Secrecy Shrouds Indiana Jones Movie

Spielberg Tries To Keep Plot Under Wraps As Bloggers Search For Spoilers

(AP)  Indiana Jones doesn't give up his secrets lightly, and neither does the man pulling his strings.

Director Steven Spielberg has tried to keep chapter four of the archaeologist's big-screen adventures, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," under wraps as tight as an ancient mummy's.

The stealth approach has whipped up a frenzy of expectation - and doubts about the movie's quality - as he prepares to unveil it in front of the world's toughest audience, critics at the Cannes Film Festival. The film premieres here Sunday, just four days before it opens in theaters worldwide.

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In an era of Internet spoilers, fan blogging and online video diaries where filmmakers show off their tricks, Indy returns with the old-fashioned covertness Spielberg always has favored.

"He is the only one in the world who keeps his cards face down on the table until the 11th hour, 59th minute, 59th second, and nothing deters him from doing that," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Spielberg's partner at DreamWorks.

Revealing their cards at Cannes, with its notoriously snooty press corps, is a critical risk for Spielberg, executive producer George Lucas and star Harrison Ford.

Hollywood trade paper Variety quipped that Indiana Jones was entering the "Kingdom of the Critical Knives," and reporters have joked that Cannes might prove a new Temple of Doom for Indy.

Two years ago, the first press screening of "The Da Vinci Code" drew open laughter from Cannes critics, whose harsh reviews spoiled the film's premiere a day later and set the stage for a worldwide critical drubbing.

Of course, "The Da Vinci Code" went on to gross $758 million globally. As the first movie in 19 years for one of cinema's biggest adventure series, "Crystal Skull" is virtually assured of blockbuster results, too.

Possibly to shield "Crystal Skull" from a similar critical backlash, Spielberg, Lucas and distributor Paramount weren't letting critics see the movie until hours before its Cannes premiere.

In an unusual move, the few cast and crew interviews at Cannes were scheduled Saturday, before reporters had even seen the film. The movie's profile is so high, the filmmakers figure it doesn't need the usual publicity.

Spielberg has been hush-hush from the start. Co-star Karen Allen, reprising her "Raiders of the Lost Ark" role as Indy's old flame Marion Ravenwood, said Spielberg initially wanted to keep it a secret that she was even in "Crystal Skull."

"Even after the film was announced, people would call me. `Oh, it's too bad you're not going to be in the film,"' Allen said. "I had to go along with it and say, `Yeah, it's a shame.' When it was finally announced I was in it, it was a huge relief. I was having to make up stories for why I wasn't in it, and I was finding it excruciating to have to do that."

In its earliest incarnation, Lucas proposed an all-out alien flick called "Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men From Mars." Spielberg and Ford didn't like that idea, and it took more than a decade of wrangling to come up with a story all three could live with.

A trailer showing a crate marked "Roswell, New Mexico, 1947" - a mecca for UFO buffs - hints that the movie retains traces of its extraterrestrial origins. Remarks by Lucas that the new film took its cue from 1950s sci-fi tales backs up that notion.

[wishlove-2009]

Get over yourself Exposed2008! Time to move on to another show! Write a song for yourself instead of worrying about Idol. Chances are you will not only make a really worthwhile song, but money and more fruitful opportunities! Get over it!

[hissteps4u]

What does this have to do with the Movie in the article. At least show some relevance and consistency can you read? Might as well simply shout it outloud and hope someone hears it has nothing to do with this article what so ever.

[exposed2008]

They Promised The Moon, The Stars, And Heaven Above. And just like Charlie Brown I got a rock.

As a songwriter who''s parents were songwriters, like them I write because I love it. It''s never been about the money. But when the NUMBER ONE SHOW ON TELEVISION says they''re looking for some amateur to write the Next Great American Idol Finale Song. Wow! The first thing that crossed my mind was.....MILLIONS! Millions of people. Millions of cd''s. Millions of dollars. Millions. I''m betting I''m not the only one.......of Millions.

It''s Time For Some Answers!
This is the second year in a row that American Idol has had a songwriting contest. Since the contest ended last year I''ve researched the contestants from last year and this year....FYI there were over 25,000 entries last year at $10.00 for each song. 20 songs were then chosen out of the 25,000 for an online vote. The winner''s song is then performed on the American Idol Finale. The problem I have is that one of THIS years Top 20 Songwriting Finalist is a Co-writer of LAST years Top 20 Songwriting Winner. Somebody from American Idol has some explaining to do.

If you want proof of fraud.
http://americanidolexposed.weebly.com
There''s a lot more.

By the way....Why aren''t you reporting this?