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CNN Live Today
Look at Movie 'Simone'
Aired August 23, 2002 - 10:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is time now for our weekend movie preview, "On the Big Screen." We begin with a look at a movie that is opening this weekend. It has one star that is kind of real and one star that is kind of fake.
We get the story now from CNN's Paul Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL CLINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK, what do you believe? Real or fake?
RICARDO TORRES, BLACKBOX: Yes, and yes. She's real, and, yes, she's a fake. She is a combination of both.
CLINTON: According to visual effects artist Ricardo Torres, percentagewise, she is half and half.
TORRES: Part of this bone structure is a real human being.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a combination of screen stars, both past and present, but also elements uniquely my own.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Although the studio will neither confirm nor deny, rumor has it Simone is a digital version of model Rachel Roberts, seen here in a "Sports Illustrated" photo layout.
TORRES: If you look at the skin, look at her eyes, even her lips, there is something very smooth, very artificial about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL PACINO, ACTOR: Our ability to manufacture fraud exceeds our ability to detect it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: For writer/director Andrew Niccol, that's the whole point.
ANDREW NICCOL, DIRECTOR, "SIMONE": Here, the big joke on the film is that they're worshiping a celebrity that doesn't exist. But you have to ask yourself, well, how real are the so-called real celebrities?
TORRES: A few years from now when we will be able to program artificial intelligence, and these CG actors will be able to learn, that's when I think we will be a lot closer to that goal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think getting 95 percent there will be doable in the next two years.
CLINTON (on camera): Now, how is that going to make actors feel?
TORRES: Become visual effects artists. That's where the money is going to be.
PACINO: I can't possible see it in the future, I just can't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would love to get rid of scripts and actors. They can't get rid of either one of us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to see it for real, but, you know, in Hollywood, anything can happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the performance is genuine, what does it matter if the actor is real?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON (voice-over): Paul Clinton, CNN Entertainment News, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: We have someone who is real right now. He is our next guest. He is Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviephone, joining us once again on a Friday to help us get to the right movies for the weekend, joining us from Los Angeles.
Russ, good morning.
RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEPHONE": Hey, party girl, how's it going.
KAGAN: Not feeling too party girl this morning, but give me a few hours to warm up, and give me a movie I'm supposed to see this weekend.
Let's start with "Simone".
LEATHERMAN: OK, let's do, let's do. Al Pacino stars in "Simone," He plays a director who has his star of his film. He loses his star, and so he replaces her with this digitized, digital character. And you know, we're kind of in the summer movie clearance sale of summer, and this movie kind of falls into that category. It's not great, it's not terrible, but it's just one of those movies that maybe we should be paying half price for. I'm not sure, but I think so.
KAGAN: OK, let's move on to kind of more romantic comedy, "Serving Sara," Matthew Perry, very popular from "Friends," and Elizabeth Hurley, in the news lately not for making movies, but making a baby.
LEATHERMAN: That's true. I don't know anything about that.
KAGAN: It's not your baby? You're going on the record, you're not the father.
LEATHERMAN: This is not Mr. Moviefone's baby, OK? You know, my mom always said if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.
KAGAN: Really.
LEATHERMAN: So, mom, plug your ears up. This movie is bad, OK.
KAGAN: How bad?
LEATHERMAN: It's really, really bad. In fact, there is a -- I don't know if you can take the shot, but I was looking in the newspaper today, and Tony or Terry from "Rolling Out," whatever that is, says the funniest movie of the summer. OK, this movie is the unfunniest movie of the summer.
And who do they think they are kidding. Come on guys, we are start -- smarter than that. So this movie is not so good.
KAGAN: Now I want to share one that I saw on the plane coming back from Los Angeles earlier this week, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." We have a clip. So let's look at that. .
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ian, are you hungry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I already ate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, I make you something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, we have to have (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me help you with those.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is wrong with Tony Gustomataz (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know him, OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who cares? They are related to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are you being so weird?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am not being weird.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: The joke there being that the father of the bride thinks if you put Windex in, it can cure anything.
Now, Russ, this is a test here, this is a test to see if you and I are any kind of movie match, because you got to tell me that you enjoyed this movie.
LEATHERMAN: We are a movie match. Yes, I love this movie, and in fact, this movie has been out for about three or four months. It just keeps getting momentum. It's in the top 10. It makes more money every week as the blockbusters really collapse. And this is just one of those nice, fun, good-hearted movies. So on a weekend where you have choices like "Simone" or "Serving Sara," or even "Undisputed," a great alternative is going to see "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding." It's a really terrific movie.
KAGAN: Yes, it's not perfect, there are some little problems, but it's a sweet movie, and you'll laugh, and I challenge you to try not to smile through that movie.
LEATHERMAN: You will laugh, you'll cry.
KAGAN: I did cry. I cried on the plane. How embarrassing.
Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviephone, thanks for stopping by. You have a great weekend at the movies.
LEATHERMAN: We'll see you soon. Bye-bye.
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