Article: Publicist to the Stars Poised for Stardom

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Posted by MichelleInMichigan at c-24-11-194-158.client.comcast.net on March 21, 2004 at 20:38:22:

By Chris Gardner

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The tables are about to turn for filmmaker Kevin Smith (news) and his publicist, Tony Angellotti.

Reuters
Slideshow: Jennifer Lopez

The latter has worked with Smith since his early days on "Clerks," "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy," helping him promote the films and, as a result, himself. Now Smith is returning the favor in his new film, "Jersey Girl."

"I wanted to make Tony Angellotti the most famous publicist in the world -- short of having him hit someone with a car, a la Lizzie Grubman," Smith said Wednesday while riding next to his soon-to-be famous spokesman. "I wanted to do it a bit more peacefully. And he kind of balked at the idea of hitting someone with a car, but that's how publicists get famous. You have to hit people."

The filmmaker spared a few lives by inserting the Angellotti company -- Tony's Studio City-based entertainment marketing and PR firm -- into his upcoming Miramax Films release. The scene finds Ben Affleck (news)'s character in the middle of the Angellotti company's glamorous (and very movielike) Manhattan offices for a job interview.

"We put an Angellotti office onscreen as if it were sculpted from God's own bathroom," Smith joked. "But did we spell it right or wrong?" he asked as he turned to Tony in the car, "Oh yeah, we did. Good."

Admitting that he was a tad hesitant to the onscreen attention when he first read the script, Angellotti said ultimately there wasn't much he could do to stop it.

"What was I going to do, tell Kevin no?" Angellotti laughed. "Plus, it's so inside baseball that no one will know that there actually is a real Angellotti except for my mom, the press and a few kids I went to school with."

But, Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein knows. "(Harvey) saw the movie and said, 'Man, Angellotti better never charge you a f---ing cent for the rest of your career,"' Smith said. "But of course, Angellotti is such a shark, so I still have to pay. But if the movie is a big hit, we're going to renegotiate."

Find out what happens Friday.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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: By Chris Gardner : LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The tables are about to turn for filmmaker Kevin Smith (news) and his publicist, Tony Angellotti. : : Reuters : Slideshow: Jennifer Lopez : : : The latter has worked with Smith since his early days on "Clerks," "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy," helping him promote the films and, as a result, himself. Now Smith is returning the favor in his new film, "Jersey Girl." : : "I wanted to make Tony Angellotti the most famous publicist in the world -- short of having him hit someone with a car, a la Lizzie Grubman," Smith said Wednesday while riding next to his soon-to-be famous spokesman. "I wanted to do it a bit more peacefully. And he kind of balked at the idea of hitting someone with a car, but that's how publicists get famous. You have to hit people." : : The filmmaker spared a few lives by inserting the Angellotti company -- Tony's Studio City-based entertainment marketing and PR firm -- into his upcoming Miramax Films release. The scene finds Ben Affleck (news)'s character in the middle of the Angellotti company's glamorous (and very movielike) Manhattan offices for a job interview. : : "We put an Angellotti office onscreen as if it were sculpted from God's own bathroom," Smith joked. "But did we spell it right or wrong?" he asked as he turned to Tony in the car, "Oh yeah, we did. Good." : : Admitting that he was a tad hesitant to the onscreen attention when he first read the script, Angellotti said ultimately there wasn't much he could do to stop it. : : "What was I going to do, tell Kevin no?" Angellotti laughed. "Plus, it's so inside baseball that no one will know that there actually is a real Angellotti except for my mom, the press and a few kids I went to school with." : : But, Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein knows. "(Harvey) saw the movie and said, 'Man, Angellotti better never charge you a f---ing cent for the rest of your career,"' Smith said. "But of course, Angellotti is such a shark, so I still have to pay. But if the movie is a big hit, we're going to renegotiate." : : Find out what happens Friday. : : Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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