Styles & Scenes

Leo gets Stoned, Kirsten and Orlando get Frenched

Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover.

But you can judge a film by its premiere party star power.

Tuesday’s night party in New York for Martin Scorcese’s  “The Departed” drew a Hollywood icon (Lauren Bacall), a music legend (Billy Joel) and  two Rolling Stones (Mick and Ronnie).  Listen for some classic Stones tunes in Scorcese's return to his "Mean Streets" beginnings. Along with the cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, this party was a pretty big bill to top.

But writer/director Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” party – sponsored by Chanel - at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood came in a close second.

The reigning queens of the night were definitely Sofia - in a Chanel Spring '07 pleated chiffon dress - and her movie muse, Kirsten Dunst, in a Christian LaCroix halter gown.

Penelope Cruz came glued to her “Volver” director Pedro Almodovar. Geoffrey Rush caught up with Angelica Huston, who later chilled on the patio with her husband and Jason Schwartzman. Will Ferrell was there and so was Courtney Love, who is starting to do a Thanksgiving Day Parade float imitation again (shock!).

I think I saw Samantha Mathis (where the heck has she been anyway?) in the crowd. Mike White and Robin Tunney seemed to be in good spirits.

One of the first to arrive was Maria Bello, followed by LA’s ultimate cool trio Donovan Leitch, Kristy Hume and Ione Sky and famed fashion photog Ellen Von Unwerth.

Also in the party: Mischa Barton, Drew Barrymore, Milla Jovovich, The Strokes, and Bow Wow Wow.

Dunst kept close to her patio table for most of the night, closely guarded by her PPP (Protective Personal Publicist) Steven Huvane.

No sign of a hot date for the "Marie" star. But guess who arrived late and snunk in under the radar? Her rumored on-again/off-again beau, Orlando Bloom.

Perhaps now that Bloom’s ex-girlfriend Kate Bosworth has dieted down to bare bones, his eyes are back on the slightly meatier Dunst, who at least has a BMI that might permit her to model in Madrid.

Much like  “Marie Antoinette,” the most impressive aspects of the party were not the actors but the astonishing set, costumes and props.

The Chateau was transformed into a tiny Versailles with a ballroom, crystal chandeliers, Louis XIV chairs, period rugs, huge gilded mirrors and  bouquets of pink roses/ gardenias.

Perrier Jouet was flowing and a decadent dessert banquet was piled with white chocolate boxes containing tiny berries, pastel-colored French macaroons, meringue, tarts, pink and lavender cupcakes and petite cotton candy.

The only thing missing was a few white powdered wigs, which, come it think of it, would have looked better on Bloom than that wierd flat hat.

This isn’t the first time the Chateau – which was actually inspired by a Loire Valley chateau -  has been cleared out and transformed.

“I remember we cleared the lobby out for our very first party,” recalled Marmont’s owner Andre Balazs. "It was for Sofia's 17th birthday party."

How tres, tres appropriate.

By the way, the mystery of where those pink Converse shoes came from has been solved.

Seems Io Bottoms, who plays a lady-in-waiting in "Marie," bought the pink Chucky's in Paris for Kirsten to wear during rehearsals and down time on the set.

"They cost about 80 Euros," she explained, "They were a gift for Kirsten."

Then Sofia's bro, Roman Coppola, slid the funky modern shoes into that shot of Marie Antoinette's fancy French period footwear.

So now you know.

Photo Credits: Mick, Leo and Ron get satisfaction at the New York premiere of "The Departed."
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.

Photo Credits: Long live the Queens! Kirsten and Sofia party hearty at the Chateau Marmont.
Eric Charbonneau/WireImage
Photo Credits: Penelope Cruz, a buzzed about Oscar possibility, makes the scene at the Marie Antoinette party at the Chateau.
Eric Charbonneau/WireImage
Photo Credits: Better than her 17th birthday party? You betcha. Sofia's table awaits her at the Marie post party.
Eric Charbonneau/WireImage

Gwyneth's in love, Sheryl's still fighting and Nicole gets sacked

Greystone Mansion was the site of a grisly murder/suicide back in 1929.

But yesterday the historic house was haunted only by the frightening new fashion trend - A-line, bubble and sack dresses - at a chic gathering of Hollywood ladies including Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, Estee Lauder model/actress Carolyn Murphy, Sheryl Crow, Nicole Richie, Monet Mazur, Gabrielle Reese, Bridget Wilson-Sampras (Pete’s wife), Laura Dern and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon.

“There’s a ghost here,” whispered Murphy, who had once done a fashion shoot in the enormous mansion, as she posed for photos in a black bell-shaped Bottega Veneta dress. Why ring the bell? “I like this dress because it has huge pockets.”

Pockets and breathing room must be why so many of the gals at Aerin Lauder's private luncheon for Paltrow. turned up in tent and bubble dresses. Even Richie, who certainly doesn’t have to worry about looking fat in anything, wore a baggy turquoise sack dress. Talk about gilding the skinny lily.

Paltrow bucked the For Whom the Bell Tolls trend with a silver satin Prada dress. She was last to arrive after a personal app at Saks Fifth Avenue (where she’d worn beige Alexander McQueen) to meet fans buying her limited edition Pleasures fragrance collection. Proceeds went to Lauder’s Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which has raised $140 million since ’93.

Most of the luncheon chit-chat on the patio overlooking Beverly Hills was – duh - about babies. Bridget's got two boys, Gaby's got a daughter, 2, and an 11-year-old. Laura's got a boy, 5, and a girl, almost 2. And it was a veritable coo-fest when Gwyneth brought out her adorable (just over five months) bundle of boy, Moses, to squeals from the lunch bunch, including Crow’s mom, aunt and cousin.

“He looks like a Raphael painting,” said Crow’s mom. And she was right. At a glance, Paltrow, gazing lovingly at the wavy-haired cherub in her arms, looked a modern day "Madonna of the Chair." Crow, Dern and Reese took turns cuddling little Moses but he gave the most smiles to a familiar face, Paltrow’s power-publicist, Steven Huvane. Smart kid.

Sorry, i can't show you pixs of Paltrow's latest pride and joy.  Although she smiled for photos with all the luncheon guests, she was very strict about her no-baby-photos rule.

Hopefully not as strict as Tom Cruise, thank God, who held little Suri hostage for that Vanity Fair cover.

When not oogling Moses, Crow talked about the ongoing fight for a cure.

“Every day women walk up to me and introduce themselves to me. They’re usually young women, two and three-time survivors of breast cancer."

These women have a harder time because their kind of cancer grows faster and is more difficult to treat. "What we used to advise about mammograms and family history doesn’t apply to these young women,” says Crow.

Although she’d done fund-raising for cancer for three years, Crow says it wasn’t until her diagnosis that she felt the real impact of the disease.

But the diagnosis is something she's now grateful for.

“It was a bit of a show-stopper,” she admitted. “But it’s those catastrophic moments in life, whether you’ve lost your house to Katrina or a loved one to throat cancer (Paltrow’s dad Bruce died of the disease in 2002), these are epiphanic moments that really transform you, where you meet and re-define yourself. Those moments decide the rest of your life.”

But if Paltrow, Reese and Durn have anything to do with it, Sheryl won’t be living the rest of her life single.

“We’ve all got lists of guys but we’re only letting the best ones meet her,” said Reese. The stunning Amazon babe – wearing a hot pink top and white slacks – mock-groused about no one else wearing the nauseating hue.

“Everyone’s in black! I thought everyone would be wearing pink for breast cancer. But no, the butchest girl here and I’m the only one in pink.”

Hey, coulda been worse. Could have been a pink bubble dress.

Photo Credits: Carolyn's a real tent-pole event, Nicole wins the sack race, Gwyneth bucks the bell-shaped trend and  Sheryl rings everyone's chimes.
All photos by  Greg DeGuire/WireImage

No Emmys? Snubbed stars will still rock on

Hugh Laurie (“House”) and James Denton ("Desperate Housewives”) will not be onstage accepting any Emmys on Sunday.

I know, I know. Don't get me started on the whole stupid nominations voting debaucle again.

But that won’t stop these actors from hopping onstage at TV Guide’s Emmy bash later that night.

Both guys actually play in a band called Battle of the Network Stars that includes founder Greg Grunberg (“Alias", “Heroes”) Michael “Fish” Herring, Bob Guiney (ABC's “The View”), Bonnie Somerville (“NYPD Blue”), along with real professional musicians Barry Sarna, Brad Savage, Chris Kelly, and Rich Winer.

Word is that other “surprise celebrity guests are expected to take to the stage” with BNS. Nothing like a little celebrity Karoake to spice up a party.

I’m betting on Felicity Huffman (who's been known to cut loose at a few parties) and a few other Housewives to join their plumber pal Jamie. Alfre Woodard, perhaps?

Maybe even a few "Alias" alums, like Jennifer Garner and Victor Garber? How about "House" co-stars Lisa Edelstein, Jennifer Morrison or Jesse Spencer?

The BNS act won’t go on until after Pink has gotten the TV Guide party started at Social Hollywood, the site of the first Emmys in 1949.

By then, everyone there should be ready for just about anything. 

Photo Credits: Will Hugh's Battle of the Network Stars band get some help from Lisa and Jennifer at the TV Guide Emmy party? Stay tuned.
WireImage/John Sciulli

Britney lacks support at the Teen Choice Awards

Will someone please tell Britney Spears that she's no Heidi Klum?

Britney - pregnant with her 'Irish twin' - turned up Sunday to support hubby Kevin Federline at the Teen Choice Awards.

But she forgot an essential maternity tool - a dependable bra - and wore a pink chiffon minidress that could barely contain her lactation devices. And the short frock revealed far too much enlarged thigh.

As all style-conscious pregnant women know, it's a pair of still-shapely legs or an increased bustline, never reveal both at once.

Britney introduced her ersatz rapper, saying "This show has been very good to me and my career over the years. I'm hoping it will be as good to our next performer."

K-Fed proceeded to prance around the stage, dancing, grabbing his... bling, and singing "Lose Control" from his new album. After watching Fed's not-so-fancy footwork, one has to wonder, "He was one of Britney's backup dancers? How is that possible?" If you missed it, click here to see Kevin get down in flames.

According to USA Today, Fox network lost control and bleeped him many times for language that was not TV-PC. Even "American Idol" Paula Abdul, who praises anyone who can carry a tune in a bucket, wasn't impressed with K-Fed's vocal abilities. 

No sign of Brit and Kev's infant son, Tater Tot.  Brit must have left him at home with a suitable sitter. Or maybe the little lad was waiting in his parent's idling limo. Let's just hope they cracked the window.

I hear the expectant mother stopped by the Backstage Creations Celebrity Retreat during the show. What caught her eye? A big stuffed Hello Kitty and a My Scene Fab Faces doll wearing a pink satin gown, white fur and diamond necklace.

It's unlikely those pink girly playthings are for little Tater Tot. So is it possible that Britney and Kevin's next joint project might be a baby girl? Your thoughts?

Photo Credits: Britney Spears needs to put away the spaghetti straps for a while.
WireImage/Kevin Mazur

Photo Credits: Britney picks out a suspiciously estrogen-loaded toy at the Teen Choice Celebrity Retreat. Get ready for a little sister, Tater Tot.
WireImage/Mark Sullivan

Pink gets TV Guide's Emmy party started

Let’s get this Emmy party started!

It’s official. Pink will rock the rafters at the TV Guide Emmy party at Social Hollywood on August 27th.

Also on the music hand: DJ AM, the infamous ex-fiance of the ultra skinny Nicole Richie, and DJ Samantha Ronson.

“Pink is a hip, edgy artist who also has lots of mainstream appeal,” said Ian Birch, editor-in-chief of TV Guide.  “She’s the perfect fit for our after party, which is now in its 4th year.”

Just be sure to do all your schmoozing, hooking up and networking done early.

Because when little Pink starts belting out Missundaztood around 11 p.m., no one will be able to hear or feel their Sidekicks and cells ringing and vibrating.

Photo Credits: Rocker Pink warms up for TV Guide's Fourth Annual Emmy bash by performing on The Today Show on July 7.
WireImage/Al Pereira