Los Angeles, September 25, 2006 – We thought it would have been brilliant to get Vice President Dick Cheney to the premiere of Open Season, an animated flick in which forest animals fight back against hunters, but Sony Pictures didn’t agree. The distributors’ idea for an outdoor screening smack in the middle of a park at L.A.’s Greek Theatre sort of matched the theme, despite some logistical problems. The premiere party came before the film because Griffith Park, where the theater is located, must be cleared out by 10:30 P.M. Plus there was no parking available, so a horde of journalists had to be bussed in from 20 minutes away, and then wait for the return bus when they were finished.

Ashton Kutcher was less than cooperative at the premiere, but our sources say he’s doing minimal press for Open Season because it opens the same day as his feature The Guardian. So the weekend of September 29, audiences can choose between the furry animated Ashton or the drowning Ashton. Or not.