THE THRILLING RETURN OF MOOSE & SQUIRREL

Sorry, but this column isn’t for Bullwinkle aficionados. I just wanted to mention that ever since I read the coverage of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s appearance at the recent WonderCon in San Francisco, I’ve been very excited about the return of “The X-Files” to the big screen (if you watched the show, you know that Duchovny’s character Fox Mulder once referred to himself and Agent Scully as Moose And Squirrel).

During its 9 season run, “The X-Files” was my favorite show. I really enjoyed piecing together the clues to understanding the conspiracy that executive producer Chris Carter created, and the humorous give and take between Mulder and Scully made them my favorite TV couple. So while I also appreciated the sci-fi and horror plots, the most memorable moments of the show for me were between Mulder and Scully, such as when Mulder showed Scully how to hit a baseball in the episode, “The Unnatural,” or when the pair took a turn on the dance floor to the music of Cher in “The Post-Modern Prometheus.”

So of course, as a fan, I especially enjoyed attending the junket for 1998’s “The X-Files: Fight The Future.” Not only did I get to see the movie early, it was my first chance to meet the stars (and to get them to autograph a keepsake for me, a Cinefantastique with Mulder and Scully on the cover). But my favorite moment came as Chris Carter was leaving our table after our fifteen minutes with him. I said, “So the reason that bee got stuck in Scully’s collar was because of the alien implant in her neck, right?” While Chris didn’t give me a direct answer, he did smile, so I knew I was right. And just like that, all the pieces of the conspiracy that was the backbone of “The X-Files” fell into place.

Ever since, every time I’ve had a chance to interview David Duchovny, I’ve brought along a piece of “X-Files” memorabilia to autograph, and he’s always signed it gladly. Unfortunately, I haven’t interviewed Gillian Anderson since, as she’s mostly been working in England in recent years.

I do have one worry about the “X-Files” sequel though. Chris Carter has promised to make the movie very scary. How am I supposed to enjoy the reunion of two of my favorite characters while I’m hiding my eyes?

WHOS ON FIRST

I don’t like covering press conferences. You don’t get to use your own microphones like you do at a roundtable. Instead, because I’m covering for radio, I have to sit in the very back of the room so I can plug in a cable from a mult box (called that because it has outlets for multiple tapers to plug in and get audio from the studio supplied mikes) to my DAT recorder. Also, because press conferences mix together radio journalists with print and online writers who don’t have to worry about sound quality, there is often laughter or coughing right in the middle of that good sound bite you might want to use.

Still, that didn’t stop me from getting up at 7:15 on Sunday morning in order to make it to the Four Seasons for, yes, a press conference! But then not every press conference teams up two of the funniest men in America, Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, who were promoting the CGI animated “Horton Hears A Who.”

And while they might not have been that hilarious, they did say some interesting things. Jim, who’s now been a part of two Dr. Seuss tales onscreen (he also played the Grinch in “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”), said he was always a fan of odd things as a child and so naturally  loved all things Seuss. He also told us his passion for comedy came about because his father was a funny guy and he wanted to be more like his dad.

I’ve heard a lot of actors  say that voiceover work for an animated film is  easy because it doesn’t take as long as making a live action movie and you can wear whatever you want to each taping session. Jim and Steve disagree though, insisting it is hard work because there’s so much more you have to imagine. You have to take a big leap of faith that each scene will turn out all right once the animators do their work.

Probably the most interesting moment of the press conference came when Steve talked about how he never thought he’d ever be in movies, but thanks to his first big movie role in Jim’s “Bruce Almighty,” he now has a film career.

The session ended with questions about the stars’ big upcoming projects. Steve said he’d never thought he’d get to be an action star, but he’s getting the chance in “Get Smart.” Meanwhile, Jim is in the midst of filming “A Christmas Carol” for director Robert Zemeckis, which is a big challenge because they’re using the motion capture process Zemeckis used for “Polar Express” and “Beowulf.” Jim said you have to create a whole world in your head. He’s paying special attention to getting right the various English accents he’s using for the multiple characters he’s playing in the film. He also said he related to the story of “A Christmas Carol,” as he himself had a “Christmas Carol” type moment that helped put him on the right track a few years ago, although he refused to get more specific.

A REAL ANGEL

Spent a bit of Wednesday at a hotel across from the Beverly Center called the Sofitel, the first time I’ve ever been to a press day there (and given the quality of their brownies, I hope it won’t be the last!). I was there to attend the roundtable interviews for a new film from Warner Independent Pictures called “Snow Angels.” The movie was a serious look at how an estranged couple’s personal problems spin out of control in a small town setting, featuring standout performances from Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. And while we got to interview the young up and coming actors Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby, director David Gordon Green, and Stewart O’Nan, the the novelist who wrote the book the film is based on, the real draw was the chance to talk to Kate.

Although she is one of the most beautiful actresses working today, Kate seems very down to earth. Strangely, she grew up thinking of herself as overweight, a problem I hope she’s left behind these days. Another funny tidbit about her life is that she has never learned to drive. Living here in L.A., she may be the only one…

Kate insists she has never had a plan when it comes to her career. She explained that she started out playing fragile women in her early British films and only recently took on a mantle of toughness thanks to her work in “Underworld.” Like many actors I’ve interviewed, she says she just tries to take parts that scare her.

And speaking of being scared, Kate says she loves having a fanbase of teen boys thanks to her sci-fi work. She says they’re no bother at all, as they tend to be too scared to talk to her. They just mumble something and run away. Fortunately, I didn’t have that problem during the interview…

SWEET CHARITY

Should I feel bad that one of my favorite jobs in Hollywood came about because of a horrible disaster? Possibly, but I still look back fondly on the week I worked as the researcher for “Tsunami Aid: A Concert Of Hope.” The show, broadcast live on January 15th, 2005, raised money for survivors of the deadly 2004 earthquake/tsunami that devastated parts of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

My job entailed things like making sure the on-air celebrities said all the names of the foreign cities affected correctly (which I did by calling embassies and even ethnic restaurants), tracking down satellite photos of flooded areas and making sure there were no factual mistakes in the script.

One of the highlights for me was getting to talk to one of my favorite TV personalities, Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s “Hardball.” Chris was going to interview the head of the American Red Cross on the show and it was my job to brief him about the relief efforts over the phone. Chris seemed intent on making sure the money was going straight to the cause and asked tough questions during the telethon. He was definitely determined to keep being a journalist even while trying to raise money during a telethon.

It was also fun getting to spend some time with George Clooney, who helped put the show together. Two days before the program aired, George came into the writers’ room, sat down on the floor (he was suffering from a bad back at the time) and proceeded to entertain us for an hour with the history of his frequent disagreements with Bill O’Reilly and how they came to a truce that meant Bill would appear on “Tsunami Aid.” To Bill’s credit, once he was convinced the money raised would be going straight to relief efforts, he signed on immediately.

I also came into contact with George when I was assigned to write a fact sheet about the tsunami crisis that was handed to the celebrities working the phone bank so they would have the facts at their fingertips. It took three passes before George approved the page. Now I know some of my female readers might have put in mistakes on purpose just to have an excuse to go see George one more time, but I assure you, I just wanted to get it right and get it done!

The night of the show itself was amazing. It seemed like George had recruited every star in Hollywood and they had all shown up for the cause. The L.A. part of the program was broadcast from a soundstage at Universal Studios, and right before the show started, all the celebs crossed from one soundstage that had been set up as a lounge/green room over to the broadcast stage. Now I may have seen every actor and actress in Hollywood at one time or another, but I have never seen a parade of them like this! It was an amazing sight.

I spent most of the show standing near the celebrity filled phone bank. One of the friends I was hanging out with knew Jamie Foxx, so I had a chance to meet him before he took a stint at the phones. I also saw Vin Diesel and told him he was right about how easy it was to keep your head shaved (at a junket, I told him I was thinking about shaving my head and he said it was very simple and easy, which was one of the reasons I ended up shaving my head for the first time a few weeks later).

After the show, there were food and drinks available, so a lot of the stars hung out and chatted. I had grabbed a promotional poster that I wanted George Clooney to sign, but he was deep in conversation with his friend Don Cheadle and I didn’t want to interrupt him. While I was waiting, a publicist came up and asked me if I wanted her client Kenny Chesney to sign the poster. I didn’t, figuring I had worked with George and that was enough, but of course I said yes. Hard to believe Kenny had time to wander around, as that was the night he met Renee Zelwegger, his future (if not for long) bride.

I also spent a pleasant ten minutes talking to one of the nicest guys in show business, actor Jim Caviezel. I had once interviewed him in New York for the movie “Frequency” and when I was later leaving for the airport, he introduced himself to me in the hotel lobby. At the concert, he was standing alone for a moment, so I thought I’d return the favor and say hello.

One of my friends in Pennsylvania always asks me why I don’t hobnob with the stars. I think that night was probably the closest I’ve ever come, all for a good cause.

SWAGTASTIC

One of the perks of covering junkets is the free stuff we get. Not just the free food for breakfast or lunch, but actual gifts.

The most frequent gifts are clothing. I’ve gotten T-shirts, caps, jackets and even a robe or two decorated with movie logos. My closets are full of this stuff. I still take along a sweatshirt from “Golden Eye” or “As Good As It Gets” if I’m headed back east during the winter, and I still wear my watch from “The X-Files” movie. One movie, “The Clearing” starring Robert Redford, awarded us with sneakers.

Another popular gift are carryall bags. I’ve got duffel bags, gym bags and backpacks. Every summer I grab my “Lake Placid” backpack to use to carry books around the San Diego Comic-Con.

There have also been some unusual gifts. One was a custom made bowling ball for the comedy “Kingpin.” Because I rarely go bowling, I passed on that one. There was also a “Charlie’s Angels” beach chair and even an actual cell phone designed for “The Matrix Reloaded.” More recently, we got a pregnancy test with the logo for “Juno” on it!

Now some people give these promotional items to charity or blow out the gifts at an annual garage sale. They might also put them up on E-Bay, although that may be why the movie companies have cut back on junket swag. You never know what people will want. We once got a wooden box with the logo of Mel Gibson’s “The Patriot” on it. Someone I know sold it for $ 700 to a fan who lived near where the movie was made and wanted a souvenir of the film.

Now every so often, someone will do an article or say on a TV show that swag will buy a good review. I don’t think that’s true. If you see someone recommend a terrible movie in an ad blurb, it’s more likely they just like to see their name in the paper. Although the carrot cake at the Four Seasons is pretty good…

THAT’S NOT SO HOT

Saturday should have been one of the most packed days in junket history with roundtable interviews for five different movies… at least until interviews for “The Accidental Husband” were canceled (the movie will now be released this summer) and Colin Farrell cut back on his interviews for “In Bruges” after attending a memorial service earlier in the day. Since I had already decided to skip covering “Step Up 2,” that left just “The Spiderwick Chronicles” and “The Hottie And The Nottie.” Of course, the packed schedule meant we didn’t get to the main event until 6:30 at night.

I don’t have much to say about “Hottie” star Paris Hilton because she didn’t really say that much. She was paired with co-star Christine Lakin, which cut down on the questions for Paris. Here’s what I learned about Miss Hilton:

1.   She’s always wanted to be an actress.

2.   She loves doing comedy, especially after doing five seasons of “The Simple Life”

3.   She always forces her boyfriends to see romantic comedies.

4.   She’s looking forward to celebrating her birthday at Las Vegas clubs Pure and LAX in two weeks and will be making an appearance with the Pussycat Dolls to mark the occasion.

The strange thing was when the interview was over, Paris stood up but didn’t leave the room. It seemed like she was waiting for something. Perhaps she wanted to give us time to ask her for an autograph or take a picture, but it didn’t happen, so she thanked us and left.

Much more interesting to talk to was Nick Nolte promoting “The Spiderwick Chronicles.” He may have jumped from subject to subject in a haphazard manner, but I found myself agreeing with his take on politics (he believes there haven’t been huge protests against the Iraq War due to the lack of a draft) and sympathized with his tales of growing up in a small town where his best friends were the snakes he found in the woods. Also enjoyable were Nick’s young co-stars, humble soccer fan Freddie Highmore and energetic Dubliner Sarah Bolger.

THE TOP TEN WORKING VACATIONS

Back in the nineties, I used to fly to New York for junkets once or twice a month. But eventually the major studios decided it wasn’t worth their money to fly radio journalists across the country. It was a big perk while it lasted, especially since I often took the train down to Pennsylvania to visit my folks after a junket weekend.

Since going to New York was such a common occurrence, it wasn’t all that exciting (even if I did enjoy expensive hotel meals on my per diem). But every so often, we were flown to some other exciting destination. Perhaps a star was filming a movie in a certain city and couldn’t take the time to fly to New York or L.A. to do press or the movie we were covering took place in an exotic locale the movie company wanted to show off. It meant that I got to go to some places that I’d never been but had always wanted to visit. So here are my Top Ten Flyaway Junkets (and keep in mind, if I was a TV reporter, I’m sure I would have Jamaica on this list for “Pirates of The Caribbean 2″!):

1. “50 First Dates/”The Big Bounce”: Four nights at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki, complete with a big per diem to pay for meals and many, many pina coladas.

2. “Skeleton Key”: Over the years, I’ve read a lot of books that took place in New Orleans, so many that it became the one place in the world I wanted to see most. Well, Universal made my wish come true, complete with meals at some of the city’s most famous restaurants and a room at the Ritz Carlton just two blocks away from legendary Bourbon Street. As it turned out, we were there just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina, and I’m thankful I got to see the city in a way it may never be again.

3. “Legally Blonde 2″: MGM took us to Jolly Ol’ England for this junket. The only problem was we had to see the movie right after we landed in London, still dead tired from the trip. But why complain when I found the time to visit such landmarks as Buckingham Palace, Abbey Road, Notting Hill and Harrods, which is truly the most amazing store I have ever seen.

4. “Bad Boys II”: Off to Miami for this Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer spectacular, where we stayed at the beautiful waterfront Mandarin Oriental Hotel ($ 700 a room!) and hit some famous Miami Beach nightclubs. I knew we were at a good club when one of the Bad Boys, Martin Lawrence, showed up…

5. “Brother Bear”: Another trip to Florida, this time to Walt Disney World in Orlando. Spent a day exploring Epcot and the Disney/MGM Studios, plus had a fun night at Pleasure Island. All that and the chance to interview Phil Collins and get him to sign a few of his CD’s!

6. “Marvin’s Room”/”Mother”: I once visited Rush Street when I was in Chicago for the junket for John Travolta’s “Phenomena” and was unimpressed at what was supposed to be a wild place. Well, it turns out 6th Street in Austin, Texas was everything I imagined Rush Street would be. With 10 or more clubs on every block, I was amazed by the quantity and quality of live music that was available. All that and the best barbeque I’ve ever tasted!

7 . “The Alamo”: Speaking of barbeque, San Antonio is no slouch in that department. Oh yes, I’ll remember “The Alamo” since it gave me the chance to explore the amazing River Walk, full of restaurants and cool clubs. Plus it was pretty cool to see the movie and then walk over to the actual Alamo!

8. “Finding Nemo”: Yes, I’d been to San Francisco before (although I certainly hadn’t been staying at the Four Seasons!). But what made this trip memorable wasn’t the time spent in the city, but a tour of Pixar Studios in nearby Emeryville.

9. “Hart’s War”: I love going to Las Vegas, but this trip was special because the junket was on Super Bowl weekend. Plus I went a day early and got to enjoy a performance by Bruce Willis and his band at Studio 54. Honorable mention in this category goes to “Rugrats In Paris,” which was the first time I stayed at Paris Las Vegas…

10. “Sideways”: True, I had a bad cold during this junket, but that didn’t stop me from appreciating the beautiful beachside Bacara resort in Santa Barbara. Wow! So classy I felt like Oprah (or at least her friend Gayle…)!

CHEMISTRY LESSON

Due to the rain in L.A. this morning, it took me an hour and ten minutes to make it to Santa Monica for the “Fool’s Gold” junket. In fact, I almost turned around, thinking I wouldn’t get there in time. Fortunately, the traffic thinned out the closer I got to my destination and I arrived in plenty of time to not only set up my taping gear but grab some breakfast.

Held at the beautiful beachfront hotel Casa Del Mar, our room had a view of the ocean right outside. Our first interview was the star team of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey and I was worried staring out at the waves might make Matt tear his shirt off, but that never happened. In reality, Matt was pretty laid back, smiling at Kate’s lively, laughing demeanor. The pair are obviously good friends and say whatever chemistry they show on screen was there from the moment they met.

Of course, we couldn’t let the interview end without touching on Matthew’s big news, his impending fatherhood. Matt admitted that he always wanted to be a dad and that he was just waiting for the right woman to come along. He did promise that he wouldn’t be changing his athletic ways, continuing to scuba dive and doing his own movie stunts whenever possible. That led Kate to reveal that motherhood has made her more of a daredevil because she wouldn’t want to teach her son to be fearful of trying new things.

But the highlight of the day was talking to Donald Sutherland, a classy and contemplative guy who plays a rich yacht owner in the film. Naturally someone asked him how his son Kiefer was doing. It turns out Donald had dinner with Kiefer just last night and told us Kiefer came out of jail focused on making the new season of “24″ the best ever (once the WGA strike is over, of course). That’s music to the ears of this “24″ fan.

Donald is also rooting for Julie Christie, his co-star in 1973’s “Don’t Look Now,” to win this year’s Best Actress Oscar. He also insisted he’s a klutz and that while he often plays wealthy people, doesn’t feel like he’s one of them. He says the rich never have to look at a bill and he certainly does.

CAN’T STOP THE BEAT

Just watched “Hairspray” on DVD. I highly recommend it. Every song is catchy and stands on it’s own. I also commend director Adam Shankman for his recreation of the streets of Baltimore. Although the movie filmed in Los Angeles and Toronto, it certainly looked like the city I visit twice a year!

HEATH LEDGER

I interviewed Heath Ledger four times from 2000 to 2005 and he never seemed like he changed. He always talked about how close he was to his friends from before he was a successful actor and how he liked to drive around the backroads of Australia when he wanted to get away from it all.

We don’t know enough about his death yet to psychoanalyze what happened. I will say I look forward to his appearance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” this summer. Heath played many dark, troubled characters over the years and hopefully this will be one of his best performances, helping to remind us what we’ve lost today.