Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Esteemed actor-filmmaker Bill Duke is going to exceptional lengths to get his "Cover" big screen thriller out to the public. He's a man on a mission, because "Cover" is not only a murder mystery thriller but it's also a wakeup call, Duke hopes, about the spread of HIV/AIDS.

"On the 22nd of February, we'll open in about 10-15 cities in AMC theaters and Regal theaters, and if it does well, it will expand from there," reports Duke of the film that stars Louis Gossett Jr. and Vivica Fox, with names including Patti LaBelle and Mya. "We're also using the Mel Gibson model, with premieres in major churches in this country. Many churches are getting on board, saying, 'We have to do something so people can understand the breadth of this thing.'"

Duke continues: "People still think this is a white homosexual disease, and they're totally wrong," says Duke, citing alarming statistics from the Centers for Disease Control about the resurgence of HIV, especially in the African American and Hispanic communities. The fact that more than half of all new HIV infections are occurring among African Americans is among the noteworthy subjects "that not really being discussed in the mainstream media," he believes.

"And look at the statistics in high schools. These kids don't have the same issues we had 25 years ago. They sleep with each other, experiment with each other — there's a lot more cross-pollination these days. They're not taking precautions. As a result of that, it's already too, too late for some. That's why this needs to be addressed in a very urgent manner."

"Cover" touches upon the issue of men "on the down low" — leading heterosexual lives, in marriages and committed relationships with women, but secretly engaging in sex with other men. However, Duke makes clear, "although that is something that we address, we don't condemn anybody. There is also no lewd behavior and no profanity in the film. We're really, really thrilled it's coming out and people are going to be discussing this," he adds. "We need to start talking about it. It's a preventable disease."

A LITTLE CHANGE IS A GOOD THING: Bob Saget tells us that when his "1 vs.

100" game show returns Friday night (Jan. 4), we may notice a difference. "The big thing for me is I wear sneakers now," says Bob. "I dress less like a magician, with the dark suits and dark shoes. I'm being a little bit more of whatever myself is."

Saget taped eight new "1 vs. 100"' installments that will be seen weekly into February, "then I'll probably go back for a couple days and do some more." He's hoping, obviously, that the writers' strike gets resolved before then. "It's such a tough time — very tragic, very sad. All anyone wants to do is entertain people, bottom line. And everyone wants to feel they're being taken care of and dealt with fairly."

IN TRIBUTE: The term "entertainment journalism" was once an oxymoron — when coverage of the beat consisted largely of breathless puff pieces and frothy social notes. Irv Letofsky was one of the writer-editors who changed that, approaching the star-making industry with a clear-eyed insistence on hard-hitting reporting, accuracy, integrity and his own unique imagination and flair. The former Los Angeles Times Sunday Calendar editor, who died of cancer Dec. 23, inspired entertainment reporters not only at that newspaper but elsewhere — and his work led to readers gaining insight into the inner workings of the film, television, theater and recording worlds that they'd never had before. He was a mentor and guide to many, one who had a way of bringing out people's best. He was a witty man (a founder of Minneapolis' Brave New Workshop satirical comedy troupe) and a generous colleague and friend to us and to this column. Indeed, Irv's quips, tips and ideas could be found here many times as he freely shared the bounty of his humor and knowledge. Irv, we applaud you. We thank you. We'll miss you.

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Although Dave Foley has had more time to make his mark in comedy than Zack Ward, Ward tells us that making the forthcoming "Postal" big-screen comedy with Foley was definitely a collaborative effort. "We'd be going into a scene and the lines just seemed redundant, so we'd go into our trailers and cut down a lot of the lines and just leave it to reaction," he says. "Had this been seven years ago, I don't think I would have had anything to offer, but after having done 'Titus' and having done some writing, I've been able to better understand what it takes to make a good script."

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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