Entertainment Today: Showbiz News

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VH1, VOGUE RECOGNIZE FASHION FORWARD

VH1 and Vogue magazine recognized the most stylish people in the film, music and television industries with a giant bash at Radio City Music Hall Tuesday night.

Hosted by "Will & Grace" star Debra Messing, the live, two-hour show featured electrifying musical performances by Pink and David Bowie, as well as tons of playful banter between some of Hollywood's best-dressed players.

First lady of fashion, Jennifer Lopez, was named the Most Influential Star of the Year, while veteran rocker Steven Tyler grabbed the Rockstyle award, rapper Eve was awarded the Breakthrough style award, Karolina Kurkova was selected Model of the Year and Hugh Grant nabbed the Leading Man prize.

Missing from the festivities was Oscar-winning style icon Gwyneth Paltrow, who nabbed the show's Red Carpet award. Paltrow did not attend the event due to the death of her beloved father earlier this month.

HOPPER SAYS 'NO' TO 'EASY RIDER 2'

Actor-writer-director Dennis Hopper says he refuses to work on a sequel to his classic 1969 film, "Easy Rider."

Asked recently if there is any truth to the rumor there will be an "Easy Rider 2," the film he directed and co-wrote and co-starred in with Peter Fonda, Hopper told reporters, "Yeah."

"They came to me a couple years ago and they said they wanted to make a sequel to 'Easy Rider,' would I like to be involved and I said, 'no," he recalls.

"But I understand they are going on and Peter is involved. I haven't spoken to him, so I don't know, but I assume he is involved."

So, what were Hopper's reservations about working on a sequel to a film about two men's search for the real America?

"Having to work with Peter is one of them," he says, "and the other is I had a very good idea. I thought about how to approach a second film, but they were going in another direction, which didn't interest me at all."

Hopper can now be seen in the mob drama, "Knockaround Guys," starring Vin Diesel and Barry Pepper.

HOFFMAN, ROMANO TO HEADLINE COMEDY

Dustin Hoffman and Ray Romano are reportedly negotiating to co-star in a big-screen political comedy.

According to Variety, the actors would begin shooting "Mooseport" during Romano's TV hiatus next spring.

If all goes well, Hoffman will play a former U.S. president whose plan to retire in a small East Coast town is thwarted when his new neighbors beg him to fill an empty mayoral seat. Romano would play Hoffman's opposition -- an unassuming hardware store owner.

The trade paper reports that Rod Lurie ("The Last Castle") will direct the Intermedia Films project from a script by Tom Schulman ("Dead Poet's Society"). It would reportedly cost less than $30 million to make.

SANDLER ON FILM CRITICS

Comic actor Adam Sandler, who has often been dismissed as lowbrow and juvenile by snooty film critics, says he can actually remember a time when he looked forward to reading reviews of his movies.

"Actually when I made 'Billy Madison,' I remember ... thinking 'It's going to be fun when it comes out and they actually write stuff about you and my parents will read it,'" Sandler told reporters in Toronto recently.

"This is incredible. The last time I was in the paper was when I was in eighth grade on made the honor roll. And all of a sudden I woke up that morning. I didn't know they were going to come at me and hate me and what I was doing. It kinda shook me up that day. And then I remember calling up my friends and going, 'What are they writing in your home town?' Aah, them too, huh?" he said.

Now that he is receiving the best notices of his career for his wonderful performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch-Drunk Love," Sandler says he is less affected by what critics say.

"I'm 36 now -- I kinda grew up doing this," he explained. "I've been making movies for 10 years. I've been doing stand-up. I got rejected by stand-up crowds since I'm 17. I've been hit a bunch of times and I'm all right with that.

I know in my heart I've always worked hard and tried to make funny movies. And I believe in my movies, and critically I know a lot of critics object to what I do. But it can't hurt me that much if in my head I realize I wasn't making a movie...

"When I was 17 getting into this I didn't say, 'I want to make movies one day that the critics will say, 'This guy is incredible.' I wanted to make movies like what Eddie Murphy did for me when I was growing up," Sandler continued.

"Now doing a movie with Paul, a different type of movie, I realize that people have written nice stuff and it's a new thing and I'm glad my father can read something and say, 'Hey all right!' But it wasn't my goal, I just wanted to make a great movie with Paul, but I didn't say, 'Okay, now I'll show them.'"