January 2009 Archives

Worcester goes Hollywood on March 7 when the world-premiere of "The Maiden Heist" takes place at the downtown Hanover Theater.

"Heist" from director Peter Hewitt, stars Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman and William H. Macy as art museum security guards. They’re enraptured by certain works of art. And, when a new curator threatens to change the museum collection, they commit grand larceny to hold onto the art — with hilarious results.

If you’ve ever visited the Worcester Art Museum, you’ll recognize it in the movie, since scenes were shot in its Renaissance Court and galleries in December, 2007.

The museum benefits from this one-night only premiere. If you go, expect to rub elbows with Walken, Macy and Hewitt, among others who’ve signed on to attend. No word yet on Freeman. Call the box office at (887) 571-SHOW for tickets.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck of “The View” and her husband, Tim, who played for the Arizona Cardinals, are about to be outnumbered.

Hasselbeck announced today on the ABC daytime chat show that she’s pregnant with her third child, due in August. She said: “We are thankful for such great news and will begin planning our zone defense strategy immediately.”

The couple are the parents of 3-year-old Grace Elisabeth and 15-month-old Taylor Thomas.

Being outnumbered at work is nothing new for Hasselbeck. As the resident conservative on “The View,” she’s often gotten into passionate political arguments with her colleagues.

So Jessica Simpson isn't a size 2 anymore...BIG DEAL. She might be all of a size 6, and with the average pant size of American women hovering around a 14 — why such the scandal?

Here is the elder Simpson at a "Chili Cook-off" concert in Pembroke Pines, Fla on Jan. 24. In her defense she is wearing high-waisted jeans that would not even flatter Kate Moss. The girl has always been curvy, but apparently a little junk in the trunk is unacceptable for a star these days.

Then why does Oprah get a pass and not J.S.? And why are we even "waisting" our time with this?

There is no fall out between the Tsongas Arena and emo pioneers Fall Out Boy. The band will return, yet again, to the Mill City venue this spring for the ‘Believers Never Die Part Deux’ tour.

New daddy, Pete Wentz and the boys will stop at the arena on Tuesday, April 28 with supporting acts Cobra Starship, Metro Station, All Time Low, and Hey Monday. Tickets go on sale to the general public on this Saturday, Jan. 31.

Seen FOB already? Who would you like to see at the Arena this spring?

A British judge has sentenced former Culture Club frontman Boy George to 15 months in jail after he was convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort.

Last year, Norwegian escort Audun Carlsen told a trial that in 2007 he was handcuffed to a wall hook at the east London apartment of the singer — whose real name is George O’Dowd.

Prosecutors said Carlsen was held by O’Dowd for under an hour. The singer had denied the charges, but he was convicted in December.

O’Dowd was sentenced on Friday.

You know the economy is bad when...actor Steve Carell takes a second job at a general store.

Well, not really, the 45-year-old star of “The Office” recently bought the Marshfield Hills General Store. Carell, who plays bumbling boss Michael Scott on the NBC sitcom is a part-time resident of the town on Massachusetts’ south shore.

He put sister-in-law Tish Vivado in charge.

The store’s previous owner, Sherry Bechtold, told The Patriot-Ledger of Quincy that she and her husband, Bob, sold the 155-year-old building and business to Carell after being convinced that he wanted it “for the right reasons.” She said she wanted to make sure the new owner retained the store’s character.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck apparently looked to the heavens for inspiration for their new daughter’s first name, Seraphina, and back down to earth — in the garden, specifically — for part of her middle name, Rose Elizabeth. The couple also went to the garden for 3-year-old daughter Violet Anne’s first name.

We looked up the meaning of her name. Apparently it is derived from the biblical word "seraphim" which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each. It was also the name of a 13th-century Italian saint who made clothes for the poor.

We also discovered it's the name of an Italian restaurant in Manhattan and Seattle. Maybe it's mommy and daddy's fav eatery? Who knows? At least it's not Apple or Moon Unit.

What are some crazy baby names you have heard out there?

She was his queen bee. At least that’s what Lil Kim says. It’s no secret that the first lady of Hip-hop, was a big part of the Notorious B.I.G.’s life, but she’s ready to throw down with producers of the new biopic about the late rapper.

Biggie Smalls was Lil Kim’s mentor and lover. Their sometimes rocky relationship is depicted in Notorious, but she doesn’t think it’s very accurate.

In a statement, Kim says: “The film studio and producers involved were more concerned about painting me as a ’character’ to create a more interesting story line instead of a person with talent, self-respect and who was able to achieve her own career success through hard work.”
She added: “Even though my relationship with Big was at times very difficult and complicated (as with most relationships we have all experienced at one time or another), it was also genuine and built on great admiration and love for each other.”

But B.I.G.’s mom, Voletta Wallace, dissed Lil Kim.

“This is not a Lil Kim movie,” she said. “This is a Christopher Wallace movie. It has nothing to do with Lil Kim. If she’s disappointed and upset, that is her problem.”

Don’t mess with momma!

Now that Amy Winehouse will be no longer hitched, will she become unhitched? That’s one question many will be asking as the self-proclaimed sober songstress is headed for divorce court.

After, British tabloids showed photos of Wino shacking up in St. Lucia with her 21-year-old boytoy, Josh Bowman, her husband is now looking to start divorce proceedings. A lawyer for her jailed husband said yesterday his client will be seeking a divorce on the grounds of the soul diva’s alleged infidelity.

Winehouse and Blake Fielder-Civil married in Miami in May 2007, but he was arrested six months later over an assault. In July he was sentenced to 27 months in jail for beating up a bar manager and then offering him a bribe to keep quiet about it.

Fielder-Civil was released into a drug rehab center in November but sent back to prison weeks later for breaching his bail conditions.

The romance between the two was tumultuous, with open drug use and violent public fights. During concert appearances last year, Amy often exhorted fans to call for the release of “my Blake.”

Can you blame her? She dumped a junkie for a hunkie rugby player —wouldn’t you?

Can he type with those shades on?

U2 frontman and humanitarian, Bono, will write an Op-Ed column for "The New York Times"

The paper announced that his first column will appear Sunday, for which he will also do a podcast. The column will appear occasionally and will cover a wide range of topics that is sure to include Africa.

Bono called the gig “an honor,” and joked that he’s “never been great with the full stops or commas.”

If he can write the way he sings, he might just be the next Mark Twain.

It’s another girl for Jennifer Garner and her Boston bred hubby Ben Affleck.

The couple's mouthpieces said Tuesday that Garner gave birth to their second daughter.

Jen and Ben, both 36, were married in June 2005 and have another daughter, Violet, who was born in December 2005.

When Jen was here in Lowell last spring filming scenes for the Ricky Gervais romantic comedy "This Side of the Truth" there was no telling the svelte star was prego. She must have been two months at that time!

No word if they’re sticking with the flower theme and naming their new girl — Rose or Daisy. Any suggestions for the proud parents of two?

We're not sure if the ecomony will ever recover or why regular people can't ask congress for a bail out, BUT we are sure about one thing — "The City" is making the cold winter months bearable.

The MTV spin-off of "The Hills" took wide-eyed California girl, Whitney Port, and plunked her down in the middle of New York City. Will her flirty west coast attitude survive on the east coast where snarky "socials" (that's a socialite to us layman) rule the roost? We have high hopes for our pouty heroine

It's a real life "Gossip Girl" if you consider Whit, Olivia, Erin and Jay living in the "real world." And we don't mean with seven strangers.

Whit's biggest struggles so far are whether she belongs with the uptown or downtown crowd; and if Jay considers her his girlfriend or not. Oh, to be young and carefree again.

What are your thoughts? Is Olivia destined to be the Spencer Pratt of Manhattan? Can Erin ever replace LC?

If you are not watching "The City" what are you tuned into during this hibernation period?

It’s not over till the fat lady sings or the skinny red head tells us so. Lindsay Lohan says she hasn’t split with galpal DJ Samantha Ronson, despite media reports they had publicly sparred several times over the holidays.

In true style, the star posted on her MySpace blog: “We did NOT break up!”
Lohan asked several media outlets “AND every GOSSIP website” to get their facts straight.

LiLo also complained Monday that her friends had been e-mailing her to console her about the rumored breakup with the 31-year-old Ronson.

Even ‘Mean Girls’ forgive and forget

Shock jock Howard Stern broke the new yesterday morning on his Sirius Satellite Radio show that model-actress Rebecca Romijn, 36, and her hubby Jerry O’Connell, 34, are the parents of twin girls.

A publicist for the Ugly Betty actress says twin daughters Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip were born Dec. 28. They are the couple’s first children.

Publicist Lewis Kay said in a statement Monday that “mother, father and both girls are all home and doing well.”

Romijn and O’Connell were married in 2007.

There’s trouble in paradise, but isn’t there always? Celebrity bloggers were thrown into a tizzy this holiday weekend when Lindsay Lohan and her gal-pal Samantha Ronson had a very public lover’s quarrel.

The couple, who have never “officially” come out, were in New York City to host a New Year’s Eve party at trendy hot spot, Mansion. According to eyewitnesses LiLo and Sam got into a cat fight at the night club that spilled into the street and continued back at their hotel. Reportedly, hotel security was called to break up the fight and take pictures of their trashed room.

That wasn’t it — the fighting continued several hours later at the airport while they were waiting for their flight to Los Angeles.

What a way to start the new year off on the right foot.