An OJ-Free Zone

By and large, I avoid OJ Simpson. Skipping his trial and all the media and books surrounding it has probably added about two years of free time to my life. (Sure, I saw the chase and the verdict, but a LOT of the other stuff I avoided.) So when they announced his new book "If I Did It" and a TV special in which OJ discusses how IF he killed, this is how he would have done it, I just ignored it. But this press release by Judith Regan, the publisher of the book, is too vile to let pass without comment. Her press release is entitled "Why I Did It," because why pass up any chance to promote the book. Regan says several remarkable things.

1. Regan says she wanted to do the OJ book because she was a victim of domestic violence -- I'm sorry to hear that, but wouldn't being a victim of domestic violence mean she would want to stay as far away from the most notorious wife beater of the last 50 years?
2. Regan wanted to hear OJ confess -- except she admits OJ doesn't confess. The entire book is apparently a vile game of "what if" and wink-wink discussion of what happened. That is FAR from a confession. For a real confession, someone must admit what they did and feel sorry for it.
3. ''My son is now 25 years old, my daughter 15,'' said Regan's statement. ''I wanted them, and everyone else, to have a chance to see that there are consequences to grievous acts. ... And I wanted, as so many victims do, to hear him say, 'I did it and I am sorry.''' Again, the last thing OJ would do is say he's sorry because he doesn't admit to the killings in the first place. And exactly what consequences has OJ faced? Another million dollar+ book deal? That's the lesson she wants her kids to hear? And what about OJ's kids? Did she ever think, Gee, he may want to come back into the spotlight, but maybe rehashing the cruel murder of their mother won't be the best thing for his kids.
4. ''I didn't know if he would,'' she wrote. ''But I wanted to try. I wanted his confession.'' -- Is Regan a priest? Did OJ indicate he wanted to make a real confession? No, he came to her with a cutesy way of skirting the law and getting back in the spotlight and making money.
5. Regan said she did not pay Simpson for the book. ''I contracted through a third party who owns the rights, and I was told the money would go to his children. That much I could live with.'' -- In other words, Regan conspired with OJ to deny the families of the people he murdered any chance of receiving the monies owed to them through the sales of this book. OJ owes millions of dollars to the families of Nicole and Ron Goldman and he's done everything in his power to avoid doing so. Sales of this book could have gone directly to them. Not that they'd want blood money out of OJ seizing the spotlight, but surely that would have been more defensible than scheming to thwart justice and pay the money to a third party to make sure the families DIDN'T get any of it.
6. ''What I wanted was closure, not money,'' she wrote. Oh, so Regan is donating every single penny from the sales of this book and TV special to the families owed millions by OJ and domestic violence charities? She fails to mention that in her press release.
7. Finally, Regan compares publishing this book to keeping Mein Kampf in print. Yes, this game of "I'm not saying I killed her but if I had...." is comparable to a work by one of the most infamous and well-known historical figures of the 20th century. Nope. OJ isn't of even the slightest historical significance; he's a footnote and Regan just made more money off of peddling his story.

"Dreamgirls" Delivers

Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com loved it. Tom O'Neil of the LA Times loved it even more and discusses the Oscar race. It's definitely a strong contender for one of the five Best Picture slots and -- as Friedman says -- Eddie Murphy will be thrilled just to be discussed as a potential Supporting Actor nomination and might well get it. It's a glossy, fun movie musical that maybe doesn't dig deep emotionally as much as it might but delivers spot-on performances and one terrific song after another. And if Meryl Streep stays in the Best Actress category, Jennifer Hudson will be the favorite in Supporting. It's very old fashioned in the best sense of the word, right down to a closing credits celebration of the cast that includes "and introducing Jennifer Hudson!" with all the flourish of an old school movie studio. If "Dreamgirls" wins Best Picture, it will be the first film with black characters not surrounded or led by a token white to do so, I believe. Today, I'd say the nominees are "Volver," "Dreamgirls," "The Departed" and "The Queen," with "Bobby" and "Little Miss Sunshine" fighting for the final slot. I still haven't seen "Miss Potter," "Charlotte's Web," "Breaking And Entering" or the two "Goods" -- "The Good German" and "The Good Shepherd."

Eastwood's Next Iwo Jima Movie Coming Out In December

"Letters From Iwo Jima" has been moved up from February 9 to December 20. If, somehow, this movie gets the same critical praise that the mild "Flags Of Our Fathers" did, maybe it'll be a shot in the arm to that struggling flick, which is out of the Top 10 and stalled at $30 million. But I doubt it.

Vatican Insists On Celibacy For Priests

Of course it depends on what you mean by "celibacy."

DreamWorks Flushes Away $143 Million

That's the budget for their new animated movie "Flushed Away," which looks like it will have legs (it's at $40 mil gross so far) but won't come close to making enough money worldwide to cover that big bet. What was DreamWorks thinking? I love Aardman, the creators of the lovable "Wallace & Gromit." But they're a quirky talent, not a world-beater. Heck, their biggest hit ever was "Chicken Run" and that made just about $230 million worldwide. There was no reason to think "Flushed Away" would top that. Oh and the budget for "Chicken Run?" About $42 million. "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit" cost $30 million to make and grossed $185 million worldwide. With grosses like that and a very similar project on tap, why would you approve a budget of $143 million?

The Top 100 Albums Of All Time

Time magazine slapped together a list. Normally, this would spark all sorts of comment from me, as well as my own list, etc. But this one is so haphazard, so clearly thrown together and such a product of voting by committee that it's too boring and obvious (and occasionally dumb) to provoke anything other than yawns. It's the usual mishmash of albums and CDs with some jazz and Sinatra thrown in just to look all-embracing. Hey, if you're gonna include jazz, where the hell are about a dozen other artists who probably created more enduring music than DJ Shadow? If you're gonna include Frank, where's Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and a dozen others. Don't tell me they could only include 100 titles when Frank is the only standards singer included. Meanwhile, in the UK they've brought together a list of the best-selling UK albums of all time. Queen's Greatest Hits is at #1 with 5.4 million copies sold. Sgt Pepper is at #2 4.8 million. The best-selling UK album of all time has only sold 5.4 million copies? I know they're smaller than us, but still.

Okay, So Michael Jackson DID Perform

No, Michael Jackson didn't do an elaborate version of "Thriller." He sort of shambled on stage with a children's choir (natch) and mumbled out a few verses of "We Are The World." Most news reports say people booed since virtually everyone was at the World Music Awards to see Michael blow them away with a comeback performance. In doubt that, since his fanatic fans would probably just squeal over the excitement of being in the same room; they might be disappointed, but they wouldn't boo. One fan said online people were booing OTHER acts because all they wanted to see was Michael. That I believe. But any parents who let their kids in the choir hang out with Michael and even perform with him should be ashamed of themselves. And Michael's comment that "Thriller" is now the best-selling album of all time at 140 million copies sold is nice, but just a tad off...by about 90 million copies. Michael has sold 26 million copies of "Thriller" in the US (more than any other CD except a greatest hits package by the Eagles) and a reported 51 million copies worldwide. Why exaggerate that achievement? It just goes to show how delusional he is.

Billboard's Top 10 Songs -- Justin Still On Top

Blogger acting very sluggish today. Justin Timberlake is on top for the third week in a row and Beyonce gets great buzz from a "Dreamgirls" screening and a new Top 5 single. The Top 10, per Billboard.

1. Justin Timberlake -- My Love
2. Akon featuring Eminem -- Smack That
3. Fergie -- Fergalicious
4. Beyonce -- Irreplaceable
5. Hinder -- Lips Of An Angel
6. Ludacris featuring Pharrell -- Money Maker
7. The Fray -- How To Save A Life
8. Jay Z -- Show Me What You Got
9. Snow Patrol -- Chasing Cars
10. Justin Timberlake -- SexyBack

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

Apparently, by creating a reality show. That's what Andrew Lloyd Webber did when he decided to mount a West End revival of "The Sound Of Music." He let viewers of a reality show pick the woman who would fill the shoes of Julie Andrews. Despite all sorts of mini-controversies, the TV show did well and now the musical has opened. It's an unqualified hit for Connie Fisher (who received across the board raves) and for the revival itself, which looks like a box office hit. The prickly Nicholas De Jongh of Evening Standard liked her a lot, and The Guardian and the Times of London raved. Reuters has a rundown of other critics. They're going to do the same thing for Broadway by launching a TV show contest next year to find two leads for "Grease." Here's a nice post-triumph interview with Fisher.

Hey, What Are The Kids Into These Days?

The New York Times discovers YouTube. (Of course, they spend most of their time looking at clips from opera, dance and Broadway.) I prefer watching stuff like this crazy video from Bali TV sent to me by my IRA friend George Robinson.

Local TV Stations Still Running "Fake News" From Businesses and Gov't

One of the more shocking revelations in recent years has been the discory that local news stations all over the country -- not just out of the way small town ones either -- regularly run "fake news" items, press releases disguised as news reports that are created and sent out by pharmaceutical companies, branches of the gov't, big auto makers, etc. It's bad enough that TV stations would use this material -- but then they use their own reporters to pretend that they did the story themselves. Well, it hasn't stopped. A major org of local news directors -- instead of decrying this practice as failing to meet the most minimal standards of ethics for their industry -- instead angrily defend it and say everyone else should butt out.

More "Pink Panther," More "Thomas Crown" and Yes, More "Hobbit"

The MGM head talks to Variety about his tentpole plans. Steve Martin, God help him, is going to make another Pink Panther movie. In this one, he teams up with bumbling cops from all over Europe to fight a crime wave. Pierce Brosnan is making the more happily anticipated sequel to "The Thomas Crown Affair" starting in March. No more "Rocky" films, he insists, since Sylvester Stallone is getting a little too old to box (not if the new one is a smash, believe me). And finally, "The Hobbit." Nothing is going to happen until director Peter Jackson resolves his money dispute with New Line. But once that settles, MGM wants to make two "Hobbit" movies at the same time, a la "The Lord of the Rings." The first will be based on "The Hobbit." The second, absurdly enough, would be based on footnptes (!) and other source material to serve as a link between "The Hobbit" and "The Lord Of The Rings." "The Hobbit" certainly needs to be made and Jackson will surely capture the quieter, gentler tone of that more kiddie-oriented book. But a fifth movie put together from scraps? That would be awful. In any case, they need to get going so Ian McKellen isn't too old to play Gandalf.

Overnight TV Ratings -- "Day Break" Disaster

As I predicted, the series premiere of the laughably confusing "Day Break" was a disaster -- losing a massive 61% of its "Dancing With The Stars" lead-in and dropping in viewers every half hour (which means that even the people who tuned in didn't like what they say. For a complete ratings rundown, go to MediaWeek's Marc Berman.

8 p.m.
1. Dancing With The Stars finale (ABC) -- 27.22 million viewers
2. Jericho (CBS) -- 9.41 mil
3. Bones (FOX) -- 7.89 mil
4. The Biggest Loser (NBC) -- 6.31 mil
5. America's Next Top Model (CW) -- 4.67 mil

9 p.m.
1. Criminal Minds (CBS) -- 16.56 mil
2. Day Break (ABC) -- 10.54 mil
3. Medium (NBC) -- 9.43 million
4. Bones rerun (FOX) -- 5.74 mil
5. One Tree Hill (CW) -- 3.25 mil

10 p.m.
1. CSI: NY (CBS) -- 15.99 mil
2. Day Break (ABC) -- 10.54 mil
3. Medium (NBC) -- 9.43 million

Flamingos Vs. Meerkats: Who Will Triumph?

Who is going to be the next penguin? I mean, what animal group is going to be the next cool animal group? I already told you about the "Meerkat Manor" movie spinoff. Now, Variety reports that Disney is filming a nature documentary about the life cycle of flamingos in Northern Tanzania. It sounds cool except for this idiotic statement from one of the directors Mathew Aeberhard who said he wants the film "to target a younger, hipper audience than wildlife films generally attract, and provoke a more visceral reaction." A younger, hipper audience? What exactly does he intend to do? Put Arctic Monkeys on the soundtrack?

James Bond -- How Will Daniel Craig Measure Up?

Sure, he can fill out some bathing trunks. But can Daniel Craig succeed where it counts -- at the box office? Director Martin Campbell talks about fighting to get Craig in the role. I'm certain that "Casino Royale" will be a major commercial step down from the Pierce Brosnan era. I just don't see this movie coming anywhere near $456 million worldwide. Since it's clearly modeled on the Jason Bourne movies -- tough, realistic action with a hero that bleeds -- I'd say their worldwide box office is much more realistic. Sure, the Bond name sells tickets (and has always been massively more popular around the world than here until Brosnan), but without tons of stunts, this Bond will probably settle in around $250 million worldwide. That's just between the $213 million of Matt Damon's "The Bourne Identity" and the $274 million take of "The Bourne Supremacy." $300 million would be great. Some will say that's a disappointment, but this Bond accomplishes everything they wanted -- it ends the silliness of stuff like that invisible car, ends the campy humor and grounds Bond in a real-world setting that will make him a hero to root for in years to come. Here are the US and worldwide grosses for the official Bond movies (skipping the spoof "Casino Royale" and Sean Connery's "Never Say Never Again") per The Numbers and the LA Times.

1. Dr. No -- $ 16 million (US)/$ 59 million (worldwide)
2. From Russia With Love -- $ 24 million (US)/$ 78 million (worldwide)
3. Goldfinger -- $ 51 million (US)/$124 million (worldwide)
4. Thunderball -- $ 63 million (US)/$141 million (worldwide)
5. You Only Live Twice -- $ 43 million (US)/$111 million (worldwide)
6. On Her Majesty's... -- $ 22 million (US)/$ 82 million (worldwide)
7. Diamonds Are Forever -- $ 43 million (US)/$116 million (worldwide)
8. Live and Let Die -- $ 35 million (US)/$161 million (worldwide)
9. Man W Golden Gun -- $ 21 million (US)/$ 97 million (worldwide)
10. Moonraker -- $ 70 million (US)/$210 million (worldwide)
11. For Your Eyes Only -- $ 54 million (US)/$195 million (worldwide)
12. Octopussy -- $ 67 million (US)/$187 million (worldwide)
13. A View To A Kill -- $ 50 million (US)/$152 million (worldwide)
14. The Living Daylights -- $ 51 million (US)/$191 million (worldwide)
15. License To Kill -- $ 34 million (US)/$156 million (worldwide)
16. Goldeneye -- $106 million (US)/$353 million (worldwide)
17. Tomorrow Never Dies -- $125 million (US)/$346 million (worldwide)
18. World Is Not Enough -- $126 million (US)/$390 million (worldwide)
19. Die Another Day -- $160 million (US)/$456 million (worldwide)
20. Casino Royale -- TK/TK

You look at that list and one question springs to mind from a purely business point of view: why the hell did they dump Pierce Brosnan?

NASCAR's Growth Slows

This is only natural, as most of the people say in the USA Today cover story on NASCAR. And they're right. Anyone expecting NASCAR to continue its massive growth spurt forever is an idiot. But NASCAR has made the same mistake that plagues baseball, and tennis and a lot of other major sports. Its season runs far too long and the events themselves are far too drawn out. They got greedy and nothing is going to make them cut back on a NASCAR season that stretches from February to November, even if it hurts the long-term growth of the sport.

Tom Cruise Announces First Film For United Artists/MGM

Okay, this is why MGM let Tom Cruise borrow the United Artists logo for his production shingle. Cruise is not "running a studio" the way some people have put it. He is simply giving MGM the first crack at being in the Tom Cruise business. And that's a very profitable business to be in. The movies he has produced and starred in tend to be very profitable. Virtually all the films he and Paula Wagner have produced that didn't star Cruise have been flops (except "The Others" starring Nicole Kidman). Now Cruise has announced he'll star in "Lions For Lambs" with Robert Redford directing and starring alongside Cruise and Meryl Streep. The storyline sounds a bit pretentious a la "Babel," and it's not exactly "M:I:IV," but MGM should be happy. This is what they were hoping for. And I should hold out hope artistically, since Redford is a terrific director.

Will Al Gore Win An Oscar?

They've just announced the 15 film shortlist for the Oscar award for Best Documentary. Among the titles: Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," the Dixie Chicks flick "Shut Up & Sing!," "Iraq In Fragments" and "Jesus Camp." Hollywood Reporter has the complete list.

Surfing Through "Gilmore Girls" and "Show Me The Money"

First, the insanely bad William Shatner game show. It's stupidly easy AND takes forever to happen. You get three easy questions and can reject two while looking for one you know. Then you've got to pick a lovely dnacer with an envelope and hope you DON'T pick the one bad card. With my bad luck, I know I'd pick it. BUT, we finally found out that even if you do pick the bad card, as long as you selected the right answer the game continues. I could win so much money on this show if I were only willing to make a fool of myself. Did I mention that Shatner dances around throughout the show and that the ladies with envelopes all have stripper poles to writhe around? Of course, it all began with a screamingly gay man who didn't even know the facts about his absolute favorite artist Shania Twain, carried around a "murse" (a man purse) and squealed and giggled with delight while winning about $600,000. It's enough to make me self-hating.

And I am thisclose agian to closing the book on "Gilmore Girls." SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT These two women bear NO resemblance whatsoever to the Lorelai and Rory I fell in love with. Lorelai is in Paris and gets impressed by Christopher throwing around lots of money (who knows how much? $10,000? $20,000?) to get a restaurant to open at 5 in the morning and serve dinner. Their romantic notion of sleeping on a park bench doesn't really play to well in the gauche setting. And Rory is just hateful -- her staff throws her a going-away party and when one of them hugs her she acts like Paris or her grandmother, all stiff and uncomfortable around emotion. And then she blows off the drinks with them at the local bar. Rory again hangs out with the ridiculous and boring two girls, one of whom turns out to be dating Naked Guy, who I loved the moment he appeared until the show turned him into a loser. Now he pretends -- inexplicably -- that he doesn't know Rory. Meanwhile, MORE SPOILERS Lorelai MARRIES Christopher even though she doesn't want to. We know it's meaningless because we don't even see the ceremony and she immediately has a look of regret in her eyes. So now Lorelai is married to someone she knows she doesn't love (because he asked nicely?) and Rory is clearly being set up to fall for Naked Guy instead of all but disappeared Logan. The only reason I watch the show now is to yell back at the screen.

"Frontline" Vs. Local Investigative Reporters

The New York Times reviewed a Frontline investigation into the muckraking journalism that deposed a Spokane mayor accused of offering city jobs to young men in exchange for sexual favors. I haven't seen the Frontline epsiode nor have I extensively read the local stories about the scandal. But I was surprised by the NYT review of the show and wondered if my impression of the scandal was way off base and unfair, as both the show (apparently) and the review suggested. The rebuttal by the local paper's editor seems pretty even-handed and convincing. He says "Frontline" came in with the idea that no one in his town could handle the fact that the mayor was gay. He says regardless of whether the mayor was hitting on 18 year girls or boys, offering them city jobs in exchange for sex was against the law and unethical. A state Supreme Court ruling (almost unanimous) backs up that claim. It's the same thing as Mark Foley: the far righters like Anne Coulter who hypocrtically claimed the Dems were homophobes got it wrong: NO ONE who sexually harasses kids should get a free pass, gay or straight.

George Michael Giving A Free Concert Just For Nurses

It's a thank you to the nurses who took care of Michael's mother when she was dying. I can only hope they all wear their uniforms I loved this quote: "I can't wait. Neither can the tour crew, for entirely different reasons." Hey, mate, there are male nurses too, you know!

Michael Jackson Not Such A Thriller At WMAs

Fans came from all over the UK just to get a glimpse of Michael Jackson as he arrived at the World Music Awards. But he slipped in and avoided the fans. Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com was right when he predicted that Jackson would never perform. Jackson DID practice the performance with rising star Chris Brown, but then Jackson told reporters he never intended to perform and it was all a "misunderstanding." Friedman also has news on Jackson's latest sugar daddy -- Jackson has an inexplicable ability to get the world's wealthiest people to indulge his financial extravagances -- and declares the new Bond film a hit. I'll still bet the ranch it doesn't hit the $400 million of the Brosnan editions.

George Clooney Is "The Sexiest Man Alive"

This is news? Not surprisingly, Clooney is so cool he manages to have fun with this People magazine bit of foolishness by teasing Brad Pitt and then being even more cool by saying his dream date is 72 year old Sophia Loren. Personally, if we're talking older women, I would have gone for Catherine Deneuve, but at 63, she may be too young for his taste.

Billboard's Top 10 CDs -- "Now" Wow

The song hit compilation album series "Now" is up to album #23 and still going strong: it debuts at #1 on the Billboard charts. I remember when it began in the late 90s after a huge string of successes in the UK. People wondered if it would work -- those were probably the same people who thought kids didn't want to buy singles anymore, just $18 albums. The new album contains Fergie's "London Bridge" and Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," among other smash hits. I did wonder if the proliferation of iTunes would hurt the series. I'll bet it will down the road: why wait for the compilation album when you could have the singles right away? Plus, you could buy all 16 tracks on the CD for lest than the $19 list price. But for now, "Now" is still a hit. The Top 10 per Billboard:

1. Various Artists -- Now 23
2. Josh Groban -- Awake
3. Keith Urban -- Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing
4. Sugarland -- Enjoy The Ride
5. Soundtrack -- Hannah Montana
6. Jim Jones -- Hustler's P.O.M.E.
7. Birdman and Lil Wayne -- Like Father, Like Son
8. Carrie Underwood -- Some Hearts
9. Justin Timberlake -- FutureSex/LoveSounds
10. Dave Matthews Band -- Best Of What's Around Vol. 1

Popsurfing Does Not Like Those Who Speak In The Third Person

It's always a bad sign and the charming Taye Diggs is doing it while promoting his confusing and silly new series "Daybreak." Even if you watch the entire first episode, I'll bet you don't bother to come back for more than another show or two. Diggs proved he has the magnetism to be a TV star on the not-so-good UPN drama "Kevin Hill." On "Daybreak," he proves that good-looking actors don't make it worthwhile to sit through sci-fi gobbledygook.

No Break For "Prison Break"

In the old days, networks broke even when a new episode of a series aired and made all their money when they ran a repeat. Nowadays, repeats are becoming an endangered species and networks pray the online sales, DVD boxed sets and other new revenue streams can make up for the fact that serialized dramas and reality shows don't repeat worth a damn. Fox has just announced that "Prison Break" will run straight through with all new episodes, says MediaWeek, excluding short breaks for college bowl games and a two hour season premiere of "24" in January. They don't spell it out, but with 11 new episodes left, that means the show will end during February sweeps. So what the heck is FOX going to air in that timeslot from March through May sweeps? Similarly, NBC is airing three more original episodes of "Heroes," taking a short "holiday break" in Dec and Jan and coming back January 22 with 11 more episodes. By my count, that means the season finale will air April 2. What will NBC do for May sweeps? (And no wonder the networks are downplaying sweeps periods -- they should, since sweeps are articial settings in which to judge a network. "Lost," as previously announced, hibernates til Feb and then runs 16 episodes, ending on about May 21. And "Jericho" takes a similar long break starting after Nov. 29.

Overnight TV Ratings -- "Friday Night Lights" Dim

Just after receiving a full-season pickup, "Friday Night Ligfhts" does itself no favors by hitting a series low in viewers. Obviously, it was facing the finals of "Dancing With The Stars," the hottest show on TV right now. Marc Berman of MediaWeek says that "FNL" will likely move to Sundays, which is NOT good news. Yes, it takes the place of Sunday Night Football on NBC and -- presumably -- the quality family drama timeslot held by the late lamented "American Dreams." But it will be facing already in place family fare like "7th Heaven" and "The Amazing Race." I still say it should be a spring series airing on...Friday nights. For a complete ratings breakdown, go to MediaWeek's Marc Berman.

8 p.m.
1. Dancing With The Stars 90m show (ABC) -- 26.72 million viewers
2. NCIS (CBS) -- 15.78 mil
3. Friday Night Lights (NBC) -- 5.52 mil
4. Standoff (FOX) -- 4.72 mil
5. Gilmore Girls (CW) -- 4.44 mil

9 p.m.
1. Dancing -- 28.60 mil/Show Me The Money premiere (ABC) -- 12.54 mil
2. House (FOX) -- 14.56 mil
3. The Unit (CBS) -- 11.68 mil
4. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)-- 9.06 mil
5. Veronica Mars (CW) -- 2.74 mil

10 p.m.
1. Law & Order: SVU (NBC) -- 14.76 mil
2. Show Me The Money (ABC) -- 12.54 mil
3. 3 LBs (CBS) -- 9.85 mil

Off To See "Blood Diamond"

And tonight I think I'll be seeing "Dreamgirls." More popsurfing later today.

Will Older Oscar Voters Embrace "History Boys?"

Martin Grove of Hollywood Reporter clearly loved it.

VHS Is Dead! Is Tivo Next?

Variety has the obit for VHS. Now, I'm waiting for the death of Tivo. Why do I think Tivo is dead? The simple reason is that every cable company now offers DVRs, which are just as good as Tivo and a lot easier to set-up and use. Why would anyone want to run a phone line to yet another box sitting on top of their TV when they could get the same service from their cable company? More signs Tivo is dead abound. They're offering a 100% rebate on their cheapest boxes (ie. they're giving them away). They're offering some nifty new services for downloading video from the Internet to your Tivo box -- the only problem is that it's not compatible with iTunes and YouTube, proving Tivo is a moron. And that nifty new service (along with a few others) is NOT available to people who get Tivo via Direct TV. Unfortunately for Tivo, they have 4.4 million subscribers and 3.9 million of them get it through Direct TV (which is now offering its own alternative to Tivo). So their big splashy announcement about new features on Tivo will only tick off most of their customers because these toys aren't available to them. Tivo is dead; long live DVR!