Styles & Scenes

All the post-Oscar party poop

Ah, the Oscars post parties. More like ugh.

It's been a veeeery long awards season and you'd think everyone would just go straight home after the Academy Awards, right? I mean, aren't these people a little sick of each other after all these months of award shows?

Apparently not.

Immediately after the ceremony, everyone who held — or had hoped to hold — a little gold naked man headed straight for the Governors Ball, an elegant Art Deco decorated affair in the Kodak Ballroom.

Ever-gracious George Clooney was still acting like he was campaigning, talking to every single press person about his final win, followed around by his still-intrepid pub Stan Rosenfield and CAA head dude Bryan Lourd. Clooney even posed with rival hunk Matt Dillon, whom he beat out for the best supporting actor honors. Wow, guys. Talk about playing well with others.

You’d think he might relax, take a week off, get away from it all at his Lake Como retreat. But he had no time to chill. Clooney was getting on a plane Monday to go back to the New York set of “Michael Clayton,” the dramatic thriller in which he plays a slick attorney whose defense of high profile creeps comes back to haunt him big time.

“Brokeback” couple Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams sat at one high-level table together, looking like they couldn’t wait to get out of their formal duds and get home to Matilda. Williams was even on the cell phone, perhaps talking with the baby sitter? Then she disappeared for a few minutes, leaving an exhausted Heath to sit back and chill by himself.

When Reese Witherspoon finally walked into the ball, dozens of cameras started madly flashing, as her hubby Ryan Phillippe walked behind her, carrying her train. Talk about a supportive husband. She ended up at the “Walk the Line” table, along with her parents, Joaquin Phoenixand his mom, and was happily dancing in her seat to the piped-in big band tunes and bopping her glass of bubbly up and down.

Lauren Bacall was having as much trouble finding her table as she did with the TelePrompTer lines on the show.

“Tsotsi” Oscar winner Gavin Hood was chatting with his boyhood idol Steven Spielberg about having won an early filmmaking award or kudo that was apparently partly sponsored by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Hood said that honor inspired him to take his film director career path. “And now you’ve got an Oscar,” Spielberg said, congratulating the South African winner of the best foreign language film.

After an hour, some great Wolfgang Puck food and celebratory bubbly, everyone started asking where everyone else was going next. “Are you going to Prince’s party?” “No, I’m going with the 'Crash' folks,” said Ludacris who actually ended up at the crowded Elton John AIDS fundraiser and the exclusive Vanity Fair bash in West Hollywood, Calif.

Don't these people ever sleep?

Photo (top): Reese Witherspoon celebrates with her mom at the Governors Ball.
(Jeff Vespa/WireImage)

Photo (bottom): Heath Ledger doesn't seem to notice that Michelle has left the table at the Governors Ball.
(Jeff Vespa / WireImage)

Let the pre-Globe parties begin!

Judging by this weekend’s schedule of pre-parties and events, Hollywood’s hot list may be pretty fried by the time the actual Golden Globes Awards start Monday night.

The American Film Institute hosts its annual luncheon at the Four Seasons on Friday to honor high-profile films such as “Brokeback Mountain,” “Capote,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “King Kong,” “A History of Violence,” “Munich,” “The Squid and the Whale,” and “Syriana.”

And some of the films' stars and some big directorial guns -- George Clooney, David Cronenberg, Steve Gaghan, Bennett Miller, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee -- are expected to be on hand.

Also honored at the AFI lunch will be the cast, crew and creators of TV shows such as “24,” Battlestar Galatica,” “Deadwood,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” “Lost,” “Rescue Me,” “Sleeper Cell,” ”Sometimes in April,” and “Veronica Mars.”

Friday night is the first GQ magazine and American Cinematheque bash will be held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, with big stars conveniently supplied by Creative Artists Agency.

On Saturday, ICM will host its pre-Globes bash at the Mondrian's Skybar; HBO will host a big pre-Globes blowout at the infamous Chateau Marmont on Sunset, while Lions Gate and Showtime will have a combined supper soiree  at Morton's restaurant in West Hollywood.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles chapter of the British Association of Film and Television Artists (BAFTA/LA, for short)  will hold its annual tea and crumpet crumble at the Park Hyatt.

Expected stars include: Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, Felicity Huffman, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maria Bello, Jeff Daniels, Ziyi Zhang, Terrence Howard, Q'Orianka Kilcher, and “House” star Hugh Laurie, who, although he plays an American doc, is really a Tea Bag (that means a Brit).

And the usually star-studded Mike Medavoy-Vanity Fair soiree will crank up Sunday night at the Argyle Hotel, not at Medavoy's pad as in years past. Rumbles of VF's West Coast Editor/Mistress of Impoliteness Krista Smith exercising too much control over the guest list may mean this is the last year for the joint venture.

"Vengeance" author weighs in on "Munich"

To say that Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” has been a hot topic of controversy during this awards season is putting it mildly. But one person who hasn’t been heard from is George Jonas, author of the book, “Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team,” on which Spielberg’s film is based.

According to Jonas, he was never shown the "Munich" script during its many incarnations. Nor did he speak to any screenwriters or to Spielberg, even after the production was finally greenlit in spring 2005. His sole contact has been "Munich" producer Barry Mendel, who had initially contacted Jonas in July 1998, asking about film rights to the book. When Mendel called in spring 2005 to tell Jonas that filming was moving to Budapest, Hungary, Jonas offered his help, saying Budapest is his native city.

"Help? Maybe you can recommend some restaurants,” was Mendel’s reply.

Jonas had planned to see "Munich" at the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. screening on Dec. 6. When Mendel heard this, he called Jonas to ask if he would consider not going, promising a private showing instead. Jonas agreed, and Universal Studios set things up at the Varsity Theatre in Toronto on Dec. 7.

Jonas understood the producer’s hesitancy. In a revealing and provocative personal piece titled “The Spielberg Massacre” written for MacLean’s, a leading Canadian weekly news magazine, he writes, “There's no telling how an author might react to the Hollywood version of his book under the best of circumstances, and here the circumstances may not be the best. The sixty or so voters for the Golden Globes will be at the L.A. screening. The producers don 't want to take a chance that I might rain on Spielberg's parade.”

His thoughts after seeing the film? "Moral posturing allows you to have it both ways. In Tinseltown terms, after the gunslinger blows everyone away, he has a proper crisis of conscience."

Did his “Vengeance” source, “Avner” (not his real name), really have a moral crisis, as he did in “Munich?” “Avner may have questioned the futility of his mission toward the end — targeted assassinations barely slowed down terrorism, let alone stopped it — but he never questioned the morality of what his country had asked him to do. He had no pangs of guilt.”

On the difference between "Vengeance" and Spielberg’s movie: “'Munich' follows the letter of my book closely enough,” he writes. “The spirit is almost the opposite. 'Vengeance' holds there is a difference between terrorism and counterterrorism; 'Munich' suggests there isn't. The book has no trouble telling an act of war from a war crime; the film finds it difficult. Spielberg 's movie worries about the moral trap of resisting terror; my book worries about the moral trap of not resisting it.”

Does he think Spielberg should not get an Oscar for not solving the problems of the Middle East?

“Spielberg should get an Oscar for making 'Munich,' the gritty Hollywood flick. For not solving the problems of the Middle East, he should get a Nobel Peace Prize, like everyone else.”

Let the party-planning begin!

The big Golden Globes after-parties, all to be held in the newly renovated Beverly Hilton, are now locked and loaded. Some 6,000 guests are expected to make the rounds of five bashes, right after the televised awards show wraps on Jan. 16, 2006. And here's where everyone's headed.

Universal, Focus Features and NBC will celebrate in high style with a party on the hotel's parking garage roof. And with 22 nominations — including "Pride & Prejudice," "King Kong," "Munich," "The Constant Gardener," "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Producers" — well, you do the star count. This see-and-be scene, held in a large but lavish outdoor tent, will definitely be a hot ticket. So plan your party-going carefully. As with most things in life, timing is everything.

"Last year the body count for that space was 800 and we'll stick close to that number this year," says Brian O'Connor, the Bev Hilton's PR director. When that roof gets full, fire marshals won't let anyone else up there. The same is true of all the parties, natch. And better bring a wrap too. There will be lots of heat lamps in the outdoor spaces but they don't really warm shivering shoulders. They just sizzle brainpans.

InStyle and Warner Bros. will celebrate in the newly renovated space called The Oasis, formerly the Palm Court, with a multilevel entertainment and seating area including tented outside space. This is officially the largest party of the night with 1,000 guests expected. Look out for George Clooney and Charlize Theron, neither of whom are very hard on the eyes.

HBO, with 17 nominations, will have their usual packed pool party at the newly renovated Aqua Star Pool. And, as in years past, the network bash will also take over Merv Griffin's restaurant. The night will also be a farewell party for the restaurant, which will be gutted immediately afterward to create an as-yet-unnamed new "fine dining experience" in the hotel.

Expect those adorable "Entourage" boys, "Curb Your Enthusiam" curmudgeon-creator-star Larry David, maybe "Warm Springs" stars Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon, "The Girl in the Café" cast, some "Rome" names and maybe even Paul Newman, who is nominated for "Empire Falls."

The Weinstein Co., as reported on "Styles and Scenes" on Nov. 2, are officially back in Harvey and Bob's former Miramax party spot, Trader Vic's. They will also have a tented outside space with seating, bars and plenty of room to mix and mingle, suck up and eat crow. Expect "Transamerica" switch-hitter Felicity Huffman, "Matador" leading man Pierce Brosnan and "Mrs. Henderson Presents" costars Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins.

Rumor was Showtime was going to take over the Stardust Room for their first very big Globes party. But at the last minute, Fox jumped in and made the eighth floor suite their den of festivities to celebrate potential wins (or mourn losses) for "Walk the Line" and "24." Keep an eye peeled for Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, and maybe even that toad-sprouting sweetie, Joaquin Phoenix.

Steven, Angelina and Brad show up for Munich

It wasn't really a premiere. But last night's special private screening of "Munich" at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater was about as close to one as Steven Spielberg's controversial, but still Oscar-hopeful film is gonna get.

According to his reps, Spielberg flew in from New York early and drove straight from the airport to make an appearance at the film's 6 p.m. reception in the lobby of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Other than Spielberg's presence, it was a low-key affair, offering light fare, drinks and a dessert table. There was no "red carpet' to walk. A small group of photogs were allowed to shoot the director posing with "Munich" stars Eric Bana and Daniel Craig, screenwriter Tony Kushner and producer Kathleen Kennedy.

Spielberg talked to a few friends such as Variety's Army Archerd and TV talk show host Larry King. "He hasn't seen his friends in a long time. Steven released 'War of the Worlds' and 'Munich' this year and has been working for the past 18 months," explained Spielberg's longtime PR spokesman, Marvin Levy.

The loudest party buzz was over Patrick Goldstein's column yesterday in the Los Angeles Times about the "Munich" awards marketing mess. Levy shook his head when he spoke of Goldstein's piece, then waved his hands as if to shoo the story from existence or memory or both. But Spielberg did, as Universal reps had hoped, speak briefly to two trade reporters and commented on his film's personal and political messages to The Envelope.

"I hope that people who see this movie understand that it's a human story above all else," Spielberg said. "This film is about these five characters. Before all the other noise gets in the way of what our intentions were, this is a human story, told with a tremendous amount of empathy and told in a very balanced fashion and I'm very proud of that."

But Spielberg's appearance was just the first surprise. A veritable second coming occurred when all the hushed party whispers about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie being "on their way" turned out to be true. The hot couple walked into the almost-empty lobby minutes before the 7 p.m. screening began and mere moments after Spielberg had left.

Photo: Daniel Craig and Eric Bana with "Munich" director Steven Spielberg at a special screening of the film at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
(Jeffrey Mayer / WireImage)