Daily Variety articles from October 2004

Daily Variety archives from October 2004

Mouse will look inhouse for hit pix.
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Disney is putting its money on Disney. Mouse House prexy Bob Iger said at a conference Thursday that the conglom will focus more of its resources on the family-friendly, and more successful, line of Disney-branded pies and away...

Can 'shark' spark? B.O. fishes for rebound from Sept. slump.
October 1, 2004... DreamWorks' "Shark Tale" looks to shake the box office out of its monthlong funk this weekend, when it bows ultrawide in 4,016 theaters. Meanwhile, Disney has high hopes for firefighter drama "Ladder 49," which debuts at 3,260 locations. ...

TV biz puts best hopes forward at Cannes mart.(MIP COM)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Warners' "Joey," Disney's "Lost" and Universal's "Savages" will be among the thousands of new shows vying for deals on the Croisette in Cannes next week. That's when 10,000 TV buyers and sellers trek to the Riviera resort for...

Money man goes H'wood with pic trio.(Kimmel Entertainment)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Sidney Kimmel Entertainment has expanded its New York operations with the launch of a Beverly Hills office and three films scheduled to shoot by year's end. Now in production is "Never-was," starring Aaron Eckhart, Ian...

A novel idea for E!(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Jackie Collins is heading back to the small screen, teaming with entertainment cabler E! on a series of tell-all specials that she will host. E! has greenlit production on "Jackie Collins Presents," ordering six one-hour...

Bailey gets greenlight.(Scan Bailey inked a one-year deal to write and produce series projects )
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Scribe-producer Scan Bailey ("Push, Nevada," "Project Greenlight") is setting up shop at Touchstone Television. Bailey has inked a one-year overall deal to write and produce series projects for the Disney small-screen studio....

Boston Legal.(Movie Review)
October 1, 2004... (Series; ABC. Sun Oct. 3, 10 p.m.) Filmed in Manhattan Beach, Calif., by David E. Kelley Prods. in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Executive producers. Kelley, Bill D'Elia, Scott Kaufer, Jeff Rake; co-executive producers,...

Layer Cake.(Movie Review)
October 1, 2004... (U.K.) A Sony Pictures Classics release of a Columbia Pictures presentation, in association with Mary Films of a Matthew Vaughn production Produced by Vaughn, Adam Bohling, David Reid. Executive producer, Stephen Marks. Directed by...

Nick taps exec VP of communications.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Nickelodeon has elevated Dan Martinson to exec veep of corporate communications, covering Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Spike TV, TV Land and Noggin. Formerly senior VP, Martinson will continue riding herd over Nick spinoff nets like Nick Jr....

Dramas still sizzling: 'CSI: NY,' 'Lost' strong in second outings.
October 1, 2004... The season's two hottest new dramas--CBS' "CSI: NY" and ABC's "Lost"--remained at scorching ratings levels in their second outings Wednesday, while the Alphabet's "Wife Swap" and UPN's "Kevin Hill" also looked good in their premieres. ...

Par, Warner and Sony set for NATPE floor.(Paramount Domestic TV, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures TV)(National Association of Television Program Executives)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Paramount Domestic TV and the international divisions of Warner Bros. TV and Sony Pictures TV will hit the floor at the NATPE convention in January. "I'm pretty happy," said Rick Feldman, prexy-CEO of the National Assn. of TV Program...

Gold Circle's romancing Stone.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Gold Circle Films has set Sharon Stone to star in "Cougars," a romantic comedy about a 40ish woman who falls for a 27-year-old man. Gold Circle will finance the film, which will shoot next year. Pic, scripted by Tara Miele and Kristine...

ICM.(Ten Percenteries)(International Creative Management Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ICM has signed actor Dule Hill in all areas. Hill, best known for his Emmy-nominated gig as Charlie Young on NBC's "The West Wing," has also starred on Broadway in "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk." He continues to be managed by...

Endeavor.(Ten Percenteries)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Scribe Ted Griffin has signed with Endeavor. Griffin most recently wrote the Warner Bros. Jennifer Aniston/Kevin Costner starrer "Otherwise Engaged" but was replaced by Rob Reiner as its director. His writing credits include the upcoming...

William Morris Agency.(Ten Percenteries)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Simon Pegg, star and co-writer of the Focus pie "Shaun of the Dead," has signed with the William Morris Agency in all areas. Pegg also co-created, wrote and starred in the UK TV show "Spaced."

United Talent Agency.(Ten Percenteries)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... United Talent Agency has signed producer-writer Chuck Martin in all areas. Martin, who acts as supervising producer on Emmy-nominated comedy "Arrested Development," previously served as supervising producer on "The Ellen Show." He...

Gersh Agency.(Ten Percenteries)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Thesp Jill Ritchie is now repped by the Gersh Agency. Ritchie, who continues to be managed by Rigberg-Rugolo Entertainment, is lensing Disney's "Herbic." She will next be seen in the Angela Robinson's dark comedy "D.E.B.S," set to bow next...

WB 'Slanted' toward pic.(Warner Bros.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the fights to "Slanted and Enchanted" for Chris Columbus' 1492 to produce. Columbus is developing and is attached to direct. Pic is based on an original script penned by Ben Queen, who is also...

'Theme' will benefit troupe.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Playwright-director Moises Kaufman will present scenes from his latest work, "33 Variations on a Theme," Oct. 11 as part of a benefit evening for Tectonic Theater Project, the company he founded in 1992 with Jeffrey LaHoste. Mary Beth...

WGAW to salute Kanter.(Writers Guild of America West)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- The Writers Guild of America West has tapped comedy scribe-director Hal Kanter to receive the Morgan Cox Award for service to the guild. The kudo will be presented at the guild's Honorary Service Award lunch Nov. 16 at the...

TiVo, Netflix confirm plan for VOD service.(video on demand)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- TiVo and Netflix are making it official. The two tech-savvy media companies are working together on what a combined announcement described as a joint entertainment offering. The pair were known to be looking to work...

Showbiz stocks: Thursday, September 30, 2004.(Business)(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... SHOWBIZ STOCKS Thursday, September 30, 2004 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg %Chg AMC AEN ... 19.14 +.01 +25.8 AcmeCm ACME ... ...

On a positive note: global music sales may key up in 2nd half.(Business)
October 1, 2004... Finally, the recording industry may have hit bottom. The Intl. Federation of Phonographic Industries said Thursday that global music sales were roughly flat in the first six months of 2004, halting a four-year freefall and signaling a...

Sports webs are ordered to split up.(Business)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... BUENOS AIRES -- Argentina's antitrust watchdogs Wednesday ordered Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and Liberty Media to separate their interests in the nation's two top sports programmers as part of a merger of some of the companies' assets. Fox...

Azteca stock up on plan for shareholder payout.(Business)
October 1, 2004... MEXICO CITY -- TV Azteca, Mexico's second-largest net, is taking action to improve its standing and image on Wall Street. On Wednesday, the net said it would make a one-time distribution of $210 million to shareholders, with all but $80...

Epic taps publicity sr. VP.(Epic Records appoints Lois Najarian )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Epic Records has named Lois Najarian senior VP of publicity, responsible for all aspects of media relations for the company. Najarian was most recently exec VP at Dan Klores Communications, where she ran the entertainment/...

O'seas in Oscar rush: deadline for foreign-lingo hopefuls today.(World News)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- A slew of countries, including Italy and Russia, rushed to submit their entries for consideration in the foreign-language Oscar category before today's deadline. Spain is running down to the wire. It's choosing between...

Chinese officials vow support in piracy fight.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY -- In a sign that China may be ready to tackle rampant video piracy, senior officials attending an audiovisual expo in the southern city of Guangzhou pledged to take action to respect copyright and "support legitimate movies." Reps...

U.K. regulator wants to add pubcaster.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... LONDON -- The prospect of a major new player in the U.K.'s already competitive TV market emerged Thursday as media regulator Ofcom unveiled an ambitious plan to launch a public service provider. The new entity--part channel, part...

Berlinale binds book fair.(World News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... BERLIN -- The growing significance of literary adaptations for the publishing and film industries has led to a new cooperation between the Berlin Film Festival and the Frankfurt Book Fair. Organizers will present a series of joint events at...

Sky One pacts for U.S. skeins.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. Sky One)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... LONDON -- Sky One, satcaster BSkyB's flagship net, is attempting to halt a ratings slide by adding another two U.S. titles to its growing collection of acquired fare. It has bought pay, free and basic-cable rights to "Stargate Atlantis"...

Films in the future.(Film Production Chart)
October 1, 2004... PRODUCTION CHART KEY Abbreviation: EXP, Executive producer; PROD-Producer; COP-Co-producer; DIR-Director, AD-First assistant director; 2DIR-Secood-unit director; SCR-Screenwriter; DP-Cinematographer; ED-Editor; PD-Production designer;...

Filming in the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
October 1, 2004... ** THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL Cayden Boyd, George Lopez, Taylor Lautner PROD, Elizabeth Avellan, Robert Rodriguez; DIR-SCR-DP-ED, Rodriguez; UPM, Bill Scott; CAST, Mary Vernieu; DISTRIB, Dimension Troublemaker...

Filming outside the U.S.(Film Production Chart)
October 1, 2004... AEON FLUX Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Jonny Lee Miller, Morton Csokas, Sophie Okonedo, Amelia Warner, Caroline Chikezie EXP, Tom Rosenberg, Van Toffler; PROD, Gale Anne Hurd, David Gale, Gary Lucchesi, Greg Goodman; COP, Martha...

Filming in Gotham.(Film Production Chart)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ** INTERVENTION Olympia Dukakis, Mary Stuart Masterson, Christina Zorich, Lainie Kazan, Marie Macaluso, Gary Swanson, David Margulies, Carlin Glynn, Robert Walden, Hazelle Goodman, Denise Lute EXP, Ron Curtis Jr; PROD, J. Clayton, Gary...

Remote Access (Udalionnyi Dostup).(Movie Review)
October 1, 2004... (Russia) A KinoProba Studio/Gorky Film Studio production. Produced by Yuri Obukhov. Directed, written by Svetlana Proskurina. Camera (color), Alexander Burov, Sergei Yurizditsky; editor, Sergei Ivanov; music, Andrei Sigle;...

Scissor Sisters.(Take Your Mama)(Theater Review)
October 1, 2004... (Avalon; 1,500 capacity: $17.50) Presented by KCRW and Clear Channel. Band: Paddy Boom, Ana Matronic, Jake Shears. Del Merquis, Babydaddy. JJ Garden. Reviewed Sept. 29, 2004. When Scissor Sisters started its tour-closing show at the...

PBS trained on 'Puppy'.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PBS Kids has ordered 14 episodes of "Clifford's Puppy Days," Scholastic Entertainment's spinoff of "Clifford the Big Red Dog," for fall 2005. "Puppy Days" follows the big, red dog when he was a puppy, focusing on his canine adventures and...

'Pauley' nicked in two more markets.(The Jane Pauley Show)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... NBC Universal's troubled syndicated rookie "The Jane Pauley Show" has got hit with its third and fourth downgrades, these coming on KATU-TV Portland (Ore.) and WDSU-TV New Orleans. Both downgrades will take effect Monday, and they follow...

Date book.(Entertainment industry)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... OCT. 1 New York Film Festival 42nd annual fest kicks off with French filmmaker Agnes Jaoui's "Look at Me," continues with screenings of Pedro Almodovar's "Bad Education" and the "Infernal Affairs" trilogy and closes with Alexander Payne's...

'Heart' seeks some B.O. love.(I Heart Huckabees)
October 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- As the fall season for limited films seeking breakout success and awards recognition gears up, Fox Searchlight debuts David O. Russell's "I Heart Huckabees" this weekend on four screens in Gotham and L.A. Also this week...

Weekend box office preview.(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... WEEKEND BOX OFFICE PREVIEW Variety.com/weekendopeners RELEASE DATES AND CHANGES As of Sept. 30 Pic New date Old date BUENA VISTA Dark Water Summer TBA ...

Miramax talks hit the wall.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- With the Walt Disney Co. playing hardball, Miramax's request to take its case to the Mouse House's board of the directors has been mined down. Bob and Harvey Weinstein's personal contracts expire in just less than a year, and...

'Shark' shows teeth: D'Works pic bags $49 mil.(Dreamworks SKG)
October 4, 2004... "Shark Tale" made a $49.1 million splash over the weekend in the second-best opening ever for DreamWorks. Hip-hop-themed fish toon bowed ultra-wide in 4,016 theaters. For DreamWorks, "Shark Tale" is second only to "Shrek 2's" massive $108...

Auds show B.O. love for 'Heart'.(Box Office )
October 4, 2004... As award season gears up, the spotlight is already shining on some limited runs. Fox Searchlight's "I Heart Huckabets" was a scorcher over the weekend, with $300,062 from four screens in L.A. and Gotham. Searchlight distrib head Steve...

Croisette braces for TV title wave.
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- "Fat Actress," "Dog the Bounty Hunter" and--yes, it had to happen--"Too Posh to Wash," the inevitable reality take on undernail fungi, will compete against the Hollywood majors for deals this week on the Cannes Croisette. And...

Fox to 'Strut' series stuff.(Fox 2000 Pictures)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Feature scribe Sheldon Turner, who wrote the upcoming Adam Sandier remake of "The Longest Yard," will write and exec produce "Strut," an hourlong drama for Fox that will star Dominic Purcell ("John Doe"). Purcell ("John Doe")...

Woo masters 'He-Man'.(Production management)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Fox 2000 has tapped John Woo to direct and produce "He-Man" a live-action pic based on the characters in Mattel's "Masters of the Universe" line of action figures. Adam Rifkin will adapt the screenplay. The property was...

'Law' man sets slate.(Production management)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- In his first development season since exiting "Law & Order" earlier this year, scribe-showrunner Michael Chernuchin has set up drama projects at ABC and NBC. Chernuchin, who's in the middle of a rich overall deal at NBC...

China keeps a wary lid on its pop culture: the post-Cultural Revolution cloud is as suffocating as Beijing's pervasive smog.(The Back Lot)
October 4, 2004... ZHANG YIMOU is a gritty, battle-hardened former factory worker whose career stands as a metaphor for the state of China's pop culture. On the one hand, his directing career is burgeoning. His chopsocky epic "Hero" sat atop the box office...

Vote for Change.(Concert Review)(Concert Review)
October 4, 2004... (Wachovia Center, Philadelphia; 22.000 capacity; $75) Presented by MoveOn PAC. Performers: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. R.E.M., John Fogerty, Bright Eyes Re viewed Oct. 1, 2004. Protest concerts aren't what they used to be:...

Baldwin shingle goes green with 'Luna' tale.(Baldwin Entertainment Group)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Baldwin Entertainment Group ("Ray") has optioned film rights to Julia Butterfly Hill's "The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods" and signed Oscar winner David S. Ward to pen the...

Harris in 'Love' in a roundabout way.(Ed Harris)(Roundabout Theatre Co.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Ed Harris will make his stage directing debut when he helms the Roundabout Theater Company's Broadway production of Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love" this winter. Play's first-ever Broadway staging will begin previews Jan. 15, open Feb. 10 and...

Hartford reading Hare's 'Stuff'.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- David Hare's new play "Stuff Happens," which takes aim at the Bush and Blair administrations, will get its first public exposure in the U.S. with a reading at Hartford Stage later this month. It's playing at London's...

Cloaca.(Theater Review)
October 4, 2004... (Old Vic Theater. London: 999 seats; 40 [pounds sterling] ($72) top) An Old Vic Theater presentation of a play by Maria Goos in two acts. Directed by Kevin Spacey. Sets and costumes, Robert Jones; lighting, Mark Henderson; sound, Fergus...

And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop.(Movie Review)
October 4, 2004... (Documentary: VH1, Mon.-Fri., Oct. 4-8. 10 p.m.) Filmed by VH1 Prods. in association with Perry Films. Executive producers, Dana Heinz Perry, Russell Simmons, Brad Abramson, Michael Hirschorn; producers. Bill Adler, Heinz Perry; supervising...

Music maven finds groove at Motown.(Motown Record Company L.P.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Former longtime Elektra Records chief Sylvia Rhone has been named president of Motown Records and exec VP of Universal Records. Rhone will have direct responsibility for the Motown label, the roster of which includes Stevie...

Fuqua ankles 'Gangster'.(Director Antoine Fuqua)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Director Antoine Fuqua has abruptly exited "American Gangster," the Universal/Imagine drama that will star Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro. Fuqua departed the picture last Friday, with the studio citing "creative differences" as the...

Fox recruits drama duo.(Fox Alternative Productions)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Screenwriter John August ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") has teamed with fellow scribe Jordan Mechner ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time") to develop an action drama for Fox. Untitled drama revolves around a military...

Directors dig deals: Helmers' board endorses with studios, nets.
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- With typical unanimity, DGA leaders have recommended that members approve the three-year tentative contract with studios and nets. The guild's national board OK'd the deal in Gotham without dissent Saturday, triggering the...

NBC, Fox News score debate points.(Television broadcasting industry)
October 4, 2004... After the apathetic turnout for this summer's political conventions, the first presidential debate proved one of the major television events of the year as more than 62.5 million people tuned in the feisty showdown between President Bush and...

Original stirs b'cast plans, enlists exec.(Original Prods)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Original Prods., the shingle behind the highly rated Discovery Channel show "Monster Garage," is revving up several new series projects for cable while recruiting veteran LMNO exec Tracy Green to develop fare for the broadcast...

Thesps line up for 'War'.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Tim Robbins and Miranda Otto are in negotiations to join Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg for Paramount/DreamWorks' "War of the Worlds." Thesps would join Dakota Fanning, who will portray the daughter of Cruise's character....

Anchors hold firm: Brokaw, Jennings defend beleaguered Rather.
October 4, 2004... Network news anchors Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings rallied around CBS News anchor Dan Rather at an emotionally charged panel over the weekend, with the usually reserved Brokaw accusing some Republicans of "demonizing" Rather as part of a "kind...

TV Acad exec returning to Promax roost.(Event planners)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Former TV Academy prexy Jim Chabin has lured the Acad's Suzanne Gutierrez to head up Promax & BDA's corporate relations. Chabin, now CEO of Promax & BDA, has named Gutierrez exec VP of corporate relations worldwide. In the...

Here! lighting 'Eternal' flame for U.S. distrib'n.(Movie distribution, United States)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Here! Films, the independent production and distribution shingle that is a subsidiary of Regent Entertainment, has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the thriller "Eternal" from Horizon Entertainment. Pic will be released...

Jessica Lange and William Hurt are set to co-star in the feature "Neverwas".(Players)(Production management)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... * Jessica Lange and William Hurt are set to co-star in the feature "Neverwas," written and directed by Joshua Michael Stern. Also joining the cast are Vera Farmiga, Bill Bellamy and Michael Moriarty. Pic, lensing in Vancouver, also...

Real-life spouses Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna.(Players)(Production management)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... * Real-life spouses Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna are set to imitate life on the small screen. The pair will appear in at least three episodes of UPN's "Veronica Mars" as the parents of Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), a high school rival of...

Sam Neil, Romola Garai ("Vanity Fair") and Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl") will topline "Mary Bryant," a three-hour miniseries.(Players)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Sam Neil, Romola Garai ("Vanity Fair") and Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl") will topline "Mary Bryant," a three-hour miniseries now shooting in New South Wales, Australia. Budgeted at A$15 million...

Disney to take 'Billion to One' shot.(Movie distribution)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Disney has acquired the pitch "Billion to One" from scribes Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Andy Licht will produce pic through his shingle Licht Entertainment with Aaron Wilder. Senior VP of production Brad Epstein is...

'Brothers' to IFC, Focus.(Movie distribution)(IFC Films)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- IFC Films and Focus Features have acquired Susanne Bier's Danish-language drama "Brothers" for joint U.S. distribution. Deal marks the first time that the two film companies have joined forces, with IFC taking the lead in the...

Bruckheimer show taps two.(Television producers )(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Ken Robinson and David McKenna have been named exec producers on Jerry Bruckheimer's upcoming NBC drama. Currently in development at the Peacock, "The E Ring" takes place inside the Pentagon. Bruckheimer TV and Warner...

Buyout bogs down: Q3 drop may scuttle Hollywood Video plans.(Business)(Hollywood Entertainment Corp.)
October 4, 2004... Troubled chain Hollywood Video posted an 8% decline in sales for the third quarter, casting further doubt on a proposed buyout deal set to expire Oct. 15. The No. 2 U.S. vidtailer, battered by a shrinking rental market, said talks continue...

'Super' doc blamed for leaner McD's U.K. profit.(Business)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... LONDON -- In Blighty, Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Super Size Me" is getting a large share of the credit (or blame) for the news that fast-food giant McDonald's U.K.'s pre-tax profits have dropped 72% from a jumbo-sized $150 million to a...

Sub report dips XM shares.(Business)(XM Satellite Radio Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- Shares in XM Satellite Radio were down about 5% in after-hours trading Friday after an announcement of third-quarter sub adds that disappointed investors. The leading sat radio company said it added more than 415,000 customers...

Revs slip at Canal Plus.(Business)(Canal Plus S.A.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... PARIS -- French media concern Canal Plus Group posted half-year revenues Friday of 731 million [euro] ($906 million), slightly down from $919 million in 2003. Still, the paybox said that a drop in operating expenses as well as a hike in...

Regal reach grows with Signature sites.(Business)(Regal Entertainment Group)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Regal Entertainment Group completed its $200 million all-cash acquisition of Signature Theaters on Friday, expanding the exhib giant's footprint in California and Hawaii. Regal acquired 30 theater complexes and 309 screens, which it...

Showbiz stocks: Friday, October 1, 2004.(Business)(Illustration)
October 4, 2004... SHOWBIZ STOCKS Friday, October 1, 2004 YTD Name Tkr PE Last Chg % Chg AMC AEN ... 19.11 -.03 +25.6 AcmeCm ACME ... ...

Omagh.(Movie Review)(Movie Review)
October 4, 2004... (Ireland-U.K.) A Channel 4 presentation in association with the Irish Film Board, RTE and Portman Film of a Tiger Aspect/Hell's Kitchen production. (International sales: Portman Film, London.) Produced by Ed Guiney, Paul Greengrass....

Viper in the Fist.(Movie Review)
October 4, 2004... (Vipere Au Poing) (France) A Rezo Films/Ramona Prods/Zephyr Films production in co-production with France 3 Cinema, in association with Uni Etoile, Banque Populaire Images 4, Cofimages, with the participation of Canal +. (International...

Telepictures Banks on model.(Telepictures Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... HOLLYWOOD -- It was the worst-kept secret in syndication, but now it's official: Tyra Banks is developing her own talkshow. Supermodel-thesp has sealed a deal with Telepictures to host a talker for next fall. Untitled strip will be...

Embedded/Live.(Theater Review)(Theater Review)
October 4, 2004... A Havoc production. Produced by Tim Robbins, Nadia Benamara, Rudd Simmons. Directed, written by Tim Robbins. Camera (color, Betacam), Adam Greene: editors, Lisa Churgin, John Custodio; music, David Robbins; production designer, Richard...

Lortel sets grant sked.
October 4, 2004... The Lucille Lortel foundation announced a new application deadline for unrestricted, general operating grants to small and midsize nonprofit New York theaters. The deadline for the $2,500 to $25,000 grants is Oct. 25. Eligible theaters...

Richard Avedon.(Obituaries)(Obituary)
October 4, 2004... Richard Avedon, the revolutionary shutterbug who redefined fashion photography as an art form while achieving critical acclaim through his stark black-and-white portraits of the powerful and celebrated, died Friday. He was 81. Avedon...