In “Resurrecting the Champ,” Samuel L. Jackson plays a homeless man who claims to be boxer Bob Satterfield. He talks about the greats he once fought and the boost he got from living in Sioux City. It’s an interesting film … but stick with it. Everything you think is true isn’t.

The film, too, is based on a Los Angeles Times magazine article, not a Denver Times piece and it was shot in Calgary, not Denver. Sioux City gets screen credit at one point and a couple of key mentions.

See the film, though, before you start your Satterfield search. There’s a big twist.

…isn’t coming from Iowa, Nebraska or South Dakota. The fierce contestants (that’s Tyra’s description, not mine) hail from all the usual places — Texas, New York, California and Florida. One, though, does claim Vaparaiso, Indiana, as her home and, no, I don’t think she’s a Redenbacher. Her name is Heather and she’s a college student (in popcorn-ology, perhaps?). Among the more original names: Ambreal, Ebony, Chantal, Saleisha and Jenah.
“America’s Next Top Model” begins its ninth cycle Sept. 19 on the CW. Work it girls.

For the last few weeks, I’ve gamely watched the late night talk shows, assuming they’d be new. Instead, I’m hearing about movies that are already on DVD, listening to bands that have long since passed into obscurity and watching the Lindsay Lohens of the world talk about their “innocent” lives. If kids have to go back to school this early, Dave, Jay and the bunch should end their summer vacations, too. One more week of repeats and I’m moving my bedtime. You can only watch cable so much.

And, speaking of cable, “High School Musical 2″ broke every record possible, suggesting those Disney folks are onto something. If you look closely, the “HSM” franchise is really just “The Mickey Mouse Club” for a different generation. It has the same broad range of kids and talents. Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears and Keri Russell came out of the new “Mickey Mouse Club.” Now, look for Zac Efron, Corbin Bleu and Ashley Tisdale to break out. It’s just that simple.

When Sabra was crowned the “Think You Can Dance” champ Thursday night, I kind of regretted the season’s end. The kids had more talent than the second-tier celebs who populate “Dancing With the Stars” and they had some unnatural bond that made you wonder what was going on behind the scenes. The real kick, though, was judge Mary Murphy. Blathering on about her hot tamale train, she was like a throwback to the era of nutty aunts. In person, she’s just as wacky. I talked with her during the Television Critics Press tour and, yup, she’s just like that in person. She also admitted SYTYCD has opened plenty of doors for the dancers and the choreographers. Now, she says, she can do a seminar for 800 to 1,000. Before the exposure, she hosted small workshops. “Dancing has exploded,” she said, punctuating the statement with one of those teeth-baring laughs. I believed her.

OK, I couldn’t leave Vegas without a few more observations.
1. As a Coca-Cola fan, I was shocked to find Pepsi everywhere. Every place I went, I heard “We serve Pepsi products.” Finally, I found a Coke store (look for the big bottle) and had to go upstairs to a fountain where they sold 8-ounce bottles. I almost bought a whole six-pack.
2. The Mirage still has some white tigers (left from Sigfried and Roy’s act) but you have to pay $15 to see them. A special area where they’re supposed to come out every hour or so is just a ruse. I asked a man in a nearby gift shop when they’d appear. “Once a week, if you’re lucky.”
3. Ticket prices are high. Even for skanky shows. Good ones? Expect to spend hundreds…or sit through a time-share talk to get free tickets.
4. Italy is the new, what? Several casinos have Italian themes, which must play well with gamblers. The ceilings are high (which is good) and the decor is real Old World. Interestingly, most of the malls have blue-sky ceilings with clouds painted on them. One (near Planet Hollywood) even has an indoor rainstorm every hour or so.
5. Starbucks is everywhere. Walk two feet and you’ll find a Starbucks. Some hotels even have several.
6. Surprisingly good hotel: Paris. It really looks like the Eiffel Tower is inside the casino. Surprisingly bad: New York, New York. I felt like I was at Coney Island.
7. Free drinks. They’re not as plentiful as you think. Sure, waitresses walk around, but they’re not making sure the “guests” are served. Then, too, they’re pushing Pepsi.
8. Handicap accessibility. The Strip gets high marks in this regard. There are ramps and elevators everywhere.
9. Stamped concrete. It’s the new flooring. If you haven’t considered it for your patio, think about it. It looked great in some of the best hotels (and the shops at Caesar’s Palace) and seemed to be pretty low maintenance.
10. Cabs can be a rip-off. They’ll take the back road to get you to some place a block away.
11. Slot machines have lost their allure. Now, because they don’t pay out in cash, there isn’t that thrill or sound of coins dropping. Everything is done on paper. You don’t even have to go to a cashier to get it. You just put the ticket in an ATM-like machine and take the cash.
12. Nobody polices kids. Back when I was one, you couldn’t step in a casino. Now, they’re standing around while mom and dad gamble.
13. Dress code, schmess code. Everyone wears shorts, T-shirts and flipflops. Even at night.
14. Weddings are still popular. I did see one Elvis impersonator at a chapel but, for the most part, brides are warming to a Martha Stewart-like ceremony. For a bachelorette party, eight women wore hot pink boas while the bride sported a white one. All of them wore simple black dresses.
15. I’d go back. But, I’d only get a hotel for two nights. The third night, I’d wander the streets like everyone else until it’s time for the 6 a.m. plane to leave.

That whole thing about “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”? It’s true. The city that once tried to lure families now doesn’t care that much about amusement park rides and “family friendly” shows.
Need proof?
Last weekend (during a quick visit to Sin City), I noticed:
1. Britney Spears is opening a new bar at the Luxor called LAX. Excuse me, but wasn’t she in rehab? What’s next? Lindsay Lohan’s Freaky Fridays?
2. The Bare bar at the Mirage has such a long line it takes hours to get in. The gimmick? Topless women around the pool.
3. Drinking on the streets. Vendors openly sell “yards of margaritas” and football-sized beers on the streets. So, yes, you can walk around with a drink in your hand.
4. The Palms has become a Playboy hotel.
5. Pamela Anderson is the draw at a magic show starring Hans Klok. (Who?) He makes her disappear. Yup, all of her.

The good things?
1. Love, a Cirque du Soleil show, celebrates the music of the Beatles. A fascinating look at a legendary group, it’s incredible, representing the best of both worlds. (The ticket, too, is a hard get)
2. The canals at the Venetian. It’s really quite fun to see boats wending their way through a shopping center.
3. Stores. If you can’t find it in Vegas, you’re not looking hard enough. Every designer in the world has a boutique somewhere. Interestingly, the bags people carry aren’t from Dolce and Gabbana. They’re from the Gap.
4. The monorail and the trams. Now, it’s possible to get around the entire strip in minutes. While the monorail is at the back of the hotels, it’s a quick ride.
5. Restaurants. All the big names in food are in Vegas, too. Those 99-cent buffets? They’re hard to find. But you can spot a Bobby Flay/Emeril Lagasse/Wolfgang Puck restaurant just about everywhere.

If you’ve caught the musical bug (and if you haven’t, go see “Hairspray,” it’s worth the effort), then you might be eager for more. “High School Musical 2″ premieres this month on the Disney Channel and will probably run daily for the next five years. “Sweeney Todd” comes out at Christmas (Johnny Depp plays the Demon Barber of Fleet Street) and, word is, “Sunset Boulevard” will be made into a film in 2008.
According to playbill.com, Barbra Streisand, Glenn Close (who won a Tony for the role) and Meryl Streep are in the running for the leading role.
Before you think Meryl doesn’t have the chops, remember, she sang in “Postcards from the Edge” and “Prairie Home Companion.” She was also slated to star in “Evita” until some deal fell apart and Madonna got the role. Meryl would have been better.
But the idea that she could play Norma Desmond is too good to be true. Yeah, Barbra could sing the devil out of that show, but Meryl could make it her own.