Weekend Newsreel - September 9, 2005

 

 

     Garbo Stamp- On September 23, 2005 the United States Post Office will unveil a new stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Greta Garbo’s birth at New York City’s Scandinavia House. The stamp is being jointly issued with Swedish Post, who will hold a similar unveiling ceremony in Stockholm, Garbo’s birthplace, the same day. The stamp’s image is based on a photo of Garbo was taken in 1932 by MGM Studios photographer Clarence Bull during the production of As You Desire Me with engraver Piotr Naszarkowski adapting the image for the stamp.

 

 

    Jedi Lost And Found- The simple brown cloak worn by Sir Alec Guinness in the first Star Wars (1977) film has been recently rediscovered among the stock of a North London costume shop. The robe was worn by Guinness during the film’s production at London’s Elstree and Shepperton studios. After the film finished shooting, the robe made its way into the inventory of the costume company Angels in Hendon, North London. The robe was occasionally rented out to other film productions and was used by an extra in The Mummy (1999). It was probably also used in the production of The Name Of The Rose (1986). The robe was found during a recent inventory of the costume stock and its authenticity confirmed by John Mollo, a costumer on the film.

 

 

     Redford, Harris to Receive Kennedy Center Honors- Robert Redford and Julie Harris are among the five honorees chosen to receive Kennedy Center honors this December. “We honor five extraordinary American artists whose unique and abundant contributions to our culture have transformed our lives,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in an announcement on the Kennedy Center's website. Schwarzman lauded Redford for his “extraordinary support of independent film [which] has had an immeasurable impact on filmmakers and audiences alike,” while he praised Harris as “one of the country’s most acclaimed and revered actors.” The 28th annual honors will be awarded on December 4 at the Lincoln Center in Washington, DC and aired on CBS later in the month. The other honorees include singers Tony Bennett and Tina Turner and ballerina-ballet instructor Suzanne Farrell.

 

 

     Hollywood Disaster Relief Efforts- In addition to musicians and actors donating their time to the two telethon benefits airing this weekend (Shelter From The Storm: A Concert For The Gulf Coast airs simultaneously tonight (Friday) on all major broadcast networks and ReAct Now: Music & Relief airing on MTV, VH1 and CMT Saturday evening.), many of Hollywood’s high-profile celebrities have been donating time as well as money to various fundraising efforts.

     Writer/director Kevin Smith has turned to his fans to help raise donations for the American Red Cross, using his website to auction off a walk-on part in his upcoming film Clerks 2, a visit to the Clerks 2 set including lunch with the cast and crew and an evening barbecue at Smith’s Hollywood home.

     Meanwhile, theater chain Cinemark has reduced its ticket prices to $4.00 for all shows at any of their theaters in Louisiana and Mississippi. This pricing will also be in effect in the chain’s Houston area and Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex locations, where many Katrina refugees have temporarily relocated. "This reduced pricing is for all Cinemark customers in these locations - not just those directly affected by the hurricane," says Cinemark president Alan Stock in a company press release. "By offering some measure of entertainment at an affordable price, we hope to alleviate some of the hardships of those who have been displaced by Katrina. We also want to help the thousands who are providing aid and who are feeling the reverberations of this disaster in many ways. We recognize that this is a high stress time - people are in need of a brief escape that a movie can provide."

 

 

Opening In Theaters This Week-

 

September 9

  • Côte D'Azur (NY, LA)

  • The Exorcism Of Emily Rose

  • Green Street Hooligans (NY, LA, Chicago)

  • Kamikaze Girls (NY)

  • Keane (limited)

  • Make It Funky! (NY, LA)

  • The Man

  • Mobsters And Mormons (Utah)

  • Music From The Inside (NY)

  • Salaam Namaste (limited)

  • Steal Me (NY)

  • Touch The Sound (LA)

  • An Unfinished Life (limited)

 

September 14

  • The Future Of Food (NY)

 

 

     DVD Best Bets- This Tuesday sees the release of a new four disc edition of the 1959 Charlton Heston classic Ben Hur. In addition to the film being spread across two discs, the set will also include the 1925 silent version of Ben Hur and several documentaries, screen tests and more bonus features. . . Kino Video has three great offerings for fans of silent comedy with the latest releases in their ongoing Slapstick Symposium series with collections featuring Harold Lloyd, Oliver Hardy (from the point in his career before he teamed with Stan Laurel) and Charley Chase. The Hardy and Chase releases are single disc packages, while the Harold Lloyd set contains two discs. . . You can view the complete list of DVD Releases here.