RANTING AND RAVING WITH BRETT RATNER

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THE WEB GOSSIP
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Brett Ratner

RATNER OUT --- Director Brett Ratner (Tower Heist) was dramatically fired the other night as producer of the next Oscar's after making an amazing gay-slur, “Rehearsal is for fags,” during a Q&A session at L.A.'s ArcLight cinema last week. The same day, he went on Howard Stern and got carried away in a raunchy discussion about sex, saying he sends women he sleeps with to his doctor to be checked for diseases. His PR-team at Rubenstein said yesterday they were no longer working with him because of “artistic differences.” Ratner himself said yesterday, “I've gotten a well deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said.” This developments throws the next Oscar-ceremony into chaos, as Ratner has personally chosen Eddie Murphy, as the host; the comedian is in Tower Heist; which has had its own troubles at the box office. Exactly who is this Brett Ratner? A recent article on him said: “He appears to be a crass hustler who's spent his entire career in a Sammy Glick-like rush to get ahead.” Sure, he's done some excellent work, like the film Family Man and the entire Rush Hour series; but more often than not, he has seemed totally out of control on many occasions. Ratner lives in a house where Ingrid Bergman and Kim Novak once played. The last owner was Allan Carr. I've met him and he really does seem to fancy himself as the next Robert Evans … I knew Evans, and can say unequivocally … Ratner's not even close. He should be out as the Oscar-producer.


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Michael Douglas

REGIS' FINAL DAYS --- I know we posited several months back, that the powers that be at ABC would reconsider and keep Regis Philbin; but, alas they have not and as of this morning, there are 7 shows left with him. This final series of shows with him have been nothing but fabulous; especially this morning when he de-bunked a review by Marvin Kitman (in Newsday), some 28 years ago (September 5, 1988), when the current show was originally launched as The Morning Show. Kitman, always a hack, essentially skewered everything about the show and Philbin. Needless to say, said he was wrong. Reege is a national treasure and although he will get his fair share of praise and adulation in these final days, it's really a shame that ABC couldn't put it together. They had Robert DeNiro Monday, Michael Douglas yesterday, Liam Neeson today ... it's been really terrific. I hope they get Kathie Lee in there too! He'll be missed for sure. My prediction: He'll do some one-off things, but he really deserves to sit back ... and, he will for a bit. I've known him since his days in L.A. and though he's a handful ... he's a true original. Rest easy Reege!


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Adam Sandler

Monkee In The Middle --- Monkee-Micky Dolenz,was surprised at Adam Sandler's Jack And Jill premiere Sunday night in L.A., when three-quarters of the way through, Adam and Al Pacino, in the film, are dancing to his Monkee-hit"I'm A Believer." Also there, Neil Diamond, who wrote it." He'll be at the opening of Riverdance next week in L.A. too.


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Lizzie Grubman

LYONS IN THE DEN --- We got several strange reports from last weekend's Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Kids 4 Kids event in Manhattan. We spoke to several publicists who said that some of their clients, who were constant participants in years past, were not even invited this year. A quick glance, showed Lizzie Grubman and Kyle MacLachlan as the main stars. Where were Whoopi Goldberg; James Gandolfini; Robert Funaro; Debbie Gibson; and, Micky Dolenz? All supporters for years. We tried to get through to their reps Chip Lyons and Jake Glaser ...but, they haven't gotten back to us yet. There was a new celebrity wrangler this year, Bobby Yule … so, that's maybe the problem. A great event; a great cause … we hope to see everyone reunited next year. The kids would have loved Whoopi ... as they always do!


Photos By: Sara De Boer/Retna