MOVIESDirector’s Take: American filmmaker Oliver Stone, talking...

MOVIES

Director’s Take: American filmmaker Oliver Stone, talking to 600 media representatives in Cairo, defended his use of violence in “Natural Born Killers” and said that it’s American news broadcasters who are guilty of excesses. “Money is at the root of the TV networks,” said Stone at the 18th Cairo International Film Festival. “And their news is dictated by money and competition. To get the highest ratings, news must be presented in the most sensational way possible.” Stone said he was referring not only to coverage of celebrated crimes, but also to basic news coverage. “The invasion of Haiti was presented like a miniseries,” Stone said. “It was promoted around the clock in order to incite a kind of Pavlovian reaction wherein people get excited about the potential of a violent showdown between U.S. troops and Haitian forces.” The Oscar-winning director suggested that it would be better to make TV news nonprofit “so that news can be presented in a sober, dignified fashion.” As for “Natural Born Killers,” which got its first screenings in the Arab world at the festival this weekend, Stone said his intention was to hold “a very harsh mirror to a very troubled society that is riddled with violence.”

Cinema in Havana: Mexican films were the surprise big winners at the close of Havana’s annual Latin American film festival Sunday, the first time in the 16-year history of the festival that one country had captured the three top awards. The best film prize among the festival’s “Coral” awards went to Arturo Ripstein’s “Principio y Fin” (“Beginning and End”), a fitting award for the man to whom this year’s festival was dedicated and who is viewed as one of the most important Latin American directors. Based on a novel by Egypt’s Naguib Mahfouz, it is a dark and disturbing account of the collapse of a family after the death of the father. The second and third prizes also went to Mexican films: Maria Novaro’s “Jardin de Eden” (“Garden of Eden”), which addresses the issue of emigration from Mexico, and Gabriel Retes’ “Bienvenido-Welcome.”

An Oscar Record: Gilbert Cates will produce the Academy Awards telecast for a record sixth year in a row, motion picture academy president Arthur Hiller announced. Under Cates’ guidance, the international broadcast has collected 39 nominations and eight Emmy Awards in the last five years. Cates, a veteran film and TV producer-director, is dean of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. Only Howard W. Koch has produced more Oscar shows--eight--but no more than two consecutively. The awards will be presented March 27 at the Shrine Auditorium.

Mickey Rourke Cleared: Charges of spousal abuse against actor Mickey Rourke were dismissed Monday in Municipal Court after a prosecutor conceded that the actor’s wife was unavailable to testify against him. Actress-model Carre Otis had cooperated in the investigation that led to the misdemeanor charges but had since declined to participate in the prosecution, Supervising Deputy City Attorney William N. Sterling told Court Commissioner Robert J. Sandoval. Rourke, who was not in court, had been accused of slapping and kicking Otis in Hollywood on July 18.

TELEVISION

Multimedia Approach: CBS Television will air “500 Nations,” an eight-hour miniseries on the history of North America’s Native Americans, in April. At the same time, five other companies will issue related materials in what is being called an unprecedented cross-media partnership. Alfred A. Knopf Inc. will publish two books, Microsoft will offer an interactive CD-ROM, Random House will release the audio book, Epic Records will release the soundtrack and Warner Home Video will be selling the video. Kevin Costner will host the four-part program made by his Tig Productions, Inc.

STAGE

‘Oliver’ Revived: “Oliver,” the most successful musical ever staged in London with 2,618 consecutive performances, is back on the British stage. A revival of composer Lionel Bart’s play opened last week 34 years after its initial performance and advance ticket sales zoomed above $11 million. Jonathan Pryce heads the cast as the villainous Fagin. The $5-million production recreates the Victorian era with state-of-the-art technology and computer-controlled sets.

HOLIDAY CHEER

Thirty Christmas trees designed and decorated by Hollywood stars including Sharon Stone, Candice Bergen, Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne, Mel Gibson, Bob Hope and Annette Bening and Warren Beatty are up for grabs in a silent auction taking place this week at the Beverly Hilton. The bidding closes Saturday; proceeds benefit City Hearts, an arts program for Skid Row children. . . . West Hollywood’s House of Blues is holding a toy drive in conjunction with the Magic Johnson Foundation. Unwrapped toys may be dropped off at the club and at all Blockbuster music stores through Saturday, when Johnson will host 400 children from various homeless shelters at the House of Blues.