Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons at the Baby Phat & Phat Farm Fifteenth Anniversary party in Las Vegas. (photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage.com)

Storm Watch

Last week Spike Lee was in New Orleans to meet with 11 local high school students who've been given video cameras to document their post-Katrina lives for CNN's special monthly series 'Children of the Storm.' The 'When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts' filmmaker offered some advice: "You're doing this for the world. Remember it's not just for yourself."

According to series host Soledad O'Brien, the teenagers are stocked with ideas. Nineteen-year-old filmmaker Brandon Franklin intends to "show guys what I used to do, prior to Katrina, catch all that, as it is now, you know, still shut down and nothing popping." And Arianna Cassar who now lives in Baton Rouge says, "I actually want to retrace the steps that I did when I evacuated." The 17 year old travels 130 miles round-trip to attend high school in Chalmette, Louisiana.

Added Lee, whose own Katrina documentary is four hours long, "Just go out and shoot. ... Tape is cheap." (photo: Isaiah Trickey/FilmMagic.com)

[CNN.com]

[Associated Press via Ohio.com]

Emcee Squared

The Obie Awards, the Off-Broadway honors doled out by The Village Voice, will be hosted by two, count 'em, two, theater-turned-TV stars this spring. 'Sex and the City''s Cynthia Nixon, who has tread the boards since the age of 14, will host, alongside T.R. Knight (currently on 'Grey's Anatomy,' Knight appeared onstage in 'Scattergood' and 'Noises Off' before heading to La La Land.) Wherever their current careers take them, the pair will be in New York on May 21st to emcee the ceremony at New York University. (photo: Todd Williamson/FilmMagic.com)

[Variety]

Jungle Fever

Director Guillermo del Toro ('Pan's Labyrinth') is thinking about putting his dark twist on the tale of Tarzan. According to Inside Entertainment, the helmer is interested in exploring Tarzan's early years in the jungle. "The idea is to try to do a version unlike any other, in the sense that Tarzan's formative years, growing through the jungle, are incredibly tough and brutal," said del Toro. "There's always this idyllic sense of the jungle being like a Disney set and I want to portray how this guy becomes the toughest animal in the jungle."

In the meantime, del Toro has been championing 'The Orphanage,' a Spanish film he produced, about a woman who buys an orphanage. But when her son gets an imaginary friend, in true del Toro fashion, things turn sinister. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Picturehouse will distribute the film. (photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com)

[Inside Entertainment]

[Cinematical]

Rebecca Hall, Tom Hanks and Alice Eve at the NYC premiere of Picturehouse's 'Starter For Ten.' (photo: Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic.com)

Thorne Birds

Callie Thorne's flock of female roles

It's getting hard to watch a popular TV drama these days without spotting Callie Thorne. The actress is cornering the market on challenging women's roles — her recent regular gigs as volatile Sheila on Denis Leary's 'Rescue Me,' and McNulty's (Dominic West) ex-wife on 'The Wire' lead to an arc as John Leguizamo's troubled lover on 'ER' last season. And currenty, she can be seen on 'Prison Break' playing Special Agent Mahone's (William Fichtner) wife.

Last month at Sundance, she was on the big screen in 'Delirious,' Tom DeCillo's film about a celebrity paparazzo, played by Steve Buscemi. Thorne plays the manager of a hot young pop star (Alison Lohman) and was thrilled to be able to go head to head with Buscemi in a few scenes: "Buscemi is magnificent! I got to shoot a couple of scenes with him, and he just puts me in awe." (photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com)

[IMDB.com]

[National Ledger]

The Fighting Irish

In a one-two punch, Paramount Pictures has tapped Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon for 'The Fighter,' a new film about how boxer "Irish" Micky Ward captured the world lightweight title with the help of his half-brother Dicky. According to Variety, the script, which is being written now, will focus on brotherhood and redemption. (Dicky was a down-and-out boxer, struggling with drugs and crime before he rebounded as Micky's trainer.) Like Micky and Dicky, Wahlberg and Damon both hail from Massachusetts; if they like the script, word is they've agreed to step into the ring. (photo: Seth Browarnik/WireImage.com)

[Variety]

Designer Vivienne Tam and Emmanuelle Chriqui backstage at Tam's show during Fashion Week in NYC. (photo: Gary Gershoff/WireImage.com)

Rising Star

Idris Elba gives Brad Pitt a run for his money

It came as much as a surprise to Idris Elba, who played Stringer Bell on 'The Wire,' as to viewers, to learn that his character was going to die a violent death in 2004. But he took it in stride, according to the San Francisco Gate: "I embraced the idea," he says. "I thought it was going to be dramatically great, and it was. And it was a good time to leave that character before I got branded as him."

He's been busily leaving him behind in several film roles. In the 'Daddy's Little Girls' (opening today), the English Elba, who's been in the US just 7 years, plays a regular family man. "It's definitely a different spin on the stereotype that we've seen for a long time, as far as black men not being considered good fathers," he notes. (Elba's pictured here with his own little girl, 5-year-old Isan).

In the thriller "The Reaping" he plays a scientist and in "This Christmas" he's a jazz musician. Essence named him one of the "hottest men on the planet" and asked how worried Brad Pitt should be, Elba laughs and says "Extremely." (photo: Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com)

[SF Gate.com]

Religious Disorder

Larry Charles and Bill Maher diagnose religion

Larry Charles (director of the 'Borat' movie and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'Entourage') is peddling an untitled film at the European Film Market in Berlin, narrated by Bill Maher, that reportedly takes on major religion. No stone is uncast, apparently — the film jabs at Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Sales agents are allowed to look at, but not keep, a secret memo that describes the film — and interest has been high. According to the Hollywood Reporter, some of the questions the film will ponder include: whether religion is an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and why stories like Eve being created from Adam's rib, or creating the world in seven days, sound more like high-concept Hollywood pitches than the basis for a major belief system. With any luck, Charles claims the movie will be: "Coming soon to a house of false idols near you." (photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage.com)

[The Hollywood Reporter]

Immortal McShane

Ian McShane is getting immortalized. According to Variety, the actor has signed on to star in the adaptation of Susan Cooper's 'The Dark is Rising,' playing one of the "Old Ones," a group of immortals dedicated to fighting the growing forces of darkness. Frances Conroy ('Six Feet Under') will also co-star in the battle to save the world. (photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com)

[Variety]

Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristen Chenoweth at the 59th Annual Writers Guild of America Awards Ceremony in New York. (photo: Brian Ach/WireImage.com)

Swarmed

The Honey Bros. and Grenier draw a crowd

As the special guest host of 'Asbury Shorts' — "an evening of the world's best short films" — at the Brooklyn Lyceum on Saturday night, Adrian Grenier drew a sold-out crowd. The cavernous former bath house was packed with an eclectic mix of local filmmakers and young female fans of Vince Chase (and their mothers), bundled up in scarves and hats to stay warm.

After some belly dancing (by a professional, not Grenier) and several award-winning shorts, Grenier introduced 'Euthanasia' the short film he wrote and directed, saying he was "humbled" to be presenting his film alongside these others. He assured the crowd that his film was based on a true story — something that happened to his friend Alona — and that any objections should be taken up with her. With that ominous warning, the film about two teen girls who go for a life-altering drive began and, well, as the opening titles insist, "No one was 'harmed' in the making of this film." The darkly comic tale unspooled to much good-natured shrieking (without spoiling too much, let's just say it should be rated NAL--No Animal Lovers). Afterwards. Grenier did acknowledge that he hoped there were no members of PETA in the audience.

After the conclusion of the shorts program, Grenier picked up his drumsticks to join his band The Honey Brothers (pictured here) and they kicked off their set with a never-before-attempted video karaoke, where they played along and (attempted to act along) to their new music video 'Some of Them Are Nice Days.' As ukulele-picking front man Ari Gold warned "Don't try this at home." (photo: Bennett Raglin/WireImage.com)

Writers Show Big Love for Sopranos

For a third time, the Writers Guild of America honored David Chase (pictured here with Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and his 'Sopranos' writing team (Mitchell Burgess, Diane Frolov, Robin Green, Andrew Schneider, Matthew Weiner and Terence Winter) with the WGA award for top television drama.

Meanwhile, the 12-writer crew of the U.S. version of Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant's British hit 'The Office' won the top comedy series trophy.

The awards were presented Sunday with HBO newcomers Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer taking the drama episode prize for their 'Big Love' pilot. (photo: Brian Ach/WireImage.com)

[Variety]

Krause Lands Pilot

It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it

Peter Krause will once again be inheriting the family business when his fictional father dies. But this time, the dirty work he undertakes won't be quite so deadly. According to movieweb.com, Krause has signed on to star in the ABC drama pilot 'Dirty Sexy Money,' about an idealistic lawyer who has to represent a powerful and "ethically flexible" family. (photo: Rob Loud/WireImage.com)

[Movieweb.com]

Adrian Grenier and Piper Perabo at the G-Star show during Fashion Week in NYC. (photo: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic.com)

Wooded Bliss

Ashley Jensen says 'I do' in a private wedding

Last month, Ashley Jensen and her long-time beau Terry Beesley sneaked off to the woods to tie the knot. In Big Sur, north of their new digs in Los Angeles, the couple was wed with only the minister and his daughter as witnesses — plus their dog Barney, who served as ring bearer. With Jensen's filming schedule for 'Ugly Betty' the honeymoon was limited to two nights at an inn. They'll be having a party for family and friends later and even her mum doesn't mind that she wasn't there for the vows. As she told the UK's News & Star: "I am delighted for them. They had a lovely day and did not tell anyone about it. They just wanted it to be private so that it meant something to them." (photo: Albert L. Ortega/WireImage.com)

[News and Star]

Rome When He Wants To

Kevin McKidd can't get enough of the past. Now that he's wrapped the second and final season of 'Rome' playing Lucius Vorenus, McKidd has landed the lead role in the time-travelling pilot 'Journeyman' for NBC. According to TV.com he'll play a man who travels back in time to fix lives — sometimes inadvertently changing the future. (No word yet on whether he'll be jumping back to the Eternal City to change 'Rome' 's fate.) In the meantime, you can catch him in theaters now in the thriller prequel 'Hannibal Rising,' in which he plays a savage outlaw (also featured is 'The Wire' 's Dominic West, playing Inspector Pope). (photo: Lee Celano/WireImage.com)

[TV.com]

[Blog Critics Magazine]

Deadwood in Hollywoodland

If you missed Molly Parker in her turn as Adrian Brody's wife in 'Hollywoodland' in the theaters, you can catch it now on DVD. The critically-acclaimed film tells the story of a private detective (Brody) who investigates the suspicious death of George Reeves (the original Superman, played by Ben Affleck). And Parker's 'Deadwood' husband Jim Beaver (who plays Ellsworth) is also featured as Reeves' biographer. (photo: Eric Charbonneau/WireImage)

[Seattle Times]