NOT TO BE KILLED New Joe Strummer biography by Chris Salesicz just out in UK from HarperCollins, FSG will release it stateside next spring... But it's already gettings raves from the Times and Guardian, and I'm gonna get me a copy when I head over November 7. … [Read more...]

BRUSH WITH FAME My sister texted me about being behind Steven Colbert in a rental car line last week, asking what she should say. Naturally, I knew exactly how to handle it: 1) Hey I loved you in 40-YEAR-OLD-VIRGIN! 2) Your show's great but give the telethon a rest! 3) Hey it's you! Is it true you like spectral sushi? 4) You know those crop circles in Europe? I did those. 5) You look so much shorter in person! You look so much thinner in person! You look so much funnier in person! 6) Colbert, you're the best mole Fox News ever had... 7) … [Read more...]

No decent thoughtful reviews of Studio 60 yet, but since Sorkin's morphed into pure brand, a pure product of the medium that's his subject, a revolving mirror's not much more interesting than a revolving door. Sarah Paulson was that Deadwood creampuff, and she's oh so fetching but the concept is she's "comedy gold" and Harriet hasn't been yet (the closest she's come has been her Juliet Lewis). How else is somebody gonna make that whole "Christian with a heart of gold" thing work? Perry is growing on me, but all that male banter goes right down … [Read more...]

Stewart at the Wang center last Friday night, first show, mostly brilliant, including two savvy pop jokes. 1) After the Y2K crash, the whole world devolves back to... (gasp!) 1982! "No! I can't run like the wolf again!" 2) Why don't Jews and blacks get along? Both oppressed minorities, blacks came up with the Blues, Jews complained without music. Except his grandmother wrote a blues: "There's a Draft In Here." The B Side? "Now It's Too Hot." The guy is having a sweet moment, incredibly relaxed, he already had a bucket of Foley jokes. NOW … [Read more...]