MOVIESReady to Revoke?: Miramax Films, which faces...

MOVIES

Ready to Revoke?: Miramax Films, which faces a hearing this week over advertising related to its forthcoming film, “Ready to Wear,” ran full-page ads in both Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter on Friday with the headline, “This is not an ad to see the movie Ready to Wear .” The ad went on to describe itself as “a statement of protest” over threats by the Motion Picture Assn. of America to revoke the R rating of director Robert Altman’s fashion-industry sendup, “Ready to Wear,” which opens Christmas Day. The dispute is over a semi-nude photo in film-related advertising of supermodel Helena Christensen. The photo appeared prominently in the Friday ads, as it did in a recent ad by Columbia Records to promote the film’s soundtrack. The Columbia ad included a line saying, “See the Movie,” which the MPAA said was equivalent to a movie ad and violated the association’s standards. Miramax says the photo is a fair reflection of its film and its rating, and has retained lawyer Alan Dershowitz to fight what it calls censorship. The MPAA has scheduled a revocation hearing for Thursday in Washington. Miramax says the loss of its rating so close to the film’s opening could greatly impact the number of theaters willing to show it.

TELEVISION

The Write Stuff: Budd Schulberg, who pioneered and taught the Watts Writers Workshop in the aftermath of the Watts riots, is writing a one-hour dramatic pilot, “Write On,” for Bill Cosby and NBC, inspired by Schulberg’s experience teaching the Watts Workshop. Schulberg, 80, is also busy fine-tuning the stage adaptation of his classic Oscar-winning 1954 film “On the Waterfront” for Broadway producer Mitchell Maxwell for a projected opening at the Atkinson Theater in April. The “Waterfront” play, co-written with Stan Silverman and to be directed by Gordon Edelstein, recently opened a limited run in Chicago. The Broadway casting is not set.

STAGE

Long Beach Changes: Long Beach Civic Light Opera has reshuffled its season. “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” is canceled--rights were withdrawn because a national touring production took precedence. “A Chorus Line” has been moved up from July to take the vacated March slot, and “Man of La Mancha”--produced and directed by the group’s new producing artistic director Luke Yankee--will replace “A Chorus Line” next summer.

RADIO

Newtwatchers: KCRW (89.9 FM) will keep an eye on Newt Gingrich and the 104th Congress with its new weekly show, “The First Hundred Days.” The program, set to air Fridays at 2 p.m. for 13 weeks, beginning Jan. 6, will take a look inside the “Gingrich revolution” and report on its emerging philosophy, strategy and agenda. David Horowitz, co-author of “Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts About the Sixties,” will host the show. Guests will include House Speaker Gingrich, House Whip Dick Armey, Senate Whip Trent Lott and other members of the Gingrich team including Reps. Dana Rohrbacher and Chris Cox.

POP/ROCK

Band in Boston: Aerosmith will close its 20-month “Get a Grip” world tour tonight by opening a brand new music theater in Boston. The Mama Kin complex, named after one of the band’s early hits, will include a music venue, art gallery, cafe and theater. The music hall is designed to be a place where musicians can launch their careers.

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Shakur Seeks Delay: Tupac Shakur needs a better doctor’s note if he wants to be excused from court. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul Flynn on Friday extended an arrest warrant issued nine days ago and told the rapper’s attorney to have him in court Jan. 25. Flynn said there wasn’t enough information in a doctor’s note that claims Shakur is in no shape to travel from New York to Los Angeles, where he faces weapons charges. Shakur was shot two weeks ago in a robbery outside a New York recording studio.

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Less Than Wonderful: Stevie Wonder, usually a stickler for perfection, played a medley of his hits on an untuned grand piano Friday in Ghana. “We all have to sacrifice a little for African unity,” he told the audience, which waited six hours to hear him sing at the national theater in Accra as part of the PanaFest cultural festival, which he is co-chairing. There have been other problems at the PanaFest, a celebration of the re-emergence of African civilization and the uniting of the African family. The festival, which began Dec. 9, has attracted only a third of the expected 3,000 visitors. Some visitors have complained of lack of hotel space or inadequate facilities and some performers have played to near-empty halls. Many Ghanaians have stayed away, saying entry fees are too high.