What makes a winner? Salon takes a look at Dreamworks’ eight-month-long “American Beauty” publicity campaign, beginning with Bernard Weinraub’s glowing hype in the “New York Times” last July (a full three months before the film’s release). The day after the studio took home the Oscar, the “Times” congratulated the Dreamworks team for their successful orchestration of all the buzz surrounding the movie. “No one mentioned the powerful newspaper columnist who’d in effect played first violin.” – Salon 3/30/00
Month: March 2000
PAID TO SELL
Two prominent actors unions – the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – have said their members won’t make any more commercials until their demands – for increased residuals and more money for ads running on Spanish-language television and in international markets – are met. – CNN 3/30/00
ON FURTHER APPRAISAL
“Antiques Roadshow” dumps two appraisers, saying the pair had ”staged” their on-air appraisal of a Civil War-era sword during an episode that aired in 1997. “Following up on a report in the Boston Herald, WGBH has determined an appraisal of a Civil War sword, first broadcast in 1997, was staged by the appraisers without the knowledge of `Antiques Roadshow’ and in violation of the basic premise of the program.” – Boston Herald 03/30/00
- Show severs ties with appraisers. – Boston Globe 03/30/00
- Background: “Roadshow” is PBS’ No. 1 show. “The appraisers perform an almost magical function on Antiques Roadshows, transforming junk into gold through the power of their expert knowledge.” – Feed 03/14/00
POTTER PANIC
The news that Chris Columbus has been chosen to direct the Harry Potter movies has some fans lamenting. “There’s nothing in [Chris Columbus’] filmography that suggests to me that he has any understanding of the inner lives and imagination of children.” – Salon
- Potter books banned from English religious school because they don’t conform with Bible’s teachings. – CBC
BOOK SALES BY CHAIN STORES —
— were up 11 percent in 1999. – Publishers Weekly
SPOTTING THE NEXT NEW THING
“The British art scene now is full of people bidding to define the next thing post-Damien Hirst. Contenders have come and gone, but it’s Higgs, curator of exhibitions including ‘Then and Now’ at the Lisson Gallery and a director of London’s Cabinet Gallery, who seems to be the man with a plan. And the reason that Higgs is a genuine influence is that he chooses the right artists. Long before they attained their current fame, he worked closely with Ofili, Martin Creed, Fiona Banner, Jeremy Deller and Paul Noble.” – The Guardian
ANTHONY POWELL, —
— novelist, and a contemporary of Evelyn Waugh, George Orwell and Cyril Connolly, has died at age 94. – New York Times
PEACE WALL
France celebrates the unveiling of its Peace Wall 2000 beside the Eiffel Tower, a 17-meter long, 9-meter high wall covered in the word “peace” in 32 languages. Artist Clara Halter says the wall was inspired by Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall. It has “holes for members of the public to place their own personal wishes.” – CBC
PYRAMID SCHEME
French archaeologists have discovered another pyramid near Cairo, built for a queen some 4000 years ago. The find boosts the number of pyramids in Egypt to 108. – Fox News (Reuters)
SAVED FROM THE BLOCK
As in auction block, of course. US customs officials in New York seized a 10th-century Chinese marble sculpture that they said had been stolen from an ancient tomb and was set to be sold at Christie’s auction gallery. The sculpture is said to be one of ten ripped from the Five Dynasties tomb of Wang Chuzhi in Hebei Province, in northeastern China, in 1994. – New York Times