Rock ‘n’ roll never forgets
Newsflash: The entire Hollywood community is not obsessed with films and awards.
No one at the old rock star-studded Smashing Grandpa party at the Chateau Marmont on Tuesday night was talking about the amazing set built for “King Kong,” the final edits on “Munich” or the incredible costuming in “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
There wasn’t even a whisper about Gil Cates’ return as Oscar producer, or how annoyed the trades are getting because they can’t get Steven Spielberg or Ron Howard on the phone this early in the game to talk about their Oscar chances.
Everyone was too busy reliving the good old groupie days and admiring models wearing Smashing Grandpa designer Leslie Gardner’s new line of rock themed T-shirts, which pay homage to hanger-on legend Pamela Des Barres, author of the classic tell-all, “I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie.”
Gardner, who moved to L.A. to be part of the music scene, is now producing punk Victorian T-shirts featuring vintage Pamela pics and slogans like “Rock and Roll Heroine,” “Groupie Queen” and “Riot on the Sunset Strip.”
Guests included: Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols and Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman, who left early after giving Pamela a kiss. Even Lucinda Williams stopped by to give a congratulatory hug to Des Barres. L.A. retailer Tracey Ross proudly wore her Smashing groupie T: “You don’t love me but you’ll never forget me.”
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Looking good is a DIY project
Globe and Oscar-nominated actress Patricia Clarkson (“Pieces of April”), who stars in this season’s buzzed about indie flick “The Dying Gaul,” and in George Clooney’s critically hailed “Good Night, and Good Luck,” is also one of the best-dressed women in Hollywood.
Clarkson has graced countless awards carpets over the years and never fails to wear classic, elegant gowns that fit and flatter to perfection.
So what’s her secret?
She’s strictly a do-it-yourselfer.
“I go through the racks, I try things on, talk about the dresses and I can weed out things that are not good or just not for me.”
But Clarkson also has self-awareness and self-confidence that cannot be bought. “I’m not 25 and I know what looks good on me. I know my body -- all too well, in fact -- and am aware of my age and quite happy with it.”
She’s developed a good relationship with designer Alberta Ferretti, and also wears Michael Vollbracht for Bill Blass, and Douglas Hannant. But she’s not snooty. At the recent “Good Night, and Good Luck” premiere in New York, she was stunning in a fabulous off-the-rack BCBG frock.
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Honoring, and torturing, Depp
Johnny Depp, nattier than usual in a brown zoot suit, a wicked ‘stache and an antique watch fob, squirmed uncomfortably during his AFI Fest Career Tribute at the ArcLight last Friday. He was being forced to view clips from his past films.
After a snippet from one of his early films, John Waters’ “Cry-Baby,” Depp practically begged for mercy: “Is this some new form of torture?”
Deflecting film critic-author Richard Schickel’s inquiry into his “outsider” oeuvre, Depp curled his mustache and replied, “Ah yes, I know of the oeuvre. I try to avoid the oeuvre.”
Schickel asked provocative questions such as: “Before you began acting, did you just want to act and act and act? Or did you want to act at all?”
Most enjoyable moment: Depp’s deft parry with Schickel over Depp as a “serious actor.”
Depp: “Acting is pretending. How can you be serious when you’re pretending?”
Schickel: “Everyone pretends, but you get paid for it.”
Depp: “Absolutely! And that’s what makes it even more absurd.”
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From Ludacris, an explanation
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges had to do some fast-talking in response to the controversy he created by wearing the Confederate flag at the 2005 VIBE Awards. In his released statement, he explained:
“I wore it to represent where we came from, to remind people that Ray Charles’ original ‘Georgia’ was written because of that racism. At the end of the performance, I removed and stomped on the flag to reveal my version of the flag; a flag comprised of black, red and green.
“Those are the colors of Africa. It is a representation and my interpretation of where we were and where we need to go. Racism is just as prevalent now; and if we are not constantly mindful of our history and take charge of it, history is destined to repeat itself because of ignorance. In order to move forward, we must never forget where we were.
“I hope people continue to question and challenge authority, media and themselves because questioning and challenging can only lead to enlightenment.”
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Elizabeth Snead writes “Styles & Scenes” as a blog for The Envelope (theenvelope.com), a Times website devoted to Hollywood’s awards season. She can be reached at elizabeth.snead@latimes.com.
