Carpet Recap
May 17, 2008
I covered several Hollywood events recently and even did some socializing, which means I went through a lot of mascara.
I think every woman has a beautification habit that’s unbreakable (unlike my poor eyelashes). For me, it’s several coats of mascara and black eyeliner. I’m not even sure it looks good, but if I don’t wear it, I feel unfinished. Eye-enhancing tools, you complete me.
So, there I was, me and my eye-shadow walking down Weyburn Avenue in Westwood towards the movie theatre where “What Happens in Vegas” was premiering. There was a huge set-up with bleachers where fans sat on either the Team Ashton or Team Cameron sides. (The movie is about two strangers who marry in Vegas, decide to divorce, but first, they battle over a slot machine jackpot.) The group of fans who cheered the loudest got to go inside and see the film. Team Ashton won the tickets, everyone else lost their hearing.
We settled into our spot towards the end of the press line. I hoped that the celebs wouldn’t be suffering from interview hangovers by the time they got to us and decide to head straight into the theater. Turns out, I did have to coax a few of the cast members over, but Ashton Kutcher gave every outlet a salient sound bite. And, yes, ladies, he’s attractive. And tall. And funny. And attractive.
A few weeks later, I saw “What Happens in Vegas.” It’s romantic -comedy brain candy. I liked it. Lots of pitfalls and pratfalls on the path to soulmate-ville, just like real-life, except with much better looking people, and an affordable Manhattan apartment.
Another event I covered recently was the Race to Erase MS to benefit Multiple Sclerosis research, an annual event that draws lots of celebrities. Awkward moment of the night: I asked Howie Mandel what he thought of the orange-inspired Tommy Hilfiger designed theme. (It was on my list of assigned questions.) No deal, Angela. Howie informed me on-camera that he’s color-blind. So, in addition to being on a do-not-shake list (Howie keeps his hands to himself. He doesn’t like germs.), he’s in the do-not-ask-about color category.
A few days later, I donned my golf-y outfit (khaki shorts, a collared shirt, and one less layer of mascara) and stood in the media section of the George Lopez Golf Classic to benefit the National Kidney Foundation. I talked to Andy Garcia, Ray Romano, Kevin Sorbo, Dennis Haysbert, and a bunch of other guys who love George and love golf, and were happy to talk to the press about both. Their favorite golf tips: Keep your head down and follow through on the swing. My favorite golf tip: Hit the ball. Even if it doesn’t go where you want it, it’s best that the club actually make contact.
Between work, writing another comedy spec script, and wishing broccoli tasted like cheesecake, I managed to go out to dinner a few times. Not date-dinners, but friend-dinners, which are way more relaxed and fun because I know that in the middle of the meal, I won’t wish that I could teleport myself to a planet where a protracted dating ritual doesn’t exist and that we figure out who should be together simply by comparing political beliefs, favorite Seinfeld episodes, and agreeing that socks should never be worn with sandals (and that sandals, in general, should be left to those with bare-able feet).
Gotta run now and do Saturday stuff! Be back soon!
Iron Man – if only!
May 1, 2008
In a perfect world, Iron Man would not only be a high-flying, weapons-wielding superhero, he would also be the guy who gets up early to iron my blouse. Yeah, yeah, I know we need to save the planet from evil-doers, but we also have to rescue the world from wrinkled shirts.
As I stood in my assigned spot at Hollywood’s Iron Man premiere between a French crew and a reporter from a trade paper who asked celebs what they would do if they owned an iron suit, I thought about the dearth of superheros for single women. There should be “Handyman”, who’d fly around in denim tights and a shower-curtain cape to replace the old and moldy one. ”Handy” would always carry extra lightbulbs and a quart of Drano in his toolbelt. I also propose adding “Super(Market)man” to the rescuer roster. He would do all the grocery shopping, carry the bags into the kitchen, and neatly shelve the purchases. Then, he’d gather my garbage and recyclables and rocket into the night in his turbo-charged grocery cart. Oh! I know! There should be a superhero named “Laundro-Matt” who swoops in to do the laundry (including the comforter), AND put the clean sheets back on the bed.
I didn’t mention my ideas to perennially-hip Iron Man star, Robert Downey Jr. Instead, I asked him about the challenges of doing his own stunts. He gave credit to the crew and on-set experts who supported his efforts, though Downey’s trainer told me that his workouts were extremely demanding and began long before he auditioned for the role. Gwenyth Paltrow, for whom the word “lithe” was invented, gave us a soundbite, as did Jon Voight and Ben Stiller who came over after I called to him using my New Jersey outdoor voice, “Ben, Ben, just one question!” Also, two of the nicest guys ever, Beau and Jeff Bridges, walked the press line with their families. Overall, the stars were mediagreeable. Vince Vaughn did a few brief interviews with the major shows and gave the rest of us the peace sign as he walked by.
When the carpet closed, I walked east on Hollywood Blvd. stepping over the stars’ names immortalized in stone and bronze and thought about inventing a superhero persona for myself. Instead of “Wonder – when the guy/agent/writing contest decider will call - Woman”, I’ll be “Go-Getter Girl”: Aspiring screenwriter by day, celebrity interrogator by night, and shoe-sale finder on the weekends.
Tonight, I cover the premiere of “What Happens in Vegas”. I’ll let you know what happens on the carpet…
