John Mankiewicz attends the DVD Premiere Awards, a "non-televised event honoring the best movies and original programming to première last year in the DVD format."

Tom DiCillo, the writer and director of "Living in Oblivion" and "Johnny Suede," had flown in from New York. His latest movie, "Double Whammy," had received five nominations, including best picture, best original screenplay, best actress (Elizabeth Hurley), and best actor (Denis Leary). The only problem for DiCillo was that this film, like his others, was supposed to have been released in theatres. "I've got to admit," he said, "I was conflicted about the whole experience." DiCillo, who is a lanky, soft-spoken man of forty-eight, said he decided to attend "out of an obligation to the film. I was proud of it. But if I won, it would almost be like standing up to say I fucked up - because I made the film to open on the big screen."

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In his seat at a small table toward the back, Tom DiCillo looked uneasy."Whenever the ceremony veers into a guy recapping the Olsen twins' earnings—including clothing and dolls—or just talking about DVD as a venue, that's when I feel like I have to get up and leave," he said. "I know that something like 'Night of the Evil Monkeys III' is going to win, and I don't know what I'm doing here."