Aprile 2004 - Kim Basinger NEWS

3 aprile: Un po' di news!

Ecco qui il link al trailer di THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR! O QUI!

Il film L.A. CONFIDENTIAL è uscito in Italia in DVD in ristampa per la serie "I MITI CINEMA" a Euro 9.90.

8 aprile: Ascolti tv di mercoledì 7 aprile - I programmi più visti della giornata. In prima serata Affari tuoi su Raiuno, 9.415.000 spettatori, 33,28% di share, e a seguire Unico testimone 4.515.000, 15,84%, su Raidue Il terzo segreto di Fatima, 2.068.000, 7,28%, su Raitre Mi manda Raitre 3.335.000, 12.22%, su Canale 5 Striscia la notizia, 6.311.000, 22,58%, e Le stagioni del cuore, 6.428.000, 24,11%, su Italia1 Deportivo-Milan, 7.217.000, 25,49% e Siska su Rete4, 2.369.000, 8.24%. Gli ascolti in seconda serata - Porta a Porta su Raiuno 3.003.000 spettatori, 24.20% di share, The Dead Zone su Raidue 1.495.000, 8.35%, Primo Piano su Raitre 1.325.000, 9.79%, Maurizio Costanzo Show su Canale5, 1.653.000, 17.39%, Six Feet Under su Italia, 1.382.000, 8.75%, Appuntamento al buio su Retequattro, 603.000, 16.53%.

9 aprile: Sempre news!

Basinger's jewellery for auction - Movie star Kim Basinger is selling a collection of jewels given to her by former husband, actor Alec Baldwin. The Batman star is ridding herself of the trinkets at Christie's in New York, as part of a sale of magnificent jewels. Among the love tokens Basinger is offering for sale is the Tiffany engagement ring Baldwin gave her before their nine-year marriage. Baldwin gave Basinger the ring in 1993 after they met while filming The Marrying Man. The 3.7-carat diamond mounted on 18-carat gold band is expected to fetch between £16,500 and £22,000. Basinger is also selling a necklace, featuring a chain of diamond butterflies accented with citrine, aquamarine, and other gems, which is set to fetch up to £5,500. In addition, the film star is offering a diamond and platinum eternity band. It is expected to sell for up to £1,650, although it is unclear whether the band was presented to Basinger by Baldwin. One item that will not be going on sale is Basinger's wedding ring. A spokeswoman for Basinger said that proceeds from the sale would go to the Performing Animal Welfare Society.

Basinger sells jewels for charity - Actress Kim Basinger is selling a collection of jewellery believed to have been given to her by her former husband, actor Alec Baldwin. She is auctioning four items, including a Tiffany ring valued at up to $40,000 (£22,000), at Christie's in New York in aid of an animal charity. Basinger is also selling an eternity ring, diamond bracelet and necklace valued together at £48,000 (£26,000). Last month the couple settled a custody battle over their daughter, Ireland. Basinger, whose career was resurrected with her appearance in 8-Mile, married Baldwin in 1993. They split in 2002 and became embroiled in a bitter public feud over their daughter. The sale includes a Tiffany engagement ring, reportedly given to her by Baldwin before they wed. The 3.7-carat diamond mounted on an 18-carat gold band is expected to reach up to £22,000 when it comes up for auction. "It's a good cause. And how many women do you know who wear their ex-husband's jewellery after they've divorced?," she told the New York Daily News. There is also a diamond necklace and a diamond and platinum eternity band included in the auction on 20 April. The money raised will be donated to the Performing Animal Welfare Society, which supports abandoned or abused animals or victims of the exotic animal trade. Baldwin recently told a magazine he wanted to write a book about divorce, bringing together a compilation of essays about people's experiences. He has also spoken about his anger towards lawyers following his divorce and custody battle.

There's gold in Basinger's diamonds - Alec's jewels on block for PAWS - Kim Basinger is ridding herself of Alec Baldwin's last tokens of affection. The Oscar-winning actress wants to sell some of the dazzling jewelry her ex-husband gave her during their nine-year marriage. Among them: The Tiffany engagement ring he gave her in 1993 after he became besotted while making "The Marrying Man." (The auction house estimates the value of the 3.7-carat diamond mounted on 18-karat gold band at between $30,000 to $40,000.) Then there's the necklace that Baldwin gave her - a chain of diamond butterflies accented with citrine, aquamarine, and other gems. (Estimate: $8,000-$10,000.) A diamond-and-platinum "eternity band" (estimate: $2,000-3,000) is also on the block. But Basinger's spokeswoman, Annet Wolf, wasn't sure whether Baldwin gave her that. Wolf said that Basinger's wedding ring is not for sale. Despite the couple's bitter divorce, Wolf insisted Basinger was unloading Baldwin's bijoux simply to help the retired lions and tigers assisted by Performing Animal Welfare Society. "It's a good cause," Wolf said. "And how many women do you know who wear their ex-husband's jewelry after they've divorced?" Baldwin, now on Broadway in "Twentieth Century," didn't return a call for comment. Last month, he and Basinger resolved their custody battle over their 8-year-old daughter, Ireland. He was granted equal access to the child. You can see Basinger's baubles at Christie's showroom at 20 Rockefeller Plaza starting on April 14. Bidding begins April 20 at 10 a.m.

All'asta da Christie's i gioielli che Kim Basinger aveva ricevuto dal marito - Il ricavato della vendita sarà devoluto a leoni e tigri "in pensione". NEW YORK, 5 apr - Per dare un taglio netto ai ricordi, la bella di "9 settimane e 1/2" Kim Basinger ha messo all'asta da Christie's i gioielli ricevuti da Alec Baldwin, l'uomo a cui è stata legata per 9 anni. Con il ricavato della vendita, Kim salverà tigri e leoni "in pensione". Tra i monili messi in vendita ci sarà anche l'anello di fidanzamento che Baldwin le regalò nel 1993 durante le riprese di "The marrying man". Il gioiello in questione era stato acquistato da Tiffany e ora il suo valore oscilla tra i 30 e i 40mila dollari. L'attrice devolverà il ricavato della vendita alla Performing animal welfare society, un'organizzazione che aiuta i grandi felini che hanno smesso di calcare i set del mondo dello spettacolo e sono stati messi in pensione. L'unico ricordo che Kim Basinger non vuole vendere è l'anello nuziale. No comment sulla vendita da parte di Baldwin, che ora è impegnato a Broadway nella commedia "Twentieth Century". Solo due mesi fa la coppia ha risolto la battaglia legale per la custodia della loro figlia di 8 anni Ireland.

Kim Basinger, gioielli all'asta per salvare leoni ed elefanti - L'attrice venderà i regali dell'ex marito Alec Baldwin per devolvere il ricavato ad un'associazione animalista Kim Basinger, gioielli all'asta per salvare leoni ed elefanti. Fra i preziosi, un anello di fidanzamento di Tiffany ma anche collane, bracciali e un collier di perle rare - NEW YORK - Sarà un destino segnato per le sex symbol del grande schermo, o forse il fatto che le belle possono frequentare molti uomini e dunque sviluppare un incontenibile amore per gli animali. Sta di fatto che dopo Pamela Anderson, convinta sostenitrice dell'associazione animalista Peta, adesso è Kim Basinger a seguire le orme di Brigitte Bardot. La protagonista di Nove settimane e mezzo ha deciso di vendere i preziosi gioielli ricevuti in dono dall'ex marito, l'attore Alec Baldwin (con il quale ha avuto una figlia che oggi ha otto anni), e devolvere il ricavato alla causa di tigri e leoni. Nove anni di matrimonio tempestati di pietre preziose. Sono tanti i gioielli regalati da Baldwin alla bella ex moglie, messi all'asta oggi per un nobile scopo. Ad esempio, l'anello di fidanzamento ricevuto nel 1993 durante le riprese di The marrying man, film galeotto sul set del quale i due si conobbero, si innamorarono e decisero di convolare. L'anello, firmato Tiffany, sarà messo all'asta da Christie's, valutato fra i trenta e i quaranta mila dollari. Oltre a quello, finiranno all'incanto a New York, dal 19 al 21 aprile, anche collane di diamanti, bracciali, orecchini e un prezioso collier di perle. A beneficiare del gesto sarà la Performing animal welfare society, una organizzazione attiva dal 1984, che si occupa dei leoni, delle tigri, degli elefanti e di altri animali messi a riposo, o sequestrati, dopo essere stati utilizzati nei circhi o più in generale nel mondo dello spettacolo. Un progetto che ha portato alla realizzazione di un parco, in California, che oggi ospita centinaia di animali esotici salvati dallo sfruttamento o dalla morte. "E' una buona causa - ha spiegato la portavoce dell'attrice, Annette Wolf -, d'altra parte quante donne indossano i gioielli regalati dall'ex marito una volta che hanno divorziato?". Unico oggetto che Kim Basinger ha deciso di non mettere in vendita, è l'anello nuziale. Nessun commento da parte di Baldwin, attualmente impegnato a Broadway in una commedia dal titolo Twentieth Century.

BASINGER GEMS AUCTIONED OFF FOR ANIMAL WELFARE CHARITY - Oscar-winning actress Kim Basinger is to auction off jewelry given to her by ex-husband Alec Baldwin during the couple’s nine-year marriage. Included amongst the gems, due to be auctioned off at Christie's New York auction house, include a Tiffany engagement ring with a 3.7 carat E color VS1 clarity diamond that is estimated at band at between US$30,000 and US$40,000, and a necklace with a chain of diamond butterflies that is estimated at US$8,000 to US$10,000. The proceeds are to be used to benefit the Performing Animal Welfare Society, which was founded in 1984 as a safe and humane home for abused, retired and surplus elephants, lions, bears and other captive wildlife.

Basinger's Jewellery Up for Auction - Movie star Kim Basinger is selling a collection of jewels given to her by former husband, actor Alec Baldwin, it emerged today. The Batman star is ridding herself of the trinkets at Christie’s in New York, as part of a sale of magnificent jewels. Among the love tokens Basinger is offering for sale is the Tiffany engagement ring Baldwin gave her before their nine-year marriage. Baldwin gave Basinger the ring in 1993 after they met while filming The Marrying Man. The 3.7-carat diamond mounted on 18-carat gold band is expected to fetch between £16,500 and £22,000. Basinger is also selling a necklace, featuring a chain of diamond butterflies accented with citrine, aquamarine, and other gems, which is set to fetch up to £5,500. In addition, the film star is offering a diamond and platinum eternity band. It is expected to sell for up to £1,650, although it is unclear whether the band was presented to Basinger by Baldwin. One item that will not be going on sale is Basinger’s wedding ring. A spokeswoman for Basinger said that proceeds from the sale would go to the Performing Animal Welfare Society. She told the New York Daily News: “It’s a good cause. And how many women do you know who wear their ex-husband’s jewellery after they’ve divorced?” Last month, Basinger and Baldwin resolved a custody battle over their eight-year-old daughter, Ireland, when he was granted equal access. Basinger’s gems go on sale on April 20 at Christie’s in New York.

Basinger to Auction Jewellery from Baldwin - Kim Basinger is selling all the dazzling jewelry her ex-husband, Alec Baldwin, gave her during their nine-year marriage - except for her wedding ring. The Oscar-winning actress, 50, is auctioning the gems at Christies in New York, in aid for the Performing Animal Welfare Society. Items on sale include a Tiffany engagement ring worth an estimated $40,000, given to Basinger on the set of The Marrying Man, and a diamond and platinum 'eternity band' worth $3,000. Basinger's spokeswoman, Annet Wolf, says, "It's a good cause. "And how many women do you know who wear their ex-husband's jewelry after they've divorced?" The 8 Mile star is hoping to raise thousands of dollars to help the charity support retired lions and tigers.

10 aprile: USA * Il sesso, al cinema, non tira più (ma ci crediamo?) - Un gruppo cristiano ha effettuato uno studio sulle pellicole uscite in America negli ultimi anni. E un vecchio luogo comune sembra essere crollato. Il sesso, al cinema, non tira più, dicono gli americani. Sparata da ufficio stampa un po' brillo, oppure luogo comune da sfatare? Nel 2003 i film senza scene di sesso avrebbero incassato negli Usa il doppio degli altri, secondo uno studio del gruppo cristiano 'Christian Film and Television Commission'. Il sesso non vende cosi' bene come i media vorrebbero farci credere, dice Ted Baehr, presidente del sodalizio californiano che ha curato lo studio. Ecco i dati: 78 film senza scene sessuali hanno incassato una media di 37,6 milioni di dollari, mentre 95 film con allusioni sessuali si sono attestati sui 32,1 milioni; 71 pellicole con brevi scene di sesso hanno raggiunto una media di 25 milioni e 35 film con abbondanti scene di sesso si sono fermati a 17,1 milioni. Negli ultimi quattro anni, su 1120 film usciti negli Usa, quelli senza sesso hanno incassato il 40% in più. A fare la differenza sarebbe il pubblico familiare. Fosse realizzato oggi, insomma, "9 settimane e 1/2" sarebbe stato un flop, dicono gli americani. Sarà...

11 aprile: Favolosa intervista su CELLULAR!

David R. Ellis Interview - Director David R. Ellis on the set of Cellular. Preview of the cell phone adventure Cellular. David Ellis was a successful stuntman for 20 years and a second unit director for more than 15 more. He has only just begun making his way as a full time director, with Final Destination 2 and the upcoming Cellular. He’d previously directed Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, but went back to unit work until the next opportunity came along. Ellis once described Cellular to us as Speed with a cell phone. A boy (Chris Evans) receives a cell phone call from a kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger) and must stay on the line with her and find her before the battery runs out. William H. Macy, Jason Statham and Jessica Biel fill out the cast. On a weekday afternoon near the end of February, Ellis took the time for a phone interview during a break from post-production on Cellular to give us a preview of the film and discuss his experiences on many memorable action films.

Are you still in post? Yeah, we’re still in post. We just had our first preview which went well. We’re just making a couple more editorial changes, and then we’re going to do a couple days of additional photography, and then go right into our second preview.

What was the length of the first cut? 95 minutes.

Will you make it shorter? Just a little bit. Three or four minutes.

What changes will you make with the additional shoot? Mainly we had always planned to do some additional photography afterwards, some aerial shots. There were some things that were designed to be on Kim in voiceover when she’s on the phone that we decided we wanted to be on her for, so it’s really not reshooting as much as just shooting some additional stuff for clarity.

How did this shoot differ from Final Destination 2? Both were fun. This one was great because we got to keep it in the United States and L.A. We shot all around Venice, West L.A. which is great because I got to go home at night. We had great weather and we didn’t have the rain of Vancouver. As well as I had the crew that I use a lot on second units shooting it, so there’s a lot of very talented people that I knew well. They were both good. It was just great to be home and keep the work here in the states.

Was a cell phone tie-in a major part of preproduction? Yeah, getting the company that would help advertise and cross promote the movie on the release was an important factor for New Line, so we went out to a lot of different companies. Some people had problems with it because at times, part of the jeopardy of the phone is that you might lose the signal or he goes into a tunnel and it starts to become static. Some people didn’t want their product represented like that would ever happen with a cell phone, although it does. So it was an interesting marketing thing to get the right company to come up to the plate and we got Nokia, which is great. And we were also needing the new video streaming technology that the new phones are going to have. Nokia had one that is just coming out that we felt was most apropos for the film.

How tough was continuity like which hand the phone is in? It’s always an issue because he does switch hands, but because he’s so active in the action sequences that he had to use both hands on the steering wheel and switch hands all the time. So it kept Brenda, our script supervisor busy. But Chris is really good at it, so it wasn’t really that big an issue.

How did the script change during the rewrite process? During the development, once I came on board, it changed dramatically because the McGuffin of what the bad cops are after and the reason they’ve kidnapped Kim Basinger originally was a computer chip that her husband had been developing with another guy. Then that changed to bad cops and a videotaped beating/execution thing that these cops that are ripping off drug dealers did. That changed and we just tried to strengthen the characters and bring some creativity into the action beats without making it over the top and just stunts for stunts’ sake. So it went through a pretty drastic rewrite. We went through a couple sets of writers and Chris Morgan eventually was on board and then we got some new writers and then brought Chris back on board. It was a great process between Chris and Dean and myself and everybody else.

Were there set pieces you envisioned to add in? Yeah, some of the action pieces. Also, originally the script was written for Boston and the third act was a big concert in the Charles River with a lot of people. So we changed that to a concert/fundraiser at the Santa Monica pier with Heal the Bay as the backdrop. So it changed a lot.

Did it end up being like Speed? I think so, yeah. Because we’ve got a good mix. The pace of the movie, in the preview, everybody agreed that the pace was perfect. It moves very quickly. You don’t get a chance to take a breath but when you do, you have some really good comedy moments that ease up on the tension that the movie is centered around which is Kim being kidnapped and her son and husband being kidnapped and the jeopardy that they’re in.

We have enough funny moments to give you a break. But it’s constantly moving.

How did you choose Chris Evans for the lead? We read everybody. All the hot young actors in town, Ashton Kutcher and all these different guys. Ashton was our first choice and he had a scheduling conflict. Then Chris came in and he just nailed the interview and the reading. We still read some more people and then we brought him back in and we did it again. And then we really just had to sell the studio that he was the right guy and I just told him that I thought he was the character.

How much sex appeal is played up in the film? Well, it’s PG-13 so it’s just the ambiance of California beach life that we tried to capture, because you can’t have nudity or other things. We just tried to have a lot of attractive girls in bikinis and stuff like that. The audience seemed to respond to that. It wasn’t overdone but it was tastefully done.

How many days did Kim Basinger shoot? She shot for 15 days. We’ll do probably two more with Kim.

How much screen time does that amount to? For her, it’s spread through the whole movie so it’s hard to say exactly, but she’s got to be probably at least 40 minutes. 35-40 minutes.

What will be the film’s release date? They’re looking. The thing is, we cut the film faster than they expected. We went to preview five weeks ahead of when we were supposed to do our first test screening. So in the end, they’re probably going to get the film a month or two months before they even thought they would, so we’ve been talking to marketing and they’re trying to figure out what the best thing to do is because they have other New Line projects that are going to be released in April-May which would’ve been a good time for us. So if it doesn’t work and it looks like we’re up against the big tentpole summer movies from the other studios, I think we’ll probably come out in late August/September.

You don’t think it’s a big summer movie? They do think it is a big summer movie and that’s why they want to give it a great chance, but they don’t want to go up against Spider-Man 2 or some of the other big movies, the $100 million films that are coming up. So they’re still talking about it. We did find out from the preview that we tested equally as well in all four quadrants, so we don’t play to young boys or young girls or old guys or old girls. We play all the way across the board, under 25 and over 25 equally as well. So we know that the movie has a really strong broad appeal, so we’re just trying to find the right date where we can get a good release, have more than a week of success because another big huge film is following us, and have some playing time.

Is it hard for you to let other teams do second unit? No, because I have some really good guys. Everybody would like to shoot everything, but because of cast availability or location availability, you can’t. So you just have to trust, as you do in all the other departments, guys that are good at doing what they do and it’s just communication to make sure that they’re doing it the way you want it done to set the style of the film, et cetera.

Are these people from your unit crews? Yes, like Freddy Hice and David Barrett are two guys that I’ve used before and they’re top second unit directors, stunt coordinators. They understand action but they’re also good people and fun to be around because we like to have a really good set, an enjoyable set and keep the tension low. So they set that kind of same style that I try to do.

Are there any directors you’ve worked with who’ve influenced your style? I learned something from them all. From Phillip Noyce, I just worked with Peter Weir directing the second unit for him on Master and Commander, The Wachowskis on Matrix. Chris Columbus was really interesting to watch how he works with children. Wolfgang Petersen, I’ve learned something from all of them.

Whose work that you haven’t worked with influences you? I like Soderbergh, Spielberg, Lucas. There’s a lot of talented guys out there obviously, and if you’re a fan of films, you have to look at that stuff and learn from them. Kurosawa, there are a lot of great guys.

Continue for some Final Destination 3 news.

Final Destination 3 and Ellis's career
What will be your next projects? After Cellular? I’m not sure. We’re talking to New Line. They’ve got a couple projects they’re interested in me doing and I’m having meetings at MGM. There’s a lot of available projects.

just want to find something smart that’s another step up from what I just did. This is a great step up from Final Destination 2 because it’s a little bit more serious piece and I had incredible actors with Kim Basinger, William Macy, Jason Statham and Chris, so it’s all about just trying to find something smart and intelligent, something that will give me another challenge.

What other genres would you like to try? Comedy. I think that’s something I’d really like to do. Thrillers are great. The horror genre is great. But I’d really like to do a cool action-comedy.

Will there be a Final Destination 3? Absolutely. 3D. They’re already planning it.

Will you be involved? They want me to be. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with that, but they’re in the process right now of hiring some writers and trying to come up with a cool story line. But they had a lot of success with those two films.

They’ll shoot in 3D? That’s what they mentioned.

Using James Cameron’s cameras? I guess. I just heard the mention of that, so I don't know if they’re totally serious about that or if it’s going to happen, but I know they’re talking about it.

Do you have a more practical view of directing because of your second unit work? Well, I think on second units it’s all about execution. Because you come in there, you don’t have to worry so much about the studio and all the other actors and all that. It’s just about going out and getting the shot, so I have a great understanding of how to execute it, so that really helps me, and also having a good understanding of all the action that I’m shooting, it helps me in determining how I’m going to capture it.

Why was it so long between Homeward Bound II and Final Destination 2 that you directed? Because I didn’t get any buzz off of Homeward Bound II. It was like, “You know, he’s really good directing dogs and cats. When we get a dog and a cat movie, maybe we’ll think about him.” But nobody was taking me seriously as a director with actors because it was all about the dogs and cats on Homeward Bound II. And if they were, it was like Free Willy 3 or Dennis the Menace 2, films like that. I felt that if there wasn’t going to be a good opportunity, then I would just go back to second units which I love, keep working with great directors, keep learning and knowing that the opportunity would come when the time was right.

Did you get onto Game of Death before or after Bruce Lee died? Afterwards.

What was the atmosphere? I didn’t have that great a time on that film. The director was really bizarre and it was just weird. It was great going to Hong Kong, but it was a weird trip.

Was movie driving different in the Smokey and the Bandit era than it is now? I think so because it was all practical. You weren’t doing CG stuff. You weren’t doing like in Bad Boys 2 cars flying all over the place that are CG cars. You actually were in the middle of it. So you didn’t have the ability to be as creative with anything you possibly wanted to do. You had to practically do it and be safe with it and make sure that the stunts that you were doing were safe for everybody that was involved.

How many times did you work with Burt Reynolds? Let’s see, I did Smokey, Hooper, Sharkey’s Machine. I think three or four.

Did he keep bringing you back or was it a coincidence? At the time, the guy that was doing those films was Hal Needham and he was a member of the stunt group that I belonged to, Stunts Unlimited. So there was always a stunt coordinator on those films that was from Stunts Unlimited and I was just one of the young warriors from Stunts Unlimited that got to be a part of it because it was a big show and they needed a lot of guys.

In Rocky III, did you fight Rocky or Clubber Lang? I fought Clubber, Mr. T. It was part of a montage and there was one punch. It was a montage of his fights as he’s knocking people out on his way to climb to fight Rocky, so I came in for one day and we did some shots where he didn’t hit like a movie punch, and then all of a sudden Sylvester wanted him to actually really hit some people, so I was one of the guys that he really hit.

Was it hard? Yeah, he’s strong, but I was a young stunt guy and that was just part of it.

Did they just rotate fighters throughout the day? Yeah, they just kept having guys go in the ring and he just kept hitting people.

Continue for stories of Lethal Weapon, To Live and Die in L.A. and Fatal Attraction.

Stunt work on Lethal Weapon, To Live and Die in L.A. and more
Did you do the handcuff jump in Lethal Weapon? No, in Lethal Weapon I was a taxi cab driver that Mel jumps in front of the taxi and pulls me out of the car and steals the taxi. Then I did some other indie driving for some of the car sequences.

What are your memories of To Live and Die in LA? To Live and Die in LA was great.

We shot the car chase sequence for like six weekends down in San Pedro where we’d close off freeways and stuff on the weekend and we’re working with Billy Friedkin who’s a great director, and it was a blast. Because we were doing stuff that hadn’t been done.

And it’s influenced so many chase scenes. Yeah, it has. They did some really cool stuff. They had some really cool rigged cars and things that were different that they would tow behind the camera car that were actually on these trailers that manipulated side to side and stuff like they were getting hit, and actually put the actor right in the middle of the chase.

Was that like today’s Mic Rig from The Fast and the Furious? Yeah, back then it was the first such rig like that. And later I made a rig similar to that where the car would do a 360 and the actor could be in the car for Misery when James Caan spins out in the snow. Those were kind of what generated the ideas for the Mic Rig.

Did you skateboard in Gleaming the Cube? No, in Gleaming the Cube, I did a whole bunch of car stuff. When he’s hanging on the side of the car and stuff, we were doing all the car stuff down in Long Beach.

How many stunt skills do you have? Well, I was a real versatile stuntman, so I pretty much did high falls up to 90 feet, I did fire gags, I did all kinds of car stuff, I did stunts with horses, all kinds of high work, hanging off helicopters, repelling. I won a stunt award for fire gags. Won a stunt award for the car sequence in To Live and Die in L.A.. Did scuba diving, snow skiing, water skiing, motorcycle racing. I jumped 18 cars on a motorcycle, so I did almost everything.

How much did you care about the script when you got to do your cool stunts? You didn’t care about the script at all. You’re a guy that comes in as a day player stunt man, you come in, sometimes you don’t even know what the script is about. I mean, you have a general tone of it but it’s pretty much you get to come in and you’re going to flip this car and it’s going to blow up and you’re going to come out on fire and you go oh, that’s cool, and then you get paid a lot of money.

How was Fatal Attraction your transition from stunts to second unit? It was good. I mean, the actual first one was Gorky Park prior to that, but Adrian’s a great director. I was working with two of the biggest stars at the time. It became a groundbreaking film when it came out, so it was great to work on that kind of project. I actually chose it over, at the time, I had the opportunity to do Rambo III or Fatal Attraction and I chose that because I was trying to guide myself in the direction that I wanted to go which was directing and I was trying at that time to pick projects- - it became important to me what the story was about and what the caliber of the people involved with the project were.

How did you ease into second unit? The thing was, I was directing some little tiny car chases and stuff in episodic TV, and I wanted to start directing so I told them that I’d trade them doing a big car stunt where I’d flip the car eight times for them paying for and getting me my director’s card which they did. So then I started doing a lot of episodic TV, just car chases or helicopter chases or whatever. Then Gorky Park was my first big feature. I think my biggest break though came probably on Patriot Games because it was the biggest, longest second unit up to that point. It was like five months of shooting and a huge crew. Then from there, I pretty much never looked back. I just kept doing second unit after second unit.

Did you work in Annapolis? Yeah, it was beautiful there.

How did you blend the LA stuff in with Annapolis? Just minimized what you saw that said L.A. The Century Freeway wasn’t open yet and we did all that stuff on the freeway here, which cut into what we had established in Annapolis. But it wasn’t that hard.

Continue for Waterworld and other ocean stories.

Waterworld and more underwater adventures
Is there a different feel on a comedy than an action movie? Yeah, there definitely has to be. You have to understand the tone of the movie, because if it’s supposed to be funny, it can be funny violent like the Home Alone stuff, but you have to really understand the tone of what you’re doing and make the action work for that and for the character.

How grueling was Waterworld? Waterworld was the best time of my life.

It was physically demanding, but it was fun. I mean, you’re in Hawaii for nine months shooting on the water every day.

Were you left waiting for sets to be rebuilt? No, we always had something to do because I did all the wave runners and jet skis and boats approaching the atolls and stuff like that, so you could do that without showing the actual atoll or the set that you’re going towards, but detailing all those guys racing towards it.

Is there a version of Waterworld that never got seen? I’m sure there is. I’m sure Kevin Reynolds’ version is probably different than the studio’s version.

What was it like going back underwater for Sphere and Deep Blue Sea? It was great. I mean, it’s a blast directing underwater stuff. Again, it’s a challenge because communication is difficult and stuff. I mean, I went in through these niches where I was the water guy, and then I’m the animal guy and then I’m the car guy. I kind of understand how to do it all.

Is water your friend now? Yeah, it always has been. I grew up in the water. I surfed my whole life. I grew up in Malibu at the beach. I swam in high school and college, so it’s always been my buddy.

How do you feel about the water work in Pirates of the Caribbean? I think they did a great job. When you see a film like that, you understand the obstacles and the difficulties that they faced and they pulled it off. They had a good team of guys doing it and it looked great and it was an entertaining movie.

Were you affected by the Devil’s Own rewriting? No, I came on that late in the process, after Harrison and Brad and Alan Pakula went through all their stuff, and I came in just to help him with the action sequence of the attack on the safe house in Ireland.

What are your memories of Pakula? Good, gentle man. He was pretty frazzled though by the time I met him because he had been filming for some time and it had been a tough shoot. But great guy, tragic death.

What have been your most difficult accomplishments? Three children, I think. That’s been both the most challenging and most rewarding. The rest of it’s been a blast.

You have to separate real life from the movie world? Oh, absolutely. We’re so blessed to do something we love because I love what I do and coming to work every day is so much fun. Hollywood gets so caught up in itself and I take it all with a real grain of salt. I’m blessed to do it. It’s fun, it’s creative, but it’s only a freaking movie. It doesn’t mean that much. You spend a year, it comes out for a couple weeks and there you go. There’s so many things that are much more important.

What do you think of those anti-piracy commercials from the technicians’ perspectives? I haven’t seen any of those yet. I heard they have one with a stunt guy. I agree that piracy hurts everybody but piracy really only hurts the studios because the studios are the people making money off DVDs and VHSes. That’s why it’s such a big issue with the writers and all the actors and directors and stuff, because the studio gets such a big percentage of it. But it definitely hurts the industry because it’s revenue that goes to somebody that doesn’t deserve it, that’s ripping it off.

How did you first get into the business? What happened was I met some guys that live down the beach from me in Malibu. They were stunt guys and they surfed and we surfed together. I saw they would have these little training camps at their house and stuff, so I got involved and I thought that’s what I wanted to do. I became best friends with one of them and I would go to the set with him all the time. Then moved to Mammoth and was a ski bum and got the call one day that there’s somebody that needed to be doubled doing some tricky water stuff and I was the right size, and if I could be at Disney studios the following morning, I had a job. So I hitchhiked from Mammoth and got to Disney in the morning and went to Newport Beach and got the job on Superdad which was my first job for six weeks.

Do you ever want to act again? No. I’ll let people that are really good at that do that.

12 aprile: Nuovo film in arrivo per Kim ... POSSESSION!

JOBLO: Basinger Possession? MovieHole seems to have been tipped off about the possible casting of Kim Basinger in the lead role of Darclight Film's POSSESSION. She joins the already rumored Hayden Christensen and Colin Firth for the film based on Peter James' novel of the same name. The plot follows the life of a women that must deal with the tragic loss of her son in an auto accident. The fact that he continues to visit her isn't helping. Due to her constant visions and psychic experiences, she decides to search her son's past so that she can answer his plea to help him. The movie will be directed by Stuart Baird, best known for helming EXECUTIVE DECISION, U.S. MARSHALS, and STAR TREK: NEMESIS. Basinger wouldn't be a newcomer to the horror/thriller genre having already starred in 2000's BLESS THE CHILD and the upcoming CELLULAR with Jessica Biel. She also has DOOR IN THE FLOOR with Jeff Bridges and ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING, about a slew of Elvis impersonator murders, due soon. Sounds like this could be the ticket for the former Bond girl/ Batman loving/ Oscar winning/ trailer park mom to get back in the spotlight.

MOVIEHOLE: Kim Basinger encounters Possession - Comeback queen Kim Basinger is tipped for the lead role in “Possession”, a new supernatural thriller to be directed by Stuart Baird [“U.S Marshals”]. In the film, Basinger – next in the film “Cellular” – would play Alex, the attractive mother of a boy who tragically dies in a car crash. After his bereavement, she starts to have some rather freakish psychic experiences. Unable to call on anyone else, Alex seeks the help of a medium, but they refuse to continue, terrified of something - but unwilling to say of what. By this stage, the dead son is more and more present, pleading “Help me, Mother”. Alex comes to the grasp that she has to dig up her son’s past and find out what it could be that he’s referring to. The film is based on a book of the same name by author Peter James. It’s believed Hayden Christensen is in talks for the role of the dead son, Fabian Hightower, and Colin Firth has also been contacted about playing a role. “It’s an excellent script – I believe the actors that have been contacted about it are strongly considering it”, says scooper, Richard. “They hope to have it shooting Before Christmas”. The film is from Darclight Films, a genre extension of Arclight Films. The label’s other films in production include “Lord of War” starring Nicolas Cage and Ethan Hawke, and Richard Sheppard’s “The Matador”.

THE Z REVIEW - Stuart Baird has been signed up by Arclight Films to direct Possession. The movie will be based on the novel by Peter James. James has also written the screenplay for the movie the will follow a young man who, after being killed in an auto crash, reappears to his mother to reveal a dark secret. The film is financed by Movision Entertainment and produced by Jason Piette and Michael Cowan's Spice Factory, Ministry of Vision and Transfilm as a U.K. and Canadian co-production.

18 aprile: Un po' di news!

Kim auctions her engagement ring - Actress Kim Basinger will auction off her 3.7-carat diamond engagement ring from ex-husband Alec Baldwin and other jewellery next week to raise money for retired circus animals. The ring, a simple but elegant bauble in a modern Tiffany setting, has been put on display with the other jewels and is expected to fetch about €32,900. Christie’s in New York estimated that the 11 pieces of jewellery on offer could raise €82,200 for the Performing Animal Welfare Society, a California group that runs a refuge for abused and retired elephants, lions, bears and other wildlife.

Basinger jewel sale to aid animals - Oscar winner Kim Basinger is auctioning some of her jewellery, including her 3.7-carat diamond engagement ring from ex-husband Alec Baldwin, to help raise money for retired circus animals. Auction house Christie's has estimated that the 11 pieces to be auctioned next week could raise $100,000 for The Performing Animal Welfare Society. Among the items going under the hammer are a diamond bracelet in the Art Deco style, a multi-gem necklace and a pair of Cartier earrings.
Basinger is a long-time animal rights activist.

24 aprile: Sempre news!

Kim Basinger vende anello di fidanzamento per 59.750 dollari - NEW YORK (Reuters) - L'attrice Kim Basinger ha venduto ieri sera il suo anello di fidanzamento con diamante da 3,7 carati ricevuto dall'ex-marito Alec Baldwin per 59.750 dollari ad un gioielliere di Beverly Hills, che ha predetto che un fan potrebbe "pagare una cifra folle per averlo". L'attrice, nota animalista, ha messo all'asta il suo anello di Tiffany & Co. e altri monili da Christie's per raccogliere soldi a favore della Performing Animal Welfare Society. Il gruppo gestisce rifugi in California per animali maltrattati, in pensione o in surplus come elefanti, leoni, orsi e altri generi selvaggi cresciuti in cattività. L'anello di fidanzameto, stimato per un valore tra 30mila e 40mila dollari, era il pezzo più prezioso dell'asta. Il solo altro dono di Baldwin -- che è stato sposato con l'attrice per nove anni, fino al 2002 -- messo all'asta è stato un girocollo con un motivo di farfalle tempestato di gemme venduto per 20.135 dollari. Christie's aveva previsto un prezzo di vendita tra gli 8mila e i 10mila dollari.

Actress Kim Basinger has sold her 3.7 carat diamond engagement ring from ex-husband Alec Baldwin for $59,750. The 8 Mile star, a noted animal rights activist, auctioned the modern Tiffany & Co. ring and some other jewelry at Christie's to raise money for The Performing Animal Welfare Society. The group runs a California refuge for abused, retired and surplus elephants, lions, bears and other captive wildlife. The engagement ring, estimated to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000, was the top-priced item in the auction. The only other gift on offer from actor Baldwin - whose nine-year marriage to Basinger ended in 2002 - was a multigem necklace which went for $20,315. Christie's had predicted it would fetch $8,000 to $10,000. Yossi Dina of South Beverly Wilshire Jewelry & Loan, who says his clients include George Hamilton, Liza Minnelli and Winona Ryder, estimates he paid 30 percent more than the ring was worth. He says, "I got it for a fan. They'll pay crazy money for that."

Kim Basinger ring fetches $US59,750 - NEW YORK: Actress Kim Basinger today sold her 3.7-carat diamond engagement ring from ex-husband Alec Baldwin for $US59,750 ($NZ94,000) to a Beverly Hills jewellery dealer, who predicted a fan would "pay crazy money for that." The actress, a noted animal rights activist, auctioned the modern Tiffany & Co ring and some other jewellery at Christie's to raise money for The Performing Animal Welfare Society. The group runs a California refuge for abused, retired and surplus elephants, lions, bears and other captive wildlife. The engagement ring, estimated to fetch between $US30,000 and $US40,000, was the top-priced item in the auction. The only other gift from actor Baldwin, whose nine-year marriage to Basinger ended in 2002, on offer was a multigem necklace with a butterfly motif that went for $US20,315. Christie's had predicted it would fetch $US8,000 to$US10,000. Yossi Dina of South Beverly Wilshire Jewellery & Loan bought the engagement ring, and spent $US47,800 on Basinger's elegant diamond bracelet in the Art Deco style. Dina, who said his clients included George Hamilton, Liza Minnelli and Winona Ryder, estimated he paid 30 per cent more than the ring was worth. "I got it for a fan. They'll pay crazy money for that," he told reporters after the sale.

Walking on 'Sunshine' - Focus Features is settling into its identity as an awards-season player balancing the hip with the highbrow - "Accessible" is not a word that leaps to mind when trying to describe Charlie Kaufman, an oblique writer who during recent years has become a cause celebre among cineastes. Rather, he's the standard-bearer for an avant-garde movement that flirts with the mainstream, a postmillennial poster boy with a pair of best-screenplay Oscar nominations to his name. But now that his latest psychedelic effort, Focus Features' "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," has become his highest-grossing film to date, the "Kaufman brand" appears poised to adopt an increasingly commercial following. Perhaps more importantly for industry watchers, "Sunshine" signals a shift in the way independent films with awards-season aspirations are marketed and distributed. In rolling out the film March 19, Focus brass ignored some of the rules that have long governed indie distribution, choosing instead to shore up others. Customarily, distributors platform art house releases at year's end, a tried-and-true strategy that has secured accolades and not-so-modest boxoffice success for such films as Kaufman's "Being John Malkovich" (1999) and "Adaptation" (2002). This time, buoyed by the notion that star Jim Carrey is nothing if not widely commercial, Focus opted to take "Sunshine" out on more than 1,350 screens early in the year. Fortunately for the distributor, the gamble has paid off: "Sunshine" racked up $23.4 million domestically after only 21 days in release, and the film has earned more than $28.1 million to date. (By way of comparison, "Malkovich" earned $22.9 million during its entire domestic theatrical run, and "Adaptation" earned $22.2 million.) "It's a strategy everyone is looking at," says a distribution executive at a rival-studio subsidiary. And it's a well-timed victory for Focus, coming off the studio's spectacular Oscar-season run with another lauded, quirky release: Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation." That film, which stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as star-crossed tourists in Tokyo, is a much more straightforward piece than "Sunshine" and therefore was, ostensibly, easier to market and propel toward awards-season consideration. Focus distribution head Jack Foley agrees that while "Sunshine" possesses marketable elements -- primarily its cast -- the film is a much more challenging proposition. In "Sunshine," Carrey plays mild-mannered Joel Barish, who realizes that his relationship with eccentric girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) is unraveling but receives the shock of his life when he learns that she has had her memory of him erased. To get back, Joel decides to undergo the same experimental procedure, which will rid his memory of her. In the process, "Sunshine" shifts between two realities: Joel's real-life experiences and those occurring in his mind once he is plagued by second thoughts and desperate to retain his memories. The second scenario lends the film many of its off-the-wall visual sequences. "'Eternal Sunshine' is probably the first modern film of the 21st century," Foley says. "We had to think, 'Where is the consciousness of the moviegoer in this marketplace?' (Typically, we think of audiences as being accustomed) to taking simple narrative lines with a lot of energy imposed upon them and be receptors -- but now we're going to have a situation where they are going to have to be active participants in (the film). So there are all these elements (to consider), but this film sets the bar." Adds Kaufman: "What we want to do is give everyone who goes to see this movie their own individual experience, which is a tricky thing to do -- but that's what we were trying to do. It's like a poem or something: You read it and it's yours, and you interact with it based on your own history, and you draw your own conclusions." Because "Adaptation" (a Sony release domestically) appealed to an older demographic that had shied away from "Malkovich," Focus considered crafting a "Sunshine" marketing campaign to appeal to that audience as well as Kaufman's devoted hipster following. But Carrey served as the proverbial last straw, convincing the distributor that the film needed a different approach than the platform release of Kaufman's earlier works. "We considered what the piece was -- the brand with Charlie, (director) Michel Gondry's following and Jim Carrey's state as the most influential comedian in America right now -- and we looked at where America is in its willingness to access smart films," Foley says. "Taking all of that into mind, we went with an extremely unique and aggressive strategy. Jim Carrey was the crown because Jim brought a sort of commercial accessibility to the film that spoke outside of the confines of the Charlie Kaufman brand -- so Jim was our opportunity to go to the actualization of proving the model that we went in with to make this film correct." Nonetheless, it was a risky approach. Paul Thomas Anderson's 2002 film "Punch Drunk Love" featured a beloved comedian in star Adam Sandler, but the $25 million Sony title failed to win over some critics, garnered mixed reviews and grossed only $17.7 million during its year-end platform release. With "Sunshine" firmly in the black -- the film cost about $20 million to make, sources say -- Focus is looking to the end of 2004, hoping the film will top critics' lists and get a leg up in the increasingly competitive awards-season fray. Focus executives also are looking to ride new trends in awards campaigning based in part on the success of last summer's Tobey Maguire starrer "Seabiscuit," which parlayed a July theatrical opening and a Dec. 16 DVD release into seven Oscar and two Golden Globe nominations. "The necessity to jam movies into late October through Christmas in order to be viable awards contenders? Those days are over," Focus co-head David Linde says. "'Seabiscuit' and 'Lost in Translation' (which opened theatrically Sept. 12) proved that there is now a much longer presentation period available: It's domestic theatrical, it's international theatrical, and it's domestic and then international home video/DVD, all of which feeds into awards-season (exposure)." It's a strategy that Focus is keeping in mind while planning the June release of "Door in the Floor," starring Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges, and the campaign for September's Reese Witherspoon starrer "Vanity Fair," the latest project from director Mira Nair (the 2002 releases "Hysterical Blindness" and "Monsoon Wedding"). Also in the fall, Focus will release Walter Salles' Spanish-language feature "The Motorcycle Diaries," starring Gael Garcia Bernal as a young Che Guevara. Of course, Focus' strategies are drawing attention from the film community at large, meaning that they might not be quite as novel during the weeks and months ahead. Even last year, Fox Searchlight adopted a similar approach to roll out Danny Boyle's critically lauded postapocalyptic thriller "28 Days Later," opening the movie June 27 on about 1,260 screens nationwide. That film went on to gross more than $45 million during its domestic theatrical run -- without the benefit of a marquee star like Carrey in the lead. Still, Focus' success with "Sunshine" seems to have drawn more attention from film community insiders. "I think that they're doing a very good and innovative job," one rival executive says of the "Sunshine" strategy. "The interesting piece of the puzzle is that they went out and sold it on a wide release. Even though many of the theaters didn't do that well, the core theaters are holding in sophisticated urban markets. They said, 'Let's spend all of our ad money upfront and launch this movie,' and it seems to be working quite well." Adds Foley: "We got the Jim Carrey people in on the first weekend, and we kept them there for two to three weeks, which is the length of time that most movies play. In small towns, that's an eternity." But while "Sunshine" remains the year's best-reviewed movie to date, the real challenge will be reminding the public about the film during all-important year-end balloting for awards season. With luck, Focus will prevent voters from erasing "Sunshine" from their memory banks and remind them of their love affair with Kaufman's novel wit.

NZ celebrity legal battles in the spotlight - It could be a scene from a Hollywood movie itself. The tall blonde multi-millionaire actress Kim Basinger sitting at one end of a long courtroom table; her former partner, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin, at the other. The couple, married for eight years, barely looked at each other when they appeared in the Los Angeles court room in February, according to the multitude of newspaper, television and women's magazine reporters who hung off their every move. The glamour couple were in court to resolve a highly publicised custody dispute over their 8-year-old daughter Ireland.
Although the judge banned media from the court for parts of the hearing that involved Ireland, media were allowed to sit in on other parts of the case and report the final finding. According to New Zealand Law Society family law section chairman David Burns similar cases involving our own home-grown celebrities will almost certainly arise in this country if the recommendations of a Law Commission review of the courts, issued last month, are followed. Mr Burns supports the commission's report which, among a raft of changes suggested across the whole court system, recommends opening up Family Court proceedings to greater media scrutiny. It says media should be able to sit in on hearings and write unvetted reports - a change from the current law where media cannot sit in on proceedings and are only able to report details of a case after their article has been vetted and approved by a judge. If the recommendation is followed, media would be able to report proceedings as long as the identities of children and domestic violence victims remain protected. "We've advocated for a long time for greater openness in the Family Court provided the interests of children can be protected. It's a difficult balance to strike, and hard to do in practice, but in philosophical terms, we have no problems with the recommendations of the Law Commission," Mr Burns says. However, one of the side effects of such a change, he says, will be a clamour to report custody battles and property disputes involving entertainment figures, politicians and prominent businesspeople. And it is in those cases where the best interests of children could become compromised. "With media sitting in, it will be hard to keep identities secret, even if names and occupations are taken out," he says. "We are a very small place and anonymity is an issue especially in small towns. In towns like Gisborne or Whangarei, it does not take much information for people to come out and identify the people involved." Mr Burns says once media know, through the court, that a case involving celebrities is coming up, they will be keen to get around any obstacles to reporting suppressed details - putting pressure on parties to go on the record outside court proceedings would be one method. He says the initial desire of some media to publish photographs of broadcaster Mike Hosking's children in public shows the appetite of some media for celebrity news, images and gossip. "I'm a little bit cynical. It comes from watching what happens in America. Often the news media are only interested in those cases involving celebrities and high profile people," he says. Media commentator Jim Tully, head of Canterbury University's journalism school, agrees. Over the past decade, the media's appetite for celebrity stories has increased meteorically and in that climate, it is only natural that some media will look to exploit any opening up of restrictions relating to the Family Court to report on proceedings involving the rich and famous. "At the moment, it's very difficult, unless you hear it independently, to find out about cases coming before the [Family] court, so there will certainly be a greater degree of foreknowledge and access to the sort of cases the media might be interested in." Media organisations' desire to run celebrity stories will see them keen to get around restrictions, he says. "I think there's a greater inclination these days to push the boundaries . . . so I'm sure that in this highly competitive media market we have at the moment there will be a lot more pressure on journalists to break these stories and get to these stories first." And he says media organisations will quickly exploit any loopholes in new legislation. "If there are any loopholes, you can bet your boots these days they will be found very quickly, so we may not have to wait years for them to be discovered and fixed. I think any loopholes will be discovered very quickly." Mr Burns doubts media coverage here will be as frenzied as in the United States where TV shows like Celebrity Justice report exclusively on the court battles of the rich and famous. The glare of the media spotlight in that country has also led to alternative systems where high-profile people can resolve their disputes free of public scrutiny. That is the road Michael Jackson and his ex-wife Deborah Rowe have taken in a custody dispute over their two children. To avoid a public hearing, the former couple have hired a retired judge, at a cost of about $NZ1000 an hour, to review their case and come up with a binding decision. Mr Burns says while there was no Celebrity Justice in New Zealand yet, if the Law Commission's recommendations were to be made into law, then several grey areas needed to be clarified. It is not clear from the report whether media would be able to report the full proceedings of court, including things such as psychological reports, or just the judge's final decision. "More cold hard particular detail needs to be fleshed out and there's a lot more work to do before anything like this could be implemented." He says in the High Court there was provision for open and closed court sessions and similar procedures would need to be established for the Family Court if media were allowed to attend. He also believes safeguards need to be in place to prevent celebrity couples blackmailing each other by threatening to take a dispute to court where the media would hang off every salacious detail. "In some states of America, in celebrity cases, [the court] can be used as leverage or a form of blackmail - `if you don't give me this, I'm going to go to the court and say this about you' and the news media can report it as there is a legal privilege involved. "You can see that being used if there was any level of vindictiveness, so there will have to be protections built in." Mr Burns says with journalists making the final decision on what to publish rather than a judge, it was also inevitable there would be some breaches of suppressed material. "Time will tell whether journalists make good decisions or not and whether damage to children occurs." He says it is important the Government follows the commission's advice to review any changes that were made after their first few years of operation. However, he says lifting some of the restrictions on publishing material from the Family Court was the right thing to do in the current atmosphere where interest groups and politicians had been attacking the integrity of the court. Opening up the court would remove the perception that judges were making their decisions in secret and rebut allegations by disaffected fathers groups that court staff were incompetent and the court inefficient, he says. "That perception has led to a lot of frustration for those people in the system who believe that, day in and day out, there is hugely valuable work being done in the Family Court but yet that is not being seen to be done." Mr Burns says the commission's recommendations go further than the current Care of Children Bill which would allow for the reporting of details of cases and decisions but not go so far as letting media sit in on court hearings on a day to day basis. The Bill also completely bans the identification of any party or witness in any case before the court. But, he says, for most people going through the court, the commission's recommendations, if adopted, would mean little as their cases would garner no media interest whatsoever. "We believe only cases involving celebrities, politicians or prominent businessmen, and some cases where disaffected fathers manage to drum up support from the media, will get coverage," he says. "I imagine that [for] the great majority of cases that go through the Family Court, most journalists would think there was no public interest in it at all." He says that view has been borne out in Australia where Family Court proceedings have been open to reporting since 1983, but "run of the mill" cases receive no attention at all. Justice Minister Phil Goff said last month, when he received the Law Commission report, that the Government would take six months to respond to its many recommendations. That response is expected in September.