Happy Days for Jake Lloyd?
A-list Hollywood film-maker Ron Howard (Apollo 13) has written an open letter to Newsweek magazine slamming criticisms printed in the publication of Jake Lloyd’s performance as Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace. Howard was angered by Newsweek’s sidebar which contained fan website rumors that Lloyd’s performance “stinks.”

Howard wrote, “I seriously doubt the ‘insiders’ you mention are inside enough to have seen an edited version of the new Star Wars, because I have, and in my opinion, Jake is terrific in the film (which by the way is truly amazing).” He then went on to criticize Newsweek’s decision to print the fan’s comments stating, “For Newsweek to attack a child’s performance based on rumor and without having even seen the movie is shameful. As someone who was acting professionally at an early age, I can assure you that Jake is quite capable of reading, understanding, and feeling the full humiliation of a piece like that."

The Truman Snub
A critical and commercial hit on its release last year, it seemed that The Truman Show was guaranteed a place in the Best Picture and Best Actor noms at Oscar time. Not so: while Peter Weir gets a look-in for Best Director, Andrew Niccol features in Best Screenplay and the marvelous Ed Harris shows up in Best Supporting Actor (he must win, surely!), Carrey’s performance of a lifetime was criminally overlooked.

Other fantasy movies to appear in nominations: Armageddon blasted its way into Sound, Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects, and the other-worldly Pleasantville and What Dreams May Come made colorful entries to Art Direction. Gods and Monsters, the acclaimed bio-pic of James Whale, also took nominations for Best Actor for Ian McKellen, Best Supporting Actress for Lynn Redgrave and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Triumph for Xposé favorites
Buffy and The X-Files proved to be the viewers’ choice at the recent TV Guide Awards, picking-up 10 of the 28 trophies between them. The awards – which are split between 12 voted by mail ballot, 14 by Internet and two special Editor’s Awards – provide a vivid indication of Buffy’s huge Online fang-base, since all of its successes were in the Net categories (the more light-hearted of the prizes) which were as follows:

• Best Women’s Hair-do: Sarah Michelle Gellar
• Best Men’s Hair-do: David Boreanaz
• Scariest Villain: Spike
• Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show: Buffy
• Best Teen Character: Buffy
• Sexiest Female: Sarah Michelle Gellar
• Best Dressed Female: Guess who!

The X-Files picked-up two of the Online awards both of which went to David Duchovny for Sexiest Male and Best Dressed Male. Duchovny’s fine treble was completed by his triumph in the ‘serious’ category of Best Actor in a Drama, making The X-Files the only show to win in both mail and e-mail categories. Xposé offers its congratulations to both of the equally brilliant programs!