A Little of the Old In and Out

In: MySpace Mobile on Helio. Quick: Someone hook me up with one of these badboys. MySpace, the premiere online destination for networking -- and, we cannot fail to note, premiere network for a piece of ass -- is going mobile. According to MocoNews:

"Helio, the MVNO being launched by SK Telecom and Earthlink this spring in U.S., has announced some more details on its handsets, and more importantly, done a partnership with MySpace, to being the hugely popular social networking service to mobiles. The 'MySpace Mobile On Helio' will leverage the devices� advanced capabilities to keep MySpace members connected to their network through mail, bulletins, profiles, blogs and photo galleries, the company said.

"The jet-black Hero, produced by Pantech, has a 2.2 inch, 262K-color high-resolution QVGA LCD display, industry-leading audio capabilities with full duplex stereo speakers, removable memory, and a 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom and flash for capturing pictures and video.

"� The pearlescent Kickflip, produced by VK Mobile, packs similar features as the Hero with a swivel opening that flips to the right or left with the nudge of a finger.There was some speculation over the last few months that the new handsets would include Wi-Fi receivers, so as to have a hybrid model. The ones above do not have Wi-Fi built in, but a Helip spokesperson told me: 'There has been speculation that our first phones would have wifi, but we�ve consistently said it would be later in our first year. We are still committed to that.'"

More here.

(image via epochtimes)

Out: What's In the Eisner File? -- MotherFuck. Next to Dick Cheney, Michael Eisner is having the worst week ever. And he's having a bad week in spite of the fact that Frank Gehry designed his set (Says TVNewser: "Update: 3:24am: 'I've seen about 40 pics of the set,' a tipster says. 'The panels are much more dimensional then your picture would lead you to believe. The panels bend back and forward a bit. The less said about the rail the better.'")

Now, according to those intrepid Page Sixxies, Eisner is being dragged -- kicking and screaming -- into the center of the festering Pellicano slimefest that has all of Hollywood on the edge of their seats:

"In other Pellicano-related news, meanwhile, sources close to the investigation tell Page Six that among the more interesting items found in the November 2002 raid on the PI-to-the-stars' West Hollywood office that triggered the wiretapping probe was a manila envelope labeled 'Eisner.'

"'Everyone wants to know what was in that file,' says our source. 'The speculation is that whatever it was, it was embarrassing enough that [Michael] Eisner would not want it to become public.'"

You know what they say in Hollywood: Be nice to the people on your way up because those are the same people you will see on your way down. Unfortunately, the choleric Eisner wasn't paying attention on that day of class. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

(image via star-tv)

In: The Independent Spirit Awards. Isn't it curious how this year's Oscar nominations look like the sort of awards show that we always expect to see at the Independent Spirit Awards? Gone, it seems, are the days of a shitty little confestion like "Driving Miss Daisy" getting the Best Picture nod. (Averted Gaze) Instead the Academy rewarded with nominations complicated films with no black-or-white solutions and performances teeming with subtlety and nuance. But in our rush to congratulate the Hollywood Establishment's forward thinking on this matter let us not forget the template which throws their own shindig on March 4th. According to Roger Friedman on Fox411:

"This year�s after party at Shutters on the Beach is shaping up as the place to be. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves have already said yes, and a panoply of stars are promised, including Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Felicity Huffman, Amy Adams, Allison Janney, Laura Linney, S. Epatha Merkerson, William Hurt, Luke Wilson, Craig Ferguson, Dennis Quaid, Jeremy Piven and John Leguizamo.

"More than ever, the Spirit Awards are seeping into the Oscars, as the latter show becomes ever more oriented toward indie films. We have the old Miramax to thank for this, since they introduced this idea and mainstreamed indie stars into the Academy back in 1989 with 'Sex, Lies and Videotape.'

"This year, Felicity Huffman should pick up that torch for The Weinstein Company with 'Transamerica,' the likely Spirit and Oscar winner for Best Actress. Phil Hoffman, with 'Capote,' should also pick up both awards. The main difference between the Oscar and the Spirits should be 'Capote' winning Best Picture on Saturday and 'Brokeback Mountain' on Sunday."



(image via hondapartsdeals)

Out: XM Radio. The feud between the Opie and Anthony Show on XM Radio and the Howard Stern Show on Sirius intensified with some serious satellite trash talking. Says Marksfriggin:

"... Howard took a phone call from a guy who mentioned last night's Scott Farrell show where a lot of Opie and Anthony fans were getting through and goofing on him. Howard said he apparently worked for those guys and now they're jealous that he's doing his own thing. He went on to read a story about XM signing Oprah to do a show over there but she's only going to be doing a half hour a week and when people sign on to hear her, they're not going to hear much.

"He wondered how the writer of the article could not look more into that.

"Howard read another article about this guy Pierce Roberts who just quit the board of XM because of the direction he thought the company was heading in. Howard said that's a bad sign when a board member quits because of the way the company is heading. He said he expects his news department to do a full investigation on that."

About Pierce Roberts from BillBoardradiomonitor:

"Trading in XM Satellite Radio shares were recovering slightly this morning (Feb. 16) from the news of the resignation of one of its board members, Pierce J. Roberts, Jr., who wrote in a letter to the board of his concerns of 'a significant chance of a crisis on the horizon.' At mid-morning, shares were down $1.41 to $23.84.The news came in advance of XM�s earnings conference call this morning to discuss 2005 results. The satcaster finished 2005 with 5.9 million subscribers, $503 million in revenues and a cash-flow loss of $434 million.



(image via aol/ giles bensimon)

In: The Olsen Twins's Badgley Miska Campaign. One wonders what will happen to the cheesy tchotchkes that the Olsens shlock to the masses as they evolve from entrepeneurs into full-fledged sparkly socialites. Clearly the Olsen's have elevated their game; is there a place for Wall-Mart in their new frame of mind? According to AOL:

"Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen � who have their own Wal-Mart clothing line � go high-end to model for Badgley Mischka's new ad campaign, due in print publications next month. It's the twins' first time promoting a brand other than their own. Says designer Mark Badgley: 'We always thought that they had great personal style.'"



(image via nymetro)

Out: The Weinstein Company. We have secretly wondered in the quiet of our souls if the Harvey and Bob Weinstein as studio owners would be any different in their greenlight choices than the Bob and Harvey, indie film mavericks pushing the envelope within a larger corporate structure (and somebody else's money). Would the Weinstein's take as many risks with their own money on the line? Anthony Kaufman tackles this on Indiewire Blog:

"A small one paragraph item in Variety today reported 'Genius Products, exclusive U.S. home entertainment distributor for the Weinstein Co., is adding hundreds of high-quality titles to its slate of DVD releases through a distribution agreement with independent entertainment company Liberation Entertainment.'

"High quality? That must come from the press release, because a visit to Liberation's website yields a decidedly lackluster catalogue. Movies include the incest drama 'Presence of Mind,' starring Sadie Frost and Harvey Keitel, 'Shades,' a 'film-within-a-film thriller' starring Mickey Rourke, everyone's favorite 1982 kung fu spoof 'They Call Me Bruce? ' and the 1990 dud 'The Return of Superfly.' Perhaps the only coveted titles are two TV products possibly ripe for big-screen treatment: 'Daniel Boone' and 'Peter Gunn' (famous for its killer soundtrack).

"What strikes me is that since the Weinstein Co. has launched, the moguls have seemed to focus solely on their most commercially crass instincts. Except for their pair of Oscar contenders ('Transamerica' and 'Mrs. Henderson Presents'), their production and release slate is filled with kid-pics, genre fare and Tarantino-Rodriguez suckups. What ever happened to the Harvey that loved art cinema?"



(image via fishbowlny)

In: Lunch at Michael's. Ah, it's that time of week again when FishbowlNY's adorable Laurel Touby guides us briskly through the uber-media power joint Michael's for a cup of crab bisque and some furtive mogul gazing on the DL. Massive is the media power assembled today. Among the talent in the room:

"Table 1: Charlie Rose in deep discussion with Jeff Fager (60 Minutes executive producer).

"... 4: Les Moonves in the corner under the potted flowers with Stanley Shuman, media money guy at Allen & Co. (he's Rupert Murdoch's investment banker, among other things). Stan looked frankly senatorial as he stood up to hug some muckety muck or another who paid tribute at their table. He's VERY tall and broad-shouldered. We would like to have lunch with Stan. Can anyone hook us up? We want to sell for $100 mm like Daily Candy is going to -- and he may be just the guy who can help.

"5: Jack Kliger (you love our boots and we love you back, Jack!), Pres & CEO of Hachette. He's also the guy who's leading the charge as chairman of MPA this year. He was with Greg Coleman, EVP of Yahoo! They're old buddies from Greg's printier days. Hmmm, do we smell a content deal a-brewin'?

"... 8: New York Social Diary's David Patrick Columbia with .. Susan Davis, director of public relations for Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

"... 22: Maer Roshan with pals Remy Stern and Youssef.

"... 27: Tom Freston with Allen Grubman



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Out: Karl Rove. It is said in certain circles sotto voce that so brilliant is Karl Rove's political mind that he could recite to you at leisure the voting history and demographic trends of every single Congressional district in these United States going back to the Civil War. (The Corsair sips the black wine of Cahors, elixir of Popes) Rove is also, to be sure, a student of Napoleon's. It is little wonder then that he beat the pants off of perennial loser Bob Shrum (career won-loss record in Presidential campaigns: 0-7), Senator Kerry's incompetent campaign manager. (Averted Gaze)

That having been said it is an odd development when Rove's game is off as it so presently is. According to CBSNews:

"President Bush's top political aide, Karl Rove, pushed Vice President Dick Cheney to speak publicly about shooting a fellow hunter, sources tell CBS News.

"Rove worried the vice president's silence on the issue was becoming a political problem, CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod reports.

"Cheney is in a 'state of meltdown' over shooting his friend and the political fallout it has caused, a source close to the Cheney has told CBS News."