Hollywood Babble On

'Brian' bombs with churches, booms at box offices

It takes either an ecumenical council or a satirical. travesty like Monty Python's already infamous flick "The Life of Brian" to unify the many denominational religious groups, both here and abroad. Even with the case of an ecumenical council, churches fought amongst themselves, but "Brian" has brought out a unanimous thumbs-down from Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, Episcopalians ad infinitum.

The Catholic Conference's Office for Film and Broadcasting slapped its condemned (morally objectionable in toto) rating on the film, labeling it "blasphemous, insensitive, intolerable," and "especially disturbing that not one, but two major (film) companies are involved" in the film.

The Warner Bros.-Orion production has been attacked as a "crude and rude mockery, (in) colossal bad taste, (a) profane parody... and grossly offensive," by Robert Lee of the Lutheran Council, who

by Larry Vitacco

goes on to say that sans scruples, morals and conscience, "Brian" is "brilliant, highly comic and entertaining" but "one cannot really countenance or approve the ridiculing" of the life of Jesus Christ. Lee also commented on the portrayal of Brian's mother (by one Mr. Terry Jones, who also directed) as "gross ... a drag madonna."

"Heretical" is the Rabbinical Alliance of America's term for "Brian," and "a vicious attack upon Judaism and the Bible, and a cruel mockery of the religious feelings of Christians as well."

And through it all, Warner Bros. has put out a statement "regretting" any offense "Brian" may have prompted. Thus far Warners and Orion have regrets totaling more than $700,000 in just 18 days after the movie's release in a mere five theaters in N.Y.C., L.A. and Canada.

John Wayne brought back to life in the courts

What do you do after a beloved, respected and world-famous star like, say, John Wayne is dead and buried? Why, you fight like hell for the film rights to his life story. In the California courts it's ABC and the Duke's survivors vs. CBS and Warner Bros. for the sole right to make a movie based on the life and career of the late Wayne.

A spokesperson in the ABC/Wayne ring has stated

they will stop at nothing to "do everything we can do legally and prudently to stop any unauthorized biography" of Wayne's life. Undaunted and full of legal security, the CBS/Warners ring has already started production on their Wayne pic, based on a Maurice Zolotow biog called Shooting Star, published a few years ago. Dead or alive, CBS intends to keep its exclusive two-year pact with "the Duke."

Disney's new breed of producers go PG

The young adults who were caught up in the turbulent social turmoils of the '60s have tumbled into executive positions in the Disney Studios of the '70s; now, for the first time in that studio's history, PGrated movies will be unfurled under the famous Walt Disney banner. The next two movies from the Disney stable, "The Black Hole" and "Midnight Madness,"

will both sport parental guidance ratings. The former, a $20 million science fiction yarn, will include "some violence that may be inappropriate for younger kids," while the latter, a college comedy in the same vein as "Animal House," will contain "a couple of swear words" as well as characters with names like "Armpit," "Blade" and "Barf."

Village People find a replacement; Hodo speaks

Casablanca's singing group the Village People has been (unfortunately) saved from extinction by the arrival of one-time Warner Bros, recording artist Ray Simpson, who has taken over lead chortling chores for Victor Willis, who recently quit the group for a solo career. Now we can all either sigh relief or gag revulsion.

The group's "construction worker" singing cartoon, David "Scar" Hodo, has said (ripping his shirt for emphasis) that "macho is not a dirty word!" In a recent interview with Miss Rona, Hodo tells of an "unusual experience" when a male fan in Texas ("We have a large gay following, you know") kissed him on stage. Recalled Hodo:: "... it was frightening at the time, because I didn't know what this person was going to do (ah, come on, "Scar," not even a hint?). It was totally a strange experience."

David Hodo

John Travolta

Hodo confessed "I was never a heavy, macho, masculine experience, so the whole time (after the group got together) I was thinking, 'How am I going to pull this (his career as a V.P.) off?" ".

Talking for the group, Hodo revealed "We don't like calling people gay or straight. It's an unnecessary term"-and also a very diplomatic way of evading the issues. But he did quite frankly state "When we recorded 'Macho Man' I came home and said, 'There goes my recording career! We just recorded the worst song!'" A truer sentence was never spoken.

The V.P.'s next LP is titled "Low and Sleazy." It's a two-record set, one disc recorded live in L.A. with Victor Willis and the other disc cut in the studio with Ray Simpson. It'll be in the stores and undoubtedly up on the charts sooner than you think.

Tid Bits: Paul McCartney plans to star in a movie version of "Band On the Run," a film based largely on his, own life. John Travolta has said that if his next movie, "Urban Cowboy,' is a flop, he's going to give up his career as an actor. "I can't survive another flop like 'Moment By Moment.'" That's telling 'em, Johnny; there's nothing like a very little) self-confidence to rally the old self-preservation spirit... An off-Broadway play, "Goodnight, Gracie," tells the tale of three pot-smoking buddies getting ready for their 10th high school reunion. So what, you say? Well, the cast goes through an ounce of genuine marijuana during each performance: The play's due for a limited run... Steve McQueen has reportedly turned down $10 million to star in the movie version of the best-selling novel Tai Pan. Only he could tell you why.

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GAY NEWS Sept. 21, 1979AD

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