War Premiere: Drop the Cell Phones

We weren't avoiding Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes on purpose—we were just looking for an event-related angle. And here it is: When the couple arrived at the Ziegfeld Theater last week for the premiere of Paramount's Cruise-vehicle War of the Worlds, they were required to check in their cell phones and bags, just like all the other guests. The move—which made for long lines and complaints—is part of the studio's effort to reduce piracy, and was a requirement in all five cities around the world where the film premiered. (Critics of the whip-cracking approach told The New York Times the notion that a cell phone is capable of the bootleg-quality recording of a feature film is absurd.)
Posted 06.29.05