Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Hunter S. ruffles Robin’s feathers

Time and place: Saturday afternoon, a poolside cabana at the Palms.

Players: Hunter S. Thompson, Anita Bejmuk (Thompson's longtime assistant and, since April 24, his wife), Benicio Del Toro, Josh Hartnett, Robin Leach and two feathered showgirls.

What transpired: The greatest "interview" that will never see the light of day.

The generally media-shy Thompson spotted Leach and a KVVU Channel 5 Fox camera operator and called them over.

Without waiting for the loquacious Leach to even ask a question, Thompson ranted for 15 solid minutes, often incoherently, about everything from the state of world affairs to his recent marriage to his new feelings about Las Vegas.

"I did understand him when he said he's started work on a new book using a typewriter," Leach told VegasBeat afterward. "But most of what he said is generally not fit for public consumption -- what we could understand, at least."

The famous gonzo journalist was making his first overnight trip to Las Vegas since his classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was published more than 30 years ago. He was to attend select CineVegas events, including screenings of the 1998 film version of his book starring Johnny Depp and Del Toro, and a new documentary, "Breakfast With Hunter."

It was an eventful visit.

On Friday, during a photo shoot with WireImage lensman Michael Caulfield, Thompson briefly "lost control," according to a witness, and threw the head of a mannequin at Caulfield, breaking some camera equipment.

The next day, he pulled a typical Thompson stunt: blowing off a commitment.

Thompson was a no-show at a CineVegas panel with Grace Slick, Dennis Hopper, New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell and UNLV's resident MacArthur genius, Dave Hickey. (See Jerry Fink's coverage of that event on page 1E.)

Organizers, though disappointed with Thompson's absence, humorously propped up a photo of the absent author in his seat.

But all was forgiven when he showed up at the "Breakfast With Hunter" screening Saturday night.

Thompson, 66, said he missed the panel because he was having back problems that developed during activities in the marital honeymoon bed.

Thompson's new wife is 30.

Party on

Reported new love interest Cameron Diaz was nowhere to be seen, but Justin Timberlake was hardly lonely at the party after his concert with Christina Aguilera at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night.

Among the masses jammed into the after-party at Rain in the Desert at the Palms were Darryl Hannah, Stephen Baldwin, Taye Diggs, Tony Curtis, Scott Caan and Hopper.

Many of those folks started their evening at CineVegas' closing party at the Palms pool and moved inside for Timberlake.

The entire group -- and then some -- ended up at ghostbar. "There were so many celebrities -- I really had my hands full tonight," ghostbar's VIP host Marko Greisen told VegasBeat in a 4:30 a.m. phone call Sunday.

Also making the ghostbar scene: "Armegeddon" director Michael Bay, "NYPD Blue's" Henry Simmons and "Smallville" star Michael Rosenbaum.

And where was Aguilera after the concert? At a performance of "La Femme" at MGM Grand.

Showing Love

A little rock reunion took place at Stratosphere over the weekend -- Mike Love invited Billy Hinsche to again jam with the Beach Boys.

Hinsche had been in Al Jardine's camp in a dispute that culminated in Love suing Jardine earlier this year over using the Beach Boys name.

Hinsche, who lives in Las Vegas, played onstage alongside Love and also brought some Vegas energy to the sold- out performance. Hinsche had his shapely gal pal, Jada Fire -- who runs the Industrial Road yoga school Studio Open -- come on the stage to dance with Love during the encore of "Fun, Fun, Fun."

Sour Lou

It was Lou Reed's first Las Vegas performance -- and likely his last.

The Friday night show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel by the one-time Velvet Underground frontman was marred by technical problems and a miniscule audience, many of whom weren't paying attention, causing Reed to stop his show and deliver a profanity-laced tirade.

At one point, the 61-year-old icon, who was dressed in the standard Downtown New York uniform of black leather pants and a tight black T-shirt, said: "We can't possibly sing with the bar going like that ... We came to play -- so why don't you people back there go (expletive) yourselves."

Then he and his band left the stage until all the bars in the concert hall were closed.

Earlier, Reed had walked off the stage when snaps, crackles and pops started to drown out his classic ballad, "Sweet Jane." The problem was said to be a blown mixing board.

Reed did an abbreviated encore -- some diehard fans had a set list from a previous show -- and left the stage with a grimace.

VegasBits

Score: Heisman Trophy winner and Cincinnati Bengals top draft pick Carson Palmer was doing a little preseason throwing practice -- at the craps tables -- at Mandalay Bay late Saturday night. Earlier, Palmer was at Warren Moon's charity bowling fund-raiser at the Gold Coast, along with jocks Jerry Rice, Jeff Garcia, Ronnie Lott, Paul Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal and Ray Lewis ...

Club man: Actor Alan Thicke hit the dance floor at Prana on Saturday night ...

In the game: ESPN's Al Bernstein attended a weekend screening of "Stuey," the film about about Stu "The Kid" Ungar who rose to poker greatness only to be destroyed by his own demons. Bernstein has a cameo in the film ...

Strategy: NBA owners Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks) and George Maloof (Sacramento Kings) had a long, private conversation at ghostbar Friday night ...

Hope: A strikingly diverse group of personalities -- including Mark Spitz, Hal Linden, Larry Coker, Jon Gruden and Florence Henderson were part of the City of Hope's cancer charity dinner at the Las Vegas Hilton on Saturday night. Where else but Las Vegas?

From Sun wires

Adam Sandler wed Jackie Titone on Sunday in an outdoor ceremony that was attended by celebrity friends and his pet bulldog dressed in a custom tuxedo.

"Sandler got married," the comic's website said. "Woopity Doo!"

It was the first marriage for Sandler 36, and Titone, 28.

Titone has appeared in Sandler's movies, including as a waitress in "Big Daddy," and an angel in "Little Nicky."

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