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This month dear readers I bring you a bumper issue. The showbiz calendar simply went nuts. Having just arrived from the Cannes film festival, I barely had the chance to rest before it was time to shoot off to the Monte Carlo TV festival in Monaco. OK I could've stayed on in Cannes and then a few days later gone to Monaco but I really needed a fresh suitcase with clean clothes. Ah yes, and the money saved for a few days stay in good hotel in Cannes during the festival, could buy me a small private Island. The Monte Carlo TV Festival didn't disappoint. Celebrities attending included; JENNIFER GAREIS, KYLE LOWDER, ADAM RODRIGUEZ, -CSI- GEORGE EADS, -CSI- JORGE GARCIA, -Lost- NAVEEN ANDREWS, -Lost- ANTHONY ANDERSON, -Lost- ALANA de la GARZA, -Law and Order- LINUS ROACHE, -Law and Order- LEE PACE, -Pushing Daisies- DAVID KRUMHOLTZ, -Numbers- MEL B, SHERIDAN SMITH, LAURA HARRING, GINA HOLDEN, ERIC JOHNSON -Flash Gordon- LAURA PREPON -October Road-BRYAN GREENBERG, -October Road- GEOFF STULTS -October Road- MICHAEL URIE, -Ugly Betty-BECKI NEWTON, -Ugly Betty- LISA EDELSTEIN, -House- KIM KARDASHIAN, DAVID BOREANAZ, JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS and a load of French actors.
Prince Albert II of Monaco
Alana de la Garza
On the opening night I took over a thousand pictures. After that, the work schedule was tough but fair. I mean, throughout the festival we had a lunch hour/s and wined and dined -for free- with the 'stars' as long as we didn't take cameras with us. Like I cared. I'm really going to have a 3 course lunch with champagne spoilt by taking pics of celebrities on nearby tables. Pleeeeeease! Although I have to complain. The VIP bar closed at 4pm! Jeez, I finished the photocalls normally around 5pm so a few free drinks after would've been perfect. Can't have it all I suppose. But why not! I spent all night editing, captioning and sending pictures, and was completely exhausted the next day. Each day and night was more or less a repeat of the last with a backlog of pictures to send as the WI-FI was fragile. Technology for you, its supposed to make your life easier and yet it gives you stress. Bloody computers. Why can't they just do as I tell them? Why do I physically have to input data in them? I should be able to tell it what to do whilst I wait at the bar. End.
David Boreanaz with camera
David Boreanaz
Laura Harring with me next to her
Sheridan Smith
The celebs were amiable and David Boreanaz -of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bones fame- was up to no good in a funny way. He grabbed a colleagues camera and ran around taking pictures. You can see him in my photo taking a snap of your hallowed columnist. Yes, me. He carried on larking around and gave us good photos. The Monte Carlo festival is the biggest international festival for television. It's good for a myriad of stars and industry folk who have great success but not quite the glamour -or size of screens- of the film industry. It's not the size of the screen that matters, it's how you use it. Yeah right! What if you have a BIG screen and use it very well? Aha! You would have a lot of success, I can prove it. Tee-hee. Although it's not slowed down DICK WOLF who has masterminded the very successful CSI, and various versions of Law and Order in the US and worldwide. He won the Honorary 'Golden Nymph' for his efforts. No, don't get excited, its not the golden nymph you're thinking about and I've had a few of those in my time. It's the Monte Carlo award. Big surprise was to see MEL B at the awards.
Dick Wolf and award
Mel B and partner
She was nominated for the America's 'Dancing with the Stars' as the host of that show. Didn't win anything but hey, she was there to have pictures taken with Prince Albert II. Jeez, you should've seen her. When it was her turn to be photographed with the Prince on the red carpet she elbowed her way through the guests with all her might and ensured she was next to the Prince for the group shot. Very funny to see. Biggest disappointment was the spineless reporters and some journalists whose interviewing skills were obviously attained in Kindergarten. MEL B was subjected to the most banal and pathetic questioning time after time. Do you like the food in Monaco? Do you like Monaco? What's you favourite food? What's your favourite colour? She's obviously not going to say I hate Monaco! I want to get out of here! Is she? She's been paid to be there, with free accommodation. Those reporters needed shooting! Every time she had the patience to answer all these dumb questions. I take my hat off to her and all the other stars who get asked stupid questions regularly.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER may be slightly upset that Sex In The City didn't win anything in Monte Carlo.
Sarah Jessica Parker
I blame the hat she wore at the World premiere of Sex In The City in London. The World Audience Awards went to Desperate Housewives, with series B-lister DANA DELANY collecting the award. The Bold and the Beautiful also won in the Soap category with JENNIFER GAREIS and KYLE LOWDER picking up the award. Outstanding Actor award in the Drama TV Series category went to Britain's JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS for The Tudors and the female equivalent went to Spain's ESTHER ORTEGA for Missing. There's loads more awards but I have a LIFE people. I've given you the main ones.
Me? I'll be back next year. I loved covering the festival and the hospitality was superb.
Jennifer Gareis and Kyle Lowder with award
Meanwhile in back in London the Closer Magazine awards -awards primarily for the 'sisters'- was in full swing. This year the likes of EMMA BUNTON, MEL B, -again- LILY ALLEN, DANNII MINOGUE and amongst others attend the awards in Berkeley Square. However, any award ceremony that awards failed singer DANNI MINOGUE anything has serious issues to deal with. They should give her an award for being the sister of the extremely successful KYLIE MINOGUE. So we'll leave it there.
Lilly Allen.
Emma Bunton.
PIXIE GELDOF couldn't resist the temptation to go to the opening -of an envelope- of the MySpace Mars Planets Radio. It's a new radio show/station for users of the wonderful social networking site MySpace. Mars Planets are chocolates with three different fillings, if you're interested, and launched in 2007. The organisers were looking for new radio presenters for the hour long weekly show hosted by DJ and presenter Alex Zane. As my picture shows Pixie was terribly hungry that night. Where's a paper bag when you need one?
Pixie Geldof
WILL SMITH and the gorgeous CHARLIZE THERON were in London for the premiere of their new flick Hancock. Held at The Vue in Leicester Square and directed by Peter Berg, relates to a reluctant and very drunk superhero who really struggles with the interactions needed to save the average mortal from society's darker side criminals. Just about all of Leicester Square was taken for this premiere. The ever popular WILL SMITH delighted the crowds by talking and signing loads of autographs for the fans. He also gave me plenty of time to take all the pictures I needed of him. CHARLIZE THERON looked fantastic. She wore a short black dress with a very sexy cut which showed her legs beautifully.
Charlize Theron
Will Smith
Kung Foo Panda also premiered in London's Leicester Square. The animated flick of a martial arts trained panda bear
saw Leicester Square turned into China town. Quite appropriate really as the real China town is next door to the square.
Jack Black
Best thing about the premiere was JACK BLACK clowning around everywhere doing Kung Foo kicks and jumps. The fans went wild with his performance. The guy had so much energy, it was incredible to see how nimble he is considering he's fat. He is a very funny and talented man. We of course were there to see if ANGELINA JOLIE would make an appearance, but as I suspected, she didn't. She's a bit too far gone with her pregnancy. Only recently she passed out during a long flight and needed oxygen from paramedics. Instead DUSTIN HOFFMAN and LUCY LIU were present with JACK BLACK.
Dustin Hoffman
The biggest ever film premiere to hit London or anywhere else -ten thousand people turned up- was the premiere of The Chronicles Narnia: Prince Caspian at the O2 Arena. The second instalment in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis and directed by Andrew Adamson follows on the footsteps of the very successful The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which became a massive hit worldwide.
Liam Neeson and partner
Sadly for me, apart from the cast and zillions of fans no other significant celebs turned up. Bummer.
Over and out, see ya next month.
JOE ALVAREZ
joealvarez@verycool.co.uk
Website: www.myspace.com/redcarpetspecialist
WORDS AND ALL PICTURES COPYRIGHT JOE ALVAREZ 2008 |
