Stars get burned on 'Crash' profits

Having won the best picture Oscar this year, Crash, which cost $7.5 million, has made over $180 million around the world.

But the film's director and co-writer, Paul Haggis, has received just $300,000 for his efforts - "a pittance by Hollywood standards," according to the New York Times, which reported this week that the eight principal actors (among them Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser) have been paid a mere $19,000 each, even though they deferred their usual fees for a share in the profits.

Hollywood is notoriously slow in paying profits to actors and directors, but tensions are mounting regarding the Crash case, given that the movie was shot early in 2004. Several participants have hired accountants to conduct independent audits on the film.

"You'd think that for a movie that won best picture, what you would do is write the actors a check against their profits, or you give them a car, or something," said a representative for one of the stars. "The money is dribbling in. It's almost offensive how little money it is."

Herrmann tribute at IFI

One of cinema's greatest composers, Bernard Herrmann is the subject of a tribute programme at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin next month, when eight of the finest films he scored will be shown. Most will be introduced by guest speakers, beginning with artist Robert Ballagh before Hitchcock's magisterial Vertigo is screened in 70mm on August 9th. Other speakers include Michael McGylnn of Anúna (for Psycho), singer and musician Gavin Friday (The Birds) and musician Cora Venus Lunny (North By Northwest), while I will introduce François Truffaut's seriously underestimated Fahrenheit 451.

Green Room Cinema on RTÉ Lyric FM will broadcast programmes on the season, which includes a 30th anniversary reissue of Taxi Driver (featuring Herrmann's last score) in a new print. See www.fii.ie

Quentin's grind school

Having failed to agree on terms with Mickey Rourke, Quentin Tarantino has cast Kurt Russell as the star of Death Proof, his half of Grindhouse, a horror movie double bill in the style of 1970s exploitation pictures. Tarantino's slasher project, which also features Rosario Dawson, starts shooting in Texas next month.

Robert Rodrigeuz is directing the other half of Grindhouse, a zombie yarn called Plant Terror, starring Freddy Rodrigeuz (no relation), Naveen Andrews and Michael Parks. The two directors will film mock trailers to accompany the double bill.

Cork tour for top shorts

Cork Film Festival, in association with Cork County Council Arts Office, will present a touring programme of seven outstanding short films at venues across the county over the next three weeks. The line-up includes award-winning films such as Ken Wardrop's Undressing My Mother, Daniel O'Hara's Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom and Martin McDonagh's Oscar-winning Six Shooter, along with shorts from Norway, France and Morocco. The tour begins on Monday in Macroom and continues to Clonakility, Bantry, Mallow, Fermoy and Kanturk.

Lee: from western to war

A director who moves with remarkable ease between genres, Ang Lee will follow Brokeback Mountain with Lust, Caution, an espionage thriller set during the second World War. Tony Leung (2046, Infernal Affairs) has been cast along with newcomer Tang Wei and Chinese pop idol Wang Lee Hom for the movie, which will be shot in China this year.

007 producers plan ahead

Got any plans for May 2nd, 2008? Probably not unless it's your birthday - as it is for David Beckham, The Rock, Bianca Jagger and me. It's also set as the release date for the 22nd James Bond movie, the series producers announced this week, even though they're still working on Casino Royale, which opens here on November 17th. There's no title as yet for the 22nd Bond picture, nor any news of a screenplay or a director, but it will star Daniel Craig as 007.

"We couldn't be more excited about the direction the franchise is heading with Daniel Craig," said the producers. "Daniel has taken the origins of Ian Fleming's James Bond, portraying, with emotional complexity, a darker and edgier 007."