The Hot Button by David Poland

Weekend, 20-21 February 1999

NEWS BY THE NUMBERS

10. WHY WHINE?: The bitching about "Hollywood" continues at the Berlin Film Festival. Maybe it seems chic these days. First, it was Alan Rudolph and Nick Nolte (THB 2/16). Now, Shirley MacLaine, being honored for her lifetime of work, has joined the bashing. Shirley told Reuters, "I love seeing things that are simultaneously comic and tragic and seeing people turn on a dime to do it. I think that is happening in the independent film world, but I don't think that the studios know how to do that anymore." Uh, Shirley, your next incarnation will look back at the '90s as the period in which the indies you think are so cutting edge were all paid for by major studios. Young actors she admires are Gwyneth Paltrow (the muse of Miramax, the Disney subsidiary) and Leonardo DiCaprio, who would be able to get an indie film financed were it not for the $280 million production named Titanic. But, in one way, Shirley's right. True indies still push the envelope. Unfortunately, as we saw at Sundance, they don't get picked up by the indie/studio distributors who can make real money with them.
9. SUCKING UP TO HARVEY, PT. 1: If you want to read a review that both manages to offend me personally and to strain credulity ... The film being reviewed by Daily Variety's Emanuel Levy is Thick as Thieves, which may be the most derivative, worthless effort to turn up at Sundance this year, bar none. Levy knows this, so he starts his review with, "Harsh critics may regard Thick as Thieves as an Elmore Leonard wannabe, but more discriminating ones will recognize the distinctive contribution of young, gifted writer-director Scott Sanders to a genre that's currently popular but still holds room for witty twists and innovations." No. What we "harsh" critics will note is that you are kissing Miramax butt by praising a film that barely deserves a cable run. Was that harsh enough?
9a. SUCKING UP TO HARVEY, PT. 2: DOLLARS, PESOS, YEN, ETC.: The most-hyped Miramax foreign-language film ever, Life is Beautiful, passed the previously most-hyped Miramax foreign-language film ever, Il Postino, at the box office when it neared the $22 million mark. In third place on the all-time list is Like Water For Chocolate which was released by, you guessed it, Miramax. What still makes Life is Beautiful uniquely unique is the almost $80 million it's already made outside of the U.S., with an eye toward another $30 to $40 million. None of this reflects on the quality of the films, but money is beautiful.
8. A LITTLE DELAY: Harry Knowles must have been crying all week. The great New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who has been very generous in teaming up with Harry to have most Lord of the Rings info premiere on Ain't It Cool News, has pushed production on the first film of the trilogy back from May to August. Is this really a big deal? No. But I must say that I am curious as to why I read it in the trades and not on Ain't It Cool. And I am also, oddly, encouraged that Jackson and the studio behind the project, New Line, would rather take their time and get it right than to hurry up and blow it.
7. YOU'RE NOT REALLY BOND(ED): There was a minor production glitch this week on Bond 19 aka The World is Not Enough. The producers wanted to shoot part of the picture in Chamonix, France. The picture's insurance bond company felt that the 11 people who lost their lives to an avalanche last week were trying to tell them something: "Don't shoot here." No truth to the rumor that the production was told, "Well, if it were Connery..."
6. THE LIVING DEAD: When I'm right, I'm right. DreamWorks has been fighting to get Galaxy Quest made despite losing actors and directors like a drunken sailor loses teeth. They let Harold Ramis go when he didn't want to make a Tim Allen movie. So, who have they hired? Home Fries director Dean Parisot. Now, I think Parisot is a great guy and a fine human being, but as a director, he is a distinct step down. Whatever chance this movie about a TV actor had not to look like a TV movie are now thin at best. It really does bother me to rag on this guy, but he just isn't "that" kind of director. Disney scored well with Tim Allen's sidekick, John Pasquin, who directed three Tim Allen movies before moving on to other actors. This one? I still say, kill it before it kills again.
5. HOLY SELF-DESTRUCTIVE IDIOCY, BATMAN!: Cindy Pearlman ran a story last week about who Joel Schumacher might cast in the fifth Batman live-action feature. Hmmm. Joel Schumacher. Directing another Batman. That was Joel Schumacher? The same guy who served up the worst publicity problem for Warner Bros. in the last few decades? The same guy whose last effort starring the caped crusader lost money despite more than $100 million in domestic box office? The guy who is obsessed with male nipples? If this is true and I don't quite believe that it is, this would be the worst decision Warner Bros. could make and it returns the studio back to the nightmare of the last two years just as they are digging out with what looks like a solid spring and summer. Don't do it.
4. THUMBS DOWN: I can understand Disney (and Roger Ebert for that matter) wanting to find someone to fill the other aisle seat while Gene Siskel takes the next six months or so off. But why in God's name would you start with Tom Shales? First, the guy is not a film critic. A critic is not a critic is not a critic. Knowledge of film is a unique skill and a first-rate TV guy is just not qualified. But second, and more important (well, not really), won't audiences be checking their sets to see if they are seeing double? I mean, Shales has copied Ebert's act down to the sweater. My guess is that Disney is auditioning Shales as half of a new team, which they are probably thinking they will need to start from scratch if Gene Siskel never returns. And even if he is healthy, that is a possibility. What is there to come back for if a health issue refocuses your life? Not much. I the meantime, one thumb down. WAY down!
3. TALKING MISSIONS: I had a great chat with Sir Ian McKellen on Wednesday night. If you couldn't make it, check out the transcript here. One of things Sir Ian talked about was that he has not signed onto Mission: Impossible 2, as he has not yet read a screenplay on which to base a decision. Nonetheless, M:I2 will start shooting in Sydney and New South Wales with an $80 million-plus budget, which according to The Hollywood Reporter, makes it the largest offshore production yet to be made in Australia. Oh, yes. And Sir Ian did say that he would like to work in Australia and that he'd be happy to do a big Hollywood action film. So keep an eye out.
2. LEO GOT A BOO BOO: On Tuesday, Leo was stung by a jellyfish. (That's Leonardo DiCaprio for those of you with the nerve to expect him to use his full name.) In his agony, he went back to his private yacht, where I assume the venom was sucked out. Of Leo. Sources don't know if he was talking to any members of Congress while the work was being done on him.
1. BURN OUT: This is one of the weirder stories ever. Walter Hill has walked off of Supernova in post. Of course, the trades are hiding the real story. What that real story is exactly, I don't yet know, but here's a little speculation. The film was rumored to suck long ago. That's why United Artists have pushed the film all the way into the fall. Hill wanted to shoot new footage. UA did not. Probably the "why throw good money after bad" theorem. Hill walked. Daily Variety, in its bizarre way, compared this to the situation on Payback. There is no comparison. Walter Hill is a major director of long standing with no one to answer to but the studio. Brian Helgeland was a first-timer who was obliged to a major movie star-producer-director, Mel Gibson. If Mel wanted to release Helgeland's version of Payback, Paramount would have released it. This is a whole different ballgame.
READERS OF THE WEEKEND: From "No Nickname Today" Sam: "I call it the Chinese anyway. In the last few years, I've had some of the best moviegoing experiences of my life seeing the 25th anniversary reissue of The Godfather and the Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary Festival when I saw A Streetcar Named Desire, The Exorcist and Blazing Saddles. It was exciting seeing these great films on the big screen again with an audience. You could feel the mood of the audience change toward Brando after Vivien Leigh's telling of her story to Karl Malden, everyone cheering at shots of the Chinese in The Godfather and Blazing Saddles and everyone getting repulsed by The Exorcist (which is probably the best made and acted horror film ever). So, whether it's Mann's Chinese or Pacific Chinese, just as long as they keep the big room!"
From Brian: "I agree that Sam Jackson isn't such a good choice to play Shaft, but your suggestion of Wesley Snipes boggles the mind. In my opinion, Snipes is one of the worst actors in Hollywood. With the exception of a few comedic roles (Major League, White Men Can't Jump and Demolition Man), which didn't require the [best] acting skills, Wesley consistently turns in terribly over-acted performances (Blade, One Night Stand, U.S. Marshals, To Wong Foo and Rising Sun). Djimon Hounsou would be an outstanding choice; Andre Braugher might be interesting; even Mekhi Phifer would be better than Snipes. Just some thoughts."
From Paul: "Samuel L. Jackson has to be the coolest actor working today. There is not a role out there he couldn't pull off if he really wanted to. He can do Shaft in his sleep."
From Canada Dan: "Is the casting guy who decided Sam Jackson to play Shaft the same genius who thought Dennis Rodman would step into Mr. T's shoes nicely for the A-Team Movie? Jackson is a bad mother f---er most of the time, but the dude is too old. You're right that Wesley Snipes could pull it off, but what about the coolest cat of them all -- Will Smith? He has a sick fascination with Shaft, mentioning him in almost every single episode of his TV show. But then again, who really cares about a Shaft movie, can't we let sleeping dogs lie?"
From Pete: "I agree that Samuel L. Jackson is too old, and (sorry, Sam) not 'hot' enough to be Shaft. Wesley could pull it off, but needs to lighten up after Blade or he'll have a constant scowl stuck on his face. The guy from Stella is too young. The man you overlooked is... the MAN, Laurence Fishburne! Take a look at the excellent Deep Cover and the semi-decent Hoodlum and tell me this isn't the man to play Shaft. He's got the build, and he definitely has the voice. Granted, Larry isn't as good looking as Richard Roundtree, but will anyone ever really replace RR as Shaft? Whomever plays [Shaft] will just be 'borrowing' the role, just like the Bond films. No matter who else plays the part, Sean Connery will always be the real deal."
From Cooldaddy: "I couldn't imagine anyone else playing a new Shaft except for Samuel L. Jackson. He's a bad mutha, proved in Pulp Fiction, The Great White Hype and a dozen other movies. True, he's not a young guy, but they could make him look younger. Djimon Hounsou might be good, but no one has the attitude of Sam L."

E ME: Thoughts?

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