August 1999 Archive

• In case you haven't seen it in the theaters or caught it on http://www.talentedmrripley.com, E's "Coming Attractions" show is showing the trailer for "The Talented Mr. Ripley." It's the first trailer on the show. Airings: Tuesday--6:30 am/1:00 pm, Thursday--12:30 pm, Friday--9:00 am, Saturday--2:30 am/2:30 pm. Times are Eastern/Pacific.
• From the NY Post a week, a story on Matt's new place:
  >MATT: downtown digs
  THE locals in NoHo will soon be running into Matt Damon when they go out to buy The Post. A source close to the "Rounders" star says Damon's just bought a 6,000-sq. ft. duplex for $2.4 million near the Public Theater. Damon hasn't moved in yet, but his soon-to-be neighbors are excited. "This is so cool!" says a member of the Stella Adler Repertory down the block from his new digs.

VCR Alert CNN Entertainment will be presenting it's fall movie preview next Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
The snippets shown last night included scenes from The Talented Mr. Ripley and Reindeer Games.
• From a column by Jeffrey Wells (now moved to reel.com):
  Minghella's Hope Guess I wasn't paying attention or something. Seems Matt Damon told an Entertainment Tonight reporter last month about how director Anthony Minghella had called him back to shoot more scenes for The Talented Mr. Ripley after he finished All The Pretty Horses. That's good to hear. Can't help but sharpen things. I said in an earlier column that I liked Minghella's script and that I had faith the film would turn out okay. Damon's next is Robert Redford's Legend of Bagger Vance, which is slated to start shooting in October with Will Smith. After that comes a reported role as Tom Cruise's brother in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report.

From the for-love-of-noni.com site:
Sexy Winona Ryder knows a great magazine when she sees one.
The 27-year-old was snapped buying her weekly copy of the STAR, to catch up on all the latest news about her famous pals.
Her Oscar-winning boyfriend Matt Damon, 28, even drove her to the newsstand to pick up the best in celebrity news.
It was late afternoon when Winona jumped out at the international newsstand on the corner of trendy Melrose Avenue and Fairfax in Los Angeles.
"Matt sat in the car while she went through hundreds of titles on the shelves," says a source.
"She was definitely looking for something special and he was patiently waiting for her to get back in his brand new black Mercedes Benz 320E.
"She flicked through a lot of the magazines and even picked up a few of the movie magazines, but ultimately, the one she was interested in buying was STAR!"
The source says that once the actress jumped back into the car, the duo sat busily flicking through the pages to catch up on their gossip news.
"They seemed especially interested in the cover story on Judge Judy," reports our spy.
• Ted Casablanca's eonline site had the usual bit on Matt:
  Matt Damon is still hotly flirting with Robert Redford. To star in his new flick, that is. Legend of Bagger Vance, that is. DreamWorks folk are mum, but I hear the deal just very well may be in the (golf) bag.
• And aint-it-cool has a bit from a scooper on a casting call for Bagger Vance:
  Live in Georgia? Wanna be an extra in a Robert Redford directed movie? Aaaaah come on... you know you want to try-out. Heck... It's a Robert Redford movie. It's gonna have a cool cast and you might get to be the guy in the bright red sweater shading his eyes whilst someone famous is puttin'. Tell me that doesn't thrill ya?
  Good day, Harry. Feathers McGraw here, with a bit of casting news (news to me, anyway). I'm "on holiday" in the states while I plan a little, erm-- never mind (don't believe what they say about me in the Times)--and I happened across this bit in the local rag. Some bloke calls himself Robert Redford is doing a film in south Georgia, about... golf. Now I know it's not elves or outer-space or headless equestrians, but... Actually, I do fancy a game of golf myself now and again (though my flippers get a better grip on diamonds than on seven-irons). Well, here's the scoop. I wouldn't call reading the paper "spying," but have a look.
• By Rob Asbell in The Brunswick News
  "The Legend of Baggar Vance" will be shot on Jekyll Island and in Savannah beginning next month. Sunday [8/29], extras will be cast in Brunswick at the Ritz Theatre on Newcastle Street, downtown.
  "We'll be looking for men and women ages 18 to 80," said Marshall Peck, location casting director. The movie, which has a budget of $70 million, will be based on the novel written by Steven Pressfield.
  "The Legend of Bagger Vance: Golf and the Game of Life" is the story of a fictional golf match played in 1931 on Krewe Island off Savannah's Atlantic shore, told through the eyes of a 10-year-old named Michael Hardy.
  The 36-hole match pits real-life golf legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen and fictional war hero Rannulph Junah. The key to the outcome lies with Vance, a caddie who carries the secret of the "authentic swing." His mysterious powers guide the play and leave a lasting imprint on those involved... Although it has not officially been determined who will star in the film, some reports claim Redford will take on a dual role of director and leading man.
  The Hollywood rumor mill has also mentioned the possibility of Brad Pitt in one of the leading roles, and Morgan Freeman in the title role. Extras will be needed for several scenes in the movie, including crowd shots during the golf match. Those interested in becoming extras are asked to be at the Ritz Theatre Sunday with times determined by last name: A-F at 10 a.m.; G-L at 11 a.m.; M-R at noon; S-Z at 1 p.m. "We ask that everyone dress casually. We will take photos at the casting call," Peck said. Filming is expected to begin Sept. 20 on Jekyll Island. All questions will be answered at the casting call and those who have urgent questions can call (912) 691-1111, Peck said

• There's apparently an article on Matt/Ben and The Third Wheel in this week's People magazine. newsaskew.com has the full story and picture on the site. And in the latest fall preview, here's Village Voice:
  The Talented Mr. Ripley Anthony Minghella will probably bring more taste and restraint to Patricia Highsmith's insidious pulper than it requires, the bouncy Mediterranean vibe that made Rene Clement's Purple Noon such a pleasure can't be recaptured, and Matt Damon may be twice the actor of Alain Delon, but he's half the star. Still, handicapping aside, it could cook. (MA) December 24
• From Newsweek's fall preview (maybe a photo in the print edition??):
  The Talented Mr. Ripley / Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Matt Damon
  The script promises a riveting meditation on the Eleventh Commandment: thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's life. Ripley (Damon) goes to Italy to drag an errant expat (Law) home to his family _ and he's so smitten with the man's glam lifestyle he'd kill for it. Director Anthony Minghella, who also cast Paltrow and Cate Blanchett, sees Patricia Highsmith's novel as a tragedy: "Ripley's nose is pressed up against the window of a life he's always desired. Everybody can relate to that. You always imagine there are people who are cleverer than you are." Even after you've directed "The English Patient"? Minghella laughs. "Even then." (Dec.)
• And a new Ripley script review by somebody on AICN:
  The Talented Mr. Ripley by Anthony Minghella- Harry mentioned in the first test screening review of this that he liked this script by the Oscar-winning helmer of The English Patient, but I thought I'd also come out to support this odd, wonderful script. It follows a socially awkward con man, Ripley, who is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie, the son of a wealthy ship builder. Ripley is drawn into the extravagant, hip lifestyle of Dickie and his long-suffering girlfriend Marge, and for a while the script plays out almost like a Euro-beatnik version of The Great Gatsby. Then, we learn more about the characters, and there's a twist which both Premiere and Entertainment Weekly gave away in their Fall Movie Preview issues. Suffice to say those who cringed at Caravaggio's torture scene in English Patient may want to skip this one. The material is different than TEP, but it has the same refreshing intelligence. Minghella keeps it from being a conventional thriller and has a lot to say about '50's culture clashes, jealousy, music, deceit, class, alienation, and other issues (credit must also be given to Patricia Highsmith, who wrote the original novel). There's a forgery subplot in the third act I hope they cut out, but other than that, this is a fascinating, riveting read. I can't wait to see Matt Damon's performance as Ripley, a very complex character. If he pulls it off, it's his second Oscar nomination.

• Smith, Damon Eye Redford's Legend
  DreamWorks let on in June that it was hoping to reteam Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman - who last worked together on Seven - for Robert Redford's in-development golf drama The Legend of Bagger Vance. Now that Pitt has given the project a pass, they've hit on an even more high-profile pairing: Will Smith and Matt Damon.
  (Bear in mind that Vance was originally conceived as a star vehicle for Redford, who'll hit 62 on Aug. 18, catching him up with Freeman, whose 62nd birthday was June 1. Pitt is 35; Smith, 30; and Damon, 28. At this rate, by the time the movie films in September it will star Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jaleel White.)
  Several sources have reported Smith's interest in the project, and Variety says Damon has been considering it since last month. If both stars agree to make the movie, Damon would play Rannulph Junah, a decorated World War I veteran and casual golfer; and Smith would play the titular Vance, a wise caddy.
  The film is being adapted from Steven Pressfield's whimsical 1995 novel of the same title, which casts Vance and Junah as mentor and prot�g�. After Junah reluctantly agrees to help publicize the opening of a Savannah golf course in 1931 by participating in a celebrity contest with links legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, Vance helps his younger friend prepare by counseling to seek for the "Authentic Swing."
  If Smith and Damon commit to the project, it seems likely screenwriter Jeremy Leven will be called upon to rework their relationship at least slightly, to account for the stars' nearness in age. The pairing could also have an inflationary effect on the already pricey project's estimated budget of $70 million.
  Smith's interest in Vance reportedly arose out of a desire to work with Redford, and an interest in the dramatic nature of the material. The super-successful singer and actor is also hoping to mount a Muhammad Ali biopic with director Barry Sonnenfeld.
  For Damon, who has a trio of high-profile projects in the can ? Kevin Smith's controversial Dogma, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, and Paramount's The Talented Mr. Ripley ? Vance would mark the latest in a dazzling string of high-visibility casting coups.
  Providing casting negotiations can be wrapped up soon, Vance is expected to begin filming next month on location in Georgia.
• From a USA Today story on 'star dining':
  Halle Berry loved the risotto with portobello mushrooms at Pagani so much that she was known to reserve a month in advance. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck - their offices are next door - liked the lobster won ton and the Chilean sea bass. (Pagani had to close its doors last week, which means those stars will have to go elsewhere until George Pagani finds new backers.)
• 
  Here's a summary of "The Legend of Beggar Vance", the book, from Barnes and Noble:
  YA-Elderly Hardison L. Greaves describes a memorable golf match he witnessed as a child in the 1930s to a medical student who is nearing burn-out. In the match, golf-great Bobby Jones plays Walter Hagen; to generate local support, World War I hero Rannulph Junah is asked to participate. He declines at first, but then his companion, Bagger Vance, offers to caddy for him. It becomes apparent that Vance is more than a companion; he is the man's mentor and spiritual advisor. Although looked upon with disdain by the golfers and spectators, Vance, who is black, counsels Junah to look for his Authentic Swing. The symbolism is apparent; Junah finds not only his golf swing, but also himself. Pressfield's story will be of interest to students. Its mysticism promotes thought, and golf references are simple enough for nonplayers.

• This from Daily Variety:
  Redford putts Smith in 'Vance'
  Damon eyeing course
  Will Smith is teeing up to star in Robert Redford's "The Legend of Bagger Vance."
  The period drama is the story of a war hero and local golfer from Georgia, Rannulph Junah, who manages to compete against the nation?s top pros while receiving advice and guidance from a black caddie.
  Matt Damon may join Smith in the pic; he began seriously considering playing Junah last month (Daily Variety, July 27). Smith is still in negotiations, too. His deal is expected to close in time for the movie to begin shooting in Savannah in October.
  "Bagger Vance" is being produced by Wildwood Enterprises - Redford and Michael Nozik, and Allied Filmmakers - Jake Eberts. Eureka, Icon Entertainment Intl. and DreamWorks are co-financing the $70 million production.
  Eureka's Beta Theatrical Motion Pictures holds continental European rights to the pic, Icon holds U.K. rights and DreamWorks has North America. Eureka is a buying alliance between Germany's Kirch Group and Italy's Mediaset.
  The film went through a number of different financing and distribution structures before settling into its current split-rights set-up. Script, by Jeremy Leven, is based on the 1995 novel by Steven Pressfield.
  Redford originally had cast himself in the role of Junnah, but then withdrew in favor of someone younger. Brad Pitt toyed with the role, but ultimately passed.
  Sources said Smith's interest was galvanized by the dramatic nature of the pic and the actor's desire to work with Redford. Bagger Vance would also be a contrast to the string of action-oriented pics that Smith has completed in the past few years, including "Wild Wild West", "Enemy of the State" and "Men in Black."
  Smith and Damon are repped by CAA.
• And from the NY Post gossip column:
  
  Redford Off Par on Move
  There is nothing easy about casting a movie. Just ask Robert Redford. The actor-director is slated to begin directing the $70 million golf movie "The Legend of Bagger Vance" this fall, but he has yet to fill some of the most important roles in the movie.
  The film is based on the Steven Pressfield novel about a Depression-era match between golfing legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen and a local hero Rannulph Junuh. Bagger Vance is Junuh's caddy.
  At first, Redford thought he would play Junuh, alongside Morgan Freeman as Vance. But the lead character in the book is much younger than Redford, who turns 62 tomorrow, so the plan was scrapped. Redford then reached out to Brad Pitt, who kept him on hold for weeks before ultimately turning him down.
  A few weeks ago, Redford offered the role to Matt Damon. Although he reportedly accepted it, a deal has yet to be worked out. And Redford can't cast the Vance role without the story's hero in place.
  Redford's plight is made even more problematic by the fact that he has blocked out much of November and December to shoot his golfing scenes at the famed Ocean Course on Kiawah Island off the coast of South Carolina.
  Considering how magnificently brutal that course is - it last played host to the Ryder Cup matches in 1997 - it would surely help Redford if his stars had at least some time to practice prior to filming.
  "We're hoping to go forward with Matt," says Redford's rep. "Right now it's all a matter of scheduling."
• Here's a weird one: from a Florida paper (courtesy of an affleck.com poster):
  Acting duo may open Ybor club
  By Kevin Walker
  Are Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (or their money) coming to Ybor City?
  Rumors are rampant the Oscar-winning friends (for the ``Good Will Hunting'' screenplay) are opening a dance club at 1506 E. Sixth Ave., formally Club DNA.
  The rumor was fueled by a disc jockey who told Ybor City Chamber of Commerce officials he had been hired by the acting duo and that the club will open Labor Day weekend, says Annette Delisle, chamber president.
  County property records indicate the building was sold in September 1997 by Rain, Summer and Liberty Phoenix (siblings of River Phoenix) and their mother, Arlyn, to Ledra Holdings, a Tampa company. There's always a possibility a more recent sale has not yet been entered into the records.
  By the way, the 1997 selling price was $350,000. Not bad, considering a new parking garage is going up just across the street.

• Liz wrote:
  Has everyone seen the new issue of Entertainment Weekly? It's the Fall Movie Preview issue, and there are previews of both Dogma and Ripley, and a picture with each one! :o) Here they are:
  • DOGMA
    Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Alanis Morissette, Jason Lee, George Carlin
    Directed By: Kevin Smith
    Buzz-O Meter: 7 What's the big deal? The gospel according to the guy who made Chasing Amy? Nah, shouldn't be too controversial.
    Get this: Affleck and Damon reuniting on screen, the major-film debut of Morissette, and a budget under $10 million. What's not to love? Well, lots of things, depending on your religious perspective. Smith's script tells the story of a reluctant savior (Fiorentino) trying to stop renegade angels (Damon and Affleck) from scamming their way into heaven. "I never thought it was anything but a pro-faith, pro-Catholic, spiritually uplifing d--k- and fart-joke movie," says Smith, a practicing Catholic whose script also includes scenes with Fiorentino as a descendant of Christ working in an abortion clinic, and an offhand reference to Mary and Joseph's sex life. Morissette, for her part, has a brief stint as God. Dogma was originally made for Miramax, which is owned by Disney, but Miramax cochairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein ultimately decided to avoid studio conflict by buying the movie out of their own pockets for $12 million and shopping it around. Though studios didn't bite, indie distributor Lions Gate (Gods and Monsters, Buffalo 66) is expected to become the film's savior. "Sure, it gets heavy at times, but it doesn't go out of bounds," says Lee, who plays Azrael, a muse trying to escape from hell. "It's not like Primal Fear with a priest videotaping boys and girls having sex. This is George Carlin playing a Catholic cardinal. Come on, that's very funny." (November)
  • THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY
    Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blancett, Philip Seymour Hoffman Directed By: Anthony Minghella Buzz-O Meter: 8 What's the big deal? Oscar winners Damon, Paltrow, and Minghella are gunning to return to the podium.
    Yes, it's Minghella's follow-up to 1996's Oscar-rich The English Patient, but don't expect a tale of heroism and chivalry. It sounds much more interesting than that. In this opulent adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 cult novel, Damon stars as Tom Ripley, who could be the most likable antihero since a certain other bad guy with good taste chewed his way through The Silence of the Lambs. "Reading the book, you're allowed to take pleasure in Ripley like you take pleasure in Hannibal Lecter," says Damon. "He's amoral but totally fascinating." Damon's title character is a sophisticated young American who's sent to Italy in the 1950s to retrieve an old school friend named Dickie Greenleaf (Law). When Ripley finds him, he falls in love with both Dickie's posh life and Dickie himself, so he decides to kill him and assume his identity. Of course, it won't be just Ripley's deliciously evil deeds that suck audiences in. The film also stars such easy-on-the-eyes members of Hollywood's young A list as Paltrow and Blanchett. "I cast Matt before Good Will Hunting, Gwyneth before Shakespeare in Love, and Cate before Elizabeth," says Minghella, "so the casting of this actually makes me look much more clever than I am." (December 24)
• From Felicity:
  • Big news of the day is the delay on 'Minority Report'.
    From Variety:
    Fox Delays 'Report' Start By Chris Petrikin=20
    HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Hollywood will be taking one less summer Cruise next year. Last Friday, 20th Century Fox announced that production of ``Minority Report,'' the Tom Cruise starrer directed by Steven Spielberg, has been pushed to a January start date -- which moves its release date from next summer to a holiday 2000 release.
    Fox said the move was made to accommodate the ``availability of the actors in the film.'' To date, Cruise is the only actor signed for the picture, although Matt Damon, whose schedule is nearly as packed as Cruise's, has been in talks to co-star.
    The picture, which the studio planned to release on June 30, 2000, was originally slated to go before the cameras in October. There was speculation that Fox, which is co-producing ``Minority Report'' with DreamWorks, might move the film's release to later next summer after Paramount announced earlier this month that it was postponing the release of ``Mission: Impossible 2'' (which wraps production this week) from its original Dec. 17 berth to Wednesday, May 24.
    It is understood that in order to make room for ``Minority Report'' and not cannibalize the box office of another of its much-anticipated releases, Fox pushed the release of the Leonardo DiCaprio starrer ``The Beach'' from a holiday 1999 release to either late January or February.
  • From film.com in their list of the top ten fall films:
    10. For Those Who've Been Waiting Since 'The English Patient'=20
    So what's Anthony Minghella been doing since 1996's luscious The English Patient? Working on 1999's luscious The Talented Mr. Ripley, or so it seems. Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, and filmed on location in Italy, the film stars the high-class quartet of Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Jude Law (the charming Lord Alfred Douglas from Wilde) in a tale of deception and evil. We're not quite sure that the toothy Damon is quite up to his role (he plays the title character, a man of few scruples), but regardless, the talented Mr. Minghella will make this one well worth watching, and probably snag an Oscar nom. Just wait 'til Christmas . . .
  • This was in the LA Times:
    Arrow Dynamics: A Small Way to Make a Pointed Statement=20 By JEANNINE STEIN These days it can be! Now there's a way to get all kinds of kooky cursors onto your Web page, thanks to Comet Systems, which is partnering with Comedy Central and FortuneCity in launching CometZone. The Web site (http://www.cometzone.com) allows home page builders to add customized cursors to their sites for free. If you're politically minded, there's Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and Janet Reno. Cartoon characters include Dilbert, Garfield, Foxtrot, Citizen Dog and the kids from "South Park."
    The "lifestyle and family" category includes Judaica images, astrology signs and food and drink icons. And besides Matt Damon, other celebs available are Eddie Murphy, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Neve Campbell, George Clooney and Gwyneth Paltrow. There are even "joke cursors," which are the old faithful white arrows with little squiggly moving stems.
    More than 300 images are available, so even non-Janet Reno fans should be able to find something.
    Commented Felicty: Why are they picking on Matt!!
  • A preview for Titan AE has been shown at a Comi-Con in the last few days, to mixed reactions. And finally, there's certainly more talk-board chat about Ripley since the trailer release. Again, it's mixed but generally positive.
• And, from another reader:
  in the new issue of Premiere:
  in addition to the Ripley preview, there's also a two page on-set photo spread of ATPH entitled, "They Shoot 'Horses,' Don't They?: On the set of 'All the Pretty Horses,' director Billy Bob Thornton and star Matt Damon adapt a modern classic out of the wilds of the American Southwest." It includes a couple of photos of Matt on horseback, as well as ones of Thornton and Penelope Cruz. Unfortunately, the accompanying article doesn't include any quotes from or about Matt. There's also a bit about Dogma in an article entitled, "Blood 'n' Cuts: In the wake of Comlubine, Hollywood is reining in the cinematic mayhem." Basically, it says that due to recent events, director Kevin Smith may be forced to trim the gore. Actually, it's something I've worried about too. There's a lot of violence in Dogma, much of it at the hands of Matt's character, Loki. One wonders how it will be received.

• From E! ONLINE...by Joal Ryan
  --BEN Affleck, his brother Casey, and Matt Damon, catching "The Sixth Sense" at the Kips Bay Cinema on Saturday afternoon ...
• In an article about Steve Martin and "Bowfinger" in Fort Lauderdale "Sun-Sentinel": (Martin) envisioned the movie-star role, initially, for "someone like Matt Damon" and completely rewrote the script when Eddie Murphy agreed to do it and wanted to change it to an action hero ... he part of Jiff,
• There is a site for Minority Report, remoured to co-star Matt and Tom Cruise.

Miscellaneous items:

• From The (British) Guardian:
  The official site has launched for Miramax's Oscar 2000 hopeful The Talented Mr Ripley. The Anthony Minghella-directed feature, adapted from the Patricia Highsmith novel, stars Academy Award heavyweights Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon, alongside Britain's Jude Law. Miramax are relying on the film ever more heavily for awards as rumours emerge that Kenneth Branagh's Love Labours Lost may disappoint.
• Dogma will appear at the New York Film Festival - unknown date. It's also now set to open on the same date as 'Sleepy Hollow', and a week before the new Bond film.
• From a press release on the 'New Woman' magazine poll, in which Sean Connery won the 'Sexiest Man' title:
• In the ``Most Welcome Matt'' category, Matt Damon topped Matt Lauer and Matt LeBlanc with forty-six percent of the votes.
• A reader wrote:
  Matt walked by me a couple of nights ago on West Broadway in Tribeca NYC (home of Miramax HQ, Robert DeNiro, and the late JFK Jr.). He was engaged in conversation with some older guy. Maybe MD know lives in my barrio.

• From the New York Post:
  Sightings
  BEN Affleck, his brother Casey, and Matt Damon, catching "The Sixth Sense" at the Kips Bay Cinema on Saturday afternoon ...
• That ties in with a Ted Casablanca report, where the three were reported at the airport.
• From the affleck.com web-page, a poster asked Derek (friend and Pearl Street involvee), on the status of Third Wheel:
  The shoot is progressing splendidly. Remember that you heard the name Jay Lacopo here first, folks. The man is going to be a hot commodity once this flick hits the theaters. Luke and Denise have been doing great work as well, and have wonderful chemistry together. Matt shot his scene last week, and was brilliant as usual. Those of you who've been around here for a while will surely not be surprised by Ben's comic talents, but they always seem to astound some members of the media. He does some hilarious stuff in a small role in the picture. All in all, we're all tickled pink with the way things have gone. In about a week we'll be done with principal photography, and it's off to the editing room. Thanks for asking.

From the NY Daily News Online:
Stars in Waiting
Claire Danes and Ben Lee may be keeping their profiles a little too low.
The star couple showed up Thursday night at China Club, where private eye/actor Bill Stanton hosted a party for producer Nick Wechsler.
"You have to wait here _ this is a private party," a bouncer told the two, who waited patiently until someone else in line enlightened the sentry.
Once inside, they joined the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde, directors John Herzfeld and Terry George, rocker Robbie Robertson, artist Peter Max, P.I. Jack Maple and actors John Di Resta, Darius McCray, Kim Ferron and Oleg Takarov.
Danes and Lee later headed downtown with Robertson to Moomba, where they just missed Jerry Seinfeld. The funnyman, currently estranged from girlfriend Jessica Sklar, dined with "Inspector Gadget" director David Kellogg, who helmed Seinfeld's American Express commercials.
Long past midnight, Boston buddies Ben Affleck and Matt Damon strolled into the club. Spies say they kept to themselves until Affleck exchanged phone numbers with bashful singer Samantha Cole.

Kevin Smith has confirmed the Dogma release date as November 12, where it's only up against 'The Bachelor' and 'Pokemon' at this stage.
From a Jeffrey Wells Mr Showbiz column on fall movies, in the 'Promising but not certain' category:
The Talented Mr Ripley (December, Paramount), with Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow; directed by Anthony Minghella. First-rate script but "you don't care," I'm hearing. OK, so it's not an "audience" film. Looks intriguing anyway.

From Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith:
THE REALLY BIG-SCREEN SCENE: Since Steven Spielberg's Tom Cruise starrer, "The Minority Report," will be about a futuristic legal system in which murderers are taken into custody before committing their crimes -- does that mean, by logical extension, that we get to judge the movie before it comes out? That's the question passed along to us by one Hollywood wag as the feature moves through preproduction toward its Oct. 11 shooting start.
Now, with word out that Matt Damon may join this union of Hollywood powerhouses, casting continues for a motley assortment of supporting roles. There's a hearing-impaired man who can read lips with the help of a computer, for instance, for which they've been seeing hearing-impaired actors. There's a small-bodied man who looks large with the aid of a high-tech body suit. There's a super-intelligent hacker who looks like someone you might stumble into in a biker bar ...

8/1/99 Lisa wrote to say that a "Ripley" trailer is shown befer the film "Runaway Bride". Said Lisa: "I think Ripley will be very good. The trailer doesn't give a release date." (Thanks!)

More on the trailer, from Felicity:
From an aint-it-cool article on upcoming trailers:

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (PARAMOUNT) Take the Will Smith subplot of posing as Sidney Poitier's son in SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION then slowly turn up the suspense/creepy quotient and that begins to convey what was a very surprising and effective trailer for this movie by the director of THE ENGLISH PATIENT. Matt Damon is clearly shown to be hustling and scamming his way at a luxury coastal resort by pretending to be an old school buddy from Princeton of Jude Law who is with Gwynnith Paltrow on holiday. Of course he has no recall, but Damon is persistent and fast on his feet with recollections since he has some personal effects from an actual classmate. Damon, begins (convincingly) to show a darker side, Law and Paltrow freaking, and trailer ends with a really effective reflection of Damon sitting in a hotel room in front of mirrored doors that slowly close causing his reflection to disappear leaving an arresting side shot of him that is quite menacing. Trailer really drops in the Academy Award pedigrees that when it hit Cate Blanchette as a nominee it almost detracted still and all compelling.

I saw part of the trailer on Entertainment Tonight on Wed., and the full trailer on Thu.
I have to lift up the grade given to The Talented Mr. Ripley, my most anticipated movie of the year. It was simply Great Great Great. Intense and absorbing (Astounded, I am running out of adjectives now =( ). Matt Damon was excellent -- his acting, his monologue -- everything just seems to hit the right note. I hated The English Patient, but Matt Damon's style (a la charm) will compensate for Anthony Minghella's slow directing. Without a doubt, Matt would be the central character of the film, but the other cast members also did fine work. Gwyneth Paltrow was vivid, and Jude Law, although sometimes a bit over the top, does give you a clear idea of what personality he is portraying with his expression and vocal only. Cate Blanchett wasn't a main character, but she would have some complex scenes with Matt. The score was also cool, very, very cool.
I bet that they get some scenes from the movie and rearrange the orders, and that's the way I think a trailer should be done. Just look at the conversation between Matt and Jude.... It's great!!
Really can't wait to see this film!

Matt Damon looked excellent, and he would bring some dramatic impact to compensate for Anthony Minghella's slow pacing. Gwyneth Paltrow was vivid and charming; Jude Law was passionate (but sometimes too passionate). Didn't see Cate Blanchett much, but it was revealed that she would have some intense scenes with Matt. The score was also absorbing.