The David O. Russell / Lily Tomlin videos that leaked recently have become the indie world's equivalent of the Paris Hilton sex tape - incendiary and illicitly thrilling. The blogosphere's exposure of the clips prompted Tomlin to laugh off her conflict with Russell, and George Clooney - who famously clashed with Russell on Three Kings and is the rumored co-leaker of the clips, along with sound mixer Edward Tise - denies the charge and has offered $1m to anyone who can link him to the release of the clips.
Russell himself has been notably silent, yet this week there are reports that he is having problems with Vince Vaughn during pre-production on The H-Man Cometh, and there have been widespread snickers at the announcement yesterday that Russell's subsequent project will be Sammy's Hill, a political satire adapted from the book by Al Gore's daughter, Kristin. Quite how much 'Lilygate' has harmed him will only become clear after the dust has settled.
Interestingly enough, most people seem less interested in the tapes in the context of the decline (or otherwise) of Russell's career, and have viewed them more as a cultural phenomenon to be enjoyed and subverted. Below I am embedding for your enjoyment a 'remix' from Youtuber Deadasoren...
...and Paul Rudd and Michael Showalter delightfully re-enacting the conflict for their - and our - enjoyment.
