Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Talkback Live
Oscar Preview Party
Aired March 22, 2002 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, HOST: Hello, everybody. Welcome to TALKBACK LIVE: Oscar Preview Party. I'm Arthel Neville, and we're all about Oscar fever today as Hollywood heats up for Sunday night's big show of shows. Guess what? Actor Malik Yoba will join me right here in studio, along -- we're going to talk about a whole bunch of stuff. And guess who else is going to be here? Dinner and a movie duo Paul Gilmartin and Claud Mann. Claud is going to whip up his imagination and prepare some food to suit the mood. I want you to get you in all the fun, so give me a buzz, 1-800-310-4CNN, or e-mail talkback@cnn.com. Let's warm things up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it means a great deal to me.
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: Quite frankly, you know, I've got one, and, you know, spread it around a little bit.
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: I don't care who wins. I'm just happy to be at the big dance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEVILLE: OK, now, I will say that I believe Will is happy to be at the big dance, but I'm not so sure that, you know, the other, "just happy to be nominated" lines are always sincere. But that's just me.
All right. Let's move on now. Yesterday, CNN's Daryn Kagan gave us a hint of how Hollywood royalty will be decked out this year. We're expecting a lot of flash, a little bling bling with some diamonds, platinum and skin-baring silks. Today, Daryn is on that famous red carpet, scooping out some talent. Daryn, what's going on?
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Greetings, Arthel, from the red carpet, right along Hollywood Boulevard. Let's take a walk along the red carpet. You know, they say it's kind of a circus around here, and it is literally. Lots of company on the red carpet. Some folks from Cirque du Soleil, and to find out exactly what they are doing and what that has to do with the Oscars, I have Debra Brown. You are the choreographer for the act that we'll be seeing on the Oscars.
DEBRA BROWN, CHOREOGRAPHER: Yes, that's correct. Hello, Daryn. KAGAN: Hello. Good to have you with us. As I understand, there's going to be 30 performers from Cirque du Soleil doing some act, we are not exactly sure what.
BROWN: That's a big...
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: It's a surprise. We brought 30 performers together from five of our shows, and it's so exciting. Plus, behind the scenes, we almost have 30 people helping us behind the scenes -- I think there's 20 technicians behind for -- I can promise you a spectacular four minutes never before seen.
KAGAN: Let's just get a look around here. This is Chantal (ph)?
BROWN: This is Yelena Lev (ph), this is Yelena Lev (ph), and she will be performing. She is from right now currently performing in our show "Kedam (ph)," and we have Wellington Lima (ph), who is currently in "Lanuba" (ph).
KAGAN: One of your talents is, as these people come from all over the world is, everyone doesn't speak English.
BROWN: When they come, they don't speak English. They speak probably the language of their native country, and so we use sign language, and we hypnotize them with sign language.
KAGAN: How do you tell them you want them to do that?
BROWN: It's usually swoosh, usually some kind of body language. But they all learn to speak English after several months of performing in the Cirque du Soleil show.
KAGAN: Very good. Well, congratulations on being a part of the Academy Awards.
BROWN: Thank you.
KAGAN: We will look for it.
And Arthel, I can tell you, I am not going to do that, but, you know, Bill Schneider is coming up next hour on "INSIDE POLITICS," and I understand he's in training to do something like that.
NEVILLE: Oh, is that right? You know, I mean, I can hoola hoop, but I have never done anything like that. You know, I want to talk about this gift basket. We're talking about what -- $20,000 worth of stuff in there?
KAGAN: That's what I hear. You know, in other award shows, whoever is involved, who's putting on the show, they put out a big publicity kit, they wheel you up the basket. But here the Academy says they are above that, and they won't give us the specific basket. But from what I hear, there are things in this basket, including a mattress... NEVILLE: That's right, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mattress.
KAGAN: A chair.
NEVILLE: The Laz-e-Boy chair, that's right, a recliner. As well as...
(CROSSTALK)
NEVILLE: And some of that complimentary teeth whitening stuff.
KAGAN: Yeah. Not bad.
NEVILLE: You know what, I would want of all of that -- I actually want that mattress. I'm asking...
KAGAN: The mattress, of all that stuff? You want the mattress?
NEVILLE: It's a $1,700 mattress. I think I'd sleep like a baby on that thing.
KAGAN: And you can dream about all the other stuff in the mattress in this gift basket then.
NEVILLE: Exactly. So, Daryn, thanks so much for joining us today.
KAGAN: Sure. Great.
NEVILLE: Oh, what about security out there? What's going on?
KAGAN: Yeah, let's tell you a little bit about security. One thing that you can tell right away that's different: Behind me, Arthel, you can see the bleachers, right?
NEVILLE: Yes. Yes.
KAGAN: Well, those bleachers are empty right now. Difference this year in that by this time of the Oscars usually we would see people camped all along the sidewalk waiting for the chance to go up there and be in the bleachers. Not this year. Because of security, you had to submit an application and agree to undergo a background check. Four thousand applications came in; only 400 lucky people will be there on Sunday. And no camping. No camping.
NEVILLE: Makes sense. Makes sense to me, right?
KAGAN: Yeah. Absolutely.
NEVILLE: All right, well, thanks so much. I know you are going to have a wonderful time Sunday.
KAGAN: Yeah, Sunday night.
NEVILLE: I'll be watching you.
KAGAN: 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
NEVILLE: That's right. I'll be watching.
KAGAN: Me and Leon. OK. Great.
NEVILLE: OK. All right. Right now, we are going to check out Paul Gilmartin and chef Claud Mann. You know them from TBS Superstation's "Dinner and a Movie." Well, they are putting together a number of Oscar-licious dishes for us today. Guys, what's in the pot right now?
CLAUD MANN, "DINNER AND A MOVIE": Hi, Arthel.
PAUL GILMARTIN, "DINNER AND A MOVIE": How are you.
NEVILLE: I'm great. I'm hungry. Feed me.
MANN: OK, well, this is a great time of year. You know, you have an Oscar party and you don't have to go through all your cook books to decide what to cook. You let the movies tell you.
GILMARTIN: OK. Right. So for instance, the movie "A Beautiful Mind" we made...
MANN: Well, we made Russell (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mussels for that.
NEVILLE: That sounds delicious.
MANN: Which will show you how to cook actually a little bit later.
NEVILLE: OK.
MANN: But for "Ali," which is maybe not one of the favorites for best movie -- Ali was the greatest, right? So we are making cashew's clay pot chicken.
NEVILLE: I like that. Yes, we get it. We like that.
GILMARTIN: Come on, the man works.
NEVILLE: The audience is laughing. They're laughing.
MANN: Oh, good. Cashew's clay pot chicken. And this -- have you ever cooked in a clay pot before?
NEVILLE: Actually, no, but I have eaten dishes from a clay pot, and that's delicious.
GILMARTIN: It's a great way to cook meet. It keeps it really moist. And people have been using it for thousands of years.
MANN: Thousands of years. Just in Paul's family, for thousands of years. Very, very simple. This is the kind of thing -- you get this done and you get back to your guests. So we'll show you how to do this. We've got skinless, boneless chicken thighs. GILMARTIN: And the reason we are using thighs is they can cook for a long time without drying out like a chicken breast would.
MANN: Yeah. If you are uncertain at all about time or temperature with the meats that you use, a thigh is great one, because you can put it in and cook it and it will not dry out. We're also adding some onion. Some fresh squeezed orange juice. And you know, we always say that use fresh ingredients wherever possible. It makes a difference.
NEVILLE: That's a good idea.
MANN: That's actually really our rule about cooking is to use great ingredients, and then don't screw them up.
NEVILLE: That's also a good idea.
MANN: Yeah. OK, we've got a little black pepper. We've got some star anise. You want to put some sherry in?
GILMARTIN: Put a little sherry in there.
MANN: And then we've got some -- this is kikamon (ph) roasted garlic teriyaki. And this is going into an oven, 450 degrees, covered, for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, take the top off, let it cook another 15 minutes, and you will have something...
NEVILLE: Like that.
MANN: Worthy of a prize.
NEVILLE: I love this! You guys are going to have to FedEx some stuff to me, I'm sure. You'll have to.
MANN: We have it on the way already.
NEVILLE: All right, that's a good deal. Guess what? I know what, I know you are going to cook up a whole lot of Oscar goodies for us, so we're going to check in with you a little bit later. Deal? All right. And in that Russell's succulent mussels thing, I'm going to need to have some of that. That sounds very delicious.
GILMARTIN: We'll save some.
NEVILLE: All right. All right. Up next, I'll be joined by a special guest, actor Malik Yoba. Malik is part of a distinguished panel discussing black actors, nominees and diversity in Hollywood. That's right after this. There he is.
(APPLAUSE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEVILLE: Hello and welcome back. We are all about the Oscars today on TALKBACK LIVE. What do you think? Is this going to be the year a black actor snares an award for best leading actor or actress? It hasn't happened since Sydney Poitier did in 1963 for "Lilies of the Field." Halle Berry, Will Smith and Denzel Washington are all in the running. Does this mean leading roles are opening up? Has diversity finally reached Hollywood? Listen to this from director John Singleton and Halle Berry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SINGLETON, DIRECTOR: I think the world is very limited for any ethnic actor in Hollywood. It's -- look at black actresses. I mean, you know, it's phenomenal that Halle was able to secure that role, but for black actresses, it's worse than anything.
HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: I don't really know how it will, you know, transform the industry, but what I do know is it will hopefully instill hope in other people of color, and it will help them dream that maybe one day they could, you know, be there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEVILLE: OK. Here to talk about acting rolls and diversity in Hollywood are Malik Yoba, known for his role in the TV series "New York Undercover." Malik has also been in the movies, and he's in Atlanta directing and starring in a musical he wrote called "What's on the Hearts of Men." I saw it. If it comes to your town, definitely check it out.
Also in Los Angeles, Dolores Robinson, a Hollywood manager whose clients have included Rosie Perez, Wesley Snipes, Randy Quaid, Elizabeth Shue, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Michael Clarke Duncan. I'm tired just thinking about all the people you represent, Dolores.
And journalist Roy Johnson, editorial director of Vanguard Media Inc. and editor-in-chief of "Savoy" magazine. Thanks so much, all of you, for joining me this afternoon.
Great. So the roles for people color are limited. Halle is hopeful things will change. How do you see it? Dolores Robinson, I'll begin with you.
DOLORES ROBINSON, MANAGER: I think that three black people just happened this year to be nominated in three good roles. They just happened to get three good roles. I don't think that's a sign that anything has really changed. I just think that that's just a happening.
NEVILLE: Roy Johnson?
ROY JOHNSON, "SAVOY" MAGAZINE: I think what it is doing is creating a platform for dialogue and shedding light on what is happening behind the screens, which I believe is more important. There are talented producers on this film, there are talented casting directors, and I think if there's ever going to be change in Hollywood, it's going to have to start behind the camera where the people who are making the decisions long before it's decided who get what roles have to be representative of all of the marketplace, and that certainly includes people of color. NEVILLE: Absolutely. And Malik, you coming here from two different standpoints, and that would be from the small screen as well as the big screen, what are your thoughts?
MALIK YOBA, ACTOR: My thoughts stay focused on self- actualization and making your own dreams happen, which is why I wrote my play "What's on the Hearts of Men." The fact is that my play has generated over $2 million at the box office. If that was a film, it may not get much note. But it's a production that cost about $250,000 to produce, and so the return is great.
My focus over the last few yes has been on how do I continue to provide employment for myself and people like me that are talented, that are script -- that are writers, that are musicians, that are wardrobe people...
NEVILLE: Producers.
YOBA: Producers. And I wrote a script, and in 11 months it was produced for stage. And we are touring around the country. And we are at the Fox Theater here in Atlanta, until Sunday. OK? And everyone is invited. And that's really what it's about. It's about get in where you fit in. So, that's what I like to focus on, as opposed to the lack of opportunities.
NEVILLE: Dolores and Roy, Malik mentioned something interesting in that; he says he has to take initiative. He's got to put it into his own hands. What do you say about that?
JOHNSON: Well, I think it really doesn't matter whether you are in Hollywood or in any other aspects of business, you have to take control of your own destiny. And it's very clear that there are a lot of smart, talented people of color in Hollywood who have stopped waiting for someone to hand them anything and who have begun to look at opportunities to create businesses, to create production companies, to take control over what opportunities that there are and to create new opportunities to employ people, to create great scripts that represent their lives and their people well.
So I think what you are seeing is really the dawn, what I hope is of a new age in Hollywood, where African-Americans and Hispanics and Asian Americans, you know, while may not be getting great roles in front of the camera, but really taking control behind the camera to create their own roles and hopefully move into places where, you know, they will be able to create viable commercial products and regain new areas of success.
NEVILLE: Dolores Robinson, do you help steer your clients in that direction, behind the scenes, as well?
ROBINSON: I have been a grandmother of this all, and having for 30 years gone to seminar after seminar after seminar discussing how can we do that or how can blacks be more prominent, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And there's always a great amount of enthusiasm and just everybody comes out of there, we are going to take over, we are going to do this, we are going to do that. We are going to do this for ourselves.
And at the end of the seminar, everybody goes away and everything goes back. Thirty years I'm hearing the same things over and over and over again.
So I don't know. I don't think there's anybody -- I have friends who had studios and friends who had television stations. They don't think they are bigoted in any way. I just think it's down to dollars and advertising dollars, so it's very difficult to encourage my clients to be self-directed when I know the decisions are not being made by them.
NEVILLE: Interesting. Rachelle (ph) from South Carolina, what are your thoughts?
RACHELLE: I agree with what many of the talent are saying today, but I believe that encouragement is the key to everything that we do, and we should continue to encourage minorities to get out there. We should encourage minorities to take the role and to take -- and to be in that higher leadership place where we make the decisions on who is going to be on the screen and who we are going to nominate for the Academy Awards. So I think that in order for minorities to be seen, we have to be known.
NEVILLE: Malik, I'd like you to respond to that very quickly, then I've got to go to a break. Thanks, Rachelle.
You know, I am about to say, on that note, we'll go to break. All right, you know, we're to continue this conversation in just a moment. Keep an eye on the bottom of the screen and play Oscar trivia with us. A little later, we'll check in on that steaming duo, Paul Gilmartin and Claud Mann. I can almost smell that Halle Berry cobbler. And as we go to break, let's watch a clip of Ms. Berry's performance in "Monster's Ball."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "MONSTER'S BALL")
BERRY: What? You want your car back?
BILLY BOB THORNTON, ACTOR: No, I don't want the car back. I meant for you to keep that.
BERRY: What?
THORNTON: I just wanted you to know that I sent him away.
BERRY: I don't have time to talk.
THORNTON: Well, I wish you would talk to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ALI") SMITH: I ain't draft dodging, I ain't burning no flag and I ain't running to Canada. I'm staying right here. You want to send me to jail? Fine, you go right ahead. I have been in jail for 400 years, I can be there for four or five more. But I ain't going no 10,000 miles to help murder and kill other poor people! If I want to die, I'll die right here, right now, fighting you. If I want to die, you are my enemy. Not no Chinese, no Viet Cong, no Japanese. You are my opposer! When I want freedom, you are my opposer when I want justice. You are my opposer when I want equality!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEVILLE: Good job, Will Smith. All right, welcome back. That was Mr. Smith in "Ali," and we are talking about black actors and leading roles and diversity in Hollywood. And let's listen to what Will and Denzel Washington had to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The Academy is made up of the majority white Americans, so for the most part white American films are going to be nominated and white American actors are going to win. In my mind, you can't allow an award to be the validation of your work.
I was with Russell Crowe the other night and I told him, "I would feel much better if this category was at the Grammys." You know. I feel like, you know, if this was the rap category at the Grammys, I'd feel like I have a much better shot, you know.
DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR: I think it would be dangerous for them to say, well, let's start picking people because they are African- American or because they're this or that. I think it starts, you know, with the opportunities to act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEVILLE: With the opportunities to act. Opportunities. Roy Johnson, the next month's cover issue of your magazine, "Savoy," deals with black progress in Hollywood. What were some of your discoveries when you were doing that issue?
JOHNSON: Well, I think what Denzel said is absolutely correct in terms of opportunities. What we discovered, as I mentioned earlier, is that there are a lot of people behind the scenes who are making inroads in new areas like production and cinematography and casting, which are very important.
But I also think it's important not to let the studio executives off the hook, to force them to begin to think out of the box, to look at the kinds of roles that created the careers of people like Ashley Judd and Cameron Diaz early in their career, Sandra Bullock, and look at those as opportunities to cast a young African-American woman who probably, you know, has as much notoriety if not more than those actresses did at that point in their careers.
And until that begins to happen, we are going to be sitting here five, 10 years from now when maybe three more get nominated and having the same discussion, and that would truly be a shame.
NEVILLE: I have a caller now, Edwin in New York. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this conversation.
EDWIN: Well, the whole issue now is distribution. You can get a role, but can you get your film actually distributed within the networks. I want to ask Roy and Malik about that, about getting those movies into...
YOBA: No, you can't. It's very difficult. I've done -- people often ask, Malik, where have you been since "New York Undercover"? But I have done about four independent films in the last couple of years that most people have never seen because of the challenge of getting distribution, which is why I go back to promoting what I'm doing, "What's on the Hearts of Men," where I was able to hire 28 people. People, you know, five, six musicians.
And the bottom line is, if you are touring with a show like I'm touring, then you are your own distribution. And we have to think out of the box and be willing to do the work. And those who don't want to do the work, I'm busy building an infrastructure for you all to come and do your art. And we'll be having about four or five productions a year. You saw it last night.
NEVILLE: It was great.
YOBA: We filled up the Fox Theater here in Atlanta. That's 4,600 people that don't have to just look like us. So again, it's at Fox until Sunday, you all.
NEVILLE: That's right. Roy Johnson, quickly, and then I'd like to get Dolores in on some final comments, please.
JOHNSON: We also have to realize that there is more than one way to be distributed. There's not only theaters. There's great opportunities in cable, there's great opportunities in direct-to-video to at least create entities, create products that can showcase talent. And so we have to, on our side of the table, start thinking outside of the box and not being just stymied by the fact that one avenue of distribution may be shut off, but every avenue shut off opens up another one.
NEVILLE: Ms. Robinson, you were shaking your head when the caller was on the air.
ROBINSON: Yeah, because distribution is a big thing. And as much as we sit around and talk about how we can do this and how we can do that, you know, we can sit and talk about that forever, and then who is going to distribute your film? Until the studios decide that we are of some value, we are of some box office value, you can't go -- it's hard to get anywhere. I mean, I would like to see a movie, I'd like to start seeing movies about real people. When studios pour money into black movies, they're usually about gangs and they are usually about drug related movies. What about families who have normal problems, normal universal problems? I think when we start to integrate -- in fact, that's what Keenan said. You know, Keenan "Ivory" Wayans made all those movies about black people, black people, black people. As soon as he threw a couple of white people in his movie, all of a sudden, he had a $100 million movie.
NEVILLE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) there is a movie. You know what? I hate to interrupt you, but I have to take a break now. But for those of you at home who are listening to this, yeah the people in Hollywood have heard this, but they hear it all the time. If people at home, you hear it, so you can make a difference by going to see the movies.
Dolores Robinson and Roy Johnson, thank you very much for joining us here today on our special Oscar show. Enjoy the Oscars.
JOHNSON: Thank you for having us.
ROBINSON: Thank you.
NEVILLE: And Malik -- absolutely. Malik, can you do me a favor? Can you stay?
YOBA: Yes, I've got a show to do here at the Fox Theater tonight.
NEVILLE: Yes, OK, whatever. We heard that. Yes, yes, yes, Fox Theater. Did you get that?
YOBA: Oh. Oh, am bad. I'm sorry.
NEVILLE: OK. Don't go anywhere. We are going to check in with our "Dinner and the Movie" team to see what's on the menu. Do you know what I'm thinking? Some (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEVILLE: And welcome back to TALKBACK LIVE. I'm here with Malik Yoba. He is going to, you know, co-host this part of the Oscar show with me.
YOBA: Yes, OK, good.
NEVILLE: But settle down, because it's still my show.
YOBA: It's your show.
NEVILLE: OK, don't try and take over.
YOBA: I'll only use your mike then.
NEVILLE: No, no, no. Hey, listen, are you going to watching the Oscars Sunday night? No, you'll be working where? ] YOBA: At the Fox Theater.
NEVILLE: That's right. But the folks at home watching will be watching on television, and you know how it is. You're going to be there for a long time. They have to eat, right?
YOBA: Right.
NEVILLE: You've got to have food at an Oscar party.
YOBA: Right, and I hear you are making something with Halle Berry in it.
NEVILLE: You know what? I am not.
YOBA: Halle is very...
NEVILLE: But you know what? The award-winning menu that is going to be on the winning Superstation TBS's "Dinner and a Movie," their hosts, Paul Gilmartin...
YOBA: I love that show.
NEVILLE: You like that show. So do I.
YOBA: That's a good idea -- a good idea.
NEVILLE: Chef Paul, Chef Claud, they are cooking up a storm. And what is going on now? Guys?
GILMARTIN: Hi, Arthel. Actually, I'm not a chef. Claud is the chef.
NEVILLE: Oh, well, Chef Claude -- excuse me.
GILMARTIN: And he's having -- I don't hear you, Arthel. All I hear are the voices in my head. So that's going to have to be enough for this one.
NEVILLE: I hear that too sometimes. Don't worry.
GILMARTIN: I am going to have to relay what you are saying to him. Hey, you know, Arthel, I was watching what you are saying earlier about those people that camp out to watch the stars. They have to apply like four months ahead of time. You know what? At that point, just stalk the person. You are going to get more face time with them. You get to see them in court. They will remember your name.
NEVILLE: OK (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
YOBA: You'll have your picture in the paper with them maybe.
NEVILLE: That's right.
GILMARTIN: You get your picture in the paper with them.
NEVILLE: But you can't blame them.
YOBA: See, he's full of ideas.
NEVILLE: Yes, I appreciate all of your ideas.
MANN: OK. Now, I want to go -- can I go -- I can't hear you, so I'm just going to go onto the food.
NEVILLE: Do your thing.
MANN: I am going to talk a little bit about the food. We're going to make your favorite dish now. This is Russell's succulent mussels, and this was actually Paul's idea, because when he sees the Russell Crowe, he sees the T-shirt, he sees the muscles. But what you have got to do for this one, we are using a wok. You're going to get it as hot as you possibly can. Unplug, unplug the smoke alarm, open the windows, it's going to make a little bit of smoke. Got some oil in the hot wok. Immediately, we've got some ginger, some garlic and some jalapenos. You cook those until they are fragrant, add a little bit of curry powder, then some clam juice.
NEVILLE: This looks good. It looks good.
MANN: Some white wine, a little bit of water, and some Kikamon (ph) soy sauce. As soon as that comes to a boil, you add the clams, and if you have any open clams like this gaping one, throw them out, because they are dead. Put that into the wok, cover it, and it's just going to cook for about -- excuse me -- it's going to cook 8 to 12 minutes. They'll be done. You can put them out in the center of the table, and you've got something that you can have 15 people.
GILMARTIN: Look at that.
MANN: It takes no time at all. You have all the time left to...
NEVILLE: Yes, sure. You make it look real easy.
MANN: ... to watch the show.
NEVILLE: It looks really good. Paul, tell him I said it looks really good.
GILMARTIN: Arthel says it looks really good.
Tell her that I -- oh, thank you.
GILMARTIN: Hey, did you see "A Beautiful Mind," Arthel?
NEVILLE: Yes, what do you have? So, yes, and your point would be?
GILMARTIN: I like -- well, I just thought it was a little ridiculous, all the controversy about, you know, that they didn't show that he experimented with bisexuality. That would have been so forced. I mean -- hey, the Russians are after me. But they are really cute.
NEVILLE: Paul, Paul...
GILMARTIN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you can pretend like you think it's funny, Arthel.
NEVILLE: Well, guess what?
GILMARTIN: What?
NEVILLE: You need to get cooking. What else do you have here.
MANN: What did she say?
NEVILLE: Give me other dishes.
MANN: She said we need to get cooking. OK, we'll get -- well, you know, so we have shown you how do the mussels. We have shown you how to do the cashews clay pot chicken. And now, ask her if she has any questions about any other movies.
GILMARTIN: Do you have any questions about any other movies, Claud wants to know?
MANN: What we might cook for those.
NEVILLE: I want to know about the Halle Berry dish, right?
YOBA: Are you cooking Halle's berries?
GILMARTIN: Halle Berry cobbler.
YOBA: OK.
GILMARTIN: Yes, we did make a Halle Berry cobbler.
MANN: That's right over here.
YOBA: So is it safe to say assume...
MANN: Go ahead, we'll tell a few here.
GILMARTIN: Well, he's asking a question.
(CROSSTALK)
YOBA: Is it safe to assume that there were more black nominees, you ought to have some fried chicken up there?
NEVILLE: Oh, no. See, look at him.
(CROSSTALK)
YOBA: What?
(CROSSTALK)
GILMARTIN: My jokes were bad.
YOBA: That's what we like.
NEVILLE: His jokes are bad. Go on, keep cooking.
GILMARTIN: He wants to know if there were more black actors would we have fried chicken?
NEVILLE: Do not acknowledge that. We've got to move on.
GILMARTIN: We've got here for "Lord of the Rings" -- for "Lord of the Rings," Claud made Hobbit forming rings of fire.
NEVILLE: All right.
MANN: This was Paul's...
GILMARTIN: She said, OK, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We've got here -- what is this?
MANN: This is in honor of "Milan Rouge." We have (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
GILMARTIN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) really short ribs with a lady marmalade sauce.
NEVILLE: Oh, very nice, very nice.
MANN: Now, what is this? This was for "Gosford Park."
GILMARTIN: For "Gosford Park," what did we make?
MANN: Who done it holes.
GILMARTIN: OK.
NEVILLE: Now, listen, you can't hear. Tell Chef Paul the audience is laughing.
MANN: I can't hear what she is saying, but I assume it's just...
GILMARTIN: The audience is laughing.
NEVILLE: Let him know the audience is laughing. We are enjoying this.
MANN: OK.
GILMARTIN: Oh, they are. They are. OK. And then what else do we have?
MANN: Oh, "In the Bedroom."
GILMARTIN: "In the Bedroom," we have fluffy bread spreads.
MANN: A trio of fluffy bread spreads.
NEVILLE: Very nice, very nice.
MANN: And finally, this is for "I am Sam." Can you see that OK? It's all the way at the end.
NEVILLE: Go get it. Go get it.
MANN: There we go. For "I am Sam," we have got Sean penne pasta with a green egg and ham sauce, which is really like a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) sauce.
NEVILLE: You get it for "I am Sam."
GILMARTIN: So you can do these things...
(CROSSTALK)
MANN: ... fun with the food.
GILMARTIN: Hey, Arthel...
NEVILLE: Yes.
GILMARTIN: ... I noticed that Malik was shamelessly plugging his play. Can I shamelessly plug when "Dinner and a Movie" is on?
NEVILLE: Go right ahead.
YOBA: That's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
GILMARTIN: Monday nights at 8:00 Eastern. We moved to Monday nights.
MANN: We taught all the Friday night people how to cook, so we had to move to a different night and get a new group.
NEVILLE: And we are happy about that. Chef Claud and Paul Gilmartin, thank you so much.
GILMARTIN: Thank you, Arthel.
MANN: Thank you very much, Arthel.
NEVILLE: And we will be watching you Monday nights. Oh, you're welcome. We will be watching you Monday nights at 8:00 on Superstation TBS.
YOBA: And you know what?
GILMARTIN: Hey...
YOBA: You can cook up your own version of these Oscar dishes recipes found at TBS Superstation.com.
NEVILLE: All right. Great.
YOBA: I think they were trying to say something.
NEVILLE: Oh, well, you know what? Thanks, guys. I have to leave now. Thank you very much for joining us. GILMARTIN: OK.
NEVILLE: We'll talk to you later.
And up next, we are going to get to the ugly side of the Academy Awards, dirty tricks, underhanded tactics. You heard about this, right, Malik?
YOBA: No.
NEVILLE: You can't imagine what some people will do to win. CNN's film analyst, Paul Clinton, fills us in after this -- don't go anywhere. We'll be right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEVILLE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) live shot at Hollywood and Highland, Kodak Theater, home to the Academy Awards, because we are talking about Oscars today. It's all about the Academy Awards now.
Ron Howard's "A Beautiful Mind" seemed a reasonable bet for best picture, maybe best actor. But oops, suddenly there were whispers, anti-semantic, homosexuality, someone, something, somehow somebody is saying that the movie was becoming more important than it was or it is, from innuendo and propaganda, outright slurs, a mess. Is this what it takes to win the Oscar?
Joining us now is CNN film correspondent Paul Clinton looking dapper next to those statutes out there. Now before we start, we want to listen what Russell Crowe and Ron Howard have to say about what they say could be a smear campaign against "A Beautiful Mind".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWE: This is not necessarily about the film. This is about the person. I think, you know, it's beyond irresponsible. I mean, the sort of things that they have been quoting is one thing, but you could also include the fact that it's at some point he thought he was a mouse. He also declared himself governor of Antarctica, you know. This is a fellow that was getting messages through -- from aliens through "The New York Times". I mean, he was a very sick man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: It's not about reminding people of your virtues. It's about, you know, attempting to undermine, you know, the other candidate's credibility. Well, that's a shame. That's tragic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEVILLE: Paul Clinton, let's get to you now. Why did this year's Oscar race get so ugly?
PAUL CLINTON, CNN FILM CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think this year more than any other year in recent years, there is no clear front runner. I mean, there is no "'Silence of the Lambs." There is no "Titanic." There is no clear winner, so everybody is just out there fighting tooth and nail trying -- because it's an open season. The only ones are really "A Beautiful Mind," "Lord of the Rings" and maybe "Moulin Rouge" I think are the top contenders. But it's a really, really close race, and that's why I think it has gotten dirty.
NEVILLE: So you are saying that being a good actor or being a good director or being a good producer, maybe that's not enough. Give us an idea of some of the other things that people do to try to get the gold.
CLINTON: Well, I mean, it's politics. It all boils down to politics and money. Hollywood is no different than Washington. If you look at the Oscar campaign, the first award out is the National Board of Review. Well, you could look at that as New Hampshire. And then whenever you have SAG awards, you have Broadcast Critic Awards, you have the DGA, you have the Golden Globes, and all of those are primaries and then tonight is the big night.
They are spending more and more money on these campaigns, because they mean more and more at the box office, and that's what it all comes down to. And they are getting nasty, because they really want to win. It means a lot to the studio, and it means a lot for the actors and the people involved.
NEVILLE: And I'd like to know what you think about this, Jack.
JACK: Well, I have to agree that it's motivated by money and politics, and each person is trying to promote their own film and put themselves out in the lead through dastardly means.
NEVILLE: Hey, Paul, wondering -- thank you sir very much -- wondering if you think this smear campaign might backfire at all?
CLINTON: It might back fire. I really don't think it's going to make anybody vote against a movie. And it's funny. I mean, all this stuff did not come out when the movie premiered. It came out when it was nominated. And you can't -- just like Russell Crowe said, I mean, this man was depths of schizophrenia. You can't really hold anything against him for what he said. And the bisexuality and the son out of wedlock, I mean, who cares? This is Hollywood. I mean, you know, after what we have been through with Washington in the last eight years, it really, you know, doesn't really matter.
I don't think it's going to affect the voting whatsoever. I think it's just going -- it may help be a backlash and help "A Beautiful Mind" win it. But they are going to say I'm not going to listen to that.
NEVILLE: What do you think, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just going to say, I really don't think anybody should be too surprised at all this slandering and mud slinging. It happens in any competition, presidential elections, sports events, anything. I think it's just the same with movie awards.
NEVILLE: Well, good point. Hey, Paul, before you go -- yes, yes I agree. Paul, before you go, give me your Oscar predictions. What is going to happen? Who is going to win? Who is going to look the best? All that juicy stuff.
CLINTON: Well, it's all speculation. And you know what? The great thing about it is that no matter what I say, everyone will forget in two or three days. Nobody remembers. So I can say anything I want.
NEVILLE: That's right.
CLINTON: But I think -- real quick who won best supporting actor last year?
NEVILLE: Good question. I can't even think of that.
CLINTON: Benicio Del Toro. See? Nobody remembers. OK. So best picture, I think it's probably going to be "Lord of the Rings." It has 13 nominations. Traditionally the one with the most nominations win. I personally would like to see it win or "Moulin Rouge." I really liked "Moulin Rouge." People either hated it or they loved it.
I think the director is going to be Ron Howard. I think he is beloved by the community. I think Peter Jackson really might deserve it, because of "Lord of the Rings," but that movie was made -- there is three of them, you know, all made at the same time with the same people.
NEVILLE: I know, which I think is smart.
CLINTON: So there are two more chances for that to win.
NEVILLE: Absolutely.
CLINTON: People are keeping that in mind. I think Jennifer Connelly is probably going to get best supporting actress. I'd like to see happen. I'd like to see Denzel win. I think Crowe is absolutely magnificent. I just don't know whether the Academy wants to give back-to-back awards to this man or anybody else this close to Tom Hanks. I mean, it's only happened twice. And if they do it this close within a decade, it's going to make the Academy look like they hand that out like candy. So I have a tendency to go for Denzel. And in supporting, I believe it's going to be Ian McKellen.
NEVILLE: All right, Paul Clinton, thanks for all of that information, chuck full of info. Thanks for joining us today. And you can find out more about the Oscar campaign and coverage of the Academy Awards at cnn.com. And when we come back, don't worry, Malik is still right here. We're going to talk more about your Oscar picks and yours too.
YOBA: Yes, thank you.
NEVILLE: So don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEVILLE: OK. Welcome back. Now, it's your turn to pick Oscar winners. Let's go right now. What do you think for best picture? We have got "A Beautiful Mind," "Gosford Park," "In the Bedroom," "Lord of the Rings," "Moulin Rouge." Go ahead around the room. You start.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Moulin Rouge."
NEVILLE: OK. What do you say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Moulin Rouge."
NEVILLE: Bernice, what are you saying?
BERNICE: "Lord of the Rings."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "A Beautiful Mind."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A Beautiful Mind."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "A Beautiful Mind."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Moulin Rouge."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A Beautiful Mind."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A Beautiful Mind."
NEVILLE: All right. It seems like "A Beautiful Mind" is winning in this audience. Let's move on now to best actor. Russell Crowe, Sean Penn, Will Smith, Denzel, Tom Wilkinson. OK. Start with you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't been to the theater lately.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Denzel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Russell Crowe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Denzel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely Russell Crowe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Denzel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Denzel.
NEVILLE: One more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russell Crowe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Smith.
NEVILLE: All right. So how is that -- what was the count?
YOBA: I think that that was like nine white people voting for the black people. So I don't think there's a problem in Hollywood anymore.
NEVILLE: OK. You know what?
YOBA: I think you solved the problem.
NEVILLE: We are out of time. Come over here. Come over here.
YOBA: We solved the problem.
NEVILLE: Best actress quickly. Who do you think? I'm going with Halle Berry.
YOBA: I saw Will last week. I said, Will, you put it down. I give Will -- you said actress?
NEVILLE: Yes. Halle?
YOBA: Oh.
NEVILLE: I'm going for Halle.
YOBA: Yes, Halle. Absolutely.
NEVILLE: OK. Well, we are out of time. Thank you, Malik ...
YOBA: Thank you. Thank you.
NEVILLE: ... so much for being here -- enjoyed your show. I really did.
YOBA: Thank you. Thank you.
NEVILLE: OK, and good luck on your tour.
YOBA: Thank you very much.
NEVILLE: Absolutely. And you'll come back?
YOBA: All the time.
NEVILLE: All right now. All right, I'll be filling in, by the way, this weekend for Paula Zahn, on "People in the News." First run is Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, then again at 8:00 p.m. Sunday -- hope you'll check that out. And we'll be right back on Monday, Malik won't be, but I'll be back on Monday at 3:00 with more TALKBACK LIVE. I am Arthel Neville.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
