BITS AND PIECES 03/27
PUSSS...@aol.com
--Kal Penn, who appeared earlier this season on "24" (as Ahmed), will
be a guest instructor at Penn, better known as the University of
Pennsylvania, next spring. He'll teach courses on "Images of Asian
Americans in the Media" and "Contemporary American Teen Films." Penn
co-starred with John Cho in 2004's "Harold & Kumar Go to White
Castle" (they smoked a joint with a cheetah - don't ask). They just
completed shooting on "Harold & Kumar 2." And while it isn't exactly
Ivy League (like the U. of Penn), there's always lots to soak up at
The Learning Annex. Voiceover guru Joan Baker is there tonight,
moderating a panel including Lite FM's Valerie Smaldone and NBC's
Vince Manze and Frank Radice.
--Today on Fox News Channel: Neil Cavuto's exclusive interview with
Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott (4 p.m.).
--Steve Schirripa cheering his wife at Sunday's More magazine marathon
(Central Park).
--From yesterday's "The View": Joy Behar's significant other, Steve,
is right: Never, ever finish someone else's crossword puzzle, Joy.
NY POST/DON KAPLAN....
--'AMERICAN Idol" judge Randy Jackson is expected to join "X-Factor,"
the British talent show produced by his pal Simon Cowell. "I'd love to
do it," Jackson told a U.K. newspaper. "I can't wait to come to
London. It will be a fantastic opportunity." On the show Jackson would
join heavy metal matriarch, Sharon Osbourne, Cowell and a fourth judge
yet to be named. Cowell and the producers of "X-Factor" recently fired
the show's judges - except for Osbourne - in an attempt to keep the
judging panel fresh. The show is similar to "Idol" in that it gives
everyday people a chance to audition and possibly become pop-stars. It
is produced and airs in Europe during the "Idol" off-season.
--This week, the Tyra Banks series put mouthy model Jaslene into men's
clothes - and a male model in girl's - in a gender-bending photo
shoot. All the model-contestants had to undergo similar gender
makeovers to see if they could be convincing as the opposite sex. The
episode airs tomorrow night at 8 p.m.
--THE ultra high-top fade may be gone, but rapper Kid wants to play
again - on a daytime talk show. Chris Reid, better known as half the
hip-hop group Kid 'n Play, is trying to land his own syndicated talk
show, a la "The Montel Williams Show," according to the industry trade
magazine Broadcasting & Cable. While producers at Warner Bros., the
studio behind the show, declined to comment, "The Chris Reid Show"
placed an ad on the Internet classified site, craigslist, seeking
"women (ages 18-30) who aspire to be just like Paris Hilton, Lindsay
Lohan or Britney Spears." Reid, 42, who graduated from the Bronx High
School of Science, shot to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s and
is best remembered for his haircut, an eraser-like flat-top fade that
was nearly a foot high. He and his partner, Christopher Martin,
appeared in four movies together, including "House Party," based on
their light-hearted alter egos and even played themselves in a short-
lived Saturday morning cartoon.
NY POST/PAGE SIX...
--KID Rock and his new girlfriend, Danish model May Andersen, getting
a mounted police escort along West 27th Street to Bungalow 8, where
Amy Sacco entertained them until the sun came up.
--IT isn't just on "All My Children" that Leven Rabin has two men
fighting over her. The soap star was at Joss Stone's album-release
party at The Grand, on East 58th Street, on Saturday night chatting
with actor Rob Mayes when "this random guy came between them and
exchanged words with Rob. The guy was yelling at Leven and trying to
hold her in his arms," said an onlooker. "Leven shook him loose and
ran for the exit crying." She can surely use the experience to fuel
her tear-filled daytime scenes. A rep for Rabin had no comment.
--CariDee English won a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl and Elite on
"America's Next Top Model" but just did a "look book" (for the trade)
modeling assignment for Precision Jeans that paid $300 for the day.
--French actress Juliette Binoche is in Israel to make Amos Gitai's
new movie, in which she'll portray a woman on a journey to find her
estranged daughter, who was raised on a kibbutz.
--Wilmer Valderrama's men's clothing line, Calavena, will debut at
Saks Fifth Avenue in July.
--THE folks who run Hooters may be the world's biggest boobs - for
kissing off a chance to get Pam Anderson into one of their
restaurants. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wanted to
book the Hooters on West 56th Street for a private party on April 17
feting "Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir," the new book by PETA
honcho Dan Mathews, and planned to serve veggie Buffalo wings. But
Hooters suits put the kibosh on the idea on grounds that the
organization is too politically charged and controversial. A spokesman
for the Chicago-owned chain said: "PETA mobilizes strong feelings on
both sides of the fence. It wouldn't make good business sense for us."
It's Hooters' loss, because one of the guests expected is longtime
PETA booster Anderson, who makes most Hooters girls look
underdeveloped. Mathews, who's now looking for a more tolerant venue,
told us, "Hosting the book party would have showed that Hooters is
well rounded in more ways than one. We're always looking for ways to
keep the 'T' and 'A' in PETA."
--TONY Parker's new rap record sounds like unhip-hop to us. The San
Antonio Spur and fiancé of "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria
yesterday released his debut album, "Balance-toi," in which he's heard
bragging in French about his lavish lifestyle. Some of the less-than-
impressive lyrics translate as: "What, you want to dance? No, it's not
worth it. Me, I'll stay on the sofa, enjoy ing the vibe by raising my
arms." Stick to dribbling and leave the rapping to the pros, Tony!
--ONE participant on NBC's "Identity" Friday night obviously doesn't
read The Post. When asked to match Bonnie Fuller with her job-related
"identity," the game-show contestant chose "missionary" instead of the
correct answer - editorial director of Star magazine. But Fuller
admits she was just as nervous as the contestant who had to correctly
pair 12 strangers with their professions for a $500,000 cash prize.
Fuller writes on Star's Web site, "At first, I was worried that my own
blouse might be showing a little too much cleavage. They kept moving
the cameras around, and I kept adjusting my top to appear more modest.
But when I saw the bikini-clad women, I realized I was the most
overdressed of the bunch!" The tabloid titan also suggests wearing
"fleece, jammies or faux fur" because "TV studios are freezing!"
--MARTIN Scorsese wants to team up with Leonardo DiCaprio to film the
story of one of Wall Street's most notorious swindlers. Variety
reports Scorsese hopes to direct "Wolf of Wall Street," with DiCaprio
playing Jordan Belfort, a penny stock trader whose Stratton Oakmont
group pulled off "pump and dump" schemes, in which fast-talking
"boilerroom" brokers ran up the prices of shares with fraudulent phone
pitches. The movie would be based on Belfort's autobiography, but any
money he makes from it would immediately be seized. "He still owes a
fortune to investors. He's made $13 million in restitution, but still
has $75 million or more in claims," a source told us.
--ANGELINA Jolie has a perfectly good reason for looking a bit bony
these days - the tragic death of her mom, Marcheline Bertrand, to
cancer at age 56 two months ago has taken a toll on her appetite.
"Angie has become very thin because she's grieving. It's even
difficult for her to eat. I keep saying to her, 'Don't forget to eat,'
" the Oscar-winning hottie's brother James Voight told London's Daily
Mail. "But you know she doesn't pay much attention to food
anyway . . . She has not wanted to eat, nor has she been able to."
NY POST/CINDY ADAMS...
--MARK Wahlberg put it all on the line for his latest, "Shooter." He
ac tually went to sniper school in Las Vegas to prep for the role.
Says Mark: "I went to Front Sight, which is the most elaborate weapon-
training facility in the world. At one point, I was loaded down with
130 pounds of equipment and also carrying a huge sniper rifle while at
the same time I'm walking out on a little thin beam a couple of
hundred feet in the air. "Listen, a few years ago I might have loved
to do these things. But I'm getting a little older. I'm now a parent.
And, hey, I have a little more to live for."
--ROLL over Colin Farrell. Ireland's next hottie is James McAvoy from
"The Last King of Scotland." He's out in August as the lover to Anne
Hathaway's Jane Austen in "Becoming Jane" via Harvey Weinsteinless
Miramax. Lined up afterward is playing an assassin opposite Angelina
Jolie.
--Sunday CNN spotlighted our swamped VA, which isn't equipped for its
influx since in the old days the wounded died on the battlefield, but
today's science keeps them alive and facing decades of brain injuries.
I did precisely that story last week.
--WHAT they're saying: Last Thursday, a fan in the rain to Mario
Cantone: "So how are you?" Answered Cantone: "Wet."
--Nathan Lane when I asked about he and Matthew Broderick not
reprising "The Producers" for its last Broadway go-round: "Never do it
again. Wouldn't do it again. Can't do it again."
--Sarah Jessica Parker on what's she do with all her gorgeous brand-
new hardly worn designer originals? "Keep them. Wear them. I'm too
cheap to get rid of them."
--Kelly Ripa on what gets her up in the morning for "Live": "Not an
alarm clock. The kids. Even when I'm not on TV they wake me 6 a.m."
NY POST/LIZ SMITH...
--'STAR JONES must put the weight back on! I love my old Star, the one
who said, 'Talk to the hand,' and the hand had powdered sugar on it."
This is the irrepressible Bill Maher.
--HBO, WHICH has a lot to be puffed up about: "The Sopranos," "Big
Love," "Rome," "Entourage," to name but a few, is all puffed up about
a new pilot. "John From Cincinnati" was dreamed up by David Milch, who
created "Deadwood" and "NYPD Blue." My pal Howard Rosenman worked on
this one, and he says, "Milch is a bona fide genius." The series is
about - of all things - surfing. It is a dark look at the world of
wind and waves, described as something like "The Sopranos" meets "Six
Feet Under." Rebecca De Mornay, Bruce Greenwood, Luis Guzman, Ed
O'Neill, Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek are in this one, to be seen in
early June. This "surf noir" is such a hit, they've already ordered up
a dozen more episodes.
--THEY SAY Rome will be very "Dolce Vita" again this summer with every
body going over for the Valentino couture collection in July. The
maestro has opted to do this in Italy rather than go to Paris to
celebrate his 45th year of design. Valentino devotees from Gwyneth
Paltrow to Jennifer Lopez to Liz Hurley, and all the young royals of
Europe will show. Some of them will be driving around in the revived
Fiat 500, competing with the Mini Cooper. Maybe a few stars will jump
in the Fontana di Trevi. After all, Rome is where Federico Fellini
helped the paparazzi invent itself.
--THE EARLY life of Queen Victoria? You mean we haven't "had it" yet
with British monarchs? Well, no we haven't. That unlikely duo, Oscar-
winning Martin Scorsese, he of the Mafia film franchise, and the
Duchess of York, Fergie, she of weight loss and children's books, are
teaming up to make a movie. Fergie suggested the idea, probably at one
of those Tina Brown-Harry Evans dinner salons where she and Marty are
always invited. So now she'll be a co-producer. She won access to the
Windsor archives while researching a book on Queen Victoria's travels.
Don't be too surprised that director Scorsese is going far afield from
guns and gangsters. He already did "Made in Milan," a documentary
about Giorgio Armani, so Marty has his soft side. The film will trace
Victoria's rise to the throne, focusing on her early years and her
romance with the love of her life, Prince Albert. One of this column's
favorites, Emily Blunt, will play Victoria. (Emily is the love
interest of singer Michael Bublé and also won a Golden Globe earlier
this year for "Gideon's Daughter." If you can't place her, think of
Meryl Streep's British assistant with a bad cold, run down by a car
and replaced by Anne Hathaway in "The Devil Wears Prada." The divine
Ms. Blunt will next be seen in the horror film "Wind Chill" and in
Mike Nichols' version of "Charlie Wilson's War," starring Tom Hanks,
Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.) I know, I know - I can't
tell who anybody is either without a program.
--IT'S RAINING men! Talented guys in fascinating roles on and off
Broadway, appearing in a tight fistful of shows with more to come.
We'll start with the handsome, fearsome, Tony-winning Liev Schreiber
in "Talk Radio." What a performance! Here, he's a hateful misogynist,
yet sexy and interesting. Eric Bogosian's play is 20 years old, but
very much of the moment. Liev dominates over other viper-tongued
airwaves hosts.
--"Journey's End" is another revival, dating back to 1929. There is
another outstanding performance by Brit actor Hugh Dancy, who is just
heartbreaking. (He was the Earl of Essex in "Elizabeth I.") World War
I's devastating effect on Western civilization is the theme.
--Also riveting is the revival of Craig Lucas' "Prelude to a Kiss."
Tony winner John Mahoney (the dad in "Frasier") and Alan Tudyk, last
seen in "Spamalot" are priceless. This play gives a most mysterious
take on love.
--And the musicals! David Hyde Pierce, irresistible as the stage-
struck sleuth in Kander & Ebbs's last musical "Curtains."
--ROCK 'n' roller Slash of the group Velvet Revolver (our absolute
favorites, right?) is around flashing a blinged-out silver Pirate
watch complete with Swarovski crystals and skull and crossbones
design. Whether it actually keeps time, this I don't know.
--At "Curtains," at intermission inside the theater, Alec Baldwin on
his cellphone.
--Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss on did people launder her money: "They
had to. You realize where it's been?"
--SELLING on eBay: A lock of Marilyn Monroe's hair framed with the
candid actual photo taken of her the same night the lock was cut. Same
night she sang "Happy Birthday" to JFK at the Garden. She's in the
back seat of a vehicle. Photo has Marilyn's lip print on the reverse.
The shot and lock belonged to Bergdorf's late celeb hairdresser Robert
Freeman Champion, who coifed her that night and previously auctioned
other snippets of her hair.
NY DAILY NEWS/RUSH AND MOLLOY....
--Terrence Howard turned to Will Smith's "Ali" trainer, Darrell
Foster, after he got dissed and dismissed by a 15-year-old girl. The
star of "Pride" - based on the true story of swim coach Jim Ellis, who
turned a group of inner city kids into swimming champions - was doing
laps with Ellis when the teen told him, "You swim like a wounded
animal ... and you're fat." Not anymore, as you can see whenever
Howard gets into his baby-blue Speedo.
--With all the Sopranos in town for tonight's premiere at Radio City
(the HBO hit starts its final season Sunday, April 8), Dominic
Chianese was at Elaine's; Steve Schirripa cheered on his wife at the
More mag marathon in Central Park Sunday; Robert Iler was at Anchor on
Spring St. Saturday; and Michael Imperioli, as usual, showing he is
not only a great actor but a great dad, was with his kids again Sunday
at the Tribeca Grill.
--Boris Becker was a good boy at the Hotel Catalina in Miami Friday.
When a group of bikini-clad women surrounded the tennis guru, one
giggly blond asked what his plans were for the evening. He ignored
her.
--That's so random: Whoopi Goldberg and Kiefer Sutherland enjoyed
brunch with friends at Balthazar Sunday.
--Christina Aguilera showed off her growing assets in a skintight
minidress at her Back to Basics after-party at Marquee. Earlier in the
night, the singer performed at Madison Square Garden and sparked
whispers that she was lip-syncing some of her power ballads. Her
manager, Irving Azoff, told us, "Miss Aguilera is one of the most
talented vocalists to ever grace the stage; however, we did have a
technical problem with the sound equipment at the Garden."
--Nicole Kidman and her rehabbed hubby, Keith Urban, were spotted in
L.A. over the weekend, grabbing Chinese food and then attending the
premiere of the musical "Jersey Boys."
--All hail the Queen (of soul): Friday night's performance of
"Hairspray" was delayed when Aretha Franklin arrived at the Neil Simon
Theatre and sent the audience into a lengthy cheering tizzy.
Afterward, Franklin - who turned 65 on Sunday - rubbed elbows with the
show's star, Ashley Parker Angel.
--As his "Blossom" character used to say, "Whoa!" Joey Lawrence showed
off his buff bod at the 2007 CARE Awards in Hollywood.
NY DAILY NEWS/BEN WIDDICOMBE...
--New couple Kid Rock and model May Anderson are looking very solid
despite being only a few weeks into their relationship. There was a
recent "vacation" in Detroit, and the two were in New York over the
weekend for Elton John's 60th birthday party. (their gift to the Brit
hit-maker was a whip from Agent Provocateur.) "Kid felt he was getting
demonized in the media," a pal says of his brief, tempestuous marriage
to Pamela Anderson. "May is so anti-Hollywood. She's a great girl." On
Friday, the couple dined at Waverly Inn before carrying on to the Box,
where Kid gave an impromptu performance.
--Elizabeth Hurley and new hubby Arun Nayar, with Hurley's son,
Damian, were spotted dining in the upstairs restaurant Fred's at
Barneys on Saturday, looking like a happy family.
--Jennifer Lopez will christen the stage of Spotlight Live, a
performance and dinner venue in Times Square, tonight, two weeks
before its grand opening. She will launch the club as well as the
release of her Spanish album, "Como ama una mujer" ("How a Woman
Loves").
--Mike Myers enjoyed himself with four friends over dinner at
Balthazar on Sunday night.
--Robbie Williams gave his digits to a pretty blond on the rooftop of
Hyde in Los Angeles on Friday night, in exchange for a cigarette
light.
--A very pregnant Jaime Pressly discussed her pregnancy while getting
her hair cut by longtime stylist Rita Hazan on Wednesday. "She was
glowing and gorgeous," said a source. "She can't wait for motherhood."
adds the snitch: "Jaime said she's having a baby boy, who is due on
mother's day, and that she's been out buying tons of furniture."
NY DAILY NEWS/RICHARD HUFF...
--Nia Peeples is going daytime. Peeples, who spent 33 episodes on CBS'
"Walker, Texas Ranger," will turn up April 18 on CBS' "The Young and
the Restless." She'll play Karen Taylor, the campaign manager for
Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott). Peeples was last seen in a few
episodes of Showtime's "Barbershop" and, before that, in the Lifetime
series "The Division." She rose to fame as a member of the cast of the
early '80s series "Fame." She parlayed that experience into movies and
TV series.
--"Extra" special correspondent and Howard Stern's fiancee Beth
Ostrosky today co-hosts ABC's "The View" (10 a.m.).
--E! Entertainment has picked up the rights to "Katie and Peter," a
reality drama that is a huge hit with British TV viewers. The show
follows the lives of model Katie Price and pop singer Peter Andre. The
show will start airing April 21.
--The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will present
the 2007 International Emmy Founders Award to Al Gore at the 35th
International Emmy Awards gala in November.
--CNN's Lou Dobbs will look into the prosecution of two U.S. Border
Patrol agents in a prime-time special tonight at 8, which he'll host
from Yazoo City, Miss.
--R. Lee Ermey ("Full Metal Jacket") has signed a new multi-year deal
with the History Channel, where he'll continue to host his history
show, "Mail Call," and expand his presence on the network.
USA TODAY/Ann Oldenburg
--Entourage is all about hip young guys. So why aren't there any sex
scenes in the HBO show?
--It's only a matter of time before the Web is a truly viable
alternative to a network for pilots.
--Heather Mills' backflip last night stunned judges of Dancing with
the Stars. http://snipurl.com/1dqq2
--Has Kevin Costner gotten hair plugs? http://snipurl.com/1dqq8
--David Bowie has chosen the lineup for the inaugural H&M High Line
Festival, an event he co-founded encompassing music, performance,
film, comedy and visual art. The festival, to be held May 9-19 on New
York's West Side, will feature Ricky Gervais' American stand-up debut;
concerts by Arcade Fire, Air, Deerhoof, the Polyphonic Spree and the
Secret Machines; and a triple bill of Daniel Johnston, Bang on a Can
All-Stars and the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Tickets go on sale Friday
at highlinefestival.com,
--So far, Dancing With the Stars has not bumped into ratings monster
American Idol, but tomorrow night, Fox will expand the Idol
performance show by seven minutes, cutting into the Dancing results
show from 9 to 9:07 p.m. Those with DVRs won't care, but everyone else
may have to choose between Idol mentor Gwen Stefani and Dancing guest
Dionne Warwick. Meanwhile, a Vietnam Idol version of our popular show
is in the works.
--Ian McKellen, 67, drew complaints from surprised theater-goers who
didn't expect to see him strip naked during a Royal Shakespeare
Company performance over the weekend of King Lear. A member of the
audience said: "He didn't have a stitch on him. Then he put his shirt
back on, but his manhood was still on display." There was no warning
given about full nudity because the show is in previews. A meeting was
scheduled for today to decide whether to stick with Lear's birthday
suit costume for opening night, April 3.
--She won't be doing any construction work, but Mandy Moore will be
taping an appearance for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tomorrow in
Carmel, N.Y., about a two-hour drive from New York City. She will be
performing at Camp Heartland, an organization dedicated to children
with HIV. The show, which is the season finale and will air May 20,
not only renovates the home of a single mom with two adopted HIV
babies, but renovates the camp, too.
--We know George Bush isn't into pop culture, but Bill Clinton? His
favorite TV show is Grey's Anatomy, he told advertisers at the TV Land
upfront presentation on Friday. He appreciates Boston Legal for the
dynamic between William Shatner and James Spader. "It's something to
behold," he said. As for "24," which was co-created by noted
Republican "uber right-wing" Joel Surnow, Clinton said he enjoys the
fact that conservatives and liberals alike can be the bad guys in the
show. "They're trying to be fair." On a lighter note, Clinton quoted
his daughter Chelsea as saying that Jon Stewart was "the new Walter
Cronkite" and afterward came to the defense of apparent kindred spirit
Britney Spears. The former president offered: "There's something wrong
with a culture that Britney can't have a personal crisis without
having it splashed across the tabloids."
--The disc of the Dirt finale arrived in the offices and you should
know not to expect a major love scene between good Friends Courteney
Cox and Jennifer Aniston in the episode airing tonight on FX at 10
p.m. ET/PT. Aniston's character knows Cox's character from long ago,
but this is no re-kindling of a romance. It's more about office
backstabbing. "People should tune into to see Jennifer Aniston for
every reason but the kiss," says Cox. "We do kiss on the show, but
it's not a big deal." And, says Dirt co-executive producer Matthew
Carnahan, "If people are looking for hot girl-on-girl action, they are
going to be disappointed." It's actually funny to hear Aniston call
Cox "honey" four times in their few scenes together. But what's most
interesting, especially to Dirt fans, is the cliffhanger ending.
--This just in: The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to James Lipton, creator,
executive-producer, writer and host of the 12-time Emmy-nominated
Bravo series, Inside the Actors Studio on June 14.
USA TODAY/Whitney Matheson...
--Joe Pantoliano is upset about a Sopranos Vanity Fair spread that
features his image without his permission. http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah4621.shtml
--Hugo Weaving will voice Megatron in the Transformers movie.
http://snipurl.com/1dqqv
--Darren Aronofsky's next movie sounds a lot more mainstream than his
previous films. http://snipurl.com/1dqqy
--Vogue's new Scarlett Johansson story is online. (On her upcoming
album: "I've always considered Tom Waits to be kind of a composer of
modern standards; he has a lot of beautiful ballads and really
heartbreaking songs.") http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/032207/page2.html
--An unfinished J.R.R. Tolkien novel called The Children of Hurin will
be published next month after being completed by the author's son.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/6494985.stm
--Here's another music festival you need to see, and it's curated by
David Bowie. http://www.nme.com/news/david-bowie/27297
--Scorsese and DiCaprio are reuniting for another flick. http://snipurl.com/1dqr2
--Will Johnny Depp sign on for Sin City 2? http://snipurl.com/1dqr3
--I would advise against a Teen Wolf remake. You can't improve upon
perfection. http://snipurl.com/1dqsd
--Slate wonders whether Bravo will ruin Television Without Pity.
http://snipurl.com/1dqsf
--I love that Bjorn Turoque from Air Guitar Nation is finally getting
some press ... even though I wrote about him a year ago.
http://www.airguitarnation.com/new/
--Queen's Brian May is scoring an IMAX movie. http://snipurl.com/1dr3a
--If you like the music on The OC and Grey's Anatomy, you may be
excited to hear that the music supervisor for those shows is starting
her own record label. Alexandra Patsavas has signed a deal with
Atlantic Records to form the Chop Shop Records imprint. "A label seems
like a natural extension of what a music supervisor does," she says.
"You can come across things very early, and there have been bands
along the way I would have loved to have worked with more closely."
What does a music supervisor do, exactly? Not long ago, I made a
podcast about that very thing -- go here to listen to it. http://snipurl.com/1dr7u
--I just spent some valuable cubicle time watching The Mimi & Flo
Show, a cute online series that follows two Midwestern girlfriends
making their way in in New York City. The show's main allure is a
Choose Your Own Adventure-style format that lets users decide
characters' fates at the end of each episode. Bookmark the Mimi & Flo
blog for info on upcoming episodes, which will include an appearance
by Howard Stern personality Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling. It's nice
to see a new serialized comedy enter the online universe -- especially
one that features two female leads. http://www.mimiandflo.com/
--I can't believe Kara Thrace beat Dr. House in the best TV character
poll! It's down to the final two, and now Battlestar's Starbuck is
battling 24's Jack Bauer. Vote wisely. Considering last night's
stellar BSG episode, I think Jack better watch his back.
--I'm super-grateful to Pop reader Jeff L. for sending me this link to
a classic clip from the '80s sitcom It's Your Move. The series didn't
last long, but one of its most memorable episodes involved Jason
Bateman's character inventing a band called the Dregs of Humanity.
Unfortunately, only a piece of the episode is included here. We must
petition for a DVD set! http://youtube.com/watch?v=IVtfjUmQr4Y
ROTTEN TOMATOES/Scott Weinberg....
--Ftopel writes: "With its revolving characters weaving in and out of
its various stories, "Sin City's" movie sequel promises to bring back
some of the favorites from the original. Rosario Dawson is definitely
coming back as Gail. "Oh, she's coming back with the same outfit and
probably something less," said Dawson. "I was talking to Nina Procter
on this because she's also the costume designer on Sin City and we
were like, 'I'm going to be down to a thong and pasties because how do
I outdo that outfit?' Luckily, Frank really loves drawing her, maybe
not so luckily he likes drawing her in that outfit so I'm pretty much
in all the books and we're going to be doing A Dame to Kill For which
is sort of a prequel to The Big Fat Kill, which is the storyline that
I was in before." A Dame to Kill For will actually portray some of the
events referenced in the first Sin City. "That dialogue conversation
that I have briefly with Clive Owen's character about 'I got you a new
face and this is how you repay us. You haven't come back here in so
long.' It's actually talking about what that story is. It's going to
be very interesting and the scope is different because it's not three
different books put together. It's one. So it'll have a more
traditional story arc." Dawson goes back to the green screen stage for
the sequel, but expects the end result to look even cooler. "It's
going to be done exactly the same but I think probably even more
superiorly just because now we know what we're doing. So it's pretty
cool. I think it's going to be really interesting to see Robert take a
second stab at it.""
--Scott Weinberg writes: "Want to know who'll be playing Barricade in
"Transformers" and who actor Alan Dale will be playing in "The Dark
Knight"? OK. One source indicates that character actor Keith David may
play the villainous Barricade in Michael Bay's "Transformers" flick,
which sounds like a solid choice (it true), cuz Mr. David has one
gruffly distinctive voice. Also, it seems that earlier reports
regarding New Zealand actor Alan Dale's involvement in "The Dark
Knight" were just that: untrue pieces of gossip. The actor recently
told reporter Clint Morris that he's simply not involved with the
film. And that's that.
Steve Jones/USA TODAY
--CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Timbaland is used to causing double takes
with his music. Now he's hoping to make a few jaws drop, as well. The
producer, who in the past year helped put Justin Timberlake and Nelly
Furtado atop the pop heap with platinum albums and torrid singles,
strives for a new level of creativity April 3 with his genre-busting
album Timbaland Presents Shock Value. After more than a decade of
flooding the airwaves with hip-hop and R&B hits, the adventurous
beatmaker blends rap, rock, R&B, punk and world music in his constant
quest to stay ahead of the curve. For first single Give It to Me, he
calls in favors from Timberlake and Furtado, and he also collaborates
with 50 Cent, Bj?rk, The Hives, Elton John, Fall Out Boy, She Wants
Revenge, Dr. Dre and Sri Lankan rapper MIA. STORY:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-03-26-timbaland_N.htm
Jeannette Walls/MSNBC....
--Is Clive Davis trying to stoke a diva songbird feud? The music
producer says that Whitney Houston has a better voice than Mariah
Carey. "In my opinion, the best singers in the world are Aretha
[Franklin] and Houston, Davis said, reports Hollywood.TV. "That's not
to knock Carey. Carey is a friend of mine, but I think Mariah would
even say those two are the best." Not only can Houston sing, Davis
boasted, she's also talking clearly. "She looks radiant and is clearly
together," he said of the rehabbed songbird. "She is talking
enthusiastically and is articulate."
--Parisian "It" girl and Balenciaga muse Charlotte Gainsbourg is
defending her controversial ode to incest, "Lemon Incest," that she
recorded with her father, Serge Gainsbourg, when she was younger.
"What was inappropriate about it?" Gainsbourg tells the upcoming issue
of Spin. "I was very innocent, but I knew what I was singing about. It
wasn't a trap. I wasn't a prude. Of course [her father] wanted to
shock people, but I knew that. I knew him. So I played the game."
She's planning to release her own album soon.
http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/...
--We hear writer and director Rian Johnson is having fun with his cast
of the The Brothers Bloom, filming in Serbia and Montenegro. Adrien
Brody, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi, and Mark Ruffalo join in on the
film and are rumored to be enjoying Rian's playful nature.
--What a sight! According to a reliable source, two black and white
police cars plus a car with detectives pulled up to the fanciest condo
high rise building on Wilshire Blvd. Friday and the police proceeded
to EVICT Suge Knight - apparently for not paying his mortgage. Usually
it doesn't take so many officers to enforce an eviction but maybe
thery were jittery about how the exconvict would react. (Can you blame
them?) After a barrage of lawsuits and problems with his label Death
Row Records, Knight went bankrupt last year. Wealthy neighbors like
Farrah Fawcett, Carol Burnett and Patti LaBelle may have witnessed his
dramatic departure from that exclusive address. All Suge's possessions
were loaded into a truck that sat PARKED in front of the building
because he couldn't decide where to go with them! We don't think he'll
be sleeping on Snoop Dogg's couch.
http://www.splashnewsonline.com/...
--Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan have reportedly enjoyed a few cosy dates
together. Could this be the start of a reunion? Jemima broke up with
Hugh last month over his relationship with ex Liz Hurley, the final
straw being his exspensive choice of gift for her wedding. UK sources
reveal that the pair met on saturday and headed back to Hugh's pad for
a night cap. Jemima left at midnight, but met they met again the
following day. I wonder if Jemima knows that hugh spent the friday
before their saturday rendez-vous with Liz Hurley? The newly-wed
visited Hugh with her son Damien the day she arrived back to London
from her wedding travels. Like a scene from his movie "About A Boy",
Hugh took Damian to the local shop, but Liz was left alone in Hugh's
house. The trio then spent well over an hour together at Hugh's place,
before Liz emerged at the door grasping a key, said her goodbye's and
walked back home with son Damian.
http://sandrarosenews.blogspot.com/index.html
Shaquille O'Neal's wife Shaunie teamed up with Ocean Drive magazine
and Sports Talk 790 to fete Shaq on his 35th birthday at the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Miami Beach Saturday (3/24). Guests
included teammate Gary Payton and his bodybuilder wife, Ludacris, Star
Jones and Al Reynolds. PHOTOS: http://snipurl.com/18kcr
--Boxing legend Muhammad Ali turned out Saturday for the 13th Annual
Celebrity Fight Night which raises funds for Parkinson's disease
research and awareness. Celebrity guests included Diana Ross, Donald
Trump, Sharon Stone, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Neil Sedaka, Emmitt Smith
and Michael Irvin. Ali's wife Lonnie Ali also attended the fabulous
gala in Phoenix, Arizona. PHOTOS: http://snipurl.com/18kd0
--Is there a Hollywood actress above the age of 12 who hasn't gone
under the knife? TMZ.com recently asked the question, "are Salma
Hayek's boobs fake or real?" Of course they're fake, but they are
better fakes than most Hollywood boob jobs. PHOTOS: http://snipurl.com/18kgt
PEOPLE.COM/By Rennie Dyball...
--Project Runway judge Nina Garcia and her husband, David Conrod,
welcomed their first child on Saturday: 7 lb., 6 oz. Lucas Alexander
Conrod, Garcia's rep tells PEOPLE exclusively. Arriving at an
unfashionably early hour (6:03 a.m.), Lucas made a great first
impression on his parents nonetheless. Garcia and Conrod "are very
excited to finally meet their new son," her rep tells PEOPLE. "They
are all doing great." Garcia, 41, is the fashion director of Elle
magazine; Conrod is a senior managing director at Guggenheim Capital.
Confirming her pregnancy in October, Garcia told PEOPLE, "This baby
must have some amazing fashion sense, waiting until empire waists and
volume came back into fashion!"
TMZ.COM...
--Now his parents can finally tell the neighbors what he's up to: Kal
Penn, he of Kumar of "Harold and Kumar" fame, will be teaching classes
at -- where else -- the University of Pennsylvania as a special
instructor. Penn will teach classes about teen movies and Asian-
Americans in film.
--Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg will team up in "The Fighter," a boxing
drama that is in talks now, as Variety reports, to be directed by "The
Fountain's" Darren Aronofsky.
LAS VEGAS JOURNAL/NORM CLARKE...
Sahara headliner and Elvis stylist Trent Carlini is in Orlando, Fla.,
this week to tape ABC's "Next Best Thing," the new reality series
about finding the ultimate celebrity impersonator. It begins airing in
July.
L.A. DAILY NEWS/Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith....
--Jamie Lee Curtis was believed to have closed the book on her acting
career last year. However, that's not quite the case. "If I can make a
stupid analogy, honestly, I am open for business. But my operating
hours are limited. My focus is not on that job. My daughter is a
sophomore in college and I have a boy who is 11," notes Curtis, whose
seventh children's book, "Is There Really a Human Race?" was released
in September. "I spend a majority of my time working with my son, and,
you know, advocating where I can." In fact, her activities with
several charities have been keeping Curtis very busy of late. In the
forefront of her mind right now is hosting the 22nd annual Odyssey
Ball for the John Wayne Cancer Institute, which takes place April 14
at the Beverly Hilton. "How can someone not get involved with cancer
research or cancer charities? Everyone has a connection to cancer. I
myself have had a brush with it" - a scare that turned out to be
benign, she says. She adds, "I've lost dear young friends to cancer. I
have dear young friends who are survivors and dear young friends who
are battling now." Curtis, who also recently emceed a gala for the
Starlight Starbright Foundation, notes that as a celebrity, "You get
to reflect the media you get onto things you care about. I appreciate
the obscene amount of attention a celebrity gets for, honestly, doing
the right thing. And by the way, it's a nano-fraction of what millions
of people do as volunteers."
--The ball is "a very special event this year because we are
commemorating the 100th anniversary of my father's birth," adds
Patrick Wayne, who has been devoting full time to his duties as
chairman of the board of the institute for the past three years. Larry
King is also being honored with the annual "True Grit" Award. "When we
started, I don't think any of us realized my father's visibility would
remain so strong," Wayne admits. "In the annual Harris Polls of
favorite movie stars, he's in the top three" - and has been eight
times in the past 13 years. That visibility has been a boon to the
institute, which Wayne reports has "one of the top four breast cancer
centers in the country" in addition to its research and treatment work
in the areas of skin, prostate and other cancers. The Duke would be
exceedingly proud.
--Rich Little knows what he's up against as host of this year's White
House Correspondents' Association Dinner April 21. You'll recall that
last year, Stephen Colbert shocked, outraged and enthralled -
depending on one's political views - countless viewers, bloggers and
attendees with his breathtakingly anti-Bush routine performed mere
steps away from the President. The selection of Little this year has
already been praised and panned as "safe." "My friend Sam Donaldson
says, 'You're not going to win with this crowd. If you don't get
political, they'll consider you chicken, but if you are political,
they'll criticize you for that. If you do dumb jokes they won't like
it, and if you're risqué, they'll say you're crude.' But I've done
this before," reminds Little, who hosted the affair in '84. "One thing
I've got going for me is that they'll know who I'm imitating better
than the average crowd." Little's recent appearance on David
Letterman's show has sparked fresh interest in the matchless
impressionist, now 68, who performs regularly in Las Vegas. "It was
nice to be back on late night - I did the Carson show a lot," he
understates. As for what to expect April 21, "I'm not going to do
anything disrespectful or get into the war; there's no humor in the
war," says the man who'll do impressions of six presidents during the
dinner. "I'm interested in the personality and the impression. I don't
set out to do what Colbert does at all, or Mark Russell or Dennis
Miller. I'm not in that league. I'm more of an entertainer."
--A beginning-of-April production start has been set for "Sirens of
Eleuthera," described as a mystic thriller set in an aquatic land - in
which James Brolin is to star. He plays a rich moviemaker whose world
is never the same after he discovers a strange, ethereal woman who has
been pushed ashore near his beach home by a dolphin. You've got to be
careful when you find one of those.
--Meredith Baxter is due back on the set of "Cold Case" this week. Her
portrayal of Kathryn Morris' estranged, alcoholic mother in the CBS
series last year made such an impact that it's going to be a recurring
role for the former "Family Ties" star.
NY POST/LEONARD GREENE
--Rapper 50 Cent yesterday threatened to sue a rival's lawyer for
implicating him in the senseless smackdown of a 14-year-old boy
outside Fitty's Manhattan office. The rapper let his own attorney do
the talking with a legal missive as intimidating as any street-corner
shakedown. Fitty was angered over accusations that he told rapper Tony
Yayo to rough up a kid outside his office last week because the boy
was wearing a sweatshirt promoting a rival company. STORY: http://snipurl.com/1dqiz
NY POST/DAN MANGAN
Here's "Today" show host Meredith Vieira falling on her fanny while
trying to keep up with funnyman Will Ferrell yesterday. "Owwww, that
hurts," Vieira yelped after her tush and her head hit the ice - hard -
as Ferrell pulled her through his legs on the famed rink at
Rockefeller Plaza. Ferrell was appearing on the NBC show - and doing
some graceful turns on the ice - to promote his new movie, "Blades of
Glory." The actor plays "sex addict and professional skater" Chazz
Michael Michaels, who joins forces with archrival Jimmy MacElroy,
played by Jon Heder, to form the first-ever "male-male" skating
team.Ferrell had never skated before making the comedy, for which he
and Heder had to undergo "pretty intense" training on skates, he said.
"We did a good two to three months of skating, three days a week,"
Ferrell told Vieira. "Enough where we could at least stand on skates
and not look totally pathetic."And now, I'm a complete professional,"
he quipped. PHOTOS: http://snipurl.com/1dqj5
ASSOCIATED PRESS...
--LOS ANGELES - The Edge is donating his favorite instrument to an
auction benefiting Music Rising, a charity the U2 guitarist co-founded
to replace musical equipment lost or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
He's logged thousands of hours of stage and studio time on the 1975
Gibson Les Paul. The 45-year-old musician has used the guitar
throughout his years with U2. "I wanted to give something really
significant that would really mean a lot for me to give. It deserved
something that I would miss," The Edge told The Associated Press by
phone from France. STORY: http://www.dailynews.com/gossip/ci_5524668
--LOS ANGELES - After eight seasons of Ashton Kutcher playing pranks
on his celebrity pals on MTV, his popular "Punk'd" series is coming to
an end. The final season premieres April 10, but all eight new
episodes will air back-to-back during a "sneak peek marathon" on April
7, MTV officials announced Monday. Famous faces falling victim to
Kutcher's capers this time around include Hilary Swank, Earvin "Magic"
Johnson, Nelly Furtado and Jewel, among others. Kutcher will conclude
the show's final season with a special "Punk'd Awards" on June 5.
--NEW YORK - Welcome back, Jim Dale. The U.S. audiobook of the seventh
and final Harry Potter, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will
be released July 21, the same time as the bound text, with the Grammy
Award-winning Dale again handling all the voices. The British editions
have been narrated by actor Stephen Fry. The Listening Library, the
children's imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group,
announced Monday that the audio for the 784-page book will run 21
hours, and retail for $79.95. No first printing was announced, but
Amanda D'Acierno, director of marketing and publicity for Random House
Audio, told The Associated Press that the number would "definitely" be
higher than the 635,000 announced for Potter 6, "Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince." J.K. Rowling's fantasy series has sold more than 4
million audio copies in North America alone, and Dale has become a
celebrity, winning a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Spoken Word Album
for Children. The audio for "Half-Blood Prince" sold more than 165,000
copies the first weekend, more than most audiobooks sell all year.
Random House confirmed that the audio for "Deathly Hallows" will be
available in cassette and CD, but did not announce a downloadable
version. Only in 2005 did Rowling, known for her resistance to digital
technology, allow the audiobooks to be downloaded, releasing them
exclusively through Apple Inc.'s iTunes. "We have digital rights for
the new book, but there are so many scenarios in the digital world
that we're not ready to discuss the downloadable version at this
point," D'Acierno said. None of the Potter stories are available as e-
books, a status not expected to change with "Deathly Hallows."