MOVIES - June 6, 1994

Rubble-Rousing: “The Flintstones” grossed an estimated $18 million in ticket sales during the weekend, down from the three-day Memorial Day weekend’s record-setting $37.2 million, but still enough for the Universal release to shake box-office bedrock. Since its premiere on May 27, the film has taken in $62.2 million. The runner-up in attracting filmgoers was Warner Bros.’ “Maverick,” the Western starring Mel Gibson, which took in $10 million. In third place, Paramount’s “Beverly Hills Cop III” starring Eddie Murphy garnered $6.9 million. “Renaissance Man,” the newcomer from Touchstone Pictures directed by Penny Marshall, opened with $5.3 million for the No. 4 spot. In fifth was Universal’s “The Cowboy Way” starring Woody Harrelson with $5 million for its opening weekend.

MTV Movie Awards: “Menace II Society” was named best movie at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards on Saturday night at Sony Studios. Tom Hanks was given the best male performance award for his role in “Philadelphia”; best female performance went to Janet Jackson for “Poetic Justice.” Jackson also won most desirable female; most desirable male went to William Baldwin for “Sliver.” Robin Williams won best comedic performance for “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Best kiss went to Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore for their smooch in “Indecent Proposal.” The awards show, which honors winners of an MTV viewer poll, airs Thursday at 9 p.m. on the network.

POP/ROCK

Eagles Land in San Diego: Though the Eagles stepped up from an amphitheater to a larger stadium setting for the first time in the group’s reunion tour, the quintet played virtually the same songs Saturday night before an estimated 46,000 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium as in the tour opener last month in Irvine. The emphasis remained as much on post-Eagles songs as on formal Eagles songs. The tour is expected to return to Southern California on Oct. 8, probably at the Rose Bowl.

A Fan for Barbra: One of Barbra Streisand’s adoring fans at the singer’s Saturday night concert at the Pond of Anaheim became a part of the show. After Streisand explained that the outfit she was wearing was inspired by what she wore at an inauguration gala--a suit with a long slit skirt that was criticized by a woman in a newspaper column for sending mixed messages about women, a voice piped up from the audience, “For one woman to attack another for being both accomplished and attractive is a shanda (shame) to the neighbors.” The voice belonged to super-Streisand fan Linda Richman, the Long Island character played by Mike Myers of “Saturday Night Live,” throwing in her trademark Yiddish. Richman then joined Streisand onstage as she did at the singer’s New Year’s concert in Las Vegas and said Streisand’s legs looked “like buttah.” Richman also complimented Streisand for being on the cover of the new magazine about home design, “InStyle”: “They should make you secretary of the interiors.”

TELEVISION

Overtime for Underwriters? In an effort to give corporate sponsors more bang for their public broadcasting bucks, the Public Broadcasting Service is considering proposals to increase the time allotted in programs for acknowledging underwriters. Current rules allow only 30 seconds for underwriter credits at the end of a broadcast, with a maximum of 15 seconds to a single underwriter. One proposal would allow as many 15-second credits as necessary for sponsors who contribute 20% or more to the funding of a broadcast. Corporate spokesmen, now banned, may also be considered as well as ads the underwriters use on commercial TV. Decisions on the proposals are not expected until the fall.

Ban on Crime News: Some South Florida hotels are pulling the plug on the Fox station in Miami, saying its heavy diet of crime stories is scaring guests. WSVN-TV helped popularize a tabloid news format that relies on sensational headlines, slow-motion footage and such features as “Crime Check” and “Most Wanted.” Victor Farkas, who has shut off WSVN at his Thunderbird and Chateau by the Sea hotels, said local residents and tourists “look at Channel 7 and they’re afraid to go out on the street.” Fox dismissed the criticism. “We’re not going to censor the news to placate the hoteliers,” said WSVN’s Charlie Folds.

Sweeney’s Unambiguous Stand: Julia Sweeney, known for her sexually ambiguous character Pat on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” is scheduled to film a public service ad for the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals today in Los Angeles criticizing the Boston-based Gillette company for animal testing. “I’ll never shave again until Gillette stops testing on animals,” Sweeney, as the Pat persona, will say on the ad, adding: “What part of his/her body will never be shaved again remains unknown.” Gillette issued a statement in response to the ad emphasizing the company’s commitment to “reduce significantly the number of laboratory animals required for product safety tests, to further refine test methods and to adopt laboratory animal test alternatives. . . .” In other Sweeney news, reports that the comic will not return to “Saturday Night Live” this fall have been confirmed by her publicist.