Weekend, 31 January 1998

NEWS BY THE NUMBERS
10. Anastasia Returns, Again: After drawing just $56 million at American box offices, Fox is mounting its biggest marketing campaign ever -- at least $100 million -- for the home video release of Anastasia in April. So does that mean that Titanic will get a billion dollar home video push?

9. Killing The Messenger: New Line has chosen not to use the Clinton sex scandal to push Wag the Dog. But there has been one change in the ads. Now, the intention of the fictional president's distraction squad is, according to the revamped voice over, to "fool the media." Didn't fool me, guys.

8. Ancient History: They are touting Titanic "survivor" Gloria Stuart as the oldest nominee in the history of the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The four year history of the SAG Awards. Hollywood history is measured in dog years.

7. Reversal Of Fortune: Antoine Fuqua got the gig directing The Replacement Killers after his video for Coolio's "Gansta's Paradise" got credit for the success of the movie Dangerous Minds. Who's directing the video for the lead-off single from the soundtrack to Fuqua's film debut? Doug Liman, who got the gig after having a feature hit with Swingers.

6. SuperThud: Studios hoping to follow in the footsteps of ID4 and MIB were S.O.L. Armegeddon crashed and burned with its $2.6 million Super Bowl ad, as did the $1.3 million entries for Lost in Space, The Mask of Zorro, Mercury Rising and Sphere. None were even mentioned in viewer bowls after the game.

5. Courting Trouble: Courtney Love got Sundance to dump Nick Broomfield's documentary on her so-called-life, but her actions made the film the headline-grabber of the festival. Now, Broomfield can thank her for the unprecedented multimillion dollar documentary production deal he just got from the U.K.'s Channel 4. Gotta love it.

4. Or Was That Fore!?: Billy Baldwin took a decade of anti-Baldwin Brother karma on the chin when he got smashed in the face with an errant golf ball last week in San Diego. In response, brother Alec pummeled the golf ball. Daniel Baldwin seethed, but couldn't act. And no one reported on what Stephen Baldwin did since no one recognized him.

3. Oscar Time: The Director's Guild Award nominations are out. No other award better predicts the eventual Oscar winner in any category. And the winner is announced on March 7.

2. Do You Take This Maniac?: Woody Harrelson finally tied the (hemp) knot. No word on whether Mr. Harrelson was using his favorite product, a derivative of hemp, at the wedding, but he clearly was when he was naming his kids, Deni Montana and Zoe Giordano.

1. Twisting In The Wind: In a slow news week, Steven Spielberg not having to pay St. Louis writer who claims that he stole the story for Twister is the biggest news. The plaintiff will not be paid millions of dollars. Spielberg won't be appealing the case. And no one had sex with anyone.

READER OF THE DAY: This from Erin P.: "The Manchurian Candidate is the s--t. I'd pay through the nose to see it on the big screen. TV is so passé."

E-MAIL PROMPT: The Oscar nomination ballot deadline was yesterday. Who did you vote for?