Is Al running for an Oscar or for office
Thursday night was the pre-Oscar Party Jam! Several stars (and Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger) stopped by Damien Hirst's butterfly art opening at the Gagosian Gallery, stayed for a Mr. Chow's meal and hit the late night party at the Chateau Marmont. But most people party-hopped. Some ended up at Forest Whitaker's L.A. Confidential bash at the Sky Bar. Bobby Brown, Djimon Hounsou, Macy Grey rocked out at the VF Amped bash at Boulevard 3. Terrence Howard, Laura Dern, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, Sarah Silverman and Naomi Campbell hit Casa del Mar for a pre-Indie Spirits bash (the awards are Saturday). But everyone who's been in - or wants to be in - "Entertainment Weekly" was at the EW pre-Oscar party benefiting honoring Al Gore and the "Inconvenient Truth" filmmakers.
Everyone, that is, except for reporters from top news outlets who were only allowed to stand on the red carpet. They were definitely NOT allowed inside, including Fox News entertainment scribe Roger Friedman, who groused about it at British fragrance house Jo Malone's fete for Miramax Oscar-runners Helen Mirren and Peter O'Toole.
The dis-invite was particularly peeving to Friedman because he's been a huge supporter of the eco-film's Oscar chances. The filmmakers even used his blurb - "Your mind will be changed in a nanosecond" - on the darn DVD and in the TV ads . Jeepers, what's a guy gotta do to get into the party?
"I'm calling tonight 'The Inconvenient Evening,'" Friedman joked. Here's who made the cut...
Photo Credits: Antonio and Melanie welcome Al and Tipper to the party.
Jeff Vespa/WireImage
and got into Melanie Griffith and
Antonio Banderas's Hancock Park home for a party that felt more like a fundraising rally for Gore's presidential run than a pre-Oscar bash: Penelope Cruz,
Arianna Huffingtion, Brad Grey, Brandon Routh (who? Remember
Superman?), Hayden Panettiere, Josh Jackson, Kate Walsh, Milla
Jovovich, Lawrence Bender, Sumner Redstone, Bradley Whitford, Jackie
Earle Haley, Famke Janssen and of course, Al and Tipper, who looked
happy despite recent rumors I've heard from sources close to Gore's camp about him "exploring new options." Whatever that means. If you ask me - and really, why would you - the only thing Al's "exploring" is the refrigerator. Perhaps it's pre-presidential campaign stress-eating?
Photo Credits: Al defers to "O.C." star Benjamin McKenzie, who could have been persuading Gore to to run for president again. And win again. "No, no, I'm busy saving the world, young man. But perhaps you might want to work on my campaign ..."
Jeff Vespa/Wireimage
