Las Vegas Weekly

June 8, 2008 · 10:46 PM

Paris, Benji talking of wedding — but not in Vegas

By Robin Leach

Paris and Benji get cuddly in Las Vegas.

Photo: TVT

Glamorous pop couple Paris Hilton and Benji Madden admit they are not only head-over-heels in true love but have already discussed marriage and baby plans -– even though they will only be celebrating their four-month anniversary this coming weekend. “It’s the real thing,” the tattooed Good Charlotte rocker told me, “Its true love and we are just totally happy. Both of us have said we’ve never been in love like this before.”

Paris added: “We are the perfect match and we simply love being with each other. We want to be together forever. We just don’t like being apart.” However, Paris denied current pregnancy rumors and also confirmed she is not planning a Vegas wedding. “It has to be a very romantic wedding, so as much as I love Vegas it will be somewhere else. I don’t know when or where.”

The blond heiress, pop singer, actress and business tycoon was in Vegas for a whirlwind 48 hours at the weekend filming segments of her new MTV reality show I Wanna Be Paris’s New Best Friend. The contented couple were camped out in a luxury supersuite at The Venetian, along with her sister, Nicky Hilton and her boyfriend, David Katzenberg.

Paris brought along seven of the show’s contestants for filming, which included several of them rehearsing and then performing as Follies Bergere dancers at the Tropicana.

Paris strode through the Venetian’s grand lobby and casino floor and up the escalator to Tao with her seven contestants to face a barrage of red-carpet photographers and press questions. She told me, “It’s exciting because some of them have never been to Vegas before. We’re having a real great time. This show is much different than Simple Life. Its not based on me and is far more about them all living in the house and competing to be my best friend. We have some very interesting characters and they’ve never experienced some of the things I’m putting them through. I’ve done it all before and they haven’t so its fun and interesting to see how they handle it. I’m not the fish out of water here but they definitely are!

“The worst thing though is kicking one off the show each time. It’s horrible. It literally makes me cry every time I do it. I’m hanging with them and you really get to know them. But it’s a contest that only one can win. So when I have to let one go it just makes me cry like crazy. I can’t sleep at night. Benji is lying in bed and I’m crying over what I’ve just done. Its getting harder and harder as the group gets smaller and smaller. I feel so bad because people cry during the elimination. Its very emotional and everybody cries on the show. Thankfully Benji is there to get me through the night when I tell him I feel so bad about having to kick them off. It’s the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do.“

Paris looked stunning in a simple black vintage dress. Benji had slipped in separately through a private side entrance while his girl glowed in the spotlight. Younger sister, Nicky, and beau Katzenberg took off for their dinner a-deux of chicken tacos and ceviche in the new Mod Mex cuisine restaurant Dos Caminos in the adjoining Palazzo. MTV cameras rolled as Paris invited the contestants to sit at a long table near Tao’s signature giant Buddha. She ordered up pink champagne for the toast saying, “ Cheers bitches!” They feasted on sushi platters, lobster wontons and chicken pad Thai.

While Paris shot her scenes, Benji sat quietly -- almost anonymously -- at a separate table where I first talked to him. But the two of them came to mine when the cameras stopped rolling. I almost persuaded them to pose for their first kissy-kissy photo but Benji explained he was too shy for that and they gave me a huggy-huggy photo -- without his normal trademark dark sunglasses!

They chatted comfortably with me about their love match. Said Benji: “I can’t begin to tell you how beautiful this is. I’ve promised to look after her and take care of her so she’s never hurt by anything or anybody. I protect her.” Paris agreed: “He has a heart of gold and supports me in everything I do. He’s kind gentle down to earth. He really does love me and I really love him. I’m very much at peace with him because he’s changed my life. It is truly a great relationship and I love him very much. I used to go out all the time and now it’s more fun for us just to stay home and I’ll cook dinner for the two of us or have some family or friends over.”

Benji confirmed that he bought a double-banded diamond ring as a gift but it’s not an engagement ring even though she wears it on the fourth finger of her left hand. Paris admitted: “ We’ve talked about getting married. He’d like to get married and we want to stay together but we don’t yet know when or where.”

Later the entire group headed for their VIP table in the Tao nightclub, where the DJ played Paris’s “Stars Are Blind” song for their arrival. She automatically jumped on the catwalk, dancing with her contestants as she sang along to her song. Ever-loving beau Benji was again, happily sitting off to the side chatting with Nicky and David –- but Paris blew kisses to the crowd and to him! Every so often she jumped down to give him an extra kiss and by 3 a.m. she was sitting on his lap, whispering in his ear while he was caressing the small of her back.

They decided to call it quits then and took off for a private bungalow at The Mirage, where showman Jeff Beacher had arranged a mini-version of his zany Bleacher’s Madhouse – “Complete with midgets and monkeys,” he laughed! The MTV cameras rolled on that fun until at 7 a.m. Paris and Benji said it was time to call it quits.

The newly-slimmed down Beacher threw the party of after-parties with 100 different acts, dancers, impersonators and characters including the new Mini Hulk and the mini Black Eyed PeeWees Members of The Killers rock group and celebrity ‘Iron Man’ chef Kerry Simon who personally served his food for the pre-dawn bash joined Paris, Benji, Nicky and David for the MTV shoot. Even Flamingo headliner magician Nathan Burton joined Beacher to “saw Paris in half” for the guests and the cameras. It was the first time she’d ever played a magicians assistant and she said she wasn’t at all nervous or scared about the trick! Ever protective Benji loved it after telling the Johnny Depp impersonator not to get so close to “my girl Paris “.

After a new day of filming at Follies Bergere,Paris returned for a second consecutive Tao visit -- but without any cameras! Nicky and David had spent the afternoon sunning and swimming at Tao Beach on the pool deck in their own private cabana. They joined motocross racer Carey Hart and Paris’s BFF producer Stella Stolper for a birthday celebration for their friend, Alison Melnick. The gorgeous Tao servers produced a birthday cake adorned with red and yellow roses and sparklers as everybody sang “Happy Birthday To You.”

“It was a great, fun visit “ summed up Paris, “and perfect for the show. Now the toughest hardest part waits back home when I have to end another contestant’s chances and shatter their dreams. Ugh -- so hard!”

INTENSE IRS NIGHTLIFE INVESTIGATION “HEATS UP” AS MAJOR HOTEL-CLUB CHANGES ARE SET TO SHAKE UP THE STRIP:

Major developments are imminent in the ongoing fallout of the IRS investigation into alleged irregularities with tipping procedures and cash handling at various Strip nightclubs, according to highly reliable insiders.

“It’s been a very intense week with lawyers representing the club owners meeting for hours on end with IRS agents,” I was told. “It is really heating up, as the focus falls clearly on two specific individuals.”

Apparently, IRS investigators also contacted major headline celebrities who made investments in the nightclubs -- “and that has the VIPs very angry and upset about the whole mess,” I was told. “They simply don’t want to be dragged into a scandal.”

While there have been rumors, so far unsubstantiated, that the clubs will be sold, I am also reliably told that in one case a major Strip hotel group will “take back” one of the nightclubs if the IRS announces charges and indictments in the next 60-days. “They simply don’t want any more outside operators having no accountability running these cash cows.” I was told. “ No decision has yet been made by another hotel group about its nightclub operations. The plans are in place though that if the IRS bombshell drops that will be the moment the hotel claims ownership of the club because of lease violations.”

Meantime, yet another new nightclub is entering the Strip wars -- but this time its purely old-fashioned rock and roll. Miami’s Rok venue is taking over Rita Rudner’s former cabaret theater space at NY-NY with a resident video jockey. Rok’s intimate setting will be dedicated to rock music mashups and rock-inspired imagery on the most advanced video system in the world. Guests will be surrounded by concert footage, lasers, animation, unparalleled lighting effects and live club feeds. Apparently the VJ choreographs the images to the rock sets – all created by production designer Vello Virkhaus who has executed video projects for Coldplay, 50 Cent and Bon Jovi. Many rock music icons will be featured in 3D lenticular images! “It will be totally different than any other club in Vegas because of the interior and the vibe. It’s the first time real rock and roll music has been done as a plush upscale nightclub. It’s a one of a kind experience,” said Cynthia Kiser Murphey, NY-NY president.

In another developing economic downdraft story, I’m also reliably told that financing has dried up for one Vegas resort hotel group that was planning to put two of its other out of town properties into a new Strip construction project. “Two of their successful boutique hotels with nightlife ultra lounges were planned alongside as an integrated part of the much larger resort complex -– but the big banks and Wall Street folks have simply iced the financing.” I was told. “They’re out. They pulled the money commitments last week and where it leaves the large casino company overseeing the ambitious project is anybody’s guess at this moment-- but it’s a major loss and disappointment.”

SNEAK PREVIEW OF CINEVEGAS FILM FESTIVAL MOVIE:

With the 10th anniversary CineVegas Film Festival about to open in some 72 hours, it’s time for Luxe Life to look at some of the movies expected to be breakout success stories. On Friday artistic director Trevor Groth ran down all the stars and Hollywood heavyweights coming in for the premieres and screenings. He’s particularly excited about a special screening of Takashi Anamashi’s animation film Planting the Seeds that will be shown on the back waterfall wall of the Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas. Trevor told me, “He is one of the hottest artists in the world right now. To be able to bring him here and present his animated film, as a part of CIneVegas is a really cool element to the festival. He is from the fine art world. He doesn’t come from traditional animation but he has always loved it. He has been a fan of Hiyomi Mizaki and the huge anime filmmakers. He took influence from the traditional style, but created his own world. It is something different than any other film festival and he has never been a part of any festival before ours”

That unique event takes place on Monday of next week (June 16), and two of the neighboring Wynn restaurants have even created special movie menus for the one-night only occasion. Chefs David Walzog (SW Steakhouse) and Wesley Holton (Daniel Boulud Brasserie) have each created an exclusive three-course dining and show package. David is a three-time nominee for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef award and is soon to appear in culinary combat on the Food Network’s wildly popular Iron Chef series. Wesley is recent recipient of the coveted Michelin Star (Michelin Las Vegas 2008) and was most recently named a “Chef to Watch” by our food critic colleague Max Jacobson.

Trevor is also excited about the closing night’s film, which in a sense reflects Vegas as being magic headquarters for the world. Trevor jokingly explained: “ I think the Strip magicians have influenced my thought process by sending brainwaves. Seriously, I have always loved the idea of incorporating elements of the city into the festival so we have The Great Buck Howard with John Malkovich and Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt and Tom Hanks. It is about the Great Kreskin who preformed in Vegas. You have to see this film. They capture the spirit of those guys. We have the world premiere of Women in Boxes which is the first and only documentary that disclosers the secret lives of magicians assistants.

“We also have a section of films that we are calling Vegas Uncovered. There are 2 documentaries. One is Where I Stand directed by Scott Goldstein about crusading Vegas Las Vegas Sun publisher Hank Greenspun (the Greenspun family owns this Web site). It really embraces films about the city and the people who have made it. Greenspun is a legend in Vegas, but people outside of Vegas don’t know his name. When they see this film and learn the impact he had, it will open some eyes. Anthony Hopkins, who was here last year with Slipstream is an integral part of the Greenspun documentary.

“The other documentary in that section is called, ‘All Together Now,’ which is behind the scenes look at Love. I have always been a hug fan of Cirque and never had any idea what went into the making of these shows. Of all the ones to have the curtains lifted that is the one I really wanted. You really see what went into it, what it took to bring Love to life as the ultimate Beatles musical. We are hopeful that Guy, Sir George and Giles Martin will be here with the Beatles cast on Wednesday of next week (June 18). We always strive to show films that take risks because that is what Vegas is all about. All Together Now clearly demonstrates this risk taking spirit and it’s a faithful recount of how the Love project came to be and born from the personal friendship between George Harrison and Guy Laliberte, Cirque’s founder. It wasn’t all ‘plain sailing’ and there has been no attempt t disguise some of the disagreements –- the creative differences -- regarding how some of the songs would be portrayed visually. Vegas screens the movie first before it is released on DVD later this year for worldwide distribution.

Trevor tipped me to the Hunter Thompson movie that will be shown at the Palms: “To have seen him in Las Vegas, such an iconic figure and fascinating journalist, to have had him here was a highlight. That former documentary was a snapshot into his contemporary life; this new one Gonzo -- the Life and Work of Dr. Hunter Thompson -- is a history of the man and his influence. It just premiered at Sundance and I am very proud to show this in Las Vegas as a tribute to the man who was very influential on me. He was one of the 20th century’s greatest writers -– he was that brilliant. I believe he tapped into a force in the universe that not too many people were able to do. He pushed himself and life as far as one can. It gave him strength to challenge status quos and conventions. He made people question things in a way that not too many people are doing. The media is a lot more passive these days. He would go on the campaign trail and Hell’s Angels. He lived life on the edge.”

The artistic director is predicting success for two “sleeper” films hidden amongst the festival’s gold nuggets: “There is one film called Big Heart City directed by Van Rodkin. It stars Seymour Casell and Sean Andrews it really harkens back to cinema in the ’70’s with this complex character study. It is about a gambling addict who tries to get his life back together. I think it shows a very gifted director. The other film that is going to shake people up is called Memorial Day directed by Josh Fox. It is intense examination of our culture in terms of it’s excess and what people do in front of the cameras and how they act inhuman in times in front of the camera. Its as if reality TV has come to the movies. A little bit of ‘girls gone wild’ and it gets into the issues within the war and they follow some soldiers from a Florida town to an Iraq situation. It is very serious and heavy. They had a loose script but a lot was improvised. It is a very tragic docudrama.”

Trevor summed up when I asked how CineVegas now ranks in standing among the more established worldwide festivals: “There is always room for growth. I just returned from Cannes, where I was promoting the films that we are showing and meeting people about the festival. There was an excitement there about CineVegas that I had never felt before. People were seeking me out to learn more about the festival, and our guest list is twice what it has ever been. I do think we have grown to a point where we are right on par with another festival just below Sundance, with the quality of films that we are showing and level of interest. Our Jackpot premieres will define the festival this year. It is what the press will pick up on and there are world premieres that make the festival pop and I am proud to be supporting these filmmakers.”

Tomorrow, Luxe Life will feature our exclusive interview with CineVegas film festival chairman, actor Dennis Hopper who has just returned from filming in Europe and attending the prestigious commercial Cannes Film Festival. On Wednesday we’ll have our day-by-day diary with the complete listing of the films being shown and where you’ll find all the stars.

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