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CNN Showbiz This Weekend
Kevin Smith's Final Installment 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' Opens this Weekend; Woody Allen's 'Curse of the Jade Scorpion' Hits Theaters this Weekend; Isley Brothers have a New Album
Aired August 25, 2001 - 10:00 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.
BILL TUSH, HOST: Planet Hollywood in Time Squares -- that's our location for SHOWBIZ THIS WEEKEND. I am Bill Tush, and the reason why we are here -- because I know you are asking, you are on the edge of your chair -- is because the national network TNN is holding auditions for a series they have coming up this month called "Small Shots." And they spoof movies, like, they take "Silence of the Lambs," and they call it "Silence Of The Yams." And they cast real live people.
Today they are doing a take off on the very popular "Sex in the City" show and they are calling it "Celibacy in the City." Who is going to want to watch a show that does not have sex? I have no clue. But while we make our way inside there we will see a film that has some stars in it. I bet they didn't have to audition at all. Jay and Silent Bob are back and they have a whole bunch of cameo appearances by some very famous people. And I know that because our very beautiful producer, Laura Maulta, told me that. We will be back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: There's a movie being made you two are the basis for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two slackers from New Jersey head to Hollywood, in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" This is the last in the series from director, writer and actor Kevin Smith who plays Bob.
KEVIN SMITH, DIRECTOR, WRITER, ACTOR: Silent Bob stops being cute the moment his dough eyes going into the these pinched kind of Redford affairs. You have got to get out while the getting is good. You don't want to overstay your welcome.
VERCAMMEN: When Kevin Smith, Jay and Bob first oozed on to the movie scene, like a convenient store slurpee with "Clerks," then "Mall Rats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma," now for "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" Smith recruited old cronies, and new conspirators, among them. As always, Jason Mewes as Jay. Ben Affleck, Will Ferrell, George Carlin, Shannon Elizabeth, Chris Rock, and Mark Hamill of "Star Wars" fame.
MARK HAMILL, ACTOR: I play a villain in a comic book, and a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of Jay and Silent Bob's comic book. It is the plot of the whole movie. They are going to Hollywood to stop the movie from being made and I'm the villain in the movie being made. So it was a blast.
VERCAMMEN: Smith's wife, Jennifer, also stars and turned out with her reluctant husband for the premier.
SMITH: A lot of these people need to party, right? What do they really do? They got paid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a home-body, he doesn't want do get dressed up, he's got a bad attitude. He's rather watch TV at home.
VERCAMMEN: Weeks before the "Jay and silent Bob" premier the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation blasted the film's crude jokes. Smith in turn, made a $10,000 donation to the Matthew Shepherd foundation and added an end of the film disclaimer against real-life late speech. But Smith won't apologize for Jay and Silent Bob.
SMITH: Everything I wanted to say go GLAD I have already said. I still respect their cause, and what they are doing. I just think they went after the wrong picture. I'm a pretty overtly gay-friendly straight director, so I don't know, I'm the wrong movie to peg.
VERCAMMEN: As seen in the movie, Smith also takes objection to random verbal attacks on the Internet.
SMITH: And when people say negative things about me on the Internet I kind of lose my cool and basically hire PI's to track these people down because they always hide behind anonymous names. That's what the net is all about -- anonymity.
VERCAMMEN: If it is hard to tell whether Smith is serious or sarcastic, take sarcastic with a grain of salt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Stand there and react. Don't say anything -- especially you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Paul Vercammen, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUSH: I want to see that movie.
LORI SUMMER, ACTRESS: OK. With me?
TUSH: I am married. I can't go to the movies with you.
SUMMER: Oh, OK. TUSH: This is Lori Summer and she is auditioning for one of the characters in "Celibacy in the City." And which character might that be?
SUMMER: Probably Carrie.
TUSH: For Carrie, but she is a blond so you will have to die your hair.
SUMMER: That is fine. I am actually a blond.
TUSH: Are you really? I see the roots.
SUMMER: Thank you.
TUSH: We are going to take a break. We know you are a beautiful lady. It is such a pretty day we are going to stay outside. We are not going in there. But you have to go in and audition. We will be back after this break. I am losing it.
Still to come, we will find out about Woody Alan's mystery, "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion." And a sit-down with Hector Elizondo, a man with many disguises.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meat is murder, Clarice.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You are a lunatic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, a vegetarian. And after tonight, you will be one, too. How's about a tofu burger with some Lima beans and a nice Chamomile tea?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUSH: We are back at the "Celibacy in the City" auditions and look at this gentleman here who is obviously going up for the part of Mr. Big. This is Mitch, right?
NATY ANANDA: Yes.
TUSH: So are you here to audition today?
ANANDA: Actually I am not.
TUSH: Oh, you are not?
ANANDA: I am not.
TUSH: They told me you were here to audition. You are just here. They have been asking me.
TUSH: OK. Did you ever see "Airplane" when Robert Stack walks through the airport?
ANANDA: Yes, I know that one.
TUSH: All right, I am going to flip you over my shoulder. Good luck to you, and keep spreading the word. And we are going to spread the word about Woody Alan's new movie which is called "Curse" -- I have to look over here -- "Curse of the Jade Scorpion."
There she again. I am just a talking head. I need cue cards. Thank you Naty Ananda. What's your last name?
ANANDA: Ramadas.
TUSH: Ramadas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE, "CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I usually prefer more attractive, athletic, muscular men.
WOODY ALLEN, ACTOR: Maybe I could get in a few push-ups before you came over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JODI ROSS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rapid fire and banter and an eclectic ensemble cast can only mean one thing. Woody Alan has done it again, writing, directing, and staring in his latest comedy "The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION")
DAVID OGDEN STIERS, ACTOR: When I say the word "Constantinople" you will instantly drop into the deepest hypnotic trance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSS: The story, a hypnotist puts a spell on Allen and his coworker played by Helen Hunt. When in a trance, they are in love. When not, they loathe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION")
ALLEN: What you really need is a good old-fashioned roll in the hay. HELEN HUNT, ACTRESS: You wouldn't know which end is up.
ALLEN: Well in your case it would be hard to tell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)]
HUNT: The kinds of scenes that I play with him, these big huge 20-page, two-handers, are only good if both people are on their game and to say that Woody Alan is on his game is the understatement of the day.
ROSS: The film also stars Elizabeth Berkley and Dan Aykroyd. Both first time actors for Allen.
(on camera): Does it still mean as much to a be in a film of his as it did 20 years ago?
DAN AYKROYD, ACTOR: Yes, absolutely. I think Woody is recognized in Hollywood as leader. I think every executive, every writer, every producer, performer, director, anyone who means anything in the business and who has power and impact is first in line to see Woody Alan film.
ELIZABETH BERKLEY, ACTRESS: Someone like him giving you kind of the stamp of approval definitely means a lot to people in the business.
HUNT: I, you know, begged him for 20, 30 years and nothing happened. But then suddenly, I got a call that he had written a part and I guess had thought of me for it and somebody came to my door with the script and then waited in the lobby while I read it, and then they took it away. I got on the phone and said yes, please.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION")
ALLEN: I will check every low IQ club in town and I will find you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROSS (voice-over): Secrecy is part of Allen's private and professional life. At the films junket, he didn't speak to national media outlets.
HUNT: You didn't make the cut somehow.
ROSS (on camera): I didn't make the cut.
HUNT: Hang in there. Maybe, you know, I didn't make the cut for 20 years. But we did catch up with him in Los Angeles doing his other favorite thing, playing jazz.
(MUSIC)
ALLEN: I am a bad clarinetist who gets a lot of, you know, unearned adulation from the crowd because of my movies.
ROSS (voice-over): Fans of Alan's films are loyal, but even he knows if this one doesn't hit a high note, the next one might.
ALLEN: I did my best to make a funny movie and a romantic movie and I hope they like it. And if they don't, then I hope they like next year's. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You don't seem tough enough to go after criminals.
ALLEN: Really, maybe if I slapped you around a little bit would you change your mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Jodi Ross, CNN Entertainment News, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAUREN HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a familiar premise in these days of reality show saturation: what will someone do for cash?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: $2 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER: "Rat Race" is a no-holds-barred sprint to the finish line, a chase caper similar to 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," only this time orchestrated by a cheerfully nutty casino owner played by John Cleese.
JOHN CLEESE, ACTOR: Any time you get given a part in which you can just be really awful, it's so much fun, because you can't really do it in real life. You'd just be too ashamed.
HUNTER: Whoopi Goldberg goes for the gold as half of a mother- daughter team. The Oscar winner says the film's situations may be unusual, but they tap into something universal.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: That's why people laugh as hard as they do, because they see themselves. They see the potential of themselves in each and every one of those characters.
HUNTER: Another Oscar winner inadvertently ends up piloting a busload of Lucille Ball look-alikes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CUBA GOODING JR., ACTOR: You ain't got nothing the other Lucys haven't seen already.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Not necessarily.
GOODING: Ah!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOODING: It was insane. It's like you have to just let it all go and have fun with it. I'm telling you, there are so many moments in this movie that I didn't -- I thought -- I didn't know what my favorite moment was going to be. I mean, this is the funniest film I think I've ever seen. HUNTER: The lunacy is orchestrated by director Jerry Zucker, whose films run the gamut from "Airplane!" to "Ghost." He says "Rat Race" was a chance to push the comedic envelope.
JERRY ZUCKER, DIRECTOR, "RAT RACE": It was never zany enough, you know? We always wanted to go further, and then we thought we had gone as far as we could go, but we threw in something else.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROWAN ATKINSON, ACTOR: Taxi!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER: For comedy veteran Rowan Atkinson, that something else was something familiar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAYNE KNIGHT, ACTOR: Come on, where are you going? Maybe I can drop you off.
ATKINSON: Silver City, New Mexico. I am in a race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ATKINSON: He's quite happy to start with a very serious little sort of core, and then he's prepared to glue on top of that some outrageous nonsense and just continue to build it up.
HUNTER: That insanity may just make "Rat Race" a contender in another competition: at this summer's box office.
Lauren Hunter, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUSH: Listen to this lady's name: Meredyth Mann. I can see that on a marquee on one of those theaters down there. You are going to be star. Go out there a youngster and come back a star. You are auditioning, I would say, I thought you were auditioning for Carrie.
MEREDYTH MANN, ACTRESS: No, actually not -- for Samantha.
TUSH: So you have got the shoe thing going on there.
MANN: I am all "Sex in the City."
TUSH: No, it is "Celibacy in the City." It is show bereft of sex.
MANN: And it always should be.
TUSH: There you go. Do you think it will get any viewers?
MANN: "Celibacy in the City" I am assuming will be very popular. TUSH: I can't wait to see it and I hope I see you on it.
MANN: Thank you.
TUSH: Thank you, Meredyth Mann, star of Broadway.
MANN: Thank you.
TUSH: We will be back.
(voice-over): Coming up, the Isley brothers are still making us want to shout and "Tortilla Soup, A Family Affair" staring hector Elizondo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE GREAT, GREAT, GODFATHER")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Somebody is undercutting our drug business.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes, Great, Great, Godfather. You speak of Harold Greenblat.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I supply the viagra around here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUSH: This strapping young man, Paul Dunleavy, let me just guess, is here to audition for the role of Mr. Big.
PAUL DUNLEAVY, ACTOR: You got it.
TUSH: You look a lot like Kurt Russell.
DUNLEAVY: A lot of people say Alec Baldwin, but I will take Kurt Russell.
TUSH: That is true too. How do you guys know about these audition?
DUNLEAVY: I actually heard of this audition on WKTU in New York, on 103.5.
TUSH: So you just show up and give it a shot. Do you do that a lot as a young actor?
DUNLEAVY: Yes, I do it a lot. I actually take off from work, tell them I have something personal to do and the train is right down stairs.
TUSH: Well, if they watch this, you just blew your cover.
DUNLEAVY: Well they are good with me, over there.
TUSH: OK, did you ever hear of Hector Elizondo?
DUNLEAVY: I heard of him.
TUSH: He is in all of the Gary Marshal movies. He is Gary Marshall's good luck charm, and he is in a new movie called "Tortilla Soup" which is a lovely little story. It is an independent film and he is also in "Princess Diaries."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE, "TORTILLA SOUP")
HECTOR ELIZONDO, ACTOR: Please cut the Spanglish.
TUSH (voice-over): Give Hector Elizondo a script and he can make any character his own. And being a master dialectician certainly comes in handy.
ELIZONDO: Being able to manage different accents, I have been able to play many different nationalities, plus the fact that I have a malleable pus, you know. I really look like Lenin, you know, Russian. So that is why I play so many Russians many times. I play Russian, I love doing Russian accent because it is something very delicious. It is something I love talking with the iel, iel, iel, iel.
TUSH: This time out he is a loving Mexican American widower in the film titled "Tortilla Soup," We talked to him about his role in New York's Tortilla Flats.
ELIZONDO: He is a chef, you know, a world renowned chef. He has raised his three daughters alone. His wife died 15 years ago. He is still mourning her death. And so he is in a state of crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE, "TORTILLA SOUP")
ELIZONDO: Come on, now, this is not how we behave at dinner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
He is losing his sense of smell and sense of taste. Not a good thing for a chef, especially of his caliber. And he is losing his daughters for a variety of reasons -- all natural. They have to leave and lead their own lives.
TUSH: Elizondo goes from chef to chauffeur with his other current release, Disney's G-rated hit "The Princess Diaries."
But, as Joseph, he provides more than one service to Julie Andrews' Queen Clarisse Renaldi.
ELIZONDO: Joseph and the queen are a very, very friendly relationship.
TUSH (on camera): You do get the feeling there is something going on.
ELIZONDO: Yes, of course. You see the way we talk and the way we dance and at the end of the movie I tell the guy to leave and we hold hands and we around the corner. TUSH (voice-over): "The Princess Diaries" marks another collaboration with director, Gary Marshall, who always seems to work Elizondo into his films.
ELIZONDO: "Can you give me a day or two?" I said maybe a half a day. "All right then, you walk for the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ." Or he'll say, "What is your time out here?" I'll say, well, I have three weeks here. He says, "Good, three weeks. We can figure something." He will send me the script, he says, figure it out.
TUSH: And it all started more than 20 years ago then the actor accidentally clipped the director during a pick up basketball game.
ELIZONDO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and he goes, come over here. I said yeah. I said, oh man, is this guy going to get cranky at me or something? He says, you are a terrific actor, you are a lousy passer. I think I got a movie for you.
Nothing connected him. And we started laughing, one thing led to another, we did, I think it is still our favorite movie, is "Young Doctors in Love."
TUSH: Sometimes you never know what will be the recipe for success.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Stephanie Patton, no relation to Stephanie Powers or General Patton?
STEPHANIE PATTON, ACTRESS: No, not that I know of.
TUSH: But she took a singing class with our producer so we are putting her on TV. You are here today to audition for the role of the Carrie., Sara Jessica's part. Sara Jessica is much taller than you.
PATTON: But this is spoof, you know.
TUSH: And this is called "Small Shots," right?
PATTON: That's right. And you know what, I do know something about "Celibacy in the City."
TUSH: Times are bad? All right, Stephanie. good luck to you. Break a leg, I should say. Stay with us. We will be back. I am having fun today.
(voice-over): Don't go away. The Isley Brothers are better than ever.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I will not fight you. You are my brother, not my enemy. You see, violence is not the answer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUSH: That was just a little preview of "Small Shots" which is what we are here for, the auditions for "Small Shots" and this is Michelle Dubriske.
DUBRISKE: Dubriske.
TUSH: There you go. See, she is a small shot. Fooled you. You thought she was six feet tall. Anyway. You are here for which character? DUBRISKE: Charlotte.
TUSH: And Charlotte does what on the show, if you have never seen the show? But I have..
DUBRISKE: You never saw the show? And you are here to addition?
TUSH: No, I was pretending, I am playing devil's advocate. I don't know about the show. What does Charlotte do?
DUBRISKE: Charlotte is one of the four friends.
TUSH: OK, but she has a lot of sex or what?
DUBRISKE: No. No, she doesn't. She is having a problem with her beau.
TUSH: So being on a show TNN called "Celibacy in the City" is not too much of a stretch for Charlotte.
DUBRISKE: No it is not.
TUSH: All right, well we wish you much success today.
DUBRISKE: Her husband is having a problem.
TUSH: Her husband is having problem. That's right. I did know that. OK, I am coming back down here again. Make you look very tall. We are going to go see the Isely Brothers, They have a new album out -- don't upstage me -- they have a new album out that is on the top of the charts, up there like number three. These guys were around when I was kid. I used to play their 45. I was your size when I first started playing their songs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
You're contagious, sexy lady touch me baby give me what you've got
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Isleys are once again showing they're some of the baddest brothers ever to bust a rhyme and a bust out an outfit with their hit "Contagious." RON ISLEY: It's like a soap opera piece, you know, with three people singing little pieces of songs, with certain rhythms and that type of thing.
VERCAMMEN: "Contagious" and other tunes from the Isley Brothers' new record, "Eternal," pairs up the group with other music superstars, from R. Kelly to Chante Moore to Jill Scott.
ISLEY: It's basically like our Super Bowl record. This is the record we wanted to be the thriller for us.
ERNIE ISLEY: People, I think, with this album are going to start to understand just how special the Isley Brothers' situation is -- is, you know, was and is.
VERCAMMEN: The Isley Brothers have been stirring up screams for five decades. Don't forget the Isley Brothers recorded "Twist and Shout" before the Beatles ever belted out the throat-scratching anthem.
R. ISLEY: The Beatles sampled "Twist and Shout." They just sang it the way we did. They sang "Shout" the way we sang "Shout," and shook their hair, and were just getting off like we got off.
VERCAMMEN: The brothers from Cincinnati are constantly sampled and downright ripped off, often by modern hip-hop stars whose work is a cheap imitation.
Now with "Contagious," Ron's alter ego, Mr. Big, takes center stage. The Isley's think this song can be a multimedia extravaganza.
E. ISLEY: let's do it. Let's turn it into a movie. Let's turn it into a play. Let's take it all the way. "Contagious" is a cologne, it's a perfume -- it's everything.
VERCAMMEN: The sweet smell of excess has long lingered over the Isley Brothers.
Paul Vercammen, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TUSH: Hey this is Goshka, and she is auditioning for role of Samantha. Here is a trick -- see who is going to be taller this time. Whoa, the magic of television. You are Goshka, you are, how tall are you?
GOSHKA PANECKI, ACTRESS: Six foot two. I was well fertilized.
TUSH: Well fertilized. That is a good way to put it. Anyway, Goshka -- what is that name from?
PANECKI: The name is Polish.
TUSH: It is Polish, OK,groovy. What's the last name?
PANECKI: Panecki.
TUSH: Panecki. That is a Polish name. You see this guy -- this is our show for this weekend. We are out of here. But I wish you luck in the "Small Shots" audition.
PANECKI: Thank you very much.
TUSH: And this is only in New York, you see this. Can you see that guy over there in the back?
PANECKI: The naked cowboy.
TUSH: Do you know who that is?
PANECKI: I have heard of him.
TUSH: That's Buck Naked. That's his name. And we will see you next time.
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