Clooney rips into film critic

Berlin — George Clooney reacted with a stream of invective when a journalist called the actor’s latest film — the box office flop “Solaris” — “boring” after it was screened at the Berlin Film Festival, Reuters.com reports.

Clooney was answering questions at a news conference late on Saturday when a reporter rose to say the film was boring.

“I find you fascinating,” Clooney said, responding to the Turkish journalist’s remarks on the film, which got mixed reviews in the United States.

“You crack me up, man. You just wanted to get up and be a rat, you know that? You just wanted to get up and say something rotten,” Clooney said. “What a jerk! I mean honestly, you know, what a (expletive) thing to say!”

“Solaris,” directed by Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh, is one of 22 films in the running for the “Golden Bear” prize at the Berlin film festival that opened Thursday.

San Francisco the next Hollywood

“Star Wars” creator George Lucas hopes a $300 million special effects campus for his film company will help San Francisco rival Hollywood.

“San Francisco’s always had a quality of filmmaking that most people haven’t been able to recognize, we always get shoved under the title ‘Hollywood,’ ” Lucas said Saturday at the project’s groundbreaking.

“I think this will begin to put a stake in the ground for San Francisco as a filmmaking community, as a creator of world cinema.”

Detroit sole site of rapper’s tour

Rapper Eminem plans only one U.S. concert this year, and it will be in his hometown of Detroit.

Also appearing at the July 12 show at the new downtown football stadium will be Missy Elliott and 50 Cent.

“His entire North American tour takes place at Ford Field,” Rick Franks of Clear Channel Entertainment told the Detroit Free Press. “We look at it as the highlight of the summer.”

‘Xena’ fans ever loyal

Pasadena, Calif. — Her television adventures may be over, but “Xena: Warrior Princess” still attracts a crowd.

A talk by the princess warrior herself, actress Lucy Lawless, was the highlight of the annual Xena Convention, which ended Sunday and was expected to draw 5,000 over three days. The TV show’s final episode aired two years ago.

Appearing with Lawless on Saturday evening was Renee O’Connor, who played “Xena” sidekick Gabrielle.