The plan was for me to attend this little tea party at the Beverly Hilton this afternoon for Richard Gere who was being honored as actor of the year at the Hollywood Film Festival. Then I had been invited to the awards after-party. This afternoon, I'm blogging away and wonder: "What am I gonna do between the tea party and the after party? That's a four hour gap!"
I make some calls and manage to get a spot on the red carpet for arrivals and into the awards themselves even though it was in the back at a table where we would not be served dinner. No prob, at the Gere party, I had already feasted on lamb chops and these to die for potstickers. Delish.
OK, so the red carpet was chaos! So many reporters smashed up against each other trying to get the attention of the stars as they made their way down the red carpet. I will have a full report on the red carpet scene on my HOLLYWOOD JOE blog later today.

But here are some of my impressions for Out In Hollywood readers: Ben Affleck, who I have never scene in the flesh before, is actually better looking in person. He is very, very handsome and well-spoken. His brother, Casey Affleck, isn't the tall, dark and handsome leading man that Ben is, but he's pretty darn good looking too and is having one heckuva year. ......
Nikki Blonsky is just such a breath of fresh air. While her co-star Zac Efron seemed pained on the red carpet, Nikki was bubbly and happy and looked like a million bucks. She talked to everyone and even spelled out the name of her dress designer without prompting. I hope she never changes ..... I did not know that Janeane Garofalo had these massive tatoos. She wore a sleeveless dress and there they were! Hello! ......Janet Jackson is probably a really nice person but there is this detatchment there that is slightly unappealing .... John Travolta and Kelly Preston can work a press line together effortlessly. They segue between anwering questions together in a finishing each olther's sentences way or they answer different questions at the same time to different reports all the while still linking hands ...... Marcia Gay Harden told me she keeps her Oscar in her office in Harlem .....Richard Gere likes to talk. And talk. And talk.