Bill Pullman

• Gwen Stefani released an official photo of her new son yesterday saying, "We wanted to share with you the first photo of Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale. Gwen, Gavin, Kingston and Zuma are all doing well and enjoying being a party of four." — No Doubt Website
• Barack Obama's half hour TV special aired last night, and the candidate also did an interview with Jon Stewart via satellite before his rally with Bill Clinton. What did you think of his two TV spots? — CitizenSugar
• Dancing with the Stars' Lacey Schwimmer revealed that she has been diagnosed with endometriosis, the same disease Julianne Hough had surgery for yesterday. — The Insider
• The possible murder weapon used in the Hudson killings was found yesterday. The suspect, William Balfour, has refused a lie detector test. — TMZ
• E! confirmed that Denise Richards's show It's Complicated has been renewed for a second season. — Us Weekly
• Tom Ford announced he will direct a film called A Single Man starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, and filming begins in LA on Monday. — Fashionologie
• Bill Pullman's teenage son Jack was arrested in North Carolina on Monday for allegedly assaulting a government official, possessing moonshine, underage drinking, and resisting officers. — WLOS

One of my saddest moments at Sundance this year was not being able to get into a screening of Phoebe in Wonderland, which looks like a darkly whimsical, adorably bizarre film all about the incredible imagination of a little girl. The girl at the heart of it is Phoebe (played by Elle Fanning), who is talented, gifted, and obsessed with a powerful fantasy life. She has trouble with her rule-filled world, and finds relief and inspiration in her quirky teacher (Patricia Clarkson). Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman play Phoebe's frustrated parents.

We already got a tiny taste of the movie, which opens in limited release Sept. 12, and this new trailer for it makes me a little weepy (perhaps it's the use of both "Everybody Hurts" by REM and "Imagine"). To see it for yourself, read more

I had the good fortune to attend the red carpet premiere of Bottle Shock at the Napa Valley winery where the movie's true story takes place (I know, it's a tough job but someone has to do it). Before they screened the movie, which is about the emergence of Napa as a legitimate winemaking region, I got the chance to chat with some of the movie's stars.

First up, the venerable Alan Rickman with whom I'm slightly obsessed. Surely you know who he is, but have you ever perused the man's IMDB page? It's stunning. He has worked with everyone in everything from the Harry Potter movies to Kevin Smith's Dogma. When I met Alan, I found him to be. . . kind of sassy actually. But in a British way.

I also chatted with Bill Pullman who plays a grumpy guy in Bottle Shock. It's some great acting on his part because he is warm and generous in person, and was as excited as anyone else to be in gorgeous Napa Valley.

To see what I discussed with these two veteran actors of the silver screen, read more

I live near Napa Valley and I enjoy wine a great deal, so when I first heard about a new little movie called Bottle Shock all about the historical legitimization of California wine, I was intrigued. I may have taken for granted the fact that Napa hasn't always been a world-renowned winemaking region, and that at one point it was viewed as nothing more than a bunch of back-water country hicks noodling around with grapes. Which is why I was disappointed to not love this sincere attempt to bring this story to life on the screen. I had such high hopes, but in the end the movie spends too much time on other stuff and not enough on the part that's the most interesting.

Invariably, this tale of Napa's beginnings will be compared to another indie film about California wine, Sideways, and though the subject matter may be similar, it's not an accurate pairing. Where Sideways uses wine country as a setting in which to explore the lives of four intriguing characters, Bottle Shock is a saccharine mix of slapstick comedy, melodrama, and sweeping shots of California's golden hills. This director practically fetishizes the beauty of the state's coast, and at times the movie feels more like a tourist ad than anything else. I wish the filmmakers had relied on the interesting true story for a dramatic arc rather than tossing in several tedious subplots, including an emotionally weightless father-son drama and a mind-numbing love triangle. To see why, read more

Did you like Sideways, a quirky indie movie about wine (and relationships)? Then you might dig Bottle Shock, another indie movie about wine, this time with an emphasis on the history of American winemaking. It may sound like a snoozefest to some of you, but the trailer makes it look incredibly interesting. The film premiered at this year's Sundance and I was sorry to miss the screenings while I was there.

The movie focuses on the mid-1970s when French wine makers were starting to sit up and pay attention to what was going on in California vineyards. Alan Rickman stars as a wine snob from across the pond who comes over to find out what these California "hicks" are up to with their so-called wine. The supporting cast includes Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina, Chris Pine, Eliza Dushku and Freddy Rodriguez, among others. It looks funny and interesting, and opens in limited release August 8. To check out the trailer, read more

We have not seen Charlize Theron in a while but she has been busy making films as well as producing a pet project called East of Havana which premiered last night in NY. It's a documentary that looks at the Cuban Hip-Hop scene and youth movement. Charlize says that she was inspired by the young people who risked their lives by participating in the film. Here's more:

"I think the younger generation is starting to say, 'You know what, it doesn't work. We're not happy. We want to have freedom of speech. We want to be able to travel,'" she said.

Though "East of Havana" has political overtones, Theron said she didn't set out to make the film with an agenda in mind. She let the political discussion happen organically.

"I find sometimes when you let people speak, when you go into a country like that, naturally you'll get the best insight on the political situation," she said. "Just don't force people to talk about it. We never did that."

As always, Charlize looked super slick and stylish at the event. Be prepared to see lots more of the actress in 2007. She has four films coming out this year alone! For more pics of the premiere including Bill Pullman, Donna Karan, Marlo Thomas, Justin Theroux, and Bernadette Peters just read more