Guess what the second rule is


David Fincher is the director of such dark cult classics as Se7en, Fight Club, and the new Oscar contender The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Dude sure loves him some Brad Pitt, but then again, who doesn't? But Fincher is not helping out his award-winning cause by becoming the biggest diva director in Hollywood since George Clooney beat up David O. Russell on the set of 3 Kings. Perhaps the auteur is still steamed over Zodiac not getting an Academy nod two years ago?

Fincher's personal fight club includes a recent chest-punch to John Goldwyn, the guy who ran Paramount 15 years ago when Fincher originally wanted to make this movie and was turned down by the studio. The beatdown also came with a warning for future naysayers of Fincher's work, "That's for you, for not greenlighting the movie when you had a chance." Well, at least the man directs what he knows about with his random acts of violence.

Someone should introduce to Fincher to Rahm Emanuel's brother…we have a feeling they might get along.

Dec 1, 2008 · posted by drew · Link · 5 Responses
A schadenfreude hard-on


Everyone likes a good Citizen Kane narrative. Because even though pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and succeeding by cutthroat capitalism is (or was), the American way, there is also that delightful pleasure in watching a media baron like Kane, or Howard Hughes, succumb to those very demons that drove him relentlessly to success in the first place.

Call it the law of American physics: What goes up, must come down in an extremely gruesome fashion, and end up smeared all over Page Six. So enter Sumner Redstone, whose massive earnings have earned him an empire of National Amusements (an apt title if there ever was one) that includes CBS, Paramount, MTV, and BET.

And who recently has succumbed to that modern aristocratic ailment of addictive stock-picking, and an even more aristocratic ailment of a failed marriage.

CONTINUED »

Oct 30, 2008 · posted by drew · Link · Respond
He's not going to live forever you know


Sumner Redstone, the titan who famously cut Tom Cruise loose from Paramount, is about to do the same to his second wife. The 85-year-old Viacom founder filed for divorce from 46-year-old Paula Fortunato, with whom Redstone had been married for five years.

The court documents show that Redstone is making sure Fortunato doesn't get a penny too, for reasons you can only imagine. The man must be richer than god (or is he?) and the two likely had a pre-nup. He may have only gone through the ringer once before, but Sumner knows enough to make future Mrs. Redstone's sign a legally binding contract saying they won't try to get his gold, or a guest-spot on Two and a Half Men, after the divorce.

Oct 22, 2008 · posted by drew · Link · 2 Responses

stauffenbergcruiseoverlay.jpg

Remember this photo, at right? It was part of our item "The 2 Photo Scandals Rocking Hollywood," which also included a possible Iron Man infringement. But this photo was at the center of Slate's argument that United Artists may have Photoshopped a pic of Claus von Stauffenberg — who Tom Cruise plays in the ill-fated Valkyrie — to make the would-be Hitler assassin look more like the high-profile star playing him, all in an effort to appease Germans who were furious a Scientologist would be playing a national hero. Except as Slate now concludes in a correction:

CONTINUED »

Jun 25, 2008 · posted by david · Link · Respond

50thavekids.jpg

J.J. Abrams has found his next project — courtesy the New York Times. The Cloverfield producer will take on Paramount's newest investment, "Mystery on Fifth Avenue," an article it optioned for mid-six-figures that details a 20s-era co-op (with Central Park views!) whose new owners, paying $8.5 million for the place in 2003, found hidden panels and secret clues left behind by their architectural designer.

Eventually, their scavenger hunt "unraveled a mystery that featured a poem, a book, a soundtrack and a host of historical figures," but no panic room.

How it all came together is outlined in the article, published only on Friday, but it involves an ambitious young designer, soliciting Jonathan Safran Foer, four years, 40 artisans, and a letter that arrived to the new homeowners a year after they moved in. Oh, and four perfect children who are not possessed by demons, but might be in Abrams' version.

Jun 18, 2008 · posted by david · Link · Respond
Iron Man's paparazzi pic, plus Tom Cruise's edited Nazi shot

downeybb.jpg

Two eyebrow-raising Hollywood scandals popped up this week, one including an actual eyebrow! Must we make Tinseltown worry about anything other than budgets and insuring Lindsay Lohan?

First up, the battle between Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment and paparazzo Ronnie Adams, who snapped a photo of Robert Downey Jr. on the set of big-budet action flick Iron Man while the movie was still filming.

As producers for the big and small screen continually battle back against potential spoilers, the studio demanded Adams remove the photo from his website, where he had posted it. He refused, but they eventually got to his web host, who yanked his account.

And then … his photo resurfaced. In Iron Man.

That's according to Adams' lawsuit, which claims that after all its complaining, Marvel used the copyrighted photo – after removing Adams' watermark – in a scene in the movie, showing a newspaper article headlined "Who is this Ironman." Fiscally savvy Adams, filing suit against the studios, now wants to get remunerated for his unsolicited efforts in contributing to this "pivotal scene."

So that's one photo scandal. This next one features Tom Cruise and Nazis! And an eyebrow!

CONTINUED »

Jun 18, 2008 · posted by david · Link · 8 Responses

timberlakeguru.jpg

Justin Timberlake and Paramount/Spyglass Entertainment will no longer be requiring entertainment reporters, participating in The Love Guru's press junket, to submit for review anything then plan to publish about the movie's second-tier star, or keep his personal details they might glean during interviews from running.

Seems all those Internet types complaining about Trousersnake's confidentially agreement got him and the studio to back down, just like they did with Angelina Jolie during her A Mighty Heart press tour last year.

Not surprisingly, Paramount was behind that gaffe as well.

Jun 5, 2008 · posted by david · Link · Respond

timberlakeguru.jpg

Know what's not confidential about Justin Timberlake? His confidentiality agreement.

You see, Mr. Timberlake, who appears in the Mike Myers movie The Love Guru wearing a Speedo and a semi, did not want intimate details of his personal life, which he might unknowingly reveal to journalists interviewing him to promote Guru, to be shared with the general public, simply because he's required to do press for Paramount's movie.

That's why the agreement all entertainment journos who attended the movie's presser had to sign off on paperwork that guaranteed they would submit for review anything they planned on printing, and they they agreed "not to disclose to anyone any confidential, personal, or private information about Artist, Artist’s family, or Artist’s personal relationships at any time," and, "Journalist will be solely responsible for any and all other individual authorizations, releases, consents, clearances, licenses, and payments as may be necessary with respect to the use of the Material."

The full agreement here.

Update: Timberlake and the studios are backing down.

Jun 4, 2008 · posted by david · Link · 2 Responses

redstonemoonvesdauman.jpg

The media has oversimplified the decision by Paramount to stop selling its shows to Showtime! You see, Paramount is Viacom's movie studio, while Showtime is CBS's premium channel, and the two were getting along so well ever since Viacom and CBS went their separate ways, but now Paramount is teaming with MGM and Lionsgate to create a new premium channel.

Les Moonves, who heads CBS, played nice in press reports with Viacom chief Philippe Dauman. Moonves' deputy, Showtime chief Matthew Blank, told the Times, "We wish them well." Dauman not-so-blandly opined, "It’s our responsibility at Viacom to drive our strategy to benefit our shareholders."

But now one newspaper is fueling rumors all this backroom dealing is a move to try to oust Moonves! CAN YOU BELIEVE?

Corporate daddy Sumner Redstone, who chairs both Viacom and CBS, is said to be unhappy with CBS's crappy stock performance. Or at least those are the rumors Dauman's been able to plant, as he eyes the throne of octogenarian Redstone, who, despite his misgivings, must leave this earth, and his companies, at some point.

Apr 22, 2008 · posted by david · Link · 2 Responses

Angelina Jolie thought she was going to make a picture celebrating the life of a much beloved journalist. Then she forgot she was white, banned press from a movie about freedom of the press, and watched as distributor Paramount Vintage, who tried to encourage an atmosphere of religious understanding at a special screening, instead hosted a platform of hatred.

CONTINUED »

Jun 22, 2007 · posted by david · Link · 3 Responses