Few films have arrived this year with more positive buzz going for them than X-Men, but many critics are not swayed. David Sterritt, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, includes a box-office forecast in his review: "My guess is that X-Men will fail to show superhero strength at the ticket window, " he writes. "It has lots of action, some solid performances, and a few real issues on its mind. But it's awfully dark in mood and appearance -- not an ideal approach to warm-weather escapism." Jonathan Foreman in the New York Post says that the film "gets off to a terrific start. For the first 20 minutes, it promises to be one of the best-ever movie adaptations of a comic book." But then, he says, "the pace slows, and you're asked to focus on characters so thinly sketched that it's hard to really care what happens to them." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times described the movie similarly, expressing his disappointment: "I started out liking this movie, while waiting for something really interesting to happen. When nothing did, I still didn't dislike it; I assume the X-Men will further develop their personalities if there is a sequel." Joel Siegel on Good Morning America concluded that the film was "well made and well directed" but a bit too serious for its own good. "Comic book fans won't be disappointed, but I was, " he commented, "I wanted to have a better time. The cast has signed for three films, there will be a sequel and next time, guys, loosen up." On the other hand, Andrew A. Smith, writing for the Scripps Howard News Service, asks, and answers, two pertinent questions about the film: "Is it true enough to the comics to make comic-book fans happy? Yes. Is it broad enough in appeal for non-comics fans to enjoy? Yes." And Phillip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News concludes, "X-Men will appeal to all your senses without insulting your common sense."

Critics are also at odds over the artistic merit of Chuck & Buck, a comedy with a homosexual subtext that opens in limited released today (Friday). Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times writes that for him watching the movie was "like watching a tightrope walker: One slip-up and the film would surely plummet into incredibility or sheer tastelessness." Thomas says that the film "never stumbles" and calls it "inspired." On the other hand, Joe Morgenstern comments in the Wall Street Journal: "After a promising, even haunting start, this faux-fey feature turns fatuous, then irritating, then infuriating in its refusal to acknowledge the full import of its premise." Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News says that the film "is unlike anything you've ever seen" and "a gutsy movie, even for an independent."

Vivendi chief Jean-Marie Messier has debunked rumors that his deal to acquire Seagram is coming undone. In an interview at Herb Allen's retreat for media executives in Utah, Messier insisted that the merger was on track to close in "very early October, " earlier than most analysts had expected. Messier apparently was not asked about a recent Wall Street Journal report that Absolut Vodka, a company that accounts for 25 percent of Seagram's spirits business, may decide to end its distribution deal with the merged company, thereby dismantling the deal. Reports from the Sun Valley meet also indicated that Messier appears ready and willing to expand his relationship with Barry Diller. "If you meet with him, you'll see he has a smile on his face, " Messier told reporters. The Post said that Diller later confirmed, "He's right. I have a big smile, " but declined to discuss his conversations with Messier, explaining that to do so would be "counterproductive."

Shares in giant-screen exhibitor/producer Imax Corp. soared 18 percent Thursday following word from the company that it is considering the possibility of a sale or merger. In a statement, Imax co-CEOs Richard Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler said they had concluded that the company could best achieve its potential "by aligning ourselves with a larger entity." Analysts agreed. "They're at the point they can't go it alone if they want to expand rapidly, " William Scovin of Auerback, Pollack and Richardson told today's (Friday) New York Post. He speculated that the company could turn out to be a prime target for Vivendi Universal. Shares in the company closed at $26.50 Thursday, up $4.0625. Analysts were predicting that Imax might fetch as much as $37.00 a share -- or $1.1 billion for the entire company.

Famed film restorer Robert Harris says that claims by distributors of DVD versions of movies that they have restored the original pictures is resulting in fewer films being actually being reclaimed. In an interview with USA Today, Harris said that the DVD films have only been "tweaked" on computers to make them look good on TV but not necessarily on the big screen. The studios have denied Harris's assertions.

One of the contestants on CBS's Big Brother identified on the air only as William, is in fact a close associate of Khalid Abdul Muhammad, who was ousted from the Nation of Islam for incendiary comments about Jews and urging those gathered at the 1998 Million Youth March to attack police ("Take their goddamn gun!"), the New York Daily News revealed today (Friday). The newspaper identified William as William Collins, AKA Hiram Ashantee, and displayed a picture of him with Khalid Abdul Muhammad taken at the Million Youth March in 1998. CBS spokesman Chris Ender declined to discuss the matter except to say, "We feel very comfortable about William's participating in Big Brother." On Thursday night's show Collins was one of two contestants nominated by the others to be ousted from the house in which they're living. On Tuesday's show he had remarked. "I don't fit in here at all. Overall, there's a general idea by mainstream whites of what everyday life is like for African-Americans, and if you don't fit in with that, you're isolated." Thursday night's one-hour episode of the reality series averaged a 7.4 rating and a 13 share, coming in second to a rerun of NBC's Friends in the 8:00-8:30 p.m. period but winning the 8:30-9:00 p.m. slot.

Tape of live TV helicopter coverage on Wednesday of Philadelphia police capturing a suspect following a chase and a shootout, then pummeling and kicking him wound up on TV newscasts throughout the world Thursday, even as authorities launched local and federal investigations into the matter. Mayor John Street told CBS News Thursday, "We have to keep in mind that the police were in the process of apprehending a criminal suspect who had resisted several attempts by the police to arrest him and who shot a police officer in the process." (The suspect, Thomas Jones, had also reportedly been shot three times in the stomach during the chase.) Broadcasting and Cable magazine reported in its Internet edition Thursday that the station which broadcast the incident, ABC-owned WPVI-TV, was being flooded with requests from stations for the video. The Philadelphia Daily News carried a still from the video on its front page under the headline, "Welcome, America, " a reference to the fact that Philadelphia will host the Republican National Convention in less than three weeks.

EchoStar Communications, which operates the DISH Network home satellite service, said today that its EchoStar VI satellite, "the most powerful direct broadcast satellite ever manufactured, " was launched successfuly from Cape Canaveral. The new satellite will presumably allow EchoStar to increase the number of local stations it can offer as well as expand its coverage to Alaska and Hawaii.

NBC has decided to say "later" to Later Today, axing the show after Aug. 11. Earlier, the network had said that it would continue to air on NBC after The Today Show expands to three hours in September. NBC indicated that Florence Henderson may stay on with NBC News to help hold down the third hour of Today -- but that Jody Applegate and Asha Blake, the other two Later Today hosts, will not.

Dianne Wiest, best known for her work in Woody Allen movies, has been signed to play a district attorney on NBC's Law & Order. Discussing his decision to cast the two-time Oscar winner (for Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994)), series producer Dick Wolf told today's (Friday) Daily Variety: "I think in a strange way there is a similarity between Law and Order and Woody's movies in terms of them being so a part of the fabric of New York." Wiest will replace Steven Hill, the only member of the original 1990 cast on the series.

Patricia Hearst, who has made few public appearances since being kidnaped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974 and then joining up with them, has been signed by the Travel Channel to give a personal tour of the Hearst Castle on two TV programs to air in 2001.

Israel on Wednesday denied entry to Yusuf Islam, the singer once known as Cat Stevens, who was to have filmed a program for VH1 about his religious conversion. News reports in Israel said that during a 1988 trip to the country, Islam delivered tens of thousands of dollars to Hamas, the Islamic terrorist group. In a statement released by Universal Music Thursday, Islam said, "Upon my return to London, I heard reports that the Israeli authorities were trying to excuse their actions by linking me to terrorist groups. Whereas, at present I am actually supporting orphans in Hebron and all my donations in the past were given to humanitarian causes. I want to make sure that people are aware that I've never ever knowingly supported any terrorist groups -- past, present or future."