Fiennes Film Is So Violent That It Woke Up The Critic

Seems like the Venice Film Festival is where things are at these days for moviemakers (see Kevin Costner item at left).

Not only is Mr. “Waterworld” there to promote his post-holocaust fantasy, but Spike Lee is visiting, too. Lee’s quest was to bring attention to his film “Clockers,” a violent drug study starring Harvey Keitel.

But violence wasn’t confined to the screen.

Some 500 frustrated film fans, having waited more than an hour to see a screening of the Kathryn Bigelow movie “Strange Days,” ended up pouring into the theater in such a rush that one critic fainted.

What they saw then was a film starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett that, some say, was an “overload of violence” involving murder, torture and rape. No word on whether it revived the critic.

Loose talk

Kevin Costner telling press at the Venice Film Festival about the worth of his latest film (in the Hollywood Reporter): “‘Waterworld’ may not be your favorite film, but this is why I waited to go around the world to talk about it; there’s been so much misrepresentation about my movie, and I don’t make bad movies.”

And then she’ll celebrate at Homer

Julie Kavner turns 44 today.

Telethon isn’t making nice enough for the needy

With a record $47.8 million in the vault, Jerry Lewis’ Labor Day telethon was deemed a success. But not to the wheelchair-bound protestors in the telethon studio’s parking lot. “We want them to stop this charity racket,” said polio victim Bill Bolt. The two-dozen protestors claim that only $1 of every $6 is spent on actual medical research.

Didn’t we see her on a tennis court with Miss Piggy?

Martina Navratilova is friendly with Hunter Reno, a L’Oreal model and the niece of U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. But are they having an affair? Navratilova claims that they aren’t and that efforts to link her with any woman she appears with is “homophobic and disgusting.”

When he announces it, he’ll no doubt announce it his way

The quote: “I’ll never sing in public again because those days are just gone. But I’m very, very happy.” The speaker: Frank Sinatra. The source: Larry King’s column in USA Today. The problem: A Sinatra spokesman says the retirement announcement is premature.

It’s a special way for lovers to make their day

San Francisco columnist Leah Garchik reports that Iowa tourists get a “Bridges of Madison County” treat. “For lovers who actually need a place to spend the night - or who knows, a few hours? - the Savery Hotel and Spa in Des Moines is advertising Francesca’s Suite, which contains props from the movie, including ‘Francesca’s actual bed.”’

Even Star Fleet captains just want to have fun

And, finally, this from pop star Cyndi Lauper: “You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Captain Kirk speak Japanese,” she says. “If everything’s OK in whatever ‘Star Trek’ I’m watching, then the world is fine with me.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color photos

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Dan Webster