BITS AND PIECES 06/06
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--TV Guide reports that Janice Dickinson will return to "America's Next
Top Model," not as a judge, but "in a different capacity," Dickinson
tells the magazine. She's been replaced as a judge by Twiggy.
--Greta Van Susteren in terviews Bill Clinton tonight at 10 on Fox News
Channel.
--Hal Sparks, Judith Light and Richard Thomas among those who've signed
the AIDS Walk New York celeb rity gift bag being auctioned on eBay to
support the Gay Men's Health Crisis.
NY POST/PAGE SIX..
--REBECCA Romijn munching on mini Kobe beef burgers at Stanton Social.
--WOODY Harrelson running across Fifth Avenue at Rockefeller Center in
a black suit and flip-flops.
--NOT all celebrities are willing to pay big bucks to worship at the
Kabbalah Centre, which espouses a non-traditional form of Jewish
mysticism. Mick Jagger's ex-wife, Jerry Hall, tells the upcoming Index
magazine that she and the notoriously tight-fisted rocker were once
involved with Kabbalah: "We had a fantastic time with the center for
about a year. But we couldn't go through the door of miracles unless we
gave the Kabbalah people 10 percent of our money, so we stopped going.
It's not like we fell out with them - they're very nice people."
--FIRST Amendment be damned! When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie say they
don't want to get personal, they mean it. Both stars are making journos
who interview them sign a contract to that effect and if you break it,
Jolie will sue you. Her lawyer, Robert Offer, sent out a letter
stating: "Interviewer will not ask Ms. Jolie any questions regarding
her personal relationships. In the event Interviewer does ask Ms. Jolie
any questions regarding her personal relationships, Ms. Jolie will have
the right to immediately terminate the interview and leave. The
interview may only be used to promote the Picture. In no event may
Interviewer be entitled to run all or any portion of the Interview in
connection with any other story . . . The interview will not be used in
a manner that is disparaging, demeaning or derogatory to Ms. Jolie." If
an interviewer does not comply, he or she can be sued for an
"undisclosed" amount, the document states. Pitt, meanwhile, noted in
his contract with the journos that he's willing to talk about his
charity work as well as the movie. Luckily, director Doug Liman gives
juicy interviews and is not afraid to talk about Jolie and Pitt's
"chemistry."
--SUPERMODEL-turned-photographer Helena Christensen has angered
residents of a Sydney neighborhood with a pricey commission to shoot
its run-down streets - money many feel would be better spent fixing
things. Christensen is being paid more than $80,000 by city officials
for a photographic study of Norton Street, known as Sydney's Little
Italy. The expense has been justified because of the mannequin's public
relations value, but not everyone agrees. Some would rather see the
dough spent on repairing the sidewalks.
--Martha Plimpton will replace Parker Posey in the Off-Broadway hit
"Hurlyburly" on June 11 because Posey is filming "Superman Returns."
--Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is getting $200,000 per
speech, "and that's only in the U.S." Powell could get up to $1 million
per in Asia later this year.
--Danny Aiello has a problem roasting his nephew, Yankee broadcaster
Michael Kay, at the Fordham University benefit at Tavern on the Green
June 13. "It will be really difficult to say anything negative about
him because I love the kid so much," says Aiello. Freddie Roman won't
be similarly constrained.
NY POST/LIZ SMITH....
--ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S beloved Maltese, Sugar, died last week after a
brief illness. The 13-year-old pooch passed away in the actresses'
arms. Sugar and ET went through a lot together - a divorce and many,
many illnesses. The star is heartbroken, saying, "I have lost my best
friend."
--THE BEST way to see DreamWorks' new hit "Madagascar" is the way I saw
it - sitting cross-legged on the floor of a movie screening room,
surrounded by 60 little 7- and 8-year-olds who were wildly
enthusiastic. (Their parents and nannies had all the seats!) My
favorite character was the lion who keeps vainly fluffing his mane and
shaking out his hair under a breezy fan. But each animal is wonderful,
and the voices selected for them work wonders, though I imagine the
children don't even know which high-priced star, from Chris Rock (the
zebra) to Ben Stiller (the lion), did what. This film was taken apart
by The New Yorker, but I don't think this happy movie was made for
their readers. As the animals "escape" from the Central Park Zoo to
find themselves banished to "the wilds" of Madagascar, there are some
hints of "nature - red in tooth and claw," but of course we have a
happy ending. Children are so smart these days they may already be
wondering why the lion hasn't eaten the zebra, but they'll definitely
work it out that friendship is what is important. I heartily recommend
"Madagascar," and some of its arty touches were made for adults who
like the paintings of Rousseau and seeing the re-creation of Grand
Central Station by digital artistry. Do the lemurs steal the movie?
Some think so, and I liked the Washington Post's review that describes
the lemur, played by Cedric the Entertainer, leading "his massive-eyed
minions in a wigged-out dance suggesting dozens of little Peter Lorres
on ecstasy."
--LINDSAY LOHAN is on the cover of Elle for July. Photographed by
Gilles Bensimon, she looks - with her long auburn mane, heavily
painted eyes and thinner body - like a gorgeous mix of Ann-Margret
and Vampira. Inside, writer Holly Millea tries to keep up with the
energetic 18-year-old. Lohan seems like a fairly typical young person
upon whom fame and gossip and paparazzi have been thrust. (The L.A.
photographer ramming her car last week was a scary reality of stardom's
perils.) The significant comment comes from stage mama Dina Lohan:
"Five years from now Lindsay will get the kind of roles that Julia
Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow got so she can win that Academy Award . . .
They [Julia and Gwyneth] did what Lindsay's doing now. People forget.
And people will forget what Lindsay did in this period of her life."
For Dina's sake - she who invests so much of herself in Lindsay's
career - I hope the day never comes when the young actress turns to
Mama Rose, uh Lohan, and says, "What did you do to me?"
NY DAILY NEWS/RUSH AND MOLLOY...
--OK! Magazine is ready to pay top dollar for rights to Paris Hilton's
wedding. Never mind that a London court recently overturned the $1.5
million that rival Hello! magazine had to pay OK! in damages after
Hello! published unauthorized photos of the wedding of Michael Douglas
and Catherine Zeta-Jones. We hear OK! has offered Paris Hilton and
fiancé Paris Latsis $2 million for exclusive access to their nuptials.
"It's a perfect event for OK!'s U.S. and European editions," says a
snitch. "He's Greek, and she's American." OK! is also said to be waving
money in front of Jessica Simpson - should she split with Nick Lachey.
"She'll get editorial approval and $1million," says the source. "This
is all driving the other celeb mags crazy."
--Michael Cunningham is working with Julia Roberts on adapting a script
for her big-screen return - so closely they might as well be sharing
the keyboard. The screenplay is based on Lolly Winston's novel "Good
Grief," about a woman who tries to reassemble her life after losing her
husband to cancer. "I'm sort of writing it with Julia, showing her the
pages as we go along," Cunningham told us at a party for his book
"Specimen Days," out this week from Farrar, Strauss & Giroux. Also
toasting "The Hours" author were Tony Kushner, John Waters and Julianne
Moore.
--Gay activists want to claim Malcolm X as a hero - but some keepers of
the black nationalist's flame aren't ready to hand him over. Marking
what would have been Malcolm's 80th birthday, Peter Tatchell writes in
London's Guardian that "Now it is time to blow the whistle. Young black
lesbians and gays need role models." Tatchell, who calls Malcolm a
personal "inspiration," cites the 1991 book "Malcolm: The Life of a Man
Who Changed Black America," which quotes a friend who claims Malcolm
experimented sexually with men from childhood until he joined the
Nation of Islam. Biographer Bruce Perry contended that Malcolm had sex
with men for money in his early 20s and struck up a friendship with a
transvestite named Willie Mae. Malcolm's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz and a
Nation of Islam spokeswoman didn't return calls by deadline. But some
critics have questioned Perry's research. And though Tatchell claims
Spike Lee's 1992 biopic hinted at his subject's supposed bisexuality,
Lee has called Perry's book "blatant character assassination."
--Nicky Hilton fled Southampton's Tavern in tears Saturday night, but
that didn't mean she couldn't party on. She and actor boyfriend Kevin
Connelly ended up at Star Room.
ASSOCIATED PRESS...
--Baseball legend Roberto Clemente's family is furious that an auction
house is selling off pieces of the plane in which the baseball Hall of
Famer died. Leland's auction house is selling a light metal piece of
the airplane and a gray steel propeller. The auction, which includes 28
Clemente-related items, is to end June 24. The light metal piece,
measuring 19 by 14 inches at its largest point, has a minimum auction
price of $1,500. The propeller, 14 by 79 inches, has a minimum price of
$1,000. Clemente died Dec. 31, 1972, when the DC-7 he was on during a
relief mission crashed after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The
plane was headed to Nicaragua with supplies for earthquake victims.
"The Clemente family simply will not tolerate anyone trying to benefit
from my father's passing, and we are currently pursuing aggressive
legal action to ensure something like this never happens again," said
Roberto Clemente Jr., the ballplayer's son and a host on WFAN. Joshua
Leland Evans, the chairman and founder of the auction house, didn't
return a message seeking comment.
3 A.M. GIRLS...
--MOVIE legend Dustin Hoffman tried to copy Eminem after watching the
rapper repeatedly grab his groin during a two-song set. The actor
became tearful as he collected the Best Comedic Performance trophy for
his role in Meet The Fockers. Then, with his hands regularly straying
"downstairs", he joked: "Eminem has just touched himself 37 times, I'm
going to have to compete with that."
--POOR Sting - wife Trudie Styler is such a big spender that he's
wondering where the next million's going to come from, diddums. The
superstar told a 1,200-strong audience at the Hay-on-Wye Literature
Festival: "I am worrying about making another record because I have to
pay the rent." To sarcastic "ahhhs", Sting insisted: "I do - I am
married to Trudie. She shops for Britain." A woman after our own
hearts.
--Ewan McGregor buying massage bars in Lush beauty store, Carnaby
Street.
L.A. TIMES/Marilyn Beck and Stacey Jenel Smith
--It's a far, far different Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly appearing
in Terry Gilliam's forthcoming "Tideland" feature than they looked the
last time they worked together, in 1989's "Fabulous Baker Boys." "He's
a burned-out rock musician addicted to heroin, and I'm an ex-groupie
addicted to methadone _ and we have this little neglected and abused
girl who is living in a fantasyland," reports Jennifer. "This movie is
very surreal. Terry describes it as a cross between 'Alice in
Wonderland' and 'Psycho."' For Tilly, "Tideland" proved an exercise in
letting go of her vanity in a huge way. She wore appliances to make her
look fat, "they painted varicose veins on my legs, the bottoms of my
feet are all black and crusty," says the 46-year-old. "We were finding
out how disgusting I can look. That's incredibly liberating at my age.
You're supposed to _ you need to _ look as good as you can, but this is
going the other way." Actually, Jennifer didn't leave any doubts about
her ability to cast vanity aside with last year's "Seed of Chucky," due
out on DVD this week, in which she plays a shockingly unflattering _
but funny _ washed-up, candy bar-sneaking version of herself, in
addition to her demonic doll character, Tiffany. With the films "Saint
Ralph" and "Second Best" also en route to release _ and a comedy called
"Lady Godiva Rides Again" due to start production in London in
September _ the ever-zesty Jennifer is turning her attention to poker
for the summer. "It's my obsession," admits the actress. She also has a
poker pro boyfriend, Dublin-born fun guy Phil Laak, known on the
circuit as the Unabomber "because when he wears his sweat shirt with
the hood pulled up and sunglasses, he looks like the police composite
of the Unabomber."
--Legendary rock band The Who is set to be the subject of a documentary
from Oscar-winning director Murray Lerner. "I'm doing a film on the
group's entire career with the blessing and partnership of The Who,
reports Lerner, who anticipates a 2006 debut for the project. Lerner
has directed and produced several documentaries featuring the megastars
who played the famed 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, including The Who,
Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull and the latest, on Miles Davis, called "Miles
Electric: A Different Kind of Blue." The latter will have its Los
Angeles premiere Thursday when the Playboy Jazz Festival presents "Jazz
on Film" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Leo S. Bing Theatre.
The slice of musical history combines footage of the jazz icon's
concert in front of 600,000 screaming rock fans at the Isle of Wight,
with interviews from such legendary musicians as Carlos Santana, Joni
Mitchell, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland,
Gary Bartz and more.
--Hell hath no fury like the scorn of world-renowned chef Gordon
Ramsay, who is on a mission to create the country's next culinary star.
It's not about making friends on his Fox reality show "Hell's Kitchen,"
which has its sophomore outing tonight _ with 12 competing chefs tossed
into the cauldron, working under Ramsay and fighting for survival. The
contestants came with varying experience. "It's a broadband of
intriguing individuals ranging from an IT consultant out of Napa Valley
to a mother of six from Brooklyn," says Ramsay, who calls his
contestants "diverse, passionate, cheeky little suckers." According to
Ramsay, "It's the first time ever that audiences are getting to see the
reality of what it's like to run a restaurant at this level. I'm not
saying that to be detrimental to Rocco DiSpirito and 'The Restaurant,'
but this has nothing to do with television; this is about running a
restaurant and pushing the individuals to absolute extremes."
--"According to Jim" co-star Larry Joe Campbell certainly isn't taking
time out to relax over his hiatus. He's been performing improv with 313
_ which is what a group of Detroit transplants who've plied their craft
in Second City are calling themselves. He's just completing "a horror
film. It's called 'Hellaburger,' and it's basically a fast-food
restaurant clown killing people. I play a hard-nosed detective." He'll
go on to another flick, a comedy, being made in Chicago called
"Alleyball," which is "about grown men playing Wiffle ball. I play a
partier, a guy who refuses to grow up." Campbell, who already has
daughter Gabriella, 4, son Nathan, 3, and twins Madeline and Maxwell,
1, tells us his teacher wife Peggy is expecting again. Maybe that's why
he's grabbing every work opportunity, he says: "You want to be a good
breadwinner."
FOX NEWS/ROGER FRIEDMAN...
--Over at CBS-TV's long-running daytime drama, "Guiding Light," the
word is not good for veteran actors who have been with the show for 20
to 25 years. The show's "dean," and beloved lead and Emmy-nominated
actor Jerry verDorn, who's played Ross Marler since 1979 with uncommon
class, has apparently been shown the door in a cost-cutting move.
VerDorn, according to the Internet Movie Database, is at the ancient
age of 56. Casts and crews at "Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns,"
each owned by mega conglomerate Procter and Gamble, were recently told
they were getting 15 percent pay cuts across the board.
LAS VEGAS JOURNAL/NORM CLARKE...
--Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon and his racing team owner, Michael
Andretti, celebrating their win at Rain nightclub (Palms) on Friday.
--The Black Eyed Peas, showing up at Pure nightclub (Caesars Palace)
Friday after inviting the crowd at their concert at The Joint (Hard
Rock Hotel) to join them.
--Young NFL quarterbacks Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals and
Kyle Boller of the Baltimore Ravens, withstanding a fierce rush of fans
at Light (Bellagio) on Friday. Palmer was on the town celebrating the
21st birthday of his brother Jordan, the freshman quarterback sensation
who led the University of Texas, El Paso to an 8-4 season. Jordan
turned 21 on Monday. The Palmers dined at N9NE Steak House (Palms) on
Friday. Also at N9NE: Hollywood hottie Shannon Elizabeth.
--"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, huddling with Hilton exec Ken
Ciancimino at Olives (Bellagio) on Saturday. Doing a deal?
--Hilton headliner Barry Manilow and his posse of 15, checking out the
Wynn Las Vegas on Friday.
--At Body English (Hard Rock Hotel) on Friday: Philadelphia Eagles
linebacker Dhani Jones and Shannon Elizabeth (not together).
--Fergie and her Black Eyed Peas pals, chowing down on pizza at the
debut of the Rainbow Bar & Grill after their concert Friday.
--Film star Andy Garcia, playing bongos with trumpet legend Arturo
Sandoval for nearly an hour on Thursday at the Casa Fuente opening at
Caesars Palace.
USA TODAY...
--Just in time for the film version of Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four
comes the soundtrack from Wind-Up Records and Twentieth Century Fox,
featuring Velvet Revolver, Chingy, Joss Stone and Ryan Cabrera, among
others. The 20-track collection, due in stores July 5, includes the
first single, Everything Burns, by Ben Moody featuring Anastacia.
Taking Back Sunday's Error Operator also will appear in the Fantastic
Four video game. The film hits theaters July 8.
--Michelle Rodriguez will join the cast (and the castaways) on ABC's
Lost next season. Rodriguez (Girlfight, The Fast and the Furious) will
play Ana-Lucia Cortez, a passenger on the doomed Oceanic flight 815.
Her character made a brief appearance in last month's season finale: In
a flashback scene, she chatted up Jack (Matthew Fox) in a bar at the
Sydney airport. Rodriguez just completed work on the feature The Breed
and lends her voice to the upcoming animated film Sian Ka'an.
--A painting by Marilyn Monroe and her address book containing phone
numbers for Frank Sinatra and other celebrities fetched more than
$150,000 at auction Saturday in Los Angeles. The 1962 watercolor of a
red rose initially was inscribed to President Kennedy but was never
given to him, said Darren Julien, president and chief executive of
Julien's Auctions, which organized the auction. She later wrote a
second inscription, "Happy Birthday Marilyn Monroe," over the first.
--MTV2 is turning over the channel to Foo Fighters for 24 Hours of Foo
on Saturday, beginning at noon ET/9 a.m. PT. In addition to performing
tracks from the In Your Honor album, out June 14, the group will
program the channel with special guests and live performances.
--Brad Pitt has more on his mind than the celebrity magazines when he
chats with Diane Sawyer on Primetime Live (ABC, Tuesday, 10 p.m.
ET/PT). Sawyer reports on Pitt's recent tour of Africa, where he
witnessed the effects of AIDS and poverty. "I can't get out of the
press. These people can't get in the press. So let's redirect the
attention a little bit," Pitt says. "It drives me mental seeing what
I've seen and knowing that it doesn't show up in our news every day. I
mean, literally, thousands of people died today."