Wednesday, 21 January 1998

Danny DeVito continues to show exceptional taste as a producer. He's had hits with rising stars Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and Barry Sonnenfeld (Get Shorty), and now Eve's Bayou director, Kasi Lemmons, is about to settle into the diminutive star's Jersey Pictures to rewrite and eventually direct The Caveman's Valentine, a murder mystery which forces a schizophrenic former jazz prodigy to move out of his Central Park cave and back into the real world to solve a crime. Sounds like a job for Lemmon confidante Samuel L. Jackson, who was co-producer of her debut film and who is always on the lookout to do something new.

Did anyone else wonder where Warren Beatty was when his sister, Shirley MacLaine, was receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes? He probably still has his nose to the grindstone, trying to make Bulworth, his soon-to-be-released-after-a-long-delay political comedy, work as well as a full-length feature as it does as a two-minute trailer. Meanwhile, his wife, Annette Bening, is going back to work, joining Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis in Martial Law. The film starts blowing up stuff all over New York on January 28.

In fabulous babe news, Miramax may finally have found someone to take the female lead of Shakespeare in Love. And the lucky girl is - taa daa! -- Gwyneth Paltrow. Julia Roberts toyed with the role as the object of Billy Shakespeare's lust for eons before passing and taking on My Best Friend's Wedding. Paltrow would appear opposite Ralph Fiennes brother, Joe. Meanwhile, Heather Graham may join Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin in Bofinger. Looks like Eddie may be trying to stabilize his career as a solo superstar. His last film was opposite Jeff Goldblum and now he's hooking up with the white-haired one. Or maybe he just figures that carpooling is safer for his image.

Get out of your cave and send me a valentine -- or at least an e-mail.