Cheech & Chong Get Animated, Kiedis May Have Been Seriously Ill, more

Chambers Brothers Entertainment and Big Vision Entertainment have announced that they have acquired the animated film rights to the Cheech and Chong library and plan on producing Cheech and Chong's Smokin' Animated Movie. Lou Adler, who disovered the pair in 1971, will executive produce.

"It's great to be doing a movie where Cheech and I never have to get out of bed or be on camera," Chong said.

"It's about time that we got animated because we've been doing animation without the animation for years," Marin said. "Whether you watch it smokin' a fattie or stone-cold sober, it's just plain funny."

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The New York Daily News has reported that Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers nearly went into kidney failure last summer at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Hospital. According to a source, there was talk of trying to get him on a transplant list, but it was questionable whether he would be accepted because of past alcahol and drug use.

Two publicists for the singer denied the validity of the story.

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The Who documentary, The Kids Are Alright, will be re-released on January 20 as a single or double-DVD set.

Both discs include the film with digital remastering and 5.1 sound along with commentary by director Jeff Stein. The second disc in the 2-DVD set has interviews with Roger Daltry and Jeff Stein, a look at the restoration process and performances of Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again with John Entwhistle's base line isolated.

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London's Olympic Recording Studios are in danger of being closed by owner EMI who says that the facility is no longer profitable. The Rolling Stones recorded there in 1966 and Led Zeppelin laid down their first album in the studio in 1969.