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Update -
10/24/01:
 For those who have written inquiring about whether Peter is
the voice in the GM commercials, yes, you are correct. From today's San Francisco
Chronicle: "The television ad that brings General Motors' interest-free
financing to the masses opens with a video of a desert highway that rings of freedom
itself, accompanied by the voice of Coyote, who delivers a bold message that springs from
an American tragedy - 'The American dream. We refuse to let anyone take it away. So, GM
announces interest-free financing. On every new car. And every new truck. Now through Oct.
31. Believe in the dream. Believe in each other. Keep America rolling.'"
S.F. Chronicle, 10/23: At the Presidio last week, actors and
behind-the-camera workers gathered to air the problem of runaway film production. One of
the solutions offered: Beat Canada and Australia at their own game. "There should be tax
incentives for investors in American films that are kept in America," said actor Peter
Coyote. "Except perhaps for one stumbling block, it is the most politically popular
solution," he said. "The stumbling block is 'the Tom Cruise problem' - it is very hard to
get support for tax incentives when the public sees it as giving benefits to rich actors. But," Coyote said,
"this is not a actors' issue but a broad economic issue that affects many
others."
Peter gave a presentation the other day at
Santa Rose Junior College. His
speech was based in part on an article by Robert Bowman, known as a Combat Veteran, Rocket
Scientist, Businessman, College Professor, Fighter Pilot, Bishop, and Peace Activist.
Bowman states that "We are the target of terrorists because we stand for
dictatorship, bondage, and human exploitation in the world."
Update -
10/15/01:
The
video and DVD of THE BASKET starring Peter and Karen Allen, will be
released on December 11. You can pre-order now at Amazon.com. The video is
priced at $49.95. The DVD is definitely the better buy at $20.24, as it also
features a commentary by the director and cinematographer, deleted scenes,
outtakes, and a collection of 6 mini-featurettes on the making of the film.
Update -
10/01/01:
William Baldwin invites you to Made in America: The Plight of U.S. Film and Television
Production on Thursday, October 18, 2001 at the San Francisco Film Centre (The
Presidio, 39 Mesa Street, San Francisco CA). There will be a 6:00 reception, 7:00 program
and 8:30 VIP dinner (Sponsors Only). The Moderator will be Ron Reagan with Panelists Peter
Coyote, Elliott Gould and Tom Todoroff. Ticket prices for the
Reception and Program: The Creative Coalition Members: $25 each; Non-Members
& Guests: $50 each. The Sponsor package including VIP Dinner: $500/person.Yahoo is also featuring an auction for an all-inclusive ticket with an opening bid
of $350.
Look for these Coyote films on television this month - Baja Oklahoma, Endangered
Species, Eric Brockovich, Execution of Justice, Heart of Midnight, Indiscreet, The Legend
of Billie Jean, Living a Lie, Murder in my Mind, Random Hearts, Red Letters, Road Ends,
Scorned and Swindled, and Southern Comfort.
For the Coyote howl on the world's latest events, you can read his essay, "Pausing for Thought" as well as his poem, "Flags."
Update -
09/01/01:
Peter will be doing a French film next Spring called
BON VOYAGE
starring France's most popular actor, Gerard Depardieu, and Sophie Marceau. This
big-budget WWII story will center around the collaborationist Vichy Government with Peter
playing an English spy called Winckler. It will be directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau,
celebrated for directing Depardieu in the glorious, swashbuckling Cyrano de Bergerac (1990).
 France has not only
been a holiday spot for Peter through the years (he speaks fluent French), but it has also
provided the locale of A Man in Love (1987), Bitter Moon (1994), and the
upcoming FEMME FATALE. Filming for this Brian de Palma film noir
took place last spring in Paris and editing is just about completed. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos
plays Laure, a con woman who is trying to outrun her past by stealing another woman's
identity. Antonio Banderas will play a paparazzi named Nicolas, who hunts her down. Peter
plays Laure's husband, Bruce Hewitt Watts, the American ambassador to France - such a
prestigious role for our man. The film has been described as a highly-stylized homage to
the great British director, Alfred Hitchcock. The filmmakers hope to have the film ready
for the Berlin Film Festival in February. There is no official release date yet, though
the IMDB has listed it as January.
A WALK TO REMEMBER was filmed in North Carolina during April
and May. A Gaylord Film distributed by Warner Bros., its cast also includes Darryl Hannah,
Mandy Moore and Shane West. Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, it is
directed by Adam Shankman (The Wedding Planner). In a small Southern community
during the 1950's, the teenage son (Shane West) of a wealthy family and the shy daughter
(Moore) of the town's Baptist minister (Coyote) are thrown together for the annual
Christmas pageant and soon fall in love. Theater release date is January 25.
The only news I've come across regarding the theatrical release of
PURPOSE
was that co-writer/producer Ronnie Apteker was looking for a distributor for his film.
However, the following review was recently posted under "user comments" at the
IMDB - "Purpose, as a whole, does a good job of showing how money, power,
and life in the fast lane during the dot.com boom in San Francisco can corrupt even those
with good intentions. Jeffery Donovan (Robert) is great as the smooth talking deal closer
that visionary John Elias (newcomer John Light) hires to help start the company. Paul
Reiser, hardly recognizable as the mentor and friend to John, is funny and adds a lot to
the film. Mia Farrow looks stunning, yet believable as the financial mogul out to make
some money off the new company. Hal Holbrook and Peter Coyote add to the film, if nothing
else than recognizable faces and steady acting. The film looks amazing, with fantastic
shots of San Francisco and creative interiors that dominate the new money internet
offices. Could be a sleeper hit if all the people who lost their jobs in the dot.com bust
want to re-live it. It has a deep meaning behind the story of quality over quantity. I'd
recommend it."
Alpenglow Films has produced a series of films called Earth Rescue.
The following documentaries are narrated by Peter and will be featured on the Outdoor Life
Network (OLN) this month:
Pipe Dreams: Oil vs. Wilderness in the Arctic Nat'l Wildlife Refuge
Thursday, September 6
In
Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, polar bears, musk oxen, and roaming herds of
caribou still allow us a glimpse of a primeval world. However, the oil industry and
powerful allies in Alaska's state government are attempting to invade and develop the
coast of the refuge. If they succeed, it may mean the demise of the most intact, pristine
Arctic wilderness in the nation.
Border Wars: The Fight for the American Jaguar
Thursday, September 13
In southeastern
Arizona and southwestern New Mexico environmentalists are fighting to preserve and create
wildlife corridors that will allow the jaguar continued access to its northernmost range.
But conservationists fear obstacles that will inhibit or even eliminate the presence of
jaguars in the U.S., including uncooperative ranchers and the INS which is constructing
ten-foot high fences with high-intensity lighting along the border to keep out immigrants,
and possibly, jaguars.
Death of A Thousand Wolves
Thursday, September 20
This film will examine the controversy over the fate of wolves in Minnesota,
where currently wolves are protected by the federal government under the
Endangered Species Act. The federal government, however, wants to turn this
protection over to the State of Minnesota, which is in turmoil over how to
handle the wolves.
Dead Coyote Walking
Thursday, September 27
A
nationwide controversy has arisen over Predator Hunting Contests that offer participants
cash or prize rewards for killing large numbers of coyotes. Hunting participants say these
contests are a necessary component to wildlife management, while conservationists say the
indiscriminate killing of coyotes is not only inhumane, but as a solution, it simply does
not work.
 The video, "Seth
Eastman: Painting the Dakota" is now available for $19.95 at Aftonpress.org. Directed by Kristian Berg and
narrated by Peter, this documentary tells the life story of the artist and career military
officer Seth Eastman, and brings insight to not only his paintings but to his native
subjects. For the first time we will showcase a comprehensive look of Eastman's
illustrations that span across America from Minnesota to Texas to Florida. Dakota elders
will bring to life the traditions illustrated by Eastman and react to images of their
ancestors' daily lives and cultural practices. Eastman descendents and art historians
discuss Eastman's relationship with native peoples and what the paintings tell us about
Indian life during a time before white settlement.
"In the Light of Reverence"
was nationally broadcast on the PBS series, Point of View, this past summer. Narrated by
Tantoo Cardinal and Coyote, this 72-minute documentary on Native American struggles to
protect landscapes of spiritual significance tells the stories of three communities and
places they care for. Kudos to these filmmakers for being honored with the Best Feature
Documentary award at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco and for receiving
a Jury Award at Telluride Mountainfilm Festival.
Documentary filmmaker Steve Alves of Greenfield, MA is
making a career out of capturing things that make New England distinct. He's gone after
subjects like the Connecticut River and maple sugaring. In his newest film, "Together
in Time," he explores the past and present of contra dancing, a topic he
believes is as much about community as it is about moving to music. The film will continue
to do the festival circuit. Getting Peter to do the narration was a big victory for Alves,
who notes that Peter apparently has good values. Because the film is about a project that
promotes community, he agreed to take a nominal fee.
The Anza-Borrego Foundation commissioned award-winning filmmaker Chris
Pyle to create a 15-minute video capturing the essence of Anza-Borrego Desert
State Park. Narrated by Peter with music by Thomas Newman, this stunning video
highlights the early days of the creation of the park. It portrays more than three decades
of the Foundation's work to save 24,000 acres of highly scenic and biologically
significant lands in this area for inclusion in the California State Parks system. Persons
interested in seeing the video, or obtaining copies to publicize the Foundation's on-going
work, are urged to contact the ABF at (760) 767-0446.
Another short, but inspiring, 14-minute video documentary tells the dramatic story of
the grassroots movement for non-commercial Low-Power FM radio service, which provides
oft-times marginalized groups in our society an opportunity to be heard. Narrated by
Coyote, "LPFM: The People's Voice" looks at the communities and
churches embracing the low-power FM movement, even as many of the heavy hitters of the
broadcast industry try to shut it down. If you would like purchase information or the
ability to view the entire LPFM video online via RealVideo, follow this link.
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