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False Facebook profile sparks landmark libel suit

June 30th, 2008 by Scott Marks

The managing director of a British company that finds audiences for TV and radios shows appears to have attracted a one man following.

Grant Rapheal is accused of posted a false profile of his old schoolchum Applausestore.com’s Mathew Firsht on the social networking website Facebook. A fake entry was posted listing Firsht’s personal details and listing a bunch of gay groups that he was signed up to. Firsht is heterosexual.

For a kick, the ad also falsely claimed he was ‘Looking for whatever I can get’ in terms of a relationship.

Yesterday, Raphael’s prank initiated a landmark High Court claim for damages. According to thisislondon.co.uk, “Mr Firsht is suing old schoolfriend Grant Rapheal for libel and misuse of private information in what is believed to be the first defamation case involving Facebook in the UK.”

During Monday’s hearing Firsht’s lawyer Lorna Skinner listed the private information including his whereabouts, activities, birthday and relationship status. To underscore the latter, Firsht was signed up the Facebook groups ‘Gay in the Wood. . . Borehamwood’ and ‘Gay Jews in London.’ He was not, however, a member in good standing of ‘Gay Cocken Affan Yom.’

In addition, Ms. Skinner claims that her client was defamed by additional allegations that he owed large sums of money which he attempted to lie his way out of as well as smears that made Matthew’s Applausestore.com sound Firsh*t.

Miss Skinner continued: ‘Mr Firsht values his privacy highly. It was the gross invasion of his privacy, namely having his personal details, including false details concerning his sexuality, laid bare for all to see that caused him the most distress.’

The two friends had a severe falling out in 2000 that, according to Ms. Skinner, left Mr. Raphael harboring an enormous grudge. She also claimed that Raphael had access to Firsht that “only a very limited number of people would.”

Facebook took off in 2006 and is the seventh most popular site on the internet! Last month alone, it attracted 129.3million visitors. I’m on Facebook, but I’m not sure I get it. It just seems like a lot of silly games and quizzes, but, hey, it’s the closest I’ll ever get to really being friends with Roger Corman.

And it’s okay to goof on me for only having 46 friends. If you can count more friends than you’ve got fingers on one hand, you shouldn’t operate a punch press.

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TOP GUN San Diego BBQ restaurant burns to the ground

June 30th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Photo Credit: Montykins.com

In a health conscious city known for sushi and sprouts, it is next to impossible to find good barbecue in San Diego. Last week’s blaze that gutted the Kansas City Barbeque cut locals’ chances for good ribs in half. (I don’t count Tony Roma’s.)

The fire started Thursday in an open cooking pit. In spite of a cook’s attempts to reign in the flare-up, the fire spread quickly to the rest of the restaurant’s interior. The inferno started around 2:15 pm and lasted for 20 minutes. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said the landmark restaurant is “destroyed.”

No one was hurt in the restaurant which is located near Seaport Village and Petco Park. Padres fans attending an afternoon game sepnt more time looking at the billowing clouds of smoke than they did their favorite baseball players.

While not as good as rival Phil’s Barbecue, the ribs were passable and the crowds lively. The local eatery gained fame as a top tourist attraction after it had a starring role as the location for the self-proclaimed “sleazy bar scene” in the inexorable Tom Cruise no-brainer Top Gun.

The structural damages, estimated at $400,000, do not include the value of the film’s original memorabilia that adorned the walls. That would probably bring the costs up to $400,010.

There is talk of rebuilding, but what am I going to do in the meantime without the delectable L. Ron Hubbard Pulled Pork Plate?

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Review: WANTED / Timur Bekmambetov (2008)

June 29th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Wanted (2008)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Adapted from a comic book by: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan
Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and Terence Stamp
Running Time: 110 min.
Aspect Ratio:

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Remind me never to post images to the Image Vault before seeing a movie. My show of good faith invariably results in a bupke. (Check out this inexcusable inclusion! WTF was I thinking?)

Wanted is hardly required viewing.

Once again, Angelina Jolie takes time away from her busy schedule of saving the world to make movie theaters a worse place to live in. Her overexaggerated features make her a logical choice to play comic book heroines, but any similarity between her choice of action/fantasy/adventure scripts and quality entertainment is highly unlikely. Only sludge like Wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Tomb Raider(s) can possibly make one wistful for the glory days of Hackers.

It’s not that she is incapable of handing in good performances in worthy projects. Playing by Heart is a terrific ensemble film and the much maligned Original Sin is actually a very enjoyable Gothic noir. Girl, Interrupted is not much of a movie, but her performance is electrifying and at least she’s naked a lot in Gia and Foxfire.

With the exception of one bare-back shot, Ms. Jolie remains clothed throughout Wanted. It’s a good thing. The once voluptuous starlet is now thinner than one of the undernourished third-world toddlers she carts around at photo ops. I swear that I could fit my thumb and index finger around her upper arm.

Pounds aren’t the only thing to be pruned from Ms. Jolie’s mien. What happened to her feminist conscience? The women in Wanted exist only as grotesques, bait, killing machines and pussy. Aside from a big payday, what possible allure did this trash hold?

James McAvoy apes the Edward Norton role in Fight Club, a nebbishy clock-puncher transformed into an urban warrior. His father, a closeted world class assassin, is murdered and a secret organization recruits McAvoy with the promise of avenging dad’s death. Run by Morgan Freeman (who also should have known better), The Fraternity receives it’s assignments to kill from a giant weaving loom. I kid you not.

With The Wackness and Wall-E currently gracing multiplexes, Wanted is not the ‘W’ film of the week.

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TMZ ordered to take down Verne Troyer sex tape snippet

June 27th, 2008 by Scott Marks

TMZ has been ordered to take down 25-second video clip showing ankle-high freak of nature Verne Troyer romancing a former girlfriend. Troyer claims that the sex tape was stolen from his home months ago.

CNN reports that on Friday, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by Troyer’s attorneys that prevents porn distributors from taking orders for the full-length video. It also prevents TMZ from broadcasting any more clips.

The celebrity Web site posted the short segment on its site Wednesday; Troyer sued the site and porn distributors Thursday for $20 million in damages.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez wrote that Troyer’s motion “demonstrated that he will suffer irreparable harm to his reputation” if the tape is distributed. The only harm the little shaver will experience is a loss of revenue accumulated from video sales.

The ruling barred further broadcasting of the tape, which Troyer’s attorney, Tracy Rane, interpreted as meaning that TMZ has to remove the video from its site. The clip was removed late Friday afternoon.

The lawsuit claims TMZ invaded his privacy in addition to copyright infringement. He is also seeking the return of all copies of the video. In a shocking revelation, Troyer asserted that he never intended it to be shown publicly.

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Liza Minnelli: Former chauffer sues for rape, assault and battery

June 27th, 2008 by Scott Marks

The Addams Family in happier times

What good is sitting all alone in your limo? Judy Garland’s daughter Liza Minnelli fought and won the battle to personally defend herself against claims she sexually forced herself on her former driver.

M’hammed Soumayah is suing the 62-year-old superstar for $50 - $100 million. Soumayah claims that in 2004, Minnelli wanted him to drive more than just her limo. According to Soumayah, the Rent-A-Cop star forced him to have sexual relations “without his consent.” In reality, he probably found it impossible to follow Martin Scorsese. (It has always been my contention that the only reason Scorsese went with her was because he wanted to f–k old Hollywood.)

Soumayah is also alleging that he suffered assault and battery and that his pay was withheld until he performed…err…uhh… certain services for the star. It’s enough to make a cuckoo sterile!

As reported on WENN, “Soumayah’s lawyer suggested the star give testimony by video, as Minnelli ‘has been known to have professional commitments to meet.’ But Minnelli’s rep has insisted the request is’ just a way to embarrass’ the singer and would suggest she isn’t sound enough to appear for the deposition in person.”

If Soumayah really wants to embarrass her, all he has to do is bring a copy of Stepping Out to court.

Minnelli is scheduled to make a pre-trial statement in Manhattan Supreme court on August 15. Minnelli’s lawyers have previously called the Liza Driver’s lawsuit “a quicksand of untruths and misstatements” and accused him of an attempt to “shakedown” Sid Luft’s step-daughter for financial gain.

This is not Minnelli’s first experience dealing with a sexual harassment lawsuit. Liza’s suit against her former husband David Gest was thrown out of court by a New York federal judge in 2006 before the couple’s divorce was finalized the following year. Gest later accused his ex-wife of physical brutality.

Can’t wait to see what Liza wears on the stand. The judge had better allow cameras in the courtroom.

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Miley Cyrus says scandalous Vanity Fair pics made her “more relatable” to her fans

June 27th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Miley Cyrus, who is like aging faster than one of Charles Shaw’s grapes, is like finally speaking out about her recent Vanity Fair photo scandal.

The fifteen-year-old star, who is like now in the third season of the Disney Channel’s ridiculously popular Hanna Montana, told Billboard Magazine, “I was embarrassed, but also it’s like, every career thing that I do can’t be perfect, and sometimes my decisions are wrong. I think that just makes me even more relatable. I don’t think people will look at me any differently because they’re like, ‘You know what, I’m going to do stupid stuff too, and I’m going to make mistakes, and that’s fine.’ It still hurts when I think about it — but you know what, it doesn’t mean that you can’t move on.”

With a new album like set to debut next month, Miley wants America to know that “more than anything — I’m a writer.” As opposed to what, a wronger?

Links:
Annie Leibovitz criticized for snapping racy Miley Cyrus photo
Miley Cyrus flashes her bra in new Disney photo scandal
 Miley Cyrus thanks fans (and God) for supporting her
Miley Cyrus: Jamie Lee Curtis blames her parents for topless photo

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