Zeck, Grant & More

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* In 1997 Mike Zeck [penciler] teamed up with writer Steven Grant, inker Denis Rodier and colorist Kurt Goldzung to create one of my all-time favorite comic mini-sereies. It was a hard-boiled crime story called DAMNED. Finally a trade paperback is scheduled to ship in August. This book is well worth the price!

* A failing British company fired 2,500 employees by sending text messages to their mobile telephones. ” U R Fired.”

A wanted man was arrested after his parole officer spotted him kissing his girlfriend in a live crowd shot displayed on the scoreboard at a Cincinnati Reds game. If convicted he could get up to 18 years in prison. He could be heading for the [grand] slammer.

More Chili, Opie’s Girl & More

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  • John Travolta is in talks to reprise Chili Palmer, the character he played in “Get Shorty.” The sequel, “Be Cool” would be based on the novel by Elmore Leonard who wrote the original novel as well. “How cool is that?”
  • Kirsten Dunst has dropped out of talks to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Woods.” Bryce Dallas Howard [director Ron Howard’s daughter] will take on the role in her film debut. Set in 1897, “The Woods” revolves around a close-knit community that lives with the frightening knowledge that a mythical race of creatures resides in the woods around them. “I’ve got a sixth sense about these things… the signs are all there… the movie will be a hit and my record will remain unbreakable.
  • Mike Tyson said, in an interview to air tonight that he’s so angry about his rape conviction 11 years ago that he wants to rape his accuser and her mother now. Now that’s a way to win back fans.
  • A Nebraska lawmaker is so fed up with constituents crossing the state border to Iowa to gamble that she proposed going to war with the state. Anyone wanna bet that it doesn’t happen?

Roth, McCartney, DeNiro & More

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  • David Lee Roth’s lawsuit against Van Halen moves forward. Diamond Dave wants his fair cut!
  • Paul McCartney [60] and wife, Heather Mills, are expecting a baby later this year. Brings a whole new meaning to “will ya still need me, will ya still feed me… when I’m 64.”
  • A man described as a paranoid schizophrenic sneaked through security at Pittsburgh’s airport late at night and was found sleeping aboard a parked commuter airplane the next morning, authorities said. And you wonder why I don’t like to fly?
  • Robert De Niro will be honored next month with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. When told of his winning, Mr. DeNiro was quoted as saying, “Are you talkin’ ta ME?”
  • Bill Murray will play “Garfield” in a new live-action movie. That Murray is one funny cat.

Hope, Hope & More

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  • It’s hard to believe, but Bob Hope turns 100 on Thursday! I can remember seeing his specials when I was a little kid and thinking, he’s pretty funny for an old guy.
  • When Boston Public returns this fall it will be on a new night [Friday] and without Joey McIntyre, Jon Abrahams, Cara DeLizia and China Shavers. I just hope the audience returns.
  • Two Texas prison inmates have received permission to marry even though they have never met and cannot honeymoon until at least 2036. That brings a whole new meaning to if you love me, you’ll wait.
  • A woman gave birth to a baby in a well she had jumped into when she could not take the labor pain, police said. I’m happy to report that the mother and child are both doing, ah… well.

Crais is Great & More

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* A couple of days ago I wrote to say that LA Requiem by Robert Crais is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It is, but believe or not, his follow-up The Last Detective, is even better! I read it almost non-stop this weekend. It’s that good! If you’ve never read any of Crais’ work, now is the time to give him a shot!

* Can you believe that “Bruce Almighty” earned $86.4 million at the box office this weekend AND it knocked “The Matrix Reloaded,” from the top spot.

* Busta Rhymes has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery charges on a fan. Busta was busted.

No TV & More

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  • Don’t you just hate this in-between time for tv seasons? No new epsiodes of “Alias,” Boston Public,” “24,” “The Shield,” “West Wing,” or “ER.” At least I can look forward to new episodes of “Lucky” and “The World Series of Poker.”
  • Stephen Glover aka Steve-O of MTV’s “Jackass” admitted in a Swedish court that he had drugs in his hotel room. “I had an ecstasy pill in my bag and I smoked marijuana in the hotel room. I admit to both of those crimes,” Steve-O said but claimed he was joking about swallowing a condom filled with marijuana and hashish. Jackass indeed!
  • A judge overturned a convicted murderer’s death sentence because jurors consulted Biblical passages such as an “eye for an eye” during death-penalty deliberations. Would there have been a conviction if they had read “turn the other cheek?”
  • A philosophy student took her virginity off the auction block after an anonymous benefactor lent her the tuition money she lacked. “To give or not to give -THAT is the question.”
  • Spiders have infested a county jail in northeast Arkansas, biting at least 15 inmates and confounding the exterminator. Confounding the exterminator? “Uh warden, I’m a bit confused… those little buggers are too fast for a needle and they won’t sit in the chair! What am I to do?”
  • Meow Mix chief executive officer Richard Thompson is recovering — with his sense of humor intact — after being bitten by a Rottweiler. “Talk about turning the other cheek.”

No TV and Strange News

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  • Don’t you just hate this in-between time for tv seasons? No new epsiodes of “Alias,” Boston Public,” “24,” “The Shield,” “West Wing,” or “ER.” At least I can look forward to new episodes of “Lucky” and “The World Series of Poker.”
  • Stephen Glover aka Steve-O of MTV‘s “Jackass” admitted in a Swedish court that he had drugs in his hotel room. “I had an ecstasy pill in my bag and I smoked marijuana in the hotel room. I admit to both of those crimes,” Steve-O said but claimed he was joking about swallowing a condom filled with marijuana and hashish. Jackass indeed!

  • A judge overturned a convicted murderer’s death sentence because jurors consulted Biblical passages such as an “eye for an eye” during death-penalty deliberations.
    Would the conviction have stood if they had read “turn the other cheek?”
  • A philosophy student took her virginity off the auction block after an anonymous benefactor lent her the tuition money she lacked. “To give or not to give -THAT is the question.”

  • Spiders have infested a county jail in northeast Arkansas, biting at least 15 inmates and confounding the exterminator. Confounding the exterminator? “Uh warden, I’m a bit confused… those little buggers are too fast for a needle and they won’t sit in the chair! What am I to do?”
  • Meow Mix chief executive officer Richard Thompson is recovering — with his sense of humor intact — after being bitten by a Rottweiler. “Talk about turning the other cheek.”

Rodriguez, Underworld & More

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* I’m really really looking forward to Robert Rodriguez’s “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” It’s the third in his trilogy. Denmark MSN has posted up some cool shots from it. Check ’em out! [Thanks to Dark Horizons for the link]
* The official site for “Underworld” has opened. Watch the trailer and then mark your calendar for the premiere!
* 33.7 million people tuned in to watch Ruben Studdard win the title of “American Idol” last night. That’s more than the number of people who watch the Academy Awards which is traditionally the most-watched entertainment event of the year!
* Scott Bairstow who appeared in last year’s Disney flick “Tuck Everlasting” as well as in several TV series [“Lonesome Dove,” :Wolf Lake,” “Harsh Realm,” and “Party of Five”] has been charged with having sex with a 12-year-old girl. What’s worse is that she’s a relative by marriage… and the evidence looks like it’s true.

You’ve Got to Be Kidding!

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  • Residents from West Virginia and Kentucky have taken their protest of the planned reality show “The Real Beverly Hillbillies” to CBS. The new show, a takeoff of “The Beverly Hillbillies,” would pay an Appalachian family up to $500,000 to live for a year in a Hollywood mansion. If they want to avoid the publicity, they can come to Florida and choose my family. We’ll even do it for a lot less.
  • A German ambulanceman has been arrested for robbing patients as they lay helpless en route to hospital, police say. Police in the Bavarian capital of Munich became suspicious after several patients reported thefts. And I thought insurance companies were a rip-off.
  • A federal appeals court has tossed out the armed bank robbery conviction of a Los Angeles man after finding that — while he admitted being armed and robbing the bank — he did not mean to show his gun to a teller while demanding money. That is insane. He was carrying a weapon while he robbed the bank, but it wasn’t armed robbery?
  • If you’re going to sell marijuana, you probably shouldn’t try to sell it to the sheriff. Mahnomen County Sheriff Brad Athman said Tuesday he was motorcycling while off-duty over the weekend when a youth tried to sell him marijuana — not once, but twice — on the main street. Maybe the kid can get off by saying he didn’t mean for the Sheriff to see the pot!

“Tanks, But No Tanks” and More!

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  • Did you wonder why “Tank” wasn’t in the sequels to “The Matrix”? Marcus Chong, the actor who played Tank, claims he was blackballed by the producers. I liked the character and the actor who played him but after reading the article I think I can see why they said, “Tanks, but no tanks.”

  • A suburban Washington woman was in a Maryland jail Monday on charges of assaulting a 4-year-old after he spilled ice cream on her in a fast-food restaurant over the weekend, police said. The woman shouted obscenities at the child and his grandmother, chased the boy around the restaurant and eventually rubbed hot french fries in his face, a Montgomery County police spokeswoman said. Brings a whole new meaning to “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.”

Ridley, Morrell & More

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John Ridley’s Those Who Walk in Darkness has been described as a sci fi mystery, thriller in the noir tradition. Regular ZONE readers know I’m a big fan of Ridley’s work. This may be his best yet. I’ve ordered it and will let you know.
I’ve also ordered David Morrell’s latest, The Protector. Morrell [First Blood] has created a novel about super-bodyguard hunting down a rogue client who controls a new and powerful weapon. You just know this book is gonna rock!
  • Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland was released on $10,000 bail after police arrested him for investigation of drug possession. Maybe that should be “Stoned Temple Pilots?”
  • After intensive research, British scientists have concluded that politicians lie. In a study described in Britain’s Observer newspaper, Glen Newey, a political scientist at Britain’s University of Strathclyde, concluded that lying is an important part of politics in the modern democracy. In a related study it was discovered that a lot of money is being wasted with frivolous studies.
  • Workers at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant discovered the cremated ashes of a man who died last December — in the drive-through takeout lane. My only question… extra crispy or original?
  • A man suspected of robbing a bank was arrested after he told the son of the bank manager he had to get out of town quickly and asked him for directions to the bus station, police said. Another criminal mastermind brought down.

Must See TV?

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  • “The Matrix Reloaded” set one box office record by raking in over $42 million on it’s first day. I“The Matrix Reloaded” should also set a new record for a “R” rated movie’s weekend gross [“Hannibal” holds the record with the $58 million it made during its opening weekend].
  • Rob Lowe’s returning to in a new tv series called “The Lyon’s Den.” I enjoyed him in “West Wing” and would have been more interested if his character there spun off into his own series. Although I may give it a try since there’s nothing else I watch on Sundays at 10PM.
  • “Tarzan and Jane” is a modern day look at Tarzan, but with a twist. He’s been brought back to “the glass and steel canyons of another jungle – New York City. From his rooftop perch, Tarzan protects the city with the primal morality that proclaimed him king of the jungle.” Throw in a love triangle with Jane and you’re on to something… something I would watch except that it’ll be on the same time as “Alias.”
  • James Caan stars in “Las Vegas” as Big Ed Deline, a former CIA agent who runs the best surveillance company in Vegas. “You can bet on high stakes and high-speed action in this adrenaline-fueled drama from the writer of “The Fast and the Furious.” You can bet that I’ll give it a shot.
  • “Jake 2.0” is about computer technician who through an accident can shrink to an atomic level, possesses superhuman strength, lightning-fast speed, heightened hearing, magnified vision and the ability to communicate telepathically with computers. Now if he only has the power to bring in an audience! [I’ll be watching “West Wing.”]
  • Based on the character portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight, “Karen Sisco” could benefit from the curiosity factor and a weak competition. It might be worth a look.
  • “Threat Matrix” follows “a highly specialized, elite task force trained and equipped to counter anyone or anything that threatens our nation. The head of this super-secret team is Special Agent John Kilmer. He reports only to the President and has authority to call upon the technical skills, firepower, and specialist agents of the FBI, CIA and NSA. ” Man, this sounds like fun… the question is can it survive “Survivor”?
  • Joe Pantoliano, [“The Matrix”] is “The Handler,” an FBI agent who trains street operatives and prepares them to go undercover. Maybe.
  • So what looks good to you?

Arnie, ReLOADED & More

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  • Arnold Schwarzenegger said today that “Terminator 3” was the toughest movie he had ever made and that his days as an action hero were far from over. This could be really great news…
  • “The Matrix Reloaded” has already set one box office record by grossing $42.5 million on it’s first day! Whoa!
  • A Florida policeman has resigned after a teenager complained that he made her do jumping jacks while topless to avoid arrest. And just how do you explain THAT to the Captain?
  • Although I’m probably going to wait to rent it, Jim Carey’s “Bruce Almighty,” has some really funny ads.

Halle Berry & Robert Stack

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  • Halle Berry broke her arm while filming a scene for the supernatural thriller “Gothika” which is set for release in October. Now the director really has cast problems.
  • Robert Stack, best known as for TV’s “Untouchables,” has died at the age of 84. Our prayers go out to his family and friends.