People: Busta Rhymes, David Mamet, Britney Spears
The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Mamet lampoons, dissects and filets Hollywood in his new book “Bambi vs. Godzilla,” but Mamet ? who has also been twice nominated for a Academy Award for script writing ? says he “loves the place” and will never leave show business. Mamets new book explores how Hollywood moguls, which he terms Godzillas, and the creative Bambis of the film world follow the torturous path from idea to movie. Chapters fall under such headings as “How Scripts Got So Bad” and “The Repressive Mechanism of Corruption.”
He may be a New York native, but its neighboring New Jersey that may get to claim “The Donald” for eternity. The real estate mogul Donald Trump has filed paperwork to build a wedding chapel on his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, and has told a local newspaper, The Star-Ledger of Newark, that he wants to later convert the building into a mausoleum for himself and his family. Trumps sprawling golf course is located about 50 miles, or about 81 kilometers, west of New York City. (AP)
Several Oscar stars will be arriving at the awards show Sunday in Los Angeles in a variety of energy-efficient limousines, Reuters reported. While in past years the environmental group Global Green USA has provided only hybrid cars for celebrity transportation, this years procession will feature vehicles that use alternative fuels and take advantage of emerging technologies, said Matt Peterson, chief executive of the group. The most coveted vehicle is a prototype of the Tesla Roadster, an electric car that goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds, “faster than most Porsches,” according to Tesla Motorss vice president, Darryl Siry. Peterson would not say which celebrity will be chosen to ride in that vehicle. Unlike those who fail to earn Oscars, those who are not chosen to ride in the roadster can simply sign up to buy their own. At a base price of $92,000, 330 celebrities already have.
One day after walking out of a Malibu, California, rehab center, Britney Spears has walked back in, her manager, Larry Rudolph, confirmed in an e-mail to The Associated Press. After a night spent talking with family members and her lawyers, Spears on Thursday checked into the Promises residential center, which specializes in treating drug and alcohol abuse. Last week, Spears sought treatment at a center in the Caribbean but also checked out after a day. Her estranged husband, Kevin Federline, will care for the couples two sons, 17-month-old Sean Preston and 5- month-old Jayden James, for the 30 to 45 days that Spears is undergoing treatment. (AP)
For the moment, Anna Nicole Smith will likely be buried in the Bahamas. A Florida judge gave custody of Smiths body to the court-appointed guardian for her infant daughter, who has said the island country would be Smiths final resting place. But, fighting back tears as he read his ruling, Judge Larry Seidlin of Broward County Circuit Court also ordered Richard Milstein, the guardian, to work out a burial agreement among Smiths mother, Virgie Arthur; the lawyer Howard Stern, her partner at the time of her death; and Larry Birkhead, a former boyfriend. Birkhead and Stern each claim to be the father of 5-month-old Dannielynn. Moments after the burial place was announced, a lawyer for Smiths estranged mother said his client planned to appeal. Arthur wants her daughter buried in Texas, where she was born and grew up.
The rapper Busta Rhymes has been charged with driving with a suspended license after police in New York said they stopped him for driving through a red light. The singer, whose given name is Trevor Smith, was taken into custody in New York City, early on Thursday. If convicted, he could face up to 15 days in prison. Rhymes, 34, was recently accused of assault in two separate cases which are still ongoing. (BBC)
A South Carolina judge has dismissed a suit brought by two men featured in the Oscar-nominated film “Borat,” starring the British comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen. The two men alleged that they were plied with alcohol before signing the waiver that allowed them to be shown on camera acting boorishly.