BUSINESS NOTEBOOK: HOLLYWOOD CONSIDERS VANALCO FOR KEY SCENE

Vanalco remains the target of Hollywood producers, who want touse the vacant aluminum smelter to film a scene for the upcomingTommy Lee Jones movie "The Hunted."

"It's supposed to be the finale, as I understand it," said ChuckReali, Vanalco's general manager.

Filmmakers from Paramount Pictures have been eyeing Vanalco formore than a month, but haven't signed an agreement to film there.Talks continue.

The film will be shot this spring, mostly in Oregon, according toLiza McQuade, project manager for the Oregon Film & Video Office.She said Vanalco is the only Clark County site under consideration.

"The Hunted" is the story of an assassin (played by Benicio DelToro, star of "Traffic") pursued by an FBI specialist (Jones).

It will be directed by William Friedkin, who also directed "TheExorcist." According to McQuade, Paramount likes the atmosphereinside Vanalco's 60-year-old smelter.

"They would be shooting in there for a critical action sequence,"she said.

Still reorganizing

Vanalco, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January, isstill reorganizing.

The company has up to 120 days from its bankruptcy filing tosubmit a reorganization plan, and Reali said it could take the fulltime to complete.

More than 600 people lost their jobs last year when the smelterclosed, driven out of business by high electricity prices.

On the move

Rio's move to Oregon is on track for late spring.

The Vancouver outfit, a division of California-based SONICblue,makes the Rio digital audio player. Rio officials say their growingcompany ran out of space in its offices at StoneMill Business Parkon Mill Plain Boulevard.

So Rio and its 110 Vancouver employees are moving to Tigard, Ore.Rio spokeswoman Ann Goldmann said the move is proceeding accordingto plan.

"May, (or the) first part of June is our time line," she said.

Just coincidence

Sort of a 21st-century Walkman, the Rio digital audio player is aportable device that plays music downloaded from computers or theInternet. Rio is the sales leader in its category on Amazon.com.

Although it now goes by the simple name "Rio," the audio playerpreviously was marketed as "Diamond Rio" -- an amalgamation of theRio brand and the name of the Vancouver company that developed theplayer, Diamond Multimedia.

Diamond Rio also is the name of a country music band, which nowhas a hit country single, "One More Day," and is up for the band ofthe year award from the Academy of Country Music.

Although "Diamond Rio" seems like an unlikely phrase, Goldmannsaid it's just coincidence that the audio player and country brandshared the name. She said there's been no confusion over it.

Mike Rogoway reports retail businesses, telecommunications, laborissues and other business news for The Columbian. Reach him at 759-8018. Send e-mail to mike.rogowaycolumbian.com.