Here a Love, There a Love, Everywhere a Love....

February 20, 2002

GQ LOUNGE OPENING

GQ magazine celebrated the offical opening of the GQ Lounge, the first GQ-designed full-service nightclub, for one month in Los Angeles. On this night, they were celebrating the March Movie Issue of GQ which included a silent auction to benefit the Fulfillment Fund, a program serving economically disadvantaged students throughout Los Angeles.

Over the course of the month, the GQ Lounge will feature star-studded events, musical performances by artists such as Angie Stone, and hot DJs.

Working with event-designer Avi Adler Designs Inc., GQ transformed the existing space, Hollywood's Sunset Room, into an exclusive lounge that that embodies the content of the magazine – the latest in fashion, design, technology, spirits, music and entertainment. Innovative installations and designs incorporate top brands featured in the pages of the magazine.

Showcased brands in the GQ lounge include: Altoids, Artisan, Bacardi Limón, Bombay Sapphire, Budweiser, Cadillac, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, Corum watches, Fila - Ferarri, Grand Marnier, Indy Racing League, Hugo Boss, JBL, Jim Beam Black, Maurice Lacroix Swiss Watches, Paul Mitchell, Reebok Diamond, Silhouette sunglasses, Sony, and 20th Century Fox.

Story: © 2002 GQ Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Image: © 2002 Wireimage.com. All Rights Reserved.

From The Hollywood Reporter - February 19, 2002

MGM MOVIES ARE NEWEST
FORM OF INTERTAINER

by Paul Bond

MGM has inked a deal with Intertainer that gives the young company access to 4,100 MGM library titles as well as new releases for Intertainer's digital cable and broadband video-on-demand service.

The first couple of titles available immediately are "Legally Blonde" starring Reese Whitterspoon and "Heartbreakers" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sigourney

Weaver, each of which can be rented for $3.99, which allows the user to view the films multiple times in a 24-hour period and with VCR functionality.

Intertainer (two blocks west of the Sony Studios at the old Avnet building---which once sub as Sue Ellen's psychiatrist office in the TV series, "Dallas") sells its broadband Internet service for $7.99 a month, giving users on-demand access to free television shows, concerts and music videos, among other fare, as well as on-demand movies on a pay-per-view basis.

Intertainer customers via digital cable companies Adelphia Communications and Comcast pay a la carte for all the content, from as little as 25 cents for a TV show to $3.99 for a movie.

Story: © 2002 The Hollywood Reporter. All Rights Reserved.
Image: ™ ® & © 2002 Intertainer, Incp. All Rights Reserved.

From Associated Press - February 16, 2002

DISNEY RESURRECT CLASSIC CARTOONS

Maldin: 'Let's face it, this is all about marketing'

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Where does a fairy tale go after "happily ever after?" For Disney, some might say, to the bank.

Peter Pan is back in theaters with the sequel "Return to Never Land," joining Cinderella, Dumbo, and Lady and the Tramp among the classic characters resurrected by the studio for a series of sequels.

The lucrative follow-ups often cost less than $15 million to produce and earn upward of $100 million in video sales and rentals.

"I'm not a fan of sequels of any kind," said Leonard Maltin, movie critic and author of "The Disney Films." "But let's face it, this is all about marketing and it's been very, very successful. If I were running the company, I'd be tempted to do the same thing."

In 1953's original "Peter Pan" cartoon, a teen-age Londoner named Wendy and her two little brothers accompanied Peter on an adventure through a mystical world of Indian fighters, Lost Boys and dastardly pirates.

"Return to Never Land" places Peter Pan in the World War II era, where he meets Jane, the daughter of a now grown-up Wendy, after Captain Hook kidnaps the girl amid the raining bombs of the London Blitz.

Disney plans to release an animated movie to theaters each February from its television animation division, said department President David Stainton.

Next year, "The Jungle Book II" will hit theaters, with John Goodman as the voice of Baloo the Bear and Haley Joel Osment as Mowgli the "man-cub," with the story picking up immediately after the conclusion of the 1967 original.

Also in the works is a follow-up to 1941's "Dumbo," this time tracking the floppy-eared flying elephant as he befriends an ostrich, twin bears, a hippo and a zebra from the menagerie of his fellow circus animals. It's unclear whether "Dumbo II" will premiere on video or in theaters, Stainton said.

Other upcoming video sequels: "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True," "Atlantis: The Lost Empire II" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame II." Top sellers already include "Lady & the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure," "The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" and "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride."

Quick for the kids

Most of the sequels are produced on a shoestring budget by Disney's TV animation department; they're shipped direct-to-video and marketed mainly for small children.

By comparison, Disney's theatrical animation features delicately detailed animation, soaring budgets upward of $80 million and massive marketing campaigns aimed at children and adults.

"Return to Never Land" is a combination of the two techniques.

Although produced on a modest budget by Disney's TV department, it boasts nationwide distribution and elaborate digital effects, most notably the dogfight between Hook's airborne pirate ship and a fleet of German bombers.

The sequels can be a proving ground for up-and-coming animators who attempt to compensate for slim budgets by meticulously studying artwork from the original films to add detail and verisimilitude to the sequels.

"The people who work on these take the assignments to heart," Maltin said. "They know they're going to be measured against classic animation by both 4-year-olds and their own colleagues."

Replacing famous voices is another challenge -- especially on a tight budget.

Probably the most recognizable voice in the original "Peter Pan" was the late Hans Conried's growling Captain Hook, but the sequel features veteran voice-over actor Corey Burton -- who, ironically, got his start in the business 30 years ago by mimicking Conried.

Other replacements have been less seamless. "Aladdin" fans derided Dan Castellaneta (Homer's voice on "The Simpsons") as a poor substitute for Robin Williams as the voice of Genie in a spin-off TV series and the video sequel "The Return of Jafar."

And instead of Mel Gibson voicing John Smith in "Pocahontas," the sequel, "Journey to a New World," featured his brother, Donal.

Voices heard again

As the sequels have increased in popularity, bigger stars have shown a willingness to participate, said Scott Hettrick, editor of the trade newspaper Video Business.

Williams returned for the second video sequel, 1996's "Aladdin and the King of Thieves," and Demi Moore, Kevin Kline and Tom Hulce reprised their roles from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" for this spring's upcoming sequel with Jennifer Love Hewitt.

It's still rare, however, for the directors, producers or lead animators of a theatrical release to return to work on a sequel.

Producer Don Hahn, whose "Beauty and the Beast" was nominated for a best picture Oscar 10 years ago, said he had no interest in working on the 1997 holiday-themed sequel, "The Enchanted Christmas."

"I don't get that involved with them because once you spend three or four years of your life on a project you're ready to move on," he said. "But I understand this is show business and these stories have a life beyond what we put on the screen."

Sequels go home, too

Sometimes the sequels sell just as well in video release as cartoons from Disney's film department.

Last year, "Lady & the Tramp II" was No. 11 in sales, with $154 million. (Good job, Scott Wolf!) Disney's theatrical release "The Emperor's New Groove" was No. 9 with $185 million. In 2000, "The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" was No. 10 with $121 million.

The story of "Return to Never Land" goes back to author J.M. Barrie's original "Peter Pan," written for the stage in 1904 and novelized in 1911.

At the end of the book, Peter Pan is said to visit Wendy's room again and again over the years, meeting her daughter, Jane, and then later a granddaughter, and great-granddaughter.

"Return to Never Land" extrapolates on that idea, adding a subplot about the hardened life Jane lives during the war compared to the frivolous, romantic lifestyle Wendy once enjoyed.

"The Lion King II" (1998) borrowed its premise from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," with Simba's rebellious daughter befriending a cub from a pack of rival lions.

For the upcoming "Cinderella" sequel, "Dreams Come True," Disney devised a trio of shorts detailing the new princess' adjustment to castle life and an attempt to find love for one of her wicked stepsisters.

Purists argue that the sequels exploit and tarnish the reputations of the beloved originals, but some grudgingly admit that kids seem to enjoy them anyway.

"I think they're raping Walt Disney's original ideas," said movie fan Salvador Gonzales, 18, a college student from Redondo Beach, California. "But I bought some of the sequels for my 3-year-old niece, and she likes them. She doesn't know the difference."

Angered by the proliferation of sequels, Gonzales has gathered 80 signatures since late January on an Internet petition asking the studio to spare 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" from the sequel treatment.

"I would personally love to make a sequel to 'Snow White,' " said Disney's Stainton. "But the company is protective of these great pieces of art from the past. The decision isn't just mine to make."

Story: © 2002 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

THE PITCH

SEEKING NEW BUSINESS, SHREVE,
CRUMP & LOVE WOOS GAYS, LESBIANS

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff Writer

Shreve, Crump & Low proclaims itself as the oldest jewelry story in North America and ''a Boston bridal resource for the past 205 years.'' It has a long history of bedecking Brahmin brides with diamonds as well as accessorizing everyone from Winston Churchill to some of the Kennedys.

Now as its industry slogs through a recession, Shreve is targeting gays and lesbians. Print ads in gay and mainstream publications show off a $900 to $5,250 line of ''commitment rings.''

''We have always assisted unconventional couples with gift registry and are responding to the increasing demand for wedding rings for gay and lesbian couples,'' said Shreve president Richard Wycherley.

The commitment rings are the result of eight months of development and focus-group research, said Michael Lebowitz, Shreve's manager of fine jewelry merchandise.

Some gay couples are content with conventional wedding rings, he said, and it's not unusual for a lesbian couple to split up a pair of diamond earrings in lieu of buying two engagement rings. But after noticing an uptick in gay couples using its gift registry, Shreve decided to debut its commitment rings Feb. 1. Yesterday, Valentine's Day, it recorded its first sale. ''We're always looking for ways to better the business,'' Lebowitz said of the strategy. ''We don't want to be thought of as a stuffy jeweler.''

While the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force has fought to discredit the stereotype that most gays are affluent, gays spend $425 billion to $500 billion annually on goods and services.

From a business perspective, Shreve's strategy ''makes sense,'' said Lee Badgett, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the research director for the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies. Gays are often ''hassled'' in stores, she said. And offering merchandise specially aimed at gays sends the message that they are valued and welcome customers, she said.

Shreve is a regular advertiser in Sunday's Boston Globe Magazine. Now, for the first time, it is advertising in gay publications such as Bay Windows and Pink Pages. Lebowitz did not rule out the possibility that Shreve might seek to run the ad for its commitment rings in the Globe.

''We want the gay community to know we want its business,'' Lebowitz said.

So far, commitment rings have not been ''a huge niche'' for the jewelry industry, though high-end jewelry stores routinely design special rings for couples, said Hedda Schupak, editor in chief for Jewelers' Circular Keystone, an industry publication. ''To my knowledge, only two manufacturers make them. But there's certainly a market out there.''

The $45 billion jewelry industry boomed during the 1990s, often enjoying 8 to 10 percent annual gains, but the recession has taken its toll.

After Sept. 11, business took a ''nose dive,'' Schupak said. Hit especially hard was the kind of jewelry that consumers buy for themselves. Fortunately, consumers have continued to buy jewelry as a gift, she said. With some consumers no longer taking things for granted after Sept. 11, jewelry sales for the past holiday season were ''much better than expected,'' Schupak said.

As a private company, Shreve does not disclose financial information, but its new lines for this season seem to play into industry strengths. Along with commitment rings, Shreve debuted a line of ''promise rings,'' or pre-engagement rings. ''It's a placeholder for the lady's finger,'' Lebowitz said. ''It says, `Wait for me.'''

Such rings were popular in the 1960s and '70s, he said. And it was also common then for a boy to give his sweetheart his class ring as a sign of going steady, he said. Today a class ring is as passe as an Oldsmobile, but young people still want jewelry to show their affection.

When such celebrities as Madonna and Jennifer Love Hewitt began sporting promise rings, they started a comeback.

From a jeweler's perspective, Generation X - consumers born in the 1960s and '70s - has been a disappointment. When it comes to expressing love, Xers rarely resort to diamonds and pearls. But Generation X's younger siblings - Generation Y - have given the industry hope.

As for commitment rings, Shreve will be happy to sell a commitment ring to a heterosexual or a regular wedding ring to a gay customer, said Lebowitz, who added: ''We want to be your jeweler no matter who you are.''

Chris Reidy can be reached by e-mail at reidy@globe.com .

Story: © 2002 Globe Newspaper Company. All Rights Reserved.

NAMES & GAMES: A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

By Rob Rossi, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. In all the excitement that is Olympic curling, we understand how some of you might have let that slip. But, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. So get to the mall right now. Leave work early and make friends with the florist, the candy maker and the card carrier. Don't be afraid to drop some serious dime.

Trust us, even 11th-hour planning will go a long way toward making that midsummer weekend romp with the boys to Chicago for a game at Wrigley ... possible.

Plus, dude, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. And your lady deserves something.

Now, we'll get off the soapbox and offer a few of our favorite -- and Relatively Meaningless -- Valentine's Day-related names:

DETAILS OF SELECTED DISNEY SEUQELS

By The Associated Press

"Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" (1997) — Beast became a human at the end of the Oscar-nominated 1991 original, so this holiday tale occurs at some unspecified point in the middle of the first story. Belle (original star Paige O'Hara) is preparing the cursed castle for Christmas with the help of Lumiere the candelabra and Cogsworth the clock, but a surly pipe-organ named Forte (Tim Curry) is plotting to eliminate the cheery newcomer.

"The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" (2000) — Ariel the mermaid (original star Jodi Benson) has surrendered her fins for a pair of legs and is now married to the handsome Prince Eric. But their daughter, Melody, wants to explore her fishy heritage and the evil sea-witch Morgana (Pat Carroll of "Songcatcher"), sister of the 1989 movie's villain Ursula, offers to transform her into a mermaid if she'll steal a magical trident.

"Lady & The Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" (2001) — The spaghetti-eating canine lovers from the 1955 original now have a yappy pup named Scamp (Scott Wolf) who runs away to join a gang of junkyard mongrels led by his father's old nemesis, the surly Buster (Chazz Palminteri). A sweetheart mutt named Angel (Alyssa Milano) convinces him that family is more important than adventure.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame II" (2002) — After a happy ending in the 1996 adaptation, which bore no resemblance to the dark conclusion of author Victor Hugo's original novel, the deformed Quasimodo (original star Tom Hulce) has fallen in love with Madellaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the beautiful assistant of a cruel magician who is trying to steal one of the cathedral's famous bells. Jennifer Love Hewitt also contributes a song she co-wrote and sings titled: "I'M GONNA LOVE YOU (MADELAINE'S LOVE SONG)".

Story: © 2002 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

LOVE FOR HART

Jennifer Love Hewitt arrived as a guest for the premiere of the new film "Hart's War" for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.

The film stars Bruce Willis and is set in a German POW camp during World War II. The film opens in the United States on February 15, 2002.

The Premier was at  at Mann's National Theatre - 10925 Lindbrook Dr, in Westwood Village.  The same theater where "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" premiered back in November 1998.

Yes...we can tell the outfit was revealing. Nice necklace.

Image: © 2002 Copyright Control. All Rights Reserved.

VIDEO, DVD BOOST MGM FILM STUDIO PROFITS

SANTA MONICA, CA (Reuters/My Love Hewitt Websites) - Film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. on Wednesday reported a sharper than expected rise in fourth-quarter earnings as strong video and DVD sales of films like "Heartbreakers" starring Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt and "Legally Blonde" starring Reese Whitherspoon boosted revenue.

After accounting changes, MGM reported net income of $39.1 million, or 16 cents per share, compared with $12.4 million, or 6 cents per share, a year earlier.

On Dec. 17, MGM said it expected to earn 12 cents a share after the effect of new accounting rules governing film marketing costs and 6 cents a share before the accounting changes.

Fourth-quarter revenues rose 29 percent to $375.5 million from $292 million a year earlier.

The studio also said its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, an important measure of performance in the entertainment industry, rose 76 percent to $64 million.

"All four of our core businesses delivered impressive growth in 2001 and should continue to be strong growth drivers in 2002," Chief Executive Alex Yemenidjian said in a statement.

The company said its worldwide film and television library revenues increased 27 percent in the fourth quarter, while worldwide home video revenues rose 57 percent.

Domestic DVD unit shipments were up 172 percent for the full year, led by the "Hannibal" (with Universal) starring Anthony Hopkins, "Heartbreakers", "Legally Blonde" releases as well as a strong performance from MGM's library of films.

Story: © 2002 Reuters Limited/Hewmix Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Enrique "Single" Iglesias did a webcast interview with the readers of "The Sun" (owned by Rupert Murdoch) and the first question was regarding the video of "Hero".  By the way, "Hero" is Number one on England Music charts knocking off "My Sweet Lord" by the GREAT GEORGE HARRISON (It's all in the mind....).

From The Sun:  

In the video for his new single Hero, Enrique and Hollywood babe Jennifer Love Hewitt are on the run from bad guy Mickey Rourke.

Sarah McKenzie Wolverhampton:

How did you get Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mickey Rourke to star in your new video. Do you fancy returning the favour and starring in one of their films?

Enrique:

Jennifer Love Hewitt is a good friend of mine and I called her up and she said "Yes", after I'd sent her the treatment for the video.

With Mickey Rourke, again I called him up and he said; "yes."

I liked the video as it was like a short movie. I've just done a small role in a Robert Rodrigues movie. If I could do very small roles in between music that didn't take up a lot of time then yes, I'd like to do that.

I just want to do something original. With videos it depends on what style I want. There have been some videos like short films and others based on my performances.

Story: © 2002 News Group Newspapers Limited. All Rights Reserved.