TUBE TALK Rather and CBS have faced a lot of criticism over the last couple days for airing on ''CBS Evening News'' a snippet of a videotape purporting to show the killing of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan earlier this year. The most recent complaint comes from the White House, where spokesman Ari Fleischer said yesterday, ''The State Department spoke with CBS about that matter [before the broadcast] and expressed concerns about that being shown. I know that Mrs. Pearl has very strong feelings about the damage that can be done as a result of showing that video. And the administration has great sympathies for what Mrs. Pearl has said.'' Mariane Pearl, who is writing a book about her husband, called CBS' action ''heartless'' and a propaganda victory for the terrorists. Rather has acknowledged that terrorists were using the video for propaganda purposes, as a recruiting tool on the Internet, but said that was what made it newsworthy, since it's ''important for Americans to see the kind of propaganda terrorists are using.'' Look for an award from the Los Angeles Press Club in Rather's future....
Variety reports that Olivier Martinez, who caught his big Hollywood break as Diane Lane's lover in the current ''Unfaithful,'' is in Europe shooting ''The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone,'' opposite Helen Mirren and Anne Bancroft. The remake of the 1961 Warren Beatty-Vivien Leigh film will debut on Showtime.
REEL DEALS Woody Allen, who once remarked that 80 percent of success in life comes from ''just showing up,'' got a five-minute standing ovation and an honorary Golden Palm award at the opening ceremony of the on Wednesday, just for showing up. Having never shown up before, despite numerous invitations, Allen found it fitting to do so this year, given that the opening night film, his ''Hollywood Ending,'' makes a joke of how the French love even his slightest work, despite indifference from audiences at home. ''The French make two big mistakes about me all the time,'' he told the crowd. ''First, they think I'm an intellectual because of my glasses. Second, they think I'm an artist because my films lose money.''...
Josh Hartnett may not have had a hit with ''O,'' but he's reteaming with FilmEngine, the producer of that movie, for two more films. One is called ''Wish You Were Here,'' which would send him back to Morocco, where he filmed ''Black Hawk Down,'' for a drama about four friends' ill-fated effort to smuggle a fortune out of the African country. The other is an adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's novel ''The Rum Diary,'' which would co-star Nick Nolte and Johnny Depp, star of the Thompson adaptation ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.''...
''Gosford Park'''s Ryan Phillippe is heading back to England for ''The I Inside,'' a paranormal thriller in which he'll play a man who emerges from a near-death experience with the ability to travel through time, enabling him to revisit the past and solve his brother's murder. Shooting begins June 10....
Clearly not slowed down by his recent motorcycle accident, singer/actor Tyrese has not one but two deals in the works with Universal Pictures. One is a thriller called ''Extortion'' based on his own story idea, which might reteam him with ''Baby Boy'' director John Singleton. The other is ''The Fast and The Furious'' sequel, where he may fill the gap left by another clean-pated actor, Vin Diesel, who priced himself out of the film....
You Might Also Like
- Music Commentary Here's our pick to win Best R&B Album
- In the News Eminem moves 1.3 million CDs | Gary Susman
- Q&A EW talks with Musiq | Rob Brunner
- Music Can't Stump The Musiq | Rob Brunner
- News Summary L.A. police sued over Biggie Smalls' death | Gary Susman
- All About Musiq
