US Magazine:
10/31/00
HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Leo in Costume from past year.







Thanks to Jane, Ann and Pax from the FOB
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Star:
10/31/00
LEO'S REVENGE

Insiders confide that Titanic director James Cameron is miffed at getting a recent snub from the movie’s star, Leonardo DiCaprio. Cameron asked Leo to make a cameo appearance on his new TV series Dark Angel, but Leo turned him down flat – and what’s more, didn’t even call his former boss himself. He had his reps do the dirty work. But Cameron should have known better. Remember when he snubbed the director by pulling his famous no-show at the Oscars?
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Inside.com:
10/30/00
Microsoft Servers? Big Deal. Leo's Site

With all the concern in the media over the hacking of Microsoft's servers this morning, it appears that an even more tragic hack took place late Thursday: Somebody defaced Leonardo DiCaprio's home page. The information security Web site attrition.org is carrying a mirror this afternoon to the attack, carried out by a crew called DevilSoul. Instead of the actor's beaming mug and a list of projects, people (at least temporarily) got a picture of a smiling, impish devil, and a list of shout-outs from the hackers to their friends. OK, so it's not really earth-shattering, but Leo can't be happy. Maybe he can get some of his new Mafia-wannabe Gangs of New York buddies to teach 'em a lesson.
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TNT's Roughcut:
10/26/00
LEO HASH

I was surprised about how much mail I got condemning me for running the story about Scorsese ripping DiCaprio in Tuesday's column. I thought I was pretty clear about it being a gossipy story and that it was a borderline choice on my part, but that I thought the ending (DiCaprio gets focused) was happy and not abusive to Leo. It would have been hypocritical, given my stance on some other entertainment writers, had I not been clear in labeling the story, but I was. (And ironically, readers who complained about my complaints about other writers accused me of suggesting that they, the readers, weren't smart enough to read between the lines for themselves. So, I can't really win with some people.) Nonetheless, that's not how some people saw it. They felt that the story itself was somehow abusive and that Leo being called to task was somehow humiliating and somehow tarnished Leo. I don't see it that way at all. What strikes me is that—as I thought about the various accusations against me—I thought, well, maybe I could be enjoying a piece of purely fabricated gossip. So why would I enjoy it? I have no axe to grind against DiCaprio. I think he's a fine actor. But the reason I kind of went with it was because it doesn't strike me as all that surprising. I've seen Leo in action…the kid is a wild one. And here he is, recently hooked up with a stunning supermodel, loose in Rome. How wild would YOU get? How late would YOU be up? And as for the people arguing that poor Leo is being abused, they too are reaching. While it is true that set gossip is often exaggerated, it's amazing how often stories turn out to be completely true. At last weekend's junket/press conference, no one from the Charlie's Angels team was doing anything about the stories from their set except softening tone. Drew and Cameron talked about how great Bill Murray is and Lucy Liu sat silent, staring. McG just bounded with enthusiasm…and Cameron talked about how great that was to have around by (she said with a gulp) month five of shooting. Now, there aren't a load of Lucy and Bill fans, hanging on every word and fighting for the image of their heroes. So, I won't get mail about this. But Leo and Kevin Costner and Brad Pitt and whoever, say something "bad" and WHAM! The thing is, they take this stuff more seriously than I do. I'm not remotely surprised by the idea that Leo went out and partied too much. My writing about it won't hurt his career. He's not a rehab guy. He's just a kid…a very talented kid. So, simmer down. Finally, the publicists got in their say. As I've written in the past, though it may be unfair on some levels, membership in Scientology combined with an actor who suffers rumors about his possible homosexuality tends to act more as a confirmation of rather than a shield from rumors. (Part of the reasoning is that Scientology has very specific rules about homosexuality.) Similarly, when the gossips start a barrage of comments on a particular story, it is clear that it is coming from publicists and thus, by the nature of the beast, is not to be believed…even more so than The Guardian. From Liz Smith: "HERE ARE five statements about Leonardo DiCaprio that his rep says we can go to the bank with: 'He's absolutely not engaged…He's not partying…Martin Scorsese did not scold him on the set of Gangs of New York…He looks terrific…He's working out every day…And he loves raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens!'" At least Liz knows when she's being played. At Fox News, Roger Friedman offers: "The reality: All I know is that Scorsese is not the sort of director who invites confrontations. A couple of years ago, before filming Bringing out the Dead, he had to ask screenwriter Paul Schrader to tell Nicolas Cage to keep his performance restrained and not over the top. Scorsese literally took them both to a meal, stood up, and said, "Paul has something to tell you." And left. So I doubt he yelled at Leo in public, if at all. A source close to Leo, one of his defenders, says since all the shooting has been at night, it's unlikely Leo's been cavorting off-set, or in Rome, during the wee hours. Does this seem like someone who Scorsese would humiliate in front of others???" Does Roger Friedman really believe that story about Cage, Schrader and Scorsese? Where did he get it? Where is the context? And do you really think that the incredibly fast-talking though often soft-spoken Scorsese hides from his actors? Do you think that's what makes him great? Or is he just willing to talk to them when things are good? I consider this rumor far more insulting to Scorsese than the other is to DiCaprio. (However, I wouldn't be shocked if Scorsese set Schrader up to be an additional voice in Cage's ear, telling him he was playing it too broadly…that would be directorial politics…that would be intelligent…just as everyone does once in a while, directors who do not use humiliation have to use humiliation to achieve a goal.) Of course, what I didn't run, even tagged as gossip, and what I don't care about or believe to be accurate are reports about Leo's weight, the specifics of Leo's fun, or any supposed specifics from the alleged dressing-down by Scorsese, especially since The Guardian clearly admits that the whole thing came from an extra who didn't understand English well, much less English at Scorsese speed. (I'm told that Scorsese was the only guest on Roger Ebert & The Movies who actually talked faster than me…no mean feat.) The idea that I embraced was that Scorsese is one of the few directors who would have the guts to have a confrontation with a star and get the respect from that star so they could just move on with work, no hard feelings.
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MR. Showbiz:
10/26/00
Day-Lewis Knows His Cuts of Meat

Daniel Day-Lewis is getting his hands bloody for his next role. The Oscar-winning actor is working in an English butcher shop several hours a day in order to prep for the part of chop-happy killer Bill "The Butcher" Poole in Martin Scorsese's star-studded Gangs of New York. Showbiz Ireland reports that Day-Lewis has been mentoring at W Head and Co. in London, where he slaves over slabs of meat and practices his carving skills at length. The butcher was apparently not able to comment on Day-Lewis' meat-handling skills due to a gag order from Miramax, but we're willing to bet that he's seen business pick up since Day-Lewis put on an apron. Day-Lewis is known to go out of his way to become one with his characters. The Irish-born actor locked himself in a tin hut for hours in order to portray a prisoner in In the Name of the Father. He then had people bang on the outside with iron bars in order to adopt a prisoner's frame of mind. Production on Gangs of New York, which also stars Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio, is currently underway in Rome.
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MSNBC:
10/26/00
hollywood's latest casting calls

James Gandolfini could be switching to the other side of the law for Catch Me If You Can. The Sopranos mob boss is in talks to costar with Leonardo DiCaprio in the true-crime story, as an FBI agent hot on the trail of Leo, the youngest man to crack the FBI's Most Wanted list.
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MSNBC:
10/25/00
No mate for DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bundchen not only aren’t engaged — they’re not a couple, sources say. Reports circulated recently that the “Titanic” star proposed on bended knee and that the model accepted the $500,000 ring he gave her. Don’t believe it, say the insiders. The stories of their romance are being spread by people close to them, who figure it’s good for both their careers, the sources say, but, explains one, “the reports of a romance were greatly exaggerated. . . . the engagement stuff was too much.” Both sides have denied it, but “the media wants them engaged, and keeps insisting they are.” Bundchen refuses to discuss the relationship, although she allows that they’re not engaged, and DiCaprio’s spokesman didn’t return calls for comment, though in the past he has told The Scoop that the two are not heading to the alter.
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Savageshow:
10/24/00
WELCOME TO THE 1st ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

(SAVAGE SIDESHOW) If you have a film that's 30 minutes or less, and you'd like to see it in competition with the works of other accomplished, novice or first-time filmmakers just like yourself, Leonardo DiCaprio and AtomFilms invite you to participate in the very first film festival of its kind: Savage Sideshow.

Savage Sideshow is seeking and will accept films (in English or English subtitles) of 30 minutes or less in one of the following 4 categories:

NARRATIVE (Fiction: Comedy/Drama)
DOCUMENTARY (Non-Fiction)
ANIMATION
ALTERNATIVE (Experimental)

If you've made a film, are in pre-production or have been dreaming of making a film for a long time... If you want your film judged by Hollywood professionals, with an awards committee comprised of some of the most successful and important forces in the industry... If you wish your film to be seen by millions of viewers from all over the planet (and a few hundred of the most important, right here in Hollywood) You've found the perfect festival - where you and your work will be taken seriously and given the same chance as everyone else, regardless of age or experience. Proceed to the Entry Form & Rules to find out what, when, why, where and how to enter your project into the First Annual Leonardo DiCaprio/AtomFilms International Online Short Film Festival.

LINKS:
DiCaprio Official Site
Press Release
Rules & Regulations
Entry form
###

TNT's roughcut:
10/24/00
LEO GETS SPANKED

England's Guardian and Observer have become one of America's film business watcher's favorite places to check up on the latest gossip. And so, here is a story from their Website, that would be pretty iffy for this column, except for the fact that it seem to have a happy ending. The story is that Leo DiCaprio has been so busy finding new ways to wear himself out with girlfriend/model Gisele Bundchen, that he was arriving to Scorsese's Gangs of New York set not quite ready for work. According to this report, Scorsese's response, after putting up with DiCaprio's late arrivals in bad shape for a while, was a public shredding, in front of cast and crew. Cool. Another reason to love Scorsese. Word is that DiCaprio has returned to the straight and narrow, finding a workable schedule for the curves...of Ms. Bundchen.

The story here
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Entertaindom:
10/24/00
LEO THE LYIN'

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen has said she is not engaged to "Titanic" star boyfriend Leonardo DiCaprio. Speculation has mounted recently that the pair were set to wed in Italy this year. But the sexy Brazilian, who co-hosted the VH1 Fashion Awards last week, says, "There is no way I'm engaged. I'm only 20. I do see Leo, but that's as far as it goes."
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FOX 411:
10/24/00
DeNiro Will Be City Boy in Kidnap-Murder Movie

The word from the premiere of Robert DeNiro's new release, Men of Honor, over the weekend: according to my sources there, DeNiro — who is suddenly everywhere — has agreed to star in Michael Caton-Jones’s new film. City by the Sea is said to be based on a 1997 article by the late New York Daily News writer Mike McAlary in Esquire magazine. Caton-Jones has directed DeNiro before, in This Boy’s Life. His other credits include Scandal, one of my favorite movies...

...DeNiro had been set up to join Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, which is filming now in Italy. But he didn’t want to leave the U.S., what with three newish children, all boys, to look after. City shoots right here in New York, where Papa DeNiro will not be far from his many families.

Full story
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Excite News:
10/24/00
Danny Nucci Lands TV Role on CBS

After sharing the spotlight with Leonardo DiCaprio in "Titanic" and Denzel Washington in "Crimson Tide," Danny Nucci has landed a starring role on a TV comedy series. In "Kiss Me, Guido," Nucci plays a character who unknowingly ends up rooming with a gay man played by Jason Bateman. The CBS series will be a midseason offering, Nucci's publicist said. Nucci, who played DiCaprio's stowaway friend in "Titanic," had his first acting role at age 14 in the ABC soap opera "General Hospital." Now 32, he also appeared in "The Rock" with Sean Connery, "Eraser" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and "The Big Squeeze" with Lara Flynn Boyle
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Seattle P-I:
10/23/00
AtomFilms.com teams with DiCaprio

Seattle's AtomFilms.com has teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio's Birken Interactive Studio to launch an online film festival called The Savage Sideshow. A new film will appear every month for a year at www.atomfilms.com starting in November. Novice and experienced filmmakers are invited to submit their short films for consideration. Their work must be no longer than 30 minutes and can be submitted in four categories: narrative, documentary, animation and alternative. Winners will receive cash prizes, equipment and a chance to meet with entertainment professionals. For more information: Savagesideshow
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Spokesman-Review:
10/23/00
Ringing in DiCaprio's ears may be wedding bells

The latest buzz on Leonardo DiCaprio -- who's in Rome filming Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" -- is that his relationship with Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has taken a serious turn, reports Mr. Showbiz. London's Daily Mail claims the "Titanic" star recently got down on one knee with an extravagant platinum and diamond engagement ring, while others told the New York Daily News that they've seen Gisele slipping into designer wedding gowns.
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Montreal Gazette:
10/23/00
Model is sporting DiCaprio's ring

In Rome, they're saying Leonardo DiCaprio actually seems quite serious about Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen - and vice-versa. He's in Rome filming this new Martin Scorsese picture, Gangs of New York, and in a dispatch from there, the London Daily Mail says he actually got down on one knee, opened the little box with the diamond ring in it, and popped the question. And the New York Daily News says the lady has been seen trying on wedding gowns, and that Leo has spoken to the American embassy about the paperwork for a ceremony there. And both families have been invited to visit Italy the same weekend in November, somebody said. Leo's PR guy absolutely denies any wedding plans exist. Mind you, though, this is the same guy who denied for months and months that the two were dating
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TV Guide:
10/20/00
Vogue Fashion Awards

120 min. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and model Gisele Bundchen (Leo's gal pal) host the sixth annual gala from New York. Slated performers include Kid Rock, Destiny's Child, Macy Gray and Lenny Kravitz. Also expected: mini-fashion shows by Designer of the Year nominees Tom Ford for Gucci, Calvin Klein, Chloe by Stella McCartney, Prada and Versace.

Category: Fashion Release Year: 2000

Date Channel
Fri 20 9:00 PM VH1 VH1
Fri 20 11:00 PM VH1 VH1
Sat 21 1:00 PM VH1 VH1
Sat 21 10:00 PM VH1 VH1
Sun 22 7:00 PM VH1 VH1
Tue 24 4:30 PM VH1 VH1

Check your local listing
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Fox 411:
10/20/00
Leo Engaged? Yelled At by Director?

The rumors: Leonardo DiCaprio is engaged to marry model Gisele Bundchen. He was also recently yelled at on-set by director Martin Scorsese on the Italian stage of Gangs of New York. He's either too fat or too thin and is horsing around during working hours. The reality: All I know is that Scorsese is not the sort of director who invites confrontations. A couple of years ago, before filming Bringing out the Dead, he had to ask screenwriter Paul Schrader to tell Nicolas Cage to keep his performance restrained and not over the top. Scorsese literally took them both to a meal, stood up and said, "Paul has something to tell you." And left. So I doubt he yelled at Leo in public, if at all. A source close to Leo, one of his defenders, says since all the shooting has been at night, it's unlikely Leo's been cavorting off-set, or in Rome, during the wee hours. As for his engagement, and the rumor that Bundchen had a wedding gown fitted, please, someone: Who gets married in the middle of a grueling international shoot? If Leonardo DiCaprio ever gets married, it will be at Moomba, at midnight, with his pals Vincent LaResca, Jay Ferguson and Tobey Maguire as lads-in-waiting. One thing Leo could do while he's in Europe: catch a showing of Don's Plum, the movie he and Tobey made for pal director R. D. Robb, then sued to make sure it's never shown in the U.S. The international roll-out is underway
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NY Post:
10/20/00
"He's absolutely not engaged"

HERE ARE five statements about Leonardo DiCaprio that his rep says we can go to the bank with: "He's absolutely not engaged" ... "He's not partying" ... "Martin Scorsese did not scold him on the set of 'Gangs of New York'" ... "He looks terrific" ... "He's working out everyday." ... And he loves raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens! Of Leo's looks, we're told: "There's more of Leo, but it's not fat. He's a 25-year-old man now, not a boy. We should all be in such shape."
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NY Post:
10/20/00
Trading tales

THERE was deep skepticism over Leo DiCaprio's rumored wedding with Gisele Bundchen, and hardly anyone at eYada.com's first annual Gossip Summit believed that Meg Ryan is pregnant with Russell Crowe's spawn. But msnbc.com's Jeannette Walls wasn't backing off her latest scoop - that Anne Heche is infanticipating with her new beau, cameraman Coley Laffoon. "Anne really wanted to have a kid with Ellen, too," Walls quoted one source. "But Ellen wanted her to stay at home and give up her career. Coley is much more supportive." Heche's flack won't comment, but the other scribes at Shelly's New York were convinced it's true.
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Premiere:
10/20/00
Billy Elliot

Although his first taste of filmmaking was an often tedious experience-"The waiting was very boring," he says-he wants to keep at it. "It was great," Bell says. "I want to make more films." That much seems -likely. "Jamie Bell is a star," Daldry says. "[The media] is saying, 'This is the new Leonardo DiCaprio. ' " Yeah, but can Leo dance?

Full story
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The Mirror:
10/19/00
HAIR'S A TITANIC RING MY DARLING

IT was clearly a hair-raising moment for model Gisele Bundchen when love Leonardo DiCaprio gave her a large engagement ring. The 20-year-old Brazilian was spotted wearing her pounds 120,000 diamond and platinum bauble at a fashion show in Rome. Just three months ago she dumped Titanic star Leo, 25, but they were reunited within weeks.
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The Hollywood Reporter:
10/18/00
Mob boss goes straight

James Gandolfini, who won an Emmy for "The Sopranos," is in talks to star opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in DreamWorks' "Catch Me If You Can" for director Gore Verbinski. Scripted by Jeff Nathanson ("Rush Hour") and based on Frank Abagnale Jr.'s memoirs, "Catch Me" tells the real-life story of how an FBI agent caught one of the youngest men ever to make its 10 Most Wanted List. The fugitive, a con artist who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, a doctor, an assistant attorney general and a history professor, cashed more than $6 million in fraudulent checks in 26 foreign countries. Gandolfini would play the detective who tracks and captures the con artist (DiCaprio). Gandolfini is also fielding other film offers. Production on "Catch Me" is scheduled to start in February. Gandolfini is repped by Writers & Artists Agency. DiCaprio is repped by Artists Management Group.
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Mr. Showbiz:
10/18/00
Leo and Gisele Stir Wedding Rumors

Spies are watching Leo DiCaprio's every move in Rome, where the actor has been filming Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York. These so-called insiders have reportedly spotted him eating too much, partying too much, and spending too much. But the latest buzz on Leo is that his relationship with Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has taken a turn down the grown-up path. London's Daily Mail claims that Leo recently got down on one knee with a pricey platinum and diamond engagement ring, while others told the New York Daily News that they've seen Gisele slipping her long, tall bod into designer wedding gowns. No way, says Leo's rep, who is unambiguously denying any engagement brouhaha. What about the Daily News' tidbit involving DiCaprio supposedly asking the American consulate in Rome about wedding documents, as well as a rumor that both Gisele and Leo's families have been invited to visit Italy in November? Still no dice. Whether 25-year-old Leo is taking the plunge or not, just remember: Mr. Titanic and Ms. Supermodel have been known to fib via their publicists — the two spent months adamantly denying the fact that they were even dating.
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Excite News:
10/18/00
Gossip Columnists Gather To Dish

It sounds like a dream job: Hobnob with beautiful people. Show up at movie premieres and hot new restaurants. Get paid to chase stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Madonna. But here's the inside scoop: It isn't pretty. That was among the revelations that emerged Tuesday from a "gossip summit" held by online radio network eYada.com and attended by more than 20 gossip columnists and a smattering of B-list celebrities. The panelists - including Richard Johnson of the New York Post, George Rush and Joanna Molloy of the Daily News and syndicated columnist Liz Smith - talked about the lies publicity agents tell to keep clients' names out of the papers and whether they, as columnists, are friendly with the stars they cover. "Absolutely not," said Michael Musto of The Village Voice. "Meryl Streep does not call me and say, 'Let's go bowling tonight.' ... I don't have to reach that ethical point where I say, 'Should I go out with Julia Roberts tonight?"' The three-hour gathering took place in a noisy Manhattan restaurant and was Webcast live on eYada. Smith, participating by phone from her book tour, recalled Donald and Ivana Trump's divorce fondly. "It didn't do me any harm but I often say that it was the most important story I ever covered that didn't amount to a hill of beans," she said. "I mean in the end it was just about some rich people arguing over money. It was a lot of fun and it made newsstand sales go up about 50 percent." Dissecting the more recent breakup of Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres, Rush observed: "Of course everybody's wondering whether Anne is pregnant." Jeannette Walls of MSNBC.com said the couple, who had considered having children together, broke up partly because DeGeneres wanted Heche to stay home and raise them. Dr. Sean Keniff, better known as Sean from "Survivor," discussed the nature of fame as part of a panel of celebrities and near-celebrities. Keniff said he applied for "Survivor" thinking it would be cool to be famous. "I've been anonymous for the first 30 years of my life. You know, I've been there, done that. ... And you know what? It is cool. I used to go away for a weekend and nobody would call me. A three-day weekend, I'd get zero phone calls. And now I get like 30, 40 calls a day."
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LA Times:
10/17/00
Studio's Budget Concerns over Ali

Columbia Pictures' high-priority movie project starring box office heavyweight Will Smith as Muhammad Ali is on the ropes over big money squabbles. Several rounds into the fight, "Ali" is a bloody mess. Getting the life story of the legendary boxing champ to the screen is pitting Sony's Columbia Pictures against the film's high-profile director Michael Mann. Last week, a frustrated studio pulled the plug on the film. Columbia then agreed to consider an eleventh-hour plea from Mann Monday afternoon, delaying a final decision on the film's future...

...Columbia already had been trying to lay off a good portion of its financial risk on a foreign-rights partner. Serious discussions have been underway to sell the international rights to Initial Entertainment Group, which is helping to finance a number of high-profile movies, including Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz. But according to Initial's Chairman Graham King, no deal has been struck.

Full Story
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Entertaindom:
10/17/00
DECENT PROPOSAL

Heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio has reportedly proposed to stunning model girlfriend Gisele Bundchen -- because he feared losing her. The Hollywood hunk popped the question on one knee -- and with a $187,500 diamond and platinum ring. And the 20-year-old supermodel burst into tears of joy as she said yes, according to British newspaper The Daily Star. The pair have only told closest pals about the engagement and have sworn them to secrecy. Gisele, who commands up to $375,000 a day, gushed to pals, "I can't believe I'm engaged. Leo makes me so happy." The pair, who started seeing each other in spring this year, have had a stormy affair. Leo -- whose previous conquests include models Kate Moss and Kristen Zang -- was terrified at the idea of losing her. He said, "I don't know what I'd do if that happened. She's my everything." Earlier this year they were seen house-hunting in New York. But in July the catwalk star dumped him to return to billionaire ex-lover Joao-Paulo Diniz, 26, claiming she was sick of Leo's tantrums -- but they were back together within weeks. Leo popped the questions in Milan, Italy -- Gisele was there for the city's fashion week.
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MSNBC:
10/17/00
DiCaprio’s still a free agent

Good news for heartbroken Leonardo DiCaprio fans. A spokesman for the teen heartthrob denies British reports that the “Titanic” star got engaged to longtime girlfriend, Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen. “The star got down on one knee with a 125,000 [pound, about $182,000] platinum and diamond ring to pop the question to Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen,” according to one report, in London’s Sunday Mail. “Leo told pals that he wanted to make the occasion special. He filled her hotel suite with flowers and ordered a 300 [pound, about $438] bottle of champagne.” “Not true,” says DiCaprio’s spokesman. “Leo’s not engaged.” Gisele and Leo have certainly been enjoying each other’s company. DiCaprio is in Italy, filming “Gangs of New York,” and has been out partying into the wee hours and showing up late so often that Martin Scorsese reportedly chewed him out in front of the cast and crew.
###

NY Daily News:
10/17/00
Rumor Control No. 2

Are Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bundchen planning a Roman wedding? Fashionistas say the Brazilian supermodel has been trying on wedding dresses designed by Laura Biagiotti — and not just for a magazine shoot. DiCaprio, who's in Rome filming Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York," is said to have approached the American consulate there about documents needed for a wedding. Leo and Gisele have supposedly asked family members to join them in the Eternal City in November. The relatives are bound to have a jolly time considering that Leo and Gisele both have German ancestry. But it won't be a wedding, according to DiCaprio's rep, who insists: "They're not engaged!"
###

TV Guide:
10/16/00
TITANIC SETS SAIL ON NBC

Speaking of James Cameron, the Oscar winner's blockbuster Titanic will make its network premiere on NBC during November sweeps. The film will air on Nov. 26, Thanksgiving weekend, from 7 pm-11 pm and will be broadcast on HDTV format to four of NBC's owned-and-operated stations, including Los Angeles, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Chicago.
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NY Post:
10/16/00
LEO: bawled out.

LEO: bawled out. NO wonder Leonardo DiCaprio has been late for work on "Gangs of New York." The hard-partying heartthrob has been making the club scene in Rome with his supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bundchen. Director Martin Scorsese finally lashed out at Leo the other day with a "humiliating, 10-minute roasting in front of other actors, cameramen and stuntmen," reports the London Telegraph. Since then, red-faced Leo has been "punctualissimo."
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Variety:
10/16/00
Bart: Why is Harvey Weinstein smiling?

Harvey Weinstein doesn't seem to get it. When I ran into the Miramax Films co-chairman last week in this always frenetic city, a big grin was plastered on his broad face. He'd been racing around Italy, opening a new Nobu Restaurant with Robert De Niro in Milan, making the scene with a rail-thin Leonardo DiCaprio in Rome (local gossip reported that Leonardo had become rotund, apparently confusing the two). Along the way, he'd found time to supervise several Miramax movies shooting around Europe including the $85 million period epic, "Gangs of New York." Happy Harvey seems oblivious to the fact that, by all accounts, he should be in a funk. After all, the market for arthouse movies is collapsing, the audience for European-made films has all but vanished and "culture warriors" like Lynne Cheney are singling him out as a prime culprit in making the edgy movies that are poisoning society. Harvey's reaction seems to be: What, me worry? Ask him about these portents and he has a ready answer. On the pressure from Washington: "The movie industry deserved a slap in the face. We've been doing some things in marketing our films that we shouldn't be doing. I have a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old and I'm sensitive to these issues." But he adds: "That doesn't mean I'm going to change the content and character of our films. We just have to be more ingenious in selling them." At the same time, he feels the R rating must be split into two categories so that "Shakespeare in Love" isn't lumped with films that are grotesquely violent. On the market for art films: "I believe there's a big future for European movies. If not, I wouldn't be spending half my time over here working my butt off." The problems are fairly clear, he says. The major studios have exhibited "a homerun mentality" in running their new classics divisions, thinking another "The Full Monty" is right around the corner. Further, too many films have been battling for too small a market share. "But most of all, the quality is not there," he says. "We just have to strive to make better, more provocative films. When you succeed, the potential audience is bigger than ever. Witness 'Life Is Beautiful' grossing $150 million and 'Il Postino' $100 million." No one can claim Harvey isn't trying. He's personally involved in a wide range of films shooting in Europe including Giuseppe Tornatore's "Malena," which he's co-producing; "Heaven" directed by Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola, Run"), based on a script by the late Krzysztof Kieslowski, which Anthony Minghella is producing; and "Chocolat," a film directed by Lasse Hallstrom. There's also a Nicole Kidman thriller, "The Others," shooting in Spain, a John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love") movie, which recently wrapped in England -- a co-venture with Universal and Working Title -- and "Four Feathers," a co-production with Paramount lensing in Morocco. Shooting in Europe is never easy, Harvey acknowledges. The Mafia burned down the set of his Tornatore film in Sicily because he neglected to employ the services of a favored company supplying extras -- a mistake he doesn't plan to repeat. And Europe is no longer a bargain; witness the mother of all Miramax movies, "Gangs of New York," helmed by Martin Scorsese. Harvey is a regular on the intricate period set of this saga, presently in its fourth week at Cinecitta Studios outside of Rome. The movie stars DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz. Harvey and Scorsese even persuaded Daniel Day-Lewis to set aside his newfound career as a Tuscan shoemaker to play a key role. No press visits have been allowed on the set. Indeed, security is so tight that all sorts of rumors have been spawned, suggesting that the movie is already way behind schedule, that Scorsese and Harvey are battling over the script and that Leonardo has become a fatty. They're all nonsense, insists Harvey: "The movie is turning out so great I have to pinch myself." To be sure, this was a film Harvey had hoped to shoot at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he had planned to build a studio until, he says, "Mayor Giuliani did a 180 360 on me." Then, too, a brief location visit by Tom Cruise a couple of weeks ago proved costly. "He agreed with Marty that we should build another set -- a cathedral, no less. I had opposed it, hoping we could re-dress an existing set. So now we've built it and it's known as St. Thomas Cathedral in honor of Cruise." If Harvey seems good-natured in defeat, it's because he loves the process. What has always set him apart from virtually all of the other studio executives is his passion for films and filmmaking. He wants so desperately for his movies to work that sometimes it seems as though he actually wills them to success. And that, in the end, is why Harvey is Happy.
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JAM Showbiz:
10/16/00
Moby can't stand still

Oh, Lordy! Whatever you do, don't ask Moby about those wonderful vintage blues-gospel field recordings of African-Americans he used to perfection on his 1999 modern classic Play. Seems the New York-based musician -- who came across them in his local record store -- has nothing more to say. "I've done probably between 2,500 and 3,000 interviews since the album was released and I'd say a good healthy majority of those have asked me that question," says the DJ-producer-multi-instrumentalist down the line from a tour stop in Detroit. "I know it's a valid question but I've heard it so many times and the answer is so boring. What motivates the question, I understand, is that there's cultural legacy and historical significance that the vocals have. I wasn't aware of that when I was using them. I just used them because they sounded nice." Good move, given Play has sold five million copies worldwide -- including going double platinum in Canada (200,000 copies) -- and made Moby music's man-of-the-moment. A unique blend of hip-hop beats, soothing ambient rhythms, and the aforementioned vocals, the album -- released in 1999 -- took off only after every song was sold for commercial use. Maybe you heard Find My Baby while Tiger Woods teed off for American Express, or Porcelain in the Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Beach? "It wasn't part of the plan," says Moby, 35, who plays a sold-out show at the Warehouse tonight. "But you know people approached us from movie companies and TV companies and commercial companies, and they wanted to use the music and the record company agreed because it seemed like a way of exposing the music to people. We didn't expect this record to be a success." And while this corporate approach might seem at odds with Moby's staunch environmental, vegan and anti-drug stances, he didn't really have much of a choice. "The record company are the ones who own the recordings so it's really their prerogative where and how they're used," he explains. "I mean, I have a say in it, but if they chose to ignore me they can. But, for the most part, I gave them my blessing, as long as the music I've made was not used to sell tobacco products or animal products." Unbelievably, Moby has been on tour since March 1999 and won't wrap up until December, with a performance at the Nobel Prize award ceremonies. Still, he doesn't sound like he's going to take a break any time soon. "The idea of time off is anathema to me," says Moby, who played in punk rock bands as a teenager before turning to DJ-ing in the house music rave scene. "And I hate time off. My feeling is there will be plenty of time off when I die. Nothing makes me as happy as doing work. Working is the focus of my life. I don't feel the need to take a break from it." So, naturally, he is already working on his follow-up to Play. "I have a guitar with me and I try to write songs in my hotel rooms. But as far as them being any good, I just don't know. I have no idea but I have an awful lot of little ideas right now. I just want a nice album with nice songs."
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10/15/00
"ENGAGEMENT WITH DICAPRIO DOESN'T EXIST"

"ENGAGEMENT WITH DICAPRIO DOESN'T EXIST" GISELE BUNDCHEN SAYS. The Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen guarantees that she is not Titanic actor Leonardo DiCaprio's fiancee. Through her press spokesperson, Gisele said that the story published by the British newspaper Daily Star is the "worse balloon (??)" that was ever written about the two. The report gave details of a party during which the actor presented the beautiful woman with an engagement ring worth U.S. $125,000. "An engagement with DiCaprio doesn't exist, nor a ring. All those quotes in the story were invented. If anyone is interested, I am only 20 years old and I neither intend to marry or get engaged so early", Gisele said through her press advisor. About a supposed courtship with the actor, the model wouldn't discuss. Through the spokesman she said she didn't want to make public details of her personal life. In the newspaper story, the model supposedly said that she couldn't believe that she was engaged and that Leo made her very happy during the supposed party.
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Daily Star:
10/14/00
Leo pops question by Peter Dyke

HEART throb Leonardo DiCaprio has proposed to stunning girlfriend Gisele Bundchen - because he feared losing her. The Hollywood star popped the question on one knee - and with a £125,000 diamond and platinum ring. And the 20-year-old Brazilian supermodel burst into tears of joy as she said yes. The pair have told only closest pals about the engagement and sworn them to secrecy. Leo, 25, repeated his famous phrase from the film Titanic when he told friends: "I'm the king of the world. Gisele's the sexiest woman I've ever met and I'm madly in love with her." Gisele, who commands up to £250,000 a day, gushed to pals: "I can't believe I'm engaged. Leo makes me so happy." The pair, who started seeing each other in spring this year, have had a stormy affair. Leo - whose previous conquests include models Kate Moss and Kristen Zang - was terrified at the idea of losing her. He said: "I don't know what I'd do if that happened. She's my everything." Earlier this year they were seen house-hunting in New York. But in July the catwalk star dumped him to return to billionaire ex-lover Joao-Paulo Diniz, 26, claiming she was sick of Leo's tantrums. But within weeks they were back together. Leo popped the question in Milan. Gisele was there for the city's fashion week and he was in Rome working on a film with director Martin Scorsese. He dashed to Gisele's hotel suite, filled it flowers and ordered a £300 bottle of champagne. When she returned, Leo got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. Back at the fashion show, she flashed her six-carat engagement sparkler to fellow catwalk stars. One fashion insider said: "It's a lovely ring. A lot of the girls are envious that she's hooked Leo but they're very happy for her. They make a great couple."
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Yahoo News:
10/14/00
Titanic Star Winslet Gives Birth to Girl

British actress Kate Winslet has given birth to a baby girl, Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reported on Saturday. The 25-year-old, who starred alongside U.S. actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the hit movie ``Titanic,'' gave birth to a daughter on Thursday, the paper said. Both mother and daughter are doing well, the paper added. In August the actress and husband Jim Threapleton, 26, moved into a $1.17 million riverside home in southern England. Winslet now plans to take a break from her acting career to bring up her daughter, the Daily Mail reported. In March Winslet said she had no fears about motherhood disrupting her movie career. ``I've never been one for changing what is real in order to make my career buzz,'' she said. ``My career comes second. There are some actors who do back-to-back jobs and are anxious when others are in the limelight. That's not me,'' she added. Winslet met her film director husband on the set of the movie ``Hideous Kinky'' in 1997. The couple were married in November 1998.
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IMDB:
10/13/00
Dicaprio Publicly Humiliated By Scorsese

Leonardo DiCaprio was forced to humiliatingly apologise to the whole crew of his new film Gangs of New York, The (2001) - for being late. The movie's director Martin Scorsese ranted at Leo for ten minutes after he turned up late because he went clubbing until the early hours with his stunning supermodel girlfriend Gisele in Rome, where the flick is being shot. Leo, after being dressed down in front of all the cast and crew, was forced to apologise to them for turning up on set late.
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10/12/00
All new chat makes public debut

The all new chat room on the Official DiCaprio site is now open. Yesterday was the first day for the redesigned chat and in my opinion it's much better than the old software. This is currently the scheduled times for the chat. Monday and Wednesday 3-5, Thursday 12-2 all time pacific standard time.

Here are just some of the features available with the new chat software:

 Once your in the room you can select from several icon's to display by your name.

 You can customize the font size, background colors, sounds of the chat window.

 You can setup a profile for yourself. This will allow others to view information about you like real name, age, sex, URL of homepage, e-mail address.

 Flagging this feature allows you to select messages by chatters you don't want to miss. The flag will display the message in Red and make an audible sound when displayed on the screen

 Private chat (Currently not up yet) Allows you to send a private message to any other chatter in the room.

 Room size The current room allows up to 100 chatters in a single room.

 Multiple rooms (Not yet setup) Rooms on different topics can be setup by the Chat Master allowing chatters to keep within a certain topic

 Easy to read. Anyone familiar with the old chat room and had trouble keeping pace with the conversation (Like me) should really enjoy the feel of the new room.

The staff is still working on getting the old User ID and passwords working. Overall I give the new chat software a BIG thumbs up. The re-designed look of the Official site and the chat room has been a long time coming.

It's about time the site was changed and I'm looking forward to more changes in the weeks and months ahead. Checkout the new page here.

Official Site

Steve

IMDB:
10/11/00
Day-Lewis Butchers New Role

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is learning the bloody art of butchery as character research for his latest film role as a murderer. He will join fellow screen sizzlers Leonardo DiCaprioand Cameron Diaz in Martin Scorsese's new film, Gangs of New York, The (2001). Staff from a butchers in Peckham, London, have been flown out to Italy and given the task of teaching Daniel how to wield a meat clever. A tutor to the meaty star says, "I've spent a lot of time with Daniel and he is a very good pupil."
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Ain't It Cool News:
10/11/00
LEO’S MAKING QUITE A CATCH!!

And now for some names that might not be familiar. Jeff Nathanson. Barry Kemp. Devorah Moss-Hakin. Gore Verbinski. You may know one of them or maybe even a few of them, but at first glance, this film would seem to be an odd inclusion in this article. Wes Anderson, PT Anderson, Steven Spielberg, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Barry Sonnenfeld... even Dave Barry is a more recognizable name. All that’s going to change, though, by the time CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is released by Dreamworks. For one thing, Leonardo DiCaprio has signed on to star in the film as Frank Abagnale, Jr. For another thing, Dreamworks is releasing Verbinski’s THE MEXICAN next year, and the buzz that’s building on that film is amazing. Wouldn’t surprise me. I thought Verbinski’s MOUSEHUNT was underrated, a dark and witty little bit of fun. I still regret the fact that he didn’t get to make THE SKY IS FALLING, a completely out of control script by Eric Singer. His sensibilities struck me as setting him in the same class as David Fincher and Spike Jonze, video filmmakers who had become truly individual directors. I figured it was just a matter of finding a great piece of material. And CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is exactly that piece of material. Jeff Nathanson is the screenwriter, and it was developed by Bungalow 78 Productions. They were the people behind COACH on television, but they’ve had a quiet little film division chugging along for a while now. This is the biggest thing they’ve ever been attached to, and it’s proof that there’s nothing more important than having a great story to tell. This isn’t some clever twist of an idea like "dinosaurs are cloned for an amusement park" or some star vehicle that’s just been cobbled together. It’s just an amazing story that will both entertain and astonish people. It’s an easy sell, too. Just tell people the bare bones details about the true story and they’ll be hooked. I’m actually amazed that no one has done a film about Frank Abagnale before now. After reading this script, I’m dying to pick up the recent book about him and find out more. He was the youngest person ever put on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. He posed as a pilot and few millions of free miles all over the world. He forged payroll checks and bank deposit slips and personal checks, and he was the most succcessful bank robber in US history, all without ever using a gun. He was the head of a pediatrics unit, posing as a doctor, and he was an assistant district attorney in New Orleans. And all of this was before he was eighteen years old. The script is surprisingly funny and doesn’t feel like a film based on true events. There’s none of the formal stuffiness that can kill a project like this. It’s not THE HURRICANE, overly serious and too aware of itself. Instead, Nathanson has wisely placed the focus of the film on the bizarre relationship that developed between Abagnale and Joe Shaye, the FBI agent who tirelessly pursued him around the world. One of the moments that most delighted audiences in THE FUGITIVE was the brief face-to-face between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, whose dry delivery of the single line "I don’t care" practically won him his Oscar. There’s a similar beat here, one I actually prefer, a scene where Shaye surprises Abagnale in a hallway, and Abagnale somehow talks Shaye into letting him walk away. It’s funny and it’s heartstoppingly tense and it’s perfectly balanced. From that point forward, the two men antagonize one another in any way possible, maintaining a friendly chase. I’m not going to give away the mechanics of the plot here, since it’s just so much fun to watch unfold. I love movies in which someone is scamming someone else, and the scam is laid out, explained in loving detail. Abagnale was a bit of a genius, and Nathanson manages to etch in a solid, believable reason for Frank’s moral evolution without ever judging Frank. He’s good at what he does, and the thrill is undeniable. Shaye’s no bumbler, either. He’s a bit of a maverick, pushing the FBI fraud division to think outside the box, to be smarter in the way they pursue suspects. He does some damn fine detective work in the movie. It’s refreshing to read a script where we’re allowed to just enjoy the characters without having heavy-handed judgements about them imposed on us. The result is a piece where we are drawn to both main characters for the same reasons: passion, intelligence, determination. Whoever steps in to play Joe Shaye is going to be stepping into a duet that he’s going to have to share with DiCaprio. I hope whoever it is creates a dynamic where they’re both pushed to do stronger work than ever before. The opportunity for greatness from cast, director, and all involved is certainly there.
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The Telegraph:
10/11/00
Finding your core strength

A fitness regime drawing on yoga, gymnastics and circus skills helps ease stress, reports Barbara Lantin...

...While it is the year's most talked-about exercise regime, Pilates has been around for the best part of a century. It was devised by a German, Joseph Pilates, who drew on yoga, gymnastics, dance, self-defence, circus skills and weight-training, partly in order to fight his own ill health. Despite having been a frail and sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, he lived to 87 and died in New York in 1967. For many years, dancers - including Martha Graham and George Balanchine - were his most enthusiastic followers, seeing Pilates as a way to become strong and centred without building bulk. Today, Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna and Jodie Foster are among the regime's devotees. Tennis player Pat Cash and former fashion designer Helen Storey have used it to fight back problems.

Full story
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LA Times:
10/11/00
New Life for Old-Time Health Therapy

While everyone in the beauty industry is searching for the next big thing to titillate pampered clients, the folks at Kneipp are happy to rest on the laurels of their decidedly not-new wellness formulations and regimens. Kneipp therapy is based on the teachings of the 19th century cleric, Sebastian Kneipp (pronounced Kuh-nipe), known as the "father of wellness" or the "father of preventive medicine." The pillars of Kneipp's teachings combined water and plant therapies with exercise, nutrition and emotional harmony as solutions for health and longevity...

..."In Europe, we're quite large," said Joella M. Bury, managing director for Kneipp Corp. of America, a fully owned subsidiary of Kneipp-Werke of Germany. "But in the U.S., we're smaller." That could change soon. Some big celebrities are already familiar with Kneipp herbal remedies, including Leonardo DiCaprio, George Hamilton, Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer.

Full story
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MSNBC:
10/10/00
Roberts is No. 1 star

“Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts ranks as the film industry’s most bankable performer, and “the only woman guaranteed to open a movie on her name alone,” according to the just-published “James Ulmer’s Hollywood Hot List.” Ulmer is a former Premiere magazine columnist. Ranking No. 2 behind Roberts, reportedly the first woman to gain admission to the so-called $20 million club of Hollywood’s highest-paid stars, is Tom Hanks, followed by Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis. These five stars Ulmer ranks as A-plus are those “whose marquee value alone can trigger financing for a film, even if there is no script, director or co-stars attached. They can also virtually guarantee strong ticket sales for the movie’s opening weekend — the Holy Grail of feature film distribution.” Rounding out the top 10 are John Travolta, Brad Pitt, Meg Ryan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith.
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FOX News:
10/10/00
Brits Back in Biz With Billy

Billy Elliot is about to take the stage, and all of Britain is behind him. Indeed, the low-budget picture, about a working-class boy who wants to be a ballet dancer, is being counted on to kick start the British film industry. Billy is even being mentioned in the same breath as Four Weddings and a Funeral, the film that spurred a Brit-flick renaissance six years ago. While observers don't believe the film will hit the box office heights of The Full Monty or Notting Hill, critics have tapped Billy to continue the streak of Oscar-honored U.K. flicks that has included Secrets & Lies, The Full Monty and Elizabeth. The picture, originally called Dancer, but retitled to avoid confusion with Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark, cost $4 million less than Four Weddings and has grossed $4.2 million in its first week of U.K. release. It opens in New York and Los Angeles Oct. 13, and in other U.S. cities later in the month. Universal Focus, the newly formed art-house arm of Universal Pictures, is hopeful its first release will be an Oscar contender. Advance reviews have already praised Billy's 14-year-old star, newcomer Jamie Bell, who director Stephen Daldry (also a feature first-timer) has compared favorably to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Full story
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TV Guide:
10/10/00
Gisele: Love Shack

Leonardo DiCaprio is really loving Milan fashion week. The actor, who's filming a movie with Martin Scorsese in Rome, is in town while his galpal, Gisele Bundchen, struts her stuff on the runways. But the real action is backstage, in the swank hotel penthouse the pair are sharing for the duration. Meanwhile, Bundchen, who's been criticized for demanding exorbitant fees, walked in Narciso Rodriguez's show for a paltry $4,000
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Voila News:
10/9/00
Leo's success will not include perfume

He might be flattered but actor Leonardo DiCaprio does not want a Brazilian perfume to bear his name, his lawyers said. Lawyers for the actor have asked local perfume maker Adega Perfumada to pull its DiCaprio brand registration from the Brazilian Intellectual Property Institute, local media reported. The perfumer based in Paraba state requested registry of the brand back in 1998. But the actor's attorneys, in a 70-page complaint signed by the star of films such as "Titanic", "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "Romeo and Juliet", filed suit seeking to stop the use of his name. "Our lawyers have told us we could fight the suit, but this would be a multimillion dollars lawsuit. How are we going to fight against someone who makes 20 million dollars a film?" asked Adega president Estella Baggio, who runs 160 perfume shops across Brazil.
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LA Times:
10/9/00
Julia Roberts Tops "Star Power" List

"Pretty Woman" Julia Roberts ranks as the film industry's most bankable performer, and "the only woman guaranteed to open a movie on her name alone," according to a just-published guide to Hollywood star power. Roberts, the star of such box office hits as "Pretty Woman," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Notting Hill" and "Erin Brockovich," is No. 1 among five "A-plus" stars topping "James Ulmer's Hollywood Hot List," published by St. Martin's Press. Ranking No. 2 behind Roberts, reportedly the first woman to gain admission to the so-called $20 million club of Hollywood's highest-paid stars, are Tom Hanks, followed by Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis. According to the author, former Premiere magazine columnist James Ulmer, the five stars he ranks as A-plus are those "whose marquee value alone can trigger financing for a film, even if there is no script, director or co-stars attached. They can also virtually guarantee strong ticket sales for the movie's opening weekend -- the Holy Grail of feature film distribution." Rounding out the top 10 on the Hot List are John Travolta at No. 6, followed by Brad Pitt, Meg Ryan Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith. Reflecting the speed with which the landscape of Tinseltown changes, portions of the 250-page guide, first published in September, are already out of date. The entry for Russell Crowe, ranked No. 54, contains a reference to his summer blockbuster "Gladiator" as "just a Roman ruin." And the entry for Dennis Quaid (No. 178), who recently filed for divorce from actress wife Meg Ryan, refers to his "strong" marriage to Ryan as a personal attribute. The rankings in the book are compiled from an industry scorecard that Ulmer has produced for several years as a crib sheat for studio executives, producers, agents and directors. Ulmer said his scale in ranking a performer's "star power," or bankability, goes beyond the commercial success of their past films. Based on box office alone, Carrie Fisher would rank as the world's highest-grossing female star -- her 14 films have collectively raked in $1.4 billion, most of that from the "Star Wars" movies. But she is hardly regarded as the force behind the huge success of "Star Wars," Ulmer says. Fisher doesn't even make the cut for the top 200 on the Hot List. Along with box office, the bankability of actors reflects their ability to promote their films, how well they manage their careers and their professional conduct on and off the set. Talent matters, too. Of the top 10 performers on the Hot List, only one -- Tom Hanks -- has won an Academy Award for acting. He earned Oscars for "Forrest Gump" and "Philadelphia." Five others were nominated, and Mel Gibson won Oscars as director and producer of "Braveheart." Notwitstanding the tremendous clout wielded by Roberts, whose last five films grossed more than $100 million each in the United States, Ulmer noted that female stars remain at a relative disadvantage compared to men. He attributes this, in part, to the fact that women "suffer shorter shelf lives as marquee stars than men do."
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NY Post:
10/6/00
GISELE: love shack

LEONARDO DiCaprio is really loving Milan fashion week. The actor, who's filming a movie with Martin Scorsese in Rome, is in town while his galpal, Gisele Bundchen, struts her stuff on the runways. But the real action is backstage, in the swank hotel penthouse the pair are sharing for the duration. Meanwhile, Bundchen, who's been criticized for demanding exorbitant fees, walked in Narciso Rodriguez's show for a paltry $4,000.
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Official DiCaprio Web Site:
10/5/00
BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG

Start spreading the news. Leonardo DiCaprio is getting ready to start filming Gangs of New York. So he's gone to make it big in the Big Apple has he? Think again. Start spreading the news, he's leaving to Rome. Yea, Rome, Italy. Odd choice right? Actually, wrong. As I found out, the movie takes place in the mid 19th century, a time and place historians say present day Rome resembles way more than today's New York. Interesting enough concept, given that New York is in a way today's answer to the city of ancient Rome, the city that never sleeps, the United Nations headquarters, all around booming mad metropolis that it is.

But New York in the 1850's was drastically different than it is today. Ridden with political corruption and moral decay, old New York was more like…modern day Washington. Just kidding, way worse, with Gangs of Italian and Irish immigrants running the ghetto streets of grime gurgling neighborhoods with lowly names like The Bowery. Throw into the mix the impending Civil War draft, the fight for equal rights and a young man with a humongous side of beef to pick with his father's killer and you've got the ingredients for the film.

Co-starring in the pic are Daniel Day Lewis, Cameron Diaz, and Liam Neeson, with Martin Scorsese at the helm. From all reports, DiCaprio is rehearsing with the cast and shall begin actual filming mid-September. We at Birkenzine will no doubt keep you informed with the progress of the movie and even feature some behind the scenes moments.
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E! Online ~ Letters to Ted Casablanca:
10/5/00
Dear Ted:

So, Leo D. was into some celebrated creature in a way even your lawyer says was in the worst possible taste? What could he possibly have done? Was the creature even human, or was Leo dabbling outside his species? And who's your lawyer--Barnaby Jones? Alicia West Hollywood

Dear Alicia: That's between me, Leo and the goat. Puh-leez. If I didn't tell you then, why would I tell you now?
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Cleveland Live:
10/4/00
When in Rome

Robert Corna Jr., whose 11-minute film "Stool Pigeons" will be in the Ohio Film Festival, is in Italy helping to make a Martin Scorsese feature. "The Gangs of New York," starring Leonardo DiCaprio , is said to be about five times less expensive to produce in Rome’s vast Mussolini-built studio, Cinecitta, than in the film’s title city. Corna, 28, a Bay Village native, is a production assistant who serves as a liaison between film actors and producers

Full story
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Entertaindom:
10/4/00
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

Leonardo DiCaprio's romance with Gisele Bundchen is on shaky ground -- thanks to Matthew McConaughey. When DiCaprio was out of town, his model girlfriend went to a party in Malibu and met McConaughey. Before long he got her alone in a private part of the house, and entertained her with stories about Texas. He told her all about his favorite motivational book "The Greatest Salesman In The World." When DiCaprio confronted Gisele she told him she didn't want a jealous, possessive boyfriend. Now the "Titanic" heartthrob is filming in Rome, and pals say he's miserable because he's afraid to leave her alone.
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NY Daily News:
10/4/00
Spike Makes His Point on Race

The highly controversial nature of Spike Lee's latest film, "Bamboozled," didn't stop stars from turning out for the premiere of the movie Monday night at the Ziegfeld Theater. Prince, Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith and Johnnie Cochran were among the many celebs in the audience. Before the film began, Lee talked about his difficulty getting the project off the ground. Spike says that one company told him: "If you can get Will Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio for scale, we'll give you $6 million to make it." "I usually get $25 million a film," Spike notes

Full story
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SF Gate:
10/3/00
Alba Gives `Angel' A Fighting Chance

What an entrance. Jessica Alba materializes on ``Dark Angel'' sitting precariously on the lip of Seattle's sky-high Space Needle. The structure has gone to seed -- it's the year 2019, and times are tough --but the 19-year-old star is in peak bloom. She's dressed in skintight black microfiber. She's sleek, with full lips, black curly hair and dark, haunted eyes. Alba's looks are racially ambiguous -- her bloodlines are Mexican and Northern European, but she'd keep you guessing -- and while the show is set in the future, everything about Alba says Right Now. TV may not have a perfect new show for the fall, but it does offer an ideal babe for the aughts. ``Dark Angel'' is produced by James Cameron (``Titanic''). With that first shot of Alba, he gives her a signature shot akin to Leonardo DiCaprio spread-eagled at the prow of the Titanic. If only the show were as fully spectacular as its star. ``Dark Angel'' isn't a misfire, exactly, but there is a whiff of the overly familiar in its futuristic, sci-fi premise

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Bergen Report:
10/2/00
Lee sticks his neck out with 'Bamboozled

Like him or loathe him, one thing we can all agree on is this: Spike Lee has got guts. With his new film, "Bamboozled," Lee breaks all previous records for chutzpah. The movie stars Damon Wayans as Pierre Delacroix, a struggling TV comedy writer ordered to come up with a hit. His subsequent sitcom pitch, "Mantan and His New Millennium Minstrel Show," wins the approval of a grateful television network. The show stars two black actors in blackface -- Savion Glover plays Mantan, a tap-dancing fool, and Tommy Davidson is his wisecracking sidekick, Sleep 'N Eat -- and soon, their weekly televised foray into the watermelon patch, accompanied by music from the Alabama Porch Monkeys and dancing from every African-American stereotype made flesh, becomes a nationwide smash. "Mantan"-crazed fans of all colors take to wearing blackface, and soon, Delacroix, surrounded in his office by dozens of knickknacks harking back to a less politically correct time, is winning industry awards and bowing and shuffling to the delight of his peers and the television audience.

Like it or loathe it, "Bamboozled" is likely to be Lee's most provocative film in years, both for dredging up nauseating stereotypes of yesterday and for what it says about the entertainment industry today. We caught up with the beehive-busy Lee at the Madison Avenue offices of SpikeDDB, his advertising agency. Contrary to his sometimes querulous public image -- fueled by his highly visible high jinks as a Knicks courtside season-ticket holder -- Lee was affable and candid. Like Spike or loathe him, he remains an important cultural critic, someone with the guts to remark on the emperor's lack of designer clothing.

The Record: How much opposition to "Bamboozled" did you encounter from the film studios?

Lee: This is my 15th feature film, and aside from the very first, "She's Gotta Have It," for which I raised $175,000 by myself, this was the hardest film to get made. Hollywood is very funny, because they never just want to say no, because they know that OK, I don't like this one, but down the line I don't want to mess up my relationship with Spike Lee. They'll say, "Spike, if you can get Will Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio to work for scale, then we'll make it for $8 million." Which is kind of like saying, "If you can walk to the moon, and come back, then we'll make the film." Then New Line Cinema stepped up, and we knew we'd have to do it for a price. So we committed to bring it in for under $10 million.

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This is London:
10/2/00
Nocturnal habit of the real Imogen

BOOKS: We're back from summer holidays, autumn's arrived and the new term is starting. Not the back-to-school with a new pencil-case term, but the launch partygoer's (with a new handbag). In case you hadn't noticed, the New Season begins in September. The old-fashioned Henley, Ascot, Derby, big-hat, fat-picnic season has nothing on it. I'm talking about the paparazzi-fuelled, PR-led scene of shop openings such as the recent Burberry shindig, film premieres such as Guy Ritchie's Snatch, plus the occasional book launch (a good opener was Simon Sebag Montefiore's do at the English Speaking Union). With the stiff laminates cascading onto your doormat of a morning, and the annual virulent outbreak of competitive social butterfly syndrome sweeping across London, how can a girl attend all these events and come out the other side with friends, relationships and some sort of dignity still intact? First of all the most important thing is to know your party. Take it from me, there is nothing worse, having torn yourself away from a delicious night in with the telly, than to waste your whole evening listening to a load of artists - fresh from their garden shed - recite ambient poetry in the smoking-free zone of the British Library. Study those invites carefully. In broad terms, requests for the pleasure of your company can be divided into three groups - the book launch, the fashionable boutique opening and the film premiere. Although currently in the throes of a revamp, book launches tend to be marked by the high population of erudite old men slightly the worse for their five-course liquid lunch at the Beefsteak. Usually held in a shop, offering up all-night-garage fayre such as crisps, twiglets and cheesy Wotsits, book launches are also famous for their heavily oaked wine box. A one-way ticket to a violent hangover, the twiglet/wine box combination usually leads to some sort of paralytic dinner in an over-priced Italian restaurant somewhere in Marylebone. One rung up in the fun stakes is the boutique opening. Invariably held in the shop they are celebrating, peopled by overly thin women with smooth hair and high heels, the canapés (themed) in ever more bizarre combinations are generally served by semi-naked men. The celeb count for these events can be high, with models, their music biz friends and proxy famous wives who shop a lot, all turning up. It's the stuffed goodie bags full of free perfume, sunglasses and Nicky Clarke hair products that lure them off their sofas. However it's the film premiere invites that should go to the front of your mantelpiece. With more money than sense and a long list of drinks sponsors embossed along the bottom of their invitations, only at a film premiere party would I have got to talk to Gwyneth Paltrow while resting my fist in a giant vat of caviar. Or, somewhat the worse for free vodka, chased after Leonardo DiCaprio with two oranges stuffed down my Wonderbra.

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Abstract Art
10/1/00
Matthew McConaughey may be moving in on Leo's action with Gisele

September 30, 2000 - The Star is reporting that Matthew McConaughey may be moving in on Leo's action with Gisele. Apparently Gisele went to a party and ended up in a room alone with Matthew. When Leo confronted Gisele about this, she fumed that she didn't want a jealous possessive boyfriend. Apparently now that he's in Rome, Leo's depressed since he can't keep an eye on her.
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