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| STREEP CARRIES "HEART" ON HER SHOULDERS I saw MUSIC OF THE HEART last evening, and I know now why MADONNA ran like the wind from the project. The film's script is complex, taking the viewer on a long and seemingly impossible journey before the final, almost anticlimactic triumph, that was the true life story which inspired this picture. Along the way, we are asked to become involved with far too many characters, not only the immediate family and friends of STREEP'S in this film, but also many of the students throughout her 10 year career as a violin teacher in East Harlem, and their families! It is too much, and only the immense talent of STREEP could pull this feat off, to the point that the film works at all. GLORIA ESTEFAN makes her acting debut in the film, and it is scary to see her sit alongside MERYL the Great and know that her first repartee will be with this luminary talent. She survives, but GLORIA'S (acting) rhythm ain't gonna get you in this one. Likewise, it is fantasy land to think that the child stars whose story is front and center here could carry the screen in such dramatic roles. It's way too much to ask of them, particularly when you've got STREEP who could be on screen for the entire length of the film, and it wouldn't be enough. AIDAN QUINN is remarkable alongside STREEP in perhaps his best performance. In one memorable scene, the two of them confront an emotional tension that builds from their first interaction and it is like watching liquid fire on the screen. It is fantastic. If only there was more of them, and less of the host of others in this picture who are not in the same universe as they. An exception to that is CLORIS LEACHMAN who plays STREEP'S mother, and is also quite good in this picture. It is interesting, as she along with STREEP, are unquestionably 2 of the best actresses working today. MADONNA was wise to bid this picture adieu.........Did anyone else cringe when PAUL McCARTNEY on stage with an adulent MADONNA, announced the winner of best music video of the year and the last award of the millennium : " The winner, he is, LAWRENCE HILL." The somewhat perturbed looking LAURYRN HILL climbed out of her seat and sauntered to the stage, not acknowledging the blunder, missing out on an ideal crowd pleaser-"Oh and by the way Paul, it's LAURYN and I am a woman!" Ouch! She had a rave release, won a slew of GRAMMYS in February, just 10 days ago won 3 LADY OF SOUL Awards, and had won several MTV VIDEO Awards that same night prior to the mega goof, and PAUL didn't know who she was? Can it be? Singing words of wisdom.................KRISTINE W. has been touring the club circuit with her new material, said to be a mix of SADE and CELINE DION. I haven't heard any of it, but let's hope she hasn't sold out her hi-energy dance roots to score a top 40 hit................... ENTERTAINMENT MEMO ENTERTAINMENT MEMO ENTERTAINMENT MEMO SPIN CYCLE IN OVERDRIVE The business of spinning entertainment news has finally spun out of control, or is that into
I'm not sure how many firms executed these waivers, as we were not invited to the junket And so we prefer to shoot celebrity arrivals. The stars are indeed herded by their handlers, who try their damnedest to control the outlets who have access and the types of questions which are asked. But in the end, the camera, which is operated by the outlet covering the story, will get a more spontaneous, and realistic glimpse into the star, the movie, and the whole spin machine in full force. No Cafè Viennese, but a true vision of tinseltown, for good or bad. It is not always riveting. But it is real, or is that REEL HOLLYWOOD! All rights reserved. © 1999 Manmade Multimedia. |
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WARREN BEATTY for president! It's not that far fetched, and THE NEW YORK TIMES in two articles this week has reported that the Hollywood mogul, and BULWORTH producer is giving it some serious thought. BEATTY has been closely involved in political campaigns as far back as GEORGE McGOVERN and GARY HART. He can be described as a true liberal, of which there are few if any in the race. So, could he actually do it? Well, he's a better actor than RONALD REAGAN, and a better looker than JESSE VENTURA, and what do GARY BAUER, LAMAR ALEXANDER, PAT BUCHANON, BOB SMITH, DAN QUAYLE, BILL BRADLEY, GEORGE W. BUSH or AL GORE for that matter, have that he doesn't?. And can you imagine a country with ANNETTE BENING as First Lady? Talk about CAMELOT...................Speaking of ladies, one of television's TWO FAT LADIES, JENNIFER PATERSON, passed away last week. She was the driver of the cycle with sidecar, and the one with glasses. She died of lung cancer at the age of 71. The cooking show, which is in my opinion the best of the lot on the pitiful FOOD NETWORK, developed a cult following after debuting in England in 1996. The two LADIES did not know each other before being paired up for the show. You wouldn't have a clue watching, as it seems they were born at the hip. She will be missed.....................WILLIAM SHATNER suffered a tragedy this week as his wife of less than 2 years was found at the bottom of their swimming pool by SHATNER as he returned home around 10 pm in the evening. NERINE SHATNER was a strong swimmer, so the accident is all the more devastating. WILLIAM SHATNER had filed for a divorce less than one year into the marriage, but apparently things were patched up as the filing was dismissed by the actor. In a
surprise, SHATNER faced the throng of media camped out on his driveway, to express his obvious devastation.....................GEENA DAVIS is aiming for the 2000 OLYMPIC ARCHERY TEAM. DAVIS took up the sport only 2 years ago, (coincidentally around the time of her split from director RENY HARLIN who worked her out with nearly every other weapon except a bow and arrow in their last film THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT), yet placed 29th among 300 competitors in the national championships in July. Only 3 qualifiers will go to Sydney with one alternate, but GEENA has a 
legitimate shot................Another actress has been slinging arrows, these to MOVIELINE magazine. SHARON STONE is quoted as saying "STEVEN SEAGAL is an individual who isn't worth the ink it would take to write about him." We know he sure doesn't like camera lights on during an interview, what is that about STEVEN?! STONE also slams GWYNETH PALTROW saying she "...is very young and lives in rarefied air that's very thin. It's like she's not getting enough oxygen." The OLYMPICS isn't the only endeavor where the competition is downright cutthroat.
quality product. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, which is in many ways a deft slap in the face to the Hollywood movie machinery was the second grossing movie over the weekend, earning over $29 million dollars at the box office. It bested DEEP BLUE SEA by $10 million, and that, by the way is a fantastic action/adventure/horror film notwithstanding some cheesy moments and weak performances. I loved the SAMUEL JACKSON scene, hello, good-bye, enough said. BLAIR WITCH cost less than $100,000 to produce, and had unknown actors with little or no credentials. It puts to shame the much hyped THE 
HAUNTING, which doesn't have a scary moment in it, despite some fine acting efforts by LILI TAYLOR and a mesmerizing CATHERINE ZETA JONES. (Was LIAM NEESON kidding? He gets nearly drowned by a statute, helloooo, a statue, and he gets up and gives it a look like, "You got me wet." It was comical.) How can the studios, with the multi-million dollar budgets, and the marquee players miss the mark so often, while an upstart group puts together a product which captivates the public's interest, and, uh, is scary? Go figure....................WILL & GRACE might just be the funniest show on
primetime television, but it has had to endure a ridiculous number of schedule changes. It's almost like they don't want to develop an audience. It debuted on Mondays, where it began well, but then was moved to the coveted Thursday lineup, inheriting JESSE'S time spot after FRIENDS and before FRAZIER. I guess JESSE survived the ax, since it returned to that spot pushing WILL & GRACE to Tuesday, where it will be to start the new season. It's not a television schedule, it's a scavenger hunt-NBC is using the show as one great teaser so that you have to sit through their entire lineup each 
week to catch your one show. Helloooo, pick a night and stick with it. And what time is any body's guess, between 8 and 10 I would imagine since DATELINE inherits the 10-11 spot 7 nights a week. Some other changes for the sophomore season: DEBBIE REYNOLDS, who was great as GRACE'S mom will be a recurring character, and GRACE will be moving out on WILL, though staying in the same building, and watch for WILL to have a social life. Who cares? What they really need is more lines for JACK and KAREN. SEAN P. HAYES and MEGAN MULLALY are live wires when they are on the screen. Get them there and keep them there, even if you have to move them in with WILL, social life or not! They can have GRACE'S room.
control. PMK, the publicity firm which handles TOM CRUISE distributed and demanded signatures on waivers prior to allowing media access to their client at the junket for EYES WIDE SHUT. (Junkets are those smarmy little get togethers with the stars of a film, usually in some cozy hotel suite, where the reporter gets to appear to be the best friend of the celeb, chatting up the film over some general foods coffee.) The waivers sought to retain control in the hands of PMK the content of the stories aired with the footage of CRUISE, restrictions on stories that showed the artist in a negative or derogatory manner, as well as giving the publicity firm right of refusal as to whether the story aired, and right to verify destruction of the footage not used in the story. Wow! Now them's balls, baby.
PMK is the hive of PAT KINGSLEY, somewhat of a celebrity herself, and certainly the QUEEN BEE of publicists. She has a honeycomb of A-list clients, and is credited with revitalizing the value of publicists, by negotiating and essentially demanding concessions by the media in return for access to her celebrities. This action was apparently done without her orchestration, no doubt by some frenzied worker bee who has been dieting on bitter pollen, in order to garner favor with PAT at PMK. Perhaps PMK ought to buy their own network, then they could broadcast whatever spin they wanted about a film, or star, and would have little need for the traditional broadcast media. Maybe the HOME SHOPPING NETWORK is available. Just think-THE PUBLICIST'S CHANNEL?
to conduct interviews for the film. From a business standpoint, it is hard to say how this footage is news anyway. Typically the studio puts restrictions on the types of questions asked by reporters at these events, limiting them to inquiries directly pertaining to the film at hand. This is understandable, as the junket footage is set up, shot and fully provided by the studio and or publicity firm. Other than to sell the film, there is really no intrinsic value in these interviews. The answers are scripted, and usually rehashed to all the journalists doing interviews. News it ain't. But how a broadcaster chooses to use the footage in whatever story they wish to report should not be within the realm of the publicity firm. If the performance is truly bad, are news organizations going to be banned from running the story or review? Doubtful. We surely would not have surrendered such control, even if it was TOM CRUISE. (The irony is that of all the stars in Hollywood, CRUISE is one who can certainly handle himself with the press.)
