July 12th
| Today's News | |
NAACP ACCUSES NETS OF "WHITEWASH"
The NAACP is taking on all the major TV networks for the first time for their depiction -- and non-depiction -- of blacks, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Monday). NAACP president Kwisi Mfume, in an address prepared for the opening of the 90th annual convention of the organization Sunday night, denounced the "Big 4" networks for virtually excluding blacks from roles in new programs scheduled for fall and claimed that their policies violated the 1934 Federal Communications Act. In an interview with The Times, Mfume said that he will ask Congress and the FCC to hold hearings on the matter. He indicated that the NAACP is also considering mounting a viewer boycott of the networks and of advertisers who "feel it is OK to advertise on these highly segregated shows."
The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:
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BROADCAST GROUP FINDS MAJOR FLAWS IN DIGITAL TV
Calling the current digital TV system, which came into use 9 months ago, seriously flawed, Sinclair Broadcast Group has begun a campaign to revise the format, the New York Times reported today (Monday). If successful, much of the digital equipment that broadcasters and consumers have already purchased would go the way of the Betamax and quad sound, the Times observed. Sinclair claims that reception in large buildings is often knocked out under the current system ("multipath distortion").
SEE THE SHOW, BUY THE RECORD
CBS is planning an intense marketing campaign with Universal's MCA Records to promote sales of the CD soundtrack album of Shake, Rattle, and Roll, a four-hour film scheduled for Nov. 7, the New York Times reported today (Monday). Jeremy Hammond, vice president and director of marketing for MCA Records told the newspaper, "If this show captures people's imaginations the way we hope it will, with CBS pushing it on television and MCA's marketing muscle behind it, we could sell millions of CDs."
FRANZ HAD BLUES OVER CARUSO
Dennis Franz has revealed that friction between himself and David Caruso had reached the point in 1994 that he would have quit the show if Caruso hadn't done so first. In an interview appearing in the current issue of TV Guide, Franz, without revealing the nature of the friction, commented: "The work process for me became not enjoyable. ... Life is too short to be that unhappy with something you should be loving"
KELLNER TO GO ON LINE TO DISCUSS BUFFY SLAYING
Jamie Kellner, CEO of the WB network, has agreed to go online to discuss his reasons for slaying the season finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer last May, Daily Variety reported today (Monday), At the time, Kellner said that it would have been "inappropriate" to air the episode -- in which students fight a huge serpent with bows and arrows hidden under their graduation robes -- in light of the Littleton, CO shootings. The discussion touched off an angry protest by fans of the show, particularly on the Internet, where the vitriol continues to this day. Kellner, who is set to guest on a live chat forum on AOL Tuesday between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, told Variety: "They [the fans] deserve to have their concerns addressed personally."
HOW HOCKENBERRY WANTED TO BOW OUT
When John Hockenberry got word last week that MSNBC was canceling his interview show, he briefly considered an exit that "probably would have gotten me fired," he told today's (Monday) Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'd completely dissemble, then using my acting skills, I'd start sobbing, pull out a toy handgun and put it in my mouth." And then, the phone would ring on cue and it would be former MSNBC talk-show host Keith Olbermann saying, "Remember one thing -- it's cable." And Hockenberry would remark, "You're right. Thank you, Keith." Hockenberry recalls that when he told his wife about plan, she responded, "John, work through a few more scenarios. And adjust your [medication]."
STRUGGLING UNI FIGURES PIE IS ITS JUST DESSERT
Universal's American Pie took in a big slice of the domestic box office over the weekend as it landed at No. 1, ahead of last week's big-budget Wild Wild West from Warner's. According to estimates released by Exhibitor Relations Sunday, the R-rated teen film earned $18.1 million, nearly twice what it cost to produce. Wild Wild West's box-office take, meanwhile, plunged more than 40 percent to $16.7 million. Close behind was the Adam Sandler comedy Big Daddy, which earned $16.3 million, to push its 14-day total past the $100 million mark. The Jeff Bridges-Tim Robbins starrer Arlington Road debuted in sixth place with just $7.4 million, a disappointment considering the fact that many analysts had predicted it would be the big winner. (The film had also received mostly exceptional reviews on Friday.) Overall, the box office, which had been setting new records almost steadily over the past several weeks, was off more than 7 percent from a year ago, with the top 12 films earning only $108 million. Meanwhile, legions of Star Wars loyalists who continue to return to the film week after week, shelled out another $7.4 million over the weekend to see it, to bring its two-month total to $385 million.
1 American Pie, Universal, $18.1 million; 2 Wild Wild West, Warner, $17.2 million; 3 Big Daddy, Sony, $16.3 million; 4 Tarzan, Disney, $11.3 million; 5 The General's Daughter, Paramount, $8.1 million; 6 Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Fox, $7.7 million; 7 Arlington Road, Sony, $7.4 million; 8 South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Paramount, $7.1 million; 9 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, New Line, $6.5 million; 10 Summer of Sam, Disney, $3.4 million.
WILL KATZENBERG RUN UNIVERSAL?
DreamWorks principal Jeffrey Katzenberg has denied persistent rumors that a merger between his company and Seagram's Universal is in the works. The current issue of Newsweek quotes Katzenberg as describing the rumors as "pure fiction." It also quotes a Universal exec as saying, "We're all very good friends. We have 'what if?' conversations [about a merger]. We wish they would become discussions." Nevertheless, another unnamed top executive at Universal indicated that a merger is likely with Katzenberg ending up as head of the studio. "I fully expect to be working for Jeffrey one of these days," the exec said.
MATRIX SEQUELS TO BE FILMED, RELEASED BACK-TO-BACK
Keanu Reeves has been signed to appear in two sequels to The Matrix, to be filmed in Australia, the Sydney Sunday Telegraph reported. In a break with ordinary production and marketing practices, the two films are expected to be shot back-to-back with a cliff-hanger in the first film leading to a finale in the second, which will be released "within months" of the first one. The two films, currently titled Matrix 2 and Matrix 3, will be produced by Warner Bros. and Australia's Village Roadshow at the new Fox Studios in Sydney, the newspaper said.
RINGS IS GIVEN A TITANIC BUDGET
After analyzing production cost projections, New Line Cinema has agreed to increase the budget for the film version of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings to $190 million, which will make it the most expensive film ever produced with the exception of Titanic, the Wellington, NZ Sunday Star-Times reported. Work on the film has already approached a frenetic pace, the newspaper indicated. "You can't get a carpenter in Wellington for love nor money," a film technician told the Star-Times. Meanwhile, New Line has confirmed that Elijah Wood has been cast in the key role of the hobbit Frodo Baggins. The Hollywood Reporter reported today (Monday) that Sean Astin will play Baggins' servant, Sam Gamgee.
STAR WARS VOTED MOST FAVORITE FILM
Underscoring the differences between ordinary filmgoers and critics over what constitutes a memorable film, a vote by 162,000 subscribers to the British Sky Premier movie channel has selected the original Star Wars as Britain's all-time favorite film. Titanic was second, followed by Gone With the Wind, Casablanca and It's a Wonderful Life. Citizen Kane, which topped an American "all-time favorite" list a year ago, ranked 41 on the British one. David Attenborough, described as the "patron of the poll," called the results "surprising," and, in an interview with today's (Monday) London Times, remarked, "It shows -- and the film industry should perhaps take note -- that the public wants to be entertained." But Sky Premier host and film critic Barry Norman, who conceived the poll, denounced the results as a "disgrace."
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