"When Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow filmed 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' last year, the top-secret set was tightly guarded. Now ET show you a first look at what these two heart-throbs made together ..."
Cut from scene of when Ripley first arrives in Italy: Dickie and Marge are on a yacht, Ripley watches them thru binoculars, Dickie and Marge sunbathing on the beach, Dickie comes on the scene, "Remember me? We went to Princeton together." Dickie doesn't remember. Marge greets Ripley pleasantly. In this scene, Matt is pale while the other two are bronzed.
Matt, wearing glasses, enters a room and sets down his luggage (he is staying at Dickie's pad), then we see him looking down from a balony, and what he is looking at is Marge and Dickie, again sunbathing. "It'll just be for a little while," he says, unaware that Ripley is listening. She says," I like him". He says: "Marge, you like everybody." Cut to Matt (alone) in his room, with a photo of Dickie and Marge on the wall behind him, and Matt is apparently looking at himself in a mirror, saying "Marge, you like everybody."
Then there is a quick collage of cuts from a number of scenes: Matt and Jude Law walking on an Italian plaza chummily, Matt and Jude riding on a scooter, Matt and Paltrow on that green scooter, Matt at a door and someone's (Freddie's) voice says: "Didn't I know you in person (or something like that)?" and Matt looks back, startled, when something strikes him. Matt and Gwyneth, all dressed up, are seated on the balcony of an opera house. Matt saying "I always thought that it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody." Matt telling Gwyneth:"Now I know I can live Dickie's life for him." She looks puzzled.
Dickie: "What *did* you do when you were in New York?" Ripley: "I was forging signatures, and impersonating just about everybody." Dickie: "What?" During this we see Matt, wearing a white turtleneck, combing his hair to look like Dickie.
Scene of a yacht anchored on water, two men swimming nearby. Someone yells "Help." Cut to Paltrow: "Why is it that when men play together they always play killing each other?"
Extreme closeup of Matt's eyes behind his glasses.
A series of shots of Matt striking at something off camera. Matt, in suit and tie, walks with Cate Blanchet. Followed by a cut of Matt kissing Cate.
Jude Law: "Everyone must have a talent, what's yours?" Matt, minus those glasses, dressed in black, and putting on a scarf, stares back meaningfully. Matt, dressed in black, sat down on a bed in a room, you can see a reflection of him in a mirror by the bed. - The end -
None of the scenes are presented in continuity. The whole thing was a jumble of cuts. If I were a casual viewer, I would leave with little idea of what the movie is about. However, it does show a lot of beautiful people and some gorgeous settings, and it did convey some of the intrigues. The homosexuality element and even the murder were never shown explicitly, and nothing about the music. And I think the Marge character is a lot more sympathetic than in the book -she is supposed to be sweet and innocent here, I think, whereas in the book she is cold and unfriendly.
There is really not enough revealed to draw any logical conclusion. What is clear is that (i)the movie is done in good taste, (ii) there will be a lot of Matt in this film, and a lot of expression shots of his. The best part is that it was mentioned on ET that the film will open in December, which means it's considered a prime Oscar bid.
This will be a feast for the eyes for us and I like what little we are allowed to see so far.

ET Commetator Julie Moran:  "When Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon filmed 
"The Talented Mr. Ripley" the super secret set was closed tight.  Now we 
can show you what happened when these two Hollywood heartthrobs got 
together, in this ET first."

Ripley:  Matt Damon
Dickie:  Jude Law
Marge:  Gwyneth Paltro
Meredith:  Cate Blanchett

(Music:  The slow, sinister sound of violins)
Shot of Marge and Dickie on a boat.  Shot of Ripley (in glasses) watching 
with binoculars.  Close up of a skinny Ripley on the beach introducing 
himself to the sunbathing Dickie and Marge.
Ripley:  "Dickie Greenleaf?  It's Tom.  Tom Ripley."
Dickie:  "Tom Ripley?"
Ripley:  "We were at Princeton together."
Marge:   "Hi.  How do you do?"
Dickie:  "Did we know each other?  Sorry, what is it?
Ripley:  "Ripley"
Shot of Ripley moving his things into Dickie's apartment. He looks out the 
window and sees Dickie and Marge talking on the patio.
Dickie:  "It'll just be for a little while."
Marge:   "No, I like him."
Dickie:  "Marge, you like everybody."
Close up of Ripley repeating, "Marge, you like everybody."
(Voiceover by ET commentator:  When Gwyneth and boyfriend Jude Law invite 
Matt into their European playground, they never suspect his plans to make 
their luxurious lifestyle his own.)  Scenes of Marge, Dickie and Freddie at 
a sunny outdoor table, Ripley smiling at them, a shot of someone (Ripley?) 
taking a pair of shoes (Dickie's?), Dickie and Ripley on a motorbike, 
Dickie in a jazzy outfit walking with his arm over Ripley's shoulder.
A close up of Dickie asking Ripley:  "What exactly did you do in New York?"
Ripley as he sits down with Dickie at a table:  "Telling lies, forging 
signatures, impersonating practically anybody."  Shot of Ripley fixing his 
hair like Dickie's, shots of him forging Dickie's signature.
Dickie (looking disturbed):  "What?"
Shot of Dickie's boat, with Dickie and Marge kissing.  Scene of Marge and 
Ripley in what looks like a cabin.
Ripley (emotionally):  "I wish that I could live Dickie's life for him." 
Marge looks frightened.
Ripley:  "I know what I would do."
Shot of Ripley rubbing out the picture on Dickie's passport.  Flash of the 
nerdy Ripley in a window.  A handsome Ripley walking towards a door warding 
off the press.  Ripley and Marge riding off on a Vespa.  Flash of a 
handsome Ripley in a window.
Dickie shouting:  "Did I know you at Princeton, Tom?  I don't think I did, 
did I?"
Shot of a beautiful Italian harbor.   (The music grows more intense)
Ripley (with tears in his voice):  "I always thought it would be better to 
be fake somebody than a real nobody."
Shot of Dickie and Meredith at the opera.  Shot of Marge hugging Ripley.  
Shot of Dickie's boat.  Ripley and Dickie in the water.  Marge on the boat: 
  "Why is it that when men play, they always play at killing each other?"
(ET commentator:  Elizabeth star Cate Blanchett co-stars in the 50's era 
thriller which was shot in five different Italian cities, and is set for 
release in December.)  Scenes of Meredith and the handsome Ripley walking, 
Meredith and Ripley kissing.  Shot of Ripley sleeping, Ripley hitting 
someone with an oar, Ripley waking up suddenly, as if from a nightmare, 
Ripley stretching out a cloth, as if to strangle someone.
Dickie:  "Everyone should have a talent.  What's yours?"
Shot of Ripley looking at him, wrapping the cloth over his own neck.  Shot 
of Ripley sitting down at a piano.

• They will show a preview of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" on the show tomorrow (7/29, Thursday).
• Steve Marlin, interviewed about his upcoming movie with Eddie Murphy: "I thought it would be more like a Keneau Reeves or Matt Damon - the kind that the girls are crazy about ..." (something like that), when asked if he orginially envisioned the Murphy character.

  More on the preview tomorrow - SPOILER
  I taped the part where ET announced the preview, and, upon watching it again, I realized that what was shown today wasn't a set of still photos as I thought. Instead, they are quick cuts of some footage from the film, to wit:

  • Scene of Ripley meeting Marge (Paltrow): "I am Ripley"
  • Scene of a solemn-faced Matt embracing a distraught Marge, by the seashore - probably a scene from when Marge comes to the site where the Jude Law character was killed by Matt.
  • Scene of Matt in a beige knit sweater, minus glasses, striking something (not seen) downward.
  • Scene of a Matt in closeup, again minus glasses and in the same sweater, his lifted hands holding a piece of cloth/stockings behind his head, smiling a devious smile - Matt looks absolutely gorgeous in this shot, and very chilling. This is apparently a shot of Ripley after he's done one of his killings.
  Folks, the cinematography looks to be fabulous, and Matt looks really good, even in the scenes where he has those thick glasses on. He is ultra-hot in the one scene shown without glasses.

  I am looking forward to tomorrow, big time ;-) :-)

  7/28/99 The Minority Report item was mentioned on both E! news (Matt to play Tom Cruise's "evil brother") and ET yesterday. It was also mentioned on many web sites, including Cinescape, EW, and Mr. Showbiz.
  From Cinescape (lead story):
  Damon Joining `Minority Report'
  No, Tom Cruise fans don't have to worry. Matt Damon is not coming >into Steven Spielberg's Minority Report project to take Cruise's place. According to Variety columnist Michael Fleming, the Saving Private Ryan actor is in final negotiations to take the part of the eventual film's villain. The one remaining barrier that remains for Damon to sign on is said to be the film's shooting script, which, as yet, is reported to be unfinished though it is expected be turned in by week's end.
  It sounds though as if a notable change has been made in the story's plot. The original plot description had Tom Cruise as a cop who works in a future when a system is in place that allows the detection of murderers before they commit a crime. Cruise learns that he himself may be a murderer and does whatever he can to stop this from happening while he is being hunted. Now, according to Fleming, though Cruise remains a cop, it is now his brother (to be played by Damon) who may be the murderer.
  One can't help but wonder if what appear to be changes to the project came about as a result of word that Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 2 project had been pushed back due to production delays thus pushing back Minority Report as well.

  And Felicity filed this report:
  It seems likely that Ripley won't debut at Venice. The preliminary list of films was announced today, and it ain't there! Perhaps the late shooting etc has delayed its release.

  7/27/99 Suddenly a splash of casting news, compliments of the Daily Variety, via Felicity:

  • From the Daily Variety's Michael Fleming:
    Damon may 'Report' to Spielberg
    "Minority Report" looks to be close to signing a majority of its above-the-line talent. Director Steven Spielberg wants to draft his "Saving Private Ryan" star Matt Damon to join Tom Cruise in the Fox/DreamWorks co-production, which begins filming in October for release next summer.
    Negotiations won't begin until Spielberg gets a final draft of the shooting script at week's end. But sources considered Damon's participation likely. In what would be a decided departure from his virtuous turn in "Ryan," Damon would play a villain in the new film, which is based on a Philip K. Dick short story, adapted by Jon Cohen and now being rewritten by "Out of Sight" scribe Scott Frank.
    The futuristic tale is about a cop (Cruise) in a system where killers are arrested for murders they have yet to commit, preventing the crime. The problem: One of the future murderers is his brother (Damon).
    Damon recently starred for Billy Bob Thornton in the Columbia adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel "All the Pretty Horses," skedded for an early 2000 release. He's currently starring for director Anthony Minghella in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" for Miramax, where he got his breakout role starring in "Good Will Hunting," and also won an Oscar for co-writing the script. Damon's repped by CAA.
  • From Army Archerd's column:
    It's Matt Damon to star in the Robert Redford-directed ``Legend of Bagger Vance'' for DreamWorks. Filming starts in October in Savannah.
    (This project was originally to star Redford himself. Then it was rumored to star Brad Pitt.)
  7/26/99 These are the dog days of summer - very little news. Here is a batch of tidbits sent from Felicity:
  • In the current edition of 'Seventeen' there's a picture of Matt in ATPH gear, smiling with two fans.
  • From Liz Smith's column in the NY Post Monday:
    MATT DAMON, shooting location scenes here for "The Talented Mr. Ripley," was the stellar beauty at Al Gore's campaign event last week at Tribeca Grill (a fete for the young professionals' fund-raising arm of Gore 2000, GoreNet). Billy Baldwin and Julianna Marguiles were also on hand, mingling with hosts Harvey Weinstein, Drew Nieporent, Jane Rosenthal and about 100 others. However, despite the movie-star and movie-mogul power on hand, it was Gore who really impressed the crowd - he seemed to come to life at last. After some bracing remarks, he rolled up his sleeves - literally - and moved into the fray. The Veep stayed an hour longer than he had planned, with Secret Service agents tapping their feet and peering at their watches. Gore talked on and on, one-on-one ...
    Not even Matt Damon's killer grin could dim Gore's ght. wattage that night.
    (Not sure I like that "beauty" reference.)
  • And there's a single line in the Boston Globe about Matt being spotted in Manhattan eating a hot dog while filming Ripley.
  • Is there anything in this week's Entertainment Weekly, the 'If we ran Hollywood issue'? Looks interesting...
  • Finally, there's a possible release date for Ripley of about 17 November in the UK. That's just one source though.
  • And where's the Venice Film Festival confirmed entries? Should be out soon. (Note: "Ripley" is a likely entry to the Venice Film Fest this year.)
  
  New York Post, 7/24, Page Six Sightings:
  WINONA Ryder dancing at Cipriani Downtown after canoodling with Matt Damon.
  7/23/99 This item appeared in Mitchell Fink's column in the NY Daily today:
  Did somebody say Party?
  Partyboys Matt Damon and Billy Baldwin took a little time out to get political Tuesday night. The bar-hopping stars powwowed with Vice Present Al Gore, who was in town for a fund-raising event ...
  According to the article, Harvey Weinstein, the Miramax honcho, was also at the event, which may explain Matt's being there. Not sure I like that "partyboy" label.

  From Carolyn:

  Edward Norton is on the cover of this month's Vanity Fair (august 1999). there are several references to and comments made by Matt Damon in the article. they talk about how norton beat out damon for primal fear but Damon beat out Norton for the rainmaker, etc...Matt makes talks about Edward a little, saying things like, "Edward's definitely a perfectionist. He will not stop because he's tired, he won't stop because everyone else says it's time to stop. There was one scene [in Rounders] where our characters get in a huge argument out of doors, after these cops beat us up. That was a long night, and it was pretty cold. We did Edward's scenes, then we did mine, and Edward found something for his own performance in my stuff, so he asked to set up a shot and go back to his scenes. It's tough to say that out loud at four in the morning to 100 cold people - 'We're gonna stay another hour and do this again' - but he stuck to it. He really felt like it was important."
  The article is really long. The Vanity Fair website was no help. ...
  7/18/99 From Felicity:
  Dark Horizons has more Ripley pics during the week, very similar to older ones. Did you see that Globe item which had Matt and Gwyneth as possible spectators at the Australia-US Davis Cup tennis tie in Boston. I suppose they could make it if filming's finished in NY.

  More "Boston Globe" items (these might have come by way of the Unofficial Matt Damon Page):

  Damon: Fenway trumps Oscar
  Hitting at Fenway Park is bigger than winning an Oscar. At least that's the impression Cambridge native and Red Sox fan Matt Damon gave yesterday afternoon after his team won the hitting challenge. Damon was still chewing his bubble gum and hadn't taken off any part of his uniform -- not his hat, jersey, or even his batting glove -- when his winning team met with reporters. How does it stack up to an Oscar? "A very different feeling, but there really isn't any comparison for me. This is it." Damon and fellow Cantabrigian Ben Affleck won an Academy Award for penning "Good Will Hunting.". . . During the press conference, Damon was asked whether he might write a baseball movie, and he confided: "We haven't written anything since 'Good Will Hunting.' "

  Damon keeps his day job
  Damon's team took home the blue Tiffany's boxes and the crystal stars inside, thanks to the batting of former All-Star Steve Garvey and former Red Sox player and now Sox batting coach Jim Rice, who belted three out of the park. Rice was asked by a sports writer what his recommendations as a hitting instructor for Damon would be but the actor cut off the question: "He can't take that question." . . . Damon, who tallied the lowest score, got ready for yesterday's demonstration with the help of sportscaster Sean McDonough, who took Damon -- and the actor's father and brother -- to the South Shore Baseball Camp in Hingham. "And boy, was I terrific yesterday," Damon said. "I was great. I should have brought that bat.

  From the NY Post:
  Reel rage
  CAST and crew of Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow's latest flick, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," watched in horror Friday as an episode of psychotic road rage unfolded in front of them. Tempers flared because traffic was stopped during filming at Central Park West and 82nd. When cars were finally allowed to pass, a gypsy cab started blocking traffic. Suddenly, a man in a suit and tie jumped out of a yellow cab, screamed curses, and hauled the gypsy driver out and beat him. Cops broke up the melee but there were no arrests.
  7/16/99
  Amusing item from the Boston Globe:
  Names and Places column, By Carol Beggy and Beth Carney, Globe Staff, 07/16/99
  Damon: Some don't know him and others won't forget
  Bars and restaurants need to be careful they don't serve underage patrons, but who would think there's a person alive in Boston who doesn't recognize home-run homeboy Matt Damon? There was one person, apparently. A waiter in the lounge at the Ritz-Carlton carded Damon, whose face was obscured by his baseball cap, the other night. The 28-year-old actor, known for his boyish good looks, stopped by after the All-Star Game festivities. ... But the folks at Fenway Park know exactly who Damon is. The star gave his waiter at Fenway's 600 Club a $100 tip.
  From Boston Herald's Inside Track:
  Good Will Science
  Hollywood hottie Matt Damon and his fetching father, Kent, caught a couple of innings of the All-Star Game in baseball legend's Ted Williams' skybox. Because, of course, Matt and Ted arelikethis now after the ``Good Will Hunting'' hunk met his hero the other day!
  Kent Damon, who coaches baseball at Newton North, told the Splendid Splinter he uses his book, ``The Science of Hitting,'' as a primer for his young teams. Whereupon, Ted asked Matt if he ever read the book and started quizzing him on the ``Science!''
  ``Tell me what's the most important thing in the whole book,'' Williams asked Matt.
  And after a few nerve-wracking seconds, the actor answered: ``Wait for a good pitch.''
  Bet Damon's dad was delighted those few Harvard tuition payments didn't go to waste!
  But while the Hollywood It Boy was sweating out the ``Science'' quiz, there were other people in the box quaking in their shoes: the hot dog honeys!
  
  ``The girls completely fell apart seeing Damon in there,'' said Someone Who Was There. ``One girl was actually cooing like a nervous pigeon when she was having her picture taken with him.''
  Just call it a frank exchange.
  From Wednesday's Boston Globe:
  Damon at the bat
  By Carol Beggy and Beth Carney, Globe Staff, 07/14/99

  Matt Damon, actor and rabid Red Sox fan, got another chance to improve his less-than-stellar televised batting performance at Fenway Park Sunday. Damon, whose swings were off at the All-Star Celebrity Hitting Challenge, was much happier Monday. He told other fans that he came back to the park after hours Sunday night for another try and hit the wall once, with his father, Kent Damon, pitching. ... The Cambridge native was one of the biggest attractions at the private party after Monday night's Home Run Derby. Though Boston native Donna Summer was singing on a stage in the Brookline Avenue parking lot, Damon and other special VIPs stayed inside the heavily guarded tent while the ordinary VIPs gawked and took pictures. With his brother Kyle and father along, Damon chatted up Hall of Fame inductee George Brett and Red Sox star Nomar Garciaparra. Also visiting the tent were New York All Stars Derek Jeter and Mike Piazza; former Boston Brave Warren Spahn; Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson 's widow; New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his son Andrew; Red Sox boss John Harrington; baseball commissioner Bud Selig; Patriot Max Lane; former Red Sox and New York Giant Bobby Thomson; and former Red Sox Dominic DiMaggio.

  From News Askew:
  • This weekend is, of course, the All-Star weekend at Fenway in Boston and as a part of the festivities, Major League Baseball hosts a Celebrity All-Star Hitting Challenge. Essentially, it's 4 teams made up of a celebrity, an All-Star, and a former Red Sox All-Star. Matt Damon was the captain of his team, which consisted of former Dodger Steve Garvey and former Red Sox great Jim Rice. Damon's team won the competition, beating the likes of Kevin Costner, Doug Flutie, and George Brett. After Damon was done hitting, Stuart Scott of ESPN was talking to him and he said it was the best time of his life, even better than winning the Oscar. He'll definitely be rubbing that one into Affleck, who was stuck in Hollywood and couldn't go.
  • Speaking of Damon, The 11th Hour gives the guy 30:1 odds on playing Anakin in the next Star Wars prequel. Anything but DiCaprio, we say.
  7/14/99 Elizabeth, a Bostonian, shared this first-person account of seeing Matt at Fenway Park:
  I had the opportunity to attend All-Star Sunday festivities and catch our boy Matty in the flesh.
  It was a last minute opportunity...I had been trying to get tickets but, as you know, the All-Star strip had to be purchased and even those were not easy to get a hold of.
  Anyway, we arrived early to see if we could watch practice. Luckily we had great seats around third base and each of the players had to enter from left field. Matt was all smiles when he came out in his goofy Yawkies All-Star uniform. He waved to many adoring fans. He did not sign very many autographs...it appeared that he was told not to do so. He literally looked like a kid in a candy store...the entire game! The smile never left his face. He was high-fiving other players all day. ESPN sportcasters interviewed all of the celebrities and it appeared on the large screen but didn't make the ESPN telecast last night. I think a few articles (that I'll send to the list today...) cover most of what he said. I thought it was comical when he said growing up in Boston and being a Red Sox fan was kinda like being part of the mob...there is just no choice. He also said that he had slept less than 45 minutes the night before because he was so excited. When asked if this compared to the feeling he had when he and Ben won the Oscar, Matt said that it was better! Matt said proudly, "Today is a big day for the Damon boys." Kent and Kyle Damon were up front with a group of his family and friends. The looked as happy as Matt did.
  We ran up to the (and boy did I feel old...I think the median age was 12) press area and saw Matt and Kevin Costner go in for interviews. Matt stopped (again did not sign autographs or pose for pictures...the Red Sox PR and Security seemed to have a pretty good hold on him) and waved to all of the screaming girls (and some boys) around.
  That killer smile was probably the most impressive. Matt was a lot shorter than what I expected. His hair was short and darker than GWH days, and he could have passed for a high school ball player. He definitely excells at acting rather than hitting, but I do not think he did as poorly as reported. He connected on a lot of pitches. He was also very polite to fans, reporters and the other players. Matt thanked each pitcher as he left (I caught that on ESPN last night) the plate. What a sweetie!
  7/13/99 Lots more on Matt's appearance at Fenway can be found by clicking here .

  7/11/99 A batch of news from the past week:

  There is a review of a test screening of "Ripley" on . Ain't It Cool News. This particular reviewer gave the screened version a mixed review, complaining about the length and the pacing of the film, yet prasing the strong performances of the actors and a surprising ending. The reviewer also wrote that he/she warmed up to the film once the story gets going. Overall, the reviewer seemed to think that the film holds good promises and could be improved upon. The version shown apparently was very preliminary, and did not even have the accompanying music. I think we should expect to hear all kinds of angles taken on this film, given the unconventional nature of it and its controversial subject.

  Matt will be on TV tomorrow night, July 12, on ESPN at 9:00 p.m., "Hitting Challenge" - many thanks to the reader who wrote me.

  News from Matt's home turf:

  From the Boston Herald:
  Damon may be king of Mountain
  by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
  Tuesday, July 6, 1999
  Tom Cruise wants it. And so does Brad Pitt. But Cambridge homey Matt Damon may have the Inside Track over the Hollywood hunks for the lead in the Civil War drama, ``Cold Mountain.''
  Word is, Cruise is very hot on the project, which is based on Charles Frazier's best-seller about a wounded Confederate soldier who gets up from his hospital bed and begins walking home. And Pitt also has been mentioned for the lead.
  But Damon could have the edge because he just finished working with Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella on Paramount's ``The Talented Mr. Ripley.''
  Which will be Cold comfort to Tom and Brad!
  ``It's a great role, a terrific role,'' said Matt's dad, Kent Damon. ``I hope he gets it.''
  Damon said his son is taking a much-needed vacation this summer and hasn't signed onto any new projects yet. But he will most definitely pick another flick before ``Cold Mountain'' is ready to roll.
  ``This is the first time off he's had in three years,'' Damon said. ``He'll be back home for the All-Star Game and other than that, he's just lounging and hanging with his pals.''
  As for his romance with screen queen Winona Ryder, they're Ryding it out.
  ``He's happy, she's happy,'' said Damon.
  File under: The Talented Mr. Damon
  Also from Felicity: From a new Fox News column by Richard Friedman:
  Miramax Finds a New Partner Miramax Films - which is partly owned by Disney - will announce tomorrow that they're partnering up with MGM to make eight films together, including a remake of Harvey, the old Jimmy Stewart thinks-he's-got-a-rabbit-for-a-friend story, and Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier's best-selling novel.
  Miramax has had a lot of luck doing joint ventures so far. They've got the upcoming Talented Mr. Ripley with Paramount, and last year they made Shakespeare in Love with Universal. In fact, the production exec who made SIL with them at Universal, Chris McGurk, is now at MGM. Miramax also gets the right to cherry-pick through MGM's extensive library to remake six of their classics. So get ready for Miramax regulars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench to turn up in some freshly tuned chestnuts.

  From the July 5th Monday's LA Times (with a tiny photo of Matt, Ben, Howard Zinn and his wife):

  The inseparable Ben Affleck (6), middle, and Matt Damon attended the Liberty Hill Foundation's gala to present their friend Howard Zinn with the group's Upton Sinclair Award. Affleck and Damon, who featured Zinn's work prominently in their film "Good Will Hunting," will, in the fall, appear together again in Kevin Smith's controversial "Dogma." Damon will also star opposite Affleck's former paramour, Gwyneth Paltrow, this winter in "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
  Also, in the same issue of the Los Angeles Times, in an article entitled "Furry-Chested Males: An Endangered Species?" is this amusing reference to Matt: "Still, Austin( as in Austin Powers) and his hairly brotherhood will probably go back to hiding thier hair instead of celebrating it once the movie rakes in its many millions. Then we'll be left once again with hairless imps like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Keanu Reeves, and Brad Pitt- urchins who couldn't muster a single chest hair among them. This is the stuff of heterosexual heartthrobbing?" The article is penned by one Greg Morago of the Hartford Courant.

  7/2/99
  A gossipy bit from Felicity:
  This is from the online edition of an Oz magazine, New Weekly, which won't be on the stands til Monday my time.

  In case you were wondering, WINONA RYDER and MATT DAMON are still together. The private pair haven't been photographed with one another for months, but here they are looking very happy together as they stroll hand in hand through sunny LA. Their extremely low profile of late has probably been due to their conflicting schedules, which has seen them both working all around the world.
  Also from Felicity, a bit of unwelcome news, but see my comments following it.
  From Mr Showbiz columnist Jeffrey Wells today:
  Ripley's Game
  Last October, I wrote admiringly of Anthony Minghella's script for The Talented Mr. Ripley. Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, it's a low-key but increasingly suspenseful drama about a likable young sociopath (Matt Damon) who's been paid to bring a school friend (Jude Law) back to the United States from Italy, but instead winds up killing the friend and assuming his identity. Minghella shot it last fall in Italy, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett co-starring. Paramount will be releasing it domestically early next year. This is the book's second film version French director Rene Clement adapted Ripley for "Purple Noon" in 1960.
  Now I'm told, to my surprise, that at this stage the film isn't working. In the words of a tipster, it unfolds smoothly enough but "you don't care." OK, so it isn't a warm, huggy-bear movie. To me, Minghella's script never seemed intended to make you care passionately about the characters. It's more of a study of Ripley's amoral, drifting personality and the chilling ease with which he deceives. It's a quiet psychological thriller that produces a subtle anxiety, rather than a pounding one. I enjoyed the script's elegance and precision, its sense of existential cool. I'm hoping the film works out.

  (My thoughts: To me, this is not unexpected. This is a project that's almost impossible to pull off, regardless of the director and the stars. Judging from the lack of word of mouth on the pic, I think there is probably some truth to the "tip". It's not what we want to hear, but I am not surprised.
  I think we should brace ourselves to be disappointed, not by Matt, but by the way that the film will be received. Matt is choosing risky projects. That's why I think chances are Ben - who is choosing to do commercially viable projects - stands a good chance of outshining Matt in stardom (it's already happening).
  The early-next-year release date may not be as bad as it sounds. Miramax did the same with its Oscars-worthy projects, GWH and Shakepeare in Love included. I think we will definitely see a limited release first. This is the kind of film that needs that.
  It will be interesting to see how "Eyes Wide Shut" will fare when it comes out in a little bit. To me, these two projects have a lot in common: high-profile director, similar male leads, sexual theme. Unfortunately, the two will run up against each other in the Oscars department as well. In particular, Kubrick's passing will not help Minghella's chance in the Best Director category. I think the best we should hope for is a nod on Matt in terms of a nomination for Best Actor.
  In the worst case: The film will be a major dub at the b.o., and will be completely ignored for awards.
  Ah well, whatever will be will be.

  7/1/99
  In a Billy Bob Thornton article in Sunday's Alberqueque Journal, perhaps written right after the wrap on ATPH, it was mentioned that the movie is a 'humdinger', and that it will be released circa May 2000, and that a premiere in New Mexico is not out of the question.

  ET has been reporting on "The Third Wheel", a film co-produced by Matt and Ben, with the backing of Miramax. I could be wrong, but I think yesterday it was reported there that Denise Richards is the latest actor to have signed on to the film. They also showed some cuts of Matt and Ben at the 98 Oscars.

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