By Romeo San Vicente
Robert DeNiro Photo: Paramount Pictures
Spike and DeNiro move to 'Alphaville'
Did you like "Rent"? Sure you did. All that singing and dancing about homelessness, poverty, death and art in the late 1980s was a real crowd-pleaser. Well, in real life, the formerly bohemian, now gentrified, section of New York City known as "Alphabet City" featured more crime than chorus lines. And it's that version that Spike Lee and Robert DeNiro will bring to Showtime with a show called "Alphaville." Lee will direct the pilot episode about the lives of that neighborhood's residents – the poor, artists, junkies and musicians – with his trademarked stylized grit. In other words, it's going to be just like "Rent," but with some murders in place of the big dance numbers and parallels to "La Boheme." No cast, shooting schedule or Showtime call for more episodes yet, so there's always DeNiro in the weird NYC drag comedy "Flawless" to keep you occupied until then.
Tom Ford's new partner: Harvey Weinstein
If a gallery artist like Julian Schnabel could make the leap to directing films, it stood to reason that a stylish fashion designer like Tom Ford could do the same thing. And as Romeo reported previously, the Shirt-Always-Unbuttoned One walked the walk and got his debut feature, "A Single Man," out of the wishing stage and in the can. Based on a Christopher Isherwood story, the film stars Colin Firth as a man confronted with the sudden loss of his partner, and co-stars Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode. But would the movie impress buyers enough to make it into theaters? Fast-forward to this year's Toronto Film Festival where a minor bidding war has resulted in The Weinstein Company picking up "Man" for distribution. That gives audiences a few months to get ready for a chest-hair-intensive promo tour as the release date eventually draws near, sometime in 2010.
Bryan and Brian sell 'Sellevision'
It seems like it was just matter of time before gay movie force-of-nature Brian Singer ("X-Men") joined forces with gay TV-producer/writer Bryan Fuller ("Pushing Daisies") and the two collaborated on something suitably idiosyncratic. Nothing if not atypical, these two are known for their singular visions and creative energy. So why not hook up with NBC to get Augusten Burroughs's novel "Sellevision" onto the programming schedule? A pilot about the funny goings-on at an ad agency (think a modern "Mad Men" with gays and laughs) is in the works for the peacock network and – after seemingly countless attempts and just as many stalls and non-starts – may finally see a finished product on TV screens as early as next season. Fans still grieving the cancellation of "Pushing Daisies" already have their fingers crossed.
Saffron Burrows's 'Criminal Intent'
Media-aware lesbian fans of English actress Saffron Burrows – the veteran indie film staple who was once linked romantically to "Harry Potter" film alum Fiona Shaw – will be happy to know that the beautiful Brit is about to add a little more crime and punishment to her resume. After a stint on "Boston Legal," and a co-starring role in the critically acclaimed Jason Statham heist caper "The Bank Job," Burrows now looks to be joining the cast of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." She's currently in talks (read: bumping up that lowball salary offer, most likely) to replace departing star Julianne Nicholson and work opposite Jeff Goldblum on neatly solving all sorts of crimes in under 60 minutes. Look, it's not the "Cagney & Lacey" reunion you've always dreamed of, but it's a step in the right direction.
