Look for Melissa Paulo, a member of a noted Hawaii musical family, in the comedy "Sex Tape," starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, which opens Friday. "It’s fun, exciting and pushes boundaries," Melissa said after seeing the premiere. Melissa plays one of Segel’s co-workers. She said most of her role was cut and she wound up in only one scene. However, she was with the stars and key cast members who walked the red carpet at the film’s premiere July 10 at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif. (Read the "Sex Tape" review on D1).
Melissa, 28, was born and raised in Los Angeles and lives there. Her parents are sax player Michael and Terri Paulo. She comes here at least once a year and visits her grandparents, pianist Rene and singer Akemi Paulo. She has appeared in other pictures, including "Star Trek Into Darkness," and has had roles in TV shows and appeared in several commercials. …
Melissa’s dad will be part of the LA All-Star Band July 26 featuring guitarist Peter White at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel’s Magic of Polynesian Showroom, 8:45 p.m. Gregg Karukas will be on piano. Michael’s company, Apaulo Music Productions, and Sheraton Waikiki are presenting. Go to apaulomusic.com or call 951-696-0184 for tickets. …
Energetic Nora Meijide Gentry, one of Hawaii’s best-known Argentines, was down after Sunday’s World Cup soccer final but picked herself up. "It was sad but that’s the way it is," she said after Germany beat Argentina, 1-0, in overtime. "They tried their best, but it was destiny." As late as July 10, Nora was mulling over flying to Brazil for the match. She wound up watching it at the Outrigger Canoe Club, wearing Argentine team attire, with daughter Candes Meijide Gentry, a singer and former Miss Hawaii. Candes took the photo of Nora for this column just before the overtime period started.
"Although the game didn’t end up as we had hoped, we enjoyed watching while the players competed for the game of their life," Candes said. "There was no lack of Argentine pride as we prayed for Lionel Messi (named tournament best player) and Team Argentina, waiting and hoping to be able to call out ‘gooooooooal’ as they do in Argentina when a score is made. Although Argentina did not win, they played an incredibly strong and smart game and we are proud to be Argentine, today and every day!" …
BUMMER: I walked into Melissa McCarthy’s "Tammy" expecting to see something like "The Heat," her extremely funny picture co-starring Sandra Bullock. But "Tammy" was so disappointing I almost walked out before it was over. Even a strong cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Dan Aykroyd, Allison Janney, Toni Collette and Sandra Oh couldn’t save the picture for me because the silliness was so overdone, way over the top. I blame it on McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone. They co-wrote the screenplay, Falcone directed it and also has a role. McCarthy plays a sloppy, vulgar fast-food worker who gets fired in a wild and crazy scene early in the movie that is the show’s high point.
I wish I had gone instead to see "Jersey Boys," the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, directed by Clint Eastwood, that singer Al Waterson is raving about, or "Chef" with Jon Favreau that Murphy’s waitress Jan Diehl, with whom I often discuss films, says is more than tasty …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
