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The April 9, 2001, issue of People contains the picture above with the caption: “At the MGM pre-Oscar party in L.A. honoring producer DINO De LAURENTIS, Hannibal’s RAY LIOTTA [center] gave a piece of his mind to director OLIVER STONE [ left] and SYLVESTER STALLONE, whose race-car film Driven opens April 27.
– Craig Zablo
Tuesday April 03 02:13 AM EDT
Clinton, Ford top Family Celebration
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) — Presidents FORD and CLINTON, ‘N Sync, SYLVESTER STALLONE and the cast of Fox‘s “Ally McBeal” were all honored for their charity work Sunday night at the second annual A Family Celebration awards dinner and benefit concert.
“Whether you’re in politics or business or the entertainment industry, one quickly discovers that the true measure of a well-lived life is not the legislation that you pass, the stock options that you exercise … the weekly boxoffice receipts or even the Academy Awards that fill your resume,” FORD said. “Rather, it’s the family you love and the family that you are excited to live with.”
Held in the ballroom of the Regent Beverly Wilshire, the evening raised almost $1.5 million for various charities and honored people for giving to their communities.
FORD, who was presented the Special Giving Award from CNN‘s LARRY KING, received two standing ovations. His speech struck an emotional chord with the audience that numbered more than 700. FORD recounted how his mother left his abusive father and was remarried to a paint salesman. He said he learned that while his family was financially poor, it was emotionally very wealthy — something he has carried with him all his life.
“A household does not need fancy clothes or elegant furnishings to be successful,” FORD said. “Aristocracy is of the soul, not of the cloth. On the other hand, a household lacking in love and moral instruction can never be judged a success.”
The television drama award went to the cast of “Ally McBeal,” the creative achievement award was presented to SYLVESTER STALLONE and the lifetime achievement award was given to BOB NEWHART, who did a quick, updated version of his beloved phone comedy routine.
The Heart of Giving Award went to producer LOREEN ARBUS, while JEFFREY BONFORTE of i-drive.com received the Internet Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The Humanitarian Award was given to entrepreneur-philanthropist ROBERT LORSCH.
In receiving the Award of Merit presented by ELIZABETH TAYLOR, CLINTON pointed out that caring people can and should do more than government institutions.
“What I want you know is that the great strength of this country is not always primarily in its leaders or its government, but in its people,” he said. “In their minds, their hearts, their words and what they believe is important. The older I get — and these days that seems to be an irreversible process — the more I become convinced that the way your life turns out pretty much depends on what you think is important. I came here tonight to say thank you for believing that this is important and to ask you not to forget how important it is and what a precious gift it is to be in a position in life where you can give. Because everybody who can really give always comes out ahead in the end.”
An informal popularity contest was waged between CLINTON and ‘N Sync, whose members received the Harmony and Spirit Award. CLINTON, who received two standing ovations, scored big points when he joined legendary bluesman B.B. KING onstage and played the saxophone to a screaming audience.
‘N Sync had the support of shrieking girls, some of whom rushed onstage and danced with the band during their final song.
During ‘N Sync‘s performance, LINDA THOMPSON, wife of the evening’s musical director DAVID FOSTER, had her cell phone on so her children at home could listen to the pop group sing, while actor JAMES MARSDEN sneaked to the stage with a small camera to snap a photo.
Other performers included MARC ANTHONY, RAY CHARLES, DAVID FOSTER, DWIGHT YOAKAM and singers JOHN GROBAN and NIA WHITAKER. Presenters included WHOOPI GOLDBERG, SUZANNE PLESHETTE and TOM POSTON. Philanthropist and underwriter of the night’s dinner was CYNTHIA GERSHMAN. The host was MTV’s CARSON DALY. Guests included MICHELLE PFEIFFER and DAVID E. KELLY, BRITANY SPEARS, SUGAR RAY LEONARD, and FLORENCE HENDERSON.
Proceeds the benefit go to Alzheimer’s Lakeway Program, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Challenge for the Children, Locks of Love, Starlight Children’s Foundation and Wildlife Waystation, among others.
–Craig Zablo
The April 2001 issue of Total Movie, features “Going the Distance: ‘Rocky’ at 25.” The eight page article by Edward Gross [author of Rocky and the Films of Sylvester Stallone] provides an extensive look at “Rocky” [and its sequels] with over 25 photos [including the one to the left]. The article provides quotes from SLY, TALIA SHIRE, JOHN ALVIDESEN, ROBERT CHARTOFF, CARL WEATHERS, and others involved with the films.
The magazine comes with a DVD which provides a trailer for “Rocky” and a snippet of the interview with SLY that will appear on the “Rocky” special edition dvd. All in all, easily worth the cost of the mag!
[Now I’m REALLY psyched for the “ROCKY” Boxed Collector’s Set! Click |HERE| to check it out!]
– Craig Zablo
Premiere contains an article entitled “They Wuz Robbed!” which compares the results of two polls [one with 25 film professionals such as QUENTIN TARANTINO; and the other with 2,000 film fans] of who should have won Academy Awards during the last 25 years. The piece is accompanied with some spectacular artwork by ROBERTO PARADAshowing Rocky putting Travis Bickle in a headlock while Ghandi and ET look on! There’s also of SLY and ELIE SAMAHA
On Friday, March 30, 2001, Cinescape.com posted a very positive piece on “Driven.” The article featured several quotes from director RENNY HARLIN who talked about the problems that he and SLY had getting the movie started and why they teamed up to get it made.
HARLIN also says that his “goal was trying to do to car racing what “Matrix” did to hand-to-hand combat and that type of action movies – so the audience [would see] something that they don’t get on TV, but really use the the technology to make the film almost like a video game in the sense that when we are in the racing sequences the audience really feels like they are sitting in the car and they are steering the car and they really get what the driver gets. And then in the crash sequences, finding points of view and ways of showing that would hopefully be pretty mind-blowing for the audience.”
As to SLY, HARLIN states, “[STALLONE] didn’t want to make it a STALLONE racing movie like “Rocky” or something like that where he is the center of the story… I thought it was very interesting that he took that approach and very smart I think. HARLIN went on to say that the response to SLY in test screenings “scored through the roof because you really, really feel for him.”
– Craig Zablo
SLY STALLONE and his wife JENNIFER FLAVIN attended the premiere of Exit Wounds on Tuesday, March 13, 2001, in Los Angeles.
Sylvester Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin attended the red carpet premiere of the new film “Exit Wounds,” on Tuesday, March 13, 2001, in Los Angeles.
On March 8, 2001, Sly Stallone joined director Renny Harlin and co-stars Christian de la Fuente and Kip Pardue at a Warner Bros. luncheon to promote Driven. The luncheon was held at the Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) – It’s not often Salman Rushdie is seen at an L.A. movie premiere (and until recently he wasn’t seen almost anywhere, what with a death sentence hanging over his head), but the novelist was at the Century City Cineplex for New Line’s “15 Minutes” premiere Thursday.Though there was joking in the crowd as he searched for a seat (”Lord, please not next to me” was the general tone), afterward at the Century Club party Rushdie said he was “a great admirer of De Niro” and thought the film was “very well performed.” He added he was in L.A. to work on a screenplay adaptation of his novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet for Gemini Films.Among those on hand were writer-director John Herzfeld, stars Edward Burns, Robert De Niro, Kelsey Grammer and Melina Kanakaredes; plus guests Albert Brooks, Don Cheadle, Vin Diesel, Robbie Robertson, Sylvester Stallone and Christy Turlington.
– Craig Zablo (February 24, 2001)
SYLVESTER STALLONE and his wife JENNIFER FLAVIN attended a tribute to BARBARA STREISAND for the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award in Beverly Hills, California on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001.