The baseball movie “42,” which is about the life of the great Jackie Robinson, starts filming soon in Atlanta and beyond. It stars Harrison Ford as the baseball executive who signed Robinson, while Chadwick Boseman will play Robinson.

There’s a big casting opportunity for extras who can bring the heat. The film needs “experienced baseball players ages 25-38″ for some upcoming scenes. This is serious business – they’re going to send you to training camp first before shooting starts so you’re in good form for the movie.

The open call will be March 27 and 28, followed by an on-field tryout for those who make the cut.

Here’s how you get involved:

See the website www.SportsStudioCasting.com and create a free profile, including recent photos. A headshot as well as one of you playing ball would be optimal. Include your sizes, athletic experience and contact information.

After you’ve done that click “Casting Calls” and submit your profile. You’ll find more details there.

Then, you …

Continue reading Harrison Ford movie seeks baseball-playing extras »

Justin Timberlake was carded at an Atlanta restaurant last week.

Cypress Street Pint and Plate has a policy of asking all patrons for I.D., to make sure minors don’t accidentally get served. We’re told that diligent server Michelle Boyd didn’t notice at first when she asked Timberlake for his I.D. last Thursday night, when he came in with a group of friends. Since he’s older than 21, he received his Crown and Sprite without delay. The group must have enjoyed the ambience – his was one of the last tables to clear out.

Timberlake has been in town filming the baseball themed movie “Trouble With the Curve,” also starring Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams. He’s also been spotted hitting the links with Eastwood and friends at Peachtree Golf Club, and has dined at Ecco.

- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com

Continue reading Justin Timberlake gets carded at Atlanta restaurant »

A.C.O.D is filming today at the restaurant No. 246 in Decatur. The film, an abbreviation for “Adult Children of Divorce,” will be there all week.

Owners Ford Fry and Drew Belline told us in an email that they’ll reopen for regular service again at 6 p.m. Friday.  (Call 678-399-8246 for a reservation.)

The comedy, directed by Stu Zicherman, is about a guy who finds out he had been enlisted years ago in a study about divorce. The revelation wreaks havoc on his present family. It stars Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Jessica Alba, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jane Lynch.

No. 246 is located at 129 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. in Decatur. The restaurant serves lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner is served Monday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Previously A.C.O.D. filmed at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and will shoot another scene there in coming weeks.

- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com

Continue reading Movie with Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Jessica Alba, Jane Lynch filming at Decatur restaurant »

AP

Whitney Houston’s official cause of death was “drowning and effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use,” reported USA Today, citing the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

The death was deemed accidental. The toxicology report said “cocaine and metabolites were identified and were contributory to the death. Marijuana, Alprazolam (Xanax), Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) were identified but did not contribute to the death,” USA Today reported.

Earlier today, People magazine reported essentially the same thing, but quoted an unnamed source. “The singer, 48, was also found to have cocaine in her system at the time of her death, the source confirms. Contributing factors of her death included heart disease and cocaine use, an investigation found,” People’s bulletin said.

Here’s a link to the full story.

A few weeks ago the L.A. Times posted a story, also quoting unnamed sources, that said “drowning is one of several scenarios that …

Continue reading Report: Whitney Houston drowned »

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AP

Actor Robert De Niro, who has been in the Atlanta area this spring filming a movie, has said in a statement that he meant no offense with a racially tinged joke he cracked at a presidential fundraiser.

At the New York event featuring First Lady Michelle Obama, De Niro joked that America is not “ready for a white first lady.”

GOP hopeful Newt Gingrich criticized the remark and the first lady’s spokeswoman said it was “inappropriate.”

Potential first lady Ann Romney (who is white) wasn’t offended, though. The wife of candidate Mitt Romney told CNN she laughed when she heard the comment.

“You know what? I took it for what it was, a joke,” she said. “We’re all overreacting to so many things.”

De Niro has released a statement saying he meant no offense.

“My remarks, although …

Continue reading Robert De Niro apologizes for racial joke »

A movie called A.C.O.D., starring Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba and Jane Lynch, is filming at the Atlanta Botanical Garden this week.

At this moment, the Japanese Garden is being converted into a tea room for scene between Scott and Catherine O’Hara. Next, the Rose Garden will be used for a wedding reception scene.

Hope the crew and cast all brought their Claritin. Our pollen counts have been crazy this week.

Lynch, who spent time in Atlanta last year filming her role in “The Three Stooges,” has been spotted at the Lenox Bloomingdale’s. Scott’s been spotted around town, too. He and his family stopped by the new Legoland Discovery Center at Phipps over the weekend.

The move A.C.O.D. (Adult Children of Divorce) is billed by IMDB thusly: “A comedy about a grown man who discovers that he was enlisted in a study about divorced children many years ago. When he’s ushered into a present-day follow-up study, it wrecks new havoc on his family.”

Putting the fun in …

Continue reading A.C.O.D. filming at the Atlanta Botanical Garden »

The MTV show “The Real World” plans  an open casting call for Season 28 here in Atlanta. It will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 31 at Publik Draft House, 654 Peachtree St.

“We look for characters from real life; people with strong personalities who are unafraid to speak their minds,”  executive producer Jonathan Murray said in a statement.

Casting folks stressed that they aren’t looking for any particular type, just people with “a great personality and a willingness to share their life with the world. Most of all, we are looking for surprising and unusual life stories that have yet to be told on television.” They do say they want people “who appear to be between the ages of 20 and 24.”

You need to be at least 21 as of March 1, 2013. If you’re interested bring a recent photo. If you can’t attend the casting call you can apply by email. See this web site for details.

Continue reading MTV’s “The Real World” to cast in Atlanta »

President Barack Obama in Atlanta's Sherwood Forest neighborhood last Friday. Photo by Mike Bulger

Chef Duane Nutter spends most of his time at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport, where his restaurant One Flew South is the crown jewel of the international terminal. When President Barack Obama visited for a series of fundraisers on Friday, Nutter’s workplace for the day became a private home that hosted a small gathering.

“It was kind of surreal,” Nutter said. “They had the Jack Bauer team down in the basement.”

The president’s stops included Tyler Perry’s home and studio, but the one Nutter helmed was a private home in Atlanta’s Sherwood Forest neighborhood.

“There were about 60 people there,” Nutter said.

He and his team got there about 11 a.m. last Friday, then had to clear out around 2 p.m. for a 90-minute security sweep. He prepared an array of hors d’oeuvres including lamp sausage with curry applesauce, sushi and barbecue pork sliders with bourbon raisin cole …

Continue reading One Flew South chef recalls presidential visit »

Natalie Rutledge, shown with sons John Harris, 4, and Will, 11. She and Will both are reading "The Hunger Games" on their tablet devices.

On a sunny afternoon this week, after school and before basketball practice, 11-year-old Will Rutledge was nestled on the couch engrossed in “The Hunger Games.” So was his mom, Natalie Rutledge, who sat reading on the couch beside him.

“Other books? I would rather play Xbox or watch TV or do anything else,” Will said. Not so with Suzanne Collins’ young adult bestseller that spawned the movie coming out Friday. Once he cracked it (or more precisely, downloaded it), Will was hooked. “The next thing I know I’m inside reading for three hours while everyone else is outside having a good time.”

Actually, his buddies have been zooming through the book as well.

“It started out with my friend,” said Will, a fifth grader at Ford Elementary School in Acworth. “The next thing you know my whole class is starting to read …

Continue reading “The Hunger Games” becomes a family affair »

Big band jazz artist Joe Gransden and his friend Clint Eastwood

A jazz club, actually.

Clint Eastwood, in Atlanta filming “Trouble With the Curve,” stopped by Cafe 290 to hear his buddy Joe Gransden and his 17-piece big band this week.

Eastwood and the jazz artist have been friends for years.

“He heard one of my CDs years ago,” Gransden said. “They called and asked if I would come out and perform at a party. Since then we’ve been really good friends.”

During Eastwood’s time here he and Gransden have dined at spots including R Thomas and Veni Vidi Vici and have played some golf.

“He’s just so laid back and nice and relaxed,” Gransden said.

He told his friend about this week’s show at Cafe 290 and Eastwood said he’d try to make it. Well, he did.

“He had to take a million pictures and sign a million autographs,” Gransden said. “He’s always so great about that.”

So, was it nerve wracking to have a famous guest in the audience?

“When a guy like that comes in we want to pump …

Continue reading So Clint Eastwood walks into a bar .. »