Movies
Tim Robbins (Bull Durham), who has directed for the stage,
debuts as a director of feature films with the political drama Times
Are Changing Back: Profile, Bob Roberts, to begin shooting in late
October. Robbins wrote the movie and will star as the title
character — a right-wing folksinger/businessman who runs for the Senate
on a platform that's antidrug, patriotic, and back to ; basics. But
that's not exactly the credo of the multimillion-dollar company he
runs, which may be involved in gun running and drug dealing. Robbins,
whose live-in love, politically active actress Susan Sarandon, is
expecting their second child in May, has been involved in the
homeless movement, among other causes. ''This movie will make you
question just who our leaders are,'' says a rep for Robbins, who's
also cowriting the film's songs with his brother, David.
Books
Jay McInerney (Story of My Life; Bright Lights, Big City),
36, has a new novel due out from Knopf in June. Brightness Falls is
already edging into the spotlight because it's rumored to be à roman
a clef about the publishing world. Not so, says Gary Fisketjon,
McInerney's editor. A central character does work in publishing,
Fisketjon says, but the novel is more about ''a group of people
realizing that they are not in the process of growing up. They have.''
Music
Another album, man. Following the double-platinum success
of The Simpsons Sing the Blues, the Springfield family has another
record in the works. The LP is planned for next summer and, says
creator Matt Groening, ''It will be a broad spectrum of styles, with
the exception of the lambada.''
TV
ABC's Anything But Love got a taste of Scientologist
touchiness last month while preparing an episode in which Marty
(Richard Lewis) writes an expose of a Scientology-like group, which
then begins a smear campaign against his colleagues at Chicago
Weekly. According to sources, no less an adherent to the faith than
John Travolta placed a call to Love star Jamie Lee Curtis, asking if
there was a way to squelch the episode. There wasn't; it aired Oct.
2.
Here's a first: On Sunday, Oct. 6, NBC's lineup finished fifth in the Nielsens — it was beaten by CBS, ABC, Fox, and HBO, whose premiere of Ghost gave it a rare victory over a national network.
Why would The Maury Povich Show recently devote a show to the cast of NBC's Dear John, which ranks 83rd in this season's Nielsens? Maybe because Paramount, which owns Dear John, also produces Povich's new syndicated show. Why buy the commercial when you can get the plug for free?
Written by: Pat H. Broeske, Kelli Pryor, KM, Mark Harris
