Nancy Grace

Not long after leaving her job as a Fulton County prosecutor, Nancy Grace began writing a book loosely based on her experiences. “I was in withdrawal,” Grace said. “I missed the office.”

Hailey Dean, the protagonist in her novel “Eleventh Victim” is also a former prosecutor who moved from Atlanta to New York. Like Grace, she has lived through the violent death of her fiancé. Dean’s life diverges from her creator’s when she becomes a therapist unjustly accused of murdering her patients.

On Saturday, the small-screen adaptation of Grace’s book appears on Lifetime. The Lifetime Original Movie “Eleventh Victim” airs at 8 p.m.

“I still can’t believe it really happened,” Grace said. “A lot of times I was in New York all by myself I would be watching Lifetime. I never imagined I would have a movie on Lifetime.”

The HLN host serves as executive producer for the film and played a small cameo role. It stars her fellow “Dancing With the Stars” alums Jennie Garth as Dean, and …

Continue reading Interview: Nancy Grace discusses Lifetime movie “Eleventh Victim” »

AP photo/Evan Agostini

A cop movie called “Ride Along,” starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart and John Leguizamo, is filming at Underground Atlanta this week.

The scenes being filmed at Underground evidently involve some level of disagreement. The Atlanta Police Department alerted the media with the following:

“On Wednesday and Thursday there will be a movie filming at Underground Atlanta. On both of those days there will be a simulated gun battle inside the mall area. Most of the gunfire will be on Thursday. There are signs posted in the area advising citizens of the filming and off-duty Atlanta Police Officers will be at Underground for this event.”

More details as we learn more!

Continue reading Ice Cube movie “Ride Along” filming at Underground Atlanta »

Mara Davis will be back on the air today.

She’ll be spinning tunes from 3 to 5 p.m. as a guest DJ on AM 1690, known as Atlanta’s “Voice of the Arts” station. If you’re not in the car at that time you can listen online at 1690wmlb.com, or on AM 1690’s free app.

“I am going to play music that can’t be heard anywhere on Atlanta radio right now: Wilco, Gary Clark Jr, Jack White, Electric Guest, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, Dixie Chicks, David Byrne & St Vincent and more,” Davis told us. “Also I’m going to play some of my interview with Susanna Hoffs and feature a song from her new album ‘Someday.’ We did a podcast together and she has some hilarious stories.”

Hoffs performed at Eddie’s Attic on Monday. Before the show she talked with my colleague Melissa Ruggieri.

Davis’ stint as Atlanta’s “Radio Free Lunch” maven ended in September after Dave FM announced it would be switching to a sports format. She has been staying busy, doing funny podcasts with her former Dave colleague Yvonne …

Continue reading Mara Davis returns to radio »

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" cast member Meta Golding with a pair of Cirque du Soleil at Friday's "Totem" opening night. Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil needs new performers and will hold auditions in Atlanta in early December.

Cirque’s current show, “Totem,” has set up shop under the blue-and-yellow tents at Atlantic Station, where it will be through Dec. 30.

A number of celebrities including “Walking Dead” and “Hunger Games” cast members attended the Friday night opening.

Back to the auditions.

“The Cirque du Soleil Casting team is continually on the lookout for talented artists and athletes,” a notice reads. “Our scouts search the globe for outstanding performers who are ready to embark on a new adventure. Most of our shows are performed live with original music that was carefully chosen to accompany each act. Our musicians must be ready to react to the uncertainties of live performance, in order to provide seamless …

Continue reading Cirque du Soleil to hold Atlanta auditions »

Katniss and her creepy new friends

Jennifer Lawrence, in Atlanta filming the Hunger Games sequel “Catching Fire,” had a scary encounter the other night.

She and some friends took in the frightening fun at the Netherworld haunted house, which is open through Nov. 3.

The elaborate seasonal venue has a nationally known expert in charge of spooky makeup, by the way. You have to see this video of him transforming a beauty queen into a gargoyle!

J-Law’s “Catching Fire” colleague Josh Hutcherson was previously spotted enjoying the chills and thrills at Netherworld so it seems word has gotten out amongst the Hunger Gamers that it’s a fun place to spend a little downtime after filming.

Boo!

“Jennifer and Josh were both as nice as can be,” Team Netherworld said in a statement. “We thank them both for taking a minute to pose with our creatures.”

“Catching Fire” has filmed a number of major scenes around town, at locations including the Atlanta History Center’s Swan House, the Goat Farm …

Continue reading “Catching Fire” star Jennifer Lawrence has a scary night »

A sign on this vacant building identifies it as Buckhead's town hall, circa 1910.

BUCKHEAD, GA. – Chances are, Ben Affleck has not spent much time here. Ben Stiller, either.

But this tiny Morgan County town 90 minutes east of Atlanta is basking a bit in the Bens’ misdirected glow.

This summer, a New Yorker article about Stiller said the comic actor rented a home “high on a hill in Buckhead, Ga.,” while in Atlanta filming the movie “The Watch.”

If Ben Stiller had indeed rented a house in Buckhead, Ga., as The New Yorker reported, these would have been some of his neighbors.

The town gets another inadvertent shoutout in Affleck’s “Argo,” in theaters now. In one scene in the movie about Americans escaping Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis, CIA operatives desperate to reach a reluctant Hamilton Jordan, who was the president’s chief of staff, lure him out of a meeting by pretending someone from his kids’ school — Pace Academy, in “Buckhead, Ga.” — was on the line.

Atlanta native …

Continue reading Ben Affleck, Ben Stiller and the tale of two Buckheads »

Actor Joe Manganiello visited with some of Cirque du Soleil's performers at Friday's opening night of "Totem." Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Cirque du Soleil

A number of notables packed the tents outside Atlantic Station Friday night to catch Cirque du Soleil’s incredible new show “Totem.”

Joe Manganiello turned heads from the moment he walked in and was a good sport about taking photos with people. It seemed every other guest in the tent wanted his or her photo taken with the actor known for roles on the television show “True Blood” and in films such as “Magic Mike” and the made-in-Atlanta “What To Expect When You’re Expecting.” (Good grief! I attend lots of events where celebs show up and I’ve never seen someone get mauled like this!) He is in Atlanta now working on “Ten,” the movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The lady friend who accompanied Manganiello to the “Totem” opening night seemed a little less than thrilled that the crowd kept yanking away her fella, …

Continue reading Celebs pack Cirque du Soleil “Totem” on opening night »

Continue reading Video: The latest on Kim Zolciak, “Hunger Games” cast members and more »

courtesy of Jennifer Herzberg

The Lifetime movie about Anna Nicole Smith is filming at New York Prime, the steakhouse across the street from Phipps Plaza in Buckhead. Here’s a photo of the film in action. We’re told it’s a scene in which Smith celebrates a court victory while battling for a share of her late husband’s assets.

Previous casting calls have solicited guys to serve as strip-club patrons, so it looks like the movie will give a comprehensive portrayal of Smith’s life. She was an adult entertainer and model before marrying an oil tycoon. After he died she battled with his children over his estate. In her final years she had her own reality show and served as a celebrity endorser for a weight-loss product.

New York Prime is no stranger to celebrity guests, by the way. Robert Duvall went there a number of times when he was in town filming the Billy Bob Thornton movie “Jayne Mansfield’s Car” last year.

Anyway, back to the Anna Nicole Smith movie. Actress Agnes Bruckner …

Continue reading Photo: Anna Nicole Smith movie filming in Buckhead »

Clint Eastwood, who made headlines by addressing an empty chair during the 2012 Republican National Convention, stars in a new political ad urging support for GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

Eastwood’s unorthodox performance at the convention spurred a raft of satirical commentary and happened to coincide with the release of “Trouble With the Curve,” the baseball-themed movie he filmed in and around Atlanta.

“The Democrats who were watching thought I was going senile and the Republicans knew I was. It was actually just trying to enjoy myself along the way,” Eastwood told Ellen DeGeneres during a visit to her show. He was there ostensibly to promote the movie but of course was asked about the chair routine.

Shortly after the GOP convention someone started a Twitter account called “Invisible Obama” to riff off the headline-grabbing event. That in turn inspired the “Obama’s Seat” account.

No empty chairs appear in the new Eastwood ad though. Here it …

Continue reading Clint Eastwood stars in new pro-Romney ad »