Vol. 9 No. 4
Pick Hits
Toy Box
Marvel
Universe: Hulk 12" Statue
Diamond Select and Art
Asylum are presenting their third Marvel Masterpieces full-sized statue release
with the rockin’ rendition of the rampaging one himself, The Incredible Hulk.
This massive piece depicts the green-skinned goliath doing what he does best,
smashing stuff! This amazing piece is sculpted by Meg Stone and measures nearly
16" long and 12" tall. Another bonus, it’s accompanied by a full-color,
hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity with a limited run of 2,500 pieces.
Don’t expect to find this item at any big chain store, you are going to have to
seek out a specialty collectors store to obtain one. By the way it retails for
$200.00 U.S.
Coming Soon
Daredevil
2003 has three Marvel adaptations on the release schedule, Daredevil, X-Men 2,
and The Hulk. While most audiences will be able to recognize the latter two,
Daredevil may have slipped beneath their radar. Get ready for Marvel's legendary
comic hero known as the Man without Fear, which hits the big screen on February
the 14th. Attorney Matt Murdock is blind, but his other four senses function
with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden. At night,
he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a
relentless avenger of justice. The February release date for Daredevil appears
to be an interesting gamble. Historically, February has not been one of the most
profitable months to open a major release. With the first official trailers of
Daredevil now in theaters, keep your ears and eyes attuned for imminent positive
or negative buzz.
On Video
The Bourne Identity
This fast-paced, slick and exciting spy thriller is a definite change of pace
for Doug Liman, but the young director handles himself admirably, using
his talents to give this film the look and feel of the great spy flicks of the
1960s. Matt Damon plays a man with no memory, a bullet in his back, and a
Swiss bank account number on his skin. He travels to Zurich, where he finds a
bank deposit box with assorted passports, cash and a gun, and he picks one
passport at random: that of Jason Bourne of Paris. Almost immediately the CIA
marks him and the splendid chase is on, as Bourne has to try to discover who he
is before he’s assassinated. Along the way he meets up with a young woman,
Marie, who helps him on his quest. A fast, likeable, old-fashioned two-hour
escape ride. Filmed in Paris, Prague, Italy and Greece. Based on a Robert
Ludlum novel.
The Buzz...
Fox has renewed the Simpsons
for two more years and King of the Hill for one more year.
America
will get its first good look at the new-model Incredible Hulk in all of his
green glory on Super Bowl Sunday. Universal is one of five major studios that
have shelled out $2 million-plus each to tout upcoming feature releases during
Sunday's big game, traditionally the highest-rated TV telecast of the year.
Other movies getting a Super Bowl-sized marketing push include The Recruit, the
new Matrix installment and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
Bucking decades of
television tradition, Fox Broadcasting Co. plans to launch some of its new shows
in the summer instead of fall. The move is the most aggressive yet as networks
struggle to hold on to viewers who are increasingly switching to cable and
satellite, especially during the summer months when networks air mostly repeats.
Joe Millionaire and The
Bachelorette were the crown jewels of reality TV. Ratings are up for all
reality-based shows, and that means only one thing -- more reality! And the
award for best new TV concept of the week goes to (drum roll, please)... a
chance to step in the ring with pugilistic train wreck Mike Tyson.
Kazaa continues to allow
music-hungry fans to trade files at will but faces a lawsuit from the RIAA and
MPAA. Unlike the deader than dead Napster, Kazaa spread its roots in many
different countries and argues that it's exempt from U.S. copyright law. Used by
millions worldwide, the peer-to-peer giant says there is no "plug" to pull on
the service, a claim that has record executives reaching for the antacids.
If you've got enough cash,
you could sing for Def Leppard. The band is holding an auction on eBay,
and the winner will get to belt out "Pour Some Sugar on Me" with the band at its
Hallam FM Arena show in their hometown of Sheffield, England. Bidding is
currently up to 4,200 pounds, and runs through January 23. All proceeds will go
to Help a Hallam Child, which provides assistance for needy kids.
Pantera guitarist
Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul have teamed up with guitarist
Patrick Lachman (on vocals) and bassist Sean Matthews in a brand
new band called New Found Power. The group are said to be in the process
of writing material for their debut album, tentatively due later in the year.
Metallica performed a
short set in the parking lot of the Network Coliseum in Oakland, California, the
site of the Oakland Raiders / Tennessee Titans NFL playoff game. Producer Bob
Rock joined them on bass.
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KISS / AEROSMITH PLAN TOUR |
Aerosmith and Kiss
will embark on a co-headlining North American tour beginning in August and
running through October. The tour of approximately 40 dates is expected to play
90% amphitheaters, with arenas and possibly a couple of stadiums also in the
mix. Kiss will perform in full makeup, and Aerosmith will be touring in support
of a new Columbia
blues album.
Las Vegas
cops have nabbed an alleged would-be blackmailer on extortion charges for trying
to demand hush money from Celine Dion's husband Rene Angelil, over
claims of committing rape.
Frasier may lose his
practice next year. The buzz among Industry insiders is that the NBC comedy
anchor starring Kelsey Grammer won't be back to tickle viewers' funny
bones after the 2003-04 season.
According to the Miami-Dade
medical examiner Maurice Gibb died due to a congenital condition, which
twisted his small intestine, cutting off blood to the bowels.
News of the fifth Harry
Potter novel hitting bookshelves on June 21 led to a frenzy of advance orders
which put the book at the top of Amazon.com's best sellers list. Fans have had
to wait three years since the last book about the boy wizard.
Jason Lee announced
he was engaged to girlfriend Beth Riesgraf at the premiere of his movie A
Guy Thing. It's a second marriage for the actor and a first for his fiancee.
Jackson Browne is
asking TBS not to rebroadcast America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr.
Story until it cuts scenes the musician claims never happened and defame him.
The movie shows JFK Jr. rescuing actress Daryl Hannah after Brown
allegedly beat her.
Television helmer Allen
Coulter, best known for his work on HBO's The Sopranos and Sex and the City,
will make his feature directing debut on Jersey Films' psychological thriller
Lost Girls, in development at Universal Pictures.
Tom Cruise has won a
$10 million judgment in a 2001 lawsuit against a gay porn star who claimed he
had a homosexual encounter with him.
Pop singer Anastacia
revealed that she's been diagnosed with breast cancer.
