By Romeo San Vicente
Carson lands 'The Perfect Man'
No, he didn't steal Kyan's boyfriend. Carson Kressley, resident fashionista on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and hawker of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, has made himself over as an actor. The blond with the biting wit has joined the cast of "The Perfect Man," along with Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear, and Chris Noth. Duff stars as a young woman who tires of her single mom's endless stream of loser boyfriends and invents an imaginary secret admirer to get the poor woman out of her rut and boost her self-esteem. Kressley will play Duff's older, advice-giving pal whose own nephew eventually woos the young meddler. In other words, Kressley's character will give new meaning to the term "funny uncle." The movie is currently shooting in Toronto, where our ingenue is no doubt constantly lint-rolling the sweaters of his castmates.
Dorian Gray lives!
Oscar Wilde's enduring tale of portraiture and youth-worshipping desperation, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," has seen more adaptations than you can shake an oil-brush at – from early silent versions to mod, feathered-hair TV adaptations to a recent porn flick featuring Italian sex star Rocco Siffredi. So it was only a matter of time before someone dragged the aging picture out of the attic one more time. Mick Davis, helmer of "Another 9-1/2 Weeks," is attached to direct "Dorian," a $15 million thriller based on the story of the corrupt young Narcissus whose deal with the devil involves a painting that grows old (and ugly, natch) while he remains fresh, young, and hot. Ryan Phillipe – who, in Romeo's humble opinion, is perfect for the part – is circling the project, but nothing's in ink yet. Stay tuned.
'Dawson's' alum at Kudrow's 'Beck and Call'
Gay fans of the now-retro "Dawson's Creek" remember Adam Kaufman's face, even if they don't know the actor's name. The handsome up-and-comer played Ethan, boyfriend to Kerr Smith's character, Jack. Now Kaufman's playing a part in the dramatic series "Beck and Call" for UPN. Created by "All Over the Guy's" Dan Bucatinsky, executive-produced by Lisa Kudrow, and hopefully airing this fall, the show revolves around the New York fashion world and the lives of the industry's young executives, specifically three 20-somethings new to the rag trade. David Conrad and Jordana Spiro co-star, as well as former Miss America Vanessa Williams and Erica Gimpel (Coco from TV's "Fame"). Romeo's creative idea for the show (free of charge!) would involve a ghostly hologram of "Vogue"'s Diana Vreeland dashing around barking out "Think Pink" edicts. It could only help.
Opening Verhoeven's 'Black Book'
From the deranged, some say genius, mind of Paul Verhoeven, the man who brought audiences Sharon Stone as a lesbian ice-pick murderer in "Basic Instinct" and Elizabeth Berkeley as a feral, opportunistic Vegas dancer in "Showgirls," comes "Black Book." Not anyone's idea of a typical, heroic World War II story, this revenge thriller concerns a young Jewish woman working for the Dutch resistance who also collaborates with the Nazis. And knowing Verhoeven's dark imagination, there will be even more twists in his script, co-written by Gerard Soeteman. It will also be the Dutch director's first cinematic venture with his native language (shot in English, Dutch, and German) since he left Holland for Hollywood in the 1980s and began shocking Americans with his vision of the human condition. No cast or shooting schedule has been announced yet, but expect controversy to follow in his wake.
