Pride By David Polandpoland@moviecitynews.com
COUNTDOWN TO BOOGIE NIGHTS – DAY 3
Boogie fever is catching on other film sets. At least according to Netizens. While the mainstream media may sit back and wait for a final print of John McNaughton’s new movie, Wild Things, the twin terrors of the URLs, Matt Drudge and Harry Knowles are already all over it. The news? Kevin Bacon shows his…
Read the full article »Weekend, 25 October 1997
A neck snapper at this weekend’s box office. After what seemed like some impressive marketing gains by Sony, audiences answered Gattaca with “What-aca?!” while continuing to reward simple, straight-forward genre fare with mondo box office. Both I Know What You Did Last Summer (first with $13.1 million) and The Devil’s Advocate (second with $10.3 million)…
Read the full article »WEEKEND PREVIEW
Can you hear the distant thunder of the big fall movies? They’re getting closer. But in the meantime, Sony’s giving us Gattaca and I Know What You Did Last Summer instead of Starship Troopers. Fox is giving us A Life Less Ordinary instead of Alien Resurrection. And Disney is staying out of the fray altogether…
Read the full article »Thursday, 23 October 1997
Sondra Locke’s finally settled her lawsuit against Warner Bros. that claimed the studio bilked her out of a three-picture deal because of former beau, Clint Eastwood’s influence rather than because of the uniquely worthless Ratboy, the first film in the deal. So what does she do? A nasty tell-all book! Oooooh! Just check out these…
Read the full article »Wednesday, 22 October 1997
You’ve been arrested for sleeping in your neighbor’s bed because you were so high you returned home to the wrong house. You’ve been arrested, high and drunk, with a loaded weapon in your glove compartment and cocaine and heroin in your pocket. You got special dispensation to take a week-long holiday from your rehab program…
Read the full article »Tuesday, 21 October 1997
Don’t Call Me John Travolta! No, it’s not a personal thing. It’s the title of a new film out of Singapore about a guy who wants a motorcycle that he can’t afford. Inevitably, he turns to polyester and floors with colored lights. Isn’t that what you’d do? Well, in Ah Hocks case, he is after…
Read the full article »WEEKEND REVIEW
Not many surprises at the weekend box office. At least not for me. Despite the big names (Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves) and big publicity push, The Devil’s Advocate came in just an OK second, conjuring up $12.2 million. The good news is, it may be another Pacino scenery-chewing camp classic. The easy winner of…
Read the full article »Weekend, 18 October 1997
Jenny McCarthy and her boyfriend-manager Ray Manzella are squirming more than a buck naked blonde in a Playmate of The Year video these days. (Oh yeah, that was Jenny.) Now that Jenny’s sitcom is breaking the wrong kind of ratings records, they are setting their sights on feature films, which has set off my Hot…
Read the full article »WEEKEND PREVIEW
Hollywood makes bizarre bedfellows. As Miramax was busy suing Sony over their use of “from the creator of Scream” to sell I Know What You Did Last Summer, they were bidding to win the rights to make the tri-quel to The Terminator following T-2, one of Sony’s biggest hits ever. Speaking of hits, I expect…
Read the full article »INTERNATIONAL B.O.
It’s not a joke about the French! The foreign (to America) box office has become equal to or greater in importance to the overall bottom line of the movie business. So, take a gander. L.A. Confidential finally debuted in France and disappointed, managing no better than third place. The reason? The distributor waited too long…
Read the full article »SECRET AGENT WEDNESDAY
The stories that Sony was in pursuit of the Bond franchise started last February. After a week or two of evasion, newly seated Sony Chief John Calley finally spoke to me about the situation and categorically denied that Sony was pursuing the Bond franchise. From all the tap dancing, it seemed that Calley had indeed…
Read the full article »Tuesday, 14 October 1997
Are you a man-hater or a misogynist? You have your choice with these two hot, hot, hot spec script purchases! You say it’s too good to be true? Well, bite into Dog Eat Dog, a romantic comedy about a woman who hires a trainer for her dog and (get this!) her boyfriend. Wacky! And it…
Read the full article »WEEKEND REVIEW
Kiss The Girls was the surprise of the weekend, holding onto the top spot with $11.1 million. Dropping just 16 percent is an extraordinary accomplishment for any wide release, much less a thriller. Then again, it’s clearly Adult Time at the box office, with Seven Years In Tibet (second place: $10 million), Soul Food (third:…
Read the full article »WEEKEND PREVIEW
It looks like an ugly weekend at the box office. Four new films hit theaters nationwide, but they all look like short-term players. Brad Pitt’s Seven Years In Tibet should lead the charge grossing more than $10 million. If Tibet passes the $13 million mark, it will be a shock. If it somehow dips below…
Read the full article »Thursday, 09 October 1997
Roman Catholics in Chile are organizing a boycott against film festival screenings of Abel Ferrara’s Black Out because of its explicit lesbian sex scenes featuring German Ÿber-model Claudia Schiffer. Jewish-American groups are also upset that the film helps us imagine the nausea-provoking, reality (I guess) of the sexual relationship between Schiffer and David Copperfield (nee’…
Read the full article »IT'S IFFY IDEAS WEDNESDAY!
First up is Frosty, Warner Bros’ slowly melting live action/special effects project continues to send talent running for their rubbers. George Clooney passed on the opportunity to don the carrot and top hat. Next, John Travolta decided against becoming a three-balled hero. Then, Warner decided Independence Day star Bill Pullman wasn’t a big enough star…
Read the full article »Tuesday, 07 October 1997
Woody Allen gave a very rare interview to the New York Daily News this week. Guess he wanted to make sure not to lose any ground to the returning Roman Polanski as America’s Favorite Cradle Robber. Apparently, the U-Turn press junket was a lot more interesting than the movie. First, there was Stone vs. Stone,…
Read the full article »Weekend, 04 October 1997
Director Roman Polanski, who has been in exile in France for 20 years to avoid jail time for his sexual encounter with a 13-year-old girl in Jack Nicholson’s backyard, is rumored to have cut a deal to return to Hollywood. Another great acheivement for Los Angeles D.A. Gil Garcetti. Polanski is probably anxious to return…
Read the full article »WEEKEND PREVIEW
Movie theaters load up on product this weekend, with four new releases and the expansion (finally!) of L.A. Confidential. As a result, the bottom of the top 10 should be significantly more impressive — last week’s number 10 was G.I. Jane with $1.3 million, this week’s number 10 should do about $3 million. On the…
Read the full article »Thursday, 02 October 1997
Geena Davis is in talks to be first on board Disney’s live-action version of the Japanese TV anime, Sailor Moon. The show is about teenage girls with super powers and enormous eyes, leaving Davis to the role of evil Queen Beryl, who is trying to destroy the earth. The Hot Button suggests a cast of…
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