comment #1

erniesouchak says ...

A bitch publicist? What a SHOCKER.

comment #2

Ju-osh says ...

You make it tough to try and defend you as a reporter and a reviewer and NOT AS A GOSSIP when you post a second-hand account of a celebrity's private conversation.
Tabloid superstar Lindsay-fucking-Lohan's private conversation, no less!

comment #3

jeffreywells says ...

Wells to Ju-osh: Lindsay Lohan is in "Bobby". I was at the "Bobby" premiere last night. I trust the guy who overheard it so I don't consider it not fly-by-night gossip. And I found it very interesting how much of the dynamic of a celebrity and her handler was conveyed in those two lines of dialogue and that reported "yanking" gesture. If I had posted live video of this occurence would it be acceptable to you, or would HR still be a gossip site? I don't thihnk you get what's going on here. Not everything in Hollywood is serious or profound or trade-worthy by your standards. I think the altercation was O'Neill-like...I really do. If something I see or hear about seems interesting at the moment...if something rings the bell, I get into it. I don't go, "Hmmm, hold on...if I write about this Ju-osh will think less of me."

comment #4

Ju-osh says ...

And yet the moment/conversation written about above was clearly (at least to me, reading your telephone-game version, and probably to the guy that actually heard it and then told it to you) not intended for public consumption, let alone public discourse. Do you really think that your placing it here in the context of 'O'Neill' makes it any less gossipy or tabloidish than a telephoto-lensed shot of Paris Hilton giving a handjob to tonight's lucky suitor? I don't expect you to care what I think of you, but I've read your own thoughts on your being labeled a gossip ( http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/archives/2006/07/joining_gossip.php ), and it's clear that you do care about that.

comment #5

Dixon Steele says ...

Jeff, what O'Neill play exactly did you think this nonsense most closely resembled?

Long Day's Journey Into Night or The Iceman Cometh? Or could it be A Touch of the Poet?

O'Neill? It's not even second-rate William Inge...

comment #6

Jeremy Smith says ...

Sounds like vintage Robert Harling to me!

comment #7

agrayesq says ...

Gee...I dumbfounded. I thought coming to Hollywood Elsewhere was coming to the real world. Jeff got off point for a minute to report on something we probably wouldn't read about anywhere else. Oh heavens!! Someone turn out the lights! Life as we know it is over. The internet at it's best is that we have access to more views than we could ever think possible. Unfortunately the internet at it's worst is that we have access to more views than we ever thought possible. Get a life Ju-osh. Better yet...Have a cognac and a Percocet and dream of Lohan, or is it her publicist, thanking you for coming to her defense as the knight in shining armor that you think you are.

comment #8

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

I swear, if Jeffrey asked the time of day some of you would go off on him. What is with that up?

comment #9

OddDuck says ...

Mgmax is right on the money. There are some serious ASSHOLES frequenting this site. My feelings are certainly mixed on the switch over to this semi-blog format, but it only works if Wells lets it rip, occasionally letting loose something a little flimsy now and then (or hell, even more often -- who gives a fuck). From what I can tell, Wells' feature writing hasn't decreased in quality or quantity, and his overall volume of writing has gone way up. And yet it seems like every fucking time he writes something somebody has to pop in with a smug self-satisfied smart-ass remark or dig that serves no other purpose than to show your contrarianism in the most obnoxious way.

comment #10

Bandersnatch says ...

Looks to me like Sloane is a pretty poor publicist. The thing that keeps Lindsay Lohan in business despite all of the "exhaustion" and tabloid antics is the fact that she at least seems like an approachable person who appreciates her fans (whether she is actually that person I can't say, having never met her - I'm just remarking on her image.) If Sloane manages to "discipline" that out of Lohan she'll sabotage the most important thing her client's got going for her. Probably not the best startegy for a publicist who wants to stay employed.

comment #11

JWEgo says ...

JWEGO to Oddduck

Every time Wells says something stupid or reports on a test screening that never happened he gets called on it.

Shocked I am.

I am Jeff Wells Ego.

comment #12

Thrudvangar says ...

I remember this same thing being done by Mariah Carey's publicist awhile back. At the time I figured it was Mariah who had her publicist do that so she could ignore her fans and not look bad. The evil publicist. Anyway I wonder if Lindsay and Zelnick are sleeping together.

comment #13

goodvibe61 says ...

Fascinating.

comment #14

MattyC says ...

Wow.

Shocked I am, that JW-my-Eggo would choose to chime in with the most inane comment of the day.

Seriously, dude, why do you read this site, authored by a man whom you obviously find morally repulsive?

Just do everyone a favor, and fuck off.

comment #15

Dixon Steele says ...

Calm down folks...

This is SPB... Standard Publicist Behavior. You can find it at many Premieres. Publicists are constantly groping, pulling, tugging their clients along the red carpet. If it wasn't Lohan, no one would even care.

So Jeff comparing it to O'Neill is a bit much...but so what? This is just a blog. And JW knows that he's inviting these comments when he switched formats. In fact, I'd even say he enjoys them, except for the more abusive ones, which admittedly can be ridiculous at times.

Believe me, it's all about creating Traffic Flow to the blog, and I'd wager that HE's is bigger than ever. Good!!

I don't know how much Zelnick is paid by LL, but I'll bet she earns every penny. Could you imagine having this trainwreck as a client? She must wake up every morning wondering what new scandal she has to do Damage Control on.

And it's too bad as LL is a talented young woman, but her personal life is right up there with Paris Hilton and Tara Reid.

Not that it's easy to sympathize with a publicist. Just watch Sweet Smell of Success...

comment #16

mizerock says ...

Yeah, those fans "aren't paying" for today's movie, and they won't be paying for any future movies if they start to get the impression that Lohan despises them. The Strict Mom can make sure she doesn't do blow or insult a studio head or have sex with random guys in clubs - good work! - but since when is an actress acknowledging her fans, taking 2 minutes to wave & pose, considering undisciplined behavior that cannot continue?

Forget the lost cause of Katie, it's time to start up a Save Lindsey site, methinks.

comment #17

christian says ...

eugene o'neill...probably not. more like mcg.

but the well-taken point is the weird control that some -- not all -- publicists feel impelled to take over their clients.

their job is publicity and if said story be true, and it sounds real enough, then the publicist is not doing her job.

comment #18

RoyBatty says ...

"Not that it's easy to sympathize with a publicist. Just watch Sweet Smell of Success..."

Uh, Dix, you do understand that it's not a documentary? Not to mention a little out of date.

I'm torn as to whether or not this item needed to be discussed here. It certainly doesn't sink to the level of running that Vanity fair "TomKat" cover (for which HE was rightly labeled a gossip by MCN). Discussing the real nuts N bolts of how things work in the business seems a valid subject. Even if it's on such a

Yet, it does seem to get away from the core raison d'etre this site and Wells have projected going back to when he was working for other outlets: serious, caring examinations of filmmakers and the works they create. Sure, there's room for piffles. But how about keeping them to the this-DVD-release-is-fucked-without-commentary or did-director-blow-career-trying-to-blow-trannie variety? In other words, something a little more germane.

There's a pig wallow of celebrity horseshit outlets out there. Be nice if HE could avoid joining them.

comment #19

RoyBatty says ...

"Even if it's on such a piffle of a discourse"

Oops.

comment #20

Hallick says ...

Private? On the red carpet a movie premiere? HER CARPET barely has more privacy than that.

comment #21

Dixon Steele says ...

Uh, Roy, classic movies like Sweet Smell of Success are never out of date, except for clueless fratboys who should really keep to AICN.

And if it's out of date, how come you know about it?

For the record, SSOS is based on the famous tyrannical columist Walter Winshell (Burt Lancaster in the movie), who could (and did) destroy show biz carerrs with one bad mention in his column. And the Tony Curtis character, Sidney Falco, was based on the publicist Irving Hoffman.

So while it's not a documentray (thanks for the tip), it was based on real people.

OK, School's Out. Now everybody, rent SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, one of the best movies ever made. You'll be glad you did.

comment #22

christian says ...

absolutely dixon.

i had the thril of seeing SSOS at the egyptian in 2000 and tony curtis showed up to great huzzahs. it's easily his finest performance and when he lit burt lancaster's cigarette in one of the film's best moments, the entire audience cheered.

curtis was genuinely touched by the audience response. he made himself easily available to all his fans after the movie -- sans publicist.

comment #23

Dixon Steele says ...

The Egyptian is great, as is the Aero, both of course part of the Am. Cinemateque.

About 5 years ago, a friend of mine helped Frank Darabont arrange a screening of Sunset Blvd. for Billy Wilder, who hadn't seen it in years on the big screen. She invited me and I brought a SB window card which Wilder was happy to autograph.

SB is, in my mind, still the greatest "Hollywood" movie of all time. It's flawless and how many movies can you say that about today?

If that makes me Old School...fuck it!

comment #24

Ju-osh says ...

I agree with you %100 regarding Sunset Blvd, Dixon. The casting/acting is great, the dialogue endlessly quotable, and the direction aint too shabby, either. In fact, for my money, I'd say it lends itself to repeated viewings more than even Wilder's Double Indemnity or The Apartment.
Oh, and did you ever get a chance to check out 'Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream' by Sam Staggs? It's a fun, informative, gossip-filled read.

comment #25

christian says ...

dixon, i was at that SB screening too!

i sat right behind mr. wilder. it was truly my favorite hollywood night of all time.

it may be a bit morbid, but one of my thoughts was, this is probably the last time billy wilder will see SUNSET BOULEVARD. and i get to watch it with him. fantastic.

comment #26

christian says ...

dixon, i was at that SB screening too! frank darabont is one of the town's coolest guys.

i sat right behind mr. wilder. it was truly my favorite hollywood night of all time.

it may be a bit morbid, but one of my thoughts was, this is probably the last time billy wilder will see SUNSET BOULEVARD. and i get to watch it with him. fantastic.

comment #27

RoyBatty says ...

Well, Dixon "HALO" Steele -

Lemme school you in a few fundamentals here. I didn't think some would be so clueless as to confuse saying the world of the mid-50's publicist was "out of date" with saying that the film was such. Not to mention confusing a narrative film like SUCCESS with SALESMAN (that's okay, we'll wait while you look up that reference). But, my bad for anticipating more intelligence among would-be readers to miss my point. Sorry.

I didn't know any publicists "back in the day" but I have been around enough in action currently to know that it's nowhere near the black & white world you must think it is.

But thanks for the chuckle - I love someone who is probably younger than me pulling the "let me tell you how it is kid" routine.

Schools out, but do take Dix advice and rent SUCCESS. A classic movie even if the world it depicts is long gone.

"Cat's in the bag, bag's in the river."