Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999 | 9:50 a.m.
John Katsilometes' column appears Tuesdays and Sundays. Reach him at 259-2327 or [email protected].
Some odds 'n' ends from a few odd developments in the world of local news gathering:
Let's say, for the sake of hypothesis, you have the chance to interview either Nicolas Cage or Martin Scorsese. Let's say you're assigned to an advance screening of the new Scorsese movie "Bringing Out The Dead" a few days prior to the interview.
To ensure the best opportunity of interviewing either famed film figure, would you lie? Not commit perjury or anything similarly felonious, but would you gloss over your genuinely negative opinion of the film to enhance the chance to talk to Nic or Marty?
In retrospect, it might be a good idea.
The firm organizing publicity for "Bringing Out The Dead" conducted a screening at the Orleans several days ago. Before the house lights dimmed, I asked the publicist about when we might be allowed to talk to Cage or Scorsese. He replied that it was up to his supervisors, who would look over everyone's "screening report," which is a quick exit interview of the assembled reporters, used to track audience response.
In a rookie move, I asked if a negative review would kill our chances for the interview.
"Not at all," was the publicist's seemingly heartfelt response. I told this person I am not a professional film critic (I still can't believe "This Is Spinal Tap" was not awarded Best Picture honors in 1984), but would be willing to submit a screening report.
Maybe it was the nearly totally vacant theater, or the fact that it was fairly early in the morning and the oppressively dark movie had the effect of Melatonin on those assembled. Whatever, I didn't like the movie. I told the publicist as much, and several times he made certain he was clear on my synopsis by saying "You really didn't like it?"
Nervous that I'd blown the interview, I called the company headquarters and asked when we could set up a phone conversation with Cage or Scorsese. She said only, "we've got your screening report and we'll get back to you."
That was two weeks ago. The chance has been blown. The film is out and drawing positive reviews. In the future I'll consider using offhand remarks like "some of the best cinematography since 'Taxi Driver' " when giving a screening report. It couldn't hurt.
Members of the hors d'ouevre-gobbling fringe media descended on the Luxor last week for a sneak preview of the "Blue Man Group: Live At Luxor," set to debut in February. Following the abbreviated 20-minute show co-founders and performers Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink took questions from anyone on hand.
A sample:
"Can I have one of the boards you spit paint on? It's great art."
"Having been listening to some of the response from the reporters here, I think you will be more successful here than you can imagine!"
"I was working in radio back east when you did a halftime show during a Patriots game. It was the talk of the town for days!"
"You've got a real winner here!"
Impressively, the boys were able to maintain their composure under the relentless onslaught.
Longtime blues master John Earl Williams and his Boogey Man Band have found a home -- two, in fact -- after leaving the Sand Dollar Lounge. John Earl and his collection of blues vets left the Sand Dollar in September and are playing Fridays and Saturdays at Pounders Sports Lounge on West Sahara and the Barking Frog on West Spring Mountain Road on Thursdays and Sundays.
Having taken in the Boogey Man Band at the Barking Frog recently, a warning is in order: Only about 40 patrons can fit in the band's main staging area, which is separated from the rest of the club by a view-obstructing white wall. So arrive early to avoid staring at a big neon Miller Lite sign all night (the $5 cover charge is universal, by the way, whether you can see the band or not).
Meanwhile the Ruffnecks, Straight Jacket, Smokin' Crawdads, and the Moanin' Blacksnakes have been in the regular rotation at a still-thriving Sand Dollar.
Power to the people! After a one-week hiatus, "The Johnson & Tofte Fax Letter" has returned.
Earlier this month the ebullient hosts of KKLZ 96.3-FM's popular morning show (in its 10th year) released a fax letter entitled "77 Fun Facts About (a certain part of the male anatomy)."
(Which begs the question, are there any other types of facts about that topic?)
Included in the list of fun facts was the largest (part of the male anatomy) found in the animal kingdom -- the blue whale at a whopping 11 feet.
The following week KKLZ management, claiming the "Fun Facts" letter was distasteful, spiked the 5-year-old "Johnson & Tofte Fax Letter." But management quickly shifted field after a barrage of faxes from fans and the "Fax Letter" has returned.
Always worth a guffaw, the gag-inducing gag sheet can be found on the KKLZ home page at www.kklz.com.
An update from the embattled employee force at the soon-to-be-closing Maxim hotel-casino. Employees learned that they could not immediately collect any vacation pay not authorized prior to Oct. 6, the date hotel manager Ed Nigro informed the staff that the hotel would shut down.
The Maxim's closing date is set for Dec. 6.
The 22-year-old hotel is shutting down because parent company Premier Interval Resorts Inc. of Dallas has, without explanation, refused to inject $300,000 needed for operating funds. Nigro has said he can't afford to dole out vacation pay as he has for the past two years and that responsibility now falls on Premier, which hasn't returned Nigro's letters, faxes or phone calls for weeks.
One potential Maxim buyer is San Francisco real estate entrepreneur Luke Brugnara, who bought the Silver City Casino on the Strip for $32 million. Nigro has said that Brugnara told Maxim employees during an August visit he would shut down the operation and reopen as a nonunion hotel, which Brugnara has denied.
After learning the hotel would close, Nigro said, hundreds of employees attempted to cash in their vacation days to prepare for impending unemployment. One employee attempted to cash in her 4 1/2 weeks (worth around $1,600) and was told she was out of luck.
"It's like a run on the banks during the Depression, but there's nothing we can do about it. The responsibility now reverts to Premier," Nigro said. "As soon as the lease terminates (vacation pay) kicks back to Premier. I hope they live up to their obligation."
So do a few hundred employees.
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