Going commercial by MATTHEW HAYS The anthology known as The World's Best Commercials, which is released annually, has tended to have a spotty track record. Over the last few years, I confess I've been somewhat less than thrilled with the collections. But I'm happy to report that 1999 is a banner year for the ads, chosen by a jury at the Cannes International Advertising Film Festival. I found myself laughing hysterically during a good deal of the 77-minute program. Nike deserves top honours for their series of mock ads about accepting people who play tennis or golf or run ("Can you imagine if we treated all athletes the way we do skate-boarders?" the ads conclude.) They're an astoundingly canny bit of PR, undoubtedly lending the company endless additional cred with youth who fancy themselves outsiders. But the ultimate comes from the Netherlands, in a fantastic sequence titled "A Day Trip" that could never air on North American TV (don't expect me to give away the punchline). Don't miss The World's Best Commercials for '99. Opens this Friday, June 4 at the Cinéma du Parc. See rep listings for showtimes. I managed to engage in conversation with Jerry Bruckheimer, the Hollywood producer behind such films as Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, The Rock, Armageddon and Enemy of the State. Bruckheimer's press liaison claims he is responsible for over $4.25 billion in box office, video and recording revenue. Bruckheimer is currently on a North America-wide star search for the lead in his next film, titled Coyote Ugly. With this lower-budget, non-special-effects driven project--about a young woman who becomes a singing sensation--Bruckheimer says he's "getting back to my roots--back to Flashdance!" For all the stellar box office Bruckheimer has earned, he has become a lightning rod for criticism of what Hollywood has become: crass, overbudgeted and empty. He begs to differ: "It's all individual. It's all in the eye of the beholder. The films that are successful are the ones you tend to write about more. But other films are getting made. It's very diverse." And Bruckheimer insists, despite what appears to be an increasingly homogenous Hollywood culture, that "those blockbusters fuel the studios to take chances on other films." Does Bruckheimer, whose films invariably feature ridiculously happy endings, consider himself an optimistic person? "I'd better be. I came from a lower-middle-class family in Detroit and made it in Hollywood. I am optimistic; I guess some of that seeps into my movies." And now, the questions you've all been waiting for: Does Bruckheimer stay in touch with actors he's worked with in the past? "Yeah, for sure." Is Tom Cruise gay? "No, he's straight like a board. A fine father and husband." The summer film fest Magnifico continues at the Ex-Centris until Sunday, June 6. All 50 screenings are free to the public. Here are my picks: Sky Bones, Marielle Nitoslawska's experimental film about the spiritual journey of artist Domingo Cisneros; and A Woman Under the Influence, one of Cassavetes' finest. After June 7, catch Le Trompettiste, a densely layered satire about a musician who's losing his marbles.