4 - The Michigan Daily - Weekend etc. - Thursday, March 3, 1994 A player's view of La-La land University alum shares inside view of Hollywood Robert Altman's "The Player" poisoned many of our perceptions of Hollywood. Corrupt studio execs, phony stars and desperate directors are shown as dominating the industry. PeterBenedek, a University alum and founder of United Talent Agency, contradicts the La-La land myth of greed and superficiality. His agency represents such people as Brian DePalma, Joe Montegna and Laurence Kasdan. Daily film staffer Michael Barnes recently had an opportunity to speak to a Player with class. Daily: Could you briefly tell us about your background? Peter Benedek: I graduated from the U. in 1970. I went to Columbia Law School and graduated from there in 1973 andIcameouttoLosAngeles and worked for a variety of law firms until 1986. I started an agency with a partner in 1986 called Buar Benedek that ultimately ended up being United Talent. D: What is the greatest difficulty you face in your job'? PB: Getting clients jobs. I find people work, work they enjoy ... while at the same time, keep people's careers moving on an upward arc. D: You deal with-- PB: Writers and directors, a few actors. D: Your advice to young filmmakers? PB: Making films is the most important thing. Then get as many people as possible to see them. D: Through film festivals such as Sundance? PB: Yes, absolutely. D: Your advice to young actors? PB: Go to a major metropolitan area where there is work and basically, try to do good work with good people. D: How receptive is Holly wood to new talent? PB: Very. Every year you see new directors coming out of Sundance. The town is hungry for them and they get work. I think it is hard, but I think you can break in. D: Do you view film more as a form of artistic expression or more as an economic medium? PB: I view it as both. Iam involved in both aspects. I am a business man and I am involved with people who are artists. It is called show business, and I am involved in the show and the business. D: The studios used to rule Holly- wood back in the old days. Who does now? PB: It depends on the project and the people involved. The artists have more control now. The agents represent the artists who have more ability to do things now then they used to. Big movie stars can really get stuff done if they want to. If Tom Cruise wants to do a movie, it gets made. On the other hand, if Sidney Pollak wants to do a movie too, it gets made. I believe the medium, by and large, is director-driven. The movie William Golden once said "no one knows anything" which, to some extent, is true. There is something about movie stars though that excites people, and I think you have to recognize that. -Peter Benedek Hollywood Player stars want to work with big directors. D: What is your response to the charge that the "star system"- the need to put Bruce Willis in a movie as opposed to someone that can really act-deteriorates the quality of films? PB: There is a full plate of movies out there. There are movies for people that are interested in movie stars. If you want to see "The Pelican Brief," you can see "The Pelican Brief." On the other hand, if you're interested in "The Wedding Banquet," you can see it. People tend to buy movie tickets to see Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. People also buy tickets to see "Shadowlands." William Golden once said "no one knows anything," which, to some extent, is true. There is something about movie stars though that excites people, and I think you have to recognize that. D: What is your greatest "Player- "esque story? PB: I would really not be able to come up with that off the top of my head. D: No sensationalism here then? PB: I'mjust not good at that. There was a lot of stuff in "The Player" that was a movie and a lot of stuff that was true. I think it was a terrific movie. D: There have been some exceptional movies released this past year: "Schindler's List,' "Short Cuts," "The Remains of the Day," etc. Is this a long term growth or were we just lucky? PB: What happened in the last six months is good for people who like good movies. There are more movies being made then ever before, so there is a wider diversity. You'll see the studio starting classics divisions. You'll see Miramax turning out movies for Disney. I think there is more money for those small movies then there was, say, three or five years ago. On the otherhand, the studios are more star-driven then ever, so you'll probably see more small movies and big movies, and the things that will suffer are the movies in the middle. D: With the battle over Paramount and the so-called, "Information Highway" of fiber optics technologically feasible, what lurks in the future for the entertainment industry? PB: I think we are in the middle of a revolution,.Ireally do. The evolution of technology is causing this. In my professional lifetime, the video business started and its end is foreseeable. It's going to be replaced by video-on-demand in the home. I don't know what people are going to be doing with 500 channels though. A year ago, there wasn't an ESPN2, which I want to have. I have a satellite dish on my roof which I use to watch college basketball. D: Your predictions for the Fab Four in March this year? PB: I hope the rest of the season they play as well as they did at Purdue last week. I think it is absolutely possible for them to make it to Charlotte. J 1 MADAMA BUTTERFLY" GN' ,} 4."4 Under the auspices of the University Musical Society, the New York City Opera National Company returns to Ann Arbor with a performance of Giacomo Puccini's tragic "Madama Butterfly." The story traces Butterfly, a 15-year-old Japanese girl, and her marriage to an American Naval Lieutenant, Benjamin Pinkerton. Almost immediately after they are married, Pinkerton leaves Butterfly and goes back to America, in which time Butterfly has a child and Pinkerton remarries. Butterfly's unwavering devotion to her hiusband has moved opera audiences for centuries, and has of late pissed off feminists because of its portrayal of women. (Hmm ... sounds like "Miss Saigon" to us.) But it's a good cry nonetheless. And even if you're not an opera aficionado, you'll warm up instantly to the story and the. music. This is a great first opera to see. "Madama Butterfly" plays at the Power Center tonight and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $42, and are available at the UMS box office in Burton Tower. Call 7642538 for more information, and bring a hankie. Reliving old anXieties, vicariously My sister is graduating from high make my sister's senior year go a lot Christmas I had my first panic attack school this year and it has had a bigger smoother than my own did. Or may be about my future. I went around fo effect on my life than I ever thought it I'm just upset that she seems so days talking about how old I ha would. Every couple of weeks she nonchalant about the whole thing gotten and watching the bags under tells me about some new development when I was a basket case. . my eyes get bigger and bigger. in her college search or about some When I was a senior I was caught My sister repeatedly looked at me .. up in the frantic process of filling out and asked me what my problem was. J ES SI EH AL LA DA Y college and scholarship applications, "Can't you see how old I've gotten?" taking my SATs and ACTs and I would yell back. She would shake desperately trying to find a date for herheadandreply,"Ohstopit.You're prom.(Breakingupwithmy boyfriend only 20. You can't even go to the two months before the big event didn' t bar."~ ease my mind at all.) After seeing how unconcerned my@ sen ior-relate d sc hool activ ity . It strikes me now that as much as sister seems to be about the whole (Usually because I am asking, not my life has changed since I left high senior thing - whether it's an act or because she volunteers any school, the more things have stayed not I don't know - I have come to information. She seems to have an the same. Okay so now I don't need a believe I've spent my life worrying aversion to talking about this with date for prom, but relationships have too much. After all, my sister only anyone.) just gotten more complicated. Now, I applied to one university and she It seems like I am more stressed don't need to worry about my test refuses to get sucked into the whole our about my sister's collegiate future scores, only my rdsumd. And forget s tres se d-out-a bou t-c olle ge- than she is. Every week when I talk to college aps because there's no way syndrome. her on the phone I f ind myself asking i'm going to grad school, but what Un like when I received. questions about financial aid and about a job? Wasn't college life acceptances to the three colleges I housing. I feel like I have turned into supposed to be different? applied to and had weekly fights with my mother. I guess it has taken my sister, who my mother which typically ended in a Maybe this has something to do I always thought was supposed to flood of tears. We constantly fought with trying to return to my own high learn from me, to teach me how to over the money which it would cost school days. May be I am trying to rel ax about ever ything. Over for me to go to Nor th western ________________________________________________ 1University, which was more than we ii could afford, when Michigan was offering me a scholarship. I was THURSDAYS completely convinced that my life was ruined because I couldn't attend* a sb Northwestern. Now that I look back I CmjvlgGrrealize that coming to M ichigan was WOMEN IN the best thing I could have done for FREE myself. So why did I worry? UM And that is really the point. Why MOLSON worry about things that you can' $ T DN BUD ICE control? Just make the best of the .DRINKsituation you're in, no matter how hard or challenging itmay be. Whether you have a date for the prom or not.@ FRIDAY SATURDAY ALL Some of you may have noticed NIGHT that I recently started a new job as JES Jawbone Editor in Chief of the Daily. During GRU the past three weeks, I have faced The Voice many challenges I never thought I would and I sometimes stop to ask if the 40 to 50 hours a week are worth it. The answer varies. But thanks to my sister, I realize I just have to keep going on and not worry about it. "My experience at the Daily has been very re- warding and beneficial. I especially like the 45 cent Cokes!"t__ Carolyn Quint, Account Executive Quality NXProducts from RE ACCOUfiNT EXECUTIVE FOR rI eBagels ePasta Salads *Muff ins eSoups *Frozen Yogurt oVegetable Salads (Gise-Glace) eFruit Salads *Deli Sandwiches 0Iv 715 N. Universityj Health Issues and Answers These questions were taken from the Computer Health Information Program on MTS. UM-CHIP is an anonymous server available from UMnt. At the *Which Host prompt, type: UM-CHIP. (Q.) What are the chances of pregnancy with various types of birth control methods? (A.) The information provided regarding effectiveness of methods is from Contraceptive Technology, 1990-92 edition. Withdrawal 75-82% Fertility Awareness Method 70-80% Spermicide Alone 80% Condom Alone 88% Condom and Spermicide 97.5% Contraceptive Sponge 82-94% Diaphragm 82-94% Cervical Cap 83% IUD 97-99% Oral Contraceptives 97% (birth control pills) Norplant 99.5% HUsua & M as&rs Depo-Provera 99.7% u is jointly produced by MSA and UHS. loq -=r THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY i - K Graduate Programs in Public Affairs You can have an impact on public policy and gain a sense of accomplishment through graduate studies-at The American University in Washington, D.C. Graduate programs in the School of Public Affairs offer you the opportunity to learn new management and research skills and to prepare for careers in a wide variety of government agencies and in private research, public advocacy, and professional organizations. 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