BITS AND PIECES 12/10
PUSSS...@aol.com
--Rudolph reigns. The beloved reindeer noses out Charlie Brown as
America's favorite animated TV holiday special, according to a Harris
interactive poll. And in a mistletoe miracle, the baby-boomer-backed
"Miracle on 34th Street" beat out "It's a Wonderful Life" and the
Gen-X-favored "A Christmas Story" for most beloved holiday film. In the
survey of 2,429 adults, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" scored 26
percent. Women tended to root for the reindeer, while men cheered on
Charlie Brown.
NY POST/ELIZABETH WOLFF
--A famous Las Vegas nightclub owner who has partnered with Sting and
David Bowie to open a burlesque joint in the heart of Chelsea's
clubland was dealt a tough hand by a potential landlord who reneged on
a deal at the last minute. But Sin City guru Ivan Kane said he'll end
up in the Big Apple anyway - New Yorkers can bet on it. "I'm coming to
New York next week, and I'm not leaving until I find a place," said
Kane, a native New Yorker who had planned to open the sexy club on West
21st Street as a follow-up to the wild success of his Forty Deuce clubs
in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Kane found a building and had what seemed
to be a done deal with owner Manhattan Mini Storage. The building
already had a liquor license, so Kane applied for a license transfer
and got the full support of the community board. But before the state
could approve the license, Manhattan Mini Storage folded and reneged on
the deal. "The owner didn't want a long-term, night-life tenant even
though the community welcomed me with open arms," Kane told The Post.
Manhattan Mini Storage could not be reached for comment.
NY POST/PAGE SIX...
--HOLLYWOOD producer Jon Peters - whose credits include "Superman
Returns," "Flashdance" and "Rain Man" - is trying to put his life back
together after a stint in rehab left him estranged from his family.
When asked about his battle with addiction, the former hairdresser who
was "discovered" by Barbra Streisand told Page Six, "I just got out of
rehab, leave me alone," and hung up the phone. According to his
ex-wife, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" producer Christine Peters, Jon
is now trying to make up for lost time by having her children visit him
for a while. (The school-age girls, Caleigh and Skye, are not Jon's
biological children, but they refer to him as "dad.") Christine has
reservations about her ex-hubby's stability - the two have been
battling over the Beverly Hills mansion she and her daughters have
lived in for 15 years. "He's been doing a lot of crazy things and
acting irrationally," she said. "The girls didn't see him for four
months and he changed all his numbers . . . they are spending a little
time with him now because they haven't seen him." Christine said she's
currently still living in the fought-over home (which Jon bought for
her when they first got married), but a source close to the situation
told us, "She's on the way out." Last July, Page Six reported that
Christine was being pushed out of the house and was demanding child
support from Jon, while at the same time insisting, "They are not his
daughters, they are mine." Christine never allowed Jon to legally adopt
the girls, although he wanted to. Right now, the girls are with Jon and
his wife, Mindy Peters, in their Bel-Air home. "When they were kids,
Jon had the girls on the weekends. They want to spend time with him,
but eventually we will go back to the old system," Christine said. Jon
has other problems, too. On Friday the Los Angeles Times reported his
"former personal assistant" is suing him, charging "she was forced to
quit her job because he sexually harassed her, including exposing
himself to her and her 3-year-old daughter."
--VING Rhames might not have been the best casting choice for "I Now
Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," the Adam Sandler comedy about firemen
who pretend they're gay to get health benefits. Macho man Rhames plays
an ambivalent type in the movie, which called for him to smooch another
man in one scene. But Rhames couldn't do it. "Kissing a guy freaked him
out," gossipeuse Janet Charlton reports on her Web site. "Producers
solved the problem by grabbing an extra - a tallish girl with short
hair - and they dressed her up in men's clothes. Ving was perfectly
happy to kiss the girl in drag."
--RAPPER-turned-actor 50 Cent says he is not longer feuding with "Pulp
Fiction" star Samuel L. Jackson. The two are now working together on an
upcoming movie, "Home of the Brave." Last year, the London Mirror
reported that Jackson refused to star with 50 Cent "because he didn't
want to work with 'unproven' actors." The rapper's reaction was to say
Jackson "didn't want to play second fiddle . . . he knew that because
of my success, people would come to see the movie because of me - and
he couldn't handle that." But, reports the new issue of Complex
magazine, now that the picture has brought them together, they've been
forced to resolve their issues. 50 Cent told the mag he no longer
thinks Jackson is "a crackhead." After they met on the set, 50 realized
why people respect [Jackson] as a talented actor: "You see his
intelligence. I got a chance to put my time in and absorb some wisdom."
That wisdom included inspiring 50 to look up information on the
Internet - which "changed [his] whole perspective on [the subject of]
war."
--NOW that Orlando Bloom's ex, Kate Bosworth, has a man of her own,
British model James Rousseau, Bloom is trying to find a love for
himself. He tried hooking up with Kirsten Dunst and then set his eyes
on Penelope Cruz. Neither seems to be interested. Bloom was partying
with Cruz's best friend, Salma Hayek, and singer James Blunt at the
Chateau Marmont the other night and was, according to a spy, "waiting
for Penelope to show up - but she never did."
--ENRIQUE Iglesias and his wife, Anna Kournikova, (PK ADDS: when did
they get married?) are leading a contingent of jet-setters to Israel to
help billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak celebrate Hanukkah - and they're
charging only about $1 million. The Spanish crooner and his Russian
spouse, who was once a top-10 tennis player, need 30 luxury hotel rooms
for their entourage, and they've already requested that mineral water
and freshly squeezed orange juice be placed in their own room at 7
a.m., Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reports. Ukrainian-born
Gaydamak made his fortune in import/export in France, but fled in 2000
when an arrest warrant was issued charging him with tax evasion and
selling arms to Angola. To avoid extradition, he's been cultivating
good will by giving large sums to Israeli charities. On Dec. 21, on the
eve of the lighting of the seventh Hanukkah candle, 1,000 guests -
including Benjamin Netanyahu - are expected at the Hilton Hotel in Tel
Aviv to hear Iglesias sing.
--"VERONICA Mars" has gone to Kristen Bell's head. Bell, star of the
popular TV show, showed up to Boulevard3 in L.A. the other night for TV
Guide's SeenON! event, and "acted like a real diva," our source says.
"She refused to take pictures with the night's sponsor, Chris Korloff,
and at the end of the night she scammed extra VIP gift bags for her and
her friends."
NY DAILY NEWS/RUSH AND MOLLOY....
--If you'd parlayed a 15-minute "20/20" segment into a feature film
with Will Smith playing you, you'd be pretty stoked, right? Right!?!
"You know what, when I was told it was going to be Will Smith, I was a
little less than enthusiastic," Chris Gardner told us at the Museum of
Moving Image Salute to Smith last week. Gardner's story of raising his
son while homeless in San Francisco is the basis of "The Pursuit of
Happyness," opening Friday. "I love his work, but he's never done
anything like this. When you think of Will, you think of outer space;
this is inner space." Thankfully, someone talked him around before his
people set up a breakfast with Emmanuel Lewis. "My daughter got me
straight," Gardner laughed. "She said, 'Papa, don't worry about it. If
he can play Muhammad Ali, he can do you.'"
--You have to admire Joe Simpson's streamlined approach to business.
The minister-turned-manager squired his daughter Jessica to stardom,
but he's not too busy to keep an eye on her top-heavy bottom line.
Jessica is making "Blonde Ambition," a workplace comedy co-starring
Luke Wilson and Andy Dick. Says a source: "One scene calls for her
character to be reading a celebrity tabloid. Joe Simpson has been
calling around the weeklies, saying for $10,000, he'll put a copy of
their magazine in her hands. Check to be made out directly to Joe."
Apparently In Touch and OK! have so far found the strength to decline
the offer. A spokeswoman for Simpson said: "There is no truth to the
story. Joe is a producer on the movie, but there is a product-
placement company [involved] and there is no money deal."
--New Yorkers will soon be able to see 8-year-old Bindi Irwin (below),
who inherited the Croc Hunter mantle from her late dad, Steve. She and
mom Terri (along with rugrat rock stars The Wiggles) will appear live
on Jan. 20 at the New York City Center to mark Australia Week.
--Chris Martin was spotted taking daughter Apple into the SoHo
children's club Citibabes.
--Diddy and pregnant-with-twins Kim Porter arrived in a large
Rolls-Royce (30 minutes late, but who's counting?) for a scan at Mount
Sinai Hospital Monday morning.
--Glamorous "Insider" co-host Lara Spencer stopped by Chelsea bar G
with a gaggle of male friends on Friday.
--Joshua Jackson was bemoaning the price of fame at the afterparty for
"The Laramie Project" last week at the Millennium Broadway Hotel. Sez
he: "The gossip part sucks, but the rest of it is great."
NY DAILY NEWS/Adam Nichols
--Forget glam rocker David Bowie or troubled cat walker Kate Moss. In
the running for the title of greatest living cultural Brit are Beatle
Sir Paul McCartney, broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and cult singer
Morrissey, best known in the U.S. for wishing President Bush dead. The
former frontman of The Smiths, who caused outrage for saying he wished
Bush had died instead of former President Ronald Reagan, is relatively
obscure in the U.S. But in Britain, he is a rock god for songs such as
"Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now." His
appearance in BBC viewers' selection of their top three living icons
has beaten Bowie, Moss, singer Kate Bush and designer Vivienne
Westwood. And it has surprised even his fans. "Morrissey up for the
greatest living British icon?" says one on an Internet fan site. "God
help us."
LAS VEGAS JOURNAL/NORM CLARKE....
--No quitter, Roy Horn delivered an early Christmas miracle Saturday.
Considered clinically dead from tiger bites little more than three
years ago, the German illusionist left no doubt about his iron-willed
determination to defy all odds. Dressed in a Santa Claus suit and
accompanied by Siegfried Fischbacher, Horn walked the entire mile
course of the Kris Kringle Jingle, a side event to the 5K Great Santa
Run and today's New Las Vegas Marathon. It took Horn one hour and 40
minutes, and just before reaching the finish line, he tossed aside his
cane for the final steps. "It was the farthest he had walked since his
rehabilitation had begun," said Siegfried & Roy spokesman David Kirvin.
Many of the runners who had finished their races stayed to cheer for
Horn, 62. "He wanted to prove to himself and others who doubt their
ability to accomplish something that anything is possible," said
Kirvin. "He also talked about how inspiring Opportunity Village is and
what they do. And that was part of his inspiration to do this for their
event." Several thousand dressed as Santa at the Fremont Street
Experience in an effort to break the record for the largest such Santa
gathering set in Liverpool, England.
--Las Vegas lounge legend Keely Smith, bringing down the house at Jazz
at the Church on Friday, during a reunion with Bobby Morris, the
original drummer with Smith and Louis Prima. She received a "Keely
Smith Day" proclamation from Mayor Oscar Goodman and sang "Embraceable
You," "You Go to My Head" and "Old Black Magic." Morris presents jazz
at the club, at Third and Bridger, every Friday.
--Baseball Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage, in the NFR crowd.
--Jeff Foxworthy, taking in V--The Ultimate Variety Show
(Aladdin/Planet Hollywood) on Friday with family and friends.
--Vinnie Paul of the rock band Pantera, at Carrot Top's show (Luxor) on
Friday. ... "Nip/Tuck" star Kelly Carlson, trying the seared Kobe and
fruit sake Friday at Social House (Treasure Island).
--"We tried to book Wesley Snipes for the show tonight, but he was
already booked." -- Jay Leno
ASSOCIATED PRESS...
--Actor Alec Baldwin has lent support to New Jersey residents worried
about the relicensing of a nuclear power plant. Baldwin moderated a
Friday-night discussion at Rutgers University Law School in Newark
about the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, which is seeking a 20-year
renewal for its license. The license is set to expire in 2009.
--LOS ANGELES- Andre Benjamin will be Will Ferrell's co-star in a new
comedy film set in the world of professional basketball. In "Semi-Pro,"
Benjamin plays a ladies' man and star player on the Flint Michigan
Tropics, a fictional American Basketball Association team owned and
coached by Ferrell. Woody Harrelson also will star. The New Line Cinema
film will be directed by Kent Alterman, a former executive at the
company. Benjamin, a Grammy winner with his hip hop collaboration
Outkast, is co-creator of the Cartoon Network's "Class of 3000" and
voices a character in the upcoming family movie "Charlotte's Web."
--HONG KONG - Director John Woo says efforts to depict an ancient
Chinese battle in his new film have been frustrated because he can't
shoot at China's largest river, the Yangtze. Woo has had to rely on
special effects to create a similar backdrop in the upcoming movie,
"Battle of Red Cliff." It is based on a war of the same name in 208
A.D. that determined the geography of the Three Kingdoms period, when
China had three separate rulers. The movie, scheduled to start shooting
in March, features Chow Yun-fat, Cannes best actor winner Tony Leung
Chiu-wai and Taiwanese model Lin Chi-ling. "Our biggest challenge is
location because we can't shoot at the Yangtze. Due to many different
reasons and circumstances, we can only shoot in Beijing and Hebei
province," Woo said on the sidelines of an awards ceremony in Beijing
on Thursday. Hebei is located in China's north. Footage of Woo's
remarks was posted on the Chinese news Web site Sina.com on Saturday.
Woo didn't say why his production team can't shoot at the Yangtze. The
river is the site of frequent dam construction aimed at meeting China's
growing energy needs. "Battle of Red Cliff" marks Hong Kong native
Woo's return to Chinese-language cinema after moving to Hollywood,
where his credits include "Broken Arrow," "Face/Off" and "Mission:
Impossible II."
--NASSAU, Bahamas - After more than 55 films, Nicolas Cage plans to cut
back on acting to pursue other interests, such as helping develop
independent cinema in his new home of the Bahamas. "I'm thinking about
taking more time in between movies," the Oscar winner told The
Associated Press backstage at the third annual Bahamas International
Film Festival. "I feel I've made a lot of movies already and I want to
start exploring other opportunities that I can apply myself to, whether
it's writing or other interests that I may develop," he said. Cage was
in Nassau late Friday to receive the Chopard Award for career
achievement. Fellow actor Sean Connery, Cage's co-star in the 1996
thriller "The Rock," presented the award at the Atlantis Theater in
Paradise Island. "Nic is a professional and brings to the table all the
stuff that makes it a real joy," Connery said. Cage, who won a
best-actor Oscar for 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas," owns a house in
Paradise Island and bought an undeveloped private island in the Exuma
Cays this year. He said he hopes the film festival continues to grow.
Some 50 narrative, documentary and short films from around the world
are being showcased during the four-day festival, which began Thursday.
Bahamas International Film Festival:
http://www.bahamasinternationalfilmfestival.com/
L.A. DAILY NEWS/Joel Stratte-McClure
--Al Gore looked like he might be campaigning for more than an Oscar
nomination when he hit GQ Magazine's Men of the Year dinner on
Wednesday night. He gave bear hugs to Magic Johnson and Spike Lee, who
were in the midst of a very analytical discussion about basketball,
before he worked the cocktail party at the Sunset Tower Hotel. And he
had a kind word for everyone. "Leo's as passionate and knowledgeable
about the environment as I am," Gore told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann as
they discussed "An Inconvenient Truth" and the situation in Iraq with
Leonardo DiCaprio. "You should have him on your show." "I loved 'The
Last King of Scotland,' '' he told Forest Whitaker, as he ate a piece
of prosciutto hamwrapped around a black fig and accidentally toppled a
stack of napkins. "You deserve an award." He was also very humble.
"Thank you for having me in your current issue because I don't belong
in this company," Gore told GQ editors. "And the interview was right
on!" That would be the one where Gore discloses that he hasn't ruled
out a run for the presidency in 2008. But not all of the evening's
honorees ó including Ben Affleck, Jay-Z, Will Ferrell, Johnny
Knoxville, B.J. Novak, David Wright and Lindsay Lohan óput Gore at the
top of all their lists. "It's great to see Al Gore, but Lindsay Lohan's
the sexiest person here," Ferrell declared. Then Gore sat down with
Affleck, Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Connelly for dinner and had to
make a serious choice. Whether to have pumpkin cheesecake, warm
chocolate cake or creme br?le for dessert.
--Why were Felicity Huffman and Don Cheadle huddling in the Melrose
room at the Sofitel on Beverly Boulevard on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.? "Have
you ever done this before?" Huffman, dressed in a sexy, tight-fitting
Dolce & Gabbana dress, asked nervously. "No, never!" Cheadle insisted.
"I guess we'll just have to wing it and hope we rock." Then the
co-presenters stepped up to the podium in the Beverly Ballroom to
announce the nominations for Film Independent's 2007 Spirit Awards.
Both actors, who won Spirit Awards earlier this year, were slightly
hesitant. "I don't have my glasses," Huffman said on her way to the
stage. "And sometimes these TelePrompTers are impossible to read." "Let
me apologize in advance before I pronounce the nominees for the best
foreign film," began Cheadle, who said he'd "been working too hard to
see most of the nominated films," which included "Little Miss Sunshine"
and "Half Nelson." They didn't even give themselves favorable reviews.
"That was nerve-racking, and we made so many faux pas!" said Huffman as
they left the stage. "And you'll notice they didn't give the foreign
films to the blonde." "The curtain call was kind of lame, the audience
looked bored, and we didn't have a zippy ending," agreed Cheadle. "It
was terrible." So just what were they doing in the Melrose room? "We
didn't, as you probably noticed, bother to rehearse," admitted Cheadle.
"We just ate." Would they return next year if, as rumored, the awards
are held even earlier in the morning? "Anything to boost independent
films," said Cheadle. "I'd get up at 2 in the morning to wear Dolce &
Gabbana," concluded Huffman.
--The Vatican and Habitat for Humanity were the talking points at the
party following the U.S. premiere of "The Nativity Story" at the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday night. "I was
completely taken aback when a group of nuns asked me for my autograph
after I was introduced at the world premiere in Vatican City on
Sunday," confessed Oscar Isaac, who just flew in from Rome and plays
Joseph in the film that opens today. (Dec. 1)."Fortunately, the sisters
here tonight don't recognize me." Catholic sisters weren't the only
ones in the audience of 7,000 in Paul VI Hall in Vatican City. "There
were more cardinals than in St. Louis after the World Series," said
scriptwriter Mike Rich. Attending the local premiere, which benefited
Habitat for Humanity, were quite a few nuns as well as Angie Harmon,
Jason Sehorn, Mickey Rooney, Emile Hirsch and Gary Busey. They and many
with the film - including director Catherine Hardwicke, Shohreh
Aghdashloo and Shaun Toub - plan to do volunteer work for the
nonprofit that builds and renovates homes in low-income neighborhoods.
"We'll use every tool, including guilt, to get everyone on board,"
joked Randall Wallace, who wrote "Braveheart" and is the founder of
Hollywood Habitat for Humanity. Fortunately, the cast learned how to
press olives and grapes, make bread and cheese, milk goats and build
stone houses before they shot "Nativity." "I'll be a humble servant,"
said Aghdashloo. And where is Keisha Castle-Hughes, who plays the
Virgin Mary and skipped the premieres, in all of this? The Academy
Award nominee for "Whale Rider" is, at 16, unmarried and pregnant with
her first child. Does life imitate art?
--Conflict diamonds, child soldiers, refugee camps and other
controversial African issues were the hot topics at a chilly patio
party before a special screening of "Blood Diamond" at the ArcLight on
Wednesday night. Director Ed Zwick and stars Djimon Hounsou and
Jennifer Connelly answered questions from local and national reporters
about issues raised in the fictional film set against the backdrop of
civil war and chaos in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. "Just a decade ago,
illicitly mined African diamonds were frequently used to finance wars
and terrorism," explained Benin-born Hounsou, who spent five months on
the continent shooting the film. "Everyone must be aware of this dirty
business that, to a lesser extent, continues today." Connelly, who
plays a journalist in the film that stars Leonard DiCaprio as a South
African mercenary, is being especially careful about the gems she'll
wear at the WednesdayDec. 6 premiere at Graumans Chinese Theatre.
"Making 'Blood Diamond' raised my awareness, and I only wear diamonds
that are certified as being 'conflict free,' " she said. "Everyone
buying a diamond today should be sure that it originated from a
reputable source." Will other actresses follow her example? Bonnie
Abaunza, the Los Angeles-based director of Amnesty International's
celebrity outreach program, hopes so. "Celebrities should pressure
retailers to authenticate that their diamonds are 'conflict free,' "
Abaunza said before the screening. "And reporters should ask every star
on the red carpet if he or she is wearing a blood diamond." Yeah
right.Bet this will be the first question out of Joan Rivers' mouth
throughout the awards season.
--Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart walked across Montana Avenue into
the crowded Deborah Page Gallery at exactly 6 p.m. on Thursday. "Look
at all the colors in that photograph," Flockhart said to her son Liam,
as she pointed to a large abstract portrait entitled "Ho Chunk Pow Wow
II." Ford gave the exhibiting artist a kiss on the cheek and ordered
two glasses of 2002 Kelly Magee Meritage red winecabernet. "I wish
there weren't so many people here tonight because I really love the
artist and have enjoyed watching his work evolve over the years," Ford
said. "I've seen him gain confidence, create a point of view and move
from the learning part of photography to the running-free part. Then he
walked to a photo called Sonoma Rodeo III and slightly straightened it.
"I've got to come back tomorrow to look at this all by myself," Ford
mused as he headed to anoutdoors courtyard to sample hors d'oeuvres
prepared by his son Ben, the owner of Ford's Filling Station in Culver
City. The artist behind the exhibit, who abandoned acting and L.A. more
than a decade ago to become a photographer in the Napa Valley, took the
kudos in stride. "I wish I could say that all of this talent is due to
my older brother's influence," said Terence Ford, who was crashing at
Harrison's place in Brentwood. "But this is personal work, and my
slow-speed shots capture the colorful energy, vitality and tensions in
the fast lane." And when will he display his intimate shots of
Harrison? "I'd never show a picture of my brother to the public."
--Don't blame the smoke and stench of cigars at Monday's "24" party at
Les Deux on terrorists or Kiefer Sutherland. "I'm the only guy on the
show who doesn't smoke cigars," Sutherland claimed as he pulled a pack
of Camel cigarettes out of his jacket pocket. The smoke-filled launch
party celebrating the launch of last season's DVD collection - which
includes an intriguing prequel to season six of the Fox drama - was
primarily due to 150 hand-rolled Dominican cigars lit by guests during
the party's first hour. Sutherland was all business. "The prequel on
the DVD explains why Jack Bauer is indifferent to life when we first
see him next month (Sunday, Jan. 14)," Sutherland said. "It enables the
audience to be in sync with what's happening." Then he shook hands with
newcomer Powers Booth and eased into a private alcove to get up close
and personal with a blow-up photo featuring him from the new
coffee-table book "24: Behind the Scenes." But he and other cast
members - including Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kim Raver, Jean Smart, Gregory
Itzin, Eric Balfour and Roger Cross - were typically tight-lipped
about the next 24 hours. "Anyone holding hands with Jack Bauer doesn't
have a long life expectancy," admitted Raver, Jack's love interest.
"One day out of two, I think I've become so key to the show that they
won't kill me," added Rajskub, who plays Chloe O'Brian. "On the other
day, I know I'm doomed." Newcomers - including Booth, Rick Schroder,
Chad Lowe, Regina King, Rena Sofer and James Cromwell - were a bit
more talkative. "I play a vice president who cleans up the crisis and
saves the world," confided Booth. That may merit a cigar.
--Tom Cruise could undoubtedly be elected president of the Jaden
Christopher Syre Smith Fan Club. When the 8-year-old was introduced at
the premiere of "The Pursuit of Happyness" on Thursday night, Cruise
released his wife's hand, put two fingers between his lips and shrilly
whistled before leading a thunderous round of applause. Then he gave
Will Smith, Jaden's dad and co-star, a bear hug before taking a seat
with Katie Holmes in the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood. Cruise
wasn't Jaden's only admirer in an audience that included Jennifer
Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thandie Newton, Garcelle Beauvais, Ludacris, Cuba
Gooding Jr., Angie Harmon, Virginia Madsen and Terrence Howard. "Will
and Jaden have an incredible natural chemistry that you'll never find
between two unrelated actors," said Howard, who brought daughter
Heavenly to the premiere. "They're reviving the trend started by Ryan
and Tatum O'Neal." "No one knew Jaden has this kind of talent," added
Chris Gardner, who lived a marginal life with his son before he wrote
the book on which the film, which opens Friday(Dec. 15), is based.
"He's going to blow up the business!" Jaden's parents were equally
impressed. "He's better than me and Will put together," said mom Jada
Pinkett Smith. "That boy's got skills and good DNA," added his dad. "I
learned a lot from him." Jaden, who's home-schooled and managed to get
in a few winks during the premiere, admits that he's given his father
some acting tips. "My dad sometimes doesn't always follow his own
advice," said Jaden. "He'll say, 'Stay in the scene,' and then not do
it. I had to remind him about that a few times."
--You didn't have to be on the Women in Entertainment Power 100 list to
appreciate the jokes at the Hollywood Reporter's annual breakfast
acknowledging the industry's leading ladies. "Why do they make a
woman's award in this shape?" Meryl Streep asked when she received the
phallic-contoured Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at the Beverly Hills
Hotel on Tuesday. That remark followed bathroom humor by keynote
speakers Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal. "What was my morning like
before I got here?" asked Bello. "I was doing the laundry and shaving
the 2-week old growth under my arms." "I've still got 2-week old growth
under my arms!" lamented Gyllenhaal. "That's what happens when you've
got a 2-month old baby." These reality checks might have been the
reason that Tatum O'Neal left the event just before Lansing introduced
Streep. "Meryl never plays it safe and never repeats herself," Lansing
told an audience that included 71 of the pack of 100 led by Sony head
Amy Pascal. "Just by being Meryl Streep she's defeated the single
biggest problem facing actresses in the movie business today: ageism.
She's proven that a leading lady can be over 40." Nonlisted women -
including Melissa Etheridge, Hayden Panettiere, Thandie Newton, Brenda
Strong, Michelle Trachtenberg, Natasha Henstridge and Andrea Bowen -
gave Streep a standing ovation before "The Devil Wears Prada" star
shared the secret of her success. "I was kicked out of the Brownies and
Girl Scouts for lacking leadership qualities," admitted Streep, who
will be 58 in June. "Nor did I have particularly pronounced followship
qualities. What career path was open to me? Actor. That way I could
pretend to be a female executive with leadership qualities on the
screen." And perhaps make next year's hot 100 list.
--Leonardo DiCaprio is thrilled that Amnesty International e-mailed its
1.2 million U.S. members urging them to see "Blood Diamond" this
weekend. And not just to boost box-office receipts. "The film's the
first step in a learning process about some very complex and brutal
issues," DiCaprio said amid the beat of African drummers and dancers at
the Hotel Roosevelt after party following Wednesday's premiere. "But
it's impartial nonprofit groups like Amnesty and Global Witness that
have the details about the illicit diamond business and its impact on
human rights, child soldiers, money laundering, terrorism and warfare."
DiCaprio and others at the premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater -
including Jane Fonda, Michael Mann, Peter Gallagher, Marg Helgenberger,
Vanessa Williams, director Ed Zwick, and co-stars Jennifer Connelly and
Djimon Hounsou - ported red bracelets that read "Blood Diamond-Clean
Diamond." "It's not my business to tell people what to wear," said
Connelly, who also wore a ring with diamonds certified by Tiffany's to
be "conflict free." "But, hopefully, the film will encourage Americans,
who buy half the world's diamonds, to be ethical consumers." Human
rights groups contend blood diamonds currently fuel numerous conflicts
and terrorist activities throughout the world. "We want our members to
have their voices heard at the box office to get this important issue
into the public eye," explained Larry Cox, the executive director of
Amnesty International. Not that the film lacks action on the
battlefield. " 'Diamond' gets its message across in a human, dramatic,
emotional and exciting way," DiCaprio concludes. "At the same time,
it's already put pressure on diamond companies to increase corporate
responsibility and assess their mining and marketing activity. It's
already a triumph."
jsw
> NY DAILY NEWS/Adam Nichols
> --Forget glam rocker David Bowie or troubled cat walker Kate Moss. In
> the running for the title of greatest living cultural Brit are Beatle
> Sir Paul McCartney, broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and cult singer
> former frontman of The Smiths, who caused outrage for saying he wished
> Bush had died instead of former President Ronald Reagan, is relatively
> obscure in the U.S. But in Britain, he is a rock god for songs such as
> "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now." His
> appearance in BBC viewers' selection of their top three living icons
> has beaten Bowie, Moss, singer Kate Bush and designer Vivienne
> Westwood. And it has surprised even his fans. "Morrissey up for the
> greatest living British icon?" says one on an Internet fan site. "God
stupid.