Variety articles from October 1998

Variety archives from October 1998

Low scores for encores: sequels stalled by soaring talent costs.(feature films)(Cover Story)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... Sequels stalled by soaring talent costs Even before "Rush Hour" opened in mid-September, New Line Cinema toppers were poised to greenlight a sequel. When the film chalked up an astonishing $33 million in its opening weekend, a follow-up...

TV biz savors the growing wages of syn.(syndication)(Cover Story)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... As the networks struggle through another tough fall, the sheen is on the syndication side of the TV biz. Talkshows and gameshows may not be as sexy as the kittenish sitcoms and moody dramas of the network world, but success in firstrun...

ICM's leaders prove there is room at the top.(International Creative Management exec realignments)(Inside Moves)(Brief Article)(Column)
October 26, 1998... Is there room at the top of the major talent agencies? Well, International Creative Management, which has had the least executive movement of all the major agencies over the years, seems to have found a way. In a major realignment of...

The case of the antsy agents: spurred by the entrepreneurial opportunities of management, at least one major talent agency is shifting its role - or maybe that's just a rumor.(Column)
October 26, 1998... Spurred by the entrepreneurial opportunities of management, at least one major talent agency is shifting its role--or maybe that's just a rumors. This is one of those "now it can be told" stories that are always grist for newspapers. Two...

Living in the age of innocence.(43-year-old on changes in the entertainment industry since late 1970s)(Column)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Most people clearly divide history into two periods: Before Me and After Me. To a person born in 1955, World War II was the ancient past, while the Kennedy assassination is a vivid memory. But to someone born just 10 years later, the...

Magazines, Internet: competitors or pals?(The Write Stuff)(includes other publishing items)(Column)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... NEW YORK Will magazines survive into the millennium? Yes, but the economy and the emerging Internet were causes for concern among the approximately 700 magazine industry players attending the Magazine Publishers of America's American Magazine...

Northern lights (camera, action): Canadian cities make it easy on prod'n pocketbooks.(Film)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... TV and film production is liking the sound of the Maple Leafrag, as the slide of the Canadian dollar is spurring strong growth in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. And New York says let the music play on: Despite the Big Apple being the...

African Mane line.(Namibia location for Jacques Annaud's 'Hoofbeats')(Film)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... WALVIS BAY, Namibia The free spirits of the harsh Namibian desert, Africa's only herd of wild horses, are the subject of a feature being produced by French moviemaker Jean-Jacques Annaud. Like his hit pic "The Bear," Annaud's "Hoofbeats"...

Poll details pic pickers.(ShowEast; survey of 10,000 household's film, theater preferences)(Film)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... ATLANTIC CITY, N.J . Even without the benefit of market research delegates at last week's ShowEast were generally convinced that upcoming studio films screened here look promising. During the exhibitors convention, which ran here Oct....

P'Gram library card stays in play; Seagram $trategy still unclear.(Polygram movie library sale)(Film)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Polygram Filmed Entertainment chairman Michael Kuhn has not given up on keeping some semblance of PFE together, despite Seagram Co.'s agreement Oct. 22 to sell the PFE library to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $250 million. Seagram, which is...

Hamptons revived: attendance up as 'Edge,''Code' take top prizes.(Hamptons Intl. Film Festival)(Film)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. After some missteps in recent years, the Hamptons Intl. Film Festival got back in the groove during its sixth edition, which wrapped Oct. 18. The festival, which has undergone numerous changes in management since its...

A Congressional win for DVD may spell trouble on the Net.(ratification of World Intellectual Property treaty; digital video disc)(Film - Backend)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Passage of digital copyright protection and ratification of the World Intellectual Property Organization Treaties have made the world safe for movies in DVD, but critics contend the Internet is another matter. Without the Digital...

English lingo sounds good to Gaumont.(Gaumont ventures into English films)(Film)(Company Profile)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... PARIS It used to be said that Gaumont was one of the most "French" of all of the major Gallic production houses, with little time or appetite for pies that didn't come from its home turf. Not any more. Having tested the English-lingo...

Soldier.
October 26, 1998... (SCI-FI THRILLER) A Warner Bros. release, presented in association with Morgan Creek, of a Jerry Weintraub production in association with Impact Pictures. Produced by Weintraub. Executive producers, James G. Robinson, R.J. Louise,...

American History X.
October 26, 1998... (DRAMA-COLOR/B&W) A New Line Cinema release of a Turman-Morrisey Co. production. Produced by John Morrisey. Executive producers, Lawrence Turman, Steve Tisch, Kearie Peak, Bill Carraro. Co-producers, Jon Hess, David McKenna....

T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous.(IMAX 3-D)
October 26, 1998... (ADVENTURE-IMAX 3-D) An Imax presentation. Produced by Antoine Compin, Charis Horton. Executive producer, Andrew Gellis. Co-producer, Michael Lewis. Directed by Brett Leonard. Screenplay, Andrew Gellis, Jeanne Rosenberg; story,...

Talk of Angels.
October 26, 1998... (PERIOD ROMANTIC DRAMA) A Miramax Films release of a Polaris Pictures Ltd. production. Produced by Patrick Cassavetti. Executive producers, Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, Donna Gigliotti. Directed by Nick Hamm. Screenplay, Ann...

Three Businessmen.
October 26, 1998... (COMEDY-FANTASY) An Exterminating Angel production. Produced by Tod Davies. Directed by Alex Cox. Screenplay, Tod Davies. Camera (color), Rob Tregenza; editor, Bob Robertson; music, Pray for Rain; production designer, Martin...

Red, White & Yellow.
October 26, 1998... (DOCU) A Northern Lights Post production. Produced, directed by Marshall Dostal, Mark Littman. Camera (color), Jon Rosenblatt, John Taggart; editor, Littman; additional editing, John Ennis, Renny Masion; music, Jim Farmer; title...

Dark Harbor.
October 26, 1998... (PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER) A Hart Sharp Enterprises presentation in association with Killer Films and ACC Enterprises. Produced by John N. Hart Jr., Jeff Sharp, Justin Lazard. Directed by Adam Coleman Howard. Screenplay, Howard,...

Drylongso.
October 26, 1998... (DRAMA) A Nation Sack Filmwork production. Produced, directed, edited by Cauleen Smith. Screenplay, Smith, Salim Akil. Camera (color), Andrew Black; music, Kurt Harpel, Pat Thomi; production designers, Gabrielle Stover, Richard...

Love From Ground Zero.
October 26, 1998... (DRAMA) A Sandbox Films production. Produced by Aaron Cohen, Stephen Grynberg. Co-producers Patricia Kruijer, Chris Beckman. Directed, written by Stephen Grynberg. Camera (color), Mauro Fiore; editors, Melody London, Affonso...

There's No Fish Food in Heaven.
October 26, 1998... (COMEDY-FANTASY) A Storm Entertainment production. Produced by Jane Reardon, Terence Michael, Allan Mindell. Executive producers, H. Michael Hauser, Tea Leoni, Jay Firestone. Directed, written by Eleanor E. Gaver. Camera...

Return With Honor.
October 26, 1998... (DOCU - COLOR/B&W) A Sanders & Mock production. Produced by Freida Lee Mock, Terry Sanders. Coproducer, Christine Z. Wiser. Directed by Freida Lee Mock, Terry Sanders. Screenplay, Mock, Sanders, Christine Z. Wiser. Camera...

Where's Marlowe?
October 26, 1998... EXAMINING THE LIFE OF THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR IN LATE 20TH-CENTURY AMERICA (COMEDY- COLOR/B&W) A Paramount release presented in association with Western Sandpast Project. Produced by Clayton Townsend. Executive producers, Aaron...

Single Action.
October 26, 1998... (ACTION) A Kingsize Entertainment presentation. Produced by Carlos Gallardo. Executive producers, Luis Chapital, Mark Roberts, Lorena David, Michael Lawrence. Co-producer, Ricardo Padilla. Directed, written by Carlos Gallardo....

Getting Off.
October 26, 1998... (DRAMA) A CineBLAST! production. Produced by Gill Holland, Eilhys England, Nadia Leonelli, Julie A. Lynch. Executive producers, David Hackworth, Christopher J. Fiori. Co-producer, Gary Winick. Directed, written by Julie A....

Melandri tops Italo Culture.(Giovanna Melandri; new Minister of Culture, Italy)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... ROME Giovanna Melandri has been appointed to head the Ministry of Culture for Italy's new government, replacing Walter Veltroni, the former film critic who has been an aggressive supporter of the national film industry during his term as...

Fox might need a facelift: maturity can bring erosion, aging hits.(Fox Broadcasting Co.)(TV)(Cover Story)(Company Profile)
October 26, 1998... Manurity can bring erosionm aging hits Fox Broadcasting Co. has had a rocky start to the TV season. But the web's real troubles may not begin until next fall, when several long-running hits could expire. By most indications, Fox has...

Family way tough fit for Fox.(Fox Family Channel, Fox Kids Network struggling for ratings)(TV)(Cover Story)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Rupert Murdoch's plan to build a kids programming giant to take on Nickelodeon, through a joint venture with Haim Saban called Fox Family Worldwide, has amassed plenty of debt but not much audience share. Fox Kids Network, the...

Telemundo turns up heat.(fresh Hispanic broadcasting competition for Univisions)(TV)(Industry Overview)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... MIAMI For the first time in recent memory, Univision has been engaging in some serious counterprogramming. The leading Hispanic web faces a Telemundo now owned by Sony (with Liberty Media), whose deep pockets and trove of formats and film...

Griffin Prod'n arm goes to the Welles.(Merv Griffin Entertainment special "Merv Griffin Interviews" of 40 Orson Welles appearances with Griffin since 1963)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... "Ask me anything," Orson Welles told Merv Griffin as he prepared to guest on Griffin's TV talkshow on Oct. 9, 1985, a seg taped less than 24 hours before Welles was found dead at his Hollywood home at the age of 70. Now, Merv Griffin...

Series hurt by lack of field drama. (TV series ratings hurt by baseball playoffs)(includes complete primetime Nielsen 6-network ratings Oct 15-21)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... It seemed like a can't-miss series. The most popular and most hated team in baseball, the New York Yankees, fresh off the winningest season in American League history, squaring off against a band of West Coast up-starts with enough talent,...

Boxing punched up: Tyson's return means big biz for PPV, cablers.(Television)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson got his boxing license back last week, setting up a rematch of the Bite of the Century, potentially the most lucrative pay per view TV event ever. The Nevada State Athletic Commission reinstated the...

Justice serves up ratings.(syndicated TV ratings for court-TV shows; includes top-20 Nielsen ratings for week ended Oct. 11)(Television)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Freshman gaveler "Judge Mills Lane" took a double-digit ratings jump in the week ended Oct. 11, according to Nielsen's latest national syndie ratings report. Rysher Entertainment's courtshow strip climbed 17% from the previous week to...

BBC out of game: accent on digital isn't cricket, pols say.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Television)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Accent on digital isn't cricket, pols say LONDON BBC bosses were forced onto the defensive last week after losing the broadcasting rights for English cricket to Channel 4 and the Oscars to satcaster BSkyB. BBC director general John Birt...

Teutonic nets totter under towering thesp fee hikes.(Germany - TV networks and production costs)(Television)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... MUNICH When "Tatort" cast member Steffen Wink tried to hike his fee, producer Georg Feil showed him the door. "The people who are replaceable," Feil says, "can be replaced. Period." The German TV production industry has expanded...

Cine-Groupe, Medialab deal.(France - animators merge)(Television)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... PARIS Animation specialists Medialab of France and the Canadian Cine-Groupe have agreed to a four-year co-production deal that likely will yield two computer-generated theatrical toon pies and two spinoff television series. According to...

Oprah Winfrey Presents: David & Lisa.
October 26, 1998... (TELEPIC; ABC, SUN. NOV. 1, 9-11 P.M.) Filmed in Los Angeles by Harpo Films. Executive producers, Oprah Winfrey, Kate Forte; co-executive producer, Paul Heller; supervising producer, Steve McGlothen; director, Lloyd Kramer; writers,...

CHiPs '99.
October 26, 1998... (TELEPIC; TNT, TUES. OCT. 27, 8-10 P.M.) Filmed in Southern California by Turner Films Inc. Executive producer, Rick Rosner; producers, Erik Estrada, Larry Wilcox, Christopher Morgan; director, Jon Cassar; writer, Morgan Gendel;...

A vivid 'Vanya' tops Dublin theater fest.(Dublin, Ireland, Theater Festival; ; Brian Friel's 'Uncle Vanya')(Legit)
October 26, 1998... It may be one of the things we look for from the theater to find an echo or basis in real life. But as the second of two weekends at this year's Dublin Theater Festival began, doubt even Brian Friel could have envisioned the impact of seeing...

Mosher joins Wilner team.(Gregory Mosher; theatrical advertising firm LeDonne, Wilner & Weiner)(Legit)
October 26, 1998... NEW Y0RK Gregory Mosher has signed on as a creative consultant to theatrical advertising firm LeDonne, Wilner & Weiner. "There are only two things that matter to me: the work and the audience," Mosher told Daily Variety. "It's never been...

Fring fest gains ground.(Dublin Fringe Festival, Ireland)(Legit)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... DUBLIN The fourth annual Dublin Fringe Festival felt as fresh and vibrant as the city itself. While last year's program of over 110 events seemed sprawling, this year's streamlined approach -- some 75 events spread around 22 venues in the...

Aznavour On Broadway.(Marquis Theater, New York, NY)
October 26, 1998... NEW YORK A DelsenerSlater/SFX Entertainment presentation, by special arrangement with Levon Sayan, of a concert in two acts. Musical director Russell Kassoff, production manager; Michel Quesnel. Opened reviewer Oct 21, 1998 Running time: 2...

Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Mamaloshen.(Belasco Theater, New York, NY)
October 26, 1998... NEW YORK A Dodger Endemol Theatricals presentation of a concert in one act with musical arrangements by Paul Ford and Eric Stern. Set, Eric Renschler lighting, Eric Cornwell; sound Otts Munderloh Opened Oct. 13. Reviewed Oct. 15. Running time:...

Footloose.(Richard Rogers Theater, New York, NY)
October 26, 1998... NEW YORK A Dodger Endemol Theatricals presentation of a musical in two acts adapted by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie from the original screenplay by Pitchford with music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Pitchford, including songs by Eric Carmen,...

Killer Joe.(Soho Playhouse, New York, NY)
October 26, 1998... (COMEDY-DRAMA; SOHO PLAYHOUSE; 199 SEATS; $47.50 TOP) NEW YORK A Darren Lee Cole and Scott Morfee presentation of a play in two acts by Tracy Letts. Directed by Wilson Milam. Set, George Xenos; lighting, Greg MacPherson; costumes, Jana...

Cabaret.(Kit Kat Klub, New York, NY)
October 26, 1998... (MUSICAL REVIVAL; KIT KAT KLUB; 512 SEATS; $80 TOP) More than ever, Sam Mendes' production is the star at the Roundahout Theater Co.'s "Cabaret," where film name Jennifer Jason Leigh is stepping somewhat uneasily into the scuffed...

Death of a Salesman.(Falcon Theater, Burbank, CA)
October 26, 1998... BURBANK, Calif. A Falcon Theater presentation of the drama in two acts by Arthur Miller. Directed by Andrew J. Robinson. Sets, Jay Moore; costumes, Donna L. May; lighting, John Clemens; sound, Guy Cearly; music Alex North and Renzo Mantovani;...

Gigi Reder.(Italian film actor, age 70)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
October 26, 1998... Italian character actor Gigi Reder, who worked with such leading directors as Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and Alessandro Blasetti during his five-decade career but was best known for his role alongside popular comedy star Paolo...

AFI's 'Bella' gala.(American Film Institute/Los Angeles Intl. Film Festival opening feature 'Life Is Beautiful')(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... The AFI L.A. Intl. Film Festival kicked off Oct. 23 with Miramax's "Life Is Beautiful." And while the opening speeches were fine, the most inspired gesture came from the Chinese theater's projectionist. Before the Italian film that won...

Posse out for 'Fosse'.(Los Angeles premier of new musical based on Bob Fosse's works)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... Broadway will have to wait until early next year to get Livent's musical "Fosse: A Celebration in Song and Dance," but a diverse crowd from film, TV and theater turned out to see all that jazz at L.A.'s opening night performance at the...

Brave new startups from industry vets.(new production/distribution firms)(Mifed - special section)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... New production/distribution entities continue to spring up despite difficult times for independents. These startups are banking on major U.S. studio distribution deals as the the cornerstones of their business plans, and are going to Mifed...

Double agents: int'l departments at tenpercenteries encroach on foreign sales territory.(film sales/distribution incursion by talent agencies)(Mifed - special section)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD William Morris Agency's announcement in August that it was hiring a sales agent, formed Lakeshore Intl. exec VP Rena Ronson, to help run its independent film division, WMA Independent, took many sales companies by surprise. ...

Not the best of times for British arthouses.(independent film sales/distribution)(Mifed - special section)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... LONDON It will be front page news if anyone manages to sell a movie to the U.K. at this year's Mifed, judging from the gloomy mood of Britain's indie distribs as they contemplate their annual trek to Milan. "I've booked to go, but it's...

Seeking love and laughter: London Screenings shortens Germans' Milan destination.(independent film sales/distribution)(Mifed - special section)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... BERLIN Despite the increasing attraction of the London Screenings, skedded a week beforehand, Mifed remains a must on most German buyer's calendar. "Mifed is becoming less important because everyone is at the London Screenings," says...

Specialty titles dicey in Spain.(independent film sales/distribution)(Mifed - special section)(Brief Article)
October 26, 1998... MADRID Buoyed by the bow of a product-hungry digital satcaster, Via Digital, Spain emerged at Mifed last year as one of the heartiest buyers in Europe. But Via Digital is now well-stocked for product and may still merge with rival...

Italians look for romance.(independent film sales/distribution)(Mifed - special section)
October 26, 1998... ROME The eagerness of Italian buyers to snap up anything with even a glimmer of commercial potential at script stage means film markets now generate increasingly fewer sales of finished product to the territory. But the country's...

French kiss off trek to Mifed.(independent film sales/distribution)(Mifed - special section)
October 26, 1998... PARIS Although foreign indie pies fared exceptionally well in France over the past year -- notably "The Full Monty" at $21 million and "Bean" at $18 million in ticket sales to date -- many Gallic distribs seem a bit lethargic when discussing...

Subsidy blues: critics say gov't film funding hampers creative indie scene.(Germany - independent films)(Mifed - special section)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD "The main problem with all producing in Germany is the financial influence of TV and of the government-controlled and TV-controlled subsidy funding," says Eckhart Schmidt, the indie writer-director-producer of "Internet Love,"...

'Titanic' launches wave of worldwide romance films.(independent films)(Mifed - special section)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Romace is back on track in Hollywood. As proof, witness "Titanic" and its huge box office take and Academy Awards, or "As Good as It Gets" taking home Oscars for Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt in the major acting categories. Some...

Scribe incentives: competitions reward global writing hopefuls.(screenwriting awards, seminars)(Mifed - special section)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Budding American screenwriters are increasingly adept at finessing the dozens of screenplay competitions and workshops to break into filmmaking. Now international hopefuls also have a good-sized handful of programs seeking to help...

Euro helmers lead biz hopes.(European film industry revival hinges on fine young directors)(Mifed - special section)(Industry Overview)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD The European filmmaking scene is either in dire straits or in a buoyant revival, depending on whether you're judging its health by boxoffice statistics or the number of new creative talents suddenly emerging. On the gloomy side;...

Helmer specializes in personal promo touch.(independent filmmaker Jon Jacobs - promotes, markets his own films)(Mifed - special section)(Interview)
October 26, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Indie filmmaker Jon Jacobs brings a whole new twist to the "what I really want to do is direct" cliche. In Jacobs' ease, he's not just writing, directing and starring in his films, he's also polishing the craft of showmanship with...

'Antz' colony cranks it up. (DreamWorks becoming a success)(Cover Story)
October 19, 1998... Four years after DreamWorks announced itself to the world -- and a year after releasing its first feature film -- it looks like founders Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen may have proven the naysayers wrong. And...

Someone's gotta give. (entertainment community giving to charities)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD For decades, when a new talent was hired at Warner Bros., he'd be ushered into Jack Warner's office for a meeting that included easy chatter, the glow that comes with new beginnings and the inevitable moment when the boss would slide...

Have critics gone soft? (film critics being kind to poor films)(Column)(Brief Article)
October 19, 1998... The critical vacuum has added to the confusion over why moviegoers suddenly embrace some pics and instantly disdain others. MEMO TO: EDDIE MURPHY FROM: PETER BART You've been making yourself pretty scarce lately, Eddie, so I wonder...

Congress steers H'w'd wish list. (Congress ratifies copyright treaters for Hollywood)(Brief Article)
October 19, 1998... WASHINGTON During breaks in the debates over sex (Monica Lewinsky) and money (the federal budget), Congress just handed Hollywood two of its biggest victories in a decade. In the closing days of the 105th Congress, the studios won a...

More B.O. oracles take up trackin'. (tracking films' box office potential)
October 19, 1998... The tracking on Touchstone's "Holy Man" was just OK in the days leading up to its release. Polls had the Eddie Murphy pic trailing several other pictures as a first-choice option, but, on the upbeat side, response was almost evenly split...

Holiday hopefuls head for Boardwalk. (1998 holiday films to be screen at ShowEast convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD Unlike a year ago, when the exhibition world was still reeling from the Sony/Cineplex and Regal/Act 111 mergers, theater execs trekking to this year's ShowEast may find it easier to concentrate on watching movies. And there's...

Kiwi talent taking foreign route to fame. (New Zealand filmmakers going elsewhere to make films)
October 19, 1998... AUCKLAND It's something of a sore point with Kiwi cultural nationalists that other countries claim ownership of talents who were born here. But whether Kiwis like it or not, New Zealand has lost its best and brightest to foreign parts...

Art pix plex plan. (Australia to build cineplex for arthouse films)
October 19, 1998... MELB0URNE Village Roadshow is convinced it has found the way to get a dedicated arthouse to consistently pull in patrons when it's located within a multiplex that normally attracts the popcorn crowd. And it's prepared to spend big bucks to...

Building bonanza has Baltics buzzing. (movie theaters in the Baltic regions)
October 19, 1998... BUDAPEST Multiplex madness is infecting the Baltics. Despite Russia's economic woes, Estonian exhibitor MPDE is developing a five- to seven-screen hardtop venue in the capital of Tallinn, tentatively scheduled to open in the fall of 1999....

Stabler's destination: 'fill the void.' (Steve Stabler starts Destination Film Distribution)
October 19, 1998... Producer Steve Stabler and former DreamWorks exec Brent Baum have raised $200 million to jump-start a new production and distribution entity, Destination Film Distribution, based on a ground-breaking insurance-backed financing scheme. ...

Court allows pix to treat character facts as fiction. (court allows filmmakers to base characters on real people)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD In a decision that significantly benefits the creative community, the California Supreme Court on Oct. 15 let stand a ruling that filmmakers can base fictional characters on real people, under protection of the First Amendment. ...

U.K. & Milan = $, gripes. (screening motion pictures in London before Mifed)(London Screenings)
October 19, 1998... L0NDON This year's preMifed screenings, set to unspool Oct. 26-30 in London, promise to be more organized, but neither sales agents nor buyers want to see the event become too formal. A formal event wasn't the idea at the outset, says...

A buy or a bye? (American film distributors balk at costs of trips to London film festivals)(London Screenings)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD London in late October: An afternoon stroll by the Thames, tea at the Savoy, dinner at 8 at Le Gavroche. And all on an expense account. How tough can it be? Plenty tough, if you're going to the London Screenings this year. As...

Trackers sniff out potential prime pickups. (obtaining information about what film studios and production companies are doing)(London Screenings)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD With as many as 5,000 projects in development at the major Hollywood studios and more than 500 production companies with dibs on some of those properties, keeping up with the Joneses in showbiz is hard enough. Trying to keep up with...

Euro stages flourishing. (production at European film studios)(London Screenings)
October 19, 1998... PARIS Darth Vader's dad tackled England this year, while Asterix romped through France, Lexx the killer dragonfly buzzed Berlin, the Scarlet Pimpernel visited Prague and a mysterious doctor cast a spell over Scandinavia. All in all,...

Rupe exit wobbles Primestar. (Rupert Murdoch's Primestar backs out of buying News Corp.'s television satellites)
October 19, 1998... A shakeout in the satellite TV industry is underway, and could shrink the number of operators to just two. Primestar's Oct. 14 abandonment of plans to buy News Corp.'s sat-TV license for $1.1-billion, in the face of opposition from the...

'ET' - 'Access' war taxes flacks. ('Entertainment Tonight' and 'Access Hollywood' battle for show business news exclusives)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD No studio pic marketing campaign is complete until the puff pieces roll on "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood." With all the outlets for showbiz news these days, the nightly syndic entertainment mags still hold a...

NBA nightmare team includes Turner, NBC. (Turner Broadcasting and NBC to suffer financially from NBA cancellation of games during lockout)
October 19, 1998... NEW YORK Pro basketball is about to drive over a cliff-- and take Turner and NBC along for the ride, while Fox watches from a position of regional security. The contract dispute that has caused the owners to lock out the players and...

WWW.crossover.net. (American Interactive Media and New Tech Entertainment to launch entertainment-based Web sites)
October 19, 1998... HOLLYWOOD The lines between television and the Internet may soon be blurring. Internet content creators American Interactive Media and New Tech Entertainment will launch a minimum of nine entertainment-based Web sites in 1999, with...

Cable news biz crowds Headline. (CNN Headline News losing ratings to myriad of news networks)
October 19, 1998... NEW YORK The increasingly bloody battle for cable news viewers is taking a toll on one of its most veteran warriors: CNN Headline News. While upstart news cablers Fox News Channel and MSNBC, along with parent net CNN, are notching huge...