[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Next ] COVER I TABLE OF CONTENTS I CONTINUES NEXT I

CABARET VILLE MAGAZINE. P186 CONT'D FROM P185.

THE BUZZ

The onetime King of Pop was recently spotted arriving at an airport in Santa Barbara wearing pyjamas and carrying an umbrella, a hand fan and a fishing rod. It's as though the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy got a hold of Huck Finn. Cuba Gooding Jr. Academy Award-winner (yes, it's true) Cuba Gooding Jr. was recently spotted shopping at a Costco in Van Nuys, CA, bragging to fellow bargain-seekers that his membership card was a present from Jerry Maguire costar Tom Cruise. Hey Cuba, maybe the cashier at Costco isn't the only one you should be reminding that you once starred in an A-list blockbuster. While you're hauling that lifetime supply of mayonnaise home to the wife and kids, you might also want to give your agent a gentle reminder lest the producers of Snow Dogs 2 or Another Boat Trip come a-calling.

SMALL THINGS COME WITH BIG PACKAGES? Verne Troyer's little heart was broken after his engagement to 6-foot tall model/yoga instructor Genevieve Gallen was abruptly called off. Apparently the relationship fell apart because the mismatched couple couldn't handle the scrutiny of the curious media. The media aren't the only ones who are curious. Let's see -- he's a mere 32 inches (vertically) and despite her amazonian stature she claims to have been completely satisfied in the boudoir. How does that work? Was she using him like a loofah? Scott Weiland. Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland has filed for divorce from his wife. The 35-year-old singer said in court documents filed Tuesday that he's divorcing Mary Weiland, with whom he has two children, because of irreconcilable differences. The couple has a prenuptial agreement. The two married in May 2000 and separated in September 2002. Mary Weiland filed for divorce after their separation, but dropped the matter in August. Scott Weiland was sentenced to three years' probation in August after pleading no contest to one count of possessing heroin. He's scheduled to return to court Monday for a progress report. He had a prior drug arrest and was jailed in 1999 after he violated probation and didn't complete drug rehabilitation programs. In 2001, Weiland pleaded guilty to domestic battery after a fight with his wife at the Hard Rock hotel and casino in Las Vegas. The judge agreed to dismiss the charges as long as Weiland underwent counseling.

Rock singer Bryan Adams, also a budding celebrity photographer, will have one of his signature photographs posted across the country. Canada Post has chosen one of Mr. Adams's informal photographs of Queen Elizabeth as the new definitive, or mass-circulation stamp that will be issued on Dec. 19 in preparation for next year's postage rate change. The image was selected more than a year ago by Canada Post's volunteer stamp advisory committee after its marketing department found the picture when considering new "official" photographs of Queen Elizabeth. The stamp, of which 10 million copies will initially be printed, could conceivably be used by Canada Post for several years, according to spokesman Tim McGurrin. "Bryan Adams, being a true Canadian, realizes just how significant Canada Post using his image for the Queen stamp is," he said yesterday. "It is something that will be going to every door in Canada over the next year." Mr. Adams, who lives in London, England, said the photograph was an unpublished "out-take" from a session he did with the Queen in late 2001 in preparation for her Golden Jubilee celebrations last year.

 "I was thrilled and honored for my photograph to be chosen by Canada Post," he said yesterday. The playful photograph breaks from Canada Post's tradition of showing an unsmiling, regal-looking Queen; in this sepia-toned image her back is to a wall, her face is creased with laugh lines and she has a broad, toothy grin. A twinkle in her eyes suggests she was sharing a joke with Mr. Adams as he snapped the shutter. Mr. Adams, who has developed a following as a "celebrity photographer of celebrities," was chosen as one of several "official" photographers to the Queen, along with her cousin Patrick Lichfield, Prince Andrew and Dazed & Confused magazine founder Paul Rankin. Mr. McGurrin said Canada Post found the photograph when it began the process of changing its most popular Queen stamp to reflect new rates that go into effect in January. It will be used on the 49¢ stamp placed on domestic mail. The stamp could conceivably be in circulation for several years, depending on when Canada Post has to raise rates again, Mr. McGurrin said. The rate is tied to inflation. At least 20 million of the stamps are expected to be issued next year. Mr. McGurrin would not say how much Mr. Adams was paid, but described it as a nominal fee. "They're [photographers] providing us with the images because it is an honor to have them on a stamp." David Boreanaz:

Like many survivors of near-death experiences, the supernatural TV thriller Angel is starting a new life. With the WB network seeking to attract a broader swath of the coveted youth audience, the show's creators have been forced to fix something that many longtime fans felt wasn't broken. Last spring, WB flirted with canceling the horror-comedy, which stars David Boreanaz as a vampire with a soul who tries to atone for centuries of wickedness by "helping the hopeless" in demon-infested Los Angeles. But influential critics praised the show's offbeat storytelling and urged WB to preserve it for a fifth season. And a spirited cult of fans rallied other viewers in a letter-writing and petition campaign. The execution was halted, but the show's budget was slashed and WB told creator-producer Joss Whedon, who spun off the show from his hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that Angel needed more ... teeth, so to speak. With a new time slot, the show is prospering. With its second episode, total viewership was up 21 per cent to 5.1 million watchers, compared to the same period last year when it drew about four million. That includes a jump of 62 per cent among the precious 18-to-34-year-old demographic. "The WB hoped for a show that would be a little more stand-alone-y," Whedon said. "When a show is in its fifth year, they don't expect it to get any sudden heat. They were hoping to pump the audience a little bit ... with episodes people could jump into without being confused." The main changes: dropping actress Charisma Carpenter by abandoning her vainglorious bombshell character Cordelia in an indefinite offscreen coma, and adding James Marsters as Spike, the bleached-blond OTHER vampire-with-a-soul who was last seen burning alive on the series finale of Buffy. "It was just a matter of trying to change the dynamics of it in order to pump it up," Boreanaz said during a break while shooting an upcoming episode about a reincarnated Aztec warrior with a vengeful streak.  "We've been a show that's pretty much been under the radar." For four years, Angel and his human partners - which also include the streetfighter Charles Gunn and the bookish British occult expert Wesley Wyndam-Pryce - waged war on Wolfram & Hart, a massive law firm that secretly represents evildoers in everything from contract law and criminal cases to hexes, blood oaths and ritualistic sacrifices.  CONTINUES NEXT