'Valkyrie' portrait flap was mistaken photo ID

What looked at first like another PR blow to "Valkyrie," the twice-delayed Tom Cruise film based on the true story of a German officer who plotted to assassinate Hitler, turned out to be a case of mistaken photo identity.

A report posted on Slate.com last week suggested that United Artists had doctored a portrait of Claus von Stauffenberg to make it more closely resemble the "Top Gun" actor. One problem: The two images scrutinized in the story, posted June 17 under the heading "Tom Cruise Mystery: The case of the doctored publicity photo," didn't come from the same source.

David Plotz, the editor of Slate, said after the Web magazine was contacted by The Associated Press that the conclusion of the article was wrong, and a correction was planned.

"We did not do the photo research that we should have done," Plotz said Tuesday evening.

United Artists released its side-by-side publicity portraits last year to draw attention to the resemblance between the real von Stauffenberg and Cruise. In the black-and-white images, Cruise and von Stauffenberg are each in a similar profile pose, wearing similarly blank expressions.

Slate's story, by contributor Kim Masters, compares the von Stauffenberg photo supplied by United Artists to an image from the photo archive of The Associated Press.

The posting includes commentary from two Slate designers and an overlay, created by a third designer, with the AP photo lighter and bearing less resemblance to Cruise atop the darker, more heavily contrasted image released by United Artists.

The report concludes that it "Looks like someone tweaked the photo. Finding out who may be mission: impossible."

The AP determined that its archived photo of von Stauffenberg is not the same image released by United Artists. That photo can be found, among other places, in a Getty Images database, credited to the Hulton Archive and dated circa 1943.

"We did not check other archival sources to be sure there was not another version of the photograph," Plotz said. "We don't know where UA got the photograph, but it's clear that in the Getty archive there's a version of the photo which they used."

United Artists said it acquired its version of the photo some time ago during research for the film, but could not be certain of its exact provenance, or how the studio came upon it.

"The picture United Artists used of Colonel Stauffenberg can be found all over the Internet," said "Valkyrie" co-writer and producer Chris McQuarrie in a written statement released by a United Artists spokeswoman Tuesday.

McQuarrie, who won a screenplay Oscar in 1995 for "The Usual Suspects" added that it would have been easier to "alter Tom Cruise" than to doctor "every available picture of Claus von Stauffenberg."

"Valkyrie" stars Cruise as the aristocratic army officer executed after a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. In April, United Artists pushed back the film's release date from Oct. 3 until February 2009, the second delay for the movie that was originally slotted for June.

The film, to be distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., is the second attempt by Cruise and producing partner Paula Wagner to revive United Artists, in which Cruise owns a stake. The first, the terrorism thinkpiece "Lions for Lambs," was estimated to have lost about $30 million.

Source

TAGS:Tom Cruise, 'Valkyrie', Tom Cruise
share:

Cameron Diaz was caught kissing to Jennifer Aniston's former boyfriend

Paul Sculfor and Cameron Diaz share a kiss on a West Hollywood street

She recently boasted about the joys of being single but it seems that actress Cameron Diaz has had a change of heart.

The Charlie’s Angels star looked blissfully happy as she kissed and cuddled British bricklayer-turned-model Paul Sculfor – a former boyfriend of Jennifer Aniston’s – during a day out in West Hollywood.

The casually-dressed couple couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they enjoyed a dinner date before strolling to a nearby boutique.

Cameron gazes up at model Paul - who previously dated Jennifer Aniston

Cameron, who was devastated by the death of her father earlier this year, has been enjoying the dating scene since splitting from Justin Timberlake early last year.

In a recent interview with InStyle, she said: 'People think if you're single, you are incomplete.

'No. The thing is, I don't want to be in a relationship that makes me incomplete.'

Her latest beau Paul began dating Jennifer Aniston earlier in May but the couple split after just two months.

Lady Victoria Hervey – a close friend of the model – told Hello! magazine that the 36-year-old was overwhelmed by Jennifer's celebrity status.

'He was given the keys to her house and at one point had to spend a week without leaving it as up to 50 paparazzi at a time were outside waiting to get a picture of the two of them together.

'We're good friends and I was one of the first people her told about Jennifer. He said she made him happy but he was having to keep under the radar.

The affectionate pair couldn't keep their hands off each other as they strolled to a local boutique

'One minute he's living a normal life and the next he's over every magazine and television channel in America.

'He realized the pressure of fame - it's something you want until you actually get it,"'she said.

If Paul found the attention surrounding his relationship with the former Friends star difficult, taking up with another A-List actress may not be the wisest of moves.

Coincidentally Jennifer is now dating singer John Mayer – a former love of Cameron’s.

Paul – originally from Upminster – is also a close friend of Victoria Beckham and has dated TV presenter Lisa Snowdon.

Source

TAGS:Cameron Diaz, Paul Sculfor, Cameron Diaz
share:

Kate Moss to be late to wedding of Leah— Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood's daughter.

Ronnie's girl is upstaged

WEDDING guest Kate Moss steals the thunder from Leah Wood yesterday—by arriving ten minutes AFTER the celeb bride.

Kate, 34, wearing a shimmering grey dress and sparkling turquoise shawl, swept in with rocker boyfriend Jamie Hince and daughter Lila Grace.

And she wasn't the only one stealing the show from Leah— Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood's daughter.

Kate Moss arrives to the ceremony

Jerry Hall was also late, while Rolling Stone Keith Richards stood out in a bizarre bright green bandana.

Artist Tracey Emin turned up with half her boobs hanging out of her top. Cilla Black and Paul O'Grady were also at the ceremony in Southwark Cathedral, South London, but Jerry's ex Mick Jagger was absent.

The other Stones played for Leah, 29, and TV producer hubby Jack MacDonald, 30, during the reception at Ronnie's mansion in Richmond Park, Surrey. Bet that had you jumping Jack—flash, eh?

Source

Alicia Keys tries to double allure

Alicia Keys performs at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Two versions of Alicia Keys appeared on stage at the Garden on Wednesday night - the serious neo-soul singer and the eager-to-please entertainer.

For the artist's first headlining arena tour, Keys clearly felt the need to stretch herself beyond the tailored role that first nabbed attention for her: as an intimate, piano-playing singer-songwriter.

Now Keys employs both flashy video accompaniment and dance routines that made her stray for long periods from her instrument of choice. The result inched her a step closer to the over-familiar role of arena divas from Janet to Mariah to Beyoncé.

It didn't exactly make for a smooth transition. Keys moved stiffly, even though the choreography didn't ask her to dance so much as to merely gyrate and hop. And she had no rapport whatsoever with the dancers who moved manically around her to try and compensate.

Some of Keys' songs suffered for their snazzy settings. By costuming the backup singers as a '60s girl group and using flower-power video behind wonderful retro numbers like "Where Do We Go From Here" and "Teenage Love Affair," things veered too close to camp.

All was hardly lost. Keys found her footing once the other players and the shenanigans slunk away, leaving her alone with the piano.

Her take on Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" remains the definitive one and it only benefited from witty additions made here, which had her snubbed by mail and text message, too. "Butterflyz" showed off her jazz phrasing. "Goodbye" soared with a pitched gospel cry.

The sheer craft of Keys' compositions continues to impress. She's the best R&B writer of her generation and the purest soul singer as well. Her shouts have the reach of the '60s greats, and her self-assertive lyrics give her a righteous anchor. But with chops this unimpeachable, and highs of the night so high, it only made all her audience-mongering moves seem like distractions she could do without.

Source

TAGS:Alicia Keys, music, Alicia Keys
share:

Producers all praises for Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan has scored high marks for her professionalism on the sets of her new movie Labor Pains.

Producers were not really eager to work with her, but after seeing her behaviour they have only praise for the young actress. "We were a little bit reluctant to work with her," People mag quoted Lati Grobman, one of the producers, as saying. "But she's been amazing," she added.

It looks like Lohan is trying to get her acting career back on track ever since she showed up for work on June 9 at the L.A. location, coming to work early and being well prepared for the gruelling 12-hour shooting days.

In the new comedy, Lohan plays a publishing house employee who escapes getting fired by pretending to be pregnant. "She's so natural at what she does. I've never seen one take where she's off," Grobman said.

"The difference between her and the other girls that are naughty in the business is that she's actually talented. It's not [like] Paris Hilton and the rest of them. We took the chance. It's good that we did. So far, so good," she stated.

The only problem marring the work, are the horde of photographers who have infiltrated the Los Angeles-area locations.

"Paparazzi are ruining my life," Grobman revealed.

"This is the most insane thing I've ever seen in my life. They do things that are very, very aggressive. I'm not a producer anymore, I'm a police woman," she ended.

Source
TAGS:Lindsay Lohan, Hollywood, Lindsay Lohan
share:

Britney Spears bulging stomach sparks more pregnancy rumours

Is she or isn't she? Britney swollen stomach sparked more pregnancy rumours when she left an LA restaurant on Monday

It's the rumour that won't go away and pop star Britney Spear's appearance at an LA restaurant yesterday fuelled further speculation that she may be carrying her third child.

The 26-year-old was pictured at a Los Angeles restaurant with an incredibly swollen tummy.

The relaxed star looked fabulous in a shiny black dress as she enjoyed a dinner with friends but her bulging belly could not be hidden.

Her expanding figure has been the source of gossip for months with constant rumours that she may be pregnant again, but the claims have been denied by those close to the troubled mother-of-two.

Sources in Spears' inner circle have insisted the weight fluctuation is a result of prescribed medication - shooting down pregnancy talk.

'Britney's bloated because of various medications,' one an insider told Mail Online today, adding: 'They [the medications] make her weight fluctuate.'

But a baby seems to be the furthest thing from the singer's mind as she plans her next move.

The star's father - who was given control of her affairs in February this year - has decided to sell her house in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Studio City in the latest stage of re-organising her life.

Spears has been looking at a house in Calabasas, north west of Los Angeles, and a source close to her told People magazine: "Having more privacy and wide open spaces for her to raise her boys has been a goal for some time."

The house Jamie Spears is putting on the market was the scene of the January drama which saw her forced into a psychiatric ward after she refused to hand sons Sean Preston, two, and year-old Jayden James, back to their father, Kevin Federline, after a visit.

As a result she lost custody of the boys to her ex-husband, and her father was appointed her conservator, along with a lawyer.

Britney Spears at an LA restaurant with her father in February. Jamie Spears has put his daughter's LA home on the market

In March the court gave him permission to 'sell or dispose of' a number of her seven cars, and in a hearing on Tuesday approved the sale of her house. He remains in charge of her affairs until a July 31 hearing.

Spears, 26, her father, brother Bryan and her assistant are on standby to fly to Louisiana, where her younger sister, Jamie Lynn, is due to give birth any day now.

"Jamie and Britney are standing by to get a call and when they do they are jumping on a private jet," said a source.

Jamie Lynn, 17, was due to have a natural delivery, but is now believed to be having a Caesarean for health reasons.

Britney had been estranged from her sister, who is engaged to 19-year-old Casey Aldridge, but made up after Jamie Lynn announced she was pregnant.

Last month she flew back to her home town of Kentwood to attend her baby shower.

Since being under the control of her father Britney has regained visitation rights to her sons and is working on a new album.

But last month the court ruled she is still incapable of handling her own life and may need further medical tests.

Source
TAGS:Britney Spears, music, Britney Spears
share: