Look out, Toronto, Here's your chance to see Steve


The Toronto Sun
April 28, 2005 Thursday
FINAL EDITION
ENTERTAINMENT; Hollywood North; Pg. 73
MOVIE PRODUCTIONS ... BY THE DOZEN SLATED FOR TORONTO
BY JIM SLOTEK

I ASSUME it would be cheaper to shoot movies here by the dozen. More importantly, it's still cheaper than L.A., judging by the sudden influx of features and TV movies filming in T.O. this summer.

Credit a Canadian dollar that seems to have finally leveled off at about the 80 cents U.S. mark, the new beefed-up Ontario tax credits and studios that have offered discounts to bring the Hollywood business back.

For starters, add Steve Martin and Tim Allen to a list of visiting stars that already includes Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis, Michael Douglas, Sigourney Weaver, Milla Jovovich and Antonio Banderas.

Martin -- who I don't believe has ever shot in this city -- will be here from June to September on Cheaper By The Dozen 2, which will reunite him with Bonnie Hunt as parents of a brood of 12 kids. In this version, the gang of 14 head off on a wacky vacation. Sounds familiar (koff... Chevy Chase... koff).

For the record, Martin has done only one other sequel in his entire career -- Father Of The Bride 2.

Don't look for Ashton Kutcher this time around (he was just the boyfriend in the original after all), and Hilary Duff may be unlikely to return as well.

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- posted by sookeyjane 4/28/2005 05:23:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Steve speaks about the Pink Panther


The Daily News of Los Angeles
April 24, 2005 Sunday
VALLEY EDITION
Pg. U9
THE CAT COMES BACK
Glenn Whipp

Steve Martin has been down this road before, and the fact that he's taking the same stroll again doesn't mean he's any more certain that it's going to work.

"You don't approach something like this without some trepidation," Martin says.

Martin is talking about playing the beloved bumbler Inspector Clouseau in a remake of "The Pink Panther." It's not the first time someone has tried to fill Peter Sellers' shoes (Ted Wass tried in "Curse of the Pink Panther" in 1983, and Roberto Benigni failed miserably a decade later in 'Son of the Pink Panther"), and Martin says it probably won't be the last.

'It's one of those characters that will probably be revisited 25 years from now," Martin says. "A classic."

Martin has tried remakes before with mixed success. A 1996 big-screen version of "Sgt. Bilko" bombed, but subbing for Spencer Tracy produced two "Father of the Bride" movies. Martin is also in preproduction for another "Cheaper by the Dozen" movie.

The now-departed MGM tried for years to revive the "Panther" franchise, first offering the part to Mike Myers, then to Chris Tucker with Martin finally signing after turning down the part a couple of times. "The Pink Panther" will be the 10th entry in the series, and Martin says it will have all the elements people have come to expect: pratfalls, bad accents, beautiful women (Beyonce Knowles plays the love interest) and, of course, Henry Mancini's classic theme set to an animated title sequence.

"You hear that music and you're immediately in a good place," Martin says. "It is pure happiness."
- posted by sookeyjane 4/28/2005 05:19:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Meet George Jetson?


CNBC News Transcripts
Early Today 4:30 AM EST CNBC
April 21, 2005 Thursday
Entertainment headlines

KRISTINE JOHNSON, anchor:

And now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment.

OK. So they're making a movie of the cartoon favorite "The Jetsons."

So who would you cast as George Jetson? Reports say that Steve Martin is in negotiations to play the space-age family man. Apparently, bosses at Warner Bros. are waiting for Martin before committing to other possible cast members.

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- posted by sookeyjane 4/23/2005 01:35:00 AM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Mortimer not mortified


The Independent
April 22, 2005
FILM: THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT BEING TOO EARNEST
John Hiscock

Emily Mortimer has built a reputation in Hollywood as a daring actress, willing to try most things at least once, particularly if they are unusual, controversial or both.

Last year, her advisers stepped in with a firm admonition. It was time, they said, for her to stop taking her clothes off in arty, low-budget films, no matter how worthy, and to make the transition to the big time. She should co-star in a major Hollywood comedy. The British actress acquiesced and duly signed on the dotted line; but instead of delivering witty dialogue in a sophisticated comedy, she found herself in a seemingly endless series of sexually provocative scenes, most of them involving close encounters with Steve Martin.

'It was much more outrageous than anything I had done previously but I had a complete ball,' she recalled with a fetching giggle. 'It was a totally different thing for me.'

The film is The Pink Panther, a 'prequel' to the 1964 Blake Edwards comedy classic, which starred Peter Sellers and David Niven and introduced the bumbling Inspector Clouseau to the world. The new version, which will be released in the United Kingdom in the autumn, features Martin in the Sellers role with Kevin Kline as the long-suffering Chief Inspector Dreyfus, originally played by Herbert Lom.

Emily Mortimer is Nicole, Clouseau's very French, very perky and completely inept secretary, a role that she enjoyed greatly once she overcame her initial reservations and threw herself wholeheartedly into it. 'I had done a number of quite risquZ independent movies and had got quite used to taking my clothes off and being smothered in custard and things,' she laughs, 'and the people who represented me decided it would be a good idea if I did this big, safe Hollywood comedy. But about half way through the filming I realised I ended up in practically every scene with my legs wrapped around Steve Martin's face.

'It's very broad physical comedy which I was really nervous about because there's something mortifying about trying to be funny on screen and not managing it. Being naked is something you can't really do anything about " there you are and you're not good or bad and that's fine " but telling a joke that no one laughs at is just soul-destroying.

'Steve Martin is a comic genius whose mind is phenomenal and works faster than anyone else's I've ever met. All my scenes are with him and, whenever Clouseau and Nicole are in a room together, complete chaos ensues and we end up in all sorts of compromising positions which are, of course, completely innocent but look terrible.'

'In the end I just thought I've got to stop worrying about this because it's like playing tennis against someone who's about five million times better than you. You just hope that by being the same room as them, your game is raised a bit, so I managed to get over my nerves and had a great time doing it.'

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- posted by sookeyjane 4/23/2005 01:33:00 AM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Steve Acts Out


This is from a blog by screenwriter Paul Davidson, and the following was a comment in a long line of feedback to one of his postings:

http://pauldavidson.blogs.com/wfme/2004/03/edward_norton_w.html
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"Through working on a shitty dating show co-starring a relatively unknown woman who was dating Steve Martin at the time, I had occasion to have dinner with Steve Martin. He turned out to be very nice, but very quiet, and relatively intellectual. Not much like his on-screen persona. But he played on the [Edward]Norton-syndrome with our waitress, who you could tell was surprised to be serving someone as famous as he is. As she leaned to fill his water glass, her hand happened to touch Steve Martin's fork. Very seriously, he looked her in the eye and said, "You touched my fork." She about died and started apologizing profusely. He let her off the hook pretty quickly, with a nice smile and a laugh.

Then he stabbed her with the fork.

Posted by: clightbo | March 15, 2004 04:21 PM"
- posted by sookeyjane 4/21/2005 08:06:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Going out of business -- sort of


Regulars here know that I rarely post anything personal, but I thought it only fair to give you a heads up.

Effective next Monday the main Compleat Steve site will probably be down for the foreseeable future for the simple reason that right now I cannot afford to pay for it. Hopefully, I can restart it at some time in the future when I get the extra money.

This will not affect the blog, which will continue as is. However, if you have things bookmarked, make sure you use the URL http://sharingsteve.blogspot.com.

So like a going-out-of-business sale, if there are things you want to read on the main site, start a-readin'. It's going going gone.
- posted by sookeyjane 4/11/2005 06:31:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Steve at a New Comedy Festival in Las Vegas


http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA516686.html?display=
Breaking+News&referral=SUPP
HBO Launches Laugh Fest
By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/11/2005 2:52:00 PM

Home Box Office and live-event producer AEG Live will partner to create The Comedy Festival, a three-day event in Las Vegas this November, with co-owned Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s TBS as the title sponsor.

The event will feature more than 50 performances in nine Vegas venues at Caesars Palace and the Flamingo Las Vegas between Nov. 17 and 20, 2005, with stand-up, sketch comedy and film screenings on HBO and TBS, which has rebranded itself as a comedy net, and possibly other TV net and cable platforms.

The only programming announced so far is the two-hour, Earth to America, a comedy music event that will kick off the festival Nov. 17 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, airing on TBS in fourth-quarter 2005.

The special, created and executive produced by environmental activist Laurie David, will feature Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Will Ferrell, Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Ray Romano, Jack Black, and Larry David.

HBO, which has for the past 11 years sponsored the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, an annual event for industry insiders, is aiming to target a wider consumer audience with the addition of the Vegas show, says Bob Crestani, who has worked for HBO as CEO of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival since 2004 and will act as CEO of the Vegas festival.

“What we do in Aspen is about discovery and alternative acts,” Crestani says. “Think of this as the Olympics, we’re going to have major talent involved in Vegas.”

HBO is aiming to attract more than 4,000 attendees for the Vegas comedy festival – more than double the 1,500 who attend Aspen each year – and will create a subset of special speakers and panels for attendees in the entertainment industry.

In addition to HBO and TBS, the Festival is in discussions to air programming on other networks including Fox and Comedy Central, or via other cable platforms – Comcast, for example, produced a VOD special of last year’s Aspen festival, which has not yet aired.

“We think comedy is a real driver for a lot of different delivery platforms and we want to not only utilize our partners, but look for ways to spread it out,” Crestani said.

AEG Live, a concert promotion and touring company, produces live events including the American Idol concert tours.

Crestani said he might leverage the company’s expertise to launch a comedy tour in conjunction with the Vegas festival. TBS re-branded itself as the “very funny” network in June 2004.

Time Warner-owned HBO reaches about 39 million subscribers via cable and satellite with premium channels HBO and Cinemax.
- posted by sookeyjane 4/11/2005 06:25:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Pink Panther to open Aug 5th


http://www.playbill.com/news/article/print/92225.html
Playbill
"The Pink Panther" — with Wicked's Chenoweth — Changes Release Date
By Andrew Gans
April 8, 2005

"The Pink Panther," a prequel to the original 1964 Peter Sellers film, will arrive in movie screens across the country this summer.The MGM film — starring Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau and Kevin Kline as Chief Inspector Dreyfus — was originally slated for a July 22 release. The movie was then pushed back to Sept. 23, but Variety now reports that "The Pink Panther" will make its bow Aug. 5. Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth also appears in the new film as Cherie.

MGM's Erik Lomis told the industry paper, "We looked at the picture again, and it screened very well. We saw an opportunity to get it back into the summer where all age groups are available seven days a week, so we took it."

The Hollywood Reporter previously said that the film follows the story of "Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline), who needs an idiot to take over the investigation of the missing legendary 'Pink Panther' diamond ring, which was stolen from the manager of a French soccer team. The person he needs is a fool who will divert public attention that in turn will make him look better when he solves the case himself. He then turns to Inspector Clouseau (Martin)."

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- posted by sookeyjane 4/09/2005 10:28:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

There once was an award in Nantucket...


Daily Variety
April 7, 2005, Thursday
NEWS; Pg. 13
Nantucket nod to Martin
IAN MOHR

NEW YORK --- Steve Martin will receive the NBC Universal screenwriter tribute at the 10th annual Nantucket Film Festival.

Lorne Michaels, exec producer of NBC's "Saturday Night Live," will present the honor.

Fest, which celebrates screenwriting, runs June 15-19. Martin's screenwriting credits include "The Jerk," "Roxanne" and the upcoming bigscreen adaptation of his novel "Shopgirl."

Past NBC-Nantucket tributes have gone to Charlie Kaufman, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, James Schamus and Paul Schrader, among others.

"Great movies and television shows alike depend on brilliant writing, so it is with pleasure that we give this honor to Steve Martin, who is not only an incredibly gifted actor but also one of the most accomplished screenwriters in the business," said GE vice chairman and NBC U chairman-CEO Bob Wright.

Martin is in production on "The Pink Panther," a prequel to the 1964 original. Martin co-wrote the script and plays Inspector Clousseau.
- posted by sookeyjane 4/09/2005 10:15:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS

 

Zee Canadians make fun of Steve's accont


April 8, 2005 Friday
National Edition
POST MOVIES; Pg. PM7
Sumpsing sillee zis way comes wis M. Martin's Panther
J. Kelly Nestruck., National Post

Just how silly will Steve Martin's French accent be when he takes on the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the upcoming remake of The Pink Panther? Veree, veree sillee, judging by the trailer up at www.apple.com/trailers. In fact, at least two lines spoken by Martin's Clouseau in the short preview are just plain incomprehensible. Presumably, the filmmakers decided to reduce the chances of further inflaming FrancoAmerican relations by casting an actual French actor, Jean Reno speaking in an actual French accent, as Clouseau's new sidekick (the politically-incorrect Cato is KO-ed from the remake). But the joke is on them: Originally from Morocco, Reno was born Don Juan Moreno y Jederique Jimenez to Spanish parents. We'll have to wait until the movie comes out to see what accent Kevin Kline, who nailed Parisian in 1995's French Kiss, pulls out as Clouseau's superior/nemesis Dreyfus. He only howls in pain, hit by various objects, in the trailer. It's difficult to tell from the old-ladies-getting-hit-in-the-head preview whether this Pink Panther, scheduled for release in September, will live up (down?) to the Blake Edwards originals with Peter Sellers, but what's been done to Henry Mancini's classic Pink Panther theme does not bode well. There's the trademark bum-bum, bum-bumm of the alto sax, but halfway through the trailer a horrible canned dance beat is added in. Do zey have a leesonce for zees Mancini?
- posted by sookeyjane 4/09/2005 10:13:00 PM PERMALINK 0 COMMENTS