Tuesday, November 24, 1998
Beached Wail
By: Ted Casablanca

Unlike Leonardo DiCaprio. But before we get to his sorry ass, I'd like to say something nice about the dude. (I can ascend to this annoying achievement from time to time.)

In regard to the Woody Allen flick Celebrity, L.D.'s the only thing anyone is talking about in a positive fashion inside the diminutive director's enclave--which is saying a lot. Woody's Peckers generally don't discuss anyone's talents other than those of Soon Yi's studly spouse, much less a dude who's even scrawnier than the Woodster.

But, alas, not thinner at the moment.

"He's hired a trainer," said a close pal of the pound-packed L.D. "And it was his idea."

The crony is, of course, referring to the buzz that the director of DiCaprio's next gig, The Beach (for which he is, indeed, being paid 20 mil), told his star to pull a Jenny Craig pronto.

I don't care whose idea it was. For my eight bucks, I want to see at least inches. Of taut tush, that is.

Courtesy: E! Online.


Tuesday, November 10, 1998
DiCaprio's Excess Baggage

To paraphrase Jack Nicholson in The Shining, all play and no work has made Leonardo DiCaprio a dough boy. That's according to the New York Post, which reports that the Titanic heartthrob has decided to go on a strict diet after packing on 20 pounds.

According to the paper, Leo's expanding waistline isn't due entirely to his junk food cravings and late nights at Moomba. After undergoing knee surgery last August, the actor hasn't been able to follow his usual workout routine.
Of course, this isn't news to anyone who reads the tabloids, which have been running photos of a less than lithe Leo for the past few months.

Sources tell the Post that director Danny Boyle, who is helming Leo's next pic, an adaptation of Alex Garland's 1996 novel The Beach, has "gently suggested" that DiCaprio peel off the pounds—and fast.

Leo will be feeling the burn if he wants to regain his Romeo & Juliet-era figure for the film, which begins filming in January in Thailand. And as an added incentive to get rid of his spare tire, DiCaprio's role requires him to spend lots of screen time in a bathing suit and shorts.

Leo's buddies tell the paper that the A-lister, who reportedly landed $20 million to star as a 20-something pop culture-loving traveler in the flick, is committed to getting into shape and is cutting down on his partying ways.

DiCaprio's rep, Carla Guagenti, tells the Associated Press that the report is just "gossip," explaining, "The reason he is working out is to get prepared for his role as many actors do. He has not gained 20 pounds. That is ridiculous."

Courtesy: CelebSite.


Friday, November 6, 1998
DiCaprio Film Sparks Bangkok Protest

A handful of demonstrators gathered Thursday outside the Thai offices of 20th Century Fox in Bangkok to condemn the alteration of national parkland for a new Leonardo DiCaprio movie.

About 100 coconut trees will be replanted and some vegetation temporarily removed from an island to broaden a beach for a football scene. The Beach, based on a best-selling novel, is scheduled to begin shooting in mid-January on Phi Island off southern Thailand.

"The government is making only four million baht ($170,000 Canadian)," said Manit Sriwanichpoom, wearing a DiCaprio mask. "But can we afford paying for the damage to the environment?"

He delivered his message to a somewhat disappointed crowd, many of whom were female office workers who had heard the Hollywood heartthrob was in Bangkok and were discouraged to instead encounter activists.

Santa Petanji, the film's Thai coordinator, said plans for the movie set are environmentally friendly and 20th Century Fox has put down a $130,000 damage deposit.

Courtesy: Associated Press.


Monday, November 2, 1998
Leonardo Gives It Up

Leonardo DiCaprio might want to consider forgoing his stable of ultra-expensive publicists and instead rely on Mom to lead him to great PR opportunities. The Titanic heartthrob decided to turn philanthropist last week by making a $35,000 donation to the Los Angeles Public Library's Los Feliz branch, which is currently under construction.

By a happy coincidence, the site of the library just happens to be the former location of DiCaprio's family home, where he spent his formative teen years.

"His mother got some information about the library looking to expand and to raise money," says Ken Sunshine, one of DiCaprio's reps. "She still lives in that neighborhood and made contact with the library, and here we are."

According to a library spokesman, Leo's gift will be used to build the Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center, which we assume will soon become a West Coast mecca for teenage girls around the world.

The state-of-the-art center, scheduled to open early next year, will feature computer workstations designed to help students bolster their math, reading, language, and study skills.

And in other Leonardo news…just because the mega-star turns 24 Nov. 11 doesn't mean he's too old to enjoy Halloween. The New York Post reports that DiCaprio and three of his crew donned KISS masks and attempted to wander anonymously on the streets of New York Saturday night.

Courtesy: CelebSite.


Saturday, October 31, 1998
John Glenn Blasts Off

John Glenn, America's most durable space hero stood ready to reach for glory again. Blastoff - 2 pm Thursday.

Glenn 77 is the oldest human ever cleared for space.

Local authorites expect 300,000 spectators...It is a unique event that everyone wants to be a part of.

Attracted by the event and the media, corps of celebrities and politicians flocked to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Among those expected: Leonardo DiCaprio, Pierce Brosnan, Bruce Willis, Bill and Hillary Clinton...etc.

Courtesy: Usenet.


Friday, October 30, 1998
Relationship Roundup

Leonardo DiCaprio was doing what he does best Monday night—partying in New York with lots of beautiful women. The Titanic heartthrob had some fun with one comely young lady, taking a bumper sticker reading "models suck" and attaching it just below his new friend's waist, says the Daily News. Ain't young love grand?

Courtesy: CelebSite.


Tuesday, October 27, 1998
The Beach May Be Washed Up
By: Jeffrey Wells

The script for Leonardo DiCaprio's new film, The Beach-a kind-of Gen-X Heart of Darkness about a community of youths living in a secluded paradise on an island off the coast of Thailand-is based on Alex Garland's 1997 novel and being worked on by the Trainspotting team of director Danny Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge. The draft I read (dated Sept. 17, 1998) isn't quite there yet. The first third, in which DiCaprio's character, Richard, is given a map of the island and then travels there with a French couple he's met in Bangkok, is first-rate-
absorbing and sharply written. But the final two-thirds, in which DiCaprio and the couple become part of the island's strictly disciplined commune of farmers and fishermen, only to suffer when invaders threaten the group's existence, doesn't work somehow. It feels truncated when compared to the book, and you don't have much rooting interest for DiCaprio's character, who comes off as a self-absorbed prick. Then again, Boyle and company don't start shooting until January, so there's still time to get this sucker into shape.

Courtesy: CelebSite.


Thursday, October 22, 1998
Spielberg Unveils CD-ROM

Steven Spielberg was at a New York high school on Tuesday to unveil "Survivors: Testimonies of the Holocaust," an educational CD-ROM produced by Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, the Hollywood Reporter says. (The director of "ET," "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List" is also the founder and chairman of the Shoah Foundation.)

The interactive disk is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio and Winona Ryder and includes survivors' personal testimonies. It will be distributed to schools in North America this semester.

Courtesy: CelebSite.