Let's Do Lunch

While Ventura knuckles down, Hollywood and the local film industry talk Body language

Comments (0) By David Schimke Wednesday, Nov 18 1998

Shannon Brady

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Before the election, Adamsick had already planned a trip to L.A. during the week of November 9 to try to woo a big-buck project to the state over the next few months. By the time he took off last Wednesday, the entire nature of his quarterly journey had changed. Besides meeting with the usual suspects, he capitalized on the latest headlines. On Thursday he met with Mitch Ackerman, senior vice president of TV production at Disney and, as luck would have it, a wrestling fanatic. Whatever the trip's results, it may be that Ventura believes funding an organization such as the film board equates with "too much government": the rallying cry of his Reform Party movement. That he himself has appeared in nine Hollywood productions, including Batman & Robin (1997) and Predator (1987) might not matter. And, for the moment, he's keeping with his new political m.o. of not making promises. "He has a million things to do before he thinks about the Minnesota Film Board," says Teresa McFarland, spokeswoman for the governor-elect's transition team. "It's just too soon to tell."

In the meantime, though, there's little doubt that every snowbound novelist, screenwriter, wannabe director, and producer will follow Adamsick's example and jump on the Body's magic bus, and quick. After all, like all things in L.A., this too shall grow tiresome. "It's so funny," Scott McCollough, director of Hillsman's "Jesse the Mind" campaign ads, says. "I sent a copy of the spots to my rep--the guy who sells me for New York and L.A. And he sent me back a fax that said, 'I love it, babe.' The whole thing is so L.A. It's wonderful."