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Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight for June 28, 2005, CNNHN
Aired June 28, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: I`m Karyn Bryant.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Cruise and Crowe under the microscope, and under the gun. Dramatic new details of what happened when Russell Crowe allegedly attacked a hotel worker. And Tom Cruise under fire on the eve of the premiere of his new movie. Tonight, how do two of Hollywood`s biggest stars do damage control?
BRYANT (voice-over): Hollywood recycling. "Bewitched," "The Honeymooners," "Herbie: Fully Loaded," even "War of the Worlds." Are there no new ideas in Hollywood? Tonight, why everything old is new again.
HAMMER: Joey McIntyre live. The former New Kid on the Block is "hanging tough" all the way to the finals on the hit show "Dancing with the Stars." But does he have "the right stuff" to win it all? Joey McIntyre joins us in the "Showbiz Sitdown."
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER, COMEDIAN: Hey, what`s up, y`all? This is Cedric the Entertainer, and if it happens today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, two of Hollywood`s biggest movie stars -- Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise -- are under scrutiny like never before.
Tomorrow`s the day Cruise`s new movie, "War of the Worlds," opens against the backdrop of a romance gone wild, over-the-top behavior, and controversial comments about psychiatry. More on that and what happened at the movie`s final premiere, in just a moment.
BRYANT: But first, tonight, the spotlight is back on Russell Crowe, for his alleged attack on a hotel employee in New York City. Now today, we learned surprising new details about the attack, and we found out Crowe could be facing more than criminal charges.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer has been working the story all day, and he joins us live -- David.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A busy day indeed. It`s no secret that Oscar winner Russell Crowe has a bit of a history with his temper. This outburst, though, may get him into hot water.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): This could be a really bad week for "Cinderella Man" star, Russell Crowe. Despite apologizing over and over for losing his temper earlier this month...
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: I`m extremely sorry for this whole incident.
HAFFENREFFER: ... Crowe is facing a big lawsuit by the Manhattan hotel employee he allegedly attacked with a telephone, which led to his arrest on assault charges and criminal possession of a weapon.
In a statement today, Estrada`s attorney said, quote, "Russell Crowe is a man whose violent history demonstrates that he first responds to his rage, and then responds to his ratings."
Besides the criminal charges, Estrada`s attorney says he will likely sue Crowe for an unspecified amount of money in damages.
RON KUBY, ATTORNEY/RADIO HOST: There`s a great chance of scoring a huge payday against Russell Crowe. I mean, this is really Mr. Estrada`s American dream. You go to work. You`re young. You`re working hard at a hotel. You get assaulted by a celebrity; you become a millionaire. It`s a beautiful country.
HAFFENREFFER (on camera): New developments in exactly what went down in the wee hours of the morning on June 6, right here, at the Mercer Hotel.
(voice-over) That was the day Crowe lost his temper around 4 in the morning, allegedly bruising the face of this man, Nestor Josh Estrada, who was working as a clerk at the hotel`s front desk.
Crowe admits to coming down to the lobby, frustrated he couldn`t make a call to his wife in Australia, and allegedly threw a telephone at Estrada. But now, new details about what happened next.
Estrada`s attorney tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Crowe didn`t stop there, saying he also hurled a ceramic bowl at Estrada but missed, then oddly enough, took a bow and reportedly assumed a martial arts stance.
The attorney says the whole thing was captured by a surveillance camera. But, the Manhattan D.A.`s office won`t confirm or deny there is a tape of what happened.
Whether it ever gets to a criminal trial or not, Crowe is clearly a target himself, because of who he is and what he is accused of doing.
KUBY: The reality is a jury in New York is not going to like Russell Crowe`s behavior as much as they may have enjoyed "Master and Commander." They`re going to sympathize with the worker. They`re going to sympathize with this.
After all, the jury is made up of people who work every single day and frequently have to deal with big shots and celebrities or people who think that they`re big shots and celebrities.
HAFFENREFFER: Crowe`s career could be on the line here. If convicted, he could get up to seven years in prison. But even if he gets no jail time, the Australian Crowe could have his visa revoked, and be banned from working in the United States, which would mean no more shooting films here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And we tried reaching actor Russell Crowe`s people today. Our phone calls and e-mails to his attorney were not answered -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, David.
Well, now let`s move on to another celebrity who finds himself under very watchful eyes: Tom Cruise. It seems there`s been more talk about how he`s been behaving than his new movie, "War of the Worlds," which opens tomorrow morning.
In Hollywood last night, it was the last of his around-the-world premieres, and wait until you see how Tom behaved at this one.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson was there, and she joins us now live from Hollywood. Brooke, what happened?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., Tom Cruise has been very outspoken for the last couple of months about his relationship with Katie Holmes, his religion, and anything else he`s passionate about, for instance, the misuse of Ritalin.
Last night, Tom did a 180 so to speak, keeping his cards very close to his chest. But not before making a grand entrance.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Tom Cruise`s seventh and final premiere for his film "War of the Worlds" was all about image. Cruise and his fiancee, Katie Holmes, literally Cruised down the red carpet on Tom`s Honda motorcycle, and I was right there along for the ride, everyone sans helmets.
At the premiere, Tom and Katie were, for once, tight-lipped. They didn`t speak to the press, just the fans. We spot Tom spending nearly two hours signing autographs. Katie, never more than a few feet away.
Was Tom`s silent treatment a P.R. strategy to stop the fallout that`s occurred due to his recent antics? Let`s pull out some tapes from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT archives.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: What has happened to you? What has happened to you?
B. ANDERSON: Who hasn`t seen this clip from "Oprah," where Tom spent the hour professing his love for Katie? He then repeated the action on "The Tonight Show."
Then, of course, there was this.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Matt, I`m asking you a question. Matt, Matt, Matt, I`m asking you a question!
B. ANDERSON: A devoted scientologist, Cruise got testy with Matt Lauer on "The Today Show" last week, saying psychiatry is a "pseudo- science," calling Lauer glib, and criticizing Brooke Shields for using antidepressants.
CRUISE: You don`t know the history of psychiatry. I do.
B. ANDERSON: And of course, everywhere you go, Tom and Katie never shy away from public displays of affection.
Hollywood publicist Liza Anderson handles press for a number of A-list stars, including Virginia Madsen. I asked her how Tom`s actions might affect him, and how he should handle press going forward.
LIZA ANDERSON, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: You know what? Press can go both ways. It really remains to be seen. I think the box office will tell a lot. I guess sometimes less is more. Leave them wanting more. I don`t know how much more people want at this point.
I think he`s done a lot of talking up until now. So I don`t know what`s left to really say one way or the other.
B. ANDERSON: Super publicists Ken Sunshine and Cindy Berger also had some advice for Cruise this morning on "The Today Show."
KEN SUNSHINE, PUBLICIST: I would disappear for awhile after this movie`s out, which is this week.
CINDY BERGER, PUBLICIST: There is so much exposure.
Less is a lot more.
B. ANDERSON: Even Tom`s biggest fan, Rosie O`Donnell, is worried about him and has posted her concerns in a blog on her web site. Rosie writes, quote, "After watching Tom on `O` and then everywhere else in the free world, I think I may need to up my meds. My Tommy needs to breathe."
Despite the concern and criticism, a number of Tom`s fellow actors and scientologists like Leah Remini and Erika Christiansen came to me and staunchly defended Tom at last night`s premiere.
LEAH REMINI, ENTERTAINER: To me, it`s just silly and the press to me, they have gone crazy, you know? That`s the people who have gone crazy, t he press. It`s blown out of proportion.
I think what`s crazier is people`s reaction to it, that it`s a negative thing. Tom`s gone crazy. No, he hasn`t gone crazy. He`s happy.
ERIKA CHRISTIANSEN, ACTRESS: It`s beautiful what`s happening in his life Right now. I think we need more Tom Cruises.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
B. ANDERSON: "War of the Worlds" director Steven Spielberg, nor stars Dakota Fanning or Tim Robbins were on hand for this final premiere. The film opens in theaters tomorrow, but tonight, Tom and Katie are scheduled to appear at the BET Awards. So, stay tuned for more -- Karyn.
BRYANT: Brooke Anderson, thanks very much.
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first to bring you the early reviews that just came out this afternoon for "War of the Worlds." And so far, they`re pretty good.
"Variety" says it`s "a gritty, intense and supremely accomplished sci- fier with breath-sapping scares, awesome spectacle." And, "The Hollywood Reporter" adds that director Steven Spielberg "more than does justice to the granddaddy of all alien-invasion tales. With eye-popping scenes of destruction, chaos and horror, the ride is extraordinary."
HAMMER: Another extraordinary ride has been Cruise`s recent rants and raves. Jumping on the couch, that we just saw, the rants against psychiatry has caused a lot of people to wonder whether maybe his image is not being properly managed. Maybe it`s being damaged.
A bit later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, some of Hollywood`s biggest image makers will reveal how they would do damage control.
But now, our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s question of the day, Tom Cruise`s image. Do you think it`s been damaged? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Got more to say? We`ve got the e-mail address for you to write to. It`s ShowbizTonight@CNN.com, and we will share some of what you have to say later in the show.
BRYANT: Tonight, the Supreme Court ruling on illegal downloading is music to the ears of the recording industry. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with some big name recording stars who are happy with the decision.
The ruling found peer-to-peer sites that encourage illegal downloads, that they can now be held responsible. Many musicians say they`re not opposed to online swapping, as long as it`s legal and they`re getting paid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THE GAME, RAPPER: You incarcerate people for stealing cars and stealing candy bars at a grocery store, but you let people steal music, and you`ve got these big, you know, computer companies involved. And it`s just not right. So I`m glad somebody`s finally doing something about it.
CHINGY, RAPPER: You shouldn`t download. You should support the artists if you like the music. We`re there in the studio killing ourselves making that music.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Well, some say they want the recording and tech industries to work together to avoid lawsuits and legal wrangling.
HAMMER: Hollywood recycles. Coming up next, movie sequels and remakes are really big right now. But do you want to see them?
BRYANT: Plus, why "Six Feet Under" star Rachel Griffiths loves KMart when she`s pregnant. Stay with us, because our Hollywood baby boom series continues is coming right up.
HAMMER: Also, this New Kid has come a long way. Joey McIntyre is dancing circles around the competition on a hit show. Joey will join us live coming up.
Time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor`s daughter introduced Jane Kaczmarek to her husband, Bradley Whitford? Was it A, Lee Marvin; B, Richard Burton; C, James Coburn; or D, Terence Stamp? We`re coming straight back with the answer on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which actor`s daughter introduced Jane Kaczmarek to her husband Bradley Whitford, best known from "The West Wing," of course? Lee Marvin, Richard Burton, James Coburn or Terence Stamp? Well, he was married to Elizabeth Taylor not once, but twice, and it was his daughter Kate who did the introduction. The answer is B, Richard Burton.
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant. It is time now for "The Show`s Biz." Tonight, remakes and sequels in Hollywood.
Are you starting to get movie deja vu? Well let`s see. We have "Batman Begins," "Bewitched," "Herbie: Fully Loaded," and coming soon to a theater near you, once again, this time modernized, but it`s "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Even Spielberg`s "War of the Worlds" isn`t an original concept. And that`s just naming a few of the remakes.
So, what`s the deal with all the sequels and remakes? Joining us live here in New York, "Entertainment Weekly" senior writer Steve Daly.
Steve, why are remakes and sequels so popular with the studios?
STEVE DALY, SENIOR WRITER, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Well, in a catch phrase, they are insurance policies.
The average cost to make and market a movie is exploding in Hollywood. For these big summer blockbusters, you`re talking over $200 million to make and market these films. They want some guarantee that the film they`ve got to sell to the audience is already known to the audience. So they are seeking out the safest subject matter they can find.
BRYANT: But I don`t think recognition of name necessarily translates to ticket sales. Is it that -- is it that even? That equal of an equation?
DALY: It`s not 100 percent, but when you`ve got a business mind and you`ve got to justify a budget to a group of executives, you feel a lot safer OK`ing something that you know than something that`s not known.
Look what happened to "Cinderella Man." A terrific kind of movie that usually gets launched in the fall. Universal takes a big chance, launches it in summer. It is not doing too well.
BRYANT: Right. Well, what about the idea, though, that some of these movies are sort of loss leaders? I recently saw a commercial for a repackaging of the original "Bewitched" on video now. Happens to be timed right when the movie comes out. Do they make these movies sometimes just to sell the stuff in the catalog?
DALY: It is not a coincidence that there`s an explosion in TV subject material and movies at the very time that the best-selling kind of video programming is old television shows on DVD.
Consumers really feel they`re getting a bargain because it`s a huge amount of programming. And I think it does have something to do with these decisions to green light these movies: "Hey, if the feature doesn`t do so well, it will help us move a couple of million units of Bewitched."
BRYANT: Would you say, though, that the sequels are a victim or a cause of the box office slump that everybody`s talking about ticket sales being down?
DALY: That is the chicken and egg $64 million question of the moment.
It`s sort of a vicious cycle. People have a shorter attention span than ever. The studios want to have short marketing campaigns where they know they`re pre-sold, but if you`re giving people something hashed over and warmed over, and it`s leftovers, they may stay home.
BRYANT: Let`s talk about what`s in the pipeline, because I know there are a lot more remakes and sequels coming to the films.
DALY: No less August a name than Michael Mann is working on a feature version of "Miami Vice."
BRYANT: Well, he`s a very good director, so it sounds good.
DALY: I know. And it`s going to be Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx. You know, if even he`s doing remakes, you know that`s the hot trend.
BRYANT: Well, that`s the thing. Tim Burton gets in the game. They do get some good directors to sort of remake these older films.
DALY: Absolutely. Absolutely.
BRYANT: Not bad. Well, Steve Daly, thanks. And what show would you do if you could?
DALY: I`d like to see Amy Sedaris take a crack at "The Flying Nun."
BRYANT: OK. Well, you never know; that just might happen. Steve Daly, thank you for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Time now for more of "The Show`s Biz."
Well, the times they are a-changin` for Bob Dylan. The legendary singer-songwriter is the latest musician to seal a deal with Starbucks. The coffee maker now has the exclusive first rights to sell an album of Dylan`s restored live recordings. It`s called "Bob Dylan: Live at the Gaslight 1962."
The 10-song CD will be available later this summer at more than 4,000 Starbucks and on their web site. Dylan, of course, follows in the footsteps of the late great Ray Charles, whose CD, "Genius Loves Company," was a huge success for Starbucks and made the album a big hit.
BRYANT: Tonight, our special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT series, "The Hollywood Baby Boom."
We`re calling it a baby boom, because in just the past week, Hollywood stars Angie Harmon and "Six Feet Under`s" Rachel Griffiths both gave birth. In fact, we`ve been following Rachel for the past few weeks, as the big day approached. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, exclusively, as she shot a photo spread for "Fit Pregnancy" magazine.
And while there, she told us what life has been like balancing Hollywood and looking good.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RACHEL GRIFFITHS, ACTRESS: I`m trying to avoid wearing my husband`s sweat pants. I think the wonderful thing about being pregnant in, you know, 2005 is there are so many fantastic designers.
You can go to KMart and you can get Laguy (ph) at Kmart. You can, you know, go to Pea in the Pod and you can get, you know, Diane Furstenberg. Like, everyone has woken up to the fact that, you know, pregnant women can look hot. We want to look hot.
I`ve had a few big events, and it`s just like, make sure you`re feeling comfortable. And I wore this beautiful beaded caftans and they might make me look bigger than I actually am, but you know what? I just don`t care.
Sitting down, I`m at an awards show and I just don`t want a waistband, you know? I don`t want to be squeezed into anything trying to pretend that I`m something I`m not.
I apologize for having sex with other people while being in a committed relationship with you.
It`s been great because the, you know, they have written the pregnancy in, which means never being asked to do anything, like, you know, we need you to false ride (ph). You`re only ever asked to do what is appropriate.
And when you`re pregnant you`re tired, and the hours are long. So I`ve gotten really good at taking, like, 15-minute catnaps, you know, between scenes. And you know, I can just go from the point of acting to completely zonked and then, yes, I`m here. What? What scene are we doing?
You notice there`s this massive, you know, competition going between - - you know, God. She lost three pounds. She`s now lost five pounds, and she`s lost even more. You know, there`s this, like, skinny thing that happens when they all start kind of whittling down.
And frankly, on my show, the women are real and I think that`s why people, you know, a big reason why people love the show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: You can catch more of Rachel Griffiths` pregnancy fashions in the August/September issue of "Fit Pregnancy" magazine. That issue hits newsstands July 26.
And tomorrow, as we continue our weeklong series, "The Hollywood Baby Boom," we look at what the celebrities tell us are the "must-haves" for their babies. So you must watch -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, Karyn. Well, what`s inside Kenny Chesney`s house is the question we`re wondering? Besides Renee Zellweger, of course. That`s coming up next.
BRYANT: Plus, Johnny Depp takes on a beloved role. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how he feels about being the new Willy Wonka. That`s coming up in the "Showbiz Sitdown."
HAMMER: And, Cruise and Crowe under the microscope. Do they need to do some damage control? The power players come to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to tell us. That`s coming up, as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where it is a time now for "Showbiz Short," as we look at other stories that are making news tonight.
Avril Lavigne is engaged. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed that Avril is indeed engaged to Sum 41 front man Deryck Whibley. Whibley reportedly popped the question to his fellow Canadian pop star over the weekend in Europe. That`s where Avril is currently on tour. The two started dating more than a year ago.
Another celebrity couple is getting all set for a close-up on reality TV. Last night in Atlanta Bobby Brown and his wife Whitney Houston were at a party that was celebrating the launch of "Being Bobby Brown." The show premieres Thursday night on Bravo.
BRYANT: It is time now for "Tuesday InStyle." Kenny Chesney, you know him as one of the hottest acts in country music, and he`s also, of course, Renee Zellweger`s new husband. But now, another side of Chesney. This is an inside look at his Nashville digs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLLY BLITZER, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Kenny Chesney is a huge mega hit country crooner and he just recently married celebrity Renee Zellweger.
Kenny has an incredible bachelor pad. It`s in Nashville near where he grew up in the mountains, and it has everything from a pool with an incredibly cozy gazebo to a game room that features a pool table.
One of Kenny`s favorite places to hang out in his house is the backyard pool. And every now and then when he comes back from a tour, his favorite place to go is the pool. He`ll take off his clothes and wash off what he calls his road dirt and skinny dip in his backyard.
Kenny`s dining room is extremely comfortable. It is -- constantly has lit candles on every single surface, and he has a lot of antiqued, aged, weathered wood furniture.
Kenny`s living room is another really comfortable room in his home. And he has numerous memorabilia strewn around the room, whether it`s a Hemingway book on his coffee table that was a gift from someone or candles that kind of create a warm, what he calls a warm glow for all of the people in the room. It`s just nice a room to hang out with and a very beautiful carpet.
One of Kenny`s favorite places to go in his room is his game room, and this bachelor pad game room is equipped with a pool table that was a gift from another country crooner, Faith Hill, and her husband, Tim McGraw.
And the bathroom of his game room is just as playful. It actually features memorabilia that he collected on the road at various tours as well as license plates from places where he`s had a home.
His room is so cool. He actually annexed it and created a back porch onto this bedroom. And the main prominent feature of the room is an oak sleigh bed. And he has a very esoteric-looking quilt on it, but it`s actually from Pottery Barn. He told us the real truth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: In case you are wondering, the music you heard in that piece is from Kenny`s. It`s from his new album, "Be as You Are: Songs from the New Chair."
And now if you`re looking for more about Kenny Chesney`s home, you can pick up a copy of July`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: So have you seen "Dancing with the Stars" yet? It`s a bonefied hit on television. Everybody seems to be watching it. Everybody is talking about it. And as a result, Joey McIntyre has now danced his way back into America`s collective living room.
But is it anything like the choreography he used to do with that old group he was with? You`ll remember New Kids on the Block in the late `80s, early `90s. We`ll ask Joey when he joins us live. That`s coming up.
BRYANT: Plus deep thoughts with Johnny Depp. How his kids reacted when they saw him on the set as Willie Wonka. Johnny Depp sits down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in just a few minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. Here`s your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Just about 30 minutes from now, President Bush will lay out his strategy for Iraq to the American people. Recent poll numbers show most Americans are unhappy with how President Bush is handling the war. The speech is set for 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
The Taliban is claiming responsibility for the crash of a U.S. military helicopter in Afghanistan. Officials say the chopper was carrying special ops forces and at least 16 troops were onboard. Rescuers are trying to reach the crash site. The chopper was ferrying reinforcements for counterterrorism operations.
Former HealthSouth chief executive Richard Scrushy is a free man. A federal jury in Alabama has acquitted him on 36 criminal counts. Scrushy was accused of falsifying documents leading to $2.7 billion in accounting fraud at HealthSouth. He was the first big exec charged under a 2002 federal law that protects against corporate crime.
That is the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts. We take you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: "Showbiz In-depth": They`re big stars with bad press. It`s damage-control time for Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. Is there really no such thing as negative publicity? And if there is no negative publicity, how much exposure could be too much?
HAMMER: He takes moviegoers to a land of pure imagination as Willy Wonka in the upcoming "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Johnny Depp does what he wants when he wants and Hollywood loves it. That`s tonight`s "Showbiz Sitdown."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCUS SCHENKENBERG, MODEL: I`m Marc Schenkenberg. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
HAMMER: Well, we have new details about Russell Crowe`s alleged hotel assault. An attorney for the injured concierge tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the whole incident was captured on a hotel security video.
In addition to allegedly throwing a telephone which struck the employee, Crowe also allegedly hurled a ceramic bowl in his direction. There are reports that the actor bowed after his tirade and assumed a karate pose.
BRYANT: Tom Cruise is less than 24 hours away from his box office fate. There is concern that his recent antics will affect the success of "War of the Worlds." At last night`s L.A. premiere, Cruise made a big entrance, but shied away from the press. He spoke only to fans on the red carpet.
HAMMER: Tonight`s "Showbiz In-depth," two of our biggest stars and a crises they face. With Tom Cruise`s troubles and Crowe`s conflicts, what`s a publicist to do? Well, we brought in two of them to help us answer that question.
Joining us here live in New York City, Marvet Britto, who is credited, among other things, for Mariah Carey`s recent big comeback. And out in Los Angeles, joining us live, Michael Levine. He`s done publicity for celebrities including Michael Jackson, Prince, Cameron Diaz, and Ozzie Osbourne.
I want to thank you both for joining us tonight. Michael Crowe and Tom Cruise -- Michael, I`m going to ask you this question. Tom Cruise and of course Mr. Crowe are both caught up in this bad press at the worst possible time. They both have two big projects that they`re promoting.
As a publicist, how do you attack such a problem?
MICHAEL LEVINE, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Well, there`s difference. One has a criminal component to it, and one is just seemingly a man significantly off-message. Some people refer to as his going bonkers, but he may well do -- it`s ironic that he may need the medication that he wants to withdraw from other people.
HAMMER: OK. Well, you`re perhaps suggesting medication. Marvet, what would your formula be?
MARVET BRITTO, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: For Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise is everywhere. It`s almost as if you look in your -- if I looked in my wallet, he`d be there. I think that he has -- you know, he`s gone from being a serious actor to being a joke, you what I mean?
It`s too much. And he just needs to scale back. I know his former publicist is probably crawling in her skin that she worked so hard to build him to this superstar status that he almost seems to be, you know, tearing away at every day with every interview.
HAMMER: OK, Michael, we saw Russell Crowe apologizing with David Letterman. And he went through that whole routine. And now, as we just mentioned a few minutes ago, there are some new allegations. There`s this alleged videotape, the security camera tape, which may, or probable will, pop up at some point. How do you handle a situation like this where the problem keeps coming back and keeps flaring up?
LEVINE: Well, the rules really are pretty simple. If, in America, you act with contrition, personal responsibility, you act quickly, and you act again with contrition, humility, you generally do very well. And the great example of that, of course, many years ago is Hugh Grant. He acted with contrition, personal responsibility quickly, and he didn`t dodge the question.
If you act with arrogance, if you act with not acting with personal responsibility, and maybe a great example of that would be O.J. Simpson, you tend to do less well. So I think Russell Crowe, absent this new video, has done a pretty good job of responding quickly and with personal contrition.
Now, there are some bizarre aspects to this video that are -- you know, if are played out in a courtroom are not going to serve him. And of course, the message for celebrities is, you`ve got to be ever-careful and ever-aware that people are trying to catch you in unflattering moments.
HAMMER: Sure, and listening to every word. I just want to -- while we still have some time, I want to move onto to one other thing. And one other way for celebs to act, in this case, is being unapologetic, Marvet.
And that`s exactly what Tom Cruise is in the midst of doing right now. In "USA Today," he`s basically saying, "I`m going to say what I want. I really don`t care what people think." Do you think that`s a good path to travel?
BRITTO: I don`t think it is. I think the problem with saying you don`t care is saying that you don`t care what you the public thinks about you, the very public who you expect to turn up tomorrow and buy tickets to your movie. So I think that he`s being a little arrogant, and he`s being - - you know, it`s uncharacteristic of the Tom we`ve grown to know and love.
HAMMER: Sure.
BRITTO: So I think he shouldn`t, you know -- he seems very defensive. And seems very edgy, for some reason. And you know, it`s just not the Tom Cruise we`re used to seeing.
HAMMER: We`ll have to see how it all fares and pans out when the movie opens tomorrow. Marvet, David, thank you very much for joining us tonight. Michael, I`m sorry. David Levine, Michael Levine. Two people I know in my life.
That`s going to move us along to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tom Cruise`s image: Do you think it`s been damaged? You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Your e-mails coming up at 54 past the hour.
BRYANT: Good save.
Time now for a "Showbiz Sitdown" with Johnny Depp, big star. Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer who had the really tough assignment of flying to the Bahamas to interview Mr. Depp. He`s joining us again now live.
David, you get all the tough gigs.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: You and A.J. were busy, I guess. Yes, somebody had to do it. Depp was in the Bahamas filming the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels, and he took some time out of his busy schedule to tell me about his role as Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It`s, of course, a story about a boy who wins a tour of the place where his favorite candies are made. Depp plays the eccentric factory owner. And it`s Depp`s fifth time teaming up with director Tim Burton.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: Everything in this room is eatable. Even I`m eatable, but that is called cannibalism, my dear children, and is, in fact, frowned upon in most societies.
HAFFENREFFER: What was it that attracted you to the role of Willy Wonka?
DEPP: First was the opportunity to go back to work with Tim. You know, that was the first thing. And then second, obviously, Roald Dahl`s classic story, you know, "Charlie and Chocolate Factory."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You found Wonka`s last golden ticket!
DEPP: The combination of those two was, I thought, was just perfect and magical.
GENE WILDER, ACTOR: If you want to view paradise...
DEPP: And there was the sort of kid in me that, you know, had been familiar with the Gene Wilder version growing up, you know, from the `70s, and loving it. I really thought he was amazing in that film.
And then the actor in me going, "Hmm, that`s a challenge. That could be very interesting, you know, just to go way, way outside of what Wilder did, you know, to really trying to stay far away from that."
DEPP, AS WILLY WONKA: Well, you do seem confident, and confidence is key.
HAFFENREFFER: Were you approaching the role, also, a bit as a parent?
DEPP: Well, my kids were very excited when they heard that I was Willy Wonka, you know. In fact, the first time they came to the set, saw me decked out as Wonka, and it took them about two or three minutes just to sort of get used to that. And they were just kind of staring at me, you know? They recognized elements of their dad, but there was this other weird thing going on.
It`s important to me that films like "Pirates," "Finding Neverland," and also "Wonka" is a film that`s accessible for my kids and my kids can watch it.
HAFFENREFFER: You mentioned some of the other titles of movies that you`ve been in, "Edward Scissorhands," also, "Ed Wood," very eccentric, unusual characters. Are you attracted to those roles? And is there a fear that you might get typecast into that type of role?
DEPP: No. I remember early on, you know, when I was first sort of cracking the boards, as it were, there was a fear of being typecast, and I fought that tooth and nail, you know? From about 1990 on, I`ve been lucky enough to do exactly what I want, you know, exactly the way I want, without too much trouble.
HAFFENREFFER: You seem to show up, do your films, do the publicity for them, and then you`re off the map, basically. And that`s a personal choice on your own part. But how do you see yourself fitting into the Hollywood social scene?
DEPP: Because I have chosen to distance myself from the Hollywood social scene, when events comes up that you should go to, that you have to go to, or whatever, because it`s so foreign me and so far away from me, I actually kind of enjoy it, you know, because it`s like going into some kind of weird carnival ride for a little while, you know, knowing that you`re going to come out the other side and escape immediately.
So I don`t -- I`m not a particularly social animal, in the Hollywood sense. I don`t like to do that. But when I do have to go to those events and stuff, it`s kind of fun, you know, because it`s so weird. They`re so weird.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And of course, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" opens July 15th. It`s actually a reinterpretation of the 1964 book by Roald Dahl, which was first made into a film starring Gene Wilder back in 1971 -- A.J. and Karyn?
BRYANT: Thanks very much, David Haffenreffer.
Now, another potential blockbuster is "The Fantastic Four." One week from tonight, the four stars are going to be here live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Of course, that includes Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis.
I`m actually leaving right now to go see this movie in a special screening, so A.J., I`m leaving it in your hands. Good night.
HAMMER: Crossed my camera right there.
Joey McIntyre`s got the right stuff on the celebrity dance floor. The former New Kid on the Block is flashing his fancy footwork on "Dancing with the Stars." He`s going to join us live for a "Showbiz Sitdown" coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Time now for another "Showbiz Sitdown," this time with Joey McIntyre. He has been waltzing his way into living rooms everywhere on the new smash summer hit, "Dancing with the Stars." But long before he was a ballroom phenomenon, he was just a New Kid on the Block. Well, not just a New Kid on the Block.
Joining me now from Los Angeles, Joey McIntyre. It`s nice to see you, Joey.
JOEY MCINTYRE, MUSICIAN/DANCER: It`s good to see you. Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: I was right there in the middle of it all back in the late `80s and the early `90s, bringing you guys onstage at concerts. It was bedlam. And you know, when people talk about the boy band phenomenons of the last few years and how chaotic it gets, nothing compared to what you guys were going through and the tens of thousands of people and the mania.
MCINTYRE: Yes, it was pretty crazy. It was a lot of fun. It seems like a whole another world away.
HAMMER: It must seem like it was a different person, almost, when you look back, because you were very young at the time.
MCINTYRE: Yes, I don`t know if that`s just my personal experience of feeling that -- when I was younger I felt sort of like a different person. Maybe everyone feels that way, because, you know, when you`re growing up and you`re a teenager, there are so many things going on in your life, and changes, and growing. But it does -- you know, it was quite a ride.
HAMMER: And to be sure, you know, your whole life was really revolving around this from really the age of 12 when you started up with the group. And then, all of a sudden, as things have to end, it had to end. So all of a sudden you`re not in front of all these people, and you`re not on every magazine cover. How did you make the transition into the next phase?
MCINTYRE: Well, thankfully, I`m the youngest of a big family. I have seven older sisters and an older brother. And they helped me keep it in perspective.
And I know, as special as that experience was, I wasn`t any more special than anybody else, in a lot of ways. So you know, it took a while to get back into life and know what I wanted to do. But as a solo artist, I`ve been really lucky to do a lot of great things that I`ve wanted to do.
And "Dancing with the Stars" I probably wouldn`t have predicted, but it`s been quite a ride itself, too.
HAMMER: And it`s become this huge hit. Why do you think "Dancing with the Stars" has struck such a cord with America?
MCINTYRE: Well, I think, first of all, it`s fun for the whole family. You know, it`s a show that everybody can watch. And you know, it`s live music. You know, it`s a live performance. Anything could happen. And you know, you`ve got the modern aspect, when somebody gets, you know, thrown off and voted off, and that makes everybody happy. So it`s got everything.
HAMMER: And you would think you`d have sort of an unfair advantage because you had some pretty challenging dancing to do back, you know, with the New Kids years ago. You danced in some, you know, in plenty of stage performances, as well, but it`s still a real challenge, isn`t it?
MCINTYRE: It really is. I mean, I`ll go blue in the face until I explain to people that this is totally different. I mean, hip-hop, and even moving, you know, in a Broadway show is different.
It`s like saying that I`m a real dancer on Broadway, which is ridiculous, because those athletes, and much like the professionals in ballroom dancing, they`re athletes, these dancers. And so we`re learning this in such a short period of time. But it`s been a blast, but it is really hard work. It`s really stressful, but we`re having fun.
HAMMER: All right. We wish you the best of luck on it. And thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Joey.
MCINTYRE: Thanks a lot. Good to see you.
HAMMER: You, too.
And you can see Joey`s newest dance moves on "Dancing with the Stars." It`s Wednesday night on ABC.
So when you are watching TV, what are you renting? Here are the week`s top five DVD rentals from Netflix. Will Smith`s "Hitch" is the most popular movie of the week at Netflix. Sandra Bullock, reprising her role as FBI agent Gracie Hart in "Miss Congeniality 2," that`s in second place. "Coach Carter," featuring Samuel L. Jackson is in third. Bruce Willis` "Hostage" is in fourth. And "The Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Martin Scorsese, of course, rounds out the top five.
Time now for the "Showbiz Guide," where, throughout the week, we help you decide where to best spend your bucks on movies, DVDs and more. And tonight, we`re talking about the new releases that are out on DVD.
And out today, box office blockbuster "The Pacifier," which stars Vin Diesel, the "Daily Show`s Indecision 2004" is out on DVD. And so is the Jimi Hendrix documentary "Revisited."
Joining me here live in New York to take a closer look at each of these DVDs, "Entertainment Weekly" senior writer Dalton Ross.
Nice to see you, Dalton.
DALTON ROSS, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Let`s get into "The Pacifier." This was a huge box-office hit, $112 million grossing domestically so far. And the DVD`s now out. How`s the package here?
ROSS: Well, the thing about "The Pacifier" is it`s the movie we`ve all seen before, it`s just called "Kindergarten Cop." You know, it`s the same thing. It`s just take the buff action star and stick him with the bunch of kids and watch the alleged comedy fly.
Unfortunately, I don`t think Vin Diesel`s really, you know, cut out for the comedy. And he really doesn`t fit in here, maybe because the part was originally written for Jackie Chan, who has very good comedy instincts.
But as far as the package, there is a commentary track. There are deleted scenes. There`s bloopers, there`s featurettes. But if you`re spending your time watching outtakes from "The Pacifier," you may want to see a doctor, because you may have a serious case of Vin-sanity, and that can be fatal, if you don`t watch out.
HAMMER: OK. You know, everybody takes added value in their own way. "Indecision 2004" from Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show," interesting to see this packaged on DVD. What`s this about?
ROSS: Yes, you know, you would think that a bunch of shows about the 2004 presidential campaign might be a tad dated. But let me tell you something: Making fun of politicians never gets old, ever. There`s no expiration date on that.
This is a great package. It has all of their episodes from the conventions, both Democratic and Republican. And the thing about "The Daily Show" is that they`ll take on and take down both sides. They`re equal opportunity offenders. It`s great stuff.
HAMMER: Very intelligent stuff from Jon Stewart.
ROSS: Yes, and there`s great extras on this, too. They do some introductions. They do commentary tracks that have nothing to do with what they`re watching, but they`re still fun anyway.
HAMMER: Well, a lot of people from the music world and anybody who is a big fan of Jimi Hendrix has been looking forward to the package, the Jimi Hendrix, which originally came out in 1973, and finally we can just pop it into the DVD player.
ROSS: Yes, not only can you pop it in, but it is a new digital film transfer, a re-mastered soundtrack. It`s great.
It has excellent concert footage. It`s got thoughts from people like Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton. And the thing about Hendrix is, listening to a Hendrix album is great, but the Jimi Hendrix experience was always a live experience. You get to see them smashing his instruments, lighting his guitar on fire...
HAMMER: The whole thing.
ROSS: Yes, that`s what you need. And it`s all there. And it`s fantastic.
HAMMER: I`m going to get mine tomorrow. Dalton Ross, thank you very much for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And for more reviews for DVDs, you can pick up a copy of "Entertainment Weekly." You`ll find it on newsstands right now.
It`s time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." We bring you the late-night laughs that you might have missed. It was a word war on "The Daily Show," as long as we`re talking about Jon Stewart. Jon played semantics with Donald Rumsfeld here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": So Rumsfeld defended the vice president`s comments that we`re in the last throes. How long does he think these last throes will last exactly?
DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The insurgency could go on for any number of years. Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12 years.
STEWART: Twelve years. So the last throes of the insurgency -- we`ve only been in Iraq for two years! You`re telling me the final throes of the insurgency could last six times longer than all of the previous throes put together! To be fair, Rumsfeld, it`s not like before the war he soft- peddled his estimate of how long it would last.
RUMSFELD: It is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks, I doubt six months.
STEWART: He doubts six months. Twelve years, oh, yes, sure, OK, about that time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." One more time, it`s Tom Cruise`s image: Do you think it`s been damaged? Vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight, or write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. I`m going to read some of your e- mails live, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tom Cruise`s image: Do you think it has been damaged?
Here`s the vote so far: 84 percent of you say yes, his image has been damaged. Sixteen percent of you say it has not.
Among the e-mails on the topic, we heard from Lourdes (ph) in Texas who writes, "Tom is behaving the way he feels like behaving. He doesn`t have to please anyone. He`s being his own person."
Also heard from John (ph) in North Carolina who says, "Tom Cruise not only damages his image, he further damages Hollywood`s image." You can continue to vote if you like. CNN.com/showbiztonight is where you go on the Web.
Time now to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Let`s take a look at the Showbiz Marquee. Take it away, Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: It`s the must-haves for those who have everything, like me. Hollywood moms on what they need and what they loved with their bundles of joy. That`s tomorrow in our Hollywood baby-boom series.
Also tomorrow, he showed America what a month of McDonald`s can do. Now "Super Size Me" creator Morgan Spurlock has a new set of challenges in his TV show "Thirty Days." He joins us live, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy. Super size me, and that`s a whole lot of marquee.
HAMMER: I`m just embarrassed for the Marquee guy.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Karyn Bryant back by my side tomorrow night. Stay tuned for the very latest from CNN Headline News.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. Let`s get you up to speed with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Rescuers are racing toward the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan where a U.S. military transport helicopter has crashed. Officials say the chopper was carrying about 16 U.S. troops involved in the counterterrorism support. Neither the cause of the crash nor the condition of those onboard are known at this time.
The Senate is overwhelming approving a new energy plan, but the bill faces an uncertain future. It calls for $18 billion in energy tax breaks and expands the use of Ethanol and natural gas. But the plan will cost significantly more than what the White House wants. And parts of it clash with the energy plan passed by the House back in April.
Well, President Bush will be speaking at the top of the hour, addressing the nation in an effort to turn around sagging public support for the war in Iraq. The president plans to tell the American people the sacrifices being made in Iraq are worthwhile and vital to the future of U.S. security.
That`s the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
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