Supportive Mick Jagger Publicly Recognizes Martin Scorsese’s Struggles as Actor [Defamer On The Spot]
Because our Sunday wouldn’t have been the same without at least four hours committed to work, Defamer crashed yesterday’s U.S. press conference for the new Martin Scorsese/Rolling Stones concert film Shine a Light. It’s not half-bad for Stones or Scorsese fans, with a rangy set list and intoxicating camerawork that both might run a little long for the average viewer. Not easily starstruck, we nevertheless felt a mild succession of twinges upon the band and their director’s entrance (”Holy shit, Keith Richards really does look like that,” etc.), none more acute than when a Paramount publicist, clearly by accident, let us sneak a question in.
We thought of asking Richards to nudge silent, somnambulent drummer Charlie Watts awake for a quick picture, but opted instead to inquire about Scorsese’s own cameos in the beginning and end of the film — the latest contributions to an increasingly public persona we’ve seen him develop everywhere from TV spots to causes c l bres including the environment and film preservation. Sure, there are more famous directors, but we can’t imagine Steven Spielberg ever interjecting himself as a dramatic counterpoint to, say, Indiana Jones the way Scorsese plays off Mick Jagger. We haven’t seen an actual auteur ham it up like this since Alfred Hitchcock.
“We had a lot of trouble working out the ending of the film,” Jagger told us. “Marty had to go to a lot of different acting coaches to do it.”
“It was sad,” Scorsese deadpanned. “It was sad, yeah. But I do it on my own pictures. I’m kind of [like] Edgar Kennedy — the slow burn, the guy who always used to go like this?” He slapped a palm over his face, grimaced and gradually pulled away. “That’s what happens when you make films, so one of the things to do is make use of that, and literally send up the ‘hapless director,’ so to speak. And very often you do feel like a hapless person sitting there. The actor’s doing one thing, the camera’s doing another. It started to snow the other night when we were shooting. It wasn’t supposed to snow. Things like that. Do we continue shooting? But that’s the nature of what it is, and you have to have fun with it. There are so many documentaries and so many sections of concert films where you see the actual setting up of the concert and interviewing people, and we thought, ‘Let’s have fun with it.’ Let’s get straight to the tension — and the humor of that tension.”
But does it work? You tell us; Shine a Light opens Friday.
Chip Off The Old Block
Floyd Bebee, 48, and his son Justin, 21, were arrested last year (on different dates) in central Florida. As you can tell from their mug shots, the Bebees are forehead tattoo enthusiasts.
Quentin Tarantino Enjoys Asian-Themed Cocktail In Los Feliz [Hollywood PrivacyWatch]
Attention Defamer operatives: You have been slacking on your PrivacyWatch duties! Today’s installment is verging on pitiful. We command you to wander the streets until you successfully spot a celebrity, then rush back to the nearest keyboard-equipped telecommunications device to breathlessly type up your dispatch. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put “sighting” or “PrivacyWatch” in the subject line so we don’t lose them), so that everyone can read about how you Giovanni Ribisi needs Magnum condoms.
In today’s episode: Quentin Tarantino; Keanu Reeves; Michael Rapaport; Giovanni Ribisi; Ray Liotta; Peter Berg and Henry Winkler; Chris Noth; Anthony Kiedis; Billy Baldwin; Dina Meyer; and Brad Beyer.
· Saturday, 3/23
Quentin Tarantino was downing something fruity with one of those dragon stirrers in it at Good Luck. He was with a couple of completely average looking (you know, pretty but not Hollywood pretty) women and was bigger (both lengthwise and widthwise) than I would have thought. The indie bartenders were all atwitter…and probably actually on Twitter.
· 1. Sunday March 16th. Michael Rapaport at Fred Siegel on Melrose. Sitting at the entrance of the restaurant starring into space or at everyone who enters. Very rabid and intense looking. Aggressively picking his teeth. One shoe dangling off of his foot. Prominent bald spot.
2. Wednesday March 19th. Keanu Reeves at Locanda Veneta West 3rd dining with 3 women. One woman looked very similar to Parker Posey, perhaps it was? Very discreet, he sat facing away from entrance.
3. Thursday March 20th. Giovanni Ribisi at Long’s Drugs across from the Beverly Center. The extremely skinny Scientologist with very tight jeans had finished his purchases at the check out and then turned his full cart around and went back into the store and came back to the cashier with epsom salts and box of Magnum Condoms [Ed.: Ahem].
· Ray Liotta was right next to me at Gold’s Gym in Venice yesterday March 20th on the chest machine. The guy has had a lot of work done.
· Two interesting celebrities dining at Pizzeria Mozza Saturday late lunch/early dinner: Peter Berg, dining with a lovely lady and Henry Winkler, seemingly with family.
· It’s a biggie! Who has gotten a tan, touched up his roots and is looking a whole lot better? Mr Big himself, Chris Noth. Spotted on Sunset Blvd & Horn Ave, across from the old Tower Records and Spago in a white t-shirt and blue sweatpants. Looks like he’s been working out. Still has a belly, but it looks OK in that high school gym teacher way. Nice meaty ass too! I’d say he looks powerful.
· March 18 - So I’m pretty sure I just saw Anthony Kiedis mad riding a skateboard on the lumpy, snaggy, uneven sidewalk down Sunset in Silverlake, (like slaloming!), with baby in his arms. Mama was walking behind.
· sunday (3/24) on the starbucks patio in beverly hills (s. beverly drive) i was sitting next to william ‘billy’ baldwin (and cute daughter). he was wearing a funny hat and plaid pants. i really enjoyed his work in backdraft.
· I’ve seen the ubiquitous Dina Meyer with her ever present “galpal” THREE times in 3 days. One woman you don’t see for years unless she’s dying on-screen but lately she’s everywhere (at least in Santa Monica)! Late Sunday night she was with her galpal at Bob’s Market on Ocean Park buying wine and cheese. Then saw her Monday just on 6pm at It’s a Grind on SaMo & 6th, they were crammed in a corner sipping lattes and reading what looked like a script together. Then again yesterday (Tues) she was gassing up the must-have celeb vehicle - silver Prius at Shell on Lincoln & Pico with same friend again. Don’t mind running into her at all - she’s aging very nicely!
· Friday, 3-21-08, 1:30pm: Brad Beyer, the tall and handsome blonde and blue-eyed stoic farmer from “Jericho,” on Santa Monica Main Street, wearing his trademark aviators. HOTTTT!!!! Didn’t Les Moonves just dink this show? f so, that would explain the Chenbot looking female who beaned him with a 2 lb pound bag of peanuts thrown from her Mercedes convertible right at the time of this sighting..
Murder, She Wrote: Season 8 
The bad guys don’t stand a chance when writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is on the case in this eighth season of the popular TV drama. She competes with an ex-cop (Wings Hauser) to solve a series of campus murders, takes a computer course that winds up being more exciting than expected and investigates the case of a young ballerina who died during a performance. Guest stars include Jameson Parker and Chad Everett.
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