Julian Schnabel

According to Real Estalker, Richard Gere has put his four-bedroom, four-bath property in the Palazzo Chupi building in New York's West Village on the market for nearly $18 million. You may remember the building, which was designed by Julian Schnabel of directorial fame, from my recent Coveted Crib. Schnabel is said to have "created the apartment to feel like Venice in Manhattan." The listing reads:

Room proportions are grand, ceilings are 12'6"+/- high, light streams in from all directions and there are huge French doors in every room leading to terraces with Hudson River views. A large wood-burning fireplace exists in the living room and there is a covered 66'+/- colonnade running along the entire north side of the apartment. Drama abounds. Amenities include parking, elevator, air conditioning, pool, and 24-hour doorman.

Well, it turns out that Gere isn't much for old Venezia; he purchased the property in September 2007 for only $12 million, and never moved in. He's made few improvements aside from aesthetic changes like changing the color of the kitchen cabinets, so the $6-million markup seems a little absurd. But, it may actually be a steal — Schnabel himself is selling the two other units in the building (there are only five) for $32 million each.

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When artist Julian Schnabel unveiled the facade of his West Village building last Summer, New Yorkers howled in protest over the overtly hot-pink shade. Schnabel, most recently in the news for his directorial turn on The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, has definitely translated his imaginative aesthetic into the world of architecture, and despite the eye-popping initial color of the building, known as Palazzo Chupi, I have to admit I like the place, especially after seeing the interior photos (and no, the building isn't that pink in real life).

To see what Palazzo Chupi looks like on the inside, just read more

Every year there is a foreign/arthouse film that has critics raving and award committees atwitter. You know you ought to see it, but you can’t quite find the right moment to check it out. Before you know it, one of the best movies of the year becomes destined for the film version of purgatory — your Waitflix Queue.

I'm so glad I spared The Diving Bell and the Butterfly this fate. The movie was just nominated for Oscars in several categories including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Achievement in Cinematography — all of which are well-deserved. It's a beautiful and ambitious cinematic journey to the place where our strongest emotions intersect with imagination, and it's worth adding to your list of movies to see ASAP.

Jean-Dominique Bauby (played by Mathieu Amalric) was once the glamorous editor-in-chief of Elle France, enjoying a fashionable and charmed existence in Paris. The good times screech to a halt, however, when he suffers a rare stroke that renders him paralyzed except for the ability to blink his left eye, a condition called "locked-in syndrome." This is where some might get turned off by what appears to be an unbearably depressing premise: A man who "has it all" becomes condemned to watching and listening to the world go by from the inside of a motionless body. Yet to my surprise, Bauby's true story is far from depressing. In fact, I found it to be exciting and inspiring. To see what I mean, read more

Ryan Gosling was just about the only guy keeping it interesting with his fashion choice at last night's SAG Awards in LA. Along with his shimmery suit, plaid shirt and lack of tie, he wore a black ribbon on his lapel in honor of Heath Ledger. The rest of the men went pretty traditional, but at least all those handsome faces were there to keep us satisfied. Highlights (other than Gosling) included some not-frequently-seen-enough favorites like Casey Affleck, John Krasinski and Javier Bardem. Josh Brolin took a chance on cleanliness (heh) and planted a wet one on Jeremy Piven's cheek while Footloose stars old and new Kevin Bacon and Zac Efron posed together — cute, huh? Any men red carpet favorites last night? How do you feel about Brad Pitt's highlights with that salt and pepper goatee? Pretty special. Of course, check out the ladies red carpet and let us know what you think about all the winners, too.

To see a lot more guys on the red carpet including Forest, Ludacris, James Gandolfini, Cuba, Denis Leary, Burt Reynolds, and many others just read more

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a film adaptation of the French memoir Le Scaphandre et le Papillon, has been getting tons of buzz ever since it premiered at Cannes last year, and that buzz only increased with the two wins the Diving Bell garnered last night at the Golden Globes. Yet many people don't know a thing about it, so in honor of the movie's Best Foreign Language Film win and Julian Schnabel nabbing Best Director, check out the trailer for Diving Bell after the jump.

The story follows Jean-Dominique Bauby's life after he suffers a massive stroke at the age of 43, leaving him with the condition "locked-in syndrome." His only means of communication: blinking his left eyelid. To watch the trailer and see what everyone's talking about, read more

Many of the fashion world's most beautiful came out to the premiere of Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) at Cannes. Mischa seems a little out of place but what do you expect when you're up against Claudia, Naomi and Elle? However, this look on Mischa is much better then her rock and roll inspired red carpet look. The movie is based on the book by former Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby. Bauby was almost completely paralyzed in 1995 and communicated his entire story to a interlocutor only by blinking his left eye. The film, directed by acclaimed artist Julian Schnabel, is creating quite a stir at Cannes, and over here in the states as well.

For more pics including Toni Collette, Sharon Stone, Julian Schnabel, Julie Delpy, Emmanuelle Seigner and more just read more