I don't see what was wrong in giving the part to Colin Firth. After all, he knows the part- (Dorine) Is there anyone out there who could provide her with a clue? ;-) LOL! Dunno about you, but I wouldn't want Colin in this version....With KK??? Nevah! Besides...it would look more like "What a Regency Girl Wants" (she's a tad young for him...now, if they want to replace her...I'm all for that! Seeing ODB do Mr. Darcy on the big screen would be bliss)! (Dorine) Am curious if all the people who made comments about having another wet shirt scene realize it's *not* in the book? LOL...I bet not! And if they do do another wet shirt, it'll be a direct rip off (I hope they aren't that lame...)

I'm in Episode 1 of the new season and, I suppose, it's not inconceivable that I could be back Excellent! He made a great foreign correspondent and love interest for Donna. (His character's name was Colin.) Actually, he'd be a good choice for the lead in Cause Celeb too. Can definitely picture him in that one. Marianne, did he say anything about having to learn his lines in both Arabic and Hebrew? His Israeli accent was v.g. to my ears.

Here's what The Times had to say: Hunt for Darcy nets star of TV spy drama By Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent COLIN FIRTH was considered such a hard act to follow as Mr Darcy in the BBC television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that film-makers took eight months and held auditions with more than 100 actors, to find their man for the big-screen version. The hero of the Jane Austen classic will be played by Matthew Macfadyen, who made his name as an MI5 spy in the BBC spy drama Spooks.He has been cast alongside Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet in a $25 million (£14 million) film produced by Working Title, whose hits include Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary. One of the co-producers, Paul Webster, said the casting had been very difficult: "It's something to do with the iconic status of the character. Women particularly project their own impression of what a real man is, and Colin Firth cast a very long shadow." Firth set female hearts aflutter with his 1994 television portrayal. Colin Farrell, Orlando Bloom and Jude Law were reported to have turned down the part in the big-screen adaptation for fear of unfavourable comparisons. The film's leads are closer in age to Austen's characters than were the BBC's cast. At 19 Knightley plays a 20-year-old; Macfadyen, at 29, is a year older than Darcy. Mr Webster said that the difficulty of finding a Mr Darcy "says something about the kind of men we breed".

Karen: ...did he say anything about having to learn his lines in both Arabic and Hebrew? His Israeli accent was v.g. to my ears. No, but he did live in Israel for awhile.

Great discussion everyone, thanks. I enjoyed Macfadyen's performance in Spooks very much but can't conceive of him in a period role. Of course it's Colin's strength that he can do any period! I know one of you will come up with the famous quote from the Making of P&P book. KK was in the Guardian recently as she is the new face of the posh jewellers (Garrads??) and is apparently "perfect" as the image of post-bling. How fitting that JE came to the role of Elizabeth without all the accompanying hype that follows KK. Don't somehow think that this EB will turn in a Bafta winning performance;-)

Quien es Jason Isaacs? I don't watch West Wing;-) "Mr Webster said that the difficulty of finding a Mr Darcy 'says something about the kind of men we breed' ". Not exactly a compliment. Good fodder for a dissertation, though;-)

Closing, I hope

Mr Webster said that the difficulty of finding a Mr Darcy "says something about the kind of men we breed". ROTF! Spread the word. They don't make them like they used to. Then again, women are so easy to please now. I think this new P&P will be more about Lydia and Wickham for me.

Rosamund Pike as Jane, the oldest I like RP as Jane, but I thought she'd make a better Rebecca in TEOR-not anymore, though, the more I hear about the Rebecca character. This whole project makes me sick. "It's something to do with the iconic status of the character. Women particularly project their own impression of what a real man is, and Colin Firth cast a very long shadow." Exactly, and as one of the comments on the bbc entertainment site---they should have waited a lot more years before doing this again. Working Title just doesn't get it. BTW, I like MMacM in MI-5, but Mr. Darcy? Well, let's face it I'm the first to admit my failings--I wouldn't be happy with anyone in that role.

From the Telegraph Modern men make the search for Mr Darcy a struggle By Sam Leith (Filed: 12/06/2004) The perpetual adolescence of the 21st century male made casting Mr Darcy in a big-screen adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - the first since Laurence Olivier took the role in 1960 - a uniquely difficult task, its producers said yesterday. It took Working Title, the British company behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, eight months - and auditions for more than 100 actors - before it settled on Matthew Macfadyen, the 29-year-old star of the TV spy drama Spooks. He will star opposite Keira Knightley, as Elizabeth Bennet. The former Bond girl Rosamunde Pike will play her older sister Jane. The process reflected the difficulty of finding an actor who combined the necessary personal qualities with the young age specified by Austen, said the film's co-producer Paul Webster. "Mr Darcy is very much a man's man," he added. "I don't think they make them like that any more - men don't become men these days until 35. "Matthew is a big guy, lovely, macho and - I have to say - very sensitive, but he has a great power and ability to control the screen." The bodice-loosening effect of Colin Firth's performances in the role - in the BBC's 1994 production and in film of Bridget Jones's Diary - was also an intimidating influence. "It was a long process to find our Darcy," said Mr Webster. Two other names touted for the role, Jude Law and Orlando Bloom, were "unavailable". Knightley was, however, easier to cast: "Our first and only choice . . . we loved her from the start". (ed.note: no keeding) Knightley is 19, a year younger than her character, Macfadyen is a year older than his and Elizabeth's sisters have been cast young. "We're sick and tired of period dramas about first love but which feature actors in their late twenties or early thirties," said Mr Webster. (ed. note: Why?) Was Firth too old, then? "I wouldn't say too old, because it was obviously a very successful piece of casting - but we're trying to look for something fresher, younger, more realistic." (ed. note: Why?) Elizabeth's younger sisters Kitty and Mary are played by two unknowns, Carey Mulligan, fresh from her A-Levels, and Tallulah Reily. The American actress Jena Malone will play the fifth Bennet sister, Lydia. Mr Webster said an emphasis of the film would be its truth to life. Jenny Uglow, a scholar on the 19th century, will be a consultant and the script has been written by Deborah Moggach, the author of Tulip Fever. Chatsworth, the Derbyshire seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, will be the location for Darcy's home, Pemberley. Filming is due to start mid-July. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/06/12/nausten12.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/06/12/ixhome.html

"I don't think they make them like that any more - men don't become men these days until 35." Which may explain why Colin was so scrummy as Darcy. I don't know if he would have had the same effect at 25 in the role (he would have done brilliantly, but there is a certain 'command' about him in the way he did Darcy that he may have lacked at 25....and his face hadn't lost that boyish look yet). The new cast will have to be careful...a 'boy' saying the line "In vain I have stuggled..." won't have the same feel about it. Thanks Linda... And here is the new Pemberley:

I know, I know... What really makes me sick is this type of headline: SPY drama star is 'new Mr Darcy' There shouldn't be any new Mr. Darcy-not now, not yet.

(Webster) "We're sick and tired of period dramas about first love but which feature actors in their late twenties or early thirties," said Mr Webster. (ed. note: Why?) Was Firth too old, then? "I wouldn't say too old, because it was obviously a very successful piece of casting - but we're trying to look for something fresher, younger, more realistic." (ed. note: Why?) I echo your why's and it almost appears as though Working Title will be taking the offensive against the BBC version and, especially, Colin's association with the role. Not good. :-( BTW, was the book "about" first love, in the typical movie sense? I thought it was about manners. I shudder to think what Working Title will make of the film, and am reminded of one of the comments on the BBC website about the soundtrack. ;-)

(Karen), I echo your why's and it almost appears as though Working Title will be taking the offensive against the BBC version and, especially, Colin's association with the role. Not good. :-( Most especially since Working Title work often with Colin. How dare they?

Period drama with an all British cast.Realistically speaking, this will be a small art house movie. I know, I know, I said the same thing about SIL, but Gwynnie and Ben Affleck did all the heavy lifting and Harvey cracked the whip. IMO KK cannot carry a movie by herself. "Bend it Like Beckham" relied on the East Indian cast and the "...Greek Wedding" flavor of the film more than KK. "Pirates ...." was a Johnny Depp film. Let's see what success she has as Guenevere next month . WT is pouring $25 M. down the drain:-)))) They shudda gone with "Northanger Abbey"... I'm sure Patricia Rozema would have been happy to oblige;-)

We saw "Saved!" last night and enjoyed it very much. Very witty and rather biting (Which we enjoyed...your mileage may vary ;-). Jena Malone was very good, but I can't picture her as Lydia--seems such a serious person. But that's what acting is all about, right?

(Evelyn) "Bend it Like Beckham" relied on the East Indian cast and the "...Greek Wedding" flavor of the film more than KK. Yes, exactly like Greek Wedding...strictly word-of-mouth that it was funny. No one stood out as I recall from people telling me about it. It was just considered cute and funny overall. Actually, I remember being acutely aware of how much KK annoyed me in the movie. I wasn't impressed with her, though enjoyed the movie thoroughly. Thanks Meredith for your opinion about Saved. It looks cute to me. Mandy Moore looks funny in it. Love when she throws the Bible (I guess) at JM and says she's filled with the Lord with such an attitude, LOL. Actually, ODB may get more questions about the WT P&P than the Bollywood one now that I think about it. Poor guy. He'll hate all that..."Do you think MM will be able to fill your shoes as Darcy? What do you think of the casting of MM as Darcy? How do you think this "more realistic" WT version of P&P will compare to the BBC version you were in?....and yada, yada....

(Evelyn) Period drama with an all British cast.Realistically speaking, this will be a small art house movie. S&S did very well...but then I look at the cast. Emma, Hugh and Alan...with a pre-Titanic Kate. And a great adaptation...I think KK may be the sinker in this (and the screenplay will have to be better than Davies if she even has the smallest of hopes...IMO)...I'm waiting to see how she does in KA (DH doesn't want to see it as "the girl who can't close her mouth bugs me..." Wot are the chances I'll get him to see P&P in the theater? Zero. Unless Lizzy does some dueling and something explodes, he's not getting near it...if he won't see KA cuz of her, no way will he see her in a period drama w/o bloodshed).

and the screenplay will have to be better than Davies if she even has the smallest of hopes... Poor Simon Langton...he never gets mentioned with the success of P&P. And I think he was pivotal. In "The Making of P&P" (book and film)he goes into great detail about his strategy in shooting the series. Esp first proposal.

(Karen)I echo your why's and it almost appears as though Working Title will be taking the offensive against the BBC version and, especially, Colin's association with the role. Not good. That was my first impression on reading the Telegraph article. Working Title, it seems, is going to pit the two Mr. Darcy's against one another. This is how they'll play it, but I can't imagine that A&E's adaptation won't win out. I'm just sad that Colin's owning the character for the past several years (whether he liked it or not)has not got to be shared. I think it's a lot of bunk out of Mr. Webster's mouth about first love in period dramas being played by older characters. That is just an excuse to get the ball rolling for public acceptance of this new P&P. Shame on you WT and Mr. Webster. Forget about the Darcy aspect...KK couldn't hold a candle to JE's Lizzy. IMO.

Despite Ms KK's involvement, IMO this will be nothing more on the filmscape as another Mansfield Park.

(Karen) IMO this will be nothing more on the filmscape as another Mansfield Park. LOL. Which played in about 6 cities. I attended the world premiere in London and the director was booed. The crowning blow was the African music during the credits. Jane Austen must have been turning....

(Linda) KK couldn't hold a candle to JE's Lizzy. IMO Or much of anyone or anything else either, IMO. (Evelyn) the director was booed. Oh my. :-(

what a weird match... what a weird, weird match... woohooo ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! who would have thought this only minutes before the end ??? reminds me of the 2002 final... errr, for those who might be lost, i'm talking football here.... france vs. england, etc. actually, i don't know if football qualifies as an odds & ends, does it qualify ? and anyway, half the arsenal roster was playing in the french selection, so there !

"The Stepford Wives" : Supposed to be a parody,but it lost me there. A bit strained at times. Good jokes far and few. Wasted cast. Still I found it entertaining.

(sophie), for those who might be lost, i'm talking football here.... france vs. england, etc. I'm with you! Unbelievable! Tomorrow we have Italy vs. Denmark. :-)

They're coming to get you, dear...

Principessa, this is your day! .... your tiara..... Let the party begin.....

Karen, what a shocker! I didn't know you had that issue! Such invasion of privacy!!! All those carabinieri for me? I must be guilty as charged. LOL! Evelyn, tiara safely in place. Happy to see Colin as MC. I'm ready.

J: Algie would you . .stop! . .Get your hands off those muffins . . A: Hmm . . . but wouldn�t you rather have cake? J: I told you I don�t want any tea cake . . A: No no no . .some of Moon�s b�day cake! J: Well . .that�s different . . Moon, my darling, . .how about dinner at the Savoy and some cake for your b�day?;) I hope you have a happy one!!! ***Thanks to Firthissimo for the pic!

This seem a little tame here and now that it is after noon where I am...time to pop that cork! If I had had orange juice, I might have done this earlier. ;-)

Colin remembered that you liked martinis, so he brought some for your party (I think he got a bit of a head start)And I brought the cake (again with the head start thing...)Buon Compleanno, Moon!

Buono Cumpleanno, Cara Mia http://english.pravda.ru/img/2003/07/berlusconi.jpg Prosecco...not French!

There she is, David, your new leading lady and the Birthday Girl. Moonerella!

"You see, it's Moon's birthday and I'm putting together a plan." "It starts with a quick jaunt.... ....to the site of our romantic Italian mini-break" "Where we'll toast to another drool-filled year." Buonno Compleanno, Moon!!

Moon, cara, you know how I hate to drink alone. Come on out and help me celebrate your birthday!

To sleep, perchance to dream of Moon . . .

It's Moon's birthday today? I'm on my way!

LOL, Mari! Everyone knows how much I enjoy coctails here. It's never to early to pop the champagne. I see it's Don Perignon 1992, a fantastic vintage. Merci, Karen. Just back from a lovely lunch at the Savoy with Jack/Ernest. Lovely cake too. Thanks Kimberley! Tress, saving that cake (love the candles), for the Martini happy later coming up later. Thanks! Evelyn, So Silvio wants me to drink Prosecco? He should know better. ;-) Karen, you have psychic powers! How did you know I would audition for David(my sweetie), in my Moonerella costume, wig and all? He loved the way I handled that long steady rod. ;-D Thank you for bringing him to my party. I'm off on romantic Italian mini break, that you Leslie for booking it. :-)

To sleep, perchance to dream of Moon . . . He can dream all he wants with me but sleep? I don't think so. ;-) Thanks Ada! Happy to see my dear Henry is coming.

Ooooh yeah he's coming;-D Now, Mark didn't bring a change of clothes...thank god his shirt is drip-dry. Worthing's hat really isn't party wear but he knows you like it... Darcy needs put his shoes and stockings back on (had to have a pedicure) Colin is just sitting...doodling... Peter already started celebrating...hours ago And Vermeer can't get his hat off for some reason...must be attached to the wig. Hope you're having a wonderful day Moon!

hey Moon : i'm a little late to join the party, but i wanted to wish you a happy birthday ! and yes, i've been busy lately, with the football and all that, but i found this little guy on my doormat the other day, he really desperately wanted to give you a message.... here's animatronicolin 3.2, -Moondance mode on- God, will they just *stop* *dancing* like *crazy* someday ? ***warning : a rather light one, but still 244 ko*** thanks Karen, i stole yours and decontructed it (deconstructing is my middle name, you know)

(sophie) i stole yours Arrest this woman!!! And we have a confession. Will make it easier to prosecute this case to the highest court in the land. Naw, that's ok. Saves me the trouble of finding it in my files. ;-) As long as Geoffrey dances on Moon's birthday, all's well with the world.

How can I please the lovely Moon on her birthday? I've just thought of something...hope she'll like it. Some wine, bubbles, and me...will that do, Cara? And don't worry we can't run out of wine. I made sure we'd have enough to last the day.

LOL karen ! i confess, but please don't torture me or anything, i'm rather weak and kinda squeal on such occasions... (and anyway, this is a personalized, party-boy version of geoffrey, so that doesn't count) and a drawing by marcel gottlib ! one of my heros ! good pick !

Not too extreme...

Madam Moon, my associate Dr Watson informs me that you wish to engage our services in a most delicate matter. You wish us to locate a missing person in London, without alerting your jealous husband, who has recently returned from abroad and will not countenance any mention of this party in his presence. I deduce this party is not a relation. (puffs away on pipe) Your motives are your own, Madam. From the description you have provided, does the party in question resemble this? Singular, Watson, singular. The most hunted man in England. Lestrade tells me that he's set his best agents, mainly well-seasoned female housewives, after this crafty rapscallion. And they've combed every shire from rook to rock with nary a sighting. Watson tells me you have some clues and some particular places you wish me to investigate. I see here that London playgrounds are very high on your list of places which should be kept under surveillance. Moreover, you have noted a number of music halls and cafes. I see, most singular. (puffs away) However, Madam, your request to accompany us, while in disguise, makes your request most interesting. With this disguise, your identity shall never be known: Quickly, Madam, the game�s afoot! We�re off to unravel the Adventure of the Clueless Actor. No time to lose! He may sign for The Nutty Professor remake if we're not in time!

Nothing but the best for your birthday, Principesa!

Ada, I you brought out a few of my favourite things... I do love those hats. Thank you! Sophie, what would I do without my dear sweet Geoffrey's birthday "martini" dance. The banana one we'll do in private. ;-) Merci beaucoup! Je deteste le CT d'Italie. Il n'a pas port� en Portugal le meilleur �quipe. I'm still trying to figure out why I have the carabinieri and the gendarmerie after me? I don't recall performing as Moonerella in public? ;-) The guillotine is NOT too extreme? What have I done? ;-) You know I hate le 14 Juillet. Vive le Roi! Linda, those are some of my favourites. Hard to resist him in that worn black leather couch. And just knowing that we have our grapevine, we'll just have to bathe in wine. (There's a famous spa in Italy that offers just that). Thank you! However, Madam, your request to accompany us, while in disguise, makes your request most interesting. With this disguise, your identity shall never be known: ROTF! I am really in disguise if I wear that hideous outfit! Love the diamonds, thank you, Karen! I am wearing them and going for a swim. You are all invited. :-D

Pass it along.....it�s Moon�s birthday. I�m so sorry...you were so sweet to get me that Norah Jones CD for my birthday and I managed to bungle her name on SNL....sheesh. At least I got it right the second time. Perhaps there is some way I could help you celebrate your birthday and plead forgiveness. Maybe sing you a song. Cara, I know you favor martinis, but why don�t we move on to margaritas next. They�re excellent for winding down after stressful live appearances. I only want you to have the happiest of birthdays, my dearest, loveliest Moon...

Happiest of Birthday's, dear Moon. Sl�inte agus saol chugat!

Thank you in Celtic to you, Eithne. Dorine, I love margaritas, but I am not responsible for what I do when I mix them with any other drink. Moonerella's secret is out. ;-) Happy to see Colin appreciate's my music gifts. Thank you! And yes, a song would be lovely, how about... I've Got You Under my Skin. :-)

Moon, you're not getting older you're getting sassier! I've been saving this treasure for a year so I could send it back at you... It's well worth the recycling. I hope that you get a chance to shake it up on your birthday! Top 21 Reasons For You, Moon, To Be A Belly Dancer On Your Birthdays! 21. So you can subscribe to magazines with names like "Wiggle Hips". 20. It doesn't seem so much like "exercise" when you're wearing chiffon. 19. So you can entertain yourself at stoplights by practicing chest isolations. 18. The camel saddle you've had since the 60's now fits with your decor! 17. So you can leave a trail of beads, coins, and sequins wherever you go instead of bread crumbs. 16. You can name your cat Mizmar and lots of people you know will get the joke. 15. So you can fend off indecent advances from club owners at 2:00 in the morning. 14. So your spouse can whine to his friends about being a belly dancing widower. 13. So you can actually do something useful with what you learned in those sewing classes you took as a teen-ager. 12. So you can annoy your non-dancing friends and co-workers by begging them to come watch all your shows. 11. So strangers will tuck money into your clothing or shower it over your head. 10. So strangers will invite you to their parties. 9. So you can have a perfectly good reason to tote around a sword. 8. So you can enjoy the improvement in your sex life (ed. note: which we know must be good since you can write up kissing lessons that made even me warm;-)). 7. So you can finally learn how to work your CD/tape player. 6. So friends will start buying you little camel statues. 5. So you can have yet another excuse for rummaging through thrift shops in search of bargains. 4. So you can find yourself singing along to lyrics in a foreign language with no idea of what they mean. 3. So you can get a giggle out of watching people's expressions when you tell them what you do for fun. 2. So you can shock your old high school classmates by showing up in costume at the next high school reunion and doing a full show. And the Number 1 reason to be a belly dancer: 1. Costumes! Costumes! Costumes! Costumes! Costumes! Costumes! And of course...

did I leave us ..blue? I don't think there's enough blue... Oh Karen, if this doesn't work do help;-))

Happy Birthday Moon! Hope it has been a good one! Best wishes for the next year!

Sorry for showing up so late for your birthday party, dearest Moon, but there was a Master Workshop this afternoon where a renowned Chef P�tissier from Cordon Bleu, Paris, showed us how to construct chocolate hazelnut tortes with praline on hazelnut daquiose disks. I hope this might please you. Oh, and I asked Chef Danniel to bring someone with him from Paris when he was last there to share the cake with you. You wouldn't want to disappoint the Vicomte, would you? He's brought Ch�teau d'Yquem Sauternes to share and a toast (and a festive and playful mood)! "May you have warm words on a cold evening, A full moon on a dark night, And the road downhill all the way to your door. Joyeux Anniversaire and Sant�!"

Thank you Shoshana, the Sauterne was delish with the cake and le Viscomte. ;-) 9. So you can have a perfectly good reason to tote around a sword. YES! LOL, Beedee. You must know I love to dance. In fact, I would like to suggest a Bollywood Theme Birthday Bash for ODB this Sept. Barb, thank you. I am looking forward to a great year. :-)

heehee, beedee ! (bee) And the Number 1 reason to be a belly dancer: also, you get to meet fun playmates... yeah, not a new one i know, but i just can't get enough of it

(Sophie)yeah, not a new one i know, but i just can't get enough of it LOL! I know that I can't!

New is not always better. That one's a winner and appropriate to take out for a myriad of occasions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hypocrisy rears its ugly head yet again...Bet Janet Jackson's boob would've been alright. Moore Seeks PG-13 Rating on New Film By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer LOS ANGELES - Distributors of Michael Moore (news)'s documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" are appealing to get a PG-13 rating, instead of R. A screening by the Motion Picture Association of America's appeals board has been set for June 22, just three days before "Fahrenheit 9/11" hits theaters. But the film's distributors are trying to move that screening up to this week to expedite a decision, said Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Films, one of the companies releasing the film. An R rating means those younger than 17 cant' see the movie unless accompanied by an adult. The MPAA ratings board gave "Fahrenheit 9/11" an R rating for "violent and disturbing images and for language." "I think the message of the movie is so important that it should be available to be seen by as wide an audience as possible," Ortenberg said Monday. "Frankly, I don't consider any of the images in the film any more disturbing than what we have all seen on the cable news networks and the gratuitous violence that fills the screen of so many PG-13-rated action pictures." In "Fahrenheit 9/11," Moore depicts President Bush was asleep at the wheel in the months before the Sept. 11 attacks. The movie also accuses the White House of breeding fear of more terrorism to gain public support for the Iraq war. The film's images include a public beheading in Saudi Arabia, Iraqis burned by napalm and a grisly scene of an Iraqi man dumping a dead baby into a truckbed loaded with bodies. "It is sadly very possible that many 15- and 16-year-olds will be asked and recruited to serve in Iraq in the next couple of years," Moore said. "If they are old enough to be recruited and capable of being in combat and risking their lives, they certainly deserve the right to see what is going on in Iraq." "Fahrenheit 9/11" won the top honor at last month's Cannes Film Festival for Moore, who received the 2002 Academy Award for best documentary with "Bowling for Columbine." Moore had to seek new distributors for "Fahrenheit 9/11" after Disney refused to let its Miramax subsidiary release it, saying it was too politically charged. Miramax bosses Harvey and Bob Weinstein bought the movie back from Disney and lined up Lions Gate and IFC Films to help distribute it. The film opens June 25 in 500 to 1,000 theaters in "every major city in America," Ortenberg said. That constitutes an exceptionally wide release among documentaries, which typically play in only a handful of theaters. ~~~~~~~~~~~ From a Reuters article: MPAA spokesman Rich Taylor declined to specify how the 12-member board formed its judgment other than to say its "sole function" is to review films and assign ratings that enable "parents to make informed decisions." An appeal review has been set for June 22 in Los Angeles. Ortenberg said Moore alone would to decide whether to edit the film to achieve a PG-13 rating if the appeal fails. Otherwise, the movie will be released with an R rating, he said. Although documentaries are routinely shown without ratings, and neither Lions Gate nor IFC Films belongs to the MPAA, Ortenberg said "Fahrenheit 9/11" is going through the ratings process because of its wide release. "We certainly don't want to give theaters any reason not to play this picture," he said, noting that a newly formed organization opposed to the film was lobbying exhibitors to boycott it.

MM is used to this rating "Bowling for Columbine" MPAA RATING R, some violent images and language

I didn't realize B for C was an R. With the new one, I'm less concerned with people 17 and under seeing it right now unless they will be of voting age by the election. The younger ones can see it on DVD later.

Why does this sound ominously like something out of the former CREP's dirty tricks bag? Drive puts heat on 'Fahrenheit' By Nicole Sperling A group opposing Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" is urging U.S. movie theaters not to screen the film, which is set to open June 25. The California-based organization called Move America Forward, which says its goal is "supporting America's war on terrorism," has launched an electronic campaign, both via e-mail and through its Web site, encouraging theaters not to play Moore's film, which is critical of the war in Iraq. In addition to sending e-mails to exhibitors across the country, Move America Forward has listed on its Web site the movie theaters that either have agreed already to screen "Fahrenheit 9/11" or have not yet decided on a course of action. The Web site lists e-mail addresses of executives at 23 theater chains, both large and small, along with their business addresses, and it urges the public to contact them with their objections to the film. According to Sal Russo, chief strategist of Move America Forward and a partner in the public relations film Russo Marsh & Rogers, which started the organization last month, the group has heard anecdotally of some theaters that will not show the film. But he was unable to identify any of those theaters. "Moore's credibility as a documentarian has been shattered," Russo said. "Even supporters of the film say it is distorted." A spokesman for Moore's film did not return phone calls asking for comment. Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Films Releasing, which is managing the distribution of the film, said the company is still in the process of booking theaters. "We are still finalizing our distribution pattern and we are still very much on target to open 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in something north of 500 theaters on June 25," Ortenberg said. "I think the one message that everybody can take from 'Fahrenheit' -- whether you support the war in Iraq, oppose the war or are undecided -- is that we need less censorship in this country not more. For any organization to call for the censorship of this film is particularly distressing and misguided. If anybody wants to debate the issues raised in the picture, that is terrific, but to call for censorship of the film could not be more wrongheaded." It remains to be seen whether the effort by Move America Forward will affect the ultimate performance of the film. Unlike the usual specialty released documentary, which opens in limited engagements and then expands based on its performance, "Fahrenheit" will bow to a much wider audience. Said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners: "Any time any organization protests against a movie, they ensure that the movie will do better at the boxoffice than it would have done otherwise. If they have any doubt about this, just ask Mel Gibson." Although it opened amid a firestorm of controversy this spring, Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" has grossed more than $370 million domestically. "The movie theater is a place of public discourse, and all views and philosophies are welcome," Fithian said. "It's the right place for the public to debate public issues."

From THR yesterday: Warners nabs 'Vermeer'; Nix set to adapt By Borys Kit Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired Scholastic's best-selling children's' book "Chasing Vermeer" for Plan B to produce and has tapped writer Matt Nix to adapt. Described as a "Da Vinci Code" for tweens, "Vermeer" is a mystery adventure that revolves around a boy and girl who attend the University of Chicago's Laboratory Schools, a school for the gifted. The two sixth graders team up to solve the theft of a painting by 17th century painter Johannes Vermeer. The book was written by Blue Balliet, a former teacher at the Laboratory Schools, and featured codes and clues in the illustrations by Brett Helquist, artist of "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events." The book was acquired by Scholastic in a bidding war back in 2001. It was published in April and debuted at No. 5 on the New York Times children's best-seller list. Jeremy Kleiner brought it to Plan B. Alysia Cotter brought it into Warners. Jeff Clifford and Cotter are the execs on the project. Intellectual mysteries are quickly developing into their own niche, even in the movie world. Warners recently acquired the rights to the academic thriller "The Rule of Four," and "The Da Vinci Code" is set up at Columbia Pictures with Ron Howard attached to direct. "The appetite for imaginative stories is much more vast that what we give kids and adult readers credit for," Scholastic Children's Books president Barbara Marcus said. Nix did a rewrite for New Line Cinema's "Grilled," which has Ray Romano attached, and he recently booked writing duties on the studio's "Being Alexander," a Chris Rock vehicle. He also recently adapted "Sensei," a novel by John Donohue.

"Moore's credibility as a documentarian has been shattered," Russo said. "Even supporters of the film say it is distorted." Yeah, that's why he is supposedly getting loooong standing ovations wherever he's been showing it. Happened in LA the other night and supposedly here, too. They had to move the screening here to the Ziegfeld from wherever it was originally to accomodate the large amount of industry people who wanted to see it. "Any time any organization protests against a movie, they ensure that the movie will do better at the boxoffice than it would have done otherwise. If they have any doubt about this, just ask Mel Gibson." Exactly. You'd think these people would've learned by now. "The appetite for imaginative stories is much more vast that what we give kids and adult readers credit for," Scholastic Children's Books president Barbara Marcus said. Yes, but strangely enough, they don't always make for good box office. Anyone see Alfonso Cuaron (dir. of HP3) on Charlie Rose last night? I very much enjoyed his interview and hearing his take on making HP3. Such enthusiasm.

A perfectly lovely celebration Accept my apologies for being a day late, my wishes are no less sincere :-) HAVE A FABULOUS YEAR

(Karen) Why does this sound ominously like something out of the former CREP's dirty tricks bag? Yes, and I find it apropos that one of the films in the HBO free film series in Bryant Park this summer is All the President's Men. ;-)

Oops Moon, I was told to leave your name out of it...... now you've been George's hot property it's all hush hush;-))

As long as we're posting articles about MM. A UK friend sent me this from THE LONDON TELEGRAPH MOORE OR LESS (Filed: 19/05/2004) It must have been a gruesome sight: the elite of the Cannes film festival applauding someone even more self-regarding than themselves. Michael Moore, portly archpriest of the anti-Bush cult, premiered his film Fahrenheit 9/11 at the festival this week. The American documentary-maker sent three undercover film crews to Iraq; they returned with footage - included in the film - claiming to show US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners. If such abuse occurred, then it should be condemned. But no one should rush to judgment on the basis of allegations emanating from Mr Moore. Many of the claims made in Bowling for Columbine, his Oscar-winning film about America's gun culture, have unravelled spectacularly under scrutiny. His target audience of 20-year-old slackers will not hear a word against him, but many American commentators - including Left-wing ones - are embarrassed by the crudity of his rhetoric, the unreliability of his "facts" and the gulf between his claim to represent blue-collar America and his personal lifestyle. Mr Moore lives on New York,s Upper West Side and travels in corporate jets with a rock-star entourage. Asked about this by the Los Angeles Times, he implied that only middle-class journalists were bothered by the contradiction - "the working class just thinks it's cool". This concern for the working classes is touching: it was on display again at Cannes, where Mr Moore took time out from gobbling canap�s to address a local protest over benefit cuts. "I'm here to support workers in France, the United States and all around the world," he declared. This folie de grandeur might be forgivable if Mr Moore were funny. And, to be fair, some people think he is. In a recent live show in London, he suggested that, if the September 11 hijack victims had been black, as opposed to pampered whites, they would have fought back and overcome their attackers. His right-on audience lapped this up. Relatives of those who died might not have laughed so heartily. The simple truth about Michael Moore is that this self-righteous critic of corporate America is one of its most bloated beneficiaries. It is time someone made a film about him - and, we are pleased to report, someone is. Forget Fahrenheit 9/11: later this year, a young film-maker called Mike Wilson will unveil a documentary entitled Michael Moore Hates America, in which the self-proclaimed "slob in a baseball cap" will find his techniques turned on himself. Don't miss it. http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2004/05/19/dl1902.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2004/05/19/ixopinion.html

Thanks, Evelyn. I hope MM can take it as well as he can dish it. ;-) "It is sadly very possible that many 15- and 16-year-olds will be asked and recruited to serve in Iraq in the next couple of years," Moore said. What bull crap is this? The man will do anything for publicity and getting into print. (as if he needed it) (Dorine), The younger ones can see it on DVD later. Exactly! "Moore's credibility as a documentarian has been shattered," Russo said. "Even supporters of the film say it is distorted." Except of you are French or a Hollywood celebrity. ;-) Oops Moon, I was told to leave your name out of it...... now you've been George's hot property it's all hush hush;-)) LOL! I appreciate your discreet charm. Thank, Lizza!

I thought the sanitized SATC on TBS was supposed to start at the beginning. This episode (Fashion Roadkill) is from Season 4 or 5. One of my favorites.

THE LONDON TELEGRAPH What's its nickname? The Torygraph? I hardly think it necessary to comment on the absurdities in it. (Dorine) I thought the sanitized SATC on TBS was supposed to start at the beginning. It will, starting next week I think. I just read where they're doing "memorable" episodes back to back right now and will start from the beginning next week.

I was just glancing at the Rex Pictures website, and saw the red carpet photographs of Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor from June 14. She looked much healthier in Zoolander.

THE LONDON TELEGRAPH (Karen)What's its nickname? The Torygraph? *snort* You mean newspapers are partisan;-)) Naaaah.. LOL

(Evelyn) You mean newspapers are partisan;-)) If it were good writing, then the jabs would be far subtler. But I'd never say that MM didn't have an agenda and that his documentaries didn't reflect that. I remember telling people, after I'd seen BforC that his case was rather scattershot and he didn't fully develop certain theories which I thought either most interesting or credible. Regardless, I found BforC entertaining, which works at cross-purposes with being a documentary.

Making art in tentpole times Mon Jun 14 Ismail Merchant, STAFF Imagine if the films of Sergei Eisenstein, Luis Bunuel, Rene Clair, Marcel Carne, Louis Malle, Francois Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Satyajit Ray and the other giants of cinema had never been made. Or if the films had been made, but never seen. It seems unimaginable. Yet, if these directors were working today, the chances of their films being made would be very slim, and the opportunities for seeing them would be virtually nonexistent. The cultural climate that allowed these helmers to create their masterpieces has virtually vanished, and with it any expectations of cinema to exist as anything other than the basest form of entertainment. As a producer and director at the heart of the film industry for more than 40 years, I have experienced this decline and seen the devastating and tragic effects it has had, and continues to have, on cinema. My education in film began when I was a child in Bombay more than 50 years ago: I grew up with Bollywood musicals, classic Indian films and all the major American and English movies. But even in Bombay half a century ago, I had no difficulty in accessing Kurosawa's "Rashomon" and Clouzot's "Le Salaire de la Peur" (Wages of Fear). In New York, where I went to study in 1958, I discovered Italian neo-realist cinema, the French films of the New Wave, and even the films of Satyajit Ray: Within walking distance of my apartment there were half a dozen cinemas presenting these films. In London, too, there were a number of cinemas dedicated to art films, as well as the National Film Theater, which explored every genre of film from early cinema to the latest developments. What has happened to those cinemas now? Either demolished or converted into multiplexes. The Academy, a fine complex of three cinemas on Oxford Street that screened the best foreign films, is now a department store. Even the National Film Theater's programming has fallen to the agenda of market forces. When I began making films, cinema was a significant and vibrant art form, with both the space and the appetite for diversity. Film now is regarded as the product. In order to maximize profits, the distribution and exhibition of films have been brought under the control of industrial behemoths, and independent distributors and exhibitors have been obliged to fall in line in order to stay in business. Cinemas, too, have changed: from single screens to multiplexes -- more screens, more profits. Any film that doesn't perform in its first weekend of release is rapidly removed and replaced by another product. The kind of films that were nurtured by cineastes and given time in cinemas to attract an appreciative audience by word of mouth, that were discussed and argued over rather than instantly consumed with a bag of popcorn, have no place in this product-led industry. Film now exists almost exclusively as part of the business world. Non-mainstream films, which could never generate the kind of profit expected from product, became increasingly marginalized, and now have all but disappeared from cinemas. The cost of making a film can reach hundreds of millions of dollars, and much of that is eaten up by the salaries of the actors, who often are still in their teens. For as long as their films continue to make money, these actors and their demands (often on a level that would make the Mafia blush) are indulged. In order to make a profit, these films have to be hyped in the press, publicized lavishly and presented on thousands of screens, all at the expense of more modest films. The product, too, must have mass appeal and that, as we have seen, must descend to the lowest denominator. The key factor in film now is youth: The product must be geared to young audiences and must draw on the elements that appeal to them. The result is cinema as computer game; actors computer-generated to perform acrobatics across the screen, special effects, bloody violence and no plot or dialogue worth mentioning. The other extreme is crass teen comedies and slasher movies, and a prevalence of sequels and remakes that indicate a total absence of creativity in contemporary culture. Film executives claim they are obliged to make such films because of market forces; cinema audiences are youth-dominated and they demand them. But this argument is circular: Adult audiences are increasingly shunning the cinema because they have no interest in these kinds of films. As adult audiences diminish, fewer films are made that would draw adults to the cinema. [Ed note: exactly the argument I've always made.] Film is the most available, influential and popular of all art forms. It is also the most versatile: It can entertain and amuse; it can inform, educate and enlighten; it can open our eyes to other cultures and other worlds; it can provoke thoughts and inspire ideas. Why has such a powerful tool become the spearhead of junk culture? I believe we have entered a new Dark Age, a barbarous age dominated by greed and profit, by the mentality of lottery riches and cheap celebrity. The culture that once civilized us has been dramatically eroded over the past five decades, and soon it will cease to have any meaning because there will be no one able to appreciate or even understand it. Those who value the artistic and literary achievements of the past, who have been enlightened and inspired by the genius of generations, are now in the minority. It is time for the minority to speak: to defy political correctness, to put politicians in the dock, to attack those in positions of responsibility who have failed to fulfill their duties and obligations. [Merchant is the producer of such films as "Le Divorce," "The Remains Of the Day" and "Howard's End." This essay is adapted from his book, "Cinema," due out from Doubleday Broadway in 2006.]

"Any time any organization protests against a movie, they ensure that the movie will do better at the boxoffice than it would have done otherwise. If they have any doubt about this, just ask Mel Gibson." BUT, the difference there was that a key audience (thought not the only one)for Mel's film--fundamentalists and the Christian right-- are the people who usually do the protesting and the boycotting! If somebody wants to organize a boycott of this one, let them do it; it's their right. But don't try to restrict what I see. I'm capable of making up my own mind. The brouhaha over the R rating is a bunch of nothing. Few young teens would choose to go to see this on their own anyway. I'll go and I'll take my son. He's expressed an interest. He's grown up with political discussion, debate and argument in the home, and thankfully it's also encouraged at school. This is how kids learn to separate the wheat from the chaff, and grow into thoughtful, discerning adults who are willing to consider opposing points of view.

(Mari) BUT, the difference there was that a key audience (thought not the only one) for Mel's film--fundamentalists and the Christian right-- are the people who usually do the protesting and the boycotting! Exactly. The comparison was absurd. Logic no longer exists. :-(

(Mari)If somebody wants to organize a boycott of this one, let them do it; it's their right Re: boycotting I agree...it's their money. The market place rules.

The market place rules. But not if they threaten theater owners (and viewing audience) with violence and other strong-arm techniques. (see legal clinics performing legal procedures)

Nothing like telling me not to see something, to make me want to see it. It will open here on the 25th. Cinema is not worried, apparently, they have been picketed before re: an NC-17 film. Hmmm...wonder if local news will be there doing live spots ;-)

Oh methinks that is a marketing hype...it's going to open all over. Even my local museum is going to host an event.

The marketing hype is hiring Mario Cuomo to appeal the MPAA's rating. Is vintage Miramax. For The Advocate, it hired William Kunstler. ;-)

Yet, if these directors were working today, the chances of their films being made would be very slim, and the opportunities for seeing them would be virtually nonexistent. The cultural climate that allowed these helmers to create their masterpieces has virtually vanished, and with it any expectations of cinema to exist as anything other than the basest form of entertainment. ...I believe we have entered a new Dark Age, a barbarous age dominated by greed and profit, by the mentality of lottery riches and cheap celebrity. The culture that once civilized us has been dramatically eroded over the past five decades, and soon it will cease to have any meaning because there will be no one able to appreciate or even understand it. This is a new dark age. And the above goes for music too, and art. (Mari), fundamentalists and the Christian right-- are the people who usually do the protesting and the boycotting! If somebody wants to organize a boycott of this one, let them do it; it's their right. In Europe it's the opposite. The left is always protesting and on strike. They block roads to hospitals, airports. The latest trick in Italy is to call an impromptu airline strike. Not a nice situation to be in. In any case, protesting, boycotting and srikes are preferable to the way Muslim fundamentalists act.

Moon and Lizza, so sorry I missed your birthdays. I was in and out of airports on the occasion of your celebrations. It looked like you had some great partying going on at drool. Hope you each had a great day! (thanks to firthissimo for photo) Moon, for your birthday I'm prepared and ready to audition for Woody when he comes to London ;-) (thanks to Karen for photo)

Hi Lora! Glad to hear he's ready, but will he fight to get it? ;-) Welcome back!

From the NY Post.... TONY GOES TO THE DOGS By MICHAEL RIEDEL June 16, 2004 -- 'I thought the Tony Awards had integrity," said Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas hotel and casino magnate. "What I've learned today is that they're just as political as everything else." Wynn, in a phone conversation Friday, was responding to the brouhaha that erupted last week after the theater world learned that the producers of "Avenue Q" � who pulled off a stunning upset to capture the Tony for Best Musical � were shunning a road tour and opting instead for an exclusive, open-ended run at Wynn's newest casino, Wynn Las Vegas. Wynn, who's building a $40 million theater for the show, is said to have paid the producers $5 million for the North American rights to "Avenue Q." The deal infuriated many road producers, whose Tony votes had been wooed by the "Q" producers with what turned out to be empty promises of a national tour. In interviews last week, many of those road producers pretty much acknowledged that they voted for "Avenue Q" not because it was the best musical of the season but because they thought it was going to play their markets. By giving the show a Tony Award, they were also giving themselves a useful marketing tool. That admission is what Wynn, a theater outsider, found so startling. "Their votes can be bought," he said. "The ding-dongs admitted it." The damage done to the integrity of the Tony Awards by the "Avenue Q" controversy is the topic of discussion on Broadway right now. It shouldn't be all that surprising that a showbiz award is, God forbid, political. And, truth be told, Tony campaigning � rounding up road votes, strong-arming friends and business partners, spending investors' money on voter schmooze fests and advertising � has been going on for years. One Broadway producer applauds the "Avenue Q" team for its chutzpah and craftiness. "They know how the system works and they took advantage of it," this producer says. "Everybody played right into their hands. And they won." But if, as many in the theater world are saying, the Tonys have been tarnished, the people who administer and promote the awards have only themselves to blame. They do, after all, present the Tonys publicly � and relentlessly � as awards for "excellence in the American theater." "I think we should ban the word 'excellence' when we're talking about the Tony Awards," says a veteran producer. "We can't even say it with a straight face anymore." Hypocrisy is far from the only complaint producers have about the Tonys. The high cost to investors of chasing the awards � often with very little to show for it at the box office � is another. It is not unusual for a big-budget Broadway musical to spend $500,000 on advertising, promotions and parties in an effort to collect Tony votes. Producers even have to shoulder most of the cost of putting segments from their shows on the Tony telecast. CBS kicks in $10,000 per show, but, according to several producers, the total cost for a three-minute segment is around $100,000 � which comes out of investors' pockets. You wouldn't hear so much grumbling about all these expenses if the Tonys meant something at the box office. But, with the ratings for the telecast hitting historic lows, usually only the show that takes home the award for Best Musical comes out ahead financially. The losers go home empty-handed and, literally, poorer for the experience. "We've created a winner-take-all system," says one top industry executive. "The Tonys should be about celebrating Broadway, not killing the shows that don't win." The telecast itself also comes in for considerable drubbing. Even with a high-kicking Hugh Jackman as host this year, the ratings were in the basement. Theater people complain that the telecasts generally look like tacky, 1970s variety shows, and that the segments from the nominated musicals are poorly produced, often making sense only to viewers who've seen the shows. Voter apathy � even fraud � is also undermining the Tonys. Many Tony voters don't even bother to see all the nominated shows. Others quietly give away their Tony tickets. A few years ago, a Tony Award-winning show instituted a policy of requiring voters to present identification when they picked up their tickets. "You wouldn't believe how many people claimed to be some very well-known theater people," the producer of the show says. There is talk of policing Tony voting in the future. But the subject has been brought up many times before and nothing's ever been done. Meanwhile, the man who was at the center of the "Avenue Q" storm last week � Mr. Wynn � says he'll continue to bring Broadway shows to the 35 million people who come through Las Vegas every year. Who knows? With the way things are going for the Tonys, maybe he'll snap them up, too. Live from Wynn Las Vegas, it's the 59th annual Tony Awards!

Orlando Bloom won a British Internet poll as the country's sexiest actor. I'm all astonishment.

In interviews last week, many of those road producers pretty much acknowledged that they voted for "Avenue Q" not because it was the best musical of the season but because they thought it was going to play their markets. By giving the show a Tony Award, they were also giving themselves a useful marketing tool. "Their votes can be bought," he said. "The ding-dongs admitted it." Wow! What an admission! "We've created a winner-take-all system," says one top industry executive. "The Tonys should be about celebrating Broadway, not killing the shows that don't win." And many of the shows (nonmusicals) typically have closed before the Tonys anyway, so they must be referring mainly to the musicals, Broadway's bread and butter. Theater people complain that the telecasts generally look like tacky, 1970s variety shows, and that the segments from the nominated musicals are poorly produced, often making sense only to viewers who've seen the shows. None of this has anything to do with the ratings IMO. Most of America cannot identify with a bunch of plays they haven't seen and, in many cases, have NO HOPE of ever seeing. The Tonys are meaningless to most of America. Why don't they realize this? Thanks, Dorine, for the article.

You have to wonder why they didn't just call the movie "The Many Loves of an Ass-Kicking Guinevere"? Ridiculous! From Variety: Inside Move: Knightley over knights Cathy Dunkley, Marc Graser, STAFF The movie's called "King Arthur," but Disney is banking on Guinevere to open the pic. The Mouse House has made the character, played by Keira Knightley as a strong warrior queen, the star of its campaign for the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced actioner, as a way to lure not only young males but also female moviegoers, as "Troy" and "Gladiator" did. With the R-rated actioner originally marketed as a "Gladiator"-style epic about the "real" and magic-less story of King Arthur, early footage pushed the pic's swordplay and armies fighting violent battles. Campaign for the film, which opens July 7, now takes a different approach. The spotlight's on Knightley in posters and trailers. Film's love story, lush landscapes and legend of King Arthur and the Round Table are also emphasized. Knightley will also grace the covers of Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly and Premiere magazine. Recognizing that the pic's stars, including Clive Owen, who plays King Arthur, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot and Stephen Dillane as Merlin, are not household names, Disney also unveiled four 15-second spots this week devoted to each of the pic's central characters, who are more recognizable. The studio has already spent $3 million on foldout poster inserts in Los Angeles and New York newspapers. Disney did the same last summer to promote "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." Disney needs "King Arthur" to conquer the B.O. After a string of big-budget disappointments this year with "The Alamo," "Hidalgo" and "Home on the Range," the studio is eager for a hit. However, the spotlight on Knightley's Guinevere is a little ironic. In the original script, the character doesn't make her entrance until page 55. After changes made after test screenings, she now appears 40 minutes into the film, after seven other major characters have been introduced.

The new P&P will go beyond arthouse, I predict. They're putting big bucks into it. ****************** Keira Knightley becomes UK's second highest paid actress! Washington | May 22, 2004 3:16:10 PM IST Film actress Keira Knightley has signed a massive money deal to play the all time favourite romantic heroine. The 'Bend It Like Beckham" actress will be paid a staggering eight million dollars to portray the character of the headstrong Elizabeth Bennett in the silver screen adaptation of Jane Austin's classic novel 'Pride and Prejudice'. According to TeenHollywood, the lucrative deal makes Keira Britain's second highest paid actress after 'The Mask of Zorro' star, Catherine Zeta Jones.

The studio has already spent $3 million on foldout poster inserts in Los Angeles and New York newspapers. They've gone beyond that; all the Philly papers had them too. Disney's total marketing costs for this one will be staggering. I'm guessing well over $50 million. I noted their emphasis on KK weeks ago when the first posters came out with her front and center. Anyway, I'll go see it; I love big, historical epic pics, especially in the summer.

From THR today: Woody Allen to shoot a film in the U.K. LONDON -- Filmmaker Woody Allen has collected together a who's who of youthful British acting talent for his next project with Kate Winslet, Emily Mortimer and Jonathan Rhys Meyers signed up to star, the film's producers said Thursday. The as-yet-untitled project is backed by BBC Films and will be sold internationally by London-based HanWay Films. It is scheduled to shoot entirely on location in and around London in July and August this year. No budget was given. Written and to be directed by Allen, the project marks the legendary New Yorker's first sojourn to the U.K. to shoot a movie, producers say. Letty Aronson, Lucy Darwin and Gareth Wiley will produce the film, which will be executive produced by Stephen Tenenbaum. Other financial backers alongside BBC Films are Magic Hour Media, Thema Production and Invicta Capital. The Bank of Ireland is the principal bank for the project. "I'm very excited about the prospect of making a film in London. I have a great admiration for English actors and actresses and have used them at every opportunity over the years, but now I won't have to import them to New York," Allen said in a statement. "My family and I love the idea of spending the summer here. I only hope I can live up to the high standards of British movies I grew up with." (Stuart Kemp)

Thanks for the articles grisl . . Saw a trailer for KA on TV . .hasn't caught my fancy . .truly love the story and am wondering how this blockbuster has treated it . . . Hey Woody . .there's another rather talented English actor you should add to you list . .even lives in the area!!!!

Woody Allen has collected together a who's who of youthful British acting talent Maybe one of the youthful characters needs a kindly uncle? Or a madcap middle-aged neighbor? Goofy 40-ish co-worker who says the darnedest things?;-) ;-)

The buzz around is that it's Bee's Birthday!!

From one of the skits that was cut on SNL

As keeps mistress (such a hard job lately;-)), y'all know that whenever it's someone's birthday, I try to find pics to all her keeps. Well, it's BEE's birthday today...and lemme tell ya, her keeps have not been the easiest to find;-D! Take for instance Matthew's cup...searched 8 sites, only found 2 pics and 1 didn't even work hehheh..I did find one though;-) Fever Pitch....could not find Paul's fizzies anywhere ahhh but those lips on that bottle!! I know this one won't work but you know the thought is there;-D Henry's earring from the 80's! Oh, this one was fun...one brief shot..not even the whole earring... and OH, that wig, Louisa! Jaime's headset....ugh, no clear pic whatsoever.. "Feliz Navidad, Bee";-) And then...The infamous packet of Embassys! Those invisible ciggies that aren't even there...where was I going to find those! Ahh well, hopefully this pic makes up for it;-)! Then before I tore my hair completely out...Bee's keep from SNL! The cigar...that lovely cigar! Now that one was easy.... uhmmm, I think;-D! Hope you're having a wonderful day, Bee! Happy Birthday!