Latino Laugh Festival Showcases New and Old Talent
Hollywood -- July 18, 1996 -- If comic/producer/comedy club owner
Jeff Valdez has his way, his "Latino Laugh Festival" will introduce much
of the showbiz world -- and the world in general -- to a talent pool they
weren't very aware of. The half-hour Showtime series, which is hosted by
Cheech Marin and consists of comedy done at a three-day comedy festival
in San Antonio, debuts tomorrow night (7-19). Not only will we see Latino
talents we haven't been exposed to, says Valdez, we'll see some familiar
faces in a new light. One bit, for instance, has Cheech teamed with Edward
James Olmos in a spoof of an awards show. Cheech tells the audience he's
sick of hearing the line, ...and the winner is...'" At that point, out comes
Olmos, who deadpans that he thought he was being called. "Since I win
everything, I assumed you meant me." Another bit has the very high
energy Maria Conchita Alonso paired with tele-ingenue Daisy Fuentes
as Cubans in Florida. "Maria is the dark, brooding revolutionary. Daisy
is the Valley girl-type who THINKS she knows where she's from, but is
so Americanized, she hasn't a clue." At one point, Fuentes raises her fist
in salute, and the audience is treated to a view of her gnarly, snarly long a
rmpit hair. "It's an old bit, but it still works," Valdez says cheerfully.
"Daisy was backstage, flashing everyone her armpit hair before going on.
The makeup people put it on for her, of course. It must have been awful
to take off." Certainly no cause for laughter. Valdez says it took him
three years to sell the project, and then "we had three and a half months
from green light to tape in the can -- which is an insanely short turnaround.
I coulda just gone out with (avant garde artist) Cristo and wrapped tinfoil
around the Grand Canyon instead."
Zemeckis' 'Frighteners' Premiere a Ghoulish Bash
Hollywood -- July 19, 1996 -- "The Frighteners'" exec producer
Robert Zemeckis stayed til after midnight at the Hollywood premiere
party for his new film starring Michael J. Fox. Zemeckis told us he's
looking forward to working with Jodie Foster on the upcoming sci-fi
thriller "Contact," which is based on the Carl Sagan book. He says they've
already spent "hours and hours and hours" preparing for the project which
starts filming in September and co-stars the hot new star Matthew
McConaughey. Foster is reportedly receiving a $7 million salary for
the film. When asked what other projects he might have brewing, Zemeckis
said, "I only do one at a time, that's enough--I don't stack em up too
much." Throughout the night Zemeckis received congratulations on the
film -- that some hope will revive Michael J. Fox' career -- from such
celebs as "Saturday Night Live" alum Rob Schneider, "Married...With
Children's" David Faustino, Kate Jackson, Mykelti Williamson and Gary
Busey. Busey was seen beaming with pride, since his son, Jake Busey,
plays the villain in the film -- and Jake is definitely a chip off the old
cracked block as the evil murderer Johnny Bartlett. Party guests were
transported by tram to the Town Square section of the Universal Studios
backlot, which was set up as Fairwater' the fictional town of the movie.
The Town Square is also where much of the "Back To The Future"
movies -- on which Fox and Zemeckis first teamed -- were shot.
Mock cemeteries with open caskets and eerie fog served as the bar
areas, with bartenders done up in zombie makeup. Buffets were
dishing up seafood pizza, pasta, grilled fish kebabs and Mexican
fare. And a fortune teller forecast the future for those willing to
stand on line for the privilege and a live band rocked away the night.
Copyright (c) 1996 Beck/Smith Ent.