Jay Manuel at Prudential Center Tonight - 7/17

For those of you out there that watch America's Next Top Model (I'll admit it, I've seen parts of an episode or two while flipping through channels), Jay Manuel - one of the judges - will be in Boston at the Lord and Taylor at the Prudential Center tonight - Thursday, 7/17.

According to the Herald, he's there for a Calvin Klein Underwear event:

According to Calvin Klein, 51 percent of women have trouble finding a bra that fits. We’re all ears Thursday as the designer label presents “Calvin Klein Underwear goes Undercover,” a free bra-spotting seminar at Lord & Taylor in the Prudential Center. Join “America’s Next Top Model” judge and creative director Jay Manuel as he dishes survival tips on finding the perfect-fitting bra. It goes down from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Pru, 760 Boylston St. Call 617-262-6000 for more information.

Click (here) to read the blurb.

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Welcome to Boston Martha Hackett

So I was on a plane back to Boston this afternoon from LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) and guess who I was sitting near? I didn't recognize her but someone else did and chatted with her briefly. It was Martha Hackett from Star Trek Voyager.

Apparently she's from the area and had come back with her kids on vacation. Here's a few tidbits about her for those that don't know much about her (like me).

Martha Hackett is an American actress. She is known for her role as Seska in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Hackett is an alumna of Harvard University (here).

Martha Hackett, who played Seska on Star Trek: Voyager, was born on February 21, 1961 in Boston, Massachusetts. She has guest starred in a few television shows including General Hospital, Hill Street Blues, Sirens, Monty, Touched by an Angel, and The Guardian. Her film credits include Carnosaur, Leprechaun 2, In the Heat of Passion II: Unfaithful, Inconceivable, Never Been Kissed and more (here).

Welcome back Martha! I hope you and your family have a great vacation.

She's the second famous person that I've been on a plane with. The first was Paul Pierce when I was coming back from the Cayman Islands a couple years ago.

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The Globe Interviews Ben Kingsley

Like I blogged about earlier, Ben Kingsley is in town for Ashecliffe and is staying at the Ritz (here). Well the Globe got a chance to interview him, which made for a great read.

Also, it appears that "Ashecliffe" will be renamed "Shutter Island" after it gets done.

For months Kingsley has been in town shooting "Shutter Island," the new Martin Scorsese thriller that we're supposed to call "Ashecliffe" until it's released next year. And he spent a day off regaling a stranger with tales of whatever he fancied (the great directors he's worked with, his new wife, his great health and deep happiness) - although he was professionally obliged to fancy talking about "The Wackness," a sort of buddy comedy written and directed by Jonathan Levine that opens in Boston Friday.

Click (here) to read the rest of the interview. I watched Sexy Beast many years ago and didn't think too much of it. But after reading the interview - it makes me want to dig up the DVD and watch it again.

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Gisele Has A Blog?

According to the Globe today, Gisele has a blog. A blog about environmental issues. I checked it out myself and it looks like yes, she has a blog - a blog mostly written by other people. It looks like there's five other writers that are writing articles for her on the blog.

Overall, the blog isn't very interesting. Here's what the Globe had to say:

Gisele is apparently all about the chatter, blowing virtual kisses to her readers and thanking "our young columnists who prove that young people. . . have enough energy to change things."

The Brazilian bombshell has launched a "green" blog, where she opines on everything from sustainable catwalks (after strutting for Brazilian designer Colcci a few weeks ago at Sao Paulo Fashion Week, she gushed over the recycled cardboard walls and biodiesel-powered generators) to her pet project, water conservation.

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

Click (here) to go to Gisele's blog.

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How Much Is Brody Paid to Hang Out With Us?

Ever wonder how much those special "VIPs" make when they make a stop off at one of our Boston nightclubs? Well the Globe had an article recently on Brody Jenner and, yes, they confirmed he makes more than you and me combined and then multiplied by ten.

If you'll recall, he was at the Estate in January (here) and then the grand opening of the Marina Beach Club (here). I don't think he showed up to the casting call for his new show "Bromance" (that's a vomit-inducing title by-the-way) (here). But it's safe to say he's been here a fair number of times.

The Marina Bay Beach Club management won't disclose exactly how much they're paying Jenner to be here, but they admit it's in the neighborhood of $20,000 for two hours.

That's right folks, $10K an hour to stand around in a VIP booth and drink.

I ask him if he has spent much time in Boston, and Jenner says that his half-sister (not to be confused with his step-sister Kim Kardashian, a fellow reality star ) and her husband live nearby, so he has been to the area a few times.

Sounds like a pretty nice life. Fly to Boston, go to a party, earn $20K, and then potentially visit your half-sister - all in a weekend's work I'd say.

Here's my favorite part of the article:

"All I want are two fatties and hotties. I want hotties and I want two fatties," he says. "You can't have all pretty people up here, you know what I mean?" The bouncer nods.

All pretty people and then two fat ones. That's one hilarious mental image I have right now.

Click (here) for the Globe article.

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1000 Words - The Surrogates on Water Street

Almost 300 extras and actors - joined by five articulated dummies - took turns playing dead on the Water Street sidewalk Sunday, as "The Surrogates" wrapped up a "climactic moment in the movie," spokesman Ernie Malik said. "They were crashing cars and there were dead bodies in the street. It's really the end of the movie. . . . It's hard to describe it without giving anything away." Action star Bruce Willis was not on set Sunday, but he did film a scene, in which he's seen leaving a hospital, on Franklin Street with costar (and FBI partner) Radha Mitchell Saturday.

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

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Congrats to Alicia Zitka - Miss Massachusetts 2008

Congratulations to Miss Alicia Zitka who won the Miss Massachusetts pageant this past weekend.

Miss Zitka beat out 18 other contestants to earn the crown during the pageant at Bristol Community College, where she performed a contemporary lyrical dance as her talent and won a preliminary swimsuit award.

She will now get the chance to compete for the title of Miss America at the pageant in Las Vegas in January.

Good luck in the upcoming Miss America pageant.

Click (here) for the article on Miss Zitka's win.

Click (here) to go to the Miss Massachusetts website.

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Michael Chiklis Day in Andover - 6/27

I'm sure you know him from "The Commish" or maybe "The Shield" or maybe those somewhat awful Fantastic Four movies. What you may not know, however, is that he's from Andover, MA. June 27th, 2008 was declared Michael Chiklis Day in Andover as the actor visited and recieved the key to the city.

"You are entering rarefied air," Town Manager Reginald "Buzz" Stapczynski told the 44-year-old actor as he handed over the representative key to the town where Chiklis was raised. Only two other keys have been given out that Stapczynski could remember, one to a visiting principal from China last fall and the other 12 years ago when a group from Andover, England, came to visit. No other entertainers, including Andover native Jay Leno, have a key to the town.

Congratulations to Mr. Chiklis. It's nice to have your accomplishments acknowledged by the community that you came from.

Hopefully one day I'll do something awesome and Plano, TX will decide to give me a key to their city. Hehe.

Click (here) for more pictures from Michael Chiklis Day

Click (here) for an article about the event in the Eagle Tribune.

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Sir Ben Kingsley Staying at the Ritz

It's usually the Ritz or the Four Seasons. That's where most of the celebrities stay when they're in town. Occasionally though, they might stay at the new Liberty Hotel or the Intercontinental. That being said: Sir Ben Kingsley has been staying at the Ritz while he's in town filming Ashecliffe (here).

We briefly caught up with Sir Ben Kingsley at the Ritz-Carlton the other day, and the celebrated actor said he's nearly wrapped up work on "Ashecliffe," the Martin Scorsese movie that's kept him busy in Boston for the past few months. Kingsley told us he had wanted to teach an acting class while in town, but his hectic schedule wouldn't allow it. A big-time tennis fan, Kingsley likened his "Ashecliffe" costar Leonardo DiCaprio to Wimbledon favorite Roger Federer, a reference we didn't necessarily understand. Does Leo wear a headband?

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

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1000 Words - Gisele on the Cover of GQ

Tom Brady's girlfriend Gisele is on the cover of GQ's July issue in case you want to check it out. Here are a few of the pictures from the spread:

Click (here) to see the rest of the pics.

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Meg Ryan Summers in Martha's Vineyard

I like Meg Ryan movies. They're cute and entertaining. I like them much in the same way I like Hugh Grant movies where he plays the archetypal aloof/clumsy British guy. I pulled up Ms. Ryan's wikipedia page to look over her list of works, and I think my favorite one is You've Got Mail. I saw it again recently - it's so outdated now with the whole AOL email thing - but still fun to watch. Does anyone out there still use AOL?

Anyway, according to the Globe, Meg Ryan spends her summers in Martha's Vineyard.

Considering she summers on Martha's Vineyard, it wasn't too difficult for Meg Ryan to make it to this weekend's Nantucket Film Festival, where she was honored for her long and illustrious oeuvre.

Between chats, Meg Ryan stopped into American Seasons to sample some of chef Michael LaScola's cuisine.

FYI, for those that forgot, Meg Ryan is in "The Women" which filmed in Boston last year (here).

Click (here) for a link to the blurb on Meg.

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Steve Carell In Boston Last Night

Despite all the newspapers and news websites I read each day, I figure I still miss about 90% of what's going on in Boston. Apparently, Steve Carell was in town last night for a fundraiser and screening of his new movie "Get Smart."

Concord native Steve Carell returned to town last night, hosting a special screening of "Get Smart" at the Citi Performing Arts Center. The event was a fund-raiser for the Zachary Carson Brain Tumor Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Any high rollers out there that can shed some light on how you get invited to these events? Although I suppose even if I did get an invitation, I probably wouldn't be able to afford to go.

At a reception before the movie, guests bid to have the actor's "Office" character, Michael Scott, provide the message on their answering machine. And one big spender bid $42,000 to drop by the "Office" set. With ticket prices ranging from $100 to $500, last night's event was a big moneymaker for Carson's cause, raising more than $400,000.

Click (here) to read the rest of the Globe blurb.

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Leonardo DiCaprio @ KO Prime Last Week

This one got lost in the mix, but I just found it, so it's being posted now. I haven't heard too much lately on the filming of Ashecliffe but it must still be going on seeing as how Leonardo DiCaprio is still around (as of last week). Here's a little blurb about him and his girlfriend from last week.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli were spotted dining at KO Prime Tuesday night. DiCaprio, in town to shoot "Ashecliffe" with director Martin Scorsese, reportedly shared oysters, chopped salad, T-bone steaks, and a glass of wine with his main squeeze at the trendy Tremont Street steakhouse.

Man, I just missed them by a matter of days. I was at KO Prime about four days before Leo and Bar were there (here). Doh.

Oh well, I did see him that one time back in March when he was checking into the Ritz (here).

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

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Click and Clack Coming to TV

Tom and Ray Magliozzi, better know as Click & Clack, are getting their own tv show on PBS. I've just recently started listening to podcasts and CarTalk is one of the few that I listen to (along with Wait Wait Don't Tell Me).

"As the Wrench Turns" is a tongue-in-cheek take on what Click and Clack's off-air lives might be like, featuring those familiar radio voices in exaggerated car toon bodies. It centers on a fictionalized version of the brothers' car repair shop in Cambridge, where some characters glug motor oil in coffee cups and a local politician is named Marty Bezzle. (The campaign button reads "M. Bezzle.")

PBS is treading cautiously into this new world. The show premieres July 9 as a limited experiment: five Wednesdays worth of back-to-back half-hour episodes, followed by "we'll see." Which, on some level, suits the "Car Talk" guys just fine.

One more show to add to my DVR - I'm psyched.

Click (here) to read the Globe article.

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1000 Words - Celebs at Game 1

Click (here) for other pictures from The Globe

Click (here) for pics of moments from Game 1



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Bridget Moynahan Interview in Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar interviews Bridget Moynahan in their latest issue out this month. Unfortunately, no pics of her and Tom's son. I haven't read too much about Bridget lately (most of the news these days is about Tom and Gisele) so it was a nice read and good to know that she seems to be doing fine.

Here's a few quotes from the article:

“All of a sudden, you have this newborn you have no training for. It’s frightening.” Much to Moynahan’s surprise, it’s been pretty much smooth sailing since. Eight months later, poolside at a Santa Monica hotel, Moynahan is showing off pictures of Jack, as she now calls him. It’s no shock that with her genes (and those of his father, the 30-year-old NFL quarterback Tom Brady), Jack’s simply adorable.

Moynahan never imagined that she’d wind up a yummy mummy without a hubby. “I’m not sure anyone — and I could be wrong in this — grows up thinking, I want to be a single mom,” she says. She had dated Brady for three years, but in February 2007 she found herself in a complicated situation. She was three months pregnant with his child but no longer in a relationship with him.

Click (here) to read the article in Harper's Bazaar.

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The Surrogates Filming in Lynn Today - 5/30

According to the Globe, The Surrogates (and Bruce Willis) will be in Lynn today.

Lynn residents may want to keep an eye out for Bruce Willis. We're told the cast and crew of "The Surrogates" are setting up shop today at LynnArts Community Arts Center on Exchange Street. Willis, the star of the sci-fi thriller, has kept a very low profile during the film shoot. Unlike virtually every other Hollywood actor now working in Boston, Demi Moore's ex isn't routinely photographed at Celtics or Sox games.

Not routinely at Celtics games? But he must go at least occasionally (here).

Click (here) for the blurb.

Also, reader gjblass reported the following in his comment:

Bruce, will be filming in Lynn tomorrow May 30, off of Union Street, on Willow. I live in the building where they are filming.

So there's a couple of locations for you guys to check out in Lynn.

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Kate Hudson Started Dating Lance Armstrong in Boston

Just a month ago, word was that Kate Hudson was still hanging out with Owen Wilson (here) and (here). Now, the Globe (as well as Perez Hilton) are reporting that Kate Hudson is dating Lance Armstrong. The Globe takes it one step further and speculates that they may have met up during their time in Boston.

Could Boston have provided the spark that lit Lance Armstrong and Kate Hudson's romance? The new couple, who were in Texas together last weekend, were spotted at a Dolce & Gabbana annual party at Cannes over the weekend, according to People magazine, and in Monaco yesterday. Some in the European gossip set now speculate that the two crossed paths in Boston while Hudson was filming "Bride Wars" and Armstrong was in town to run the Boston Marathon.

Click (here) to read the Globe Blurb.

Click (here) for a more pics of Lance and Kate together.

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New TNT Pilot Filming In Boston: Morse Code

TV Network TNT is going to be filming a new pilot in Boston possibly starring Donnie Wahlberg. This New Kid on the Block is staying pretty busy. The series is tentatively named "Morse Code"

It's up in the air whether location shooting will be on the table if it goes to series or even if Wahlberg, who is also an executive producer, will star in it. He hopes to shoot the pilot soon, he said, "because we're going to have to go in for rehearsals for the tour, and once that starts I'm not going to be able to come up for air for a while." If the demands on his time become too heavy, he said, "I'll just get someone else to star in it."

The series, co-executive-produced by "Law & Order" vet Walon Green and Wahlberg's "Boomtown" director Jon Avnet, will follow a war hero who returns to Boston to work as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Click (here) for the Globe blurb.

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1000 Words - This Side of the Truth

"This Side of The Truth" Stars: Rob Lowe & Tina Fey

"This Side of the Truth" writer/director Ricky Gervais kept his cast on its toes in Andover yesterday as filming continued on the comedy, which stars Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. Comic Louis C.K., a Newton native who's also working on the film, made a return trip to the Comedy Connection on Sunday and Monday nights to do a little standup

Text From The Boston Globe (here)
Images from The Gloucester Daily Times (here)



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