David Carr's piece about the

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David Carr's piece about the trepidations and nail-bitings over possible indictments stemming from the Anthony Pellicano wire-tapping mess ("A B-Movie Becomes a Blockbuster") is another reason why Carr should continue doing his Carpetbagger column 24/7 after the Oscar race concludes. It's always a tasty read, it's got attitude, and is well-reported and well-written. The wire-tapping case against Pellicano "could ultimately threaten the reputation and even the freedom of some of the entertainment industry's most prominent figures," he notes, and "also serves as a reminder that even though the studios are now just one more adjunct of large media companies, Hollywood has always been a wide-open town that lives by its own rules. Many recognizable names have been questioned, among them Bert Fields, whose client list includes some of the city's better-known names, including Michael S. Ovitz, the once-powerful talent agent, and Brad Grey, now the chairman of Paramount. People who were in litigation against both men were subjected to background checks and wiretapping, according to the indictment, but neither has been implicated in any criminal activity." Yet. As Carr adds, "With the indictment of Terry N. Christensen, a respected member of the Los Angeles bar [hit] with wiretapping and conspiracy charges in connection with the divorce case of Kirk Kerkorian, the billionaire investor, no one knows which way the marble will roll next." And "given that federal investigators are in receipt of an uncertain number of recorded conversations, all those being questioned have to answer knowing that they may face federal perjury charges if they are less than forthcoming."