Will Oscar Flip a Coin?

did only lackluster business; in Ger- FRIDAY, MARCII 27, 1992 B7 . many, for instance, it was soundly out-grossed by "Schtonk," a satire on the phony Hitler diaries, and by the Bruce Willis film "The Last Boy Scout," an American flop. Box Office Blues In the United States, meanwhile, Dateline Hollywood ticket sales fell a sizable 23 percent in March, as compared with a year ago. There were bright spots in the month—notably "Wayne's World," which did well all month long, and Will Oscar Flip a Coin? "Basic Instinct," which debuted last weekend to lots of controversy, By Steve Pond scattered protests and a consider- rhe Wuhiuginu able $15 million take—but overall, nd the winner is . "The March was littered with films Silence of the Lambs." whose box office performance And "JFK." And "Thelma ranged from disappointing to disas-, & Louise." And "The Com- trous: "Stop! Or My Mom Will A Shoot," "Article 99," "Once Upon a mitments." And "Barton Fink." If ever there was a year when an Crime," "Gladiator," "Memoirs of Academy Award consensus was an Invisible Man," "This Is My hard to come by, the events of the Life," "Blame It on the Bellboy" and past week have reinforced that this others. And from the looks of their is it. Almost every major film that's opening weekends, both Woody Al- up for the top Oscars has now won len's "Shadows & Fog" and Peter something or other: "Bugsy" and Bogdanovich's "Noises Off' are like- "Beauty and the Beast" won at the ly to join that list. Golden Globes, "Silence of the Lambs" and "Bugsy" won critics' `Panther's' Son awards, "Silence" won the produc- Director Blake Edwards made six ers' and directors' guild awards. "Pink Panther" movies with Peter And then, in the space of two days Sellers as the bumbling Inspector last weekend, six films won awards. Clouseau, and he continued the series Last Saturday, one big winner after Sellers's death by mixing old was "JFK"—which drew consider- and new footage and using other able flak for its audacious mixture of familiar characters from the films. historical footage, reenactments But even though those last two in- and fictionalizations in a variety of stallments were not particularly well film stocks, but was also honored received, Edwards has now decided' for that bravura job of editing by the to revive the series nine years after American Cinema Editors. The Oli- what seemed to be its last gasp. The ver Stone film won the Eddie Award director is currently casting "The for the best job of editing on a Son of the Pink Panther," in which feature film. The same night (last series regulars Herbert Lom (Drey- Saturday), at another hotel ball- fuss) and Burt Kwouk (Kato) will room just down the street in the return. The film concerns the illegiti- same town (Beverly Hills), the mate son of Clouseau, a role that has sound editors gave out their yet to be cast. And finally, former awards; this time "JFK" lost to "Bar- Columbia Pictures co-chief Jon Pe- 1 ton Fink," which won the Golden ters announced this week that he's Reel award for film editing. "Robin ments," not a contender stateside. acquired the film rights to Jimmy Hood: Prince of Thieves" also won And the plot, as they say, thickens. Carter aide Gary Sick's controversial in the category of best automated "Bugsy" is still the favorite for book "October Surprise: America's dialogue replacement editing—i.e., the Best Picture Oscar, though in Hostages in Iran and the Election of getting the actors to dub in garbled the last couple of weeks its star has lines after shooting has ended. And faded slightly, while "Silence of the Ronald Reagan." Peters. has done so the following night, the Writers Lambs" seems to be gaining in collaboration with his former stu- Guild of America gathered in the strength. But the Academy buzz, as dio, with whom he has a production deal. And while the announcement same hotel where the editors had well as the usual personal appear- been the night before, this time ance and media blitz from the once- called the property "as hot as today's honoring the scripts of "Thelma & press-shy Warren Beatty, didn't headlines," there's no word on wheth- Louise" and "The Silence of the help the film much in its European, er Peters and Columbia plan to rush Lambs"—while several thousand Australian and Japanese openings the project into production to capital- miles away, the British version of recently. In most places, the film ize on those headlines. the Academy Awards gave its best picture award to "The Commit- .

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