New Year Promises Movie Showdowns; Isaac Hayes Dishes on "South Park," New CD
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with an insider`s look at what you can expect at the movies in 2006. And get ready for one of the most amazing blockbuster showdowns we`ve ever seen. Joining me live here in New York is Peter Travers, film critic for "Rolling Stone" magazine, and Tom O`Neil, columnist for the awards site, TheEnvelope.com. Tom, Peter, thank you both for being here. Welcome.</s>PETER TRAVERS, FILM CRITIC, "ROLLING STONE": Thank you.</s>TOM O`NEIL, COLUMNIST, THEENVELOPE.COM: Thanks.</s>ANDERSON: First, I have to ask you, what do you think about the glut of blockbusters we will be seeing? It`s a fairly long list here: "Mission: Impossible III," "Superman Returns," "Da Vinci Code," "Pirates of the Caribbean 2," "X-Men 3." Will this be -- really, you`re all laughing.</s>TRAVERS: Don`t you feel the excitement in your voice when you say that? I mean, think of the originality. Think of the imagination that we`re seeing in Hollywood. Wow.</s>ANDERSON: I hear a bit of sarcasm in your voices.</s>TRAVERS: Do you? I didn`t mean to do that. But the fact is, can`t they think of anything new? You know, last year, at least they did "The Wedding Crashers." It was an original movie.</s>O`NEIL: And it ended up as the fourth biggest movie of the year and it paid off. The problem here is that we`re seeing remakes across the board. "Miami Vice" is coming out. We`re seeing "Poseidon," a remake of "The Poseidon Adventure." Even some of the quality movies, like "Lady from Shanghai" with Nicole Kidman, is a remake of the Orson Welles movie.</s>TRAVERS: Even worse...</s>ANDERSON: So you want more -- you want originality. This is -- you`re thinking lack of creativity here?</s>TRAVERS: Come on, even in February before the summer happens, we get "Basic Instinct 2." Do we want to watch Sharon Stone Cross and uncross her legs again? I don`t want to be there. I`ve done it already.</s>ANDERSON: OK. All right. Moving on then, we are going to see some controversy in 2006. "The Da Vinci Code," critics are saying it`s blasphemous. Then you`ve got Oliver Stone`s upcoming film about the September 11 attacks. Coming out in the fall, very close to the fifth anniversary of 9/11. Is it too soon? How do you think audiences will respond to this?</s>TRAVERS: It`s difficult to say. There`s -- "The Da Vinci Code" is a huge best-seller. So people want to see it. Why they cast it with Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, two of the most sexless actors that are currently on the screen when the book was all about this tension, this sexual tension that happened while they were finding out if Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene. I don`t think with Ron Howard directing it, there`s controversy there. But what do you think about Oliver Stone`s movie?</s>O`NEIL: The Oliver Stone movie, the thing we can take a big sigh of relief for is that he didn`t write the secret. And I think when we see movies like "Alexander" that are bombing, I`m afraid the guy has lost his spark. He still knows how to point a camera, but I think he doesn`t anymore remember how to write a great script. And this thing started as a good script. The studio came to Oliver, and I think there`s hope for it.</s>ANDERSON: Nicolas Cage is starring in that one.</s>TRAVERS: At least there`s a little edge there, you know? I mean, something is new about them. So I`m semi hopeful.</s>ANDERSON: Semi hopeful about that one. OK? But still with that laughter. All right. And the box office...</s>TRAVERS: I`m sorry.</s>ANDERSON: It`s good. I like that you`re having fun, I enjoy that. Now, the box office has been in a slump. Moviegoers are increasingly unsatisfied with the movie-going experience. Can it get worse in terms of higher ticket sales, more and more commercials before w see a film? What do you think we`ll see?</s>TRAVERS: Can it get worse? It can always get worse. I mean, yes, there was panic about it. I think now it`s down to six percent less. So what did they do? They`re afraid. Right? Fear is what runs Hollywood. That`s why all these sequels and remakes and everything else. And if that fails, there`s going to be jumping out of windows. Heads will roll.</s>ANDERSON: They have to do something to cover the cost.</s>TRAVERS: There will be more drama in what happens in the studios than we`re seeing on the screen.</s>O`NEIL: That`s not the problem. The reason we now have 22 minutes, Brooke. That is the average amount of commercial time before you see a real movie.</s>ANDERSON: That`s why I never get there on time.</s>O`NEIL: Don`t even bother. Just show up 20 minutes late. And the reason the popcorn is so expensive is that when a movie opens on a given weekend, the only money that that theater makes is 10 cents on the dollar. Hollywood is that greedy. It progresses to 20 cents the next week, et cetera, to 50 cents. But we see movies one weekend at a time in America and the theater is desperate to make money. So it starts with Hollywood greed and taking too much of the bite and then the theater trying to make their money, and it`s a lousy experience going to the movies.</s>ANDERSON: We will see...</s>TRAVERS: It`s too expensive. The mid-level movie means that wait in three months and you can watch it on</s>DVD. O`NEIL: Right.</s>ANDERSON: DVDs are coming out really quickly.</s>TRAVERS: So that`s killing the box office.</s>ANDERSON: Unfortunately, we are going to have to leave it there, guys.</s>TRAVERS: Oh, no!</s>ANDERSON: It`s been too much fun. Tom O`Neil, Peter Travers...</s>TRAVERS: Thank you.</s>ANDERSON: ... thank you both for being here and sharing your insight. We appreciate it.</s>CARROLL: All right. Time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," with soul music legend Isaac Hayes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer spoke with Hayes about his new CD/DVD set, getting animated on "South Park," and how his most famous song ever, the theme from the 1971 cult film "Shaft," changed his life forever.</s>A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Could you have imagined when you were composing it, that this was going to be the lightning in a bottle for you?</s>HAYES: No, I was just thinking about pleasing the producer, Joel Freeman, and Gordon Parks, the director, get through this whole thing in one piece. They would have my head on a platter. When I finished it, we went back to my studio and recorded the whole thing, soundtrack and extended some of the pieces and put it out and I didn`t think about a thing, but it started building. Interest started building and people started talking Oscar. You crazy. And then, when I got the nomination, OK.</s>HAMMER: Suddenly, it was legitimate to you.</s>HAYES: It was legit, man.</s>HAMMER: Part of this collection, this bonus DVD, featuring the legendary 1972 Wattstax concert after the Watts riots. In fact, I want to bring some of this up right here so we can take a look at it, because the footage is truly wonderful to behold. And here you are on stage. You also appear on stage wearing your legendary iconic gold chain outfit suspenders. When you take a look at this, what are you thinking?</s>HAYES: Well, you know, those were -- I had a lot of fun with that. You know...</s>HAMMER: And the fur boots, we should mention.</s>HAYES: Exactly, and the tights.</s>HAMMER: You ever break this stuff out and pop it on just for fun?</s>HAYES: I`ve given it most of it away to charities and things like that. I think I have one set of chains.</s>HAMMER: It`s just amazing to behold. And Jesse Jackson on stage.</s>HAYES: Check out the fro. Check out the fro on Jesse.</s>HAMMER: And Jesse`s introducing you. Is Jesse a guy you`re still in touch with?</s>HAYES: Yes, we`re good friends. You know, that was 125,000 people at the L.A. Coliseum that day, and they sat through the whole day. Through the chill of the evening and the whole day without incident. You get about four people together, you get a fight now. But, back then, the whole day without incident.</s>HAMMER: And I must be clear to point out that it includes some of your more recent work as Chef from "South Park." Not only the song, but you have the she video included on the DVD, as well.</s>HAYES: Yes, singing "Chocolate Salty Balls."</s>HAMMER: Yes, you know, it`s going to be a classic for decades to come. And I have to ask you, because a lot of people have been tuning into the "South Park" where you`ve gained a hold new generation of fans as the voice of character Chef. But you haven`t been on recently, and I know there are a lot of different characters they have to cover on the show. Where has Chef been? When is he coming back?</s>HAYES: I don`t know. I was talking about that with the creators the other day.</s>HAMMER: The creators of "South Park."</s>HAYES: Exactly. I`m still -- I`m still in the wings, so I`m here.</s>HAMMER: They had a show on "South Park" a couple of weeks ago, having a little fun with Scientology, poking fun at it, lampooning it...</s>HAYES: Yes. Yes.</s>HAMMER: ... making particular fun of Tom Cruise. You`ve been very vocal about the fact that Scientology has been very beneficial in your life. Set the record straight. Did have anything to do with the fact that we`re not seeing Chef on "South Park"?</s>HAYES: No, no, no, no, no. They do what they do. And I`m sure -- I`m sure I`ll show up eventually.</s>HAMMER: So what`s your reaction to that episode? Did you see it?</s>HAYES: The episode, I didn`t see it but I was told about it. But they lampoon everybody. And if you believe them, you got a problem.</s>HAMMER: And it certainly has made the news over the past year, particularly because Tom Cruise, one of its better known members...</s>HAYES: Yes.</s>HAMMER: ... was in the news quite a bit. And it created a fair amount of controversy, so for people who may not be informed who think it`s a cult, who think it`s all of these things, fire and brimstone, whatever it is, what do you say to those people? How do you set them straight?</s>HAYES: Learn what Scientology is, that`s all. You`re going on hearsay, learn what it is. Go and take a course. Ask questions. You get your answers. I got mine. And my life has never been the same.</s>CARROLL: Always great, that was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer.</s>ANDERSON: Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the "Daly" planet. New Year`s Eve -- New Year`s host Carson Daly appears live in the interview you`re going to see only on</s>SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. CARROLL: And the downsizing of America. From Hollywood to the heartland, Americans are half what they used to be. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT shows you the healthy regimens coming up.