Year: 2000

“Chicago”

Jae-Ha Kim

You’d think that “Chicago”–which promises to tell the story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery–would be a bit of a downer. But throw in a Tony Award winning score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, some sexy choreography by Ann Reinking and a couple of celebs well-known to sitcom fans, and you have a musical in which the overall flashiness cloaks the underlying darkness of the play’s theme: That you’re only as important as your last 15 minutes of fame.

Bela Lugosi Jr.

Jae-Ha Kim

When your name’s Bela Lugosi Jr., sometimes people don’t hear the “junior” part. “I’m not sure if my name is a blessing or a curse,” says Lugosi, 62, son of the late horror movie legend who starred in “Dracula.” “There are some people who assume that because my dad was an actor, that I must’ve wanted to become one, too. Early on, I took my dad’s good advice and stayed out of the talent side of entertainment. Instead, I became a lawyer.”

`Scream 3′ making big noise

Jae-Ha Kim

In “Scream 3,” the movie’s heroine asks a detective what he knows about trilogies. He answers, “In the third one, all bets are off.” All bets are on that the latest entry in the “Scream” franchise will fare as well as its predecessors. After opening last Friday, “Scream 3” went on to gross $34.7 million in its first weekend–more than all the rest of the films in the top 10 combined.

DiCaprio says he’s not lazy, just choosy

Jae-Ha Kim

Just a couple of years ago, Leonardo DiCaprio was the world’s most famous movie star. The actor will test the waters again with “The Beach,” which opens Friday. In the February issue of Premiere, DiCaprio, 25, comes across not as the party boy that the tabloids present, but as a young man who takes his craft seriously–though not himself.

Have no date? Take heart

Jae-Ha Kim

For those of you lucky enough to have loving, significant others, Valentine’s Day is a dream come true. But for the rest of us, it’s a dreaded night second only to New Year’s Eve. The expectations are so high that disappointment is as likely as anything else. Not only are we supposed to have a date, but it’s supposed to be with the perfect guy. And we can’t just go out for a nice meal. It has to be a special meal.