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September 18th, 2009
04:14 PM ET
Speak of the devil...As New York's Fashion Week came to a close last night several of us were reminded that "The Devil Wears Prada" and she doesn't care what I wear. Last night, I was interviewing actress Emily Blunt outside of the new Tommy Hilfiger store on 5th Avenue. Blunt played one of Meryl Streep's assistants in "The Devil Wears Prada." We were chatting and I asked her if she had seen "The September Issue". That's the documentary about uber powerful "Vogue" editrix Anna Wintour that just came out. Wintour, of course, was the inspiration for Streep's character in "The Devil Wears Prada". Blunt was in the middle of telling me how she loved the movie, and how surprised she was that the offices in the documentary looked like the sets from the film she was in. Then, a blur in sunglasses flew by her. It was Anna Wintour. She strode down the red (technically it was grey) carpet about two feet from us, ignoring the anguished cries of the still photographers to stop and pose. I said to Blunt, "speak of the....." and she turned to see Wintour disappear into the store. She turned back to me and we both started to laugh and chatter about the close encounter. Then in a mock serious tone, she leaned in and said, "you know, if you had said 'devil,' she'd have shot you a look." I'm not at all sure if Wintour was wearing Prada, or Lagerfeld, or Hilfiger, even, but Blunt and I emerged not only unscathed by the episode, but sadly, unnoticed.
September 18th, 2009
01:10 PM ET
Stars reveal secrets of successThe Entertainment Weekly-Women In Film pre-Emmy party, considered by some to be the unofficial kick-off to Emmy week, is the biggest mix of stars you'll see this week before the actual Emmy awards on Sunday. Sharon Stone, Olivia Wilde, Cicely Tyson, George Lopez, Seth Green, Rachelle Lefevre and Sarah Silverman were just a few of the stars walking the red carpet at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood Thursday night. The event lasted several hours and was a casual environment but the attire was definitely DRESSY. Tons of press showed up, cameras in hand knowing the party would be a gold mine for video and stills of some of the best celebrities in Tinseltown. For many of the stars in attendance, it was a way for them to show support of for TV magazine "Entertainment Weekly." Ask any television star and they'll tell you how the magazine has helped shape their career by putting them on the cover or doing a multi-page article on their show. George Lopez told me "Entertainment Weekly is huge, bigger than CNN. But seriously you can't make it in this business without them." And Shannen Doherty admitted "Entertainment Weekly has put me on the cover over the years so I just had to come out to support them too." So now one Emmy party down... and several more to go!
September 18th, 2009
01:02 PM ET
Needles and newspapers on 'Project Runway'We kicked it old school on “Runway” last night, from the newsprint used for fabric to the designer’s middle-school antics.  That might sound like the awesomeness that reality TV is made of, but “PR’s” sixth season has this uncanny ability to take the right ingredients and deliver something tasteless. But let’s start at the beginning. Since we all know no one reads the newspaper, the producers figured we may as well make clothes out of them, so they hauled them all to the L.A. Times, because - obviously - they couldn’t just bring the papers to the workroom. No, “PR” was all about the learning in this episode. They had to schlep them all down there just so Althea could exclaim: “They took us to these BUILDINGS where they make NEWSPAPERS.” Yes, Althea -– and people are still getting paid for that too! Fans, we have to admit... we finally got what we’ve been begging for. The newspaper challenge was an actual challenge, not a requirement to simply put the model in something decent and trot her down the runway. Should’ve been “Runway” gold, but it ended up more like lamé. First, they have Tim Gunn do the most awkward - let alone unnecessary - history lesson on the fine art of paper clothing. Why? I don’t even think Tim knew. That combined with the extended camera shot of the colorful permanent markers and paintbrushes made me think I was back in my 8th-grade art class. It definitely did fit the style of past seasons of “Runway.” Once the papier-mache was under way, Irina and Nicolas, who’ve proven to be closet trash talkers for the past few weeks, stepped it up a notch last night ragging on everyone from Johnny the Addict to Shirin, but only during their interviews. They’re like freaking mice in the workroom. Christian Siriano’s rude comments and a limited vocabulary turned him into the “SNL” skit he is today because he laid it out there in all of its “hot tranny” glory, and I adored him for it. This season, between whiny-voiced, semi-talented Irina and whiny-voiced, definitely-not-talented Nicolas, the cattiness is unleashed only when no one’s around to hear it. Even at the pinnacle moment, when Nicolas calls Johnny the Addict out on the runway for telling a crazily sewn lie, it was weak. No, I don’t have a love-hate relationship with these secret backbiters; I’ve just got hate. The resulting clothes, however, for the most part I loved. Althea, for all of her non-newspaper-reading, rocked it out, as did Christopher. Johnny the Addict … well. I guess that’s why you shouldn’t do drugs, kids. Who do you think was a hit and a miss last night? Are you as tired of these whack challenges as I am? Let me know!
September 18th, 2009
11:58 AM ET
Oprah in The Big Apple!Oprah Winfrey had a live show this morning in New York City, and we were there and allowed to shoot the first five minutes of the show.  The big news is that Oprah's new book club selection is Uwem Akpan's "Say You're One of Them," a collection of five long stories about war-torn Africa. The crowd was full of tourists and New Yorkers, including four guys from Missouri who were such big fans of Mariah Carey that Oprah brought them into the show to see her perform, and even let them introduce the singer. But what you didn't see was the four of them performing on stage for the full crowd before the cameras started rolling. They got to do a little karaoke for the assembled audience, which may have enjoyed their energy, but I don't think Simon Cowell would have approved. The other thing that happened, and I don't know whether it will make air when you see the show, but there was a glitch with a live shot featuring Regis and Kelly. They clearly couldn't hear Oprah talking to them, and as someone who works in live television, I can sympathize. But the crowd was eating up their Queen, and had a lot of energy considering that they had been waiting to get in since four or five in the morning.
September 18th, 2009
10:17 AM ET
Your pop culture cheat sheetHere's what's happening in the world of entertainment today:
September 18th, 2009
08:30 AM ET
'Spider-man 4' to hit theaters in 2011"Spider-man 4" is expected to swing into theaters May 2011. Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, announces his first tour in 33 years. And Oprah and Sam Mendes team up on "Netherland." CNN's Jennifer Wolfe has more on these tidbits in today's buzz:  |
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Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.  |
