CAN OSCARS WOO THE REST OF US?Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith How do you generate interest in an Oscar show when the majority of the public hasn't seen the nominated pictures? ``If you're talking about people in the Midwest (where many of the films haven't gotten much of a release), your guess is as good as mine,'' admits Oscar show producer Gil Cates n. pl. 1. Provisions; food; viands; especially, luxurious food; delicacies; dainties. Cates for which Apicius could not pay. - Shurchill. Choicest cates and the fiagon's best spilth. - R. Browning. . ``You just hope they tune in out of habit.'' Cates feels there are three reasons people watch the Academy Awards telecast. Besides the race itself, ``They like to see the stars dressed up, and they like the entertainment.'' Big stars he's got - with more signing on for the Big Event every day. Madonna and Kenny Loggins and Celine Dion are slated to sing, and the presenters will include Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler Bette Midler (born December 1 1945) is an American singer, actress and comedienne, also known to her fans as The Divine Miss M. She is named after the actress Bette Davis although Davis pronounced her first name in two syllables, and Midler uses one. , Mel Gibson Noun 1. Mel Gibson - Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956) Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, Gibson U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. , Nicolas Cage, Kevin Spacey spac·ey adj. Slang Variant of spacy. Adj. 1. spacey - stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug spaced-out, spacy unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles" and Susan Sarandon Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. Biography Early life Sarandon, the eldest of nine children, was born Susan Abigail Tomalin . And, of course, Billy Crystal will host. Cates was also Oscar producer the year Sarandon and Tim Robbins were presenters and used the podium for a political diatribe di·a·tribe n. A bitter, abusive denunciation. [Latin diatriba, learned discourse, from Greek diatrib . Cates feels the Oscar stage is not the place for such discourses, but wouldn't try to stop one - particularly if it's part of an acceptance speech. ``If someone wins an Oscar, he's entitled to use the 30 seconds in any way he wants. He's earned that time, so to speak.'' What Cates finds worse than Oscar political orations are what he calls telephone book list speeches, ``When winners thank everyone they know in the industry. I always warn nominees, `You're not going to get another job just because you suck up like that. You'll get hired if your picture makes money, you won't get hired if it doesn't.' '' This'll frost you It's now a December production start for Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .' ``Frosty the Snowman,'' with George Clooney playing what will undoubtedly go down as his coolest role - literally if not figuratively. Clooney's involvement in the Sam Raimi project was announced last fall, and Raimi now tells us, ``We thought it was prudent to wait, to take a year to prepare the special effects. ... We've developed technology with CGI CGI in full Common Gateway Interface. Specification by which a Web server passes data between itself and an application program. Typically, a Web user will make a request of the Web server, which in turn passes the request to a CGI application program. (computer generated imagery) to make the snowman completely believable and realistic.'' Clooney plays a jazz musician who pays little attention to his child, and who gets the chance to redeem himself after he dies - by coming back as the snowman. The celebrity circuit Lisa Hartman-Black and her husband, handsome country star Clint Black, are spending the week at their Nashville home. As soon as they return to Hollywood, says Lisa, she's going to beat the bushes for work. Lisa, who has an ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. development deal, does make TV movies frequently. Her latest: The March 23 ABC ``Out of Nowhere,'' in which she plays a woman framed for a crime by her daughter's kidnappers. But she says, ``I'm looking to do a series - as long as it's an ensemble show. With Clint and his touring, we'd have to see how we could manage to make it work. We love being together.'' The videoland view The ``EZ Streets'' troupe has been trying to get CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. to kick off the show's return to the air tonight by re-airing its two-hour explanatory pilot. ``They wouldn't go for it - for whatever reason,'' says Jason Gedrick, who co-stars with Ken Olin and Joe Pantoliano in the complex, sophisticated drama that was only given a two-night run before being put on the shelf last November. ``Instead, they're going to do a 90-second recap. That's insulting to the part of me that believes in art before business.'' Gedrick, who plays a lonely ex-con who was imprisoned im·pris·on tr.v. im·pris·oned, im·pris·on·ing, im·pris·ons To put in or as if in prison; confine. [Middle English emprisonen, from Old French emprisoner : en- for a robbery he didn't commit in the critically acclaimed ``Streets,'' says, ``The show will also be on this Wednesday. Then it will air every Wednesday until they've used up the eight episodes we've stockpiled. And then we'll wait and see about pickup.'' Much as he loves the show, proud as he is of it, he admits, ``I can't help being pessimistic. I don't feel like they've been going ahead full steam with publicity. Hopefully I'm wrong, but after 10 years in this business I'm a realist.'' |
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