Joe Gould is a true-life character made briefly famous in a couple of magazine profiles penned by the New Yorker's legendary Joseph Mitchell. Gould, a shabby old bohemian gent who's slowly going mad as he gathers up oral histories from denizens of the city. He's a kind of whirling dervish of the street -- charming one minute and raging abusively the next.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 2, 2000 -- Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and the guy who did "The French Connection" (that's William Friedkin, by the way). With that lineup, what could possibly go wrong with "Rules of Engagement" (opening Friday, wide)? Besides having all the trappings of a trite military courtroom drama, probably not much. Based on a short story by James Webb (a former U.S. secretary of the Navy), the film follows the lives of two Vietnam vets (Jackson and Jones) whose paths

Hollywood's tracking scores were off the track this weekend as "Rules of Engagement" held on to the top spot. Insiders had expected Columbia's high-tracking "28 Days" to rewrite the "Rules" for first place.Paramount's R rated military trial drama showed great legs with an estimated $10.9 million (-27 percent) at 3,199 theaters (+35 theaters; $3,417 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.5 million heading for about $65 million in domestic theaters."The tracking has been so far off in the las

PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 22, 2000 -- Larry (not his real name) wanted $30 for a $10 ticket to "American Psycho." If you waited 15 minutes, you waited too long, because then Larry wanted $40 -- and got it, too. (Or so he thought.) According to one overheard comment Friday night at the "Psycho"'s sold-out Sundance premiere at the Eccles Theatre, the 15-year-old and his underage posse were possibly the first scalpers in the history of Robert Redford's mountain paradise. Such is life in this now (reall

Universal's unsinkable "U-571" continued full speed ahead in first place this weekend just as studio tracking data indicated it would. The PG-13 World War II submarine drama, which had a 19% first-choice tracking going into the weekend, held on to the top spot with a brisk ESTIMATED $12.33 million (-37%) at 2,615 theaters (+32 theaters; $4,715 per theater). Its cume is approximately $38.2 million, heading for $60 million-plus in domestic theaters. "U-571's" per theater average was the high

Universal launched "U-571" to over $20 million, sinking its Easter Weekend box office competition. Hollywood had anticipated big action from the PG-13 World War II submarine drama given its 17% first-choice tracking score going into the weekend. "U-571" sailed full speed ahead into 2,583 theaters with a killer ESTIMATED $20.28 million ($7,850 per theater). Its per theater average was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, "U-571" stars Matthew