Comic Burn

Rome, April 28 (Reuters): A spy comedy by Oscar-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen starring George Clooney, John Malkovich and Brad Pitt will open this year’s Venice film festival, organisers said today.

The film, whose working title is Burn After Reading, tells the story of a former CIA agent whose memoirs fall into the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees. Also in the cast are Oscar-winning actresses Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand, who is married to Joel Coen.

The Coen brothers, who have built their career and a loyal cult following as Hollywood outsiders, won a joint Oscar this year for their work directing No Country for Old Men.

Free single

London (Reuters): Coldplay will give away the first single from their new album for free over the Internet, the British band said on its website. A note posted on www.coldplay.com says that fans can download Violet Hill, from the album Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, free for one week from 1115 GMT on Tuesday. The album will be launched in Britain on June 12. Coldplay also announced two free shows — one at London’s Brixton Academy on June 16 and another at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 23. A seven-inch vinyl version of Violet Hill will also be given away on the cover if the music weekly NME on May 7.

Beau party

Thermal, California (AP): Carmen Electra showed off her fiance and black diamond engagement ring, while the Hilton sisters frolicked with their beaus at an exclusive Coachella after-party. Paris Hilton and Benji Madden arrived just before midnight, greeting DJ Steve Aoki with hugs at an airport hanger transformed into a makeshift nightclub about 13 km from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday. While Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg held court in a corner booth at the party, Electra and Rob Peterson wandered with their hands firmly clasped together.

Mel film

Mexico City (AP): Mel Gibson has visited a prison in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz where local officials say he is scouting locations for a new movie. Veracruz’s state cinema director says Gibson’s team is looking for film locations although he says “there is no script” yet. Gibson has declined to explain what he is doing.