Off The Record...

Rod Stewart

When We Were the New Boys

Who would ever have believed that When We Were the New Boys would turn out to be a raw, rollicking surprise. From the moment his cracking new band kicks into the brightly distorted Oasis nugget Cigarettes and Alcohol, it's obvious that Stewart is aiming to re- create the raucous feel of early classics like Every Picture Tells a Story.  What more can be said, Stewart's New Boys turns out to be anything but old hat.

At The Movies...

The Truman Show

You're not paranoid. Your life is a TV show. Your family and friends are all actors and your small town is a giant studio. The Truman Show is being marketed as Jim Carrey's leap to maturity and for good reason.  Like Tom Hanks before him, Carrey switches gears mid career and delivers a substantial performance void of his schoolyard humor.  This is Carrey with his finest screen moment to date giving all of us an overdose of food for thought on how the media has affected our lives. 

On Video...

SpiceWorld

The Spice Girls exercise their extensive marketing savvy with a film that will appease both sides of their love 'em or hate 'em fan base.  With plenty of personality and little talent, the girls spend most of their time poking fun at themselves as we are treated to a few days in the hectic media frenzy that has enveloped the supergroup, making the thin plot far from pretentious, and oddly enjoyable.  Lot's of music of course, and the cameo appearances by Elton John, Meatloaf and Roger Moore provide some added zest. 

The Buzz...

The princess of rock n' roll, Lisa Marie Presley, has finally landed a record deal with Capitol Records.  Glen Ballard, who co- wrote and produced Alanis Morissettes multi-platinum Jagged Little Pill, will be at the helm.

Frank Sinatra will have a road named after him in a town he helped but on the map.  Frank Sinatra Road is under construction in Las Vegas and is scheduled to open in the year 2000.

Producers of NBC's 3rd Rock From the Sun have decided to reshoot parts of the show's cliffhanger season finale, which starred the late Phil Hartman.  Hartman's scenes will be reshot with a new actor playing Harry's kidnapper.

In movie news, Brendan Fraser will star as Dudley Do-Right in the new version of the popular  cartoon character, Jenny McCarthy has been cast in the $100-million big screen version of Charlie's Angels reportedly teaming up with Michelle Yeoh and Jada Pinkett and Rene Russo is in talks to star opposite John Travolta in the military thriller The General's Daughter.

Woody Woodpecker is the latest in a flood of baby boomer faves to make a return with an updated, contemporary look.  40 new episodes have been ordered by the Fox Kids Network, set to begin airing late this fall.

The Rolling Stones have pulled out of four scheduled concerts this August in Britain due to recent tax reforms, which would cause the group to ante up a share of the profits from their entire tour to the tune of almost $20 million.  

Billy Joel has cancelled several dates with Elton John on their co- headlining Face To Face tour.  The singer has still not recovered from an asthma attack, so Elton had to go it alone.

The Ronettes have sued producer Phil Spector for $10 million over royalty rights to their hit 60's songs.  Spector was at one time married to lead Ronnette, Ronnie Spector, who apparently doesn't want the famous producer to Be My Baby anymore.

A second soundtrack to Titanic will be released in August to coincide with the home video release of the box office champ on September 9.

Bob Denver, forever immortalized as Gilligan, has been charged with marijuana possession and released on a $1000 bond.  Little Buddy, how could you...

The Sci-Fi Channel has ordered a 10th season of 13 episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Star Trek: Insurrection is the actual official title for the ninth Trek film as confirmed by Paramount Studios.

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