Film; OUT TAKES

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (above) is Terry Gilliam's latest fabulous folly. It stars Johnny Depp as drugged-up journalist Hunter S Thompson. Despite his best efforts to chew up the movie's psychedelic scenery, however, Depp is upstaged by method-acting co-star Benecio del Torro. Last seen looking very much the svelte pimp in The Usual Suspects, del Torro appears to have adopted De Niro's Raging Bull diet to pile on the pounds as Thompson's psychopathic lawyer side-kick, Dr Gonzo.

Ever wondered why John Malkovich's acting appears so narcissistic? The answer arrives with a new film currently in pre-production in the States. Starring Cameron Diaz, John Cusack and Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich describes how a puppeteer finds a gateway into Malkovich's brain.

Ron Howard has hit a problem with plans for his latest feel-good weepy, Laws of Madness. It's based on the achievements of Michael B Laudor, a 35-year-old schizophrenic who managed to overcome his mental illness to graduate from Yale. All very romantic and inspirational. Unfortunately, since the screenplay was finished, Laudor has turned himself in for the murder of his pregnant fiance. Time for a script doctor.

Liese Spencer