October 8, 1997

Steve Wynn, millionaire casino owner, angered over critical unauthorized biography, Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn by John L Smith, moves to collect on defamation award of more than $3 million that could shut down small New York publishing house Barricade Books; owner Lyle Stuart has begun to lay off employees at his offices in Manhattan; immediate dispute between Wynn and Stuart involves not the book itself, but a catalogue description of book; Association of American Publishers, trade association for publishing industry, says this is first case of a book publisher's being threatened with extinction because of defamation lawsuit; Wynn's attorney responds; photo (L)

Alan Riding reports on new generation of foreigners living in France and writing in French, contributing to renaissance of French fiction; in past, when France took supremacy of its language for granted, nationality of writers in France was irrelevant; today, with French steadily losing ground to English around the world, it is suddenly significant that good number of foreign novelists should still prefer French; what has drawn these writers to public's attention is that they have begun snapping up French literary prizes; among them are Russian-born Andrei Makine, Tahar Ben Jelloun, a Moroccan, Jorge Semprun, a Spaniard, Nancy Huston, a Canadian, and Eduardo Manet, a Cuban; photos (M)

Richard Bernstein reviews J Anthony Lukas's Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America; photo (M)

Fantastic bravado from a 27-year-old filmmaker who has laid-back wit, amazingly fluid camera technique and no qualms about borrowing from the best. Following the ''Nashville'' blueprint, Paul Thomas Anderson explores the quaint customs and inchoate longings within an insular pop subculture, this time the sleazy, druggy universe of 70's porn. From spectacular party sequences to clear proof that the party is over, this busy, wildly colorful film has no trouble holding interest -- far from it. But its extravagant length is a tactical mistake, since it promises bigger ideas than Mr. Anderson delivers. Mark Wahlberg gives a terrifically appealing performance in the story's tricky central role. Prominently featured in the fine ensemble cast are Burt Reynolds, doing his best and most suavely funny work in years as a porn auteur, and Julianne Moore as his ethereal, vaguely tragic star. Minor details, like her hilariously bad porn acting or the flashy period costumes, are an evil treat. — Janet Maslin

Indonesia, struggling to defend its beleaguered currency, appears on verge of asking International Monetary Fund for financial help; officials say final decision to seek such help will hinge on decision by Pres Suharto, longest-serving national leader in Asia, whose family is deeply involved in many of Indonesia's biggest ventures (L)