MOVIESMonkey Business: Universal’s “12 Monkeys” did great...

MOVIES

Monkey Business: Universal’s “12 Monkeys” did great business at the box office during the weekend. The time-travel thriller starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt took in $14.2 million for the top spot its first weekend in wide release, according to early industry estimates. There was a sharp drop to second place--Warner Bros.’ “Grumpier Old Men” grossed $8.2 million. In third was TriStar’s “Jumanji” with $7.8 million. Disney’s “Toy Story” fell to fourth with $7.7 million from first place last weekend. 20th Century Fox’s “Waiting to Exhale” took fifth with $6.5 million. A box-office note: Columbia’s “Sense and Sensibility” starring Emma Thomspon, in limited release on 190 screens, took in $2 million for a strong per-screen average of $10,526. The film goes into wider release Jan. 19.

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The Critics’ Sensibilities: The Broadcast Film Critics Assn., a newly formed group of 56 film critics, has chosen “Sense and Sensibility” as the best picture of 1995 in its first annual film awards. Runners-up for best picture were “Apollo 13” and “Braveheart.” The best director honor went to Mel Gibson for “Braveheart,” with Ron Howard the runner-up for “Apollo 13.” Kevin Bacon was named best actor for “Murder in the First”; Nicolas Cage was the runner-up for “Leaving Las Vegas.” Nicole Kidman was named best actress for “To Die For,” with Emma Thompson runner-up for “Sense and Sensibility” and “Carrington.” Ed Harris (“Apollo 13,” “Nixon”) tied with Kevin Spacey (“The Usual Suspects,” “Seven”) for best supporting actor, and Mira Sorvino was named best supporting actress for “Mighty Aphrodite.” The group’s membership includes critics such as Joel Siegal of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight’s” Leonard Maltin, KNBC-TV’s Garrett Glaser, KTLA-TV’s Sam Rubin and KCBS-TV’s David Sheehan. Awards will be given out Jan. 22 at Planet Hollywood in Beverly Hills.

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Reviewing 1995: Awards season is indeed in full swing. The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures will bestow Emma Thompson with its best actress award for “Sense and Sensibility” and “Carrington” at its ceremonies at Tavern on the Green restaurant in New York City on Feb. 26. Nicolas Cage will receive the best actor award for “Leaving Las Vegas.” Mel Gibson will be honored with the Special Filmmaking Achievement Award for “Braveheart.” The group was established in 1909 in New York City to stand behind the movie industry, which at the time was under attack by New York’s mayor for producing films with harmful moral content.

TELEVISION

‘Nudnik’ Returns: “Nudnik,” the cartoon series about a bumbling character shown as theatrical shorts during the mid-’60s, is back. The 13 shorts, focusing on the hapless Nudnik, who finds many of life’s tasks too overwhelming, will air on cable’s Cartoon Network tonight through Friday at 9. It turns out the Oscar-nominated shorts, drawn by Gene Deitch (“Tom Terrific”) from Rembrandt Films, had been gathering dust in a New Jersey warehouse since company head William Snyder left the film business in 1967. But last year, his son, Adam, discovered the shorts and engineered a “Nudnik” revival.

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Burns’ Funding Woes: Filmmaker Ken Burns, known for his “Civil War” and “Baseball” documentaries, said his next major project is threatened by budget cuts in Washington. At a news conference on federal funding for the arts and humanities last week in Manchester, N.H., Burns said he hopes his new documentary on the history of jazz will be broadcast on public television in the year 2000. He said he applied in October for funds, but the money was withdrawn. He explained he can reapply this month, but there is a third less money to be shared by the same number of applicants. None of his films could have been made without financing from the National Endowment for the Humanities, he said. Burns said he will be able to survive despite the cuts, but his films won’t look the same.

STAGE

Broadway’s Ship Comes In: Livenet Inc.’s Tony Award-winning production of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s “Show Boat” set a new one-week Broadway record over the holidays, ringing up a box-office gross of $1.15 million for the nine Gershwin Theatre performances during the week that ended New Year’s Eve. The take topped “Show Boat’s” own previous Broadway record of $1.02 million, set during the same holiday week last season. “Show Boat” comes to Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre in November.

QUICK TAKES

Lou Rawls raised about $12.6 million in pledges to aid college students during his “Parade of Stars” telethon, according to preliminary estimates. Rawls was joined by co-hosts Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy!” and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph in Hollywood, and singer Johnny Gill from the Apollo Theatre in New York City early Sunday. Proceeds benefit the United Negro College Fund. . . . Rapper Christopher “Cool C” Roney, 26, surrendered Friday night and was scheduled to be arraigned on charges of killing a police officer during a botched bank robbery in Philadelphia last week. Rapper Warren “Steady B” McGlone, also 26, was arrested on suspicion of the attempted robbery first and allegedly identified Roney and another suspect who is still at large. . . . Andre Previn, former conductor of the London Symphony orchestra, was honored with a knighthood Friday by Queen Elizabeth II. Born in Germany, Previn, 66, became an American citizen in 1943. Since he is not a British subject, he will not be able to call himself “Sir.”