Von: Ztainment@AOL.com[SMTP:Ztainment@AOL.com] Gesendet: Montag, 8. Februar 1999 18:59 An: Ztainment@AOL.com Betreff: ZENtertainment #287 ---------------<>--------------- February 8th, 1999 Issue #287 <<- - - - - - - - - - - - MUSIC - - - - - - - - - - - ->> David Bowie and a reunited SPLIT ENZ are among the first acts to commit to performing GISBORNE 2000 this New Year's Eve in Gisborne City, New Zealand. With the way the sun rises, the city will be the first to greet the new millennium on January 1st, and an epic 24-hour celebration is shaping up around the festivities. http://www.gisborne2000.co.nz The organizers of WOODSTOCK are awaiting final approval on permits for WOODSTOCK '99, July 23rd, 24th, and 25th, in Rome, New York, following a WOODSTOCK '99 in Vienna, Austria, July 16th, 17th, and 18th. The festival's line-ups are expected to be announced next month. V2 Records have announced they'll release the solo album former INXS frontman Michael Hutchence was working on from '95-'97, before his death. Additionally, V2 plan to re-release Hutchence's 1989 side project MAX Q, who had a hit with "Way of the World." -----> NEW RELEASES -----> "*" - Recommended by ZEN - February 9th - MICHAEL FLATLEY Feet of Flames (Philips) JOHN WESLEY HARDING Trad Arr Jones (Zero Hour) GIGOLO AUNTS Minor Chords and Major Themes (E Pluribus Unum) SPARKLEHORSE Good Morning Spider (Capitol) BUILT TO SPILL Kepp It Like a Secret (WB) DAVID SYLVIAN Dead Bees on a Cake (Virgin) ADRIAN BELEW Salad Days (Thirsty Ear) JIMI HENDRIX Live at the Fillmore East (MCA) EXODUS Pleasures of the Earth (Combat) JEFFERSON STARSHIP Windows of Heaven (CMC) LINDA RONSTADT, DOLLY PARTON, & EMMYLOU HARRIS Trio II NEIL DIAMOND The Best of the Movie Album: As Time Goes By FEVER Too Bad But True (Digital Hardcore Recordings) SICK OF IT ALL Call to Arms (Fat Wreck Chords) COLLECTIVE SOUL Dosage (Atlantic) MARK CHESNUTT I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (Decca) The DEL McCOURY BAND The Family (Ceili) RALPH STANLEY II Listen to my Hammer Ring (Rebel) ROKY ERIKSON Demon Angel (Triple X) TIN STAR The Thrill Kisser (V2) Various 1999 GRAMMY NOMINEES (Elektra) Various 1999 GRAMMY RAP NOMINEES (Elektra) Various SONGS FOR THE BROKENHEARTED (Glue Factory) Plus... DARK ANGEL, CRUMBSUCKERS, BIOHAZARD, NEVILLE BROTHERS, THE LIVING END, JOYDROP, STACEY EARLE, DEFARI, SELECTER, PAUL WINTER, SACRED STEEL, PLATYPUS, and the soundtracks to *JAWBREAKER, *HEDGWIG & THE ANGRY INCH, PAYBACK, TANGO, and MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. <<- - - - - - - - - - - - - TV - - - - - - - - - - - - ->> FOX is expected to announce its Saturday morning line-up for the fall any day now, and it's believed to include both an animated AVENGERS series based on the MARVEL Comics series, and a BIG GUY AND RUSTY THE BOY ROBOT animated series based on Frank Miller & Geoff Darrow's creation. Jonathan Cook (Flirting with Disaster) voices Big Guy, Pamela Segall (King of the Hill, The Facts of Life) voices Rusty, Jim Hanks (Forrest Gump) voices Duane Hunter, and the show also features vocal contributions from Steven Root (Newsradio, KotH), Kathy Kinney (The Drew Carey Show), R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket), M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner), Clancy Brown (Starship Troopers), and Gabrielle Carteris (Beverly Hills 90210). Dogbert hitches a ride on the space shuttle on a new episode of DILBERT premiering tonight at 8 on the UPN. The animated episode also features the first appearance by Lena, the Xena of Engineers. Wife Anne Meara and daughter Amy Stiller guest star with husband/father Jerry Stiller on the former SEINFELD's comedian's new sitcom, KING OF QUEENS, tonight at 8:30, on CBS. We'll learn Ling is also a lawyer on a new ALLY McBEAL tonight at 9 on FOX, where she'll team up with Ally to work with a terminally ill boy who wants to sue God. A new paramedic drama entitled RESCUE 77 premieres on The WB Monday, March 15th, at 9pm, replacing HYPERION BAY, which will have then finished its 13-episode run. RESCUE is from Aaron Spelling and screenwriter Gregory Widen (Backdraft), and stars Richard Roundtree (Shaft), Christian Kane (Fame L.A.), Marjorie Monaghan (Regarding Henry), and Victor Browne (One Life to Live). Buffy accidentally takes her first human casualty on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Tuesday night at 8 on the WB, after a new Watcher (Alex Denisof) leads her and Faith to make foolish choices. Matthew McConaughey (Dazed and Confused, Ed TV, U-571) lends his voice to a new KING OF THE HILL, Tuesday night at 8, playing Luanne's new boyfriend. Brian Dennehy returns to JUST SHOOT ME this Tuesday at 9 on NBC, but trouble ensues when his character (Finch's father) gets engaged to Nina (Wendy Malick). Wedding bells are tolling all through NBC's schedule, as this week includes Don proposing to Sally on THIRD ROCK and Will being pressured by his mother (guest star Debbie Reynolds) to propose to Grace on WILL & GRACE, and then next week is the FRIENDS episode in which Chandler proposes to Monica. Chris Elliott (There's Something About Mary, Dilbert) guest stars on HBO's TRACEY TAKES ON... this Wednesday night at 10, as Tracey takes on the subject of books. The episode also has Tracey characters Fern going to extreme measures to get back an autographed copy of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and Linda mistaking Chekhov for STAR TREK's CHEKHOV'S ENTERPRISE at a book reading. CORRECTION: Julianna Margulies' name was incorrectly listed as Julia in the first handful of ZEN's to go out last Friday. <<- - - - - - - - - - - - MOVIES - - - - - - - - - - - ->> DAILY VARIETY has confirmed news of WARNER BROS. remaking WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, adding that Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Minority Report) has been hired to write the script. The film, which is being done in cooperation with the estate of Roald Dahl and is expected to be closer to the children's novel it's based on, is rumored to star Nicolas Cage as Wonka. http://www.variety.com VARIETY reports Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking to revive his epic action film CRUSADE, and is in "serious" talks with producer Arnon Milchan, who has an overall arrangement at FOX. Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers, Total Recall), who was once attached to the project, is mentioned as its possible director. VARIETY columnist Michael Fleming reports progress is being made on the litigation tying up a potential SPIDER-MAN feature film. MGM's claims to proprietary rights have been dismissed, and while they are expected to appeal, it appears SONY is the only other studio claiming ownership rights. According to The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, Leonardo DiCaprio has committed to star in GANGS OF NEW YORK, a drama developed at WALT DISNEY Pictures by director Martin Scorsese and writer Jay Cocks (Strange Days). Furthermore, Robert De Niro is now in talks to co-star, reuniting with DiCaprio for the first time since 1993's THIS BOY'S LIFE. The film is expected to be a co-venture between DISNEY and WARNER BROS., with Scorsese beginning production this fall. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com VARIETY reports FOX is expected to pick up THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT, a drama about a 1971 Stanford University psychology experiment in which a professor turned a basement into a mock prison. Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to star in the film, with Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors, The Edge, Mulholland Falls) directing. IN PICTURES has acquired the North American distribution rights to IN SEARCH OF KUNDUN WITH MARTIN SCORSESE, a documentary by Michael H. Wilson chronicling the making of Scorsese's Dalai Lama biopic. IN SEARCH OF will open in New York this April. An official release date of March 12th has been set for the WING COMMANDER feature film, bringing the long-running space combat video game franchise to the big screen. The film is directed by WC creator Chris Roberts, and anyone that has seen the effects work done by DIGITAL ANVIL would rave about them if they could get their jaw off the ground. It's cast includes Freddie Prinze Jr., (She's All That) as Christopher "Maverick" Blair, Matthew Lillard (Scream, She's All That) as Todd "Maniac" Marshall, and Saffron Burrows (Hotel de Love, Deep Blue Sea) as Jeanette "Angel" Devereaux. Plus... Seeing as how this is a FOX film being released in March, and a sci-fi one to boot, it's almost a certainty that the STAR WARS - EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE full trailer will premiere before it. http://www.wcmovie.com Freddie Prinze, Jr., has signed on to star in DOWN TO YOU, a MIRAMAX romantic drama about two college students. Alessandro Nivola (Face/Off) and Natascha McElhone (Ronin, The Truman Show) have signed on to star in Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of LOVE'S LABOURS LOST. Nivola will play the king in the film, joining a cast that includes Branagh, Alicia Silverstone, Matthew Lillard, and Nathan Lane. VARIETY reports Ryan Phillipe (54, Playing by Heart), Alan Cumming (Cabaret), and Anthony LaPaglia (A View From The Bridge) will star in COMPANY MEN, along with Sigourney Weaver, John Turturro, and co-writer/co-director Doug McGrath (Emma). The film is about a 1960s high school grammar teacher who gets wrapped up in a plot to overthrow Fidel Castro. According to The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) has joined the cast of WONDER BOYS, playing a smitten student of Michael Douglas'. Production on the Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) film began last week. It's based on the novel of the same name by Michael Chabon, and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Tobey Maguire, and Frances McDormand. Janeane Garofalo has joined the cast of the ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE feature film, joining Robert De Niro, Rene Russo, Jason Alexander, and other recent cast addition, Piper Perabo (White Boys). According to ARTNET.COM, David Bowie has signed on to a supporting role in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, a biopic on homosexual Cuban novelist Reinaldo Arenas, who killed himself in 1990 after being jailed for his sexual preference by Fidel Castro. Director Julian Schnabel (Basquiat) begins production on the film in June, with a cast headlined by Johnny Depp and Sean Penn. http://www.artnet.com Peter Gallagher (The Secret Lives of Men, Sex, Lies, and Videotape) has joined the cast of AMERICAN BEAUTY, DREAMWORKS' dark comedy about a man who gives up his boring, normal family life, with tragic results to those around him. He joins Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. Production began on DARK CASTLE's HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL remake last Friday, and while it appears Elizabeth Hurley dropped out at the last minute, and casting of Marilyn Manson as the villain is still uncertain, others have officially joined Geoffrey Rush (Shine, Shakespeare in Love) in its cast... Chris Katten (Saturday Night Live), Taye Diggs (How Stella...), Bridgette Wilson (Billy Madison), Peter Gallagher, and Ali Larter (Varsity Blues) have all officially signed on. PALM Pictures have announced they'll team up with NO LIMIT Films to produce LOCK DOWN, a prison drama about three wrongly-imprisoned inmates marking ghetto superstar Master P's third feature film. "I want the statement of this film to be that prison is not a place where anyone wants to be," explains Master P, who has the starring role in the film, and will handle its soundtrack. LOCK DOWN begins production in late April in Northern California and Los Angeles. ARTISAN Entertainment has picked up worldwide rights to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, a documentary-style horror film about a group of filmmakers who disappear when investigating the legend of the Blair Witch in Maryland's Black Hills Forest. http://www.artisanent.com COLUMBIA Pictures has signed an unprecedented deal with 34 top screenwriters where the writers will be guaranteed at least 2% of the gross on films that carry a sole credit, and at least 1% on films written by two or more. The deal encourages writers in that they won't make as much if the film performs poorly, but stand to make a fortune with any hits. The scribes will be required to write at least one script for the studio each year, and they'll be able to pass on up to four films offered to them by the studio. The deal is open to other writers that reach certain criteria, but the initial list features Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski (People VS. Larry Flynt), Paul Attanasio (Quiz Show), John August (Go), Ron Bass (My Best Friend's Wedding), Delia Ephron (You've Got Mail), Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally), Scott Frank (Out of Sight), Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (City Slickers), Susannah Grant (Ever After), Amy Heckerling (Clueless), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential), Jonathan Hensleigh (Die Hard: With a Vengeance), Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise), Steven Kloves (Fabulous Baker Boys), David Koepp (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), Richard LaGravenese (Living Out Loud), Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon), Richard Price (Clockers), Stephen J. Rivelle & Christopher Wilkinson (Nixon), Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams), Gary Ross (Pleasantville), Eric Roth (Forrest Gump), Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society), Ron Shelton (Bull Durham), Ed Solomon (Men in Black), Aaron Sorkin (American President), Dana Stevens (City of Angels), Robin Swicord (Little Women), Ted Tally (Silence of the Lambs), and Michael Tolkin (The Player). DREAMWORKS Home Entertainment releases ANTZ on video this Tuesday, for a suggested $26.99. This first animated insect film of 1998 features the voice of Woody Allen, who received some of his best reviews ever for the role, as well as Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Dan Ackroyd, Anne Bancroft, Jane Curtin, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Jennifer Lopez, Christopher Walken, and many others. PIXAR Animation Studios has announced it has developed PIXARVISION, a laser recording system used for converting digital computer data into images on motion picture film stock with unprecedented quality. The innovative system, which was tested on PIXAR's A BUG'S LIFE and will be used again on this Thanksgiving's TOY STORY sequel, allows for higher quality color reproduction, sharper images, and a record speed over 4-times faster than traditional CRT-based systems. http://www.pixar.com -----> BOX OFFICE -> For The Weekend of February 5th - 7th (This Week/Last Week/Title/Gross/Total Gross/Weeks Open) 1/New PAYBACK $21.4 (1) 2/ 1 SHE'S ALL THAT $12.0/$31.0 (2) 3/ 2 PATCH ADAMS $4.5/$122.5 (7) 4/ 3 VARSITY BLUES $4.0/$44.4 (4) 5/ 5 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE $3.6/$36.3 (9) 5/ - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN $3.6/$194.6 (29) 7/ 4 A CIVIL ACTION $3.2/$51.8 (7) 8/ 7 STEPMOM $2.6/$87.3 (7) 9/New SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE $2.4 (1) 10/ 8 YOU'VE GOT MAIL $2.3/$111.2 (8) -/ - RUSHMORE $1.9 [102 theaters] <<- - - - - - - - - - - - PRINT - - - - - - - - - - - ->> IMAGE Comics will premiere the first issue in a 3-issue THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS mini-series this March, and having had the pleasure of reading the issues already, I can tell you it'll have you laughing from Page 1, Panel 1, until the whole thing wraps up in May, and leave you wanting more. I could do no better in my description than Matt Wagner ("SOUTH PARK meets DEXTER'S LAB...") or Garth Ennis ("...CALVIN AND HOBBES on PCP..."), but BARRY WEEN chronicles the adventures of a 10-year-old with an I.Q. of 350, who tends to spend more time cleaning up after his inventions or handling the bumbling of others as he tries to keep his gift secret from everyone except his best friend. BARRY WEEN is written and drawn by Judd Winick, creator of the FRUMPY THE CLOWN comic strip, and a former cast member of REAL WORLD San Francisco. Joe Kelly (Deadpool, X-Men) recently made the announcement that he has terminated his exclusivity contract with MARVEL Comics. "Marvel has been absolutely fantastic to me, but the time has come for me to move on and pursue other opportunities," explained Kelly, "It was an amiable parting, with no ill will on either side. While I will still do work for MARVEL when it arises, I'll be announcing some very exciting projects at other comic companies in the very near future." Kelly's laugh-out-loud, near 3-year run on DEADPOOL will come to a close when the series ends with issue #33. NEWSARAMA reports John Wagner (Star Wars) will write DARK HORSE Comics' upcoming XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS ongoing series, with art by Joyce Chin, the artist from the first two issues of TOPPS' XENA series. The first two issues will act as an epilogue to the series' upcoming season finale. "This season's finale is going to be a pretty dramatic ending to the season of XENA," explained DARK HORSE editor Scott Allie "Unfortunately, that means that I can't tell you what will be in those issues, because it would ruin the finale. Our first arc will tell the story that the producers wanted to do on the show as a follow-up, but realized that they'd never be able to get away with it on television." http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama http://www.dhorse.com COMIC WIRE reports DARK HORSE Comics may revive a previously-shelved project which would team up their new XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS with DC Comics' WONDER WOMAN. NEWSARAMA has updated its report of Frank Miller's SIN CITY: HELL AND BACK mini-series, adding it will run 6 to 10 full-color issues, starting this July. <<- - - - - - - - TOYS, GAMES, CARDS - - - - - - - - ->> 21st CENTURY Toys will unveil its MISFITS action figures this Tuesday at TOY FAIR, based on the members of the legendary punk band. The initial line includes figures of bassist Jerry Only and guitarist Doyle Von Frankenstein. Other than an appearance at the unveiling, The MISFITS are currently in the studio recording their ROADRUNNER Records' follow-up to 1997's "American Psycho" for release this summer. MATTEL, in partnership with UPPER DECK, has signed a licensing agreement with Michael Jordan to create Jordan action figures. An initial three Jordan figures will be offered on a limited basis: a 3 1/2-inch figure part of a new NBA JAMS line, a 6-inch NBA SUPERSTARS figure this spring, and a boxed, fully-articulated, 13-inch figure in the fall. http://www.mattel.com <<- - - - - - - - - - - CLASSIFIEDS - - - - - - - - - - - ->> Neal Adams! Simon Bisley! Bill Sienkiewicz! Works by these and other great comic artists can be found on the covers of Checker Comics like DANGER RANGER, MUTATOR, and CHEMICAL WARFARE. Check out one of the best new publishers in comics, including new titles for 1999 like THE TEMPLAR at: http://www.checkercomics.com <<- - - - - - - - - - - DISCLAIMER - - - - - - - - - - - ->> ZENtertainment #287 NEXT: #288 (2.9.99) - Special OSCAR Issue @ 6am PT NOW WITH RIBOFLAVIN: http://www.ZENtertainment.com -> To Unsubscribe, reply to this e-mail and say UNSUBSCRIBE. -> To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail SeanJordan@aol.com and say SUBSCRIBE. -> Mail press releases, review material, letters, etc, to: PO Box 220756 Santa Clarita, CA 91322-0756 ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 1999 ZENTERTAINMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ZENtertainment IS A TRADEMARK OF SEAN JORDAN. CONTENTS MAY NOT BE REPRINTED WITHOUT PERMISSION.