Al Gore Says He's Still 'Not Planning' to Run for President

Al Gore | A-Listers: They Eat, Too!

Former Vice President Al Gore says he’s still not planning to run for president. That’s how he put it last night at the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival when I suggested that he was just waiting and watching Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle it out until September when he, Gore, would jump into the race.

Gore narrowed his eyes and looked straight at me. “I’m not planning to do that,” he said.

And what about rumors of Gore for President groups starting to mobilize?

“Oh, that,” he said, rolling his eyes. He didn’t quite say, 'That’s not true.' He came close, but it wasn’t a total denial.

Maybe this is the new Gore. He’s wily now. And thinner. Even though he was wearing all black, you could tell that the man who won the popular vote in the 2000 election is getting himself in shape for something. Who knows what?

Meantime, Gore’s appearance at the Tribeca opening night was in honor of his Live Earth concerts planned worldwide for July 7.

You see, his Oscar-winning film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” has propelled Gore into a whole new strata, and he’s enjoying rock-star status. He’s even dressing like one, in all black — suit, shirt — with no tie. It’s Al Gore as Johnny Cash hanging out in downtown New York. Cool.

Gore’s appearance and speech about global change was a magnet for heavyweights last night, too. A real rock star, Jon Bon Jovi surprised the audience with a mini-concert of three songs following the showing of nine short films about the environment, speeches by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Martin Scorsese and a little comedy routine with Jimmy Fallon playing Scorsese’s brother, “Artie.”

The nine films were mostly downbeat, poetic musings on global climate change and so earnestly somber that they made you want to go out and buy a gas guzzler. But another surprise, a long short from Rob Reiner featuring a reunited Spinal Tap, was hilarious and well-received. The faux rock group has agreed to play at one of the Live Earth shows, for real.

In his new film, Reiner — returning as Spinal Tap’s documentarian from 25 years ago — catches up with Michael McKean’s character David St. Hubbins, now running a hip-hop management company in the back of a colonic irrigation clinic; Harry Shearer’s Derek, who’s in rehab for Internet addiction; and Chris Guest’s Nigel, raising miniature ponies.

My favorite exchange: When the group explains to Reiner — who wonders where heavy metal fans are today — that it’s very popular “among detainees” aka prisoners in places like Guantanamo Bay who are played it night and day, often very loudly.

“Aren’t you worried that it’s really being used for torture?” Reiner asks.

I’m assuming the Spinal Tap film will be shown somewhere on July 7, but since the Live Earth people don’t return phone calls, we’ll have to see.

And what about Bon Jovi? He and wife, Dorothea, stopped in later at the Winter Garden for the festival after-party to take pics with Al and Tipper Gore and accept kudos for his stunning arrangements of George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and his own “Living on a Prayer.”

And just in case you were wondering: Jurors and higher-ups from the Festival, including beauteous actress Kerry Washington, were being shuttled around all night in Saturn SUV hybrids.

A-Listers: They Eat, Too!

Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter is having the sort of trouble we’d all wish for. While the magazine’s annual Tribeca Film fest dinner looks like it was fun, the guests appear to be the usual suspects from years past: David Bowie, Iman, etc., which is all fine.

But at Carter’s Waverly Inn last night: Brother and sister Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal were dining together in one corner, while Harvey Weinstein and designer/girlfriend Georgina Chapman ate an after-theater meal with “Talk Radio” star Liev Schreiber and pregnant girlfriend, Naomi Watts.

Famed former New York restaurateur Brian McNally — who invented New York nightlife with Odeon, Indochine and 44, among others — told us he’s living in Saigon right now and opening a place there.

Damon Dash was outside making a phone call, while his wife, designer Rachel Roy, looking extraordinary in one of her own raincoats, got settled at a table.

The Waverly has sure changed! I remember when people just went there to sit in front of the fireplaces! Now the whole place is on fire!