Judging by the reams of reader responses, the cover of our annual Spring Movie Preview (#471, Feb. 12, 1999) got lots of attention — as was to be expected with perennial favorite Michelle Pfeiffer on it — but what was on many of our readers' minds was our handicapping of the Grammy Awards (''The Nod Squad''). While we didn't make picks for every category — who even knew there was a Tropical Latin Performance award? — of the 17 we did break down, we were right nearly half the time. And, on an entirely unrelated note, Elisabeth Smith from Los Angeles has a pet peeve she wants to get out in the open: ''I hope I never see the word kudos on the Mail page again.'' Oops. There it is, Elisabeth, and you know what? It's all your fault.
Preview to a Thrill
Even though I detest the (traditionally gratuitous) first letter lauding the EW cover photograph, I have to say: Man, does
Michelle Pfeiffer still have it, or what?
Sal Latina
Hawley, Pa.
Thank you for a truly scrumptious cover and article on the lovely Michelle Pfeiffer. She is, by far, the most intelligent,
classy, and refined actress working today. Give me Michelle's films over the deluge of teenybopper fare any day.
Byron Nilsen
Lisbon, Maine
Definition of breath-taking: (1) having seen something so beautiful, one must remind oneself to resume breathing; (2)
Michelle Pfeiffer. I've had respiratory difficulties since Ladyhawke. Great cover.
Mauricio Heilbron Jr.
Long Beach, Calif.
Great previews of the spring movies! Many of them almost seem tempting, but my New Year's resolution prevents me from seeing any. I vowed to make Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace the first movie I see in 1999. And the second, and the third, and the fourth...
Bryan Koerner
Kent, Ohio
Legend of the Fall
As a loyal subscriber, I say cheers to Owen Gleiberman. I too was one of the fortunate who saw the movie trick at Sundance. I agree with him completely; trick has all the magic you hope to find in a movie. I might be a bit biased, though, since I had waited 20 years to see the words a Jim Fall film on the big screen. When I was 15, my best friend, Jim, used to ride his Schwinn ten-speed to my house and tell me he was going to direct a movie some day — and that movie turned out to be trick. Dreams do come true in Park City, Utah.
Becky Caldwell
State College, Pa.
Network Blunders
I just don't get it. ABC takes a perfectly good show, Cupid, puts it in a tough time slot (against Frasier), and then gives it two weeks to put up numbers before it pulls the plug. Now I am stuck watching Veronica's Closet again. You should have listed ABC as the losers, not Cupid.
Cort WInsett
Memphis
Although I totally agree that Providence is ''sappy,'' and in my opinion, very poorly written, it is obvious that lots of people love the show. And it has nothing to do with the over-hyping.... Remember Trinity? Who can forget the onslaught of commercials during ER for that show, and how long did it last? Providence is popular because people like something else besides a cop/lawyer drama. Providence doesn't get those kinds of ratings week after week because of too many commercials.
Keith Johnson
Las Vegas
Zeppo Lighter
How surprising that such discriminating, well-informed editors as those at EW would repeat the line from Buffy describing the ''Zeppo'' as the ''useless part of the group.'' Assuming this line referred to Herbert ''Zeppo'' Marx, I must point out that this association is grossly inaccurate. Zeppo, on screen and off, was by no means a useless member of the Marx brothers. Although his performance career began as a substitution, Zeppo showed tremendous patience as the straight man of the Marx brothers. Since he had never intended to make performance his life's work, Zeppo honorably left the team on March 30, 1934, and became a successful Hollywood agent (whose clientele included his brothers) and a patent holder for a wrist cardio-pulse monitor. None of this sounds ''useless'' to me.
Aimee O'Connell
Society for the Prevention of Abuse to Zeppo (SPAZ)
Rochester, N.Y.
