YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN

O
;uch classic films as Midnight Cowboy,
Little Big Man, Straw Dogs and All the

President's Men.
Those films emerged from a period
ow considered a golden age of
erican filmmaking. Hoffman is
certainly proud of those films, as he is
f such later gems as Tootsie, Kramer
Vf ,Kramer and Rain Man.
Of course, they can't all be gems,
but he does believe the major
Hollywood studios had a higher bat-
ting average a couple of decades ago.
"Things have changed for the worse
in journalism and in film — and
probably for similar reasons. It all has
to do with money," he says.

-

• Italian-American Favorites
• Pasta Specialties
• Steaks
• Pizza
• Poultry
• Chops
• Seafood • Cocktails

" Quantity

— Dustin Hoffman

"Twenty years ago, when we did All
the President's Men, there was no hint
of what was first at the box office,
what was second, what was third.
Nobody cared. It wasn't publicized. It
wasn't the determining factor. It was
whether such and such was a good
movie."
(Th Today box-office rankings are rou-
tinely printed in newspapers and mag-
azines and reported on television.
Films open on 2,000 screens or more
and are yanked almost immediately if
they don't perform.
Hoffman prefers the way it used to
be, when word of mouth was a film-
maker's greatest marketing tool. "You
can't have word of mouth now because
'pictures are out of there in three
weeks," he says. "It's all sales. The
whole idea is to sell more.
"I think what's different now is the
word 'quality' has been flipped over.
Quantity means quality today. There's
that kind of 'Alice in Wonderland'
perversion. It's gotta be good because
it's No. 1. The manipulation is all to
get you to watch, to get you to buy,
but it has nothing to do with the
quality of it."
As for Mad City, Hoffman believes
the quality is there, in the old-fash-
ioned sense of the word. But if the
quantity of tickets sold isn't high
enough, it will be up to word of
mouth to rescue it on video.

A Ferndale Favorite Since 1961

Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday 11 a.rn. to 3:30 a.m.
Saturday 12 noon to 130 a,m.
Sunday 12 noon to 2 a.m,
Woodward at 9 Mile

g

(248) 548-5005

Tiiesday - Sunday • 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. •

fil

• Tray Catering

tlE

N
N
0

c c g

Our Specialty

BAS

• Dine In
• Carry-Out

Kiddie Menu
■ Lunch ■ Dinner ■ After-Theater ■
Lincoln Shopping Center • 10-1/2 Mile Road & Greenfield •

Breakfast

s°

Oak Pa rk • (248

means quality
today.".

"The Simone Vitale Band is an assurance of a great
evening... One of the hottest bands in town."

Danny Raskin, Jewish News

"Royal Oak band leader extraordinaire Simone Vitale..."

Bob Talbert. Detroit Free Press

• Weddings • Anniversaries
• Private/Corporate Parties • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs

Call Simone for the best personal service in town, with
an exciting night of dancing and fun at your party.

1

(

PRIVATE BANQUET FACILITIES FOR ALL OCCASIONe 1.1
▪r
r
BBQ CHICKEN

OFF PhaB2

1 If FOR 2
$2 OFF

WITH OR WITHOUT SKIN

SPECIALLY-TRIMMED RIBS

I ALL DINNERS INCLUDE: SALAD OR COLE
ALL DINNERS INCLUDE: SALAD OR COLE
SLAW, POTATOES AND GARLIC BREAD
SLAW, POTATOES AND GARLIC BREAD
Exp. 11-27-97 JN
GOOD 7 DAYS! • Exp. 11-27-97 JN GOOD 7 DAYS! ■

k
Brass Poi nte PY/•0-octs4/c"6

—IL

11/14

1997

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