Pat Saperstein Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIt’s fall film festival season and there’s a whole new crop of literary-minded films coming to screens through the rest of the year. Since the films that premiere at festivals like Telluride, Venice, Toronto and New York are the ones that fill awards  nominations lists a few months later, the festivals provide an early peek at the movies that will be front and center at the Oscars, film critics awards and all the other end-of-year kudosfests.But there’s a way to get to know many of these works even before they premiere at festivals and come to streaming or movie screens: get familiar with the books they’re based on.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMovie, TV and music fans are already remembering notable figures who have died since the start of 2024. “An Officer and a Gentleman” Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Richard Lewis, “Starsky and Hutch” star David Soul and “Honeymooners” star Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, are among celebrities from the world of television who have died. In film, cinephiles are remembering “Moonstruck” director Norman Jewison and “Mary Poppins” actress Glynis Johns.Last year, the entertainment community said goodbye to celebrities including musicians Jimmy Buffett, Shane McGowan, Robbie Robertson and David Crosby, actors Andre Braugher and Matthew Perry, writer-producer Norman Lear and director William Friedkin.David Soul, who starred as Sergeant Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson in the TV series “Starsky & Hutch,” died Jan.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAnne Heche, the versatile yet troubled performer who appeared in TV shows including “Another World” and “Men in Trees” and in films such as “Donnie Brasco,” “Psycho” and “Wag the Dog,” was taken off of life support on Sunday after being involved in a car crash in Los Angeles on Aug. 5, her rep confirmed.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorNearly two decades after the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Hall opened in Downtown Los Angeles, the eye-catching edifice has welcomed a sibling across the street with the Grand L.A. The Gehry-designed Grand includes luxury apartments, the Conrad Los Angeles hotel and a clutch of drinking and dining concepts from José Andrés, including San Laurel, Agua Viva and later this year, a branch of the Bazaar Meat steakhouse.Andrés, who closed L.A.’s Bazaar in 2020, continues to rack up headlines for his humanitarian work feeding disaster victims, while simultaneously overseeing a global restaurant empire.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorTony Dow, the actor and director best known for playing the stalwart older brother Wally Cleaver to Jerry Mathers’ Beaver in the iconic series “Leave It to Beaver,” has died. He was 77.His official Facebook page posted that he died Tuesday morning.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorFrom “Columbo,” “The Muppets” and “The Rockford Files” to “L.A. Story,” L.A.’s famous Tail ‘o the Pup hot dog stand has been part of the city’s cinematic history ever since it opened in 1946.In fact, the year it opened, Variety mentioned the spot in a column, saying “Tail o’ the Pup, the fancy hotdog stand, now has a $1 frankfurter.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe prime corner restaurant space at The Grove has been a French bistro, a deluxe pastry shop and now, in perhaps its most useful incarnation, Alma, a casual taco and cocktail spot downstairs with a bigger menu of dishes from several regions of Mexico upstairs. The upstairs menu was designed as a celebratory experience by chefs from Mexico City’s Grupo Hunan. Alongside traditional preparations like chicken mole, grilled skirt steak, Ensenada lobster and lamb barbacoa, don’t miss the hard-to-find escamoles.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe Palm Springs International ShortFest wrapped Sunday with juried prizes going to Estonia’s “Sierra” for Best of the Fest, South Korea’s “The Cave” for best animated short and “The Sentence of Michael Thompson” for best documentary, in both juried and audience categories. Cambodia’s “Further and Further Away” took the best live action short over 15 minutes prize and “The Right Words” from France won the best live action short 15 minutes and under category.The winners of the top awards are eligible to submit their shorts to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.Additional prizes included:Student Animated Short●     Winner: The Seine’s Tears (France) Student Documentary Short●     Winner: La Prova (Belgium)Best Student International Short – Winner received a $500 cash prize.●     Winner: Bug (Israel),Best Student U.S.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorYou might have thought that you didn’t really need to consume any more content about Andy Warhol. After all, the New York artist has been ubiquitous throughout pop culture for more than half a century.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorBefore there were Jon & Vinny’s sprinkled across Los Angeles, there was Animal. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s nose-to-tail minimalist restaurant (435 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles) put the catering duo on the culinary map and launched a slew of spinoffs before becoming a pantry goods store during the pandemic.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorFrom the very start, “Julia” producer Chris Keyser decided there wouldn’t be any shortcuts when it came to creating the food scenes for HBO Max’s origin story of the famous TV chef. It had to taste good and look even better to honor the spirit of Julia Child.Production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein and food stylist Christine Tobin threw themselves into making sure all the ingredients were perfectly combined, and the result was a delicious-tasting menu of scenes spotlighting the mouth-watering dishes and the Childs’ enjoyment of eating.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorA Los Angeles benefit for Democratic Party efforts, co-hosted by Jeffrey Katzenberg, raised nearly $2.5 million Friday with President Joe Biden in attendance.“The money raised today will help get people to the polls on election day in November,” said Katzenberg. “Just the idea of Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell in charge should be enough to get people out to vote.”Biden has been in Los Angeles this week for the Summit of the Americas, which concludes Friday.The event is being held at the home of Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Andrew Hauptman.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorWith the release of “Top Gun: Maverick,” moviegoers everywhere are excited to revisit the San Diego area onscreen for more adventures from Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Although moviegoers won’t be getting back together with Cruise’s love interest Charlie, played by Kelly McGillis, visitors to Oceanside, Calif. can now visit the site of her cute cottage — and eat some pie while they’re there.In the original film, flight instructor Charlie lived in an adorable oceanfront Victorian known as the Graves house that was so sweet, she even stayed there during filming.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAfter 25 years, the Colcoa (City of Lights, City of Angels) French Film Festival has been renamed the American French Film Festival, with the 26th edition of the festival set for Oct. 10-16.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe looming closure of Landmark Theatres’ Pico location is a significant loss for L.A.’s independent movie scene, which was already sorely missing the shuttered ArcLight Hollywood. Getting art-house audiences to return to cinemas has been challenging as COVID-19 variants have swept the country, and now the question is whether the city that makes movies has enough theaters to show all kinds of titles — not just blockbusters.For moviegoers on the west side of Los Angeles, there was something special about the Landmark Pico, whose 12 screens programmed a wide variety of mostly independent and foreign films, along with industry screenings and panels.“Around the country, including in Los Angeles, there are just fewer theaters and fewer screens than there were before the pandemic,” says Jasper Basch, IFC Films and IFC Midnight head of theatrical distribution.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorSpeakers including Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, mayoral candidate and congressperson Karen Bass, attorney Gloria Allred and actors including Ricki Lake and Christine Lahti urged people to fight for reproductive freedom at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally in downtown Los Angeles Saturday.“I can’t work in Texas anymore,” said “Abbott Elementary” star Lisa Ann Walter, who stated that she is working with SAG-AFTRA to inform members of the reproductive health laws in each state. “We won’t quit until women are guaranteed autonomy all over this country.”Thousands of people turned out for the Los Angeles event in front of City Hall, while more than 380 rallies were planned across the United States.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorNikolaj Coster-Waldau has made his first move into the podcast space with “Radioman,” a ten-part Audible Original crime drama.“Game of Thrones” actor Coster-Waldau co-created the series written by Joe Derick and produced by “The X-Files” vet Frank Spotnitz and Emily Feller.Set in a fictional Yorkshire town called Tanford, the story follows Chas, an ex-radio DJ who embarks on a mission to investigate local crimes alongside his old friend, DCI Ian Whittaker, played by “The Walking Dead” actor David Morrissey.The podcast-within-a-podcast storyline shows the investigators using a new podcast “Crimesville” as their investigative tool as Chas grapples with betrayal, deceit, mounting pressure to solve murders and going viral on social media. The story was inspired by Dimiter Kenarov, who told the story of his reporting about a serial killer in the article “Mask of Sanity.”Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, said: “When Joe Derrick and I founded Ill Kippers it was with a very simple idea, to create stories we would want to see.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIn another blow to the Los Angeles movie theater landscape, the Landmark Pico cinemas will close at the end of May, the company said.“For months, we’ve worked to extend our tenancy of The Landmark Pico but have been unable reach terms,” said Landmark Theatres’ President Kevin Holloway in a statement. “We send our deepest appreciation to the Pico staff, guests, and the filmmaking community for their support over the years.Holloway also said, “We’re exploring opportunities to expand our Los Angeles footprint, which we hope to be able to share more on soon.”The 15-year-old Landmark Pico in the former Westside Pavilion mall was a popular location for industry screenings and panels.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMemoirs seem to be the perfect genre for spending time listening to audiobooks. Even more than transporting fiction or informative non-fiction, there’s something about listening to highly personal confessions in the privacy of your car or on a long walk that makes you feel like you have an intimate relationship with the author.Celebrity memoirs can be a wild ride through a performer’s ups and downs, but just as compelling are books from people who have had extraordinary lives like “The Glass Castle’s” Jeanette Walls — or are just extraordinarily entertaining at recounting their everyday lives, like David Sedaris.Many of the best memoirs hinge on the breakthrough moment — the turning point when a nobody starts to become a somebody for the first time.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAsterid, the new restaurant at Disney Hall from chef Ray Garcia, comes with a different set of expectations from his previous Broken Spanish. While diners might be on their way to musical performances or plays at the Music Center, there are plenty of other reasons to hang out at the Grand Avenue corner spot.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIt’s no coincidence Lisa Vanderpump’s recent series for E! was called “Overserved With Lisa Vanderpump.” Her brand is excess, and the “Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum has channeled her inner Francophile and then some for her new Vanderpump à Paris restaurant at the Paris Las Vegas resort. Last week, the restaurant had its grand opening with what Vanderpump says are some of her favorite things in attendance — scantily-clad men and rescue poodles who celebrated against the backdrop of a pink-lit Eiffel tower.For the extravagant interior, Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd, who have opened 35 restaurants and bars over the years, worked with designer Nick Alain.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorTwitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey commented on Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform on Monday night, kicking off his thread with Radiohead’s song “Everything In Its Right Place.”“I love Twitter. Twitter is the closest thing we have to a global consciousness,” he wrote.After stepping down from Twitter in November 2021, Dorsey continued to sit on the company’s board of directors. The board approved Musk’s $44 billion acquisition Monday morning.I love Twitter.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIt’s not always easy to find time to be informed about arguably the most pressing issue facing the world today: climate change. But podcasts are the perfect way to take a deep dive into environmental topics such as sustainable living, fast fashion, fossil fuels and electric vehicles that are crucial to learn more about during this time of crisis.And don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorWalter Coblenz, who was Oscar-nominated for producing “All the President’s Men” and also produced “The Candidate” and “The Onion Field,” died March 16. He was 93.Coblenz also produced the Emmy-nominated Joseph Wambaugh TV mini-series adaptation “The Blue Knight.”After serving as assistant director and production manager on Robert Redford’s “Downhill Racer,” he went on to work with Redford on “The Candidate” and “All the Presidents Men,” which racked up eight Oscar nominations and four wins.Coblenz served as Sr.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe Oscars In Memoriam segment gave viewers a chance to remember the memorable names in film who died over the past year. But every year, viewers are surprised to see that a few recognizable names were omitted.Beloved comedian Bob Saget, who had a small handful of film appearances in movies including Richard Pryor’s “Critical Condition,” drew the most outrage on social media.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAhead of Sunday’s Oscar ceremony, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences sent a letter Friday updating COVID protocols for those attending the event.The updates follow a number of COVID cases attributed to the BAFTA awards last week as well as an uptick in the BA.2 variant in the Los Angeles area over the past few days. The BA.2 variant is 30% more contagious than the Omicron variant, according to L.A.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorDowntown L.A.’s Arts District is roaring back to life post-pandemic, and Camphor is the latest addition to the lively scene. Located in the former Nightshade space, Camphor marries French technique with South Asian influences. Chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George worked together at Alain Ducasse’s Blue in Bangkok, and they’re relishing the access to fresh local produce that had to be imported at their previous restaurant.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMale characters in films continued to heavily outnumber female characters in 2021, according to the latest It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World study from Dr. Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.A hefty 85% of films featured more male than female characters, the study found.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIndependent finance and production company SSS Entertainment is launching a sales arm dubbed The Syndicate, offering titles including two films starring and directed by Katie Holmes and Neil Labute’s “House of Darkness” starring Justin Long and Kate Bosworth.Shaun Sanghani, owner and CEO of SSS Entertainment, says the company will focus on “using its depth of experience to deliver independent features that are daring and empathetic while being accessible and recognizable to a wide audience.”Among the half dozen titles that SSS Entertainment has recently produced and financed are “Alone Together” and period piece “Rare Objects,” both starring and directed by Holmes.At SXSW this week, SSS Entertainment is premiering Eli Horowitz’s “The Cow” with Winona Ryder and Dermot Mulroney. Sanghani produced and financed “The Fallout,” which won last year’s SXSW Grand Jury and Audience awards.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorTwo congresswomen are asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s tax-exempt status. Their letter to IRS commissioner Charles Rettig comes after several investigations into the practices of the organization that hands out the Golden Globes.“For more than a year, entertainment and national media outlets have detailed the seemingly corrupt and unacceptable deal making patterns of HFPA raising questions whether the organization solely responsible for awarding the once coveted Golden Globe Award is meeting its IRS section 501(C)(3) demands,” reads the letter sent Monday from Rep.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAida Takla O’Reilly, the longest-serving member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who served two times as the organization’s president, died Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 90.Born in Egypt, she joined the HFPA in 1956 and served as president of the organization that hands out the Golden Globes in 1994-96 and in 2011-13. She covered the entertainment industry for Nisf El Dunia and El Ahram in Egypt.After becoming Egypt’s youngest female pilot, Takla O’Reilly moved to the U.S.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorTV creators are constantly searching for inspiration for their next projects, and in the past, books, comics and movies provided the source material for many series. In the past few years, podcasts have become a fertile source of ideas for documentary series and dramatic shows as well as comedies and talkshows.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorNed Eisenberg, a stage and screen actor who played defense attorney Roger Kressler on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and Detective Hauser in “Mare of Easttown,” has died. He was 65.His agents at Nicolosi & Co.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMartha Stewart was in L.A. for Super Bowl Sunday, hosting the Big Game Impact meal-packing competition and brunch downtown to benefit the Los Angeles Mission and other organizations.The lifestyle media icon was also in town to host the Puppy Bowl on Animal with her friend and business partner Snoop Dogg, who also performed at halftime.Since the Super Bowl is the second-biggest food consumption day of the year, it was the perfect opportunity to focus on providing equitable access to nutritious food in connection with non-profit partners.Stewart’s line of Martha Stewart Kitchen frozen meals, available at Kroger, partners with Feeding America to donate 1.5 million meals through the country, and Kroger also backs the Zero Hunger, Zero Waste Foundation to support non-profits driving positive change for the planet.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorRemember “It’s Pat” or “Coneheads”? While those movies based on “Saturday Night Live” skits are perhaps better left forgotten, 30 years later, “Wayne’s World” remains a classic 1990s absurdist comedy. It made phrases like “We’re not worthy!,” “Party on,” “Not!” and “Bonus!” enduring parts of the culture and became a surprise box office hit.Mike Myers and Dana Carvey started their Wayne and Garth public access show “Wayne’s World” on “Saturday Night Live,” and it became one of just a handful of the show’s skits that justified a feature film version.Originally released Feb.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLucques restaurant has already been gone for a few years, but its many Hollywood devotees can now experience the rustic flavors and well-selected wines of Suzanne Goin and Carolyne Styne in two distinct ways at downtown L.A.’s stylish new Proper Hotel, whose interiors were designed by Kelly Wearstler.On the rooftop is Cara Cara: The casual lounge’s menu of salads, tacos and burgers is perfect for sipping a passion fruit caipirinha while looking out at the city lights.Off the lobby, the Portuguese-influenced Caldo Verde — named for the saffron-scented stew of rock crabs, kale and tomato — is the hotel’s centerpiece restaurant.But Los Angeles isn’t exactly known for its Portuguese food, so why now? Goin says, “The inspiration was two-fold actually. I have always loved Portuguese food — since a trip there in my teens to the five years working in Providence, Rhode Island where there is a very strong and vibrant Portuguese community.