A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via hbo)

In: Jeremy Piven. It should come as no surprise that Jeremy Piven has his improv game on tight. Piven's laugh-out-loud funny performace as the flamboyant Versace salesman in Rush Hour 2 should have tipped everyone off at the get-go. By all accounts, this should be a banner moment for Piven. This is the Ari Gold zeitgeist. The stars are aligned; he is the "It" actor; he should win the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy on Sunday, then, aglow in triumph and cheap groupie sex, deliver the speech of the night.

Then came Perez Hilton, naysayer, who delivers a robust pimpslap to The Piv, "With all the buzz that Piven is going to win the Emmy this Sunday, the once character actor is enjoying his leading man status, as a source tells us. 'He came to Butter later that night with a bunch of hot model-type girls.' Work it out! And, maybe if Piven is given a raise next season, he might be able to buy a new hair piece."

Ouch. Still, we'll be rooting for Piv (while watching "Rome")



The next Supreme? (image via CBSNews)

Out: The O'Connor Replacement. Absent the discovery of bodies in his attic, John Roberts should be confirmed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The trick will be the next appointment for the O'Connor seat. George Bush will have to pick a right-winger on abortion, to satisfy/reward his base. And then all hell breaks loose. Our favorite Dickensian villain Robert Novak chimes in:

"The belief in legal and political circles is that President Bush will name a conservative woman, and the front-runner is federal Appellate Judge Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit, Austin, Texas).
According to White House sources, Bush met secretly with Owen last week. While not decisive evidence, this was no mere get-acquainted session beginning a long exploration. He knows and admires his fellow Texas Republican. The countervailing political pressure on Bush is to name a Hispanic American, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is a Texas Republican the president knows and likes even better than he does Owen. But signals last week he might name Gonzales probably should not be taken seriously."

Yeah, but in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, wouldn't Janice Rogers Brown be the logical choice?



"Wha-POW!" (image via usatoday)

In: Focus Features. According to Indiewire Buzz:

"Word on the Toronto fest party circuit Tuesday night was that Focus Features has nabbed Michel Gondry's 'Dave Chappelle's Block Party' in a multi-million dollar deal. A deal has not yet been formally announced."