A&E wipes 'The Cleaner' off its schedule

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"The Cleaner" is done cleaning up for the A&E channel. A&E said today that the TV drama starring Benjamin Bratt has been canceled after two seasons.

"The Cleaner" featured Bratt as the leader of a group of former drug users who helped others battle their addiction.

Bratt formerly starred as New York police Det. Rey Curtis in "Law & Order" and has appeared in films including "Traffice" and "Miss Congeniality."

The final episode of "The Cleaner" aired September 15.

Hollywood Left Bands Together to Fight Polanski Arrest

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hollywood moguls are pressuring California lawmakers to do what they can to stop the extradition of Roman Polanski, aiming to prevent the Oscar-winning director from being forcibly returned to the U.S. to do time for raping a 13-year-old girl in the 1970s.

The only problem is--the government isn't interested.

Actors and actresses from Harrison Ford to Debra Winger have reportedly joined the growing throngs of liberal celebrities calling for Polanski to be released following his arrest in Switzerland last week.

Studio kingpin Harvey Weinstein says he is leading the charge and is mailing everybody I know to push for the swift release of his friend, whom he calls a "humanist" who has been the victim of a gross "miscarriage of justice" for more than three decades.

"We will have to speak to our leaders...particularly in California," Weinstein said. "I'm not shy to go and talk to the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger to ask him once and for all to look at this."

Scores of American film icons from Woody Allen to Martin Scorsese have signed a petition demanding "the immediate release of Roman Polanski" saying they were "dismayed" by his arrest.

St. Elsewhere Season 1 on DVD

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

That fabulous hospital drama St. Elsewhere is out on DVD now, Season One. The series ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988 and was set at St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood.

The hospital's nickname, "St. Elsewhere," is a slang term used both in the medical industry to refer to poor hospitals that serve patients not wanted by more presitigous institutions. In the pilot episode, Dr. Mark Craig informs his colleagues that the local Boston media have bestowed the derogatory nickname upon St. Eligius since they perceive the hospital as "a dumping ground, a place you wouldn't want to send your mother-in-law."

As a medical drama, St. Elsewhere dealt with serious issues of life and death, though episodes also included a substantial amount of black comedy.

Although the series never ranked higher than 49th place in the yearly Nielsen ratings, ir maintained a large enough audience to last six seasons and 137 episodes. It was produced my MTM enterprises which found success with Hill Street Blues around the same time. The shows were often compared to each other for their ensemble casts and serial storylines. The original ad for the series quoted a critic that called the series "Hill Street Blues in a Hospital."

In addition to established actors Ed Flaunders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels, St. Elsewhere is also noted for a strong ensemble cast that included David Morse, Alfre Woodard, Helen Hunt, Christina Pickles, Ed. Begley Jr., Howie Mandel, Mark Harmon and Denzel Washington. (The series is credited with helping to propel the careers of Harmon and Washington to the ranks of film and TV superstardom.

Fergie wows Malaysians

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

American hip-hop band the Black Eyed Peas played in front of a multiracial audience in Malaysia this weekend, after a ban on Muslims was lifted, although singer Fergie was forced to tone down her raunchy outfits.

The event, sponsored by the Guinness brewery, was initially restricted to non-Muslims, banning the 60% of Malaysia's population who are Muslim.

But after an outcry the government dropped the ban and said anyone over 18 could attend, although alchohol sales at Friday's concert were restricted to areas which signs said were off-limits to Muslims.

Malays are not allowed to drink alcohol while the nationa's Chinese and Indian minorities are not restricted.

"The Black Eyed Peas is everybody's music," said singer Will.I.Am. "It feels so good to be able to come here and everyone's able to see us. And we'll be able to see everyone."

The band's glamorous front woman Fergie said however that like other international stars who have come to perform in conservative Malaysia, she was required to leave her sexy clothing behind.

"I had to change my costume for tonight's show but I mean the woman's silhouette is still there, whether it's clothes or not,, whether you see skin or you don't, you still know the woman's body," she said.

She went on stage in a T-shirt and jeans, an outfit far more modest than that worn by many in the crowd of 5,000 who mostly adopted the event's dress code of "Black Party Chic."

Seth Rogen writes a 'Simpsons' episode

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

According to the Associated Press, Seth Rogen has fulfilled a dream, and he's not talking about starring in the box office hit "Knocked Up" or playing a superhero in the upcoming "Green Hornet."

Rogen co-wrote an episode of "The Simpsons" and lends his voice to a character in the episode that airs 8p.m. on Sunday, kicking off the Fox show's 21st season. He's only the second visiting celebrity to both write and act, following the footsteps of Ricky Gervais.

"As a writer, it always just seemed like the Holy Grail," Rogen said of the animated series. "I can die a happy man now."

The episode, by Rogen and writing partner Evan Goldberg in collaboration with the show's writers, plays of the actors pre-filming fitness regiment for "Green Hornet." The movie is in production and set for release in 2010.

In "Homer the Whopper," Rogen plays a trainer assigned to get Homer Simpson in superhero shape to play Everyman, a comic book hero created by the rotund couch potato.

"We wanted to comment on how Hollywood generally ruins these movies. The whole joke is Homer is cast to play a guy who's an everyman and they try to make him into this physically fit guy," Rogen said.

Recording with the cast was "one of the highlights of my life," said Rogen, who is a seriously devoted Simpsons fan. "It was completely surreal. I was just in shock afterward. I felt like I had gone skydiving or survived and earthquake," Rogen said.

'Capitalism: A Love Story'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Michael Moore's new documentary Capitalism: A Love Story is "an urgently important piece of work," said Marshall Fine in The Huffington Post. This time around, the director of Sicko, Bowling for Columbine, Farrenheit 9/11 and Roger and Me takes on the current financial crisis and the result is "a scathing indictment of modern America's 'me first' approach to the social contract."

Capitalism: A Love story "is raw and emotional" at times, said Michael Corkery in The Wall Street Journal, "regardless of Moore's politics." But it's too bad "Moore tells only part of the story." He doesn't bother to "criticize the homeowners who displayed their own greed in taking out unaffordable mortgages," and he "doesn't address the bailout of the auto industry, where his family once made its living."

All the movie proves is that "demagoguery can come as easily from the Left as from the Right," said John Anderson in Newsday.com. Moore's new film is a "jerry-rigged jeremad about free enterprise that hands up some very legitimate indictments, without really making a case." And Moore"has too much contempt for his audience to think they'd understand anything beyond the cartoonishness that is Capitalism."

'Chance of Meatballs' Tops Weekend Box Office with $30.1 Million

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The forecast was bright at the box-office for "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," which earned $30.1 million to lead this weekend's films.

Sony's 3-D animated family comedy was adapted from the popular children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett. Despite schools being in session, the film still was able to draw kids and their parents to the multiplexes.

That's good news for other adaptations of classic children's books on the horizon, namely the much anticipated big screen version of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." The Spike Jonze directed adaptation will be released October 16.

"It really does pave the way for a really strong opening for that film," said Hollywood.com box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It's such a beloved book that the anticipation is really high."

He added that the strength of "Cloudy With Meatballs," showed that 3-D is proving to be a significant draw for moviegoers.

Jennifer Aniston's "Love Happens" came in fourth with $8.5 million, suggesting that audiences may be tiring of the actress in romantic comedies. It's her third film this year. Coming in a distant fifith was "Jennifer's Body" the R-rated horror film written by Diablo Cody, scribe of "Juno" fame.

Born Again Christian Gavin Mcleod Stars in New Faith-Based Film

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

As Murray Slaughter, he wrote for airhead anchor Ted Baxter on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" for seven years. As Merrill Stubing he captained the "Love Boat" for nearly a decade after that. Today iconic TV actor Gavin Mcleod says "I know who my admiral is," referring to God.

Macleod, 78, is a born-again Christian now piloting a career in the Christian film industry and starring in the movie "The Secrets of Jonathan Perry" which opens this weekend.

"I've worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Gregory Peck and Mary Tyler Moore," he told FOX News. "But the biggest honor I have ever had was to play the role of Jonathan Sperry in this simple but special film."

The film is about three 12-year-old boys who are best buddies in the summer of 1970. One of them mows the lawn for an elderly widower named Jonathan Sperry. The two devlop a unique friendship as Sperry employs Biblicial teachings to help the boy and his friends deal with a bully, secret crush and other life challenges.

The movie was written by twins Dave and Rich Christiano: Rich also produced and directed. They are part of the new breed of grassroots Christian filmmakers that include the Kendrick brothers, makers of the surprise box office hit "Fireproof."

Instead of complaining to Hollywood about the films it produces, Rich Christiano says it's time for Christians to put their money where their mouths are. Sperry has no big-name distributor, so Christiano, who worked with Mcleod in another film, is marketing directly to churches, a technique also adopted by the Kendrick brothers.

Sony's 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" may be the funniest animated film of the year," said Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and based on the popular children's book about a man who invents a machine that causes clouds to rain food, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is "a delicious farce and a backhanded slap at America the Obese."

Sony's new movie promotes "nerdy intelligence over bland conformity and gastronomic moderation over supersized gluttony," said Nick Schager in Time Out New York and "serves up vibrant animation in tune with its spirit of rollicking comedic abandon." But it doesn't quite have the "heart or suble artistry" of Pixar's UP.

"The animation of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is truly a joy to behold," said Thomas Leupp in Hollywood.com. But the source material is "relatively thin," and on the big screen "the story still feels weak at times." It may be "engaging enough to keep you interested, but not quite enough to make a lasting impression."

Spielberg on Lincoln's ticket

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Steven Spielberg has made it very clear--he's not giving up on Lincoln.

For several years, Spielberg has been trying to launch his Lincoln film, but his project was postponed recently by budget and location problems.

Now, according to Variety, Robert Redford has moved into the picture, announcing his own Lincoln project, "The Conspirator," which will start shooting next month with independent financing and a cast headed by James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn.

Redford's movie focuses on a young woman charged with conspiring to kill Lincoln. It's being funded by a company headed by Joe Ricketts, who professes to be a history buff.

Michael Douglas as Liberace

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Has Steven Soderbergh lost his mind? said Ian McShane in Holy Moly! Why the director has decided to cast Michael Douglas as Liberace in his upcoming biopic about the flamboyant pianist is beyond me--Douglas is "the most manly man on the planet." To make matters worse, Soderbergh might be "flinging his career fully out of the window by having Matt Damon play the part of Scott Thorson, Liberace's scorned lover who sued him in 1982."

Well, "it's a compelling narrative," said Scott Thill in Wired online. But recent box office numbers show that moviegoers "are on the hunt for action, violence and heroes in capes. Sure, Liberace was known to wear a cape or two, but I'm not sure he's they type of hero the mall rats have in mind."

Don't underestimate Soderbergh, said Bridget Daly in Hollyscoop, the Academy Award winning director knows what he's doing. He and Douglas worked together in "Traffic," so "there must be something flamboyant that Soderbergh sees in Douglas to think he can pull off this role."

Brad Pitt Builds Hamster Home

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Brad Pitt has spent $82,000 building a home for his children's gerbils says the London Sun.

The actor, 46, who has a passion for architecture, personally oversaw the design and construction of the sprawling rodent run at the house he hsares with Angelina Jolie in the south of France.

A source says that the spectacular facility features numerous tunnels, platforms, and seesaws leaving pitt as delighted as his kids.

"Brad's more than happy with any activity that can combine his two passions: his kids and his architecture."

Carla Bruni to appear in Woody Allen Film

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has reportedly agreed to star in Woody Allen's next film. The french newspaper Le Parisien reports that the 73-year-old filmmaker will direct France's First Lady in an unnamed project that will begin shooting in 20101. Bruni-Sarkozy, 41, a musician and former supermodel, had a brief acting role in Robert Altman's 1994 film Pret-a-Porter.

Sly, Arnie, Willis to United Onscreen

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Musclemen Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis are uniting for one one last action flick, the Guardian reports. "The Expendables," slated for release next year, tells the story of a band of mercenaries in Latin America, and will show the three grizzled stars together for the first time since the launch of their unsuccessful Planet Hollywood restaurants.

"I wanted to do a film that was more about men," Stallone says. The film also stars manly-men Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and ultimate fighter Randy Couture. Schwarzenegger has already given away his cameo: "I walk out of a hotel or out of a office building," where Stallone "will walk up and we will bump into each other and there will be some mumbling and then we will walk off."

114-Year-Old New Hampshire Woman Becomes Oldest American

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A 114-year-old New Hampshire woman who loves the Boston Red Socks, Hershey's Kisses and ice cream is believed to the oldest American.

Mary Josephine Ray secured the title of the oldest person in the US after the death of Gertrude Baines on Friday in Los Angeles.

When Ray became the world's third oldest person in August, she was asked by the New Hampshire Union Leader what she thought of her long life.

She told the paper: "It was so long ago, I don't remember much about it."

Heigl to Adopt Korean Baby Girl

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl is adopting a special-needs Korean baby, RadarOnline reports.

The baby's name is Naleigh and she's 10 months old. The adoption has been in the works for months and Heigl, whose sister Meg was also adopted from Korea, and hubby Josh Kelley are "so happy," an insider said. In 2007, Heigl told USA Today she's "always planned" to adopt because having your own kids "doesn't seem like any fun," she said.

'Lebanon' takes top award at Venice Film Festival

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"Lebanon," a hard-hitting look at war from inside a military tank by Israeli filmmaker Samuel Maoz, based on his personal experience as a young soldier during his country's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, took the 66th Venice Film Festiva's Golden Lion.

"I dedicate this award to all those thousands of people all over the world who came back from the war, like me, safe and sound. Apparently they are fine. They walk, get married;have children. But inside them, the memories will reamin stuck in their souls," said Moaz.

Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin's comedy "Soul Kichen," set amid the hip and grungy multi-ethnic set in his native Hamburg, took the Special Jury prize.

Egyptian actor Omar Sharif back to big screen at Venice Film Festival

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

For Omar Sharif, the future and the past are useless. The only thing that counts for the Egyptian actor is the present.

"I think that thinking about the future is something for young people and thinking about the past is useless when you are old," Sharif, 77, told reporters in Venice, where his latest movie "The Traveler" is vying for the festival's Golden Lion award.

"In life I have already wiped out everything that has already gone," he said through an interpreter.

"Every moment is like that for me now and that is how it should be. To live well at my age you always have to think about concentrating your attention on the moment that is now."

Sharif, whose handsome looks delighted female fans decades ago, played the old Hassan in "The Traveler," which follows Hassan on three pivotal days in his life--the first in 1948, the second in 1973 and the third in 2001.

The story explores time and the past, as an elderly Hassan seeks to reconnect with his own personal history through the young Ali who he is convinced is his grandson.

Despite becoming a major Hollywood star, appearing in classics like "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962 and "Doctor Zhivago" three years later, Sharif recalled how his early days in the U.S. movie biz were not easy.

Being the "only Arab" working in Hollywood, "I had to be very careful."

"For example, Columbia Pictures signed a five-year contract with me when I had made Lawrence but they didn't pay me anything," he said.

"When I made Doctor Zhivago they sold me to MGM for $15,000. I made the film for $15,000. My American lawyer said 'I can sue them,' and I said no, leave it, I don't want them to think of me as someone who only wants money."

"I lived very humbly, in fear, I accepted the films they wanted me to do and even films I didn't want to do and I didn't like because I was afraid of saying no."

'SNL' Star Denies She Was Fired for Being Too Fat

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Comedian Casey Wilson thinks it's laughable that reports claim she was fired from "Saturday Night Live" over her weight, according to People.

E! Online reported earlier this week that the buxom funny woman, joined SNL last year and impersonated Rachael Ray and Jennifer Aniston--was let go after the show demanded she lose 30 pounds before the season began and she failed to do so.

"I had an amazing time on SNL and these rumors are completely untrue," Wilson, 28, told People in a statement. "And to clarify the issues it isn't that I'm too fat, it's that I'm too PHAT!"

A rep for the show told People there is no truth to the reports.

Wilson was fired along with fellow newcomer, Michaela Watkins and will reportedly be replaced by Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad, according to New York Daily News.

World's oldest person dies at 115

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Although she liked her bacon crispy and her chicken fried, she never drank, smoke or fooled around, Gertrude Baines once said, describing a life that lasted an astonishing 115 years and earned her the title of oldest person on the planet.

It was a title that Baines quietly relinquished Friday when she died in her sleep at Western Convalescent Hospital, her home since she gave up living alone at age 107 after breaking a hip.

She was born in Shellman, Georgia on April 6, 1894 when Grover Cleveland was in the White House, radio communication was just being developed and TV was still more than a half-century from becoming a ubiquitious household presence.

She was 4 years old when the Spanish-American war broke out and 9 when the first World Series was played. She had already reached middle age by the time the U.S. entered WWII in 1941. Through out it all, Baines said last year, it was a life she thoroughly enjoyed.

"I'm glad I'm here. I don't care if I live a hundred more," she laughed. "I enjoy nothing but eating and sleeping."

Larry Gelbert, Writer on MASH, Tootsie, Dies at 81

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Larry Gelbart, one of the writers who developed the hit TV series MASH and who scored nominations for Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards, died this morning of cancer at age 81, his wife tells the LA Times. Actor Jack Lemmon once described Gelbart "as one of the greatest writers of comedy to have graced the arts in this century."

Gelbart began writing for radio at age 16, then moved on to television, Broadway and the silver screen. He was twice nominated for Oscars, for best screenplay for 1977's Oh God! and for screenwriting for 1982's Tootsie. But MASH, which debuted on CBS in 1972, was his crowning achievement, one on which his influence was "seminal, basic and enormous," a former colleague says.

Tibetan Mastiff 'World's Most Expensive Dog' With $582 G Price Tag

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

A black Tibetian Mastiff, 31 inches high and answering to the name of "Yangtze River Number 2" is believed to have broken the world record as the most expensive dog after a Chinese woman paid $582,000 for the "priceless" canine.

The 18-month-old dog arrived at its owner's home in stupendously excessive style. A motorcade of 30 luxury cars cruised to the airport in Xi'an to take delivery of Yangtze. Enchanted onlookers gathered to celebrate the arrival of the city's new resident.

If the figure of $582,000 is accurate, it makes Yangtze River Number 2 possibly the most expensive pet in history. Earlier this year, a family in Florida paid $155,000 for a Labrador called Lancelot Encore. That price included the cost of cloning the original Lancelot.

Harvard Crimson Runs Holocaust-Denier Ad

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

First Yale censors Mohammed cartoons in a new book, then the Harvard Crimson runs an ad from a Holocaust denier, notes Gawker. "Can you provide, with proof, the name of one person killed in a gas chamber at Auschwitz?" asks the ad the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust. A letter from the Crimson president explained the following day that the ad was run in error due to "miscommunication" and that the remaining ad runs has been cancelled.

He called it a "logistical failure and not a philosophical"L one. "We do not endorse the views put forth in any advertisement," he noted. An ad from the same organization was rejected by the Crimson 15 years ago. "We didn't want to sell our space to print a hateful message," said a Crimson editorial at that time.

Army Archerd dies at 87

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Army Archerd, whose 52-year run as a Daily Variety columnist made him unique among showbiz reporters, died today in L.A. of a rare form of mesothelioma cancer, thought to be the result of his exposure to asbestos in the Navy during WWII. He was 87.

Archerd was one of the first writers to link AIDS to a celebrity when he printed that Rock Hudson, despite denials from the actor's publicists and managers, was undergoing treatment for AIDS. For many years, he emceed the Academy Awards on the red carpet.

He began covering entertainment on October 18, 1945 and started the "Just for Variety" column in 1953. His last column ran on September 1, 2005 and he continued contributing to the paper and writing a blog for Variety.com until July 27.

His 900-word column ran on page 2 of Daily Variety five days a week until the 1990s when it was reduced to four-a-week.

Though he hated the term "gossip columnist" and bristled whenever anyone referred to him as one, he appeared as a regular contributor to E's "The Gossip Show" in the 1990s. Archerd is survivied by his wife, actress Selma Archerd, a son, two stepsons and five grandchildren.

Demi Moore vs. Perez Hilton

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Actress Demi Moore and celeb blogger Perez Hilton "have gone to war" on Twitter, said MTVUK. Moore recently accused Hilton of engaging in child porn after he posted links on his Twitter page to photos of her 15-year-old daughter, Tallulah Willis, in "a revealing dress." Hilton quickly Tweeted back, "I would not let my 15-year-old daughter dress like that under ANY context. You are delusional and slightly senile!" Now "both sides may be taking legal action" against each other--this could get interesting.

It could definitely be argued that "Tallulah shouldn't have been allowed to wear the outfit that was showing so much clevage," said Rachel Tobin in Examiner.com. But Hilton "pointing out the clevage on a 15-year-old" was definitely uncalled for." Still, as distasteful as it was for Hilton to do so, it wasn't "quite child porn."

Perez Hilton is a hypocrite, said Laura Schreffler in New York Daily News. On Tyra Banks' show Tuesday, the "controversial" Hilton "promised" the model that he wouldn't "bad-mouth celebs under the age of 18 for six months." But the irony is the episode was shot on August 18--almost a month before he linked to the "unflattering shot" of Tallulah Willis.

Great White Shark Sightings in Massachusetts

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

The sightings of several great white sharks have prompted a swimming ban for the rest of the Labor Day weekend in some oceanside beaches in Massachusetts.

Officials at North Beach, South Beach and Harding Beach in Chatham and Nauset Beach in Orleans put up red "no swimming" signs after a shark expert with the state Division of Marine Fisheries potted four great whites off Chatham's coast Saturday.

The expert, senior biologist Greg Skomal and his crew were able to tag two of the sharks with electronic tracking devices. He says the sharks were 8 and 10 feet long.

State officials are also warning swimmers in the area to be on the lookout for sharks this weekend.

Former Rep. Joseph Kennedy nixes Senate Seat

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, the eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, announced Monday he would not run for the U.S. Senate seat held for nearly 50 years by his late uncle, Edward M. Kennedy. The decision was certain to widen the race for the Democratic nomination.

In a statement, the former six-term congressman said he cares about those seeking decent housing, fair wages and health care. But he added, "The best way for me to contribute to those causes is by continuing my work at Citizens Energy Corp."

The nonprofit organization provides free heating oil to the poor, but Kennedy likely would have faced campaign question about fuel it received from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez--a persistent U.S. critic.

He also has settled into a comfortable lifestyle since leaving Congress in 1999, taking home a $545,000 salary as Citizens Energy's president as of 2007, and being spared the barbs he has faced from some local columnists recently for his past temper tantrums and high pay.

Hugo Chavez Hits Red Carpet for Screening of Oliver Stone's New Movie

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Hugo Chavez stole the show at the Venice Film Festival where he walked the red carpet with director Oliver Stone for the premiere of the documentary "South of the Border."

Hundreds of admireres, some chanting "president, president," gathered outside of the premiere for the leader's arrival. A few held up Venezuelan flags and a banner in Spanish that read "Welcome president."

Chavez threw a flower into the crowd and touched his heart, and at one point took a photographer's camera to snap a picture himself. Security outside the Casino was tightened in advance of his arrival with military police checking bags.

The leftest leader is getting a chance to hob-knob with the Hollywood elite as the central focus of Stone's film "South of the Border"-- a look at what Stone calls the "truth" about Chavez's role in the sweeping changes in South America.

Chavez has been an outspoken critic of U.S. policy and often made headlines for likening President George W Bush to the devil. Stone says the U.S. media and the government have demonized Chavez and other leftist South American leaders.

"You can't get a fair hearing for Chavez. It's an outrageous caricature they've drawn of him in the Western press," Stone told Variety.

New Play: "Just 45 Minutes From Broadway"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

WHAT: "Just 45 Minutes From Broadway." World Premiere engagement of a new play.

WHO: Written by Henry Jaglom. Also starring Julie Davis, David Garver, Jack Heller, David Proval, Diane Louise Salinger and Harriet Schock. Produced by Alexandra Guarnieri. Presented by the Rainbow Theatre Company.

WHERE: Edgemar Center For the Arts, on the Main Stage, 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA. 90405.

WHEN: Previews begin October 1, 2009. Opens Saturday, October 17 at 8p.m. The Gala Opening Night performance on October 17 is followed by a reception with hors d'oeuvres, libations and music. Closes Sunday December 20. Show times: Thursday through Saturdays at 8p.m., Sundays at 5p.m. Dark Thanksgiving Weekend, Nov. 26-29.

Reservations: (310) 392-7327.

The Isaacs are a mostly Jewish extended family (there's a little Irish, Italian and some Chickasaw thrown into the mix) of actors. George Isaacs (AKA Grisha), the patriarch, had been a third-generation star of the Yiddish theatre in his youth, before "crossing over" into English-speaking theatre as he grew up. His wife, Vivian Cooper, had also been a successful stage actress, but now mostly stays at home and looks after George. Vivian's brother, Larry Cooper, is in a nearby dinner-theatre production of "Guys and Dolls" and therefore staying at the Isaacs' house as well. Times are tough and theatre jobs are few, so they've also taken in a boarder, Sally Brooks, a fading character actress.

Henry Jaglom is the playwright and Tanna Federick stars as Panda. She is also the star of two Jaglom films, "Hollywood Dreams" and "Irene in Time" for which she has won rave reviews. She also recently completed principal photography on Jaglom's "Queen of the Lost," opposite Noah Wyle and Chris Rydell, which will be released next year.

All proceeds from the Gala Opening Night October 17 peformance will be donated to support the children's outreach programs at the non-profit Edgemar Center for The Arts.

Ladies like 'Final Destination' and 'Steve'

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

Women were the primary moviegoers in the first three days of the Labor Day weekend, putting "The Final Destination" and "All About Steve" respectively in the top two spots.

Females from two different age brackets split, with the under-25 demo making "Final Destination" number one in its second weekend with $12.4 million and the over 25-crowd shelling out $11.2 million to see the Sandra Bullock-Bradley Cooper film "All About Steve."

Among the top ten films for the weekend, "All About Steve" boasted the highest per theater average with $4,976 off 2,251. Meanwhile, "Inglorious Basterds" continued to hold gloriously in third place with $10.8 million. "Halloween II" dropped to sixth place and Sony's "Julie and Julia" with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams took in $5.2 million. "The Time Traveler's Wife" came in ninth place with $4.22 million.

Soap Actress Says She Was Fired Because of Religious Beliefs

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

If you tuned in to the soap "One Life to Live" this week, you may have noticed there's been a change of character. One in particular.

Actress Patricia Mauceri says she was fired and abruptly replaced for objecting to a gay storyline because of her religious beliefs.

Mauceri played the recurring role of Carlotta Vega on "OLTL" for 14 years. But when she objected how the writers wanted her deeply religious character, a Latina mother to handle a storyline involving homosexuality, she objected. And she claims she was fired.

Mauceri, 59, a devout Christian, told FOX news that character Vega had a gay-friendly dialogue that was not in keeping with the character she helped create by drawing on her own faith.

"I did not object to being in a gay storyline. I objected to speaking the truth of what that person, would live and breathe and act in that storyline," she said. "And this goes against everything I am, my belief system and what I know the character's belief system is aligned to."

Mauceri said she was replaced despite offering changes to the script and hopring for a compromise.

An ABC spokesperson said they were not aware of any such claims by Mauceri, adding such cliams "would be frivolous."

Wife of Japan's New Prime Minister says She Traveled to Venus in UFO!

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

If men are from Mars, do first ladies visit Venus?

The wife of Japan's incoming prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama claimed in a book called "Most Bizarre Things I've Encountered" that she flew in a UFO to Venus in the 1970s, where she made fast friends with the natives, the Times of London reported.

"While my body was sleeping, my spirit flrew on a triangular shaped UFO to Venus," wrote Miyuki Hatoyama. "It was an extremely beautiful place and was very green."

The space-bound spouse has also been a musical actress, cookbook writer, desinger and TV personality--and says that she was friends long ago with Tom Cruise, whom she knew in a previous life when he was Japanese.

She would be regarded as nutty anywhere in the world, but in Japan's staid political culture she is unique, the Times reported, embraced as a "tarento" or "talent"--an artist and entertainer who is encouraged to be more flamboyant and colorful than everyone else.