Complete Salon article
Salon.com:
3/31/00
Return of the White Negro

Filmmaker James Toback talks about race, sex, Warren Beatty and his explosive new movie, "Black and White."....

....Toback plays a bit part as a recording-studio owner who will deal with Power only through a lawyer. But the film's echt Toback character is Stiller, a guy who can't help going for what he wants even if it results in murder by proxy. Advance publicity has predictably focused on Leonardo DiCaprio's tangential relationship to the movie: Toback was doing the New York club scene with the young actor when he was struck by the influence of hip-hop on the star and his friends. But his fascination with black urban culture goes back decades, to earlier New York hip scenes and to his close friendship with Jim Brown. Toback says that as a teenager he was living the life of "the White Negro" even before he read the famous Dissent essay in which his old friend Norman Mailer named and analyzed the phenomenon. Indeed, rereading Mailer's essay after seeing Toback's movie, which also portrays psychopathy as a mode of existential exploration, you may feel that the biggest difference between "White Negroes" and today's "wiggers" is that what once was cutting-edge behavior is now (in urban society, at least) perilously common. I've read that "Black and White" derives from your experiences a few years ago clubbing around with Leonardo DiCaprio. But the subject matter of this movie is not that new for you. The real origins are much deeper. They go back to the sons of the woman who worked in our apartment when I was growing up. Thomas and Eugene were my age -- we're talking about when I was 3, 4, 5 years old -- and I was keenly aware of them being a completely different kind of person because of race. I was definitely drawn to them. I think I ended up doing something physically violent to one of them, but it was out of a competitive friendliness. Then there was a guy named Gus Chappell in third grade, who I became very close to. [He was] the only black guy in school -- the Ethical Culture school, a purely white, liberal, upper-middle-class, largely Jewish private school in New York, which puts you in a world at once broad-minded and narrow in its social exposure....
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San Jose Mercury News:
3/31/00
DiCaprio to host

Five days after the last major global justice demonstration, on April 22, organizers of Earth Day 2000 expect hundreds of thousands at a rally and exposition on the Mall. The host of the 30th-anniversary event will be Leonardo DiCaprio, who said of global warming, the event's focus, ``I personally feel this is the most highly ignored yet important issue facing the world today.'' He'll be joined onstage by such entertainers as Carole King, Clint Black, David Crosby, Edward James Olmos, Keb' Mo' and James Taylor. After the Millennium March for Equality on April 30, one of the next events will be the Million Mom March on May 14, Mother's Day. Organizers expect tens of thousands of moms to rally on the Mall for gun control. And then, soon enough, Washington's weather will enter its beastly hot period, a time that organizers and activists traditionally avoid.
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Official DiCaprio website:
3/30/00
Checkout the Official DiCaprio site for more information on Earth Day events and history.
Link to Earth day page on Offical DiCaprio site
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Complete Express article
The Express:
3/30/00
The pregnant paws

As an example of loving body language the dad-to-be's hand on the pregnant woman's "bump" looks positive. It is an implicit message of support and a proud: "Look what I did!" Kate Winslet's hubby Jim is merely showing public pride and affection at a time when some women feel burdened, hot, clammy, knackered and miserable that they will never again don a pair of hipsters. But if men take such pride in bulk of their own creating why don't we place a proprietorial hand across heavy shopping bags on the way home from the supermarket or over a beer belly which has taken years of careful stewardship to produce (Look! A life wasted in the pub!). Jim's public show of joy might equally be a private riposte to Leonardo DiCaprio, saying: "You may have steamed up the windows in that carriage on the Titanic with my missus but it took a real man to get her up the duff!" That's how men think. When men announce they are fathers-to-be, female friends offer genuine congratulations while males trade in-joke congrats related to potency: "Glad to see you're not firing blanks/ there is lead in your pencil/etc" The hand on the bump is not comfort for the flagging mum-to-be but more an ancient primal signal to other men which says: "Ha! Soon my offspring will start using up scant resources of this world leaving nothing for your kids, so I'm the winner!" These days men don't fight with stone tools over the fishfingers in the supermarkets but we still find it very hard not to think like idiots.
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The Express:
3/30/00
Titanic's tide of tears sails in as No1 weepie

FILM fans risked drowning in tears when they sat down to watch Titanic. While the money men behind the blockbuster cried all the way to the bank, emotional audiences shed tears by the bucketload. A new survey confirms the Leonardo DiCaprio epic as cinema's top weepie of all time. Tissue makers Kleenex quizzed 1,000 adults on their top tearjerking films to coincide with the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood tomorrow night. The heartbreaking story of love aboard the doomed liner, with DiCaprio's character Jack Dawson meeting a watery end, wins hands-down in the sentimentality stakes. Audiences admit that DiCaprio and female lead Kate Winslet made the perfect, poignant pair. Titanic - directed by James Cameron in 1997 - was voted the top weepie by 38 per cent of those quizzed, almost double its nearest rival. That No.2 spot went to a film without any actors - the 1942 Disney cartoon classic Bambi, which received backing from 22 per cent of those questioned. In third place is the tug-of-love courtroom drama Kramer vs Kramer, starring a young Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, with Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic ET in fourth position, collecting 17 per cent of the vote. However, films that pulled the heartstrings more than 50 years ago have not lost their appeal with today's audiences. The top 10 weepies include three movies from the 1940s - for besides Bambi, there is the Trevor Howard-Celia Johnson romance Brief Encounter (made in 1945) and the James Stewart classic, It's A Wonderful Life (1946). In sixth place in the weepie list was Bette Midler's 1988 tearjerker Beaches, followed by The Champ, the 1979 movie starring Jon Voight and Faye Dunaway which was a remake of an earlier hit. When The English Patient was released in 1996 it swept all before it. Audiences were bowled over by the wartime love story featuring Ralph Fiennes as a doomed adventurer hopelessly in love with Kristin Scott Thomas's tragic heroine. Today, the Oscar-laden movie can only manage eighth place in the Kleenex poll. Two places behind it, in tenth and final place, is a story set in an entirely difference geographical and emotional landscape. It is Ken Loach's 1969 hit Kes, the contemporary story of a working class boy's relationship with his pet kestrel, the one thing in his bleak life to whom he can properly relate. Hardly a blockbuster in the Hollywood tradition, the low-budget film is nevertheless held dear by many movie-goers. However, there is no disputing that Titanic is way out in front when it comes to audiences' emotions. Both men and women voted it their No.1 tearjerker. Half of single people who saw it said they were reduced to tears, though 70 per cent of married people apparently managed to remain dry-eyed. Despite complaints from older generations that young people are cynical and lack emotion, the under 24s are most prone to tears. The most dry-eyed group were older, married women. Kleenex is now planning to release a weepie movie guide, giving each tearjerker a tissue rating. A spokesman said: "It's interesting that it's the classic movies and themes which will pull at the heart strings. "The phenomenal success of Titanic is testament to the British public liking nothing better than a good weep - so perhaps the traditional British reserve doesn't apply when it comes to movies." Titanic, incidentally, is the most profitable film to date - earning £2billion for 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures. It made £1.12billion in box office receipts worldwide and another £600million from home videos. Sales of the soundtrack, which included Celine Dion singing My Heart Will Go On, also netted £251 million.Tears of joy all round, in fact.
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E magazine:
3/30/00
Earth Day 2000 events

Earth Day 2000 is far too big to be fully annotated here, but a quick trip to www.earthday.net will provide a roadmap to Earth Day 2000 celebrations around the U.S., and around the world. Here are some of the American highlights. District of Columbia: The Washington event, which will probably be the largest in the world, will take place on a solar-powered Mall stage, with actor Leonardo DiCaprio presiding as host. Both national and international music acts are promised, and the entertainment will be complemented with special high-tech "energy pavilions," offering hands-on exhibits and opportunities to sign up for direct action. If all goes according to plan, the EarthFair trash will get recycled, and clean energy will have been used wherever possible. CONTACT: Earth Day Network, 91 Marion Street, Seattle, WA 98104/(206)264-0114, e-mail: earthday@earthday.net.
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Complete Post Gazette article
Post Gazette:
3/29/00
Oscar ceremony swirls with bright images

She had always dreamed of being an actress, so when she was 16, Swank and her mother "packed up in Washington state, got in our Oldsmobile with $75 to our name and drove to L.A., living out of our car." Her mother called an agency and urged them to meet Hilary. They did -- and they signed her up. "We lived out of the car until I got my first job, which was on [the TV series] 'Growing Pains' " -- the same show that spawned a young actor named Leonardo DiCaprio. "I would be lying if I didn't say you think about an Oscar in your future if what you want to be is an actor," she said. But she says it was the last thing on her mind when she went into "Boys Don't Cry."
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Salon.com:
3/29/00
Cast of "Growing Pains are reuniting

Is it just me -- or is the '80s revival growing ever more painful? Entertainment Weekly reports that the cast members of the old sitcom "Growing Pains" -- Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Tracey Gold and Kirk Cameron -- are reuniting for a TV movie. The teleflick will see Thicke's character become a mystery writer and Cameron's character becoming an ad exec. Leonardo DiCaprio, however, will not be able to make the film reunion. Too bad, since many consider him to be the biggest growing pain of them all.
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Atlanta Journal Constitution:
3/29/00

Atlanta to get exposure on Earth Day TV special

Atlanta, the publicly maligned poster child for urban sprawl, will be featured nationally in a positive light next month as part of an ABC television special on Earth Day 2000. ABC crews were in town last week to shoot a segment with Georgia Regional Transportation Director Catherine Ross. Reporter Chris Cuomo --- former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo's younger son --- did the interview in Piedmont Park. Questions focused on Atlanta's air quality and the efforts to clean it up. The show will be hosted by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who began speaking out on environmental issues this month after ecologists criticized the filmmakers of "The Beach," in which DiCaprio stars, for damaging the Thai island where the movie was shot. No date has been set for the special, but an ABC spokeswoman said it likely would air near Earth Day, which is April 22.
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Excite News:
3/29/00
Leonardo DiCaprio to Host April 22nd

The Earth Day Network, joined by environmental activists and community leaders, today unveiled Earth Day 2000 on the Mall, the 30th Anniversary Celebration. Earth Day 2000 Rally and Expo will be the largest event powered solely by alternative energy sources and will feature hundreds of exhibits displaying all the elements of a sustainable society. Sun, wind, earth, water, and people will be powering exhibits, modeling central components of a clean energy future. EarthFair 2000 will also recycle its trash, use clean, alternative energy, and demonstrate other ways to have a sustainable event as well as a sustainable world. The energy sources include: Biodiesel: A liquid fuel produced from such renewable sources as soybeans and used cooking oils. The 100% biodiesel (B100) fuel to be used by has been designated as an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act, and is non-toxic and biodegradable. Microturbine: Similar to large gas turbines used to produce electricity, a microturbine is a system based on technology similar to a jet engine. Developers state that its benefits include low emissions, low operation and maintenance expenses, little noise, small footprint, no engine oil requirement, and an ability to run on multiple fuels such as biodiesel, propane, or natural gas. Photovoltaics (PV): PV will be used to power one-leg of the stage featuring entertainment and musical acts, as well as provide clean power for a solar exhibit tent and the children's tent. Wind Turbines: An easily-installed 45-foot wind array with a series of microturbines will also be used for powering the children's' tent. Denis Hayes, National Coordinator of the first Earth Day and Chair of Earth Day Network, unveiled some of the celebrities and musical talent who will appear at Earth Day 2000 on the Mall. Joining host Leonardo DiCaprio will be: Carole King, Clint Black, David Crosby, Edward James Olmos, Indigenous, Keb' Mo', James Taylor, Melanie Griffith, Ted Danson, and many others. "Today communities across the country and around the world are kicking off a month of activities leading up to Earth Day 2000," said Hayes. "Earth Day has always been about everyday people taking action in their own communities for a cleaner, healthier environment. This year, with hundreds of millions of people around the world participating in the biggest Earth Day yet, we will take real steps toward a cleaner, healthier environment for our future." Earth Day Network is the international organization coordinating Earth Day 2000 events worldwide. More than 500 million people are expected to participate in Earth Day 2000 events worldwide. The network is headed by the organizers of the original Earth Day in 1970, Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes, and is based in Seattle, Washington. For more information on the Earth Day Network and the Earth Day 2000 events and campaign, please visit www.earthday.net.
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Entertaindom.com
3/28/00
WHY LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S DEVIOUS CHARACTER MADE STUDIO EXECS NERVOUS

Girls, take heed. ''The Beach''may be Leonardo DiCaprio's first major role since ''Titanic,'' but don't look for shades of Jack Dawson in this R-rated film. Not that Fox executives didn't try their best to make DiCaprio's character, Richard, more lovable for his diehard fans. ''The whole point was the first half of the film appears to have all the perfect ingredients of a romantic adventure,'' says director Danny Boyle. ''That's hopefully how you lure an audience in, then you twist and turn it into something much darker in the second half. But Fox would have liked us to continue the romantic adventure. They wanted Leonardo to stay with the girl and have it be a romance, but we were absolutely adamant [we wouldn't do that[.'' What's more, DiCaprio's on-screen involvement in several murders, some snake-blood slurping, and being a less-than-perfect beau to costar Virginie Ledoyen didn't exactly thrill studio brass. But those character flaws paled in comparison to one seemingly tame misbehavior. ''This was fascinating to me, but the worst thing they found was that he lies a few times in the film,'' says Boyle. ''And that he lies not for the greater good, but to save his own skin. They found that really, really difficult. I said, 'Look, people lie, the President even lies,' and they said to us, 'But this is a movie.''' Boyle, however, refused to budge, and eventually Richard got the okay to fabricate away. So is Leo worried that his character's heart of darkness will disappoint ''Titanic'' fans? Not really -- after all, his last role as a sleazy, heartless celeb run amok was far shadier than this one. ''Remember, I did 'Celebrity' before this,'' he says. ''After 'Titanic' I wanted to find a film that spoke to me, and I loved the theme of this movie, which is about how we've become so desensitized and influenced by the media that this character goes in search of something real that he can connect with.'' In fact, DiCaprio sees a lot to love about his adventurous character. ''I'm not as courageous as he would be. I wouldn't swim over to an island at the drop of a dime. I think I'd probably look around for a boat first.'' A lifeboat, no doubt.
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BBC News:
3/28/00
The Oscars: Your views

In the week before the Oscars, BBC News Online asked you to send us your views on who you would like to win and what you thought of the movie industry in general. Hollywood is all about appearances - who looks good on TV, which dress Gwyneth Paltrow wears, etc. Who cares? The Oscars are a sham. Take Judi Dench's award last year. They do not mean a thing. Talented actors and brilliant films are always overlooked - take The Talented Mr Ripley and Al Pacino. However, those actors who only go into the business to win an Academy Award are morons. Awards don't count. What does is having the ability to move the audience, making an impact, challenging prejudices, and bringing joy into the lives of millions. Leonardo DiCaprio is one such person. He has an amazing ability to unite the world. His films are loved by people from Manchester to Sydney. This is what is important, not having a shiny statuette on the mantlepiece! Selena Zafar, UK
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LA Times:
3/28/00
Violent Young 'Pups' Bound for Controversy

The children are only 13 years old, but they've already become suburban terrorists. Standing in a bank, waving a loaded gun at helpless tellers and customers, the boy screams out his rage, while his miniskirted girlfriend walks outside brandishing her weapon as FBI agents and Los Angeles police train their own weapons on her. The film is called "Pups" and it is bound to generate controversy. Written, directed and produced by London-born filmmaker Ash (he doesn't use a last name), "Pups" was filmed in Chatsworth in December 1998, just as the media were filled with horrific crimes committed by youths from Europe to the Far East, including the schoolyard shooting in Jonesboro, Ark. "The film was a reflection of what was going on in Jonesboro and around the world," Ash said. The film premiered at the L.A. Independent Film Festival last year only days before the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo. "A lot of people wondered if we had prophesied it," the director said. Ash, whose previous movie, "Bang," drew critical praise for its guerrilla-style filmmaking, praised Tokyo-based Team Okuyama for financing "Pups" but noted that Hollywood studios were reluctant to distribute it after Columbine. The film chronicles the story of a rebellious and angry teenager (Cameron Van Hoy) who feels empowered when he and his girlfriend (Mischa Barton) stumble upon his mother's gun. They skip school, hold up a bank and become the instant focus of the national media, including a live interview on MTV. The film features Burt Reynolds as a veteran FBI supervisor who tries to negotiate a peaceful surrender to the hostage drama, and Adam Farrar (Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother) as a paraplegic Gulf War veteran. Farrar, 28, recently made headlines when he was arrested and later released pending further investigation, for allegedly attempting to kill his girlfriend in Marina del Rey. "I just hope people will judge Adam on his performance as opposed to who he is related to," Ash said. The film will be released Friday by Allied Entertainment in a limited run at Laemmle's Music Hall in Beverly Hills.
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Complete NY Daily News article
NY Daily News:
3/27/00
Clippers may not be L.A.'s worst basketball team

While moving about through Blue's numerous blue-lit rooms, and passing the likes of Oscar nominee Catherine Keener, her husband Dermot Mulroney, Martin Landau, Daryl Hannah, Delroy Lindo and Michael Stipe, I heard some good dish.
When Lakers stars John Salley and Robert Horry walked into Blue, I was reminded that the Clippers may not be L.A.'s worst basketball team after all. There is another local team made up of actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Nick Cassavetes. They play regular games at the Beverly Hills YMCA, and they hardly ever win. I later ran into Maguire who admitted the team was doing miserably and hoped their fortunes would soon change. "We're having some problems," he said, without getting too specific. "We're not together as a team yet, but we're working on it."
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Complete USA Today article
USA Today:
3/27/00
It's their fete to celebrate Oscar

Oscar night kicked off with Cameron Diaz explaining her "side cleavage" to Tyra Banks, Queen Latifah having her nose powdered, literally, by a male pal in the lobby of the Shrine Auditorium, and a mustachioed Jack Nicholson slipping in a back door with Lara Flynn Boyle. And then there were the scenes you never saw on Oscar's red carpet: Diana Ross dancing in a slinky red dress, Elizabeth Taylor partying with Elton John, and Kevin Spacey in a dress and blond wig, nuzzling director Anthony Minghella in a spoof of The Cider House Rules. Yes, the stars start celebrating well before the Academy Awards ceremonies officially begin. Michael Caine got here a week ago and has been wined and dined every night. John celebrated his 53rd birthday Saturday at the Chateau Marmont, while Leonardo DiCaprio threw a private bash that night at his home with lots of models, Tobey Maguire and Stephen Dorff. And Miramax Films gave its annual Max awards Saturday, with skits in which actors do things they'll never do anywhere else.
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Complete Sun Herald article
Sun Herald:
3/27/00
Dad was busy elsewhere

Dave Barry talking about the birth of his Baby. Today, I'd like to share with you my thoughts on the presidential campaign. Unfortunately, I don't have any, because my wife and I just had a baby....
...Finally, the doctors shouted ''Stand up, dad!'' This was my signal to stand up, look over the screen, and pass out. No, seriously, I managed to remain conscious, because I was dying to know the baby's gender. There's a test they can do to determine the gender ahead of time; I think they insert a tiny photo of Leonardo DiCaprio into the uterus, and if the baby punches it, it's a boy. We had not had this test done. We had, however, heard many strong opinions from total strangers.
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Complete LA Times story
LA Times:
3/27/00
Press kits do boffo box office on ebay

Hollywood bookstores have peddled press kits for years, says John Kantas, a manager at Hollywood Book and Poster Co. But it wasn't until they started showing up on eBay that they gained momentum. Now some collectors buy kits at local stores for between $5 and $20, only to hawk them online for two or three times that. On a typical day, more than 2,000 press kits on eBay flack everything from new model cars to music CDs. An "Ally McBeal" kit with 46 slides recently sold for $385, for example, while standard kits from "Girl, Interrupted" and Leonardo DiCaprio's latest, "The Beach," went for $81 and $80, respectively.
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US Weekly
3/25/00
Leo Party's down

LeoFest Link
WELCOME TO THE 1st ANNUAL LEONARDO DICAPRIO INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (LeoFest - 2000)
3/24/00
Is film an obsession? Has your desire to make films become a serious need? Already have one in the can?

If it's 15 minutes or less, and you'd like to see it in competition with the works of other accomplished, novice or first-time filmmakers just like yourself, Leonardo DiCaprio invites you to participate in the very first film festival of its kind: LeoFest-2000 LeoFest-2000 is seeking and will accept films (in English or English subtitles) of 15 minutes or less in one of the following 4 categories: NARRATIVE (Fiction: Comedy/Drama) DOCUMENTARY (Non-Fiction) ANIMATION ALTERNATIVE (Experimental) If you've made a film, are in pre-production or have been dreaming of making a film for a long time... If you want your film judged by Hollywood professionals, with an awards committee comprised of some of the most successful and important forces in the industry... If you wish your film to be seen by millions of viewers from all over the planet (and a few hundred of the most important, right here in Hollywood) You've found the perfect festival - where you and your work will be taken seriously and given the same chance as everyone else, regardless of age or experience. So, Roll Camera! Now's the time. LeoFest-2000 is officially accepting films. Proceed to the Entry Form & Rules button to find out what, when, why, where and how to enter your project into the First Annual Leonardo DiCaprio International Online Short Film Festival. And break a leg.
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Newsweek:
3/24/00
Leo's Family Troubles

Name-dropping may be a way of life in Hollywood, but it doesn't impress the LAPD. Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother Adam Farrar, 28, was arrested on suspicion that he tried to kill his girlfriend last week. Police say Farrar, also an actor, mentioned Leo, but it didn't save him from being held in lieu of $1 million bail. (He was later released pending further investigation.) Farrar grew up with Leo after Farrar's mom married Leo's dad. It reportedly was Farrar's work in ads as a child that inspired the box-office wunderkind to pursue acting.
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NY Daily News:
3/24/00
Oscar Preparations Down to the Wire

Robin won't be getting raunchy and Brad will be there with bells on, but it looks like Leo's a no-show — again. The list of presenters and performers at the Academy Awards on Sunday has been all but finalized as preparations head into the final weekend. Earlier this week, Brad Pitt agreed to be a presenter, a last-minute gesture that "thrilled" the show's co-producers, husband-and-wife team Richard Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck. But Leonardo DiCaprio, who supposedly snubbed the Oscars two years ago because he didn't get a Best Actor nod for "Titanic," has turned down yet another invitation. "We've let Leonardo know enough [that] we wanted him," Lili Zanuck said last week. "So let's give him a break."
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NY Daily News:
3/24/00
DiCaprio Falls to Earth For Time

Leonardo DiCaprio could get some heat for participating in a special Earth Day edition of Time magazine, the newsweekly's "How to Save the Earth" issue due out April 17. Time has already charted a controversial course by allowing a major automaker, Ford, to be the issue's sole sponsor. And DiCaprio, star of the new movie "The Beach," has come under attack for the ecological havoc the production wreaked on a Thai island during filming. DiCaprio's sure doing penance at Time, insisting on writing his conservation-conscious essay "all by himself," a source said. He'll be joined by Bill Clinton, who's weighing in on the United Nations. "At this point, it's too early" to discuss the edition, said Time spokeswoman Debra Richman. "There will be a whole lot of surprises." But sources familiar with the blueprint for the fate-of-the-earth special said other contributors include environmentalist E.O. Wilson on biodiversity, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on saving the upstate New York watershed, journalist Mark Hertsgaard on the need for a "global green deal," and Whole Earth Cataloger Stewart Brand, plus an introduction from all-purpose Time Inc. pontificator Roger Rosenblatt. It's not known if any of them have driven a Ford lately.
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Montreal Gazette:
3/24/00
Leo the climate tamer

DiCaprio wants your help in campaign against global warming Leonardo DiCaprio, in the goo with environmentalists over the filming of that movie The Beach, has discovered that he cares, deeply and passionately, about the world's ecosystem. No, really. He, like, means it. Global warming, he asserts in a press release this week, is endangering the whole planet. "There is a global emergency going on," the statement said. Funny, I didn't even realize he was an expert in global thermodynamics. All this concern with warming seems a little odd for a guy who froze to death in Titanic, but, you know, he really feels strongly about this, always has really, and so. ... "Please join us," he said ("us" being him plus some eco-dogooder group or other) "in sending a strong message to our governments that now is the time for action to prevent violent changes in our climate." (Like, say, banning hot air from know-nothing movie stars whose PR people tell them they need to improve their images?)
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Yahoo News:
3/23/00
'Titanic' Join NBC As It Eyes Rebound

Hoping to rebound from a ratings slump, NBC unveiled a list of possible new shows, along with plans for Bruce Willis to join the cast of ``Friends'' in May and the airing of hit film ``Titanic'' next fall... ...``Titanic,'' the highest grossing movie ever with more than $600 million worth of tickets sold domestically, will hit the NBC schedule in the fall just in time for a heavy promotional push surrounding the network's new season premieres. Along with its box office success and 11 Oscars, the film was notable for its success among young women who flocked to movie theaters to see its youthful star Leonardo DiCaprio.
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Official DiCaprio Website:
3/23/00
EARTH DAY LOS ANGELES

Earth Day Los Angeles, which will take place April 22 at Exposition Park, needs volunteers to work with computers, in the arts, with the media, with outreach groups, as speakers, on phones, in distribution and other areas. INFORMATION: Karen Sugerman, 310-314-8118
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E! Online - Ted Casablance:
3/23/00
Titanic Talk

Titanic Talk Whose lusty lingua do you want next? Shall we stay with our "Oscar Shutouts 2000" theme and do Winona Ryder's? I say not. Let's pay a quick visit to Leonardo DiCaprio's mouth first--because, my dears, it's been workin' overtime (along with L.D.'s other youthful body parts). Something sizably salacious is stirring regarding this young man, and I don't mean his next paycheck. Speaking of which, I dare say that $20 million territory he's in is in jeopardy, thanks to The Beach's lackluster performance. Not major jeopardy, though. It's not like he's in Johnny Depp-ville, where movie openings are about as big as Haley Joel Osment. And Gangs of New York sounds hot enough. But that's not where the real heat is. You see, Leo-babe has been hangin' with a new babe. One who just might surprise everybody. Or not. But my bets are on--on this one. And that's the gossip from both New Yawk and L.A., where the talented boy has been unafraid to show that he loves to love. My kinda boy.
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Variety:
3/23/00
MORE HUGHES:

Alan Ladd Jr. has tossed his hat into the sweepstakes to turn the life of billionaire aviator Howard Hughes into a feature film. The field, which once included Warren Beatty and the Hughes Bros. directing Johnny Depp, recently narrowed to a film to be directed by Michael Mann and to star Leonardo DiCaprio at New Line, with New Regency also contemplating a feature. And Mutual is developing a film based on “The Hoax,” the story of Clifford Irving writing a bogus Hughes autobio, for which he did time. Ladd has optioned two books and the life story of Terry Moore, the last wife of Hughes. The books are “The Passions of Howard Hughes” and “The Beauty and the Billionaire.” Ladd has already heard from New Regency and will begin in earnest an attempt to set up a Hughes feature which he feels will dispel certain myths about the fabled figure. Ladd met Moore through a mutual friend, and after verifying her story and credibility, feels there’s a strong enough story to sustain a feature. “Much of what has been written about him was just false, “Ladd said. That includes assertions he was homosexual and that he’d grown long fingernails and toenailsin his later reclusive years. “There are some wonderful anecdotes,” said Ladd, who just heard an audiotape that demonstrated Hughes’s homophobia. As for his other phobic activities, Ladd said they were hatched by Hughes’s mother. “He was deaf in one ear, which caused his shyness, and his mother had a major clean fetish. In fact, when he came over, he would have to wash his hands in lye, all kinds of awful stuff. But he never had those huge fingernails and toenails, that was just not true.” More shocking are claims from Moore that her ex-husband’s death was caused by a group of former employees who drugged him and kept him shut away from the world. “He was kept a drugged, virtual prisoner — it’s just a horrible story,” said Ladd, who wants to use Moore’s story to tell a broader one that encompasses the positives of the man as well. “What I want to tell is the story of his true genius,” Ladd said. “I’m not interested in his sleeping with Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Katharine Hepburn. This would approach the genius of a man, while exposing the myths and truths, not the sexploitations."
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U.S. Newswire:
3/23/00
DiCaprio, Biodiesel to Power Earth Day

DiCaprio, Biodiesel to Power Earth Day Events in Washington, D.C. To: National Desk, Environment and Feature Reporters Contact: Gina DeLuca, 202-737-8400 WASHINGTON, March 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Earth Day organizers this morning proudly announced two of the powerful forces behind the huge April 22 Earth Fair 2000 gathering on the Mall in Washington, D.C.: Leonardo DiCaprio, who will chair the flagship event, and the alternative fuel biodiesel, which will power most of it. No word yet on who will get top billing. A clean-burning fuel, biodiesel is scheduled to provide approximately 85 percent of Earth Fair 2000's power needs, including hundreds of exhibits and the music stage with James Taylor and other stars. Earth Fair organizers will use biodiesel and other alternative energy sources to model central components of a clean energy future and demonstrate other ways to create a sustainable event as well as a sustainable world. Biodiesel is made from a variety of sources -- primarily soybean oil. It's less toxic than table salt and as biogradable as sugar. Biodiesel reduces virtually all harmful emissions and has a pleasant odor -- commonly compared to popcorn or french fries. The use of biodiesel has soared in the past year following changes in the federal Energy Policy Act that encourage vehicle fleets to use the alternative fuel. Biodiesel already is used extensively in Europe to reduce diesel engine emissions. As regular petroleum-based diesel fuel prices soar to more than $2 a gallon and soybean commodity prices decrease, biodiesel is becoming increasingly cost competitive. Recent prices for some bulk purchases of biodiesel actually have been lower than petroleum diesel prices. But biodiesel's environmental benefits are the primary reason behind its choice to power Earth Fair 2000. In addition to dramatically reducing diesel emissions that cause health concerns, biodiesel can contribute significantly to the fight against global warming -- it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent compared to petroleum diesel. "Choosing biodiesel to power Earth Day events is a natural," said Joe Jobe, executive director of the National Biodiesel Board, which promotes biodiesel commercialization. "The groundwork is laid for biodiesel use to skyrocket. And with this push from Earth Fair 2000, I guess you can say that the stars are aligned to make it happen."
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NY Daily news:
3/22/00
Leo is doing his best to save the world

Leo DiCaprio is doing his best to save the world. The actor, who came under fire from Thai eco-protesters while filming "The Beach," has issued a statement with the EarthAction environmental group, declaring, "There is a global emergency going on. The Earth is heating up and everyone's future is at risk. Please join us in sending a strong message to our governments that now is the time for action to prevent violent changes in our climate."
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E! Online:
3/22/00
A Leo-Fueled Eco Campaign

"There is a global emergency going on," Leonardo DiCaprio warns in his latest ego-, err, eco-logical campaign. The Hollywood heavyweight's latest role is supporting the green group EarthAction's campaign to convince people and politicians to abandon fossil fuels and switch to environmentally friendly energy sources. Fossil fuels, Leo and crew say, are just no good for Mother Nature. While some critics might find such sentiments ironic coming from the actor whose last film, The Beach, came under intense criticism from some ecological groups for allegedly trashing a Thai island during filming, EarthAction says Leo's as green as they come and he had nothing to do with any despoiling. "If there was a problem, that issue would be with the producers of the movie, as opposed to the actors," says Lois Barber, EarthAction's U.S. executive director. (In Leo's defense, he did release a statement during filming of The Beach saying he wouldn't stand for the kind of destruction the filmmakers were charged with.) In any event, DiCaprio's message today doesn't mention the fury over The Beach, it only says the whole planet stands to be damaged by global warming thanks to our slave-like devotion to fossil fuels. "The Earth is heating up and everyone's future is at risk. Please join us in sending a strong message to our governments that now is the time for action to prevent violent changes in our climate," he says. EarthAction says the aim of the campaign is to create an international alert network online where citizens can make their voices heard. Netizens are encouraged to urge their local governments to shift from fossil fuels to clean energy like solar power. The group hopes people will lobby their representatives before April 22--Earth Day--when millions are expected to converge on Washington, D.C. to promote the cause, with Leo himself will chairing the event.
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Fox New - 411:
3/22/00
Leo's Latest Girl Gets Lit

Leo's Latest Girl Gets Lit, Or Rock Star Checks Out Paris Hilton Last week, the National Enquirer suggested that Leonardo DiCaprio was dating Paris Hilton, the 19-year-old daughter of Ricky and Kathy Hilton, heirs to the hotel fortune. But Leo did not have a very good week, did he? His step-brother, Adam Farrar, was arrested then released during an attempted murder investigation. Now word comes from Cancun, Mexico, that Paris was spotted in a very serious clinch with someone named A.J. Popoff over March 16-17. He's the lead singer of a hot new group called Lit. I think Lit in this case is not short for literature but is a reference to being lit, as in stoned or highly intoxicated. Lit's hit song is called "My Own Worst Enemy." The story goes that Paris, who is a very attractive blonde, was close enough to A.J. on the set of MTV's Spring Break set that onlookers turned red from blushing — and then some. Steve Miller, I believe, called this "jungle love." Mostly what this all means is that Paris is placing herself into competition to become the new hot blonde who dates stars and gets ink in gossip columns. Personally, I ran into her in front of Mel's Drive In on Sunset Boulevard around 2 a.m. the night (or morning) before the Grammys. She was with a good looking crowd of young people. All I can say is, welcome Paris! A new generation is marching in. We're ready for them!
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NY Post:
3/22/00
PARIS: Mexican passion

OUR favorite madcap heiress, Paris Hilton, is one impulsive teen. She accompanied her pal, Tara Reid of "Body Shots" fame, to Cancun, where Reid appeared on "MTV's Spring Break." Paris was in the green room when she met the lead singer from Lit, and soon the two were engaged in full-blown passion. "It was in flagrante," said a source. Sad news for Leo DiCaprio, who was said to be seeing Paris before she went south
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Columbus Dispatch:
3/22/00
DiCaprio was said to be interested in...

Turner Network Television is doing a movie about the young life of smoldering young actor James Dean, who died young. But instead of simply hiring some known quantity and getting on with it, TNT is holding a casting search in New York, Los Angeles, London and other cities in order to increase the movie's hype quotient. Only then will TNT hire some known quantity and get on with it. (Back in 1994, Leonardo DiCaprio was said to be interested in portraying Dean; why not snag him before he's too old to smolder?) But, hey, what do we know? Director Mark Rydell is a pro, and he says, "It's an amazing challenge for us to find the right actor, and will be just as challenging for the actor chosen to portray James Dean in all of his complexities. James Dean was the quintessential rebel, but he was also a well-trained actor with vulnerability, inner conflict and enormous star power. It will be the role of a lifetime.'' Speaking of Leonardo DiCaprio, what's going on with his stepbrother? All we know is that budding actor Adam Farrar, 28, was arrested in Los Angeles last week on suspicion of attempting to kill his girlfriend (her identity was withheld). He faces one count of attempted murder and one count of making terrorist threats. Police would not reveal whether a weapon was involved. Upon hearing the news, DiCaprio reportedly canceled business in New York to fly home to Los Angeles. (Leo and Adam grew up together after his father married Farrar's mother.) Farrar is being held on $1 million bail.
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National Enquirer:
3/22/00
LEO DUMPS GIRLFRIEND FOR HOTEL HEIRESS

Leonardo DiCaprio has split with longtime girlfriend Kristen Zang once and for all and is carrying on a romance with high-society teen heiress Paris Hilton. The "Titanic" heartthrob, who's starring in the new movie "The Beach," has been seeing 18- year-old Paris for more than a year. "Paris is madly in love with him," reveals a friend. "She has all the money in the world, but what she really wants more than anything is to marry Leo. "And Leo is very turned on by her." Paris' mother is Kathy Hilton, wife of property dealer Rick Hilton, who's the grandson of Hilton Hotel chain founder Conrad Hilton. Leo, 25, met sexy blonde Paris at a New York club 16 months ago, her friend disclosed. "Paris saw Leo and danced up to his table. Leo was smitten. She iced it by saying to him, ‘Do you think I could have a glass of champagne?' FAST FACT! Leo favors black, pinstriped Calvin Klein boxer shorts. "They've been seeing each other ever since. Leo has visited her at her family's lavish apartment in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and they've had romantic evenings at his private hideaway in New York's SoHo." The red-hot romance has spelled the end for Leo's on-again, off-again relationship with Kristen Zang, another source added. "Leo has replaced Kristen with Paris. And he's totally mad for her." But even with Kristen out of the picture, Paris may not have Leo all to herself. He's also reportedly been seeing his co-star from "The Beach," Virginie Ledoyen, in Los Angeles. Leo took the 23-year-old beauty to dinner and to a party in February -- and she's been spotted several times at his Hollywood hills home.
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Excite news:
3/22/00
Leo Lobbies World Leaders Over Pollution

Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio has thrown his weight behind a campaign to abandon fossil fuels and encourage a switch to environmentally friendly energy sources. Ironically, DiCaprio has recently come under fire from ecological activists over alleged damage to a Thai island paradise during the filming of his latest movie, The Beach. But his message Tuesday was that global warming was endangering the whole planet. "There is a global emergency going on," he said in a statement issued by the U.S.-based EarthAction environmental campaign network. "The Earth is heating up and everyone's future is at risk. Please join us in sending a strong message to our governments that now is the time for action to prevent violent changes in our climate," he added. EarthAction urged people to write to or email their governments to lobby for cleaner fuels ahead of Earth Day, on April 22, when millions of people in the United States are expected to converge on Washington to promote the cause.
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National Enquirer:
3/21/00

THE TITANIC: Behind The Scenes -- Adultery, Food Poisoning, Broken Bones

"Titanic" steamed off with $1.8 BILLION in worldwide ticket sales, shattering box-office records. Originally budgeted at $122 million, costs soared to a staggering $220 million -- making "Titanic" the most expensive movie ever made. But it was the disaster flick's behind-the-scenes scandals that set Hollywood tongues wagging. Near drownings, food poisoning, a bloated budget, missed deadlines and director James Cameron's nasty divorce put "Titanic" in the headlines long before the 3-hour, 17-minute blockbuster hit movie screens. Star Kate Winslet almost drowned when her coat got snagged in a scene where she and Leonardo DiCaprio were trapped in rising floodwater behind a locked gate. "I had to shimmy out of the coat to get free," the actress recalls. "I had no breath left. I thought I'd burst. "But Jim Cameron just said, 'O.K., let's go again.' I didn't want to be a wimp, so I didn't complain." She also suffered hypothermia -- the same severe drop in body temperature fatal to most of the 1,517 Titanic victims -- during a bone-chilling session in frigid water. In an early scene that was cut from the movie, Leo fell under a horse while running along a wet gangplank, barely rolling away as the startled animal reared back and fell. It wasn't smooth sailing for the crew, stunt people and extras either. Ten suffered broken bones. Others got serious infections from daily five-hour sessions in the cold water. Extras were injured when a model of the Titanic deck lurched up, sending them rolling like bowling balls. On the last day of filming somebody spiked the clam chowder with the drug angel dust. Eighty people got sick, some hospitalized with hallucinations. Cameron cracked the whip on the set, prompting frustrated crew members to print up T- shirts that read: "Jim's a hands-on director and I have the bruises to prove it" "No animals hurt during the making of this film, but the actors were tossed around like Styrofoam cups" "You either shoot it my way, or you do another [ï&#@!!] movie" The movie also shipwrecked Cameron's marriage to TV's "Beauty and the Beast" star Linda Hamilton. The two fell in love when Cameron directed Hamilton in the "Terminator" flicks. But she filed for divorce after he carried on a sizzling affair with sexy "Titanic" actress Suzy Amis during filming in Mexico. Despite all the problems, "Titanic" won 11 Academy Awards, tying the record set by "Ben- Hur." LEO'S WILD AND WICKED WAYS In a stirring scene, Leonardo DiCaprio embraces Kate Winslet on the prow of the Titanic. Later he shouts, "I'm king of the world!" -- and he's right! Women around the world swoon over the baby-faced hunk, who's well into a full-steam- ahead voyage of nonstop partying. "Leo's a sex machine. And he feeds off his heartthrob status," a pal confides. "He's a modern- day Casanova." Among the beauties linked to the handsome 24-year-old are models Kate Moss and Kristin Zang, "Clueless" stunner Alicia Silverstone, his "Romeo & Juliet" co-star Claire Danes, pop songbird Mariah Carey and French actress Virginie Ledoyen, Leo's co-star in the upcoming flick "The Beach." Swingin' Leo also carried on with Wonderbra model Eva Herzigova -- while the bouncy Czech was married to Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres! "That skinny kid stole her right out from under me," moaned Tico. On the prowl in Havana, Cuba, Leo was caught in a naked pool romp with leggy supermodel Naomi Campbell. At the same time, he was having a sizzling fling with Cuban model Carla Paneka. The lusty loverboy spent a night at the ritzy Malibu pad of screen siren Demi Moore -- who's 12 years his senior -- while her hubby Bruce Willis was away. But hot-blooded Leo sunk to a lewd low when he jumped on a table at a Miami Beach nightclub, grabbed his crotch and began an eye-popping bump and grind. Sources describe Leo's "all-night sex parties, cruising strip clubs for sex partners with his rowdy friends, and ordering female fans to perform lewd acts for autographs." Yet the studmuffin star makes no apologies for his hound-dog ways. "I'm obsessed with girls," he admits. "When you're my age your hormones are just kicking in and there's not much besides sex on your mind." WHY THE 'UNSINKABLE' DID THE UNTHINKABLE She steamed from England bound for New York on April 10, 1912. Four days later, an iceberg ripped through the S.S. Titanic's hull below the waterline. The "unsinkable" ship was doomed -- and 1,517 of her 2,207 passengers and crew went to watery graves in the icy north Atlantic. Inquiries concluded the tragedy resulted from negligence: Not equipped with binoculars, lookouts saw the ice too late. Titanic didn't change course or reduce speed despite urgent messages -- some not passed on by its wireless operator -- warning of icebergs. The lifeboats could hold only half those on board and few were filled to capacity. Just five miles away, another liner's captain mistook Titanic's distress flares for a party.
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Yahoo news:
3/21/00
The Beach displaying more potency abroad than domestically

Another picture that's displaying more potency abroad than domestically, ``The Beach'' nabbed $4.5 million from 32 countries and its foreign total hit $71.7 million. The Leonardo DiCaprio starrer plunged by 49% after a very strong opening in Australia, coining $2.1 million in 11 days. The standout performances are the U.K.'s $19.8 million and France's $11.3 million.
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Yahoo News:
3/20/00
James Dean Biopic Finds Way Onto TNT

After nearly a decade in development, James Dean's life story will finally be told -- as an original TV movie at TNT. The cable channel plans to premiere ``James Dean: An Invented Life, `` which will track Dean's rise as a film star up until his death at age 24, in 2001. Mark Rydell (''On Golden Pond,'' ``The Rose'') will direct; playwright and screenwriter Israel Horovitz, who was originally attached to the project when it was set up at Warner Bros. in 1992, will write the screenplay. Rydell, who performed with Dean at the Actor's Studio in New York, said the film will focus on Dean's childhood traumas and his tormented relationship with his father. A search is currently under way for an actor to take the leading role. ``It's an amazing challenge for us to find the right actor, and it will be just as challenging for the actor to portray Dean in all of his complexities,'' said Rydell. ``It will be the role of a lifetime.'' At various points throughout the history of the project, Leonardo DiCaprio, Stephen Dorff and Gary Oldman have been mentioned for the role of Dean.
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NY Daily News:
3/20/00
Wave of Support For Leo's Bro

Good news for Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother. Adam Farrar, arrested Wednesday on charges of trying to kill his girlfriend, was released Friday from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown L.A. The 28-year-old actor is also accused of making terroristic threats during an attack on a residence in the chic Marina del Rey. Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the L.A. County prosecutor's office, told us: "We have the case under review. He was released because charges weren't filed within 48 hours, the statutory time period for people in custody. "He's still a suspect," Gibbons added. "He's not out of the woods." As Farrar sat in jail, friends and family rallied around him. "Adam is one of the most nonviolent people I know," says Peggy DiCaprio, wife of the star's father, George. "All the charges will be proved false. I can promise you that." Farrar's attorney did not return calls for comment. But a source close to DiCaprio told us that prosecutors are looking hard at the truth of his accuser's story. DiCaprio was in New York meeting with film execs when his stepbrother was arrested. "Leonardo is in a state of complete shock," his stepmother said. "He can't believe any of this is happening. But he did warn Adam to be careful. Leo knows there are a lot of unscrupulous people in this world who want to cash in on his fame, and he's always tried to shield Adam from this." Police are reportedly protecting the woman and won't divulge her name, Peggy DiCaprio added. "But she's certainly no long-term girlfriend. Apparently she was taken out of town as soon they discovered who Adam was. I think she might be in Vegas." The "Titanic" star sought relief from the crisis Wednesday night here at Saci. On Thursday night, at Chaos, the teen heartthrob was wearing a goatee, glasses and baseball cap, and shuttling between dueling bashes — Queen Latifah's 30th birthday and producer Carey Woods' celebration for his movie, "Buddy Boy." Also on hand were Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck, director Brett Rattner, Carmen Kass and Mary J. Blige. And director John Singleton,who left the party with the phone number of American soccer champ Saskia Webber.
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Complete Irish Times article
Irish Times:
3/20/00
Growing up on camera

Tobey Maguire, star of the Oscar-nominated The Cider House Rules, is a rare surivor of childhood fame. He needed tenacity, discernment and ability to make it through to adulthood on the big screen, writes Michael Dwyer Aspirant actors who start out in their childhood or their teens are taking a huge risk in an industry where the casualty rate for young actors is dauntingly high. For every Jodie Foster and Elizabeth Taylor, there are hundreds of young actors who found their services no longer required when they grew older. Take the fate of Macaulay Culkin, who was turned into a juvenile superstar through the Home Alone movies in the early 1990s - and passed his sell-by date before the end of the decade. There are other problems for young actors, as Tobey Maguire explains, reflecting on the experiences of himself and his close friend Leonardo DiCaprio when they were in their teens. "Older people tend to underestimate you when you're that age and they can be very condescending," he says. "I think probably anyone around that age can relate to that. I just hate that feeling when people are talking down to you. It's a bit like people putting on baby voices when they talk to children." Now 24, Maguire - and, of course, his more famous friend, DiCaprio - are among those rare survivors of teen roles. There were times, Maguire says, when he didn't think he would make it, but his tenacity, discernment and ability won out. His range is demonstrated in three recent productions - the underestimated Ride With the Devil, which is back at the IFC in Dublin this weekend; the big surprise in this year's Oscar nominations, The Cider House Rules, which goes on release in Ireland next Friday; and Wonder Boys, which opened this month to enthusiastic reviews in the US and is due here in September.
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APB.com:
3/20/00
DiCaprio's Stepbrother Freed

Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother is expected to be released from the Twin Towers Jail today as the district attorney's office has decided to delay filing charges against him for attempted murder and making terroristic threats. Adam Farrar, 28, is not yet in the clear. "We haven't made a decision yet on whether to file charges," said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. "The investigation is continuing based on newly received evidence this morning." Farrar, also an actor, was set to be released on his own recognizance late this afternoon pending no outstanding warrants, two days after police arrested him in a Marina Del Rey residence where they had arrived in response to a 911 call alleging domestic violence. Authorities not releasing information Officers on the scene determined Farrar had tried to kill his girlfriend and had made terroristic threats against her, both felonies. Authorities have not released the alleged victim's name or any other details of the incident, including information regarding the "newly received evidence." The Los Angeles native, said to be the inspiration for his stepbrother's pursuit of an acting career, just appeared in his biggest role to date, the 1999 theatrical release Pups, in which he played a disabled, drug-addled Gulf War vet. Farrar told police at the time of his arrest he was related to DiCaprio, whose father married Farrar's mother. Farrar's attorney, Blair Berk, did not return calls seeking comment on her client's case.
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NY Post:
3/20/00
LEO'S BRO PROBING HIM

Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother was being released last night after authorities decided not to press charges "at this time" that he allegedly tried to kill his live-in girlfriend. Adam Farrar, 28, had been jailed on $1 million bail after his arrest Wednesday for investigation of attempted murder and making terrorist threats against his girlfriend. Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Elizabeth Sachs said her office "has decided not to press charges at this time" against the budding actor. "But the investigation surrounding the alleged offenses is ongoing," she said. Sachs said if the investigation turns up further evidence to support the charges, Farrar could be re-arrested. On Wednesday, sheriff's deputies went to a woman's home in Marina del Rey in response to a report of domestic violence. Farrar was arrested. The woman, whose name was not released, did not need medical treatment. Farrar was 4 years old when his mom, Peggy Farrar, married DiCaprio's divorced dad. The future "Titanic" star was then 1 year old. The two stepbrothers grew up in Los Angeles, and Farrar has said they continue to be close and play video games at DiCaprio's home. Farrar, who has done TV commercials and appeared in series such as "Eight is Enough", last month made a big-screen acting appearance as a wheelchair-bound Gulf War veteran in the independent film "Pups."
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Excite News:
3/20/00
DA: DiCaprio's Stepbrother Released

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother was released from jail Friday night pending further investigation of allegations that he attempted to kill his girlfriend. Adam Farrar, 28, was arrested this week for investigation of attempted murder and making terrorist threats. He was held in lieu of $1 million bail until his release. Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said authorities had new information that had to be investigated before any decision on filing charges can be made. She would not say what the new information was. Under law, if no charges are filed within 48 hours of an arrest, a person must be released. "This case is still under investigation," Gibbons said. "We should have a filing decision by next week." Sheriff's deputies were called to the Marina del Rey home of Farrar's girlfriend on Wednesday. The woman, whose name was not released, did not require medical aid and other details were withheld. DiCaprio's father is Farrar's stepfather, and the actor and Farrar grew up together. Steve Jaffe, a spokesman for the Farrar family, said Friday the family had no further comment. "Mr. Farrar is a free man and is with his family," Jaffe said.
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Mr Showbiz:
3/17/00
Leo's Stepbrother Held on Attempted Murder Charge

MSNBC:
3/17/00
Leo DiCaprio’s brother arrested

MARINA DEL REY, March 16 – The stepbrother of actor Leonardo DiCaprio was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and making terrorist threats against his girlfriend, the sheriff’s department reported Thursday. Deputies responding to a domestic violence call about noon Wednesday took Adam Farrar, 28, into custody at a Marina del Rey residence, said Sgt. Charles Stringham of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Unit. Farrar was held on $1 million bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. Stringham did not say who lives at the residence where the arrest was made. The name of Farrar’s girlfriend also was withheld. “Due to the sensitive nature of this case, at this time it would be inappropriate to comment regarding the details of the investigation,” Stringham said.
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Hollywood Reporter:
3/17/00
Actor Farrar faces charges

Actor Adam Farrar, the stepbrother of Leonardo DiCaprio, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder and making terrorist threats against his girlfriend, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The actor has not been charged and is being held on $1 million bail. Farrar, 28, is being held in Los Angeles County Jail pending a preliminary hearing, which is expected to take place today. He was taken into custody in Marina del Rey. If the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office elects to file charges, Farrar will be arraigned this morning in Culver City Municipal Court. Sheriff's deputies were summoned to the girlfriend's home in Marina del Rey around noon Wednesday after a report of a domestic dispute. A sheriff's spokeswoman said it is unclear if a weapon was involved and could neither confirm nor deny that the girlfriend required medical attention. Though the pair grew up together, DiCaprio and Farrar are not blood-related. DiCaprio's father is Farrar's stepfather.
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BBC News:
3/17/00
DiCaprio stepbrother arrested

Hollywood heart-throb Leonardo DiCaprio's actor stepbrother has been held by police on suspicion of attempted murder in Los Angeles. Adam Farrar, 28, was arrested at an unidentified woman's home in the Marina del Rey area on Wednesday after reports of domestic violence. He was detained on one count of attempted murder and one count of making terrorist threats, and he is being held at a Los Angeles prison in lieu of $1 million (£625,000) bail, police said. Sheriff's deputy Boris Nikolof said: "Due to the sensitive nature of this case, at this time it would be inappropriate to comment regarding the details of this investigation." Small acting roles Farrar has taken small roles in TV commercials and films, and is said to have inspired DiCaprio, 24, to become an actor. The two are not blood relations, becoming stepbrothers after Farrar's divorced mother married DiCaprio's divorced father, George. The two grew up together in Los Angeles' Echo Park district. DiCaprio was nominated for an Oscar for his role in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape? He rose to worldwide fame alongside Kate Winslet in 1997's Titanic. His most recent film was The Beach. His spokesman, Ken Sunshine, said: "Leonardo's only comment is that he has no comment."
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NY Daily News:
3/17/00
Sib Story for Leo

London Telegraph:
3/17/00
stepbrother on attempted murder charge

THE stepbrother of Leonardo DiCaprio has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Los Angeles. Adam Farrar, 28, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to kill his girlfriend. Sheriff's Deputy Jim Tatreau refused to give any details about the alleged crime but said that Farrar was arrested on one count of attempted murder and on one count of making a terrorist threat against his girlfriend, who has not been named. He said: "Due to the sensitive nature of this case, at this time it would be inappropriate to comment regarding the details of the investigation." Police were called to Farrar's girlfriend's flat after an emergency call reporting domestic violence. Farrar, who police said was quick to mention his famous stepbrother when he was arrested, was last night being held in a Los Angeles jail in lieu of $1 million (£700,000) bail. DiCaprio, 24, has said in the past that Farrar, an actor of rather more modest reputation, was the inspiration behind his own decision to go on the stage. The pair grew up together in the gritty Echo Park suburb of Los Angeles after DiCaprio's divorced father George, an underground cartoonist, married Farrar's divorced mother. Ken Sunshine, the spokesman for DiCaprio, confirmed that Farrar was the actor's stepbrother but said DiCaprio would not comment on the arrest. Mr Sunshine said: "The only comment is that he [DiCaprio] has absolutely no comment." DiCaprio, who rose to international fame in the film Titanic, was born in Los Angeles in 1975 and has mentioned that he saw Farrar in television commercials when he was a boy and that made him want to act. He started aged five when he appeared on the children's television show Romper Room
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Excite News:
3/17/00
DiCaprio stepbrother held on attempted murder charge

Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio's stepbrother, also an actor, was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of attempting to murder his girlfriend and was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail , police said Thursday. Adam Farrar, 28, who grew up with DiCaprio in Los Angeles and inspired him to become an actor, was arrested Wednesday in the seaside community of Marina del Rey, said Sheriff's Deputy Jim Tatreau. He declined to give details of the alleged crime. Farrar and DiCaprio, 24, who are not blood relations, became stepbrothers after Farrar's divorced mother married DiCaprio's divorced father, George. Farrar, who has had small roles in television commercials and movies, was arrested on one count of attempted murder and one count of making terrorist threats in an alleged attack on his girlfriend, Tatreau said. He said authorities would not release the alleged victim's name. Tatreau said Farrar, who mentioned his famous stepbrother to police at the time of his arrest, was being held on $1 million bail and awaiting an arraignment on the charges. A spokesman for DiCaprio, who shot to international fame after starring in 1997's "Titanic," the highest-grossing film of all time, confirmed that Farrar was his stepbrother. But publicist Ken Sunshine said DiCaprio, who is currently starring in "The Beach," would not issue a statement about the arrest. "Leonardo's only comment is that he has absolutely no comment," Sunshine said. DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles in 1975 and grew up in the city's gritty Echo Park neighborhood, not far from downtown, and attended John Marshal High School. It was Farrar's appearances in television commercials as a child that inspired DiCaprio to become an actor. DiCaprio's show business debut came at age 5 when he appeared on the children's television show "Romper Room." After high school, he concentrated on poetry and painting before following his stepbrother in front of the cameras. DiCaprio was nominated for an Academy Award for his role starring alongside Johnny Depp in the 1993 film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" before "Titanic" made him a superstar. Reuters/Variety
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Complete SF Gate article
SF Gate:
3/16/00
Celebrities are buying it

A Look That Works BC Ethic's retro line for men salutes solid blue-collar style, and celebrities are buying it Measured on the fashion world's all-important celebrity appeal index, BC Ethic is a big-time success. The Southern California menswear brand's vintage-inspired shirts -- as essential to the retro lounge-lizard look as a dirty martini -- have been seen on the backs of Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Matthew Perry and members of pop bands such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Barenaked Ladies and Smash Mouth. By a financial standard, the 8-year-old company is, well, ``money, baby.'' BC Ethic, which stands for ``blue-collar ethic,'' raked in more than $18 million in sales last year to stores ranging from Pacific Sunwear to Neiman Marcus. It recently acquired the junior brands Dawls and Drawls.
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Movieplace.com:
3/14/00
Virginie Ledoyen video clip

Checkout this interview with Virginie Ledoyen from the Beach.
Click here to view clip
Also if you have not seen it already, checkout the clip with Leonardo DiCaprio.
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Movieplace.com:
3/14/00
DiCaprio addresses rumors

DiCaprio addresses rumors Leo on The Beach, Titanic, upcoming Star Wars He's still king of the whirl. Two years after Titanic mania, Leonardo DiCaprio just wants to keep his head above water. "Every day it's a new rumor," he told me last weekend with a sigh. Looking like a young James Dean with his hair slicked back and wearing a tight black T-shirt, DiCaprio sat down over a breakfast in Maui where no topic was off limits. Rumors about Leo? "I used to take things personally. I would often think, 'This is going to eat me alive!' I would want to give a press conference every five minutes. Now I just don't care anymore. It's all so ridiculous." Now the truth: Yes, he wants to star in the next Star Wars' as a slightly older Anakin Skywalker. Sort of. "I've talked with George Lucas about it," he said. "But I haven't seen a script. We've just had one conversation." Did he insist on a script because The Phantom Menace left so many disappointed? "'I need to see a script of anything I'm a part of. Period,"' DiCaprio demurred. Like that famed Celine Dion song, he would go on and on about other topics: Fame: "It's not like they give you a handbook. I've had to learn how to deal with it. But I'm not complaining. I have been given wonderful opportunities and I love to act." Singledom: He's not attached. "I don't say that sadly," he said, insisting, "I know you read that I party, but most nights I'm sitting at home. Maybe I get on my Web site. Talk to people." Recent reports of him smooching with Carmen Electra strike him as "unbelievable. I'm shocked about how easily people will lie about what I do." Titanic director James Cameron: No, he doesn't hate him. "I didn't dis him at all in Talk magazine!" said DiCaprio, 25, of a recent article that reported he dumped ice water on Cameron during the last day of shooting. "It was like Gatorade poured on the coach's head." He added, "I've said many times before that, yes, Cameron does have a certain personality. The truth is it takes a commanding, general-like man to do a movie like Titanic." Would he work with him again? "Depends on the project." Martin Scorsese: Yes, he's excited to work with the Taxi Driver director on Gangs of New York, an upcoming movie revolving around New York gang culture in the 1850s. "It is going to happen, which is a dream come true for me. I play this young character named Amsterdam who comes back to avenge his father's death." Filming begins in Rome this spring. The Beach beach: No, Leo did not destroy a beach for his romantic action thriller The Beach, due out Feb. 11. There were environmental protests in Thailand after The Beach was shot on the island of Phi Phi Lee. To make paradise even better, three tons of garbage were removed from the real beach. With permission of local authorities, the film crews also planted 100 coconut trees and lowered two sand dunes. "We were targeted as this big Hollywood machine that came in and disrespected this island. A total lie," DiCaprio said. "I am very environmentally conscious." Titanic maniacs: Finally, he can't understand people who have seen Titanic 100 times. "I've only seen it five times myself," he said. To fan-addicts he says, "Go outside. Have some fun!"
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Seattle Post Intelligencer:
3/14/00
Beach got a mixed reaction in Bangkok

"The Beach" got a mixed reaction in Bangkok, Thailand, with viewers warming to images of an idyllic island but shuddering at the grim finale. About 600 people showed up Tuesday for a charity screening of the Leonardo DiCaprio movie ahead of its release today in 92 theaters around the country. Environmental activists are urging Thais to boycott the movie, claiming the filmmakers destroyed a pristine beach to make it look better on screen.
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MTV.com:
3/14/00
Durst Dishes On New Limp LP At Playboy Party

Durst Dishes On New Limp LP At Playboy Party Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst took a break from recording his band's new album to rub elbows with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Stiller, Lauren Holly, and others at the Playboy mansion late last week. Durst was one of many music notables (including rapper Xzibit and members of Korn, No Doubt, Hole, and Orgy) who turned out last Thursday for a party marking the release of the "Playboy" Sex & Music issue. The April edition of the magazine (which features cover girl Bijou Phillips) features the winners of the magazine's readers poll, including Limp Bizkit's Video Of The Year award for "Nookie." At the party, Durst addressed Limp's progress on its new album and also revealed the band's DIY solution to its recent split with producer Rick Rubin. "I decided to produce it myself," Durst told MTV News. "It's going really good. We've got like nine songs (written). We're going into the studio Monday to start recording, and hopefully we'll create like five or six more songs in the studio." In addition to those revealing facts, Durst also joked that the new album will be called, "'Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'...I'm Chocolate Starfish, and the band is the Hot Dog Flavored Water." [RealVideo] A spokesperson for Limp's label, Flip/Interscope, noted that the album is still being assembled under the tentative title "Limpdependence Day," and it's tentatively slated for release on July 4.
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Salon.com:
3/13/00
Juicy bits

Those people in Thailand are starting to sound a little whiny when it comes to "The Beach." Earlier this week, angry environmentalists grabbed headlines by having a man in a Leonardo DiCaprio mask stage a mock suicide at the film's opening. Alas, no effigy. Now, a cache of Thai politicians have called for the film to be banned because they feel it's blasphemous and portrays their country as a drug paradise. Damn, what are those people smoking over there?
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Excite News:
3/13/00
Theaters Abroad Lift Film Industry

- Leonardo DiCaprio's latest movie, "The Beach," sank like the Titanic with U.S. moviegoers. Its distributor, 20th Century Fox, isn't worried, though. "The Beach" is staying afloat in overseas markets, where it is expected to gross at least twice its U.S. take, showing just how big a force international theater circuits have become for Hollywood. With the United States saturated with new movie megaplexes, cinema companies are turning more resources to construction of movie screens overseas, theater owners said Monday at the opening of ShoWest, the industry's annual trade show. "We won't see a whole lot more growth in theaters in the United States," said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners. "But the megaplexing of the world is just now getting under way." The number of theater screens overseas is about four times the 37,000 in the United States, but many foreign cinemas are outdated and in need of the sort of makeover that has gone on among U.S. theaters, with better sound, seating and other comforts, Fithian said. "The rest of the world is actually untouched at this point," said Jerry Magner, chief financial officer for National Amusements Inc. In the late 1980s, the Massachusetts-based theater chain had no overseas cinemas, but nearly one-fourth of its 1,300 screens now are in foreign countries. Foreign theaters accounted for less than a third of Hollywood's movie revenue 20 years ago. Today, overseas cinemas make up about 55 percent of the industry's business, and that figure is expected to rise as more modern theaters are built. Certain films that play better to foreign audiences, such as "The Beach" or MGM's James Bond adventures, can do an even higher percentage of their business overseas. A dark, brooding tale of an American backpacker on a quest for paradise in Thailand, "The Beach" failed to capture the heartbreak crowd of young women who helped make DiCaprio's "Titanic" the highest-grossing movie of all-time. Released last month, the movie has made an anemic $35 million domestically but already has surpassed that in just a few European countries, including Britain and France. The movie's somber tone, foreign setting and international popularity of director Danny Boyle, who made "Trainspotting," probably gave it wider appeal among non-American audiences. Jim Gianopulos, president of 20th Century Fox International, said the studio expects "The Beach" to do at least twice as much business overseas as in the United States. That should ensure the studio will turn a profit on "The Beach," which cost about $50 million to make. The growth of foreign movie markets is evident from Fox's "Star Wars" movies. The first three films, from 1977, 1980 and 1983, did far better domestically than overseas. The latest, last year's "Phantom Menace," grossed $431 million in the United States but $60 million more than that internationally. The same is true for "Titanic," which took in $600 million domestically and twice that outside the United States. "When you apply the sheer magnitude of the market place beyond the U.S., you get this kind of result," Gianopulos said. "There are predictions out there over the next decade of the international box office being two-thirds of the market." Likely growth markets for theater developers include Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia, notably China's untapped audiences. "It's just sitting there waiting for the taking," Peter Dobson of Warner International Theatres said at a panel discussion Monday.
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Complete San Jose Mercury News article
San Jose Mercury News:
3/13/00
The price of fame

A MUCH-TOUTED Leonardo DiCaprio movie, ``The Beach,'' recently opened on the same day as a not-touted kids' flick, ``Snow Day,'' starring long-in-the-tooth comic Chevy Chase. Each made about $15 million the first weekend. Now does that mean it was nuts to pay DiCaprio about $20 million when Chase was earning probably a ``mere'' $1 million? According to the March 3 Entertainment Weekly, not at all. ``Who Deserves to be a Millionaire'' is a fun, and yet somewhat rigorous, look at the top-of-the-hill economics of Hollywood and all the elements going into big paydays, such as corporate ego. Since Fox won the bragging rights of luring DiCaprio when all its competitors sought his services, it will view the money as generally well spent if only to trump everybody else. The article takes one through all the top-earning stars, recites their recent hauls and box-office history and assesses whether they are really worth it. Of course, it's still a fairly subjective matter, as hard as the magazine tries to make its handiwork sound scientific, and one can always wind up stoutly believing that the mere fact somebody got a big check means inherently that they are worth it, as least in the giver's eyes. Mel Gibson. His asking price is $25 million, and he has turned out a lot of big-selling action films and thrillers. The magazine concludes that he is definitely worth the big bucks, especially since he's a big sell overseas and an eager promoter. Jim Carrey. He gets about $20 million and is lauded for taking artistic risks and tending toward perfectionism. A definite yes for his value.....
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Excite News:
3/13/00
Thais Shudder at 'Beach' Finale

"The Beach" got a mixed reaction in Thailand, with viewers warming to images of an idyllic island but shuddering at the grim finale. About 600 people showed up Tuesday night for a charity screening of the Leonardo DiCaprio movie ahead of its release Friday in 92 theaters around the country. Environmental activists are urging Thais to boycott the movie, claiming the filmmakers destroyed a pristine beach to make it look better on screen. Piyoros Sirithasana, 20, a student and DiCaprio fan, said she enjoyed the movie but was upset by the violence. "It just showed a bad image of drug-taking and killings by Thais," she said. "But the scenery of Thailand looked beautiful in the film."
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Complete ABC news article
ABC News:
3/13/00
Unwelcome Arms

Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach may be pulling in crowds in cinemas around the world, but the country where it was filmed is giving the finished movie a cooler reception. The film is set to be released on 92 screens across Thailand today, amid protests from environmentalists, artists and the government. On Tuesday, an angry group of some 20 protesters gathered outside the first showing of the film in Thailand to demonstrate against what they say was the destruction of a pristine beach during the filming of the movie. The protest was performed before several hundred onlookers outside the suburban cinema chosen to launch The Beach ahead of its nationwide release. A parliamentary committee today suggested the film be recalled from distribution because of claims that it portrays a negative image of Buddhism. Kuthep Saikrachang, a spokesman for the Parliament House Committee on Religion, Arts and Culture, said the opening scene of The Beach misleads moviegoers into believing that a “Buddha image would actually be placed on a footpath in an entertainment zone in Thailand.” A Fox source argued that the intention of the opening Buddha scene was merely to identify Thailand.
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Complete APB article
APB News.com:
3/13/00
Leonardo DiCaprio Named in Slander Suit

Leonardo DiCaprio has been named in a slander lawsuit between a money manager and his former business partners. The suit was filed by Dana Giacchetto, a director of The Cassandra Group Inc., a financial management firm that has an A-list of celebrities as clients. Among the stars who have been named as investors with the firm or friends of Giacchetto are DiCaprio, Alanis Morissette, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, hip-hop artist Q-Tip, Courtney Cox Arquette, Michael Stipe and Hollywood entertainment mogul and talent manager Michael Ovitz.
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BBC News:
3/10/00
Thai MPs call for Beach ban

Leading Thai politicians have called for The Beach to be banned, claiming the film is blasphemous and portrays their country as a drugs paradise. The fresh controversy comes two days after the Thai premiere of the movie which was marred by a demonstration by angry environmentalists. Members of Thailand's House of Representatives' Arts and Culture Committee said they had received complaints from the public that the film was disrespectful to Buddhism. "The movie blasphemed Buddhism in a scene in which a big Buddha image is shown in a bar," said committee spokesman Kuthep Saikachang. MPs were also unhappy with a scene, which they said made Thailand look like a haven for drug addicts. "In the movie it appears that marijuana is easy to find here and they did a mock-up of the full moon party," Kuthep Saikachang said. The committee wants Thai film censors to pull the movie, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio even though it has already been passed for release on Friday. "Although we will not be able to stop the showing we want the public to more aware of Hollywood film-makers who distort Asian people and their culture," Kuthep Saikachang added. Troubled history The Beach has been dogged by controversy for more than a year. Environmental activists claim producers 20th Century Fox ruined the fragile eco-system of Maya Bay on idyllic Phi Phi island in southern Thailand during filming. Fox denies damaging Maya beach and last year DiCaprio issued a statement defending the use of the island. A court case, against 20th Century Fox, a local producer and the Thai forestry department alleging damage to the beach on Phi Phi island is still going on. The next hearing will be held on 26 March. The charges claim that the film shoot was given the go-ahead before social impact and environmental studies were carried out and is claiming compensation of more than 100 million baht (£1.6m). The film has had a mixed critical reaction so far and not been the expected box-office blockbuster. Even die-hard DiCaprio fans in Thailand are torn. Student Piyoros Sirithasana, 20, said she enjoyed the movie but was upset by the violence. "It just showed a bad image of drug-taking and killings by Thais," she said. "But the scenery of Thailand looked beautiful in the film."

BBC News:
3/10/00
protests grow over The Beach

A Thai wearing a Leonardo DiCaprio mask stages a mock suicide as protests grow over The Beach

Time magazine:
3/10/00
Letters in reply to the cover story on Leo

Leo Up Close "Thanks to Joel Stein's smug report on DiCaprio, I have more compassion for celebrities and less for the paparazzi." DON AVIROM Peace River, Alta.

In his report on wunderkind (sort of) actor Leonardo DiCaprio [CINEMA, Feb. 21], Joel Stein managed in the nicest possible way not only to inform and entertain us but also to give the subject enough room to hang himself. DiCaprio is silly, shallow, ill informed about subjects he pontificates on, and very, very young--intellectually and emotionally. But these are not indictable offenses. DiCaprio has shown himself to be a fine young actor in some films. I won't see The Beach until it comes out on video, but I will continue to read Stein faithfully. CHRISTINE ROSANIA Chicago Heights, Ill.

Pretty-boy actor DiCaprio is a good-looking kid who can't act and makes forgettable films. He doesn't merit the coverage you gave him. Who cares about his grocery-store receipt? This is tabloid material. I expect better stories from TIME. Go back to the original premise you were founded on and cover the real news and events that shape our world. STEPHEN M. ROSENBERG Littleton, Colo.

After working as a hairdresser in films for more than 40 years, I know that actors give us their all. Why are they supposed to be magnificent in interviews, especially if the person posing the questions is not intelligent enough to ask ones that are meaningful? I love to watch Leonardo on the screen. He is frequently superb. How often would we bare our minds and hearts to a stranger? GINGER BLYMYER Eaton Center, N.H.

Thanks a million for the fresh and funny view of an overpublicized actor. ATIYA HASAN York, Pa.

Your coverage of DiCaprio is the sick epitome of what has become important in American culture--looks, wealth, looks, success, looks, undeserved celebrity and looks. I assure you little Leo is laughing all the way to the bank. LINDSEY CARNICK, age 18 Manitou Springs, Colo.

In his interview with Stein, DiCaprio accomplished exactly what he wanted. He remains a mystery. VIVIAN THOMPSON Indianapolis, Ind.

Forget Leo. I'm saving myself for Joel. His articles are the most entertaining I read all week. AMY GORE Atlanta
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Hollywood.com:
3/10/00
BURN, LEO, BURN

BURN, LEO, BURN: Isn't it enough that "The Beach" bombed? Not for environmentalists in Thailand. The tree-huggers, miffed for months over the way they said the Leonardo DiCaprio production messed with their beach, lit into the flick today at its Thai premiere. The high point (low point?) of the event was the guy who donned a Leo mask and then pretended to commit suicide. Lest you think that the malcontents were being plain mean, let it be pointed out that they were really just trying to be, you know, symbolic. According to the environmentalists, the real Leo should be so ashamed of the way "The Beach" crew treated Thai beaches during last year's location shoot that he should want to hurt himself or something. In the end, the charity screening did go on, and, as far as we know, the real Leo (who was not present) did not hurt himself or something. Of course, he might still want to if he gets a look at the box-office charts. Through last weekend, "The Beach" had earned an all-washed-up $36.9 million at domestic theaters.
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Court TV:
3/10/00
Film brings controversy in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — A demonstrator wearing a Leonardo DiCaprio mask faked ritual suicide Tuesday to protest what activists call environmental crimes committed in making the Hollywood star's latest movie, "The Beach." The protest was performed before several hundred onlookers outside the cinema where "The Beach" was to screen Tuesday night for the first time in Thailand, where it was shot on location last year. A flier said the mock suicide symbolized the sense of shame DiCaprio should feel for taking part in a film opponents say despoiled a pristine beach at Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh island, part of a Thai national park. Atsara Pithaksorayuth, a public relations officer for 20th Century Fox, said the studio was expecting a full house of 600 viewers for the screening, each paying $5.40, double the usual ticket price, to help raise funds for the blind. "It is ironic that Fox is attempting to create a new image for this movie by making a donation to charity," said Ing Kanjanavanit, a foe of the film. "We want the public to boycott this movie." The movie will be released to the public Friday on 92 screens nationwide. Meanwhile, a civil trial resumed against Fox and senior Thai officials stemming from a lawsuit over damage allegedly wrought to the beach by filmmakers' efforts to make the location more cinematically beautiful. Based on Alex Garland's best-selling novel, "The Beach" tells the story of a backpacking tourist who discovers a secret island paradise inhabited by a few dozen other travelers. But their utopia collapses into violence.
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Salon.com
3/8/00
Beach bummer blaze-a-thon

"Environmentalists in Thailand are reportedly still so steamed about destruction allegedly caused last year by the filming of Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Beach" that they're planning to lynch and burn an effigy of young Leo at the film's Thai premiere Tuesday night. "We are not trying to stop the public watching the movie," Phuket Environmental Protection representative Sirinee Yommana told the Agence France-Presse, "but we are asking them to wait and watch it on video." Then again, judging from the flick's U.S. box-office performance, Yommana and her buddies may have gotten their wish before they even set match to straw.
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Excite News:
3/7/00
Protests Start Over DiCaprio Film

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A demonstrator wearing a Leonardo DiCaprio mask faked ritual suicide Tuesday to protest what activists call environmental crimes committed in making the Hollywood star's latest movie, "The Beach." The protest was performed before several hundred onlookers outside the cinema where "The Beach" was to screen Tuesday night for the first time in Thailand, where it was shot on location last year. A flier said the mock suicide symbolized the sense of shame DiCaprio should feel for taking part in a film opponents say despoiled a pristine beach at Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh island, part of a Thai national park. Atsara Pithaksorayuth, a public relations officer for 20th Century Fox, said the studio was expecting a full house of 600 viewers for the screening, each paying $5.40, double the usual ticket price, to help raise funds for the blind. "It is ironic that Fox is attempting to create a new image for this movie by making a donation to charity," said Ing Kanjanavanit, a foe of the film. "We want the public to boycott this movie." The movie will be released to the public Friday on 92 screens nationwide. Meanwhile, a civil trial resumed against Fox and senior Thai officials stemming from a lawsuit over damage allegedly wrought to the beach by filmmakers' efforts to make the location more cinematically beautiful. Based on Alex Garland's best-selling novel, "The Beach" tells the story of a backpacking tourist who discovers a secret island paradise inhabited by a few dozen other travelers. But their utopia collapses into violence.
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NY Daily News
3/6/00
How to 'Beach' a Career Careful, Leo. What happened to John Travolta could happen to you

If the arc of Leonardo DiCaprio's short movie career were tracked on a line graph, it would read like the stock performance of one of those rocketing dot-com companies: Quick start ("This Boy's Life"), fast growth ("What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"), strong value ("Romeo and Juliet"), peak value ("Titanic"), overvalued ("The Man in the Iron Mask"), selloff/plunge ("The Beach"). In the beginning, he was a prodigy. In the middle, he was the next John Travolta. Now, he's on the verge of becoming a joke, a discarded heartthrob who may or may not reclaim the enormous credibility he once enjoyed. DiCaprio's stock is in free-fall after the disastrous box-office performance of "The Beach," the first major studio movie to test his star power directly. Yes, he helped draw a crowd to MGM's "The Man in the Iron Mask" a couple of years ago, but that swashbuckler was released at the height of post-"Titanic" Leomania, when he was the cover boy of every fan magazine and the poster boy of every teenage girl on the planet. And, lest we forget, he was part of an ensemble cast that included such well-regarded vets as Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne, John Malkovich and Gerard Depardieu. DiCaprio is flying solo on the marquee for "The Beach," a splashy Gen-X adventure fantasy aimed squarely at the actor's core youth audience. And they've rejected it. After a modest $15.3 million opening weekend, "The Beach" went diving . . . down, down the box-office chart. Less than a month into its run, it's about done, with less than $40 million in domestic ticket sales which, after the theaters take their cuts, will just about cover DiCaprio's salary. What does this mean to the 25-year-old star? Maybe nothing. "The Beach," which plays like "Blue Lagoon" overrun with hippies, doesn't do anyone proud, including its once-vaunted director, Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting"). But neither is DiCaprio innocent. His own work in the movie amounts to dreadful posturing and overacting; it's an imitation star turn by an actor whose major achievement is not appearing embarrassed by it. Before they write the film's failure off to bad marketing, bad timing, bad karma or some other ghost culprit, DiCaprio and his managers would do well to compare his career-to-date with that of the young Travolta. There are instructive parallels. Travolta, like DiCaprio, introduced himself to American audiences through a popular TV series (Travolta in "Welcome Back, Kotter," DiCaprio in "Growing Pains"), made his film debut with a bit part in a horror movie (Travolta did "The Devil's Rain," DiCaprio "Critters 3") and got his first rave reviews with his third picture (Travolta for "Saturday Night Fever," DiCaprio for "This Boy's Life"). Travolta was 23 when he became a heartthrob with "Saturday Night Fever," while DiCaprio was 20 when he made the grade with "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet." And they were about the same age when they moved into the big-budget arena — Travolta with "Grease," DiCaprio aboard "Titanic." So far, so good. But it was at the same juncture in his career that Travolta began believing in his own media-concocted iconography, and spending his enormous good will on a series of facile, fad-driven star vehicles — "Urban Cowboy," "Staying Alive," "Perfect" — that, in a few short years, erased his name from the Hollywood A-list. Sure, he continued working. But 13 years passed between his last critically acclaimed role — in Brian DePalma's 1981 "Blow Out" — and the one that so spectacularly revived him, Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." Does DiCaprio want be fat and middle-aged the next time he's taken seriously? A few more missteps like "The Beach," and that may be his best-case scenario. At the moment, DiCaprio seems to be getting better advice than did Travolta. He pulled out of "American Psycho," an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' sensationalist novel about a club-hopping Manhattan serial killer, and he signed on for Martin Scorsese's "The Gangs of New York," a drama about the Irish mob in 19th-century New York. Actors looking for credibility can't do better than a Scorsese movie. To be fair to DiCaprio, being a pop icon at the start of the 21st century is a daunting prospect. At $20 million a movie, his reported fee for "The Beach," an agent's 10% cut and a business manager's 5% can lead to bad — i.e., take the money and run — decisions. Look what Nicolas Cage has done to his image since following his Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" with a career as an action star. If DiCaprio is wise, he'll hold his people at bay, and do some good work in budget-restrained, character-driven films before selling out for his closeups. The alternative, using Travolta as the model, is to get fat at the studio trough and, when the audience tires of him, to hope for the best. DiCaprio with a gut is not a pretty thought.
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E! Online:
3/6/00
From 'Tea with Ted' at E! Online

A couple of recent excerpts from "Tea with Ted" (Ted Casablanca) column at E! Online
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Ted, I heard Leo pays for his "entertainment" of both girls and guys. You know the goings-on at the Marmont--what's your take on it? I hope he doesn't die having a good time--that's all I care about. I heard he plays it really close to the edge. And speaking as one who has been into both men and women, I'm not going to judge on that score.
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Is Leo's insatiable appetite for partying, flying his chums about, etc., a product of "I can, therefore I do" (i.e., using the system while the system uses him)? Or is he just buying into his own hype? It's more a product of "I can get paid $20 million a film, and I do." I actually admire how Leo shares his wealth among his friends. The only time I don't admire it is when he sticks his studio with the bill for his friends' frolicking.
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Complete FOX411 article
FOX411
3/4/00
'pay him something normal'

"With lots of interesting offerings this weekend—like 'Reindeer Games' and 'Wonder Boys' — 'The Beach' went into a freefall. Finishing at No. 12 for the weekend, the Leo DiCaprio vehicle took in less money—and in more theaters—than the above two films as well Oscar contenders 'The Cider House Rules' and 'American Beauty.' Altogether 'The Beach' has about $36 million its till, which spells disaster for its producers. Has the DiCaprio spell worn off? I think the answer is yes. Hot on the heels of 'Titanic,' 'The Man in the Iron Mask' did middling business. At the time, the spinmeisters claimed that the public knew this was not a “real” Leo movie and that it had been made before 'Titanic.' But 'The Beach' seems to have suffered the same fate. It seems that DiCaprio, as I predicted here a few weeks ago, cannot sustain a movie as the lead actor if the box office is dependent solely on him. To pin these highly expensive films on a 25-year-old is unfair in the long run. Put him in character roles, surround him with other solid actors instead of cheap lightweights (like most of 'The Beach' gang), and pay him something normal (how about $4 million instead of $15 or $20 million)."
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Source article Washington Post
"The Washington Post"
3/4/00
Earth Day 2000

Earth Day 2000's Washington team seeks hundreds of volunteers to prepare for the April 22 event on the Mall which will feature a roster of entertainers led by LEONARDO DiCAPRIO. Volunteers are asked to work two-hour shifts to assist with office work, telephoning sponsors, publicity and database entry. Volunteers are also needed on the day of the event. Call Jodie Moxley, 202-408-3325 or e-mail: Jodie@earthday.net.
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Complete Ain't It Cool News article
From "Ain't It Cool News"
3/3/00
'the Damon and DiCaprio rumors'

"DiCaprio or Damon up for PLANET OF THE APES? This my friends and cohorts is pure RUMOR. Word has it that the draft from Bill Broyles is a departure... a great departure from the previous horrid drafts that have been attached for the past few years. One source at FOX has told me that the film isn't so much a remake, as it is a possible new chapter. We'll know more later. As for the Damon and DiCaprio rumors... I don't know from whence the MELBOURNE pulled them, but until we hear otherwise... I believe that's speculation... not solid at this point."