Media-Whore D'Oeuvres



(Steven Klein, André Balazs, and Kim Cattrall via patrickmcmullen via fashionweekdaily)

"Less than a month after ACRIA's Cocktails at Sunset, Steven Klein transformed the backyard of his Bridgehampton estate into an event space again on Saturday night. The occasion: a celebration of the new Ellen P. Hermanson Breast Health Center at the Southampton Hospital. Co-chaired by the photographer's sister Hope Klein Langer and Style.com's own Candy Pratts Price, the benefit was dubbed HEAT and lived up to its name. The dress code was black, white, and pink, but it being a fashion crowd, more than a few guests took some sartorial liberties. Daphne Guinness — 'looking conservative' (her word, not ours) in a ball gown and spiked red pumps—mingled with André Balazs, while Donna Karan—sporting Far East garb—walked around on the arm of Montauk surfer dude and designer Tracy Feith. And then there was Kim Cattrall in summer-casual faded jeans, auctioning off a day on the set of the new Sex and the City sequel. After some very Samantha-like remarks, it went for a cool 20K." (Style)

"'A lot of luggage!' was Diane Kruger's secret behind her very sartorial global tour to promote Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. 'It's been a marathon,' the actress added. 'Girls just can't put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I count even count how many dresses I optioned for all of this.' And after screening the film virtually in every city in the world, the event landed in Andrew Saffir's hands--and he certainly didn't disappoint by packing in the SVA screening room with as many recognizable faces as the fire marshals would allow. But Tarantino almost missed his big introduction by Harvey Weinstein. 'It's the New York traffic!' he smiled .. While Lindsay Lohan left the theatre twenty minutes into the screening, every other invited guest opened their jaws wide and stayed behind. After all, the film was as much about the most eventful movie premiere of all time as it was a WWII revenge story. 'Wow! I think everyone wants to be one of Quentin's women,' was Michelle Monaghan's instant review. "But he's Aries, so he gets that kind of kinetic energy.'" (Fashionweekdaily)



"Zoë Saldana likes being the girl in guys’ movies. This past summer, as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek, she locked lips with Spock aboard the androcentric U.S.S. Enterprise, knocking the popcorn out of the laps of Trekkies everywhere. 'I love acting with men,' she says. 'I tend to gravitate toward roles in movies where I get to be the only girl.' This Christmas, the self-professed sci-fi fanatic and classically trained ballerina will return to the screen for more testosterone. Saldana, 31, will try to solidify her place in the Hollywood hierarchy with James Cameron’s Avatar—quite possibly the most anticipated movie in years (and, at a rumored cost of more than $350 million, certainly the most expensive). Written by Cameron—with uniquely Cameron-esque ingenuity—Avatar is set in the 22nd century, amid a war between earthlings and the once peaceful indigenous tribe of a distant planet." (VanityFair)



"MILLIONS of Afghans are preparing to take part tomorrow in what some see as decisive elections in this war-torn land .. Many expect an inconclusive first round, with Karzai failing to get the 50 percent-plus needed for a straight victory. In the provincial councils, many incumbents could lose. Many Afghans believe that the authorities (backed by the NATO powers) will try to fix the results to give Karzai a second term with a win in the first round. If that happens, Afghanistan could see a postelection trauma similar to Iran's turmoil since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 'miraculous' June 12 victory. Several factors hurt Karzai's chances of a straight win. First, he can't count on solid support from his own Pushtun ethnic community (which accounts for some 38 percent of the Afghan populace) this time. Both his top rivals, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah Zamariani, are ethnic Pushtuns, too. Plus, a terror campaign by the Taliban and the Hizb Islami (Islamic Party), both almost exclusively Pushtun groups, may keep Pushtun voters home. That would favor Abdullah -- who, in part thanks to his Tajik mother, already enjoys massive support from the ethnic Tajik community in Kabul and the northeast. That said, there's no sign that the Taliban and its allies among tribes and drug-smuggling gangs have a coherent strategy to disrupt the election." (NYPost)



"The news going around the web today, this no-news day, that Tinsley Mortimer has left her husband Topper (which was first printed on these pages January 12th although I have seen them out and together many times since then). According to an article by Spencer Morgan in New York magazine, the couple have been separated since then. Mrs. Mortimer is now in London where she is seen around with Prince Casimir Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, a young Prussian prince from an almost-ancient family of the Rhineland that dates its prominence back to the 10th century. At one point the Sayn-Wittgensteins basically owned a country (now part of Germany) and had dozens of castles. Coincidentally, the prince’s family’s economic and social background is not dissimilar to that of the Mortimers, who are famously descended from wealth and prominence in the nation’s history. Prince Casimir and Tinsley, their first (photographed) public appearance together. Topper Mortimer, born Robert Livingston Mortimer, is a descendent of the first Robert Livingston, lord of Livingston Manor (Columbia County), 180,000 acres in that neck of the woods. Mortimer descendents are also related to John Jay, the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States. Although more recently, and more importantly according to today’s values, Topper Mortimer’s grandmother was an heiress to one of the Standard Oil-related fortunes. While the Sayn-Wittgensteins were a wealthy family for centuries, the 20th century and two world wars rendered all that void." (NYSocialDiary)



"HBO's 'True Blood' is the ratings phenomenon of the summer. Having nearly every episode of a scripted drama post a series-high rating just doesn't happen these days (especially in a program's second season). Sunday night's 'True Blood' was seen by 4.5 million viewers, up from last week's record high of 4.4 million. In cume, 'True Blood' is averaging 11.4 million viewers per episode (by unfair comparison, original broadcast shows this summer are averaging about 5.5 million viewers for their debut episodes). 'Hung' and 'Entourage' both averaged 2.8 million." (THR)



"Chris Rock, Michael Caine, Neil Jordan, Frederick Wiseman, Barry Levinson, Joe Dante, Peter Berg, and Atom Egoyan are among those set for the 34th Toronto International Film Festival’s extensive discussions, panels and master classes. Announced today, those names are divided up into both the Mavericks and Dialogues: Talking With Pictures programmes, as well as a variety of industry events including a Master Class with Canadian director Egoyan (who is world premiering his latest film, 'Chloe,' at the festival). The Mavericks programme - which puts 'audiences in the same room as headline-making leaders from the world of film, and beyond, for unforgettable conversations on their latest projects' - will this year place spotlight on the world of performing arts, sports and African American hairstyles, and those in attendance will include director Peter Berg, actor Sir Michael Caine, director Barry Levinson, comedian Chris Rock and documentarian Frederick Wiseman. While Dialogues: Talking with Pictures - a film series curated by directors or film artists - will find Ted Kotcheff, Neil Jordan, Joe Dante and Sook-Yin Lee each presenting films that “have inspired them or have marked a significant period in their careers.' Additionally, the festival has introduced new programmes this year, including the aforementioend Master Class with Atom Egoyan." (IndieWIRE)