Kate Hudson and A-Rod tried to act all stealth when exiting 40/40 separately on Sunday night. Diddy was spotted leaving Miley Cyrus's house last weekend, and no one knows what they were doing inside. Stephanie Seymour got into a scuffle with some of her husband's security guards, at her own house. Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson flew back to L.A. from London together, and LiLo merrily tweeted about their reunion. She was also spotted with a diamond ring on her left hand, because she's subtle like that. Breaking: Adam Lambert is gay.
Prince danced with Tony winner Karen Olivo at Hudson Terrace. Anne Hathaway plans to get a few tips from Liza Minnelli on how to play her mother, Judy Garland, in the upcoming Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland on Broadway. Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott are said to be squabbling so much on the set of their Robin Hood film that producer Brian Grazer had to fly to London to break it up. This is after Crowe demanded Universal find a new director and Sienna Miller dropped out of the film. Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and John Krasinski are filming Nancy Meyers's new movie at the Jumeirah Essex House. Heidi Klum isn't worried about gaining baby weight with her fourth child because she knows she'll be back to her bikini-clad, svelte self two weeks later.
Anna Wintour might have removed her black glasses for Jason Wu's resort collection, but she stayed shaded while watching Roger Federer win the French Open. Vera Wang slurped some spaghetti at Patsy's. Padma Lakshmi and Ted Forstmann ate carbs at Da Silvano. Kate Winslet hasn't exercised since October.
Heidi Pratt's rep confirms that she was not tortured on the set of I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here. Former Melrose Place star Andrew Shue won't be joining his castmates in the show's remake, and doesn't like the fact that Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will be starring. Chris Brown kept at least three security guards with him at all times while partying at Miami's Fontainebleau, then added two more guards to his entourage when he headed to Liv nightclub.
Though 48 percent of New Yorkers like Michael Bloomberg personally, and 60 percent approve of the job he's doing as mayor, the majority of city residents feel they'd like to see a new person in City Hall, the New York Times reported last night. 55 percent of respondents to a NY1/Times/Cornell poll said they'd like to give someone else a shot, while 40 percent said they'd like to see Bloomberg stay in power. Only 40 percent of people think the city is headed in the right direction.
Of course, as the paper points out, none of this really matters. Bloomberg has already spent $20 million on the race, and has indicated he'll spend up to $100 million more. His main competition, Comptroller Bill Thompson, won't be able to spend nearly that amount. And anyway, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they didn't even know enough about Thompson to have an opinion on him. The only New Yorkers with the financial heft and influential might to stop Mayor Bloomberg now are Madonna, Alec Baldwin, and Elmo. And Madonna is going to be busy with that new baby, and Baldwin can never be allowed to leave 30 Rock, so ...
AP - Maine fisherman and author Linda Greenlaw, who survived the nor'easter that was the basis for the book and movie "The Perfect Storm," has been fined more than $30,000 for fishing illegally in Canadian waters. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment News | 9 Jun 2009 | 3:31 pm
• Saks should open its new designer floor pretty soon. It includes labels like Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Oscar de la Renta, and Ralph Lauren and cost $30 million to complete. In the meantime, they hope labels lower their prices. [WWD]
• Michelle Obama took Sasha and Malia shopping at the upscale kids' clothing store Bonpoint in Paris. [WWD]
• If Peaches Geldof's Twitter feed is to be believed, Courtney Love is working on a clothing line. Courtney has said her ideas for a line include "cotton ribbed body suits," "cashmere harem pants," and "stitching a ruby into every outfit." [Grazia]
• This week, Giles Deacon launched a swimwear collection inspired by a trip to Los Angeles's Chateau Marmont hotel for British store New Look. It will also be available online. [British Vogue]
• Here is a brief history of how sneakers got their names, from Keds to Puma to Adidas. The latter is not the acronym for "All Day I Dream About Soccer," but came from a man named Adi Dassler. [WSJ]
As expected, the Treasury Department this morning said it has approved ten of the nation's largest banks to repay $68 billion in government bailout money. They haven't said which banks yet, but it's a good bet that eager beavers JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon and Goldman Sachs's Lloyd Blankfein have been parked in lawn chairs outside the Treasury with checks in their sweaty palms since before dawn. So: Does this mean the money will go back to paying down the deficit, perhaps, or easing our tax burden? Alas, says the Journal: "The Treasury doesn't believe things have improved enough that the money won't be needed elsewhere. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said he plans to reuse returned TARP funds to assist other firms, including smaller banks, including those that have already received an initial TARP infusion." Sigh. [WSJ]
Last night at the Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street, we asked Vulture buddy Trent Reznor (winner for Artist of the Year) if he had any wild stories from Nine Inch Nails' tour with Jane's Addiction, and the man did not disappoint: "One time," he told us, "I saw Dave Navarro wear a shirt."
Reuters - One of Pablo Picasso's sketchbooks worth several million euros has been stolen from the Picasso Museum in central Paris, police said on Tuesday.
AP - Kathy Griffin has won two Emmys for "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," now in its fifth season on Bravo. Her standup shows often sell out. Her 2008 comedy album, "For Your Consideration," was nominated for a Grammy (George Carlin won the award posthumously). And her memoir comes out in September.
On last night's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Mark-Paul Gosselaar — who is an actor on a popular-ish TV series entering a second season, and therefore should not really have to do things like this! — sat for an interview in character as Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, his embarrassing breakout role from twenty years ago. Yes, he brought the enormous prop cell phone. Thankfully, Fallon let him show a clip from his current project, TNT's Raising the Bar (actually not the worst show), but he was mostly there to bang the drums for Late Night's SBTB reunion. (They claim Screech and Tiffani Thiessen are final holdouts, but since Screech owes a bunch of back taxes and, last year, Thiessen acted in something called Cyborg Soldier, we're pretty sure they're both game.) To his credit, Gosselaar is clearly the world's greatest sport, and he looks uncannily like he did on the original show, if you ignore the glue that's obviously holding his hair on. But honestly, Jimmy Fallon, was this really necessary?
Here's an example of how rich people who buy couture clothes are: A client of Christian Lacroix's offered to rescue his label, which recently filed for bankruptcy. Lacroix turned down the offer. He is owed $1.7 million and has been designing for free for months. And he's not the only one owed money. The factory that makes his clothes hasn't been paid either, nor have the workers it employs. Because of this, Lacroix's critically praised fall 2009 collection will probably not get produced.
Lacroix continues to design his couture collection, though he's not sure if or how he'll show it. (He's hoping for a presentation of some kind.) He says he's designing for the seamstresses in his atelier. “They deserve it, even if we can’t show it,” he told WWD. “I can’t stand having them do nothing during this period because they have it in their blood. January and July, it’s couture. It’s a physical clock.” Still, he has no budget for outside suppliers like embroiderers.
Couture is the essence of the Lacroix label. Though the designer noted strained relationships with the label's owners, he heralded management's decision to cut the lower-priced Bazar and Christian Lacroix Jeans lines. However, he blames recent the 35 percent drop in sales on cheap materials bought to try to cut costs. “If you decide to do something in the deluxe field, you have to go all the way,” he said. “Even the best factory can’t make beautiful clothes with cut-rate fabrics.”
When the courts finish cleaning everything up, Lacroix said the label could just become a licensing operation with no couture. No couture! So the spring 2009 collection pictured here could have been his last. Why didn't he take that lady's check again?
The Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents 700 editorial and business employees, voted 277 to 265 last night against a new contract conceding wage and other benefit cuts, negotiated after the New York Times Company said it needed to come up with $20 million in annual savings to keep the paper open. Now, in order to meet the Times Company's request, the paper says it will resort to implementing a 23 percent wage reduction for all Guild members, effective next week. "We are disappointed that ... the Boston Newspaper Guild did not ratify the Globe’s final proposal," the Globe said in a statement last night. "We regret having to take this action, but have no financially viable alternative." [Boston Herald]
MADRID - Pablo Soto's story may be every computer whiz kid's dream - or nightmare. After leaving school at 16 to support his family, he managed to eke out a living doing what he loves... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 9 Jun 2009 | 2:32 pm
NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- SPAM(R), America's favorite lunch meat, is turning 72 years old this July 4th. In commemoration of the nation's number one mystery meat Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 9 Jun 2009 | 2:32 pm
That's the theory comic-book writer Brian Lynch is trying to advance. He compares and contrasts the cast of Tina Fey's hit show with the Gen X staple and, quite frankly, makes a pretty strong case. By the time he gets to the Jenna Maroney–Miss Piggy comparison, you'll probably be won over, too. [Brian Lynch via Movieline]
Smith, who represents a moderate African-American community in southeast Queens, was able to seize power — but only by making promises he couldn't keep. At the heart of it was his inability to placate his liberal members and satisfy the demands of the non-ideological mercenaries, Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate. Republicans too have their internal divisions, but they tend to stick together, a quality hardened by their long experience as an embattled, aging majority in a blue-leaning state — and anger over the way they felt they've been treated by the ruling Democrats in recent months.
For Espada, the job of president of the Senate — which puts him second-in-line to the governorship — was too good to pass up. It didn't help that Espada was feeling heat from pro-tenant Democrats after Smith in January had given him assurances that he would avoid any move to tighten rent regulations. Espada, say Republicans, approached them about switching sides a month ago.
Over the last week, conspiring in apartments around Albany, Republicans plotted every step of the coup with an extreme meticulousness, a complex exercise in Albany game theory. "We ran through every scenario," says Republican Jim Alesi, who says they even predicted that Democrats would "act emotionally" by moving to adjourn and trying to literally shut down the session instead of staying in the chamber and putting up a fight. "By leaving, they gave us carte blanche." Democrats turned off lights and switched off the cameras. Republicans came prepared with their own photographers, recording equipment, and stenographers.
Governor David Paterson, whom some blame for the Democratic chaos, last night called the coup an "outrage." Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose control of Albany is now threatened, vowed to throw his support behind the Democrats. Albany is used to outrages; it processes them quickly and moves on. If Democrats have an ace, they had better play it quickly. The consensus is that if Democrats have any hope of crushing the insurrection, they have a very limited window of action, 48 hours at the most.
Espada suggested yesterday that they may flip as many as five other lawmakers, including Senators Ruben Diaz Sr. and Carl Kruger. Any additional switches would give Republicans much-needed insurance; the Democratic turncoats are not the most reliable conspirators. Espada is under a state ethics probe and Monserrate, accused of slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken glass, was recently indicted on domestic-assault charges.
Unless Republicans join their camp — an unlikely scenario — Democrats' best shot lies outside the legislature in the court system. They may seek an injunction to block Republicans from gaveling back into order this week. Both Democrats and Republicans say they expect that separation-of-powers considerations will deter judges from intervening in a testy parliamentary matter that they may feel is best sorted out by lawmakers themselves.
Says one Senate Democrat: "We may have a trick up our sleeves. Just wait." Alesi says he's unfazed: "This is not a pregnancy test. We have 32 votes."
"The Hurt Locker," which opens in limited release later this month, depicts a American bomb disposal unit in the Iraq war. Director Kathryn Bigelow said she wanted to shine a light on the soldiers' heroism -- and the price they pay.
AP - "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has landed the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, where he talks about sex, drugs and his "Idol" experiences.
The A-Team van is starting to fill up.
As the film update of the iconic 1980s TV series starts to take shape, Variety reports Liam Neeson is in talks for the role of cigar-chomping Col....
3x DeLorean: There are now three separateJohn DeLorean biopics in the works — Time Inc. Studios and XYZ Films, the latest to join the fray, will battle a Brett Ratner–James Toback–Robert Evans project as well as one from producers David Permut and Steven Lee Jones that had acquired life rights from DeLorean's lawyer. The Time Inc.–XYZ Films version might have them bested, however — they have the rights to DeLorean’s unpublished memoir and the go-ahead from DeLorean’s business partner and his son, who is the executor of his estate. Who knows DeLorean best? We'll just have to see which team manages to go back in time and have this idea first. [Variety]
Grade Grubbing:James Franco will star in the indie drama In Praise of Shadows as William Vincent, a man returning to New York after a four-year exile spent rescuing his love interest from a crime syndicate. The low-budget affair (under $10 million) was written and will be directed by Jay Anania, head of the directing program at the graduate film school at NYU, where, conveniently enough, Franco is studying. “I was immediately struck by his inventiveness and talent,” Anania said. "Also, omigod, he totally agreed to do my movie!" he did not add. [Variety]
Earl Again?: TBS might pick up My Name Is Earl for a thirteen-episode run. There was originally talk of Fox picking up the show — canceled after four years at NBC — but now the "Very Funny" network is apparently the front-runner. Could this just be some eccentric billionaire's last-ditch effort to make sure Jason Lee keeps the handlebar mustache? [Variety]
Howard and Howard:Bryce Dallas Howard and her writing partner Dane Charbeneau have sold their script The Originals to Universal. The ensemble drama follows a group of twentysomethings meeting up for a weekend in New York after hearing that an influential teacher they shared has fallen into a mysterious coma. While no one is yet officially attached to direct, signs are indicating that most likely Howard will just make her daddy, Ron Howard, do it. [HR]
Soon enough, Mercy James will be living in the spacious townhouse her new adopted mother recently bought on the UES. We hope it has room enough for all her clothes.
Despite an initial ruling denying Madonna the right to adopt 4-year-old Malawian orphan Mercy James, the pop singer will indeed be allowed to take the little girl home with her, according to British reports. The London Sun reveals (we love those London tabloids — they're always "revealing" something, like they're magicians, or Biblical prophets) that three judges have agreed to recommend Madonna be allowed to adopt the girl, and the decision will be announced next Sunday in Malawi's Supreme Court of Appeal. "All recommendations are in favour of the adoption taking place," said a Malawian source. "Mercy should start packing her bags. She's off to America." Not that we're surprised Madonna eventually won this battle with Malawi — after all, it's a nation of only 13 million citizens, and Madonna practices Ashtanga yoga. They didn't really stand a chance. But Mercy should "pack her bags"? She is a 4-year-old orphan. What exactly do we think she has lying around to pack — much less enough items to necessitate multiple bags? Must we be so bitterly caustic so soon?
Joanna Baum, owner of the two fabulously stylish Sir boutiques in Brooklyn, is branching out her designer status: She has started making single-strand silver- and gold-plated chain necklaces that are simple and understated enough to fit anyone's style. The suede straps come in an array of fun color options like scarlet, lilac, periwinkle, pink, and black, and can be layered over a simple tank or tee. Baum named the necklace "Marcella" for the smart and sexy girl the Beach Boys sing about in their 1972 track. We think we just found our summer trinket.
$40 to $60 at Sir, 129 Bedford Ave., nr. N. 10th St.; 718-384-0700.
Bigpoint.com is the Exclusive Publisher for Universal Pictures' Online Games for Such hit Movies as "Wanted", "The Fast and the Furious" and "The Terminator" HAMBURG,... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 9 Jun 2009 | 2:00 pm
Lambert's Debut Album is Set for Release in Fall 2009 NEW YORK, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- American Idol season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert has been signed to 19... Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsEnter | 9 Jun 2009 | 2:00 pm
Making his way to Iraq unscathed wasn't the only close shave to befall Stephen Colbert.
The Colbert Report pundit, decked out in the finest camouflage suit Baghdad has to offer, made...
Ska legends The Specials, whose heyday 30 years ago coincided with a grimly familiar backdrop of economic hardship and unemployment, are to embark on a 13-date reunion tour of Britain. The band says on its website it will start in November, after a string of successful shows to mark the anniversary earlier this year.
E! Online - Brace yourselves, Gossip Girl fans, because one of the series' key couples may not be getting back together! Yep, we're hearing not-so-encouraging things about the future of Dan and Serena, and we'll tell you what new paradigm they are living under next season.
Time-out.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar just earned himself a spot in the late-night-interview hall of fame with Monday's appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
Sporting a...
"At this point, whoever lands in the interview chair, does the interview it looks like. Don't ask any questions. It's called rolling with life," said Kate Gosselin in the opening...
Well, minus the emergency hospitalization, the lawsuit threats and errant talk of torture...the big conundrum turned into a whole lot of nothing.
Heidi and Spencer Pratt were pretty much...
Front Page: Duo to bring car designer's story to bigscreen -- Time Inc. Studios and XYZ Films have joined the race to mount biopics of John DeLorean, the innovative car designer who lost everything when he was accused of drug trafficking in an attempt to save his failing car company.
Front Page: Anania film begins production June 15 -- James Franco is set to star in "In Praise of Shadows," an indie drama written and directed by Jay Anania. Pic will start production June 15 in New York City.
Front Page: Actor negotiating for 'Hannibal' role in Fox film -- Liam Neeson is in negotiations with 20th Century Fox to star in its long-gestating bigscreen adaptation of "The A-Team" as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith.
Reuters - That semi-classic 1974 subway heist thriller starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw -- as opposed to the inferior 1998 TV movie with Edward James Olmos and Vincent D'Onofrio -- has been given a smartly streamlined overhaul while still remaining faithful to the original blueprint. Source: Yahoo! News: Entertainment Reviews | 9 Jun 2009 | 1:39 am
Glenn O'Brien, the editorial director who last year took over Interview magazine and Brant Publications' other titles, Art in America, The Magazine Antiques, and the new design title Modern, has left the company, a publicist confirmed to New York. It's the latest in a long string of leadership changes, ever since longtime editor Ingrid Sischy left and her partner, publisher Sandra Brant, sold her half of the company in January of 2008.
Brace yourselves, Gossip Girl fans, because one of the series' key couples may not be getting back together! Yep, we're hearing not-so-encouraging things about the future of Dan and...
We hear from a source close to the production of Best Week Ever, which just went on summer hiatus, that the show’s future is in jeopardy. It will be off the air until 2010, which some employees are considering effectively the same as a cancellation, since Best Week Ever normally breaks for weeks at a time, not months. In fact, we're told that recent New York City transplant Paul F. Tompkins is considering moving back to Los Angeles. When reached for comment, a spokesperson told us that "VH1's Best Week Ever has actually gone on its scheduled production hiatus and will return in January 2010. Its companion piece Best Day Ever, which spoofs that day’s pop-culture news, will return this fall." No reason was given for the extended time away, but apparently staffers were hopeful that the full 30-minute version would be back this fall.
The news is surprising, given that Best Week Ever recently underwent a major overhaul at the behest of VH1 executives. After creator Fred Graver left the network in late 2007, the show was reformatted and relaunched in October 2008 to be a star vehicle for the talented Tompkins, who had been part of the rotating circuit of talking heads since launch. That popular format was altered so that Tompkins could host in a similar manner to the role that Joel McHale plays on the E! Network’s hit pop-culture-roundup show, The Soup.
This housewife had tidied up her legal docket.
The assault case against Kelly Bensimon, one of the newer Real Housewives of New York City, has been adjourned after her accuser failed to...
Trey Songz, whom you may know as “a young man with a whole lotta cash, just looking for a lady I can spend on,” has a new song that’s perhaps even more seductive than “I Need a Girl.” It’s called “Invented Sex,” and it’s a state-of-the-art, shamelessly literal R&B ballad that, despite its title, does the very opposite of reinventing the wheel: The ingratiating mini-hooks and dreamy whooshing effects are about the most familiar sounds a person acquainted with radio could hear right about now, and isn’t sexual appeal deeply invested in comfort and familiarity? (Though we have to admit the punning promise of a “magnum lifestyle” — magnums of Champagne, magnum-size Lifestyles — could be a turn-on.) Experience the track, featuring Drake, via Pigeons and Planes.
And then there’s the video for “Raindrops,” from the Basement Jaxx, which eschews comfort, familiarity, and the guarantee of romantic toasts and comically oversize prophylactics in favor of a vision of sexual congress inside of a large tent at Burning Man. The music’s all pulsing ecstatic climax, naturally — which is sexy if you’re into the kind of feverish, sweaty coupling that leaves one drained and speechless, rather than the careful, loving kind that ebbs into murmured pillow talk and the langorous passing of tissues. So who’s got the hotter song? Go ahead, in the comments: “Dear Vulture, I never thought this would happen to me … ”
Actress Kyra Sedgwick attends the ceremony honoring her with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. Sedgwick, star of hit television series "The Closer", became the 2,384th celebrity... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jun 2009 | 11:23 pm
One of the leading proponents of the marriage-equality bill that is currently lingering just off the floor of the New York State Senate, Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, says he's still optimistic about getting it passed — even with Republicans now seemingly in charge and the end of session rapidly approaching. "I believe that it's still coming regardless of who controls the Senate," he told New York. "Every year more Americans and more New Yorkers support my right to a marriage license." He pointed out that newly minted Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos has said all along he'll let Republican senators vote with their conscience, rather than insisting on a party-line vote — but that says nothing of getting the bill itself introduced for a vote, which, if it turns out the coup that happened today is legal, will be up to him to do. A court ruling will probably have to resolve the issue now — though the new team does appear to be making good already on promises to share power and resources more equitably. Ruben Diaz Sr., a member of the so-called "Group of Four" whose fellow renegade Democrats Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada today gave the Republicans back the majority, said he is not yet decided where he'll end up standing. "When the court decides, I will decide," he said this afternoon. Though he does not seem to have been an architect of this recent coup, and Senators Espada and Monserrate are actually both supporters of marriage equality, Diaz could use his valuable fence-sitting position once again as a way to keep the bill off the floor.
For those about to rock, we recommend investing in a solid health insurance plan.
The damage report is in on Bret Michaels following his literally headbanging performance at last...
Sure, Bret Michaels was beheaded and Prince found love, but that was just the beginning. What else did the cameras miss at yesterday's Tony awards? New York's Jada Yuan, Kyle Landman, Tali Yahalom, and Yelena Shuster were there. Below, a timeline.
9:15 a.m.:Lin-Manuel Miranda is first to arrive at Lipton Tea Gift Lounge backstage at Radio City Music Hall; gets a purse for his wife, a teapot for himself. “This is my first time in the free-swag room,” he said. “It’s a little surreal. It’s a little insane. I just keep thinking about the Sopranos episode where Christopher pops Lauren Bacall in the face. I feel like he is going to come around the corner at any moment.”
10:15 a.m.: Pals Jane Fonda (with cane, for upcoming knee surgery) and Liza Minelli try on Jil Sander eyeliner and sunglasses together at the Marchon booth. Fonda says she’s never been to a swag lounge, but she has seen swag. “I’ve taken the stuff they’ve given me and given it away.” Liza tells a staffer she’s really nervous for tonight: “Honey, I can’t rest on my laurels. Your laurels don’t last if you don’t keep working.” After the show, she says she’s not hitting any parties. “I’m looking forward to going to Joe Allen’s and having a hamburger after the show.”
10:40 a.m.:Bret Michaels enters the room in heavy black eyeliner. Says he hasn’t seen any plays this season. However, “I saw Phantom of the Opera a couple of years ago because they used all of the laser lights for our show. When I saw it, I said, ‘This is the truest story ever.’” Also, on the absence of new lady love, Taya: “It should be called Rock of Dating. I don’t think you are going to find love on a TV show in a month and a half. Taya and I just saw each other the other night. We’re dating and having a great time."
10:46 a.m.:James Gandolfini and Jeff Daniels of God of Carnage sweep in, check out the swag, and file out. When asked by a reporter about a possible Sopranos movie, Gandolfini merely grunts.
10:48 a.m.: Fresh from rehearsal, Alison Janney is shaking off preshow jitters. “I just hope I don’t trip Dolly, because I have to walk onstage with her and she’s very teeny.”
11:15 a.m.: Security tries to prevent Ugly Betty’s Mark Indelicato from entering. His publicist insists that he is the official Twitterer for the Tonys, gaining him instant access. “They kind of pulled me into this Twittering thing,” he says, while apparently tweeting by an Altoids booth. “ I wasn’t a big tweeter before. If you want to follow me, my Twitter is: @MarkIndelicato. Yes. I need more followers."
11:26 a.m.:Samantha Mathis reminisces about being Neil Patrick Harris’s first kiss back in the Doogie Howser days. “I was his first onscreen kiss. We worked together when he was 14 and I was 18. He was adorable! He was little Doogie Howser.”
11:33 a.m.:Edie Falco is the fifteenth celebrity we’ve met today who pretends they’ve never seen a piece of swag in their lives. “I still can’t get over that people are just handing me things,” she says. “It’s very bizarre.”
12:23 p.m.: While getting her daughter Vera Bradley Christmas stockings, Marcia Gay Harden discusses her love of hitting James Gandolfini in God of Carnage. “I am the most violent one in the play. I am the one who pounds people, who jumps on people, who hits James Gandolfini. That’s my character,” she says. “It become a bit of a dance, actually. You fly the the air and you land and he’s just very solid and he’s game, very, very game. Although, in two-show days, he says, 'Go easy in the afternoon.'"
2:00 p.m.: Host Neil Patrick Harris shows up looking adorable in casual khakis and a polo. He eyes the Passchal handbags made from discarded tractor inner tubes, when a random fan approaches, "Loved you in Dr. Horrible!" Harris smiles. A dapper male handler in all black follows Harris around, carrying a floral Vera Bradley duffel to hold the swag. Press are warned to stay behind, because Harris is "not doing interviews." A renegade theater blogger tries snapping a photo, but a press rep jumps in front to block the delicate Harris from being exposed to the flash.
6:11 p.m.: First "celebrities" start to walk the red carpet outside Radio City Music Hall, including some Elvis Presley–Johnny Cash-impersonator band, Jill Zarin of Real Housewives, and lifetime achievement honoree, Shirley Herz, randomly accompanied by Rod, the uptight gay redheaded puppet from Avenue Q. Herz reminisces about how the Tony Awards used to be a glorified dinner dance at the Waldorf. Rod makes a joke about how he hasn’t been watching Conan O’Brien, but “I love his hair.”
6:19 p.m.:Paul McGill, star of the upcoming Fame movie, comes by dressed like a Jersey Boy, in slicked-back hair and a teal dinner jacket. He tells a story about how he liked 9 to 5 so much he saw it twice in two days, but didn’t have the money, so entered a lottery and won a $25 rush ticket. “This job provides a good fan base,” he says, “but it didn’t necessarily make me rich.”
6:27 p.m.:Diane Paulus, director of Hair, reveals that the cast will be climbing on top of audience members, per usual. “We’ve actually picked certain people who we think will be fun and will play along,” she says. “Although I’ve told the cast, you can’t mess with any woman’s hair. It’s not like at the Hirschfeld. They’ve all, like, set their hair. It’s not very nice.” She also tells us that the Hair after-party will be at Tavern on the Green. “The invitation says, ‘Food and drink will be provided. Central Park is providing the grass.’”
6:32 p.m.: We spot Laura Benanti, a winner last year for Gypsy, and husband Steven Pasqual, now starring in Reasons to be Pretty, and recall how we met them at the bar after the ceremony last year. “I was probably hammered at that point. I actually had two glasses of Champagne that night and fell asleep,” says Benanti. Tonight, Pasqual says his first order of business is to find a glass of wine. Benanti says she has to forgo it or risk falling asleep onstage. Then after the awards, says Pasqual, “she’s going to go to sleep and I’m going to party the night away in her honor.”
6:35 p.m.: Lin-Manuel Miranda tells us how he’s been walking buddy Karen Olivo of West Side Story through her first Tony nomination. “I just told her to soak every bit of it in. I barely remember any of it,” he says. “Thank God there was a documentary crew following me around last year. Literally, in our PBS documentary, there is a picture of me hugging Patti LuPone. I don’t remember that happening. I was like, 'When did I hug and kiss Patti LuPone?'" Miranda also promises to "Kanye West the stage" if Olivo doesn’t win. “’George Bush doesn’t care about Puerto Ricans!’ It’s going to be terrible.”
6:40 p.m.: Best Original Score nominee Jeanine Tesori, with writing partner David Lindsay-Abaire, tells a funny story about accidentally using Shrek’s green makeup, thinking it was her concealer. “That stuff is a bitch to get off! You need, like, turpentine.” Tesorio says she’s looking forward to meeting “the projectile-vomit scene from God of Carnage” at the GOC–West Side Story–Shrek joint after-party.
6:43 p.m.: Someone near us spots Dolly Parton’s hair towering above the crowd. We never actually see Dolly herself.
6:46 p.m.:David Bologna, nominated for feature actor for Billy Elliot, shows up in an orange vest, bowtie, and Converse sneakers, and raves about his idol, Joel Grey. Bologna tells us the Billy Elliot cast is always pulling pranks on each other. “On April Fool's Day, the girls got us really good,” he says. “They actually trashed our dressing room with a bunch of girls' stuff. Like girlie posters and magazines, perfume ads and pink hearts.”
6:48 p.m.:Audra McDonald shows up with her daughter, who’s 6 or so and is already falling asleep. McDonald may be with Hair’s Will Swenson, but she says she will not strip tonight in his honor. “It took me an hour to get into this dress, honey. I’m not going to take it off. Are you kidding me? No.”
6:53 p.m.:Alice Ripley, later a winner for Next to Normal, looks gorgeous in a royal-blue gown. The only problem is, her agent keeps stepping on her train. She looks out at the crowd of onlookers gathered across from Radio City and beams. “I love seeing all the people gathered on the other side of the street to see the glamorous side of theater. This is it. This one day. Enjoy it, guys.”
6:58 p.m.:West Side Story’s Josefina Scaglione shows up in an emerald-green Jason Wu. “Just like Michelle Obama.”
7:02 p.m.:Grey’s Anatomy star Chandra Wilson shows up, even though she’s starting her five-week run as Big Momma in Chicago the next day. She says she’s adjusting to New York well so far, but is perplexed by the closed-off Times Square: “I don’t understand anything about that,” she says. “It just makes no sense to me that people are sitting on chairs, looking up at the different TV screens. And I haven’t seen anyone shirtless, but I know it’s coming. The hotter it gets, the more naked people feel like they need to be, and I’m not really ready for that."
7:05 p.m.:Martha Plimpton, a nominee for Pal Joey, looks incredibly relaxed. She didn’t prepare a speech (“I don’t think I’m going to need it”) and she had friends over for an afternoon brunch of bagels, lox, and Champagne. The only thing that riles her up, too, is the newfangled Times Square. “Of all the things that Bloomberg’s done, I would say that this is the most conceptual-arty decision he’s ever made. I’m not a huge fan of it, and if I was a cab driver, I’d be losing my mind. I like the idea of Times Square as a congested, busy, horrible place to walk through. You know what I mean? It’s always been that way, and as far as I’m concerned, it always should be. If people want to sunbathe, they can go on a roof.”
7:09 p.m.: Plimpton insists she will not do a Pal Joey–like striptease tonight: “William Ivey Long makes it possible to strip, know what I’m saying? There’s some architecture involved, okay? As long as I’m wearing this dress, it’s not happening.” And if any Hair cast members mess with her hair, “I might bite them.”
7:34 p.m.: Word ripples through the red carpet that Nicole Kidman isn’t coming, even though it’s been widely touted that she would. There’s a vague cloud of disappointment, then relief as most reporters realize they can go home.
8:00 p.m.: Awards start rolling in. Lee Hall tells the press room (on the 64th floor of Rockefeller Center) he thought of the idea for Billy Elliot in the bathtub while “dreaming about New York” and “thinking about how weird my childhood was.”
8:29 p.m.:Roger Robinson tells the press corps the same story, verbatim, he told us weeks ago about Obama coming to see Joe Turner Come and Gone. He’s interrupted by wild applause when Angela Lansbury wins Best Lead Actress in a Play, and then again by a publicist after about eight more minutes of rambling. He doesn’t seem to mind. “On to eating!” he says, before telling us that his show has sold out after the Obama visit. “Now you can’t get a ticket,” he says. “It’s the Obama effect. I wish the Obamas had come the first week."
8:44 p.m.: Angela Lansbury enters the press room to rapturous applause. She tells us she’s picked out a spot for her fifth Tony: "It's going to go on this little shelf I have in my living room, because I needed to fill out ... I never believed in my wildest dreams that I'd have an opportunity to get another Tony. This is how life is sometimes, and you don’t always know where the good stuff is coming from."
9:20 p.m.: A publicist is overheard saying, "We don’t know if the nose is broken," referring to Bret Michaels. It is later confirmed not to be broken.
9:30 p.m.: Liza Minnelli enters the room, trailed by eleven panicked staffers. Someone jokes about her beef with Will Ferrell (he accused her of being a communist on the Tonight Show). She disappoints by saying that she and Ferrell spent most of the night “telling each other how much we like each other.”
9:36 p.m.: Rambling Roger Robinson finally leaves the press room after Liza Minelli. He says they didn’t talk tonight, but he met her at the nominees luncheon, “and I got a picture of her, with my camera. I wanna meet Dolly Parton. That’s who I wanna meet.” A publicist informs him that Ms. Parton appeared to have left the building after she didn’t win for Best Original Score.
10:18 p.m.:Geoffrey Rush, Tony in hand, readies a cigarette, even though he’s got a 64-floor elevator ride ahead of him. We talk after-party plans. He’s hitting three. Including the Hair party? “If I can get in!” Will he strip? “Oh, probably.”
10:35 p.m.: Karen Olivo walks through the press halls, softly singing, “I got a Tony!” She says it’s actually not the first time she’s held a Tony. “My friend Priscilla Lopez has one and she brought it to the theater, so I’ve held it before,” says Olivo. “But I never got my picture taken with it. That’s probably the secret to my success. Don’t do that! Don’t jinx it!” She says she doesn’t know where to put it, because “we have horrible cats and we’ll need to build a fortress.” She says she just wants to sit down and let it sink in. “I keep opening this envelope and thinking it’s going to say someone else’s name. But it actually says mine. It’s kinda cool.”
11:12 p.m.: Alice Ripley, fresh off her win for Best Lead Actress in a Play, runs into the director and producers of Hair and tells them she used to choreograph dances with her friends to Hair songs in her basement when she was 3.
11:22 p.m.:Elton John is telling the press room how he’s never been to the Tonys before, but he likes them way better than the Oscars. Then he almost slips off the stage. The entire press room gasps as Elton totters, then manages to sit down on the stage and finish his press conference. Publicists lose all color in their faces.
11:26 p.m.: The three Billy Elliot kids enter the press room, followed by a huge noisy posse of friends and family. Publicists go ballistic: “You can party with them the whole night, but if you keep making noise, you won’t be able to stay here.” The moms ignore them and start dancing.
11:29 p.m.: Entire press room freezes in confusion as Elton John seizes the three Billys for a photo op in some unknown part of the building.
11:30 p.m. Down at the gala in the skating rink, Anne Hathaway and Tamara Tunie are laughing about how many times the producers showed Hathaway’s beaming face during the broadcast. “They must have put me onscreen like fifteen times,” says Hathaway. “After a while, I was like, enough already! You know, Susan Sarandon is sitting right next to me.” She also reveals how she ended up doing that song-and-dance routine with Hugh Jackman at the Oscars. “I’m a trained musical theater actor and Hugh Jackman had heard that I was a hoofer, so he asked me to perform with him. There’s been a lot of interest after that, so apparently it was just an audition for several million people.”
11:42 p.m.:Gavin Creel makes the second joke we've heard tonight about how there’s going to be a lot of grass at the Hair party, since it’s in Central Park. He claims this will be the night he finally makes up for his character, Claude, being the only one in the cast who doesn’t go Full Monty. “Finally! This is my chance!” he says. “I’m gonna clink a glass, stand on a table, and strip it all down. I’m gonna ask for complete silence. I’ll do it right before you come. Or right after you leave."
11:44 p.m.: Creel and Co. rehash the Bret Michaels spill. “I hope he’s okay. Neil had a great comeback, though. He said he took headbanging to a whole new level.”
11:57 p.m.: Inseparable Oliver Platt and Lauren Graham joke about their meticulous preparation to be Tonys presenters. Says Platt: “We had a secret meeting place in the Hamptons where we prepared, tried to come up with ideas to stand out. Sometimes I’d try on the dress and she’d wear the tux, but we showed up with this combination and it was great this way.” Graham then interjects that she’ll do anything, brave any traffic jam for Broadway. “Yeah, what she said,” says Platt.
12:00 a.m.:Will Swenson explains why his tuxedo has bits of Chinese silk and a British flag. “I wanted to do something a little bit subversive because last time Hair was nominated, they wouldn’t let Jim [Rado] and Gerry [Ragni] go unless they wore tuxedos. And they didn’t go. So we wanted to represent the hippie energy.”
12:05 a.m.: Audra McDonald shows up, sans daughter. "At about 10:15 they just zonked out,” she says. “Before that, though, they were pretty well behaved. Amazing what Nilla Wafers can do.”
12:19 a.m.:Christopher Sieber, Lord Farquaad in Shrek, tells us what it’s like to be a nominee: "There’s a moment when your category comes up, when you kind of shuffle yourself to make sure you look okay. Make sure you're buttoned up and your tie is straight and stuff like that," he says. "And then they open the envelope and there's a split second of hope and despair where you think you heard your name and then you realize it's someone else's name. I think everyone should experience that once in their life. That feeling of, 'Oh my God, it might be me! It's me! It's not.'" On the bright side, though, he points out, he lost to his good friend Gregory Jbara instead of a 12-year-old.
12:28 a.m.: We meet John Stamos, who tells us that he used to be neighbors with Bret Michaels (see Daily Intel).
12:33 a.m.:Samantha Mathis, leaving the gala, gives Neil Patrick Harris a big hug and marvels at the Billy Elliot boys. “When I was 12 or 13, I was still in school, begging my mother to let me out and her not letting me. She made me wait till I was 16 so I could have a little bit of a childhood.”
12:42 a.m.: At the Billy Elliot after-party at Bar Americain, Elton John has left the building, but stars Kiril Kulish and Trent Kowalik stand against a wall catching their breath. “It’s so overwhelming right now,” says Kowalik. “I still can’t believe it.” “It feels like a dream,” says Kulish. David Alvarez is actually mute. Completely mute. All three keep running back to their moms for hugs and kisses, while their seven sisters exchange horror stories of getting kissed on the cheek by distant members of the cast/Broadway family.
12:47 a.m.: Amid plates of half-eaten comfort food at the Billy Elliot party (corn bread, fried chicken, mac and cheese), a Tony award sits on a table, unguarded and forgotten.
1:00 a.m.:Roger Friedman tells Haydn Gwynn she was robbed. She replies: “Did you go, ‘Oh fuck!’ like my partner? See, that’s why I like the Tonys. Unlike other award shows, when someone loses, they go, ‘Oh shit,’ instead of applauding the winner.”
1:23 a.m.: At the Rock of Ages party at Area, Poison (minus the briefly hospitalized Bret Michaels) shows up. Neil Patrick Harris and Jill Zarin party on a smoke-filled dance floor to really loud eighties rock, while industrial fans whip everyone’s hair around like in a White Snake video.
1:42 a.m.: Jane Fonda (with cane) and Samantha Mathis arrive at the joint West Side Story–God of Carnage–Shrek–[title of show]–The Norman Conquests party at Hudson Terrace. A bouncer calls upstairs to make sure the second floor is cleared for Fonda to enter. Two of her six-person party must ride a different elevator due to weight capacity, and they look so sad the security guard asks them if they’re suffering from separation anxiety.
1:49 a.m.:Sonia Friedman, producer of The Norman Conquests, has haphazardly stuck her Tony award in a bed of flowers at the party. “I think it’s plastic. It’s a phony Tony,” she says. “Here, you keep it. I think they give us a real one later.” Friedman says she’s heard that they don’t give out real Tony awards anymore on the night of the ceremony because so many go missing in cabs. She jokes that it might help the homeless: “He could put it up next to his shopping cart and bagpipe and people would think they’re giving money to a Tony-award–winning singer!”
1:52 a.m.: Word comes in from the Hair party at Tavern on the Green that tons of people who aren’t on the list are sneaking in, Neil Patrick Harris, John Stamos, Poison, Anne Hathaway, Audra McDonald, Raúl Esparza, Geoffrey Rush, Thomas Sadoski, Marin Ireland, and Tovah Feldshuh among them.
1:57 a.m.: Geoffrey Rush tells us this is “definitely the best” of the many parties he’s been to tonight. He can barely see straight, but assures us that his Tony is sitting safely in his car and his driver is guarding it.
2:00 a.m.: Staffers push through the crowded outdoor patio to bring a second couch for Jane Fonda and James Gandolfini. Gandolfini appears not to notice. Dances with his hands in the air to "Last Dance."
2:05 a.m.: We hear that Prince was in the house and we missed him. See full story here.
2:13 a.m.:Matt Cavenaugh, Tony in West Side Story, realizes his lifelong dream of walking up to James Gandolfini and saying, "From one Tony to another."
2:16 a.m.: James Gandolfini is taking tons of pictures of himself, sticking his tongue out and posing with whomever is close enough to grab. Jane Fonda, who’d tweeted from her second-row seat all night, is still tweeting.
2:21 a.m.: Gandolfini grabs Fonda’s cane and twirls it in the air, then yells at someone trying to take his picture. "It’s 2:30 in the morning, come on!" Out of the corner of our eye, we spy Geoffrey Rush stumbling and sculpting his hair with his hands. He leaves shortly thereafter.
2:27 a.m.: It begins to pour, forcing all but the most hard-core partiers indoors. The remaining outdoor stalwarts: Fonda and Gandolfini.
The image of Angelina Jolie on the cover of the new issue of Harper's Bazaar is unusual for the magazine. For Bazaar didn't shoot it, but rather they pulled it from a photo wire service. Angelina did not talk to the magazine for the story inside, either. But that didn't stop Naomi Wolf from penning an essay about how great she is. So liberated and empowered, so magically hot that even straight women want to sleep with her, so infallible she's a home wrecker, yet also an amazing mother. According to Bazaar, Angelina can and has done no wrong.
Yet such effusive praise is odd considering Angelina wouldn't speak to the magazine or do a photo shoot for it. Everyone does photo shoots for Bazaar — Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Gisele, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, we could go on. Is Angelina too cool to pose for the magazine? Too busy? Too important? Empowered and liberated enough without subjecting herself to interviews or photo sittings? Simply lazy? It doesn't matter. But if she doesn't want to participate in her own press, maybe magazines should take a hint and not cover her so much. The world would be, if not necessarily better, more tolerable, certainly.
Sorry, administration, everyone, this still isn't over. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has put a hold on the sale pending further consideration of an appeal by three Indiana state funds and several consumer groups with product-liability claims. The Times: "What happens now is a bit unclear." [NYT]
AP - Mix American history with teachings from the Bible and Marxist principles, then throw in poetic metaphors about apples, single shoes and laundry to illustrate lessons about racism, friendship, hope and betrayal.
Despite the economy, Hermès CEO Patrick Thomas says the label is experiencing "massive over-demand" for handbags. To keep up, they've starting breeding their own crocodiles on farms in Australia. Thomas said it's difficult for the label to make 3,000 crocodile bags a year. It can take three to four crocodiles to make one handbag. Customers sometimes wait several years for bags made from exotic skins, which can cost upwards of $48,410 apiece. Thomas adds, "The world is not full of crocodiles, except the stock exchange!" He forgot André Leon Talley's closet. [Reuters]
Last night, after a descending Tonys set piece fell on Bret Michaels's head, jeopardizing his life (not to mention his full, lush head of hair), we caught John Stamos talking to the Poison crew with a worried look on his face. We thought he was just a super-fan, but as it turns out, Michaels and Uncle Jesse have a previous relationship. "Bret used to be my next-door neighbor," Stamos told us later. "I was checking to see if he was okay because they think he almost got decapitated." Stamos and Michaels hadn't seen each other in years, but for a short time, when Stamos was married to Rebecca Romijn, they lived in adjacent houses in Tallahassee, Florida. Michaels used to come over to play volleyball, and Stamos would go over to his place and do, you know, guy things. "He used to show me all the sex tapes of him before they got on the Internet," Stamos told us, matter-of-factly. Oh. And to think: Both of these guys are still looking for love.
Clockwise, from left: Screaming Mimi's, Hermès, Trina Turk, La Perla
Hamptons season is upon us, and a slew of beachy new stores have cropped up this spring to cater to all your getaway needs: tiny bikinis, oversize sunglasses, flirty dresses, floppy hats, totes, and — for those who like to commemorate the annual summer exodus — an assortment of exclusive Hamptons beach towels. The ever-expanding retail scene includes newcomers like Steven Alan, La Perla, and Madewell, supplying everything from skimpy lingerie to distressed jean shorts. We've rounded up a smattering of notable newcomers for your next seaside jaunt.
La Perla 66 Newtown Ln., nr. Main St., East Hampton (631-771-3232)
This 900-square-foot pop-up showcases the La Perla Mare swimwear collection alongside the brand's full line of slinky lingerie in a sleek, all-white setting.
Trina Turk 79 Main St., nr. Newtown Ln., East Hampton (631-324-7075)
This is Turk's first stand-alone boutique in the area, offering menswear, womenswear, and swimwear in bright, summery prints. Those furnishing summer homes can peruse vintage patio furniture reupholstered in the label's signature fabrics. The store is decorated to resemble a beach shack, with Warner Baird's California Girls paintings from the sixties lining the walls.
Steven Alan Bazaar 52 Newtown Lane, nr. Park Pl., East Hampton (631-604-1726)
Steven Alan's men's, women's, and children's collections are on display, as well as apparel, footwear, accessories from over a dozen other covetable labels like Acne, Rogan, TOMS, Billy Kirk, and more.
Clic Bookstore and Gallery 23 Newtown Lane, nr. Barnes Ln., East Hampton (631-329-8545)
Calypso founder Christiane Celle handpicked several new artists to exhibit in her new bookstore this summer, including paintings by Alex Beard, beachy photographs by Jean-Philippe Piter and Vivian Polak, and surf-themed mixed-media collages by Tony Cramanico.
Madewell Hamptons 20 Newtown Lane, nr. Barnes Ln., East Hampton (631-324-0363)
Apart from the compulsory denim bar, the new 1,000-square-foot Madewell shop offers exclusive merchandise, like a Madewell Hampton's Map tote and beach towel, as well as vintage hats, jewelry, and photographs. The spot will host weekend "how-to" workshops, featuring various artists, designers, and fashion editors.
Hermès 63 Main St., nr. Park Pl., East Hampton (631-324-1177)
This seasonal outpost is the brand's first summer- and resort-specific store, open May through September. In addition to apparel, accessories, handbags, and small leather goods, the shop stocks exclusives like a zebra-print Hermès beach towel and a one-of-a-kind white leather saddle.
Screaming Mimi's 662 Montauk Highway, nr. S. Elder St., Montauk (631-668-1631)
The vintage mainstay's 750-square-foot pop-up is back again this summer, packed with dresses, beachwear, sunglasses, flip-flops, and accessories. This year, the store is also featuring collaborative and limited-edition items: street-chic apparel from Combhard, T-shirts and bags from surf brand Mollusk, wide-leg jeans by Mack Dugan, and mermaid- and sailor-print beach towels.
DVF 53B Jobs Ln., nr. Main St., Southampton (631-204-0129) DVF's 1,300-square-foot pop-up offers ready-to-wear, swimwear, shoes, accessories, and handbags from the Rock Goddess collection, as well as select items from pre-fall and exclusive beach accessories. The space is has a worldly, jet-set vibe, decked with draping fabrics, Moroccan lamps, and vintage trunks.
Michael Kors 48 Main St., nr. Park Pl., East Hampton (631-329-0149) Kors's sprawling pop-up is a hybrid retail space featuring both the runway collection and the lower-priced Michael by Michael Kors line. An array of shoes, bags, watches, and jewelry rounds out the selection.
J.Crew at the Beach 14 Main St., nr. Newtown Ln., East Hampton (631-324-5034)
This summery J.Crew offshoot relocated from Newtown Lane to Main Street this year, reopening on Memorial Day weekend. Browse swimwear, beach cover-ups, linen pants, sundresses, and more.
Tommy Hilfiger 69 Main St., nr. Newtown Ln., East Hampton (631-324-0540)
The latest Tommy Hilfiger retail addition opened in late March, adorned with vintage fixtures and dated ephemera (all for sale). The spot sells exclusive THEH (Tommy Hillfiger East Hampton) accessories, like totes and baseball caps, in addition to Tommy Hilfiger summer whites and the women's runway collection. The rare vintage clothing selection is a major draw, including dresses, tops, skirts, and jackets.
Malia Mills 55 Main St., nr. Park Pl., East Hampton (631-604-1568)
This just-opened boutique is a sister store to the Malia Mills in Southampton, which opened last summer. You'll find the full range of Malia Mills swimwear, beach cover-ups, and dresses, as well as kids' suits, Sven sandals, and floppy straw hats and bags by Helen Kaminski.
Tastemaker's Tag Sale June 13: 75 Main St., nr. Oak Ln., Amagansett; cash only, 9–4.
Former Domino editors Dara Caponigro, Tom Delevan, Chase Booth, and Tori Mellott are hosting a tag sale at Delevan's home, offering furniture, designer clothes, home décor, and fabrics for bargain-basement prices.
Sara Ziff began modeling at the age of 14 in New York. At her third casting, in the East Village, models went in to see the photographer one by one. When it was her turn, the photographer said he needed to see her without her shirt. Then he said it was still hard for him to imagine her for the story, so he asked her to take her pants off, too. Nervous, just 14 years old, and eager to succeed in her new profession, she obliged.
Stories like this are all too common in the modeling industry, though unlike anorexia or body-image issues, they're hardly publicized. Ziff aims to expose them in the documentary she made called Picture Me. Over five years, she took cameras backstage at shows, to parties, and on photo shoots. Her now-ex-boyfriend, a filmmaker, came with her and shot, too. She gave cameras to fellow models and asked them to share their stories. Model Sena Cech described a disturbing casting with one of the industry's top photographers:
Halfway through the meeting Cech is asked to strip. She does as instructed and takes off her clothes. Then the photographer starts undressing as well. "Baby — can you do something a little sexy," he tells her. The photographer's assistant, who is watching, eggs her on. What's supposed to be the casting for a high-end fashion shoot turns into something more like an audition for a top-shelf magazine. The famous photographer demands to be touched sexually. "Sena — can you grab his cock and twist it real hard," his assistant tells her. "He likes it when you squeeze it real hard and twist it."
Cech did it, but turned down the job because she feared the audition was only a taste of what the shoot would be like. The photographer never wanted to work with her again. Ziff explains, "Pretty much every girl I have talked to has a story like it, but no one talks about it. It's all under the radar because people are embarrassed and because the people in the industry who are doing these things are much more powerful, and the model is totally disposable. She could be gone in two years." Young models don't always have anyone to turn to. Just think of the enormous pressures placed on a poor 15-year-old from Latvia who is supporting her family and barely speaks English. Ziff continues:
"I've done shoots naked, totally naked. They sell it to you as: 'Here's this great artist and he wants to take your portrait.' I had to switch off the voice in my head that said: 'Do you really want to do this?' When you're being paid a lot of money and you want to appear cool you really don't want to show any resistance to going with it.
"But at the end of the day I used to wonder: what's the difference between doing a shoot in your underwear for Calvin Klein and being a stripper? Obviously you are compromising yourself. How far am I willing to go? How much am I willing to show for a big fat cheque?"
A model union could protect models from situations like these. A year and a half ago, two models based in Britain set one up that campaigns for better working conditions, holiday and sickness pay, and protection in case of injury. But they still have a lot of work to do.
We’re big fans of Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald’s tripped-out linguistic zombie flick Pontypool, currently playing at Cinema Village. (Edelstein described it as “Wittgensteinian.”) The film once again proves the staggering versatility of its director, who has also given us such genre-bending exercises as the deconstructionist coming-of-age flick The Tracey Fragments, the mock-rock doc Hard Core Logo, and the neo–road-movie Highway 61. So we’re excited to offer McDonald’s 1998 short Elimination Dance, which starts off looking like a meet-cute romantic comedy and then turns into something infinitely weirder, an absurdist roundelay that becomes a hilarious and sad allegory of modern love. You may also recognize co-writer and co-star Don McKellar, a regular from numerous Atom Egoyan films, not to mention an acclaimed director himself (Last Night, Childstar).
UPDATE: In a four-page response to Lutfi's suit, Spears' attorneys argue that any verbal agreement made between the popster and Lutfi is void because he made "false promises" to...
FRAGRANCE
• Socialite Daphne Guinness plans to launch her first scent, named Daphne, in September, with Comme des Garçons Parfum. The smell is inspired by her past — a past that will cost $140 a bottle. [WWD]
SKIN
• Blondes and redheads are three times more likely than the general population to develop melanoma, according to a completely unsurprising study by the New York University Medical Center. [Age via Jezebel]
• A Harvard medical professor has developed a new deodorant named SweatBlock, which promises to be so strong, you only have to apply it once a week. [Daily Beauty Reporter/Allure]
HAIR
• Lush came out with a $9 shampoo specifically for Father's Day, called Daddyo, that promises to cleanse silver hair. Looks like regular shampoo but with a corny name. [Beauty Blogging Junkie]
• Hollywood hair is teased to new heights: Drew Barrymore and Annalynne McCord have both stepped out in tall dos. Big hair is back, people. [Beauty Department/Glamour]
As you can see, actors portraying zombies are just as scary as actual zombies.
Governors Island’s most recent claim to fame might be Prince Harry and his polo cronies, but this past weekend it welcomed guests somewhat, er, less refined: zombies. On Sunday afternoon, volunteers hopped the ferry over to the island to film the final scene of a movie called Isle of the Dead, produced by Creative Time and an art collective known as the Bruce High Quality Foundation or "the Bruces," as they refer to themselves.
Isle of the Dead has a pretty simple plot line — the credit crisis kills the art world and its players, who reemerge as zombies in an alternative movement inspired only by art from the past. The film begins with sweeping shots of dead bodies splayed out in front of the Met, Guggenheim, and Whitney museums, plus a strip of galleries in Chelsea, and ends with a zombie uprising on Governors Island, where the zombies congregate for a sing-along to the Bryan Adams classic, "Summer of '69."
Inside the Governors Island movie theater, as the cameras rolled, the zombie volunteers, aided by black-and-white stage makeup, the occasional falsified bloodied gash, and several obscured bottles of booze, shouted out the lyrics while images of sixties icons Warhol, Dylan, and Allan Kaprow flashed across the screen.
The Bruces wrapped up the shoot after several takes, as the undead were growing restless and weary of repeating "those were the best days of my life." But you can catch the final product when the film screens in Governors Island’s Fort Jay Theater during Creative Time’s public-art quadrennial “This World & Nearer Ones,” which opens June 27.
I realize that this is more topical than my posts usually are, but I happened to catch The Hand That Rocks The Cradle on TNT Saturday night at around 6,000 o'clock am and smartly decided to watch the whole thing, having only vague memories of the thriller from back when I probably watched it at age thirteen hoping for boobs and receiving a creepy breastfeeding scene as a kind of "careful what you wish for" cosmic justice.
The film itself was just as I'd remembered, but holy crap -- I don't think I've ever seen a more hilarious cast of hilariously random supporting actors in one single film; the movie is just an unending parade of "HE'S in this??" exclamations, like an early-90s E-list version of Ocean's Eleven. Ready to follow along? The film stars...
Annabella Sciorra and Rebecca De Mornay as the leads (not ridiculous yet):
Commandant Lassard's Nephew from Police Academy 5 and 6 as the husband, with a beard (getting awesome)...
It gets randomer...
Q From Star Trek: The Next Generation as a gynecologist who molests Annabella Sciorra (awesome, but not done yet):
Future four-time Oscar nominee Julianne Moore:
Then for the hell of it, Ernie Hudson, showing off his impeccable acting range as a mentally handicapped painter who still wears a Ghostbusters suit:
Sure, I could probably think for ten minutes and come up with two or three movies with more random supporting casts than this one, but it's gotta be right up there, especially with the bonus points from Ernie Hudson almost literally wearing his Ghostbusters costume in another role.
Maybe I was giddy and barely coherent that late at night and ready to laugh at anything? Doubtful. More likely, the movie was released on my ninth birthday as a specific gift to me. Sorry it's late in coming, but thanks for that, Hollywood! Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm
Last week, reports surfaced that Emanuel Ungaro was parting ways with its head designer, Esteban Cortazar. Management and the young designer supposedly felt differently about how to market the label; they wanted Lindsay Lohan as the face, he did not. Today WWD reports Cortazar plans to take legal action against the house. Ungaro is expected to settle. Oh, what Lindsay hath wrought! [WWD]
Cast member Bradley Cooper arrives at the premiere of "The Hangover," at the Grauman?s Chinese Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California on June 2, 2009. Raucous adult comedy "The Hangover"... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jun 2009 | 8:12 pm
Kenny Rankin, a brilliant pop vocalist and highly regarded musician-songwriter whose stylings ranged from jazz to pop to the world music influences he picked up as a child in New York, has died of complications related to lung cancer, his record company announced Monday. He was 69.
The latest on "Guitar Hero," "The Beatles: Rock Band" and a host of
new karaoke and DJ titles from the industry's main event
After two mellow years, annual videogame conference E3, which
attracted some 41,000 visitors last week in Los Angeles, saw a
welcome return to the scantily clad booth babes, pounding speakers
and sideshow atmosphere of yore. Between pre-show performances by
Eminem, Jay-Z, Natasha Bedingfield and Travis Barker, cameos by
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and several high-profile debuts
(see Guitar Hero 5, The Beatles: Rock Band), fans
were treated to a virtual Woodstock's worth of cutting-edge...
The 1974 subterranean thriller "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" isn't what anyone would call an untouchable classic. If it's remembered for anything, it's for the hangdog Walter Matthau's garish shirt/tie combinations and the squalor of New York's subways.
Victoria's Secret -- a company whose primetime network television ads are ordinarily one strategically-placed cloud away from being literal softcore porn -- launched a new Facebook fanpage today, and for some unfathomable reason, decided to promote it with two models posing in way more clothing than any humans associated with Victoria's Secret ever worn in a photograph (including the company's CEO, investors, etc):
No one at Victoria's Secret thought to put the Facebook logo on a bra? Just white t-shirts and foam fingers? That's like promoting a new Extreme Sports website with a video of dudes playing horseshoes, or promoting a BWE.tv party with a photo of two bloggers who aren't the most attractive and charming bloggers on the internet.
After the jump, two more equally clothed Victoria's Secret promo pics:
Now this is an internet star we can get behind. It's a waving goat!!!
Who do you think he's waving to? Our guess ahead...THESE GUYS:
(**Off to party plan! See you guys tonight hopefully. Blog will return back to its regularly scheduled non-re-re program tomorrow.) Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 7:00 pm
AP - "Sealing Their Fate: The Twenty-Two Days That Decided World War II" (De Capo Press, 400 pages, $27), by David Downing: Judging by its title, a reader might assume that this book focuses on a period in early 1945 with Germany on the verge of surrender and Japan coming to realize that it, too, was doomed to defeat. Not the case, however.
John Travolta, still in mourning over the death of his teenage son earlier this year, issued a rare public statement urging fans to see his latest movie, "The Taking of Pelham 123," which he filmed last year.
AP - "A Short History of Women" (Scribner, 237 pages, $24), Kate Walbert: This book is for any woman who has ever struggled to find her own voice; to make sense of being a mother, wife, daughter and lover. But it is not only for women.
I Just can't shake the notion that this Christian Bale photo is gonna to turn into screaming and chasing and exploding goldfish at any second:
The new way for stars to promote blockbusters: get photographed three weeks after your movie comes out doing something mundane and animal related. Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 5:35 pm
Richardson was killed in a freak skiing accident earlier this year, but Thurman isn't letting the loss get in the way of living her life to its fullest Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jun 2009 | 5:23 pm
Aretha Franklin, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Josh Groban and TLC will headline “The Mandela Day Celebration,” a tribute concert honoring human rights leader Nelson Mandela, on July 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Above, from L to R, Me, Egypt Sherrod, Kelli Zink and Jill Z. at The Mike and Juliet Show
That's right: This morning I met Jill Zarin of Zarin Fabrics and, perhaps more famously, The Real Housewives of New York. Jill is an absolute delight, and regaled us in the makeup room with behind the scenes tales from last night's Tony Awards. Jill is, as expected, a lot of fun, and even told me that I'm "like Bethenny with the quick one liners," a line that will one day go on the cover of my future bookjacket.
Also, in case you were wondering, yes there is brown powder in my eyebrows. I don't normally leave the house looking like a Buster Keaton impersonator. And I know, I know... make the picture grainier next time. I'm on it. Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:44 pm
Just a friendly, still sober reminder: Tonight, Bestweekever.tv is teaming up with Thrillist in what is sure to be a sloppy albeit elegant affair at the Thrillist Loft down in Soho. Open bar, free food, tunes by DJ KAY J and bloggers? "Where do I sign?" right? The answer is simple: Right here.
We recommend getting there on the earlier side, as the RSVP list is pretty full at the moment.
Once again, here are the details:
Bestweekever.tv Kicks Off Thrillist WeekMonday, June 8
7 PM - 10 PM
Location: The Thrillist Loft446 Broadway, 3rd Floorbtwn. Grand and Howard
See you there. Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:31 pm
Congratulations to Billy Elliot for being one of two new musicals to manage to break even in 2008! May we shower you with 10 awards that the far superior film from nine frickin' years ago did not win because more than two new movies come out every given year and if only two movies did come out in a year giving a bunch of Oscars to one would be very obviously meaningless!
Below, a clip from the Billy Elliotlive performance at the Tonys last night, after a heartfelt, not-teleprompted-at-all introduction from Elton John (finally, the story of a child wanting to dance against all odds will be told, stupider, nine years after it was told already!) The song is entitled "YAHH!"
Baimurat Allaberiyev ("Tajik Jimmy") performs in St. Petersburg in April 2009. A musical prodigy, he can perform Bollywood show-stoppers as a one-man band, equipped with nothing but an uncanny falsetto... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jun 2009 | 4:08 pm
Neil Patrick Harris: Whether on the cover of Out or People, on the back of a unicorn, or on his own back via post-coital sitcom bliss, we love him unconditionally with our collective hearts and groins. But little did we know that this child actor cum late 90s joke cum amazing adult actor had the singing and dancing chops exhibited during last night's Tony Awards, where Neil kept things moving with his lightning speed wit and charm. (For the sake of this post, let's just assume he wrote that Bret Michaels' "headbanging" joke on his own.)
And his voice! His voice. For those of you who Tivo'd the show like myself (i.e. Members of the Saddest People Around club), you might have missed NPH's show closer, a catchy, geniusly-scripted song summarizing the entire show in a matter of a few minutes. If you missed the show, shame on you, but it is our pleasure to bring you that song here:
A special mention must be made to friend and Tony nominee Christopher Sieber, who KILLED IT last night as Lord Farquaad in the "What's Up Dulac?" number from Shrek. I caught the show last week -- it is THRILLING, though I went by myself. And nothing says "I'm a child molester" like going to catch Shrek the Musical alone. Congrats to Chris on both getting a special shout out from Neil in the above number, and for stealing every and all shows he is a part of. If you missed his performance last night, you can find a clip of it ahead.
PS: The real highlight of the show? "Thizh Izh Egzhgwizhit!" -- Liza Minnelli
David Carradine's family members, dissatisfied with Thai investigators, say they are 'profoundly disturbed' by the publication of a photo of a hanging body in a Bangkok tabloid. Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jun 2009 | 3:55 pm
The above image, found via Joe Randazzo's Twitter, appears to be a still from some sort of late night British infomercial where the presenter "hopes you die soon." Spoken with a British accent, we're sure this is actually much more polite than appearances suggest. But we can't help but wonder: Just what sort of product is this old man hocking, exactly? And how soon is soon? Hopefully not within 28 days, lest we never receive our product.
Leave your best guesses in the comments. And if a British person wants to try to above number, "we would be most obliged." (**American eye-roll**) Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 3:29 pm
Is it too late to cancel the results of 90s Movie Madness and name the Parker Lewis Can't Lose Season 1 DVD the 90sest object of all time?
I see they used the default "Early 90s" DVD background design -- I feel like that background should be moving around to light fusion jazz at the opening of a 1992 Paula Poundstone standup special. Needless to say, I will be watching this DVD tonight, ideally while drunk after the BWE.tv/Thrillist party. Possibly during.
After the jump, check out the equally 90s back cover, including the "Tons of EXTRAS" included in the Complete Coolness Edition:
That's right -- it comes with not one, but TWO bonus features! No "interactive menus?" Maybe it just starts playing scenes randomly when you pop it in. Source: Best Week Ever | 8 Jun 2009 | 3:20 pm
A man walks in front of a placard of the Matisse exhibition at the Thyssen-Bornemizsa museum in Madrid. Matisse, master of fauvism and colour, also produced a number of more intimate works between 1917... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jun 2009 | 2:59 pm
The black sedan pulled up to the parking lot at Dockweiler State Beach in California, and the five members of The Lost Trailers stepped out -- no chauffeur, no publicist, no manager, no entourage. That's the way the Trailers are rolling nowadays, trying to boost local business and reduce their carbon footprint.
Front Page: Revised Sunday figures favor Warner Bros. film -- Thanks to a stronger-than-expected Sunday, Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" laughed its way past Disney-Pixar's "Up" to win the weekend at the domestic box office.
Pyro! Dance Parties! A look inside the trio's rehearsals for their
biggest show yet
The Jonas
Brothers have been at the American Airlines Center in Dallas
for almost two weeks, rehearsing for a tour that begins just down
the road (and just about half an hour from their North Texas home)
on June 20th at the brand new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. No one
was supposed to know this. But since it's the Jonas Brothers,
obviously, word has gotten out.
So outside, not far from a car covered in shoe-polish devotion
to the trio, two girls lean over the railing to the tunnel
entrance...
Yasmina Reza accepts her Tony Award at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2009 in New York City. Reza triumphed at the annual ceremony here late Sunday as she won the best play of the year prize for an American... Source: RSS feed - channel BNImagesEnter | 8 Jun 2009 | 2:09 pm
Hot new star on losing her virginity, attending vocational school, and why you should keep two bums in the trunk of your car Source: FOXNews.com | 8 Jun 2009 | 1:50 pm
The A-Team van is starting to fill up.
As the film update of the iconic 1980s TV series starts to take shape, Variety reports Liam Neeson is in talks for the role of cigar-chomping Col....
Making his way to Iraq unscathed wasn't the only close shave to befall Stephen Colbert.
The Colbert Report pundit, decked out in the finest camouflage suit Baghdad has to offer, made...
Time-out.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar just earned himself a spot in the late-night-interview hall of fame with Monday's appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
Sporting a...
"At this point, whoever lands in the interview chair, does the interview it looks like. Don't ask any questions. It's called rolling with life," said Kate Gosselin in the opening...
Well, minus the emergency hospitalization, the lawsuit threats and errant talk of torture...the big conundrum turned into a whole lot of nothing.
Heidi and Spencer Pratt were pretty much...
Brace yourselves, Gossip Girl fans, because one of the series' key couples may not be getting back together! Yep, we're hearing not-so-encouraging things about the future of Dan and...
This housewife had tidied up her legal docket.
The assault case against Kelly Bensimon, one of the newer Real Housewives of New York City, has been adjourned after her accuser failed to...
For those about to rock, we recommend investing in a solid health insurance plan.
The damage report is in on Bret Michaels following his literally headbanging performance at last...
UPDATE: In a four-page response to Lutfi's suit, Spears' attorneys argue that any verbal agreement made between the popster and Lutfi is void because he made "false promises" to...
