Siskel tribute becomes must-see event

CHICAGO -- What started in 2000 as a tribute to film critic Gene Siskel has blossomed into a must-see event.

Since its debut -- with the showing of "The Wizard of Oz" -- attendance at the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival has jumped from a one-time low of 8,000 to more than 30,000 people for this season's opener, "Some Like It Hot."

Films are shown Tuesday nights in July and August on a 20-by-50-foot screen at Chicago's lakefront Grant Park. The evening includes a local artist's short film, a cartoon and a classic movie.

Tillis will play 90 shows in Branson theater

BRANSON, Mo. -- There's a Tillis back in Branson.

Country singer Pam Tillis will play 90 shows at Yakov Smirnoff's theater next year. Her father, Mel Tillis, recently sold his Branson theater.

Smirnoff, a comedian, said he'll continue to perform at his "What a Country" theater from April through mid-December. Tillis will alternate with Smirnoff, playing matinee and evening dates in June, July, August, November and December.

Tillis said she's sentimental about appearing in Smirnoff's 1,400-seat theater because it's the first venue her father, now 70, played when he came to Branson in 1990.

'Sex in the City' popular with Thai womenBANGKOK, Thailand -- The racy characters on the American TV series "Sex and the City" are everything traditional conservative Asian women are not.

Still, the HBO comedy is popular among the region's elite young professionals.

In recent weeks, the cable network has teamed up with fashion and cosmetic companies in Bangkok and Manila to organize a series of fashion shows.

Clinton photo exhibit extended 3 monthsHOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- An exhibit of former President Bill Clinton's White House photos is so popular, it's been extended for three months.

Since its opening in March, more than 88,500 people have toured the exhibit at the Hot Springs Convention Center, said Steve Arrison, executive director of the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The exhibit had been scheduled to close on Sept. 6, but will now be on display until Dec. 1.

At its five-month mark, the Clinton exhibit has attracted more people than any of the center's other photography exhibits.