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auman's is greeted by a genuine roar of approval from the fans； who are devoted to her。 She waves； smiles； allows a barrage of photographs to be taken； but she doesn't go near the crowd。 She's had experiences with overly…possessive fans before： she walks straight down the middle of the red carpet； where she's out of reach of their fingers。 Still they shout； 'We love you Ripley！'； which is the character she plays in the Alien movies； and with which she will be identified until the day she dies。 She waves； even when they call the name Ripley； but her eyes never focus on anybody in the crowd for more than a moment。
The next limo in the line contains the bright new star of Gallows； Suzie Henstell； named by this month's Vanity Fair one of the Ten Hottest Names in Hollywood。 She is petite （though you'd never know it on the screen）； blonde and giggly； she's shared a little marijuana with her boyfriend in the limo； and it was a bad move。 She stumbles a little as she steps onto the red carpet； but the crowd has been prepped； thanks to several months of puff pieces and photo…spreads and in…depth interviews； to think of this woman as a full…blown star； even though they have yet to see more than a few frames of her acting ability from the trailer for Gallows。 So what do they care if she looks a little out of it？ Unlike Ms。 Weaver； who wisely chooses to be elusive； allowing the photographers just a minute or two to catch her； the new girl is still hungry for adulation。 She goes straight to the barricades； where a number of young women with souvenir programs for Gallows are waving them around。 She signs a few； giving her boyfriend； who is a six…foot Calvin Klein model hunk； a goofy 'gee…I…must…be…famous！' look。 The model looks back vacantly； which is the only look in his repertoire。 He can give it to you vacantly with a semi hard…on in his jeans； or vacantly with his ass hanging out of his Y…fronts。 Either way； it is heart…achingly beautiful； almost troublingly so。
The wind es in gusts along Hollywood Boulevard； and the security men start to look a little worried。 It was some bright publicist's idea to build two gallows； as a kind of gateway through which the audience for the premiere will need to e。 Not； it now seems； a clever notion。 The gallows are made to be trashed tomorrow morning； so they're made of light timber and foam…core。 The wind is threatening to topple them； or worse； pick then up entirely and deposit them on top of the crowd。 Light though they are； they could do some serious damage if they fell。
Four of the ushers from inside the theatre are summoned from their duties and told to go and stand beside the gallows； two on either side； holding on to them as casually as possible。 Security is told that the publicity people only need five more minutes。 As soon as Suzie Henslett can be persuaded to move on up the carpet and into the building （which at present she is showing no desire to do）； the director's； Rob Neiderman's； limo can be brought to the carpet； followed by the last and most important of the bunch； Todd Pickett。
The wind is getting worse； the gallows sway giddily。 An executive decision is made to bring Neiderman's limo in； and if Suzie's screaming fans are visible waving like lunatics behind Neiderman in his press pictures； so be it。 This isn't a perfect world。 It's already 8：13pm。 At this rate the picture won't be able to begin until half past the hour； which wouldn't be a problem if the damn thing weren't so long； but Neiderman's cut came in at two hours and forty…three minutes； and though the studio appealed to Pickett to get him to shave the thing down to a tight two hours； Todd came back saying he liked the picture pretty much as it was； so only four minutes were going out of it。 That means it'll be past eleven before the picture's finished； and almost midnight by the time everybody's assembled at the party venue。 It's going to be a long night。
Neiderman has persuaded the easily…distracted Miss Henslett away from her fans and down the carpet to the door。 The big moment is at hand。 The ushers cling to the gallows； their jobs depending on the perpendicularity of their charges。 The largest of the limos es up to the curb。 Even before the door has opened； the fans…especially the women…are in a state of ecstasy； shrieking at the top of their voices。
〃Todd！ Todd！ Oh God！ Todd！〃
The cameras start to flash； as though the inprehensible semaphore of their flashes is going to summon the man in the limo。
And out es Todd Pickett； the star of Gallows； the reason why ninety…five percent of its audience will be there when it opens next Friday （it is now Monday）； Todd Pickett； one of the three biggest male action…movie…stars in the history of cinema。 Todd Pickett； the boy from Cincinnati who failed in all his grades but ended up the King of Hollywood。
He raises his hands like a presidential candidate； to acknowledge the shouts of the crowd。 Then he reaches back into the limo to catch hold of the hand of his date for the night； Wilhemina Bosch； a waitress…turned…model…turned…actress…turned…model again； with whom he has been seen at parties and premieres for the past four months； though neither will say anything about the relationship than that they're good friends。
He gathers Wilhemina to him； so that the photographers can get pictures of them together。 Then arm in arm； through the blizzard of rights and the barrage of We love you； Todd ing at them from every side； the pair make their way to the cinema doors； which…having gathered their most important guests into the fold； then close rather defiantly； as if to divide the important from the unimportant； the stable and the solid from those who are simply objects of the night's wind。
Gallows is an irredeemable piece of shit； of course； and everyone involved with it； from the executives who green…lit it （at a cost of some ninety…million dollars； before prints and advertising costs add another thirty…seven to the bill） to the humblest publicist； knows。
It is； in the words of Corliss's review in Time； 'an old fashioned； action…horror picture which lacks the full…bone theatrics of grand guignol； and the savvy； John Woo…style action piece audiences have e to expect。 One minute Schwarzenegger is camping it up； the next Todd Pickett； as his unwilling successor； is playing his scenes as though he's Hamlet on a particularly dreary night in Denmark。 From beginning to end； Gallows is bad noose。'
Everybody going up the red carpet that Monday night already knows what Time is going to say； Corliss had made his contempt for the picture very plain in a piece about the state of action movies he wrote two weeks before。 Nor does it take an oracle to predict that there will be others who will not like the picture。 But the extent of vitriol will prove astonishing； even to those who expected the worst。 In the next forty…eight hours； Gallows will garner some of the most negative reviews of the last twelve months； the vehemence of the early news reviewers empowering minor names to pull out the stops。 Besides the inprehensible script； everyone agrees； there is a lackluster quality to the picture that betrays the cast's indifference to the entire project。 Perfo