Conference bookie::movies

	>I wonder how many other big names lost homes?  I wonder if any
	>of the movie studios are affected by the fires (either directly,
	>or indirectly via cast members losing homes, etc)?
    
    The studios are probably out there now shooting the sequel to "Towering
    Inferno".  I can see the trailer already.  Charlton Heston parting the
    surf at Malibu to rescue helpless movie stars trapped on the beach.
    

    Frankly - I almost cried when I saw "everyday-people's"  homes going up
    in flames but to me I don't care about someones home when they have
    enough money to buy 6 more just like it....
    
    I don't mean to get into an arguement for against star salaries  - I
    just can't get worked up about "one of a star's home".
    
    All I can say is thank goodness no deaths or major injuries.  And
    goddess help the the average worker get a roof over her/his head.  A
    star can always stay at the plush hotel
    
    Just my 2 cents
    Jt

    re .2, while it's true that most stars would have plenty of money (and
    insurance) to go out and replace homes and furnishings, and to stay at
    plush hotels in the meantime, I still feel sorry for *anyone*
    regardless of income, who loses everything in a fire.  There are almost
    always items of nostaligic or personal value that can never be replaced
    regardless of how wealthy the owners are.  Even if I were a
    billionaire, I would still be heartbroken to lose wedding pictures,
    baby pictures, saved love letters, one-of-a-kind antiques that may
    never be found again (if something is one of a kind, no amount of money
    can buy another), favorite works of art (you can buy new ones, but the
    original ones you loved are gone).  I just can't find it in my heart to
    say that I don't feel sorry for someone whose home burns down, just
    because they are rich.  Some things money can't replace.
    
    Lorna
    

> I don't mean to get into an arguement for against star salaries  - I
> just can't get worked up about "one of a star's home".

	Who said anything about getting worked up or feeling sorry?
	I posed the original questions due to the curiosity factor
	(ie. the American public demands to know every detail about
	celebrity's lifes :-).

    Well Jeff and Lorna,  it seems the hoohah is over "celeberity" homes
    - I have been reading about 'regular' peoples homes for a couple of
    weeks now and it seems like now that the devastating fires are hitting
    "The most expensive homes in the country"  people (in the most general
    sense) are taking notice.
    
    (P.S. I only highlited your names since you 2 resonded directly to my
    note)
    
    >>Who said anything about getting worked up or feeling sorry?
    
    me....and I never said anyone else has or should
    
    Jt

RE no one killed.

  I believe there have been a few fatalities caused by the fire.

  George

	Re: .5 (Joyce)

	Remember which notefile you are in.  Why would we be discussing
	non-celibraties homes in here?  I'm sure the fires in "general"
	are being discussed in Soapbox, and I know in Felines people
	are talking about the pets/animals affected.

	Me thinks you are both being unfair in saying no one has
	paid attention until now.

    Michaud,
    
    I'm sure the celebrities will be thankful that you are taking such an
    interest in their homes :^{
    
    As to fatalities, there was one unconfirmed death, but the media last
    night said it was reported probably as a result of a misunderstanding 
    between them and firefighting officials.
    
    There are two civilians in Sherman Oaks Burn Center, one is a British
    screeenwriter/producer Duncan Gibbons (?) and his friend Mark (Blank)
    who tried to save Duncan's cat, and got caught in the fire. Duncan is 
    in extremely critical condition, his friend is critical.
    
    As a Southern Californian thanks to those of you who feel for the many
    that are just "ordinary people".
    
    Now, back to your scheduled program.......
    
    
    Marilyn

    RE: .7
    
    >>Remember which notefile you are in.  Why would we be discussing
    >>non-celibraties homes in here? 
    
    Touche
    
    Jt

	Conference		Topic
	(notefile)		Number
	====================================
	Pear::SoapBox		829
	wro10c::Feline		642

    re .8, Marilyn, I certainly feel sorry for *everyone* who has lost
    their home in the fires in S. California.  Just because I said that I
    felt sorry for the stars, in response to Joyce's note, doesn't mean I
    don't also feel sorry for the ordinary people, who aren't rich or
    famous.
    
    Good heavens, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't feel sorry for all
    these people.  It's a horrible thing.  
    
    Lorna
    

    Gee, when I first checked in here I got the impression that "Is LA
    Burning?" was already in release. [It would make sense for them to move
    quickly, I suppose; if they get enough footage of the real thing it
    would save bundles on the special effects!]
    
    But no, it seems the movie's not out - yet - so why ARE y'all
    discussing this in here? I do try to be light-handed, I really do, but
    I must draw the line somewhere. If people want to make some kind of
    fires/films connection, let's discuss which movies currently under
    production had to scrub their shoots because of all the smoke and ash
    in the distance, or which ones had to be delayed because the performers
    had to scuttle home to dig for photograph albums, or whether the
    real-life fires on the news are more likely than fires in the movies to
    cause common-sensically-disabled individuals to play with matches (and,
    if so, the ramifications on film censorship), or the irony of how the
    film used to be more flammable than the locations...
    
    Or we could list our favorite fire scenes. Did anybody else think the
    "fireball" effect in "The Wizard of Oz" was niftier than the
    burning-bush scene in "The Ten Commandments"?
    
    Sorry, I think I'm getting ringy. Shouldn't note after a looong
    meeting, I guess. Go on with whatever you were talking about, and I'll
    scrape up the ashes later. ;-)
    
    -b

    I saw the tailend of some footage on CNN and it looked like a pretty
    BIG house was about to become engulfed. Could it have been Aaron
    Spelling's??  Anyone see the footage??

    
    Lorna,
    
    My reply was not directed at you. I'm sure you as all others, feel
    for the fire victims.
    
    
    Marilyn 

    re .14, oh, okay.  I guess I was starting to feel defensive about
    showing sympathy for the millionaires.  :-)
    
    Lorna
    

	FWIW, the first death in the LA fires was a Hollywood director.
	Also not listed in this VNS snipplet but reported in the Feline
	conference is that the cat he was resuceing was a stray he took
	in only three days earlier.

	Also since the Malibu fire was started by arson, they are ruling
	the death a homocide.

<><><><><><><><>  T h e   V O G O N   N e w s   S e r v i c e  <><><><><><><><>
 Edition : 2949             Thursday  4-Nov-1993            Circulation :  6559 

    Fire swept through the Californian coastal strip of Malibu yesterday,
    reducing vast tracts to charred rubble, burning hillsides and
    destroying film start homes worth millions. British film director and
    screenwriter Duncan Gibbins died in hospital after receiving burns 
    to 90 per cent of his body. He was trapped when he returned to his 
    blazing rented house to rescue a cat.

    
    	One of the daily papers [The Globe, maybe] listed a couple of
    	Duncan's films ... "Third Degree Burn" and "Eve of Destruction".
    
    
    							GTI

    re .17, ironic, but not funny.
    
    Lorna
    

	On the original topic, actor Tom Laughlin's (star of several
	"Billy Jack" films) beachfront Malibu home burned.  He had
	taken several precautions (tile roof, sprinklers, cleared brush)
	but it still burned.  It's a pretty interesting picture in
	today's paper showing his house demolished yet the two houses
	on each side of his (one owned by actress-singer Olivia Newton-John)
	still standing and apparently completely untouched by fire.

    re: 369.19  Tom Laughlin, also 1992 Presidential candidate

    
    They arrested some guy over the weekend in connection with the fires out
    here. They call him "Fed-Buster". But I could think of some other names
    if he is the quilty one. 
    
    Dave