Well from the land down under comes CHEESY POOF MAN to reveal to us the might secrets that call out to be told. There's alot here to gander at so get to gandering! Personally I'm quite interested in the Baz Lurhmann project.... What's up with this thing?
Hiya Harry.
It's secret agent CHEESY POOF MAN here Down Under to give you the latest on Jane Campion's HOLY SMOKE.
I noticed that a couple of contributors, as well as VARIETY (!) have incorrectly been slating HOLY SMOKE as a tentative confirmation for a competition slot of Cannes 1999.
This will NOT be happening.
I am here to tell you that the film is nowhere near completion. Miramax are expecting to see a final cut at the end of June. My source, which is thisclose to the filmmakers, says that when the Cannes selector came to Sydney in March he was told not to even bother asking to view footage.
I believe that they are angling for Venice, or maybe Toronto, depending on how the film plays.
Personally my hunch is that with Campion's buddies Kidman & Cruise likely to show up at Venice with EYES WIDE SHUT as an opener or closer, that Jane might go too to make it a threesome.
As far as any other Australian films on the Croisette, I would expect that only Bill (KISS OR KILL) Bennett has a chance at an official slot with IN A SAVAGE LAND, but the word is that it's not strong enough.
Instead the Aussies will, as per usual, have a stack of crap in the market like Emma Kate Croghan's piece-o-turd followup to LOVE AND OTHER CATASTROPHES, called STRANGE PLANET, and also other piles of garbage like OCCASIONAL COARSE LANGUAGE and ALL THE WAY.
Marketgoers, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
till next time.., and in the noble words of Mr. Eric Cartman,
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!
CPM
p.s. If anyone's wondering what Baz ROMEO AND JULIET Lurhmann is up to now, he is currently working on a period musical set in Paris - it's rumoured to be a remake of MOULIN ROUGE - with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Ewan is actually in Sydney at the moment with Lurhmann & team doing costume fittings and tests. Filming will happen at the new Fox Studios, next to hubby Tom's MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 set. Word on that one is that there are some MAJOR sets under construction, including one massive AIRFORCEONE-type jumbo jet which will suffer a nasty fate. I understand that a significant component of the plot involves germ warfare/deadly virus/OUTBREAK-style mayhem.
p.p.s let me be the 437th person to tell you that having seen it on the weekend, NOTTING HILL is gonna make MEGABUCKS. Best examination of fame/celebrity/filmindustry/tabloidmedia mixed with romantic comedy yet. Although unlike most people I found Rhys Ifans' character to be a f***n' annoying git. Bygones.
