Believer Takes Top Honors at Sundance

The top honor for dramas at the Sundance Film Festival went to The Believer, a grimly intense tale of a Jewish neo-Nazi skinhead. The film took the grand jury prize, when awards were presented Saturday night.The top winners enjoyed one last screening on Sunday as the 11-day independent-cinema showcase came to a close.

Other jury favorites included Southern Comfort, an intimate portrait of a dying female-to-male transsexual and his romance with a male-to-female transsexual, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a raucous musical adapted from the off-Broadway play about a rock singer struggling with her botched sex-change operation.

D'Angelo and Pacino Have Twins

Actress Beverly D'Angelo has given birth to twins, a boy and girl, fathered by her boyfriend, movie star Al Pacino, a spokeswoman for the couple told reporters on Friday. The twins, each weighing just over five pounds are healthy and doing fine with their parents in their Los Angeles home.

According to their publicist, D'Angelo (age 46), probably best known for her work in the Vacation films, has been together with the well known actor, Pacino, (age 60) for several years. The twins are D'Angelo's first children.

Kidman's Crew In A Panic

On Thursday, doctors encouraged actress Nicole Kidman to drop out of the cast of The Panic Room after she seriously reinjured her knee. Kidman had previously hurt her knee while working on the musical Moulin Rouge, and had not fully recovered before beginning this new project.

Rumor has it that Kidman's injury, happening only two weeks into filming, has got Columbia Pictures and the filmmakers in a bit of a panic. The studio rushed the project through the system in order to complete shooting before the impending actors strike this summer. Should Kidman choose to quit, the studio will have to figure out whether to make the movie with a replacement actress or hold off shooting until after the strike. January 22, 2001

Another Week For Dance

It was another lucrative weekend at the boxoffice as Paramount's Save the Last Dance kept the top spot for a second consecutive week, generating an estimated $16 million. Slipping a moderate 32% during its opening weekend, Dance added 309 theatres and raised its cume to about $46.9 million after its 10th day of release.

The weekend's top three films hold fast to the same positions from the previous week. Fox's Cast Away stays at number two with an estimated $11.3 million, for a grand total so far of $182.1 million, and USA Films' Traffic stays at number three with an estimated $8.2 million take, for an estimated cume of $48.5 million. Screen Gems' Snatch starring Brad Pitt debuted at number four with an estimated $7.6 million.

Gladiator, Almost Famous Take Top Honors at Globes

Gladiator was named best film drama and Cameron Crowe's rock-n-roll extravaganza Almost Famous took home best comedy at the 58th Annual Golden Globe Awards, making both films solid contenders in the race for this year's Oscars. This year's Cecil B. deMille award for lifetime achievement went to Al Pacino, who has won two Golden Globes as Best Actor (drama) for Scent of a Woman and Serpico. He also has been nominated for a Golden Globe 13 times, receiving Best Actor (drama) nominations for The Godfather,The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, Bobby Deerfield, And Justice For All, Scarface,Sea of Love, and The Godfather Part III. Pacino also received a Best Actor (comedy or musical) nomination for Author! Author! and Best Supporting Actor nominations for Dick Tracy and Glengarry Glen Ross.

The Golden Globes, given by 84 voting members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, brings out top celebrities and is seen as a precursor to the Oscars, the film industry's highest honors which are presented each March.

Entertainment Industry Anticipates Strike

Contract negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and producers could land actors back in a strike or signal an industrywide summer shutdown, according to Associated Press. The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios and independent companies will kick off the limited two-week negotiation before the WGA contract expires May 1.

The entertainment industry is anticipating the possibility of a walkout by screenwriters and actors, whose guild contracts end July 1. A strike would stop movie and TV production, with a disrupted fall television season the first fallout for consumers. Economists say the Los Angeles-area economy could be hit the hardest with losses of more than $400 million a week.

January 15, 2001

Smith Vs Smith

If you see Jada Pinkett Smith punching on hubby Will Smith in the near future, don't worry, its not a case of domestic violence. They're probably just rehearsing for their movie together, Ali, with Smith set to play boxer Muhammad Ali, and wife Jada will play (you guessed it) Ali's first wife Sonja.

Director Michael Mann (The Insider) will direct the Smiths in the $105 million film. Also starring in Ali are Jon Voight as sports commentator Howard Cosell and Mario Van Peebles as Malcolm X. Production got underway last week, and is scheduled for release next Christmas.

Basinger Seeks Divorce From Baldwin

Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger has decided to call it quits with actor Alec Baldwin. Basinger petitioned for divorce claiming the couple had irreconcilable differences in Los Angeles Superior Court, Friday. According to the court papers she filed, the couple have ben separated since last month.

The 47 year old actress, who won an Oscar for her role in L.A. Confidential is seeking physical custody of their 5-year-old daughter, Ireland. According to the court document, the two will share joint legal custody and Baldwin will get visitation rights. The couple was married in August 1993.

Palm Springs Film Festival Awards

The 12th Annual Palm Springs Film Festival awards gala honored actors Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage in Hollywood this past Saturday. Connery received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nicolas Cage received an achievement award, while the director's achievement prize went to Ridley Scott. Composer Randy Newman received a music award.

Other recipients included absentee cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, who won the award for his photography of Julie Taymor's Shakespearean tragedy Titus. January 8, 2001

Cult Classic Finally Sees Sequel

Nearly 20 years after its release, finally fans of the Disney sci-fi adventure Tron will get the high-tech sequel they've been waiting for. The original film, which costarred Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner, is about a video game programmer who makes his way into the computer to play the games he created from the inside. The next story is rumored to follow the doings of a hacker who weasels his way into cyberspace so he can pull off the ultimate hack.

Director Richard Jefferies is helping writer Steven Lisberger finish the script and plans to direct the sequel, which is still in the infant stages and does not have a production date set yet.

Movie Props Auctioned Online

Its been said that you can't buy your friends, but that must not be completely true. Someone bought Tom Hank's buddy "Wilson", his co-hort from Cast Away, which of course is actually a bloody handprint (that resembles a face) on a Wilson volleyball. The ball fetched an imressive $18,400 this last week in an auction of movie props online.

The part of "Wilson" is said to have actually been played by three different volleyballs, all of which will be sold. Other props from the film that were auctioned off included a pair of ice skates, which were sold for $1000.

The People Choose Gibson and Roberts

The favorite film actor awards went out to Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson on Sunday's People's Choice Awards. Roberts, who looks to be a possible Oscar contender for her smash Erin Brockovich was chosen as favorite female motion picture actress. Gibson, who brought us last year's Revolutionary War drama The Patriot as well as the huge hit romantic comedy What Women Want won the statue for male motion picture actor.

According to Reuters, the People's Choice Awards are chosen by a nationwide Gallup telephone poll, which uses a random sampling of 1,200 individuals. Fans are given no suggestions or nominees and can vote for any person or program they choose for each category.

Golden Globes Announce Nominees

The Golden Globe Awards is based on the world's most successful and best-known organization of foreign correspondents honoring outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television. The members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have announced their nominees for the 58th Annual Golden Globes Awards, which airs January 21, 2001.

Here is a list of those nominated in the film categories:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

• Billy Elliot
• Gladiator
• Sunshine
• Traffic
• Erin Brockovich
• Wonder Boys

  Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
  

• Almost Famous
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Chocolat
• Chicken Run
• Best in Show

  Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
  

• Renee Zellweger, Nurse Betty
• Juliette Binoche, Chocolat
• Brenda Blethyn, Saving Grace
• Sandra Bullock, Miss Congeniality
• Tracey Ullman, Small Time Crooks

  Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
  

• Jim Carrey, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• George Clooney, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Robert De Niro, Meet the Parents
• Mel Gibson, What Women Want
• John Cusack, High Fidelity

  Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

• Laura Linney, You Can Count On Me
• Bjork, Dancer in the Dark
• Joan Allen, The Contender
• Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
• Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream

  Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
  

• Tom Hanks, Cast Away
• Russell Crowe, Gladiator
• Javier Bardem, Before Night Falls
• Geoffrey Rush, Quills
• Michael Douglas, Wonder Boys

  Best Foreign Language Film
  

• The Widow of St. Pierre (France)
• Amores Perros (Mexico)
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan)
• Malena (Italy)
• The Hundred Steps (Italy)

  Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
  

• Julie Walters, Billy Elliot
• Catherine Zeta-Jones, Traffic
• Kate Hudson, Almost Famous
• Frances McDormand, Almost Famous
• Judi Dench, Chocolat

  Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

• Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator
• Benicio Del Toro, Traffic
• Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich
• Jeff Bridges, The Contender
• Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire

  Best Director - Motion Picture
  

• Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
• Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich
• Steven Soderbergh, Traffic
• Istvan Szabo, Sunshine
• Ridley Scott, Gladiator

  Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
  

• Doug Wright, Quills
• Steve Kloves, Wonder Boys
• Stephen Gaghan, Traffic
• Kenneth Lonergan, You Can Count On Me
• Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous

  Best Original Song - Motion Picture
  

• "I've Seen It All" from Dancer in the Dark
• "One in a Million" from Miss Congeniality
• "When You Come Back to Me Again" from Frequency
• "Things Have Changed" from Wonder Boys
• "My Funny Friend and Me" from The Emperor's New Groove

  Best Original Score - Motion Picture
  

• Tan Dun, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
• Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, Gladiator
• Maurice Jarre, Sunshine
• Rachel Portman, Chocolat
• Marty Stuart, Kristin Wilkinson and Larry Paxton, All the Pretty Horses
• Ennio Morricone, Malena

  January 2, 2001
  

  Actress Hudson Gets Hitched to Rocker Boyfriend

  After a year of dating, actress Kate Hudson and rock singer Chris Robinson tied the knot this past weekend. The lead singer of the Black Crowes married the daughter of Goldie Hawn in an evening wedding that was attended by around 70 people, including Hawn's significant other Kurt Russell. Russell gave the bride away as her father Bill Hudson was not on hand for the nuptials.

  This will be the first marriage for both.

  Ruffalo To Star With Redford

  A new film starring Robert Redford should begin shooting in mid-March. The Castle, a film about a convicted general, confined to a maximum security prison, who organizes an army from the men he is imprisoned with. Hot on the trail of the recent smash You Can Count On Me, Mark Ruffalo has just signed on for one of the leads in DreamWork's Castle.

  Set to be directed by Rod Lurie, a few of the lead roles for the film have yet to be cast. Ruffalo was recently given a nod of approval from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn, and is currently involved in a project for John Woo called Windtalkers with Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater.

  The Honorary Sir Spielberg

  Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has bestowed an honorary knighthood unto filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Spielberg, whose films include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Schindler's List will receive the honor in recognition of his contributions to Britain's film industry. Actual knighthood can only be bestowed upon British citizens, but the Queen feels Spielberg deserves the honor.

  Spielberg will be formally knighted January 29 at British Embassy in Washington, D.C., by British ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer.

  Arts Council To Honor Actor Dullea

  The Fairfield, Connecticut Arts Council decided the year 2001 is the perfect time to honor actor Keir Dullea, the man who played an astronaut who battled the computer HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey more than thirty years ago. A resident of Fairfield, Dullea will receive an award for Artist of the Year from the council later this month.

  Dullea has appeared in over 24 films and helped found the Theatre Artists Workshop of Westport, as well as performed in theater productions around the state.