Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 43

4E DETROIT FREE PRESSTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 1994 QQ9D TVs "Most Inspiring Moments" range from Nixon resigning to the last A episode, from the premiere of "Sesame Street" to the Challenger explosion. "Grace Under Fire" tops the Nielsen week in television. i in fj linn Panning For Gold THE LIST! "Ut Yak fact: The Oscar statue is IK 13V2 inches tall and weighs 8 pounds. It is made in Chicago of Britannia metal coated in gold. Today Studios scramble to nominate films worthy of Oscar BY BERNARD WEINRAUB New York Tunes For the first time in years, studios are scrambling to come up with enough nominees for best film of the year.

By the time 1994 is over, more than 140 films will have been released, but some studio officials admit that it's tough to come up with five that are Oscar-worthy. The hugely successful "Forrest Gump" leads the small pack at this moment, followed by "Quiz Show," which received some of the best reviews of the year before foundering at the box office. "Pulp Fiction" is a dark horse, along with "Four Weddings and a Funeral." After that, the list looks uncertain. "The Lion King" is a possibility, although the academy has never given the best-picture Oscar to an animated film. Woody Allen's "Bullets Over Broadway" has been Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, and Barry Levinson's "Disclosure," adapted from Michael Crichton's novel about sexual harassment.

"It's just very hard to get a solid five," a top studio executive said. Just as hard are the best actress choices. Almost certain to be nominated is Jodie Foster as a recluse who speaks a language of her own in Michael Apted's "Nell," which opens on Dec. 23. After Foster, though, there are no obvious contenders.

Those most frequently mentioned are Meg Ryan, for her portrayal of an alcoholic in "When a Man Loves a Woman," Jessica Lange as a bewildered, free-spirited military wife in "Blue Sky," Susan Sarandon as a defense lawyer in "The Client," Meryl Streep as the white-water supermom in "The River Wild," Jennifer Jason Leigh for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" and Linda Fiorentino as the ultimate male nightmare in "The Last Seduction." And possibly Sigour-ney Weaver as a torture victim who confronts her torturer in Roman Polanski's "Death and the Maiden." The best supporting actress category is even more tenuous. The only possibilities mentioned so far are Dianne Wiest as a Broadway diva in "Bullets Over Sally Field and Robin Wright, as the mother and the wife of Forrest Gump, and Kirsten Dunst, the child-vampire in "Interview With the Vampire." Of course, there is no shortage of possibilities in the men's categories. Once again this year, men's roles have been more provocative and dramatic than women's. For best actor, there's Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump" (a victory would give him back-to-back Oscars), Terrence Stamp as a transsexual in "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and Hugh Grant in "Four Weddings and a Funeral." There are also Tommy Lee Jones, who plays Ty Cobb in Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins as son and father in "Legends of the Ralph Fiennes as Charles Van Doren in "Quiz Paul Newman as a down-at-the-heels construction worker in "Nobody's Fool," and Tom Cruise in "Interview With the Vampire." A win for Tom Hanks would give him back-to-back Oscars.

acclaimed as his best movie in years, but not that many people have seen it. Two coming films may have a shot: Edward Zwick's "Legends of the Fall," an expansive drama set in the West, starring ROUJMG STONES, with Spin Doctors, Pontiac Silverdome. Ticketmaster or 1-810-456-1600. CUOYS KNIGHT, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward. Ticketmaster or 1-313-396-7600.

HEAVY METAL HORNS, 8 p.m., Sullv's, 4756 Greenfield. Dearborn. Ticketmaster or 1-313-846-1920. THE CHIEFTAINS, traditional Irish holiday show. 8 p.m..

Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Garfield at M-59, Clinton Twp. 1-810-286-2222. FIRST THURSDAY CONCERT SERIES, presented by the Center for Creative Studies Institute of Music and Dance features Percussive Arts, a faculty percussion performance. Noon. CCS-Institute of Music and Dance.

200 E. Kirby. 1-313-872-3118, ext. 750. JOHN HAMMOND, 8 p.m., acoustic country blues guitarist, the Ark, 637 S.

Main, Ann Arbor. Ticketmaster or 1-313-761-TKTS. 'CARPOOL." 8:30 p.m., Detroit Repertory Theatre, 13103 Woodrow Wilson. 1-313-868-1347. "BLACK COMEDY," and "ACTOR'S NIGHTMARE," 8 p.m., Hilberry Theatre, Forest at Cass.

1-313-577-2972. "MISS SAIGON," 8 p.m., Masonic Temple, 500 Temple. Ticketmaster or 1-313-832-2232. "PAINT THE WHITE HOUSE BLACK," 8 p.m., Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd.

Ticketmaster or 1-313-872-1000. "DEATH THE MAIDEN," by Ariel Dorfman. 8 p.m., Jewish Ensemble Theatre, 6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield. Ticketmaster or 1-810-788-2900.

'THY KINGDOM'S COMING," 8 p.m.. Purple Rose Theatre, 147 Park, Chelsea. 1-313-475-7902. "BEEHIVE," 7:30 p.m.,Gem Theatre, 58 E. Columbia.

Ticketmaster or 1-313-963-9800. Friday For listings of Friday events and the complete weekend scene, don't miss the full version of The List! in Friday's Weekend section. By Janet Josaitis Hill Auditorium warmed with wonderful north winds from Osb By John Guinn Free Press Music Critic On the day Norway decided to opt out of the European Union, the orchestra named after its capital city opted to open its American tour in Ann Arbor by offering one of the most satisfying orchestral concerts in recent memory. The Oslo Philharmonic, currently celebrating its diamond jubilee, has played on the Hill Auditorium stage twice before under the auspices of the University Musical Society. Tuesday night it performed a tantalizing program of German, Hungarian, Russian and French music that emphasized its cosmopoli- tan character.

No provincial band this, at least under the gifted hands of Mariss Jansons, the Latvian-born maestro who has been its music director since 1979. The Oslo's greatest glory Tuesday night was its string section, which laid down an unusually warm and resplendent blanket of sound. That doesn't mean its other choirs were faulty. The woodwinds were piquant, the brass without blemish, the percussion alert. Together these mostly young musicians moved well beyond the obvious, responding with great suppleness to Jansons' insightful interpretations.

The dramatic moments in Beethoven's Third Leonore Overture, which opened the program, were displayed for all to hear, but so were its more lyrical passages. Bartok's craggy First Piano Concerto bristled with energy, courtesy of the orchestra and Russian-born pianist Yefim Bronfman, making his auspicious Ann Arbor debut. Accurate to a fault, Bronfman used his awesome technical equipment to produce satisfying artistic results. He also favored the audience with an encore, a rip-roaring reading of Chopin's "Revolutionary" Etude. After intermission, Jansons and his ensemble exposed the stark contrast between blatant wit and pensive reflection that lies at the heart of Shostakovich's Ninth Symphony.

The woodwinds frolicked giddily in the presto movement. In the slow movement that follows one of their members, principal bassoonist Per Hannisdal sang his brooding solo with special eloquence. Ravel's "La Valse" ended the printed program, and while it had lots of energy and lilt, it lacked the hazy mystery and spontaneously approached climaxes that make it so special. There were two fetching orchestral encores: an arrangement of a serenade by Haydn that capitalized on the orchestra's silken strings, and the "Farandole" movement from Bizet's second "L'Arlesienne" Suite, which made me eagerly anticipate the orchestra's return. I 8 JOHN COLLIERDetroit Free Press BS's new ad campaign features the network's biggest stars, including David Letterman, whose late-night talk show will run at 1 1 p.m.

after the switch to Channel 62. About a quarter of Detroit buses will carry banners. CBS begins ads for switch to 62 Most of the current Channel 62 programs, such as "New Dance Party" and "Arab Voice of Detroit," are gone. the week, the "Jane Whitney" talk show will air at 5 p.m. and "The Late Show With David Letterman" will air at 11 p.m.

On Saturdays and Sundays, "The New Twilight Zone" will show at 6 p.m., followed by "CBS News." "Heaven Help Us" will be at 11 p.m. Saturdays. At 11 p.m. Sunday will be "Current Affair Extra." "The customization and positioning in this market will be unprecedented," said Newman. "This is the biggest switch campaign that's ever been mounted." mmaniimnKEigaa CBS, from Page IE The billboards will be at eight locations in metro Detroit.

There is already one at Jefferson and St. Aubin just east of downtown. The bus ads will be on 1 20 vehicles, about 25 percent of the Detroit fleet. Print ads will be in the Free Press, the Detroit News and the Oakland Press. The tone of the ads is light, entertaining and friendly.

Brad Cmm, CBS vice president of advertising and promotion, said the campaign will be a success in the short run "if we get people talking positively in the market." Newman also released the CBS programming schedule for its first week. Most of the current Channel 62 programs, such as "New Dance Party" and "Arab Voice of Detroit," are gone. The only locally produced holdovers are Saturday and Sunday morning religious programs and one children's program. Aside from promotions, the next BS priority- is building an infrastruc- ture for the station. Charles Calmann, rrom WCIX-TV in Miami, has been hired as director of communications.

Many members of the current Channel 62 staff are training for technical positions when CBS takes over. Newman said the network has spent "several million dollars" on equipment already installed in the Channel 62 building. Channel 62 will not have a local news staff for several months. During fiu Channel 62's "Keys fill Kids" will be the only local children's show to continue on the station after the Dec. 11 change to CBS..