For Immediate Release on Entertainment Drive
Released By Beck/Smith

Disney Pic Has Bold New Look
Hollywood -- March 11, 1996 -- "If you don't like it, at least recognize how successful it is." That was "Nightmare Before Christmas" filmmaker Henry Selick's plea to Disney toppers, when he asked to bring hip children's book illustrator Lane Smith aboard his latest film, "James and the Giant Peach." Smith's mildly bizarre art will be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the hit books "The Stinky Cheese Man" and "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs." For "James," which opens April 12, Smith designed a cast of bugs that "don't fit the mold of what you normally see in animated films," says Selick. "James" is also different in that it's done in stop-motion animation. Selick knows it'll startle people, at least initially. But he points out, "'Toy Story' helped break a lot of new ground for animation. I'm very much encouraged by the audience acceptance of it....I love Disney animation. I worked there myself," he adds. "But there is a whole world of other animation to explore." "James," from the 1961 Roald Dahl tale, also boasts voice talent ranging from Susan Sarandon and Richard Dreyfuss, to the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley, to "Frasier's" Jane Leeves. Music is being provided by the inimitable Randy Newman. Indeed, notes Selick, on Oscar nominations day, he realized he had six Academy Award hopefuls working on his film -- including Dreyfuss (Best Actor, for "Mr. Holland's Opus"), Sarandon (Best Actress, for "Dead Man Walking"), and Newman (Best Score and Best Song, for "Toy Story"), plus three behind-the-scenes talents.

Mortal Kombat's Robin Shou Looks to Be Stunt Boss
Hollywood -- March 12, 1996 -- "Mortal Kombat" star Robin Shou is out to add stunt coordinator to his resume. Shou has been responsible for getting his "Beverly Hills Ninja" co-star Chris Farley into fighting shape -- or at least the illusion of fighting shape -- for the big-screen comedy. "I wanted people to get to know that I'm not just an actor," says Shou, who also gave martial arts tips to his "Mortal Kombat" co-star. "I can also coordinate fights and stunts. That's one of the reasons a lot of people are interested in hiring me. I came from the Hong Kong school of fighting and I know what I'm doing." Shou started studying martial arts 15 years ago. "I started off with kenpo karate, then went to Wu Shiu, a Chinese martial art, then I studied kickboxing, judo, and other kinds of martial arts." Shou says the 270-pound-plus Farley was nervous about whether he could pull off the stunts needed for him to pass as a martial arts expert. "I told him, 'You're going to be okay!' I had all my guys there to work with him....These are guys I trained with or who trained me. They're some of the best martial artists in the world." He says training Farley has been "really a challenge. If I get him to to look really sharp, that means I accomplished something." Shou says he'd ultimately like to follow in the footsteps of Jackie Chan -- the Chinese martial arts superstar of "Rumble in the Bronx," who makes his own films and does all his own stunts. "He has his own stuntman/coordinator....They brainstorm together, work well together and know each other's timing and reactions. I'm trying to build up a group of people who think on the same level as me or who I can work well with. It's the ultimate dream of a lot of actors to one day be able to produce a movie of their own -- and it's the same here."

Nominees Lunch Provides Oscar Clues
Hollywood -- March 13, 1996 -- For those who enjoy indulging in the sport of predicting Oscar winners, there might've been some handicapping information to be had at yesterday's Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon. Inside the Academy affair, nominees joined for the annual "class photo" on a riser, then came down one by one as their names were called to collect their nomination certificates and Class of '95 sweatshirts. To judge by the passionate applause in the room, Kevin Spacey would seem a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor ("The Usual Suspects") and there's little doubt that Best Cinematography honors will go to "Batman Forever." Of course, this sustained applause from the Academy crowd might just mean "Good job" -- not "You're the one!" Nicolas Cage drew very big applause, but then, so did his fellow Best Actor nominees Richard Dreyfuss and Anthony Hopkins. (Sean Penn was among the missing, and of course, the fifth Best Actor Oscar nomination went posthumously to Massimo Troisi.) Behind-the-scenes personnel on "Sense and Sensibility" also drew big applause. (Their leader, Emma Thompson, and Best Supporting Actress Kate Winslet were not on hand.) Sharon Stone looked fabulous -- naturally -- in an off-white slacks ensemble, lending a note of glamour on a gray and soggy afternoon when a large handful of attendees came in surprisingly casual attire. Cage, in fact, in his jeans and sweater, could have left the luncheon and gone into some one-on-one basket shooting with no trouble. The pre-Oscar big winner -- with a Golden Globe and several critics' awards already to his credit -- Cage drew high attention at the affair, where some of the most exciting names were missing in action. (Mel Gibson, who just had an emergency appendectomy, was not there, of course. Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon weren't there. Brad Pitt wasn't there. Mira Sorvino was -- and got big applause. Elisabeth Shue was there, and got nice applause -- not bad, but not nearly as big as Honorary Award winner Chuck Jones. Nice applause is also what Stone received.) Cage, of "Leaving Las Vegas," entertained press with his comment that in reality, "Las Vegas is a terrific place, if you don't gamble. Everything's free."

Director Michael Hausman Deems Larry Flynt a Hero
Hollywood -- March 14, 1996 -- "The People vs. Larry Flynt," which is shooting in Memphis with Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love playing the pornomeister and his wife, wraps shooting in Los Angeles next month. So far, says producer Michael Hausman, Memphis has proven to be a dream. The only trouble turned out to be a mistake. "We were shooting outside the courthouse, people noticed pickets there and phoned the TV stations, and there were reports the film company was being picketed. We had to phone the stations and explain that they were our pickets -- extras hired to play pickets." Hausman says that we should consider Flynt, the publisher of Hustler, "a hero." It was Flynt, as the movie will point out, who went to the Supreme Court and won a decision that "ultimately helped the media make good fun of people without being sued. Public figures are now sort of open for friendly ridicule because of Larry." Hausman maintains that he has never read Hustler -- though he can't escape it now. "It's all over our bulletin boards in the production offices."

Miss Piggy Explains It All for You
Hollywood -- March 15, 1996 -- Disappointing news for all you fans of the inimitable Miss Piggy. She is NOT appearing on every installment of ABC's "Muppets Tonight" series. The oh-so-glam film and television star explains that grievous state of affairs: "Moi has so many other interests in life. Moi has gone back to school to expand moi's education." What's she studying? "Motorpool," Piggy replies. "I think it's important for women to know how to maintain a car." (Of course, the fact that Miss Piggy's vocal soul mate, Frank Oz, has another career as a filmmaker just might have something to do with her recurring "Muppets Tonight" status. We would have asked her about that, but talking to Piggy about Frank Oz is a no-no.) The porcine diva adds, "But certainly I've done about five episodes of the show. I'm there to support my frog and whenever Bernie my agent tells me the deal's good." One show not to miss: Miss P. does the Meg Ryan part in an upcoming "Muppets Tonight," in which she and Billy Crystal recreate the faked-orgasm-in-a-diner scene from "When Harry Met Sally." Piggy also puts down gossip that she's been seeing Babe, the title pig of the Oscar-nominated movie, when Kermit's not looking. "I have never met Babe, though we are of the same species and I would like to meet him," says Piggy, who takes full credit for opening the doors for pigs in Hollywood. Asked whether Kermit has a wandering eye, she responded, "Several of them."

Copyright (c) 1996 Beck/Smith Ent.


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