DATE=10/31/2002

TYPE=ENGLISH FEATURE

NUMBER=7-36884

TITLE=HOLLYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS 2002-44b (I-Spy)

BYLINE=ALAN SILVERMAN

TELEPHONE=619-1024 (editor)

DATELINE=HOLLYWOOD

EDITOR=vicki swaney

CONTENT=

( INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES; VOICED VERSION 4:47vo )

Intro: A 1960's TV show is the inspiration for a new action-comedy co-starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson. Alan Silverman has a look at "I-SPY:"

CUT ONE "I-SPY" CLIP

"THIS IS SPECIAL AGENT ALEX SCOTT."

"SPECIAL. I STILL LOVE HEARING THAT. I WAS JUST A REGULAR AGENT UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO."

TEXT: Owen Wilson plays enthusiastic, but shy young secret agent Alex Scott; and for his new mission he is teamed up with a civilian: egotistical, loudmouth boxing champion Kelly Robinson, played by Eddie Murphy:

CUT TWO MURPHY

I SAY IT'S A VERY FUNNY STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE 'BUDDY' MOVIE. IT'S SUCH A GOOD 'BUDDY' MOVIE YOU COULD SAY THIS IS WHAT A 'BUDDY' MOVIE IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE. THEN IT'S GOT ALL THIS SPY STUFF IN THE BACKGROUND, THE RELATIONSHIP THESE TWO GUYS ARE HAVING AND ALL THIS STUFF. IT'S JUST A REALLY COOL, FUN MOVIE. SOME MOVIES GET PREACHY, SOME MOVIES ARE TRYING TO GET TROPHIES OR WHATEVER; THIS MOVIE IS STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE ENTERTAINING, TRYING TO MAKE YOU LAUGH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AT THE MOVIES.

CUT THREE "I-SPY" CLIP

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OUTSIDE. GO ON, GET LOST."

"MAN, THE DISTRACTION IS ACCOMPLISHED. I FIGURED YOU MIGHT NEED SOME HELP."

"DON'T WALK IN HERE."

"YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. I'M KELLY ROBINSON. YOU DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?"

"YOU TRIPPED THE ALARM."

"I DIDN'T TRIP AN ALARM. I DON'T HEAR ANY ALARM. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, MAN?"

"DO YOU SEE THIS?"

"OH, THIS IS BAD. WE'RE GOING TO GET CAUGHT HERE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT THE ALARM IN TIME. THIS IS YOUR FAULT."

TEXT: Like Murphy, Owen Wilson has done his share of 'buddy' movies (in which a pair of opposite personalities thrown together have to become buddies and learn to cooperate):

CUT FOUR WILSON

YOU HAVE TO BE KIND OF SIMPATICO WITH YOUR SENSES OF HUMOR. I THINK (I GET THAT) FROM GROWING UP WITH BROTHERS WITH THE GIVE AND TAKE FRIENDSHIPS AND A WAY OF KIDDING WITH MY BROTHERS. I THINK 'BUDDY' MOVIES SORT OF DRAW ON THAT SORT OF THING. WITH EDDIE IT WAS JUST FINDING OUT OUR SENSES OF HUMOR AND WHAT THINGS WE BOTH FOUND FUNNY.

CUT FIVE "I-SPY" CLIP

"ARE YOU TICKLING ME? WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"I'M LOSING IT."

"I'M TICKLISH. YOU DON'T START TICKLING PEOPLE."

"NEVER IN MY WILDEST IMAGINATION DID I DREAM IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS DIFFICULT."

TEXT: The original "I SPY" TV show, starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby, made Hollywood history some 35 years ago as the first dramatic TV series to feature a black leading character. The new film is a very "loose adaptation" of that show, according to director and co-producer Betty Thomas, who admits she did n-o-t want to use the "I-SPY" title:

/// OPT /// CUT SIX THOMAS

DON'T MAKE ME SAY THIS. THEY FORCED ME TO USE THE TITLE, OKAY? YOU MADE ME SAY THAT NOW. THEY NOW ADMIT THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE FORCED ME. I SAID I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THIS MOVIE BECAUSE OF EDDIE MURPHY AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE WEIRD TO HAVE A GIRL PRODUCING-DIRECTING TEAM DO A MOVIE LIKE THIS. IF I COULD MAKE IT FUNNY, THIS COULD BE UP MY ALLEY. SO I SAID I'LL DO IT AS LONG AS IT'S N-O-T CALLED 'I-SPY' BECAUSE THERE IS NO IDEA FROM THE TELEVISON PROGRAM SO WHY WOULD WE CALL IT 'I-SPY?' IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE STORY OF THESE GUYS AND HOW THEY HAPPENED TO GET TOGETHER. EVERYBODY SAID 'OKAY, FINE BETTY. NO PROBLEM.' SO I SAID YES AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER SOMEBODY SAID 'OH, BY THE WAY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CALL IT 'I-SPY.' /// END OPT ///

TEXT: Thomas points out that most of today's young movie-goers have n-o-t seen the original TV series, so she doesn't think comparisons are valid except in terms of the playful spirit both share:

CUT SEVEN THOMAS

IT'S CALLED 'I-SPY' AND FORTUNATELY (OR UNFORTUNATELY), YOU HAVE TO GET PAST THAT. IT'S A COMEDY-ACTION FILM; BUT THE ONLY THING I SAW FROM THAT ORIGINAL FORAY INTO THE 'I-SPY' WORLD . . . THE TELEVISION SHOW . . . WAS THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO GUYS WHO PLAYED THOSE ROLES AND THEY DID REPRESENT SOMETHING. I CAME UP WITH THIS THEORY THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS AN 'I-SPY' MOMENT. IT'S A MOMENT OF CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO GUYS THAT WOULD FAKE OUT THEY BAD GUYS. /// OPT /// REMEMBER THEY USED TO DO THIS THING WHERE THEY WOULD GO 'UH-HUH, SO ARE YOU READY TO DO THE WASH YOUR HEAD THING?' 'OH YEAH, WASH YOUR HEAD' AND BA-BOOM, THEY WOULD BOTH HIT THE OTHER GUYS AND THEY'D GET OUT OF WHATEVER CRAZY SITUATION THEY WERE IN. /// END OPT ///

CUT EIGHT "I-SPY" CLIP

"OKAY, I'LL PUT THIS IN MY EYE."

"I HAVE THE CAMERA IN MY EYE. CAN YOU SEE ANYTHING?"

"HEY, I SEE ME! THAT'S BAD. I'M SEEING WHAT YOU'RE SEEING."

"EXACTLY. THAT'S THEY TYPE OF THING WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING ON THE MISSION."

TEXT: "I-SPY" also features Dutch born Famke Janssen as a seductive secret agent and veteran English actor Malcolm McDowell plays the obligatory megalomaniac trying to take over the world. Much of "I-SPY" was shot on location in and around Budapest, Hungary. (signed)