This year has not been kind to our Hollywood stars, and now, another Hollywood icon is battling a serious disease. Dennis Hopper, who is now 73 years old, is dealing with prostate cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment under a special program at the University of South California.

More on his condition from The Telegraph:

The Hollywood actor, who has been married five times and has four children, has cancelled all travel plans so he could focus on treatment, Mr Maydew said. “We’re hoping for the best,” his manager told the entertainment website E! Online. He declined to comment further.

Hopper was due to visit Australia next month for the opening of a Melbourne exhibition, Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood. He said he was “very disappointed” at not being able to travel to Australia for the exhibition, a collection of his artwork and photography, at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.

Born in May 17, 1936, Dennis Hopper has established a name for himself worldwide in the realms of acting and filmmaking. He is best known for works such as Rebel Without A Cause, Easy Rider, and Speed – among many others. Unbeknownst to many, Dennis Hopper is also active in other pursuits aside from the big screen. He is an avid photographer, painter, and sculptor. As a matter of fact, his work is scattered in exhibits all over the world.

For now, this artist is battling perhaps one of the biggest challenges in his life. Our prayers are with him, together with the hopes that he conquers this disease much like he conquered every thing else in his life.

Again? It seems that Mel Gibson just cannot escape the intrigue and controversy that seems to follow him everywhere. This time, a man is claiming that Mel Gibson assaulted him at a nightclub. Funny thing is, the esteemed actor was with his girlfriend, who is pregnant.

Reports say that the couple was wedged inside a booth when Gibson went berserk on the guy, grabbed him, and ripped his T-shirt in the process. Indeed, the guy had pictures taken of him with a tattered shirt.

Of course, the cops were brought in. It seems that Lady Luck is on Gibson’s side this time around. The cops say that they think that the guy filing the report has a crappy made up story. According to TMZ’s reports, the cops say that “Gibson was wedged in a booth with his pregnant girlfriend and couldn’t have grabbed the guy’s shirt.”

In any case, why would Gibson just go crazy? According that guy, he was trying to get a picture of the couple. Naturally, the couple wanted privacy and didn’t want to have their picture taken. When the reporter persisted, Gibson’s temper flared and that’s when the action happened.

So now he is facing charges once again. We all know that the media will be following this story to the end, however it may end. All I can say is that why can’t I witness these things? Nothing ever seems to happen when I am around! :p

Prop 8 has got to be one of the most controversial pieces of legislations ever. It has got people from all sorts of backgrounds speaking their minds. And of course, in Hollywood, most everyone has joined the fray. The general consensus – as was to be expected, I think – is that upholding Prop 8 is not right.

USA Today featured some quotes about Prop 8 from prominent Hollywood figures. Here are some of the more interesting AND sensible ones. (Yes, everyone is having their say but some of them just do more harm to Prop 8, I think.)

George Clooney to E!: “This just should invigorate people to get it back on the ballot in 2010 and 2012 and every two years until all people are allowed a basic civil right.”

Yep, this was voted on. Those who didn’t vote do not have a right to complain.

Charlize Theron to E!: “I am deeply disappointed by the (California) Supreme Court’s ruling on Prop. 8 today. I don’t agree with homophobia or discrimination of any kind. I will continue to fight this fight for equality and speak up for the basic civil rights of all Americans.”

I don’t agree with homophobia or discrimination either. Then again, the issue runs deep and touches faith and beliefs. It’s not that simple.

Demi Moore: “There’s no room 4 judgment it only creates separation & i’m pretty sure we R all equal in God’s eyes. luv is luv in whatever form! … Amazing the country that likes 2 pride itself on liberty & justice 4 all can continue 2 fail certain groups!”

That’s on Twitter, and she does have a point on liberty and justice.

So is Hollywood right on this one? What’s YOUR say?

Hollywood is home to the rich and famous, and it is the breeding ground of a lot of controversy as well. Just the other night, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin was a guest on the Letterman Show and he apparently made a gaffe, which has offended a lot of Filipinos.

So what did he say? You know how Letterman conducts his interviews – they jump from topic to another. Somewhere along the way, Baldwin said that he was ‘”thinking about getting a Filipina mail-order bride … or a Russian.” He went on to say that he “didn’t care; he’s 51.”

I suppose it was the mail-order bride tag that many found offensive. And I suppose the fact that Letterman added his own “Get one for me, for later” didn’t help either.

Now, the Philippine government is demanding for a public apology from the producers of the show and from Alec Baldwin. They want the concerned people to “express deep concern over the derogatory remark.”

Mind you, this is not the first time that Hollywood has been targeted for this kind of racial gaffe. A few years ago, Teri Hatcher said something about a spurious medical degree obtained from the Philippines. This was uttered in one episode of Desperate Housewives. The producers of the show were asked to apologize and they did.

The question is: what will the producers of the Letterman show and Alec Baldwin do? Their statements were clearly in jest, but some were offended. Let’s see what happens.

It seems that a longstanding and prominent issue in Hollywood has been forgotten by many. The rift between the producers and the Screen Actor Guild has been long and drawn out and you would think that it would continue to be splashed all over the headlines. Perhaps the Oscars is just too attractive to resist? Or maybe channeling all the attention to the event is one way of dealing with the unpleasant situation?

Whatever the reason may be, I have not been hearing a lot about the developments in that area. Still, from what I read in the report published by the Associated Press, it seems that even the goodwill that the Oscar promotes is not enough to pacify the situation. As a matter of fact, the producers supposedly gave their “last, best, and final offer.” That’s a lot of superlatives right there! Still, they were not enough to sway the staunch Screen Actors Guild.

The report goes:

The contract was rejected by 73 percent of SAG’s board members, spokeswoman Pamela Greenwalt said in a statement.

SAG called the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ demand for the contract to run for three years instead of two, “regressive and damaging.”

Producers insist the three-year contract would start when it is ratified, instead of when the last one expired, which would mean SAG would not be able to join with the writers’ and directors’ guilds to increase their bargaining power when their contracts expire in 2011.

According to the AMPTP, the economic situation simply does not allow them to offer better terms. So far, nothing else has been said. What would happen if the SAG calls in these days right after the Oscars?

CSI fans rejoice! There is no doubt that Gil Grissom is one of the most popular and most loved characters in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Known as William Petersen in real life, he has finally gotten a much coveted star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Press Association published a report earlier this week:

William Petersen said he was “overwhelmed” as he became the latest star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was joined by cast and crew members from the TV show when he was honoured with the 2,379th star on the famous Los Angeles boulevard.

“I’m overwhelmed by this, needless to say. I never expected it, I never thought of this…” he said. “You know I feel privileged and honoured and incredibly humbled. The men and women of the film and television industry are the soul of Los Angeles. I have been so fortunate to work with so many of the artists who have devoted their lives to the entertainment business and I feel truly blessed to be counted among them, to be in their company.”

Grissom’s fans are not the only one who are rejoicing with him, though. As you can see up there, his co-stars were there to provide their support and encouragement. And they were quite vocal about this as well:

His CSI co-star Marg Helgenberger paid an emotional tribute to William at the ceremony. II can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honour, Billy,” she said. “Millions of fans love him for his many memorable roles, yet the sum of all the parts he’s played don’t come close to the complexity, the kindness, the mystery, the loyalty and the generosity that is Billy himself.”

Now I can’t help but wonder who will be the next star to get his star?

The issue between the Screen Actors Guild and Hollywood studios has been going on for months now and it seems that another roadblock has been met. Negotiations were due to begin today, Tuesday. However, late yesterday Alan Rosenberg (current president of the SAG) and Anne-Marie Johnson (vice-president of the SAG) informed the guild that they would be challenging the ouster of Doug Allen, the now ex-chief contract negotiator.

Their plan of action was to file a lawsuit which aims to put Doug Allen back in his “rightful” place. A restraining order was also requested that would have resulted in stalling the negotiations until their lawsuit was settled. However, Judge Chalfant denied their request on a technicality. Still, the result of this motion is that the talks have been delayed and as of this writing, no new date for the start of the talks has been determined.

The SAG contracts expired on June 30 of last year and since then, members of the guild have had no contracts in film and TV. On the part of the studios, they have given what they call their best and final offer. However, the SAG deems this offer as inadequate, labeling it as “not the best” that they can give. Talks about a strike have been looming for months now but there has not been a vote as of yet and the SAG is looking to the Los Angeles court for intervention.

As usual, it is some sort of waiting game that is being played. For us viewers, we can only sit back and watch the drama unfold.

Whoever said that Hollywood stars are mindless and brainless people couldn’t be more wrong – at least if we’re talking about Gwyneth Paltrow and her circle of friends who have been invited to become part of her special book club. This “book club” is actually part of Gwyneth’s effort to encourage readers of her web site to take up reading as a pastime this winter.

While some people might prefer to go out and ski or engage in other quite costly winter pastimes, the Hollywood star prefers to sit back and relax at home with a good book. Apparently, some of her friends – celebrities and non-celebrities alike – lean towards the same idea. In her web site, Goop, Gwyneth asked some of her friends to list down their all time favorite reads and no less than Madonna is part of that group!

The Telegraph actually found this newsworthy and published a feature on it:

She introduces the recently-divorced singer saying: “Madonna Ciccone rules the world, is a loyal friend and a terrific mother”. Also featured in the reading list are Turlington and her best friend Abby Kane.

Madonna’s favourite books are listed as the Richard and Judy Book club favourite, The Time Traveller’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, The Bad Girl by renowned Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

While we might not be part of that club, there’s nothing stopping us from trying those books out. We might learn a thing or two.

I’d want to be there too. It’s not just any presidential inauguration. It is the inauguration of the President of the United States. More so, this isn’t just any other president, this is the Barack Obama who has made history with his big win over John McCain. It is the end of an era, and the beginning of one.

Apparently, the A-listers of Hollywood think and feel the same way so much so that they have paid astronomical amounts of money in order to get the best seats in the house. I honestly did not know that you can do this kind of thing! But here’s a story that says that the stars are willing to part with big bucks – and that they have, in fact, done so:

Top Hollywood stars, including Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, and Jamie Lee Curtis, have shelled out big bucks to watch US create a new chapter in history at Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration ceremony.

According to the contributors list released by the Obama Inaugural Committee, music executive Nicole Avant, New York movers and shakers Barbara Lee Diamondstein-Spielvogel and hubby Carl fell into the 300,000 dollars group, reports Fox News.

While the 50,000-dollar category included Hollywood names of Will Smith manager James Lassiter, director Ron Howard and Samuel L. Jackson, the 25,000-dollar group consisted of director Reginald Hudlin, Lionel Richie’s ex wife Brenda, and “Terminator” producer Gale Hurd.

All I can say is WOW. Would you pay $300,000 – or even $50,000 – to be present at the inauguration?

What are your Christmas plans? The average person will probably spend the holidays with his family. Either he will hit the road to visit or family members will come over for the holidays. Have you ever wondered how the stars spend their Christmas? Here are some snippets from a news article to give you an idea.

Mariah Carey
She shares: “I am hoping for peace, and for the world to turn itself around for the New Year. I’m going to be in Aspen, where I have been during the holidays for the past few years. I love it there! It’s a really fun place to be!”

Her wish is reminiscent of a beauty pageant answer, isn’t it? Her holiday plans sound exciting, though!

Emma Thompson
“We live in Scotland, as well, so for me, holidays are spent there. That also means I don’t wash my hair for six weeks (laughter). I go wash in the river. Last summer, we were there for seven weeks. I wore one of my husband’s old shirts and several pairs of his underwear. I washed them. They were nice and soft. I wore the shirt and underwear for the whole summer. We made hay. We planted things. We have a sauna. We swam in the river. He grew a beard, and I practically did, as well (laughter). It was most upsetting!

Christmas in Scotland is a dream for the average person, don’t you think? Well, unless you live thereabouts.

John Travolta
“Every year, we have a tradition of having Christmas at our house in Maine. It’s a small group this year.”

Just like most of us…funny no one’s spending the holidays in Hollywood, eh?

Happy holidays you all!