Paths of Gory

We talk to Emile Hirsch and Vince Vaughn about flyin' solo at the premiere of their new flick and dish on which celeb didn't make the VIP cut at a recent event. Plus, more deets on the guy Lindsay Lohan reportedly got very friendly with in rehab—and our bitchin' Blind Vice!

You will not believe (or, perhaps, guess) who's shooting off his filthy potty mouth in this week’s Blind Vice—but meanwhile, that other talented bad boy, Sean Penn, has been working on what he does even better than act up: get others to act. Into the Wild, Penn's new flick, which he both wrote and directed, is about a recent college grad who donates his savings to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to go, uh, find himself.

This, instead of, say, apply for entry-level labor, guess that was the only other choice. The movie’s based on a true story (and Jon Krakauer's bestselling book), and Emile Hirsch stars as the character who has got a serious case of wanderlust. E-babe lost 40 pounds for the part, so we were hoping the dude might have fab secret diet tips or somethin’. I mean, wouldn’t you wonder the same thing?

“This is the sad, boring truth: It’s all diet and exercise,” he fessed 'bout dropping pounds. No crash diets? No crazy insane workouts? “Diet and exercise,” he reiterated. Blah but probably true. Not only did the 5’6'' Em get down to 115 for the part, but he did some pretty intense action shots with no stunt double. So, what scene was scariest?

“Doing rapids on the Colorado River was pretty nerve-wracking, but working with a grizzly bear was also kinda scary,” the pint-size actor admitted, and I don’t think he was referring to director Penn. “You never know what a grizzly bear is going to do next. It’s an interesting actor to work in a scene with...You’re always worried about them improvising!”

 

True that…bet Sacha Baron Cohen feels your pain on that one.

Jena Malone (who has worked with Julia Roberts and Mandy Moore yet still somehow retains her indie queen title) told us she went through a "give it all up" phase of her own. “Yeah, I sorta did that when I was 18,” she fessed. “I moved away to Lake Tahoe, shaved my head, went to community college.” Apparently, Jena beat Britney Spears to the buzz cut, who knew?

Jena also gabbed about whether being by your lonesome is scary or sweet.

“It appeals to me 100 percent,” she espoused. “I think the idea to not be lonely when you’re alone is a very important lesson for every human to learn. If that’s one thing you learn in life, you’re very well off.”

Just don’t expect to see Vince Vaughn, who’s also in the adventure flick, going on any solo sojourns anytime soon. “It doesn’t scare me,” Jennifer Aniston’s ex was quick to add when we asked if going it solo appeals to him. “It’s just not something I’m necessarily overly interested in doing. But at that age, I think we can all relate to wanting to go question things and explore.”

We meant it more in the attached-and-tied-down vs. swinging-single sense than the road-warrior way Vince interpreted, but as Mr. Vee does seem a tad lost these days without his overly coiffed BFF Jen (that’s for Best Furry Friend, by the by), we’ll take what we can get.

Also dashing down the carpet, but not talking to press at all, were Penn himself (though he did stop to check out a gorgeous blonde, and I don’t mean wifey Robin Wright Penn, strutting her usual snit-ass mood), Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci and Bill Paxton.

A missing guest we simply do not understand was Britney Spears, who opted for lame-ass Hyde on this very night. Clearly, the Alaska dinner-theater-and-club circuit is Brit-Brit’s next death-defying journey, so she shoulda been here taking copious notes.

• So, Tony Allen, the dude Lindsay Lohan reportedly spent mucho quality time with during rehab at Cirque, has gone on the record saying he and LiLo were never “romantically involved” and are "great friends.” That’s good to hear, as he's obvs married with two twin babies, I hear. Also interesting is that while most media are listing Tony’s age as 35, our rehab robin swears he’s actually far more fortysomething. Ewww, L-girl, that would be like having sex with your mother! Isn’t she in your biz enough as it is?

• Crooner Nick Cannon encountered some turbulence at the velvet VIP ropes of Maxim’s Style Awards Tuesday night. The event was held at the Avalon, which has a downstairs section for plebian peeps, as well as an upstairs section for celebs and other semi-VIPs. Well, Nick rolled in with a guy friend and two gals (neither was fiancée Selita Ebanks), and the former musical boy tried to enter said sanctuary. No go, as the bouncer apparently informed Nick he didn’t have the proper wristband for royal access.

To his credit, Nick was rather calm. No “Don’t you know who I am?” rantin’ 'n' ravin'. Nick & Co. waited patiently by the steps for a good 10 minutes, probably hoping a publicist or handler might magically appear with the magical wristbands. No such luck. Finally, Mr. Cee and his crew gave up and headed elsewhere. He looked none too pleased, as Nick was one of the bigger celebs there among the D-listers littering the joint, but we give him props for keeping his cool. So very un-Jesse Metcalfe of him!