NOW PLAYING: BIG-NAME ENTERTAINMENT

By Jefferson Graham

From USA Today, 10.05.2000

The Net isn't only a place for up-and-coming talent to be discovered. Veterans of the entertainment world now are getting into the online act as well.

Just last week, director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow) premiered a series of animated shorts on Shockwave.com. Seinfeld creator Larry David, star of HBO's new "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (Oct. 15), has a show on Icebox.com.

On Z.com, Don Rickles and Bob Saget have comedy offerings, and Alanis Morissette has an interactive concert.

More stars are on the way.

Kelsey Grammer is producing and providing the voice of Gary the Rat (a Wall Street lawyer who turns into a furry, 6-foot-tall rodent) on Mediatrip.com. Adam Sandler also is producing for the site.

Legendary Warner Bros. animator Chuck Jones is directing a new cartoon for Entertaindom.com, and talk-show host Jerry Springer is the voice of an agent in a series about a Hollywood producer on Thethreshold.com.

So how do stars who have made their mark in movies, TV and music stack up against edgy new Net pioneers?

Here's a look:

Stainboy

(Shockwave.com)

* Concept: The animated adventures of an odd-looking young thing who leaves little reminders of his presence everywhere he goes. Written and directed by Tim Burton.

* Bottom line: Visually stunning animation, probably setting a standard for the Net, complete with background music by Burton's longtime composer, Danny Elfman (Batman, Edward Scissorhands). Besides the three-minute shorts (new episodes every two weeks), there are Stainboy games, behind-the-scenes information and e-mailable pictures. Only one problem: Little happens in the first Stainboy episode, and it's not very entertaining.

* Score: * * * * (out of four) for technical prowess; * * for entertainment value

Duke2000

(Entertaindom.com)

* Concept: Former ambassador to China and mental patient Duke of Doonesbury fame is running for president and is rather outspoken in his views. Created by Garry Trudeau for the comic strip, Duke is reborn on the Web, with opinions on everything from taxes (he advocates a "fat tax," by which people should be taxed according to their poundage) to education (give teachers a cable channel and keep the kids at home--that way they can get packages delivered) to the costs of capital punishment (three words: pay per view). The site offers Duke's positions, frequently updated rants, historical data on the candidate and photos.

* Bottom line: Funny stuff, although the animation takes some getting used to. Instead of the rich, splashy color we see on so many sites that use Flash software, artists at Dotcomix, which produces the site, are going for a realistic look that seems more dull than real.

* Score: * * *

The Paula Principle

(Icebox.com)

* Concept: A senator has just won his party's presidential nomination but has second thoughts. Think George Costanza, creator Larry David's alter ego from Seinfeld. "If I don't get out of this, it will be a disaster," the pol complains to his campaign manager.

* Bottom line: Hilarious. Among the funniest shorts on the Web. David himself provides the voice of the senator. The animation is very primitive, but laughter has a way of making up for it.

The idiosyncratic David recently put up the first episode, giving the impression that many more are in store, to follow the candidate through the election. However, none is in production, and a spokeswoman says Icebox hasn't heard from David about further episodes. Either way, enjoy the nugget that's there.

* Score: * * * *

Music

(Shockwave.com)

* Concept: Madonna's cool Music video has been recut into a "Shockwave single," complete with Flash animation and interactive game elements that allow users to reshape the direction of the song. Like the video (available for streaming at launch.com), Madonna begins by climbing into a limo, but on Shockwave, she's virtually all animated, with a visually enticing mix of cartoonlike and realistic imagery.

* Bottom line: The Internet at its best. A must-see.

* Score: * * * *

Hard Drinkin' Lincoln

(Icebox.com)

* Concept: What if Abraham Lincoln wasn't the good guy he is made out to be, but a beer-guzzling lout? That's the premise behind this series of animated shorts by Mike Reiss, a veteran writer for "The Simpsons" and co-creator of TV's animated "The Critic."

* Bottom line: One of those rowdy, sure-to-offend online parodies--and it's hilarious. Complete with theme song and sight gags (a sign at the White House says, "As Seen on the Penny") and well-known voice actors (Tress MacNeille of "Rugrats" as Mary Todd Lincoln; Maurice LaMarche of "Pinky and the Brain" as John Wilkes Booth). After losing the vice presidency, Lincoln ponders his future, watching TV and drinking beer by the case. Booth arrives at the door, asking, "Can I mow your lawn?" "No," Abe says. "But you can kiss my grass."

* Score: * * *