Monday, 16 February 1998

NOT THE WEEKEND REVIEW
In a moment of history when presidents are held in questionable esteem, whatever their poll numbers, I forgot that this is a three-day weekend in Hollywood. So, tomorrow will be weekend review day. But here's some sneak peak approximations. Titanic will do more than $25 million over three days and could get as high as $34 million over four. The Wedding Singer ($18m - $23m) should beat out Sphere ($16m - $20m) for second place. Good Will Hunting ($8m - $10m) and As Good As It Gets ($6.5m - $8m) will take fourth and fifth, while The Borrowers ($5m - $6.25m) should just edge out The Replacement Killers ($4.75 - $6m) for sixth.

OLD FACES IN NEW PLACES
Many of you have accused Hollywood of a lack of imagination in your letters to me. Well, today is the day The Hot Button proves your point. The following are all projects that heated up in the last week.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE: David Mamet is the writer. Al Pacino plays the man of two faces. Even director Harold Becker is kind of a retread. He's the guy who put Pacino through his paces on the disastrous 1997 release City Hall. Maybe Julia Roberts will do a cameo as Mary Reilly. Let's hope not.

UNTITLED SEQUEL TO THE MUPPET MOVIE: Henson Productions bought a pitch last week for a musical that finds the Muppets living the high life in Hollywood only to realize that they've lost their values, which sends them fleeing back to the swamps. Must be fictional. The Muppets haven't had a hit since The Great Muppet Caper in 1981.

ADAM SANDLER: THE MOVIE, PART 3: Adam and his writing-directing-producing pals are developing a fifth picture as a group. The new one, Guy Gets Kid, is about an immature 30-year-old whose life is changed when he adopts a six-year-old boy. He's currently shooting The Water Boy, about an immature 29-year-old whose life is changed when he finds he has a knack for football. He's in theaters now with The Wedding Singer as an immature 28-year-old whose life is changed when his fiancée dumps him. Or you can rent Billy Madison (immature 27-year-old turns elementary school student) or Happy Gilmore (immature 26-year-old turns golf pro).

MILDRED PIERCE: MGM is going to do a modern version of the Joan Crawford classic, Mildred Pierce. Execs are claiming that they won't be remaking the movie so much as building a whole new movie from the original James M. Cain novel. Sure. Why not? Disney's 1990 remake of Stella Dallas didn't completely destroy Bette Midler's film career.

READER OF THE DAY: DCXU42B writes: "Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Honsou and Rupert Everett definitely gave three of the most memorable performances of the year. These performances touched and moved millions of people and will not be soon forgotten. And that's a reward in itself -- for them and for us."

E ME: What's the best film of all time and why?