Category Archives for Uncategorized
Plucky Behavior
—Celia Ellenberg Continue reading
Touched by Angels
—Tommy Ton Continue reading
Flesh Hunters
All hell broke loose on Houston Street on Thursday night: Barricades held back teary-eyed tweens outside the Sunshine Cinema, burly security men were not afraid to shove, and—last but not least—guests had to endure the trauma of turning their mobile telephones and cameras in before entering the theater. Why the fuss? Because the First Family of Vampire Cinema was in town, of course, here to attend the NYC unveiling of New Moon, the second installment of the Twilight series. “Robert, Taylor, and Kristen, who no longer even need last names,” the film’s director, Chris Weitz, said as he introduced the cast to his friends. For those who’ve been sleeping in a coffin for the last year, that would be Pattinson, Lautner, and Stewart.
“This might be the most beautiful screening I’ve been to,” Weitz added. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more glamorous audience watch a movie.” Yes, the likes of Jessica Szohr, Taylor Momsen, and Jessica Stam all looked lovely this evening, even if all eyes were on the stars. Nearly the entire room sat swiveled in the chairs, focusing attention not on the screen but rather on a row near the back of the auditorium that was designated for the cast. And then, before the lights even dimmed in the theater, the troupe scooped up their darkened tresses and left.
Perhaps paparazzi flashbulbs act like daylight on vampires, because Pattinson and co. were still missing in action at the after-party. “Where are the bloody Cullens?” Agyness Deyn asked Alexa Chung. With Fergie, Ed Westwick, the Kills’ Alison Mosshart, and Emma Roberts in attendance, there was plenty of eye candy to snack on. But that presumably wasn’t enough to sustain the fans who stood outside The Box, apparently unaware of the advice of Pattinson. Earlier in the night, he joked to a friend, “Everyone knows this movie comes out in about four hours, right?” True, the first public screenings were at midnight Friday morning, but as any screaming, digital camera-wielding, die-hard Twilight fan will tell you, the movie is just the start. Pattinson may play an unusually abstemious bloodsucker in the series, but his admirers were looking for flesh.
—Derek Blasberg Continue reading
Depp Charge
Two leading men loaned their charisma to a pair of New York arts fundraisers last night. At MoMA, Johnny Depp‘s entrance threw guests into a tizzy at a benefit for the museum’s film department that also served as a sneak preview of its retrospective of work by moviemaker (and frequent Depp collaborator) Tim Burton. Not exactly known for his love of the social circuit, Depp brushed his hair out of his eyes and darted through the lobby’s Edward Scissorhands-inspired topiaries to lurk in an under-lit corner with Patti Smith—but the shadows couldn’t consume him entirely. “I see him!” Brooke Shields exclaimed.
Twilight starlet Ashley Greene came in just as the pre-dinner film program (emceed by Danny DeVito) was about to begin. She’d just re-watched Burton’s blood-soaked musical Sweeney Todd. “The part that sticks out in my head the most is when Helena [Bonham Carter] is making pies and there’s cockroaches in them,” Greene said. “I actually made my mother watch that with me on Christmas.” (Wonder what she queues up on Halloween.)
Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin was doing double duty at an Artwalk fundraiser benefiting the Coalition for the Homeless. (Co-chair Richard Gere canceled last-minute, apparently to sit with the Dalai Lama in Rome.) The Emmy-winning star of 30 Rock posed for endless fan photos, bought two paintings, served as auctioneer for the evening’s non-art lots, and retained a seasoned vet’s sense of humility through it all. “I’m never going to compete with Johnny Depp in the magnetism department. But times are tough economically in New York, and we got a bigger crowd here than ever,” Baldwin said, before excusing himself. “I’ve got to leave now, because I’ve got to make some money to pay for the paintings.”
—Darrell Hartman Continue reading
Going for Broken
Pedro Almodóvar is known for his female ensemble casts, and fittingly, quite a crew of gals came out to support Tuesday night’s Cinema Society screening of the Spanish director’s latest film, Broken Embraces. Fergie, Mira Sorvino, and Angela Lindvall were among those who showed at the Crosby Street Hotel screening and Standard Hotel after-party. Almodóvar himself couldn’t make it, which meant extra air kisses for Calvin Klein Collection creative director Francisco Costa. (The clothing company co-hosted the evening.) “But really,” Costa said, “what we all want is the sort of worship that Pedro and Penélope Cruz enjoy. That man is a genius. And have you ever seen a woman like that?” Yes, sitting in the corner of the Standard’s Boom Boom Room was the Oscar-winning actress herself, surrounded by her congregation, which on this night included Marion Cotillard and Precious‘ Gabourey Sidibe. But where was Cruz’s partner in filmmaking? “Pedro called me on my way here tonight and asked me to thank everyone,” she said. “We’ve been on a world tour with this movie, and he needs to stay home to write the next one. I’m sure you miss him. But I miss him more.”
—Derek Blasberg Continue reading
Will You Borrow From The Boys?
—Laird Borrelli-Persson Continue reading
Taco Time
The idea of throwing a dinner party at a hair salon might strike some people as a potential health code violation, but stylist Ric Pipino disagrees. “It’s not like there’s hair on the table,” he joked last night at his Centre Market Place salon, which was transformed into a candlelit dining room for the evening. Pipino and his partner, MAC Cosmetics exec Jenne Lombardo, ordered in tacos from La Esquina to feed an intimate group of fashionable friends that included Rogan Gregory, Alice + Olivia’s Stacey Bendet, Erin Fetherston, and jewelry designer Pamela Love.
Pipino opened his downtown Manhattan salon back in May and it’s quickly become a favorite with socialites (Fabiola Beracasa) and downtown scenesters (Harley Viera-Newton) alike. “We’ve always wanted to do different things in the space,” the stylist said, and since Lombardo is known in their social circle for her dinner parties (at least pre-baby—she recently gave birth to the couple’s third child), the event has been in the works for months. As margarita-happy guests left with a few select items from Pipino’s in-house product line due out in January, Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon gave Pipino a neighborly bit of praise: “You’re on the best block in the city,” he said. For both haircuts and good times, it would appear.
—Celia Ellenberg Continue reading