ShoWest Star Plan: Schmooze, Promote

It’s hard to say what makes Cameron Diaz happier: getting to hang out, gamble and eat prime rib in Las Vegas or being given the star treatment here by hundreds of admiring theater owners.

With an infectious laugh, the model-turned-actress, who has four films set to debut in theaters this year, confesses a kitschy attraction to this city of gambling, neon and gaudy extravaganzas.

“I just love the idea of Vegas,” Diaz said. “I love the lights, I like watching the people. I love that you can drink and smoke and eat really bad food and dress in T-shirts or sequins.”

She also professed to be thrilled about being here to meet the theater owners and exhibitors at ShoWest ‘96, who voted her female star of tomorrow. (Though she did joke about having “a little Indian girl go up and accept my award. . . . That’s what I want to do: I want to raise a ruckus at ShoWest.”)

But seriously, folks, Diaz is appreciative, if a little surprised by the tribute.

“It’s not something I really expected. They were telling me, ‘You’re a star of tomorrow.’ I was like: ‘Don’t bank on it.’ But apparently they’ve got this award to prove it,” Diaz said. “I had no idea anybody had seen what I was doing. But I was really honored that they would consider my work to be substantial.”

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Diaz is just one of many stars who were flown out by studios, usually on private jets, to make an appearance before the yearly gathering of the National Assn. of Theater Owners this week. The biggest-name actors, directors and producers had a simple assignment: Sit on the dais at convention lunches, smile and wave at theater owners, then sit through the studio’s “reel” of previews of the year’s upcoming movies.

It’s all part of the movie promotion process and most in the industry readily see the importance of acknowledging the people who book their movies and own the movie-houses they are shown in.

“It’s great to be able to meet the people who are presenting you to the public. If it weren’t for them, then none of our movies would be seen by anyone,” Diaz said.

“Stars know exactly what they’re here for,” said Jonathan Weisgal, executive vice president of Fine Line Features. “They know this is a promotional sort of event. They’re hoping this meeting will help promote their productions in the marketplace. Exhibitors represent the real America that brings the money into our industry. They are the conduit between the movies and the audiences.”

And the studios hope to get a lot of bang out of their promotional buck. The thinking is: Fly the stars out to dazzle the film exhibitors and distributors, who are as star-struck as the next person, and, in the process, kindle enthusiasm and create anticipation for the movies the studios produce.

Some of the stars promoting their upcoming movies included: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Mel Gibson, Sophia Loren, Morgan Freeman, Sigourney Weaver, Warren Beatty, Glenn Close, Kevin Costner, Nicolas Cage, Walter Matthau and Garth Brooks.

Joining Diaz at the awards ceremony Thursday were John Travolta (male star of the year), Bullock (female star of the year), Gibson (director of the year), James G. Robinson (producer of the year), John Lasseter (outstanding achievement award), Edward Burns (screenwriter of the year), Greg Kinnear (male star of tomorrow) and Jonathan Taylor Thomas (young star of the year).

Clearly, the loudest buzz centered on the big summer releases, like Fox’s “Independence Day,” Warner Bros. and Universal’s “Twister” and Disney’s animated “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

“Everybody is saying it’s going to be a big summer,” said Mitch Goldman, president of distribution and marketing for New Line Cinema. “The box office is way up and everybody thinks it’s going to be another record-breaking year for the industry.”

Early in the week, NATO President Bill Kartosian expressed concern that the traditionally high moviegoing summer period would be affected by the Atlanta Olympics.

But, Goldman said later, “we don’t believe people are going to want to stay home and watch the Olympics.”

“Besides, a lot of [Olympic] events are on pay-per-view,” said Al Shapiro, senior executive vice president for New Line Cinema.

The yearly NATO gathering is many things to many people: It is part industry seminar, part networking gabfest, part glitzy star-studded event (culminating in an elaborately staged awards ceremony) and part concession-hawking trade show.

The search for the newest snack bar sensation found concessionaires plying passersby with free samples of the latest candy (Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Mike & Ike Tropical Fruits) as well as the old movie-house standards (M&Ms;, Raisinettes, Jujyfruits). Convention-goers can begin to feel like overgrown trick-or-treaters.

Vats of butter flavoring, dozens of different kinds of popcorn and fat-free, cholesterol-free soft pretzels vied for attention with ticketing computers promising “speed of service” and “reduced transaction time.” Then there was the latest in beverage dispenser systems, “bag craft,” cartons and containers, a new and improved theater cleaning service and a pair of guys with large reels of film unspooled on their heads selling the newest brand of polyester film.

“This is a celebration of the industry,” Goldman said. “It’s a celebration of where we are right now and of the fact that people are going to many more kinds of movies.”