Trudie Styler comes to Washington
Watch Crude, a new documentary about the environmental impact of oil spills in the Ecuador Amazon, and you many never buy gas from Chevron again. You'll also decide that whatever the cause, you'd want an activist like Trudie Styler on your side. Styler, an actress, producer, human rights promoter, organic farmer and more, arrives in Washington, D.C., this evening to screen Crude, a surprisingly riveting film about the 15-year legal battle between Chevron (which bought Texaco) and the indigenous tribes who were affected by its oil exploration and production. As seen in the picture on the right, she is featured in the movie when — as a co-founder of The Rainforest Foundation (along with her husband Sting) — she goes to Ecuador to see for herself the health and well-being problems experienced by the tribes affected. She then gets involved with bringing potable water to them. The screening is at the Motion Picture Association of America's private screening room, not far from the White House, and Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of MPAA, is hosting along with Pablo Fajardo, the Ecuadorean lawyer featured in the film.
Photo by Sebastian Posingis
Who will 'DWTS' cut loose tonight?
Our Dancing With The Stars pro Louis van Amstel is part of tonight's elimination show, dancing a Viennese waltz with five other dancers that he choreographed. "It's more beautiful and elegant than wow, spectacular," says Van Amstel, who tells me there will be some moving chandeliers and "two of the dancers are ballroom experts who have never danced on television but who are really, really, really, good." Of course, I was really, really, really eager to get Louis' thoughts on last night's DWTS performances because he watches with such a different eye than I do. His bottom line is that five contestants are in jeopardy tonight: Holly Madison (pictured at left), Steve Wozniak, Steve-O, Lawrence Taylor and David Alan Grier, even though he thinks Grier did a better job last night than the judges gave him credit for. And don't forget, two couples must go, so it will be quite the elimination show.
But about last night: Louis praised the tangos done by both Gilles Marini — that got three 10s from the judges — and Lil' Kim, who frankly blew me away, too. Louis says Lil' Kim should have had three 10s, as well. "Hers was a more Argentinian tango. She looked stunning. Her costume was spot on. To me, she was the most appropriate of the night." He also praised rodeo champ Ty Murray. "He impressed the heck out of me. There's a humbleness about him but he's serious. He wants to be there. He wants to learn the skill of dancing. He could make it to the final four." Louis was less impressed with his early favorite gymnast Shawn Johnson last night, who performed a lindy hop that looked more like a jive and had "a lot of tricks...and not much dancing."
Photo by Kelsey McNeal/ABC
Celebrity Birthdays: Al Gore, Christopher Walken
He's been a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Emmy award winner, presidential candidate and vice president of the United States, so Al Gore will celebrate a very full life today, his 61st birthday. Showing no signs of slowing down, Gore is currently writing a follow-up to his eco-conscious 2006 book, The Inconvenient Truth. It's titled Our Choice and set for a November release. From his role in Hairspray, we know actor Christopher Walken can dance, so maybe he’ll do a little twirl today for his 66th birthday. And handsome Scotsman Ewan McGregor, who stars in the Da Vinci Code prequel, Angels & Demons, turns 38. Check out the trailer for the hot May release below.
Photo by Rob Curtis
March 30, 2009
It's a new week for Louis van Amstel's 'DWTS' predictions
The Elite Eleven remaining on Dancing With The Stars tonight will try to make it through another round of eliminations this week so don't forget to tune in or TiVo. The good-natured but significantly dance-challenged dough boy Steve Wozniak seems the most likely contestant to be told to bid adieu but stuff happens on this show so nothing's certain. If it were, we wouldn't have to watch. But we do and we will and tomorrow Louis van Amstel, whose DWTS partners have included Lisa Rinna and Priscilla Presley, will share right here on the blog his thoughts on who will get the boot Tuesday night. Louis will be on the set tomorrow, rehearsing for a performance we'll see Tuesday night, so he may have some other insights as well. See you then.
Disney has a new 'Christmas Carol' and its first black princess
Just got out of a meeting with some folks from Disney who gave us a peek at the movies they will have out between now and next year. The company's biggest event — and I do mean big — is a retelling of A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey in six different roles, including Scrooge and the three ghosts. It's what the studio calls "performance capture": A real actor does the acting before a blue screen but all the costumes, scenery and such are layered in digitally. It's how The Polar Express, also directed by Zemeckis, was done. A Christmas Carol, also in 3-D, is a holiday movie, of course, so it will come out the beginning of November.
Also in November, Disney will introduce its first black princess. It's about time, right? The tale is The Princess and The Frog (pictured on the left), with Princess Tiana voiced by Dreamgirls' Anika Noni Rose. As my colleague Craigh Barboza says, "Who knew we'd have our first black president before the first black princess." Because the president has two little princesses of his own, I envision an early private White House screening and slumber party.
We also saw: The whole Travolta family, John, with wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella, star in the comedy Old Dogs coming at the end of November. ...
A tiny bit of footage of Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia, a Jerry Bruckheimer movie coming in 2010. All I can say is, I hope they fix Jake's hair. ...
The logo and music for the movie version of The Lone Ranger that will star Johnny Depp in 2010. I was relieved that the theme music is exactly as I recall it from my days watching the original TV series as a kid.
>Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Celebrity Birthdays: Norah Jones, Eric Clapton
Some of the best voices in music have birthdays today. Norah Jones, whose haunting and bluesy sound has earned her eight Grammy awards, celebrates her 30th. Canadian singer Celine Dion, who recently released a greatest hits album, My Love: Essential Collection, turns 41. Eric Clapton, the first person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times — as a solo artist, and with Cream and the Yardbirds — is 64. And veteran actor Warren Beatty, who's pretty sure Carly Simon's You're So Vain is about him, turns 72.
Photo by Danny Clinch
March 27, 2009
The Osbournes, 'Monsters', 'Mars' and more
Over lunch at my desk I'm thinking about...
The Osbournes on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to promote their new strange variety show. It's like Ozzy speaks a secret language. He can't be understood by any of us. Only the family knows what he's saying ...
Monsters vs. Aliens. The 3-D aspect of the animated movie opening this weekend is getting good reviews (if not the plot). Still, I may have to borrow my cousin's kids to go ...
Life on Mars. I love Jason O'Mara. I'm bummed that ABC has given up on this show — as are my readers. But a sequel, Ashes to Ashes, to the British version of Mars on which ABC's was based, recently started on BBC America. Jump in. You'll catch up fast....
Trudie Styler, accomplished wife of sexy singer Sting. She'll be in Washington next week for a screening of her latest project Crude. It's a documentary about oil contamination in the Amazon rain forest that brought out the celebs at Sundance. I'm meeting her Tuesday so I need to study up ...
The new season of The Tudors. It starts April 5 but I have the first few episodes and I can't wait to watch. Will do this weekend and report next week ...
Rodney Atkins newest CD, It's America, which comes out Tuesday. I'm listening to it as I write. My toe is tappin' ...
One of my favorite artists, Bonnie Raitt. I learned yesterday she'll tour with Taj Mahal starting in August; I'll talk to her before they start ...
A true spring weekend. The cherry blossoms are about to pop here in the capital. This year the trees are in sync with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It starts Saturday, goes through April 12.
Photo courtesy of Fox
Exclusive first listen from Diana Krall's 'Quiet Nights'
Diana Krall’s new record Quiet Nights, one of the biggest releases of the spring, hits stores on Tuesday, and we’ve got an exclusive first listen of the title track just for our readers. Quiet Nights marks the Grammy-winning jazz singer’s first album of new recordings since 2006's From This Moment On, and it’s filled with bossa nova ballads and other songs inspired by her trips to Brazil. Brian Truitt got a chance to speak with Krall for a feature in this weekend’s magazine. Click read more for the rest of the interview after you listen to Quiet Nights below.
Photo by Robert Maxwell
Celebrity birthdays: Mariah, Fergie and Quentin
Chart-topping singer Mariah Carey, now married to actor/rapper Nick Cannon, is 39 today. With all the pregnancy rumors surrounding Carey, we wonder if she will give birth to her first child before she turns 40. Another newly married singer, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas celebrates her 34th birthday. She'll be appearing on the new Peas record out June 9, The E.N.D. Director Quentin Tarantino, now working on the hot summer release Inglourious Basterds, turns 46. The quirky and action-packed World War II movie will star Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Kruger and Mike Myers, just to name a few. For a sneak peek at what the Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill filmmaker is up to with his new effort, check out the trailer below.
Photo by Markus Klinko
March 26, 2009
Faye Dunaway's favorite actresses
I don't know about you, but I think of Faye Dunaway, now 68, as an American acting icon and certainly legendary. But she tells our Nancy Mills, who interviewed her recently, that's not the case. "I
don't feel like a Hollywood legend," Dunaway says. "There are bigger legends than
me — Barbra Streisand, Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton. I did some nice
films. I'm lucky. I chose well, and there was more than one (great movie.) Some
people only get one." When Dunaway finally agrees that maybe she is a legend — there was, after all, Bonnie
and Clyde, The Thomas Crown Affair, Chinatown, Network —
she makes clear, "It doesn't mean I'm older than Georgia
O'Keefe."
What I like about Dunaway is how generous she generally is about younger actresses — her recent dust-up with Hilary Duff (of all people) aside. "I'd like to see Jennifer Aniston do more work that's intense. She's
got it in her. She could be the Audrey Hepburn of her time. She has a
wonderful personal style. I just saw The International, and I thought Naomi Watts was wonderful. She's a good actress to watch. Kate Winslet is divine. Cate Blanchett is divine — the magic of
Blanchett! And I love Penelope Cruz. I love the new turns she's
taking."
Dunaway made quite a splash on Grey's Anatomy recently when her aging surgeon character botched an operation and she'll be seen on TV again this Saturday on Lifetime in Nora Roberts' Midnight Bayou (watch a sneak preview below.) She plays a grandmother who grew up in the swamps of Louisiana and is dealing with issues surrounding her family history. There's no sign of the glamorous Dunaway in this earthy performance. In fact, Dunaway says with delight, "My hair is scrunchy and a little bit frizzy. I didn't keep any of the wardrobe, although I did wear one of my own shawls."
To research the role, she "went all around and got people on tape that were, in fact, Cajun," she says. "The hardest thing was the accent. I also practiced swinging an ax. I wasn't bad!"
Photo by Dan MacMedan/USA Today
