While some celebrity homeowners--Julian Schnabel for one--are hurrying to get rid of their lavish homes as the economy continues to dissolve, others are taking to the old tradition of "nesting," a term that gained currency post 9/11 when (as USA Today wrote in January 2002) people started "spending more time at home" and "feathering [their] nests with more elaborate and entertaining diversions." (Does that mean we can finally get a Wii?)

Indeed, high-profile New Yorkers have recently taken to remodeling their homes to make them more livable. Some have even taken to acquiring (additional?) weekend homes to get away from all the negative talk of the economy around the city.   read more »

"Did you know Diane Keaton could sing?" asks Sharon Waxman, former New York Times Hollywood reporter and current proprietor of Waxword. Ms. Waxman was writing about a celebrity fundraiser for Barack Obama this weekend that featured Ms. Keaton, Larry David, Martin Short, and Steve Martin.

"She doesn't, in public," Ms. Waxman continued.

Except when she does, as these clips from Woody Allen's Annie Hall and Radio Daze show. Ms. Keaton even won an Academy Award for the former role. (This comes via Kevin Roderick's LA Observed.)

Scarlett Johansson has reportedly let Woody Allen's adoration go to her head. [P6]

Like everyone, Lindsay Lohan has an opinion on Sarah Palin; Ms. Lohan is not too fond of the vice-presidential candidate's sponsorship of a conference to "convert" gay people. [Celebrity Myspace] 

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated $2 million to the Global Health Committee to provide care for children with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Ethiopia. [People] 

Artist Richard Prince may or may not have purchased a jet. [P6]   read more »

Sources say actress Michelle Williams is taking extra steps to avoid the paparazzi in her Brooklyn neighborhood, reportedly "having a bodygaurd go around her block and make sure there are no photographers" each time she leaves the house. [P6]

West Villagers--including Amy Sedaris--are opposing the renewal of Beatrice Inn's liquor license, citing issues with noise, smoking, drugs, and taxis the club brings to the neighborhood. [Eater]

Joy Behar, Lorraine Bracco, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Alfie Fanjul, Pete Peterson, Sandy Hill Pittman, Marjorie Gubelmann, Debbie and Leon Black, and Tory Burch and Lyor Cohen all attended a special screening of Woody Allen's new film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" in Southampton.  read more »

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Running time 96 minutes
Written and directed by Woody Allen
Starring Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem

Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, from his own screenplay, is close to his 40th feature film in an almost 40-year career that began in earnest in 1969 with Take the Money and Run, and has proceeded through the years with more ups and downs, more ins and outs, more breakthroughs and breakups, and more hits and flops than that of any other director I can think of, from any period in film history. Now in his 70s, he has managed to astound me by coming up with one of the most felicitously written, edited, acted and directed romantic comedies of his entire career.  read more »

The Los Angeles Times' Rachel Abramowitz has a somewhat dismal interview with Woody Allen on his new, Scarlett Johansson-helmed movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona. He talked about experiencing life from his bed, how fame and fortune is devastating and thankless, and how he laments that he can't play some cool guy in a movie like Robert DeNiro can so he's stuck playing the intellectual or the lowlife.

She wrote:

From the way Allen is talking, one would assume it's the eve of the release of one of his misfires, the platoon of piffles including "Celebrity" and "Anything Else" that followed the public scandal of his 1992 breakup with Mia Farrow, the ugly accusations (denied and never proven) of child abuse and his later marriage (now 10 years running) to Farrow's adopted daughter, then-22-year-old Soon-Yi Previn.

 read more »

Model Agyness Deyn and Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. are engaged. [Us]

Woody Allen's new film Vicky Cristina Barcelona premiered Wednesday night at the Hotel Plaza Athenee on East 64th St.; stars Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall didn't show up. [WWD]

At the screening, Vicky Cristina Barcelona star Javier Bardem gloated over his sex scenes with Ms. Johansson, Ms. Hall and real-life girlfriend Penelope Cruz. [P6]

Mariah Carey is paying $125,000 to rent the Stone Meadow Farm in East Hampton for one week to celebrate her recent marriage to Nick Cannon. [P6]

Someone has been RSVPing for events under Gossip Girl stars Blake Lively and Penn Badgley's names, and now people are wondering who's playing a joke on Serena and Dan. [Rush & Molloy]

We sometimes long for the days when Scarlett Johansson was best known as one of the angsty, combat-boot wearing teens in Ghost World, or, a few years later, as the soul-searching former philosophy major-cum-sexy cigarette smoker who flirts with Bill Murray—cue Jesus and Mary Chain song—in Lost in Translation. Her career since then has had a few unfortunate blemishes, namely her roles in the box office bombers The Black Dhalia and Woody Allen’s Scoop, and a Tom Waits cover album that was met with mixed reviews.

Then came the whole Barack Obama thing. Ms. Johansson made headlines as one of Mr. Obama’s hip and notable endorsers, gushing to the press over the casual e-mails she claimed to have exchanged with the presumptive Democratic nominee, only to get totally dissed by him for allegedly inflating their friendly Internet relationship.  read more »

We really do like him when he’s angry! Although general wisdom might have advised against bringing the Hulk—the mild mannered scientist by day, giant green ragey monster by night—to the screen again, after the Ang Lee’s adaptation went splat in 2003, The Incredible Hulk did pretty well last weekend. The Edward Norton-starring flick made $54.5 million, edging out Kung Fu Panda and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening. But what’s weird is that while The Happening was soundly trounced by most critics, it still managed to make $30 million and do healthy business overseas. Come on, Europe—you’re supposed to be the classy continent.  read more »

By now you've probably heard that Woody Allen is suing American Apparel for damages in excess of $10 million for using his likeness in a billboard. Reuters quotes the lawsuit as stating, "Allen does not engage in the commercial endorsement of products or services in the United States."

That wasn't always the case.  read more »