As the cinematic medium grows older, government officials are taking measures to preserve America's movie heritage. Their latest step: the conversion of a top-secret mountainside bunker into a film sanctuary. The Culpepper, Va., Cold War relic, originally intended to provide a safe refuge for federal banking officials after a nuclear attack, will become the new home to films owned by the Library of Congress. The national collection of more than 150,000 films includes a nearly complete run of 1897 to 1905 productions by Thomas Edison.
Who needs Brad Pitt to rise to the top of the Hollywood heap? Not Gwyneth Paltrow, it seems. According to Movieline magazine, the emerging leading lady (and future blockbuster movie star) has just inked a deal to star as the wife whom Michael Douglas schemes to kill in "A Perfect Murder." The film, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder," which starred Grace Kelly, should figure as yet another launching point for the actress, who recently gained acclaim in 1996's "Emma." After all, just ask Sharon Stone how being paired with the fiftysomething Douglas helped kickstart her career.
For all of you concerned that you are past your peak, stop worrying. Seventy-seven-year-old "Odd Couple" star Tony Randall and his 27-year-old wife Heather are expecting their second child next summer. As for baby No. 1, she's just seven months old.
Luther Simjian, the inventor of more than 200 devices, including the ATM and the TelePrompTer - the behind-the-camera device that has become the most important staple of every TV news broadcast - passed away last week at age 92.
Lest anyone should have better things to worry about, Movieline recently took a gander at the next member to join Hollywood's $20 million club. The exclusive group of high-paid movie stars already includes silver-screen faves such as Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger and John Travolta. Current best bets are Nicolas Cage - who has been reborn as an action star after, ironically, he won an Oscar for acting in an art-house flick - "George of the Jungle"'s Brendan Fraser and "Alien" diehard Sigourney Weaver. The Daily's pick: rapper-turned-space-invader-killer Will Smith.
Music
"Free Tibet," a documentary film about the 1996 Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, had a successful premiere in New York on Nov. 6, according to Addicted to Noise. The one-and-a-half-hour final cut attracted members of R.E.M., Sonic Youth, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Blues Traveler, as well as rappers KRS-One and Q-Tip. Naturally, concert organizer Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys) and his parents also attended.
Ah, those crazy Cure fans: ATN reports that all hell broke loose two weeks ago at the Sunset Boulevard Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles when they tried to meet their heroes. "A melee erupted when 3,000 fans attempted to gain entrance to the store. An estimated 500 of them had received wristbands from the KROQ radio station to participate in the event, but only 300 were allowed to enter the store. Eventually, police helicopters and dozens of officers in riot gear were called out to quell the angry mob." C'mon, coppers, it's not like they could hurt anyone, anyway.
Guided By Voices' lead singer and songwriter Robert Pollard has split, likely for good, with his backing band Cobra Verde, which played on GBV's latest album, "Mag Earwhig." Cobra Verde guitarist John Petkovic told ATN, "I don't think any of us have a problem with the outcome of what happened, but we wish that it would have been done in a more upfront, friendly manner." Apparently, members of Cobra Verde had read an ATN interview with Pollard in its October issue, in which Pollard said he was planning to record 30 new songs with other musicians. Cobra Verde confronted Pollard after its Oct. 20 gig in San Francisco and quit the rest of the GBV tour. Pollard supposedly is set to play with Breeders drummer Jim Mac-Pherson, among others.
- Compiled by Daily Film Editor Joshua Rich and Daily Music Editor Aaron Rennie. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
