Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 5, 1993 TAG: 9303050060
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Chris Gladden
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DON'T COUNT HOLLYWOOD OUT YET
Defending Hollywood - in this case Hollywood is used as a handy tag for the American movie industry - is not a popular position. Nor is it one without its pitfalls.Hollywood is responsible for obscene movie budgets, witless entertainments and the cynical practice of pandering to our worst instincts.
Hollywood also is responsible for turning out the best movies in the world. The world acknowledges this fact far more than we do at home. A guy I know was recently in Paris, and he says the French love American movies. "Taxi Driver" was still playing there; and "Reservoir Dogs," an art house picture in this country, was selling out.
Newsweek magazine this week launched an attack on American movies. And our very own Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences nominated two British movies for best picture out of a field of five.
I don't want to diminish the achievement of "Howards End" or "The Crying Game." But I want to note that there were plenty of worthy American movies out there in 1993.
The same country that gave you "Man Trouble" and "Kuffs" also gave you "Reservoir Dogs," "Malcolm X," "The Player," "Husbands and Wives," "Bob Roberts," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "White Men Can't Jump," "Gas, Food, Lodging," "Night on Earth," "A River Runs Through It," "Mr. Saturday Night" and "Of Mice and Men."
This last gem was every bit as intelligent and lovely as any E.M. Forster adaptation the Brits could mount. A mild-mannered woman at this very newspaper, normally unperturbable, was so incensed at its snub in the Oscars that she nearly stamped her foot.
\ So much for puppy slobber. It's time to get cynical again about Hollywood. What better way than to ponder the upcoming NASA launch from Wallops Island down near Chincoteague. Columbia pictures will be the first advertiser in space, using the rocket as a high-propulsion billboard to promote Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Last Action Hero."
There will also be a contest that allows the winners to punch the launch button with Arnold. And anyone who wishes to send a message in space can ante up $3.50 and call a long-distance number (1-900-9ROCKET). Blastoff is in May.
This, of course, is an example of the Hollywood hype machine in overdrive. But it may not be such a bad idea. The rocket is part of a serious, scientific experiment to study microgravity. By selling advertising, NASA may be able to keep its space program alive and ease the federal deficit at the same time.
Besides, as far as we know right now, there's nobody out there to be offended by flying billboards.