News for 9/20/2004


Grim drama 'Hotel Rwanda' is honored

By Harlan Jacobson
Special for USA TODAY


TORONTO — Moviegoers voted Hotel Rwanda, director Terry George's harrowing story of a hotel manager who sheltered 1,000 Tutsis from slaughter in 1994 Rwanda, the AGF People's Choice Award winner.

Unlike other major festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival has no film competition. The award from Toronto moviegoers could boost a movie that despite a grim topic is ennobling and is fodder for Academy Award consideration.

The past two People's Choice awards went to Zatoichi in 2003 and Whale Rider in 2002.

In Rwanda, Don Cheadle gives a career-making performance as the hotel manager, a reluctant hero who keeps the Tutsis in his hotel to protect them from slaughter by Hutu extremists until the refugees can be evacuated. Joaquin Phoenix plays a journalist, and Nick Nolte is head of U.N. peacekeeping forces.

The film adds a human dimension to a story that has been underreported by the Western media. Hotel Rwanda arrives in U.S. theaters on Dec. 25, prime timing for awards season.

Cheadle appeared in three films at the festival, Hotel Rwanda, director Paul Haggis' Crash, a cyclical Los Angeles-set crime melodrama, and The Assassination of Richard Nixon, starring Sean Penn as a man who attempts to kill the president.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Sky Captain' Tops Box Office With $16.2M

By ALEX VEIGA
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - The debut flight of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" landed the No. 1 weekend box office spot with an estimated $16.2 million amid an overall lackluster turnout at theaters.

The $70 million, film-noir-styled fantasy starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie cast its live actors against digitally animated giant robots on a backdrop of 1930s New York.

The film was originally slated to debut during the summer blockbuster season, but distributor Paramount pushed back the opening amid post-production delays.

"You gotta figure, with a project like this, you don't know what the response is going to be from the audience," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. "I think they maximized the potential of the movie by taking it out of the summer and putting it here because it was the only way it was going to be No. 1."

Wayne Lewellen, Paramount's head of distribution, acknowledged the film might have drawn a larger opening audience as a summer release.

"Absolutely. You have a larger audience in summer than in the fall," Lewellen said. "I thought we had a great date in June prior to the opening of ("Spider-Man 2"). Unfortunately, they couldn't deliver the picture."

The film drew a largely older audience, according to studio tracking, which estimated 70 percent of viewers were over 25. About 55 percent of the audience was male, Paramount said.

"Just the look of the picture, the kind of retro look, probably had an appeal to an older audience," Lewellen said, adding that he hopes the film will attract younger audiences in the coming weeks.

Two other debut films broke into the box office top 10.

"Mr. 3000," a baseball comedy starring Bernie Mac, grabbed the No. 2 spot with a $9.2 million. "Wimbledon," a romantic comedy starring Kirsten Dunst as a rising tennis player who falls for a fading tennis star played by British actor Paul Bettany, grabbed the No. 4 spot with $7.8 million.

Mac plays a retired, egotistical baseball star trying to make a comeback. It's the first leading film role for Mac, who stars in his own television show and has played several supporting characters in films like "Ocean's 11" and "Head of State."

"For Bernie Mac it's solid, in the context of the time of year and how the box office has been in a slump," Dergarabedian said.

Zombie attack fest "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," starring Milla Jovovich as a bath-towel-wearing heroine, earned $9 million, a 61 percent tumble from its No. 1 debut last weekend.

"It's a pretty normal drop for the genre," said Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Sony Pictures.

"Wimbledon" appealed mostly to female viewers under 30, according to tracking by Universal Pictures.

"It's not a disappointment for us," said Paul Pflug, spokesman for the studio. "It's a movie that opened well, and we believe it will have some playability in the United States."

Overall traffic at movie theaters was down over the weekend. Viewership for the top 10 movies saw a decline of more than 25 percent compared to a year ago, when "Underworld" led the box office, Dergarabedian said.

1. "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," $16.2 million.
2. "Mr. 3000," $9.2 million.
3. "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," $9 million.
4. "Wimbledon," $7.8 million.
5. "Cellular," $6.87 million.
6. "Without a Paddle," $3.7 million.
7. "Hero," $2.95 million.
8. "Napoleon Dynamite," $2.4 million.
9. "Collateral," $2.3 million.
10. "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," $2 million.



News for 9/13/2004


In the Future: Danny Glover

Source: Edward Douglas


While in New York to help local unions protest the Republican National Convention, actor Danny Glover sat down with ComingSoon.net to talk about some of the upcoming films in his busy schedule. Not only is he appearing in Queen Latifah's new comedy The Cookout, which comes out today, but in October, he plays a police detective chasing down a serial killer who plays sick games with his victims in James Wan's Saw.

When asked about doing another "Lethal Weapon" movie, he scoffed at the idea, putting the final nail in the coffin of the successful franchise. "It's an oxymoron to some extent. Whether there's going to be 'Lethal Weapon' movie, I mean, I know that there's not going to be another one, so to fascinate over that… It had its life and it was a part of my life at one point in time. To say that if it came again, would I do it is like saying…" (While he couldn't come up with an analogy, it seemed pretty clear that it wasn't very likely to happen.)

One project that Glover has already filmed is the upcoming movie from controversial Danish director Lars Von Trier called Manderlay. "It's going to be a movie that will create a lot of dialogue," he told us. "It's a European's vision to some extent of what he sees and how he looks at American values, and sometimes, within those values, the hypocrisy. I think he's making a trilogy about the U.S. and 'Dogville' was the first in the trilogy, 'Manderlay' was the second and there is going to be a third part of it. I've seen 'Dogville' and watched a couple of his other films, and I like him. I think it was a fascinating process of filmmaking and directing, and I think it's going to be quite interesting."

In the last few years, Glover has been very politically active in aiding third world countries like Sudan, Venezuela and Haiti, so we wondered if he ever thought about getting more involved on the documentary side of filmmaking. "There are documentary films about Haiti and I've supported documentary filmmakers, not only in terms of providing narration services, but also giving money to them." Coincidentally, he is also currently developing a film about the 18th Century Haitian Revolution and its leader Toussaint Louverture, which he hopes to direct in the next year.

The Cookout opens in theatres nationwide today; Saw opens on October 29.



Lions Gate Picks Up Crash

Source: Lions Gate Films


Lions Gate Films has acquired all North American distribution rights from Bob Yari Productions, DEJ Productions Inc. and Bull's Eye Entertainment to Crash, the much buzzed about American feature film debut of acclaimed director Paul Haggis, it was announced today by Tom Ortenberg, President of Lions Gate Films Releasing.

Based on a screenplay written by Haggis and Robert Moresco, the film was financed by DEJ Productions Inc., ApolloProScreen and The Yari Film group. Crash is produced by Bull's Eye Entertainment's partners Cathy Schulman and Bob Yari as well as Don Cheadle, Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco and Mark R. Harris. Executive producers are DEJ Production's Andrew Reimer, Bull's Eye Entertainment's Tom Nunan and ApolloProScreen's Jan Korbellin and Marina Grasic. The film made its world premiere on September 10 to a standing room only crowd during the 29th Annual Toronto International Film Festival.

"Paul Haggis has delivered a provocative and striking feature film debut, which could not be timelier in this period of heightened race relations sensitivity and post 9/11 angst," said Ortenberg. "We are proud to be releasing what we feel is one of the most thought-provoking dramas in some time, with an incredibly talented and diverse ensemble cast," added Peter Block, President of Acquisitions, Co-Production and Television.

"I am thrilled that 'Crash' has found its distribution home with Lions Gate and that it occurred during the Toronto International Film Festival, this is a homecoming for me," stated the Canadian born Haggis. "This was a film that could not have come to fruition without the support and commitment of all of the producers and executive producers, but most importantly, it could not have come to life without the outstanding performances of each and every cast member. Their ability to come to grips with their own fears and internal struggles with hate and difference allowed us to create a film that I hope will resonate with everyone that sees it."

The deal was negotiated for Lions Gate by Block, Jason Constantine, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Ortenberg as well as Neil Sacker, COO of The Yari Film Group, on behalf of The Yari Film Group and Bull's Eye Entertainment, Andrew Reimer, President, DEJ Productions Inc and CAA. Sales in the foreign market are being handled by David Glasser and Lisa Wilson of Syndicate Films.

Crash is a deeply-felt meditation on hope and redemption in the wake of tragedy and loss of faith. The film's ensemble cast includes Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichter, Brendan Fraser, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillipe, and Larenz Tate. Directed by Paul Haggis, from a screenplay by Haggis and Bobby Moresco from a story by Haggis, produced by Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris, Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis. Executive produced by Andrew Reimer, Tom Nunan, Jan Korbellin and Marina Grasic.



Weekend Boxoffice

'Resident Evil' Sequel Tops Box Office

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN
The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES - The undead came alive once more over the weekend as "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" debuted at No. 1 at the box office, bringing in $23.7 million.

The sequel to 2002's "Resident Evil," based on a video game series about shooting apart shuffling, bio-poisoned zombie attackers, follows hits like last year's remake of "Dawn of the Dead" and the zombie art-house thriller "28 Days Later," which reinvigorated the genre.

Overall, however, it was a slow week for new releases as most kids headed back to school and the big-budget blockbusters of summer evaporated in favor of B-movie-style thrillers and monster movies.

The suspense drama "Cellular," with Kim Basinger as a kidnapping victim who makes a random phone call to a cell phone and pleads with a stranger to find her, opened at No. 2 with $10.6 million.

"'Cellular' did OK, but every other movie was just treading water behind 'Resident Evil,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co.

"Resident Evil: Apocalypse" stars Milla Jovovich as Alice, a bath-towel wearing, butt-kicking security chief who tries to help a group of survivors escape a zombified metropolis before the city of ghouls is annihilated by a nuclear strike.

With its miniskirted heroines and gooey guts-a-plenty, "Apocalypse" appealed mainly to guys under the age of 25.

"Certainly this is an adaptation from a game, so it has its own audience," said Rory Bruer, distribution chief for Sony, which released the film. "The zombies aspect of it is just fun."

Bruer also credited the marketing campaign, which featured early teaser trailers that had little to do with the action-horror theme. One trailer appeared to be an ad for a genetically engineered moisturizing lotion that promises to regenerate dead skin cells - the product that causes the mayhem in the films.

"These movies come out of nowhere and do big business and everybody is caught off guard, but we really shouldn't be," said Dergarabedian. "These horror thrillers always make a killing at the box office. ... They're not trying to woo the critics with this move. It's about commerce."

The rest of the top 10 were holdovers from previous weeks. "Napoleon Dynamite," a weird little independent comedy about a weird little guy and his friends, was notable for hanging in at No. 9 after 14 weeks in theaters. Most movies drop out after about three weeks.

The top 12 movies grossed $64.7 million, about 11 percent lower than the same weekend last year, when "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" led the box office.

1. "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," $23.7 million.
2. "Cellular," $10.6 million.
3. "Without a Paddle," $4.6 million.
4. "Hero," $4.4 million.
5. "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," $2.93 million.
6. "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," $2.90 million.
7. "Vanity Fair," $2.74 million.
8. "Collateral," $2.70 million.
9. "Napoleon Dynamite," $2.65 million.
10. "Paparazzi," $2.60 million.



News for 9/1/2004


Prince-Bythewood Knows Much is True

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Love & Basketball writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood will helm and rewrite Fox 2000's I Know This Much Is True, based on the Wally Lamb novel.

The novel spans several generations and focuses on identical twins, one a paranoid schizophrenic and the other a normal house painter who is trying to get his brother released from an asylum. The story follows their family history, what led to the illness and the twins' turbulent relationship.

Prince-Bythewood also directed Disappearing Acts and Damn Whitey



Murphy in Untitled DreamWorks Comedy

Source: Variety


Eddie Murphy is starring in and likely producing an untitled comedy for DreamWorks, reports Variety. Writers Josh Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia pen the film.

The project is described as a Western comedy like Blazing Saddles. That 1974 Mel BrooksMel Brooks film was about a corrupt political boss who hires a black sheriff in order to ruin a Western town, only to watch the sheriff promptly become his worst adversary.

Sternin and Ventimilia also wrote DreamWorks' upcoming comedy Surviving Christmas, starring Ben Affleck, and It's Not You, It's Me, a romantic comedy being developed at Paramount.

Murphy next turns his attention to Daddy Day Camp, the sequel to the hit comedy Daddy Day Care.



Weekend Boxoffice


'Hero' Tops Box Office, Earning $17.8M

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Hero," Jet Li's acclaimed martial-arts epic, vanquished giant snakes, serial killers and a gang of superbabies to debut as the top weekend film with $17.8 million.

"Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," a sequel to 1997's monster-serpent flick, opened in second place with $13.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The weekend's other new movies debuted weakly. The serial-killer tale "Suspect Zero," starring Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley and Carrie- Anne Moss, came in at No. 10 with $3.4 million.

"Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2," a follow-up to the 1999 kid flick, finished at No. 11 with $3.3 million.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "Exorcist: The Beginning," tumbled to fifth-place with $6.7 million, a steep 63 percent drop from its $18.1 million debut.

Overall, the top 12 movies grossed $84.7 million, virtually unchanged over the same weekend a year ago.

With Hollywood's summer season wrapping up over Labor Day weekend, the industry will finish slightly ahead of summer 2003's revenue record of $3.9 billion. But factoring in higher admission prices, the number of tickets sold will lag a bit behind last summer's.

"Hero," nominated for the foreign-language Academy Award for 2002, is director Zhang Yimou's saga of China some 2,000 years ago. The film stars Li, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Dao Ming, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Donnie Yen, a lineup of Asian superstars that distributor Miramax calls the "`Ocean's Eleven' of Chinese films."

"It obviously hit a nerve and certainly bodes well for Chinese films and foreign-language films," said Rick Sands, chief operating officer at Miramax, which opened "Hero" in 2,031 theaters, unusually wide for a foreign-language movie. "We believed in the movie and went for it."

Presented in Mandarin with English subtitles, "Hero" twists through several retellings of an assassination plot against the ruthless leader of Qin, who seeks to subjugate China's other six kingdoms and became the land's first emperor. The stories, character motivations and even color schemes change with each retelling as the film weaves toward the ultimate truth of events.

Critics raved over the cinematography, romance, lush imagery and glorious fight sequences, whose balletic grace rivals that of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the 2000 martial-arts hit.

"We talk about the dog days of August, but maybe these are the days of opportunity for certain types of films to do well after the blockbuster onslaught of early summer," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "This is a time when competition is a lot less fierce, and a movie like 'Hero' can take advantage of that."

1. "Hero," $17.8 million.

2. "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid," $13.2 million.

3. "Without a Paddle," $8.7 million.

4. "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," $8.1 million.

5. "Exorcist: The Beginning," $6.7 million.

6. "Collateral," $6.3 million.

7. "Open Water," $5 million.

8. "Alien vs. Predator," $4.8 million.

9. "The Bourne Supremacy," $4.6 million.

10. "Suspect Zero," $3.4 million.



News for 8/25/2004


Denzel Washington Helming Great Debaters

Source: MTV


While it was previously reported that Denzel Washington would next direct the life story of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., he tells MTV that he is instead directing The Great Debaters for Miramax. The film is based on a true story about an all-black high school debate team in 1935.

The Manchurian Candidate star, who made his directorial debut on 2002's Antwone Fisher, will instead serve in a producer capacity for the Sammy Davis Jr. project.

Washington has hired Wil Haygood to adapt his biography, "In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr." The film will start with Davis at age 4, when he first began singing and dancing with his father on the vaudeville circuit. "It's not just all through his life. It's really about the relationship with him and [mentor] Will Maston and his father."

Later this month, Denzel begins shooting the crime drama Tru Blu with his Training Day director Antoine Fuqua about the real-life Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas who grew to power in the 1970's before working with the police.

Also on Washington's plate is the Alcon-based Brothers in Arms, a David Chisolm-scripted account of the all-black 761st tank battalion in World War II, based on a book by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton.



Ashanti, Latifah & Tarantino in Muppets Movie

Source: The Hollywood Reporter


Singer/actress Ashanti is set and Queen Latifah is in final talks to star in ABC's original movie tentatively titled The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. Also set to appear in the Muppet take on the classic L. Frank Baum novel is Quentin Tarantino, who will play himself.

Kirk R. Thatcher, who directed NBC's successful Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002, is on board to helm the family film, which will air as part of the Wonderful World of Disney franchise.



Wayans Bringing Munsters Back to Life

Source: Variety


Keenen Ivory, Shawn and Marlon Wayans have made a deal with Universal Pictures to write and produce a modern-day take on The Munsters for Universal Pictures, reports Variety.

The Wayans brothers don't intend to star in the film, which will give Herman, Lily, Grandpa, Marilyn and Eddie Munster a new lease on life. Keenen Ivory may direct the film.

Produced by Universal Television from 1964-66, The Munsters is the story of a suburban family that resembles an assortment of 1930s movie monsters and can't understand why they always seem to frighten the neighbors.



The Untouchables Prequel Writers Named

Source: Variety


Paramount has hired screenwriters David Levien and Brian Koppelman - who just rewrote Brett Ratner's Josiah's Canon - to write The Untouchables: Capone Rising a prequel to the 1987 film to be directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, King Arthur).

The film will center on Capone and the early version of Irish cop Jimmy Malone, who is as crooked as every other Chicago cop until Capone becomes king of the underworld.

"The film starts on the eve of Capone's arrival, and while Malone wasn't the most corrupt cop, he operated at a time when every cop was on the take," Levien told the trade. "Once he crosses paths with Capone, he sees a level of violence and criminality that causes him to have a moral awakening."

"This period of Capone's life hasn't been done since the movies of the '40s and '50s," Koppelman added. "Sherry Lansing and Donald De Line said feel free to come up with the most compelling, dark, violent and complicated guy you've ever seen."



Black actors are getting a bigger piece of the action

By Calvin Wilson
Of the Post-Dispatch


It's been a long time coming, but the age of the black action hero is here.

Sure, Halle Berry, Will Smith and Denzel Washington are hardly new faces. And black actors have been involved in screen mayhem for some time now. Still, this summer, five high-profile films feature African-Americans in starring roles.

And each is the sort of popcorn picture that studios depend on to stay in business.

Berry in "Catwoman," Smith in "I, Robot," Washington in "The Manchurian Candidate," Jamie Foxx in "Collateral" and Sanaa Lathan in "Alien vs. Predator" - all of these films are aimed at a mass audience that once seemed beyond the reach of black actors.

One might argue that "Catwoman" proved to be more infamous than lucrative, "I, Robot" attracted only so-so business for a Smith flick, and "The Manchurian Candidate" failed to earn many box-office votes. Doesn't matter.

What happened this summer may well be, to paraphrase singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, the fitful dream of a greater awakening. Although the options available to black actors are still in some ways limited, the major obstacles seem to be crumbling.

Aside from occasional exceptions, such as Wesley Snipes' "Blade" films, fantastical action flicks have mostly starred white actors. And it's still surprisingly rare to see African-Americans in lead roles in political thrillers such as "The Manchurian Candidate" (a remake of the 1962 classic) and crime flicks such as "Collateral."

Does this signify a major change in American racial attitudes? Perhaps. Does it indicate Hollywood's willingness to view black actors - and, by extension, other actors of color - in a less restrictive way? Maybe.


"Big Willie Weekend"


Smith has long since proven his popularity at the multiplexes, with hits including "Men in Black," "Independence Day" and "Enemy of the State." His appeal seems to transcend racial considerations - black and white audiences alike respond to his youthful humor and streetwise demeanor. Smith's films, which tend to be summer releases, usually open to such strong box-office demand that there's a phrase to describe the phenomenon: "Big Willie Weekend."

"I, Robot," the latest blockbuster starring the rapper-turned-actor, has something of a transitional feel. Loosely based on stories by the late Isaac Asimov, it's a science-fiction flick set in the future, when robots constitute a sort of second-class citizenry. Although the emphasis is on action, the tone is darker than might be expected for a "Big Willie" entry. Smith, who turns 36 next month, portrays robot-hating cop Del Spooner not as an arrested adolescent but as an adult who's attempting to hold on to the humor and spontaneity of his youth. The film seems designed to ease Smith into more mature roles without alienating longtime fans who failed to turn out for "Ali" (2001).

It's probably too early to tell whether Berry, who won an Oscar for her performance in the independent film "Monster's Ball" (2001) and portrays Storm in "X-Men" films, can become a star of Smith's magnitude. "Catwoman," her attempt at a name-above-the-title franchise, pleased neither the critics nor the popcorn crowd, opening weakly against "The Bourne Supremacy." It's debatable whether her minimalist Catwoman costume helped or hurt the film's box-office performance.

Berry is in the uncomfortable position of being a test case for whether an African-American actress can achieve the success of a Julia Roberts or a Nicole Kidman. As such, her every career move comes under unusual scrutiny - from baring her breasts in "Swordfish" (2001) to playing the romantic interest of sexagenarian Warren Beatty in "Bulworth" (1998).

There's little doubt that Berry is a unique screen presence. Obviously, she's beautiful, but she possesses another quality that's perhaps more important: likability. Her ability to elicit audience empathy was just about the only thing that last year's "Gothika," a woefully mediocre horror film, had going for it.

Equally likable is Lathan, who makes "Alien vs. Predator" something more than a monster-a-rama. As adventurer Alexa "Lex" Woods, she's smart, athletic and courageous - qualities that are quite useful when you're up against terrifying creatures who are highly skilled at killing humans. And as fans of the "Alien" franchise will be quick to pick up on, Lathan's character is effectively a stand-in for Ripley, the no-nonsense space warrior famously embodied by Sigourney Weaver.

It's a different role for Lathan, who is best known for starring in the romantic comedies "Brown Sugar" (2002) and "Love & Basketball" (2000). But she brings a certain class to an otherwise absurd scenario, outrunning fireballs while maintaining her cool. And she does it all without modeling a peek-a-boo costume.

True, "Alien vs. Predator" is little more than shock schlock. But Alexa "Lex" Woods does for multiculturalism what Ripley did for feminism. It's also likely that the film's $38.2 million opening weekend will enhance Lathan's standing in Hollywood.

Despite the disappointing box-office returns for "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Collateral," Washington and Foxx have consolidated their positions among the leading male African-American actors working today. Each turns in Oscar-caliber work - Washington as a tormented Gulf War veteran who uncovers a corporate plot to gain control of the White House, and Foxx as a cab driver who must cope with a hellacious night on the job as he drives a contract killer (Tom Cruise) around Los Angeles.


Blaxploitation to buddy films


It's hard to believe that, only a half-century ago, about the only black actor who even approached household-name status was Sidney Poitier.

Arguably, it was the rise of the "blaxploitation" film in the 1970s that began to change Hollywood's attitude toward the black actors and audiences. Like director Melvin Van Peebles' more explicitly political "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" (1971), low-budget "blaxploitation" films were aimed at moviegoers who were tired of seeing themselves depicted as tangential, and often racially offensive, characters. Accordingly, such films scored big at the box office.

"Shaft" (1971), a crime thriller that focused on a Harlem detective and was directed by noted photographer Gordon Parks, was typical of the genre. Sexy and dangerous, the title character (played by Richard Roundtree) was definitely something different in big-screen portrayals of black males. This version of the "black private dick" even indulged in sexual liaisons with white women - in contrast to the Shaft played by Samuel L. Jackson in the 2000 film, whose sexuality was curiously subdued.

Not surprisingly, the original "Shaft" inspired not only several sequels (including a television spinoff) but also plenty of imitators that sought to tap into an underserved audience. Some blaxploitation films, such as the drug-pusher drama "Super Fly" (1972), elicited negative response from moviegoers who preferred not to see the more unseemly aspects of African-American life committed to celluloid.

By the 1980s, Hollywood had found a way to bring black and white audiences together, through a genre that came to be known as the "buddy film." The formula called for the buddies - one black, one white - to be thrown together in a stressful situation, only to emerge triumphant after coming to terms with their differences, and perhaps learning something. Crime flicks provided perfect settings for such "Odd Couple"-style shenanigans.

"48 Hrs." (1982) represented the genre at its best, with Nick Nolte playing a no-nonsense, somewhat bigoted cop who teams up with a highly excitable career criminal played by "Saturday Night Live" favorite Eddie Murphy. With its combination of action and comedy, the film was a big hit - making Murphy a movie star while indicating a strategy for mainstreaming black actors to white moviegoers.

By the time the original "Lethal Weapon" (1987) was released, the formula had evolved significantly - at least from a racial perspective. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), the white cop, was the excitable one; Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), his black partner, was the no-nonsense family man.


Beyond mainstream attention


In retrospect, it seems no less than reasonable that black actors, having proven their bankability alongside white stars, would eventually achieve above-the-title stardom on their own. Undeniably, it's progress that African-American actors are now being showcased in big-budget summer movies. But such films have their constraints. Critics praise them, but largely as pleasant time-wasters, and they're seldom remembered come Oscar time. Such reservations even apply to "The Manchurian Candidate" - a well-crafted and certainly topical film that is nonetheless, when it comes right down to it, a thriller with pretensions.

In contrast, the much-maligned, commercially disappointing "Catwoman" contained at least one element that may signal a new direction for films starring African-Americans and other actors of color. Berry's character, whose personality is split between the rough-and-ready Catwoman and the painfully shy artist Patience Phillips, has a tentative romance with a cop played by Latino actor Benjamin Bratt. Their scenes together may not qualify as classic cinema, but they're significant simply because it's so seldom that would-be blockbusters depict people of color as being involved in something so magically mundane as falling in love.

But it's not just about romance. Actors of color deserve to be seen performing in every film genre imaginable, including so-called serious dramas. Because it's also not simply about getting laughs or dodging bullets.

Yes, in recent years, more actors of color have begun to garner mainstream attention. But that's still not enough.

It's the 21st century, and this is a changing America. And it shouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that audiences - regardless of race, creed, ethnicity or sports affiliation - are waiting to see something really different on the silver screen.



Weekend Boxoffice

'Exorcist' Begins Big With $18.2 Million

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - God vs. Satan cast out space creatures at the box office. Demon thriller "Exorcist: The Beginning" debuted as the No. 1 weekend movie with $18.2 million, displacing "Alien vs. Predator," which tumbled to No. 4 with $12.5 million, studio estimates showed Sunday.

"Without a Paddle," a slapstick comedy about three pals on a canoe trip in search of treasure, opened in second place with $13.7 million.

After two strong weeks in limited release, the shark tale "Open Water" expanded nationwide and came in at No. 5 with $11.75 million, lifting its domestic total to $14.8 million.

Another popular limited-release flick, Zach Braff's romantic comedy "Garden State," also went into fairly wide release, taking the No. 10 spot with $3.2 million and pushing its total to $6.7 million.

"Exorcist: The Beginning," a prequel to the 1973 horror blockbuster "The Exorcist," stars Stellan Skarsgard as the priest of the original movie in his first encounter with the devil in late 1940s Africa.

Original star Liam Neeson departed after director John Frankenheimer dropped out. Skarsgard replaced Neeson and filmed the movie with director Paul Schrader, whose version was shelved by the producers as not scary enough.

Director Renny Harlin shot a second version, keeping Skarsgard but replacing other cast members and tweaking the story.

"We had so much baggage from the fact that two movies were shot and so many things had happened along the way. It created in the press the kind of perception that this is a troubled production," Harlin said. "While really, the shooting of this version was extremely smooth."

Though trashed by critics, Harlin's movie had solid appeal for horror fans, who typically turn out in droves on opening weekend.

"You can always count on horror films to do well," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "There's just this built-in audience base that loves this genre."

The movie could follow the same path as "Alien vs. Predator," whose $12.5 million second weekend was down a steep 67 percent from its opening gross.

Like "Alien vs. Predator" revenues, receipts for "Exorcist" dropped sharply from Friday to Saturday, a sign of poor word of mouth from early viewers. Most new movies do more business on their first Saturday than on Friday.

"Without a Paddle," starring Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard, played largely to the 21-and-younger crowd but, surprisingly, drew slightly more females than males. Distributor Paramount had expected the buddy comedy to score a mostly male audience.

The movie was another genre flick unaffected by its flogging from critics.

"Anytime you have sort of a lampoon comedy like this, this audience doesn't pay much attention to reviews," said Wayne Lewellen, Paramount head of distribution.

In limited release, actor Stephen Fry's directing debut on the Jazz- age satire "Bright Young Things" premiered strongly with $53,500 in three theaters. Based on Evelyn Waugh's novel "Vile Bodies," the film's ensemble cast includes Emily Mortimer, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Broadbent and Peter O'Toole.

1. "Exorcist: The Beginning," $18.2 million.
2. "Without a Paddle," $13.7 million.
3. "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," $13.2 million.
4. "Alien vs. Predator," $12.5 million.
5. "Open Water," $11.75 million.
6. "Collateral," $10.5 million.
7. "The Bourne Supremacy," $6.6 million.
8. "The Manchurian Candidate," $4.2 million.
9. "The Village," $3.7 million.
10. "Garden State," $3.2 million.



News for 8/16/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

'Alien vs. Predator' Gobbles Up Box Office

By David Germain
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES -- Movie-goers were easy prey for a double dose of space invaders.

The sci-fi smackdown "Alien vs. Predator," featuring the creatures of the "Alien" and "Predator" franchises, debuted as the No. 1 weekend movie with $38.25 million, studio estimates showed Sunday.

"Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews reprising their royal roles, opened in second place with a three-day gross of $23 million, pushing its total since premiering Wednesday to $37.2 million.

That was about on par with the $37.9 million "The Princess Diaries" took in over its entire first week in August 2001.

The new movies bumped the previous weekend's top film, Tom Cruise's "Collateral," to third place with $16 million.

The animated kid flick "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie," adapted from the TV cartoon show from Japan, debuted at No. 4 with $9.4 million.

"Alien vs. Predator," featuring Sanaa Lathan and "Aliens" and "Alien 3" co-star Lance Henriksen, centers on a human expedition that stumbles on a space-monster blood feud in an ancient pyramid buried below Antarctica.

The movie debuted slightly ahead of the $36.4 million debut of last summer's horror hybrid "Freddy vs. Jason," which paired the slashers of the "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchises.

"This continues the trend of combining franchises to very strong box-office results," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. "If you're a fan of the 'Alien' movies, you want to see this movie. If you're a fan of 'Predator," you want to see this movie."

Audiences shelled out $16.8 million to see "Alien vs. Predator" on Friday, but the movie's gross fell to $12.5 million Saturday, a steep 26 percent decline. Most new movies do better business on Saturday than Friday.

That's a sign that "Alien vs. Predator" could follow the pattern of "Freddy vs. Jason" and other horror tales, which tend to open well then plunge in subsequent weekends.

Still, "Freddy vs. Jason" topped out at a healthy $82.2 million domestically. Budgeted at $60 million, "Alien vs. Predator" would turn a solid profit for 20th Century Fox if it matches the gross of "Freddy vs. Jason."

Preceded by "Alien vs. Predator" video games, the movie drew a largely male audience, most younger than 25. To broaden its appeal, 20th Century Fox brought the movie in at a PG-13 rating, though the previous four "Alien" films and two "Predator" flicks had hard R ratings for violence.

"I don't think it's a cop-out at all," said Bruce Snyder, the studio's head of distribution. "This is based on a video game that did have a bit of a younger audience. There's a lot of action and violence, but most of it is creature to creature rather than creature to people."

In limited release, the domestic drama "We Don't Live Here Anymore," starring Laura Dern, Naomi Watts, Mark Ruffalo and Peter Krause, opened strongly with $106,000 in just seven theaters. The film expands to more theaters this Friday.
1. "Alien vs. Predator," $38.25 million.
2. "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," $23 million.
3. "Collateral," $16 million.
4. "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie," $9.4 million.
5. "The Bourne Supremacy," $8.3 million.
6. "The Village," $7 million.
7. "The Manchurian Candidate," $6 million.
8. "Little Black Book," $3.7 million.
9. "I, Robot," $3.6 million.
10. "Spider-Man 2," $3.4 million.



News for 7/11/2004


Weekend Boxoffice

'Spider-Man 2' Fends Off Ferrell, Arthur

By DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Spider-Man fended off an anchorman and a king at the weekend box office to hold on to its supremacy. "Spider-Man 2" took in $46 million in its second weekend, pushing its total to $257.3 million after just 12 days, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Will Ferrell's broadcast-news comedy "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" premiered a strong No. 2 with $28 million, but "King Arthur," starring Clive Owen, had a so-so opening of $15.2 million to come in third.

The weekend's other new wide release, the girl-power flick "Sleepover," debuted a weak No. 10 with $4.2 million.

Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" was a healthy holdover in its third weekend, at No. 4 with $11 million and raising its total to $80.1 million. Moore's assault on President Bush over the Sept. 11 attacks, "Fahrenheit 9/11" appears headed beyond $100 million, which would make it the first documentary to cross that mark.

Twelve days into its run, "Spider-Man 2" had grossed about $20 million more than the original "Spider-Man" had at the same point. That improves its chances of exceeding the $403.7 million total domestic take for "Spider-Man," the top-grossing movie of 2002.

"We're on the right path, but that's a big number. I wouldn't be comfortable saying anything beyond that," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, which released both "Spider-Man" movies. "I'm almost afraid to jinx it."

The solid opening of "Anchorman" follows Ferrell's holiday smash "Elf" last fall, lifting the former "Saturday Night Live" comedian to Hollywood's upper ranks.

"You can add him to the list of talent that can open a movie," said Jim Tharp, head of distribution for DreamWorks, which released "Anchorman."

"King Arthur," directed by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day") and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, opened on the same weekend that Bruckheimer's blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" debuted a year ago.

But since its Wednesday debut, "King Arthur" had taken in $23.6 million, just a third of the $70.6 million Wednesday-Sunday haul of "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"King Arthur," a different take on the Arthurian legends that drops the sword-and-sorcery themes and sets the story toward the end of Roman rule in Britain, is the latest in a string of anemic debuts for distributor Disney.

It follows such Disney commercial duds as "Around the World in 80 Days," "The Alamo," "Raising Helen" and "Home on the Range."

Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane said that like "Troy," a historical epic whose overseas revenues far outpaced its domestic gross, "King Arthur" should perform well internationally. Owen and co-star Keira Knightley have strong appeal in Europe, he said.

1. "Spider-Man 2," $46 million.
2. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," $28 million.
3. "King Arthur," $15.2 million.
4. "Fahrenheit 9/11," $11 million.
5. "The Notebook," $6.53 million.
6. "White Chicks," $6.5 million.
7. "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," $5.4 million.
8. "The Terminal," $5 million.
9. "Shrek 2," $4.5 million.
10. "Sleepover," $4.2 million.



Washington Directing Sammy Davis Jr. Biopic

Source: Variety


Variety reports that Denzel Washington will direct the life story of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have optioned screen rights to Wil Haygood's book "In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr."

The film will be produced by Imagine's Brian Grazer and Washington, who is not planning to act in the film. The two are currently working together on the crime drama Tru Blu, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Washington and Benicio Del Toro.

Haygood will write the first draft of the script based on his sprawling book that traces Davis' career back to age 4, when he began singing and dancing with his father on the vaudeville circuit.

Washington made his directorial debut on Antoine Fisher. On the acting side, he is eyeing The Great Debators, at Miramax and the Alcon-based Brothers in Arms, a David Chisolm-scripted account of the all-black 761st tank battalion in World War II, based on a book by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton.