How Will Pacino, Levinson, Etc., Get Along with the New Mamet? by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith on Creators.com

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How Will Pacino, Levinson, Etc., Get Along with the New Mamet?

How Will Pacino, Levinson, Etc., Get Along with the New Mamet?/Stacy Keibler Keeps Widening Her Range

Even as literati across the land process the information that F-bomb-spewing, Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright David Mamet is "no longer a "brain-dead liberal" but rather a "newly-minted conservative" — as he spells out in his new book, "The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture" — the next question becomes clear: How is his self-proclaimed conversion going to impact his interactions with all his liberal show-business colleagues?

Mamet is already speculating that he won't get as much work in the future as he skewers ideology and institutions the leftward-leaning hold dear along his caustic jaw-dropper of a book tour. (NPR stands for "National Palestinian Radio," for instance, and college is "socialist camp.")

But how about right now? He's supposed to be making his Phil Spector movie starring Al Pacino, Bette Midler and Jeffrey Tambor for the gang at HBO, a place not known for a preponderance of Glenn Beck fans. The yet-untitled movie about the iconic record producer turned second-degree murder convict is in preproduction with plans for filming to take place in July and August, with Barry Levinson producing. Mamet is writer-director on the project.

Interestingly, Mamet tipped his hand last year, when he told New York magazine that he considers Spector innocent of the 2003 killing of Lana Clarkson in the case involving sex play and a gun. He told the mag that while watching a documentary about the deadly event, he found himself thinking, "There's no way he killed that girl. He got convicted of 'I don't like you.' "

Wanna bet that Pacino, Levinson et al are wishing they had the old Mamet back?

WOMAN OF MANY TALENTS: Stacy Keibler says she had a ball doing red-carpet and backstage interview duty as Spike TV's "Man-bassador" at its Guys Choice Awards of last week.

So much so, she'd love to do more such chores.

"It was different to be on the other side of things," says the famous WWE Diva-turned-"Dancing With the Stars" standout. "I had a lot of respect for the people on the red carpet and didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable with questions, but this was more laid-back. We were able to have a lot of fun."

The leggy blond has two movies coming up: "Dysfunctional Friends" that she describes as "a dark comedy about a group of friends who've lost touch since college." Their very wealthy pal leaves them a vast fortune — on one condition.

"They have to live in a house together a certain amount of time. They've gone on with their lives. They don't all get along. There are ego issues. My character is a gold-digging, kind of a little bit of an easy girl, I guess you could say, out for the money and the athletes."

Her other movie is Hallmark's "Fixing Pete" with Dylan Bruno and Brooke Burns.

"Brooke and I play best friends. She's a journalist who has to make over this guy. And I'm a supermodel, who, once she makes him over, falls in love with him."

The ladies were fast friends off camera as well as on, according to Keibler.

"Brooke is such a fantastic woman. We had a great time every single day on the set."

FRIGHTFUL: An Aug. 8 production start in Dallas has been set for "The Ghost of Goodnight Lane," starring Billy Zane in a story of a movie crew that runs into trouble of the supernatural sort — the evil spirit of a child left to die right where they're shooting. This is being touted as based on a true story, but we're not going to vouch for that.

Casting forces for Fox TV's forthcoming "American Horror Story" series have been on the lookout for an actor to play a homeless man with dead eyes for an episode in which zombies walk the streets of Los Angeles. This one is not touted as being based on a true story.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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