The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 43

E3 It outsold all rivals, but Carmen's EVIiel et Venin isn't Juno nominee BRENDAN KELLY SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE don disc has sold 140,000 units. This is the second odd circumstance to emerge around the francophone-album category since the Juno nominations were announced on Tuesday. Mitsou's Heading West had to be withdrawn after it was revealed the album didn't meet the Juno's 80 per cent French content requirements. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Junos, will be re-evaluating the francophone category after this year's awards on March 21, officials confirm. And Academy executive director Daisy Falle admits these problems are embarrassing for everyone concerned.

Pierre Tremblay, who manages Carmen's career and runs her record label, Disques Double, complains that no one told htm about the category. But he says he's not too worried about the oversight: "To win a Juno means nothing in he said in an interview. "It's for English Canada and they don't care what happens in Quebec. I'm not upset. I didn't know the rules and they never tried to contact me.

"They know Marie Carmen had the best sales," he went on. "The worst thing is giving the trophy for best sales to someone who didn't have the best sales." According to Falle, Juno information was sent out to 200 Quebec companies, including Disques Double. "I find it hard to believe that he doesn't know that the category exists," Falle says. "This is the second year (for the category). "I don't know what the problem is.

I know we made an effort to circulate the form for submissions." As chairman of the francophone committee for the Junos, Montreal record executive Larry Mancini has tried to generate interest in the category. He says many in the industry here just don't pay much attention to the Junos: "They don't care, then they complain," Mancini says. "This js the second year, so you don't, have any excuse. No one calls to shout out the Grammy rules every year. It's very rare that you have art automatic winner not bother to register.

"No one knos her in English Canada and she's a great artist," Mancini went on. "lf (Tremblay), I'd be embarrassed." Marie Carmen performs at Theatre St. Denis 1, next Wednesday through Saturday. Tickets are avail' able at the theatre box office or through Ticket master, 790-1 1 11. Montreal singer Marie Carmen's album Miel et Venin sold more copies last year than any other local francophone record yet the disc is not in the running for the Juno Award as best-selling francophone album.

Her record company failed to nominate her. Miel et Venin was the top seller in the province in 1992, and, with sales of over 200,000 copies, it would surely have won Carmen her first Juno. Her closest competitor in the category would have been Ciline Dion, whose Dion Chante Plamon- Marie Carmen "A great artist" THE GAZETTE, MONTREAL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1993 i (MA- Day in the life of Bill Murray somehow provides weeks of movie fun BILL BROWNSTEIN l-f Jf 4 Mf I Give me a Bill Murray movie every week, and I just might be able to endure another six weeks of winter. (And a long winter, I'm afraid, is the forecast after celebrity groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2.) Murray's new movie.

Groundhog Day. may shed precious little scientific light on the weather-prognosticating powers of Punxsutawney Phil, but the movie will remedy many of your winter woes. The tonic? A ton of chuckles. Mr. Bill is a blast as a weatherman to whom strange things happen.

Murray is on safe terrain here. He plays the sort of conniving, cynical, egocentric, superficial, insensitive, smarmy personality we've come to love. So. what's your idea of hell? For Pittsburgh weatherman Phil Connors (Murray), it's the annual trek to nearby Punxsutawney to take part in Groundhog Day festivities. He finds the prospect of playing second fiddle to a furry rodent particularly abhorrent, and he just can't quite cozy up to the hick townfolk.

As fate would justly have it, Connors gets stuck in the time-space continuum don't ask how and every day is Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney for him. There will be no more tomorrows ly loosens the reins on his crony-star. Murray's legions of local fans wouldn't have it any other way. "Who would have thought anyone could make comedy out of groundhogs? But Bill Murray does, and gets away with it." said Susan May, coming out of a preview screening. "He's completely crazy, but I think he's fantastic," noted a still-chuckling Diego Ciccaroni.

"He's hilarious. Robin Williams may be the funniest comedian around, but Murray is moving up fast," observed Josie Larocque. "It was stupid, but in a fun kind of way," suggested Genevieve Bailey. "It did get a little redundant, too, but I guess that's the whole point." "Hey, I love a movie that makes me forget reality," said Jackie Thompson. "Murray is a wild man, but he's definitely no sex symbol for rne He's the kind of guy you want to see in a simple comedy situation, but not in a drama, or in bed in a romance." Thompson's friend Sherry Abbott disagreed: "Oh, I'd go out with him.

At least, he'd be one date who'd keep me in stitches for the right reasons." Groundhog Day is playing at the Faubourg. Cote ties Neiges, Don al, Pointe Claire and Carrefbur Laval theatres. PG: for all. iiiiiirii.inlii i nitimm miVi -TiiiuMmi mi iinii iiT- liiAlf, UtTnlriimHin iiwm'itr in incrir in! i inHTtnitJ Andie MacDowell finds Bill Murray's charms increasingly hard to resist in Groundhog Day. for Connors, until he gets Groundhog Day right and starts behaving like a decent human.

(It would appear that Murray is getting Scrooged, again.) Every day for Connors now begins at 6 a.m. with his clock-radio blasting Sonny and Cher's I Got You Babe. (Talk about hell!) The ordeal continues as he is assaulted daily by an insurance-selling weenie (Stephen Tobo-lowsky), a former high-school classmate. Then, it's on to Groundhog Day celebrations, where Connors does his daily spiel on Punxsutawney Phil and exasperates his squeaky-clean producer Rita (Andie Mac-Dowell) and concrete-headed cameraman (Chris Elliott, of David Let-terman show fame). You get the picture.

But no tomorrow also means Connors can do all sorts of nasty deeds the night before and get away with it. For the first few re- day over and over again, he is eventually able to discover what turns her on. Just as it unsettles Connors, this movie's repetitive nature could drive some patrons raving mad although it must have saved director Harold Ramis a chunk of change to use the same setups every day. In fact, it's unlikely anyone but the maniacal Murray could have pulled this film off. He is one of the few actors around who can crack up an audience just lying alone in bed asleep.

He steps into a puddle and we're in stitches. He goes nose to nose with a groundhog, and we're spitting up. He pounds out an insurance salesman, and we're convulsing in the aisles. Even as Groundhog Day veers into mushy terrain with MacDowell trying to tame Murray which would be enough to kill most comedies the man is still way out of control. Ramis, who also collaborated with Murray on Ghostbusters and Caddyshack (also featuring a groundhog) among other hits, wise peat days, he figures out ingenious ways to pick up ladies and break many laws.

However, Connors soon tires of having his way with the ladies and the local constabulary. As reality sets in, he becomes so unglued that he sets his sights on a real longshot winning the heart of righteous Rita. She manages to resist, despite Connors's best efforts to impress her with his newfound interest in 19th-century French literature and recently acquired prowess on the piano. By running through the same ML Hir jk-u v.ia.tWJMW ,..1. VW MifrFiflt .1 (- WtH' 2 ifj5" 4j9yv Enjoy a 0 Restaurant, 9atmtella Stash's AW Cafe Bazaar ITALIAN SPECIALTIES 1972 Restauracja Polska -1993 SPECIAL ST.

VALENTINE'S THE GREEK ISLANDS with a special treat! Celebrate Valentine's Day in our Live Entertainment TABLE D'HOTE from $15.95 OPEN FOR VALENTINE LUNCH from $9.95 For information reservations: 278-3067 beautiful Old Montreal location! 184 Jean Talon East Red Snapper M6 95 Swordfish Steak $17M Including Soup, Greek Salad, Vegetables, Dessert Coffee. for lingering." Helen Rochester, Gazette Fully Licensed Open from noon Valentine Day 200 ST. PAUL W. 11 ENJOY FINE DINING WITHOUT BREAKING THE BUDGET Provincial Mediterranean Cuisine WithATaste For The FREE DELIVERY nTHLN THE AREA CLOSED MONDAYS 1873 ST. LOUIS (Corner Laurenticn) 748-5858 5625 DECARIE Come dine at the Bombay Palace and eniou succulent i "Petit Logis adds class and charm to Bishop" selections from our fabulous menu.

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VALENTINE SPECIAL Full Course Meal Choice of: Fresh Atlantic Salmon Icelandic Scampi (1 0) Dinner Opan Wed. 4-00 p.m. -11 JO p.m. IVrfool locution for Thuf9 Sun 11 00 am 12:00 wwlilin. or other mrn-ir $1.95 Joe Jumbo Rib Steak (16 oz.) Filet Mignon (7 oz.) Setved with Salad Bar, Baked Potatoes or French Fries, Valentine's Cake, Coffee or Tea t2 Entrance Mnn(ield (Montreal Trust Building) SPFHAI.

VAI FVTTVF. TARI n'HOTF MF'TT 5.. ii vym-. jj 1 111 to ftl'Mzr Hi llll I I I 5 tri r-iirnir rnr11 a ftsT) fwwl I including (M Escargots or Artichokes Caesar or Chef Salad -Choice of Main Courses such as: Chicken Filet Shrimps $1 3.95 Salmon Steak Shrimps $13.95 Filet Mignon Scampi $17.95 Baklava or Black Forest Cake C'ot'lle or Tea VHLCII 1 mc orcuiHLQ For Your Sweetheart ROAST BEEF $13.95 ROAST LAMB SCAMPI PLATTER $15.95 ATHENIAN PLATTER VI -I WIMIIMU I MARINE PLATTER (3 Shrimps, 3 Scampi, .4 Ki 2 Crab Legs I 4 oz. Filot Mignon) 0 Kl t'lnnm for nil the liulia! DRAWING FOR TICKET FOR A WEEK IN FLORIDA ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT SHRIMPS iy.9S fil i muia AT MIDNIGHT, FEBRUARY 14TH (Courtesy includes Soup, Salad, Dessert Coffoe or Tea Reservations: 483-1 1 05 4 ti 'I'D nui 1 enTrt cnoi turnnnMic tif i n- ill Reservations: 849-2454 54 PRINCE ARTHUR E.

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