Styles & Scenes

The award for Best Trailer goes to..

Before the 17th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala - honoring Charlize Theron, Felicity Huffman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Shirley MacLaine, David Cronenberg, Terrance Howard, Thomas Newman and Michael London -  got cranking Saturday night, the 1200-strong formally attired audience was inexplicably treated to …  trailers for a slate of upcoming 2006 tent pole studio films.

The evening's emcee Mary Hart, that ever-so effervescent “Entertainment Tonight” hostess, introduced “films that may just be contenders for next year's Oscars!"

Then the trailers started rolling for Johnny Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible III,” and Tom Hanks’ “The Da Vinci Code.”

“Bet that (“Code”) will give Tom Cruise a real run for his money!,” quipped Hart.

Up next, Brad Pitt's “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “X-Men 3,” Jennifer Aniston’s new romantic comedy, “The Breakup,” Julia Roberts and Dakota Fanning in “Charlotte’s Web,” Superman Returns,” “Miami Vice” with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, Daniel Craig as the new James Bond in “Casino Royale,” “Dreamgirls,” with Beyonce Knowles and finally, Oliver Stone’s untitled project about the World Trade Center bombing, breathlessly billed by Hart as “the first film about 9/11!”

What, no popcorn?

Steven, Angelina and Brad show up for Munich

It wasn't really a premiere. But last night's special private screening of "Munich" at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater was about as close to one as Steven Spielberg's controversial, but still Oscar-hopeful film is gonna get.

According to his reps, Spielberg flew in from New York early and drove straight from the airport to make an appearance at the film's 6 p.m. reception in the lobby of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Other than Spielberg's presence, it was a low-key affair, offering light fare, drinks and a dessert table. There was no "red carpet' to walk. A small group of photogs were allowed to shoot the director posing with "Munich" stars Eric Bana and Daniel Craig, screenwriter Tony Kushner and producer Kathleen Kennedy.

Spielberg talked to a few friends such as Variety's Army Archerd and TV talk show host Larry King. "He hasn't seen his friends in a long time. Steven released 'War of the Worlds' and 'Munich' this year and has been working for the past 18 months," explained Spielberg's longtime PR spokesman, Marvin Levy.

The loudest party buzz was over Patrick Goldstein's column yesterday in the Los Angeles Times about the "Munich" awards marketing mess. Levy shook his head when he spoke of Goldstein's piece, then waved his hands as if to shoo the story from existence or memory or both. But Spielberg did, as Universal reps had hoped, speak briefly to two trade reporters and commented on his film's personal and political messages to The Envelope.

"I hope that people who see this movie understand that it's a human story above all else," Spielberg said. "This film is about these five characters. Before all the other noise gets in the way of what our intentions were, this is a human story, told with a tremendous amount of empathy and told in a very balanced fashion and I'm very proud of that."

But Spielberg's appearance was just the first surprise. A veritable second coming occurred when all the hushed party whispers about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie being "on their way" turned out to be true. The hot couple walked into the almost-empty lobby minutes before the 7 p.m. screening began and mere moments after Spielberg had left.

Photo: Daniel Craig and Eric Bana with "Munich" director Steven Spielberg at a special screening of the film at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
(Jeffrey Mayer / WireImage)