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December 16, 1999

This week, bizbuzz is brought to you by:
hollywoodins.jpg
and Billy Cardwell.

You may have noticed that the usually crack staff of Biz Buzz hasn't updating in a while. Well that's because we've been in Hollywood negotiating our own 30 min show. Unfortunately Harry Knowles has been shoppping a show around and all the studios are now too deep in the red from catering business lunches with him involved. Hey, it happens, but at least you know you can still turn here for your FREE news.

Action is dead. You have no one to blame but yourselves. I hope you're happy, you BASTARDS.

Among the new DVD titles from Anchor Bay for 2000 is the series premiere of "Moonlighting," starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd. With a release date of January 25, 2000, fans of the mega-hit show will have a chance to view Bruce Willis' never-before-seen screen test, and the DVD features a commentary by Bruce Willis and show creator Glenn Gordon Caron. Maybe the profits from this can help offset the BOMB of Breakfast of Champions, which only cost 10 million more to make than it made.

New releases for February 2000 include a collection of films directed or produced by Max Baer Jr. -- the critically acclaimed independent filmmaker and American television icon "Jethro Bodine" from "The Beverly Hillbillies." His films will include one of the most acclaimed drive-in classics of all time -- Macon County Line. Other titles are Hometown USA and The McCullochs. HGI has been trying to get in touch with Max using the phone number we have for him, but he's been too busy getting the new casino going.

Following months of speculation, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are in negotiations to reteam in a sequel to New Line Cinema's boxoffice success "Rush Hour." A $5 million deal with "Rush Hour" helmer Brett Ratner to direct the sequel was finalized earlier this year. Chan, who took home a $5 million payday for the first installment, is poised to triple his take for the sequel, sources said. Tucker, whose deal is contingent on Chan's involvement, is expected to earn even more than the $13 million-plus take he was promised to star in 20th Century Fox and New Regency Prods.' "Black Knight," which is scheduled to start in April. New Line is eying a fall 2000 start date for a summer 2001 release. Expect to see Martial Law IMMEDIATELY mimic the suppossed plot and to make cast changes to based on script leaks.

TORONTO -- Canada's broadcast regulator Wednesday put the Sports Network in a hammerlock by ordering Canada's all-sports cable channel to stop airing "WWF Raw" during the day when young children can watch. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, in a letter to TSN dated Dec. 14 and released Wednesday, said the regulator had reviewed public complaints against the "WWF Raw" program and "strongly encouraged" the sports channel to reschedule the show for nights only. "The commission is very concerned about the availability of 'WWF Raw' at times when young viewers are likely to be watching, particularly during the late afternoon," the CRTC wrote in a letter to TSN president Rick Brace. "The scheduling of 'WWF Raw' in late afternoon time slots is inconsistent with TSN's position that the program is intended for adult audiences," the regulator argued. Full frontal nudity on basic cable is still okay, so calm down. No worries, eh.

Ted Turner told the Western Cable Show convention in Los Angeles Wednesday that he considers The WB network "a syndicated programming service" and that he would like Time Warner eventually to own a full-service network that offers news and sports. "Long-term, we will be disadvantaged without a network," he told the gathering. The Time Warner vice-chairman went on to specify that he would "like to get NBC, assuming we could get it." He followed that (oft-repeated) declaration by announcing "I think we ought to buy DirectTV." Turner added that he was expressing his own views, not the company's. "If we're going to be big, let's be big," Turner declared. "What's wrong with two networks? We're about ready to have two cartoon networks, we have two movie channels. I'll take one more of everything." To the laughter of the crowd, he then recited: "Double your pleasure, double your fun, have two networks instead of just one." When asked if he meant two of *everything*, he just commented that he only knew of one other NAM era political activist woman, Gloria Steinham, and she's not his bad, baybee.

After reading Steven Zaillian's screenplay for Hannibal, the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins has confirmed that he has agreed to star in the title role, according to a report appearing on Carlton Communication's "Popcorn" Internet site Wednesday. At the same time, the report said, Hopkins brushed off speculation that he would also star in a sequel to The Exorcist, joking that he might be interested in the Linda Blair role. Word is that for the third installment of Silence of the Lambs, Linda Blair will take over the Hopkins' role. From her B-movie career, we all know she can eat man meat like no other.

I'm extremely sorry to report that there is no new David Duchovny news this week. You'll have to make due with past jokes.

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