By Henry Krempels 11/16/11 1:30pm

Party Circuit

7 Photos

Stefano Tonchi and Peggy Siegal

We Need To Talk (About Kevin) To Tilda

The Observer descended upon the euphoniously named Hotel Chantelle, safe in the knowledge that if the party celebrating the New York premiere of, We Need To Talk about Kevin, was going to go into the night—and our dedication to the cause didn’t waiver—we could always book ourselves in. We were surprised to learn, then, that this was not an hotel at all, but a “tri-story venue with a rooftop restaurant, lounge and bar”. Our task was made even harder by the copious amounts of celebrity actors and models on show, all thanks to the sponsorship of Italian jewelry maker Pomellato. Read More

By Daniel D'Addario 9/15/11 2:41pm

fall arts preview

Amber Heard. (Photo: Michael Buckner / Getty Images)

Who Matters Now: A Handful of Rising Stars of the Screen

Amber Heard
The Rum Diary and The Playboy Club
It can’t be easy to be Amber Heard. The 25-year-old actress is in possession of the sort of smashing beauty that gets one featured on Maxim lists and offered parts in the likes of The Playboy Club, and charisma that goes unnoticed. The upcoming NBC drama, in which Ms. Heard is to play the most valuable Bunny at one of Hugh Hefner’s sex-and-Scotch nightspots, will create the sort of sensation Ms. Heard (previously best known for a string of near-mute girlfriend parts in films like Pineapple Express and The Stepfather) has thus far not experienced, but the part still demands more from her appearance than her thespianic skills. Thankfully, Ms. Heard’s talents are to be tested in the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary, in which she plays the object of obsession for Johnny Depp’s alcoholic journalist character. Sure, it’s another girlfriend part, of sorts, but based on the epically terrible shoot and the evident artistic ambitions of Mr. Depp and director Bruce Robinson, Ms. Heard might soon be able to add line items to her resume that don’t include Maxim or Playboy. Read More

By Nate Freeman 1/20/11 11:19pm

Nightlife

Certified Organic, Eco-Friendly Hilarity at the "Portlandia" Premiere Party

There was flannel everywhere.

It was the premiere of “Portlandia,” the sure-fire TV hit from Fred Armisen (of Saturday Night Live fame) and Carrie Brownstein (of now-defunct rock heroes Sleater-Kinney), and everywhere we looked we were greeted with a wash of that plaid-heavy cozy super-nineties fabric, flannel.

The bartenders serving up Portland’s own Rogue Ale? Read More