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WORLD CELEBRITIES HOT GOSSIPS AND NICE TALKS______________

From the Desk of Shoshanna Rosenstein, Shoshanna Rosenberg and Peneloppe de Vassy

Photo: Sharon Stone. Sharon Stone is a cougar on the war-path. The recently separated commando queen is looking to jumpstart her sputtering career Demi Moore-style, setting her sights on Goldie Hawn's 27-year-old son Oliver Hudson. A friend claims "She's looking for her Ashton. She knows Demi has got acres of coverage since taking up with her toyboy." Stone may have a hard time duplicating Demi's hype. First of all, the reverse May-December is already getting tired and secondly, Stone is older and less hot than the newly-remodeled Moore. In order to make a bigger splash, she needs to go bolder. Forget Hudson and make a play for Dewey from Malcolm in the Middle.

Here's some completely useless and shallow information: If you want hair like Jennifer Aniston's, just pick up a US$100 bottle of shampoo that's made with a curious blend of champagne, caviar and truffles. (Ironically, these are all things that are not allowed on any celebrity's Zone diet.) If you don't make a million dollars an episode and can't afford the shampoo, a cheaper alternative may be to just stick your head into a supermodel's toilet bowl. Apparently this concoction ensures rapid growth. Speaking of concoctions, it makes you wonder if she ever puts it down Brad Pitt's pants. The shampoo, that is.

Photo: Penélope Cruz. Penélope Cruz has recently been forced into spin duty to combat rumours that her relationship with Tom Cruise is kaput. In a recent interview Cruz assured inquiring minds with the soothing words "everything is fine." Well, that's a ringing endorsement if I've ever heard one. I don't want to seem skeptical but lately Tom and Penélope have been seen together as often as Clark Kent and Superman.

Kevin Costner raised a few eyebrows with a recent declaration that he would never compromise his artistic integrity by making a sequel. "I have not made Tin Cup 2 or Bull Durham 2 or Dancing with Wolves Twice... I won't spit on my life to get a big fat hit." It's true -- Kevin's cinematic résumé boasts remarkable range. I mean he makes sports movies AND westerns. (Please, Tin Cup was Bull Durham on a golf course and Open Range should be called Dances Without Oscars.)

Photos: Cindy Crawford. Cindy Crawford was recently asked to remove her US$900 Jimmy Choo shoes while going through security at JFK airport. Somehow, amidst all the metal detecting and whatnot, the high-priced heels went AWOL. While I support stepping-up security in the fight against terrorism, this instance seems to be a bit much. I can assure you that no woman would ever try to set fire to $900 shoes

ANNE MURRAY CALLED AND SHE WANTS HER HAIR BACK

CLEAN UP YOUR ACTING

Photo: Tara Reid. Tara Reid has lashed out at what she sees as a Hollywood double standard. While Reid has been forced to work desperately to reform her (rather well-deserved) party-girl image, she's annoyed to see Colin Farrell's roguish behaviour rewarded. "You watch that guy smoking endless cigarettes, every other word is f**k, f**k, f**k, 'I'll screw any girl in the world.' If I did that I'd be blackballed out of the industry." You know, Reid may have a point. Of course Tinseltown's selective prejudice is based on talent, not gender. Farrell is a gifted actor whereas Reid's last two credits are National Lampoon's Van Wilder and My Boss's Daughter. Tara, make a decent movie and you too can sleep with as many women as you want.

Speaking of Demi, the dark angel has decided to furnish her new US$4.8 million love palace with furniture from IKEA. While this may sound like she's going cheap on the décor, I think Demi's just a hopeless romantic. Flipping through the IKEA catalogue must remind her of Ashton -- pages and pages of unpolished wood.

IS HE USING JAILBAIT ON THAT HOOK?

At my editor's behest, I've made a conscious effort to stay away from all things MJ, but I just had to share this little nugget. The onetime King of Pop was recently spotted arriving at an airport in Santa Barbara wearing pyjamas and carrying an umbrella, a hand fan and a fishing rod. It's as though the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy got a hold of Huck Finn.

Photo: Cuba Gooding Jr. Academy Award-winner (yes, it's true) Cuba Gooding Jr. was recently spotted shopping at a Costco in Van Nuys, CA, bragging to fellow bargain-seekers that his membership card was a present from Jerry Maguire costar Tom Cruise. Hey Cuba, maybe the cashier at Costco isn't the only one you should be reminding that you once starred in an A-list blockbuster. While you're hauling that lifetime supply of mayonnaise home to the wife and kids, you might also want to give your agent a gentle reminder lest the producers of Snow Dogs 2 or Another Boat Trip come a-calling.

SMALL THINGS COME WITH BIG PACKAGES?

Verne Troyer's little heart was broken after his engagement to 6-foot tall model/yoga instructor Genevieve Gallen was abruptly called off. Apparently the relationship fell apart because the mismatched couple couldn't handle the scrutiny of the curious media. The media aren't the only ones who are cu-rious. Let's see -- he's a mere 32 inches (vertically) and despite her amazonian stature she claims to have been completely satisfied in the boudoir. How does that work? Was she using him like a loofah? Articles/News: Carla Colins.

Remake of a horror movie. Horror turns into fun??

Photo: Jessica Biel (R) stars in the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

 If slasher movies have said it once, they've said it a hundred times: When you're young, lost and weary and you need a helping hand ... the other hand is going to be holding a hook, machete or chain saw. It's the standard warning preached in most survival-horror flicks, starting with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 1974 and retold in the likes of Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and the more recent Jeepers Creepers. The tale has been repeated so endlessly -- and with so many sequels -- why would anyone want to remake one of the originals? Marcus Nispel, the director of New Line Cinema's 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, has a simple answer: repetition is part of the fun. He described the slasher genre as modern folk tales, simple yarns meant to be told and told again, adding detail and embellishment as they grow. So why not pass the Massacre onto a new generation? "This is storytelling in the vein of Hansel and Gretel. It's age-old," said Nispel, a first-time feature director whose previous work includes music videos for Janet Jackson and Faith No More. "The metaphor is a simple one," he added. "If you're a kid or young adult in some hick town, some one-horse town, and parents are suppressing you and all you can do is get away, how do you rebel?"

While the original was a $140,000 project that built an unexpected cult following the remake, starring former 7th Heaven actress Jessica Biel, retains the low-budget flavour, costing a low $9.5 million US. Biel plays one of five stranded youths who become the prey of a deformed lunatic who repeatedly fails to follow proper safety guidelines when utilizing tree-trimming equipment. Bloody horror films remain so popular -- with the recent box-office success of Jeepers Creepers 2, Freddy vs. Jason and Cabin Fever -- because teenagers and 20-somethings have a seemingly primal fascination with death. "It just seems so lowbrow, but there's a visceral thing to it. It hits you in the gut," said producer Michael Bay, who is best known for directing Pearl Harbour and Armageddon. Maybe these movies are metaphors for growing up and breaking free from the horrors of adolescence ... or maybe they're just excuses for two people to get close on a first date. "In the movies, you watch these couples just grab onto each other," Bay said, laughing. Most long-time horror fans acknowledge that slasher films follow the same pattern. But Michelle Inman, a 24-year-old slasher-film aficionado and student at California State University, Northridge, said it's the little variations that make a thriller great.

"I like to see people get out of situations, because sometimes they do. And then if they don't get out of it, I like to think 'What would I have done differently?' " she said, adding with a laugh: "It's kind of neat to take note in case you ever come across a psycho." Inman loved the original Chainsaw, but said she wasn't interested in a faithful remake. She was more curious about the alterations: in the remake, the hitchhiker at the beginning is a victim, not a weirdo; the audience gets to see Leatherface's real mug; and there's a larger family of sickos. The original featured a gritty, gruesome visage of deranged murder that lived up to its stark name. It helped define the slasher genre and stunned unprepared sneak-preview audiences -- some reportedly staggered out of theatres sick. Capitalizing on Halloween and the new remake, a special edition DVD release of the 1974 thriller debuted Tuesday. Tobe Hooper, the original's director, refused to be interviewed for this story, but has said previously that he too was inspired by folk tales -- and by shopping in a hardware store. He fused his chain-saw motif to the true-life story of Ed Gein, the Wisconsin grave robber and murderer whose 1957 exploits, which involved cannibalism and sewing clothes out of human skin, inspired the Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho and the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs. Scott Kosar, the screenwriter who adapted the remake Chainsaw script, said he had reverence for the original's signature senselessness. "It's not based on plot or clever construction. There was no attempt to explain what was happening," Kosar said. "There's just a murderous beast with a chain saw and he just keeps coming and coming and coming." The same can be said of slasher movies. -ANTHONY BRENICAN. CP

Weiland and wife split
Former Stone Temple Pilots singer has filed for divorce

Photo: Scott Weiland. Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland has filed for divorce from his wife. The 35-year-old singer said in court documents filed Tuesday that he's divorcing Mary Weiland, with whom he has two children, because of irreconcilable differences. The couple has a prenuptial agreement. The two married in May 2000 and separated in September 2002. Mary Weiland filed for divorce after their separation, but dropped the matter in August. Scott Weiland was sentenced to three years' probation in August after pleading no contest to one count of possessing heroin. He's scheduled to return to court Monday for a progress report. He had a prior drug arrest and was jailed in 1999 after he violated probation and didn't complete drug rehabilitation programs. In 2001, Weiland pleaded guilty to domestic battery after a fight with his wife at the Hard Rock hotel and casino in Las Vegas. The judge agreed to dismiss the charges as long as Weiland underwent counseling.

Spears Glad She Didn't Settle Down

Says she's quite shy

Britney Spears, throwing away her old sweet-as-pie image and most of her clothes, says she's relieved she didn't settle down with fellow pop star Justin Timberlake. Spears is quoted in the September edition of Elle magazine discussing how the break-up made her a better artist and that she hated Timberlake talking about their relationship because she's actually quite shy. On the cover, the 21-year old star appears in a seductive pose wearing nothing but tiny black briefs.

"I'll always have feelings for Justin," she said. "OK, not feelings for him, but he'll always have a special place in my heart. "He was my first love after all. I think I got way too serious, way too young. It's very healthy to not be in that relationship right now." Spears said she wasn't ready to join friends from Louisiana who had settled down. "I'll call up a friend and say, 'Hey! What's going on? You're pregnant? What? Already?' But that's where I come from and that's the mindset I had all my life," Spears said. "Now I think 'Whoah, that would have been the biggest mistake of my life. Y'know?" Spears split with Timberlake in March 2002 after three years together.

"I've said goodbye. Seriously," she said. "You can love someone so much, but then there are times when too much has been said. You can forgive . . . but you can't forget." She said the breakup had made her a better artist. "I know that for a fact," she said. "But because of what happened when I went into the studio to make my new album, I sang better. It's because you're feeling. It's all real. It's you." Spears was unimpressed by Timberlake featuring a look alike of her in his video Cry Me a River. "Freakin' horrible. You know what I mean?" she said. "It was hard for me that he was so exploitative. Every interview that he did, he was just talking about us in such an open way and I just felt 'Is nothing sacred anymore'? It was weird. It was . . . disappointing. "Now Spears is enjoying the single life. "At first it was weird, but I don't know if I could be in a relationship right now. And it's more exciting when you don't have a boyfriend," she said. Spears says she's shy at heart. "When I'm in front of the camera, I know what to do, but I get in a room, stuck with four guys, and I'm like the shyest girl there."-CP.