Speed, the hit adrenalin-rush action film, comes to DVD as special edition

Monday, July 29, 2002

Speed, starring Keanu Reeves (seen here) and Sandra Bullock, went on to gross $350 million US for 20th Century Fox. Now Fox is releasing Speed as one of its deluxe Five-Star DVD editions. (CP)

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TORONTO (CP) - Pop quiz, hotshot. You've got a screenplay about a mad bomber who has wired a crowded city transit bus to explode. There are scenes of character development but they only slow down the action. What do you do? What do you do? If you're the makers of the all-action movie Speed, you cut the character scenes.

So says Canadian-born writer/producer/director Graham Yost, whose first big-screen script became a $350 million US hit for 20th Century Fox nearly a decade ago. This week, the film is being released in a deluxe two-disc DVD special edition. "No, you have to serve the beast you created," says Yost defensively. "You look at it and go 'I'm worried about the bomb, I'm scared about the bus. I want to stay with that.' "

So, zip. Gone is a scene in which heroine Sandra Bullock talks about her failed dreams to become a graphic artist, and another that expands on the buddy relationship between bomb-squad partners Keanu Reeves and Jeff Daniels.

They are, however, available for viewing as deleted scenes, one of the bonuses of the new DVD issue.

But Yost, who has talked in the past about performing character development on the run, says it's necessary to eliminate anything that takes away from the propulsion of this kind of plot-driven movie.

"You gotta keep the train going so I have no regrets about that," he says in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles office. "This was sort of like 'You know what? We can make this really rock and let's do it.' "

Yost admits he was worried at the time that audiences would find ludicrous the idea of a bus wired to blow if the speedometer dropped below the 50 m.p.h. mark while hurtling through the streets of L.A. And viewing the film today it's clear the vehicle in reality was going nowhere near that speed in most scenes. And that was only the middle of three far-fetched action sequences, the first set in a skyscraper elevator shaft, the final one involving a runaway subway train.

But he is thankful he and action filmmaker Jan de Bont - in his directorial debut - pulled it off.

"We JUST snuck under the ludicrous barrier and people went with it, 'cuz it was so outrageous."

Suspension of disbelief was aided by Yost's snappy, memorable banter, including a recurring exchange between Reeves' hero and the villain played by Dennis Hopper:

Hopper: "Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do?"

Reeves later on: "Pop quiz. You've got a gun with a hair trigger pointed at your head. What do you do? What do you do?"

What Yost did was go on to write another hit thriller, Broken Arrow with John Travolta, and then co-produce and direct while working on the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers. This fall he will be lead writer and producer on Boomtown, a promising new NBC-TV series about cops, reporters and politicians in Los Angeles.

But Speed was his Hollywood breakthrough and, he admits, the lightning that you capture in a bottle perhaps only once in a lifetime. And while he concedes no one can guarantee what will be a hit, he's pretty outspoken about why the inevitable sequel, 1997's Speed 2, was a flop.

"I had nothing to do with Speed 2!" he says jokingly, adding, however, that the film about a runaway ocean liner did have serious problems with its basic premise.

First Fox nixed any storyline involving a boat sinking since Titanic was on its way. Secondly, he asks, how interesting is it to see a cruise ship that can't stop but is going only 10 knots an hour?

"I mean, I can almost walk at 10 knots. You're in the Caribbean, for God's sakes, just jump off the boat and wait till some guy from the nearest resort pushes out a raft with a mai tai on it!"

Simply put, Yost adds, there was no speed in Speed 2 and even the subtitle Cruise Control suggests automatic pilot.

"I just think that was ill-fated right from the beginning," he says. "Everything was wrong."

He also believes that audiences prefer to discover movies for themselves, whereas sequels generally appear as something approaching a civic duty.

Fox is also releasing Speed 2 on DVD separately and as part of a Collector's Pack paired with the first film.

What Keanu's been looking for

HOLLYWOOD star Keanu Reeves has eaten his way through some of Sydney's finest restaurants – but he still hasn't found the prize he is searching for.

The Matrix heartbreaker has approached Sydney restaurateurs in recent weeks looking for an elusive bottle of rare Grange Hermitage to take back with him to Los Angeles.

Reeves pleaded for help in his mission to track down the cherished vintage during a recent visit to the Leichhardt eatery Grappa.

And he has no shortage of willing helpers elsewhere – given that he has lived the life of a foodie since adopting the Harbour City as his second home.

Only a week ago, Reeves was spotted enjoying a coffee with a friend at Arte e Cucina, in the eastern suburbs celebrity haven of Double Bay.

It has been hard to miss the star of Speed and Point Break during his very own excellent adventure in Sydney.

He has enjoyed the view from Rose Bay eatery Catalina, sipped red at Wine Banc in Martin Place and bought pizza from Bar Italia in Leichhardt.

And he and Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburn have both regularly enjoyed the 14-course degustation menu at celebrated Sydney restaurant Tetsuya's.

On top of Tetsuya Wakuda's signature dish – tartare of tuna with fresh wasabi – Reeves enjoyed some of Australia's finest wines at the Kent St eatery.

He recently told the Jewish News that his all-time favourite food was Israeli cuisine – and he has regularly headed to Sababba in Bondi for a felafel fix.

But then Bondi has become his second home, with regular weekend forays to beachfront canteen Hugo's and occasional visits to Jackie's, Ravesi's, Sean's Panorama and Yulla.

The actor has avoided the celebrity haunt at Wooloomooloo Wharf but Reeves has tried virtually every top-class restaurant in Sydney's eastern suburbs and inner west.

Reeves has also tried the nosh at Bistro Moncur, Lucio's, Aria, Wine Banc, Golden Century, Buon Ricordo and Forty One.

Keanu's capers keep all the girls guessing

THE romance between Mosman real estate agent Elissa Krajcer and Matrix star Keanu Reeves seems to be continuing at a cracking pace after the couple first met at the Double Bay Noodle Bar several weeks ago (as I exclusively revealed in these pages some time back).

Recently they were spotted drinking together at the Hotel Cremorne – which is just around the corner from Krajcer's home where Reeves is thought to have had several sleepovers.

This weekend they were also expected to be dating again, much to the excitement of the young and attractive Krajcer's buddies who are breathlessly following their every move.

However Reeves appears to be keeping his options open, also wining and dining a mystery woman last Monday at Catalina and last Saturday over lunch at Double Bay munchateria, Arte e Cucina.

In fact, Reeves and his tattooed companion chose an outside table for a casual Saturday lunch, but as the word spread, it seemed every beautiful woman in Double Bay suddenly made a bee-line for the restaurant. (And there are quite a number of stunning women on manouevres in the exclusive shopping precinct on any given Saturday afternoon.)

Nevertheless, the couple took their time over the meal before roaring off on his motorbike parked nearby.

With so much delirium over Keanu, how ever will we manage when Brad Pitt – the sexiest man alive – lobs into town?

Stinger shines

LOGIE award winning actor Peter Phelps' star continues to shine. The Stingers hunk has recently scored a part in a tele-movie to be shot in LA at the end of the year which will be shown in the States.

It seems that, for many, he epitomises the all-Aussie bloke.

Ryan's roost

DESPITE his unceremonious fall from grace, former police commissioner Peter Ryan is still hell-bent on calling Sydney home – at least during some months of the year. Ryan and his family are keen to secure a bolthole on the lower North Shore, even if it is just a modest apartment, in order to spend more time here in the comfort of their own home.

Tales of a squatter

THAT flamboyant barrister Charles Waterstreet is currently hard at work on his third book for publisher Random House.

This follows the success of his first two autobiographical tomes, Precious Bodily Fluids and Repeating The Leaving.

The work in progress centres on the time he spent as a squatter in the home of the late Patrick White when the irascible author was living overseas.

Waterstreet was just 21 and "shacked up with a girlfriend" and didn't know White, who described the people who invaded his home as "scum".

It was only later that the two struck up a friendship, and 10 years before Waterstreet confessed to the author that he was the one who had been getting up to so much mischief in his bed.

"The book is something of a thriller," explained Waterstreet, who dutifully writes his chapters in the morning before hitting his chambers.

In the meantime, he has also received funding for the $8 million feature film When We Were Young.

Keanu Reeves Confirmed for Constantine?

Comic Book Resources reports that Keanu Reeves is set for the role of Constantine in Warner Bros.' "Hellblazer" adaptation...

I've had it confirmed that Keanu Reeves has finally signed on to play John Constantine in the upcoming "Hellblazer" film, as had been previously rumoured.

In the film Constantine is American and lives in a flat above a bowling alley. Of course. And the woman he teams up with to solve demonic crimes is the same girl he condemned to hell when he was younger.

Currently no Hellmobile. So that's a start.

Nicolas Cage was previously attached to star in the role before Tarsem walked away from the production.

Gold Coast the pits: Brad

THE word that Brad Pitt was under-whelmed, to put it nicely, by the Gold Coast seems to be something of an understatement.

And as Confidential reported yesterday, it is unlikely he will be escaping to shoot upcoming film The Fountain ・co-starring Cate Blanchett ・entirely in Sydney, as first rumoured.

There is no doubt Pitt is not enamoured with the high-rise retirement village atmosphere of the Gold Coast.

According to our impeccable Hollywood movie insider, Pitt actually said "the Gold Coast is a schlocky tourist area".

Choice words, Brad.

But the actor didn't stop there. His feeling was that the Coast is not exactly a place in which any actor would want to spend a length of time.

But before banana-benders start firing off e-mails in Confidential's direction, we should stress the Pittster and wife Jennifer Aniston are quite keen on another Queensland location.

"Brad, who was introduced to Cairns by Keanu Reeves, commented to the line producer that someone should build a studio in Cairns because it would be a goldmine," says our operative.

"Cairns is, according to Brad, 'international, great food, great ambience, and the locals leave you alone' ・because they are used to having visits from the biggest names in the world."

Funnily enough, this is exactly what the American producers of the film Scooby Doo felt about Cairns.

As Confidential reported last month, Scooby producers felt Queensland's Beattie Government was wasting money by sinking millions into sound stages on the Gold Coast when proposals to build similar structures further north in "far more desirable" locations were all but ignored.

"Another picture was thinking about Cairns or Thailand for the filming and since there are no indoor stages in Cairns we by default must go to Thailand," our source said at the time.

The Daily Telegraph

Aussies vie for Pitt, Aniston

A BATTLE is on between Sydney and the Gold Coast over the best location for Brad Pitt's new movie The Fountain.

The star of Ocean's Eleven and Fight Club has apparently decided he wants to film the bulk of the $US100 million ($A180 million) production at Sydney's Fox Studios rather than on the Gold Coast at the Warner Bros facility.

Australian film industry sources say Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Gellar and her boyfriend Freddy Prinze Jr may have influenced Pitt's decision because they were unhappy at the Gold Coast while filming Scooby-Doo.

Gellar and Prinze Jr snubbed the Australian premiere of Scooby-Doo at Movie World, reportedly because they couldn't stand autograph-hunting locals and the food at restaurants on the Gold Coast.

But one movie industry insider said it was more likely Pitt was influenced by another of his Hollywood friends, Keanu Reeves, who has filmed the Matrix sequels in the harbour city.

"Pitt is much closer to Reeves and that's more likely who he was influenced by," she said.

But Queensland Premier Peter Beattie predicts Pitt will want to say goodbye to Hollywood and move to the Gold Coast when he gets a taste of life on the tourist strip.

Mr Beattie today rejected claims that Pitt had refused to live in Queensland while making the new science-fiction thriller, labelling the reports a southern media beat-up.

"I'm surprised at the parochialism by the Sydney media," he said.

"When Brad Pitt arrives here and sees the Gold Coast he will want to move immediately here - he may even immigrate."

NSW Premier Bob Carr said today that negotiations with Fox and Warner Bros for The Fountain was "not a done deal" but an announcement was expected in August.

Pitt is expected to arrive in Australia in September.

Mr Carr also welcomed Pitt's wife, Jennifer Aniston.

"I would love to see the Pitts at Bondi Beach; having a picture taken with a koala at the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby on the central coast or taking in a Bangarra production at the Wharf," he said.

The Fountain, which also stars Cate Blanchett, is described by director and co-writer Darren Aronofsky as a "post Matrix metaphysical sci fi movie."

The plot is being kept under wraps but the director has said the film "pushes technology and science".

While Gellar and Prinze Jr were reportedly unhappy on the Gold Coast, their Scooby-Doo co-star Linda Cardellini denied the claims.

"I was surprised by what I read. It was news to me. They seem to be enjoying themselves," said Cardellini, who played Velma. "It was beautiful here."

Keanu scraps Dogstar tour to care for dying sister

Keanu Reeves has cancelled a Japanese tour with his rock group Dogstar so he can be by his sister's bedside as she battles leukemia.

The actor has been jetting back to Los Angeles from Sydney, Australia, where he's filming the Matrix sequels, but he's now put his career on hold as he fears his sister Kim is dying.

Reeves took it upon himself to raise his baby sister when his parents' marriage collapsed when he was just seven and they've always been close.

American tabloid the Globe claims Reeves scrapped a recent return to Australia to take his sister to France for innovative new cancer treatment instead.

One pal says, "Kim has told us, 'He has been a total rock, my guardian angel. Without him, I wouldn't have survived so long.'"

SPOTTED: Zoe Carides checking out Dog Trumpet at The Basement on Tuesday night . . . Rachel Ward watching her On The Beach co-star Steve Bastoni play Bill Sykes in the matinee session of Oliver! at Star City yesterday . . . Matrix star Keanu Reeves cruising Woollahra yesterday . . . Former NSW premier Barrie Unsworth on the L88 bus from the city to Avalon yesterday afternoon reading Sydney Confidential.

Keanu Reeves not Cage : Constantine

According to WB president-chief operating officer Alan Horn, Nicolas Cage is no longer involved in the "Constantine" film adaptation and Keanu Reeves is the favourite to now take the lead. "Constantine", based on the Hellblazer comic, is spawned from an adult-inked tale about a sneaky mystery solver named John Constantine. Horn confessed though that Reeve's superhero flick won't be the only one on offer at Warners in 2004, he confirms that both "Batman and Superman" as well as the long-awaited "Catwoman" flick are also unleashed.