Pick Hits

Off The Record

Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory

With Elvis Costello handling lyrics and vocals while Burt Bacharach conducts a 24-piece orchestra, the album becomes a wet dream for devotees of serious, complex pop. One element that strikes you right away is Costello's voice, which has gotten stronger and more supple with age. Bacharach, too, is in top form with lush sounds supporting Costello as he sings his heart out transforming these tracks from mere songs into five-minute pop symphonies about the rigors of life and love.

At The Movies

Antz

Leave it to a staff of unknown writers and animators to make the best Woody Allen film in years. Along with Allen, the voices of Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Christopher Walken, and Jennifer Lopez, bring personality to the anthill, with the focus being about an angst-ridden worker ant who fights back against his oppressors. Clocking in at less than 90 minutes, there's barely enough time to marvel at the wonders of the animation.

On Video

The X-Files

The cult-TV show is transposed to the big screen with giant sound and special effects. Agents Scully and Mulder come across a conspiracy by the Syndicate, a shadow government which manipulates history and has struck a deal with colonizing ETs. In pan-and-scan and widescreen, with extra footage and interviews with Chris Carter and Gillian Anderson.

The Buzz...

Ralph Nader has urged parents to protest a $1 million corporate sponsorship of Sesame Street. A 15-second message from indoor playground manufacturer Discovery Zone will precede and follow each episode when the new season begins Nov. 16. Children's Television Workshop is seeking two other corporate sponsors, allowing a total of 45 seconds of sponsorship messages.  

David Duchovny and wife Tea Leoni are expecting their first child. The Buzz reports at this time that the baby has no known alien ancestors.

Robert De Niro may actually appear in the Rocky and Bullwinkle feature film. He is considering the role of Fearless Leader, the over-the-top dictator whose spies, Boris and Natasha, continually pursue Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Chaos! Comics will release an Undertaker preview book in January, which offers a glimpse into the ongoing series based on the World Wrestling Federation character that begins in March.

Hasbro has agreed to pay $220 million to purchase Lewis Galoob Toys, makers of Micro Machines and Battle Squads toy lines, among others. The deal will give Hasbro a complete lock on all Star Wars toys, just in time for the release of The Phantom Menace, the fourth Star Wars film.

The Simpsons' ninth Halloween episode will include the segment, Alien Station, which puts Marge and Homer on the Jerry Springer show, with a special guest appearance by Kodos the slavering multi-tentacled alien. Springer does his own voice, as do Regis Philbin, Kathie Lee Gifford and Ed McMahon.

Marilyn Manson will launch his U.S. tour in support of Mechanical Animals on October 26th at Kansas City's Memorial Hall. Their much anticipated Halloween gig will take place in Minneapolis.

Spice Girls' fans have the chance to design the sleeve for the act's Christmas single, Goodbye, in a competition to be launched on the company's internet site later this week.

And if you haven't gotten enough of it in the news lately, veteran producer Dick Wolf, whose credits include Law and Order, is in talks to create a new drama about Washington interns for the WB network.  

In the morbid file, David Letterman's longtime stalker has committed suicide. Margaret Ray, 46, died Monday in Colorado after kneeling in front of an oncoming train.

How will Jimmy Smits exit NYPD Blue?  His character, Simone, is rumored to be stabbed by a murder suspect as he investigates the killing of a high school teacher. No word on whether or not he survives the attack.

The Fox's series Hollyweird appears to have stalled out for now. Co-creator Wes Craven said the entire show has been reconceived and two new pilot scripts written; co-creator Shaun Cassidy appears to have lost interest in the project, Craven said.

Richie Rich's Christmas Wish, a sequel to the McCauley Culkin movie, will go straight to video on Nov. 3 from Warner Home Video.

A third Crow movie, The Crow: Salvation is in the works from Dimension Films. A new hero returns from the grave to avenge the wrongs which led to his death, as in the first two Crow films.