======================

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/bpihw/20010731/en/_novocaine_gets_shot_at_toronto_1.html

Wednesday August 01 01:57 AM EDT

By Etan Vlessing

TORONTO (The Hollywood Reporter) --- The Steve Martin-starring dark comedy "Novocaine" will receive its world premiere as a Gala selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, organizers said Tuesday.

The fest also unveiled nine titles to unspool in its Special Presentations sidebar. Devoted to established directors, the section will include world premieres for Mike Figgis, John Dahl and Gregor Jordan.

Artisan Entertainment (news - external web site)'s "Novocaine," to bow on the opening weekend of the Toronto festival, which runs Sept. 6-15, marks the directorial debut for writer David Atkins and a departure for Martin. The actor plays a dentist happily engaged to his hygienist (Laura Dern) but suddenly undone by an alluring new patient (Helena Bonham Carter).

Artisan executives are touting "Novocaine" as edgy and unpredictable, ideal for a festival launch in Toronto.

"We are looking forward to showing audiences a film and a performance by Steve Martin in a role that they may not expect from him," Artisan Pictures executive vp Amorette Jones said.

Martin and Bonham Carter are set to travel to Toronto. Artisan could not confirm other cast members' appearances at the festival.

***

==========

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/bpihw/20010731/en/_novocaine_gets_shot_at_toronto_1.html

Wednesday August 01 01:57 AM EDT

By Etan Vlessing

TORONTO (The Hollywood Reporter) --- The Steve Martin-starring dark comedy "Novocaine" will receive its world premiere as a Gala selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, organizers said Tuesday.

The fest also unveiled nine titles to unspool in its Special Presentations sidebar. Devoted to established directors, the section will include world premieres for Mike Figgis, John Dahl and Gregor Jordan.

Artisan Entertainment (news - external web site)'s "Novocaine," to bow on the opening weekend of the Toronto festival, which runs Sept. 6-15, marks the directorial debut for writer David Atkins and a departure for Martin. The actor plays a dentist happily engaged to his hygienist (Laura Dern) but suddenly undone by an alluring new patient (Helena Bonham Carter).

Artisan executives are touting "Novocaine" as edgy and unpredictable, ideal for a festival launch in Toronto.

"We are looking forward to showing audiences a film and a performance by Steve Martin in a role that they may not expect from him," Artisan Pictures executive vp Amorette Jones said.

Martin and Bonham Carter are set to travel to Toronto. Artisan could not confirm other cast members' appearances at the festival.

***

===================

August 1, 2001 Wednesday, Final Edition

Entertainment; Pg. 52

Claire Bickley, Toronto Sun

Steve Martin will soon be smiling proudly in Toronto. His dark dental comedy Novocaine will make its world premiere at next month's 26th Toronto International Film Festival.

The movie, which will be a Gala Presentation, stars Helena Bonham Carter as a seductive patient who draws Martin's Dr. Frank Sangster into a complex web of missing prescription drugs and murder. Soon he's in love and on the run, being pursued by a psychotic stalker (Scott Caan) and the authorities. Laura Dern and Elias Koteas co-star. It marks the directorial debut of screenwriter David Atkins.

"It's going to be a real crowd-pleaser," festival director Piers Handling predicted yesterday. "It's piles of fun, actually. Smart, edgy, unpredictable."

Martin and his co-stars are expected to attend the festival, as are many of the headliners of six other world premieres announced yesterday.

The Toronto festival is regarded by the industry as one of the world's best commercial launching pads. Last year's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and 1999's American Beauty are among the hits that got their starts here.

"We've built up a reputation over the last decade of really breaking a lot of key films that go on to win Oscars, be nominated for Oscars and do well publicly," said Handling.

The Special Presentation lineup includes Buffalo Soldiers, a contemporary military drama starring Oscar winner Anna Paquin and Oscar nominees Ed Harris and Joaquin Phoenix. Director Gregor Jordan's film is about American G.I.s whose thriving black market business at their German base is threatened by the arrival of a tough new sergeant.

***

This year's Toronto filmfest runs Sept. 6-15. The official Web site is accessible at www.bell.ca/filmfest.

==============

August 1, 2001 Wednesday Ontario Edition

ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. F02

Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Steve Martin's dark turn as dentist premieres

A crime thriller starring Steve Martin as a dentist caught in the jaws of intrigue and Canadian director Bruce McDonald's new caper chase join the slate of world premieres at next month's Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 6-15).

Novocaine, co-starring Helena Bonham Carter and Laura Dern, finds Martin in film noir mode for an offbeat gala presentation about a man who doesn't know enough about either his patients or his family. The film is written and directed by David Atkins, who scripted Emir Kusturica's artful Arizona Dream, the early Johnny Depp movie that premiered at the 1993 Toronto fest.

***

================

Last updated 2 August 2001