Artist-turned-director Julian Schnabel latest film, Miral, based on Rula Jebreal's novel about growing up as an orphaned Palestinian girl after the Arab-Israeli conflict, premiered earlier this week at the United Nations, in spite of the American Jewish Committee's attempt to shut it down. The AJC believed the movie's goal was to portray Israel in a "negative light," leading the film's distributor Harvey Weinstein and Schnabel, who are both Jewish, to encourage protesters to see the movie first; Schnabel also said, "I love the State of Israel. I believe in it, and my film is about preserving it, not hurting it. Understanding is part of the Jewish way and Jewish people are supposed to be good listeners. But, if we don’t listen to the other side, we can never have peace." more ›

It's tiny violin time again: In order to keep up appearances, more and more elites are reduced to borrowing money against their precious art collections. Today the Times has an intriguing look inside New York's biggest fine art "pawn shop," the aptly-named "Art Capital Group," which expects to make $120 million in art-related loans in 2009, up from $80 million in 2008. The way it works is a desperate rich person agrees to sign over his or her most valuable possessions in exchange for a loan, and if they don't pay up, Art Capital takes away their Rembrandts and Warhols. What's funny is how Art Capital co-owner Ian Peck brags to the Times about how "very discreet" his company is, and then the Times finds all sorts of details on clients like Julian Schnabel (pictured) and Annie Leibovitz, who has apparently fallen on such hard times that she's pawned off the rights to all of her photographs, past and future, in exchange for $15 million. Meanwhile, on Monday, less disadvantaged swells dropped a collective $264 million on Yves Saint Laurent's art collection. For the rest of us, there's free pancakes at IHOP until 10 p.m. today, assuming there's any left after Schnabel's done. more ›

There are some disturbing photos over at Curbed, somewhat reminiscent of that horrific image from E.T. where the alien's seemingly lifeless, pale body is found in the gutter. Julian Schnabel's Palazzo Chupi is losing its color! It seems like just yesterday it was generating rainbows, but now the site reports, "Its skin is peeling and it looks like there are some deep gashes over its eyes. It's also screaming out in pain, but in a high-pitched frequency only our ears are attuned to. Permits just posted on the Department of Buildings website mention the scaffold erection and sidewalk shed, but the extent of Chupi's care is unclear." more ›

A reader sent in this photo, taken Sunday evening, of which he says, "My friends and I debated whether it had in actuality landed on Julian Schnabel's apartment, or if it was simply radiating from the very core of his being thru an open window." Clearly it's the latter. That, or rainbows are like a Bat Signal for Schnabel and he was needed back at Chupi immediately regarding a buyer for the triplex penthouse. more ›

In 2006, Lou Reed revived his album Berlin by performing it in its entirety with a small orchestra for five sold-out shows at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. The 1973 album, which riffs on themes of drugs, love and suicide, was a commercial failure when it came out; Lester Bangs described it as “the bastard progeny of a drunken flaccid tumble between Tennessee Williams and Hubert (Last Exit From Brooklyn) Selby, Jr.” more ›

If you've been following the Julian Schnabel-branded apartment building, Palazzo Chupi, then you might be interested to learn that the remaining two units went on the market today. What's not good enough for Bono and Madonna may just be good enough for you! So if you've had your savings earmarked for that perfectly pink West Village apartment that you can call home, The NY Times has the listing and Curbed has the floorplan; here are some highlights: more ›

• Perhaps the big surprise (besides Juno getting nominated for Best Director and Best Picture) was Ruby Dee for her work in American Gangster (its only other nomination was for art direction)

Due to the Writer's Guild of America strike, Hollywood's party, the Golden Globes Awards were transformed from a boozy, fun dinner party to a press conference where presenters from entertainment programs like Extra! and E! News got to announce the winners. Yes, it was as painful as it sounded (Giuliana Rancic, it's not about you); many said they couldn't believe they were announcing the winners but said they would prefer it with the stars. Inside Edition's Jim Moret struck a classy note when he acknowledged the Hollywood Foreign Association (the organization that doles out the Golden Globes) President Jorge Camara. more ›

EVENT: Julian Schnabel will be screening clips from his latest flick, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly tonight. Lou Reed, who Schnabel recently documented in Lou Reed’s Berlin, will also be on hand. 7pm // Apple Store [103 Prince St] // Free READING: The Desk Set's "Drinks with an Author" series continues tonight at Greenpoint's WORD. This evening chat with Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer, authors of How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter... more ›

It appears the rumors of autumn's demise have been greatly exaggerated and you're going to have to start wearing a jacket outside after all. But the change of seasons is not without its perks; there are those hot winter drinks to look forward to, and a number of bars around town offer the perfect accompaniment for your hot toddy: a crackling fireplace. Below are some of New York's best places to chill out on a... more ›

Tonight marks the beginning of the Film Society at Lincoln Center's 45th annual New York Film Festival and oh what a jam-packed fest it is. A panel of film critics chose 30 of the best new international movies to show to New York's discerning audiences and they picked hometown director Wes Anderson's newest, (which also comes out in theaters this weekend) to open the festival. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A boat in distress at the Roosevelt Island Bridge, a homicide on Howard in Brooklyn, and a stabbing on Jamaica Avenue and 161st Street in Queens
• Hillary Clinton out-fund-raises Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama in New York, which makes sense since she's been building her donor list as a Senator from New York.
• The big mystery of NYC: Where the middle class live.
• A man was fatally hit by a car on 54th Street between the West Side Highway and 11th Avenue; he apparently darted into traffic "to relieve himself on the side of the street."
• Is a honey bear in shoe-bomber Richard Reid's cell a deadly weapon? Maybe.
• Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas ate 173 Buffalo wings in 12 minutes, winning Buffalo's National Buffalo Wing Festival. Still, Nathan's Hot Dog eating champ Joey Chesnutt holds the record, eating 7.5 pounds of wings in 12 minutes (Thomas's 173 wings is about 5.17 pounds).
• In the wake of three people arraigned for their $5 million pot operation in Long Island, Newsday reports feds made 40% more indoor pot-farm busts between 2001 and 2006.
• If you find yourself near Chester, NJ, the Stony Hill Farm Market has a corn maze in the shape of the Manhattan skyline where you can also learn about Manhattan history!
• In addition to derision, there's much confusion about Julian Schnabel's pink palace, dubbed Palazzo Chupi.
• Nanny Diaries directors Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer-Berman explain the difficulties of filming an "apartment porn" movie to NYU: "[Robert] was like, 'I don’t know where you are, where are you guys,' we were like, 'We’re by the kitchen,' he was like, 'Which kitchen? There’s three kitchens.' It was crazy."