MTV pulls racy videos from daytime
NEW YORK, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. cable network MTV has pulled several videos from its daytime line up, citing increased scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission as the reason.
Videos from such artists as Britney Spears and Blink-182 have been rescheduled to air only during the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. time period, primarily because of their sexual content, Zap2it.com reported Tuesday.
At least one video, "Megalomaniac" by Incubus, was pulled because of its political content. The video features a character dressed as Hitler flying over a crowd.
"We support the creative community, but we have to take into account what's in the culture right now," an MTV spokeswoman said, explaining the programming changes. "It's part of our responsibility as broadcasters."
MTV's heightened sensitivity comes in the wake of an FCC investigation of the Super Bowl halftime show, which MTV produced for CBS. During the halftime performance, singer Janet Jackson exposed her breast to an estimated 80 million viewers worldwide.
'Kill Bill' brings bloody spring
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The Bride finally will give Bill his due in the sequel to Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill," which is set for release April 16 in U.S. theaters.
The writer/director's fifth film, "Kill Bill Vol. 2," continues the story of former assassin The Bride (Uma Thurman) who seeks vengeance on her boss Bill (David Carradine) and his death squad after she survives a bullet to her head on her wedding day, Zap2it.com reported Tuesday.
After having disposed of former assassin colleagues O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) and Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), The Bride resumes hunting down the remaining foes on her "death list" including Budd (Michael Madsen), Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) and, of course, Bill.
"Kill Bill Vol. 1," which opened in October 2003, has earned nearly $70 million at the U.S. box office.
Shanghai puts 'Vagina Monologues' on hold
SHANGHAI, China, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The opening of a Chinese version of Eve Ensler's play "The Vagina Monologues" has been postponed indefinitely, the BBC reported Tuesday.
The theater group producing the show is denying reports the show was canceled because the country's government objected to the play's sexually explicit content.
Said a Shanghai Drama Centre spokesman: "Research shed light on some problems with the play ... It's our own problem, not the government's."
Shanghai's Cultural Bureau declined to comment on the postponement.
The play was due to run in Shanghai for a month, marking its first performance in Chinese.
'Dukes of Hazzard' film on hold
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The big screen revival of "Dukes of Hazzard" is on hold awaiting results from the March 5 release of another oldies remake, "Starsky & Hutch."
"(Warner Bros. is) waiting to see how 'Starsky & Hutch' does," said John O'Brien, who wrote the project's first draft, Zap2it.com reported Tuesday.
O'Brien also helped write the screenplay for the "Starsky & Hutch" film. Based on the popular 1970s series, the movie stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as the duo, with Snoop Dogg as their informant Huggy Bear.
While details of the "Dukes" project are few, one can guess the film will, as did the 1980s series, chronicle the adventures of Bo and Luke Duke who speed through Hazzard County in their car, the General Lee, evading the likes of lawman Boss Hog.
Warner Brothers plans to begin production later this year.
O'Brien said he had talked with "Dukes" fan Ashton Kutcher, but could not confirm any casting. The 25-year-old actor-producer had once dressed as Luke Duke for Halloween.
Jane Seymour back to TV for 'Law & Order'
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Jane Seymour will return to U.S. television for the first time since 2002 when she guest stars Tuesday on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
Seymour may be best known for her popular CBS series "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," which went off the air in 1998.
"I hadn't actually gone out and done any acting in a year and a half, so I though it'd be fun to get back in the saddle again, as it were, but to do something completely different from 'Dr. Quinn' and completely different from what people are used to seeing me do," said Seymour at Tuesday's Zap2it.com.
In the "Law & Order" episode Seymour plays a wealthy socialite whose family is torn apart by a rape and murder.
Seymour, since "Dr. Quinn, has spent her time showing her paintings around the country, raising a family, creating home furnishings for Saks Inc., developing behind-the-camera projects with husband James Keach, and designing women's and children's clothing lines, with just a little television work.
In the coming months, she plans to star in a Court TV movie and will work in a production capacity on director James Mangold's upcoming Johnny Cash biographical movie.
