Britney Plans Her Next Step

Our dear Britney Spears met up for dinner with her, apparent, manager (once again) Larry Rudolph in Beverly Hills, CA last night where the pair prolly talked about things like ... the weather (it's been absolutely gorge here in SoCal lately), politics (isn't it great that the Democrats have finally united behind Barack Obama as their presidential candidate?) and pop culture (can you believe that Paris Hilton has seemingly cleaned up her act?) ... but they prolly mostly talked about Britney's upcoming trip to London, England for the filming of her new music video for her song Radar (which Larry confirmed to the New York Post as the plan for her next video). Here are pics of Brit and Larry as they made their way out of the restaurant last night:


Photo credit: X17

Britney Spears' former manager Larry Rudolph has confirmed the star will be hitting the streets of London to shoot the promo for her upcoming single Radar. The Toxic star is set to film the video in the capital next week, and is determined to get her career back on track by taking a director's role on-set. Rudolph tells the New York Post , "The theme is her and her girlfriends are going to be looking all around London trying to find a boy who she met in a club. Every time they think they have him, it's someone else. "She will be behind the camera as much as possible; she wants to make sure it's exactly right." In April Rudolph, who was reportedly dismissed by the singer after he joined her parents in forcing Spears into rehab last year, told reporters how the star is gearing up to make a triumphant return to the charts, saying, "She's in an amazing position for a comeback right now. She could end up being the biggest comeback in history."

Britney and Larry make an amazing team. He absolutely knows what it takes to make her a star (after all, he's already done that very thing at the start of her career) so I have total trust in his plans for Britney. Brit's last album, Blackout, was such an amazing album ... especially when you consider that she made the whole thing while she was, well, crazy. I can't even imagine how good her next album will turn out now that she's uncrazy AND working with Larry on her side again. The future looks very bright for our dear Britney ... I can't wait to see her climb back to the top of the heap again to show all the wannabe beyotches who have tried to take her place how it's done.

The Dark Knight Does Total Film Magazine

Characters from the much-anticipated Batman sequel The Dark Knight are featured on the cover and in the pages of the new issue of Total Film magazine ... check it out:



Hee hee ... we're still a little over a month away from the movie's release and we've practically seen the whole movie in pictures already. Actually, nothing that we've seen thus far has been all that spoilery ... the pics all seem to come from the same scenes in the movie ... even still, I'm tired of all the foreplay -- I want action already!!!

Head Of The Class

In recent weeks, I've commented extensively on how happy and proud I am that Britney Spears has made a successful bid to clean up her act, to get her life back on track and to bring an end to the dangerous and trashy behavior that she had been engaged in (and that was essentially killing her). I've lately come to see that Paris Hilton, yes the Paris Hilton, has kind of done the same thing. Ever since she started her relationship with Benji Madden of Good Charlotte (a relationship that I, honestly, never envisioned in the first place), Paris has stayed out of the party scene and has settled down ... a lot. I'm not sure it really hit me how much Paris has changed her ways until most recently ... check out these photos of Paris doing her best Jackie O. impersonation (sans the faboo pillbox hat) as she made her way out of a store this week:


Photo credit: Splash News

You know, I really feel that much of the credit for the new Paris goes to Benji Madden. He is, very honestly, one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet. He's not about the Hollywood bullshizz, he's not about hitting all the trendy hotspots ... he's just a down guy who keeps it real. Paris is very lucky to have him in her life ... and maybe that is why she's changed her behavior for the better. I really hope we get to see more of this new and improved Paris Hilton. She's quite a sight for sore eyes.

Hug It Out

Usually the action that takes place while filming scenes for a TV series happens on set ... but in some instances, the action takes place backstage. Here are a couple of adorable photos of Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia (who finally confirmed that they are romantically involved) doin' a bit of cuddling on the steps of Hayden's trailer on the set of Heroes (which is currently filming for the next season):


Photo credit: INFdaily

They make an adorable pair ... and now that the secret's out that they are lurvin' all up on one another, we may be seeing more canoodling like this going on as the summer progresses. I'm totally geeked that new eps of Heroes are currently being filmed, btw. It won't be long until we'll be seeing the Heroes back in action ... until then, tho, we'll have to settle with watchin' all the HaLo action backstage

She Popped!



Jessica "Don't Call Me Latina" Alba finally gave birth this weekend.

The actress welcomed her first child, a girl, on Sunday.

The baby was born at Los Angeles' Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

This is the first kid for Don't Call Me Latina and her new husband, Cashole Warren.

The infant's name has not been released (yet) but it will probably be something like Purificacion or Esperanza.

You know she'll wanna overcompensate!

[Image via WENN.]

Wino's Racist Ways



We're sure there's a lot more where this came from!

Somehow, someone has gotten a hold of Blake Fielder-Civil's camera and sold videos and photos of him and his drug addict wife, Amy Winehouse.

Who sold the vid? How did the newspaper get away with legally purchasing the pics?

Who knows?!

Click here to watch the clip that everyone in Britain is talking about, a video of Winehouse singing a racist song in her crack den.

And, then click here to watch Blake incarcerated's personal pics of Wino.

Nips and all!

Wino Apologizes For Racist Drug Video



In case you haven't seen it yet…

Click here to watch the latest shocking Amy Winehouse vid that everyone is talking about.

The day the story broke, Wino apologized to the paparazzi on her doorstep Sunday morning for her racist attempt at humor.

She should also be apologizing for still being a cracked out mess!!!

[Image via WENN.]

It Must Run In The Family



She's bringing ugly back!

Potato Head's little sister, Tullulah Willis, rocks the one glove look as she shops on Melrose on Sunday.

This outfit is something Courtney Love would wear.

That's not a compliment!

[Image via Starzlife.]

We HATE People Like This!



We have a new Jessica Alba on our hands!

Lauren Conrad was spotted shopping on Melrose in L.A. on Saturday.

The Hills supporting character actually had the audacity to tell photographers that she was sick of having her picture taken.

Then move back to The O.C., b***h!

We hate Hate HATE celebs that complain about being famous!

You're young, you're not totally ugly, you've got some money - enjoy it!

[Image via Starzlife.]

How Do We Say This Delicately???



Kenny Rogers (yes, that's really him) makes an appearance at the 2008 CMA Music Festival on Saturday.

Uhmm…

Maybe it's time to call up the plastic surgeon again????

[Image via WENN.]

Busted!!!!!



Rappers smoking weed???? Shock!

Warren G was arrested for pot possession early Sunday morning.

The rapper was busted by police after the car he was in ran a red light and officers discovered marijuana in his car. A LOT of marijuana.

He was charged with "intent to sell."

We hope he's still got some money saved up for a good lawyer!

[Image via WENN.]

Back To Work



His doctors have given him the go-ahead….

A&E has picked up his show….

And, now, Patrick Swayze is set to begin production on his new TV show, The Beast.

"We’re very excited to begin series production on ‘The Beast’ and even more thrilled to have Patrick on board reprising the role he played so powerfully in the pilot opposite Travis, who is certainly an emerging talent in his own right,” Bob DiBitetto, executive VP and general manager of A&E Network, said in a statement.

The network said Mr. Swayze "has responded well to treatment and his doctors have given him
the go-ahead to resume working."

Patrick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year.

[Image via WENN.]

They Hate Each Other



They're not even TRYING to keep up appearances!

Audrina Patridge is the new Heidi Montag, meaning Lauren Conrad has irrationally "turned" on her for no apparent reason and now they HATE each other.

As we've been telling you recently, things between Adurina and L.C. have been very chilly lately and the nastiness escalated Thursday night at an event they were both at.

“Honestly I think that Lauren and I have been making a sincere effort to reach out to her,” Hills villain Lo Bosworth says. “I feel like we’re all kind of in a dark place right now,” she adds.

Asked if Audrina is moving out of the guest house of the place she shares with her and Conrad, Lo says, "I don’t know. We don’t know."

Head bitch Lauren says herself, "There’s a little bit of tension, but we’ll work it out."

Remaining vague, Audrina counters, "We’re just trying to work it and see what happens. We’re all so busy now and going in different directions. [Drama] does happen and it doesn’t mean you don’t have to stop being friends. You can still be friends but just not be together all the time.”

Patridge is trying to stay positive amidst Conrad's diva-ish behavior. Everything will work out, she thinks “in the end, hopefully. But … ” She paused for a long moment. “I don’t know.”

Next thing you know, Audrina and Heidi are gonna be living together!

How amazing would that be?????

[Image via Buzz Foto.]

He's Gonna Have To Get A Job!



Anne Heche's ex-husband, Coley Laffoon, didn't get as big a payday as he would have probably hoped for.

The pair's acrimonious divorce was finally settled on Friday and the actress has been ordered to pay him a lump sum of $275,000.

Heche has also been ordered to pay and monthly child support payments of $3,700.

Annie has previously balked at having to pay $15k a month, claiming she's out of work and broke.

So how's she gonna come up with the $275k????????

[Image via Celebrity Babylon.]

Sweet Little Lies



In a new interview with GMTV, the Spice Girl known as Scary, Mel B., revealed that she is going on tour with Janet Jackson.

Says the Brit, "Yep, well I'm 10 songs into my album and she worked with me on one of the tracks. I'm also doing a tour of America with her in September, which I can't wait for. She's a great lady."

Well, there's only one small problem.

She's lying!

Sources reveal exclusively to Perez that Mel B. is NOT going on tour with Janet. "Not at all," says our source, who started laughing when we asked about this.

Oh, Mel.

Lying is never cool!

[Images via WENN.]

Quote of the Day



“It’s great to be single. It’s great to have boyfriends. Or girlfriends. There are occasions when you kiss your best friend growing up, having fun and goofing about. Like perfecting your technique.”

- Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, in the new issue of Glamour U.K.

Liv's Got Her Milo and Her Movies

After a fun-filled day on the Santa Monica Pier earlier this week, Liv Tyler and Milo kept things low key on Thursday. Liv looked fab in her maxi dress out to dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Pasadena with Milo and the nanny. While Liv's The Strangers is a bit too scary for little Milo (and me) to see in the theaters, I'm excited to see his mommy in The Incredible Hulk when it comes out next weekend. The Summer may have gotten off to a rough start in some ways for Liv, but between her movies and her adorable son it looks like she'll be able to keep a smile on her face.

Mischa is a Barton Butterfly



Mischa Barton (in Giambattista Vall) straps on a pair of “Mischa” butterfly wings and flaps around the “A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival” at the Wadsworth Theater on Sunday in Los Angeles. Check out all of her face and body paint!

The event was sponsored by Disney and benefited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Mad Mary Mary Janes by Christian Louboutin.

Sandra Bullock Has a Proposal For Ryan Reynolds



Sandra Bullock proposes to costar Ryan Reynolds on Friday morning on the New York City set of their new romantic comedy, The Proposal.

Curiously enough, last month, it was announced that Ryan, 31, and Scarlett Johansson, 23, became engaged (in real life, of course).

In the film, Bullock, 43, stars as a Canadian immigrant who creates a difficult and complicated work environment for her subordinates at the office. When the news arrives that she’s about to be deported back to her homeland, she rushes into a marriage of convenience with her young assistant (Reynolds) to prevent such a calamity from taking place.

Directing The Proposal is Anne Fletcher (Step Up, 27 Dresses). Bullock’s handbag by Prada, peep-toe pumps by Christian Louboutin.

Ashley Tisdale HIV Rumors Are False



High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale's rep, Scott Appel, slammed online reports that she has been diagnosed as HIV positive. "The story is completely untrue," Appel tells Us.

Internet rumors swirled Thursday after a web site posted a false report that Tisdale had contracted the disease from her rhinoplasty procedure last year.

The fake report alleged that a spokesman for the hospital revealed in a statement, "'Ashley and her family are trying to come to terms with this horrible development. They only ask that you pray for Ashley’s health and to please respect their privacy as the family decides on the next course of action.'"

"We did not release any statement regarding Ashley Tisdale," Cedars-Sinai spokesperson Simi Singer tells Us.

Tisdale (who topped Us' Best Makeover List last year) plays spoiled rich girl Sharpay Evans in the hit Disney movie series High School Musical. She's currently in Salt Lake City, Utah filming HSM3.

Angelina Jolie Beats Sarah Jessica Parker at Weekend Box Office



Kung Fu Panda - the new animated movie starring Angelina Jolie and Jack Black - was No. 1 at the box office, raking in $60 million.

Adam Sandler's latest comedy You Don't Mess With the Zohan clocked in at No. 2 with an estimated $40 million. (Sandler is expecting his second child.)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was No. 3 with $22.8 million.

The Sex and the City movie slipped to fourth place.

It earned $21.3 million -- a 63 percent decline from its $56.8 million opening weekend.

The romantic comedy, after a 10-day release, has earned a total of $99.3 million, just shy of the $100 million mark.

The top 10:
1. Kung Fu Panda: $60 million
2. You Don't Mess With the Zohan: $40 million
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: $22.8 million
4. Sex and the City: $21.3 million
5. The Strangers $9.3 million
6. Iron Man: $7.5 million
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: $5.5 million
8. What Happens in Vegas: $3.4 million
9. Baby Mama: $780,000
10. Made Of Honor: $775,000

Eastwood and Spike Go to War!



Clint Eastwood and Spike Lee are bickering, and we’d suggest the directors take the high road but they might just use it to get a better shot at each other.

To catch up: At the Cannes film festival last month, Lee said if reporters "had any balls" they'd ask Eastwood why he didn’t include any African Americans in his films based on the battle of Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. Aside from suggestion that Cannes reporters are eunuchs, Lee was also promoting his own war film, Miracle at St. Anna.

Eastwood responded that he was being historically accurate about the make up of the soldiers who raised the flag on the island, and added that "A guy like him should shut his face." Sounding stung by Lee's criticism, Eastwood, whose next film The Human Factor is about South African rugby and Nelson Mandela, also added, "Yeah, I'm not going to make Nelson Mandela a white guy."

Lee’s latest salvo was a mixture of sugar, saying Eastwood is "a great director," and spice, saying Eastwood sounds like "an angry old man." Despite adding that "we're not on a plantation," Lee announced he was going to end the feud with "peace and love."

Cool. So, does this mean he’s going to apologize to the Cannes reporters, too? They're a pretty sensitive bunch.

In any case, what do you think? Is Spike right? Or Clint? Or should they both get back to making movies and stop insulting each other?

Suing Scribe Wants Hannah Montana Dollar Details



This writer wants to know just how much money he isn't getting a piece of.

Buddy Sheffield, who claims the Disney Channel swiped his idea for a sitcom about a normal kid who moonlights as a pop star and turned it into the multimedia behemoth that is Hannah Montana, has requested that the network's parent company turn over its financials relating to the Miley Cyrus-driven empire.

He sued ABC Cable Networks Group in August for breach of implied contract, breach of confidentiality and other unfair competition and unjust enrichment. The case was ordered to mediation in January but, apparently, no one has said the magic words yet.

Meanwhile, ABC has not been forthcoming with the documents detailing the proceeds from TV, Internet, music, film, radio, books, magazines, advertising, licensing and all other aspects that go into making the brand, according to court documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

In turn, Sheffield's team has been unable to obtain the info it has asked for regarding the "financial exploitation of Hannah Montana of every kind in the media," the motion states.

Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC has denied any creativity-snatching on its part. The corporation's counsel has tried to get the case moved into federal court but has been twice denied.

A hearing on Sheffield's motion to peruse the contents of the Hannah Montana treasure chest is scheduled for June 19. A trial has been set for Aug 26 in case the two sides can't settle their differences in mediation.

Rob's Nannygate Papers Lying Lowe



Instead of worrying about nannies and chefs, apparently Rob Lowe should have hired a better bookkeeper.

One of the former employees being sued by, and in turn countersuing, the actor has filed a motion to dismiss Lowe's lawsuit against her in light of his lawyer's admission that they can't find the confidentiality agreement the woman supposedly signed before going to work for the Lowe family.

Jessica Gibson, who worked for Rob and Sheryl Lowe on and off for seven years before everything went kablooey, is denying she ever signed such a document, according to court papers filed Thursday in Santa Barbara Superior Court.

Per Gibson's filing, Lowe's attorney, Larry Stein, wrote in a correspondence dated May 23 that the confidentiality agreement "is missing."

"In effect, Ms. Gibson has been sued for breach of a nonexistent contract," the motion states. "The Lowes set out to punish Ms. Gibson...and intimidate any and all who might want to assert [their rights]."

Gibson sued the Lowes in April, claiming sexual harassment and other unpleasantries, a week after the couple struck a triple blow in court, filing breach-of-contract suits against Gibson, another ex-babysitter, Laura Boyce, and their former private chef, Peter Clements. Lowe dropped his case against Clements late last month, reportedly after learning the epicure wasn't going to be aiding Boyce and Gibson in their respective beefs.

Stein said Friday they will respond to Gibson's motion in court. A hearing concerning this leg of the Lowe legal saga is set for June 19.

Gloria Allred, the attorney representing both Gibson and Boyce, confirmed to E! News she will be lobbying for the case's dismissal in court.

There's no word yet whether all of Lowe's important employee-employer documents are missing, or just this one.

Mary-Kate Gets It On With Gandhi in a Phone Booth



You heard it here first: Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley is now taking acting advice from one of the Olsen twins.

In the summer indie flick The Wackness, Mary-Kate Olsen plays a hippie stoner who takes a psychiatrist (Kingsley) into a phone booth for a quickie. But what happens next is the real shocker...

Kingsley admits that he turned to his young costar for counsel. "I asked her, 'You're the boss. You guide the choreography of this scene, because your character needs to tell a story,'" he told E! News this week. "'You have to guide me.'"

The scene lasts only a few seconds in the film, but according to the film's star Josh Peck, Mary-Kate became a real Sir Ben groupie behind the scenes. OK, hot-chocolate-drinking buddy, at least.

"[Ben's] just about as pimp as it gets," Peck tell us. "So he's infectious when it comes to women, I think."

Obviously, because he knows the golden rule: When it comes to phone-booth sex, let her lead.

One Platinum-Encrusted Jewel



Another jewel for Jewel's trophy case.

The songbird picked up a pretty (and pretty huge) plaque yesterday from the Recording Institute Association of America honoring her lifetime U.S. album sales of 18 million—and just in time to promote her latest countrified effort, Perfectly Clear.

According to her label, Jewel has sold 27 million albums worldwide since her 1995 debut, Pieces of Me, broke through with the monster hits "Who Will Save Your Soul," "Foolish Games" and "You Were Meant for Me."

Good thing she's upgraded from living in her van, otherwise she'd have no place to stick that thing.

Jessica Simpson Can't Catch a Break



Twelve days ago, Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo engaged in a perfectly good public display of affection outside a Dallas restaurant.

Only—poor Jess—the spit-swapping session was wasted, because the shutterbugs who snapped the smoochy couple didn't widely release the photos until now.

Don't they understand? True love can't exist unless it's documented and distributed in a timely manner.

We hope Jess considers this a make good.

Melanie Griffith's Daughter: The New Working Girl



Another celebrity couple's offspring wants a shot at Hollywood!

Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson’s daughter, Dakota Johnson, is starting to make a name for herself in the modeling world, but what she really wants to do is—you guessed it—act.

“Everyone has that thing that sparks some sort of emotion in them,” Dakota says in the new issue of Aspen Peak magazine. “Acting does that for me.”

The 18-year-old stunner was recently shot by fashion bible Vogue after signing with modeling powerhouse agency IMG. “[It was my] first real job since I started modeling,” she says. “It was pretty surreal, the fact that I was doing Vogue. It didn’t really sink in until afterward.”

So far, it sounds like Dakota has a pretty good head on her shoulders because, she insists, she’s taking it one day at a time. “I don’t know where I’m going to be tomorrow or in a week,” she says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I’m not rushing anywhere

Has Justin Ever Heard Jessica Sing?



Does Justin Timberlake know that his girlfriend, Jessica Biel, once tried to make it as a singer?

Sadly, however, Biel didn’t get far—at least not in college.

The sexy starlet was rejected for a spot with the Amalgamates, an a cappella group at Tufts University, according to GQ senior editor Mickey Rapkin’s new book, Pitch Perfect: A Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory.

“The Mates focus on blending in our auditions,” one unnamed “Mate” says. “She wasn’t very good at it…We are kicking ourselves, in case you’re wondering.”

Also kicking himself is Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter. The hottie who plays Jason Street on the hit NBC series tells Rapkin he has some big-time regrets about leaving professional a cappella group Mosaic when he decided to take a shot at Hollywood—especially when he learned Mosaic snagged the opening-act gig for Prince during a New Year’s Eve concert.

“That’s a rock star moment,” Porter says. “I am on this massive amazing TV show that everyone loves, but I devoted eight years of my life to taking the next step with a cappella music.”

And if you think a cappella isn’t hip, Masi Oka of Heroes fame just gave you some more ammunition.

He admits that he once wore a purple leotard and a tutu while singing an a cappella version of “Flashdance” with the all-male Bear Necessities at Brown University. The rest of the group “chickened out and wore leg warmers and bandannas,” Oka says. “But I thought we had to go all out. A cappella is all about commitment.”

Perhaps Oka will be asked to re-create his tutu drama when Pitch Perfect is made into a movie. Elizabeth Banks' production company recently optioned the film rights.

Heath's Family Hatches Scholarship



Heath Ledger final role: guardian angel.

Teaming up with the Tinseltown-based organization Australians in Film, Ledger's relatives, friends and ex-fiancée Michelle Williams last night unveiled the Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund, which will provide financial aid for Oz expats struggling to break into Hollywood. The scholarship will help cover the costs of acting classes and rent.

The amount of the award has yet to be finalized, but it will be doled out annually beginning in 2009 in memory of the 28-year-old Brokeback Mountain star, who died Jan. 22 from an accidental prescription overdose.

The scholarship was announced at last night's AiF Breakthrough Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, which honored up-and-comers Abbie Cornish, 25, and Mia Wasikowska, 17.

"It's going to involve a number of benefactors and there's been a lot of interest already," said Gregor Jordan, who directed Ledger in 2003's Ned Kelly and was on hand for the announcement. "I was talking to Michelle Williams, his partner and the mother of his child, today and Michelle has said she would be very proud and happy to be the first benefactor."

Heath's dad, Kim, was in Australia and unable to attend the event, but sent a note of thanks.

"We know that Heath would be proud of his attachment to this scholarship," the elder Ledger wrote. "[It] does what Heath has done personally during the last 10 years...[supporting] Australian actors, singers, directors or writers who seek to supply their talents to the USA."

AiF was established seven years ago, and its emissaries include the A-list Oscar-owning likes of Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson.

When Did You Last See Your Father? (2008)





The great British actor Jim Broadbent" has always had a rude, spiky force that seems to emanate from his slightly odd-duck features — the ski-slope nose and zonked leer of a grin, the eyes that bulge with gleeful impropriety, as if to let you know how much of the world he can take in with them. It was a shrewd stroke to cast an unruly presence like Broadbent in When Did You Last See Your Father?, the wee and intimate tale of a son who must come to grips with the death of his difficult, domineering, lust-for-life dad.

Based on Blake Morrison's 1993 novel, the movie shows us Arthur Morrison (Broadbent) at several key ages. At the end of his life, he's lying in bed at home, dying of cancer, attended to by his wife (Juliet Stevenson) and his dutiful but distant and morose son, Blake (Colin Firth). From here, the movie keeps flashing back to decades earlier, when Blake was a sensitive 14-year-old boy (Matthew Beard) who saw his father as a selfish cad and came to hate him for it. (There are also scenes with Blake at 8, played by Bradley Johnson.) We can see what a blustery old goat Arthur was, always wanting others to share in his fun. The boy, in response, cultivates his own gentleness — a fine thing, except that it's also his way of rationalizing his fear of girls, pretending that his anxiety puts him on a higher moral plane.

When Did You Last See Your Father? is a wistful miniature of a movie, yet it creates a provocative balance in the viewer. The director, Anand Tucker (Shopgirl), lines up the audience to be on Blake's side. In every frame, though, Broadbent captures how Arthur, this monumentally imperfect man, exudes love in his very flaws. Firth's Blake, coming to terms with that ambivalence as he holds Arthur's ravaged body in his arms, is perhaps a little too closed off in a rote stiff-upper-lip way. Yet by the end, we see what he's holding back. When Did You Last See Your Father? taps into the conflicting feelings so many of us can have about parents who haunt us because they're difficult, which is part of what makes them irreplaceable. B+

'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired'


HIS DAY IN COURT: Roman Polanski is enveloped in a crush of media in a scene from HBO’s “Wanted and Desired.”

Roman Polanski. You can start a heated conversation just uttering his name. He has led a life so large that it's often chopped down to a few phrases: Oscar-winning director of such film classics as "Chinatown," "Tess" and "The Pianist." Survivor of the Nazi occupation of Poland. Married to actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant when she was stabbed to death by members of the Manson Family. Had sex with a 13-year-old and, after being convicted of unlawful intercourse with a minor, fled the United States for Paris, where he has been for the last three decades.

This last bit is both the catalyst and subject of Marina Zenovich's compelling documentary “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," which premieres tonight on HBO. A surprisingly haunting examination of the politics, personalities and legal complexities of the 1977 case, the film dispels the conventional wisdom that Polanski ran away to France simply to avoid serving time.

Through extraordinary interviews with friends, colleagues, journalists, as well as both the prosecuting and defense attorneys, Zenovich contends that it was nowhere near as simple as that. Plagued by a rabid American media and put in the hands of a judge known for his love of the spotlight, Polanski came to feel that his chance for equal treatment under the law was slim to none.

The most astonishing moment of the documentary occurs when the lead prosecuting attorney, Roger Gunson, then a rising Robert Redford-handsome legal star and a Mormon to boot, says even he understands why Polanski fled.

Neither Polanski nor Judge Laurence J. Rittenband were interviewed (Rittenband died in 1993), but Zenovich has made good use of archival interviews of the director and spoken to virtually everyone else connected with the case and/or Polanski, including Rittenband's former girlfriends, producer Daniel Melnick and Mia Farrow.

Not everyone is sympathetic; former Los Angeles Police Det. Philip Vannatter (who was also involved in the O.J. Simpson murder trial) and retired Assistant Dist. Atty. David Wells believe Polanski was never dealt with harshly enough given the severity of the crime.

Far from a tedious legal deconstruction, "Wanted and Desired" captures Hollywood and California in the midst of the first of many celebrity-driven international media swarms. Still reeling from the 1969 Manson murders, at once envious and judgmental of the swinging Hollywood scene, many saw in Polanski a nexus of unsettling forces.

"The European reporters looked on Polanski as this tragic, brilliant, historic figure" who had survived the gassing of his mother and maintained his integrity against the Hollywood machine, says Richard Brenneman, who covered the trial for the Santa Monica Evening Outlook. "And the American press tended to look at him as this malignant, twisted dwarf with this dark vision."

Polanski certainly ran with the fast crowd -- the crime occurred famously at Jack Nicholson's house (Nicholson was out of town), and far from engendering sympathy, the brutal murder of Tate had already cast an air of horror around him. In the days after the slayings at Cielo Drive, Polanski was accused in some media outlets of committing or orchestrating them.

"My real problems started with the murder of Sharon Tate," Polanski says in an interview. "I was all right with the press before then. They wouldn't let it go. It was just the story that wouldn't go."

But Zenovich is not making an apologia for Polanski, who has always admitted to having sex with a minor, although it is only recently that he has conceded this act was wrong. Instead, she examines how the hysteria surrounding Polanski and the case affected the way it was handled, particularly by Judge Rittenband, who seemed more concerned with the needs of the media than of justice.

According to all accounts, he manipulated both attorneys, ignored recommendations by psychiatrists and the parole department and made deals only to renege on them when it seemed as if he might look weak in the press.

It is not a film with easy answers; even if one concedes that the proceedings were compromised, the crime did occur; the girl was traumatized and sullied, along with her mother, as a gold digger and a con artist, and though Polanski did "serve" 45 days of psychiatric evaluation, that now seems slight for a clear case of statutory rape.

But the tension between fact and perception, between the various mores and standards of behavior -- Europe versus the U.S., Hollywood versus Middle America, 1978 versus now -- is exactly what makes the case, and the man, still fascinating after 30 years. As a German journalist puts it: "You couldn't meet anyone, anywhere, who didn't have an opinion on this case."

Which is, apparently, still true. With delicious irony, it is revealed that in 1997, the two attorneys returned to L.A. County Superior Court, where a judge agreed that if Polanski would return to the U.S., he'd serve no time in custody. On one condition: that the proceedings be televised.

Polanski has declined.

Kellie Pickler & Taylor Swift Team Up for New Song



Kellie Pickler is teaming up with fellow country star Taylor Swift for a new song on the former Idol's upcoming album.

On the track, the singers mine some ex-boyfriend territory for a get-back tune called "Best Days of Your Life." Although Pickler is mum about exactly which ex the song refers to, she tells PEOPLE, "You have to be careful when you date a songwriter. We always get the last word!"

Swift will join her in the studio to record harmonies on the song.

Pickler, 21, calls Swift, 18, a positive influence. "When I hang out with Taylor, I don't get in any trouble," Pickler told PEOPLE Thursday. "On New Year's Eve, we baked cakes and she taught me the Soulja Boy dance in her kitchen. Her dancing has really improved."

The two will be spending even more time together as the co-hosts – along with Julianne Hough – of the CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock, a two-hour special compiling performance highlights from a festival line-up that includes Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Trace Adkins and Billy Ray Cyrus. The show is set to air Sept. 8.

Wonder Woman's Lynda Carter Discovers a Dead Body



She didn't need magic lasso and she wasn't wearing her star-spangled costume, but Lynda Carter was still a hero on Wednesday afternoon.

The actress, best known for playing Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV show, was canoeing on the Potomac River when she spotted a woman floating in the water. She flagged down nearby boaters who called 911. After the woman was pulled out of the river, paramedics unsuccessfully performed CPR.

The body belonged to 47-year-old Helen Johnstone. Authorities believe that she may have fallen into the water while hiking on a nearby trail.

Carter did not comment to reporters as she quickly left the Potomac Boat Club.

Tori Spelling Has a Girl!



Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott welcomed their second child, a daughter, on Monday, PEOPLE has confirmed.

Stella Doreen McDermott was born in a Los Angeles hospital via C-section, weighing 6 lbs., 8 oz.

The couple also have a 1-year-old son, Liam Aaron. McDermott, 41, has a son, Jack, 9, from a previous marriage.

Spelling, 35, revealed she was expecting a girl in March.

"I've always wanted a little girl since I'm such a girly girly," said Spelling, who had an emotional reaction when she found out. "I immediately started crying. I couldn't believe it. I have my beautiful little boy and now I'll have my little girl! It's amazing.

The actress, who reconciled with her mom Candy after Liam was born, hopes to correct the mistakes of the past.

"Because my mother and I have always had a complicated relationship, I always wanted a girl to prove that the past doesn't have to repeat itself," she told PEOPLE. "I can't wait to be a great mom and friend to her."

Spelling recently signed on for a recurring role on The CW's 90210 as Donna Martin, the same character she played on her dad Aaron Spelling's hit TV show Beverly Hills, 90201. She's currently filming the third season of her reality show Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, premiering on Oxygen on June 17.

The birth was first reported by OK! magazine.

Taylor Swift to Appear in Hannah Montana Movie



Taylor Swift is teaming with Miley Cyrus and dad Billy Ray Cyrus for Hannah Montana: The Movie, Swift tells PEOPLE.

"I'm making a cameo," says the 18-year-old, "so I'm so excited about that. I'm playing one of my own songs and just in the background of one of the scenes."

Although one of country's hottest new stars, Swift doesn't mind sharing the spotlight in the Disney feature. "I'm just like the bar band, which is kinda fun."

Expressing her anticipation, Swift adds, "I'm just really excited about it because it's really cool when some of my little fans will come up with a Hannah Montana shirt on, and I want to be like, 'Guess what? I get to be in that movie with her!' "

Swift, appearing on Monday's Today show, also spoke highly of her pal. "Miley Cyrus is awesome. I love her so much. She is so incredibly funny and sweet!" Swift gushed.

"It's fun to get to see her, because we both have been on the road constantly, and with us both in Nashville now, it will be cool to get to hang out with her."

Country group Rascal Flatts will also appear in the movie, which is set to hit theatres in 2009 and deals with Montana's taking a trip with her father to her Tennessee hometown, where she gains a perspective on her double life.

Mark Wahlberg to Become Third-Time Dad



With two toddlers already keeping him busy, Mark Wahlberg is getting ready to add a third child to the mix.

And the 37-year-old actor and his longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham, 29, may not stop there.

"When the kids are good, we want eight or nine," Wahlberg said Monday in L.A. while promoting his new film, The Happening. "When they're bad, we [want] to stop at three."

The couple also have a daughter, Ella, 4 and a son Michael, 2, and Wahlberg (who didn't disclose Durham's due date) says having a full house is "awesome."

"Hectic at times," he admits. "But a lot of fun."

In The Happening, Wahlberg plays a science teacher in the new thriller, out June 13, trying to stay alive against a mysterious and deadly phenomenon.

But the actor says his own fears are far more real.

"My fear is failing as a father, as a friend, as a son. I have a lot of responsibility and a lot of people counting on me," he says. "And I know God has put me in this position to put back and try to create some opportunities for some others, show kids there is another way."

Alanis Is 'Really Happy' for Ryan Reynolds



Here's one more thing you oughta know: Alanis Morissette has nothing but nice things to say about her ex-fiancé Ryan Reynolds. Even now that he's engaged to Scarlett Johansson.

"I'm really happy for him," the singer, who called off her engagement to Reynolds in 2007, told Newsweek.

As for reports that her new album, Flavors of Entanglement, was originally supposed to be released on the same day as Johansson's? "My album release date has been moved five times," she said, "so I wasn't even aware of what the dates where."

Sounds so reasonable! Where is that trademark anger that made Morissette a star with Jagged Little Pill?

"I think anger is an incredible life force, and I'm proud of my own anger," she told the magazine. "I'd been repressing for a long time ... A lot was squashed down, and all of a sudden I had this freedom to write whatever I wanted, so of course this was going to come out."

Jessica Simpson Turns Lingerie Designer!



Look out Victoria’s Secret, Jessica Simpson is adding lingerie designer to her lengthy resume. The singer already has successful handbag, shoe, sunglass and swimsuit lines, and now Jessica Simpson’s Intimates will be joining her namesake empire. The collection of bras, undies, sleepwear and daywear will hit major department stores and online shopping sites just in time for spring ‘09. Jessica tells Women’s Wear Daily, “I like different lingerie for different occasions. I think that’s the best thing about it. You can feel sexy or girly depending on your mood.” She also promises to included a stylish assortment of shapewear so women no longer need to worry about panty lines. That sells us!

Kate Hudson Talks About Her Main Man



Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong may have been spotted together over the past month in getaways as far apart as Texas and France, but the actress doesn't want to talk about that.

Opening up about a relationship "only causes more problems and more words taken out of context," Hudson, 29, told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show Monday. "Everything is always misconstrued."

Not that discussing other males wasn't all right with Hudson, whose Seacrest appearance was to help promote pal (and celebrity hairstylist) David Babaii's WildAid hair products.

"My main priority in my life is my son," said Hudson, referring to her 4-year-old, Ryder.

Yet as far as anything remotely revolving around the cycling champ, Hudson said only, "It's better to let ... people speculate as much as they want to speculate."

Super Heroes

While a few celebs partook of the 2008 LA Pride festivities in West Hollywood, CA and a bunch of others made their way out to Santa Monica, CA for The 6th Annual TV Land Awards ... others still made their way out to the Wadsworth Theatre Grounds in Los Angeles, CA yesterday to participate at the annual A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival (which benefits the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation). Here are a bunch of pics of some of the folks who came out for the carnival yesterday:


Photo credit: Wireimage

Awww ... it looks like Nic/Joel, Speidi and Lance Bass all made friends with Barney the dinosaur -- which is really funny because my friend Darion ran into Lance later on yesterday night at a private Pride pool party and had little encounter with him. I wonder if Lance grabbed Barney's butt, too? Anyways, I love that Heroes star Zachary Quinto, Buffy alum Seth Green and ex-Young and the Restless star Lauralee Bell all came out to support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. It is very heartening that Young Hollywood is so willing to lend their support to such an amazing charity. It's events like this that give me hope that Hollywood isn't really filled with vapid, self-serving folks and that people actually care. Wee!

The Incredible Hulk Premieres

Hollywood's second stab at a big screen movie adaptation of The Incredible Hulk had its Hollywood premiere here at Universal City at Universal Studios in the Gibson Amphitheatre yesterday afternoon. The Incredible Hulk stars Ed Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth were joined by folks like TV's own Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno, Buffy alum and Dexter star Julie Benz and Days of our Lives star Alison Sweeney among others. Here are a few pics of these folks as they took to the green carpet Sunday afternoon:


Photo credit: Splash News

On the one hand, I'm glad that they are giving the Hulk another shot at box office glory ... on the other hand, I'm afraid it might turn out just as terrrrrible as Ang Lee's movie Hulk. I'm encouraged that the story is much more in line with both the comic books and the 1970's TV series but the CGI graphics kinda look a bit similar (ie. kinda Shrekish). My gut tells me that this movie will be better than the previous Hulk movie but it remains to be seen if that will actually the case. The movie opens in theaters this coming Friday ... I hope it has an incredible opening weekend Yes, I should be shot for that lame line.

Chop Chop

Hayden Panettiere, who was spied lookin' all cute and cozy with her paramour Milo Ventimiglia backstage on the set of Heroes last week, was spotted out and about over the weekend showing off a new hairdo:



I hope this haircut was authorized by the Heroes producers ... not to mention her dude Milo I'm not sure how I feel about it, to be honest, it looks a bit uneven in the back. Watch it turn out to be a janky wig or something ... course, if it's not a wig and it's just a janky haircut, well, oops.

Sloppy Seconds?

Lindsay Lohan is featured in a new campaign for the Visa Fashion Swapping event in the UK wherein she is photographed wearing second-hand clothing which, on her hot bod, looks pretty damn slick ... here are a few pics:



Hollywood stars usually hate being pictured in an outfit which has been worn before. But actress Lindsay Lohan showed she was proud to wear second-hand clothing as part of a campaign for ethical fashion. The 22-year-old was pictured wearing vintage clothes in a bid to encourage people to swap their unwanted threads. Lindsay is fronting this year's Visa fashion swapping event, which will take place in London this month in association with clothing charity TRAID. And she had no trouble making the re-cycled clothing look like they had just come off the shelf of a designer store. In one picture the sexy actress looked racy in a simple black blazer and a short red mini skirt. And without a top or bra under the blazer, the singer looked seductive as she posed for the campaign. Lindsay who has recently started her own fashion leggings range looked stunning in the second hand attire. The star who is backing the campaign to encourage shoppers to swap their unwanted clothing in the Visa Swap shop in Covent Garden says she is excited to have taken over this years event ... Lindsay said: "The concept of swapping clothes, getting something for nothing and refreshing your wardrobe appeals to everyone."

MMM MMM ... Lindsay generally looks good in anything that she wears, so it shouldn't be difficult for her to inspire others to participate in this Visa Fashion Swap event to help raise money for TRAID (the Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development). Linds is lookin' pretty sexy for a charity that sounds so dry. Leave it to L. Lo to sex up recycling

She's Lying Again!



We know Me. B. And we really like her. But..

It seems like the Spice known as Scary is a pathological liar!

A few days ago we exclusively revealed how Mel was lying about going on tour with Janet Jackson this fall.

Now, we have another fib to debunk!

Last week, Scary told reporters that she's been offered a role in the Broadway production Legally Blonde.

One major problem (yet again): not true!

A source close to the musical reveals exclusively to Perez, "She has NEVER been approached by anyone associated with the production to join."

Dear Mel, lying is not cool, babe.

Not cool at all!

We're starting to think Eddie Murphy might not be the very bad guy you painted him out to be!

Staying Active



Ashlee Simpson is not letting her pregnancy get in the way of working on her fitness!

The sperminated singer, whose new CD has tanked, attended a one and a half hour prenatal yoga class in the Valley on Monday.

She then stopped by Gelson's supermaket in Studio City to pick up some items for the hubby, Pete Wentz.

Have fun at the prenatal yoga, but also relax and take it easy, Ass.

Enjoy it!

[Image via JFX Online.]

Unions at War



Instead of fighting the studio suits the two main actors' unions are fighting one another!

The bigger of the unions, the Screen Actors' Guild, has asked the other union, AFTRA, to hold off on moving forward with its deal with the suits.

SAG feels like they'll make more progress with the big media moguls if AFTRA holds back.

AFTRA has said no.

Both unions have members that overlap. AFTRA's members work in daytime TV and radio. SAG's members appear in nighttime TV and film.

AFTRA has warned SAG that it might pursue legal remedies if SAG tried to "undermine or interfere with our ratification process."

AFTRA members are set to vote on the new contract later this month.

SAG and the AMPTP met 18 times from April 15 through May 6 without reaching an agreement.

It's a shame that they can't find a way to work together.

Strength in numbers - divided you fall, right?

The suits must be loving this bickering!

[Image via WENN.]

What Do You Get When You Blend Velveeta With Marshmallows???



Click here to listen to The Tiz's remake of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up!

Using His Get Out Of Jail Free Card



As we mentioned yesterday, rapper Warren G was pulled over Sunday morning after running a red light.

Police then found a large amount of marijuana in the car and Warren G was charged with "intent to sell."

As would be expected, the rapper denied that the pot was his.

Well, if it was or if it wasn't his, it doesn't matter!

On Monday, just a day later, an LA Country District Attorney threw out the drug charges against Warren.

The reasoning?

Apparently there's "insufficient evidence" to connect Warren and his passenger to the weed found in the car, as the vehicle was not registered to either of them.

Lucky break!

[Image via WENN.]