A new movie called Fight Club, reportedly about a group of guys who get together and beat the crap out of each other in an almost sacred ritual has "violence, rowdy sex, terrorism and political disaffection." The Edward Norton and Brad Pitt vehicle sounds like it could be a powder keg, and at least one person close the movie hopes it is. "I pray Washington doesn't want kids to see this," the source says. "What better way to sell it?"
Brad and Ed make bombs from soap in one scene, and use them to terrorize a city. Originally, the movie was supposed to be one of the summer blockbusters, but along came Columbine and the resulting media scapegoating. Fox said the release date was pushed back because it wasn't finished. Right.
This scenario illustrates one great show business / moral dilemma. Here is a movie that social conservatives are going to hate and not want young people to see. However, by speaking up and protesting it, they also make the movie more visible. So, do we speak up for what we feel is right and potentially have it backfire, or put our heads into the sand and hope it goes away? I say we do the former with Bill Clinton advising and the protest will never, ever backfire.
Tidbits
For the fourth week in a row, The Sixth Sense has remained at number one in the box office. It's only the third movie to achieve this. The other two being Titanic and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Take that Antonio Banderas! Sixth Sense's box office gross is now estimated at almost $140 million.
Artisan Entertainment is riding high on the wave of success from the $138 million grossing Blair Witch Project. Ads for their next thriller, Stir of Echoes are all over television. A show business analyst on CNN said Artisan could survive for more than a year, on Blair's success alone.
Regular viewers of TNT's Monstervision Saturday night got to see Ice Cream Man with the demented ice cream man and cult movie icon Clint Howard himself as Joe Bob's special guest lecturer. Howard discussed the making of the movie as well as some of his other low budget flicks. A couple years ago, he joined the ranks of Chewbecca and Godzilla in receiving the MTV Movie Awards "Lifetime Achievement Award".
Show business columnist Jeffrey Wells has left Mr. Showbiz
for the newer, sharper-looking
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