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I remember once watching an interview with R&B superstar Patti LaBelle and when they asked her about the state of celebrity gossip and the paparazzi, this was her sage advice (and I'm paraphrasing): "If you don't want your picture taken sit your a** at home". Now normally I would agree with her, but when it comes to British 'It' girl, Sienna Miller, I don't think that particular rule applies, because if it did, she might never get to leave her house again. During a radio interview with Australia's Matt & Jo, the actress got a little testy when the topic of her alleged-boyfriend Balthazar Getty came up in the conversation (the interview, which you can listen to below, takes place at the beginning of the recording). It all started to go downhill when Miller took offense to some of the DJ's comments and called him a "d-bag" and "misogynist". But when Getty's name came up things went from bad to worse and the interview is cut painfully short.

Miller should know better than anybody the power of an unkind word, because from the moment she arrived on the scene as 'the other woman', the knives have been out. She's become a tabloid staple and has even had her home vandalized thanks to characterizations about her personal life. Unfortunately, her career has taken a back-seat to her love life, and she has yet to have a hit (critically or commercially). G.I. JOE was her first chance at a starring role in a big-budget action flick, and maybe finally to make a name for herself as something other than some married guy's girlfriend. But if this interview is any indication of Miller's future relationship with the press, I don't see them backing off any time soon. Listen to the interview below.



So what do you think? Was Miller out of line, or was it about time she said enough is enough?

Just when we thought we had seen the last of gossip columnist and part-time movie pirate Roger Friedman, it looks like the guy has found a new home at The Hollywood Reporter. The trade paper announced that they've hired the infamous writer to head up their new celebrity news feature. According to THR editor Elizabeth Guider, Friedman was joining the team because, "For some time, THR has wanted to beef up its coverage of the celebrity world and how it intersects with and influences the business of show business. Bringing Roger on board gives us a great leg up in that effort and will help extend our audience reach."

In case the name isn't ringing any bells, Friedman infamously covered the OJ Simpson trial back in 1995, and was also considered one of the 'leading authorities' on Michael Jackson after covering the pop star's 2005 child-molestation trial. Friedman always had a taste for the tawdry, and over the years, broke some equally seedy stories about Anna Nicole Smith and the collapse of Rudolph Giuliani's marriage. But after Friedman published a review of Wolverine using an unfinished print that had surfaced online, he was quickly (and publicly) fired. Granted, it didn't come as a big shock, but you almost felt sorry for the guy ... almost. Even if you didn't want to argue about the morality of Friedman's actions, you have to wonder: just what did he think was going to happen when he admitted to downloading an illegal copy of one of the summer's big releases?

Friedman already has a reputation for fighting dirty, but as periodicals jostle for position among a growing pool of online competition, I guess even THR isn't above playing fast and loose for a scoop -- and it looks like nobody is willing to bend the rules like Friedman.

Let the resurrection of Lindsay Lohan begin! We all know Hollywood loves a comeback, and nobody needs one more than one Miss Lindsay Lohan. Frankly, if this girl has a hope in hell of reviving her career, reminding us why we liked her in the first place is a very good start. The much maligned actress has done a faux eHarmony profile video for the good folks over at Funny or Die (which is slowly becoming the one-stop shop for teen actors to expand their horizons), and believe it or not, the results are pretty funny. Posing as a customer of the dating service, Lohan lands some good jokes over her run-ins with the law, party-girl reputation and supposed dwindling finances. Plus, I have to admit; for once it felt good to be laughing with the gossip mainstay and not at her.

As much fun as it's been to watch Lohan become a full-scale Hollywood train wreck, there's still a big part of me that would like to see her succeed. If you think back to just a few years ago, Lohan was ready for a big movie career and she had brought down the house on her first appearance on SNL. But, as her gossip quotient rose, the deals stopped rolling in like they used to, and suddenly Lohan was the living example of everything that was wrong with Young Hollywood. But here's the one thing that made Lohan stand out; unlike many of her celebutard compatriots: she had actual talent.

Judging by her performance here, maybe if the infamous red-head can snag a role in a quality comedy, we might forget that she used to be the punch-line. What do you think?

I'm not one to kick somebody when they're down, and lord knows Miss Lindsay Lohan has been on her way down ... but, well ... in an interview for the April issue of Nylon, the actress dropped hints that she is in need of work and that her recent forays into modeling for Fornarina have inspired her to make a career change. So like any other Lohan-related news item, the gossips were on it like a pack of wolves, and now Page Six has dropped the bomb that the actress could actually have a shot at the world of fashion. According to the wags at Six, Ivan Bart, senior VP of IMG Models, is either desperate for publicity or might actually give her that shot. Bart told Six, "She's a beautiful girl and obviously knows a lot about fashion, providing that she was contractually free, we would take a meeting."

There is no denying that Lohan's celebrity cache has been dropping faster than a pair of Britney's underwear since her stints in court and various rehabs. During 2008, we watched her lose out on potential career-saving roles, and her latest attempt to win back the 'chick flick crowd' has already been voted most likely to end up in the direct-to-DVD pile. Mainly, the press has been far more interested in her personal relationships than her plans to put her career back together -- and who could blame them? There were cryptic messages on Twitter and public spats; it was the stuff of tabloid dreams. So starlets take note: when you're being called the 'next big thing' and everybody loves you, take a moment to ponder the career trajectory of La Lohan and keep in mind that this could be you.

If you're still reeling from Britney Spears' performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last week, it might help to remember that it really was just the latest in a series of headlines calling out young celebrities for making fools of themselves. So, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to make a movie about it. The LA Times reports that independent film producer Joe Nasser is in pre-production on Hollywood Brats, an indie drama based on the so-called 'celebutards'. You might recognize Nasser from his work as the producer behind the somewhat sleazy Anna Nicole Smith biopic. Nasser is basing Brats on what he calls "the public record". Which I would think is no easy task considering the amount of half-baked gossip surrounding these gals.

According to Nasser, Brats will be "...all about these girls in Hollywood getting into trouble...You see them all go to jail, you see them get arrested, you see them go through trials and tribulations". Nasser says that he will use real celebrities in his story, but could not confirm whether it would be the 'unholy quartet' of Britney, Paris, Lindsay, and Nicole. My guess would be that he's waiting to see if anybody sues first. Although, Nasser seems confident that he won't be facing any legal action, saying, "As long as we stick to the truth, we're in good shape." Brats is scheduled to start shooting in Hollywood this October -- and then probably to a discount DVD bin near you. Hmm, unless you're willing to pay 10 bucks for something you get for free on Entetainment Tonight.

One of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood has decided that she's ready to start spending more time with the family. Angelina Jolie told reporters in Cannes that she will take a year off following two months of work later this summer. I believe the exact quote was: "I take two months off, then I work for two months. Then I take a year off." Ah, but that only gives the paparazzi more time to catch Jolie in mama mode: "Look, there she is with Brad in the garden! And there she is playing jump-rope in the middle of some remote jungle!" While the folks from People Magazine look forward to capturing those ever-so-precious Jolie-Pitt moments, the rest of us now wonder which film(s), exactly, she'll be working on prior to taking that break.

Taking a quick look at the woman's upcoming film slate, it appears the work she's doing now is for the action flick Wanted. After that, she has both The Changeling (for Clint Eastwood) and Atlas Shrugged on her plate. Is two months enough time to shoot multiple films? Is Atlas Shrugged far enough along that they'll be ready to shoot in two months? Last I checked, the film hired a writer (Randall Wallace), but didn't even have a director. Chances are Atlas Shrugged is being, well, shrugged off for the time being. As far as hubby Brad goes, I wouldn't jump to any conclusions -- the guy is currently in pre-production on three films (Burn After Reading, Dirty Tricks, State of Play), with two more to follow after that. Thus, Angelina's "year off" might find her traveling to a number of different movie sets while Brad brings home the bacon. So much for Tomb Raider 3, huh?

It never fails to amaze me that despite the huge amount of public attention that Lindsay Lohan gets, very little of it actually has anything to do with her talent -- unless you count getting caught on security cameras with allegedly illicit substances a talent. But the director of her latest film, I Know Who Killed Me, is singing her praises on Bloody Disgusting. BD spoke with director Chris Sivertson, and he was eager to describe his working relationship with Lohan, saying, "Lindsay and I hit it off right away. It's fantastic to work with somebody that gifted. Her dual roles in the film were extremely demanding - both physically and emotionally and she pulled it all off with true style" -- a definite change from the last opinion voiced about Lohan's work ethic. Some highlights from Lohan's commitment issues of late include her dropping out of the Dylan Thomas biopic The Best Time of Our Lives, and then being replaced by Jessica Biel in A Woman of No Importance (although in a strange twist, both parts eventually went to Sienna Miller).

I Know centers on a young woman who is abducted and murdered by a brutal serial killer, only to show up in a hospital claiming that she is not who they think she is. The film, which also features Julia Ormond and Neil McDonough, is set to open July 27th, which seems like a strange date to pick since it is also when The Simpsons Movie hits theaters, but I guess they aren't competing for the same audiences. When it comes to Lohan's tabloid history, hopefully her talent will outlive her notoriety, and then comments like Sivertson's won't come as such a surprise.

Should a movie review include references to gossip or buzz surrounding the celebrities or filmmakers involved with that movie? That's the issue that the Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) is pondering this week on the AWFJ blog. For example, a number of Georgia Rule reviews have included sly mentions of co-star Lindsay Lohan's personal life, or reminders about the rumors about her behavior on the set of that film. AWFJ isn't only considering salacious gossip, though, but also discussing whether references to the late actress/director Adrienne Shelly's life (and death) are appropriate when reviewing Waitress.

The film critics and journalists responding on the AWFJ site have a variety of opinions that are well worth reading. Some reviewers note that Waitress may be receiving "softball" reviews because critics have been influenced by their feelings about Shelly's tragic death. The AWFJ members are more divided on whether it's appropriate to mention gossip about Lohan -- some feel that comparisons can be drawn between the actress and the character she plays. I'd argue that even though we are surely affected by rumors or news about a cast or crew member, and that it is impossible to be unbiased, we should at least try to be as fair as we can. Rehashing celebrity gossip seems to decrease the perception of fairness in the eyes of readers -- sometimes it even seems like a cheap shot.

So what do you think? Does it bother you to read celebrity gossip, news or buzz in a movie review, or does that add welcome spice and entertainment to the piece? AWFJ doesn't have space for comments on their blog, but Cinematical does ... so feel free to share your thoughts about this issue here.

For those who thought we were getting an April start date for Baz Luhrmann's epic Australia, it looks like we might have to wait a little longer: Australian newspaper The Age just reported that star Nicole Kidman was beginning *seven months of rehearsals for the film, a period story about cattle ranchers in WWII Australia. The film also stars Hugh Jackman as the rough-around-the-edges drover to Kidman's English lady.

News that Kidman had begun work on the film came through her spokesperson having to deny a pregnancy rumor started by the tabloid rag News of the World. Kidman's publicist was quoted as saying, "She is about to get on a horse in the outback and break in brumbies. I hardly think she will be able to do that if she is pregnant," and that the star is "looking forward to ... making a great adventure in Australia."

The production has been closely watched from the beginning, and there has been plenty of speculation on the progress of the film -- casting, location, you name it. Just as long as I'm not writing about a production shutdown due to a horse-riding injury, it looks like we are getting at least a little closer to our first look at Luhrmann's masterpiece.

*Correction: Rehearsals will not last the entire 7 months, shooting is still scheduled to begin in April.

We've been getting bits and pieces about the next Bond film going all the way back to last year, and the rumor mill has never left high gear. Our cousin-blog Autoblog has a new log to throw on the fire -- they received a tip from one of those ever so helpful unnamed sources that an Audi TT was spotted with a set of 007 plates. As the story goes, the source noticed that an Audi TT had been prepared for video shooting and a driver for the shoot confirmed that the car was being used in a "James Bond Commercial." Whether that means an actual promotion for a film, or just another way to trade off the Bond glamor to hawk a few extra cars, remains to be seen.

By now I think most Bond fans are resigned to change when it comes to their beloved super spy -- although at the risk of ticking off certain Bond fans, I never quite understood why a the idea of a "Blond Bond" caused such a fuss. We've had the demise of the Cold War villains, a decrease in bed-hopping antics, and in Casino Royale there was nary a gadget to be seen, except for the glovebox defibrillator. Is a different car really that big of a deal anymore? Since Bond 22 is a long way off, we might as well sit back, relax, and watch the gossip fly.