Quibbles & Bits

. . . On KABC TalkRadio, Gary Franklin claimed “Willow” opened strongly partly because his rave was so “prominently displayed” in newspaper ads (“I was glad I could help”). He dubbed critics who knocked the pic “pseudo-sophisticated.”

. . . Dunking the competition: To celebrate “Big,” Fox will hold a carnival next week on its lot that, among other attractions, will have a dunking booth complete with look-alikes of Eddie Murphy, Bette Midler and Sly Stallone--the stars of films from competing studios. Fox said it couldn’t find a local Paul Hogan clone.

. . . Among the grandest promotional claims of the season was KCOP-TV Channel 13’s boast for the syndicated “Emma and the South Seas,” starring Barbara Carrera: “Her body manipulated three continents.”

. . . Whoops! Today’s the day (not last Sunday, as we reported last week) that you’ll find the cast, crew and Killer Klowns of “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” hanging out at Hollywood Book and Poster Store. (Meanwhile, those early new wavers The Dickies will be upstairs, at Black Cat Records, for a 2 p.m. record signing.)

. . . Whoops II: The Sequel. It was critic David Ehrenstein--and not Peter Rainer--who gave “Willow” a drubbing in the Her-Ex.