Joanne Chesler Gross, from left, Kitsy Rose, Sally Dorsey and Cyndae Arrendale attend the most fun charity committee meeting ever. Photo by Jamey Guy.

Attention party animals!

The Atlanta Humane Society’s second annual “Haute Hounds and Couture Cats” Fashion Show Luncheon, will be held at 11:30 a.m.. on Monday, Feb. 11 at Saks Fifth Avenue at Phipps.

Chaired by Cindy Voyles, the event will feature a luncheon and fashion presentation from Saks’ Designer Salons. A number of four-legged guests will be in attendance, ready to go home with their new owners should the adoption urge strike.

The event is sponsored by Ed Voyles Automotive Group, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty and Georgia Dematology Group.  Organizers include Atlanta Humane Society president William Shaheen and Michele New and Cathie Wilson from Saks Fifth Avenue’s. Committee members include Barbara Joiner, Joanne Chesler Gross, Cyndae Arrendale, Sally Dorsey, Lisa Fuller, Kay Quigley, …

Continue reading Fun, furry, fashionable luncheon to benefit Humane Society »

Matt Ryan rejoices at news that Davio's has temporarily nicknamed a beer in his honor. AJC archive photo by Phil Skinner

The Atlanta Falcons are just one win from the Super Bowl. With the team facing San Francisco in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game we thought a list of 49 fun ideas or promotions surrounding the Falcons-49ers game was fitting.

Here’s one: Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse in Phipp’s Plaza is a popular spot sports figures. NBA great Shaquille O’Neal was spotted there around Christmas. Atlanta Hawks player Zaza Pachulia has been known to stop by as has Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann.

So you knew Davio’s would get into the spirit of things for Sunday’s big game and they did not disappoint. Stop by the bar for a Natural Ice for just 3 bucks. Known by the beer cognescenti as “Natty Ice,” it’ll be known temporarily as the “Matty Ice.”

Cute huh?

Also, Lucky’s Burger & Brew in Roswell is featuring the Rise Up stacked chicken sandwich this weekend. If …

Continue reading Rise up Falcons fans … 49 Fun Ideas for Game Day! »

AP photo

NBC Today Show co-host Hoda Kotb, author of “HODA: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee,” will appear at next month’s Savannah Book Festival.

Festival organizers said she will appear on Saturday, Feb. 16 but the exact time and location isn’t yet listed on the festival web site. See www.savannahbookfestival.org for updates.

The festival’s list of prominent authors includes former Vice President Al Gore.

Kotb will also discuss her latest book, “TEN YEARS LATER: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives.”

“These people didn’t just fight their way through adversity,” Kotb said in a statement, “they forged better lives because of the battle.”

In a statement, Robin Gold, executive director of the Savannah Book Festival, sounded thrilled at Kotb’s addition to the roster of authors.

“Hoda has faced hardships in her own life,” Gold said. “To hear her speak about others who have faced, and overcome, life challenges will be an …

Continue reading Hoda Kotb to appear at Savannah Book Festival »

Hugh Jackman and Kenny Leon at the movies. Top photo by Matt Courtoy. Bottom photo courtesy of True Colors Theatre Company

We saw “Les Misérables” with Hugh Jackman today. We don’t mean we saw the movie and he was in it. We mean, we saw it and he was there.

Magnifique!

Jackman, who is here to film the movie “Prisoners” with Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Maria Bello and Paul Dano, stopped by a private screening of the movie held at Regal Atlantic Station exclusively for local SAG-AFTRA members.

Afterward Atlanta director Kenny Leon conducted a brief Q&A.

“This is one of the great American directors,” Jackman said of Leon, who is the head of True Colors Theater Company. His long list of credits include the recent remake of “Steel Magnolias,” which aired on Lifetime.

Leon, on the other hand, marveled that Jackman collected a Golden Globe trophy on Sunday night and was standing before an Atlanta audience less than 24 hours later.

“It was a thrilling night. I think I …

Continue reading Hugh Jackman at Atlanta “Les Misérables” screening »

Actor Hugh Jackman, left, and Deborra-Lee Furness arrive at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday Jan. 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Hugh Jackman just won a Golden Globe for his role in Les Miz .. so he is celebrating by heading to Conyers.

He and Jake Gyllenhaal will star in “Prisoners,” also starring Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Maria Bello and Paul Dano.

The movie is about a carpenter, played by Jackman, whose daughter and friend are kidnapped.

The carpenter is not satisfied with the job the police do to try to find the girls so he takes the law into his own hand, setting him up for conflict with a police detective played by Gyllenhaal.

Filming cranks up this week. The first casting call I’ve seen for this one seeks men and women ages 18 to 55 with cars of various colors, but not red, white, really bright or with custom paint jobs. Email tammysmithcasting@gmail.com and put “GOOD NEIGHBOR” …

Continue reading Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal movie filming in Conyers »

Oscar-nominated Denzel Washington in a scene from "Flight" that was filmed at the St. Regis hotel.

Denzel Washington earned a best-actor Oscar nomination for his role as troubled airline pilot Whip Whitaker in the drama “Flight,” which was filmed in and largely set in Atlanta.

Here’s a link to our interview with John Goodman, who starred in a minor but key role in “Flight,” as Whip’s enabler and friend.

“Flight” is a sobering tale about an alcoholic pilot. After Washington’s character manages a heroic landing of a doomed airplane, questions arise about his condition in the cockpit. Delta assisted the project with technical issues but the airline Washington’s character works for is fictitious.

Atlanta is very recognizable in the movie. A key scene was filmed at the St. Regis hotel. Details on that here.

Washington faces a formidable roster of fellow nominees. Here’s the entire list. And here’s a link to a gallery of nominees as well as a video of nominees.

A number of this …

Continue reading The Oscars’ Atlanta connection: Denzel Washington in “Flight” »

Morgan Freeman and one of the Clermont's bartenders pose for a photo next to the "no cameras" sign.

Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline all showed up at Atlanta’s Clermont Lounge while they were in town filming scenes for the movie “Last Vegas,” which wrapped last month.

The movie, due out this December, is about lifelong buddies who reunite for a fun weekend in Vegas. Maybe they were trying to get into character.

The Clermont Lounge, located in the shuttered Clermont Hotel, which has just been sold to developers, is popular with many visiting celebrities.

Woody Harrelson, who was here last fall for the “Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire,” worked in a trip to the Clermont Lounge during his time here, too.

A tipster reported seeing Lady Gaga there in October 2011. She was spotted at Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium on that trip. She tried unsuccessfully to buy owner Grant Henry’s statue of the Virgin Mary so perhaps a trip to the …

Continue reading Clermont Lounge a hit with celebs who visit Atlanta »

AP

Kanye West is “dying to propose” to baby mama Kim Kardashian but there’s just one problem: she’s still officially married to Kris Humphries, Us magazine reports. The divorce process is “dragging on,” Us reports.

In other, more stunning news, Kardashian doesn’t want the baby’s image to be shared publicly until he or she is at least 6 months old. We predict a 0 percent chance that no one will post pix of Lil Kimye before then.

Us promises more details including how the rapper and reality starlet/actress are preparing to become parents in this week’s edition, on newsstands Friday.

Kardashian was in Atlanta to film a role in Tyler Perry’s upcoming film “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor.” In a stroke of curious timing, Kardashian arrived in Atlanta to film the role right after announcing she and Humphries were calling it quits after 72 days. The movie comes out March 29. Will she show off her baby bump at the premiere? Stay tuned..

Related …

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Tyler Perry has earned a slew of  “Razzie” nominations, including both “worst actor” and “worst actress” for his role in “Alex Cross” and “Madea’s Witness Protection.”

Here’s a link to our interview with Perry to discuss “Alex Cross.”

In the Madea movie he appears in wig, dress and body padding as his wise-cracking, gun-toting alter ego.

The Razzies also nominated Perry for worst director for “Good Deeds” and “Madea’s Witness Protection” and Perry and “his drag getup” for worst screen couple. Ouch. The Razzies really don’t like him, do they? (In case there’s any doubt, note how the Razzies site repeatedly refers to “Madea’s Witless Protection.”)

The Razzies, which release their picks just before the annual Oscar nods come out, are satirical awards meant to “dishonor” what the outfit’s nominating committee believes are the worst films and worst performances of the year. Here’s a link to their entire list of nominees.

In other Atlanta-centric Razzies news, Jennifer Lopez and

Continue reading Tyler Perry earns “Razzie” nominations for worst actor and worst actress »

Broken City" star Mark Wahlberg, left, and Atlanta police detective Patrick Apoian, founder of Humble Heroes, which supports ill or injured officers, at this week's advance screening. Photo credit:ouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing/20th Century Fox

It’s not unusual to see public safety officers at red-carpet events. They’re typically providing security, though. They’re not generally the ones holding microphones and posing for pictures.

But that was the case at the Regal Atlantic Station theater Monday night, at an advance screening of “Broken City.”

The crime thriller stars Russell Crowe as the powerful and manipulative mayor of New York and Mark Wahlberg, who attended Monday’s event, as a detective who’s not always sure just what he’s investigating. An eager audience packed the theater to see the movie ahead of its Jan. 18 release date and to see Wahlberg, who’s also one of the film’s producers.

“This is my town. I love Atlanta,” said the genial …

Continue reading At “Broken City” screening, Mark Wahlberg honors Atlanta officer »