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In the New Vanity Fair, contributing editor Howard Blum and freelance digger John Connolly (author of that much-rehashed Premiere piece on Arnold Schwarzenegger) team up for a piece on jailed Hollywood PI Anthony Pellicano. The piece leads with the threat on L.A. Times reporter Anita Busch and includes her photo. In a separate story (though perhaps related?), Maureen Orth looks into the case against Michael Jackson, and Dominick Dunne writes about his late brother, John Gregory Dunne.
Also, there's a fun "Intelligence Report" comparing L.A. neighborhoods by Richard Rushfield and Adam Leff. A few selections:
BLOCK CAPTAINS
Bel Air - Nancy Reagan
Malibu - David Geffen
Brentwood - Norman Lear
Santa Monica - David E. Kelley & Michelle Pfeiffer
Hollywood Hills - George Clooney
CLUBHOUSE
Bel Air - The Bar at Hotel Bel Air
Malibu - Malibu Country Mart
Brentwood - Arianna Huffington's salon
Santa Monica - Father's Office
Hollywood Hills - Chateau Marmont
"IT GIRL"
Bel Air - Edie Wasserman
Malibu - Barbra Streisand
Brentwood - Kate Capshaw
Santa Monica - Calista Flockhart
Hollywood Hills - Cameron Diaz
CAUSE
Bel Air - Screener ban
Malibu - Clark campaign
Brentwood - Dean campaign
Santa Monica - Kabbalah
Hollywood Hills - Death of the supermodel
It's the annual Oscar issue and the cover group photo (again by Annie Leibovitz) is of female stars in gowns: Julianne, Gwyneth, Salma, both Jennifers, Naomi, Scarlett...you get the idea. For the December shoot at Culver Studios, they all got Fred Segal massages and dressing rooms supplied with a new Ipod, disposable cameras and other goodies.