December 11, 2003

It’s a funny moment…

Suddenly, Hollywood has gotten very quiet. Major stories are taking place. Michael Lynton is at Sony, echoing the domestic/international Rothman/Gianopulos combo at Fox, upping Amy Pascal, but not putting her in charge of her former partners, Jeff Blake and Yuri Landau.

Paramount is negotiating to get a top marketing exec out of another studio, even though the other studio does not want to let this key team member go.

Over at Disney, former board members Roy Disney and Stanley Gold launched a website, www.savedisney.com, stating on the rather simple homepage, “Stan Gold and I plan to use this site as a central information location as we begin to restore Disney to its position as the preeminent entertainment company in the world.” Oy!

At Warner Bros., they have to be a little nervous going into their second weekend of The Last Samurai. Although the movie opened a little soft, it did face bad weather in the east. But so far, the weekday numbers are about the same as Cruise’s Vanilla Sky. If this continues, getting to $100 million domestic will become a challenge and the studio could see its potential Oscar position usurped by Master & Commander or Big Fish.

Universal is plum out of high drama, as is DreamWorks, a studio that seems to be more intensely focused on the upcoming Win A Date With Tad Hamilton! than on The Persians & The Lost Soul (aka House of Sand & Fog).

But in the end, there is a strange peacefulness enveloping the burg of massive cash flow and self-indulgence. There are some smart fits of hysteria out there, almost all attached to flagging Oscar pushes. (This could be remembered as the year that killed the December Oscar release frenzy.) But with few exceptions, people seem to be looking for something to do with a lot of pent up energy.

I, of course, am using this slowdown as an opportunity to get my once-every-other-year head cold. My nose has not been rubbed raw yet, but give it time.

Faced with a new pile of screeners, including some great documentaries and foreign language pictures that just arrived from New Yorker Films, I watched Pirates of the Caribbean last night. Does that make me a faux critic? It was fun… something that is too easy to forget this time of year. (I have to admit I cheated and watched about a third of My Architect this afternoon… very interesting so far.)

Today, I hike Cold Mountain once again… tomorrow, my thoughts…

READER OF THE DAY: THE NATTY ONE writes: “did the humor in COLD MOUNTAIN bug you? I saw it two months ago (test screening) and I was just so frustrated. Every time I'd really be feeling drawn in by Jude Law (who I thought was terrific -and very "period" unlike say, Cruise) or Nicole Kidman -Renee or Phillip or whomever would pop in and tell a joke. I found it very disconcerting/condescending... like they were hedging their bets that the audience might get depressed.

I mean -it is a downer of a story. And I feel like whatever your story is, that's what you should tell and embrace.

Did that bother you or did you feel it blended tonally? Because normally I find that Minghella films, whatever their other flaws -don't have problems with tone. But I thought this one definitely did.

blah blah blah

ANYWAY YOU ASKED: "Are there specific films you feel like you should be hearing a lot more about by now than you are?"

Why aren't we hearing more about these performances?

UMA THURMAN -Kill Bill

HOLLY HUNTER -Thirteen

I realize neither of them are "typical" in the Oscar season sense of awardable performances but both are really difficult/well modulated and I would argue inspired . I loved both films but even acquaintances I know that hated or didn't like the films have spoken with admiration about these performances.

Are both of these films disliked in Hollywood? Will these names crop up again as the various organizations start giving out awards? Or are they buried?”

DAVID RESPONDS: Hunter is still in the game. Uma is not.

TEAM STEVIE writes: “I hope you print this because I haven't seen it mentioned in your column and it really has been the best show in town for the past year and a half.

Kudos to the Motion Picture Academy and particularly Randy Habercamp and his entire staff for their just concluded FACETS OF THE DIAMOND program, showing all 75 Best Picture winners in chronological order (with the exception of first winner, WINGS, which was shown later in the series due to its being restored.)

Every Monday night, the Academy on Wilshire Boulevard was the place to be for real movie lovers. For $5 you not only saw the Best Picture of any given year, but the program included highlights of that year's Oscar ceremony (what an incredible time capsule those were!), the Best Short or Animated Short of that year, the Best Song of the Year, trailers, and we were introduced to filmmakers connected with the Best Picture. Among those on hand during the series were Ernest Borgnine (for both MARTY and FROM HERE TO ETERNITY), Sidney Poitier (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT), Mel Gibson (BRAVEHEART), Jodie Foster (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (A BEAUTIFUL MIND), Charlton Heston and Claude Heater (The Christ) from BEN-HUR, George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, Robert Wise and a reunion of Jets and Sharks (WEST SIDE STORY), Gloria Stuart and James Horner (TITANIC), Fran! ces Fisher (UNFORGIVEN and TITANIC)

Monday nights in L.A. will seem that much emptier now that the series has run its course. A great job all around. Thank you!”

E ME: What’s the talk? Tell me what’s a happening…