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Posted by Jess McGuire at 1:26 PM on July 25, 2008
Today's selection comes from reader Cassie, and is dedicated to her little one - and our very own Clementine Bastow!
We've gone children's cartoon crazy around these parts, haven't we? Whatever next?
I both chuckled at and felt oddly touched by the following little anecdote regarding Heath Ledger's character development for The Joker during the filming of The Dark Knight, and felt it worth sharing with you.
During the filming of The Dark Knight Heath Ledger kept a notebook to help him get in character, detailing all the things that he felt the Joker would find funny.
The first entry: AIDS.
Thank you, Popbitch.
· You might catch this cherished-Breakfast Club-memory-despoiling ad for JCPenney before PG and PG-13 rated movies this weekend. Yes, you too can look like you just raided Barry Manilow's wardrobe! [creativity-online]
· Russell Brand was asked to host the MTV Video Music Awards in September, instantly elevating him to household who-the-fuck-is-that? status. [AP]
· Congratulations Marissa Jaret Winokur on giving birth to your first child, Zev Isaac Miller. (Which according to our Jew/Goy dictionary translates literally as "Levi Alves McConaughey.") [People]
· Here's video of Christian Bale telling a reporter to mind his own business. The transcript really didn't do it justice: He can even turn a simple "no comment" into a deeply involving, multi-act affair. [ETOnline]
· Why Never to Believe a Publicist, Chapter MMMDCCCXC: That little Kelsey Grammer chest-hiccup? His heart stopped completely: "They had to blast me twice and get me started all over again." [NY Times]
In news sure to be a shocking blow to romantics everywhere, the virginal Dean Geyer and his pop star missus Lisa Origliasso have announced to the world that they're calling it quits. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
A statement from Generation Y's pin-up couple said the pair split due to personal and professional commitments.
"Our careers demand we be in different parts of the world now and in the future, and the pressures associated with this have forced us to make this very difficult decision," it read.
"We remain committed and caring friends, with love, admiration and support for one another. We would appreciate respect for our privacy at this time."
Generation Y's pin-up couple, eh? Interesting.
But apparently it may not just be the tyranny of distance responsible tearing this union asunder.
... The Daily Telegraph reports music sources are claiming thoughts of a former flame may have flickered again.
Origliasso starting going out with Geyer last year just after breaking up with ex-shock jock, Craig 'Lowie' Lowe.
That relationship did not recover after a radio stunt exposed the couple in bed together, the morning after the 2006 ARIAs.
Lisa can't stop thinking back to a relationship where her primal ladyurges were satisfied? Surely not.
VALE DEAN GEYER AND LISA ORIGLIASSO'S LOVE (2007-2008)
When we used to wake up in the mornin' after the alarm gave out a warnin', it was always alright 'cuz we were Saved By The Bell. Yes, all you '80s-born kiddies, the show we embarrassingly grew up watching religiously despite the fact that catching a rerun these days makes us dry-heave, is in the headlines again. The frizzy-haired, unemployed trophy winner of the World's Most Nauseating Sex Tape (that is, until Mini-Me stole the title), Dustin "Screech" Diamond, has given up on those comedy club circuit dreams and made the heroic decision to put his nose to the mirror grindstone. As Vulture reports, we will soon have the pleasure reading a tell-all book scripted by Diamond, detailing what really went on behind the scenes of that epic show. And if you're like us, who consider Jesse Spano's "I'm So Excited...I'm So...Scared" scene a pivotal moment in our adolescence, don't despair — Diamond is said to be more than ready to spill each and every bean when it comes to revealing all of the dirty deets of Bayside High School's Class of 1993.
Any David Lynch fan worth his/her salt will know that the only thing that he likes more than collaborating with Angelo Badalamenti is drinking coffee. (Smoking American Spirits is a close third). And as any David Lynch fan also probably knows, David Lynch launched his very own line of organic coffee a few years back. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China, you ask? Well, anyone who has spent some time on DavidLynch.com knows that as talented as he is behind the camera, he hasn't quite mastered e-commerce yet (for example, the "buy" link on his site is not functional). All of which is a long-winded way of letting you know that if you've always wanted to try his signature coffee line, it's now available at the (generally) reliable Amazon.com. And if you get Amazon GC's sent your way as much as we do, well, this news oughta be sweeter to you than the cherry pie at the Double-R. [Amazon.com, vid via YouTube]
Excellent news to report for anyone who still thinks Angelina Jolie is perfection incarnate, in spite of that silly husband-stealing fiasco, heroin tape, Billy Bob phase, Life Or Something Like It and...well, there are probably a few of you left! According to Us, the conception of the Chosen Two was quite literally chosen to arrive at a specific point in Brangelina's magical life. A source tells the weekly that the "impatient" soccer team managers didn't rely on Brad's super-sperm or Jolie's scream-filled bedroom style to spontaneously produce Knox and Viv. Rather, the no-longer-immortal duo paid a hefty sum for in vitro treatments to speed up their plan to "have 10 kids...while [they're] young." But their goal may not work out quite as planned. Reports that Angelina is being forced into joining the trendy rapid weight loss/gain club for her next role may cause a serious delay in recruiting new Jolie-Pitts for quite some time.
Spike Jonze Wild Things-Watch, Vol. XXIV. Perhaps the City of Ember Blowjob Train was good for something other than fanboy condescension after all: A few of the bloggers on the journey to Comic-Con had a word with Ember producer Gary Goetzman, whose Tom Hanks-owned Playtone shingle is also among the interests behind the forever-delayed Where the Wild Things Are. Goetzman assured his interrogators that the troubled Spike Jonze production, which Warners recently pulled off its upcoming release slate, is coming along just fine; those rumours of a lousy performance by young Max Records and Jonze potentially losing the film are "100% untrue." "I think that Warner Bros.' vision and Spike Jonze's vision may be a little different," Goetzman said, also insisting that Jonze retains final cut. "Warner Bros. has no intention of bringing down the hammer on anyone." Here's hoping they can continue this chat on the Wild Things Train to Comic-Con in 2010. [AICN via Vulture]
To Sienna Miller's credit, the It Girl Who Never Really Was continues to work steadily, despite never having fully congealed in the public's consciousness as a recognisable movie star. (Overheard at an Arclight Stardust screening: "Who's she again?" "She's the Australian one who slept with Ryan Phillippe's nanny, I think.") Miller is due later this year in Hippie Hippie Shake, a biopic set in the '60s in which her flower-child character was required to dispense with cumbersome material possessions (like clothing) and jump wholeheartedly into the era's acid-fuelled orgy culture. One continuity problem: Her overly manicured private areas—a configuration popularly referred to today as a "landing strip"—were simply unheard of in the predominantly laissez-hair climate of the time.
Gossip Girl, the show that the media can't stop gushing over despite the fact that nobody actually watches it or anything, has of course been renewed for a second season. And in an apparent attempt to lure the large audience of celeb voyeurs that's currently interested in the cast members' bi-curious antics off-screen than on, the sultry young things-obsessed marketing crew at the CW has released some "inappropriate" images from the second season's ad campaign. Thanks to Miley Cyrus and her "scandalous" series of endless flesh-baring spreads, any photos featuring tweenyboppers practically banging each other or doing their best O-face are fine by us. But releasing racy promos like these is a practice long used by GG's predecessors, and the sleazy plan relying on that old promise that Sex Sells has a history of backfiring in many a series' pretty little sweat-drenched faces:
While most of the punditocracy is demanding that Sid Ganis engrave Heath Ledger's name on the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor before the month of July comes to a close, the notoriously contrarian ESPN talking head Skip Bayless isn't quite convinced. During today's episode of their afternoon gabfest 1st And 10, Bayless got into a heated argument with the equally opinionated (read: full of shit) mouthpiece Stephen A. Smith about whether or not The Dark Knight was better than Tim Burton's Batman. As these conversations generally go, the topic of conversation quickly switched to Heath Ledger's universally lauded performance as The Joker. That is to say, universally lauded by everyone but Skip Bayless.
On the surface, the life of the average paparazzo seems almost impossibly glamorous and adventuresome—spent loitering outside one of L.A.'s many ultra-exclusive social establishments, or ducking sniper fire on the branch of an electrified fig tree trying to capture a Chosen Twins double-breast-feeding session. But there are several things we felt you should know before dropping your lucrative dermatology practice to follow your dreams of running away with the pap circus; Defamer videorobics instructor Molly McAleer has generously compiled them all here for you here, along with A/V supporting evidence. Just watch it. That's all we're saying. And keep one eye on that Cash Warren character. Getting Jessica Alba pregnant isn't his only trick shot.
In the tradition of classic musical sequels like Goodbye, Dolly and Seven Divorces for Seven Brothers, the creative team behind Hairspray is set to return for a follow-up slated for 2010. New Line has reportedly brought aboard John Waters — whose original 1988 hit was adapted to a Broadway tuner that grossed $200 million when re-adapted for the screen last year — to scribble a new treatment "[picking] up the Baltimore saga of the Turnblad family after the resolution of the first film, which was set in 1962."
Unlike most adulterous celebrity scandals, the latest claim that Most Awkward On-Screen Sex Partner Matthew Broderick has pulled a Beckham / Phillippe / Hawke by getting involved in a long-term affair with a 25-year old redhead is actually filled to the brim with hilariously kinky details. The Star exclusive includes all sorts of juicy and slightly nauseating allegations, making Pat O'Brien's "I want to fucking eat you!" sweet nothings seem tame in comparison. As sad as any remaining fans of Ferris may be to hear it, the mag's sources claim newly mole-less SJP's hubby is fond of popping 'round his do-gooder mistress' bedroom, darting out after 30 minutes, and leaving the girl "passed out on her bed in her panties." But is this really so shocking? After the jump, we cover the many times Parker has hinted that the long-married couple has serious issues, from her comments that he's always "secretly manipulating you," to the time she confessed she just adores seeing him "have great chemistry" with other women:
The saga of Paramount Vantage arrived at its bloody conclusion this morning, when Rob Moore and John Lesher sent a memo announcing the termination of 60 jobs at the specialty label. The paring down follows the earlier absorption of Vantage into the 'Mount mother ship, where Lesher graduated earlier this year, Amy Israel hit the eject button and which will keep a handful of staffers on as part of the catchily titled Paramount Worldwide Acquisitions Group announced a few days ago.
· The Dark Knight has now become the fastest movie in history to earn $200 million: it made that in five days, three days faster than previous record-holder Spider-Man 2. Do you know how much guyliner that could buy the Mayor of Gotham? Tons! [THR]
· Russia has purchased the format for The Office, making the necessary regional tweaks ("Hey—who suspended the phone-bugging equipment in my borcht-flavored gelatin!") for full comic effect. [Variety]
· Because what the TV landscape really needed was another dance competition reality show, Chris Brown and Mark Burnett have teamed up to bring you Chris Brown Presents: Untitled Hip-Hop Dance Project, which should pair nicely with the David Archuleta's Totally Fly Weep-Off Jam currently being pitched around town. [Variety]
· ABC is close to committing to a pilot for Middle, "the story of a middle-class Midwestern family seen through the eyes of the mother," so long as they can secure Patricia Heaton to star. Heaton said she'd check with the Albertsons people, but that it shouldn't be a problem. [THR]
· Tim Burton has found the girl to play Alice in his adaptation of Alice in Wonderland: relatively unknown Australian actress Mia Wasikowska. [THR]
We're keeping our distance from the large-scale fanboy marketing orgy that is San Diego Comic-Con, in part because we've already got our hands full grappling with Warners' Dark Knight Dark Publicity™ campaign, but also in part because Defamer's frugal travel policy requires hitchhiking for journeys longer than 100 miles [Ed. Note - Sorry STV, the policy has changed to 50 miles — effective immediately]. Sadly, we missed our only other option: The City of Ember train, chartered by Fox and Walden Media on Wednesday to transport select film writers on an all-expenses-paid romp from LA to San Diego. With a junket, of course. And cookies. And a jazz band! And apparently some kind of "loyalty oath" to the fantasy epic's titular metropolis where Bill Murray presides as mayor: "We swear eternal loyalty to our city and to the wisdom that created it. We declare our infinite gratitude..."
As part of our ongoing commitment to bring you incremental updates in the Christian Bale Acting Huffy Towards Some Female Relatives story, we now have word on the actor's first public acknowledgment of The Incident at a Spanish press conference:
· You might catch this cherished-Breakfast Club-memory-despoiling ad for JCPenney before PG and PG-13 rated movies this weekend. Yes, you too can look like you just raided Barry Manilow's wardrobe! [
Any David Lynch fan worth his/her salt will know that the only thing that he likes more than collaborating with Angelo Badalamenti is drinking coffee. (Smoking American Spirits is a close third). And as any David Lynch fan also probably knows, David Lynch launched his very own 
On the surface, the life of the average paparazzo seems almost impossibly glamorous and adventuresome—spent loitering outside one of L.A.'s many ultra-exclusive social establishments, or ducking sniper fire on the branch of an electrified fig tree trying to capture a Chosen Twins double-breast-feeding session. But there are several things we felt you should know before dropping your lucrative dermatology practice to follow your dreams of running away with the pap circus; Defamer videorobics instructor Molly McAleer has generously compiled them all here for you here, along with A/V supporting evidence. Just watch it. That's all we're saying. And keep one eye on that Cash Warren character. Getting Jessica Alba pregnant isn't his only trick shot.