17 February 2000

I'M DEFENDING WHO?: You know, it's a weird sensation, but I have to say  that I wonder what all the hubbub is over how much of the money from Battleship Earth will end up in the Scientology checking account.  Scientology may be a lot of things, including being a cult and a group that takes too much money from its famous followers. But if people think that Scientology is dangerous, we should be doing more against it. If it's really that dangerous, we must be hypocrites for not really fighting against it. Or if, like me, you think that people have free will to make whatever choices they want to about their faith, whether I agree or not, so long as no one is made to participate against their will, we should just leave it alone. If Battlefield Earth was inspired by Scientology, so be it. Show me a Scorsese movie that wasn't influenced by Catholicism before or since Kundun. Not that I'm comparing Scientology and Catholicism. My point is just that religion is a heavy influence and if we are going to make one religion into news, it must be fair to make all religion into news. And if I'm going to take issue with Scientology, it deserves more of my attention than a passing snicker.

MORE OBSERVING: The New York Observer, if you haven't caught on, is one of my favorite weekly reads. This week, besides Rex's Mea Graba, there is a great look at Zhang Yimou's Not One Less (on which we pretty much agree) and a Golden Opportunity at New York's Film Forum.  As good as Sarris  is, the paper also indulges the grotesquerie of Eric Schaeffer in a piece by  William Berlind called "Eric Schaeffer Is the Filmmaker the Critics Just  Love to Despise". I would disagree with the title. It should be: "Eric Schaeffer is the So-Called-Filmmaker the Critics Wish Would Stop Making Films So We Wouldn't Be Forced To Watch Any More of His Public Masturbation Because It Is Assigned To Us". (I have avoided Wirey Spindell so far, though I do have a perverse enjoyment of car wrecks.) I really can't tell whether Berlind actually likes Schaeffer or is just sucking him into a festival of the stupidest quotes ever said on tape by a director who wants to keep working. Among the gems: "They’re (the critics) just working out their own personal s**t. It’s like they’re killing the messenger, because the message is too awkward and difficult for them to handle. That’s what I've found. Gandhi, Buddha, Jesus, it’s all about turning the light on yourself." Based on this piece, it seems to me that Schaeffer may actually be one of those guys capable of oral onanism. Great read.

READER OF THE DAY: The only requests about the Harry mail thing were a few people not wanting to spend anymore time on it. And that vote was about 1/50th of the number of e-mails from yesterday. So, I will happily move on.  Insecure schmuck that I am, I couldn't help myself from responding to all the negative ones personally anyway. So, onto your letters about other stuff...

BC on Oscar: "There were probably six or seven films I would have nominated for Best Picture over any of the titles not known as American Beauty. It's truly the weakest crop of Picture noms in recent memory. Boys Don't Cry, The Straight Story, Man of the Century (my sentimental favorite for the year), Iron Giant, Topsy-Turvy, Toy Story 2...I know I'm forgetting some others.  The Insider is a typical liberal Hollywood movie, so I'm not TOO surprised it was picked. The other selections are bizarre.

American Movie...nuff said already.

The best actor category is clearly the best field, though I think I would have selected Al Pacino over Crowe for The Insider. Terrific to see both Sean Penn and Richard Farnsworth in there. Also a shame there wasn't room for Jim Broadbent.

When will the Academy give some long overdue recognition to Chris Cooper?  The man delivered two of the best performances of the year (American Beauty and October Sky) and he's overlooked. Please...Haley Joel Osment WAS good in The Sixth Sense, but Cooper is one of America's great actors. And he's paid his dues. Tom Cruise was OK in Magnolia, but c'mon...Jason Robards, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly ALL were better. Cruise had fun but that last reconciliation scene was a stomach turner. And Christopher Plummer was the best thing about The Insider."

And this from The Lodge Brother.: "Even though I think very highly of  American Beauty and The Insider, it seems the films not nominated are the ones that are most remembered as time goes by, i.e. E.T. and Gandhi. So I feel frustrated that films like Three Kings and Magnolia and The Hurricane weren't nominated but I know they will be remembered fondly in the future.  Also thank goodness the songwriters nominated South Park. Yea!"

From Mark The Brit on a subject that I get more and more mail about (in general) every month: "Following on your analogy of seeing the list of Oscar nominees early being like opening your Christmas presents on Christmas eve, spare a thought for us Brits. Even if we wait patiently for the actual nominations we're left with a situation where three of the five best picture nominees haven't even opened over here yet. It's like we're allowed to take of the wrapping and read the packaging but not actually look inside the box till Easter."

E ME: World release dates are coming & the Internet and the satellite are your friends in that regard. Oscar is THE story. Feel free to keep commenting. And what do you think about making Scientology an issue at the movies?