Variety articles from July 1998

Variety archives from July 1998

Year 2000: as the world turns; U.S. showbiz ready to slurp pop siecle. (how the entertainment industry will make money from turn of the century)
July 27, 1998... HOLLYWOOD It'll be the biggest New Year's Eve in 1,000 years, and TV networks, movie studios and impresarios are trying to figure out how to make money from it. While the end of the last millennium began to close out the Dark Ages, the...

Globe makes party plans. (entertainment events for the year 2000)
July 27, 1998... LONDON After 2,000 years of Christian civilization, it comes down to this: When the chimes of midnight signal the end of 1999, a giant sparkling egg will descend from the Eiffel Tower and crack into dozens of TV screens beaming pictures from...

Sony makes post-lizard leaps. (Sony Pictures Entertainment projects post-'Godzilla' film release)
July 27, 1998... HOLLYWOOD As Sony Pictures Entertainment gears up for life after "Godzilla," the once terrifically dysfunctional studio is running so smoothly it's positively suspect. Warners and Universal are enduring the sort of exec shuffling that...

'George and Francis show' returns; twenty-five years after 'American Graffiti,' Lucas and Coppola seem re-energized as they embark on separate strategies. (filmmakers)(Column)
July 27, 1998... Twenty-five years after `American Graffiti,' Lucas and Coppola seem re-energized as they embark on separate strategies. If you glanced at the newspapers last week, you may have shared my sense of deja vu. By God, the "George and Francis...

Dreamworks' 'Ryan' prints go AWOL. (film prints fail to reach all theaters for showing of 'Saving Private Ryan')
July 27, 1998... Forget Private Ryan. It should have been called "Saving Private Ryan's Opening Weekend." The studio's high-fallutin' computerized distrib network hit a glitch July 24 with hundreds of prints of "Saving Private Ryan" failing to arrive...

King loses its Jules as Haimovitz ankles. (Jules Haimovitz leaves King World Productions)
July 27, 1998... It was an odd coupling from the start, so few in the TV biz were truly surprised July 24 when word surfaced that Jules Haimovitz had ankled his post as prexy and chief operating officer of king World Prods. Haimovitz, formerly a top...

The unabridged 'Lolita.' (screenwriter Stephen Schiff's book about the latest film version of the Vladimir Nabokov novel)
July 27, 1998... Although the travails of getting the latest filmed version of Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" into public view have been well-documented, the trek from "Lolita" the novel to "Lolita" the screenplay was almost as arduous. More than two...

Will auds warm to hot buzz about 'Lolita'? (controversy about new version of film with taboo sexual topic)
July 27, 1998... Adrian Lyne's adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" is the latest in a long line of pics that have faced highly publicized controversy spawned by the taboo nature of their narrative. In the case of the $55 million-budgeted "Lolita"...

NBC still hopes to take Jordan into overtime. (hope that Phil Jackson will change mind and coach Chicago Bulls again so that Michael Jordan will play and help TV ratings)
July 27, 1998... How much money does Michael Jordan in a basketball uniform funnel to NBC -- the exclusive broadcast network of the NBA for the next four years -- and how disastrous will it be if he retires from basketball? Don't ask. NBC is...

Evans and Oxenberg untie knot. (producer Robert Evans and actress Catherine Oxenberg annul July 12 marriage)
July 27, 1998... Producer Robert Evans and actress Catherine Oxenberg have agreed to annul their marriage, which was performed July 12 in Evans' Beverly Hills home. Evans said, "During my recent medical crisis, Catherine was there for me. And I fell...

Oh! Canada goes Hollywood. (Canadian entertainment conglomerates' investments in motion pictures)
July 27, 1998... Look out, world: the Canadians are coming, the Canadians are coming, eh? Four newly constituted entertainment congloms, of differing orientation and size, are mounting their steeds north of the border and preparing to charge into...

Studios experience deja view. (lack of new ideas for films)
July 27, 1998... Two years ago, few would have predicted that any studio would greenlight a big-budget pic centered on Joan of Arc or ants. But it was unthinkable that Holly wood execs would be planning two films on each of these subjects. With a pair...

Carlyle stepping towards 'Ashes.' (Robert Carlyle to star in film 'Angela's Ashes' about Irish family)
July 27, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Robert Carlyle, last seen shedding his clothes in the surprise British hit "The Full Monty," is expected to step into Paramount and Polygram's feature adaptation of Frank McCourt's bestseller "Angela's Ashes." Carlyle is in...

The digital age harbors parallel world of trouble. (release of digital video disks before foreign theatrical distribution of motion pictures)
July 27, 1998... The launch of the DVD format was supposed to open vast new revenue vistas for Hollywood in the exploding world of digital entertainment. But after only a year on the market, the discs are also helping reveal the vast new risks faced by the...

Siggraph's studio blast. (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics' response to criticism of costs for motion picture special effects)
July 27, 1998... ORLANDO, Fla. Five of the top players in filmed special effects have delivered a concerted counterblast to critics of their trade, laying the blame for rising costs squarely at the door of the studios. The tirade, eloquently led by Digital...

Berney, Kalish guide distrib'n of 'Happiness.' (Bob Berney and Eddie Kalish to handle US distribution of controversial film by Todd Solondz)
July 27, 1998... "Happiness" producer Good Machine has tapped veteran industry execs Bob Berney and Eddie Kalish to handle the domestic distribution and marketing, respectively, of the controversial Todd Solondz film, which October Films dropped earlier this...

Fox basks on 'Beach' with DiCaprio. (Leonardo DiCaprio to star in film 'The Beach')
July 27, 1998... HOLLYWOOD After intense jockeying by nearly every major film studio, 20th Century Fox has won the right to finance and distribute "The Beach," the next film from U.K.-based Figment Films, for which Leonardo DiCaprio will receive $20 million to...

Flat French vid biz faces hi-tech rivals. (video rental industry)
July 27, 1998... PARIS After years of double digit growth, France's video market has become plateaued and there are signs that even the arrival of DVD won't immediately be able to breathe fresh air into the industry's sales. Results from 1997 showed that...

State burial for Serb 'Wounds.' (Serbian government's suppression of controversial film 'The Wounds')
July 27, 1998... PARIS The Serbian authorities are doing their best to bury one of the country's hottest new pics. Serbian film producer Dragan Bjelogrlic's latest production, "The Wounds," opened on May 27 in Belgrade to smash reviews and record box...

One-stop shopping. (UK establishes British Film Council agency to coordinate government film offices and fund allocations)
July 27, 1998... LONDON The British government confirmed last week that it is setting up a British Film Council, a film agency that will merge existing film bodies into one and restructure how national lottery cash is spent on making movies. The council...

Indie power Viva gest cash boost. (Philippine independent film producer Viva Group to sell shares to Metro Pacific Corp.)
July 27, 1998... MANILA Viva Group, the largest indie film and TV producer and distributor in the Philippines, is poised to become even larger as it negotiates to bring in a wealthy new investor. Sources in Manila say the privately held Viva aims to raise...

Lockout spawns hoop dreams. (CBS may create new basketball league as NBA and players work on new collective bargaining agreement)
July 27, 1998... Irked at football insurgency, CBS eyes plan for rival basketball league Execs for the National Basketball Assn. may have picked a good time to lock out their players, but they chose a bad time to try to branch out into pro football. And...

Congressional leaders cry smaller cable tiers. (legislation to help cable TV subscribers with costs)
July 27, 1998... WASHINGTON The average monthly cable bill is now soaring at seven times the rate of inflation, and a red-faced Republican majority in Congress is desperate to stem the tide before consumer backlash sets in. Just last week, Sen. Conrad...

Time is now for '60 Mins.' (second news magazine show for midweek viewing planned)
July 27, 1998... CBS has a second "60 Minutes" in the works, and the Nielsen fortunes of the first edition suggest that now is indeed the time to expand the franchise. The 30-year-old newsmagazine has just managed its first season-to-season ratings increase...

Strike slows down GM advertising engine. (impact on TV advertising)
July 27, 1998... NEW YORK As arbitration hearings in the labor battle against General Motors Corp. continued last week, America's media outlets were almost as anxious as its biggest auto maker for a quick end to the United Auto Workers' seven-week strike. ...

Jackson takes shot at Rupe minority plan. (Jesse Jackson's objection ro Rupert Murdoch's effort to sidestep federal ownership laws by investing in minority broadcasters)
July 27, 1998... WASHINGTON Never mind the moral implications of Rupert Murdoch's plan to buy his way around federal ownership caps with a $150 million investment in minority broadcasters. Jesse Jackson said July 23 it's not enough money. And now it...

Kelley doubles; HBO goes to 'Moon.' (David E. Kelley Productions nominated in drama and comedy categories; HBO documentary 'From the Earth to the Moon')(1998 Primetime Emmy Nominations)
July 27, 1998... Hollywood David E. Kelley pulled off an unprecedented double in the nominations announced July 23 for the 50th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, landing nods in both the drama and comedy series categories for his acclaimed soph ABC legal hour "The...

BSkyB channels try movie magic. (British Sky Broadcasting's movie channel services in the UK)
July 27, 1998... LONDON British Sky Broadcasting unveiled a comprehensive revamp of its movie channels last week in a bold pitch to distance the competition and assert itself as the home of cinema on TV in the U.K. Come fall, the satcaster is relaunching...

Knapp is wide awake on job. (Barclay Knapp, CEO of NTL Ltd., UK cable television company)
July 27, 1998... LONDON For many American execs in the U.K. cable industry, trying to translate the success of U.S. cable across the Atlantic has proven so torturous they may wish they had never stepped ashore. Barclay Knapp, chief exec of NTL, however, is an...

Young tapped for BBC post. (Barbara Young appointed vice chairman)
July 27, 1998... LONDON Compromise candidate Barbara Young has been appointed vice chairwoman of the BBC. Young, 50, is head of English Nature, the U.K. government's environmental advisory body. Although her appointment to the four-year BBC position is...

Spanner in the works: Spanish digital marriage faces EC inquisition. (Telefonica and Sogecable to create joint digital platforms)
July 27, 1998... MADRID The plan by Spanish telco Telefonica and conglom Sogecable to create a joint digital platform in Spain ran up against an inevitable first challenge last week: the European Commission. Less than 24 hours after the two announced their...

Moonves and Roth keep crix content. (CBS TV's Leslie Moonves and Fox Entertainment Group's Peter Roth address issues of programming and TV audience demographics at Television Critics Association press tour)
July 27, 1998... HOLLYWOOD CBS TV president Leslie Moonves and Fox Entertainment Group president Peter Roth wound up talking about content during the final week of the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena, Calif. But for Moonves, the subject was the...

Linc's.
July 27, 1998... (COMEDY SERIES: SHOWTIME, SAT. AUG. 1, 10 P.M. Filmed in Petersburg, Va., by New Millennium Studios. Executive producers, Tim Reid, Susan Fales-Hill; producer, Nedi E. Davis; director, Debbie Allen; writers, Fales-Hill, Reid; camera,...

Rude Awakening.
July 27, 1998... (COMEDY SERIES: SHOWTIME, SAT. AUG. 1, 11 P.M.) Filmed in Hollywood by Mandalay TV in association with Columbia TriStar TV Distribution. Executive producers, Peter Guber, Scott Sanders, Joe Voci, Pamela Eels, Claudia Lonow; producer,...

The pressure is on: Australian Film Finance Corp. grapples with tough, changing role; in its first decade, Oz's premier funding body has backed wide range of film, TV product.(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Sydney Has the "Shine" gone off Australian cinema? Despite a handful of critically acclaimed efforts, Australian films have not notched resounding box office success on home turf or internationally since Scott Hicks' 1996 biopic of pianist...

After slow start, body backs some winners. (analysis of the Australian government's Film Finance Corp.'s winners and losers since 1988)(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Sydney The miscasting of little-known Yank actor Charlie Schlatter as an Aussie teen alongside Kylie Minogue, a warbler not known for her thesping abilities, in the 1950s-set teenage drama "The Delinquents," marked a terrible start for the...

Era of change: former CEO advocated subsidies. (former Film Finance Corp. CEO John Morris reflects upon the problems of running the Australian government's motion picture funding agency)(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Sydney Running a government agency that doles out wads of cash to producers can be a wearing -- and at times stressful -- experience. Just ask John Morris. He served as chief exec at the Australian Film Finance Corp. from 1990 until...

Cutbacks stretch TV coin revenues. (Australian government's Film Finance Corp.'s cutbacks in TV program production)(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Sydney While the FFC's charter commits it to spending 30%-40% of its budget on adult and kids television and 10%-15% on TV documentaries, the sheer volume of hopefuls approaching the FFC, coupled with the demise of an alternative TV funder,...

Script development coin seen as key. (Australian government's Film Finance Corp.'s support for screenplay development)(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Sydney While an FFC system of hiring freelance script assessors to spot underdeveloped scripts applying for funding has ignited passionate debate, few dispute that a lack of significant development coin is one of the most pressing issues...

Indie upstarts ease cash crunch. (other sources of funds to help Australian independent filmmakers who are getting less help from the government's Film Finance Corp.)(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Sydney Sometimes to be part of a solution, you have to be part of the problem. And so it is that, as the FFC is forced to raise the bar due to greater demands on its resources, there are sighs of relief at the emergence of new players...

Secret of success. (American film executives remain puzzled by key to identifying the next big motion picture success from Australia; films that are backed by government's Film Finance Corp.)(FFC at 10)
July 27, 1998... Hollywood Australia and New Zealand are common stomping grounds for North American acquisitions execs ever desperate to find the next "offbeat," "quirky" or downright "bizarre" pic that might catch the imagination of the U.S. public and...

Thesp at the helm: show biz buoyed by presidency of actor Estrada. (former film star and new Philippine President Joseph Estrada)(The Philippines)
July 27, 1998... Showbiz sector buoyed by presidency of actor Estrada Manila With former movie star Joseph (Erap) Estrada holding the reins as the new president of the Philippine Republic, the showbiz community is looking for a helping hand from a man it...

Film biz adapts to new market.(The Philippines)
July 27, 1998... Manila It was good while it lasted. Local movie theaters could depend on a steady flow of quickly produced, low-budget films that featured relatively new directors helming mostly new stars (with a few names) in so-so storylines from loosely...

Recession batters cable biz; industry faces competish from DTH. (direct-to-home satellite broadcasting)(The Philippines)
July 27, 1998... Industry faces competish from DTH Manila The Philippines is on a high-wire act. The nationwide cable network has grown six-fold, from 147 operators in 1992 to 894 in 1997, according to Transportation & Communications Secretary...

Gov't keen to privatize seized TV stations.(The Philippines)
July 27, 1998... Manila The media landscape is due to change drastically under the newly installed Estrada administration. The government is hot on privatizing TV stations, notably IBC-13 and RPN-9, which it seized from former Marcos cronies. There is talk...

Censorship head promises kinder, gentler regs. (Armida Siguion-Reyna, new head of Philippine Movie and Television Review and Classification Board)(The Philippines)
July 27, 1998... Manila The fig leaf is falling. The new Movie & Television Review & Classification Board, led by prominent producer Armida Siguion-Reyna, heralds a new era for censorship in Philippine cinema. Siguion-Reyna says her board will plump for...

The Parent Trap.
July 27, 1998... A Buena Vista release of a Walt Disney Pictures production. Produced by Charles Shyer. Co-producer, Bruce A. Block. Directed by Nancy Meyers. Screenplay, David Swift, Meyers, Charles Shyer, based on the book "Das Doppelte Lottchen" by...

The Negotiator.
July 27, 1998... A Warner Bros. release of a Regency Enterprises presentation of a Mandeville Films/New Regency production, in association with Taurus Films. Produced by David Hoberman, Arnon Milchan. Executive producers, Robert Stone, Webster Stone, David...

Jane Austen's Mafia!
July 27, 1998... A Buena Vista release of a Touchstone Pictures presentation of a Tapestry. Films production. Produced by Bill Badalato. Executive producers, Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy. Co-producers, Greg Norberg, Michael McManus. Directed by Jim...

Ever After.
July 27, 1998... A 20th Century Fox release of a Mireille Sofia production. Produced by Soria and Tracey Trench. Co-producers, Kevin Reidy, Timothy M. Bourne. Directed by Andy Tennant. Screenplay, Susannah Grant, Tennant, Rick Parks, based on the...

Disturbing Behavior.
July 27, 1998... An MGM release, presented in association with Village Roadshow and Hoyts Film Partnership, of a Beacon Communications production. Produced by Armyan-Bernstein, Jon Shestack. Executive producers, C.O. Erickson, Phillip B. Goldfine....

Carried Away.
July 27, 1998... A Hysteria Films (Seattle) production. Produced by Tony Grob. Co-producer, Sally Sue Beisel. Directed, written by Paul Kostick. Camera (color), Lars Larson; editor, John Helde; music, Art Falbush, Pablo Mayor; production designer,...

Dancemaker.
July 27, 1998... A Walter Scheuer production. (International sales: Four Oaks Foundation, New York.) Produced by Jerry Kupfer, Matthew Diamond. Executive producer, Walter Scheuer. Directed, written by Matthew Diamond. Camera (color), Tom Hurwitz;...

Lost and Found.
July 27, 1998... An ML Prods. (Studio City) production. Produced by Michael G. Lewis, Michael Landes, Mark Donadio. Directed by Ron Burrus. Screenplay, Michael G. Lewis. Camera (color), Uta Briesewitz; editor, Craig P. Herring; music, Rick Elias, Tom...

Fag Hag.
July 27, 1998... A Potenkin production. Produced by Larry Billman, Damion Dietz. Directed, written by Damion Dietz. Camera (color) Pedro Castro; editor, Vince Filippone; production designer, Kathy Dietz; set decorator, Aja Lockhart; costumes, Jaush Way;...

'Scarlet' fever at Radio City. (Cablevision Systems Corp.'s Radio City Entertainment has assumed role as co-producer of Broadway musical 'The Scarlet Pimpernel')
July 27, 1998... The Scarlet Pimpernel," the musical about a dashing Englishman who saves innocent victims from France's reign of terror, found its own surprising savior last week: Cablevision Systems Corp.'s Radio City Entertainment announced July 23 it...

Guthrie gussied up. (Guthrie Theater's finances)
July 27, 1998... NEW YORK Two seasons after Joe Dowling took over as artistic director of Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater, the company announced impressive results for his young tenure at its annual meeting July 20. When Dowling, the Irish director who headed...

'Youth' regained. (play 'This Is Our Youth' will be staged at Second Stage Co., New York City)
July 27, 1998... NEW YORK A deal is imminent for the long-planned remounting of Kenneth Lonergan's "This Is Our Youth." The play, about aspiring Gen X coke dealers on the lam, won positive notices when the New Group production opened Off Broadway at the Intar...

Sakina's Restaurant.(nmerican Place Theater, New York City)
July 27, 1998... NEW YORK An American Place Theater presentation of a play in one act written and performed by Aasif Mandvi. Directed and developed by Kim Hughes. Set, Tom Greenfield; lighting, Ryan E. McMahon; sound, David Wright; stage manager, Richard A....

The Playboy of the Western World.(Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago)
July 27, 1998... CHICAGO A Steppenwolf Theater presentation of a drama in two acts by J.M. Synge. Directed by Douglas Hughes. Sets, Anita Stewart; costumes, Karin Kopischke; lighting, Michael Chybowski; music, Johnny Cunningham; sound, Rob Milburn; dramaturg,...

The Matchmaker.(Adams Memorial Theater Main Stage, Williamstown, MA)
July 27, 1998... WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. A Williamstown Theater Festival presentation of a play in two acts by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Nicholas Martin. Sets, James Noone; costumes, Michael Krass; lighting, Kenneth Posner; music, Mark Bennett; sound, Kurt B....

Robert Young. (actor)(Obituary)
July 27, 1998... Actor Robert Young, who epitomized the perfect patriarch in the 1950s TV series "Father Knows Best" and later as the wise medico in the long-running "Marcus Welby, M.D.," died July 21 of respiratory failure at his home in Westlake Village,...

Joseph Maher. (actor)(Obituary)
July 27, 1998... Joseph Maher, whose performances included a Tony-nominated role in Joe Orton's "Loot" and characters in the films "Heaven Can Wait" and "Sister Act" as well as TV's "Seinfeld" and "thirtysomething," died July 17 of a brain tumor at his home...

Edward Liscu. (lyricist)(Obituary)
July 27, 1998... Edward Eliscu, one of the last of the great lyricists from the golden age of Broadway and Hollywood, who wrote the words to "Without a Song" and "More Than You Know," died June 18 of natural causes in Newtown, Conn. He was 96. Eliscu...

Murray Newey. (film producer)(Obituary)
July 27, 1998... Murray George Newey, one of New Zealand cinema's most colorful characters and prolific talents, took his own life at his Auckland home on April 8, though the death was only recently reported. He was 45. One of the country's most active...

1923: What got in the water? (the year that the studio system was created in Hollywood; includes related article on founding of Warner, Disney, Columbia Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)(Hollywood at 75)
July 20, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Nobody planned it that way. At the time, nobody even noticed that it was happening. But 75 years ago, Hollywood suddenly got its act together. Within a matter of months, four of the seven major studios set themselves up in...

Can congloms cope with cash cache? New riches may spur buyouts - or buybacks. (mass media and entertainment industry finance)
July 20, 1998... New riches may spur buyouts -- or buybacks For the first time in a decade, showbiz majors are out of debtors' prison. Most are putting billions away in the bank, fueling the industry for a new round of big-buck deals. But the media...

The Internet is the new jet propeller. (importance of public response via the Internet to 'Lethal Weapon 4')
July 20, 1998... Although Madison Avenue has been running focus groups in cyberspace for several years now, it has just been one-upped by Hollywood. As Time Warner chairman Gerald Levin said on announcing second-quarter results last week, the Internet...

Are moviegoers going 'Retro'? As studios ponder their mounting problems with effect-laden megapics, audiences seem to applaud summer movies' low-tech gags and stunts.(Column)
July 20, 1998... Notice something awry about the reception to this year's fusillade of summer pictures? Each of the vaunted, effects-laden megapics has arrived amid a buzz of controversy among critics and "civilians" alike. "Godzilla," many felt, was...

Murdoch takes a look at Telecom Italia. (Rupert Murdoch)
July 20, 1998... Rupert Murdoch, who has failed twice to buy into Silvio Berlusconi's TV empire, is now holding talks with Italy's telco Telecom Italia. "We are looking for an international partner, with adequate financial resources and experience. We...

Academy eases rules for foreign films. (Academy Awards; films can be shown on TV before theatrical run)
July 20, 1998... You want an Oscar? Read the rules. Responding to complaints that some foreign films were being unfairly excluded from Academy Awards consideration, the Academy's board of governors has eased up on its stipulation, in effect since 1960,...

'Private Ryan's' saving grace. (Steven Spielberg's latest film 'Saving Private Ryan')
July 20, 1998... HOLLYWOOD It's every movie marketer's dream: The world's most successful director teams up with one of America's top stars -- and a red-hot Hollywood newcomer -- in a picture that has critics raving. Here's the catch: It's a nearly...

New dreams for Zoetrope: Coppola refocuses studio's aims, style. (film director Francis Ford Coppola)
July 20, 1998... Coppola refocuses studio's aims style Like the grape in his Napa Valley vineyard that produces his finest wine, Francis Ford Coppola still dreams that one day American Zoetrope will evolve into the prototype indie film studio. Now,...

Mixing media: pix lost in the translation. (New Yoker editor Tina Brown's departure for Miramax)
July 20, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Once the media waves subsided following Tina Brown's deal with Miramax, the skeptics began wondering how this multimedia venture is going to work. Specifically, they wonder about the viability of basing an entire film/TV/book...

'Weapon 4' is lethal as no. 1 at box office. ('Lethal Weapon 4')
July 20, 1998... Warner Bros.' "Lethal Weapon 4" came out blazing to lead the domestic marketplace with an opening salvo of $50 million. Both a record box office and theater average for the franchise, it's clicking with fans who've waited patiently for six...

Summer hits heat up post-World Cup B.O. o'seas. (motion picture receipts)
July 20, 1998... "The summer has started," one French programmer said with palpable relief last week, speaking for many of his counterparts in Europe and Latin America as the World Cup ended and a wave of new releases -- plus school vacation in some...

Will WB verdict spur script shakedown? (director Francis Ford Coppola's victorious lawsuit against Warner Brothers over 'Pinocchio)
July 20, 1998... HOLLYWOOD It's been instantly dubbed the case that killed the handshake deal, but the real result of "Pinocchio" is the effect it will have on prying projects loose from development hell. Last week, Francis Ford Coppola won an $80 million...

Indies aim slingshots at Goliath Blockbuster. (1998 Video Software Dealers Association conference; independent retailers concern about revenue sharing)
July 20, 1998... LAS VEGAS The major studios came here for the 16th annual Video So,ware Dealers Assn. confab July 8-11 determined to avoid discussing one topic: revenue sharing. Unfortunately, that was the one topic retail attendees most wanted to talk...

Ox exhibs try art class. (Hoyts and Village Cinemas to show independent films at their multiplex theaters in Australia)
July 20, 1998... SYDNEY The traditional arthouse market in Australia is at its nadir, yet two of the nation's three biggest exhibitors are plunging into the specialized arena. How come? The short answer is that both Hoyts and Village Cinemas believe...

Black pix highlighted at Brisbane fest. (Brisbane International Film Festival)
July 20, 1998... SYDNEY Major retrospectives of 1970s "blaxploitation" films and classic black musicals are among the highlights of the seventh Brisbane Intl. Film Festival (BIFF), which unspools July 30 with the Oz preem of John Ruane's local drama "Dead...

Fox Studios Oz picks 'Soft Fruit.' (Fox Studios Australia's first film)
July 20, 1998... SYDNEY Less than three months after officially opening its doors, Fox Studios Australia has initiated its first Australian film, a black comedy called "Soft Fruit." Fox Searchlight has acquired all English-speaking rights -- North...

Spanish duo ink deal with Miramax. (three film projects with writer-director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and production partner Miguel Toledo)
July 20, 1998... NEW YORK Miramax Films has signed a three-picture deal with Spanish writer/director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and his producing partner Miguel Toledo. Fresnadillo and Toledo, who formed Madrid-based Zodiac Films in 1987, collaborated on the...

Media friendly museum: Melbourne hosts new Cinemedia. (museum and center for motion picture, TV and multimedia history and development)
July 20, 1998... MELBOURNE Cinemedia -- a futuristic showpiece of screen history and culture, as well as a creative center for film, TV and multimedia -- is taking shape in Melbourne. There's nothing like it in Australia, and while Cinemedia exec director...

Femme thesps to voice 'Princess.' (Claire Danes, Minnie Driver and Gillian Anderson to provide English-speaking voices for American version of Japanese animated film 'Princess Mononoke')
July 20, 1998... SYDNEY Claire Danes, Minnie Driver and Gillian Anderson have agreed to lend their vocal talents for the U.S. version of the Japanese blockbuster "Princess Mononoke." Miramax Films plans to release the revoiced version of the...