Brad, Jen Attend Oscar Parties Separately

Split Pitts | Quentin Clarifies | Another Foster Loss

The Oscars? They’re interesting but not as fascinating apparently as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

Last night they attended a fundraiser for the Motion Picture Home at the Beverly Hills Hotel, but separately, not together. They stayed away from each other all night, according to my sources.

Similarly, on Friday night the estranged husband and wife were each seen at a Hollywood agent’s party, but again were not together and remained quite a bit apart.

The party last night, thrown by DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, was intriguing as much for who was there as who wasn't.

For example, while the party by the pool raged on, several Hollywood A-listers and bold-faced names dined upstairs at the Polo Lounge, oblivious to the fundraiser.

Among them: Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn, Don Johnson, and Tim Robbins. They all ate with MTV Networks’ John Sykes, and then took off for the bar at the Bel Age Hotel, where smoking is allowed.

Also at the Polo Lounge: Donald and Melania Trump, as well as the parents of Paris Hilton, plus Sean "P. Diddy" Combs in a beautiful pearl gray suit, Dominick Dunne, Claudia Cohen, and Sony Pictures Classics’ Michael Barker.

Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter also ate at the Polo Lounge with writer Fran Lebowitz. Evidently they were not Katzenberg’s guests either. Lebowitz spent most of her time on the patio smoking.

But here’s the best story of the night regarding Katzenberg’s annual round up. A few days ago, I’m told, he convinced director Brett Ratner to pony up tens of thousands of dollars as a donation to the Motion Picture Home. Ratner dutifully sent off his check. But last night Ratner was turned away at the door, unable to join the party. Why? Someone had used his name and had taken his tickets to the event. The security guards refused to permit his entry, so Ratner –- miffed –-repaired to the Polo Lounge with friends.

"He did everything to convince them," says a source. "He even showed them I.D. and they still wouldn’t let him in."

Ratner, who will let the check clear as a Villa Donor at the Home, is not happy with Katzenberg.

Meanwhile, all the patrons of the pool party, including Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, Ellen Degeneres, etc., left clutching their souvenirs for the night: iPods. Even Brad and Jen got theirs. And there was some kind of raffle, too. Imagine all these people who make seven figure salaries vying for iPods.

Quentin Clarifies: Acts With Lisa Marie

Quentin Tarantino did not direct Lisa Marie Presley's new video as I reported yesterday. He appears in it. That’s a big difference. A glitch in the communicating of information yesterday had Tarantino at the helm of "Dirty Laundry." He isn't.

Jodie Foster Loses Plum Job Again

Jodie Foster's directing project, "Flora Plum," has not ripened on the vine once again. She told me yesterday at the Independent Spirit Awards that "Flora Plum" is dead for the second time.

The first time was because Russell Crowe hurt his shoulder. Now the circus movie has been cancelled, Foster said, "because we lost the cast."

"But think when it is made: I’ll be able to tell the story of how it took ten years," Foster said with an ironic tone.

Meanwhile, Foster (a double Oscar winner) stars in “Flight Plan,” scheduled for release this fall.

The Spirit Awards, by the way, were full of stars including Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard who sported matching close crew cuts. Since Peter dates Jake’s sister Maggie, I wondered if that was the connection.

"No," Peter assured me. "It’s because we're shooting a military movie, 'Jarheads.'" The Sam Mendes directed film also stars Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Sam Rockwell.

Sarsgaard, nominated for his work in "Kinsey," told me that when "Jarheads" is done he will take a long break. "I’ve done three movies back to back," he said. "That’s enough."