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CNN Saturday Morning News
`Spider Man' Expected to Become Summer's First Blockbuster
Aired May 04, 2002 - 08:48 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Moviegoers all around the country caught up in a web of excitement, shall we say? The debut of "Spider- Man" getting some good reviews. The crime fighting capers of the Marvel comic book hero could be the first blockbuster of the season.
Cnn.com movie review Paul Clinton profiles Spidey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOBEY MAGUIRE, ACTOR: For me, the choice to live an ordinary life is no longer an option.
PAUL CLINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's true for many young Hollywood actors. But for Tobey Maguire, they have an added ring. Going from small, well-respected films to superhero "Spider-Man" is a big leap.
MAGUIRE: I would have moments with my friends sometimes when my friends would turn to me and, you know, go wow, you're Spider-Man. That's pretty cool.
CLINTON: Kirsten Dunst costars as Peter Parker's, aka Spider- Man's secret crush. One of the most talked about moments in the film is a scene they call the upside down kiss.
KIRSTEN DUNST, ACTRESS: We'd lock lips and he'd be breathing out of the side of his mouth while we were kissing. So it was really one of the most unromantic kisses, but it looked really romantic and nice.
MAGUIRE: It was challenging but I did derive some secret pleasure from it.
CLINTON: The operative word here is secret. Reportedly, the two were linked off camera for a while. But that's a place they consider off limits.
MAGUIRE: I don't feel like I need to share my personal life in order to support a movie. It doesn't make sense to me.
DUNST: Whatever the deal is, that's personal and I think that it's not too exploit that in a way.
CLINTON: However, Maguire is candid about his growing up and the struggles faced by his very young parents. (on camera): Did you ever feel that you were poor or just that that's the way it was?
MAGUIRE: I feel like it must have been tough on my parents because at times I would be embarrassed by like rolling up in the $400 beat up orange truck or getting groceries with food stamps. And all in all I feel pretty fortunate and I think my parents did a good job.
CLINTON (voice-over): Food stamps are no longer necessary. In fact, a special diet and intense exercise were needed to transform Maguire into Spidey.
(on camera): Did you keep up the working out when you finished? Or did you let that body go?
MAGUIRE: I let that body go. But, you know, I'm in pretty good shape. I've got to, I can't let it go too much because we're talking about doing another one.
CLINTON (voice-over): In fact, the sequel is already being written.
Paul Clinton, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLINTON: Yes, and that sequel is being written, there's no doubt about it. And there's probably going to be a three on the way, too. "Spider-Man" is an amazing movie. It is exactly what it's supposed to be. It is a big, huge cartoon extravaganza. Tobey Maguire is perfect as Spider-Man, because Spider-Man originally first and foremost is a geeky Peter Parker. He's an outsider. He's a young high school student who doesn't quite fit in and given these extraordinary powers, unlike other, you know, superheroes we have like Batman or Superman who come from other planets are or multi-millionaires.
So that's his appeal. You can relate to him. And I think this is really going to be a huge movie. Tobey Maguire is an excellent actor. So is Kirsten Dunst. This whole thing with the comic book going to movies is getting, it's been done in the past. Of course we all know that with "Batman." But it's really, really now getting momentum with all the Marvel characters now becoming available. And you have a lot of really big names getting involved with it. Ang Lee is doing "The Hawk" and Jennifer Connelly is going to be the love interest in that. So we're really seeing a lot of these.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paul, before you get too far down that road, show us the toys, will you?
CLINTON: There's a lot of merchandise here.
O'BRIEN: I mean let's face it, a summer blockbuster is nothing these days without a full line of gadgets and attire. What do you have? What can you find in the stores that is Spider-Man related?
CLINTON: Well, you can find a lot in the stores Spider-Man related. They're not going overboard like they did with episode one Star Treks. But there is a lot of stuff. Here is a walkie-talkie that is the green goblin. And that it has its mate, which is Spider- Man. So you've got up to 120 feet you can play with these.
O'BRIEN: Uh-huh.
CLINTON: There's all kinds of action figures.
O'BRIEN: We're going to outfit all our crews with those.
CLINTON: Yes. Action figures everywhere.
O'BRIEN: As a matter of fact, I'm going to give Kyra one of those at the Midtown Music Fest. Maybe we can hear her. All right, what else?
CLINTON: And then you can talk to her back and forth.
O'BRIEN: Yes, yes.
CLINTON: You won't need that. And here, this is great. This is a Spider-Man custom made jacket. These are going to be made available across the country in specialty stores. It's all leather and it's quite a thing.
O'BRIEN: You know, Paul, Paul, could it be uglier? Let me just ask you that, number one.
CLINTON: No, it couldn't be uglier.
O'BRIEN: Secondly...
CLINTON: Would you wear this?
O'BRIEN: I mean really you would have to really try hard to make that uglier, and I bet that's some serious scratch there.
CLINTON: Well, it's about $400 or $500.
O'BRIEN: Oh, please.
CLINTON: Everybody said are you going to get to keep this?
O'BRIEN: Please.
CLINTON: And I went no, I don't want to.
O'BRIEN: I don't think so.
CLINTON: I don't think so. But my favorite toy is the Spider- Man glove and it actually shoots...
O'BRIEN: What is it, silly string they used to call that stuff?
CLINTON: Silly string, yes.
O'BRIEN: Yes, oh, that's the best. That's going to, parents are going to love that one, aren't they?
CLINTON: Parents are going to love it. But, Miles, it does come with a water pistol option.
O'BRIEN: Oh, good. That's much better.
CLINTON: Yes. People will be, you know, parents will like that a lot better. So, but that's fine.
O'BRIEN: Right. Anyway, let's talk a little bit about other movies that we have got in store. Woody Allen is coming out with one. I haven't liked a Woody Allen movie probably since "Manhattan." He's gotten a little too serious for my taste -- of course I was a "Sleeper" and "Bananas" kind of fan and it's just a whole different thing for him. Everything is about him. Is he still doing that?
CLINTON: You are preaching to the choir. I was a huge, huge Woody Allen fan for the longest time. And he's just gotten way too creepy for me with all this, he, all those little neuroses and those quirks and everything, they were very fine. They were great when he was in his '30s and '40s and the neurotic Jewish guy from Brooklyn. Now when he's in his '60s he's becoming that strange little uncle you want to hide in the attic. And then on top of that, he has got all these -- the women are getting younger and younger and younger. Now, that's true in his real life so you can't really criticize it...
O'BRIEN: Careful where you're going there, Paul.
CLINTON: But...
O'BRIEN: It gets into the very much, into the non-funny realm for my taste. I don't know about you.
CLINTON: Yes, it's just, it is, to me it's the same song. He's the same guy over and over. He's, nobody does what Woody Allen does better than It's just that what he does is getting really old. And the jokes are stale. You know what's coming. And it's just, he's just not funny anymore. And the age difference with the women is bothersome. I mean these are women that weren't alive when "Annie Hall" was made. And Woody is not, you know, stud muffin of the century. And it is, it's just getting creepy.
O'BRIEN: Yes, a little queasy feeling there.
CLINTON: Yes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Paul Clinton, come back next week, will you, and let's talk about, I don't know, there's some other movie, "Star Wars" or something like that?
CLINTON: There's summer blockbusters coming out.
O'BRIEN: You heard of this "Star Wars" thing?
CLINTON: Or "Star Wars."
O'BRIEN: I hear it's going to be big. It's going to be big, right?
CLINTON: Yes, "Star Wars." Let me think. Yes. Yes, it's going to be big. It's got to be better than episode one. That's all I hope for, just better than episode one and I'm happy.
O'BRIEN: Yes, they kind of misstepped, didn't they?
CLINTON: Oh my god, Judge R. Bass has got a very tiny part.
O'BRIEN: That's a good thing. Jeez.
CLINTON: That's a very good, a very good thing.
O'BRIEN: Jar Jar and Woody can go to a retirement home together maybe.
All right, Paul Clinton, cnn.com movie reviewer. Thanks for dropping by. We'll see you next week.
CLINTON: OK.
O'BRIEN: And if you want to find out more about Paul Clinton's reviews and actually read them, and more on his interview with the "Spider-Man" folks, we invite you to check it out at cnn.com/showbiz, AOL keyword: CNN.
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