Showing Out

Hollywood’s A-list were out in force at this year’s ShoWest – the annual shindig for the film industry in Las Vegas where studios parade their wares in a multi-million dollar preening event. With so much at stake, in particular the all-important ‘buzz’ that the event generates on certain movies, it’s crucial to put on a good show. This year’s winner, unaminously agreed by press and industry alike was Sony Pictures. Conventioneers declared themselves dazzled by the megastar line-up who turned up to promote the studio’s 2000 slate. The list of stars, flown in by the studio in nine jets purely for the morning’s event, included all the gals from Charlie’s Angels (Barrymore, Diaz and Liu), Arnold Schwarzenegger and Matt Damon, not to mention Sandra Bullock, Salma Hayek, Kim Basinger, Eva Marie Saint and Billy Bob Thornton. Mel Gibson, who was in Vegas to promote his upcoming blockbuster The Patriot, remarked that the production has been ‘the most fun I’ve had standing up.’ Click ,a href=http://www.sonypictures2000.com/assets/media/pt_clip3.mov>here to see a behind-the-scenes take on the film. Having slightly less fun was Muhammed Ali, who when asked about the prospect of being potrayed on screen by Will Smith snarled, ‘It’s impossible to look like me.’ Each year ShoWest hands out awards to the stars it considers have made the most impact this year or have the most potential. Jim Carrey – whose performance in Man on the Moon has been snubbed by most of this year’s award ceremonies – won Best Actor, while Anthony Minghella scooped the gong for Best Director. Among the up and coming were Hilary Swank who received the Female Star of Tomorrow accolad and Michael Clarke Duncan who won the award for his performance in The Green Mile.