Quentin Tarantino speaking at The Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit held in his honor

A Toast to Quentin Tarantino 
Shortly after closing time at MoMA on Monday last week, union workers assembled a labyrinth of faux hedgerow that led from 54th Street into The Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit tribute to Quentin Tarantino. Set against the tony greenery, Dispatches asked co-chair Harvey Weinstein why he leveraged his Hollywood muscle behind Tarantino so early in the young director’s career. “He’s the best writer I’ve ever read,” Weinstein informed Dispatches. “And one of the most innovative filmmakers of all time,” he added. Weinstein also mentioned that Tarantino’s next film, Django Unchained, screening this week, is both “ferocious and funny.”

Although Tarantino barely talked to the press, he told Dispatches that he doesn’t, in fact, hate these things. “Oh, no, I wouldn’t be here if I did,” he claimed. “I’m excited.”   

Late and rushing by the shrubs, Jamie Foxx, who plays the title role in Django, indicated that he had written some of the words for the film’s rap theme song. “I’m not a rapper, but give me an hour,” he quoted what he’d said on the set. “I think it might be fly.” He then took the time to rap quietly for reporters in the shrubs, “I need 100 black coffins for one hundred bad men. . .”

Nichole Galicia, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio’s gal pal, Sheba, in Django, described her costar as dreamy, yummy, super-nice. “And he’s so funny, which I wasn’t expecting. He has some sexy dance moves. He’s down to earth . . . he’s awesome!” she said.

Matisse, Up Close 
The next morning, believe it or not, Dispatches made an 8:15 a.m. breakfast hosted by Farrow & Ball in the antiques-filled patrons' room at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in honor of the new exhibit, “Matisse: In Search of True Painting.”

During the very special tour that Farrow & Ball arranged, Dispatches learned that Matisse had started painting late in life and studied with his close friend Georges Seurat. His early work was attacked for copying the styles of other impressionists. He’d do one version very much in the style of another impressionist master and then a sketch of that work that appeared nearly unfinished. And at some points, he’d base yet another work on a sketch of a previous work. The exhibit displays all the pieces on one wall at the same time, and the interplay is fascinating.

John Krasinski, Gus Van Sant, and Matt Damon at the premiere of Promised Land

Promised Land Premiere 
That night, Focus Features premiered Promised Land, written and produced by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, who also starred in the anti-fracking vehicle, directed by Gus Van Sant. “We put a piece of our souls into it,” said Damon about the film.

Rosemarie DeWitt, the love interest of both Damon and Kraskinski’s characters, said she had to do a chemistry reading with Damon at 8:15 a.m. at Bar Marmont, with John Krasinkski playing the bartender. Did they have chemistry? “I think everybody has chemistry with Matt Damon,” she answered, diplomatically. Apparently, Van Sant had tried to punk Damon by getting him to think that DeWitt and Kraskinki were having an affair on set. “Whenever you say goodbye to her, just kiss her on the lips,” Dewitt quoted Van Sant’s instructions to Krasinski. "But I’d giggle every time,” she said.

Jessica Biel and Uma Thurman at the premiere of Playing for Keeps

Playing for Keeps Premiere  
On Thursday, the Cinema Society and Chrysler debuted Playing for Keeps at AMC Lincoln Square. Gerard Butler plays an ex-soccer star coaching his young son’s team. The amusement factor is that all the hot soccer moms—Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Judy Greer—are gunning to land him in the sack.

Noah Lomax, who played Jessica Biel’s little boy in the film, said that Biel entertained him on set with her iPod—it had a camera on it that would “make you look old and fat.” She’ll make great mom someday. 

At the afterparty on the rooftop lounge of Dream New York, Butler’s gal pal, Madalina Ghenea, was downing Vikingfjord Vodka cocktails and getting cozy with Butler. Biel, who had changed from a Versace cutout dress to a slightly more comfy green gown, kept to a back booth with new husband Justin Timberlake

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Premiere
On Thursday, the gorgeous soccer moms were traded in for hobbits, dwarves, and elves when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiered at Ziegfeld Theatre. Director Peter Jackson was being very sweet to his daughter, who had on a shoulderless gold number, on the red carpet and protectively hurried her into the theater. Meanwhile, the dwarves in the picture discussed being overdressed on camera to the point of being overheated. “We had cold water pumped through cooling vests,” said actor Peter Hambleton of all the makeup, beards, and fat suits.

"The vests were made out of nylon and filled with ice," said Aidan Turner, now better known as the hot dwarf in the picture. “It’s not that we’re good-looking,” offered Dean O’Gorman, Turner’s hot dwarf friend, also in the film. “We’re just slightly better-looking than the others.”

FYI, The Hobbit, shot in 3-D, ranks with the best of the Lord of the Rings series. And Elijah Wood, who has a cameo, gave a copy of his gold ring, the centerpiece of all six pictures, to a reporter on the red carpet (not me).  

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