Sharon Waxman (The Post)

• Hollywood & Vine Archive • Recent other stories by Sharon Waxman • Style Section • Entertainment Section • Movies Section • Talk: Entertainment and Style message boards • Live Online Transcripts • Subscribe to washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters

Hollywood & Vine
Hosted by Sharon Waxman
Post Style Correspondent
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2001; 2 p.m. EST

Washington Post Style correspondent Sharon Waxman brings Hollywood & Vine Live Online for a discussion about the inner workings of the movie industry. There is a whole political universe behind how the movies happen, the tug and pull of egos, financial imperatives, a pecking order for privileges as well as genuine creative impulses.

Below is a transcript.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Sharon Waxman: Here we are and welcome back to Hollywood and Vine. Very soon it will be possible to visit Hollywood and Vine and see something other than addicts, porn shops and little kiosks selling postcards of Tom Cruise. The new, $615 million complex at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland, which I visited last week, is really something. It's meant to draw something like 20 million visitors a year, which makes sense, since there's already 10 million visitors a year who go to the area to see the drunks along the Walk of Fame. For years there's been little else. Now there'll be a home for the Oscars (a very classy new theater), and a public plaza with some 75 restaurants and tourist traps (just kidding, I mean stores), graced by this massive Sumerian-looking arch we told you about last week inspired by DW Griffith's film, Intolerance.

Amusingly, no one I interviewed who had anything to do with the building of this place had seen the movie or knew what it was about. I plan to do so. All I know is that it was a response to the racist 'Birth of a Nation,' which I have seen. Any silent-era enthusiasts out there?

Vienna: Michael Jackson recently did an online chat that only confirmed his wackiness, declaring that "When I come to a town I would love to see a children's festival and children's choirs singing my songs -- maybe create a children's day! A Holiday! With parades and songs -- oh, I would love that!" He also said that he likes to go trick-or-treating. Do people in Hollywood take him serious or just see him as a loon or do they see him as genuinely dangerous?

Sharon Waxman: Dangerous as in anthrax? As in criminal? I can't tell you exactly how Hollywood feels about Jacko, but they are watching him publicly implode the same way you are. (May I point you to David Segal's entertaining review of Michael's Madison Square Gardenia show the other day.) Yes it's true, he managed to get everyone from Brando to Britney to participate in his concern, but I think it's fair to see most people see him as a pathetic character, deserving of pity, a too-easy easy target for stand-up comics. Even they don't bother to skewer him anymore.

Falls Church: Griffith made "Birth of a Nation," which also "made" him, so why would he make "Intolerance" as a response? I doubt that the two films were related in that way.

Sharon Waxman: Because Birth of a Nation, while a big hit, did make heroes of the Ku Klux Klan, and not everybody found that heart-warming. On Intolerance,from Leonard Maltin's guide to the movies: "Landmark epic interweaves 4 stories of prejudice and inhumanity from the Babylonia era to the modern day. Melodramatic.... stunning climax." Lilian Gish is in this one too (she's the virginal young southern lass who is raped by an escaping slave in birth of a nation).

Arlington, Va.: Hey Sharon,

Saw an ad for the Emmys this weekend -- so they're finally showing it. Any word on security, tone, if they're still high on toning down the red carpet rigamarole, etc.?

Thanks.

Sharon Waxman: They're too embarrassed even to call me to make it this time. I think this one will be extremely low-key, more like an awards dinner than a gala ceremony. I don't know if there's a red carpet but if they ask my advice I'd tell them to bag it.

By the way, I was out at the first real industry glitzfest the other night since Sept. 11, a tribute to Nicolas Cage by the American Cinematheque that had been postponed once. Was the first time I really saw the gowns, the jewelry, the limos and papaparazzi out in force (how many pas in parazzi? oh never mind) since the attacks. People were in fairly good humor, security was draconian. I ran into Jerry Bruckheimer who lectured me on how the Post is revealing too much information about bio-chem warefare etc. in our pages. Duly noted.

Aleandria, Va.: I saw both "Birth" and "Intolerance" in a college film history course -- 20 years ago -- and don't remember a whole lot about either. While the filmmaking technique was very advanced for the time, it was offset by the heavy-handedness of the storyline and message. But I can't recall much specific about either.

On a different topic, what's the buzz in the TV business? While a couple of new shows are already gone, it seems like the nets are being a little more patient than usual, since they only seem to have reruns to fill the gaps. Philly is probably my favorite new show thus far, which surprises me a bit. Alias is good too.

Sharon Waxman: You saw both films and can't remember a thing? What good are you? (They're only like four hours each.)

On the tv business, your instincts seem right; the networks seem to be slower to hit the cancellation button this year, undoubtedly because of the general uncertainty of the time. It's hard to gauge if anything is really finding an audience; I watched Philly once, and was exhausted from watching Kim Delaney race through the halls of the courthouse nonstop for an hour. Also, if one more leering man notes how good-looking she is (don't all overworked, underpaid, single mom lawyers just get that all day?) - I thought I"d be ill. Annoying. But that's just me. And I can't understand Alias. Requires more effort than I've got in me these days.

NYC: The Times Squarification of Hollywood and Vine? Oh the horror!

Read about "stars" not wanting to travel much and unwilling to fly for a late night talk show in NY. Are these stars just nervous nellies or do they really think they are targets? I know they fly a lot, but so do businesspeople.

Michael Jackson is pathetically scary (still).

Sharon Waxman: That's exactly what they're shooting for at Holly & Highland, but what's so bad about that? You preferred the porn theaters? One thing I did like about their approach is this notion of connecting with historical Hollywood, a nice idea in a place with a notoriously absent sense of history. When I asked how they compared the concept to, say, Universal City Walk - for those who don't know, it's a public, outdoor mall of Holly-kitsch shops and restaurants leading up to Universal Studios - they nearly shuddered and said, "Our idea is to be the anti-City Walk."

Ballston, Va: Current TV.

Right now, I think best bet for a new show is 'Scrubs'.

I just hope they don't overuse the pet dog bit. Clever but could go stale fast.

Fresh and funny style to a half hour TV show. Not stupid jokes from the same old sitcom cokie cutter template of jokes.

Sharon Waxman: Tx for that, I keep meaning to watch it and forget to.

London, England: Sharon..

Is that Jerry Bruckenheimer who lectured you the same one who produces CSI -- you know, the show that demonstrates every week how to commit perfect crimes and avoid leaving forensic evidence?

Sharon Waxman: Oh I LOVE you. That's perfect, I wish I'd thought of that.

Course, I'm trying to be friendly....

Washington, D.C.: Your take on "K-Pax"? Kevin Spacey's not going to try to out-Robin Williams Robin Williams with the feel-good movies, is he?

Sharon Waxman: I was amazed at the positive reviews. I thought it was really bad; On and on and on - these critics are so in love with Spacey and Bridges that they'll watch them do ANYTHING. I think Bridges has a lot of predictable tics, like the way he makes that sound with his mouth (mm, mm, mm) before saying a line; and Spacey needs to watch it or he'll end up playing the 'man with a deep trauma, compensated for by thick shell of irony' role into the ground.

My main problem with the film, though, is it didn't MOVE me once, not up, down or anywhere in between. I didn't feel a single emotion.

L.A.: Tell more about the H&H complex. Shops? Restaurants? Live music? Other theatres aside from the Kodak?

Too lazy to drive.

Sharon Waxman: HAHAHAHAHAH! You're a riot. Ok, let's see: The Kodak Theater, which will house the Oscars. They've redone Mann's Chinese, now once again called Grahmin's Chinese, to all it's glory, stripping away the ugly additions of the 70s forward - a red canopy, box office and a marquee that hid all these beautiful carvings and architectural flourishes . This morning there's a walk-through for the press with Barry Manilow (!) playing on the stage for a sound-check. (I passed up this unique opportunity to be here with you guys.) As I said, the 75 shops and restaurants, a ballroom and six additional new theaters. That's about it. Oh yes, and a total rehab job on an adjacent hotel; notable: the revolving restaurant on the top floor has been transformed into a 3000 sq foot suite.

Washington, D.C: Think about this one:

Mentally take away the hair and makeup. Picture Jacko's face. Now picture Joan Rivers face. Does anyone out there see the similarity? I think they are the same person.

P.S., SNL did a great bit on Rivers.

E! guy: "Joan, why are tears coming out of your forehead?"
Joan: "because, that's where my tear ducts are now"

Sharon Waxman: Thanks.

20002: Sharon --

How can I suggest someone for the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

Sharon Waxman: You mean me, right?

Laurel: Just saw Mulholland Drive.

Have you ever interviewed David Lynch? Does he understand his own movies, or is he just messing with our minds?

Sharon Waxman: Haven't interviewed him. Don't know if he's so much messing with our minds as expressing the contents of his own.

New York, N.Y.: Any scoop on 70-year-old Gene Hackman brawling with 30-year-old? I'm sure we can expect the lawsuit.

Sharon Waxman: Yes, wasn't that weird? I love that Hackman punched the guy a couple of times; he must have deserved it, since the guy didn't press charges. (Or maybe he'd just rather be able to tell the guys at the bar about the time Gene Hackman beat him up...) Maybe I'm a softy but Hackman can really do no wrong in my book. I'd have to see him knife somebody to really doubt the guy.

Alexandria, Va.: Sharon --

Saw "Donnie Darko" this weekend, I really enjoyed it, but (and this is embarrasing) but I'm not sure I got it. Time travel/good vs. evil/ and how does Patrick Swayze fit into it all? I recall that the filmmaker was a guest of yours once, can you post the link to that discussion and quite possibly enlighten me?

Sharon Waxman: Don't be embarrassed, everyone had a problem with the end. Couple points for me: i saw the film at Sundance and remember not getting the ending either, like it didn't pull the thing together. Richard Kelly, the director (from Virginia, by the way), tried to explain that it was all about pulling the bits of time travelling together, that it was somehow all planned in advance, or something.

My other problem is that they changed the ending since Sundance and I don't know exactly what the new one is. (It was changed because so many people found it confusing.) Chalk it up to a noble effort that doesn't quite fulfill its promise. (You may want to check H&V archives, because I had Kelly and Gyllenhaal on the show during Sundance, maybe he addressed it then.)

Arlington, Va.: Hey there Sharon,

Any buzz on "Oceans 11"? Saw an ad for it. I love Soderbergh and the Rat Pack, so I'd probably see it even if it were God awful. Have you heard anything recently?

Sharon Waxman: None. It's on my 'to-do' list.

London, England: Hi Sharon,

Is Hollywood & Vine the intersection where Gene Hackman got into that road rage fight? Not bad for an old geezer though I'm amazed he's still walking. Have you heard any inside goss on the two upcoming biggies "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings." Got my ticket for Harry on the 10th in London by the way!

Sharon Waxman: Both Harry Potter and Rings have huge positive buzz on them. I've seen neither, but I"ve been hearing this for months. Aren't you the one who usually has all the good inside buzz?

Re: Star on Walk of Fame: A friend of mine in The Industry said that basically you buy a star on the Walk of Fame. Of course you have be somewhat known in your field, but it's largely a self-promotion thing -- not a bestowed honor from your peers like the Oscars.

She also said that actors submit their own names for nominations for Emmys -- unlike the Oscars, where the top vote-getters in the first round are nominees. My friend did a super role in a TV movie with Cybill Shepherd several years ago. Cybill put herself in for a best actress nomination, and the producers were pushing her to do the same for best supporting. She didn't because she felt too icky and self-serving about it.

Sharon Waxman: Feeling icky and self-serving about self-promotion? I'd say your friend is in the wrong line of work. It's hard enough to be successful at acting without making it harder by being... modest. Not a good strategy (look at Anne Heche).

I'm sure you're right about the Walk of Fame, though I don't know exactly how it works. I think it has something to do with the city of Hollywood bestowing the honor, and I've no doubt that it's about money and connections. It's not like it gets voted on by a body of industry peers or anything.

Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.: Hi Sharon,

Silent film and film history buff here. I've seen "Intolerance," I believe Kino Video has a restored version which is quite interesting. It features several different tales woven together, and is something like 2.5-3 hours long. It's confusing, too long, and a bit cheesy at times, but a masterpiece nonetheless. It's a pity the sets weren't preserved. The image that comes to mind is the royal staircase with the elephants on either side and the Denishawn(?) dancers doing their thing.

I'm so glad to hear the area is undergoing a bit of a renaissance. One thing that has always bothered me is that Hollywood is very bad at preserving its own history. Priceless artifacts are scattered in private collections, in various Planet Hollywood-type venues, and there's no large museum facility that encompasses the whole of U.S. film history. The Museum of the Moving Image in New York is OK, but is small and focuses on the New York film scene, of course. With all that money in Hollywood, why doesn't someone start up a fund to construct a world class museum there? Too bad Pickfair is remodeled into oblivion, it would have been a nice venue.

Sharon Waxman: Thanks for sharing. You can revisit the elephants (30' high) because they are right next to that Sumerian arch. No dancers, alas.

There are various attempts to create Hollywood museums; there's a pretty lame one further down on Hollywood Blvd, actually, but nothing worthy of what the art form deserves. Any PLanet Hollywood probably has better artifacts than most museum collections.

Washington, D.C.: I am more surprised at Hackman's age than his actions. I had no idea he was 70! Shocker!

Also, give "Alias" another try. It is well worth it! One of the best new shows on television. They are re-airing the premiere tonight on ABC so catch it!

Sharon Waxman: Thanks, I'll try.

Annandale: We'll been in LA as tourists next year with a teenager that loves film. Is there anythkng in the area dedicated to film that is a must- see?

Sharon Waxman: How about Hollywood and HIghland?

washingtonpost.com: Here is the discussion with Richard Kelly: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/01/waxman/waxman0123.htm

Arlington, Va.: Speaking of Hackman, what's the word on "Heist"? Love Mamet, love Hackman, I hope it's good.

Sharon Waxman: We may have to agree to disagree. If you love Mamet, probably you'll love Heist. If you have a love-hate thing going, which I do, you'd be less than optimistic.

Speaking of Mamet, his pet actor Bill Macy is in a new, interesting movie based on an old Arthur Miller novel, "Focus." I saw a couple of bad reviews, but saw the film last night and liked it. Macy plays a guy in the 40s mistaken as a Jew, during a time of restricted neighborhoods and places of employment. Meatloaf plays the KKK neighbor. Laura Dern plays his wife. Interesting, though neither Macy nor Dern look Jewish in the least.

Upper NW, Washington, D.C.: Someone should lecture Jerry Bruckheimer on subtlety and artistry in movies -- two concepts that are as foreign to him as is a free press in a democracy, apparently.

Sharon Waxman: Someone, surely.

But not me.

Washington, D.C.: Sharon, I'm disillusioned with "The West Wing" and I miss "The Sopranos." But when oh when oh when will "Six Feet Under" be back? I can't believe that I could actually yearn for a TV show to come back. I gotta get out more.

Sharon Waxman: You don't need to go out at all. I missed Six Feet Under as soon as the first hour was over. I love that show, unabashedly. So does my friend, the illustrious Hollywood journalist Nikki Finke (who has just called), and she hates everything. She also thinks West Wing has been awful this season, though I"ve heard views to the contrary.

Six Feet Under, sadly, oh so sadly, will not be back until next spring. We can pine together.

washingtonpost.com: Here is the link for the Hollywood & Vine with director Richard Kelly: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/01/waxman/waxman0123.htm

Texas: Re: Silent era --

We lived across the tracks from the ritzy San Antonio, Tex., neighborhood where silent film star, Pola Negri, lived out her golden years. As a kid, I'd linger on the sidewalk in front of her mansion hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but never did. Although once I did see a shadowy figure at the window and am convinced it was her! Mother forbade us from knocking at the door, reminding us to respect her privacy.

Sharon Waxman: Thanks for the memory.

Laurie: Sharon ---

How close are Fox & D.E. Kelley to shuttering Ally McBeal? I have been a fan since it's premiere -- watched 15 mins. last night and flipped to something else. Not worth the time.

Sharon Waxman: That's awful. Sorry but Fox considers it a big hit, and they're very hopeful for this season.

Re: West Wing: West Wing has gone over my head with all this policy talk. I want to enjoy a show, not wrack my brain to follow all the terminology and political definitions.

Sharon Waxman: Just let all that stuff wash over you and wait for the romantic banter. That's what I do when I'm tired.

Alexandria, Va.: Ms. Waxman:

Are any writers pitching screenplays based on Sept. 11 or anthrax? They seem like naturals, or is it too soon do so?

Sharon Waxman: No it's considered the height of bad taste at the moment.

More like the opposite is true; germ warfare is being cancelled (to wit, Dick Wolf's big mini-series.). Definitely out at the movies.

New York, N.Y.: Hi Sharon--

I saw FOCUS, too, and agree with you that William Macy and Laura Dern didn't look Jewish at all. But then, maybe that was the intent?

Sharon Waxman: Apparently that was the intent, since I spoke to the head of the studio about it last night. But it's not possible to explain that to every moviegoer; I just thought it seemed not credible. Otherwise I liked the movie.

Walk of Fame: Actually, it does get voted on. The procedure is that honorees have to be nominated. There is a selection committee that meets once a year and chooses the honorees for the upcoming year. The committee is made up of community leaders, industry people, etc. The honoree has to pay a fee (usually covered by a fan club or studio) to cover the cost of the ceremony -- mostly for security. The upkeep of the star is paid for by the Walk of Fame Trust. Check out the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Web site: www.hollywoodchamber.net for more info.

Sharon Waxman: Great, thanks for that info.

Some stars do pay people to keep their stars shiny. And there's always been an underground way to get your name on the list of nominees, connections, connections.

Woodley Park, Washington, D.C., again: Sharon,

On a related note, whatever became of the props, statues, artifacts from Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 version of the "Ten Commandments" that were rediscovered a few years ago buried under sand dunes in the desert outside of Los Angeles? I recall reading an article or two in National Geographic or Smithsonian about the discovery and excavation of some huge plaster statues and other cool stuff. Have these items found a home?

Sharon Waxman: I remember that too. Don't know what became of it, I will try to find out.

London, England: Re: "Harry Potter." I had a drink with one of the top "technical guys" and he said there was a really bad atmosphere on set because of the amateur antics of the FIVE American (sorry) producers. That said, they knew they had a monster hit on their hands last June when they tried to bump Bond 20 from its 007 stage at Pinewood + 12 sound stages for 2&3 on a back to back 12-month shoot. The deal fell through and they're being shot at Leavensden, England.

Sharon Waxman: Inside dirt from Pinewood. Keep it coming.

San Diego, Calif.: Hello, Sharon! I have a question regarding movie scripts. How hard is it to tell from a script how the movie will turn out? I know that even good actors end up in bad movies sometimes, and sometimes, this is because they are opting for the paycheck rather than a quality film. But other times, I wonder if the actors can really tell how awful a movie will turn out when reading a script, or do they go into the movie thinking that it will be good, or at least, passable.

This question came to mind as I watched "Hollow Man" on HBO. AWFUL! So many holes in the premise, and the dialogue stunk up the place. However, at the end of the movie, HBO showed some interviews with actors in the film who were discussing the grand ideas behind this movie. Of course, they aren't going to come out and say that they hate the final product, but could they really believe that a movie that bad was examining power issues as they said?

Sharon Waxman: Especially on a movie liek that, where the special effects are so key, it's often not possible to have a sense of how good or bad the movie will be during the shoot. So much of it gets put together in the post-production room. I presume everyone was happy to have a paying job on what seemed like a cool premise; technology made this movie doable in a way it could never have been done before, and often people are seduced by this.

Guys I have to go. Stay safe in DC, please, and we'll talk more movies next week. Ciao!

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

Stay tuned to Live Online:

Author Jeffrey Toobin at 3 p.m. EDT
Live Online Special Coverage: America At War

Did you know that you can follow more than one Live Online discussion at the same time? Just open another browser window and toggle back and forth between discussions! And, if you miss one, catch up with the Live Online transcripts.

Keep up with the latest in news, sports, politics and entertainment with washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters.

NEW! Personalize your Post with mywashingtonpost.com. Get customized news, traffic, weather and more.

   |       |