Apprentice: The Complete First Season

Are You Being Served Again: Complete Series 1-10 (Set)

Are You Being Served: The Complete Collection (Set)

Arthur: Arthur Gets Along (Edited)

The Attic Expeditions

Bad Boys II (Single Disc)

Basic Series: Aerobics

Basic Series: Pilates

Basic Series: Strength Conditioning

Basic Series: Yoga

Basket Case 3: The Progeny

Bastof Syndrome 3: Secrets Revealed

Battle Creek Brawl

Best Motoring: Fuji Fast

The Best of Beakman's World

Bewitching

Beyblade Season 3, Volume 3: Take Your Best Shot (Edited)

Beyblade Season 3, Volume 4: It's a Battle Royale (Edited)

Big Drama: Small Screen

Black Fox: The Price Of Peace

Blue Apples: Stargate Secrets of Jesus & Mary

Boiler Room

Bonanza: Under Attack

Bookies (Widescreen)

Bootmen

Booz: Puss N Boots (Full Screen)

The Boston Strangler

Boys Over Flowers Volume 7: Sleepless Night

Bringing Back the Boys

Brotherhood 2 / Brotherhood 3 (Set)

Brum: Crazy Chair Chase & Other Stories

Brum: Soccer Hero & Other Stories

The Burning Bed

Chihuly: Gardens & Glass

Christmas at Home: Assorted Holiday Cartoons

The Christmas Star

Circuit

Classic Tales

Clerks (10th Anniversary Edition)

Columbo: The Complete First Season (Rental)

Columbo: The Complete First Season

Concorde

Connie the Cow: Connie & Friends (Edited)

Connie the Cow: Connie's Adventures on the Farm (Edited)

Creation Of The Universe

Crunch: Burn & Firm Pilates

Crunch: Fat Burning Dance Party

DA: Personal Training System

Dahmer / Ed Gein Set (Set)

Dallas: The Complete First & Second Seasons (Rental)

Daniel O'Donnell: Songs of Faith (Widescreen)

Darkhunters

Dawn Of The Dead (Ultimate Edition)

Day Of The Dead

DC 9/11: Time of Crisis

Decoys (Widescreen)

Demolition Highway

Desperate Living

Dial M For Murder

Die Hard (Single Disc)

Dischord

Doing Time On Maple Drive

Don't Die Without Telling Me Where...

Dr. Who: Earthshock - The Peter Davison Years

Dr. Who: Pyramid Of Mars - The Tom Baker Years

Dragon Ball GT Volume 1: Lost Episodes (Uncut)

Eddie Murphy Raw (Widescreen)

Eden's Curve (Unrated)

Everwood: The Complete First Season (Rental)

Falling Sky

Female Trouble

Foreign Correspondent

Frank Sinatra: Singing with Friends (Full Screen)

Fred Williamson Set (Set)

Friendship Collection: Making New Friends (Edited)

Frightening

The Funhouse

Funny Ladies of British Comedy

Gad Guard Volume 2: Corruption

Gambler Returns: The Luck Of The Draw

Geburtig

Genocide (Full Screen)

Ghost Story

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning

Glass Mountain

Goosebumps: Night Of Living Dummy III

Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask II

Goosebumps: The Werewolf of Fever Swamp

Goosebumps: Welcome To Dead House

Gotham

Grampa's Monster Movies (Full Screen)

Grampa's Silly Scaries (Full Screen)

Graveyard of Honor

Guys Gone Wild

Halloween on Ice

Hans Brinker Or The Silver Skates

Hard Time

Having Your Baby: Complete Lamaze Childbirth Class

Hear No Evil

Heidi

Hello Kitty: Princess Dreams

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (Set)

Hitters

Hollywood Divas: Volume 1

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

I Confess

I'll Bury You Tomorrow

I'll Take You There

Inu-Yasha Movie: Affections Touching Across Time

Inu-Yasha Season 1 Box Set (Boxed Set)

Iron-Fisted Monk

The Island At The Top Of The World (Anniversary Edition)

Jackie Gleason (Full Screen)

Jake's Women

James Stewart: Hollywood Legend

Jenna's Dream Dates (Erotic Box Art)

Jersey Girl

Jimi (Full Screen)

Kaena: Prophecy / Cowboy Be Bop The Movie Set (Side-By-Side)

Kaena: Prophecy / Final Fantasy Set (Side-By-Side)

Kaena: Prophecy / Metropolis Set (Side-By-Side)

Kaena: The Prophecy (Widescreen)

Karen Voight: Great Weighted Workout

Karen Voight: Pure & Simple Stretch

Keen Eddie: The Complete Series (Set)

Kel Videos Live: Is That the Mitchells' Boy?

Kel Videos Live: This Face Belongs on the Tube

Kiddy Grade Volume 6: Mirror Image (Uncut)

Killing Moon

King Kong Lives

Knockabout

Krew

La Dolce Vita (Widescreen)

The Ladykillers (Full Screen)

The Ladykillers (Widescreen)

Land Speed

The Last Flight Of Noah's Ark

The Last Game

Latin Dragon

Latter Days (Widescreen Unrated)

Latter Days

The Legacy

Liberation (Full Screen)

Life Beyond Earth

Life Kills (Spanish)

Life Kills

Little Red

London Voodoo

Lone Hero

Lonesome Dove: Outlaw Years

M*A*S*H (Single Disc)

Maggie & The Ferocious Beast: Puzzles & Picnics (Full Screen)

Magnum P.I.: The Complete First Season (Rental)

Magnum P.I.: The Complete First Season

Mariza: Live in London (Full Screen)

The Martian Chronicles

Mask (Director's Cut)

Maximum Overdrive

Me & Mrs. Jones

Memphis Belle (Full Screen)

Men's Mix 1: Gay Shorts Collection

The Missing (Single Disc)

Monster Pack (Includes free item)

Mork & Mindy: The Complete First Season (Set)

Mork & Mindy: The Complete First Season (Checkpoint)

Moving Target

Mr. And Mrs. Smith

Mr. Vampire

Murder On The Orient Express (Widescreen Checkpoint)

Murder On The Orient Express (Widescreen)

Music In My Heart (Full Screen)

My Favorite Martian: The Complete First Season

The Mystery Of The Sphinx

The Mystery Of The Sphinx

Mystique: Cover Models In Paradise

Naked In New York (Full Screen)

Nature: Explore Your Mind Set (Set)

Never Cry Wolf

The New Adventures Of Pinocchio

New York Giants: The Complete History

A Night in Compton

Night Of The Living Dead

Nora

North By Northwest

Nova: Secrets of Lost Empires 2 - Medieval Siege

Obsessed

On the Banks of the Niemen

On The Edge

One Little Indian

One Magic Christmas

Peep Show

Philadelphia Eagles: The Complete History

Photographer (Full Screen)

Pink Flamingos

Polyester

Pope John Paul II: His Life & Legacy

Possums

The Postman Fights Back

Power Pilates: Beginner Workout

Power Pilates: Intermediate Workout

Power Pilates: Post-Pregnancy Workout

Power Rangers Dino Thunder Vol 2: Legacy of Power

Power Rangers Dino Thunder Vol 3: White Thunder

Pride

Princess Party: Volume One

Princess Stories Volume 1: A Gift From The Heart

Project Human Weapon

The Punisher

R-Generation (Full Screen)

Raiders: The Complete History

Red Heat (Special Edition)

Resident Evil (Deluxe Edition)

Robotech Re-master 5

Rod TV Volume 2: Undercover Student

Rounders (Collector's Edition)

Saikano Volume 3: Changes

Second Chance

Second Chance

The Sentinel

Sex, Shame & Tears (Spanish)

Sex, Shame & Tears

The Shark Hunter

Si Quiero (Spanish)

Sing Along: Disney Princess Once Upon A Dream

SNL: Best of Chris Kattan

SNL: Best of Christopher Walken

SNL: Best of Tracy Morgan

SNL: Best Of Will Ferrell Set (Set)

SNL: Best Of Will Ferrell Volume 2

Soul Plane (Unrated Special Edition)

Soul Plane (Special Edition)

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring (Widescreen)

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale

Sssssss

Stage Fright

Steven Hawkings Universe

Storyteller: Greek Myths

Strangers On A Train

Street Mobster

Suspicion

Tales From The Crypt Deadly Duo (Franchise Collection)

Terror Train

Tex

They Looked Away (Full Screen)

Third Man On The Mountain

Three Coins In The Fountain (Studio Classics)

The Three Faces Of Eve (Studio Classics)

Topo Gigio Volume 3 (Spanish)

Total Circuit Training

Totally Confused (Unrated)

Trainer's Edge: Complete Body Workout (Set)

Trainer's Edge: Killer Butt with Dolores Munoz (Full Screen)

Trainer's Edge: Long & Lean Yoga (Full Screen)

Tres Hombres Malo

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series (Set)

The United States of Leland (Checkpoint)

The United States of Leland (Widescreen)

Unsolved Mysteries: UFOs (Set)

Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love

The Vanishing

Whispers In The Dark (Widescreen)

Whispers In The Dark (Checkpoint)

Will & Grace: Season Three (Boxed Set)

Without a Trace: The Complete First Season (Rental)

Woman Sesame Oil Maker

Working Trash

The Wrong Man

Yankeeography Volume 2

[FH]

A Labor Day Hero
Source: E!


For the second weekend in a row, the spectacular Chinese martial-arts saga, subtitles and all, beat back the Hollywood fare, earning $11.5 million over the typically slow four-day holiday weekend, according to estimates Monday.

Despite dropping 51 percent, Zhang Yimou's critically acclaimed epic--about an would-be assassin who sacrifices himself for peace in the kingdom, and the all-time top-grossing film in China (where it opened in 2002)--has now earned $35.2 million since Miramax released it two weeks ago in North America.

Paramount's buddies-in-the-wild comedy Without a Paddle, only down 18 percent from last weekend, moved up one slot to second in its third week with a four-day haul of $9.4 million.

Screen Gems' giant snakes sequel Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, down a giant 51 percent, dropped one slot in its second week earning $8 million in third place.

With the top three slots occupied by established movies, newcomers got the short shrift.

The most successful of the bunch, Paparazzi, clicked into fourth place with an estimated four-day total of $7.8 million. Fox's PG-13 revenge rant, produced by Mel Gibson, who pops up in a cameo, is headlined by Cole Hauser as a movie star enraged by the stalking tactics of the celebrity photographer pack, particularly the sleaziest snapper played by Tom Sizemore.

In sixth place, Wicker Park, MGM's PG-13 murder mystery thriller starring Josh Hartnett as a guy whose cool life is upended when he gets teasing glimpses of a lost love, only managed $6.7 million over four days.

In relatively limited release, Vanity Fair earned a four-day $6.11 million. The adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel starring Reese Witherspoon as Becky Sharp, an ambitious English gal social climbing during the turbulent era of the Napoleonic wars, had the highest per-screen average in the top 10. At 1,051 sites the PG-13 Focus Films entry averaged $5,821 per screen from Friday thru Sunday, earning $4.8 million for those three days, with the audience skewing older and female. In comparison over the same period, Hero averaged $5,513 at 2,092 sites, a three-day take of $8.8 million.

The Cookout, booked into 1,303 sites, opened in ninth place with $6.1 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend. Audiences not stuck to their own grills helped the comedy tally a $4,682 per-screen average. Produced by Queen Latifah, who makes a cameo appearance, the PG-13 Lions Gate release about a young basketball star whose multimillion-dollar contract causes havoc with his home-cooking family, features an ensemble that includes Tim Meadows, Eve, Jenifer Lewis, Danny Glover and Farrah Fawcett and Storm P.

On the art-house circuit, the Destination Films and Samuel Goldwyn Films subtitled release Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War, a reflection on the Korean War directed by Kang Je-gyu, averaged $12,585 at 29 sites for a three-day total of $264,536 and earned $364,396 over the entire holiday weekend.

At just two sites, another subtitled import--this one from Italy--the Roadside Attractions release Remember Me: My Love, averaged $10,679. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, the drama about a family pressured by modern-day culture earned $15,378 over three days and $21,358 over four.

With Labor Day marking the official end of the summer box-office season, the top 12 films earned $83.4 million over four days and $64.5 million over three. That feeble total was the lowest Labor Day weekend gross since 2000, down a whopping 21 percent from 2003's holiday haul. Studio apologists cite the impact of Hurricane Frances, which they estimated to have swept away 5 percent of possible overall weekend business.

Here's a rundown of the top 10 films over the four-day period (the Friday-Sunday figures are in parenthesis) as compiled by Exhibitor Relations from initial studio estimates; final figures are due Tuesday:

1. Hero, $11.5 million ($8.8 million)
2. Without a Paddle, $9.4 million ($7 million)
3. Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, $8 million ($6.2 million)
4. Paparazzi, $7.8 million ($6.1 million)
5. The Princess Diaries 2, $7.3 million ($5.4 million)
6. Wicker Park, $6.7 million ($5.4 million)
7. Collateral, $6.5 million ($5 million)
8. Vanity Fair, $6.11 million ($4.8 million)
9. The Cookout, $6.1 million ($5 million)
10. The Bourne Supremacy, $5.4 million ($4.1 million)

[FH]

No Moore ‘Best Documentary’ Oscar’s
Source: Moviehole

Michael Moore, the man behind “Roger & Me” and “Bowling For Columbine” has declared that he will not submit his powerful “Fahrenheit 9/11” for the ‘Best Documentary’ award at the 2005 Academy Awards.

Instead, he & co-producer Harvey Weinstein will throw their collective hat into the ring for the ‘Best Picture’ category.

"It's not that I want to be disrespectful and say I don't ever want to win a (documentary) Oscar again,
This just seems like the right thing to do.”
He also stated that he doesn’t want to “take away from the other nominees and the attention that they richly deserve".

Without weighing into the debate that has raged over “Fahrenheit” (personally, I believe “Columbine” was a better feature) and it’s truths or embellishments, I can’t see it taking the golden boy home, but I know that a lot of Bush supporters have proclaimed that it is the greatest work of fiction ever created, so maybe “Best Picture” would be the place for it…...

[FH]

Atari to reissue scores of old games
Source: AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Atari wants to take you back in time, and to get there, you can ride a "Centipede" or an "Asteroid," or bounce back and forth between the pixilated paddles of "Pong."


The video game company told The Associated Press on Tuesday it plans to reissue scores of its classic titles from yesteryear on a single disc that can be played on the game consoles Xbox and PlayStation 2.

"Atari Anthology" will feature 85 games and is scheduled to go on sale in November at a cost of about $20.

But it's only one of the nostalgia projects Atari will push into the market then. The second is Atari Flashback, a slightly miniaturized version of the old Atari 7800 from the mid-'80s. It will have 20 games built into it, including "Breakout," "Solaris," "Crystal Castles" and "Battlezone."

Flashback will sell for $45 and include a pair of old-school joysticks.

Atari isn't expecting its decades-old games to compete on a technical level, like "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," "Halo" and "Madden NFL 2005" that feature colorful realistic graphics, fast-moving 3-D action and the freedom to roam at will.

Instead, the company is aiming at the nostalgia market.

"It's a time machine. You go back to your childhood and you play," Atari chief executive Bruno Bonnell said.

And for gamers who weren't even born when the first PlayStation appeared?

"The kids will think this is quick, this is fast to understand, and we don't need a manual to understand it," he added. "We're going after two generations."

Even "Pong," perhaps the most primitive of the games with its simple white square bouncing across the screen, may still have some appeal.

"The more primitive the better. It shows that video games are not just about high-end graphics or sophisticated representation. It's about the game-play, the challenge to the player," Bonnell said.

The "Atari Anthology" disc will offer new twists on the games, too: "trippy mode," which renders the graphics in psychedelic colors, and "time warp" and "double speed," which can alter the pace of on-screen action.

Besides its array of classic Atari 2600 and 7800 titles, the Atari Flashback console will include one previously unreleased game: "Saboteur."

Reissuing classic games in the modern consoles has become common over the years. "Sonic the Hedgehog" and its sequels from the early 1990s turned up on Nintendo's GameCube, and the old martial-arts challenge "Street Fighter" series returned on PlayStation 2.

But those titles still look like science-fiction dreaming compared to the jumping dots and boxes of the old Atari games.

Still, there is a market for even those old games, and the Internet proves it: Countless sites offer free downloads of the programs for playing on PCs — leading to rampant bootlegging.

But Bonnell downplayed the impact bootlegging could have on sales for "Atari Anthology" and the Atari Flashback console.

"You're right to say that a lot of them are bootlegged, and the code is not the right code, and the color is not the right color. But here we're offering them ... and you don't go through collecting the games on the Internet and being scared of the viruses that are going to pollute your computer at some point."

Despite their simple appearance, the games can be very difficult, he added — especially for people who are two decades out of practice.

"They are not easy to master," Bonnell said. "Some people believe that because they are old games they will finish them very soon. But I think people will be sweating to finish."

[FH]

This week's comic-list still isn't out, so I will post it when it's completed.

[FH]

Aquaman to be a Goofy Movie?
Source: SuperheroHype!
Comic Book Resources has an interesting rumor about the possible Aquaman adaptation...

Allegedly, DC's lord of the seas is getting the cinematic treatment, courtesy of producers Alan and Peter Riche and writer Ben Grant. Rob's source said, "They want this Aquaman to be a goofy screwball comedy. Their thought was, 'since he's such a stupid character let's play that up.'"

Stay tuned for whether or not there is any truth to this.

[FH]

NEW COMIC-BOOK RELEASES FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2004
Source: DiamondComics

Due to the Labor Day Holiday, Comics will hit the stores on Thursday
The following products are expected to ship to comic book
specialty stores this week. Note that this list is tentative
and subject to change. Please check with your retailer for
availability.

PREMIER PUBLISHERS

DARK HORSE

JUL040054 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #93 (MR) $2.99
JUN040022 GO GIRL VOL 1 THE TIME TEAM TP $5.95
JUN040027 GRENDEL DEVILS REIGN #4 (Of 7) (MR) $3.50
MAY040105 MIGHTY MOUSE ORNAMENT $14.99
JUN040091 PETE FOWLER COASTER SET $12.99
APR040138 ROBERT E HOWARDS VALERIA BUST $49.99
JUL040114 SHI COASTER SET $12.99
JUN040050 SPYBOY FINAL EXAM #4 (Of 4) $2.99
JUN040057 STAR WARS EMPIRE #24 $2.99

DC COMICS

JUL040686 100 BULLETS #53 (MR) $2.50
JUL040597 ACTION COMICS #819 $2.50
JUL040609 AQUAMAN #22 $2.50
JUL040576 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #183 $2.50
JUL040590 BATMAN WAR DRUMS TP $17.95
JUL040688 BITE CLUB #6 (Of 6) (MR) $2.95
JUL040610 BLOODHOUND #3 $2.95
JUL040613 CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #4 (Of 6) $2.95
JUL040692 FABLES #29 (MR) $2.50
JUL040617 FALLEN ANGEL #15 (MR) $2.95
JUL040675 GEN 13 ORDINARY HEROES TP (MR) $14.95
JUL040595 GOTHAM CENTRAL #23 $2.50
JUL040621 GREEN ARROW #42 $2.50
JUL040631 JLA #105 $2.25
JAN040308 JOKER DC CLASSIC ANIMATION MAQUETTE BTAS $89.95
JUL040633 JSA #65 $2.50
JUL040663 MAD MAGAZINE #446 $3.50
JUL040577 NIGHTWING #97 $2.25
JUN040416 OUTSIDERS #15 $2.50
JUL040661 SCOOBY DOO #88 $2.25
JUL040681 SMAX HC (MR) $19.95
JUL040601 SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL VOL 3 TP $19.95
JUL040647 TEEN TITANS #15 $2.50
JUL040651 TOUCH #6 $2.50
JUL040668 WHITE LAMA VOL 1 REINCARNATION TP (MR) $17.95
JUL040653 WONDER WOMAN CHALLENGE OF GODS TP $19.95

IMAGE

DEC031310 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #10 (MR) $2.50
JUL041756 DEEP SLEEPER #4 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95
JUL041757 FORSAKEN #2 $2.95
JUN041415 STRYKEFORCE #5 (Of 5) $2.99
JUL041779 SWORD OF DRACULA #6 $2.95
JUN041416 TOMB RAIDER #45 $2.99
JUL041781 ULTRA #2 (Of 8) $2.95
JUN041381 VICTORY VOL 2 CVR A SANDOVAL #1 (Of 4) $2.95
JUN041382 VICTORY VOL 2 CVR B CRUZ #1 (Of 4) $2.95
MAY041442 WALKING DEAD #10 (MR) $2.95

MARVEL

JUL042022 CAPTAIN AMERICA #31 $2.99
JUL041978 DISTRICT X #5 $2.99
JUL042053 ESSENTIAL SUPER VILLAIN TEAM UP TP $16.99
JUL042035 IDENTITY DISC #4 (Of 5) $2.99
JUL042013 MARVEL AGE HULK #1 $1.75
JUL041977 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #6 $2.99
JUN041644 MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 7 2ND ED HC $49.99
JUN041645 MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 7 HC VAR DUST JACKET $54.99
JUL042039 POWERS #4 (MR) $2.95
JUL041976 PULSE #5 $2.99
JUL042031 SHE HULK #7 $2.99
JUL042025 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #19 $2.25
JUL042048 THANOS VOL 5 SAMARITAN TP $14.99
JUL042036 THE PUNISHER #11 (MR) $2.99
JUL042033 THOR SON OF ASGARD #8 $2.99
JUL041986 ULTIMATE X-MEN #51 $2.25
JUL042042 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 9 THE TEMPEST TP $10.99
JUL042028 WARLOCK #1 $2.99
JUL042005 X-FORCE #2 $2.99
JUL042003 X-MEN THE END BOOK ONE DREAMERS AND DEMONS #3 (Of 6) $2.99

WIZARD

JUL042475 TOYFARE #87 DC COMICS IDENTITY CRISIS CVR $4.99
JUL042476 TOYFARE #87 GUNDAM TOYS CVR $4.99

COMICS

JUL042512 APOCALYPSE MEOW MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99
JUN042220 ARCHIE AND FRIENDS #85 $2.19
JUL042786 ARMAGEDDON BOOK 1 GN (Of 11) $9.99
MAR042236 ASSASSIN SCHOOL VOL 2 #3 $3.50
JUN042197 B1N4RY #2 $3.50
JUN042122 BAD MOJO GN (MR) $12.95
JUN042899 BATTLE ANGEL ALITA VOL 5 TP 2ND ED $9.95
JUL042545 BEAR #6 $2.95
MAY042163 BEST OF THE WEST #42 $5.95
JUL042513 BOSS MANGA VOL 3 TP $9.99
JUL043018 BROTHER DESTINY #1 $2.99
JUN042583 CANDYAPPLEBLACK #3 (Of 7) (MR) $3.50
MAY042298 CHASE #1 $3.50
MAY042200 COMPLETE SUICIDE BLONDE TP (MR) $16.95
MAY042291 DARKHAM VALE DRACOU IMPERATIVE #1 $3.50
MAY042345 DAVE JOHNSON SKETCHBOOK SGN $9.99
MAY042639 DF AVENGERS FINCH SGN #500 $19.99
JUL042869 DF DEFINITIVE DREADSTAR HC $49.95
MAY042615 DFE ARMY OF DARKNESS ASHES 2 ASHES PHOTO SGN #1 $19.99
JUN042757 ECLIPSE AND VEGA SUPER SIZED SPECIAL #1 $3.50
JUL042927 FIRE PROVES IRON GROUNDED STARS GN $9.95
MAY042865 FURRLOUGH #139 $2.99
JUL042708 GOLDEN CAIN GN (A) $15.99
JUN042400 GUNDAM SEED VOL 2 GN $10.95
MAY042867 HIT THE BEACH 2004 $4.99
JUL043088 IN THE SHADOW OF NO TOWERS GN $19.95
JUL042958 JANES WORLD #15 $5.95
JUN042098 JINKI EXTEND MANGA VOL 2 TP (MR) $9.99
JUN042226 JUGHEAD #160 $2.19
JUL042698 JUNGLE FANTASY #5 DINO ATTACK NUDE CVR (MR) $6.00
JUL042699 JUNGLE FANTASY #5 LITTLE FRIENDS ED $5.99
MAY042372 JUNGLE FANTASY FAUNA CVR #5 (MR) $3.50
MAY042375 JUNGLE FANTASY FAUNA NUDE CVR #5 (MR) $6.00
MAY042373 JUNGLE FANTASY TUNDRA CVR #5 (MR) $3.50
MAY042376 JUNGLE FANTASY TUNDRA NUDE CVR #5 (MR) $6.00
MAY042374 JUNGLE FANTASY WRAPAROUND CVR #5 (MR) $3.50
JUN042914 KARE FIRST LOVE VOL 1 GN $9.95
JUL042709 KIZUNA BONDS OF LOVE BOOK 1 GN (A) $15.99
JUL043003 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #95 $3.99
JUL043005 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE ILLUSTRATED #38 $2.99
JUN042915 KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC VOL 5 GN $7.95
JUN042228 LAUGH DIGEST #196 $2.39
MAR042694 LOUIS DREAMS NEVER DIE SC W VINYL DISC $14.99
MAY042281 MANGAZINE #57 $9.99
MAY042822 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL 1 TP $12.95
MAY042825 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL 3 #6 $2.95
JUN042917 MEGAMAN NT WARRIOR VOL 3 GN $7.95
MAY042868 MILK #42 (A) $3.50
JUN042665 MOONSTONE MONSTERS DEMONS #1 $2.95
JUL042790 NADESICO BOOK FOUR TP NEW PTG $9.99
MAY042285 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #119 $2.99
MAY043032 NIPPLE MAGICIAN VOL 1 NEUE WALKURE #3 (OF 4) (A) $3.95
JUN042439 ONLY THE RING FINGER KNOWS VOL 1 GN $12.95
JUN042923 PRINCE OF TENNIS VOL 3 GN $7.95
JUN042756 REAL LIFE THE COMPLETE YEAR ONE COLLECTION GN (RES) $24.95
JUL042712 RUULE KISS & TELL #4 (Note Price) $1.99
JUL042516 SAINT MARIE MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99
MAY042892 SCARY GODMOTHER SPOOKACULAR STORIES TP $9.95
JUN042926 SHAMAN KING VOL 4 TP $7.95
JUN042896 SHONEN JUMP VOL 2 #10 OCT 2004 $4.99
JUL042765 STARGATE SG1 FALL OF ROME #1 GOLD FOIL ED $5.99
JUL042517 STEEL ANGEL KURUMI MANGA VOL 8 TP (MR) $9.99
JUL042504 STRANGE EMBRACE TP (O/A) (MR) $14.95
JUN042078 STRANGERS IN PARADISE VOL III #68 $2.95
JUL042518 SWEET & SENSITIVE MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99
JUL042519 THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES MANGA VOL 7 TP $9.99
JUL042846 TRANSFORMERS WAR WITHIN VOL 2 DARK AGES TP $17.95
JUN042402 TSUBASA VOL 2 GN $10.95
JUN042758 ULTIMATE DANGER COMICS COLL TP $9.95
JUL043317 ULTIMATE MUSCLE VOL 2 GN (RES) $7.95
MAY042362 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS #4 NECROMANCER WRAP CVR (Of 6) $3.50
MAY042361 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS NECROMANCER #4 (Of 6) (MR) $3.50
JUN042698 WILDFLOWER LOST YESTERDAYS #1 SGN ED $6.00
JUN042440 WORST VOL 1 GN $12.95
JUN042931 YU GI OH VOL 6 TP $7.95

MAGAZINES

FEB042842 007 MAGAZINE #43 $16.00
JUN042725 2000 AD #1401 $3.75
JUN042726 2000 AD #1402 $3.75
JUN042729 2000 AD EXTREME ED #5 $5.99
APR043054 COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE #114 $6.95
JUL043397 COMIC SHOP NEWS #899 PI
JUL043445 GIANT ROBOT #34 $4.95
MAY043159 INTERNATIONAL TATTOO DEC04 $5.99
MAY043166 PENTHOUSE OCT04 (A) $7.99
JUN043099 PENTHOUSE VARIATIONS OCT04 (A) $4.99
JUN043056 PLAYBOY LINGERIE SEP OCT (A) $7.99
JUN043057 PLAYBOY SPECIAL SEP OCT (A) $7.99
MAY043169 PSE2 SEP04 $3.99
JUN043059 SFX #121 $8.25
JUN043014 SPORTS COLLECTORS DIGEST #1248 $4.50
JUN043063 STAR TREK COMMUNICATOR #152 $6.95
MAY043135 STARBURST #314 $6.99
MAY043136 STARBURST SPECIAL #65 $9.99
JUN043110 TATTOO NOV04 $5.99
JUN043113 THRASHER OCT04 $3.99
JUN043020 TOY CARS AND MODELS MAGAZINE OCT 2004 #79 $5.99
JUL043429 TOY SHOP #341 $4.99
JUN043069 ULTIMATE DVD #57 $7.99
JUN043070 VIDEO WATCHDOG #111 $7.95
MAY043184 XXL OCT04 $3.95

[FH]

Warner Bros. Remaking Hawaii Five-O
Source: ComingSoon!
Warner Bros. has acquired remake rights to Hawaii Five-O, with Ocean's Twelve screenwriter George Nolfi set to write the script, reports Variety. George Litto, who was the agent of series creator Leonard Freeman, will produce the film.

With its lush Oahu setting, popular theme song and signature lead detective character Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord), Hawaii Five-O is perhaps the most remake-friendly TV series not previously under studio control, says the trade. CBS broadcast the series from 1968 to 1980.

Nolfi has begun writing and filming is expected to start next Spring in Oahu for an early Summer 2006 release. There is even a time schedule for sequels. Nolfi is reportedly sticking close to the original "Five-O" series plot.