Woody Allen: Whine, Women and Song
Woody Allen loves to make, and remake, the same story--sometimes as a comedy, sometimes as a drama, sometimes as both. Joe Queenan (and just about everybody else) likes the earlier, funnier films.
Versace "Let Them Wear Sequins"
Partying with Hollywood's new pet designer, Gianni Versace.
The Look: Theresa Russell
An afternoon of tantalizing fashion and frank talk with the star of Whore, director Ken Russell's antidote to Pretty Woman.
Michael Lehmann: Adventures of a Young Director
In two short years, Michael Lehmann went from directing the hip, low-budget satire Heathers to directing one of the most expensive movies ever made in Hollywood, the new Bruce Willis action comedy, Hudson Hawk. And he lived to tell about it.
Kevin Costner: All That Kevin Allows
In a career that is now in full ascension, Kevin Costner has slowly and deliberately made all the right moves, and has skillfully survived some wrong ones.
Steven Seagal: Even Steven
Three years ago Steven Seagal, a complete unknown, appeared on the cover of The Los Angeles Times Calendar section, accompanied by a story that said CAA head Michael Ovitz intended to make this man a star. Those who scoffed--and there were many--didn't know Michael Ovitz very well. Seagal's first picture, an action/aikido movie called Above the Law, was a success, especially considering its miniscule budget. And Seagal didn't go away. His next two movies, Hard to Kill and Marked for Death, did even better. Suddenly Seagal was being counted among the most powerful men in Hollywood. The scoffing ceased.
The True Story of Perkins Cobb, King of the One-Shots
I gave up on the thought of writing about Perk Cobb long ago. He had caught on to the idea that I might be imagining writing a book about him. "One of those movie lives?" he wondered. This was in the early '80s when he was roaming around, dropping his money as tidily as possible, and always seemed to be caught between some Tuesday Weld, Graziella Ortiz, and Lady Antonia Fraser...
LL Cool J: From Rap to Wrap
Pimps, drug dealers, killers, and con men. Those are a few of the personae that Hollywood has tried to foist upon rap star LL Cool J. Each time he turned them down cold. "It would have been tempting for me to take those roles, had my music career not been going as well as it has been," says LL (the name stands for Ladies Love Cool James), whose four albums to date have gone platinum. "I wasn't about to play the guy who enters a neighborhood and brings down the property values."
"Kisses of Death"
You know these guys are respected actors. You know their names lend prestige to the projects they sign on. And you know that you'd rather go bowling or just stay home than see one of their movies.
"All That Glitters" Golden Globe Photos
The Oscars are more prestigious,of course, but for our money, the Golden Globes are the most divinely wacked-out awards ceremony in Hollywood
Amanda Plummer: Odd Woman In
The day I was to meet Amanda Plummer she left a panicky message on my answering machine at 6:30 a.m. claiming she didn't know if it was day or night, whether she'd overslept or the sky had darkened. It was a miniature expressionist performance, extreme and funny, real and confected all at once. On the other hand, war had broken out and we'd all had a bad night. I didn't even hear the phone ring. Still, it gave me pause. What was I going to do with Amanda Plummer?
