Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Hawaii
THERE was a row of movie trucks lined up Bethel, along Pauahi, down Nuuanu and into the public parking lot at Pauahi and Smith. Was it a shooting for a monster movie project like "Pearl Harbor"? VISA brings on
traffic jamsNo, this was the filming of a VISA national commercial at Indigo, one of those "We don't accept American Express" spots. Earlier there was a similar tie-up of parking spots around Ed Wary's Auntie Pasto's on Beretania Street, no surprise what with 100 extras involved in the shoot. The star of that spot was Konishiki, VISA's answer to AmEx's Jerry Seinfeld, downing a huge bowl of -- surprise -- pasta! ... Incidentally, Indigo owner Dave Stewart is so upset with his Hawaii Theatre landlords that he's talking of putting the restaurant up for sale. He's been spotted checking out the long-shuttered Golden Platter Restaurant site at Nuuanu and Pauahi ... And finally, slack key guitar artist Makana will be performing at Havana Cabana for the next three Thursdays, beginning tomorrow ...
Odd trio in Japan
RUMORS abound in Japan that among the stars being flown in for the grand opening of the new Universal Studio's Japan in Osaka are Bill Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jackson, strange bedfellows to say the least. They're hardly needed either, as the park is already sold out for the first six months, or until summer's end. Hawaii folks wanting to attend had best try making reservations now. Park G.M. Michael Latanzio told ex-isle d.j. Kamasami Kong, now a top jock in Osaka, that they'll be running 100,000 people per day through the place. And at about $50 per head to get in, that adds up to $5 million per day, not counting food and souvenir sales. Kong (real name: Bob Zix) took several members of Bob Dylan's band there during the park's soft opening. As for Dylan, he's into boxing, and stays fit sparring with members of his band while on the road. The times, they are a'changin' indeed ...THERE was a story in yesterday's paper about hip-hopper Coolio doing a concert at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park on March 24 as well as appearing in "Tyrone," a film written and directed by Punahou grad Chris Palzis. What it didn't mention is that Palzis is the brother of actress Kelly Preston and the brother-in-law of John Travolta. That should help with financing the flick ...
She's everywhere!
YOU may think your schedule is hectic, but compare it to Mary Suiter's. The owner of the Malama spas both in Manoa (near Manoa Valley Theatre) and in Ala Moana Center (next to Neiman Marcus), Suiter's spas will be featured on Emme Tomimbang's "Emme's Makeover Moments," airing tomorrow night and again March 24. The repeat showing was to have been Saturday until someone noticed it was St. Patrick's Day and everyone would be otherwise disposed. Emme was so impressed with Malama that when good friend Jim Brickman was in town for concerts, she referred him to Malama and he ended up spending a whole afternoon there ... You can't miss Suiter on the ubiquitous City Bank ads promoting her use of their services, and she's writing a column on wellness for Gusto magazine called Malama Pono ...THIS is the final column written for Rupert Phillips, whom I saw exactly twice -- once when he showed up to announce that he'd bought the paper and six years later when he said he was closing it. Tomorrow's column will be the first for Oahu Publications ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com