MORNING REPORT - News from Dec. 30, 2000

MOVIES

Awards Push: Two Golden Globe--and potential Oscar--nominees are being honored next month. On Friday, the American Cinematheque is presenting “An Evening With Lasse Hallstrom.” The Swedish director previously received best director Oscars for “My Life as a Dog” and “The Cider House Rules.” The Cinematheque will screen his multi-Golden Globe nominee, “Chocolat,” at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, followed by a Q&A; with Hallstrom at 9 p.m. The evening concludes with a 10 p.m. showing of “My Life as a Dog.” Meanwhile, actor Albert Finney is the subject of a film retrospective both here and in New York. Laemmle’s Sunset 5 in West Hollywood will feature a seven-picture tribute to the veteran British performer Jan. 13-28. The festival, which takes place weekend mornings, kicks off with 1960’s “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” and concludes with “Erin Brockovich,” the film that garnered him a Golden Globe nomination.

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Bergman Done With Films: World-renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman has closed the door on his filmmaking career. “I have left the branch of butchery and whoring,” the 82-year-old auteur said in an interview published Friday in the tabloid Expressen. “It feels as if a very distant cousin has done all that.” The director of such landmark films as “The Seventh Seal” and “Cries and Whispers” hasn’t made a movie in nearly 20 years. Bergman added that he would continue to direct plays. Most recently, Bergman directed “Mary Stuart” at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theater and is scheduled to direct a Henrik Ibsen play for radio.

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February Honors: Clint Eastwood will receive the Art Directors Guild’s honorary Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award--an honor given periodically to an individual whose work has “richly enhanced the visual aspects of the moviegoing experience”--on Feb. 24. . . . Oscar-winner Billy Williams (“Gandhi,” “On Golden Pond”) will receive the American Society of Cinematographers’ International Achievement Award on Feb. 18 at the Century Plaza Hotel.

MUSIC

Singer Apologizes: Argentine tenor Jose Cura apologized for launching a tirade against an audience in Spain that booed him. Cura flew into a rage Tuesday when he was booed during the curtain call for the final performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” at Madrid’s Teatro Real theater. “I sing for all of you, not just for the part of the audience that smells bad,” the newspaper El Mundo quoted Cura as saying. The daily El Pais said Cura’s diatribe lasted four minutes. Cura later issued a statement of apology but said it was unfair to heckle a performer from the safety of a seat in a darkened theater. “I respect and approve of the democratic right to free opinion. But at the same time I demand that this right be exercised in broad daylight and with honest criteria,” he said.

POP/ROCK

Rapping Back Crusading former sheriff Nick Navarro laid out his obscenity claims against 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Campbell in an autobiography. Now the owner of Campbell’s songs wants Navarro to pay at least $75,000 for having used the lyrics without permission. “We believe they published the words to these songs to sell more books,” said Cary Lubetsky, an attorney for Lil’ Joe Records and Lil’ Joe Wein Music Inc. “Any profits from this book are statutorily due to the Lil’ Joe companies.” Navarro, who told his story in the book “The Cuban Cop” and now owns a security company, was the tough-talking sheriff of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from 1984 to 1992. He ordered the raunchy rapper arrested after a nightclub show. A federal appeals court later ruled that Campbell’s lyrics were not obscene.

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Slim Not So Shady: Controversial rapper Eminem, considered a front-runner when Grammy Award nominations are announced next week, has been named artist of the year by both the critics and readers of Rolling Stone magazine. Meanwhile, the readers of rival publication Spin heaped five honors, including best artist, on English rock quintet Radiohead, which last month received the band of the year award from Spin’s critics. In the “love ‘em or hate ‘em” world of pop music circa 2000, Spin’s readers voted rockers Limp Bizkit as worst artist and gave the worst album accolade to that group’s latest release, “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.” Rolling Stone readers, however, named Limp Bizkit best band, while frontman Fred Durst was named best rock artist.

QUICK TAKES

Award-winning float designer Raul Rodriguez will co-host--with Spanish-language TV personality Ana Maria Canseco and Latino teen idol Jan--KMEX-TV/Univision’s coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade, Monday at 7 a.m. . . . The Oscar-winning 1959 film epic “Ben-Hur” makes it DVD debut March 13 on Warner Home Video. Features include commentary from star Charlton Heston, a digitally remastered picture and soundtrack, newly discovered screen tests, the overture and intermission music, a behind-the-scenes documentary, the original trailer and a photo gallery. The DVD will retail for $25. . . . Avi Hoffman’s “Too Jewish? A Mensch & His Musical” has been extended through Jan. 21 at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse.