Doc Hollywood Explains Flashbacks
Michael Dare
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Dare"
To: < Trple2@notaol.com >
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2001 11:47 PM
Subject: Ask Dr. Hollywood
Dear Trple2,
Thank you for braving time and space to contact me. Is that your real name?
I knew a Trple2 in high school. Did your dad go to Beverly?
Ah, but I see we have more pressing matters concerning the fine art of
screenwriting.
> Dear Dr. Hollywood,
> 1. What's your feeling on the use of the term "whigger": acceptable, or
politically incorrect?
I've never heard the word "whigger" before so I must assume it means
"someone who does things with Whigs" unless I'm wrong. I'm certainly not
offended by the word and find myself more offended at my own ignorance. How
could a word such as "whigger" have escaped my eye? In any case, if you're
using it in dialogue in this movie that you propose, and I'm supposed to
know what it means, and I'm sitting in the audience watching this movie
where someone uses the word "whigger," well, I'm going for popcorn. Want
something?
Perhaps I'm in the wrong demographic. Maybe 17-24 year olds are using the
word "whigger" everywhere but around me. I suggest using it in context so
the audience can figure it out for themselves. While they're out on safari,
you could have one of your characters say "Would you be a good chap and pass
me that whigger," and then someone passes them a bamboo trap and a lightbulb
goes on over the audience's head as they realize that a whigger must be a
bamboo trap.
Something like that.
What?
Another?
Good God.
> 2. I've heard peopel say that flashbacks and dream sequences are the sign
of a new writer. Even if they are done well, do you think someone just
starting out should stay away from them?
Who is this "peopel" of which you speak? Did he go to Beverly too?
Or did you mean "people?" Na, couldn't be possible. Nobody calling
themselves a writer could ever misspell the word "people" without fixing it
before sending it to somebody, especially a mentor such as Dr. Hollywood.
Mistake not my sarcasm for jest, young whippersnapper. If I saw the word
"people" misspelled as "peopel" on the first page of a script someone wanted
me to read, it would go straight into the trash before I ever made it to
page two. If you want to be e.e.cummings and fuck around with spelling and
grammar just to be creative, I gotta steer you away from screenwriting, man.
Try graffiti.
Screenplays are precise descriptions of a movie. Whoever
you're sending it to has five dozen other scripts to read. They're looking
for the SLIGHTEST excuse not to read yours.
Flashbacks? Dream sequences? Good if they're brilliant and riveted to the
spine of the picture, bad if they're not.
BTW, this letter contained two flashbacks and several dream sequences. Did
you spot them?
Go back to your script.
Cut out everything that isn't brilliant.
For an excellent collection of screenwriting tips, check out
http://modigliani.brandx.net/user/musofire/screenwriting.html
At http://www.loop.com/~kate818/gk07.html there are
dozens of useful screenwriting links.
At http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ there is
an amazing list of links for writers, including grants and contests.
And don't miss "Ask Dr. Hollywood" at my site listed below, where I cover
this same subject more extensively.
Very useful: Tony Bill's list of 12 things for writers NOT to do before
sending a script out - http://www.writersdigest.com/wd0601/scripts.asp
Also, most importantly, read as many scripts as you can. You can download
them from http://www.script-o-rama.com/
For an excellent guide to web venues for filmmakers, check out
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/01/41/index4a.html?tw=eg20011017
Ready to submit your work? Go to http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/producer.htm
for a list of links to producers and production companies.
Want a job on a film crew? Go to http://www.mandy.com
And the single most important piece of screenwriting advice you will ever
get? From Strunk and White Do not say, "He showed satisfaction as he took
possession of his well deserved reward." DO say, "He grinned as he pocketed
the coin."
Good luck.
You'll need it.
Keep me posted,
Michael Dare
"As a net is made up of a series of ties, so everything in this world is
connected by a series of ties. If anyone thinks that the mesh of a net is an
independent, isolated thing, he is mistaken. It is called a net because it
is made up of a series of interconnected meshes, and each mesh has its place
and responsibility in relation to other meshes." - Buddha -
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ONE OF THE TOP 25 ENTERTAINMENT SITES ON THE NET
says E-On-line
Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle
when visiting http://home.earthlink.net/~dare2b/
*************************************************
Many thanks to Michael Dare!
Reader Writes To Oprah
On Behalf Of Dave
Michael Farnum
Reader Suggestion
''100 Centre Street''
Pauline
How come you don't watch "100 Centre Street" on A&E?
This is a truly great show: it is the baby of Sidney Lumet, has Alan Arkin, lots of grown
up adults, great writing, real New York, and real people.
You've been watching "Friends" way too long.
~ pauline
Thanks, Pauline...Will try to watch '100 Centre Street' - it has great credentials.
Logistically speaking, the TV in the computer room (which once was a formal dining room) has only
'over-the-air' capabilities. The TV's with the 'Dish Network' connections are in other
rooms for one, very good reason -- I'd get a whole lot less stuff done.
As for having watched ''Friends'' way too long, you're right, but, I'll take a lame sitcom over
a hospital/cop/military/soap opera-type drama everytime. 'CPO Sharkey', 'The Ugliest Girl
In The World', 'OK Crackerby', and even 'My Mother The Car' - I'm familiar with 'em
all. On the rare occasion I break my 'hospital/cop/military/soap opera' rule it's usually because I
know someone who has some part in the production.
And, I love it when my pals work!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night's TV
Was pretty grim at 8 pm - opted for the 'LOP' - Least Objectional Program ...
which was 'America's Funniest Video's', which really doesn't live up to its title.
At 9 pm, NBC had a real tear-jerker story on 'The Jane Pauley Show'.
Nothing much at 10 got my attention, so it was local news.
Tonight, CBS starts retro with the Burl Ives version of 'Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer', and follows it with 'Touched By An Angel' and 'The District', both
with fresh episodes.
NBC devotes the evening to Frank Capra's ''It's A Wonderful Life'', and a
repeat on SNL.
ABC has football infringing on primetime, so it's filling with a Steven Seagal movie.
If you're behind 'The Orange Curtain' in So. CA, KOCE, at 8 pm has an episode of the old
'Ed Sullivan Show' that has a very young Richard Pryor, and really young Rolling Stones.
If you get TCM (Turner Classic Movies), 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' is on somewhere between
10:30 (est) & 7:30 (pst) (accurate only in the Lower 48)...It is followed by 'Silent Running' and
'Rollerball'. If you watch 'Rollerball', remember it is over 26 years old!
TV Land is doing an all 'I Love Lucy'-fest, all day & all night.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Another Opinion On bin Laden
Bono
U2 frontman Bono has some fightin' words for Osama Bin Laden.
"Bin Laden is a spoiled, middle-class brat," growls the postman's son, though the Bin
Laden family boasts a multimillion-dollar fortune.
Bono is also quoted in the London Sun as comparing the fugitive leader of Al Qaeda with
the "despicable" IRA: "He's just a rich kid, as often were members of the Provisional IRA.
They were political-science students. We grew up in their environs and got to despise them,
these people who see ideas as more valuable than human life."
Bono On bin Laden
New! Updated!
(20 Nov, 2001)
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, has provided another eye-opening set of charts!
A brief excerpt: " In January 2002, New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani will intimately know an experience and feeling that more and more of us are reluctantly facing: He'll join the ranks of the unemployed. Due to term limits Giuliani has not been able to seek re-election, after 8 years as one of New York's more popular mayors.
The question on most New Yorker's minds and lips is "What is Rudy going to do NOW?" Well, maybe The Stars can give us some clues.
"
Very interesting reading!
Another Neighbor From Hell Story
O'Really
With a $24 million contract with Fox and a beautiful young wife, Bill O'Reilly would seem to be in heaven. But
the anchor of Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" claims to have a neighbor that has made his life hell.
In a lawsuit filed near O'Reilly's suburban home, the clamorous conservative claims that one John F. Kennedy — yes,
you read the name correctly — slashed the tire of an O'Reilly guest, inserted a running hose into his kitchen, threw
dirt in a window, and screamed, "I'm going to kill you! I fixed your (expletive) sprinkler system!"
Feelings are so bad between the two that O'Reilly is even disturbed that Kennedy left flowers and business
cards at his spread, according to court papers dug up by The News' Brian Harmon.
In a countersuit, Kennedy claims it's the 6-foot-4 telepundit who's making his life a purgatory. O'Reilly had
him arrested, and he was convicted of malicious mischief, criminal contempt, trespass and harassment, according
to the papers filed with the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola.
The newsman also got a restraining order against Kennedy that prevents Kennedy from coming near O'Reilly.
O'Reilly refused to comment, and Kennedy's lawyer didn't return our calls.
Blue Collar Guy Annoys Neighbor
4th Marriage On The Horizon
Liza
Diva Liza Minnelli is planning to marry again - and she's showing off a 3.5-carat diamond
ring as dazzling as her new romance.
Minnelli, 55, is said to be as "excited as a schoolgirl" after falling head over heels for
showman David Gest.
Looking refreshed after a trip to a tony Fifth Avenue beauty salon, Minnelli flashed a smile
as she told The Post of her engagement before being whisked away in a red SUV.
For Minnelli, who has lost 30 pounds since undergoing hip and back surgery in March, the love
union will be her fourth marriage.
Gest is a big-time producer who orchestrated Michael Jackson's tribute gig at Madison Square Garden in September.
She told stunned customers she wanted to get married at St. Patrick's Cathedral and would like
a wedding gown with a train "a mile long."
During her 90-minute visit to the salon, at the Bergdorf Goodman store, Minnelli also confided
that she wanted to adopt four children with Gest.
Minnelli was divorced from sculptor Mark Gero in 1992 after a 13-year marriage.
Her first marriage was to Australian singer and songwriter Peter Allen in 1967, but they
split seven years later.
She immediately married filmmaker Jack Haley, but was divorced five years later.
Minnelli told customers at John Barrett she was planning on announcing her engagement Monday.
"It'll be so much easier to lose weight after this," she said. "It's hard when you have a
bad hip and a bad back.
"And I'll be able to walk again. But I feel healthy. I feel like a bloody ox, darling."
Liza Engaged Again
Weekly 'Survivor' Review
Buh-bye Clarence
No amount of desperation goodwill could save Clarence Black from his fate on Survivor: Africa Thursday,
as early mistakes caught up to the 24-year-old high school hoops coach, making him the first victim of
the newly merged "Moto Maji" tribe.
"Moto Maji," of course, translates to "Brad Pitt Go Home" in Swahili. The grungy tribal backstabbers
faced some heavyweight ratings competition for Thursday's Thanksgiving showdown, as Mr. Jennifer
Aniston guest-starred on his wife's NBC show, playing a once-chubby high school classmate. (Final
ratings will be delayed until Monday, but expect the fat Pitt to easily beat those hairy pits on Survivor.)
As for Clarence, his own physical strength ultimately cost him, sending him packing by an 8-2 vote.
He and Teresa voted for Lex--the tattooed, de facto tribe leader who tried to play the nice guy by
warning Clarence in advance that his time was up. Gee, thanks.
Teresa, meanwhile, just plain owed her allegiance to Clarence. The pair went arm-to-arm for a
painful immunity challenge, in which contestants tried to keep one arm over their heads for as
long as possible without triggering a bucket of water hovering above them. After six--count 'em,
six--hours, Clarence offered to end the ordeal with Teresa by playing a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Teresa had paper. Clarence had rock. So he got doused, in more ways than one.
With his strength a threat, Clarence's former pals in the Boran tribe weren't showing him any
allegiance--especially after early screw-ups like his bean-hoarding episode early in the game.
"I completely understand the decision to get rid of me. I'm strong, and I pose a threat in the
Immunities, and I can live with that, because I knew that coming in," Clarence said in his final
words. "I really needed this Immunity to find out if there was old Boran loyalty, and I guess there isn't."
The Beans Finally Caught Up To Clarence
English Bloodsports, Country Pursuits
Madonna
American pop superstar Madonna, an icon of urban cool for two decades, has confessed a love
for traditional English bloodsports and country pursuits.
In a rare interview with BBC Radio One, Madonna said some of her happiest moments were when
walking in the English countryside and pheasant shooting.
``When you're shooting you are standing in the forest for really long periods of time, so you end up
looking at the leaves and the sky and the trees and you have a lot of time to meditate,'' she said
in the interview broadcast on Friday.
``I eat birds. You have more of a respect for the things you eat when you go through or see the process of killing them.''
Madonna, 43, who married British film producer Guy Ritchie in a lavish ceremony in Scotland last year,
said she loved being part of a family unit and would not rule out having more children.
The couple live in London with their baby son Rocco and Madonna's daughter Lourdes. But Madonna
said they ended up settling in England rather than the United States because Ritchie gave her an ultimatum.
``Basically Guy threatened to leave me and I said OK.''
She starts work on a new album in January and said there was no truth in a rumor that
she had given up touring.
``Never say never. I would never say I wouldn't do anything ever again. That's a stupid thing to say.''
More From The Ever-Demure Madonna
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
To check out 'Train Station Chicken', and more (like 'Cranberry Autumn Tea'),
In The Kitchen With BartCop
Will Smith's Next Film
''Ali''
Will Smith took a gloves-on approach to prepare for his role as Muhammad Ali in "Ali." The
actor and The Greatest got in the ring together.
"Ali weighs 250 pounds, and he still knows how to punch," Smith told GQ. "His punches aren't
as fast. But if he punches you in your face, he can knock you down. So I'm thinking, I
hope he knows we're playing."
"Ali told me the only trouble was that even though I was a pretty guy, he was much prettier
than me. And I just nodded. You don't disagree with this man."
More From Mr. Modesty
The Ever-Fabulous Liz Smith
The Wentworth-Stephanopoulos Wedding
On Tuesday - ABC commentator George Stephanopoulos and comedienne-actress Alexandra Wentworth
rolled the dice. They were married at Manhattan's Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral while
the elite of media looked on approvingly. It was the most dramatic melding since Arianna Stassinopoulos
wed Michael Huffington in Greek splendor way back when.
The Groom, who was the idealistic aide to President Bill Clinton before fleeing the White House
in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky unpleasantness (he then wrote a million-dollar book that
put him on the map) was surrounded by his American-Greek family including his father, Robert,
Dean of the Archdiocesan Cathedral, who helped perform the wedding. Alexandra was backed up by
her mover-shaker mother, the former Muffie Brandon of Washington, now Mrs. Louis Cabot, and her
father, Eric Wentworth, who welcomed guests at the dinner after with a heartfelt appreciation
of his petite blonde child. Both sides of this melding of ethnic and social differences seemed
well-represented in the wedding presence of that famous "opposites attract" couple - Democrat
James Carville and his wife, a right-hand to the GOP's V.P. Dick Cheney, Mary Matalin.
The bridegroom's rising role in the ABC hierarchy and his place on "Good Morning America" and
Sunday's "This Week" was well in evidence from the guest list. Spotted in the mostly all dark-clad
New York crowd was Barbara Walters, who relieved the tedium in a beautiful red bouffant dress.
Also glimpsed - Diane Sawyer and her partner Charles Gibson, GMA's producer Shelley Ross and her
music genius hubby, David Simone, and ABC's news chiefs David Westin and Paul Friedman with their
wonderful wives. Steve and Cokie Roberts were up from Washington along with onetime Clinton
aide Dee Dee Myers and journalist Sherry Henry.
The Wedding couple stood through the hour-long marriage vows wearing floral crowns, and they
did the three-times circular "dance" around the altar. (The groom's name "Stephan" signifies
a garland in Greek.) This venerable ceremony was ended by a spectacular wedding kiss, which
seemed to get several passionate follow-ups, delighting the audience. The rather shy bridegroom
is obviously charmed by the aggressive attentions of his ebullient new wife. Today, we can
assume and hope that they are honeymooning happily down in St. Barts.
A wedding supper followed in a space that had been transformed by Robert Isabell into a satin
bower with hundreds of candles twinkling on the floor to light the way for guests inside. The
wedding dinner was created by Feasts & Fetes and included a cholesterol-laden slab of beautiful
beef topped with a slice of foie gras. The cake from Sylvia Weinstock represented the isle of
Mykonos where the couple became engaged. It was a night of fun and excess and even GMA's team,
Charlie and Diane, stayed up until 11 in spite of their 4 a.m. wakeup call.
After some enthusiastic Greek music with people tripping over one another, the band blasted
itself into the Seventies with such hits as "I Will Survive." This produced a dance floor
full of husbands and wives seeking their lost youth. In the crowd bopping and weaving - Ms.
Sawyer with husband, director Mike Nichols . . . the financier Pete Peterson and his "Sesame
Street" wife, Joan Ganz Cooney . . . the CBS interview king Mike Wallace with his Mary . . . "West
Wing" Emmy winner Brad Whitford . . . Hollywood writer Akiva Goldsman . . . director Joel
Schumacher . . . Talk's Holly Peterson Kimball . . . NBC's Rita Braver and her famous literary
lawyer hubby, Bob Barnett . . . NBC news prexy Neil Shapiro and wife Ju Ju Chang . . . the
literary agent Michael Carlisle and his analyst wife, Sally . . . media shaper Joe
Armstrong . . . a host of blond lookers from the Yates clan - the bride's sister Elizabeth
and her handsome husband, Angus, who is a stepson to Mike Wallace, plus their blond bombshell
kids . . . producer Kayce Freed and news anchor Peter Jennings, the latter just back from
his successful western-southwestern tour of the provinces which has boosted his "World News" ratings tremendously.
The Bride herself seemed to be the one enjoying her wedding supper the most. Shedding her Vera
Wang veil and train, she danced with all comers and toured the room with a bemused George by
her side. They seem to be a perfectly matched set - Alexandra and George, neither one can
possibly weigh more than 125 pounds soaking wet. I guess "adorable" is the word for the new Mr. and Mrs. S.
Many of their guests will repeat the wedding experience tomorrow in the Hamptons when ABC's
Chris Cuomo gets married to Cristina Greeven in Long Island.
My favorite story of the night was one being told around of the bride and her mother's visit
to the church before the wedding. Alexandra looked at the glowing interior, which had been
refurbished courtesy of high society's late Aleco Papamarkou. The bride-to-be said, "My, my,
there's an awful lot of gold and gilt here, isn't there?" Muffie, a doyenne of the Kennedy era,
answered smartly: "Yes - and there's not a thing in the world we can do about it!"
Liz Smith On The Wentworth-Stephanopoulos Wedding
Straight From The Heartland
Academy, That Is
Heartland Academy's Brother Taysir Abu Saada talks with student Riley Stern, 17, in Newark, Mo.,
about the trouble arising from having students work in the manure pit in this July 9, 2001 file
photo. The academy is under fire after five Heartland employees were charged in June with felony
child endangerment stemming from alleged abuse at the dairy farm manure pits where students were
made to work as punishment.
Photo by Tom Gannam
Liberal Radio !
Erin Hart
Liberal radio online - what a concept! Listen from 9pm to 1 am (pst)
at www.710kiro.com on Saturday & Sunday.
There's even a chatroom!
We generally have a pretty good time...
A World's Record Tongue
Annika Irmler
German schoolgirl Annika Irmler has licked her way into the Guinness Book of Records with her
whopping seven centimetre tongue.
"My friends always said I had an incredibly long tongue - I could make lots of money with it
one day," said Annika.
The World's Longest Tongue
A Real Food Tribute
The ''Julia Child'' Tomato
World famous chef, cookbook author and television show host Julia Child, shares a laugh with students from her
alma mater, Smith College in this Oct. 11, 2001 file photo in Northampton, Mass. Child now has a certified-organic,
heirloom tomato to call her own. Gary Ibsen, founder of Carmel's annual TomatoFest, has announced the naming of
his "Julia Child" tomato.
Photo by Nancy Palmieri, File
Audio Files From BC
Bonus Page Link
Looking for some 'Garbage'?
Here are some MP3 files from BC
Aw, come on....isn't anyone curious?
A Fourth Rambo"
Sylvester Stallone
Sly Stallone is hatching a "Rambo IV" project for Dimension Films, but his camp denies talk
that he'll have his action hero doing battle with Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.
His rep says: "He doesn't even have a script yet."
Clearly, though, Sly has already reached Afghanistan. A soldier guarding Bin Laden's sons
recently said of America: "They are a superpower only in Hollywood and in films. Their
heroes are only mythical like Rambo."
A 4th Rambo?
No Such Thing As Bad Publicity
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger and rock siren Amanda de Cadenet are banding together to deny reports they're romantically involved.
"Both parties are extremely upset at the distress these untruths cause," they said in a statement yesterday.
Jagger, 58, and de Cadenet, 29-year-old ex-wife of Duran Duran's John Taylor, were spotted out
together in L.A. recently. But de Cadenet insists, "I have a boyfriend, and it's not Mick Jagger."
Speaking of Mick, he doesn't think much of Britney Spears' cover of the Stones' classic "Satisfaction."
"I was with my 9-year-old daughter," Georgia, he said in an AOL chat this week. "We quite liked
the beginning of it … [but] it didn't seem to go anywhere."
More Mick
Badfinger Lives
Joe Molland
Joe Molland lives a quiet life in the suburbs. The only outward signs of a rock 'n' roll lifestyle
are the Mercedes-Benz and the old Jaguar in his driveway, and the battered guitars and banjo on
the walls of his one-story house.
Gone are the days when Molland shared a concert stage with George Harrison or recorded with John
Lennon. Or when he played for Badfinger, the Beatlesque band that struck it big in the early '70s
with such hits as ``No Matter What'' and ``Day After Day'' before ending in tragedy.
``It's always struck me as odd, if you like, that I was the guy who happened to be in the right
place and somebody pushed me into the lightning,'' says Molland, 54.
Badfinger's most enduring song was not even released as a single. ``Without You'' appeared on their
second album, ``No Dice'' (1970).
Apple didn't care for the tracks Badfinger submitted for its third album, Molland says, so
Harrison started producing the songs, then handed the job off to Todd Rundgren. The result
was ``Straight Up,'' an album that set the stage for the 1970s power-pop explosion.
Badfinger performed on Harrison's 1970 album ``All Things Must Pass,'' and played at Harrison's
Bangladesh relief concert at Madison Square Garden in 1971.
Molland also got to perform for one of his heroes when Lennon's assistant called in 1971 looking
for musicians to play on the album ``Imagine.''
Badfinger signed a $3 million deal with Warner Brothers Records, but in 1974, when their second album
for Warner, ``Wish You Were Here,'' was climbing the charts, the company discovered money missing
from Badfinger's escrow accounts. Warner pulled the record from stores.
Molland, who left the group later that year, blames Badfinger's breakup on business management problems.
In April 1975, Ham hanged himself in his garage.
Molland started his own band, Natural Gas, with ex-Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley, and recorded
one album before they broke up. He then reteamed with Evans for two final Badfinger albums,
``Airwaves'' in 1979 and ``Say No More'' in 1981.
In 1983, Evans also hanged himself.
British courts finally approved a settlement in 1985 that resolved disputes over Badfinger's
royalties. Molland took his share and moved to Minnesota with his wife, Kathie, a Twin Cities
native. They have two sons, Joe III, 22, also a musician, and Shaun, 21.
Joe Molland & Badfinger
On the Net:
Joe Molland Web site: www.joeymolland.com
Badfinger official Web page: www.joeymolland.com/badfinger/features.htm
Updated!
BartCop TV!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot' never seems to rest - and doesn't let little things like laundry or
housekeeping get in the way!
Damn near every show on TV must is listed - days & days worth of great reading.
If you have any questions about nearly any tv program, check out
BC TV!
Getting Back To Work
John Waters
Twisted moviemaker John Waters is taking seriously the president's edict to get back to
work. "I make dirty movies, and I'm going right back to making one," he told the San
Francisco Chronicle. Waters was just in Hollywood shopping his latest, "A Dirty Shame,"
about blue-collar workers with head injuries who also are sex addicts. Waters also said
his pal Patricia Hearst, who's starred in several of his movies, is relieved that the
Sara Jane Olson case - she's on trial for the attempted bombing of two police cars in
1975 - is nearing an end because maybe Hearst won't have to testify.
John Waters' ''A Dirty Shame''
''Love Is Everything...''
Brad Pitt
For Brad Pitt, film star and international heart throb, love not fame is the most important thing.
In an interview with Britain's tabloid Mirror newspaper on Friday, Pitt said he found his
success a constant struggle against living a normal life.
The actor, who married Friends star Jennifer Aniston in July last year, prefers to put his faith in love.
``Love is everything... On your deathbed you don't talk about cars you drove, what you did;
only loves or regrets for the loves that you let go,'' he told the paper.
Pitt first found fame in the 1991 movie ``Thelma and Louise.'' Within three years he was on
the cover of People magazine in the United States after being voted ``Sexiest Man Alive.''
But asked if he wanted to give up the fame game, he replied: ``I chose this life and there are
some trade-offs that have to be made. But overall, it's a pretty damn tasty life.''
Brad Pitt On Love
He's Not 'Uncle Jesse' Any More
John Stamos
John Stamos likes the easy touch. He's unabashed about admiring the stars he dubs ``those early guys.''
The 38-year-old actor is referring to old-time smoothies, like Cary Grant or Dean Martin, who could
effortlessly infuse action movies with elegance, romance and humor.
``To Catch a Thief,'' the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock caper starring Grant and Grace Kelly, is inspiration for
Stamos' new ABC television series, ``Thieves,'' which airs on Fridays (9 p.m.-10 p.m. EST). Currently 12
episodes of the show have been ordered.
Johnny, a thief turned government agent, started out to be like Grant's elegant crook but, Stamos explains,
``He turned out to be a guy who wanted to be like that kind of guy.'' That additional twist adds all-important
humor to the series in which Johnny's partner is Rita, a bold, astute, glamorous blonde. She's played by
Australian actress Melissa George. Rita and Johnny's professional relationship is ripe with - you
guessed it - sexual tension.
It's one of those will-they-won't-they scenarios, tricky to pull off, but magical if it works, as it did
on the hit sitcom ``Cheers'' and the detective comedy-drama ``Moonlighting.''
Stamos, who has a production deal with Warner Bros. Television, received an Emmy nomination as producer of
last year's ABC miniseries ``The Beach Boys: An American Family.''
John Stamos
Fund Raiser For Adult Literacy
Gregory Peck
Actor Gregory Peck has helped raise $350,000 to teach adults to read.
Peck is the honorary chairman of The Literary Odyssey Dinners, fundraising events that
are held at celebrities' homes and feature a well-known author. The dinners, which cost
$300 to $2,500 per plate, took place Nov. 3 in Santa Barbara and Nov. 5 in Los Angeles County.
Philanthropist Eli Broad donated $200,000 of the money for adult literacy programs through
the Los Angeles Public Library and its 67 branches.
The program is run by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, a nonprofit fund-raising
group run by 250 women.
Adult Literacy Fund Raiser
BC Entertainment Favorite Link
Moose & Squirrel Information One-Stop
http://geocities.com/mooseandsquirrel1
What a great site! Information and reference materials of the first order!
Between 'Moose & Squirrel' and 'Google', who needs 'refdesk'!
Sad Story
Leif Garrett
Seventies teen idol Leif Garrett has filed for personal bankruptcy and has only $350 left
to his name, the L.A. Times reports. The 39-year-old has debts of $76,198, including $3,300
to Sears. He lists as his only income $1,000 a month he gets from his mother.
Leif Garrett
The Highest-Rated New Drama This Season
''The Guardian''
In CBS' new drama ``The Guardian'' there's on-screen chemistry between Simon Baker, who stars
as troubled attorney Nick Fallin, and Dabney Coleman as his crusty father.
There's chemistry as well between Baker and Alan Rosenberg, who plays the tough director of
the child-advocacy office where Fallin must perform community service after a drug arrest.
The potent cast has helped make ``The Guardian'' the highest-rated new drama this season - in a
competitive 9 p.m. EST Tuesday time slot. It has averaged 14.3 million viewers weekly against
NBC's ``Frasier'' and ABC's ``NYPD Blue.'' It has even managed to outdraw Fox's much-hyped new drama ``24.''
''The Guardian'', Highest-Rated New drama This Season
(cough) (cough) (cough)
Game Show Rigged?
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of cheating on the British version of the TV game
show ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.''
Maj. Charles Ingram and his wife, Diana, were arrested at their home west of London. Detectives
interviewed them, released them on bail Thursday and ordered them to return to a central London
police station in December.
A 51-year-old man, arrested Thursday in Cardiff, Wales, was released on bail to return for questioning
in February. He was not identified.
A police inquiry began in September into an episode of the popular show in which Ingram won 1
million pounds, or $1.41 million.
The episode was not broadcast, and Ingram's check was withheld because of the suspected cheating.
News reports suggested that someone in the audience relayed to him correct answers to questions by coughing.
``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' was created in Britain and became an instant evening television
hit. Versions of the show have spread to several countries, including the United States, where Regis
Philbin is the host. A U.S. theme park also is in the works.
The British Version Of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'
Visiting In Bavaria
Mariah Carey
U.S. pop star Mariah Carey walks past a line of admiring fans as she enters her hotel
in downtown Munich, southern Germany, Friday, Nov. 23, 2001. The singer arrived to
perform in a charity concert later in the evening.
Photo by Diether Endlicher
Calgary Stampeders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Grey Cup
Football fever gripped pockets of Montreal on Friday as fans from across the country, and beyond, gathered
to prime for Sunday's Grey Cup matchup between the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
And with Montreal's Alouettes left out of the big sold-out game, it seemed the locals were content to leave
most of the merry-making to the out-of-town crowd.
This year's Grey Cup marks the first time Montreal has hosted the event in 16 years.
The Grey Cup Weekend In Montreal
This Sunday is the 'Grey Cup', the Canadian Super Bowl. 3-down football is pretty interesting,
but, then I've been to Kamloops - twice.
Banishing 'Miss America' To Philadelphia
Miss Universe
Wearing a white evening gown, Miss Universe made her Broadway debut yesterday - but she found
herself thrust into a supporting role in the parade spectacular.
A beaming Denise Quinones August, 21, waved to the crowd from her perch atop a large float
decorated like a forest.
But the most enthusiastic cheers went to New York's Bravest and Finest, rather than the most beautiful.
Miss Universe was making her first appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade after
organizers dumped traditional guest Miss America at the last minute.
Miss America Katie Harman was banished to Philadelphia after getting the cold shoulder from Macy's. But
she wasn't letting her smaller stage spoil the moment.
The 21-year-old Oregon beauty found herself a big fish in a small pond, getting an enthusiastic reception
after she sang "America the Beautiful."
Miss Universe was given the honor of appearing in New York's parade at the urging of pageant owner Donald Trump.
The Donald Gets His Way
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"Boondocks" (22 Nov 01)
"Boondocks" (15 Nov 01)
"Boondocks" (9 Oct 01)
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
