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Remembering Lew Grade

Lew Grade, a titan of the British entertainment industry, died Sunday in London at age 91. For many years, he was a colorful fixture at the Cannes Film Festival, where after the box office failure of his film "Raise the…

Movie Answer Man

Movie Answer Man (12/13/1998)

Q. The great Sir Alfred Hitchcock was a busy worker right up until his death, and was working on a film when he died. From what I've heard, the screenplay and carefully-drawn story boards were finished. My question is, why…

Roger Ebert

Studio slaughtered 'Babe 2'

The most enchanting film of the year is going down in flames. "Babe: Pig in the City," which will make a surprising number of critics' "10 best" lists, has been crushed by "A Bug's Life" and by wrongheaded publicity. It's…

Interviews

Michael Caine's just eating it up

Michael Caine likes to talk. Some actors hide in the mountains, or huddle in private clubs with their friends. Caine opens restaurants. Then he sits in a table near the door--not counting the customers, just pleased to see them.

Roger Ebert

Bigger not necessarily better

In the days before television, most movie theaters had one screen. Now the typical multiplex has eight, and the newer ones are building 16, 20, even 30 screens. Does that mean too many movies? Has the rise of the multiplex…

Movie Answer Man

Movie Answer Man (11/29/1998)

Q. Lucasfilm has been threatening to withhold further promotional materials for "Star Wars -- Episode I: The Phantom Menace" from theaters if the posters and preview trailers are not returned by January 14, 1999. Why must all the promotional materials…

Roger Ebert

The magic of Indian cinema

HYDERABAD, India After the Calcutta Film Festival, I stop for a few days in this pearl capital of central India, where the 14th annual Golden Elephant Children's Film Festival is taking place. Headquarters is the Holiday Inn Krishna, where a…

Interviews

Drew finds her way `Home'

It's like, you know, I'm talking with Drew Barrymore and she is like so drowning me in words, and I'm like so getting it, and I'm thinking like, here is a girl who is like still only 23 years old…

Movie Answer Man

Movie Answer Man (11/15/1998)

Q. The Answer Man tweaked the silly title "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer." When it comes to stupid sequel names, personally I find it impossible to outdo "The Neverending Story II." (Michael Jennings, Sydney, Australia)