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The envelope please: Here are winners to annual alternative
Oscars Every year, I bestow an alternative slate of Academy Awards on unsuspecting and terminally unaware folks from across the entertainment continuum. I do this because it’s fun, because I’m bored and because I am fulfilling a curse placed on me by a necromancer named Dewey. Yep. Dewey, the necromancer. And by making you read this, I am passing the curse on to you. Like I needed to tell you that. Best portrayal of Howard Hughes: To Justin Timberlake, who went into seclusion after he infamously ripped Janet Jackson’s bodice.
Stripperella Season One on DVD February 25, 2005 - After retiring from Baywatch, Pam Anderson was in need of a diversion. Between bickering with Tommy Lee, breaking up with Kid Rock and raising two young sons… she needed something new. She found it in STRIPPERELLA. It gave her a perfect platform to display her ample assets in a medium where plastic surgery and implants are only a brush stroke away—ANIMATION of course! It was the perfect solution! Her efforts are on display in the new STRIPPERELLA cartoon created and produced by Stan Lee (creator of Spider-Man and other Marvel superheroes). Season one is now available on DVD for your viewing pleasure courtesy of Spike TV and Paramount.
The cast boasts some of the most prominent names in the cartoon trade including Tom Kenny ("Spongebob Squarepants"), Mark Hamill ("Batman: TAS") and Maurice LaMarche ("Futurama"), as well as some notable names like Lovitz, Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy), Kid Rock, Jill Talley ("Mr. Show"), Greg Proops ("Whose Line is it Anyway?"), Kathy Griffin, Chris Kirkpatrick (*Nsync), Vince McMahon and Andy Dick. According to TheManRoon.com, "It makes fun of every imaginable sexual innuendo and previous superhero and villain, yet remarkably manages to maintain its freshness and more importantly, humor. When it does go over-the-top with grade school laughs, an unexpected rebound chuckle is always nearby." STRIPPERELLA now available at a retailer near you.
Oscar Trivia Titbits A big part of the Oscars is always the glitzy, star-studded Hollywood
parties which follow the ceremony. But this year, something very
new and different is planned. This year's biggest bash is shaping
up as the one held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday - the
night BEFORE the big event. Called 'The Night Before', the swanky
party received RSVPs from Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Justin
Timberlake and Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo
DiCaprio, Will Smith, Gwen Stefani, Tom Hanks, Renee Zellweger,
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Unlike the Oscar night
bashes, cameras are banned at this poolside bash - thereby allowing
the A-listers to party in private.
MTV: Quick News JC Chasez is halfway through recording his second solo
album and, like the first, the style varies from song to song.
"I can't help that I'm eclectic, man," JC said. "It's
different and that's what I like." Chasez is working with
Dallas Austin this week.
Film Review: "Cursed" Hollywood doesn’t offer many second chances, yet “Cursed” received one when things didn’t go so well with the first cut of the film. Reshot with new material, this Wes Craven/Kevin Williamson reteaming remains a pitiful disaster the second time around, made ever worse with a recent hatchet job to get the once R rated film down to a PG-13. There is, quite literally, no reason to see it. The movie so nice, they filmed it twice. Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg, “Roger Dodger”) are siblings living humdrum lives in idyllic Los Angeles. Once night while driving home, the two are bitten by a werewolf. Now possessed with a taste for blood, a heightened sexual allure, and marked with a pentagram on their palms, the pair struggle to understand their transformations, hoping to find the werewolf that started it all in an effort to save their own lives. Filmed two years ago, “Cursed” heralded the reteaming of screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven, the minds behind the inexplicable success of the “Scream” trilogy. While personally I found “Scream” to be the first shot fired in the war of awful horror films, it was a hit, and the two filmmakers were put on a pedestal for their efforts. However, their new werewolf film, “Cursed,” didn’t come out quite the way Dimension Films wanted it, so the production was ordered back with a reconstructed script, and they shot most of the movie again. To make matters worse, in January, the film was recut again to tone down the material from an R rating to a mall-friendly PG-13. Did “Cursed” ever have a chance for success? Watching the finished product is like opening a jigsaw puzzle box and finding only one piece to work with. “Cursed” is a thorough mess from opening to closing, taking Craven on a career-ending ride, and reminding the viewer what a hack Williamson truly is. The goal was to recapture that “Scream” feeling by packing on the Hollywood in-jokes, which are all considerably dated (Ellie works for the now canceled Craig Kilborn show, Lance Bass gets a screaming response at a club opening), and cast heavily with a bunch of C-level stars with heavy WB ties (Michael Rosenbaum, Portia de Rossi, Joshua Jackson, Shannon Elizabeth, Mya, Milo Ventimiglia). This lack of casting imagination continues into the performances, with Christina Ricci looking typically bewildered and wearing a bad wig, Jesse Eisenberg doing his best Woody Allen impression, and Judy Greer (as a nasty agent – is there any other kind?) giving more reasons why she shouldn’t be let near a script. The entire cast comes and goes as they please throughout the picture; a clear remnant of the film’s fractured production history. Craven and Williamson attempt to cover the seams by heaping on the glue of pop culture references and unfunny jokes. They end up just repeating themselves to make a quick buck. And don’t ask me why Scott Baio is paraded around the film. Neither a joke appearance nor an integral part of the story, Baio is only here because…well, there’s no reason why he’s here. Another clue to the reshoots? As a horror film, “Cursed” doesn’t have much to do. With most of the story cleaved away, all the film really becomes is a series of werewolf-stalks-prey moments, complete with cheap scares and some rather awful CG monsters. With the gore and the intensity a victim of an editorial Boston Tea Party, the horror elements of the film have nothing to work with. Craven seem to understand that his picture is a genre dud because he starts to guide the material away from scares to laughs in the last reel. For heaven’s sake, there’s a shot featuring a werewolf giving Ellie the finger! “Cursed” attempts a “Scream” merge of comedy and horror, and that cookie crumbles on both ends. The patchwork quilt nature of the story, coupled with Craven’s get-me-outta-here directorial mood, keeps “Cursed” grounded from the opening credits, and the picture just gets worse from there. The werewolf mythology deserves a more considerate take than this ugly dud, and horror audiences should come to realize that Hollywood hates them if this is the best effort they could provide after making the same movie twice. My Rating: F
Horror turns funny in 'Cursed' When a car crash leads to strange symptoms, the result does not end up being scary. According to the television ads for "Cursed," director Wes Craven is the "master of terror." To some extent, this used to be true. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Swamp Thing" are horror classics that have withstood the test of time. The '90s brought a more cynical Craven, with pastiche of his earlier work culminating in the "Scream" series and "Vampire in Brooklyn." Unfortunately, the self-parody of his more recent films has proved an all-too bankable formula, and "Cursed" is so campy and self-reflexive that it's hard to know where his vain preening ends and the actual film begins. The plot centers on the Hudson siblings, played by a gaunt Christina Ricci and Jesse Eisenberg. After leaving their idyllic house in the Hollywood Hills (that Ellie Hudson is somehow able to afford on her meager salary), Ricci's Ellie heads to her job as a talent manager for Craig Kilborn while younger brother Jimmy fulfills the quintessential high school geek role, pining after the head cheerleader and getting pummeled by her boyfriend, the captain of the wrestling team (it's no mistake that scriptwriter Kevin Williamson wrote for the soapy teen dramedy "Dawson's Creek"). After smashing into another car on Mulholland Drive, Ellie and Jimmy are attacked by what looks to be an overfed, rabid dog that stalks them through the sparse trees and underbrush. Horror genre conventions tell us that this is no accident, and sure enough, the Hudsons begin to exhibit strange symptoms, including a taste for raw steak and a heightened sexual allure. These symptoms make for a few funny interchanges between the characters and allow Ricci to play grown-up in tight, black suits. As dogs begin to congregate outside their home and moody shots of the full moon pop up more frequently, the big twist seems laughably juvenile. Craven always garners a lot of laughs in his films because of their overtly campy content, but the problem with "Cursed" is that it begins to take itself too seriously. The film attempts to make some meaningful point about the frivolousness of Hollywood excess, yet is excessively dull itself. The actors look strained as if this were deep, thoughtful material and seem incapable of having a little fun with their unbelievable lines and overblown delivery. When Shannon Elizabeth, playing one of the first fatal victims, tells a fortuneteller to "lay off the crack pipe," it doesn't garner one laugh from the audience because she actually seems serious. The viewer is kept in an uncomfortable limbo of boredom, chuckling and random confusion at whether this film is campy, funny, dramatic or horrific. Yet, scary it is not. By the time the climax reaches its peak
in showdown in Tinsel, a fictitious Hollywood club, the film became
laughable not because of camp or witty banter but the presence
of the villain, which appeared to be a rabies-infested oversized
CGI muppet. The best cameos offered are Scott Baio and Lance
Bass from *NSYNC. What a sad, lonely road Craven is
headed down.
Idol Thoughts The poster, the smoldering eyes, the feathered hair and the hit TV show - says only one thing - teen heartthrob. Do you remember your first teen idol love? With American Idol back on the air and once again creating keyboard passion, we begin to wonder about our next teen obsession. Clay Aiken (#5) remains our most searched and favored male idol and he leaves us pondering our beloved past, present and possibly future idols. The Lycos 50 has been the preeminent place to learn what are the most popular people, places or things you are searching for online. Today we are getting dreamy as we look at the most popular male teen idols. In generating your list of smooch-a-lilcous idols and in an attempt to keep the list manageable, we created some parameters. FYI, we focused only on the boys. They had to be actual teens when they shot to stardom and bedroom poster worthy. Many of these teen's popularity launched a merchandising dynasty - which encompassed lunchboxes, magazine covers, dolls, books, games, Colorforms and other tchotchkes. Here are the most searched teen idols for the past four weeks, ending February 5, 2005: 1. Clay Aiken
11. Nick Carter
CHASEZ AND MYA BACKING FOXX 'N SYNC heart-throb JC CHASEZ and R+B beauty MYA have joined British singer SIR ELTON JOHN in backing JAMIE FOXX to win the Best Actor OSCAR for his role in RAY. Foxx has already scooped a bevy of awards for his portrayal of late soul legend RAY CHARLES and now a multitude of celebrities are lending their support to the 27-year-old's ACADEMY AWARDS campaign. Chasez says, "When you watched the movie, you didn't think he was Jamie Foxx. You thought he was Ray Charles." Mya adds, "He did an incredible job in Ray. He's very deserving for his performance." The star-studded ceremony will take place in Hollywood on Sunday
(27FEB05).
Regarding the Whereabouts of Mrs. Robinson "Nice lips," we heard A CHIC WOMAN in her early 60's say to A GUY in his early 20's at the Los Angeles Confidential Magazine party for JAMIE FOXX on Tuesday night. "I know they're real because they're not even." The young fellow was befuddled. "I've never heard that before," he said. "Close your mouth," the woman said. "You have perfect lips." He closed his mouth and she flashed him a perfect smile. It's nice, isn't it, that some people still understand that parties should be fun and not business? We had a good time at the Los Angeles Confidential party. For starters, there was the baby grand piano made of Godiva chocolate presented to Mr. Foxx, the Academy Award nominee for his portrayal of RAY CHARLES. The ivory keys were white chocolate, the interior was filled with pralines, truffles and creams, and it warmed our heart to see one Los Angeles woman stuffing a handful of truffles into her purse. Finally, one of the poor things gets to eat. Mr. Foxx - who stayed but an hour at the party, where the guests included LARRY KING, WESLEY SNIPES, TORI SPELLING, DEAN CAIN, NATALIE COLE, ALICE COOPER, LANCE BASS and JOEY FATONE - did, however, make a point of speaking to every reporter. And while we were waiting our turn, we pushed JASON BINN, the magazine's publisher, for some sordid inside stuff. What's the funniest thing he ever saw Mr. Foxx do? "He actually created the largest soul train I've ever seen," Mr. Binn said. "In Miami, at a tournament. He was able to get 300 people to do a soul train on the beach." When we had our shot at Mr. Foxx, we asked who his favorite actor was. "SIDNEY POITIER," he said. "I'll tell you like this. OPRAH threw Sidney a private birthday party. It was at QUINCY JONES's house. He's the book. I'm the preface. I'm the index. I've yet to begin living my life like him. If I had a career like Sidney Poitier, it would be absolutely incredible." And on the big night: "When my daughter was born, that's the biggest thing that ever happened to me. My 11-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER is going to the Oscars with me." We Now Understand Why He's Bringing the Kid And where was Mr. Foxx so hot to go after the party held in his honor? A General Motors show in a tent a block south of Hollywood and Vine, where celebrity models were paired up with the latest GM products. Mr. Foxx, one of the models, dazzled the crowd in DOLCE & GABBANA, but what impressed us more was watching him in action later. He strutted through the crowd with an entourage, collecting phone numbers from attractive not yet famous ladies. He punched three numbers in his phone in an astonishing five minutes. One was named KELLY. None wished to comment. After the show, we were able to speak with DEMI MOORE, who was sitting with ASHTON KUTCHER. Both seemed involved in the cars. "I love fashion," she said. "But hands down, tonight is about the sexiness of the motor vehicles. Probably one of my favorites is this Cadillac over here." Did we see Mr. Kutcher making eyes at the hydrogen-fueled Hummer-style monster truck? "Actually, that, as a really realistic practical vehicle, is amazing," Ms. Moore said. "I mean, I drive a Prius so I like that direction." We also spoke with DAVID SPADE. He was wearing a fedora, and had been sitting in the front row. "I'm a car guy, I like the cars, but the gas before the show almost knocked me out. I thought I was at the ampm on San Vicente" - that would be a convenience store where you can get gas - "I was about to black out. The GIRL I WAS OUT WITH was saying, 'I can't stay alive another few minutes because of the fumes of the cars running.' So it was like a slow suicide, but then the show started and it got better." He Kneweth Not From Orthotics? This month's Tip for Young Thespian/Waiters comes from JULIA VERDIN, one of the producers of "The Merchant of Venice," who told us at the Los Angeles Confidential party how AL PACINO prepared for his role as SHYLOCK. "He put stones in his shoes to get into character." With David Jay Lasky and Regan Morris in Los Angeles
Springsteen returning favor to Bono NEW YORK - Bruce Springsteen is returning the favor to Bono. U2's talkative frontman, who gave memorable stream-of-consciousness speeches inducting Bob Marley and Springsteen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will be saluted by Springsteen when the Boss inducts U2 next month. Springsteen's no slouch in the induction speech department himself: He slyly noted last year how inductee Jackson Browne's audience always seemed to be filled with women. Justin Timberlake will board the "Love Train" to pay tribute to the O'Jays in this year's ceremony. B.B. King and Eric Clapton will team to induct bluesman Buddy Guy, Rod Stewart will speak about "When a Man Loves a Woman" singer Percy Sledge and Neil Young will honor the Pretenders. The 20th annual ceremony will be held March 14 at the Waldorf
Astoria in New York City. Highlights will be televised March 19
on VH1.
Hump Day Hoopla: All-Star Weekend in, on court DENVER -- Who knew being subpoenaed to testify in an attempted murder case would turn out to be the party of a lifetime. Well, not the case itself, but being flown back to my hometown during NBA All-Star Weekend turned out to be the best thing government dollars could buy. After a rigorous day of question-and-answer sessions that felt like something out of "Law & Order," I headed downtown to relax at my favorite bar with a couple of friends and a few bottles of Fat Tire. Considering that it was All-Star Weekend, I expected to see a few celebrities and athletes out on the town. What I didn't expect was a week of parties that were bigger and better than the cliched Vegas stories we've all heard. Sitting in a place that resembles Maloney's, I have Paris Hilton on my right, Nelly on my left, Justin Timberlake at the bar and Shaquille O'Neal standing by the pool table. I wasn't in an overrated and overpriced VIP area. I was at the bar with my friends, enjoying the Rocky Mountain scenery. There wasn't extra security or mobs of paparazzi, just stars, athletes and common folk coming together to celebrate a common cause. Well, actually two common causes: the NBA and partying. I later went down to the NBA Jam Session -- a giant playground for basketball fans of all ages. There were walls of basketball video games, a 9-foot rim for leaping-impaired white boys like myself who want to feel the rush of throwing down a monster dunk and NBA players waiting around at mini courts for a challenger in H-O-R-S-E. Where else would you be able to take on the No. 1 overall pick (Dwight Howard) in a game of H-O-R-S-E? Or challenge the slam dunk contest champion (Josh Smith) to a dunk-off on a hoop on your level? Nowhere. Phoenix needs the NBA All-Star Game again. Anyone who has the slightest interest in basketball will fall in love with the sport during a week full of festivities and parties. For three days, Phoenix would be transformed from a desert to a basketball Mecca. Not to mention bringing in a tremendous amount of revenue for the city. The All-Star Game and Phoenix are meant for each other. A lot has changed since Phoenix hosted the All-Star Game 10 years ago. The stars are more frequent, the parties are bigger and most important, the fan experience is indescribable. I'll be waiting anxiously for next year's All-Star Game. In the
meantime, I'm back to the witness chair and lousy cafeteria food.
DIAZ'S PLANS FOR TIMBERLAKE'S RESTAURANT Hollywood beauty CAMERON DIAZ is keen to become a business partner in boyfriend JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE's restaurant business. According to reports, the pop hunk's Chi eaterie in Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, is so successful, the CHARLIE'S ANGELS actress wants to get in on the action. A source tells British newspaper the DAILY STAR, "Cameron
knows a good thing when she sees it, both in Justin and in his
restaurant."
Timberlake's U-turn on 'N Sync reunion Los Angeles, Feb 23 : Pop star Justin Timberlake, who had earlier been opposed to the reunion of his former band 'N Sync, is now not toting the chances of getting back together. "There's still a chance that 'N Sync could get back together," the "Rock Your Body" singer, who last year refused to record a reunion album, was quoted as saying by the People magazine. Commenting on former band mate Lance Bass' long time desire to
fly into space, the 24-year-old said: "There's a chance that
Lance could still walk on the moon."
Faith Hill voices support for funding of arts center Country music star Faith Hill was the latest celebrity courting lawmakers' support for an $86 million Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center. The visit persuaded some in the Legislature to find seed money for the project. "It's good for Mississippi," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Robertson, R-Moss Point, who views the Meridian complex as a major boost for the state's tourism industry. A Senate panel is expected to consider a $2 million bond package today. "Superstars like Faith Hill lend so much credibility to it," said Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson, who was among the lawmakers standing near the podium when the Star native talked to a packed House. "It can't help but be a success. I think a package will be put together." The project calls for a combination of public and private funds to develop a 175-acre site in the Bonita Lakes area of Meridian to include a lakeside amphitheater, hall of fame, Choctaw Indians cultural center and conference center. Supporters say it will generate $10 million annually from visitors and showcase the state's artistic heritage. Hill, who chairs the center's honorary board of directors, is getting help on the panel from Mississippi celebrities such as actress Sela Ward, blues great B.B. King, novelist John Grisham, actor Morgan Freeman and singers Jimmy Buffett, Charley Pride, Lance Bass and Leontyne Price. "This is a very worthwhile project," said Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, moments before two screens in the Senate showed a Hill concert video. Watching from the Senate gallery, Joe Norwood, president of the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors, said his board has given $150,000 toward the project in recent months. The city of Meridian has donated $100,000, plus the land, for the project. Norwood said officials plan to put a referendum on the ballot later this year to ask voters to approve a 2 percent food and beverage tax to produce up to $15 million over a 10-year period. If the money becomes available, supporters hope to begin construction next year and open the facility in 2007, center spokeswoman Melinda Hood said. State lawmakers concede they have budget concerns as they tackle a $268 million Medicaid deficit, layoffs for up to 3,000 workers and potential cuts in services. "It's not a good time to try to get money, but at the same time, we need to get something going," said Sen. Videt Carmichael, R-Meridian. "It is an economic development issue." "We put money into everything in the world except east Mississippi," said Rep. Joe Taylor, D-Waynesboro, who supports the project. Hill, the mother of three daughters and the wife of country singer
Tim McGraw, is a graduate of McLaurin High and attended Hinds
Community College.
Diaz and Timberlake's 6,900 dollar anniversary party Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz, who were rumoured to have tied the knot last week, threw a party to celebrate their being together for a year. The party was organised at a 6,900 dollar-a-night penthouse at the Las Vegas-based Hard Rock Hotel. Only close friends and relatives were invited to the do. Timberlake's mother Lynn Harless was also among the revellers
despite rumours that she is unhappy with her son's relationship
with Diaz, reported the New York Post.
Diversity in ads not reflected in real life During the Super Bowl, beer maker Anheuser-Busch Cos. ran nine commercials that included every major racial group, some in mixed settings, some not. In one of its most popular, promoting designated drivers, the black comedian Cedric the Entertainer pretended to turn a steering wheel in a nightclub, unwittingly sparking a multiracial crowd to do copycat dance moves. Every shot in the commercial pictured at least two ethnic groups - some had four. The ad's racial diversity "was very much discussed" during the planning stages, said Bob Lachky, vice president for brand marketing at Anheuser-Busch. "That's very much the club situation in any progressive club in America. ... The look was very, very representative of our customer base." Lachky added that such diversity would not work in any ad setting: A commercial featuring pop star Justin Timberlake knocking on a fan's door, he said, had an all-white cast. "It didn't lend itself to multicultural images, necessarily, because it was at someone's home," Lachky said.
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