If you're the star of a film, you're going to see that movie a lot of times - probably every time it opens in an important territory. Or at least, you're going to turn up at the cinema premieres with the cameras and the fans where maybe, if you're lucky, you can sneak out and avoid sitting through your film for the 15th time.

But whatever else happens, you have to be at the premiere. For if you're a star and you don't turn up, the whole world wants to hear your excuse or everyone will know the film stinks and that you don't want to be associated with it. Kate Winslet missed the "Titanic" premiere to go to a funeral and still, because of rumoured tensions between the cast and director James Cameron, rumours flew that she didn't like the film.

Is honesty the best policy? When Russell Crowe admitted that "Proof of Life" wasn't a great film, it and his disagreement with the director made headline news.

What's more, while neither studios nor actors talk about this, you are paid to go. And your interviews may even be part of your contract - you've just got to do them.

"They pay you to do publicity for a film," admits George Clooney. But he says over his flop "Batman and Robin": "I draw the line at lying about it."

"You find ways to talk around it. You say, 'It's the biggest movie I've seen and working with these guys was one of the greatest times of my life'. You say everything but the fact that the movie is an hour too long and just doesn't work."

Got to Factory Line Part 11: Special Previews

Got to Factory Line Part 9: "I Own Fourth of July!"

Factory Line Introduction
Factory Line Glossary

Sources:

"Director Blames Crowe/Ryan for Flop", BBC Ceefax, February 2000

George Clooney interview, Empire magazine, January 2001

"Adventures in the Screen Trade" by William Goldman, Futura, 1984, ISBN 0 7088 2 596 6