A secret source has confided in me that a windstorm of talent, known as The Divine Miss M, will be arriving in Miami to judge American Idol wannabee’s tomorrow.

I can not definitely comfirm it at this time, but the info is reliable enough for me to print this. If it turns out to be wrong, so what, I’m Perez Hilton! (ewwww!)

Love, Mister D

PS: Thank you oh mystery (wo)man!!!

I also got an email from Art, who obviously was trying to cheer me up post-surgery. At least that’s how I’m going to take it! He found out that Bette’s star is not under ANY fire hydrants but right across from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. What a relief. And Art, while you were down there, did you clean it???

(Photo: Art relaxing after cleaning Bette’s star!)

Jenifer Lewis (Bette’s friend and ex-Harlette) joins the growing ranks of those with BiPolar Disorder. This was talked about on Oprah yesterday. Thanks for sending this in Mark. See more by Clicking Here And many thanks to Ms. Lewis for bringing more attention to this.

Love, Mister D

Bette Midler, Meg Ryan and Annette Bening film ‘The Women’ in Georgetown

By Sally Applegate/Correspondent
GateHouse News Service
Wed Sep 26, 2007, 04:24 PM EDT

——————————————————————————–

How do you sneak three major Hollywood stars into and out of town to work for two days without being overrun by curious residents? Quietly. Very, very quietly — down a narrow, low-profile dirt road.

For the first time ever, a Hollywood film studio has used Georgetown as the setting for a film. Camp Leslie was pressed into service as the set for a women’s ashram in the Berkshires in the upcoming film revival of “The Women.”

Rumors started buzzing around Georgetown when the parking lot at Rock Pond Restaurant filled up with large white trailers last week. A car show? A camping expedition? What was that “TW” on each trailer?

When small yellow signs marked “Set” and “Crew” showed up at Camp Leslie and at St. Mary’s Church, people realized someone was filming something. People called friends to find out if anyone knew anything.

It turned out that a remake of the 1939 film “The Women,” starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Debra Messing, Eva Mendes and Jada Pinkett Smith, had come to town to film.

Unit publicist David Linck, who worked as publicist for the films “Three Men and a Baby,” “City Slickers,” “American Beauty,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “Talladega Nights,” called Georgetown a good fit for the film.

“Camp Leslie is quiet and rustic, but right next to a major road, and close to I-95,” said Linck. “The lodge has a beautiful view overlooking a lake. It fit with the script.” Continued…

Mister D:

Hey Fingers and Toes (you decide which is which):

(ArtWork: Thanks Da’Vi)

I am going into foot surgery tomorrow (Tuesday 25th) to be sawed, hammered, and metalicized into some form of bionic fag…Let’s just put it this way…don’t mess with me or else you’ll find your ass kicked over a football goal. My pleasure! (just please don’t let me see that “Saw” puppet while under the knife!)

I’ll probably be indisposed for at least a day or two and reveling in the state of mind I’ll be in from the painkillers given me, but I’ll be back online within 24 hours Housebound for about 4 weeks and then I’m all new and improved.

I wanted to let you know that the “Scrapbook 4 BetteHeads” has been updated…hopefully for the better. I’ll be playing around with it and you guys play around with it. We’ll learn together. You should be able to send e-cards with them, rate them, make comments, and maybe more. Just be patient and work with me here.

I’m hoping, while I have the time, to change out music and polls, plus some other minor type features that you may not even care about.

While I have your attention, some subscribers are using their school or company email addresses which are bouncing. If you read this on BLB and you didn’t get this as an email….well, you’re one of the ones. You might want to think about hitting up Gmail or Yahoo…any of the free email accounts.

I’m still struggling with balancing time between BLB and classes, music, etc…so please be patient with me and I hope you stick around. Thanks for everything.

Love, Mister D

Academy Announces Nov. TV Special
September 10, 2007

“My Night At The GRAMMYs” will include fan voting for their favorite performances

GRAMMY.com

“My Night At The GRAMMYs,” a new entertainment special, will present 25 of viewers’ favorite GRAMMY Awards show moments, as determined by an online vote, as well as the stories behind them told by the artists themselves, it was announced today by The Recording Academy. The two-hour television special will be broadcast Nov. 30 (8 – 10 p.m. ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network and will celebrate the upcoming 50th Celebration of the GRAMMY Awards.

GRAMMY Awards show history will be revealed as artists tell their personal stories of what it means to perform on the television show that has become Music’s Biggest Night. Rare footage of GRAMMY rehearsals as well as reminiscences by performers will give a behind-the-scenes look at how the show is conceived and produced.

Starting today, viewers have the chance to be part of this historical special by voting for their favorite GRAMMY moments at www.mynightatthegrammys.com. Fifty great GRAMMY moments from past telecasts, selected by The Academy, will be posted to the site and will feature some of the unique pairings the GRAMMYs have come to be renowned for, including performances by Prince and Beyoncé, Eminem and Elton John, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand, and the Simon & Garfunkel reunion, among many others. Clips of each of these memorable moments will be available in a Flash “Video Wall” and users can click on each clip to view a sample on demand. Once clips have been viewed, users can vote for up to five of their favorite moments. The 25 performances that receive the most votes will be seen on “My Night At The GRAMMYs,” culminating with the most popular performance as voted on by music fans. The deadline to vote for favorite GRAMMY moments is midnight ET on October 7, 2007.

“My Night At The GRAMMYs” will be produced by Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette.

Mister D:

Update: Looks like you can vote multiple times….for the other 4 votes try voting for the one you would think might not get that many…if you want…it may help Bette…don’t know.

Jonathan B. wrote in to say that there is a voting poll on the Grammy’s website for “Greatest Grammy Moments.” Bette’s live performance of “From A Distance” in 1991 is a contender. You will have to choose 5 performances in all. The top 5 videos picked will be televised (or maybe it’s the top video….it’s not clear)

Bette’s video is on the second page. To vote you have to drag each clip to a box at the bottom of the page. Then you can make a special widget of your Top 5.

The 50th anniversary of the Grammy’s air LIVE on November 30, 2007. Let’s get Bette back on the Grammy’s — So VOTE!!!! Voting closes at midnight ET Time on October 7th!

Here is the link – remember Bette’s vid is on the second page!

http://www.mynightatthegrammys.com/

WE CAN DO THIS!

Love, Mister D and Jonathan

Mister D:

I just received confirmation that this will not be a “period” piece. That is, it won’t be set in the 30’s or whenever the original was set. The film will be modernized.

Bette’s character’s name is ‘Leah.’ You BetteHeads are the first to know that….yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But as said earlier, this will be a small role to be filmed within a couple of days in Boston. Bette’s character is a 5 time divorcee…LOL

Love, Mister D

Mister D:

I just received verification that “The Women” will definiitely have Ms. Midler as one of it’s many stars.

The role is a small one and she will wrap up her part in 2 days.

The cast of characters includes the following: Bette Midler plays a five time divorcee; Cloris Leachman plays a housekeeper; Carrie Fisher plays a noted magazine writer; Lynn Whitfield plays the head fashion buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue; Joanna Gleason plays a high society diva; Ana Gasteyer plays a co-worker at Saks Fifth Avenue with Eva Mendes’ character, ‘Crystal Allen’; Debi Mazar plays a manicurist at Saks.

Love, Mister D

PS: Here’s the Press Release I just found:

Bette Midler and Cloris Leachman Join the Cast of ‘The Women’
Thursday September 20, 4:27 pm ET

BOSTON, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Bette Midler and Cloris Leachman head a new list of celebrated actresses joining the ensemble cast of Picturehouse and Inferno Entertainment’s “The Women” now shooting in Boston. Carrie Fisher, Lynn Whitfield, Joanna Gleason, Ana Gasteyer and Debi Mazar will also now appear in the comedy directed by Diane English from her adaptation of Clare Boothe Luce’s iconic play, which was first filmed in 1939 by George Cukor. Already working on the film are Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Candice Bergen. The comedy is produced by Victoria Pearman and Mick Jagger of Jagged Films and Bill Johnson of Inferno as well as English. The cast of characters include the following: Bette Midler plays a five time divorcee; Cloris Leachman plays a housekeeper; Carrie Fisher plays a noted magazine writer; Lynn Whitfield plays the head fashion buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue; Joanna Gleason plays a high society diva; Ana Gasteyer plays a co-worker at Saks Fifth Avenue with Eva Mendes’ character, ‘Crystal Allen’; Debi Mazar plays a manicurist at Saks.
Filming will continue in the Boston area through mid-October. “The Women”, a Jagged Films production, is directed by Diane English from her screen adaptation of Clare Boothe Luce’s play of the same name. The film is currently in production in Boston through mid-October.

Launched in April 2005, Picturehouse is the joint venture of two leaders of the entertainment community — HBO and New Line Cinema. Currently in release is “El Cantante”, a music-infused biography of Puerto Rican salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe, starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony; “Rocket Science”, the first narrative film from Jeff Blitz (‘Spellbound’) which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it received rave reviews and won the Directing Prize and Seth Gordon’s crowd-pleasing documentary “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Dollars”. Also coming from Picturehouse is “The Orphanage”, produced by Academy Award winning director Guillermo del Toro, directed by J.A. Bayone, “Run; Fat Boy, Run”, directed by David Schwimmer and starring Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria, and “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights — Hollywood to the Heartland”.

Source: Picturehouse

Mister D: I know it seems inconceivable, but if it’s only 2 days work…hell, it’s possible…plus Variety magazine backs the story and they are The Hollywood Bible….

Boston Herald
By Associated Press
Thursday, September 20, 2007

Photo by Matt Stone (Bette arrives in Boston)

That Bette Midler hopped off a train at South Station last night to join the cast of “The Women” in Boston today. It’s unclear who the Divine Miss M will play in the flick, but word is, she’ll hang in the Hub for a couple of days at least. Yesterday, Debi Mazar, the potty-mouthed publicist on “Entourage,” appeared in a beauty salon scene with leading ladies Annette Bening and Meg Ryan at SportsClub/LA. LOVE her!

TopNews
Sept 20, 2007
Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher join ‘The Women’ cast
Posted September 20th, 2007 by Kiran Pahw

Bette Midler Carrie Fisher United States Washington, Sept 20 :

Bette Midler and Carrie Fisher have signed up to star in “The Women”.

Also joining the cast are Cloris Leachman, Joanna Gleason, Lynn Whitfield, Debi Mazar and Ana Gasteyer.

The stars will now be joining the already confirmed cast of Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Candice Bergen, reports Variety.

The Diane English-directed pic has Ryan, Bening, Mendes, Messing, Pinkett-Smith and Bergen play friends who discover the pal they envied most is being cheated on by her husband.

The movie is a remake of the 1939 comedy directed by George Cukor, and like the original, has an entirely female cast.

The movie is being financed by Inferno, Picturehouse and Dove.

Producers on the pic are Victoria Pearman and Mick Jagger of Jagged Films and Inferno’s Bill Johnson, as well as English. (With inputs from ANI)

Playbill
Midler, Leachman, Gleason, Gasteyer and More Join ”
Women” Film Cast
By Andrew Gans
20 Sep 2007

A starry ensemble of women have been assembled for the film remake of Clare Boothe Luce’s The Women.

Variety reports that recent additions to the starry cast include Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher, Lynn Whitfield, Joanna Gleason, Ana Gasteyer and Debi Mazar. These actresses join previously announced cast members Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Candice Bergen. The film of the The Women, the play most recently presented on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre in 2001, is currently shooting in Boston.

Originally filmed in 1939 — with a cast boasting Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell — the work concerns a group of friends “who discover the pal they envied most is being cheated on by her husband,” according to the trade paper.

Diane English, who penned the revised script, is also directing. About the Luce work, English previously told Variety, “The original was funny but very mean-spirited. It was Luce’s attack on her gender. The catalyst of the story is still one of the women discovering her husband is having an affair, and the reaction of her friends. Unless I screw it up, there’s a built-in audience for this movie.” English is best known as the creator and writer of the Emmy-winning series “Murphy Brown.”

The recent Broadway staging of The Women, directed by Scott Elliott, starred Kristen Johnston, Rue McClanahan, Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Tilly, Mary Louise Wilson and Jennifer Coolidge. That production was filmed and broadcast on PBS stations across the country thanks to the network’s “Stage on Screen” series.

The film is being produced by Jagged Films’ Victoria Pearman and Mick Jagger, Inferno’s Bill Johnson and director English.

Variety
Femmes front ‘Women’
Midler, Ryan and Bening to star in remake
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher, Lynn Whitfield, Joanna Gleason, Ana Gasteyer and Debi Mazar have joined “The Women,” the Diane English-directed remake of the 1939 comedy. Pic is currently shooting in Boston.

They join Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Candice Bergen, who play friends who discover the pal they envied most is being cheated on by her husband. As in the George Cukor-directed original, English’s film has an entirely female cast.

Pic’s being financed by Inferno, Picturehouse and Dove, the soap-maker that is underwriting part of the budget and will make “The Women” a major cog in a marketing campaign for its female-friendly brand.

Victoria Pearman and Mick Jagger of Jagged Films and Inferno’s Bill Johnson are producing with English.

Read the full article at:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972296.html

Photo: Bette Midler and Helen Hunt in Then She Found Me (c) 2007, THINKFilm, Blue Rider Pictures, Killer Films, John Wells Productions

The above image is the one I was trying to grab on IMDB. ThinkFilm says the movie is slated to be released early 2008. There has been no set date, though. It’s tentative.

Here are just a couple of things I pulled from Jacob’s www.helenhunt.org which I suggest you bookmark…hope he doesn’t mind, but it has to do with Bette:

Great actors = great performances
Drawing Colin Firth, Bette Midler, and Matthew Broderick is no small feat in any motion picture, not to mention someone’s feature film debut. Critics agree that each actor’s best work is present in this film saying that this contains Bette’s greatest achievement since her performance in The Rose, and Hunt’s best since her Academy Award-winning work in As Good as It Gets.

Bottom line: in almost all cases, TSFM has exceeded audience expectations; don’t be surprised if the film becomes the year’s best romantic comedy or if it walks away with a couple of Golden Globe or Oscar nominations.

Make sure to bookmark these sites:

* www.helenhunt.org
* www.killerfilms.com
* ThinkFilm
* Blue Rider Pictures

Love. Mister D