Chatterbox: Ur my Idol

Sometimes it's more interesting to read what people are saying about NZ Idol than to watch the show. No offence to the contestants, but we're particularly enjoying the intellectual discourse on the Idol website, such as this from Ciny 49: "Robin is da shizzle bol. Lemanuel or how ever you spell it yea well he was nt dat good aye coz he like aint dat good compared to Robin and even Luke."

And from Dunno: "Amanda u rock hu cres if ur 26 ur my nz idol."

In the end neither the good-looking Lemuel nor Amanda made it to the finals as Robin, Sela and Eddie were voted through to the next round.

AMATEURS PART 1: It's all very well hiring TV journos who look good on screen, but interviewing seems a fairly important skill, too. On one of her first assignments backstage at Lion King musical in Sydney Headliners rookie reporter Renee Wright was so unsure what to ask Jay Laga'aia she came up with these beauties:

"Do you miss New Zealand Jay?"

"Does your wife miss New Zealand?"

"Do your kids miss New Zealand?"

The PR company were apparently furious and tried to contact TVNZ to view the piece before it went to air, with one dissatisfied promo person describing Wright as "pretty" but then muttering something about unsharp tools in sheds.

AMATEURS PART 2: Notice that there suddenly seems to be more arts "coverage" on One News? It must be a sign from the Ian Fraser edict to spread arts far and wide through the schedule. An admirable aim, but if Monday's feeble Jane Campion "interview" at the end of the news hour is an indication of the standard, there needs to be some homework.

The female reporter (she knows who she is) was unable to articulate intelligent questions, then fell into the trap of asking the film-maker about Peter Jackson's Oscars and did it therefore lift her profile? To be known as a New Zealander? At that stage Campion's thin smile was sagging, and it was time to go. Embarrassing.

KING COMES EARLY: For the past two years Lord of the Rings fans have had to wait until August for the DVD-video release of the first two instalments of the trilogy. But on the back of the 11/11 Oscar coup for the final Return of the King, New Line has announced it will bring the date forward to May.

Matt Lasorsa, marketing spokesperson at New Line, says the bumped-up release was also due in part to King being the final film in the trilogy. Unlike its predecessors, which featured teasers of the subsequent theatrical releases, it won't need to be strategically launched at the end of the American summer to hold over viewers until December, when each of the Rings flicks opened theatrically.

The two-disc DVD will be available in wide-screen and full-screen format and feature the three-hour, 20-minute theatrical version on one disc with behind-the-scenes footage, featurettes, trailers and a preview of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy videogame from Electronic Arts. New Line is also planning to produce a de-luxe trilogy set.

CODY CALLING: The great Cody ChestnuTT, whose album The Headphone Masterpiece lived up to its title, is confirmed for one Auckland show at Galatos on Saturday, April 10. That sprawling double-disc covered every style from garage rock to psychedelic pop, hip-hop, trip-hop and hip folk - "Beck meets Tracey Chapman on acid," as ?uestlove of the Roots observed - and the Roots covered his track The Seed on their equally expansive Phrenology album. He gets big ups for his live show, too, so he's not to be missed is our guess. Tickets on sale Monday from Ticketek and Real Groovy.

DEAD MEN WALKING: Is the Rolling Stone Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame the kiss of death or a welcome to God's waiting room? This year's inductees are the late George Harrison and a bunch of people whose best work is clearly behind them: Jackson Browne, Traffic (a late 60s/early 70s prog-soul pop group of the 70s kiddies), veteran beardos ZZ Top, 50s doo-wop group the Dells and 70s rocker Bob Seger. The only current contender, and maybe even not much, is Prince, aka the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.

WHACKING JACK: White Stripe Jack White has been ordered to pay a US$500 ($760) fine and US$250 in court costs, and attend anger-management classes, by a Detroit court after the bar brawl with Von Bondies' frontman Jason Stollsteimer last December. White said he was provoked by Stollsteimer's disparaging comments about him in the media. He has also been told not to contact Stollsteimer, for which Jason must be very relieved.