Top Story: Woody Allen New Pitchman for France
New York filmmaker Woody Allen will be urging Americans to travel to Europe this summer in a French tourism promotional video, Reuters reports. In the video, called Let’s Fall in Love Again, Allen says it is time for the American public to put the animosity over France’s opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq behind them. “Recently there has been a lot of controversy between the two countries, and I would hope that now the two countries could put all that behind them and start to build on what really has been a great, great friendship,” Allen says in the video. “And I don’t have to ‘freedom kiss’ my wife when what I really want to do is French kiss her,” Allen added. The French tourism board is playing the video at lunches for travel journalists across the United States.
Turlington and Burns Tie the Knot
Model Christy Turlington and actor/director Ed Burns were married Saturday at a church in San Francisco’s North Beach district, The Associated Press reports. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Turlington, 34, wore Galliano and was walked down the isle by U2 frontman Bono, who also performed live during the ceremony. The reception was held at the newly opened Asian Art Museum and was attended by Sting and Vin Diesel. The couple became engaged in 2001, but their original wedding date was postponed following the events of Sept. 11.
Pam Anderson Joins Wake-Up Service
Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson is the first celeb to join Celebrity Wake Up, a new celebrity wake-up service from communications giant IDT and the William Morris Agency, reports the Agence France Presse. For only $7.99 dollars per month, customers can be awakened by one of seven recorded greetings from Anderson. “Hi, it’s Pamela,” Anderson, 35, says in one of the greetings. “I love animals, they’re fuzzy, cute and fun to play with. Are you fun to play with? How about getting down on your hands and knees and barking like a dog. Now get your fuzzy ass out if bed and fetch my slippers.”
Guillaume Depardieu Has Leg Amputated
French actor Guillaume Depardieu, the son of Green Card star Gerard Depardieu, had his right leg amputated late last week after years of pain from a bacterial infection, the AP reports. The 32-year-old actor fell off a motorcycle in 1996 and needed several operations, one of which led to a bacterial infection. Depardieu announced his decision last month to have his leg amputated, saying he could no longer live with the pain. Father and son starred together in last year’s A Loving Father and in 1991’s All the Mornings of the World.
Key Art Awards Underway
Moviegoers can now vote online (key-art-awards.com) for their favorite movie advertising campaigns for the 32nd Annual Key Art Awards, which recognize the artists whose work directly influenced a film’s financial success. Finalists will compete for the top prize in 24 categories, including best poster of the year and best trailer of the year. Results of the awards, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter, will be announced at the Key Art Awards ceremony June 20 at the International Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” Tops List
Music cabler VH1 named Nirvana‘s grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” the greatest song on their list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years. Rounding out the Top 5 are Michael Jackson‘s “Billie Jean,” Guns N’ Roses‘ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Eminem‘s “Lose Yourself” and U2‘s “One.” The countdown will air over five nights on VH1, starting at 10 p.m. EDT Monday, and will feature video clips and performances by the artists, as well as interviews with musicians and celebrities discussing the songs’ importance.
Role Call: Transformers‘s Big-Screen Debut, Diaz and Carrey May Have Fun Together
Producers Don Murphy and Tom De Santo have teamed to produce a live-action feature based on The Transformers–the 1980s Hasbro toy line of robots that morph into cars, trucks, planes and ships. The pic will focus on an intergalactic war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, which will inevitably threaten the future of humanity on Earth … Cameron Diaz is considering starring opposite Jim Carrey for Columbia Pictures’ upcoming Fun With Dick and Jane. Barry Sonnenfeld is set to direct the pic, a remake of the 1977 comedy that starred George Segal and Jane Fonda … MGM has optioned film rights to Steve Niles’ comic book miniseries Criminal Macabre, which revolves around on the life and career of supernatural private eye Cal MacDonald, who rids Los Angeles of the monsters, ghouls and vampires that live among humans.
