America's fairly recent infatuation with lists - particularly celebrity lists - is really getting out of hand.
Periodically various magazines feel the need to publish their own versions of everything from the most popular celebrity hunks to the richest celebrities. Us magazine comes up with a new celebrity list every other issue, or so it seems. And some lists are obviously aimed more at Hollywood insiders.For example. . . .
- THE 100 MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN HOLLYWOOD
Premiere Magazine's May issue features this category, power being defined as "more than green-lighting projects or grossing big at the box office . . . the influence they wield over others through respect, admiration or fear."
Among them:
-No. 1 is Michael Ovitz, an agent who has put together such projects as the two "Ghostbusters" films, "Twins," "Out of Africa" and "Rain Man."
-No. 2 is Lew Wasserman, head of MCA, which owns Universal Pictures and other enterprises, and he is closely followed by Disney's CEO Michael Eisner, Paramount's boss Barry Diller and Time-Warner chairman Steve Ross.
-But farther down the list, after several other studio honchos, is the first name the general public would likely recognize, Steven Spielberg, at No. 12. And soon we come to the power stars, like Tom Cruise (15), Eddie Murphy (17), Arnold Schwarzenegger (20), Sylvester Stallone (34), Jack Nicholson (36) and Robert Redford (40).
- 1990's 10 SEXIEST BACHELORS
Us magazine's "Dream Team" in the April 16 issue featured:
-Alec Baldwin, star of "The Hunt for Red October" and "Miami Blues."
-Gregg Rainwater, of TV's "The Young Riders."
-Kiefer Sutherland, of the upcoming "Young Guns II," among others.
-John F. Kennedy Jr., New York City assistant district attorney.
-Keanu Reeves, Ted of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," among others.
-John Stamos, of TV's "Full House."
-Bobby Brown, singer.
-Richard Grieco, of TV's "Booker."
-Tom Cruise, of the upcoming "Days of Thunder."
-Matt Dillon, of the recent "Drugstore Cowboy."
- SCREEN GEMS
Us magazine also offered "a new generation of goddesses . . . bringing glamor back to Hollywood" in its April 2 issue:
-Daryl Hannah, star of "Crazy People," "Roxanne" and "Splash."
-Michelle Pfeiffer, star of "The Fabulous Baker Boys."
-Julia Roberts, star of "Steel Magnolias" and "Pretty Woman."
-Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, of "Scandal."
-Kim Basinger, of "Batman."
-Laura San Giacomo, of "sex, lies and videotape" and "Pretty Woman."
-Melanie Griffith, of "Working Girl."
-Lena Olin, of "Enemies, A Love Story" and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."
-Andie MacDowell, of "sex, lies and videotape."
- BAROMETER STAR POLL
This is an annual survey of theater owners from around the country, asked who the hottest box office attractions were during the previous year, published by the trade magazine Boxoffice in its March issue:
-Tom Cruise was the No. 1 male star for the second year in a row, followed by Jack Nicholson, Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner.
-Michelle Pfeiffer was the No. 1 female star, followed by Kathleen Turner, Meg Ryan and Sally Field.
-Most Promising New Attractions were Robert Sean Leonard, the doomed young student in "Dead Poets Society," and Lolita Davidovich, who had the title role in "Blaze."
- "IN" AND "OUT"
Us magazine's Feb. 5 issue tried to help its readers know, just in case we couldn't figure it out for ourselves, who we should and shouldn't care about:
-Among the "ins" were: Janet Jackson, Sean Connery, Andie MacDowall, Matthew Broderick, Ellen Barkin, TV's "The Simpsons," Kim Basinger, Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, Daryl Hannah, Matt Dillon, Prince, Al Pacino, Winona Ryder, Tom Cruise, Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta. . . .
-Among the "outs" were: Sean Young, Cybill Shepherd, Kelly McGillis, Kevin Bacon, James Woods, Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, Lisa Bonet, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Selleck, Roseanne Barr, Jessica Lange, Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis. . . .
-And with some farsightedness two months before megastardom was achieved, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" were declared "in."
Cher had the distinction of being both "in" and "out."
- THE OSCARS OF ALL TIME
Orbit Video magazine, in its April issue, published the results of a poll that asked readers to name the best actor, actress, movie and director of all time:
-The top actor was Jack Nicholson. The next four were Laurence Olivier, Dustin Hoffman, John Wayne and Spencer Tracy.
-The top actress was Katharine Hepburn. No. 2 was Bette Davis, followed by Meryl Streep, Ingrid Bergman and Shirley MacLaine.
-The top movie was "Gone With the Wind." Next was "Casablanca," then "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," "Star Wars" and "The Godfather."
-The top director was Steven Spielberg. Alfred Hitchcock was No. 2, followed by John Huston, Woody Allen and Frank Capra.
-Additional categories included "Male Heartthrobs," led by Paul Newman, and "Femme Fatales," led by Marilyn Monroe.
- GREAT MOVIE MUNCHIES
In the same issue, Orbit Video published a list of the top moviegoing edible favorites, based on "movie munchie (appropriateness), share factor and entertainment value":
-No. 1 was popcorn, followed by Sno-Caps, Twizzlers, M&M's and (generic) soft drinks.
-Runners-up were Jujubes, Whoppers, ice cream, Snickers, Good 'n' Plenty, Chunky, Reese's Pieces, peanuts, Milk Duds, nachos, Red Hots, Milky Way, Goobers, Butterfingers, Raisinets and Nestle's Crunch.
Whatever happened to Abba-Zabba and ice cream Bon-Bons?
(BU) WHILE WE'RE IN A list mood, how about Disney's "The Little Mermaid" as the new record-holder for the largest first release gross in the history of animated films. It happend in the picture's eighth week of release.
Interestingly enough, the previous record-holder was another recent Disney release, "Oliver & Company."
In Variety's top 100 moneymakers of all time there are five animated features - all Disney classics whose earnings are from both an initial release and subsequent reissues on Disney's seven-year theatrical cycle:
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," at No. 41, followed by "Bambi" (72), "Cinderella" (90), "Lady and the Tramp" (96) and "The Jungle Book" (100).
Live-action/animation combinations were in the top 100 as well, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" at No. 21 and "Mary Poppins" at No. 76.
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Christopher Reeve, quoted in the April 16 issue of Us magazine talking about his most famous four-film characterization:
"I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't tired of it. A lot of good came out of `Superman,' and I don't sneeze at that. I just think it should be in its rightful place. I've got other things to do with my life.
"You can't have a `Superman' with love handles sticking out of his yellow belt. That just doesn't look right."