NEW YORK (AP) — Comic Dave Chappelle has met with executives at Comedy Central for the first time since his unscheduled "spiritual retreat" in South Africa forced the suspension of the third season of his show.
Comedy Central President Doug Herzog met with Chappelle Friday in Los Angeles, network spokesman Tony Fox said.
Fox would not talk about what was discussed and when — or if — Chappelle would return to the network. A spokesman for Chappelle did not immediately return a call for comment.
Chappelle had two unannounced performances at a comedy club in Los Angeles last week. He has said he left for South Africa because he was unhappy with the direction of his show, which had been scheduled to start a third season on May 31, and denied reports of drug or mental problems.
Meanwhile, Comedy Central sold another 400,000 copies last week of its DVD of the show's second season, for a total of 1.4 million so far. The first season's DVD has sold 2.9 million copies, the biggest-selling DVD of a TV series of all time.
June 9, 2005
June 6, 2005
'Star Wars' slips to third place at North American box office
Animated animals ruled the big screen across North America this weekend, as the latest installment of the 'Star Wars' saga sank to third place, according to box office returns released Sunday.
DreamWorks' animated "Madagascar," which debuted last weekend in second place, topped the list of most viewed movies, according to Encino, California-based Exhibitor Relations, which monitors ticket sales.
"Madagascar" is expected to gross 28.7 million dollars this weekend, boosting its estimated two-week take to 101 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.
"The Longest Yard," which pits inmates and guards against each other in an American football prison game, moved from third place to second, earning about 26.1 million dollars this weekend.
The movie, starring comedians Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, is the remake of a 1974 movie starring Burt Reynolds, who has a role in the re-made version.
Meanwhile "Star War: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," which held the top spot for two weeks, fell to third place with an expected gross of 26 million dollars.
That would raise the three week domestic take for the movie, the last of George Lucas' six-part Star Wars franchise, to 308.8 million dollars.
Trailing in fourth and fifth place are two debuts: the boxing flick "Cinderella Man," starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe, which grossed some 18.6 million dollars, and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," a teenage girl movie that raked in some 10.2 million dollars.
DreamWorks' animated "Madagascar," which debuted last weekend in second place, topped the list of most viewed movies, according to Encino, California-based Exhibitor Relations, which monitors ticket sales.
"Madagascar" is expected to gross 28.7 million dollars this weekend, boosting its estimated two-week take to 101 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.
"The Longest Yard," which pits inmates and guards against each other in an American football prison game, moved from third place to second, earning about 26.1 million dollars this weekend.
The movie, starring comedians Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, is the remake of a 1974 movie starring Burt Reynolds, who has a role in the re-made version.
Meanwhile "Star War: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," which held the top spot for two weeks, fell to third place with an expected gross of 26 million dollars.
That would raise the three week domestic take for the movie, the last of George Lucas' six-part Star Wars franchise, to 308.8 million dollars.
Trailing in fourth and fifth place are two debuts: the boxing flick "Cinderella Man," starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe, which grossed some 18.6 million dollars, and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," a teenage girl movie that raked in some 10.2 million dollars.
June 5, 2005
New Chappelle DVD flies off shelves
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Underscoring the growing clout of the TV-DVD category, "Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored" chalked up first-day sales of nearly 500,000 copies, setting a new TV-DVD sales record, according to Paramount Home Entertainment.
Within a week of its May 24 release, sales of the hefty three-disc, $37 package topped 1.2 million units, Paramount said, while sales of the first-season set, out for more than a year, spiked past the 3 million-unit mark.
That's 200,000 units more than the sales tally in early May, when Comedy Central announced Season 3 of Dave Chappelle's highly rated sketch comedy show would be postponed indefinitely and the comedian flew to South Africa, where rumors circulated that he had checked himself into a mental health facility.
The controversy made headlines worldwide and put Chappelle on the cover of Time and other magazines.
Paramount maintains the first-day sales total makes "Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored" the fastest-selling TV DVD release ever.
Thomas F. Lesinski, president of worldwide home entertainment for Paramount Pictures, said the title is "poised to reach the 2 million-unit mark within the next 30 days."
"Dave Chappelle has set a new standard for comedy, and this DVD, which we worked closely with Comedy Central on, has now set the standard for TV-DVD," Lesinski said.
Sales were strong across all demographics, Lesinski said, with particularly high numbers among the lucrative 18-34 male demographic.
Within a week of its May 24 release, sales of the hefty three-disc, $37 package topped 1.2 million units, Paramount said, while sales of the first-season set, out for more than a year, spiked past the 3 million-unit mark.
That's 200,000 units more than the sales tally in early May, when Comedy Central announced Season 3 of Dave Chappelle's highly rated sketch comedy show would be postponed indefinitely and the comedian flew to South Africa, where rumors circulated that he had checked himself into a mental health facility.
The controversy made headlines worldwide and put Chappelle on the cover of Time and other magazines.
Paramount maintains the first-day sales total makes "Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored" the fastest-selling TV DVD release ever.
Thomas F. Lesinski, president of worldwide home entertainment for Paramount Pictures, said the title is "poised to reach the 2 million-unit mark within the next 30 days."
"Dave Chappelle has set a new standard for comedy, and this DVD, which we worked closely with Comedy Central on, has now set the standard for TV-DVD," Lesinski said.
Sales were strong across all demographics, Lesinski said, with particularly high numbers among the lucrative 18-34 male demographic.
Harry Potter thief shoots reporter with fake gun
Associated Press - A man who allegedly tried to sell a stolen copy of the forthcoming Harry Potter book to two tabloid newspapers fired a fake gun next to the head of a reporter who came to meet him, one of the papers reported Saturday.
The Sun said its journalist agreed to meet two men who contacted the paper saying they had obtained copies of the highly anticipated book. The newspaper contacted police, who were waiting outside the meeting site in Kettering, north of London, and arrested the two suspects on Friday.
The Daily Mirror newspaper also said it had been contacted about buying an early copy of the novel and sent a reporter to meet the men. The paper also contacted police before its meeting.
The Sun said that when its reporter attempted to leave the meeting carrying the book, one of the suspects put a gun next to his head and fired a shot over the journalist's shoulder. The shooter said the gun was not real, but it made a loud bang when it went off, the paper reported.
The newspapers said the man worked at a distribution warehouse where copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" are being stored ahead of their release July 16.
"It was very hard" to get around security, the Mirror quoted him as saying. "The whole warehouse is on camera."
Northamptonshire police said they had arrested a 37-year-old and 19-year-whose names they did not release. The older man was charged with weapons possession and handling stolen property and the teen with theft and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear, police said.
Both were released on bail, police said.
Lawyers for author J.K. Rowling got a High Court injunction against the two barring any leaks from the stolen copies.
"This order was made following our client's discovery ... that a copy of ... 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' had been obtained by unauthorized persons who had subsequently offered the book to newspaper journalists," said Rowling's lawyers at the firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.
The sixth Harry Potter novel has sparked massive interest since author J.K. Rowling revealed a major character will be killed in the book
The Sun said its journalist agreed to meet two men who contacted the paper saying they had obtained copies of the highly anticipated book. The newspaper contacted police, who were waiting outside the meeting site in Kettering, north of London, and arrested the two suspects on Friday.
The Daily Mirror newspaper also said it had been contacted about buying an early copy of the novel and sent a reporter to meet the men. The paper also contacted police before its meeting.
The Sun said that when its reporter attempted to leave the meeting carrying the book, one of the suspects put a gun next to his head and fired a shot over the journalist's shoulder. The shooter said the gun was not real, but it made a loud bang when it went off, the paper reported.
The newspapers said the man worked at a distribution warehouse where copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" are being stored ahead of their release July 16.
"It was very hard" to get around security, the Mirror quoted him as saying. "The whole warehouse is on camera."
Northamptonshire police said they had arrested a 37-year-old and 19-year-whose names they did not release. The older man was charged with weapons possession and handling stolen property and the teen with theft and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear, police said.
Both were released on bail, police said.
Lawyers for author J.K. Rowling got a High Court injunction against the two barring any leaks from the stolen copies.
"This order was made following our client's discovery ... that a copy of ... 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' had been obtained by unauthorized persons who had subsequently offered the book to newspaper journalists," said Rowling's lawyers at the firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.
The sixth Harry Potter novel has sparked massive interest since author J.K. Rowling revealed a major character will be killed in the book
June 3, 2005
Weezer Make Nice on Tour
Rollingstone Magazine by AUSTIN SCAGGS
With a Top Twenty disc and a hot summer tour, Cuomo and Co. are getting along fine "We've had our shitty history," says Weezer drummer Pat Wilson. "But I don't think we've ever gone through three weeks of touring and had so much fun."
In May, Weezer's new album, Make Believe, debuted at Number Two, their highest chart position ever, and the band headlined Coachella and wrapped a twelve-date club tour. Even better, their notoriously eccentric frontman, Rivers Cuomo, has yet to go mental. "I'm not suspicious anymore of how well we're getting along," says Wilson. "So that should tell you something."
With the album at Number Seventeen in its third week (selling 325,000 copies so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan), Weezer just left for Europe to play festivals. The band will be back in the States playing amphitheaters in July. (There's also a rumored fall tour with Foo Fighters.)
For fans wondering why recent gigs have leaned so heavily on early tracks from the Blue Album and Pinkerton, Wilson says, "Before we started this run, we all voted. We put our songs into a spreadsheet, and the songs that got the most votes are the ones we put in the set. Every show was almost exactly the same." Wilson promises that the group will re-vote and add about six songs to the repertoire for the summer tour.
Cuomo, who studies Buddhism and has been celibate for two years, spends most of his downtime on the tour bus, watching European soccer on the Fox Soccer Channel. "Rivers knows about all that stuff," Wilson says. "He was schooling me."
There are rumors that Cuomo may return to Harvard, where he's majoring in English, to finish his final semester. Cuomo hasn't addressed the issue, but Wilson says, "I can't imagine, if the record is blowing up and we're all having a good time, why he'd just bail." He adds, "I want to do everything I can to keep this vibe going. If it starts feeling unnatural, then I think the band will stop. But right now it feels great."
With a Top Twenty disc and a hot summer tour, Cuomo and Co. are getting along fine "We've had our shitty history," says Weezer drummer Pat Wilson. "But I don't think we've ever gone through three weeks of touring and had so much fun."
In May, Weezer's new album, Make Believe, debuted at Number Two, their highest chart position ever, and the band headlined Coachella and wrapped a twelve-date club tour. Even better, their notoriously eccentric frontman, Rivers Cuomo, has yet to go mental. "I'm not suspicious anymore of how well we're getting along," says Wilson. "So that should tell you something."
With the album at Number Seventeen in its third week (selling 325,000 copies so far, according to Nielsen SoundScan), Weezer just left for Europe to play festivals. The band will be back in the States playing amphitheaters in July. (There's also a rumored fall tour with Foo Fighters.)
For fans wondering why recent gigs have leaned so heavily on early tracks from the Blue Album and Pinkerton, Wilson says, "Before we started this run, we all voted. We put our songs into a spreadsheet, and the songs that got the most votes are the ones we put in the set. Every show was almost exactly the same." Wilson promises that the group will re-vote and add about six songs to the repertoire for the summer tour.
Cuomo, who studies Buddhism and has been celibate for two years, spends most of his downtime on the tour bus, watching European soccer on the Fox Soccer Channel. "Rivers knows about all that stuff," Wilson says. "He was schooling me."
There are rumors that Cuomo may return to Harvard, where he's majoring in English, to finish his final semester. Cuomo hasn't addressed the issue, but Wilson says, "I can't imagine, if the record is blowing up and we're all having a good time, why he'd just bail." He adds, "I want to do everything I can to keep this vibe going. If it starts feeling unnatural, then I think the band will stop. But right now it feels great."
Chappelle in Surprise L.A. Gig
AP News - LOS ANGELES Jun 3, 2005 — Is Dave Chappelle back? The AWOL comedian dropped in unannounced at two popular comedy clubs Thursday night, saying he had just arrived in Los Angeles and felt like performing, Daily Variety reported Friday.
Chappelle served up some impromptu standup to stunned audiences at the Hollywood Improv and the Comedy Store, the trade paper said.
Chappelle, 31, took off last month to South Africa for a "spiritual retreat," leaving his fans and even his agent and publicist wondering where he went.
After Comedy Central announced that the planned May 31 debut of the third season of "Chappelle's Show" had been postponed, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported that Chappelle had checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa.
But Chappelle denied checking into a mental facility or having a drug problem in an interview with Time magazine.
Instead, he fled to stay with friends in Durban because he wasn't happy with the direction of the show, which is behind only "South Park" as Comedy Central's most-watched program.
Calls to Chappelle's publicist and Comedy Central were not immediately returned Friday morning.
An unnamed Comedy Central representative told Variety that network officials would be sitting down with Chappelle to talk business "really, really soon."
Chappelle served up some impromptu standup to stunned audiences at the Hollywood Improv and the Comedy Store, the trade paper said.
Chappelle, 31, took off last month to South Africa for a "spiritual retreat," leaving his fans and even his agent and publicist wondering where he went.
After Comedy Central announced that the planned May 31 debut of the third season of "Chappelle's Show" had been postponed, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported that Chappelle had checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa.
But Chappelle denied checking into a mental facility or having a drug problem in an interview with Time magazine.
Instead, he fled to stay with friends in Durban because he wasn't happy with the direction of the show, which is behind only "South Park" as Comedy Central's most-watched program.
Calls to Chappelle's publicist and Comedy Central were not immediately returned Friday morning.
An unnamed Comedy Central representative told Variety that network officials would be sitting down with Chappelle to talk business "really, really soon."
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