I had an all- snake meal in Hong Kong. It tastes like chicken..except for the scally top Presumably you didn't have to eat the scales. I wouldn't mind opening a snake farm, except that they are notoriously difficult to herd... these animals cannot maintain a constant body temperature Right! I remember now. The snakes you've touched Arami might have been warm because they'd been sunning themselves No, they were kept warm by their keepers! I didn't go touching snakes in the wild... I'm not THAT mad. ;-) The snakes I've touched felt cool and dry, and not at all unpleasant. Mine were not too hot, either. It was like touching a muscular human arm. Contrary to many people's belief, snakes are not slimy or wet (except after a swim).

I never meant to imply that you madly went off to handle wild snakes. I thought perhaps that you knew people who had pet snakes; and that you'd touched them after the snakes had spent some time in front of the windows.

People who keep "pet" snakes are somewhat... hm... curious sort, at least they tend to be in this country (UK). A little like the bikers, you know, long hair, tattoos, leather... I have absolutely no prejuduces, but neither do I keep such company - more through the lack of opportunity than avoidance, really. Anyway, they have occasional get-togethers, fairs, etc., where they display their pets to the public and it's always a must for me! I just have to go and have my customary annual snake cuddle... The huge pythons are superb. I wouldn't call them pets, though.

I have absolutely no prejuduces, Ooops, two mistakes there. It's prejudices, of course; and can anyone honestly say they have none at all? ;-)

Perhaps the French. They aren't prejudiced, they hate everyone equally. (I can say that as my great-grandfather was born in France.)

That is a failing indeed. I really cannot laugh at it. ;-) (But you only have a quarter of a right to say that, don't you think?)

For that matter TRT didn't do that well either - that doesn't sound like you Evelyn, they did very well, they received 4 Olivier Nominations ! I was comparing TRT to "The Lion King" both which are outstanding productions and got major shut-outs at award time. "sour-grapes-evelyn";-)

Pretty much. On the upside the French have great art, fine food, great wine, and speak a beautiful language.

There is a lovely topic already started on snakes for those who'd like to continue this thread: :-) http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/SpringArk/32/new

Evelyn, I think you make an interesting point about about theatre awards in New London and New York. I believe "The Wier" won an Olivier Award for Best Play, but it wasn't nominated for a Tony award in that category.

.."The Wier" won an Olivier Award for Best Play, but it wasn't nominated for a Tony award in that category Neither did "Amy's View" or "Closer" last year. Which brought on a lot of belly-aching from the British press. Then "Sideman", which did win the Tony for Best Play opened to v. lukewarm reviews in the West End. Hey...these guys get even...Big Time.

Perhaps the French. They aren't prejudiced, they hate everyone equally. LOl Cheryl. That is just what a Frenchwoman who goes to my church said when I asked why the French seem to hate Americans. She laughed and said, "Don't worry about that, the French hate everyone. They even hate each other."

(Karen) There is a lovely topic already started on snakes for those who'd like to continue this thread: :-) Is there a topic in defense of the poor French? ;-)

Karen is trying to get rid of too many odds and ends... ;-)

From Jeffrey Wells (take it for what it's worth?): Very Good Groove Stephen Frears' High Fidelity, a wholly original, deeply quirky romantic comedy, is the fourth entry on my list of truly special films I've seen this year � the other three being Erin Brockovich, Wonder Boys, and U-571. I suppose the possessive shouldn't go entirely to Frears, since star John Cusack has his paw prints all over it also, having co-written and co-produced. All I know is, this is a low-key charmer with its own unique take on life, love, and pop music. It's a great date movie for discriminating urbanites and just about anyone who takes music seriously. (Who doesn't?) It's even got Bruce Springsteen doing a cameo. I can't wait to get my hands on the soundtrack CD. Fidelity, which was screened Wednesday night for junket press, is also an absolute blowout for co-star Jack Black, the Tenacious D lead singer who's played off-center supporting roles for years (in The Jackal, Enemy of the State, Cradle Will Rock). He totally steals this movie every second he's on screen, playing a thoroughly obnoxious record store employee whose mania for pop music (and his ability to offend or alienate customers) knows no bounds. Black's performance is going to put him on the map � trust me. Fidelity is special because it's not just honest, funny, and touching, but musical in the truest sense imaginable. The three main characters � played by Cusack, Black, and Todd Louiso � are pop music freaks who work at Cusack's downmarket Chicago record store (selling mostly vinyls, naturally). The story's about Cusack's off-and-on relationship with Laura (Danish actress Iben Hjejle, last in Mifune), and how his past affairs weave their way through his brain as he tries to win Laura back after she moves out. The distinctive, flavorful thing is how Cusack processes everything he does or feels in terms of songs he loves, or lyrics that are especially meaningful to him. (I related to this because I do the same thing with movies. Everything I see or do is processed in terms of scenes or dialogue from my personal pantheon.) The idea is mainly Nick Hornby's, whose 1995 novel the screenplay is based upon. The script is by D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, Scott Rosenberg, and Cusack. The cast is terrific � Cusack, Black, Lisa Bonet, Joan Cusack, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tim Robbins, Lili Taylor, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and the always wonderful Louiso. (He played almost the same kind of music-obsessed weirdo in Jerry Maguire. The babysitter?) I've never been able to get a handle on Frears. He's one of my absolute favorite directors � sometimes. That is, when he's directing cool, low-budget films like The Hit (which Disney's press kit doesn't even mention � shame!), The Snapper, My Beautiful Laundrette, Bloody Kids (also not mentioned by Disney � who wrote this thing?), and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. But he's not as cool � his personality vanishes � when he's shooting big-studio features like Mary Reilly, Hero, and Dangerous Liaisons. One of Frears' more recent pics, the lower-budgeted The Hi-Lo Country, I didn't much care for either. But he's back in the groove with Fidelity. It opens March 31. See it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ BTW, you can also listen to all the tracks on the CD at the High Fidelity website. http://studio.go.com/movies/highfidelity/index.html

And a little tidbit (also from the former Mr. Gossip) for Mari: I'm not supposing this is of paramount interest to very many of you, but I'm hearing that Sony Pictures chairman and CEO John Calley will probably be gone six months from now. I'm also hearing that Mel Harris, Sony's co-president and COO, is a prime candidate to replace Calley when the time comes.[...] Rumors of Calley's demise have been circulating for some time now, but it's heating up again after the failure of the $45 million Garry Shandling comedy What Planet Are You From? and the disappointing earnings ($26 million so far) of the Meg Ryan-Diane Keaton comedy-drama Hanging Up, which cost roughly $45 to $50 million to produce.[...] Sooner or later you hear the same stories about every studio chief. It's Calley's turn, is all. Do I know for sure what's coming down? No. Calley may hang in there for another year or so, despite the talk. Who knows?

I'm afraid to see High Fidelity:( It's one of my favorite books and I'd hate to see it ruined (or dumbed down). Well I gather my courage, go see it and pray I enjoy it. May even bring the book w/ me so I can say... "Hey, THAT's not what NH meant!" :)

Isn't it about time John Calley retires anyway and starts collecting his Social Security? He's what?...80? I'm looking forward to High Fidelity, knowing full well the film's rarely as good as the book. So expectations won't be high, despite that glowing review. Hey, John Cusack's in it, it can't be too bad.

Is Mel Harris Meg Tillys husband?

No Moon, John Calley is Meg's hubby (and Will's stepfather). Karen knows PopPop Calley and I are *like this.* ;-) He's close to 70, Heide, and I hear he is not in the best of health. I wonder if they'd stay in the L.A. area if he leaves Sony. I'm looking forward to High Fidelity--I think Cusack will do a good job and it's the same team who wrote the screenplay for Grosse Point Blank. Evelyn, yes that's the same pic as in EW, only cropped even tighter.

Mari, you mean to say that Meg is married to a 70 year old man? I will still see HF (by myself), but I was not happy with the previews.

Saw the commercial for HF on TV yesterday. Looks to me like they are playing up the slackers in the record shop angle (as opposed to the crux of the book, i.e., the Rob-Laura relationship). Marketing a totally different movie. :-(

(Moon) you mean to say that Meg is married to a 70 year old man? Yes indeedy. 30 years her senior. However, her first husband (father of her two eldest kids) was *only* 20 years older than she.;-)

(Moon) you mean to say that Meg is married to a 70 year old man? Correction: Meg is married to a very rich 70 year old man. ;-)

Correction: Meg is married to a very rich 70 year old man. ;-) But does she have her own bedroom? ;-) Sounds like a big rebound after Colin. "Apr�s lui la mort!"

And I thought I liked older men!

So much for a "surprise" cameo role (and he doesn't appear as Marie's musician friend or former boyfriend). From EW: 'High' Concept Bruce Springsteen cameos in John Cusack's new film. EW tells you how the Boss ended up in "High Fidelity" by Tom Sinclair Fans of "High Fidelity," Nick Hornby's best-selling novel about the romantic travails of a music-obsessed record-store owner, may be dismayed to learn that the film version, directed by Stephen Frears and set to open March 31, switches the story's location from London to Chicago. Perhaps to compensate for the shock of Fidelity's being reborn in the USA, everyone's favorite red, white, and blue rock hero, Bruce Springsteen, makes a brief appearance as himself in the flick. The Boss is shown picking some bluesy guitar licks and offering jokey, extemporaneous-sounding advice to the film's lovelorn protagonist Rob Gordon (played by John Cusack). In the book, Rob wishes that he could handle his feelings about his ex-girlfriends as levelheadedly as the narrator of Springsteen's "Bobby Jean" does. "We just played that idea out a little bit in the script by actually having Springsteen advise [Rob]," says the movie's coscreenwriter and coproducer D.V. DeVincentis. Springsteen declined to comment on his role, but apparently the lure of Hollywood was enough to snare the superstar's cooperation. "John [Cusack] called Bruce, and for some reason he showed up," says DeVincentis. Yeah, yeah -- dude probably got free Springsteen tickets, too.

From The Hollywood Reporter:'Patient' bleeds red ink as audit 'never ends' In 1997, Saul Zaentz and Anthony Minghella's "The English Patient" swept the Oscars, but three years later, the filmmakers and the cast (who deferred fees to get the picture made) are still waiting for distributor Miramax Films to pay them. "Right after the Academy Awards, Harvey (Weinstein) gave a $5 million advance (to be divvied up amongst everyone), but no one's gotten a nickel since," said one source involved. Zaentz hired a law firm in June in an effort to secure documents from Miramax for an audit. The distributor said that the audit would be completed by the end of summer 1999, but it did not deliver. Asked about the situation at the Oscar nominee luncheon last Monday, Zaentz confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that everyone is still waiting for the audit to end. Said one source with a direct interest: "There is this ongoing audit that never ends. They are very slow in producing documents. Meanwhile, we keep getting statements from (Miramax) showing us that the movie is in the red. It just do sn't make any sense." The film has grossed $231.7 worldwide.

but three years later, the filmmakers and the cast (who deferred fees to get the picture made) are still waiting for distributor Miramax Films to pay them. Waddaya want, Harv's got a whopping hospital bill to pay (heard a rumor that Miramax has HMO coverage, and you *know* they're not paying for a 5 week stay)...then there's Talk Magazine... The same TRT ad has been in NYT and the north Jersey papers for weeks. BTW, Evelyn, I'm seeing loads of TV commercials for new B'way shows. One of them features Jesus (of JC Superstar fame, of course) wandering through the streets of Manhattan--was waiting for Jesus to take the #7 train to Shea as a sly retort to John Rocker's comments, but he stays on the streets. Will let you know if there's one for TRT (doubt it, but you never know with Miramax). I've also seen the High Fidelity commercial. Some movies don't lend themselves to 30-second ads; IMO this is one of them.

you mean to say that Meg is married to a 70 year old man? Correction: Meg is married to a very rich 70 year old man. ;-) Key word here: "married";-) (Michael Douglas is 26 yrs older than Catherine ZJ)

Key word here: "married";-) PFFT! Good one, Evelyn!

From the L.A. Times, an Englishman's view of the Oscars: The English Patience: British Eyes on Oscar By PETER WHITTLE, Special to The Times It's been nearly two decades since the British screenwriter Colin Welland screamed "The British are coming!" after having won the Oscar for "Chariots of Fire." That proclamation, made at the Academy Awards ceremony in 1982, was to prove embarrassingly premature in the following years. But it also went to show how the British, albeit reluctantly, seem to measure much of the success of their own film industry in terms of how well "we" are doing "over there." And nothing denotes success so visibly and tangibly as the Oscars. There is, however, a markedly schizoid quality about the British response to the Academy Awards, the hoopla surrounding them and indeed Hollywood in general. Traditionally speaking, the British are reticent about awards; they smack a little too much of achievement and success, still regarded in many ways as something of a sin even in the new, streamlined, classless Britain of Tony Blair. Most of the big awards ceremonies there, such as they are, are performed in an air thick with self-referential irony, and one can't help but sense a residual feeling that this is all, well, too vulgar for words. But rather like a junkie, the British can't quite help craving what their heads tell them is bad for them. And there remains the sneaking feeling, nurtured from decades of exposure to American films and TV shows, that being big in Britain is not quite enough, that you haven't really made it until you've made it in Hollywood. So on the one hand there is a kind of superior disdain for the whole circus, and on the other a keenly patriotic desire to see Brits beating Americans at their own game. Many of us, of course, walk among you already, and have done for years. There are a staggering 400,000 Brits in Southern California. Whether Britain and America are divided, as the saying goes, by a common language, any ex-pat Brit will tell you that, contrary to any illusions we might have had before coming to live here, this cultural chasm that exists between us is certainly big enough to fall into. Having spent much of last year working on a BBC documentary about the British in Hollywood, I can more than attest to this fact. And in many ways, the Oscars demonstrate it superbly. The nominations announced Feb. 15 had a very fair sprinkling of British names. Sam Mendes, hitherto a much-praised London theater director, is of course the standout name in the list for his feature film debut with "American Beauty." Along with him there was Samantha Morton (nominated for "Sweet and Lowdown"), Janet McTeer ("Tumbleweeds"), Jude Law ("The Talented Mr. Ripley") and that quintessence of a certain kind of Britishness, Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules"). The British are becoming more and more used to coverage of all aspects of Hollywood and its personalities--even if, like the French, they hate themselves for it. Back in my hometown of London recently, I had the chance to examine this divided reaction by studying the British media's coverage of the Oscar nominations. It was extensive in both the tabloid and "quality" press. The general thrust was on how Brits had fared. Would we be storming the Shrine Auditorium this year? Was the British contingent a disappointingly small one? The Times hailed an "outstanding lineup of British talent," which was "on course for Oscar glory." If the favorite, "American Beauty," wins, said the Standard, it would be "a victory shaped and secured in an all-American movie by the British talent of Sam Mendes." Some considered the list a mixed bag for Britain; the Daily Telegraph saw the nominations as "largely a disappointing affair for the big names of British cinema." But in the main, it was jolly, stirring stuff. When Brits do anything "abroad," it generally brings back long-lost, subliminal memories of The Empire. That's when the more hackish of our journalists are moved to flights of patriotic fervor. And when there is a big Oscar triumph featuring prominent British talent or themes, as with "The English Patient" or "Shakespeare in Love," the British media can even cheat a little and forget to mention the American money that got them made. Come the night of the Academy Awards, I will make sure that I find an all-American, no-holds-barred Oscar party to go to. Having grown up intrigued by the glamour of it all, I will be embracing it wholeheartedly. Acceptance speeches in British accents will be nice; I just won't immediately break into a rendition of "God Save the Queen." * * * Peter Whittle is a documentary maker and TV broadcaster who has lived in Los Angeles for the past year.

Here's something else I found interesting--will only post excerpts as the entire article is quite long. It's available on line at http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/031900oscars.html From The New York Times, 3/19/00 A Film Surprise This Year Is in the Audience as Well as on the Screen By RICK LYMAN HOLLYWOOD, March 18 -- Not so long ago, the way to promote a major mainstream movie was to put up a trailer that in the case of a comedy included all the best jokes and in the case of a drama included almost all the crucial plot points. Audiences craved the familiar. Knowing pretty much exactly what they were going to get was somehow comforting. "It was almost like they were being ordered to go see the film," said Brian Grazer, co-founder of Imagine Entertainment. "Knowing what was going to happen somehow made them more likely to go see it." But as Hollywood prepares for the 72nd annual Academy Awards on March 26 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, there is a growing sense among many filmmakers and movie professionals that something exciting and unexpected has happened to American moviemaking over the last half-decade and with increasing force in the last year: a fundamental shift in the taste of the mainstream movie audience. After two decades of formula comedy, feel-good tales and big budget he-man adventures, the mass audience seems much more willing to embrace movies that astonish them, even in unsettling or downbeat ways, and use fresh storytelling techniques to upend their expectations. The evidence for this, they say, is not merely in the roster of films vying for Oscars this year but also in the fact that many of the most offbeat and thematically challenging of them were also among the year's biggest box office hits. "The early 80's was when the quote-unquote high-concept notion infected the studios, and infected is a good word for it," said Terry Press, chief of marketing at DreamWorks. "The idea was that if you can't tell the story in two lines, don't make the movie because audiences won't get it. That has literally taken 20 years to die, but it's finally dead. It's been a long time coming." Amid the predictable fare in the list of the biggest box office hits of the last year are a significant number of genre-bending movies that seemed to spring from nowhere, packing a surprise punch or a subversive twist, like "The Sixth Sense," "American Beauty," "Three Kings," "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Matrix." Those are movies that could not stand up to that traditional, tell-all kind of promotional campaign and would lose their greatest appeal to audiences in doing so. "It doesn't have to have a dark edge, but the idea of surprise is the crucial point," said Joe Roth, who left as president of Walt Disney Studios late last year and is now forming his own ministudio. "The audience is way more sophisticated. They see it all. I mean, any medium-market city has something like 100 cable television channels and there's all the video and now DVD and the Internet. "We're at the point now where if you come at the audience in the traditional way, they're way ahead of you. But if the public hears about something fresh and new, they're onto it immediately." /.../ Skeptics, of course, say it is just wishful thinking to believe that studios are about to abandon old formulas for a riskier, more sophisticated form of storytelling. What is happening now, they argue, may be more of a Prague Spring than an Endless Summer. "I haven't yet noticed a major difference in the taste of the studios," said Marc Norman, who wrote the Oscar-winning script for "Shakespeare in Love" with Tom Stoppard. "I can remember a brief moment during the making of 'Shakespeare in Love' when one of the marketing guys said if we could make it so the two main characters could go off together at the end it would be worth $10 million at the box office," Mr. Norman said. "I don't know where he got that figure, but he said it with great assurance. "We really had to fight to beat that back, saying that it would be cheap and against the thrust of the film up to that point," he continued. "But I don't think we've reached the point now where some marketing executive would say, 'Gee, it would be worth $10 million more at the box office if you kill the star.' No, that's hard to imagine." It is always tricky to generalize about something as amorphous as audience tastes, especially as an emerging trend toward offbeat subjects and storytelling as presented in films like "Sixth Sense" and "American Beauty." "The problem is that sometimes audiences accept movies like that and sometimes they don't," said Bill Mechanic, chairman of Fox Film Entertainment. He was talking, among other things, about "The Fight Club," a 20th Century Fox film that had a decidedly dark edge and employed fresh storytelling techniques but dropped with a thud at the box office last fall. /.../ Mr. Norman said that movies were in a more adventurous phase at the moment only because the older formulas had gone flat before studios were able to pinpoint the next formula. "I think we are in a period where there isn't anything in the studios' mind that is as sure-fire and risk free as the Arnold or Sly action movies used to be," Mr. Norman said. "But it doesn't mean that they're abandoning formulas. It's that the studios are kind of in-between. If we're getting more adventurous movies at the moment it's only because they are looking for the next formula, the next sure thing."

Sorry, those 'excerpts' turned out to be longer than I expected. Thought you'd all enjoy reading Marc Norman's comments! ;-)

In 1997, Saul Zaentz and Anthony Minghella's "The English Patient" swept the Oscars, but three years later, the filmmakers and the cast (who deferred fees to get the picture made) are still waiting for distributor Miramax Films to pay them. Good grief! Thank Heaven for those P&P2 residuals;-) you mean to say that Meg is married to a 70 year old man? Correction: Meg is married to a very rich 70 year old man. ;-) What's the saying: "Men marry for sex; women marry for security." Not that I'm implying MT's a gold digger, mind you. Besides, if Calley's got a bad heart, he probably didn't marry for sex, either;-) Interesting articles, Karen, Mari and Eileen -- thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Mari. Loved the article. I think we can safely bet it won't be picked up by any of the newspapers mentioned. ;-) And Eileen! Whatever has happened to NYT? To have allowed such a boilerplate "think" piece? Gaah! And to have used Brian Grazer and Marc Norman as quotable sources? Hmmm, where did he find Marc Norman? Perhaps writing the sequel to Cutthroad Island? And then Brian Grazer, whose producer credits are filled with such avant garde films as: Bowfinger, EdTV, the Nutty Professor (and the soon-to-be-in-our theaters Nutty Professor II), Psycho remake, Liar Liar, Ransom, Sgt. Bilko, Backdraft, Kindergarten Cop... I could go on. This man lives in the world of "sub-mainstream, idiot movies." Oh well, the insightfulness of those remarks has inspired me to write my "post-mortem" of the Oscars now. ;-)

(Karen) This man lives in the world of "sub-mainstream, idiot movies." Aww, c'mon, he has such lovely hair. He and Opie are attached at the hip, after all. Grazer didn't say he hasn't gotten rich from all those H'wook formula movies he made. BTW, in hard copy this article appeared in the national section, not arts and leisure :-D

..three years later, the filmmakers and the cast (who deferred fees to get the picture made)are still waiting for distributor Miramax Films to pay them. Some of us have wondered if he ever got paid for SLOW....given the tenuous financial circumstances.

(NYT writer) It is always tricky to generalize about something as amorphous as audience tastes, especially as an emerging trend toward offbeat subjects and storytelling as presented in films like "Sixth Sense" and "American Beauty." About the only thing I agree with. Bill Mechanic, chairman of Fox Film Entertainment. He was talking, among other things, about "The Fight Club," a 20th Century Fox film that had a decidedly dark edge and employed fresh storytelling techniques but dropped with a thud at the box office last fall. Fresh? I dunno 'bout that. It fell flat because it had a crappy "MAINSTREAM" ending. Guess that wasn't worth $10 million at the boxoffice. ;-) (Eileen) Aww, c'mon, he has such lovely hair. Yeah, next time we start carping about how can Livia let Colin out of the house dressed the way he is, Mrs. Brian Grazer should share the same blame. Aren't there laws against having hair like that? ;-)

I liked the Eddie Murphy "Nutty Professor"; it was very good example of its genre. (Please note the spelling of "its" Passionata.) It was a successful mass market mainstream comedy that actually wasn't aimed at 14 year old boys with ADD. I also thought that "Bowfinger" had some clever moments of Hollywood satire. What's wrong with using Marc Norman as a source? The man is a Hollywood player, and has been one for over 20 years. He was not just a writer of SIL, but one of the film's producers as well. "American Beauty" certainly is not a significant, genre bending movie. It deals with the cliche themes of rot and ruin in the middle class and mid-life crisis, nor does it do anything to transcend itself from being cliche. I've seen these themes handled much better in other films; the most recent notable example was Ang Lee's elegant and scathing "The Ice Storm". Although it is pedestrian, "American Beauty" is a goood enough movie to win the Oscar, and it probably will. That however, is my opinion, which is in the minority. The film has enough critics' awards to indicate I have the lesser-held viewpoint.

(NYT writer) It is always tricky to generalize about something as amorphous as audience tastes, especially as an emerging trend toward offbeat subjects and storytelling as presented in films like "Sixth Sense" and "American Beauty." (Karen),About the only thing I agree with. Sorry but the math does not add up. I always go see the offbeat films and end up sitting in the theatre with 6 other people. Holy Smoke with Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel, Lovers on the Bridge with Juliette Binoche, The 9th Gate with Johnny Depp, the list goes on and on. Thanks for the article, Eileen.

Hey, got a big laugh at Meg Tilly married to Mel Harris (Mel Harris is Melanie Harris!)

"Hello Ladies! Do think of me on Oscar night, the offbeat guy." ;-)

Review of High Fidelity at the AICN site. Didn't even mention Nick Hornby, but loved it nonetheless. http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=5470

Fabulous review of High Fidelity in Variety, written by someone intimately knowledgeable about the book and the characters: http://www.variety.com/filmrev/cfropen.asp?recordID=1117778809

(Karen) And then Brian Grazer, whose producer credits are filled with such avant garde films as: (...)Ransom(...) I could go on. This man lives in the world of "sub-mainstream, idiot movies." C'mon, Karen, spare Ransom for me, will you? ;-)

(Gi) C'mon, Karen, spare Ransom for me, will you? ;-) Forgive me. This shouldn't be in the "sub" category. ;-)

C'mon, Karen, spare Ransom for me, will you? ;-) ROTFLOL. This is a hard crowd to please, Gi. Unless it's anything CF does.They beat the British critics any day;-)

(Gi) C'mon, Karen, spare Ransom for me, will you? ;-) Hee hee! Wouldn't have anything to do with the handsome, blue-eyed star, would it?

(EileenG)Hee hee! Wouldn't have anything to do with the handsome, blue-eyed star, would it? Can't hide anything from you, can I? ;-) But I didn't like Conspiracy Theory or Payback...

Check out the last paragraph especially. Oscar Delivers Big Bucks to Flicks By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- ''The Cider House Rules'' doubled its money. ''American Beauty'' climbed past $100 million. ''The Sixth Sense'' is creeping toward the all-time top 10. Just what are the Oscars worth? Tens of millions of dollars at the box office for some top nominees. Many moviegoers are in their annual Oscar mode, scrambling to see best-picture contenders and other films with big nominations before they watch the Academy Awards this Sunday. ''Mainstream audiences across the country look for reasons to see a movie that maybe they haven't felt compelled to see yet,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., which tracks movie admissions. ''Oscar nominations are de facto word of mouth from a source they trust. Rather than a friend saying you've got to go see this movie, it's the Academy saying, 'Go see it.''' DreamWorks pulled ''American Beauty'' from all but a few theaters the weekend before Oscar nominations came out in mid-February, with plans to re-release it right after. The movie received a leading eight nominations, and is now in its its widest release yet, 1,650 theaters. It has added $28 million to its gross, hitting $103 million last weekend. ''American Beauty'' was a record 20th movie released last year to top $100 million, a figure it probably would not have approached without its best-picture and other nominations. ''I would love to tell you I knew this was going to happen, but when the movie came out, it would have been difficult for me to think it would do more than $35 million to $50 million,'' said Jim Tharp, DreamWorks' head of distribution. Smaller movies also benefit from the Oscars. With acting nominations for Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny, arthouse favorite ''Boys Don't Cry'' has risen from $3.7 million before the nominations to $6.8 million as of last weekend. With seven nominations, including one for best picture, ''The Cider House Rules'' quickly cashed in. In fairly narrow release, ''Cider House'' had grossed just $22.7 million before the nominations, but distributor Miramax has more than doubled the theater count to 1,738 since then. Like Miramax' best-picture contenders last year, ''Shakespeare in Love'' and ''Life Is Beautiful,'' the Oscar nominations have helped double the take for ''Cider House'' to $45.8 million. Last year's surprise blockbuster ''The Sixth Sense'' is on the verge of moving into 10th place all-time at the box office. Disney quadrupled the ghost story's theater count, to about 800, the weekend before the nominations. Since grabbing six nominations, including best picture, ''The Sixth Sense'' has rung up an additional $6.5 million, for a total of $288.5 million. That is just $1.8 million shy of ''The Empire Strikes Back.'' The best-picture nomination for ''The Green Mile'' has helped the death row saga add $10 million to its gross, pushing it to $134.4 million. The fifth best-picture hopeful, ''The Insider,'' is the only nominee that failed to capitalize. The movie took in a disappointing $26.7 million before the nominations and has added just $1.6 million since. Audiences may have viewed the story of real-life tobacco whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand and his ''60 Minutes'' interview as too cerebral. ''It's an older demographic that watches '60 Minutes,''' Dergarabedian said. ''Those viewers will probably wait for the movie on video.''

tick tick tick LOL! as too cerebral. puh-leez

Ever wonder what the Oscar presenters get for their trouble?;-) Stars Treated As Royalty at Oscars LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Complimentary limousines. Free gowns. Jewels on loan. Oscar night for Hollywood royalty is all that and, it turns out, much, much more. Presenters ripping open the envelope and announcing ''The winner is ...'' at the Academy Awards get a thank-you basket of luxurious goodies from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And it's not your usual fruit basket. Among other trinkets, Drew Barrymore, Annette Bening, Jane Fonda, Mel Gibson and others will be taking home a $1,700 TAG Heuer limited-edition 2000 Chronograph Grand Prix USA watch. There's also an $850 David Yurman Coil Charm Bracelet, a $450 Meisterstuck Solitaire stainless-steel ballpoint pen, a $185 Baccarat crystal heart, $59 Wolford Stay-Hip Sheer Tight bodywear, $38 Wolford cotton knee socks, Godiva chocolates and a bottle of Absolut Mandrin vodka. About 100 baskets have been assembled as gifts for Oscar presenters, who also include Ashley Judd, Tobey Maguire, Brad Pitt, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Myers, Edward Norton and little Haley Joel Osment. Other items: -- Alfred Dunhill silver letter opener and cufflinks. -- Lifetime VIP America Online membership. -- Bally Havana loafers. -- Kodak DC215 zoom digital camera. -- A year's worth of flowers and plants from www.garden.com. -- eGo portable MP3 player. -- Joe DiMaggio autographed baseball in display case. -- Getaway weekend at the Quail Lodge in Carmel. -- Two-night getaway suite at any Ritz Carlton worldwide. -- One-year bi-coastal Sports Club/LA health club membership.

Hmmm.. Wonder if I can volunteer next year???

Or I? ;-)

Lifetime VIP America Online membership. So AOL has VIP now? I just have to say...NO COMMENT!

Hey, I'd do it for the DiMaggio baseball alone! (Moon) So AOL has VIP now? Yeah, you only get bounced off three times per average session, rather than the usual seven.;-) And in other Oscar news . . .looks like the Wall Street Journal is going ahead with its plan to publish the results of its Oscar voters poll in tomorrow's edition. Seems like they polled enough people to yield a statistically valid result. What a bunch of killjoy spoilsports! Hasn't the WSJ better things to worry about, like, I don't know, money stuff.;-) ;-) And yes, of course, I'll read the article.;-)

How to become an Oscar presentor -- get photographed in a Jennifer Lopez dress :-) I'd volunteer, but I'm allergic to tape.

From today's Baz's column in the DM (thanks to Aishling) ""The Donmar's mesmerising revival of Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING, starring JE and SD, starts up next week, to record advance bookings". ~~~~~~~ Alliance Atlantis press release: SUNSHINE opens in UK April 28th.

From today's Guardian: Hornby's unfaithful film wins rave review They said it was sacrilege and a sell-out to Hollywood. But after enduring a chorus of complaints for allowing the film of his novel High Fidelity to be transplanted to Chicago because it was deemed too British, the writer Nick Hornby can allow himself a wry smile this morning. For he and the film's British director, Stephen Frears - who has also come in for criticism for not sticking with its north London setting - have a huge hit on their hands. Variety, the film industry bible, has given their movie, about an obsessive record shop owner who lists his life in top ten moments, the kind of review studios dream of. "Top five reasons why High Fidelity is some kind of wonderful," it begins. "1) John Cusack's fresh, fearless and ferociously funny lead performance; 2) a trenchantly witty and acutely insightful script; 3) surprising faithfulness to first rate source material; 4) cunningly graceful direction by Stephen Frears, who manoeuvres through mood swings and tempo variegations; and 5) this is the first great date movie of 2000." The pair, who are preparing for the premiere in Los Angeles next week, are said to be "well chuffed". Frears' wife, Annie Rothenstein, said the plaudits felt doubly sweet. "There's been all the aggro about setting the film in Chicago, and rubbish about Stephen going to Hollywood and selling out, when all he has ever done is flirt with it. It's a great film - it's very funny, popular stuff, handled in a really intelligent way." Although Hornby's first book, the semi-autobiographical soccer memoir Fever Pitch, transferred badly to the big screen, he said even if he had gripes with an adaptation he'd keep them to himself. "Goodness no, you can't complain," he said. "It would be like making a leather jacket, selling it and then complaining you don't want a fat person to wear it."

Thanks Karen....the financial n'papers are all glowing about the big hit Disney has on their hands.Lots of trailers on TV.Sneak preview here tonight.The success is probably not due to the change in locale ...it's no doubt a better script and a well known, experienced director.(Didn't he do "Dangerous Liaisons" with JM?) .... Fever Pitch, transferred badly to the big screen, IMO due to Hornby's poor script.(Author's don't always make good screenwriters...different skill)

(Donna DL) get photographed in a Jennifer Lopez dress :-) I have a bet with my DH that Billy Crystal is going, at some point, to come out in a knock-off of that dress.

(Evelyn) "The Donmar's mesmerising revival of Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING, starring JE and SD, starts up next week, to record advance bookings". Great news; glad I bagged my ticket early! See, Evelyn, I told you, nothing to worry about.;-) ********** (Karen quoting NH) "Goodness no, you can't complain," he said. "It would be like making a leather jacket, selling it and then complaining you don't want a fat person to wear it." This is a riot; Nick is absolutely right. Glad for everybody involved that this looks like a good one. They changed the commercial in my area, and the new one is much better. ********* In case anybody hasn't seen the results of the Wall Street Journal's Oscar voters poll--and you want to know--read on: Film--American Beauty Director--Sam Mendes, AB Actor--Denzel Washington, The Hurricane Actress--Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry Supporting Actor--Michael Caine--The Cider House Rules Supporting Actress--Angelina Jolie, Girl Interrupted The Best Actor race is the closest, with Washington slightly ahead of Kevin Spacey. So glad for Hilary Swank (if this poll is correct). That was an amazingly good performance. She deserves it.

(if this poll is correct) WSJ rep was on ET or AH (can't tell them apart) last night; called the poll "informal" and "not scientific." Does the article include any info about how many members participated? WSJ's mission was accomplished--grab sensational headlines in manner of tabloid. What's next? "Space Alien Announces IPO?" Aargh!

(Donna DL) get photographed in a Jennifer Lopez dress :-) Might I suggest a few strategically placed doilies? (Eileen) I have a bet with my DH that Billy Crystal is going, at some point, to come out in a knock-off of that dress. Who says he will? ;-) What would be funnier is if David Duchovny wore it and walked out with him so he could just go right into his Best Picture parody spiel. Am trying to imagine which scenes he will use. For The Green Mile, definitely when whatshisname "cures" Tom Hanks' urinary tract infection. ;-) Mari, wonder how many voters took the Academy's advice to lie to the WSJ?

Did WSJ also say what the stars were going to wear?;-) This year that's all I'm interested in...Remember last year?..We were all wondering of Colin and Livia would attend?And the excitement of SIL winning?...Karen and I were telephoning at midnight!! ~~~~~~~~~ Re: TRT ..(Mari)Great news; glad I bagged my ticket early! See, Evelyn, I told you, nothing to worry about.;-) Yeah...but the Barrymore has almost 1000 seats to fill nightly...twice on Wed and Sat....at outrageous prices. Like Gi, I'm superstitious....those Tony blurbs ain't goin up til we're there!!

(Evelyn)...a well known, experienced director.(Didn't he do "Dangerous Liaisons" with JM?) Yes. Stephen Freas did direct "Dangerous Liaisons", which Christopher Hampton adapted from his own play based on the Chodoleros de Laclos novel.

From NY TIMES Theatre Section.... Re: The Roundabout Theatre Company "Design for Living" by No�l Coward is to open next February, with Joe Mantello directing. Mr. Mantello said he can't confirm any casting, but Alan Cumming, Julianne Moore and Rupert Everett have been mentioned. " Hmmmmmmm...wishful thinking:-)....

RE: the WSJ poll. I borrowed the paper from a colleague at work, so I don't have it here, but my recollection was that they contacted about 1400 voting members, and got responses from about 400 of them (the other 1,000 declined to participate). There are about 5,600 voting members altogether; if I recall anything from college Stat class (aside from how to sleep with my eyes open;-) that would seem to be a statistically valid sample numbers wise, but it's probably not absolutely representative of the membership which is why I'd imagine they are fudging and calling it "unscientific." As I recall, Best Director and both supporting categories were slam dunks; for example Michael Caine had twice as many votes as his nearest competitor (Haley Joel Osment). Cider House was running second to American Beauty, but it wasn't that close. Best Actress--Hilary Swank was fairly far ahead of Bening, but oddly enough most respondents thought Bening would win. Best Actor--Denzel was 7% ahead of Spacey, and they said it was probably too close to call. Well, they'll have mucho egg on their face if they're wrong, which I sort of hope they are. I like to have a little suspense.;-) You know CF and Livia were at the Miramax Oscar party last year, right? I'd imagine at the awards show, too, but don't know that for sure.

Yes, I was at Harvey's party. He asked me to p�t on a skit and I told him "no way"

ET just said there were 356 responses, which represented 6% of the total (about 5,900) - a number that was not statistically valid. And they are naming names. Who voted for who. :-(

(Karen) ET just said there were 356 responses, which represented 6% of the total (about 5,900) - a number that was not statistically valid. And they are naming names. Who voted for who. :-( Far be it from me to question the math brain trust at ET.;-) Like I said, I was practicing for Eyes Wide Shut.;-) The only people I recall as being quoted in the article were Amy Irving, Ernest Borgnine (who I think said something like he voted for Cider House because who wants to watch dysfunctional families and adulterers (alluding to AB), Alan King, and Buddy Hackett (who dissed poor little Haley Joel). Notice they didn't quote anybody who has any power whatsoever in Hollyweird; they're not stupid. But if they were going to name names, they should have at least quoted people who actually appear in movies!:-( ("Colin") Yes, I was at Harvey's party. He asked me to p�t on a skit and I told him "no way" I don't blame you. I wouldn't put a skirt on for him either.;-)

(Passionata)Yes, I was at Harvey's party. He asked me to p�t on a skit and I told him "no way" Correction: "No bloody way."

Was the food any good at Harvey's party Colin? Also, why do spell "p�t" with that German mark of punctuation above the letter "u"? In reaction to the "Wall Street Journal" sampling, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has strongly cautioned its members against speaking to the press in regard to their voting. Perhaps no big Hollywood names responded because they hold liberal political view and do not want to be quoted in that big business rag and Repulican opinion bastion "The Wall Street Journal".

Long article about Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan of Working Title in The Telegraph. No mention of Bridget, although:What Bevan and Fellner did brilliantly was use the success of Four Weddings to trade up. All of a sudden the talent agents who really run Hollywood were returning their calls, and the clarity with which Bevan and Fellner perceived that fact and the care they take to schmooze has been vital to their success. 'They're the gatekeepers,' says Bevan. 'We've got Nic Cage in this Corelli movie entirely thanks to our relationship with the agency because, at the end of the day, Captain Corelli's Mandolin - why the fuck would Nic Cage want to read that?'Also says that Fellner pals around with Hugh (golfing). Argh! http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000576481449931&rtmo=wQf5fieb&atmo=tttttttd&pg=/et/00/3/25/tlwork25.html Think I'm going to watch Elizabeth on Showtime this week to check out "Handsome Man" on barge. ;-)

Mr. Bevan, such language!

Was that the F word in our little circle? AB is said to have her doctor on hand and her suitcase packed tomorrow night, just in case. What a drag not to be able to wear an extravagantly beautiful gown on your Oscar night. I can not understand why Sean Penn or Jude Law are not really in the running with their outstanding performances. I have seen Kevin S act in the same way too many times, and that goes for Densel W as well. I thought AB did a much better job in What Planet are You From than in AB.

(Moon Dreams) AB is said to have her doctor on hand and her suitcase packed tomorrow night, just in case. What a drag not to be able to wear an extravagantly beautiful gown on your Oscar night. I heard on the news yesterday that designers were besieging AB offering to make her an outfit. Must be nice to have a designer maternity evening gown :-)

why do spell "p�t" with that German mark of punctuation above the letter "u"? Well spotted, Cheryl. Our Passionate Colin probably uses a German keyboard. She (he?) also uses a German based ISP, the discovery of which upset our regular German poster (currently computerless due to HD failure). Come on, "Colin", be man enough to admit that this round is over. ;-)

Let Renate know we miss her. She need never fear we'd mistake her for our androgynous friend.

Hi, all been a while since I posted. This is a question for Evelyn... Evelyn, I'm going back to NYC for my 32nd bday (can you believe that!?!), I'd like to see the Real Thing if it's open and not sold out. What are the odds? It would be at the beginning of April? (I think April 8-9th), if not, what would you recommend? Any and all help for anyone here would be appreciative. (Um, Art has already said NO MUSICALS:))

MAKING A CRISIS OUT OF DRAMA: THE BATTLE DYKE MUST FIGHT IN WAR WITH ITV The Independent (27-Mar-2000) The director general of the BBC, Greg Dyke, has a battle on his hands of the most dramatic kind if he is to wrestle the public away from ITV in the bitter ratings war. BBC drama is increasingly perceived as lagging woefully behind ITV and is in need of a huge injection of cash, or new talent, or some other magic ingredient. Mr Dyke's problem is that matters are getting worse, not better. The corporation's drama department is wincing over the ratings failure of its gothic monstrosity Gormenghast and the mediocre performance of middle-of-the road series such as Sunburn, Harbour Lights and Playing the Field. It is also being roundly beaten on the sheer amount of drama that it produces. ITV's drama budget is now a whopping pounds 253m, against pounds 152m for BBC 1. The pounds 101m difference, not surprisingly, shows up onscreen. ITV boasts of having a "drama special" about every 10 days - often with big stars such as Robson Green, John Thaw or Ross Kemp. BBC executives are, obviously, envious. Last week, the controller of BBC 1, Peter Salmon, went so far as to make a public plea for more money for drama, expressing the fear that unless he got extra cash, BBC 1 would start to look like a factual channel. Mr Dyke is aware that "something must be done". And that something needs to happen sooner rather than later, because of a new development at ITV. A few months ago, the commercial network was delighted when its adaptation of Oliver Twist got bigger audiences than the BBC's period drama Wives and Daughters when the two were scheduled against each other. ITV executives had taken on the BBC in its core territory - costume drama - and won. That success has given the network an appetite for more. On Wednesday, ITV bosses will announce a massive new drama portfolio with a number of costume dramas in the line-up. An expensive production of Nicholas Nickleby is, they believe, the jewel in the ITV crown. The programme has been commissioned and is currently being cast. That will be followed by an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge (a project the BBC, it is said, was also keen on), and three plays by Hollywood's hottest writer - William Shakespeare. New adaptations of Othello, King Lear and Hamlet are on their way. The man behind the new programmes is ITV's Nick Elliott - who is regarded as the most successful drama commissioner in Britain. Over the past year he has managed to secure a massive 36 per cent increase in the amount that ITV is spending on peaktime drama and, he confirms, he is now investing in a team of ITV "super-actors" to pull in ratings. David Jason and John Thaw are the team's backbone. They have recently been joined by Ross Kemp, poached from BBC's EastEnders, and Amanda Burton, star of the successful BBC series Silent Witness. Robson Green has also been recruited and Mr Elliott says he will soon sign up one more actress to complete the team. It is not surprising that the television industry is buzzing with rumours that Mr Dyke would like to poach Mr Elliott. The two men get along well, and have been dining together of late. Mr Elliott and Mr Dyke go back a long way. They are both, like Sir John Birt and the BBC chairman, Sir Christopher Bland, former high-flyers at London Weekend Television - in industry terms, part of the LWT mafia. The snag is that Mr Elliott is said to be wary of the BBC. He went there a few years ago, persuaded by his friend Sir John. He was immensely successful, presiding over the launch of Ballykissangel, Hetty Wainthrop Investigates and Silent Witness. But he lasted months rather than years. Friends say he did not enjoy the relentless in-house politicking and grinding bureaucracy. Mr Dyke will have his work cut out if he is to persuade Mr Elliott to give the corporation a second chance. Another element in the equation is Alan Yentob - the BBC's director of television. Under Mr Dyke's new management structure, Mr Yentob is expected to be moved to a more "creative" role. The veteran BBC boss, insiders say, may regard this as a demotion. It might also put him in charge of the drama problem - a position perceived as inconsistent with any idea of Mr Elliott returning to the corporation. In the meantime, Mr Elliott is busy strengthening the ITV drama armoury further still. He has up his sleeve a television drama called Cor Blimey, which will be based on the love affair of Barbara Windsor and Sid James and feature a cameo appearance by Windsor. He is also about to reveal a drama, Little Bird, which will star Amanda Burton and be loosely based on last year's news story of a couple who ran away with their foster children to escape social services. Another drama, Fat Friends, will follow the varying fortunes of a bunch of women who belong to the same weight-loss class. This Easter, ITV is expecting a huge audience for its new adaptation of E Nesbit's The Railway Children, which will include Jenny Agutter as the mother of the girl she played in the original film. It would be wrong to suggest that the BBC does not have its successes. Holby City is now beating ITV's The Bill in the ratings. Groundbreaking dramas such as last year's Warriors have picked up prestigious awards, while Cops is proving a critical success in the United States. However, there is the matter of the pounds 101m disparity in budgets. It is not an easy sum for Mr Dyke to find - even if he does sack a lot of managers and rationalise the corporation's many duplicate news services.

and now for something completely different. Oscar attire: Best Dress (so far): tie. Hilary Swank and Julianne Moore Worst Dress (and hair): Gwyneth (so much for once having a good sense of style)

My son broke his leg (the tibia in three points), last night at his hockey practice! It ruined my Oscar night. :-( Cher and Jane Fonda looked ridiculous. Gwynnie has got to get her act together. Billy Crystal was not v. funny. And the whole show had a corporate feel. Jack and Warren are stsarting to show their age poor guys. James Colbourn (Sp?), who is older looks much better. Gi, your Mel looked good as did Jude and Brad. Sam Mendes lives on Primrose Hill as does my good friend, she knows everyone there and vice versa, I will ask her about him. :-) Am off to the Doctor with my son. I hope to check back later.

(Moon)My son broke his leg (the tibia in three points), last night at his hockey practice! It ruined my Oscar night. :-( Oh Moon, I always say that sports is bad for your health but nobody listens ;-) Seriously, I hope everything goes well with the treatment (is he going to have surgery?) and he gets well soon. Jack and Warren are stsarting to show their age poor guys. They are not the only ones... They should choose their plastic surgeons better ;-) Gi, your Mel looked good as did Jude and Brad. He did, didn't he? Although I thought I perceived a little bald patch ;-) Could be the gel though. Sam Mendes lives on Primrose Hill as does my good friend, she knows everyone there and vice versa, I will ask her about him. :-) I believe he is of Portuguese descent? The show here was from 2 to 6.30 a.m., I only watched the beginning and the end because Patas is ill and woke me up with his coughing. It's being aired in Digest form today, I'll check the dresses if I get to see it ;-)

Oh, Moon, how awful about your son. :-( Take care and I hope everything mends quickly. What's he doing playing hockey? Jude Law also lives in the Primrose Hill area. Re: Sam Mendes Here's a link to an interview with him from the Telegraph in 1998. I remembered it contained info on his background, Gi. http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000576481449931&rtmo=quJRMb99&atmo=tttttttd&pg=/et/98/9/19/btmend19.html Billy Crystal was not v. funny. Looked like the place went up for grabs when he made that comment about Judi Dench and her thong. :-)

...and could there have been two more glum faces than Chloe Sevigny and Russell Crowe? Well, at least he cracked a smile when Billy Crystal said Crowe wanted a cigarette. ;-) (and Chloe's on my ugly attire list)

Very sorry to hear about your son's accident Moon, hope it is not too painful and that it won't be too long before he is back on the Hockey field.

Pre-Oscar Parties: The Hosts: Miramax Films' Harvey and Bob Weinstein. The Setting: Regent Beverly Wilshire on Saturday night. The Guests: Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jude Law, Michael Caine, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, Lasse Hallstrom, Anthony Minghella, John Irving, Tobey Maguire, Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke, Quentin Tarantino, Delroy Lindo, Heavy D, Paul Rudd, Scott Rosenberg, Rachael Leigh Cook, Sydney Pollack, Wes Craven, Diane Warren, MGM's Chris McGurk, Disney's Michael Eisner, WMA's Jim Wiatt, CAA's Josh Lieberman, ICM's Chris Andrews, Nick Wechsler, Dylan McDermott, Buena Vista's Jere Hausfater, Kyle MacLachlan, Lawrence Bender, Richard Gladstein. The Buzz: Once partygoers got past about two dozen placard-carrying anti-abortion protesters outside the hotel, they settled into the most entertaining of the pre-Oscar bashes: Miramax's fourth annual Max Awards. The highlight of this year's "talent contest" -- where actors cross-dress and portray comically altered scenes from Miramax films -- was Ben Affleck doing a dead-on impression of Harvey Weinstein as a teacher in "Music of the Heart," or as one player put it: "The Weinstein House Rules." Other readings included Minghella as Maguire and Spacey in a blond wig as Charlize Theron doing the drive-in theater romantic scene from "The Cider House Rules," and Judi Dench as Jude Law and Michael Caine as Matt Damon in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." "Everyone works for Miramax for free ... always," joked Spacey, prompting one attendee to call out: "I hope you're listening Michael Eisner." After a rousing rendition of "Americana, Americana" that had the entire party clapping, the evening ended with a twist on the fa iliar quotation from "The Cider House Rules": "Good night, you princes of Tribeca, you queens of West Hollywood."

Sorry to hear about your son's hockey misfortune, Moon. Yeech, wearing a cast in hot weather! I thought Billy was a riot, though. That opening film sequence laid me out ("look out! It's Stephen King!"--he's sooo bad). The bit about what's-her-name having one of the still-missing Oscar statuettes hidden in her hideous green 'cat in the hat' headgear was pretty funny also. IMO Billy's much better than Whoopi. Thought Cher looked better than in the past; was howling when she fought with the train of her dress. How about Angelina's get up? *cue music* The Addams family started...when Uncle Fester fa--oops, that's not how it's supposed to go! Agree that Gwynnie looked a shadow of her former self (something's not right with her) but she looked alot better last night than she did at the GGs. Could Russell Crowe have looked more bored? Could ABC's pre-Oscar show have been any worse? Tyra Banks was horrendous! Annette looked marvelous--huge, but marvelous. It was nice to hear Sam thank the Donmar.

(and Chloe's on my ugly attire list) The dress was OK, the jewelry was a bit much, but her hair, Louisa! She looked as though she slept in those pink foam rollers I used when I was a kid. I hope she didn't pay anyone for that do. The Buzz Sounds like it was a riot.

Speaking of pre-game shows, anyone catch the end of E!'s show with Joan and Melissa? It ended a half hour before the Oscar telecast, when ABC picked up with its pregame. Joan was yelling to Melissa to "get off the mic," "they aren't paying us," etc. Then Melissa (clearly embarrassed) was trying to get her mother calmed down. Joan was mad (possibly because only ABC could broadcast from the red carpet area during that timeframe and everyone else had to stop). It was a hideous display. Surprised there isn't anything in the news about it.

(Karen) anyone catch the end of E!'s show with Joan and Melissa? Missed it--was watching Baba Wawa's *ho-hum* special. I wish E! was able to continue 'til kickoff, though--I'm no Joan and Missy fan but anything would have been better than ABC's horror show. I was watching E! earlier and there were several occasions in which Joan thought she was off the air when she wasn't.

Laura, yes, you will be able to seats for TRT ...the Barrymore is huge.Has lousy accustics,though,I saw"Amy'sView"there and could hardly hear f rom the balcony.I hope they body-mike SD.Get orchestra,now from tele-charge:212-239-6200."Copenhagen" coming from the West End (now with American cast)got rave reviews in UK Um, Art has already said NO MUSICALS:)) Good man...(she said as she has tickets for "Aida");-) ~~~~~~~ (Karen)Best Dress (so far): tie. Hilary Swank and Julianne Moore Think so?? Hilary Swank looked like a Scarlett O'Hara "drag queen" . something definitely wrong with Gwynnie and Warren Beatty(20 years older than Annette). The guy was incoherent.Liked Billy Crystal...though cheap shot about Judi Dench. Esp.since she didn't get equal time.

My favorite Oscar Ceremonies blunder was when Jane Fonda announced that it was her pleasure to prevent, pause, present this award to Andrzej Wajda. Liked the opening film montage with Billy Crystal, and absolutely loved the production number for "Blame Canada" with Robin Williams. My choice for best dressed woman was Cate Blanchett, with runner-up honors going to Hilary Swank and Annette Bening. I also thought Nicole Kidman very striking in a couture Dior gown, but that dress isn't for all tastes. The absoulute worst was Cameron Diaz, what was that mess she was wearing? It puts the "U" in ugly. Judi Dench looked very elegant and lovely, a really great dress for an older woman. The best speech was undoubtably Michael Caine's, wonderfully gracious and generous. The worst speech was that of Kevin Spacey; he came off as a shallow, self-absorbed ass. Boring. The evenings most pleasant surprise, to me, was "The Red Violin" winning for Best Score. A great score in a great film. "The Red Violin" was one of my picks for number one on my own 1999's Ten Best Film List. It tied at number one with "All About My Mother", which snared Oscar as the Best Foriegn Language film. The other thing I was glad to see was Hilary Swank winning Best Actress. It was good to see the person who actually deserved the Oscar getting it.

(Evelyn) Hilary Swank looked like a Scarlett O'Hara "drag queen" Huh? I didn't see any tassels or curtain swags. ;-) (Cheryl) It was good to see the person who actually deserved the Oscar getting it. I'm sure it was just oversight that you forgot to add "in my opinion." ;-) My personal fav has been Janet McTeer from day one, but am v. glad she was nominated. Category Most Deserving Being Dropped: Best Song Argh! They were all losers IMO, especially when you look back on the good songs that were written for the movies long ago. Loved Dionne doing Alfie and could've sworn that was the same production number for Shaft (mini version though) as was done years ago. Still remember it. ;-)

Janet McTeer was wonderful and did, in fact, win the Best Actress award from the National Board of Review, a very prestigious award.

...worst speech was that of Kevin Spacey; But his openner was a hoot.."This is the highlight of my day.." reminiscent of the openning shower scene in American Beauty. ~~~~~~ Everyone seems to like Hilary Swank's dress...hmmmm. Ya' like those hooped skirt numbers , uh? Now, Penelope Cruz looked stunning.