JANET'S INDECENCY CASE APPEALED TO SUPREME COURT: FCC says appellate court was wrong to throw out $550,000 fine.
*The Federal Communications Commission is appealing its Janet Jackson indecency lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming a previous appeals ruling that tossed the case was wrong.
In July, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia threw out the case and dropped the $550,000 fine against CBS, saying that the FCC rules give a pass to indecent images if they're "fleeting." But the FCC said their rules were incorrectly applied by the court.
Janet's breast was exposed on television for less than two seconds during the Super Bowl halftime performance with Justin Timberlake in 2004.
The FCC said the court incorrectly applied a rule — since changed — regarding expletives that required a profanity be repeated before it is deemed indecent. The FCC contends the rule didn't apply to images.
In other Janet news, UK's Daily Star is claiming that Jackson will try her luck touring in Japan after having to scrap the remainder of her U.S. tour due (unofficially) to low ticket sales.
The outlet says she'll perform four dates in the country between Feb. 14 and 22, 2009. Janet's camp announced that a bout of "vertigo" forced her to cancel seven dates on her U.S. Rock Witchu tour, which supposedly could not be rescheduled due to "conflicts."
USHER'S SECOND CHILD DUE NEXT MONTH: Singer says baby will be 'one of the best Christmas gifts there is to have.'
*During an interview with Stevie Wonder on his morning radio show in Los Angeles, Usher announced the sex of his second child with wife Tameka Foster, as well as the baby's due date.
Doctors told the couple that they're having another boy, and he's due to arrive on Dec. 15, just in time for the holidays.
Usher told Access Hollywood that their new bundle of joy will be "one of the best Christmas gifts there is to have."
"There are a few names," he told Access. "But if you guys have any unique one, please feel free to hit me up. Let me know."
It was around this time last November when Usher and Tameka welcomed their first child together, Usher Raymond V. He turns one on Wednesday (Nov. 26).
JORDIN SPARKS DESIGNS CLOTHING FOR WET SEAL: 'American Idol' winner introduces line of holiday dresses.
*Teen-favorite clothing store Wet Seal is carrying a line of holiday dresses designed by 2007 "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks.
Appropriately called “Sparks,” the line will begin with an assortment of holiday dresses and will later include casual apparel and accessories.
“I am so excited that Wet Seal and I have been able to create a line of clothing that will appeal to more girls than ever before. The holiday season is my favorite time of year, and I can’t wait to see girls look cute, feel good and celebrate in style,” Jordin says in a released statement.
Wet Seal’s CEO Ed Thomas, couldn’t be happier to have the singer on his team.
“Jordin is a great role model for the young girls that shop Wet Seal. Not only does she have a youthful, yet refined, fashion sense, she has not lost sight of who she is through her rise to stardom,” he said in a press release.
Jordin’s “Sparks” line of dresses is already available online at wetseal.com. The dresses range in size from XS to XL and in price from $30-55.
WYCLEF'S MIAMI HOME IN FORECLOSURE: Singer owes over $2 million in mortgage payments on unfinished home.
*The nation's foreclosure crisis has arrived on the doorstep of Wyclef Jean's Miami property.
According to TMZ.com, Miami-Dade County will auction off the house he was still building on Dec. 12 because the singer owes $2 million in mortgage payments.
"And it wasn't just the mortgage that wasn't paid -- court docs show there were plenty of people working on the house that haven't gotten paid either," reported TMZ.
Wyclef purchased the house through a company he set up with friends, according to the Web site. Foreclosure on the mansion reportedly began in March.
SHERYL UNDERWOOD KEEPS SORORITY TITLE: Court decision allows comic to retain presidency of Zeta Phi Beta.
*Comedian Sheryl Underwood gets to keep her title as president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority following a ruling Wednesday by Washington D.C. Superior Court.
Judge Gerald I. Fisher dismissed a lawsuit filed by Kim Sawyer who, after losing a close race in July, sought to unseat Underwood. Sawyer claimed that she was the International Grand Basileus, the official title of the organization’s national president. She then asked the court to declare that Underwood did not receive a majority of the votes cast at the national convention, and sought a run-off election.
However, Judge Fisher granted the sorority’s motion for a summary judgment and dismissed Sawyer’s case.
“I am grateful that this matter is over and that we as an organization can move forward in doing what we do best – serving the community,” said Underwood. “I love all of my sorority sisters and look forward to working with Ms. Sawyer to advance the causes of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority."
ROOTS MEMBERS SURVIVE BUS CRASH IN FRANCE: Band manages to make concert appearance after double-decker overturns.
*Members of rap collective The Roots escaped injury Thursday night and made a concert appearance just hours after a traffic accident caused their double-decker tour bus to flip over on a highway in France.
The band was en route to Paris to perform as one of several opening acts for Kanye West's Glow In The Dark tour when the accident turned the bus on its side and left its front end suspended in the air, reports Allhiphop.com.
Roots drummer Amir “?uestlove” Thompson, who was one of the last two people to get off the bus, blogged about the experience just minutes after it happened.
“When I got outside and looked at what I crawled out of? Man. I just couldn't believe it,” he wrote from the hotel room where he and the others were taken for medical examination. “How in the hell did we experience this? How did we manage to…man...We are soooo alive right now. That was divine intervention. We are so grateful for this outcome.”
The Roots made their Glow in the Dark gig at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, performing after Consequence, Mr. Hudson, and Melanie Fiona.
TYRA'S TALK SHOW MOVING TO CW: Model-turned-mogul will soon house three of her programs at one network.
*Tyra Banks' Daytime Emmy-winning talk show will be taken out of syndication and moved to the CW for its fifth season, which is scheduled to begin in September 2009, reports Variety.
The shift places "The Tyra Banks Show" with her other programs "America's Next Top Model" and "Stylista" all within the CW family.
"I'm thrilled to have The Tyra Banks Show join the CW, where I already have an amazing partnership and where my audience knows to look for me," Banks said in a statement Friday. "With 'Top Model' in prime-time and 'The Tyra Banks Show' in daytime, it's a match made in heaven."
The cover girl's chatfest won a Daytime Emmy earlier this year for Outstanding Talk Show/Informative. Her upcoming reality show "True Beauty," with co-executive producer Ashton Kutcher, is set to debut Monday, Jan. 5 on ABC.
Meanwhile, Wednesday's victory of McKey Sullivan as "America's Next Top Model" drew 4.8 million viewers, the show's largest audience in a year. At 9, “Stylista” attracted 2.1 million, earning its best numbers since the season premiere.
OBAMA SUPPORTS CHICAGO FOR 2016 OLYMPICS: President-elect submits videotaped pitch to Olympic committee.
*President-elect Barack Obama made a personal appeal for the 2016 Olympics to come to his home city of Chicago in a taped video message played to the general assembly of European Olympic Committees.
"The United States would be honored to have the opportunity to host the games and serve the Olympic movement," said Obama, wearing a dark suit and sitting at a desk in his Chicago transition office. "As president-elect, I see the Olympics and Paralympic Games as an opportunity for our nation to reach out, welcome the world to our shores and strengthen our friendships across the globe."
Obama, who lives a few blocks from Chicago's proposed 2016 Olympic stadium, offers a potential major boost for the city's chances of taking the Summer Games back to the United States for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
"I deeply believe in the Olympic mission and have long supported hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in my home city of Chicago," Obama said in the 90-minute spot. "Over the past two years, I have spoken often about my belief that while we may come from different places and backgrounds, there are certain shared values that unite us, values at the heart of the Olympic movement: friendship, excellence and mutual respect."
Obama went out of his way to appeal to the international audience, which included up to two dozen voting IOC members.
"In the coming years, my administration will bring a fresh perspective on America's role and responsibilities around the world," Obama said. "But if we are to truly meet our shared challenges, we must all work together.
"By uniting the world in a peaceful celebration of human achievement, the Olympic games reminds us that this is possible."
Chicago is competing against Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, which also made presentations Friday to the European body. The International Olympic Committee will vote on the host city Oct. 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
ABC PULLS PLUG ON THREE DRAMADIES: 'Daisies,' 'Dirty' and 'Eli' won't be back for third seasons.
*Bad news for Chi McBride, Blair Underwood and Loretta Devine – their ABC shows were all given the axe on Thursday.
"Pushing Daisies," a dramedy starring McBride as a private detective working with a lovelorn piemaker, has been cancelled for good, along with Underwood's "Dirty Sexy Money," about a noble lawyer working for a rich, ruthless family, and "Eli Stone," co-starring Devine as the title character's secretary.
All three shows made it to a sophomore season before being pulled.
To fill the gaps left in ABC's schedule, "Private Practice" will take the post-"Grey's Anatomy" slot as of Dec. 11. "Life on Mars" will air after "Lost" beginning Jan. 28. And "Scrubs" will arrive Jan. 6 on ABC, reports EW.com's Michael Ausiello.
LUENELL ON KATT WILLIAMS' ALLEGED BREAKDOWN: 'Borat' star toured with comic; says he may just need some rest.
*Comedian Luenell says news of fellow standup comic Katt Williams having a reported nervous breakdown is an all-too-familiar story among black, male comedic superstars.
The "Borat" actress cites Martin Lawrence, Richard Pryor and Dave Chappelle among famous funnymen who have suffered some sort of personal meltdown. "It seems to happen to the great minds that just sometimes may be on overload," she says.
In Williams' case, Luenell believes simple fatigue may have contributed to his reported erratic behavior.
"I know that he has a lot of people depending on him. That could be stressful," Luenell told EUR's Lee Bailey. "I know that we went on the road in 2006, and it's [now] 2008, about to be 2009, and he has barely had any relaxation, down time or time off between doing [standup] comedy, movies, television and an album. It might just be that [his camp] needs to sit him down and get [him] some rest."
A South Carolina newspaper reported last week that Williams reluctantly underwent a mental evaluation at the request of his family.
"I have not seen any strange behavior in the last few times that I saw Katt," Luenell added. "He seemed totally himself, and I dare say a little bit more relaxed and at peace than maybe toward the end of the year when he was working so much. So this, if it's true even, comes as a total surprise for me."
Luenell also said the rumor of Williams retiring following a New Year's Eve show in Detroit with Steve Harvey is just as surprising.
"That may be his last show for a while, but I don't think that he would let his fans go without any more original Katt Williams," she said. "I mean how many times has Jay-Z retired only to come back with a bigger, better, blacker and stronger album?"
MAN CHARGED IN ASSAULT ON JASON MOMOA: Lisa Bonet's boyfriend was hit in the face with a beer glass.
*A man accused of assaulting "Stargate Alantis" star Jason Momoa at a Hollywood restaurant on Nov. 15 has been charged in Los Angeles County.
Dominic Bando, 21, is accused of smashing the actor in the face with a beer glass, causing gashes that required 140 stitches and reconstructive surgery to repair his injuries, reports the Associated Press. Prosecutors on Friday charged Bando with felony assault with a deadly weapon.
He is currently free on $30,000 bail, and his arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 10. If convicted, he faces seven years in jail due to a March conviction for carrying a loaded firearm.
Momoa, who plays Ronon Dex on the SciFi Channel's "Stargate Atlantis," has a daughter with girlfriend Lisa Bonet.
AMC DEVELOPING HARLEM COP DRAMA: 'Sugar Hill' set in 1960s; follows an African American cop and his white partner.
*The AMC channel is hoping to strike "Mad Men"-like gold with another original series.
The cable channel is currently developing the drama "Sugar Hill," about a black cop and a white cop who team up on the turbulent and unpredictable streets of late-1960s Harlem, reports Variety.
"As with all our other projects, this seemed to lend itself to unique and interesting characters and the promise of a really cinematic series," said Jeremy Elice, AMC's vp original programming.
The cable channel, home of the Emmy-winning '60s drama "Mad Men," has been ramping up its development slate, including the recently announced legal drama "Rectify" and the sci-fi project "Red Mars."
"Sugar Hill" comes from former actor Alex Winter ("Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"), who most recently directed Cartoon Network's movie "Ben 10"; Steven Pearl (A&E's upcoming "The Beast"); and Allan Loeb ("New Amsterdam").
PRINCE OFFERS THOUGHTS ON GAY MARRIAGE: But, credibility of singer's interview questioned.
*Gossip blogger Perez Hilton says folks in Prince's camp are questioning the credibility of the singer's recent interview for The New Yorker magazine, particularly in light of the singer's quotes regarding gay marriage.
In the article "Soup With Prince" by Claire Hoffman, the artist first gave his take on the differences between Republicans and Democrats.
"You’ve got the Republicans, and basically they want to live according to this,” he said, pointing to a Bible. “But there’s the problem of interpretation, and you’ve got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here, but it doesn’t. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you’ve got blue, you’ve got the Democrats, and they’re, like, ‘You can do whatever you want.’ Gay marriage, whatever. But neither of them is right.”
Prince was also asked about his perspective on social issues, including gay marriage and abortion. According to Hoffman, Prince "tapped his Bible" and said, “God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ ”
While The New Yorker stands by its reporting, gossip blogger Perez Hilton cites a "Prince insider" who says he was misquoted.
"Apparently, the interviewer did not even use a recorder when she spoke with His Holy Purpleness, and that when she called his people to fact check, it turned out she had several factual inaccuracies, including a little bit about Prince recovering from hip surgery, which he never even had," wrote Hilton, citing claims from the Prince insider.
"What His Purpleness actually did was gesture to the Bible and said he follows what it teaches, referring mainly to the parts about loving everyone and refraining from judgment," Hilton added.
In any case, Prince has become a devout Jehovah's Witness in recent years, and members of the religion do not vote anyway, in keeping with their own interpretation of Biblical scripture.
Read Prince's entire New Yorker interview article here:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/11/24/081124ta_talk_hoffman
BAD ECONOMY HITS OPRAH'S 'FAVORITE THINGS': Annual show to go against the norm and give away inexpensive items.
*Oprah Winfrey has taken a cue from the struggling economy and agreed to downsize the extravagant nature of her annual "Favorite Things" giveaway show, which is scheduled to air on Nov. 26.
"They're some of Oprah's favorite things, but this time there's a twist...they cost next to nothing!" says a statement from Harpo Studios.
The TV mogul, 54, will also include money-saving tips from viewers who are sticking to a strict budget this holiday season.
"You'll meet a mom who shows us how to create a one-of-a-kind treasure that comes straight from the heart," the statement says. "Then, one family talks about their very own tradition that doesn’t cost a cent."
"You'll also hear some great ideas to make your holiday party memorable and affordable," reads the statement. "And, Oprah unveils a special gift that won’t cost you a thing. Find out how to have the thriftiest holidays ever."
Elsewhere in OprahWorld, programming is shaping up for the 2009/2010 launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), her joint venture with Discovery Communications.
"The mission is to create the first network about living your best life," OWN president Robin Schwartz told Variety. That means "a lot of empowering, inspirational programming that's entertaining and meaningful."
Winfrey, who controls all aspects of the channel as OWN chairman, said as much when the partnership was first unveiled.
"We'll deal with topics such as money, health and relationships. I want to create a niche, a place where people can go to feel better about their lives," she told reporters in January.
OWN will mine many of the same topics Winfrey tackles in her top-rated daily talker, although Schwartz is quick to stress that the channel does not aim to be a female-centric competitor to Lifetime, Oxygen (which Winfrey co-founded) or We.
"Our goal is ... to be inclusive of a lot of different segments of the audience," Schwartz says.
OBAMA BITS: Codeblack DVD on sale; Michelle covers Newsweek; lovefest during NY bridge event; twins jump on WH beds; Obama Elementary School; Verizon snoopers fired; weekly Democratic address.
*Ebony/Jet Entertainment Group has teamed with Codeblack Entertainment for the Jan. 20 DVD release of a "Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey," a documentary on the President-elect narrated by actor Blair Underwood. The release is timed to coincide with Obama's inauguration. Following the Obama disc will be another documentary, "Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy," featuring interviews with Bill Cosby, Chris Rock and Keenen Ivory Wayans, among others.
*Michelle Obama graces the Dec. 1 cover of Newsweek (on newsstands today) under the heading "The Meaning of Michelle." Newsweek National Correspondent Allison Samuels writes in the cover story: "When her husband raises his hand to take the oath of office, Michelle will become the world's most visible African- American woman. The new First Lady will have the chance to knock down ugly stereotypes about black women and educate the world about American black culture more generally. But perhaps more important -- even apart from what her husband can do -- Michelle has the power to change the way African-Americans see ourselves, our lives and our possibilities."
*An evening celebrating the rededication of New York's Triborough Bridge as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge turned into a love-fest for the incoming U.S. president, reports the New York Daily News. CNN's Christiane Amanpour, who emceed, said that in the last few months, she'd felt like she was covering "a foreign country having its first-ever democratic election.... When was the last time we saw the whole world come into the streets dancing in celebration of America instead of demonstrating and burning the flag?" Archbishop Desmond Tutu hailed Obama for "bringing us the America that [RFK] dreamed of." Sarah Jessica Parker said "It's great to have a president who has the same gift for oratory as Robert Kennedy." Alec Baldwin cautioned: "My hope is that people don't see Obama's victory as an end. We need to maintain a vigilance that he does the things he promised."
*First Lady Laura Bush and her twin daughters spill the beans about their recent role as White House tour guide to Michelle Obama, her two daughters and mother, Marian Robinson. Barbara and Jenna Bush showed off their bedrooms to Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. "We helped them jump on the beds," Barbara, 26, told People. "We used to jump on the beds when we were little, too." Mrs. Bush added, "They're really tall beds; you need to get a running start." Michelle, meanwhile, wondered aloud about where they might install a toy closet to keep things tidy. Mrs. Robinson marveled at the "magnificence" of the place, said another person familiar with the details of the tour. "They all just said, 'Oh my God, it's just so beautiful!'"
*Ludlum Elementary School in Long Island, NY's Hempstead Union Free School District has been re-named in honor of President-elect Obama at a board meeting Thursday, at the request of numerous school students. "Just to watch these kids after the board voted on what they asked them to do, they were so elated," school district superintendent Dr. Joseph Laria told ABC News. "You want to talk about 'Yes we can?' That was a lesson in democracy."
Effective immediately, Ludlum will now be known as Barack Obama Elementary School, following a decision by the board to adopt the resolution drafted by students and staff.
*Verizon Wireless has fired employees it says snooped through billing records from an old cell phone used by President-elect Obama earlier this year, a source told CNN Friday. The fired employees were hired "to take care of customers," the Verizon source said, but were not authorized to access customer records unless asked to do so by the customer. The source also said the employees in question could not have read text messages, if Obama sent or received them, and would not have been able to access the content of any voice mail messages, although they would have been able to see whether any had been left. The source would not say how many people were terminated but said "we now consider this matter closed."
President-elect Barack Obama promoted an economic plan Saturday he said would create 2.5 million jobs by rebuilding roads and bridges and modernizing schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars. "These aren't just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis. These are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long," Obama said in the weekly Democratic radio address. Click here to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m17pz0R_qZo
ITTY BITTY BITS: Randy Jackson's book; Janet, Jordan at Dubai bash; Fergie & Leezzy; MiJac a Muslim?; Remy's appeal; Hunt & Nash do 'ATL Housewives'; MTV's African music awards; Emimem's M&Ms.
*Today's broadcast of "The Bonnie Hunt Show" will include the host dressed up as Kim Zolziak from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," and actress Niecy Nash as the show's breakout star, NeNe Leaks in a skit spoofing their personas on the Bravo reality series. View a teaser here:
http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=f5b2c7f6-495d-4b9b-a67b-aac
137637ec5 Meanwhile, Bravo's Web site put up preview clips of the big blowups between Kim and Lisa (http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=838261#videoid=838262), and Kim and NeNe (http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=838262)on tomorrow's reunion show.
*An autobiography from "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, due out next month, includes some recollections of his Louisiana childhood, sneaking into roughneck bars at 15 to play bass. "There would be gunshots, knifings and all kinds of dangerous stuff going on," he writes. "There'd be a guy in there . . . who'd brought his ambulance because he knew something was going to go down . . . a shooting, a stabbing, or someone breaking off a bottleneck and using it as a weapon. Whatever, this guy was there, ready to pick up the pieces."
*Janet Jackson and Michael Jordan were among 2,000 guests attending a lavish opening for the new Atlantis resort in Dubai Thursday night. A celebrity booker for the event told Page Six, "The party was so high-profile that an invitation was payment. Those who did not attend probably regret it." Other celebrities flown in for the celebration include Charlize Theron, Petra Nemcova, Agyness Deyn, Mischa Barton, Lily Allen and Robert De Niro.
Kylie Minogue performed and Sam Ronson served as DJ. The resort will include a Nobu restaurant and a water park.
*The New York Post is reporting that Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas was spotted chatting up outgoing secretary of state Condoleezza Rice at Carnegie Hall. "Fergie introduced Condi to Sean Patterson, the president of Wilhelmina Models," said a spy. Rice's "eyes lit up," according to the onlooker, prompting Fergie to tell her, "You never know. This is the guy who could get you a Calvin Klein campaign."
*The old "Michael Jackson converts to Islam" rumor is back, this time reported by the New York Daily News. "Michael Jackson has reportedly converted to Islam and changed his name to Mikaeel after one of Allah’s angels," the paper's Rush & Malloy column wrote Friday, adding that he was influenced by Canadian songwriter David Wharnsby and producer Phillilp Bubal. Years ago, during his child molestation trial, Jackson was rumored to have become a Muslim through the influence of his brother, Jermaine Jackson.
*Rapper Remy Ma is still trying to get out of serving her eight-year prison sentence for assault, weapons and attempted coercion charges related to the 2007 shooting of an acquaintance. The rapper's lawyers have filed an appeal, claiming the trial was "riddled with mistakes by the judge," reports TMZ.com. They're asking that Remy be released by Christmas.
*MTV held its first-ever African music awards on Saturday, giving top artist of the year honors to Nigerian singer D'banj, while his compatriot, Naeto C, took home an award for best new African act. The ceremony took place in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Winners were selected by fans sending text messages, said Alison Reid, a spokeswoman for MTV Networks Africa. MTV hopes the awards can offer the artists more exposure and celebrate the continent's artistry.
*A portrait of Eminem made entirely of Chocolate M&M candies has been added to London's Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum, which already displays a picture of Princess Diana made from lint, The Last Supper on burnt toast and Michael Jackson, done completely in gumballs. Enrique Ramos, who lives in Orlando, Florida and Mexico, used more than 1,000 individual M&Ms (totaling over 8 pounds) to create the 40 inch by 30 inch image of the rapper.
BOB JONES UNIVERSITY APOLOGIZES FOR RACIST PAST: School says its policies were wrongly shaped by culture instead of Bible.
*Bob Jones University has issued an apology for its institution of racist policies, which included a one-time ban on interracial dating and a refusal to admit black students until 1971.
In a statement posted Thursday on its Web site, the fundamentalist Christian school - founded in 1927 in Greenville, South Carolina - says its rules on race were shaped by culture instead of the Bible.
"We failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves. For these failures we are profoundly sorry," the statement said. "Though no known antagonism toward minorities or expressions of racism on a personal level have ever been tolerated on our campus, we allowed institutional policies to remain in place that were racially hurtful."
The university says president Stephen Jones decided to issue the apology because he still receives questions about the school's views on race.
The institution, which has about 5,000 students, banned interracial dating until 2000, when it became an issue during the Republican presidential primary. President George W. Bush was criticized in 2000 for a campaign speech at the school while the interracial dating ban was in place.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Bolt
Movie Magic Aplenty in Animated Action Adventure Available in 3-D
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Bolt (John Travolta) is a normal dog who mistakenly thinks that he actually possesses the superpowers he displays as the hero of a TV action series.
The white German shepherd is clueless about the truth because, since he was a puppy, he’s been raised on a set specially-rigged to trick him into believing that he really has the ability to perform amazing feats like subduing bad guys with his devastating bark and melting steel with his penetrating heat vision.
These delusions of grandeur have never been a problem for the pampered pooch, given that he’s had no contact with the outside world.
Consequently, the only reality he’s ever known is the insulated studio environment in which he’s the pet of Penny (Miley Cyrus), the actress who pretends to be his crime-fighting partner.
She resents the show’s director (James Lipton) who goes to such great lengths to keep up the charade that he even denies her request to take her canine co-star home with her over the weekend.
Everything changes the day Bolt slips out of his cage and, after a comedy of errors, accidentally ends up in a box being shipped to New York City where a rude awakening lays in wait. For not only are the streets of Manhattan mean enough to begin with, but they prove to be tougher still for a dog who expects to have an array of extraordinary powers at his paw tips.
Thus unfolds Bolt, an enchanting animated adventure that’s fun for the whole family. Available for screening in either a flat or 3-D format, it is this critic’s suggestion that you opt for the latter, if you don’t want to miss an opportunity to appreciate state-of-the-art techniques offering a visually-stimulating experience that’s substantially-enhanced by the investment in 3-D glasses. Just don’t be surprised to find yourself ducking to avoid vehicles hurtling in your direction or reaching up to grab dangling objects that appear close enough to touch.
Special-effects wizardry aside, this uplifting tale, more importantly, has a bounty of heartwarming messages to share about honesty, loyalty, humility, faith and other virtues. The tykes will learn an early lesson about what matters most in life watching frustrated Bolt adjust to his diminished status as a mere mortal.
He must grudgingly befriend a lowly alley cat (Susie Essman) and clumsy hot-house hamster (Mark Walton), enlisting their help to find his way back to Hollywood. En route, the unlikely trio bond while overcoming the host of ever-escalating calamities placed in the path between the homesick hound and a teary reunion with the equally-inconsolable Penny.
Another instant kiddie classic from Disney!
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for mild action and scenes of peril.
Running time: 96 minutes
Studi Walt Disney Pictures
To see a trailer for Bolt, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDWPsoKQoOs
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things, which renew humanity." — The Buddha
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Nov. 24: Bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn of Booker T. and the MG's is 67.
Record producer Terry Lewis is 52.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Learn all about Amour Creole, a new lifestyle magazine that focuses on Haitian fashion trends, culture, art and music (www.amourcreole.com/).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Nov. 24, 1874: Robert B. Elliott elected Speaker of the lower house of the South Carolina legislature. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)