Kellerwood

The New York Times’ new editor, Bill Keller, is more at ease talking about Shakespeare than pop culture. What does it mean for Hollywood?

A A A Comments By Nikki Finke Thursday, Jul 24 2003

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Keller can recognize a plot worthy of Jerry Bruckheimer. In a March column, he wrote about (“I am not making this up”) a Defense Department briefing for senior intelligence officials by a writer who claims messages encoded in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament provide clues to the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.

While a column titled “Watching Movies With Senator Kerry” sounded promising, it turned out to be Keller watching silent washed-out color footage Kerry took during the Vietnam War. Another column, headed “Bubba and Ol’ Boris,” could have been the name of next fall’s CBS sitcom following Everybody Loves Raymond. But it was only a review of Kremlinologist Strobe Talbott’s diplomatic memoir.

And last but not least, Keller hates star treatment. He told the Washington Postthis week, “I don’t like to spend a lot of my time out playing celebrity.” (Translation: He’s sitting out Vanity Fair’s next Oscar party.) But Hollywood has a way of seducing even aesthetes like Keller. Prediction: He’ll be dining with Steven Spielberg before too long.

Contact Nikki Finke at deadlinehollywood@gmail.com.