WORLD PEACE AND LOVE!

i hope all of our fans are safe. it is so sad that we live in a world with such hate.everyone knows someone who lost a life that tuesday, my sister lost her friend on one of the planes and my friend lost her cousin.my dad knew a 24 year old girl from my home town who is also gone.i myself like everyone is still in shock.iam so sad.i felt the world was getting better and i noticed more love and kindness this year.like all who murder,they will be punished,for the rest of us lets try to love a little more.for our goverment ,i hope we can respect all cultures and find peace in the middle east and respect each others differences.as john lennon said so long ago, all you need is love,love,love is all you need.keep safe!!!

Tuesday September 18 08:57 AM EDT
Good at Action Films. Maybe Too Good.
By ELVIS MITCHELL The New York Times

After the events of last Tuesday, the question hangs in the air: Is the depiction of violence America's most heavily exported cultural product?

Is the depiction of violence America's most heavily exported cultural product? After the events of last Tuesday, the question hangs in the air. The issue of violence in movies was raised in Senate hearings last year and figured to some degree in the presidential campaign.

Now, after so many have compared last Tuesday's disasters to events depicted in movies like "Independence Day," we have to face the question of violence as our country's cultural touchstone. If it's not our native tongue heard in the movies that we send around the globe, then it's the language we speak most ardently. The graphic image of the White House exploding in "Independence Day" has a frightening quality, and in hindsight, since the Bush administration has said the White House was a target of the terrorists, perhaps suggested the way to unlock the door to our national nightmares a horror-movie symbolism that shows the power of a grand gesture.

It is possible to tick off similar scenes without much effort, even in a serious drama like "The Siege," which doesn't treat terrorism as little more than a a playground for action sequences. The televised images of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers will occupy our dreams as similar scenes in "Independence Day" do, only without the fictional hero coming to the rescue to salve our damaged psyches. The dirty little secret that never comes up when Congressmen and concerned adults get together to rail against violence in movies is how effective an entertainment device the action sequences in movies are. The debate about film violence is conducted without acknowledging a sad fact: violence creates genuine excitement. And the bold, sweeping inventiveness of action sequences, the one thing that American movies consistently do well, has grown over the years. The vicarious thrills deliver the kind of goose bumps that we used to experience by reading violent fairy tales. As a country, we've probably lived too long like children, listening in rapt wonderment to gruesome tales from the Brothers Grimm.

The action movie has supplanted the musical, and the vitality of the action sequences in a movie like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which moved the once marginal Hong Kong action film into the Oscar-nominated mainstream, can be as exhilarating as watching Fred Astaire float across the screen in "Follow the Fleet."

The replacement of dance numbers by shooting and hand-to-hand battles can almost be traced to the shoot'em-up action parody Astaire performs in "The Band Wagon" a balletic flair replicated by Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix." A nonpareil action director like John Woo uses tension in an enclosed space the same way that great musical directors like Stanley Donen and Mark Sandrich did. The technique generates a similar anticipatory vibrancy.

Action and violence in the hands of a gifted filmmaker function like a dance number, offering a display of explicit physical exertion. Dance numbers in musicals served as a stand-in for the sweatiness of sex, since for a long time studios couldn't show such encounters on the screen. The exuberant energy contained in on-screen violence appeals to young audiences because it stimulates them.

Classic depictions of action and violence can even stand alone like a musical number. When Quentin Tarantino used "Stuck in the Middle With You" by the group Stealer's Wheel in a bloody sequence, he forever changed associations with that song. And that was just half a mile away from what Steven Spielberg did with the music strings in "Jaws."

Some of the most remarkable filmed violence has an explicit quality that would not be allowed in depicting sex. In "Saving Private Ryan" there's a horrifying scene of a young American soldier in a knife fight with a Nazi that has the unforgettable feel of a rape scene; the American is pleading for his life, and the German is angrily telling him to stop fighting and give in. In its precise ugliness, it may the closest thing to a sex scene that Mr. Spielberg has ever made and underscores the ease with which filmmakers can manipulate violence.

The scary fact no one admits is that the technology of violence improves every year, and the power of such scenes keep audiences roaring with excitement. Violence is the one area where big-budget mainstream movies have shown confidence; the only moments of assurance in an awkward jumble of a picture like "Swordfish" which featured domestic terrorism as a plot gambit came in the action. Its star was John Travolta, an actor with an extraordinary amount of physical confidence (so much so that it borders on arrogance) and an actor who initially found stardom in musicals like "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" in the late 1970's when the form was considered moribund.

A movie made with conviction in the straightforward and blood- soaked depiction of violence, as opposed to movies that manipulate it to crank up adrenaline levels, can still shock. When "The Wild Bunch" was rereleased a few years ago, the potency of Sam Peckinpah's imagery did what it was supposed to do: stun, not numb. The picture received an NC-17 rating.

After the pain inflicted last week, many movie releases have been swept under the rug. The adaptation of the comic novel "Big Trouble" has been shelved at least until early next year. (A plot point is how easy it was for several of the book's characters to gain access to potentially dangerous materials and transport them through airports.) The annual Arnold Schwarzenegger blood sport the very title, "Collateral Damage," comes from the phrase that sent a chill during Desert Storm has been postponed indefinitely. This takes care of a question that the film industry won't have to answer for a while: Who will be the next action hero whose name automatically draws the prized young audiences to movies again and again? It was Mr. Reeves in films like "Speed" and "The Matrix" the latter made such a cultural impact that it inspired two high-budget sequels. What will happen to the "Matrix" sequels now?

And what will be the future of violence in the movie industry? The highest-grossing movies of all time are action-oriented, ranging from all four "Star Wars" movies, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "Terminator 2" to "Armageddon," "Jurassic Park" and "Independence Day." (The No. 1 movie of all time is based on an era-defining disaster: "Titanic." Last year's Oscar winner for best picture was steeped in gore and blood oaths "Gladiator.")

When people claim that movie action is bad and in many cases it is just that: thoughtless and childish, a reflexive and easy way to involve an audience they tend to be immune to its allure, which is perhaps why they can never suggest an alternative. After all, it's Jean-Luc Godard who noted that all you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun.

Millions of dollars are at stake for the movie industry. As source material, violence sells overseas, splashes onto many genres, makes instant movie stars and has been with us from silent movies to the present.

Matrix star on a roll

MATRIX star Keanu Reeves hopped straight back on his bike after returning to Sydney from Los Angeles last week.

And with filming of Matrix Reloaded due to start this week, the brooding young hunk looked much more the movie star than last week. He has shaved off his grungy facial growth in preparation for his first day on set with co-stars Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Dressed in his regulation black street clothes, Reeves was seen burning up fashionable Oxford St on a Harley-Davidson last Thursday night.

He returned to Sydney only on Wednesday after attending the Hollywood premiere of his film, Hardball, with co-star Amanda De Cadenet. He was on the same flight as pop princess Britney Spears and US Open hero Lleyton Hewitt, but escaped the waiting media.

However, The Sunday Telegraph photographed Reeves preparing to ride out of his harbourside hotel on his impressive black Harley, complete with Californian plates.

Stranded Spears cancels tour plans

Visiting teen pop act Britney Spears, stranded in Australia by the US embargo on international flights, today cancelled planned visits to Europe and South America.

She would return home to be with her family in the US, where the tragic consequences of an aerial terrorist attack have paralysed the nation.

"After much thought and deliberation it is with great regret that I have decided to cancel my planned European and Latin American promotion trips," Spears said in a statement issued by Brooke Harry, a spokeswoman from her record company, Jive.

Her announcement meant she would not take her promotional tour to Cologne in Germany and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil this month, as planned.

Spears, 19, arrived in Australia on Wednesday on the last flight to leave the US for Australia before the attacks on New York and Washington on Tuesday night (AEST).

Passengers on her flight, including film star Keanu Reeves and Australian tennis champion Lleyton Hewitt, were only told of the attack as they touched down in Sydney.

"We arrived in Australia (on Wednesday) and, only then, heard of the terrible tragedies that had occurred in New York and Washington," Spears said.

"We are currently unable to get flights back to the United States, so we plan to stay in Australia until this is possible ... (I) trust you will understand my decision to return home and spend time with my family and loved ones."

The star's Thursday morning media conference, a key part of her whirlwind Australian visit with a turn-out of more than 200 expected, was cancelled the night of her arrival.

Announcing the cancellation, Spears said: "I do not feel it appropriate to hold a press conference here in Australia for the launch of my album."

But she went ahead anyway with selective media engagements on Thursday, including radio interviews and a cliched attempt to Australianise a staged photo opportunity, posing with a koala.

Tears and shock at Sydney airport

Passengers from the last flight from New York to Australia today arrived at Sydney airport in tears, shock and disbelief.

Australian Federal Police boarded the plane as soon as it touched down in Sydney and passengers were briefed on the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Many passengers were taken away to a private room where they were believed to be receiving counselling.

All passengers on the Qantas-American Airlines flight from New York-LA-Sydney who had originated from New York were asked to stay back and fill out a questionnaire.

New York native Tali Mejicovsky, 29, had no idea of the extent of the damage when she arrived in Sydney.

When shown a copy of a newspaper showing the devastation to her home city, she could only stare in disbelief.

"It's just unbelievable," she said.

"I didn't know really what happened," she said.

"Just that it involves something with the World Trade Centre and something with The Pentagon.

"It's just extraordinary, you don't think it happens in your home."

Also on the plane was Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, returning from his US Open victory, who had spent the previous day being feted in New York.

Coach John Newcombe said Hewitt had gone straight to a connecting flight to Adelaide.

Witnesses said Hewitt appeared deeply distressed.

Mr Newcombe said Hewitt had been staying in the downtown New York area where attacks occurred.

"Lleyton was staying downtown," he said.

"Anybody could have been walking around there. I know one of the Channel Nine crew walked around that area the other day."

Mr Newcombe said he was in shock over the incident.

"I'm just in shock," he said.

"I can't say anything more. I just heard ten minutes ago."

Newlywed New Yorkers Tim and Dianne Boyle boarded the plane to Australia to begin their honeymoon.

A tearful Mrs Boyle said she had a lot of friends who worked in the World Trade Centre and she feared some of them could be among the dead.

"It's horrible," she said.

"We're on our honeymoon and we were all set to get off (the plane) and they told us.

"I have a lot of friends who work in the Trade Centre. We all work in the trade area and close friends probably have gone."

Showbizzers return to a shattered city

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Just two days ago, New Yorkers were in the center of the media-entertainment universe. Now, they're in the center of utter confusion.

"Everyone has been jolted," said Bonnie Timmermann, a veteran film producer and casting director. "Things have to be put on hold until people get a grip on what's happening in the world today. I think the busineess will be affected by it emotionally, economically and physically."

Through a spokesman, Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein vowed, "We'll join our fellow New Yorkers in rebounding from this tragedy." The company, which so epitomizes the downtown Gotham film scene that the twin towers appear in its screen logo, is likely to remain shuttered Thursday.

Hollywood too felt the aftershocks Wednesday, tightening studio lot security and fretting about upcoming picture releases.

Actor/director Edward Burns' "Sidewalks of New York," originally scheduled for Sept. 21, has been pushed back to November. Friday's wide releases, Paramount's "Hardball," starringt Keanu Reeves, and Sony's thriller "The Glass House," will not benefit from the usual promo push as TV networks continue commercial-free news coverage.

With the grim aftermath images from New York filling their office TV screens, Hollywood film execs mulled their options Wednesday as to which pictures would need to be recut, reedited, or rescheduled in light of the tragedy.

At Sony's Columbia Pictures, marketing execs pulled a teaser trailer for "Spider-Man," which showed bank robbers getting caught by a spider web between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The trailer had appeared both in theaters and on the Internet; but as the scene is not in the movie itself, the film will remain unchanged.

Columbia also pulled the one-sheet for "Spider-Man" because the now demolished Twin Towers are reflected in the eye of Spider-Man's mask.

"The decision was an easy one," said Geoffrey Ammer, president of marketing for the Columbia TriStar marketing group, adding, "It's based on humanity. No cost (of editing) can outweigh the sensitivity of the issue."

As anticipated, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Wednesday that it would postpone the Oct. 5 release of its terrorism-themed thriller, "Collateral Damage," citing "respect for the victims and their families." A new date has not been scheduled for the Arnold Schwarzenegger film. The studio is pulling all "Collateral" marketing and advertising, including billboards, one-sheets and trailers.

"Collateral" producer David Foster, who said he began developing the project more than six years ago after the tragedy of the Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, called the film "provocative and realistic" but added, "Nerves are really raw right now. It's been postponed out of respect for those people."

Sensitivity may also drive Warners to fill that Oct. 5 release date with the Denzel Washington-starrer "Training Day." Currently scheduled to premiere in Los Angeles Sept. 19 for release Sept. 21, "Training Day" has a storyline unrelated to terrorism. However, the studio is considering the possibility that the hard-hitting and gritty cop drama may be too much for audiences so soon after the images of Sept. 11.

New Yorkers, meanwhile, are re-examining the city's image both on- and off-screen.

"Our office had a clear view of the World Trade Center," said Michelle Byrd, executive director of the Independent Film Project, whose annual film market and Gotham Awards this month surely risk being overshadowed.

"We've got two of our biggest events coming up in the couple of weeks. We need to to assess where these events stand in the greater scheme of things."

Richard Pena, director of Film Society of Lincoln Center as well as the head of the programming committee for the New York Film Festival, asserted that the fest, scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 14, will continue as planned.

Julianne Cho, director of publicity for the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting said no decision had been made as to whether the office would stay open for the week. In the meantime, the issue of permits has been suspended to keep roadways clear for emergency efforts.

There could be few tougher sells this week in Manhattan than a retrospective of Iranian films.

Nevertheless, the Film Society of Lincoln Center will press on Thursday with its ongoing showcase of the works of Amir Naderi -- just one of many signs of a city and an industry striving to return to normalcy in the wake of terrorist-fueled chaos.

Officials insist they have gotten no complaints about the film program. But its awkward timing highlights the daunting task confronting Gotham showbizzers, the vast majority of whom have yet to return to work.

Execs at a few hardy firms -- including Lot 47 Films, Kaufman Astoria Studios -- made it to work Wednesday, but most offices south of 14th Street remained closed. Police checkpoints and barricades on 14th allowed only residents or workers with ID to pass through.

One of the most photogenic skylines in the world will never be the same. And while it looked as though film and television in the big apple was making a comeback under Mayor Giuliani, the city's new mayor, to be elected in November, inherits a host of challenges.

Among them is how to keep production in a shattered world. With the indelible image of the Twin Towers collapsing into rubble, the Big Apple suddenly seems less a symbol of bravado than of fragility.

In the current atmosphere, the neurotic, comical world of a Woody Allen film, for example, or the grittiness of Martin Scorcese's films, or TV shows like "100 Centre Street" or "Law and Order," risk becoming anachronistic.