Premiere July 1998

FEATURES 60 Avenging Angel BY ROB TANNENBAUM Welcome to the "salty, savory, scrumptious" world of Uma Thurman, in which the newly married (and very pregnant) star of The Avengers dishes about assistant directors with no sense of time, hvpersexualized roles, and the elements of moviemaking that (cheerfully) appall her. 68 You Don't Have to Be a Star, Baby PHOTOGRAPHED BY LARA JO REGAN PREMIERE slips backstage at the Independent Spirit Awards. 72 The Man Who Plays God BY TRISH DEITCH ROHRER A chat with understated, intense Ed Harris, the morally blind mastermind of The Truman Show. 76 Blueprint for a Blockbuster BY GREGG KILDAY The engineers of Armageddon—including director Michael Bay and star Bruce Willis—offer this step-by-step manual for building a successful disaster movie. 82 Girl, Interrupted BY STEVEN GOLDMAN As a British TV heartthrob, Catherine Zeta-Tones was prodded mercilessly by the paparazzi. Now the feisty costar of The Mash of E. rro is holding the sword—and she's not afraid to use it. 84 Flirting With Disaster BY JOHN CONNOLLY "Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne run the place like a college dorm," says a producer of allegations of drinking, drugs, and sexual harassment at New Line Cinema. Yet the company's hits keep on coming. Is it true that nothing succeeds like excess, or is New Line at risk? DEPARTMENTS 39 THE FILMMAKER SERIES Peter Weir BY CHRISTINE SPINES While shooting The Truman Show, the director of Dead Poets Society had to confront the master manipulator in himself. 43 ON THE SET Pleasure Island BY STEVE POND Despite turbulence, Harrison Ford's fearless flying and Anne Heche's uninhibited charm managed to pull Six Days, Seven Nights above the clouds. 47 TOWN WITHOUT PITY Chick Flicks Nix Chicks BY ANNE THOMPSON Despite the boom in "women's pictures," the movie business remains a man's world. 51 REVERSE ANGLE Rumor Ink BY HARVEY WEINSTEIN Didn't anyone see Absence of Malice? Miramax's cochairman argues against the reckless use of unnamed sources. 54 Angel Dust BY LIBBY GELMAN-WAXNER Love is a pipe dream; or so Libby and her desperately single friend, Stacy Schiff, discover after viewing City of Angels. 57 To 'Hav' and Have Not BY SEAN M. SMITH Christopher Cherot was just another film-school dropout until his mother took out an additional mortgage to finance his romantic comedy, Hav Plenty. 14 LETTERS 18 CINEMASCOPE 25 IN THE WORKS 31 HOLLYWOODLAND 91 HOME GUIDE 95 CLASSIFIEDS 100 CLASSIC SCENE EDITOR'S LETTER I DON'T WANT TO BE QUOTED BY NAME, but ..." These words, when spoken to a reporter, have preceded some of journal ism's greatest scoops—and biggest hatchet jobs. In this month's issue, the highly quotable Miramax cochairman Harvey Weinstein takes on the practice of using unnamed sources in entertainment reporting. In a piece that inaugurates PREMIERE'S Reverse Angle column—in which film-business notables can express their own contrarian views— he challenges the entertainment press to set a higher standard when it comes to using anonymous sources. Fair enough. Weinstein cites Absence of Malice as a film that shows the limitations of relying too heavily on confidential sources. But as anyone who's seen All the President's Men knows, there are also stories—important, groundbreaking stories—that can be told only when some sources are granted anonymity. And there are ways to do this responsibly. This issue of PREMIERE contains just such a story. Reporter John Connolly—a former New York City detective who has investigated topics ranging from organized crime to the movie industry for such magazines as New York and Spy—spent eight months examining the corporate culture at New Line Cinema. His "Flirting With Disaster" article paints a troubling portrait of a pioneering film company that risks being sidetracked by allegations of sexual harassment and substance abuse. Some people Connolly interviewed requested anonymity—and often with good reason. Still, he says, "Sometimes money and power can't intimidate people from telling the truth." Given the nature of the allegations Connolly uncovers—and in light of Weinstein's cogent points—readers deserve to know PREMIERE'S standards for using unnamed sources. The decision to use such sources is never a casual one. In fact, we have a set of questions we ask ourselves in cases where sources prefer anonymity: Who is the source? It's easy to find people willing to sling dirt anonymously, but for a quote to appear in PREMIERE, it must come from a source we thoroughly believe to be solid. » What's the source's agenda? People talk to reporters for many reasons. It might be professional jealousy, as Weinstein notes. Or it might be the desire to shed light on a genuine case of wrongdoing. Occasionally, those who speak anonymously to a reporter put their own careers at risk to help get the truth out. » Is the source in a position to know the truth? Weinstein attacks the practice of quoting execs from rival companies who are bad-mouthing a competitor about whom they have little direct knowledge. He's right to call that sloppy journalism. Sources should be authoritative, preferably with first-hand knowledge of the issues they discuss. » Are their claims credible? It's not enough to have a source; you also need to feel comfortable that your source is accurate. Do other witnesses confirm the account? Do the negative allegations fit a credible pattern? We apply this process to every story in PREMIERE, but even more care is taken in a case such as the New Line article, in which the allegations are so troubling. In examining the scandal at this daring and sometimes visionary company, the allegations met our toughest standards. And that's a pity. On a lighter note, writer Rob Tannenbaum brings out the wry, "wicked" side of Uma Thurman, an actress heretofore known for keeping her sauciest comments off the record. "Pregnancy does funny things to people," he says. "She ate constantly. She blamed a lot of things on hormones—not just her appetite but also her newfound candor and that really loud laugh."