After months of indecision, director/writer Cameron Crowe, whose last film was 1996 Oscar Nominee Jerry Maguire, has settled on a name for his latest effort: Almost Famous. The DreamWorks release, due Sept. 15 in select markets, is an autobiographical coming-of-age tale set in the ’70’s based on Crowe’s adventures as a teenage music reporter for Rolling Stone. Some of the rejects: Stillwater (the name of the band in the film), The Uncool, My Black Pages, Something Real, and even Untitled. Says Crowe, “I had a box on the set for crew members to make suggestions, and there were 150 of those. But none of the other titles captured the fun and the spirit of the movie. Almost Famous describes nearly everyone in it.”

As the proud recipient of one of Kevin Smith’s alternative, “Asiieee, the Jury” awards [Reverse Angle, May], please note that, as instructed, I’ve already asked our domestic theatrical distributor to include Kevin’s suggested “slug” – “Winner: Kev’s Sundance Also-Ran Trophy”- on the poster when we appear in the theater near you, July 14th.

On the other hand, how do I explain to them that this is an award bestowed by the creative genius behind-dare I say? – Mallrats?

So, while I hardly begrudge Mr. Smith and his recent, shall we say, oeuvre of Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma (does one critic’s word, “superficial” come to mind?) I resent he judging our film, Shadow Hours, “worst movie of the fest” after he and his fellow jurors lauded the farfetched Girlfight.

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PETER MCALEVEY Producer, Shadow Hours, Malibu