With the success of the noir-drenched film 'Sin City,' graphic novels -- essentially comic-books for grownups-- have come of age.

Next month, the 'War of the Worlds' graphic novel will debut in bookstores across the nation -- and it will be promoted with a 90-second trailer, not unlike the way movies are promoted.

The trailer's visuals include striking black-and-white panels from the graphic novel, many of which depict the havoc wreaked by Martian tripod war machines in and around New York City.

Sales of graphic novels were up 25% in 2004, with revenues in excess of $200 million.

What the Japanese have know for years is that smart, cool, prospurous people can read these graphic novels while killing time waiting for the bus, working in your cubicle, or downloading porn.

It was good box office for The Amityville Horror the blood spattered update of the 1979 horror flick about the purportedly true story of a Long Island house that
not even the Extreme Home Makeover crew could fix scared up $23.3 million.

Six Flags Magic Mountain Debuts the New BATMAN BEGINS STUNT SHOW scenes recreated from the upcoming movie involve flames, flying and Batboat. The action is all created using unknown local actors paid slightly above minumum wage with dreams that this will lead to more work.

"How to Make Love Like a Porn Star" author Jenna Jameson has filed a federal lawsuit to bar her publisher from getting a cut of a proposed reality show featuring the adult film actress.

Jameson's lawsuit asks a judge to rule that a development agreement signed with Regan Media doesn't apply to a deal Jameson negotiated herself with A&E for a show based on her daily life.

The show is similar to Jessica Simpson's but with DP, double DP, pile driver, happy slappy, girl/girl, frontside boness on the squib squab, pantsless handshake, lift and spin, fluff and fold and under the butt nut hugs.

The Simple Life ain't so Simple.

An apparent rift between stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie has seemingly jeopardized the future of the Fox reality show.

Things are so bad between the longtime celebutante pals that, according to a report on Thursday's syndicated Insider, producers are considering replacing Richie with another party circuit regular, Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly.

Kimberly's porn video has yet to surface, but as soon as it does, I'll share if you do.

The Exorcist: The Beginning is going back to the beginning. Morgan Creek Productions, which shelved director Paul Schrader's original version of the horror prequel for not being scary enough and then hired Renny Harlin to reshoot the movie, has now decided to release Schrader's take in theaters.

The Brussels fest billed it as Paul Schrader's The Exorcist: The Original Prequel, however Variety reports that Morgan Creek is considering the title Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.

A prequel to "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" is in the works "Cherry Tomatoes: The Beginning"

Chess has its heroes, like Bobby Fischer, and its villains, like Bobby Fischer. And now thanks to Pressman's Justice League Chess Set, the game's got a whole new pantheon of heroes and villains to spice up its cerebral mix of tactics, tension and tendency to make you want to say, "Checkmate, bee-yotch."

Though there's also a sweet Marvel Comics version, the hand-painted J.L. set features DC Comics icons Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman on the good side and bad folks like the Shade, Solomon Grundy and Copperhead on the bad. The characters are rendered so cool you might be tempted to play with them off the game board.

The AMC cable network said that it has given the go-ahead for production of a new star-studded game show, "Celebrity Charades," the brainchild of Hollywood couple Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe.

Celebrities slated to participate on the show so far include Bebe Neuwirth, Hank Azaria, Ana Gasteyer, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosie Perez, Peter Bogdanovich and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi.

In each episode, two teams of 10 celebrities will compete against each other in a game of movie-themed charades, with each star playing to raise money for his or her chosen charity.

She's played a Beverly Hills brat and a beautiful witch. Now Shannen Doherty is in final negotiations to assume the title role of a matchmaker in UPN's comedy pilot "Wingwoman."

Jeff Daniels called it a classic "Dumb & Dumber" moment. During a live broadcast of Country Music Television's video awards show Monday, Daniels was performing a takeoff of Bob Dylan's 1965 "Subterranean Homesick Blues" film clip, arguably the first music video, when his microphone went dead.

Rudy Sarzo's name has long been familiar to fans of '80s-era hard rock and heavy metal. After all, he was a member of Quiet Riot and Whitesnake and currently holds the bass position in Dio.

But it was his stint with Ozzy Osbourne from 1981 through 1982 that fans ask him about most, because the late guitarist Randy Rhoads was his bandmate.

Wanting to set the record straight about this period of his career, Sarzo has penned the book "Off the Rails -- My Adventures in the Land of Ozz," which will be released in September via Cherry Lane.

"I kept a diary, like a journal," Sarzo tells Billboard.com, "And I have the details of all those dates, mainly because my accountant at the time requested that I did.

"I would keep records of my travels for tax purposes. There's so much misinformation about that period on the Internet. ... At the time, there were a lot of cancellations and rescheduling, especially after the accident."

Joaquin Phoenix saw the signs and has decided to get some help for his alcohol problem... rehab!

Phoenix is also earning early Oscar buzz for his role as late music legend Johnny Cash opposite Reese Witherspoon in the anticipated biopic Walk the Line. Phoenix learned to play guitar and does his own singing in the film, which is due in November.

xxx Hard-core porn pioneer Al Goldstein, who went from multimillionaire owner of Screw magazine to being homeless on the streets of Manhattan after his sleaze empire collapsed, is making a comeback. Last employed at a Kosher deli and as a wholesale bagel salesman working on commission, is back promoting smut, this time over the medium that helped push him from his porn pedestal -- the Internet.

Goldstein built an $11 million fortune off the now-defunct Screw, which he founded in 1968, and New York cable TV show "Midnight Blue." He went bankrupt more than a year ago, blaming his fall on the proliferation of porn on the Internet.

He was forced to sell his $2.5 million Florida mansion and New York townhouse to pay off debts.

Goldstein, who had taken to sleeping in Central Park and at homeless shelters, was charged with shoplifting from a Manhattan bookstore last year.

The book he stole?

"The Purpose Driven Life."

He thought himself a young Donald Trump, but Apprentice Christopher Shelton has not only endangered his chances at winning the NBC reality show but has now landed him in jail. He was arrested Saturday night and charged with disorderly conduct at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The tobacco-chewing Las Vegas real-estate investor on the "street-smarts" side, became irate after the hotel's nightclub wouldn't let him in for free and tried to charge him a $20 cover.

He spent an overnight in a Tampa jail before being released on a $250 bond.

A sobbing Michael Jackson in 1993 begged a mother for permission to sleep with her 13-year-old boy, the beginning of a relationship that ended in a $23 million settlement. He begged by saying, "Don't you trust me to sleep with your son?"

Sahara tallied $18.5 million, according to preliminary studio figures. Didn't see it, but heard many people commenting that the story is an Indiana Jones ripoff, but I know the book came out about ten years before Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Anyone see Sahara?

To hawk the movie, McConaughey crossed the country in his Ford pickup, hauling an Airstream trailer with Sahara advertising. He stayed at trailer campsites and visited baseball stadiums during spring training.

Bet he even smoked with some new buddies, got nude and played bongos, and ate pecan rolls from Stuckeys.

Learn about Rock 'n' Roll from one of its legends, Gene Simmons?

The KISS demon has signed on to star in six episodes of VH1's Rock School, a reality series inspired by the hit movie, School of Rock.

"Kissterectomy" is a project I'm working on...

Prince Charles made it official Saturday, tying the knot with Camilla Parker Bowles in a brief civil ceremony.

I hungout at a local LA British Pub and watched the replay with many drunken limeys.

Britney Spears and hubby Kevin Federline have said "I
do" to star in a UPN reality series that documents
their courtship, engagement and wedding.

Featuring what UPN bills as "exclusive,
never-before-seen private home videos" of their
"personal love story," the six-episode series is
scheduled to premiere later this year.

The show will be called, "Newlyweds: Nick and
Jessica"...

xxxxx

A former maid for Michael Jackson said she once
entered the pop star's bedroom and, through bathroom
steam, saw him showering with a boy who often slept in
the pop star's bed.

Well, if you are going to have dirty sex... Keep it
clean. He probably told the boy, "It's like I'm
Baptising you!"

xxxxxxxx

"Sopranos" actor Vincent Pastore who played Big Pussy
in the hit HBO series about the Mob, was said by
prosecutors to have punched his actress girlfriend
Lisa Regina in the head, grabbed her hair, and yanked
her out of his car with such force that she fell onto
the pavement.

Hey, sometimes they don't listen...

xxxxxxxx

The evening of Pope John Paul's death U.S. television
viewers were more interested in watching basketball
than special news programs about the leader of the
Catholic Church. CBS said between 15.7 million and
17.5 million viewers watched the two semifinals in the
U.S. college basketball championships tournament
instead of news on the Pope's death.

Cancelling CBS's plans to create a few new TV series
called, "CSI: Vatican" "Everybody Loves John Paul" and
"Pope and the Fatman."

xxxxxxx

Eleven-year-old Thomas Adams of Tulsa, Oklahoma has collected almost 34,000 signatures at Save Our Looney Tunes, a website formed last month to keep Warner Bros from "ruining" the classic Looney Tunes characters.

The move was made, after Warner Brothers' plans to debut Loonatics this fall were unveiled. Loonatics follows the adventures of the "descendants" of the current Looney Tunes, set in the year 2772.

Adams, a fifth-grade pupil at Holland Hall, an independent college preparatory day school, suggests that the Loonatics, such as 'Buzz Bunny,' look evil.

His goal is to get 100,000 signatures on his petition by this summer, then presenting the petition to Warner Brothers. "We urge Warner Brothers to create entirely new characters for the series rather than 'ruining' the classic characters," the petition reads. "We know they are saying that these are descendants of the classic characters, but it doesn't really look that way. Some 'classics' just shouldn't be tampered with."

Signatures for Adams' petition have come from all 50 states, in addition to such countries as Japan and Austrailia. Even American soldiers in Iraq have signed the petition.

http://www.saveourlooneytunes.com

If you line up, Yoda will come.

That's the mantra of anxious Star Wars fanatics in Los Angeles already parked in front of famed movie house Grauman's Chinese on Hollywood Boulevard.

Now, there is a question as to whether or not Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith will even play the theater when it opens May 19, leaving the Star Wars faithful in the potentially embarrassing predicament of lining up for weeks in front of the
wrong screen. The film is confirmed to open a few blocks away at the Arclight Theater on Sunset Boulevard.

Who doesn't like to be tickled?

Michael Jackson tickles...

The son of a former Neverland Ranch housekeeper testified Monday in the pop star's molestation trial that Jackson inappropriately touched him three times in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with each incident preceded by innocent tickles.

"We were watching cartoons, and [Jackson] just started tickling me, which was cool," the man, now 24, said of the first alleged molestation, according to the Associated Press. "...It eventually moved down to my little private region, I guess...around my crotch area."

When Jackson tried the reputed tickling trick on him at age 10, while the two were watching TV at Neverland, the man said he no longer thought it funny.

How long was it? The tickilin' that is...

The touching and tickling lasted about "two cartoons' worth," the man said.

I hope Jackson wasn't a fan of Japanese Animation, cause those cartoons can go on for days!

Actor Frank Langella, who once chilled moviegoers as Count Dracula, has stepped into the role of Superman's boss, Perry White, in Bryan Singer's upcoming comic book adventure "Superman Returns" for Warner Bros.

Actor Sean Connery, the original James Bond of the big screen, has agreed to reprise his role as Agent 007 for Electronic Arts' upcoming video game version of "From Russia With Love."

No such luck for Dean Martin reprising his Matt Helm role for a video game... Cause sadly he's still dead.

"Sin City" the highly stylized graphic novel adaptation led the weekend box office with a $28.1 million debut. People I never would of thought have gone to see that movie.

Who wants to go to the Oscars when you've can scalp the tickets? Apparently that's what more than 50 invitees to this year's event were thinking when they sold their prized tickets, taking in more than $20,000 a pair for the coveted seats.

It use to mean so much to me, but there are way too many award shows now...

Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West was shuffled out the backdoor of a new urban boutique after a fight cut short the entertainer's autograph-signing session.

Owners of the FTK store abruptly canceled the grand opening event and locked the doors after the fight broke out between a patron and a security guard.

I came away with minor bruises and a pulled muscle in my neck.

Drew Barrymore Hits Milestone of 30... Anyone suspicious about that?

The home where the classic holiday movie "A Christmas Story" was filmed has been purchased on eBay by a California man for $150,000.

I bet he could of bought lil' Peter Billingsly for a third of that!

Watched "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments" on Bravo and really enjoyed it.

Don't usually enjoy countdowns, but this one made me want to watch some of these flicks and rewatch others that I might have not paid much attention to...

Spent some time watching Bravo's "Project Greenlight" and the making of "Feast."

Saw many old friends, Clu Gulager's son, John is the movie's director, Tom Callaway is his Director of Photography.

Tom was my DP on my episode of, "Split Screen" also a Bravo tv series.

In the new episode the producer Mike calls up a radio station I worked at during my time with Bravo, 97.1 KLSX in Los Angeles and tried talking with the Maloof brothers to ask about gap financing. I thought it was all not only some sort of sign, but that it was hilarious.

The "Project Greenlight" series just makes me want to make movies that involve no one else. Any true artist that has to filter his ideas through all the people it requires to make a multimillion dollar movie, gets his vision fragmented.

The show makes me so tense. That's not good when I'm all achy from the flu. But I do enjoy the show and believe that it may help people in some way.

It also makes me feel trusting people while making art is nearly
impossible.

I believe I need to start making hand puppet movies while doing all the voices.

Just not now, cause my throat hurts.

Didn't go to LA, but felt like I did...

Still fighting the Flu, but now all my muscles ache, head throbs, and neck can only point my head in one direction without pain.

This really sucks!

My friend Aaron's marriage has really got me thinking about how I should try and put the past behind me, get over my failed marriage, get over thoughts of wanting to be alone, get over my feelings of self-martyrdom, realize that I am worthy of love and that I would make a great parent.

Ahhh, but love is so much work.

People are not to be trusted.

it seems to me a lot of people justify their anger and their critical spirit by the wrongs that have been done to them. In other words, there are lots of people who, if you point out to them that they seem to be unduly angry or bitter or critical or slanderous of others, immediately tell you about how badly they have been treated or how they've been let down or how they've been hurt.

There appears to be an automatic and deeply rooted sense that if I've been mistreated or let down or hurt, then the other person deserves to be shown up and brought to justice, and paid back, and therefore I have the right to make sure that happens and I can use criticism or slander or put-downs or threats or grudges to make sure they get their comeuppance.

Yes, I have been unjustly hurt, let down, mistreated; and yes, they deserve to be shown up and brought to justice and rebuked; but no, I will not be bitter, I will not retaliate, I will not criticize or slander; I will return good for evil and I will bless rather than curse.

However, that said... I cannot find it in me to show any love, kindness, or respect to the virus that courses through me making me feel this way.

My back, shoulders and neck are killing me. I fantasize about little nano armies surfing my veins in micro hovercrafts assassinating the flu in me with extreme prejudice.

I smile. Still in pain, but I smile.

Happy April... Oh forget it...

Somedays it doesn't pay to wake up. Somedays people just want to beat hope all out of you. Somedays are bouncers that splatter your face all over the back alley. Somedays are an Airborne Tablet without water to dissolve it.

The consequences of moving here to a rural, agricultural and small town is beginning to set in on me. Most people I've met have been here all their lives. The farthest most have traveled is to the nearest Indian Gambling Casino, or Monster Truck pull.

The creative. The artistic. The cultured. Are in hiding.

I wonder how William Saroyan survived? Did people kick him off his bicycle while he was out dreaming up his next story? Did people beat him because he was Armenian, or because he was a writer? Did people around his office call him a "Fag" behind his back because he was brilliant and they weren't? Or were they attracted to him sexually, drawn to him by his talent and uncomfortable in their own desires? Did he fantasize about walking into work one day and methodically walking cubicle to cubicle with an AK-47 and ending the speculation in his coworkers, or did he just focus on doing good work?

Did they even have AK-47's in Saroyan's day? Or cubicle's for that matter?

I hear the creative can have it pretty rough here sometimes.

That's why they need to workout their troubles in their art. Find an Art. Be an Artist. Cleans yourself.

I've been reading about David Fincher and the making of "Fight Club" and it's amazing how much trouble he ran into getting that film made.

Aaron's dad has been hanging with Fincher as he is making "Zodiac Unmasked" from his book. So I get to hear some good up close stories on his methods of creation.

What makes one man make a movie about the Zodiac Killer and makes another man, THE Zodiac Killer?

Aaron's dad has said numerous times that Fincher is just like you guys, meaning me and Aaron. I just watched Fincher's commentary of "Fight Club" and see similarities in personality, but wish it were more true.

I think he's a genius!

What makes one able to move through all the obstacles and the rejection it takes to succeed at his level and what makes another one disintegrate in failure?

Is it the same skills that makes one Pope and the other the one inserting his feeding tube?

Just got an e-mail from Aaron that cheers me up. He's in Thailand.

From:
"Aaron"
To:
lentz2001@yahoo.com

Subject:
Who knows what lurks in the heart of Fresno?
Jerry Lentz knows..ha..ha..ha..cough..cough..ha..
cough..ha....phew!

Hey man,

How the ride down to LA? Did you get a good rest?
Must be about 6:00 pm there now. You still sleeping, no,
let's see, it's Hooters time! Say hey if you's sitting down
having some onion rings right now.

So, uh, it's official. We's married and all. Got to poke the
baby's head as a legitimate father!!! We went to the local
Amphur yesterday morning and for a minute thought we
were getting married by Xerox. Then we went upstairs and
sat with an official at something that looked like the Thai
version of the Barney Miller set.

I'm going to try and put up some photos later today if I can.
Have to see if I find the time and can make it back down
here to this internet cafe.

There's a big festival that starts here today and lasts the
week. So we're going to go check it out. The funny thing
is that this precedes the hugest holiday in all of Thailand,
Song Kran. Yep, the big waterfight one. So it makes
about 2 full weeks of festivities.

Alright, have a great time! Talk with ya later man,

Oh yeah, and drive safe,

-Aaron

I guess I need to burn off some stream this flu fever has built up in me and get to driving down South to LA this weekend.

Or maybe I should drive West and keep going until the saltwater dissolves the Airborne Tablet.