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A neurotic director. A grouchy star. A writer fired five times. How did 'Men in Black' become the summer's coolest breeze? A THOUSAND YEARS AGO EVERYBODY KNEW AS a fact [...]

As DreamWorks finally releases its first movie, the partners are still learning to work together ON FRIDAY, THE MOVING-PICTURE version of the DreamWorks logo will flicker in theaters for the [...]

Focuses on the motion picture `The Blair Witch Project.' Premise of the horror film; Creation details, including the use of handheld cameras and a small budget; Dislike of the motion picture at the Sundance Film Festival; Popularity and success of the film in theaters; Reasons, including Internet promotion; Comments from creators Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez and others. INSET: In Search of the Blair Witch.

Focuses on motion picture director Michael Bay. His adventure film `Armageddon,' starring Bruce Willis, having the largest budget in Disney Studio history; The appeal of his action movies; Brief biographical data; Career highlights.

Focuses on the Disney animated film, `Mulan,' which opens June 19, 1998 in the United States. Background on the movie's origination; Benefits from the lack of studio status; The five-year production of the animated feature; Cost and promotion of the feature; Brief review of the film.

Provides information about the more expensive motion pictures that will be released in the summer of 1997. The total number of films to be released and their total combined cost; The best blockbuster contenders; Title, director, stars; Cost; Expectation; National Research Group (NRG) scores; Including `The Lost World'; `Con Air'; `Speed 2: Cruise Control'; `Batman & Robin'; `My Best Friend's Wedding'; Contact'; `Hercules'; `Face/Off'; `Men in Black'; Other titles.

If you think that the decision to put every big-budget summer movie into production is made by some high-powered, Armani-clad executive, you're wrong. Director Richard Donner and producer Joel Silver [...]

The strange making of 'The Fifth Element' THE FRENCH FILM COMPANY GAUMONT still insists that Luc Besson's $110 million on sci-fi thriller 'The Fifth Element is the 'Star Wars' of [...]

DreamWorks and Pixar anxiously await the war of the insect movies. This fall won't be a picnic. It's long been suspected that hol-lywood executives share one brain--and not a terribly [...]

In Baja, on the set of the ultimate disaster movie SCIENTISTS AND HISTORIANS have dreamed for years about raising the Titanic, but only Hollywood's ever pulled it off. So on [...]

Features actor Michael Keaton. Clarifying his decision to turn down another `Batman' movie; Dreamroles; Filming of the movie `Multiplicity.'

Focuses on the effects of the popularity of the motion picture `The Blair Witch Project' on the United States motion picture industry. Role content originality and Internet advertising had on the film's success; Cost and filming technique of the motion picture; Effects on viewers, including their attempts to create their own films; Comments from Marcus Hu, copresident of the independent film company Strand Releasing, and others; Outlook.

Offers the story behind the making of the motion picture `Conspiracy Theory' starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. The negative aspects of the motion picture; How director Richard Donner and producer Joel Silver convinced Gibson to star in the movie; Comments from Gibson, Roberts, and others involved in making the motion picture.

Highlights Tom Hanks' debut as a writer and director of the film `That Thing You Do!' The lack of cynicism in the movie; Hank's personality; The plot of the film; Hanks' role as a record company manager; The roles played by Steve Zahn and Jonathon Schaech.

Focuses on the motion picture `Titanic.' Directorial job by James Cameron; Cameron's decision to do the movie for free after the media became obsessed with budgets; Other movies directed by Cameron; Financial backing for the project.

Focuses on the filming of `To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar,' directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo. Film's message about tolerance; Film storyline; Subject of macho jokes.

Mentions motion pictures to be released in the summer of 2000. `Gladiator'; `Patriot'; `The Perfect Storm'; `X-Men'; `All the Pretty Horses.'

Focuses on the continued popularity of the James Bond movie character in light of the fall 1999 release of `The World Is Not Enough.' Earnings by Bond movies since 1963; Appeal to young audiences; Value to the MGM studio; Factors in Bond's appeal; Participation of Denise Richards.

Discusses the popularity of kid-friendly movies that grown-ups can appreciate in the summer of 1998. `Dr. Dolittle'; `The Mask of Zorro'; Descriptions of `Ever After' and `The Parent Trap.'

Discusses film distributors' reluctance to release Adrian Lyne's production of `Lolita.' Hollywood studios distrust of a movie about pedophilia; Belgian and French child molestation scandals as frightening European distributors; Comments from film publicist Ronni Chasen.

Discusses response to the movies released in the summer of 1997. Movie hits as surprises; Record numbers of movie tickets sold; Changes in moviegoing habits; The success of Stephen Spielberg's `The Lost World'; Twentieth Century Fox's losses.

Looks at problems during the making of the motion picture `Titanic,' directed by Jim Cameron. Cameron's attention to historical detail; Cost of the film; Whether the film is likely to be a box-office success.

Reports on the rumors surrounding the production of the motion picture `Lolita,' directed by Adrian Lyne. Rumors which are not true, including that no distributor will touch `Lolita' because of the Child Pornography Prevention Act of October 1996; The budget of the film; Comments from screenwiter Stephen Schiff; The difficulty of adapting the novel by Vladimir Nabokov.

Looks at the work which went into the filming of the motion picture `Titanic,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Details of the methods which went into the film's production; Director James Cameron.

Discusses the dispute between James Cameron and `Los Angeles Times' movie critic Kenneth Turan in the wake of the huge success of the motion picture `Titanic.' The lesson the studios have taken; The surprise to Gigi Levangie when she tried to sell a movie idea; Comments from Amy Pascal, head of Sony Pictures.

Reports on the problems in producing the motion picture `Mary Reilly.' Budget; Movie plot; Problems with the ending of the film; Actress Julia Robert's portrayal in the film; Scheduled film screening.

Discusses developments in the making of the motion picture `Waterworld,' which stars Kevin Costner. Offer of the role of the evil Deacon to actor Gary Oldman; Budgeting of `Waterworld'; Costner's recommendation of Kevin Reynolds to direct the film.

Discusses the battle between the motion picture studios Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. and Warner Brothers Inc. in making the AIDS-era virus thriller `Crisis in the Hot Zone'. Efforts to get writer Richard Preston; Choice of directors; Hesitation from actor Robert Redford to get in the project.

Narrates the history of the movie script `Smoke and Mirrors,' the story of French magician Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, written by Lee and Janet Batchler. Paramount and Walt Disney Company's offer; Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy for direction and production; Request for the Batchlers to turn Michael Crichton's novel `Congo' into a screenplay.

Examines the various problems threatening the production of `A Bronx Tale,' Robert De Niro's dream project in which he stars and makes his directing debut. Financial backing; Amateur cast generating union problems; Production snags.

Features Arnold Schwarzenegger and his film `Pumping Iron.' Conflict between George Butler and Jerome Gary.

Reports on the legal dispute over the rights to the script of the movie `Demolition Man'. Writer-for-hire; How the storyline was formed; The final decision.

Features the making of a motion picture, `X-Files,' which is based on the television program series `The X-Files.' The writer/creator Chris Carter's efforts to maintain total secrecy around the movie; Differences between characters and the actors playing the parts, such as David Duchovny in the Special Agent Mulder role; Comments. INSET: From the minister of propaganda....