West Side Tale

Johnny Depp Getting Married

Before I even mention the story, I just want to say that Johnny Depp is going down hill. I saw a picture of him the other day where he looked like Pete Doherty. Honestly. Skinny and cracked out. Let’s hope it was just a bad picture of him because usually Johnny Depp is hot. ANYWAYS. According to OK! Magazine, Johnny Depp and his longtime lover Vanessa Paradis are planning to finally get married this summer. These two have been together for like, nine years. They have two children together; Lily Rose who is 8 and Jack who is 5. I think it’s about time. Wonder what Wino thinks about that? I wonder if that awful health scare their little girl had earlier this year sort of pushed them forward. They seem like a terrific, committed couple. Nine years is a long time and even I wouldn’t have stayed committed for so long, either take the plunge or let me have fun. Now if this doesn’t set precedent then I wonder what will. Go on Johnny and Vanessa you guy are cool and you rock.

Spears Assistant to Sell Story

Is anything going right for these days? It seems that nearly every single day there is yet another headline about her. This time it involves an assistant that she recently hired and then fired all within a month. It’s odd considering that an assistant is someone you would choose with great consideration. The former assistant, Shannon Funk has stated that Spears neglected to make her sign any confidentiality forms and is now selling her story. She has been offered $500,000 for images and intimate secrets of Britney’s. I’m sure there is a lot one can acquire within a month with Britney. The report is that Funk was fired after Britney’s insane photo shoot for OK! Magazine. She insists that she was not fired and is in discussion with many people interested in paying for what she knows. It’s just another classic case of someone cashing in on somebody else’s fame. It’s actually quite typical and disgusting.

Nicole Richie Gets Four Days in Jail

Nicole Richie was in court this morning in Los Angeles with her boyfriend by her side. Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden is also known for his relationship with Hilary Duff prior to Richie. After pleading guilty to a DUI charge the famous for absolutely nothing star was sentenced to four measly days in prison. She will also be facing a three week alcohol program and three years of probation. Even though the sentence was lenient I’m impressed to hear that the Judge told Nicole that she had seriously endangered lives by driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. If she is caught driving under the influence and she kills someone she is guaranteed to be charged with murder instead of manslaughter. Nicole Richie has been rumored to be carrying Madden’s child but to look at her you’d hope not. Babies cannot survive in a body like hers. Just another typical slap on the wrist in Hollywood, did we expect anymore than that?

Steven Spielberg Threatens To Quit His Beijing Olympic Position

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has threatened to leave his position as artistic director of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, unless China takes action against Sudan. China is a major investor in the African country’s oil industry and has been criticized for failing to send United Nations peacekeeping troops to the troubled Darfur region. The Chinese have also been accused of selling weapons to Sudan. Spielberg wrote to Chinese president Hu Jintao in May urging him to use his influence to encourage Sudan to accept peace keepers. Now he is warning he will decide in the next month if he will withdraw his support of the games. I applaud him for the bold step that he has taken. If Steven is such an acclaimed Hollywood’s powerful people then he should certainly be using his powers to influence the Chinese govt. and tell them to accept peace keepers. Though this is a political matter but with the region being so susceptible to violence there is urgent need to save guard the people of that country.

Paris Hilton Does Charity Work

It looks like Paris may have actually learned something in jail about the person she really wants to be. Her promise to become more involved in charity work is being fulfilled. On Sunday she was at the 4th annual auction for the Life Rolls On Foundation. Jesse Billauer is a former surfer and a friend of Hilton’s. She said she was glad to come out in support of him. He founded the charity himself after being paralyzed. It looks like Paris is ready take on more. She added that she has been spending time at the Los Angeles Hospital for sick kids. She’s also been meeting with philanthropists concerning summit meetings. I’m shocked that she knows about such things. She really must not have been kidding about doing a lot of reading and thinking in jail. Maybe there is hope for her after all. If someone like Paris Hilton can change for the better, Hollywood’s not in such rough shape after all. Now if only a few other crazy stars would follow her example.

Indian actor Sanjay Dutt Sentenced to 6 years.

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison for illegally possessing guns that he received from key plotters behind the 1993 bombings in Mumbai.

The well-known actor already has served 18 months in jail following his arrest, and it appears he will have to serve another 4 1/2 years behind bars.

Dutt was convicted last November on a charge of illegal possessing three automatic rifles and a pistol, but acquitted of more serious terrorism charges relating to the bombings.

There had been speculation that Dutt would get probation. But Judge Pramod Kode said that even though he wasn’t sure Dutt possessed the guns with the intention of committing a terrorist act, merely having them “shows scant respect to the law.”

“In no sense can this be said to be a minor offense,” Kode said.

Dutt, who had been out on bail for the past 12 years while the trial dragged on, looked down and listened with his hands clasped behind his back as Kode read the sentence.

Within minutes, he was taken into custody. “Don’t be sentimental, be calm and quiet,” the judge said, as Dutt stood weeping before being led away.

The sentencing of Dutt, along with three others Tuesday, ends the sprawling Mumbai bombings trial, which dragged on for 12 years and saw more than 100 people convicted, 686 witnesses and 13,000 pages of testimony. The series of bombings on March 12, 1993, killed 257 people.

A dozen people were sentenced to death, while 20 others face life sentences. More than 50 others will serve between three and 14 years in jail.

Dutt was able to complete pending movie projects during bail extensions over the past year and only recently finished filming comedies like “Dhamaal” or “Loud Noise,” and “Phatafat” or “Pronto.”

The industry film could lose about $12 million for two unfinished Dutt films, “Alibag” and “Fraud,” estimated Komal Nata, who runs Film Information, a trade guide.

“It is a body blow to the film industry,” said Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt, who directed Dutt in the 1986 hit movie “Namm,” or “Name.”

Lohan boozed in rehab

It seems that hell-raising actress Lindsay Lohan got back to her boozing ways while still undergoing treatment in rehab for the second time. The actress guzzled vodka and an energy drink secretly as her part of the celebration of her 21st birthday at the centre. Following the incident, furious rehab staff ordered the starlet to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet. In the first place there should be an inquiry as to how could she have vodka within the premises without anyone knowing about it. There surely was someone who helped her get the drinks and alcohol into her room and knew that the party girl was not going give up on alcohol even if she has checked into the rehab for the very same purpose. As for Lindsay, she knows better where she is heading in life, so we’d rather stop worrying about this girl she ain’t going to leave alcohol in a hurry.

Shemar Moore Shrugs Off Nude Photos

There has been a little bit of speculation floating around since nude photos of the Criminal Minds actor have surfaced. Shemar Moore was photographed enjoying the beach in the nude. The photos later ended up in tabloids and splashed all over the internet. The photos are rumored to have been shot on a gay, nude beach in Hawaii which led to the outbreak of claims that Moore was gay. Moore says that it bothers him because he is not gay and doesn’t want to be spoken of as if he were. He also assures the press that he has no problem with gay people and had a godfather who was gay as well as close friends who are. He claims he was on the beach with two girlfriends skinny dipping and he has no reason to be ashamed. He doesn’t. The photographer with nothing better to do should be. Of course Moore was in public but it hardly means he is a free for all. He’s entitled to personal privacy as much as the next person.

Britney Spears To Tell All

Pop superstar Britney Spears is to set the record straight about her much-publicized personal problems in a revealing interview with OK! magazine, according to reports.
The troubled star, 25, is said to have personally called the magazine’s main switchboard and asked to speak to the publication’s editor-in-chief, Sara Ivens, to negotiate a deal for the interview. Underline the main stuff is – To Negotiate A Deal. She wants to tell us all, a thing we already know for a price. Britney you s**k and none of us want to hear any crap about you. Her fight with her mother over her property is hers’, the impending divorce is hers’ and her rehab stint is also her problem. So what is there that we do not know? The media has kept us well informed about her much touted life and we truly have enough of it, so please bear with us and kindly do not make any such arrangements to give inputs and private documentations of your highly publicized life. For once can’t she learn the art of keeping mum on personal matters and rather find ways to get out of her silly lifestyle.

Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony Warned About Abusive Movie Scenes

Hollywood husband-and-wife Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony almost quit their new movie El Cantante, fearing abusive relationship scenes would damage their marriage. Anthony plays Hector Lavoe, one of the most famous Spanish-language singers of the 1970s, in the movie - and Lopez plays his wife Puchi. They are right in thinking so, you never know that when actors could get intense about the role and get so much into the character that they live the life of that person and the bad and abusive nature might spill into their lives. The situation could have the two rehearse the roles in their bedroom and start arguing what is right and what is wrong. The film follows Lavoe’s heroin addiction, his violent relationship with Puchi and his death from an AIDS-related illness. But now that they have not quit the movie, they must have sit over the script and decided to leave movie matters on the sets of the movie and not mix business and pleasure.

Bundchen is the richest supermodel

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has topped the forbes’ list of the richest supermodels for the year 2006-2007 with an earning in the tune of 16 million pounds.
But she has clearly worked overtime to earn every single penny that for sure, she led about 20 ad-campaigns in 2006 including one for Victoria’s Secrets lingerie. The lofty beauty was followed by British supermodel Kate Moss who was a very distant second collecting 4.4 million pounds for all her efforts. Some of the notable names that did not make it to the top ten are Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. What ever millions these girls make but there are always going to be some major health or to be precise eating disorders that they have to confront. There skin may be the face of leading international beauty brands and the skin might glow like pearls on the ramp and in the ad campaigns. They are the object of desire for millions of males worldwide but there heady and sometimes nasty behaviors aren’t what we’d like to see.

Stan Lee to turn Paris Hilton into a cartoon

Former Jailbird Paris Hilton has tied up with comic guru Stan lee for a cartoon series for MTV. The creator of comic superheroes like Spiderman said that the new series’ character well not be like the typical heroes, but is sure to be very refreshing and compelling. “She won’t be your typical superhero. It will be a very refreshing and compelling situation comedy,” He told that he likes Paris Hilton as she is a nice and lovely girl. Nice and lovely girl since when were the adjectives come to be associated with some like Paris Hilton. I think that Lee is trying to give Paris an image make over for the cartoon series he is planning to launch. Paris would more be suited in a comic series that shows the lighter side of a girl whose life is a comedy in the real sense of the word itself. Sex videos, high night life parties and to top it all a jail sentence would easily sell millions of copies if told in a comic way.

De Niro to bring Mao Zedong to silver screen

The rise of Mao Zedong and communism in China is to be brought to the big screen by none other that Hollywood actor Robert De Niro. The Oscar winning star has secured rights to Chasing The Dragon: A veteran Journalist’s First hand Account of the 1949 Chinese Revolution written by reporter Roy Rowan. Rowan a former Shanghai-based correspondent for Time and Life, who was one of the few western journalist reporting from inside China at the time of Mao’s rise to power. He will now act as a consultant on the film. America loves to make movies on Chinese communism and then though he will have a journalist’s Firsthand account but surely the movie will not be showing the truth, because there are political reason which can flare up the tensions between the two nation over the issue. If De Niro can make a comedy out of this movie that would really be out of the hat stuff, because there is always a lighter side to the grim happening of our world and to portray that would be a class act.

Kelly Ripa: I Still Have a Crush on My Husband

After 11 years and three children, Kelly Ripa still views her marriage to Mark Consuelos as daisy fresh. “I’ve had a crush on my husband since the day I met him,” 11 years on and she still has a crush on her husband, I don’t believe her but if she says so then she means it too. This is awesome cos I thought crush is something that happens in school times only and to manage to have that same feelings and craziness for that same man is beautiful. “I had a dream about him that night,” she recalls. “The next day I went up to him, and although I didn’t even know his name, I said, ‘I had had a dream about you last night.’” Man this is so cool, and her words will make others fall in love again. Life is like a Piano, white keys mean happiness and black sad moments but both the white keys and black one create music. They must have had their share of ups and downs but they way things look there are my best couple. Cheers Kelly you guys rock!

Carmen Starring in a scary movie

Dimension Home Video will release their hilarious comedy Scary Movie which places Carmen Electra, Marlon Mayans and some of the hottest young stars in various scary and hair raising situations, which will be portrayed in an outrageously funny way. This movie very comically presents all the various techniques used in a horror movie leaving the audience in splits. The movie uses tongue in cheek humor and very satirically brings forth the effect of a horror movie. Outrageously funny scenes in a horror movie are they going to make eye balls pop out and a dead man, that’s funny alright. We’ve seen these tricks too many a times, so there better be something really good about the movie for the people to see it, or it might turn out to be a damp squib after all.

Victoria Beckham TV Flop

It looks like Americans really didn’t care about the Beckhams moving to the U.S. after all. Victoria Beckham’s reality show aired Monday night. Much to her disappointment more people were interested in watching sitcom reruns. 4.9 million viewers did make the decision to waste their time watching the posh singer document her move to L.A. TV critics called the show an “orgy of self indulgence”. I wouldn’t have expected any less from the Spice Girl turned soccer star wife. Its funny how many people didn’t even know there was such a show. It’s not as if she has done anything to contribute to Hollywood lately anyway. Why should everyone drop everything to watch her shop for mansions? I’d gladly catch a rerun of “My Name is Earl” before I’d pretend to care what Posh Spice is doing in L.A.

Rumer has it

Rummer Willis is becoming quite the little movie star. She’s already signed on to star in a movie with daddy and now she has another gig coming up Rumer will star opposite Anna Faris in an untitled comedy form Adam Sandler’s production company. Rumer’s character is described as an insecure young woman who wears a backbrace even though she could have had it removed years ago. Ok does she at all have a nice enough skin to look one bit an actress.True, she does. but big deal really, so do a lot of people, my 16 year old niece has never even had a blemish, not even a single blackhead, her skin is poreless and beautiful. peronally i would rather, given the choice, have a pretty face and have a few zits here and there, that will go away, and still have nice skin. than have great skin and have an ugly strange odd looking off face like Rumeer willis that is not going anywhere. unless she becomes best friends with every plastic surgeon in Hollyweird just like her plastic titted botox loving mom has.

Cuthbert wants to be in superhero movie

Actress Elisha Cuthbert is desperate to star in a big screen superhero film – despite her consistent lack of success to date. The 24 star has previously auditioned to play Mary Jane in Spiderman, Lois Lane in Superman and Susan Storm in Fantastic Four, but could not land the job on any of three occasions. But despite not being able to land the role she has set her sight still higher and says that “I wanna be in a superhero movie and I’d be lying if I said I do not want star in a similar movie. I think I am good enough to land a role in the movies.” Cuthbert who says you are not good enough, I think you are talented and have the oomph that’s required to portray in a superhero movie. In a superhero movie all you need to do is let the bad guy catch you and then lock u up in a cell and have the superhero rescue you – the end of the story. You will certainly fit well. You can expect a call up anytime soon and keep your fingers crossed and your mobile phone on, so you do not miss the call from the studios.

Carrey & Carrel Team Up Again For Dr. Seuss Movie

Bruce Almighty co-stars Jim Carrey and Steve Carell have teamed up again to bring another Dr. Seuss tale to the big screen. Carrey, who starred in Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, will play the lead in Horton Hears a Who!, while Carell will portray the Mayor of Whoville in the project. Comedienne Carol Burnett, who plays the villainous Kangaroo in the film, says, “I’ve yet to meet Jim or Steve and I hope I do. Maybe Steve can get me on (TV show) The Office, which I love. And I wish Jim and I could be on the same set together because I think we could be ad-libbing and overlapping and stuff. It would be wonderful.” Yeah yeah, these comedians, once they are on the sets together then God help the other members of the crew, for their pranks could be nasty and the one caught for the pranks could be really harassed to say the least. Pranks played on friends or anyone is fine till its fun but could get nasty if it’s getting personal. And let’s see how the movie shapes out to be.

Queen Latifah Introduces Her Fans To Her Dad

Queen Latifah thrilled fans at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday night when she brought her father onstage. The Chicago star, real name Dana Owens, was performing jazz standards and show numbers at the famed Los Angeles venue when she halted the show to pay tribute to her dad. The former rapper credited her father with introducing her to the classics she now performs. Among the highlights of Latifah’s Hollywood Bowl show was a jazzy version of the Mamas & The Papas’ California Dreamin’. This lady surely knows her work well, even the couple of movies that I have seen of hers were truly an awesome performance that packed a punch in the role. Most of these star would forget to even mention their parents names at an awards function or at an important time, it’s nice to see that see she introduced her dad to the audience. I’ve loved the Queen since she was a rapper. Strong successful woman!

Frank Gehry to design stage for Mariza

Architect Frank Gehry will design a set for a performance by Portuguese fado singer Mariza later this year.
Gehry, renowned for his stunning and daring urban visions, has agreed to create a taverna inspired stage for Mariza’s performance in October at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The melding of the two arts Gehry promises will make for a very special evening in the building he conceived.
“I want this set to enhance and support her,” Gehry, 78, said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press. “It’s not going to be a Frank Gehry set. You won’t recognize it.”
Gehry said he met Mariza several years ago in Lisbon and was enamored by fado, Portuguese folk music that often has mournful lyrics. The music genre began in working-class neighborhoods and was performed in tavernas where people sat at tables singing and drinking wine.
“It’s a very intimate setting and there is a dark ambiance,” said the 33-year-old Mariza, who is touring the United States this year. “It’s a huge privilege to have my own taverna directed by Mr. Gehry.”
The Pritzker Prize-winning architect, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Dancing House in Prague in the Czech Republic, is keeping busy. Last month, he was tapped to create his first playground at New York’s historic Battery public park. He also is designing two skyscrapers that will be cornerstones of a $1.8 billion project in downtown Los Angeles.

How Michael Douglas won over Catherine Zeta-Jones

In a revelation that will warm the hearts of tongue-tied lotharios everywhere, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has revealed the chat up line that actor Michael Douglas used to snare her. The Chicago star admits she could be very temperamental in past relationships but her husband of seven years has taught her that shouting and screaming rarely helps you win an argument. Zeta-Jones, routinely voted one of the world’s sexiest women, relates how Douglas wooed her with the some would say cheesy line, “I want to father your children.” “Months later, we were dating, and I was already in love with him,” But really that’s easier said that done, if a profession that has more attractions than anyother in the world its easy to fall prey to beauty and that is the thing that destroys a relationship. It’s lovely to know that the two are still in love and enjoy with the kids as well. We love to you too guys.