McCartney’s Single About Coupledom

Matrimony, a bittersweet melody, a movie and the nation’s mood all may be adding up for Paul McCartney, who this week delivers what looks to be his most promising single in years to U.S. radio. “From a Lover to a Friend� is from his forthcoming album “Driving Rain,� McCartney’s first collection of new material since 1997.

Among top executives at Capitol Records, there has been a swell of excitement for weeks about the potential for the song, which is a farewell to lost love and a closing chapter of life--references, of course, to the death in 1998 of the former Beatle’s longtime wife, Linda.

The song, to be released today, is the first release since McCartney’s engagement to model and activist Heather Mills and comes as he is preparing for a charity concert for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. That show, on Oct. 20, will team him with Macy Gray, Bon Jovi and others.

“Paul being involved in a lot of key upcoming events sends a signal to people that he’s back doing relevant things and should be taken seriously,� says Jeff Pollack, a programming consultant for many top radio and music video channels. “There’s much more anticipation of a new McCartney record than there has been in years.�

The piano-driven romantic ballad will get a sizable bump in exposure as a soundtrack centerpiece in Cameron Crowe’s film “Vanilla Sky,� due in theaters in December.

McCartney last had a solo Top 10 single in 1985, when his theme song from the movie “Spies Like Us� peaked at No. 7 on the U.S. charts, but some longtime McCartney observers say the current mood of the nation--somber, reflective, perhaps nostalgic--sets the stage for the singer to matter again.

“The single probably will be received with open arms by the radio community, much more than just another McCartney single would have been in the last few years,� says Pete Howard, Beatles scholar and editor of ICE magazine. “I hate to say it, but it’s a good time for a new McCartney single like this.� Pollack agrees: “Obviously, the most important thing is the song itself. Paul still writes great melodies, and in view of the events of past few weeks, there may be more reception at radio to a mellower song.�

‘After Eden’ Gets Another Make-Over Choreographer Heidi Duckler always knew that big changes would be needed when a site-specific performance piece that she created at Miami’s Eden Roc Resort moved to the very different performing environment of the Marriott Hotel in downtown L.A. For starters, the title of this newest Collage Dance Theatre project (opening Thursday) switched from “UnderEden� to “After Eden� and, as part of two months’ work on the new version, a hurricane scene changed to one simulating an earthquake in the Marriott’s underground parking garage.

But after Sept. 11, the earthquake was scrapped. “The idea of collapsing buildings took on a completely different dimension,� Duckler explained, and the idea of subjecting audiences to the sight of a toppling pillar and falling pipes was replaced with the idea of using lightning to dramatize human vulnerability.

“All along, the piece was about looking at our destiny and whether we have any control,� she said, and, although events have reshaped it, that theme has remained in focus, though she acknowledged that the 80-minute L.A. edition is “more sober now� and “less ironic� than originally planned.

“After Eden� runs through Sunday, and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to aid Marriott employees and their families in New York who suffered when their hotel next to the World Trade Center was destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks.

A Look at New Hong Kong Films The UCLA Film and Television Archive will devote its first series of the fall season to “Hong Kong Neon,� celebrating a comeback of sorts for the former British colony’s film industry and highlighting some of its recent and upcoming releases.

Beginning Wednesday with the Los Angeles premiere of Benny Chan’s “Gen-X Cops,� the archive will screen eight films over five nights, ranging from the action sagas Hong Kong is famous for to low-budget dramas.

Five years ago, the uncertainty surrounding Hong Kong’s shift from British rule to Chinese control caused many of the region’s most talented filmmakers to move west. The once vibrant film community that had produced such internationally acclaimed directors as John Woo, Wong Kar-wai and Stanley Kwan also suffered through the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the rampant video piracy that has plagued film producers everywhere recently.

Buoyed by the success of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon� and the accompanying worldwide interest in Asian films, Hong Kong productions have gradually increased. With the return of many of the filmmakers who had left and an infusion of younger directorial talent, the industry seems to be on the cinematic rebound.

“Hong Kong Neon� features diverse examples of some of this recent work, including Thursday night’s preview of Kwan’s latest film, “Lan Yu.� Kwan will participate in a discussion with his producer, Zhang Yongning, after the film.

Also screening is Lawrence Ah Mon’s “Spacked Out,� which will be shown twice in double features: Friday night with Aubrey Lam’s wry romance “Twelve Nights,� and Sunday afternoon with Patrick Yau’s high-concept policier “Expect the Unexpected.� All screenings are at the James Bridges Theatre in Melnitz Hall on the UCLA campus in Westwood, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.