COURSE REQUIREMENT: WATCH 'AMERIAN IDOL'

Course requirement:Watch 'Amerian Idol'
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Perhaps in homage to homeys Clay Aiken and Fantasia Barrino, who both hail from North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will soon offer a course requiring students to watch "American Idol" twice a week.
Starting in January, when the show returns for a fourth season, assistant musicology professor Jay Grymes will teach the elective "Examining 'American Idol' Through Musical Critique."
The show that springboarded runner-up Aiken and winner Barrino to fame is expected to provoke meaningful academic discussion about performing and performance criticism, while delving into the history of the themes that contestants must comply with each week.
For their final paper, students will argue their choice of winner. And to think there are critics who say academic standards on America's campuses are in decline!
Tarantino: Kung-fu filmwill be in Mandarin
LONDON -- Director Quentin Tarantino says he's planning a kung-fu film with all the dialogue in Mandarin Chinese and out-of-sync English dubbing in homage to many such films in the past.
In an interview with Total Film magazine, Tarantino said he decided to do the kung-fu movie instead of "Inglorious Bastards," the working title of his long-expected movie based on World War II.
"I enjoyed shooting all the Japanese stuff in 'Kill Bill' so much that this whole film will be entirely in Mandarin," he was quoted as saying.
"If you're not up to watching it with subtitles, I really want to do a full-on dubbed version," he added.
Brosnan would pick Farrellto fill James Bonds' shoes
DUBLIN, Ireland -- Pierce Brosnan, who played British agent James Bond in the last four "007" films, says he thinks fellow Irishman Colin Farrell would be his ideal successor.
Brosnan, 51, said several actors could ably fill his shoes as Bond, which he began in 1995 with "GoldenEye" and concluded with 2002's "Die Another Day."
"But I'll give it to Colin Farrell. He'll eat the head off them all," Brosnan said after an entertainment awards ceremony Saturday in Dublin.
Farrell, 28, appeared with Tom Cruise in the 2002 sci-fi thriller "Minority Report" and has the title role in Oliver Stone's upcoming "Alexander."
Brosnan didn't specify any other actors that he thought would make a good 007.
He also said he was discussing a possible collaboration with director Quentin Tarantino, who is considering making a film of the Bond novel "Casino Royale."
"We have discussed things, Quentin and I, but I don't know if it's going to be that particular project," Brosnan said.
Today's birthdays
Baseball Hall-of-Famer Bob Feller is 86. Actress Lois Smith is 74. Actress Monica Vitti is 73. Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis is 71. Actor-dancer Ken Berry is 71. Movie composer John Barry is 71. Actor Shadoe Stevens is 58. Singer Lulu is 56. Television critic Tom Shales is 56. Actor Mike Evans is 55. Comedian-actress Roseanne Barr is 52. Actress Kate Capshaw is 51. Comedian Dennis Miller is 51. Actress Kathy Kinney is 51. Singer Adam Ant is 50.