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March 31, 2003

- A Sinbad update from the Z reivew web site, March 6, 2003:

Speculation is rife that things aren't quite ship-shape with Dreamwork's animated summer film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. The movie, voiced by Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer is due out in the US in July but as yet there is barely been as much as a teaser. In comparison, the studio's Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron had a teaser out seven months in advance of its release. The film has apparently been testing poorly, while the story is also said to be a bit of a mess.

From www.express.co.uk of earlier today. Find a scan of the article here

Anglo-American Artists Against the War:

Joe Fiennes Reads Phonebook For Peace

More than one fan of the actor Joseph Fiennes has said that they'd happily go to hear him recite anything – even the phone book. Well, now they'll have the chance to do exactly that.

As an outspoken opponent of the current aggression against Iraq, Joe is a leading member of AAAAW – Anglo-American Artists Against the War. And as a way of raising money for Iraqi civilian victims of the conflict, he and some of his fellow actors are releasing a CD on which they take turns at giving readings – from the West London phone book, no less.

To launch this charitable venture, Joe will be giving an inaugural public reading of the first six pages of the book next Tuesday April 1, in Notting Hill. The reading, which is planned to last an hour, starts at 11.00 am, and the venue is the Olaf Pirlo Centre, 1 Narren Road London W8. Tickets (£ 10.00 each) will be on sale at the door.

When asked why the phone book of all things, he pointed out that he had read War Poetry already more than a year back and he wanted to do something different this time. According to his publicist, Ms Tarezz Lee, he leapt at the chance, when she sent him this idea which she apparently got from a mailing list.

Just how much drama can even a gifted actor like Fiennes extract from a dry row of names? "You'd be amazed,” says Joe. "Names have an inherent drama all their own. And besides;” he adds with a grin, "as Shakespeare almost said – Names in any other rows would sound as sweet.”

March 27, 2003

- It's time for another contest for Cuppa Joe!

- The Dust DVD release date in the UK has been changed back to June 30,2003 according to Blackstar UK. :(

- From the NY Times (travel tips):

Isola
145 Knightsbridge, London SW1, England
Phone: 020-7838-1044
£16 to £22
Knightsbridge
Italian

This guns to be the coolest restaurant in London, so don't be surprised to see Joseph Fiennes mooching in a corner. The brainchild of Oliver Peyton (Atlantic Bar & Grill, Mash), Isola is grown-up osteria and Italian fine dining cooked by a Frenchman, Bruno Loubet. Upstairs is banquette-and-booth power dining; downstairs is more larky and glam - diners sit at off-white leather "compromise sofas" amid the sparkle of chrome and mirrors, parquet walls, and molecular lighting. Head for the zuppa di fagiano e farro (pheasant soup with cabbage and faro) and the faraona al forno (wood-roasted guinea fowl with liver and mascarpone). Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Tube: Knightsbridge.

March 26, 2003

- From This is London:

Hollywood's missing men
6 March 2003

They were billed by Vanity Fair as Hollywood's "reigning men". An Annie Leibovitz photographic portrait of 13 megabuck stars, from Tom to Brad, Hugh to Harrison, seemed at first sight to be a comprehensive guide to the very finest of A-list manhood.
But shouldn't Russell Crowe be included? What about Leonardo DiCaprio? And surely George Clooney should have been there? Happily, modern technology enabled the Evening Standard to assemble 11 top stars who did not make it into Vanity Fair's 13.
If Jack Nicholson, at 65, can still be considered a major player, then why not Sean Connery at 73? If Tom Cruise makes the magazine's list because he can command $25 million a movie, then why not Will Smith, who got $20 million for Men in Black II (plus 10 per cent of the gross), and is six years younger and six inches taller?
Surely Pierce Brosnan and Nicolas Cage are better qualified to share the stage with Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt than Don Cheadle (sorry, but who?) and Dennis Quaid? And if Matt Damon makes it, why not his pal, Ben Affleck?
Of course, Kevin Spacey may have been too busy with his new role as director of the Old Vic to make the shoot. Perhaps Joseph Fiennes was filming on location somewhere, and very probably, Melanie Griffith wouldn't let Antonio Banderas go in case he met another girl.
But, whether they snubbed Vanity Fair or vice versa, it can't be denied that the overlooked 11 would make a great cast for a movie. Perhaps it could be called The Others.

March 20, 2003

- From the Sunday Times, 15 Dec 2002

Life's a beach and then you go to Mauritius
By Gwen Gill (the cheek of her!)

Dear Readers, if ever there was a wish-you-were-here bash, this week in Mauritius was it.

With a bevy of our more glamorous local journalists and joined by overseas colleagues, I took the gap to the island for the relaunch of the splendid One&Only Le Touessrok Hotel after its R680-million makeover.

Apart from Sol (looking good, great head of hair, but maybe needs a touch of Botox) and Mrs Kerzner IV, the pretty Heather (so feminine she's practically Barbie), fellow visitors included the odd name you'd recognise: Basetsana and Romeo Kumalo; Khanyi Dhlomo-Mkhize (happily doing a fashion shoot with Mark Shuttleworth); the decadent Bryan Ferry; Shakespeare in Love's Joseph Fiennes; two Bond girls, Rachel Grant and Catherine McQueen; chef Gordon Ramsay ; and gorgeous girls Isabel Harvey and Alicia Rowntree, who proved that even supermodels can't always get a date.

[snip]

Loved meeting actor Alan Cummings, statuesque Danish designer Isabel Kristensen, and 1998 Miss France Sophie Thalmann who, for me, tied for best-dressed on the big night. Mustn't forget cute Joseph Fiennes, who is better on the big screen - a tad puny in real life, he has gorgeous eyes.

- National Theatre Platforms:

"And Finally: Trevor Nunn"

As Trevor Nunn prepares to hand over the reins to Nicholas Hytner he talks about his final productions "Love's Labour's Lost" and "Anything Goes," and reflects on his time at the National.

March 2003 Fri. 21
Performances start at 6:00pm, unless otherwise indicated

March 19, 2003

- London Times, March 18, 2003, Andrew Pierce

Is Trevor Nunn making a political point in his farewell production of Love's Labour Lost at the Olivier Theatre at the National? The actor Duncan Smith has been cast as Dull, a softly spoken constable. Dull tries in vain to keep order among the villagers but simply lacks the authority. Sound like any Duncan Smith we know? Joseph Fiennes has the lead role in the critically acclaimed production amid talk of a possible transfer to the west end.

March 10, 2003

- The "Dust" DVD is finally going to be released in the UK on April 7, 2003 Region 2 (PAL version, Europe) only. You can order the DVD on www.blackstar.co.uk

- On the same day, KMS will be released on DVD widescreen in the UK as well. The Region 1 (NTSC version in US/Canada) will be released on March 25, 2003 in an Unrated and an R-Rated Versions, both available from www.amazon.com

- From today's Dark Horizons about Sinbad:

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas: With only four months left to go, many have begun to scratch their head as to what's going on with this Dreamworks animated feature which has yet to release either a trailer or poster. According to an insider, it seems that "the film has been testing poorly, and while the artwork is amazing, the story is a mess and marketing at Dreamworks is busy retooling their approach to the film to focus on the 'stars' instead of the story, or lack of one". However another disagrees: "I just saw a screening of SINBAD the other day and I thought it worked very well. I compare it favorably to The Mummy. It's definitely in that vein. It definitely was not a perfect film. But [both] the animation AND story are far better than Treasure Planet, Atlantis, El Dorado and Spirit". Thanks to 'Antoine'.

March 3, 2003

- Theatres in global anti-war protest

BBC News:

About 300 people held a "masked chorus of disapproval" in London Stage actors across the globe are holding an international protest against a possible war with Iraq. A series of readings of Aristophanes' anti-war comedy Lysistrata is being held in more than 900 venues in 56 countries on Monday, say the organisers. Richard Wilson, Joseph Fiennes and Lindsay Duncan were among 300 people who wore Greek-style masks to stage a three-minute silence in London's Parliament Square, before reading an extract from the play. Aristophanes set the work in ancient Greece, where women withhold sex until the men agree to outlaw war.

The rest of the article may be found here

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