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CNN Live Today

Interview With Mr. Movifone

Aired October 17, 2003 - 10:50   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.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE HACKMAN, ACTOR: Nicholas Easter. He's an entertainer. Wants to make everybody happy. Not a bad way to go through life making everybody happy. But in court it's not that simple. Somebody always loses. Just not me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just a short scene from "Runaway Jury." That's the latest film adaptation of a John Grisham thriller. It's one of the latest new releases in the theater this weekend. Besides being a Grisham story "Runaway Jury" features an all-star cast. Is it a winning combination though? "Mr. Moviefone," Russ Leatherman is here to tell us his verdict on this movie. Russ, good morning.

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": Hey, happy Friday, party girl.

KAGAN: So what did you think of "Runaway Jury"?

LEATHERMAN: I thought it was another Grisham film. If you like these movies, this is as good as any of them. It's another courtroom drama, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman. A ton of star power.

Gene Hackman plays a consultant that will do anything to taint the jury pool and get the verdict he's looking for. He's sort of once again yelling, which some people like, some people don't. But it's a pretty tight thriller/courtroom drama. If you like this style of movie, you won't be disappointed. It's pretty good.

KAGAN: One movie that's not disappointing many people at all "Mystic River." Clint Eastwood's latest movie. Some calling this Clint Eastwood's finest directing ever.

LEATHERMAN: I love Clint Eastwood and you can see he love movies in "Mystic River." Fantastic actor, Sean Penn. Really one of the best movies of the year.

It's a serious adult drama. It's not the feel-good movie of the year. It's the story about a young kid who has a tragedy and how it affects him and his friends throughout their lives. It's a really terrific movie. If you're in for a serious drama check it out.

KAGAN: What about the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"? Who knew we needed a remake? LEATHERMAN: Come on. Anytime you get some blood and guts and splatter, why not do it? You wonder why do they remake these movies? Because the teenagers didn't see it what it was made. This is a hardcore horror film. Kind of misses the sociopolitical resonance of the first movie. I don't know what that means anyway. It's just a big word and I like to use them.

KAGAN: Why stop you?

LEATHERMAN: This is a down and dirty horror flick, lots blood and guts. Leatherface is out chainsawing people's faces off. If you're into that sort of thing, be prepared to be grossed out, jump in your sheets, maybe take an extra pair of shorts because it's actually pretty scary.

KAGAN: To keep everything on the dark side, which seems to be the theme today, "Veronica Guerin," based on a true story of a real- life reporter.

LEATHERMAN: Cate Blanchett stars in this movie. And a lot of people are giving here rave reviews for this movie. She plays a reporter who decides to uncover really the drug scandals and go to the drug dealers themselves and try to stop them from supplying the streets of Dublin with heroin.

I didn't really understand her performance. She didn't seem frightened of the drug dealers. She has a child and didn't seem worried they were going to kill her or the children. Lot of people giving it rave reviews.

I was sort of confused, didn't really understand what she was doing with the role. You may like it, you may not. It confused me. What can I tell you.

KAGAN: Some people might be confused how this is working out. That cubs fan, the guy that caught the foul ball during game six of the National League Championship Series. He apparently might be the subject of a movie already?

LEATHERMAN: I understand they are talking about making a movie. They're saying it's going to star Kevin James from "The King of Queens" who will play this guy that theoretically interfered with the pitch.

And I think they should pay this guy a lot of money so he can get the heck out of Chicago. It's one of those things where he's going to have to be on a private island for some period of time to try to live a normal life.

Hollywood is moving fast, they think it can be interesting. It has nothing to do with the facts the Cubs blew a 3-1 lead. It has to do with this guy somehow getting in the way of the ball. There were ten other people sticking their hand in there too.

If you're looking for scares, go see "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Runaway Jury" is pretty good. And good luck to this Chicago Cubs guy because he's got a tough road ahead.

KAGAN: He might have to leave Chicago. Russ Leatherman, thanks. Have a great weekend.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 17, 2003 - 10:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE HACKMAN, ACTOR: Nicholas Easter. He's an entertainer. Wants to make everybody happy. Not a bad way to go through life making everybody happy. But in court it's not that simple. Somebody always loses. Just not me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Just a short scene from "Runaway Jury." That's the latest film adaptation of a John Grisham thriller. It's one of the latest new releases in the theater this weekend. Besides being a Grisham story "Runaway Jury" features an all-star cast. Is it a winning combination though? "Mr. Moviefone," Russ Leatherman is here to tell us his verdict on this movie. Russ, good morning.

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": Hey, happy Friday, party girl.

KAGAN: So what did you think of "Runaway Jury"?

LEATHERMAN: I thought it was another Grisham film. If you like these movies, this is as good as any of them. It's another courtroom drama, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman. A ton of star power.

Gene Hackman plays a consultant that will do anything to taint the jury pool and get the verdict he's looking for. He's sort of once again yelling, which some people like, some people don't. But it's a pretty tight thriller/courtroom drama. If you like this style of movie, you won't be disappointed. It's pretty good.

KAGAN: One movie that's not disappointing many people at all "Mystic River." Clint Eastwood's latest movie. Some calling this Clint Eastwood's finest directing ever.

LEATHERMAN: I love Clint Eastwood and you can see he love movies in "Mystic River." Fantastic actor, Sean Penn. Really one of the best movies of the year.

It's a serious adult drama. It's not the feel-good movie of the year. It's the story about a young kid who has a tragedy and how it affects him and his friends throughout their lives. It's a really terrific movie. If you're in for a serious drama check it out.

KAGAN: What about the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"? Who knew we needed a remake? LEATHERMAN: Come on. Anytime you get some blood and guts and splatter, why not do it? You wonder why do they remake these movies? Because the teenagers didn't see it what it was made. This is a hardcore horror film. Kind of misses the sociopolitical resonance of the first movie. I don't know what that means anyway. It's just a big word and I like to use them.

KAGAN: Why stop you?

LEATHERMAN: This is a down and dirty horror flick, lots blood and guts. Leatherface is out chainsawing people's faces off. If you're into that sort of thing, be prepared to be grossed out, jump in your sheets, maybe take an extra pair of shorts because it's actually pretty scary.

KAGAN: To keep everything on the dark side, which seems to be the theme today, "Veronica Guerin," based on a true story of a real- life reporter.

LEATHERMAN: Cate Blanchett stars in this movie. And a lot of people are giving here rave reviews for this movie. She plays a reporter who decides to uncover really the drug scandals and go to the drug dealers themselves and try to stop them from supplying the streets of Dublin with heroin.

I didn't really understand her performance. She didn't seem frightened of the drug dealers. She has a child and didn't seem worried they were going to kill her or the children. Lot of people giving it rave reviews.

I was sort of confused, didn't really understand what she was doing with the role. You may like it, you may not. It confused me. What can I tell you.

KAGAN: Some people might be confused how this is working out. That cubs fan, the guy that caught the foul ball during game six of the National League Championship Series. He apparently might be the subject of a movie already?

LEATHERMAN: I understand they are talking about making a movie. They're saying it's going to star Kevin James from "The King of Queens" who will play this guy that theoretically interfered with the pitch.

And I think they should pay this guy a lot of money so he can get the heck out of Chicago. It's one of those things where he's going to have to be on a private island for some period of time to try to live a normal life.

Hollywood is moving fast, they think it can be interesting. It has nothing to do with the facts the Cubs blew a 3-1 lead. It has to do with this guy somehow getting in the way of the ball. There were ten other people sticking their hand in there too.

If you're looking for scares, go see "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Runaway Jury" is pretty good. And good luck to this Chicago Cubs guy because he's got a tough road ahead.

KAGAN: He might have to leave Chicago. Russ Leatherman, thanks. Have a great weekend.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com