To Do: Newsome, Gyllenhaal, Benson November 30, 2006
· Music round-up: Imogen Heap at the Wiltern; Joanna Newsome at the El Rey; Trail of Dead at the Henry Fonda; Lucinda Williams at Royce Hall; the Melvins at the Troubadour; The Jane Does The Jane Doe”s* at O”Brien”s in Santa Monica. [Thanks to the many readers who wrote in to point out the correct spelling of the band”s name makes confusing use of an apostrophe.] ·It”s a Well-Regarded Indie Actor Portraying Drug Addicts Double Feature at the New Beverly Cinema! See Ryan Gosling hit the crack pipe in Half Nelson, then stick around for Maggie Gyllenhaal”s powerful and frequently unclothed turn as a semi-recovering heroin abuser in Sherrybaby. · Doug “Best Week Ever” Benson hosts The Benson Interruption, where the comedian lures Sarah Silverman, Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Besser and Graham Elwood onstage at the UCB Theater, then proceeds to rudely cut them off whenever he feels like it, a shocking abuse of emcee power sure to scandalize the comedy community.
To Do: Newsome, Gyllenhaal, Benson
· Music round-up: Imogen Heap at the Wiltern; Joanna Newsome at the El Rey; Trail of Dead at the Henry Fonda; Lucinda Williams at Royce Hall; the Melvins at the Troubadour; The Jane Does The Jane Doe”s* at O”Brien”s in Santa Monica. [Thanks to the many readers who wrote in to point out the correct spelling of the band”s name makes confusing use of an apostrophe.] ·It”s a Well-Regarded Indie Actor Portraying Drug Addicts Double Feature at the New Beverly Cinema! See Ryan Gosling hit the crack pipe in Half Nelson, then stick around for Maggie Gyllenhaal”s powerful and frequently unclothed turn as a semi-recovering heroin abuser in Sherrybaby. · Doug “Best Week Ever” Benson hosts The Benson Interruption, where the comedian lures Sarah Silverman, Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Besser and Graham Elwood onstage at the UCB Theater, then proceeds to rudely cut them off whenever he feels like it, a shocking abuse of emcee power sure to scandalize the comedy community.
Not Only Can She Act, But Mischa Sings Too!
Mischa recently gave an impromptu performance of Britney Spears” hit song “Oops!… I Did It Again” at a London nightclub.
The former “O.C.” actress was enjoying an evening out on Tuesday when she decided to treat revelers at the trendy Paper nightclub to some of her singing.
The 20-year-old jumped on stage and launched into the famous song, and even treated clubbers to a sexy dance routine.
One onlooker said, “She got on stage clutching a microphone and a bottle of champagne. She seemed a bit drunk, but her singing was good. She certainly can hold a note.”
Mischa isn”t the only young star who has been enjoying London”s nightlife this week.
Christina Aguilera racked up an astounding $2,600 bar bill while partying on Tuesday night. The pop singer wasted no time getting into the party spirit at Kabarets Prophecy club and was later seen being carried out of the venue by her bodyguards after apparently having too much champagne.
However, the 25-year-old star”s unsteady exit was later blamed on exhaustion.
A source said, “Not only is she very little but she was quite tired because she”s in the middle of her tour. She only sipped a few glasses of Veuve Clicquot champagne and one vodka shot. Her party still ran up a pretty sizable $2,600 bar bill, though.”
Meg Ryan is Awful
Meg Ryan is attached to star in “The Best Awful,” an HBO miniseries adaptation of the Carrie Fisher novel. Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks and Richard LaGravenese have come aboard to produce the project along with Ryan and Fisher. The book recounts the further adventures of the heroine from Fisher”s best-selling, thinly veiled autobiographical novel “Postcards From the Edge,” a bipolar, ex-actress, celebrity talk show host with a 6-year-old daughter, a gay ex-husband, an aging movie star mother and an unshakable will to survive. Her postdivorce trauma leads her back to the use of prescription drugs, a wild trip to Mexico with her tattoo artist and, ultimately, a rehab clinic. Fisher, currently onstage at the Geffen Playhouse in her one-woman show about her life titled “Wishful Drinking,” is adapting her own book. Cohen and Jinks, who were behind the Oscar-winning “American Beauty,” are producing ABC”s highly anticipated thriller “Traveler.” LaGravenese, who made his mark adapting books, is directing “P.S. I Love You,” his adaptation of a Cecelia Ahern novel.
Ryan, who hasn”t been seen onscreen since 2004″s “Against the Ropes,” is one of the stars of Jon Kasdan”s ensemble movie “In the Land of Women.” She recently wrapped production on the action comedy “Homeland Security.”
| Source |
Sundance Preview: The Untitled Dakota Fanning Rape Project
Today”s NY Times story on the films entered into competition at the 2007 Sundance Festival Of Film, Open Bars, And Swag Suites updated us on the journey of a project we first heard about in July, back when it was struggling for financing to complete the shoot and the agent of its talented, pre-teen star was raving about how proud she was of her client”s ability to convincingly portray the violent taking of her innocence:
And in an as-yet-untitled Southern gothic directed by Deborah Kampmeier (”Virgin”), Dakota Fanning plays a precocious girl in 1950″s Alabama who sings and dances like Elvis Presley. But the film includes a scene in which the 12-year-old Miss Fanning”s character is raped.
Indeed, it sounds a little harsh when the inevitably controversial moment is presented as the one where “12-year-old Miss Fanning”s character is raped,” but we”re sure that when festival-goers congregate on a ice-slicked sidewalk outside its Park City screening, still reeling from the complicated work of art they just witnessed, they”ll eventually all agree that the scene in question was shot in the most tasteful, non-exploitative, and Oscar-nomination-guaranteeing manner possible.
- Coming to Sundance: New Crop of Engaged Indie Films [NY Times]
- Previously: Dakota Fanning”s Team Takes Her Career To Higher Level Of Exploitation [Defamer]
Its here!
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Citizen Paparazzi: Mel Gibson Passes By Lobby Crafts Fair Without Incident
A spy just sent us this blurry cameraphone image of embattled Apocalypto director and recovering-anti-Semite-about- town Mel Gibson browsing the crafts table in the lobby of the Santa Monica office building where EMI, FremantleMedia, Lionsgate and other media concerns make their home. We don”t know the purpose of Gibson”s browsing or if he made any purchases, but it temporarily warms our cold hearts to imagine that he picked up a dreamcatcher to enclose with the considerate note he”s planning to send to Michael Richards, hoping that the trinket lets his fellow victim of relentless media persecution know that there”s someone out there thinking of him.
Anna Nicole Smith Nut Parade To Hit The Road After Court-Ordered Eviction
It”s been too long since last we paid a visit to the real world soap opera that is Anna Nicole Smith”s life–Generally Hospitalized? All My Surviving Children?–in a year that has tested her like a busty, methadone-addled Job being toyed with by the Almighty. And yet through it all, and we hate to have to keep going back this, she somehow managed to limit our unobstructed views of her C-section scar and beyond to the one she sold to Entertainment Tonight featuring her baby being pulled out of it with forceps. When last we checked in, former Smith sugarpapa G. Ben Thompson had turned off the power in the Bahamian estate he helped her buy, which she insists was a gift. Now, the final steps are being taken to have her booted from the property completely:
Emerick Knowles, the attorney for South Carolina businessman G. Ben Thompson, said he entered the default judgment on Tuesday after Smith missed a deadline to respond to his suit declaring his client the rightful owner of the gated mansion known as “Horizons.” […]
Knowles said he gained authority to file the judgment with the Supreme Court after a two-week deadline expired on Monday, and he asked Smith in writing to vacate by Thursday. If she does not comply, they will ask court officers to remove her from the property, he said.
It”s yet another crushing blow for the former spokesmodel and reality star, and where Smith will go after being forcefully removed from Horizons–the personal Tara she strongly feels was hard-earned through a combination of her own lube, sweat and tears–is really anyone”s guess. It”s more than likely, however, that a despondent and homeless Anna Nicole will pack her family into a catamaran and allow the ocean to determine the next tropical island chain where she will try and establish squatter”s rights in the mansion of an ex sex-partner.
Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards’ Divorce Finalized!
Denise Richards, 35, and Charlie Sheen, 41, are officially single. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marjorie Steinberg approved the dissolution of marriage on November 17. The couple will share joint visitation rights of their two daughters, Sam, 2, and Lola, 1. Sheen and Richards were married in a Catholic ceremony at the home of a Spin City producer on June 15, 2002 (Sheen starred on the show for two years) . It was Richards first and Sheen”s second marriage. The couple met while filming the movie Good Advice in 2001. Richards filed for divorce citing “irreconcilible differences” when she was six months pregnant with the couple”s second child. Source Ryan Gosling and his sister Jillian arrive at the 16th Annual Gotham Awards presented by IFP on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 in New York City
Everyone Needs One of These for Christmas! Sumo Lounge Chairs
Remember the days of the bean bag, I always had one when I was a kid until my dog ate part of it and those white balls started getting all over the place…then my Mom made me toss the thing. F! Well I just got one of these things and it”s like a new age bean bag. It”s made from space age rip-proof nylon kind of reminds me of those commercials about the beds with the space age foam. It”s great for home entertainment centers, kids rooms, gaming chairs, college dorms, small apartments, and camping, or even around the pool (yes, they are water repellant). Althought I don”t think you could take it in the pool but you could definately layout with it. Actually that is a great idea. I got one in the Charcoal Green but they are available in a rainbow of colors including Pitch Black, Pure White, Hot Pink, Tangerine, Fiery Red, Midnight Blue, Platinum and Charcoal Green, Sumo chairs are the perfect accent to match almost any color or style mix. Sumos are huge, hence the name but they are stain resistant and easy to clean, and lightweight enough to be moved from room to room to suit your activity schedule. Perhaps the most enjoyable feature is the endless array of shapes you can create with it — use it as a lounge chair, a fold-over pillow, and so on. Don’t be fooled, once you place it in a preferred position and sit down in it, the sturdy little foam balls realign around your body, molding you comfortably into a shell that hugs your body. Check out the website Sumo Lounge. Trade Round-Up: Murphy Ready For ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4: Axel’s Revenge’
· Hollywood Out Of Ideas, Now They”re Really, Really Out Of Ideas, We Mean It This Time Edition: Paramount, Eddie Murphy, and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura will work closely to “reinvigorate” and “update” the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. We expect that Paramount will immediately hire Moby to re-record the “Axel F” theme, put in a call to Josh Hartnett”s people to gauge his interest in being “the next Judge Reinhold,” and deposit $30 million in Murphy”s bank account to prove to the star how important retaining the integrity of the franchise is to them. [Variety] · Warner Bros. signs up George Clooney to star in and produce an adaptation of the James Ellroy novel White Jazz and to direct the heist flick The Belmont Boys, and in return for his involvement in these more creatively satisfying projects, Clooney has agreed to appear in Ocean”s Fourteen through Twenty-Eight for the studio. Under this latest art-for-commerce swap, should Clooney expire or lose his Old Hollywood good looks before the production of the latter sequels, Warner Bros. has the right to use a digital recreation of the actor to complete his commitment. [THR] · Disney”s screening Apocalypto for just about every group that might be remotely interested in the film (even the media!), hoping that the public will forget about Mel Gibson”s interesting, tequila-amplified thoughts on Jews and judge the films on its own, Mayan-talkin”, graphically violent merits. [Variety] · Facelift enthusiast Meg Ryan now officially unrecognizable enough to play a thinly veiled Carrie Fisher. [THR] · On the last day of November sweeps, ABC discovers that Show Me the Money and Day Break are pretty poor substitutes for Dancing with the Stars and Lost. [Variety]
Eva Longoria & Tony Parker Engaged
Eva Longoria and NBA star Tony Parker are engaged. “Eva and Tony are officially engaged,” Longoria”s rep, Liza Anderson, said exclusively. “The couple have never been happier.” Parker, a point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, flew into Los Angeles after his game on Wednesday night and surprised Longoria at her home as she got off work, according to the actress”s rep, who added: “The proposal was romantic and perfect.” The couple plans to wed in France next summer in what they describe as a “big, happy ceremony with lots of family and friends.” SourceThe Agent Dance: CAA Loses Another One
Just one day after news surfaced that evil agenting monolith CAA has lost high-profile client Kate Hudson to rival Endeavor, Var reports that the Hugh Grant has decided that he no longer requires the agency”s help in procuring the kinds of stammering-friendly roles for which he”s known, choosing to have his legal representation assume all of the baby-gobbling responsibilities related to the advancement of his career:
Sources close to the actor said there was no blow-up that precipitated his decision, nor dissatisfaction with the job the agency had done. Rather, the notoriously selective actor simply wondered why he needed an agency. […]
Grant, who isn”t expected to sign with another agency, has decided to let the work find him and is keeping on an attorney to make his deals.
Even though Grant isn”t jilting them for a competitor, CAA won”t passively accept the loss of two commission generators in such rapid succession. As we speak, elite members of their Talent Retention Division are being dispatched to the homes and places of work of every name on their roster, where they”ll calmly remind each individual of the many amenities the agency offers its loyal clients, such as their unparalleled, “We”d really hate to see anything happen to that cute daughter of yours after the nanny suddenly decides to take a fistful of your Vicodin” service.
- Grant drops CAA to fly solo [Variety]
Kick Off Party for MTV’s “Twentyfourseven”
Jessica Simpson on set of Blonde Ambition Today!
Britney Spears Gone Greesy…Hanging with Brandon Davis!
Is Lindsay carrying a copy of 12 Steps and 12 Traditions — the Bible of Alcoholics Anonymous?
Lindsay Lohan is flirting with sobriety. After a hard weekend of partying with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, Lohan - who”s been sporting an Alcoholics Anonymous pin - has apparently had enough. A Los Angeles spy reports seeing her yesterday at a 7:30 a.m. AA meeting near her apartment in the Sierra Towers. A friend of Lohan confirmed, “She has attended several meetings and has hopefully decided to turn her life around - this time for good. She is out of control.” Lohan skipped Thanksgiving with her mom, Dina, and her family because she knew “someone would force an intervention on her.” So Dina - who likes a party almost as much as her wild-child daughter - has arrived in L.A. to convince Lindsay to stay home some nights. The actress is filming “The Best Time of Our Lives” with Keira Knightley for the next five weeks - and then, friends hope “she will really get serious about getting sober. And drop out of the limelight for a while.” A rep for Lohan declined comment. Source and Source Britney Bares it All Again!
Cameron Diaz at MTV’s TRL Studios
Short Ends: A Black Day For Yellow Wiggles
· The headline “Yellow Wiggle Decides to Stop Performing” may not mean much to you, but trust us, there are millions of four-year-olds tearfully clutching CD covers right now and angrily accusing Yellow Wiggle Ono of having broken up their favorite band. · By now you”ve probably heard that Sofia Coppola is a new mommy. Just like the one she almost got last week! · We know you simply couldn”t go on without knowing how Michael Douglas is doing after almost falling during a Bermudan “roof-wetting” ceremony. He”s OK! · Yes, all of Cracked.com”s lame fight scenes are pretty terrible, but the knife-licking insanity of #1 wins by a wide margin. · After over two decades, Beverly Hills is almost ready to endorse a subway route, but residents are secretly hoping the “wrong kind of people” who will inevitably end up riding it will bypass their manicured streets for whatever Santa Monica crack motel they”re headed to. · For those of you for whom the Michael Richards “Afro-American” apology on Letterman left them wanting, perhaps you”ll prefer these more coherent sentiments from an old episode of Seinfeld…though they”ll probably end up doing more harm than good.
Nicole Kidman Ascends To Top Actress Earner Status Despite Interesting Career Choices
The Hollywood Reporter has released its annual list of Hollywood”s highest-earning actresses, many of whom have never once allowed themselves to be photographed without panties exiting a Mercedes SLR on their way into Hyde–an admirable stance that can only have contributed to their enigmatic allure and hefty asking prices. The top 10 as listed by a press release are:
1. Nicole Kidman $16 million-$17 million 2. Reese Witherspoon $15 million 3. Renee Zellweger $15 million 4. Drew Barrymore $15 million 5. Cameron Diaz $15 million 6. Halle Berry $14 million 7. Charlize Theron $10 million 8. Angelina Jolie $10 million 9. Kirsten Dunst $8 million-$10 million 10. Jennifer Aniston $8 million
The most notable absence is Julia Roberts, who has topped every list since it began, but seeing as her primary project this year involved inspiring Broadway critics to think up synonyms for “wooden,” she was disqualified. That meant frequent bridesmaid Nicole Kidman moved into the Number One slot–a triumph rendered all the more impressive by the fact that her 2006 output consisted of a penguin voiceover and a little-seen art house film in which she was required to administer flea-dips to Robert Downey Jr. The entire press release is after the jump, suitable to clip and save as a handy Agents” A-list Actress Poaching & Hunting Guide.
- Previously: Julia Roberts Retains Money Title, Agents All Over Town Reassure Also-Rans That They”re Still Pretty [Defamer]
NICOLE KIDMAN TOPS THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER”S ANNUAL ACTRESS SALARY LIST; REESE WITHERSPOON COMES IN AT NO. 2
(November 29, 2006 - Los Angeles) Today The Hollywood Reporter released its fifth annual list of the 10 highest-paid actresses on HollywoodReporter.com, ahead of its 15th annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 issue being released on Dec. 5.
Risk-taking has paid off in 2006 for Nicole Kidman, who nabbed a career best salary for Warner Bros. Pictures” planned August release “The Invasion” after a string of daring choices. Kidman takes over the top spot bringing in $16 million -$17 million per film. Reese Witherspoon, on the heels of her Oscar win for “Walk the Line,” moves up to No. 2, followed by Renee Zellweger, both earning $15 million per picture.
This year, Kirsten Dunst makes her first appearance on the list commanding $8 million - $10 million per film while Halle Berry, after falling off last year, rejoins the group at No. 6.
Julia Roberts, who has topped the list since its inception, is not included this year because she did not star in a live-action film released in 2006.
The complete 2006 list is as follows:
1. Nicole Kidman $16 million-$17 million 2. Reese Witherspoon $15 million 3. Renee Zellweger $15 million 4. Drew Barrymore $15 million 5. Cameron Diaz $15 million 6. Halle Berry $14 million 7. Charlize Theron $10 million 8. Angelina Jolie $10 million 9. Kirsten Dunst $8 million-$10 million 10. Jennifer Aniston $8 million
2005
1. Julia Roberts $20 million 2. Nicole Kidman $16 million-$17 million 3. Reese Witherspoon $15 million 4. Drew Barrymore $15 million 5. Renee Zellweger $10 million-$15 million 6. Angelina Jolie $10 million-$15 million 7. Cameron Diaz $10 million-$15 million 8. Jodie Foster $10 million-$12 million 9. Charlize Theron $10 million 10. Jennifer Aniston $9 million
2004
1. Julia Roberts $20 million 2. Cameron Diaz $20 million 3. Nicole Kidman $15 million 4. Reese Witherspoon $15 million 5. Drew Barrymore $15 million 6. Halle Berry $14 million 7. Sandra Bullock $12 million-$15 million 8. Angelina Jolie $12 million-$15 million 9. Renee Zellweger $12 million 10. Jennifer Lopez $12 million
2003
1. Julia Roberts $20 million 2. Cameron Diaz $20 million 3. Nicole Kidman $15 million 4. Reese Witherspoon $15 million 5. Drew Barrymore $15 million 6. Halle Berry $14 million 7. Sandra Bullock $12 million-$15 million 8. Angelina Jolie $12 million-$15 million 9. Jennifer Lopez $12 million 10. Renee Zellweger $10 million-$12 million
2002
1. Julia Roberts $20 million 2. Cameron Diaz $20 million 3. Drew Barrymore $15 million 4. Jodie Foster $15 million 5. Reese Witherspoon $15 million 6. Sandra Bullock $12 million-$15 million 7. Angelina Jolie $12 million-$15 million 8. Nicole Kidman $12 million-$15 million 9. Jennifer Lopez $12 million 10. Renee Zellweger $10 million
Publishing Dec. 5, The Hollywood Reporter”s 15th annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 special issue will identify and rank entertainment”s most powerful female executives. From motion picture, TV, music and other areas of the industry, these women are recognized as having the power to change the direction of their company and affect the future of the business.
Prince William Getting Married?
The top sport in England these days isn”t football or polo – it”s guessing when Prince William will finally get engaged to his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton and start the countdown to what would be the wedding of the century. Now into their fifth year as an absurdly attractive couple, Will and Kate, both 24, have lately seemed so snuggly – and Kate so seamlessly ingrained into Will”s inner circle of friends and family – that the engagement gossip is getting as hot as a pot of Earl Grey. Britain”s Mail on Sunday even reported last week that Kate has been invited to the Queen”s country retreat Sandringham to join the entire Windsor clan for Christmas Day lunch – an unprecedented honor for an unmarried partner of a royal and, if true, said one royal observer, tantamount to an engagement announcement. (Buckingham Palace won”t confirm the invitation.) There is also the 10,000-sq.-ft. neo-Georgian mansion being built by the royal family on part of a 900-acre estate in a village in Herefordshire, which many believe is being readied for Will and Kate. “It”s decision time,” says Robert Jobson, author of a new book about the couple, William”s Princess. “Will has said he doesn”t want to get married until he is 28, but that is just a smoke screen. The pressure starts now.” So just how close is Will to popping the question? Those in the know at Buckingham Palace say no one is ordering “Save the Date” cards just yet and insist Kate isn”t being formally groomed for the future. “There are no people advising her or preparing her for anything,” says one palace insider. “She is going about her private life as a private individual.” Friends of the couple say that Will, known for his stubborn streak, won”t let anyone dictate a time frame – but also acknowledge an engagement is no longer a matter of if but rather when. “This is certainly not something they are going to rush into,” family friend tells PEOPLE. “But their relationship is very strong.” Source Mel Gibson’s Outspoken Support For Michael Richards Not Exactly The Kind Of Forgiveness He Was Hoping For
The inevitable quote we have all been bracing for–in which a certain margarita-loving Malibu land baron harboring a mistrust of Jews and a sugar tit chip on his shoulder weighs in on recent events involving a former sitcom star”s choice to silence chatty comedy club patrons by angrily sharing his historical knowledge of half-century-old, flatware-assisted lynching practices–has finally come. Not surprisingly, the quotee”s heart goes out to the most recent victim stricken by the highly contagious outbreak of Celebrity Racist Tourette”s Syndrome currently sweeping through Hollywood:
“I felt like sending Michael Richards a note,” Gibson says in an interview in Entertainment Weekly”s Dec. 8 issue. “I feel really badly for the guy. He was obviously in a state of stress. You don”t need to be inebriated to be bent out of shape. But my heart went out to the guy.”
The 50-year-old actor-director added: “They”ll probably torture him for a while and then let him go. I like him.” […]
Are people refusing to work with him?
“No, people aren”t like that,” Gibson tells the magazine. “Those are just the headlines: Mel ostracized by Hollywood! Hollywood is what you make it. There is no great pooh-bah up there saying, “Go! You are condemned!”"
Gibson”s debunking of the myth that there is one unified consensus in Hollywood that could easily turn a beloved A-lister into a reviled pariah after something as inconsequential as a few stress-induced N-words should come as a great relief to Richards, whose long, dark week of tortured soul searching and reaching out to unreceptive community leaders might soon see a single ray of light in the form of a handwritten note, printed on Icon stationery and reading, “Dear Kramer: Of course you”ll eat lunch in this town again. It”s not like it”s the Jews that are angry at you! Your pal always, Mel.”
- Gibson feels Michael Richards” pain [USA Today/AP]
Lindsay at LAX Nightclub on 11/26
