The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 8

A8 THE VANCOUVER SUN. WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 13, 2000 PROVINCE NATION. Altman blames media for cult of celebrity it' 1 UVf hay 3 a'm The movie director says the news media often take the easy way out. "Now I have this reputation of being a little bit crazy and that's fine, it'll change," she said.

Dr. and the Women, which made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month and makes its North American premiere in Toronto, features Richard Gere as a Dallas gynecologist at the centre of a cast of eccentric and entertaining patients and family members. The cast includes Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Liv Tyler, Kate Hudson and Andy Richter. "I specialize in playing jerks who become nice guys," Gere said. "This character in this movie is much nicer than me and much dumber.

He's very boyish, very nice, knows women very well but, as Bob Altman says, only from one angle." Reuters for the answer because I think you create the problem." Altman also defended actress Farrah Fawcett, the former Charlie's Angels star who raised eyebrows with her unconventional behaviour on a television show three years ago. "If you drop your hat and bend over to pick it up, you're accused of all sorts of things," he said. Fawcett, who has received critical acclaim for some recent difficult roles, said she took the role in Altman's film a woman who regresses into a childlike state when she cannot cope and at one point dances naked in a fountain to put her "Charlie's Angel, squeaky-clean" image behind her. TORONTO Director Robert Altman, showing his new film Dr. Tand the Women at the Toronto International Film Festival, blamed the media Tuesday for fuelling the cult of celebrity.

Altman, a four-time Oscar nominee who has a penchant for using big ensemble casts of famous Hollywood actors, said the media often took the easy way out by promoting someone who was already famous instead of tackling more difficult subjects. "The obsession is not created by the person who is the object, it's created by you the media," he said at a news conference. "You who are asking the question, look to yourself TANNIS TOOHEYCP A MEDIA MOMENT: Director Robert Altman and controversial actress Farrah Fawcett appear in Toronto to promote their movie, Dr. and the Women, at the Toronto Film Festival on Tuesday. RADIOHEAD from Al Tight security on album includes listening parties' ay shopping is good Junior women's fashions and athletic clothina diohead's worldwide veto of the usual pre-release promotional strategies, including singles, videos and interviews in most markets.

Instead of sending advance copies of the album to media, EMI has held "listening parties," at which members of the media merely sit in a room and listen to the album. The album won't be officially released until Oct. 3, but American online music-sharing Web site Napster has already obtained a live! concert bootleg and made? the album available. Hawkes believes Radio-head, which regularly criticizes technology and mass media, would condone such a move. "I would never have dona this with the U2 or anything like that, but in some sick way, I think Radiohead would have loved it, because they've said they don't mind the Napster concept and all that." Hawkes adds: "If we want to be a cutting-edge radio station, what are we supposed to do? Wait until our entire audience has heard the album already on Napster? It would just make us "Please recognize that your station will be monitored for compliance.

Failure to respond may result in legal action taken against you without any further notice." An EMI spokesman was not available for comment. XFM director of marketing and artist relations David Hawkes says he received the three contraband tracks on a digital audio tape, sent to him in a sealed envelope from a mystery source. "I know this sounds suspicious and strange, but we don't really know how we got the songs," says Hawkes. "But we pulled the song, we concurred with what they asked us to do. We already did what we wanted to accomplish, which is premiere the song.

I'm sure it was the North American premiere." The station's gambit is indicative of the hype surrounding the new album, said to sound unlike anything the British band has released so far. Radiohead's reputation as one of most significant bands this decade was cemented with OK Computer, released to critical acclaim three years ago. The band's record label has been grappling with Ra look stupid. Sun pop music critic kgoldpacpresssouthanLca in I Nl I 1 t. vv i -1 If -1 i 7r'" i The United States a accepting appticattont for one month only foe the eighth year of the diversity visa tottery program.

50.000 immigrant visas. 'Green Cards', wi be granted by random selection. A green card alows the holder to rve and work In the United States. This program is NOT open to persons born In the following countries: Canada China (open to Hong Kong and Taiwan). Colombia.

Dominican Republic. CI SofVodot Great Britain (open to Northern Ireland). Haiti. India Jamaica Korea Meaco. Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam.

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V6C 3N6 Toronto (416)3650722 Montreal (514) 874-0663 Outside Vancouver I -400-46 1-5554 gWhy shop at a store that doesn't give ou AIR MIIES35? reward miles Reword miles or awarded monthly, based en cumulative purchases, eiduding taxes. Trodetnorla of AIR MILES loteiiMtiunul 'boding I.VC Used under license by loyony Monogernenl Group Canada Inc. and a Hudson's Boy Company..