Beast Beauty Nude

OPENING FRIDAY: 'Beowulf': Legendary warrior Beowulf battles a demon and the beast's ruthless and seductive mother, played by Angelina Jolie. Anthony Hopkins joins the big-name villain roster as corrupt King Hrothgar. Rated PG-13. 'Eleven Men Out': A soccerstar tells a journalist he's gay -- and surprises his beauty-queen wife and macho coach. Then his career takes some surprising twists. Rated R. 'Love in the Time of Cholera': The romantic and lusty saga of a man who waits more than 50 years to be with his true love -- and seduces hundreds of other women along the way. Rated R. 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium': Family fare about a magic toy store where everything comes to life and a shop girl who doesn't believe she can keep the fantasy intact. Rated G. 'Naked Boys Singing': Screen adaptation of hit musical featuring all-nude hunks with voices to match their physiques.

'Enchanted' a charming fairytale

Amy Adams has a wide-eyed, illuminating face that couldn't be more expressive if it were animated.

Blazing with soulfulness and sweetness, her face projects her emotions as candidly as thought balloons in a comic strip. It's probably a stretch to think Adams might merit Academy Award consideration -- as has been suggested in some circles -- for playing a cartoon princess in Disney's Enchanted.

But that doesn't make her performance in Enchanted any less endearing or enduring. And it should all but solidify her status as one of Hollywood's most appealing actors, following her cynicism-free, Oscar-nominated turn in Junebug.

The creative conceit of Enchanted, in which Adams stars as a cute, cheerful fairy-tale heroine named Giselle, is that it combines live-action with traditional, 2-D hand-drawn animation.

STAGE TO SCREENS: Menken & Schwartz Are "Enchanted"; Plus Bosco, Chenoweth, "Hairspray"

This month, a chat with Stephen Schwartz & Alan Menken about "Enchanted"; Philip Bosco on his new pic, "The Savages"; Zadan, Meron and Blonsky of "Hairspray." Plus, Chenoweth and Chita.

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"Enchanted," which opens Nov. 21, is the third Disney animated feature collaboration for Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, following "Pocahontas" (1995), for which they won Oscars for Score and Song ("Colors of the Wind") and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996), for which their score was nominated.

Observes Schwartz, "I wouldn't characterize 'Enchanted' as a musical. It's a romantic comedy. The first eight or 10 minutes are animated. It's old-time animation, like 'Snow White' and 'Cinderella.' There are five [new] songs. The first, 'True Love's Kiss,' is basically a send-up of, and an homage to, the style of those Disney animated features."

"True Love's Kiss" is sung by Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) and Prince Edward (James Marsden, who played Corny Collins in the "Hairspray" film).

Classic-to-be 'Enchanted' casts an extraordinary spell

''Enchanted'' is the best Disney fantasy-musical since ''Mary Poppins,'' a hilarious, dazzling send-up of the thing that made Disney what it is today -- fairy-tale princesses.

It features a delightful, wide-eyed comic performance by Amy Adams of ''Junebug'' and another singing-dancing scene-stealing turn by James Marsden (''Hairspray''). This blend of animation in the classic Disney (hand-drawn) style and modern romance has wit and charm to burn.

We begin as we always do, ''once upon a time,'' in an animated fairy-tale land called Andalasia. That's where Giselle, equal parts Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Ariel, sings her heart out waiting for her ''True Love's Kiss.'' Her singing is so sweet that the critters of the forest come at her call, helping around the house.

Movie Review: 'Weirdsville'

A hybrid of Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo styling and Trainspotting 's heroin chic, Weirdsville is one weird and wacky trip.

A quirky black comedy that, surely, puts people off ever experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs, Weirdsville is the story of two drug-addicted dumb-asses and the scrapes they get into one long, cold, Canadian winter night.

Mistakenly assuming that Matilda (the talented Taryn Manning� Hustle & Flow ) has overdosed on stolen drugs, Dexter (Scott Speedman�the Underworld movies) and Royce (Wes Bentley�the embarrassing Ghost Rider ) decide to dispose of her body at an abandoned drive-in movie theatre. What they didn't count on was the presence of satanic cult members who use the site for their rituals. Thus a Looney Tunes -ish chase is set in motion as Dexter, Royce and the resurrected Matilda try to out-run the Satanists and the drug dealer (Raoul Bhaneja� The Sentinel ) they stole from�all the while trying to pull off a heist which will get everyone off their backs and provide the next big hit.

Brilliant lead lifts 'Othello' to artistic heights

One of the main reasons that few community theater companies are capable of successfully staging Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece, "Othello, Moor of Venice," is not having a truly gifted, black actor to cast in the emotionally and physically demanding title role.

Not only must he embody the stature of a noble, passionate military leader of men; but be equally believable as a romantic, newlywed husband -- one whose love flaunted the period's social prejudice with his bold interracial marriage to the "fair Desdemona."

The actor portraying Othello must also be capable of capturing the subtleties of the character's mental unraveling, as his trust in "the loyalty and virtue" of his guiltless bride is maliciously and methodically destroyed by the lies of a false "friend."

His performance must engage the audience and make them care as they watch this innately good man struggle in anguish until unreasoning, blind jealousy turns him into someone capable of destroying what he loves best -- "one who loved not wisely, but too well." He must break your heart.

Euro dream over as Scots are beaten but unbowed

THEY had their hearts broken only for them to be patched up. Then, with seconds to go and hope springing eternal, those same brave hearts were broken again and tears flowed at Hampden.

Putting the Beast Back in the Dog

St. Catharines, ON - The Niagara IceDogs would like to announce that they have joined forces with Silver Mist Productions in Niagara Falls on a joint promotional partnership. Silver Mist Productions is currently producing a musical adaptation of the hit Disney film Beauty and the Beast at the newly renovated Niagara Theatre for the Performing Arts. The show begins November 23rd and runs until January 1, 2008.

As part of the partnership, the IceDogs will be inviting Gabriel Burrafado to perform both the American and Canadian National Anthems during the IceDogs home game on Thursday, November 29th versus Erie. Gabriel is a proven performer who has taken part in a number of different productions throughout North America and will be starring as Beast in this adaptation. Along with this performance, IceDogs fans will be able to receive discounted tickets to any Beauty and the Beast production.